Chapter 0.7: A Rising Star

At school, Ryder struggles to make friends. He's painfully shy around kids his own age, and during recess he prefers to hang out inside and work on extra homework. He finds that the teachers treat him much nicer than his classmates do.

At home, he spends most of his time with Joey, his stuffed bear. He likes to play pretend, and unlike the other children Joey doesn't give him strange looks.

"I, King Ryder the Magnanimous, command you, Joey the Abysmal, to fetch me some apple juice," Ryder proclaims, imitating an old English accent.

Jane MuMacker is by far the prettiest girl in school. Ryder fell in love with her the first time their eyes met across the cafeteria lunch line.

One day at the library, Ryder works up the courage to walk over and talk to her.

"Hi," he says, his voice shaking with nerves. "I'm-"

"I know who you are," she grimaces as she pulls away in disgust. "Please don't stand so close to me. I don't want any of your loser germs to infect me!"

Rejection stings. Ryder hangs his head sadly and wonders how someone so pretty on the outside could be so mean on the inside.

Ryder playing "pirate invasion" by himself at the local playground. (What the hell are you doing up there Ryder?!)

He tries to pretend that he's not sad playing by himself, but secretly he wishes he had someone besides Joey to hang out with.

He spots another boy on the playground and decides to introduce himself.

Okay, so they aren't exactly the same age, but whatever. A playmate is a playmate.

"Hi. I'm Ryder, and I want to be your friend," he blurts out quickly, the words tumbling out of his mouth.

"Yeah right kid. And I want that woman back there to show me the inside of her elevator. It's just not gonna happen..."

"Dude! I know where she lives! I can show you her elevator!" Ryder shouts excitedly.

"Not. What. I. Meant."

"Oh..."

Ryder starts to walk away, his shoulders slumped sadly.

The teenager sighs and mutters something about being too nice for his own good. "Ryder. Wait," he calls after him.

Two hours later...

"....Then a giant dinosaur leaps out of the sea and bites off your head! And that, Ryder, is why I wear this shirt. To raise awareness about the deadly monsters in our drinking water."

So, Jedidiah is a bit insane, Ryder knows this. But still, he's more fun than that smelly old teddy bear.

Despite their age difference, Ryder and Jedidiah become fast friends. Whenever Ryder needs someone to talk to, he just heads to the children section at the local library where he is guaranteed to find Jedidiah playing video games on the old tube TV.

"Dude, you don't need a girlfriend. Ever. Women are just gonna break your heart."

"Jed, you haven't even met Jane. She's wonderful. And beautiful. And..."

"A total player. Dude, she will eat you for breakfast and spit you out before lunch."

Ryder glances over at Jedidiah. "And you speak from experience?" he asks skeptically.

Jedidiah never takes his eyes off the game. "Her name was Colleen. Colleen Parsons. She's your brother's wife's sister. I thought I loved her, I really did. But then that conniving bitch up and left me for another man. Claimed I scared her, that I was too "involved". As if! Just because she caught me hiding out in the bushes in front of her house. I was devoted, man. Devoted."

"Uh huh," Ryder says absently, not really listening. The score is close, and Ryder isn't about to let Jed beat him on this level.

Brian spends so much time at Beatrix's house that he practically lives there.

Bea loves that Brian (autonomously) gives her flowers. Even after all these years, they've still got that spark.

Family bonding time.

"So when are you guys going to get married anyway?" Ryder wants to know.

Beatrix and Brian sit in awkward silence. As a point of tension between the otherwise happy couple, they don't really know what to tell their son. Brian would like to move in and get married, like, yesterday, but Bea wants to wait a while. It's not cold feet. Really, it's not. She just likes things the way they are right now. Comfortable and casual. No pressure.

Ryder is anxious for his father to move in. He looks up to Brian, and he desperately wants him to become a permanent part of the family.

