Chapter 1.34

Chapter 1.34- Cross a Line

            “You have no idea how lucky you are,” Galen had followed Arden’s brother Thorne Swanson home while she was at her Art Club after school. “My mother will never let a laptop into the house.”

            A grunt was the only response Thorne made as he bent over his homework.

            “Really, man,” Galen looked wistfully at the bit of technology sitting in front of him, teasing him, taunting him, calling his name. “I’d just about kill to get one.”

            “And yet you’re planning on living with your parents after graduation?” Thorne answered. “Dude, self-falgellation won’t get you to Simvana.”

            “Do you even know what flagellation means?”

            “Dude, do you know how annoying you sound pining over a computer?”

            “Hey, don’t knock it. You’ve never gone without, you don’t know what it’s like.”

            “Without a computer?” Thorne shook his head at Galen. “Dude. Seriously. It’s a computer. Not food. ‘Sides, thought you were gonna get your sister to be the one to live with the ‘rents.”

            “I haven’t been able to get to that point yet. I’ve only now managed to get her interested in someone, no thanks to you.”

            “Tried man,” Thorne responded. “Tried. Arden is still mad I didn’t manage to make it with her.”

            “Hah hah!” Galen laughed. “Yeah! She went for that Loner Lau instead of you, my muscled friend!”

            “Maybe I should have gone over to your house instead of had her here? I dunno. Sucks. But now you’re the one stuck with him for the rest of his life.”

            “Not so fast,” Galen tried to interrupt too late. “With Layla sticking around for her boyfriend, Arden and I can get our own house and leave those two with mom and dad. We’ll only come by once a week or so.”

            “When did Arden cook that one up?”

            “When she found out Layla had finally accepted a date,” Galen said without thinking. “Hey! Arden doesn’t ‘cook stuff up!’”

            His face softening, Galen prepared to expound on his girlfriend’s many virutes. Noticing what was about to happen, Thorne rolled his eyes. There was good reason he usually avoided hanging around with his sister and Galen. At the best of times Arden was a nightmare, and Galen was empty headed enough to go along with whatever she wanted without question.

            “Arden knows that Layla can’t take care of my parents on our own,” even Galen’s voice was dewy. “And you can’t take care of your parents on your own, so we’ll help both of you whenever we can!”

            With a slam of the front door, Galen’s fair maid entered the scene. Thorne moved over to check his Simsbook page on the laptop next to him.

            Arden went to peer over Thorne’s shoulder checking the latest on the feeds to make sure she wasn’t behind on any gossip. Finally, Galen couldn’t stand it any longer and went around the table to hug her.

            “Arden, explain to Thorne how we’re going to help him with your parents,” Galen pled. “He seems to think it’s all a joke.”

            “What rotten weather outside,” Arden ignored Galen’s plea. “They ought to outlaw this drizzly fog! It makes my hair all frizzy.”

            “Really, sweetheart,” Galen tried to get Arden to pay attention to him. “Thorne laughed when I told him we’d be taking turns helping with parents. Mine and yours.”

            A smile equal parts acid and sneer crept across Arden’s face.

            “Don’t listen to Thorne,” she smirked. “He’s just upset that your sister didn’t pick him. Now he’s got nobody to take to the movies on Friday nights when even that Loser Lau has someone.”

            A light bulb went on in Galen’s head.

            “Oooooohhhhhh,” He nodded. Arden was always able to explain everything so that it made so much sense.

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            At lunch that day, Anthony had invited Layla over to his house after school. She had been tempted, incredibly tempted, to say no. Generally, she used the time after homework to wander around looking for more gemstones and metals to sell to the jeweler.

            But there had been a look in his eye that she couldn’t refuse. It was like when he had asked her to dance. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

            And so Layla found herself in the Lau home, eyes roving over the rather frilly decorating job with Anthony and his sister Amie.

            “So, um,” Layla scrambled for words. She hated talking in front of people she knew didn’t like her. And Amie really didn’t like Layla. Amie and Layla’s other enemy Selena were now close friends. “Uh, you have a really nice house. It’s big!”

