Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Chatper 2.37- Too Awful



          Mariah grown up was a fresh source of torture to Layla’s soul. Those eyes haunted her just as Henry’s had. They enhanced her nervous state and made her wish she could turn back the clock and take back everything she’d ever done that might not have been right, or perfect, or wonderful.

          She regretted words to Sally, Cyrus, Ned, Galen, everyone, in short, whom she’d ever spoken too. Her focus no longer was on being the perfect mother, it was on the shortcomings her little girl forced her to see in herself.





          But she couldn’t just call all of them up and apologize. It was too awful, too embarrassing and there were far too many of them she had no way to get in contact with. Others, why would they want to answer the phone if she called?

          If she couldn’t erase her past, how would she be able to change now for her future? She was too awful. Her only consolation was trying to get ahold of Phedra. If she could at least apologize to Phedra, maybe she’d finally get something right.


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          Ignacio had talked Layla into going out for the afternoon, and she still hadn’t returned that evening. Noticing a moment where Mariah wasn’t being hovered over by her mother, Tibi took the opportunity to get to know her little sister a bit better.

          “Now then,” Tibi picked up the feather-light child. “You and I are finally going to get to know each other.”

          “Uver???” Mariah lisped back.

          “Yup! Each other. And the first thing you have to know is…





          “That monsters are real,” Mariah’s eyes grew round as saucers as Tibi continued. “Monsters are everywhere in the world. They can even look just like normal sims.”

          “Monzders?”

          “Yup, Monsters,” Tibi slowed her voice, sighing theatrically. “In fact-”






          “-I think I might be a monster!”

          “No Tib! No Tib! No monzder!”

          “Yes! Yes! It- It’s got my hand!”

          “No Monzder!”

          “Raaaaaaawwwwwwrrrrr!”





          “Oh no! I can’t control him! He wants to get you Mariah! Ack!”

          Mariah’s giggles and laughter rang throughout the house, making Ignacio smile downstairs.

          “A’gin! Monzder a‘gin!” Mariah cried as her sister’s tickles slowed.





          And so Tibi obliged. After all, how could she resist that giggle?


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          “Has your dad ever used a camera?” Emily whispered through her smile.

          Fighting back an urge to roll her eyes, Tibi kept her carefully practiced smile focused on her dad trying to get a prom pic of the two best friends before they went to their first school dance.





          “Oops!” a suddenly flash of light lit the scene as Ignacio fumbled with the buttons on the camera.

          Unable to hold in her sigh any longer, Tibi whispered back: “We’ll get our photo done at the dance and we’ll just make copies. He’s a better shot than Mom at least.”

          Another flash illuminated the girls as the horn of the waiting limo sounded.





          The girls turned and ran off giggling with Ignacio waving to their backs.

          When his baby girl had told him she’d been going to the dance with her best friend, he’d been happy it wasn’t some random boy coming to sweep his little princess off her feet.

          And then Emily had started to come over to join Mariah playing with Tibi and Ignacio realized it wasn’t a young man he’d needed to keep his eye on.





          No. It wasn’t a young man at all. Though he wasn’t sure his darling little girl knew it, or how she’d respond when it all came out. Losing her best friend would be difficult if it came to that.

          But Ignacio wasn’t sure it would be that way. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised at all if Tibi came home late, bubbly, giggling, and very very happy. And after all, isn’t that what every parent wants for their children? Their happiness?





          Sighing as he smiled thinking his little girl was as happy as he could wish, the limo had pulled away leaving him alone in front of the house.

          But still he stood. Looking at the spot where his little girl had vanished into the evening. Where had his time gone? How had he lost the tiny baby he’d taken such tender care of?

          Wanting to hold on to those memories a few moments longer, he sat on the bench facing the road allowing himself to be carried back to when everything was so much simpler.


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          Layla was alone in the house as Ignacio saw Emily and Tiburcia off to prom when it happened again. The phone in the kitchen rang.

