Maximus Eleven: Life Goes On

Noelle, Luther, and Dustin are over at our house watching a movie, and they are meeting our little boy, Patrick, for the first time. It's summer break and Soleil has one more semester of class before she graduates. Noelle and Luther started dating a year ago, when they met at a party at Soleil's old dorm. Dustin and I have been working hard at our acting careers and have both gotten a few more movie extra jobs. I got a commercial, and Dustin got a small speaking role in an independent film. Soleil told me when she's done with school, she wants to focus on acting instead of having it be something she does on the side.

Soleil's worries have stopped, and she's way more level headed now, like she was before. It really was the hormones that were causing her anxiety, and the fact that she felt like she couldn't do anything that was driving her crazy. We both enjoy Patrick, and even though he was technically an accident, we're glad he's here. He is a perfect mix of Soleil and I, he inherited my hair color, and Soleil's eyes.

"Nee-ner! Nee-ner! Daddy, I'm a siren!"

Patrick stuck his tongue out at me and waved his hands around his head in a circle, I'm guessing to symbolize the spinning sirens on top of police cars. Soleil and I have been reading to Patrick every night before bed, so he speaks pretty well for his age. He might have also inherited my high intelligence, which is good for him.

"Well, aren't you silly, come on, you want to meet Daddy's friends?"

I picked up Patrick and went into the living room with him, where my beautiful Soleil was sitting with everyone. Patrick pointed at her and called out Momma. Soleil smiled at Patrick, and we introduced him to our friends. They all thought he was adorable and hilarious. He behaved well for meeting three new people all at once, and I was proud of him.

---

I'm tired of being alone. It's been a while since I've seen Soleil. I don't like Noelle, and naturally, she has a boyfriend already. I say naturally because everyone always gets a boyfriend except me. Looking at myself in the mirror, I decide maybe if I give myself a small makeover for this party tonight, then maybe a guy would actually pay attention to me. Thoughts of maybe just giving it away cross my mind because clearly waiting for the right guy to come along is just making me angry, and I'm pretty sure that's the only reason Soleil and Noelle keep attracting guys. The people at my church group would disagree with me, but I want a boyfriend. Soleil and Noelle found guys, so maybe if I slut it up like her and Noelle do, a guy will just fall into my lap.

I'm not quite sure how to do my hair, it's normally straight, so maybe I should go with curly, or at least wavy. I haven't exactly had many great female role models in my life considering no one likes me long enough to hang out with me, let alone teach me how to style my hair. I know it's my fault no one likes me, but I don't think I should have to give up what I believe in just to be liked. After deciding on a hairstyle that I think looks better, I search my closet for something that could be considered sexy. I hope I have something, otherwise my plan isn't going to work. I have no one I can borrow something from, since I've burned all my bridges.

I hear noises outside the door, and realize people must have started arriving for the party. I brace myself against my bedroom door, ready to show everyone my new look. I wonder if anyone will even notice. I slowly walk out of my room and see Dustin hanging around at the beer keg. I think he's very handsome, and I remember wishing he would talk to me at parties before. His hair falls around his face, and I can't actually see his eyes, but I like the shape of his nose. He looks so happy pouring that beer.

"Hi Dustin."

"Oh, hey Helena."

"Um, thanks for coming to the party."

"You're welcome. You're actually talking to people today. That's new."

I suppress my natural desire to yell at Dustin for what he said because I feel like he was insulting me. He doesn't try to leave though, so maybe he was just noticing that I was doing something different.

"Yeah, I thought maybe if I talked to people, I might have more fun."

Dustin smiles at me, and I blush a little. The thought that he was insulting me fades away as I continue to look at him. I am surprised when Dustin hands me a cup filled with beer.

"Do you want to come sit on the couch with me? We can talk."

I'm even more surprised that Dustin doesn't just want to get laid. I thought that guys only wanted sex. It's probably because the only guy I've ever known is Max, and that's all he wants. Suddenly I feel silly for whoring myself up in this outfit that Soleil bought for me when she tried to get me to loosen up cause she said I dressed like an old lady.

"Dustin? Thanks for being so nice to me. No one ever really is."

"It's okay, Helena, you always look so lonely at these parties, but you also have a look on your face like you don't want anything to do with anyone. If you would have ever come to talk to me then, I would have talked to you."

