Seed toss

Round 26: Autumn 2023

Last update: Sarah (+ Ethan's last update)/the rest

Next updates: Maia and Nick/the rest

Maia Novak is 21, Nick Moretti, Aaron Novak and Calvin and Troy Clarke are all 20 and Sarah Carmody is 18.
(Josie is 21)

Narrated by Sarah Carmody

I've been struggling a little bit so far this semester. It's not that I'm finding the work hard; it's more that there's just so much work. It can get a little overwhelming.

I started out studying with Troy. He's a junior and he's also majoring in history and I thought it would be a good idea to team up with an older student to get a good start. Yeah...not so much. He just barely makes Cs every semester, so he's not the best study buddy.

Still, at least the study sessions made me a new friend. I was a little nervous about coming to university alone but Troy is a lot of fun.

I was feeling pretty lonely for a few weeks there. The others in the dorm has been really great but it's hard to break into a group when everyone else has known each other for two or three years.

I spend a lot of time in the mini-gym at the dorm, just thinking. Lately, it's been about Ethan. I kind of want to call him but I'm pretty sure he's still mad at me. It's probably not a good idea.

I don't know if it's because I really miss being with Ethan all that much or if it's just because being around his older brother reminds me of him so much. Aaron is just like him, except more filled out and taller.

He's dating Aaron and they barely leave each other's sides. It's a good thing Aaron is gay or I might have made a fool of myself by trying to flirt with him by now. How awkward would that be?
I've already made a fool of myself once when I flirted with Nick sometime in the first week, and he told me he was with Maia. He was nice about it, but it was still so embarrassing! He was still single when he graduated but I shouldn't have assumed he still was.

I'm glad he didn't say anything to Maia about it. After Troy, Maia was the next person I made friends with here and I really don't want to ruin that.

I don't want to ruin Nick and Maia's relationship either. I've got no interest in being the other woman, especially not after what happened with my parents when "the other woman" entered the picture.

I kind of thought a university would have its own library but not this one. Not right now anyway. The current library is closed for renovations, so until it reopens we students have to go to Exeter to use the public library.

It was on one of my many trips to the library that I met Marshall. He sat down at my table to study and I spent literally the whole time trying to think of an excuse to talk to him. He was so cute and he sat down at my table, when there were plenty of empty tables. I thought maybe he was giving me a signal or something.

We both finished with our books at the same time and ended up running into each other as we were leaving the library. We got to talking and I asked him if he wanted to go grab a coffee.

Marshall is not only cute but he was so great to talk to as well. He's a freshman, like me and he came to Suffolk not really knowing anybody, like me.

We just clicked immediately and the conversation turned very flirty very quickly.

Before I even knew what I was saying, I was inviting him back to the dorm with me.

I think if we'd slowed down for just a second, I probably would have stopped it. Just said goodbye and called it a night.

It probably sounds a little cliched but we both got caught up in the moment. I didn't have that sinking feeling until after it was already way too late. I didn't stop to ask Marshall what he thought about it. I just wanted to get him out of there, honestly. He said he'd call as he was leaving but I'm not going to hold my breath.

I didn't even know if I wanted him to call but I was still kind of down afterwards. Troy insisted that the cure was his bong. Yeah...I don't think I'll be making a habit of that. No wonder his grades are so low. At least I know where Troy disappears to every afternoon.

He told me he and Josie go up there for privacy sometimes too, seeing his room is so small.

I wish they'd go up there all the time, actually.

I don't begrudge Troy his happiness, because he's become a good friend to me but it's hard seeing everybody all coupled up and being literally the only single loser in the dorm.

It sounds like Troy is pretty serious about Josie. Like thinking about marrying her serious! He's a little scared of saying anything to her, because she's been proposed to before and it didn't end well for the guy.

Troy was keen to get a "female perspective" but I don't know why he'd ask me. I've had one boyfriend and it was just a high school thing. I've really never come close to wanting to marry someone, or someone wanting to marry me. That's completely foreign territory for me.