Beatrix pays Skylar a visit at his fancy penthouse apartment. He and Irma have been married for ages now, but still no grandkids. Although, if she's being completely honest, Bea is less than excited to become a grandmother. In her mind, she is far too young.

Ryder's birthday! Brian comes over to celebrate, but Beatrix unfortunately gets a last minute firefighting emergency and can't make it.

No doubt about it, Ryder is a nerd.

The reason Beatrix misses her son's birthday. She's busy saving lives.

After she extinguishes the fire, Bea scrambles to remove debris from atop an injured girl. She's had to save people before, but never a child. She works quickly, and after a few minutes she manages to clear the rubble and pull the girl safety.

It was a close call. Too close. Beatrix rushes home to find Brian waiting up for her.

"I love you Brian," she says as she pulls him in for a kiss. "And I do want to get married. As soon as possible. Life is just too short to waste time worrying about what-ifs."

Brian doesn't know why she's suddenly changed her mind, but he's not going to ask. He's just happy that they are finally going to make their union official.

That night, they set a date for their wedding and begin to plan the event.

It's Friday afternoon, and Ryder is about to board the bus home when he spots Jane standing silently by the school steps. Usually surrounded by a gang of giggling girlfriends, or worse, her jock boyfriend, Ryder is surprised to see her all alone. He decides to seize the opportunity and say hello.

"H-H-Hi Jane," Ryder stutters. His crush on her has just gotten worse now that they're teens, and simply being in her presence makes him nervous.

"Don't talk to me," she sneers. "As far as I'm concerned, you don't even exist."

"Oh. Okay." Ryder sounds crushed. He watches dejectedly as Jane strides away.

"She's such a bitch." Ryder turns around and sees Shanna Lively walking toward him.

"No she's not," Ryder replies defensively. "She's just having a bad day..."

Shanna snorts. "Every day is a bad day around her. Geez, did you hear that? And all you did was say hello."

"She's not that bad Shanna."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Shanna asks as she leans in.

Ryder nods.

"Jane's boyfriend dumped her. She's telling everyone that she broke up with him, but no. He dumped her. And now he's dating her best friend Kimberly."

Ryder's eyes widen. No wonder she was all by herself.

Even though Ryder's a teenager, not much changes between him and Jedidiah. They still hang out at the library and talk about girls.

Only now there's a third member of their gang. Ryder invited Shanna to join them, and she eagerly accepted.

"Quit whining and start playing," Shanna laughs. "You're making this far too easy."

"Dude," Jedidiah moans quietly. "Why'd you have to ask her to play?! She's gooood!"

Ryder grimaces, his eyes narrowed in focus. Shanna is really, really good.

After whooping their asses, Shanna excuses herself and leaves for work. Ashamed of getting beaten by a girl, Jed and Ryder decide they've had enough for the day.

"I think you should join drama club with me," Jed says casually.

Ryder busts out laughing as Jedidiah stares at him calmly. "Dude, I'm serious."

"You're... What?!" Ryder asks incredulously.

"Drama club. You and me and a stage full of hot chicks."

"Uh, yeah right Jed. I can barely talk to one person at a time. I don't think standing in front of a captive audience reciting lines from Shakespeare is really up my alley."

"That's just it Ryder! You don't have to act to be in drama club. We just need an understudy to help people memorize their lines."

Ryder frowns. "Why do you want me to do it?" he asks suspiciously.

Jedidiah rolls his eyes. "Cause, dude, Jane's gonna be there."

Ryder doesn't need to hear anymore. He's in.

Two weeks later...

"Ryder, you were AMAZING!" Jedidiah exclaims excitedly as they sit down to work on their homework.

Ryder feels his cheeks flush at the memory. "Yeah, I was pretty good, wasn't I?"

"I swear, every girl in school was madly in love with you by the time the curtain fell."

Ryder laughs at the thought. "Whatever Jed. You were pretty awesome too."

Jedidiah snorts. He had about two lines in the entire production, both of which he promptly forgot.