"I am lonely."

Dustin finishes his beer and puts his arm around me. I have an urge to slap it away, but I decide to let him keep it there because I think I actually like it there. However, this doesn't prevent my natural reaction of squirming uncomfortably.

"Helena, you look nice today. I like your hair like that."

Dustin compliments me, and I don't respond. I'm still trying to process why he's so close to me. He notices me squirming, so he takes his arm away from my shoulders, and I am less uncomfortable, but sad that he's not touching me anymore.

"I- um- I liked your arm around me, Dustin, but nothing else. I don't want to be a conquest, but I- I don't know how to do this."

"Do what? I just put my arm around you because you said you were lonely. I thought you needed a hug."

"So you weren't trying to get all touchy feely with me?"

Dustin looks at me, and I think he doesn't understand why I asked that because he doesn't answer and instead changes the subject.

"Do you want another beer?"

I nod and he gets up, heading to the kitchen. I doubt that he'll come back, even though I wish he would. I hear some shuffling, and then see Max and Soleil making out, pressing up against each other while using the wall as a brace.

"Guys, get a room. No one wants to see that."

I think they are just ignoring me, but then I see Soleil's middle finger pointed towards me. That's the most communication I've had with her since she moved out. I look down into my empty beer bottle, feeling pathetic. I get angry at myself, and get up to see where Dustin is. He's probably already found someone else to talk to, I think to myself. When I get to the kitchen, I see that Dustin has two beers in his hand and was heading towards me. I decide to take a risk and throw myself at him. I put my arms around his neck and put my face close to his, hoping he'll take the bait.

"Helena, what are you doing? You said earlier you didn't want to get all touchy feely."

"I don't know, maybe I should. It clearly works to cure everyone else's loneliness."

"You were afraid I wasn't coming back, weren't you?"

I withdraw my arms from Dustin's neck and look down at the floor, ashamed for putting my morals aside like that so quickly, just because I didn't trust Dustin to come back. I nod, and then look at the floor again.

"Helena, you don't have to be so suspicious, and think the worst of everyone, you know? Not everyone is out to get you. Come on, let's go back to the living room, I got you a beer."

Dustin hands me my beer and sits next to me, but further away then he did last time. I'm sad about that, and can't bring myself to look at him. I feel like crying, but I really want to have a good time. I hope Dustin and I can become friends, but I don't know how that's possible considering I'm such a horrible person.

"I'm sorry Dustin, you don't have to hang out with me, I'm pathetic. You're right about me, I do assume the worst all the time."

"Well now that you know, maybe you can change that about yourself. Give people a chance to explain things rather than assuming."

---

Soleil smells so good. I love kissing her. I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, and know it's the alarm I set for when it was time to go back home. I can hear Helena talking about her problems and I really could care less. I tried to talk sense into her that day when I first moved here, but after the blow up she had with Soleil about Noelle, I don't feel like it's worth trying anymore. Helena's like a brick wall when it comes to being open minded, and she's not my problem. I kind of feel bad for Dustin that he got stuck with Helena, but more power to him if he can stand her.

"Soleil, let's go home. It's getting late, and we should relieve Dad of his babysitting duties."

"That sounds good. This party was fun. It felt nice to get out of the house for a while."

Soleil and I come back to the house, and I thank Dad for helping to babysit so Soleil and I could go have some fun. He says he doesn't mind and that he's glad he could help since Soleil and I are still young. He doesn't think we should have to stop living our lives just because we have a baby. I really admire Dad for all the things he's doing to help me, even though technically, this is his first experience taking care of a baby as well. I wonder if he somehow regrets not being there for me when I was a baby and this is his way of making up for it or something. I ask him that and he says that he's not so much regretting the past as he just wants to help me because I'm his son and he loves me.

Dad leaves and Soleil and I get ready for bed.

"Max, your dad is so sweet. That must be where you get it from."

I smile at her and then pull her close to me. She murmurs slightly and rubs my chest, making me sleepy. I pet her hair softly and eventually we we fall asleep in each other's arms.

---

Credits

• Twilight Pose Pack #2 by Forever Hailey
• Clarisse Sims Poses
• Zhippidy's Custom Poses for Sims 3
• Valentine's Poses by Forever Hailey
• Mod the Sims - 99Beer Poses by Spladoum