          Her heart had literally stopped when she heard it. Breath caught, eyes wide, the dread she felt hearing that phone ringing sent a jolt right through her. Goosebumps had then erupted down her arms as her stomach churned.





          Snatching the receiver off the cradle one of Layla’s eyes felt bruised, as if it could pop. She had to force herself to remember to breathe.

          “Hello?”





“This-This is she,” Layla panted, trying to keep her voice level as her head spun from lack of oxygen.

          “Yes! Yes, I am the one trying to get in contact with Phedra Dean. I’m her sister.”

          “Uh-huh.”





          Her jaw went slack.

          Her stomach dropped.

          “No,” she whispered.

Her eyes closed.

Her head exploded.



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*sigh

Uh, if I told you to wait for next time so that it would make more sense, would you be able to?

15 comments:

  1. Oh dear. Her shift in feelings is not good. One would think Mariah's gorgeous eyes would be a comfort that her family lives on through her daughter. Her turning away and inward as a result is sad. It's as if her multitude of perceived failures are coming back to stay. We can't change the past, unfortunately.

    Tibi! Monsters! LOL, the look on Mariah's face is priceless. She's so cute.

    Hehe, so Iggy has realized there is something other than boys he has to keep his eye on? Interesting that he feels it's something Tibi may in fact be happy about.

    Not the phone again. It's never good news when their phone rings.

    Oh noes! Not Phedra! Crap. This, on top of the inadequacies Layla's been feeling, on top of the losses she's already suffered...this is the making of a full-blown break-down :(

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    1. She can't change the past and can't accept that. So she sets off to be perfect, which is a guaranteed fail. She really hasn't learned a thing about who she is outside of the people who surround her and hold her up. And when those people are removed from her life instead of learning to stand up, she crumbles further. It's time for her to accept and move on.

      I know everyone uses that interaction, but it's too adorable not to use.

      Iggy has realized his little girl might be growing up and moving on.

      It's the dreaded phone. I might actually take that thing off the wall now. lol .

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  2. Layla is always about herself. When she was young, she was just oblivious to others in her selfishness, and now that she's finally started seeing other people, it's still all about herself. She never truly turns her lens outward, and puts way too much importance on herself.
    And now Phedra is...possibly dead? Injured? That will no doubt be all about Layla, too.
    I feel really bad for Ignacio, Mariah and Tibi when that shit hits the fan.

    Tibi and Emily are cute together! And props to you for finding a use for that pose, lol. I've tossed all the heart hands poses into the Do Not Use folder, lol. I hope Ignacio is right, that whatever happens with that will be a happy thing for Mariah. =D

    The monster hands thing was adorable. I'm glad Tibi has come around for her sister. I have a feeling Mariah will need her big sis when her mom falls apart.

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    1. It really has always been about her and who's going to take care of her. She's never really looked at her life outside of who is around her and it's going to come back and bite her really soon and it ways she's not going to expect. And those three are exactly the ones who are going to feel it the most when all this comes out. At least Tibi is nearly of an age to move out.

      Lol! Thank you! I picked that one because it's just so teenie booper! I could see two female best friends posing and practicing that one in the mirrors in the locker room until they got it just right. I hate all those poses. A Do Not Use folder to catch them all is a good idea, I might steal it! I think Mariah will be quite pleased with it all.

      I love the animations for that interaction, they're so cute! Tibi just needed some time to get used to being a sister to a kid she was always around, as opposed to the kids she sees only occasionally when she sees her mom. Plus, Mariah isn't squalling all the time anymore either. lol

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  3. Oh Layla, you really need to move on with your life! She's very very self-centred and doesn't even realise it isn't she.

    Tibi playing with Mariah was everso everso cute! It will be interesting to see where things go between Tibi and Emily as well.

    As for the ending... What's happened to Phedra?!

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    1. Layla has been all about Layla since she was a child. And you're right, she doesn't even realize the damage she's doing to everyone around her. But that's generation 3's story, sooo...