            In the background Amie snorted, making Anthony frown at her.

            “Thanks,” Anthony responded heartily as his sister got up. Hopefully she’d heard enough and would leave the room. “My mom has this ridiculous notion that she wants enough kids to fill a house. Dad says she picked this house so she could have lots of kids.”

            Nodding, Layla put on a weak smile. Why wouldn’t Amie leave the room?

            Layla couldn’t meet Anthony’s eyes any longer. Instead, she studied the baseboards, the parquet, the little topiary on the table, the stains on the wallpaper.

            The next thing she heard, unfortunately, was not calculated to make her feel any better either.

            “What do you usually do after school?” Anthony asked heartily for the benefit of Amie. “Other than homework I mean. I know you do that after school.”

            Really? An open-ended question? She was supposed to improvise about what she did after school?

            Layla gaped at Anthony. After a few seconds though, she caught his look. He was trying to get her to say something, anything. Then it dawned on her. If Amie had something important to tell Selena, she would leave quickly wouldn’t she?

            Gasping, Layla launched.

            “Yes! Yes, I do stuff after school. I love to go outside! I go outside a lot. I go fishing sometimes. My Dad taught me,” Layla rambled stiffly.

            After brightening when she finally said something, it was Anthony’s turn to gape. ‘I go outside?’ Amie would never leave. Worse, she might start thinking Layla was a bit simple.

            Behind Layla, Amie was rocking with silent giggles.

            “I like the solitude,” Layla finally started to find her stride. “It’s so peaceful and quiet. Sometimes I’ll even pack some food, hike somewhere remote, and do my homework out there. The open-ness of it all sometimes wraps me up. It’s really freeing to be able to do whatever and not have anyone watching you, or listening to you. Just nature and you. Maybe you should come with me sometime. Then we can be alone.”

            Anthony struggled to keep his face impassive. His widened eyes were a give-away though. Seems like Layla had had enough and wanted to drop a few not so subtle hints.

Unfortunately, a single glance at Amie showed him that Layla’s attempts to get Amie out of the room hadn’t worked. She still stood in the room, smirking.

There wasn’t much Anthony could do without point-blank telling Amie to leave the room. But if dropping hints and being polite didn’t work, so be it. Time to put on a show and hope Layla didn’t run out the front door.

            “Seeing as my sister won’t leave us alone, maybe we should move to a different room,” Anthony put on his most suggestive expression hoping it worked. “A room where perhaps we’ll have at least a little privacy?”

            Blinking hard, Layla had no problems showing just how worried she was by his behavior. But privacy meant Amie would have to leave them alone. And Anthony had invited her over insinuating that there was something he needed to discuss with her in private. Perhaps he hadn’t known that Amie would be home this afternoon. Should she run or should she stay? What if he had decided to take this “relationship” seriously? Was that why he was acting this way?

            Voice shaking worse than her knees, Layla finally answered. “Alright.”

            With a huff, Amie turned on her heel and marched up the stairs as Anthony guided Layla into the family’s living room.

            “Sorry about her,” Anthony apologized. “She’s actually part of the problem and some of what I asked you here to talk about. It wouldn't do to discuss it at school."

            All talked out for a little bit, Layla nodded, raising her eyebrows.

            “Yeah, um,” nervousness crept into his tone. “Amie has kind of dropped hints that at school people don’t think we’re really in a relationship. She’s trying to pressure me into going on a date with Selena since it doesn’t seem like you and I are exclusive or anything.”

            “So just tell her that we are and ignore her.” Layla wasn’t going to take the bait.

            “It’s not just her,” Anthony was getting a little agitated. “Most of the school has noticed it. Haven’t you listened to the gossip floating around?”

            Layla gave him a blank look. She never listened to gossip if she could help it. She had Phedra for that.