Tonight had been the premiere of the annual school play. As an understudy, Ryder spent the last few weeks diligently practicing lines with the real actors. He never thought he'd actually have to go on stage and perform, but when the male lead fell ill at the last minute it was Ryder's job to take his place.

And he rocked it. As soon as he put on that costume, Ryder's shyness disappeared. He nailed every single line and even brought the audience to tears at one point. He never imagined that he could be an actor, but he is a natural.

"Ryder! There's someone at the door for you!" Ryder hears his mom call out. He exchanges surprised looks with Jed before walking into the living room to see who it is.

"Jane?" Ryder sounds shocked. "Hi! Come in, come in!"

He leads her into the kitchen. "Ryder, babe, you were fab-u-lous!" Jane gushes. "Seriously, you just blew my mind!"

Ryder stares at her in wide-eyed amazement. "Uh, thanks. Jane, do you know Jedidiah?" he asks, trying to be polite.

"Hey Jane," Jed waves enthusiastically from the kitchen table.

"Um. Yeah. Whatever," she says without even glancing over. "Ryder, you are going to be a superstar. I never knew you could act!"

"Well, you never asked..." Ryder responds nonchalantly.

"Honey, darling, what are you doing tomorrow?" she asks quietly, stepping closer to Ryder.

"I, uh, I-"

"Excellent," she interrupts. "Meet me at the local salon after school." Lowering her tone seductively, she adds, "And don't bring him. I just want it to be us two..."

The following afternoon...

"Why do I need a makeover?" Ryder asks, confused.

Jane giggles. "Silly boy. If you are going to be my boyfriend, you need to look the part."

Ryder blushes. "Oh, right. Yes, okay," he stammers.

You clean up nicely Ryder.

"So, now can I be your boyfriend?" Ryder asks shyly.

Jane giggles again. "You have to kiss me first."

Ryder obligingly agrees.

"You and I are going to rule this school," Jane tells him. "Screw Kimberly. Who needs that loser boyfriend when I've got you on my arm."

Ryder smiles happily, her words bouncing right off of him. He's dating the most popular girl in school, the love of his life. Who cares that she can't stop talking about her ex?


Challenge Notes:

I absolutely love Jedidiah. He really does have the insane trait. And whenever he and Ryder are together, all they ever talk about are other teenage girls. And then Jed will flash the broken heart thought bubble. It makes me laugh so hard. <3 

And, I swear I'm not a narcisist. There really is a girl named Colleen Parson who Jed is totally obsessed with. He talks about her all the time. I think I'm in love with him. :)

Fun fact: The girl in the firefighting pictures under the pile of rubble is Shanna Lively as a child. She doesn't have a huge part in this chapter, but you will see more of her in the future. She's adorable.

When I first saw Ryder as a teenager, I freaked out a little bit. His eyes are HUGE. But actually they don't look so bad in the screenshots. Not that they are really that bad, they're just very feminine.


Outtakes:

The woman making the creepy face in the background is Andrea Williams. She's the daughter of Donoph Williams (formerly Archer) from the Archer legacy. She stalked Beatrix and Brian throughout this whole date.

Another stalking photograph. Yes, she did just catch Beatrix and Brian woohooing in the elevator. ;)

She's SO pretty. Donny has really good genes.

Ryder has no romantic traits whatsoever, but still he insists on watching sappy romantic comedies on the television. Figures.

The Starr family portrait. Serenity Starr (from the Starr legacy) got knocked up by Lincoln within the first 24 Sim hours of moving to Anne Arbor. They had a shotgun wedding, and subsequently produced four children, all girls, all vampires.

Serenity's husband, Lincoln Starr. He was the only vampire in Anne Arbor
prior to his daughters.

Serenity Starr and her youngest daughter Sofia.

Sabrina Starr, the second youngest.

Selina Starr, the second oldest.