Marshall did finally call me...two weeks later. But even though I'm really annoyed, I still felt a little flutter when I heard his voice so I don't know. Give him another chance? Maybe.

Everyone in the dorm has been pretty worried about Maia. Her grades have been slipping and she just doesn't seem the slightest bit concerned. She keeps talking about a graduation camping trip (and apparently has been since last year) but graduation isn't even looking like a sure thing for her any more.

Calvin is trying to teach her to play chess, because he says it gets your brain all warmed up for study. I don't think it's Maia's game though.

I don't know why she doesn't study. She's off in her own little world so often. I don't really remember her much from high school but I think she was kind of like that then too.

Maia has unfortunately had to pay for it though. The university informed her recently that she's on academic probation. If she doesn't pass this next semester, she'll be expelled. I'll be glad to have her around another semester but I wish it was for another reason.

Nick's trying to console her and he's promised to help her get caught up. I really hope this is the kick in the ass Maia needs to get serious about university. She's so close to graduation and it would suck to throw all that away!

Notes:

• Title is from Seed Toss by Super Chunk.
• Business first: thanks to everyone who voted in the election! I didn't expect to get so many votes but was really happy that I did! If you're reading this very far into the future, the poll obviously won't be there any more, so I'll note here that Athena Gottlieb had 44% of the vote, followed by James Novak with 37% and Kirstin Sitko with 18%. Athena will serve one more term as governor (two term limit). By the end of this term, it'll be a good age for her to slow down and think about retirement anyway.
• I think Sarah probably would have tried to flirt with Aaron and Calvin as well, seeing she heart farts over them all the time. But I've never had a straight female Sim autonomously flirt with a gay male. Anyway...single Family Sims go a little nutty if you leave them that way for too long. They're worse than Romance Sims, seriously!
• Sarah and Marshall became friends and then fell in love super fast. Like probably the fastest I've ever seen it happen, and they're not even 3 bolts. But I don't know. He seems like kind of a jerky jerk. He didn't call her for like 3 days, which is a long time in Sim time! When my Sims have dream dates, they usually call the next day and ask for another one.
• Troy rolled the want to buy that bong last round and he is the only one who uses it. I've never used it in Sullivan before but I remember Sims going nutty for that thing in previous hoods. In this dorm apparently, Troy is the lone stoner.
• Had some real weirdness with Josie and Troy when I took them on a date to The Greasy Spoon. As soon as the lot loaded, I get a pop-up from both of them saying "Dumping me for someone else? How could you?!", followed by a pop-up from Josie telling Troy "You're a great date, baby!" Um...okay. Then Troy tried to kiss her and she waved him off and they were INSTANT ENEMIES! The what now? I can't think what would have caused this.
• I had planned to write much more on Troy and Josie this entry but I changed tack halfway through and had Sarah narrate, so that didn't work out. But Josie is living in the campus beach house with Patience now (the one Lia and Olivia lived in in their final year), so there'll be plenty of time to do that then.
• I think the last Sims I had roll up engagement wants in college were Eliot and Cordy, more than 10 years ago. In my experience, it's fairly rare for YAs to roll those wants but Troy has rolled one for Josie, so he's quite serious! Whatever happens, I don't think Troy and Josie will get engaged until both have finished college (or at least finished undergrad for Josie). Cordy and Eliot got engaged in her senior year but Eliot was older than Troy and Josie are, and I felt like it was in character for Cordy to marry young.
• Grades! Aaron, Calvin, Nick and Sarah are all maintaining 4.0s. Troy got a C+ both semesters and his GPA is now 3.0. Maia's GPA is also 3.0 but she was just unlikely with her final grade, because she got a D.
• Maia is majorly behind in her studies. She's in her final semester and needs to earn 4 skill points to unlock her bar completely. I hope she rolls some wants to study, because I'd really like her to succeed. She's my little underdog. Anyway, so if you're wondering why Maia isn't in the Summer 2024 birthday posts like Josie and Patience (Josie's pretty much a sure thing, Patience is looking pretty good) will be, then that's why.