            “You’ve got a couple of boys who are ready to start where Galen left off,” Anthony swallowed hard. “And I’ve now got Selena dropping significant hints about the dance coming up. We’re going to have to start looking like a couple or no one is going to believe us.”

            Shoulders drooping, Layla nodded. She really didn’t want the Galen-Go-Round of boys to start again. But acting like a couple? That might cross a line she didn’t want crossed. It might cross the line into cruel.

            “I know you were only asking me to go on a hike with you because of Amie, but maybe I could go with you a few times,” Anthony looked almost bleak at his own suggestion. “It would get her to spread it around, and then we’re both a little less on the hook.”

            Frowning even deeper, Layla nodded again. That was her time. Her getaway from it all. She needed it to recharge and regroup. How could she do that with Anthony there? They already did homework together several nights a week.

            “I just don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Layla tried to reason. “Don’t get me wrong, I like you Anthony, but I’m afraid that acting like a couple will make one or the other of us think we really are a couple.”

            “You like me, huh?” Anthony teased.

            Eyes flashing, Layla opened her mouth in a snarl. She’d set him right about that right now. He knew what she meant.

            “I’m kidding I’m kidding I’m kidding, just kidding,” Anthony rattled off hoping to neutralize whatever situation he had accidentally started.

            Layla turned her head. Maybe she could handle the parade of boys after all. At least, no one got hurt but herself then.

            A sudden whisper from Anthony froze her thoughts right then. “Amie is at the bottom of the stairs trying to listen. Play along.”

            Eyes darting to the doorway, Layla could just see a shadow through the banister railing.

            “Aw, kitten!” Anthony purred to her, much louder than the voice he’d been using before. “If I had known that, I would have held your hand in the hallways a long time ago!”

            Layla forced a toothy smile and tried to look genuine. In reality, she was devising a number of ways to kill him in her head.

            “Of course, puppy face!” Layla was going to break his knees. “You should know that I want you to hold my hand! Isn’t that what couples do?” She was going to rip his spleen out through his nipple.

            Anthony leaned in toward her. Layla had visions of chaining him to a wall and force-feeding him the hair that she plucked from his scalp and other more tender places a handful at a time.

            Something of her thoughts must have registered in her face because Anthony suddenly backed up with a nervous chuckle.

            Layla licked her lips, widened her eyes and imagined taking her proverbial rib back- with her bare hands. So absorbed in her fantasies of ways to retaliate she only just registered his whisper through his clenched teeth: “It’s not working, brace yourself.” When suddenly-

            Layla’s jaw locked. Eyes closed she clenched her teeth, pursing her lips. Slowly, she moved her right leg back preparing to thrust her knee into his groin. She had just hooked a thumb under his armpit to push him away, readying to kick and run, when he pulled away on his own.

            “Now then, I know you’ve got to get home since curfew is getting close,” Anthony didn’t even let her get a word in. “So I’ll see you tomorrow Kitten. We’ll do our homework together another day.”

            Stunned, Layla turned, ignored Amie, keeping her cool until she was out the door. It was only when the door was firmly closed behind her that she began to run.

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            They're Back! All shall rise up and shout "Huzzah!" at the re-appearance of the Sixkillers!

So that was fun. Lol

Alright, things will look just a little different in the story. I’ve moved the Sixkillers and company to Riverview as I’m a bit partial to the world and my other save had blown to bits. Also, it’s got a similar coloring to the other world and wide open spaces, which I need coming up. 
I've got a few things planned to get Generation 1 wrapped up and moving along, but first things first: See? Galen isn't quite so bad. Has he taken being a doormat to a whole new low? Sure. But in his defense he really does love Arden. He loves Layla too, he just thinks she should do whatever he tells her to.  
Layla? Should never have bowed to peer pressure. Anthony should never have kissed her without her express consent. However, no one ever said teenagers were wise.
Also, yet again, there will be a delay before the next chapter. This week will be a little busy and I have no more pics. Maybe I'll get back on the every other day routine in the future. Maybe I'll just post whenever I have one. lol