Sharla Starr, the oldest and my personal favorite. She's totally evil. <3

I have several other characters from the other legacies in my town, but I don't have screenshots of them. :( Sorry.

Chapter 0.2: Something Like A Second Chance

With her mailbox already full of bills, Beatrix hires a babysitter and goes job hunting. She interviews for countless jobs but only gets one offer. She cautiously accepts, and on Monday she puts on her uniform and heads down to the fire station for her first day as a firefighter.

With a nervous smile, Beatrix introduces herself to her heavily pregnant boss, Serenity Starr. As the only two women in the Anne Arbor fire department, they immediately hit it off. Bea thinks Serenity's purple hair is fabulous. If only she were so brave.

Serenity offers to show Beatrix around the city, and they agree to meet downtown at a local bar the following evening. Serenity never shows up, and Beatrix assumes she's probably gone into labor. About time too.

With the babysitter already hired and paid for, Bea decides to take advantage of her night out and have a few drinks. The bar is dead except for one other person, a young man with perfect hair and polished shoes. As he casually orders a drink, Beatrix can't help but notice his effortless charm and sophisticated demeanor. She carefully watches him out of the corner of her eye, making sure to keep her distance. These slick city boys make her nervous.

She tries to avoid him, but as the only two customers in the entire bar she soon finds herself face to face with the stranger.

"I haven't seen you around before," he grins at her, totally self-assured. Beatrix immediately picks up on the rich playboy vibe. As their eyes meet, Bea feels herself blush. She's never been one to play shy, but she's never met anyone so glamorous before either.

They shake hands, his grip firm and steady. "I'm Beatrix," she states matter-of-factly. She tries to be just as confident and carefree as him, but she comes across sounding disinterested instead.

"Nice to meet your Beatrix," he says, his eyes locked on hers. "I'm Brian. Brian Locklear."

"So, are you new to Anne Arbor?" he asks.

"Yes, I just moved here last week," she replies.

"And how do you like our lovely little city so far?" Beatrix senses a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"It's very different from where I grew up, that's for sure."

"Oh? How so?" He gazes at her intently, his curiosity peaked.

"I come from a small farming town. Where everybody knows your name, your business, and your great uncle's second cousin."

Brian laughs, a deep, rich sound that echoes from his chest. "Well, I'd love to show you around sometime," he tells her. "Perhaps we can start with my bedroom," he adds with a wink.

Bea's mouth falls open in shock. She's never met anyone so cocky. The confident smirk on his face irks her.

"And that is my cue to leave," she announces as she heads for the door.



"Wait! Beatrix!" he calls after her.

She whips around, coming face to face with him.

"Yes Brian?" she asks impatiently. She's tired and cranky and wants to get home to her son.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Most women find that line irresistible."

"Well, I'm not most women," Bea retorts. "And where I come from, arrogance is considered a flaw not a turn-on."

And with that, she turns around and walks out of the bar, leaving Brian alone with his thoughts.

"She's definitely not from around here," Brian mutters to himself, a small grin on his face.

 

The following afternoon, Beatrix decides to take Skylar, her son, out for a stroll to the park. When she arrives back at the lobby of her building, a familiar voice calls out her name.

"Hi Beatrix," Brian says affably.

"Brian?!" Bea looks at him with surprise. "Why are you in my building?" she asks bluntly.

"I was a visiting a friend of mine, Nina on floor 12. I didn't realize you lived here also." He smiles, pleased to be running into her so soon after their last encounter.

Bea glares at him. She's not happy about seeing him again.

Brian looks down and sees the baby in Bea's arms. "Is that your son?" he asks, his face impassive.

Beatrix scans the floor, too embarrassed to make eye contact. "Yes," she mumbles. She loves Skylar dearly, but she worries about how people will react to her being such a young mother.

"Oh," Brian begins, looking around awkwardly. "I didn't realize."

Beatrix just stands there silently, avoiding his curious stare.