      The animations for that interaction are just adorable! I know it's used to death, but I couldn't resist.

      We'll find out next time. With any luck I'll have it ready to go next week. It's kind of a big to do, but it'll allow us to move forward fairly quickly.

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  4. *dies*

    ARE YOU KIDDING?!

    They need to throw out that cursed phone before anyone else dies. I mean, that's what I'm assuming. Nobody ever calls that phone with good news... :|

    (Just realised that I died at the start of this comment... Hopefully nobody tells Layla!!)

    Anyway, lets pretend that last scene never happened, shall we?

    As everyone said, Layla is all about Layla. Even everyone elses problems are somehow hers, but she doesn't want to put it right subconciously. I mean, she could easily look up past people and throw them an apology, and Sally, Ned, Cyrus etc live a few minutes walk from her! She'd rather wallow in self-pity than do anything to make her life better and guilt free.
    That said, I do have sympathy. She's had a very tough time of things really, and hasn't had a chance to finish grieving one death before the next one happens. Plus, I think she has actual clinical depression, which would explain why she can't take steps to make her life better (been there, done that, like many others)

    Tibi and Emily? Uhm.. Sorry for being stupid, but was Iggy thinking one or both of them is gay? If so, awww, if not, I'm confused please explain.
    I can't comment anymore on that one because I don't understand :p (looks like I'm the only one though, and nobody seems to have given much away either)

    I love that Tibi finally got to spend time with her baby sister, and as Misty said, Mariah may need Tibi to be her mother when Layla falls apart if we guessed right about Phedra.

    Think I covered everything?

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    1. Not another death! lol. Uh, you know? I think I'm actually going to throw the wall phone out after next chapter. Ha!

      Layla has always taken everything and made it about her. When Cyrus ran away and she approached Phedra it wasn't to make Phedra better, it was because she was feeling left out and lost. It was her first instance of how it's always about her, and for her. She sees very little of anything beyond her nose and has a bad habit of obsessing over things. She certainly could be clinically depressed, and she also just might not have the life skills necessary to survival. Either way, something has to change soon. And it will.

      According to MC's gender preference Emily is Bisexual, but with a strong preference for females. Tibi's gender preference is weighted, but barely. So if Emily kisses her at prom, or asks her to go steady, it should tip Tibi's decision in favor of being gay. But I'll post the results of her prom on the bloopers and outtakes page when the next chapter comes up.

      Tibi finally got to spend some time with the baby sister she lives with. We'll see just how Mariah fares, and how much Tibi has to do with that very soon.

      lol. I think you covered it all!

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  5. I completely agree with Melissa. It's always about Layla. Sometimes I feel a little bit bad for her but, honestly? She's had a pretty decent life. Her parents loved her and supported her decisions. She got to experience travel which is not something most girls her age get to do. She found a man who loves her despite everything and yet she's still too busy thinking about herself to appreciate what she has. And yes, yes I know clinical depression isn't that easy to deal with but that's just a guess at this point.

    Also, poor Phedra. Another bump in the road for Layla that will make her internalize more and withdraw even more but what about the people left around her?

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    1. It's always about her, and always has been. Sure. It sucks when a parent dies. But life moves on, and she just hasn't. It's time for her to look at the other side and start seeing what she's missing out on. Will she though? I hope so.

      We'll have to see just what happens to Layla, and those around her once she gets the news. Hopefully we'll see it all fairly soon, too.

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  6. Saw that coming, the phone call anyway. Did NOT see the Tibi and her girlfriend thing coming.

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    1. Yeah. It's been pretty obvious. Still...
      Lol. I didn't either! But, y'know, it's random. Roll with it. =D

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  7. Whaaaaa... ?! Don't tell me something happened to Phedra! O_O

    Whee, Tibi and Emily are cute together! <3

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    1. Okay, then. :x

      Tibi and Emily were very cute together!

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