"So, is his father in the picture?" Brian doesn't want to push it, but subtly is not his forte.

Bea laughs. "Is that all you think about Brian?!" She sounds both exasperated and amused.

Brian grins at her. "I like you. So shoot me."

Beatrix feels her heart beating so loudly that she wonders if Brian can hear it too. Something about him makes her stomach do somersaults. She hasn't felt this way since Ethan left, and it scares her.

"Brian, I've got to go. It's time for baby's nap," she lies. She quickly excuses herself and makes her way to the elevator.

She doesn't need to get her heartbroken again. Not so soon after losing Ethan.

Graceful, Beatrix. Real graceful.

Skylar becomes a toddler. He has Ethan's hair and eye color.

And this is what happens when you leave your toddler alone with the babysitter.... A Giant Red Plumbob.

Childcare is very expensive, and Beatrix finds herself struggling to pay the bills. The repo-woman looks like she's enjoying herself.

To Beatrix's dismay, Brian decides to drop by unannounced one evening. While Skylar plays quietly in his room, Brian and Beatrix discuss the recent rise in burglaries around the neighborhood. Although he's pretty vague, Bea discovers that Brian works at the local police department. What exactly he does there is a mystery.

"You know, you never answered my question," Brian tells her as they get up off the sofa.

"What question?"

"About Skylar's father... If he's in the picture or not."

Bea sighs. The evening was going so well. Brian hadn't made a single move all night.

"No," she says quietly. "He's not."

"So there's no large, muscular boyfriend who's going to beat me up if I ask you out?"

Beatrix blushes. "Brian. I think you're sweet, I really do..."

"But..." he interrupts.

"But," Beatrix continues, "I'm not dating right now. Skylar is the only man I need, and he is more than enough to deal with at the moment."

Brian frowns. It's obvious that rejection doesn't sit well with him. "You know, Beatrix, I can be pretty persistent when I want to be."

Bea laughs. "And I can be pretty stubborn when I want to be," she says with a smile.

It's getting late, and Brian is about to leave when he hears wailing coming from Skylar's bedroom. With Beatrix in the kitchen at the other end of the house, he decides to check on the little guy.

He finds Skylar sitting on the floor throwing a tantrum. He swiftly scoops up the child and distracts him with a game of the tickle monster. Sky loves the attention and finds Brian's antics hilarious.

Bea hears the commotion, and quickly makes her way to Skylar's bedroom.

She quietly walks into the room and is shocked by what she sees. Brian has Skylar dressed and ready for bed. She watches silently as he expertly soothes Sky's tearful protests and lays him down to sleep. The toddler falls asleep within minutes.

They noiselessly exit the room, and Beatrix closes the door behind them.

"I didn't know you were so good with kids," she tells him as they make their way back to the living room.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," Brian responds. "If we ever went on that date, you might be surprised by the things you'd learn."

Bea smiles shyly. She never thought of Brian as the nurturing type, and she has to admit she was impressed. What other tricks did he have up his sleeve?

"Well, it's getting late and I better go," he announces.

Before he leaves, Brian gently grabs Beatrix's hand. "Think about my offer, okay?" he says quietly.

As his hand brushes against hers, Bea's breath catches in her chest. Before she can reply, however, he turns and goes, leaving Beatrix feeling more confused than ever.


Challenge Notes:
  
Sorry for spamming pictures of Brian this chapter, but OMG I love him! I think he's my favorite Sim EVER, and I have no idea why. I literally squeal every time he pops up. And what is so frustrating is that he is SUPPOSED to be a jerk, but then he goes and does something so absolutely endearing, like playing "attack of the claw" with Skylar. That was totally autonomous and unplanned, but I couldn't not include it. It was just too adorable. And he likes to randomly show up at Bea's building just to drop by and say hello. And he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. And I think he's ridiculously handsome.

And now I'm not sure where I want to take my story. Damn you Brian for being so perfect!