Sunday 10 July 2011

One step ahead

Round 31: March 2034 (Autumn)
last update/next update
Chris Draper and Edward Lachance are both 19
(Elspeth is 20 and Lucy is 19)

Narrated by Edward Lachance

Chris and I only just started our sophomore year and it already feels like this year is going to be twice as challenging as last year.

We both have perfect GPAs at the moment. Chris has made it into somewhat of a competition but I'm not really too bothered. As long as I'm doing well, I'm happy.

Chris just likes to make everything into a contest but I get out all my competitive urges on the basketball court.

But still, I'm spending some really long hours in the library. If I need some quiet, it's the perfect place.

The private study rooms are great when I need to really concentrate on something.

Sometimes they're a little too quiet.

Lucy came to meet me at the dorm for a date one night and Chris told her I was at the library. She went to find me and heard me snoring, completely dead to the world.

It's only happened a few times but Lucy always starts worrying that I'm working too hard when it does.

We don't end up going out if I get caught snoozing in the library, because Lucy always insists I'd be too tired.

I fall asleep more because I'm bored than tired but I don't mind hanging around my dorm room instead.

It's really the only place Lucy and I have any privacy, seeing she still lives at home with her parents.

Lucy has been a bit down recently, with Chris and I starting classes again while she's just been at work the whole time.

She's usually okay with not being at uni but sometimes she wonders whether she's missing out on anything.

I just try to assure her that once I graduate, no one is going to know or care that one of us went to college and the other didn't. Besides, she's doing so well at the salon.

She just got another raise this week and her boss is really happy with her progress. Lucy really does love the job, as much as she wanted to go to college.

It would have been great if Lucy had been able to join us in the dorms but I think we've fallen into a routine now where we get to see each other more often than we did last year.

Chris is still dating Elspeth and it looks like they're doing better than they did back in high school.

Elspeth only lives a couple of streets away, in another dorm, so she has much more free time than Lucy.

I really envy the time Chris gets with his girlfriend. I see Lucy a lot but it never seems to be enough.

Chris says he's happy with Elspeth but from where I'm sitting, he's developed a wandering eye.

Lately, that eye has been looking at Ella, one of the girls who lives in our dorm. They're getting pretty close. If he's not hanging out with me or with Elspeth, he's with Ella.

I don't know what's going on, if anything but it doesn't seem entirely innocent to me. A lot of it looks an awful lot like flirting to me.

I've even seen Ella walking out of Chris's room in the very early hours of the morning. I know that doesn't necessarily mean they're sleeping together but it doesn't look good.

It's starting to really bother me, so I asked Chris about what was going on with Ella.

He laughed it off and told me I was being ridiculous.

He insisted that all that's gone on was what I've seen with my own eyes - a little bit of flirting.

I even asked him about Ella's late night visits to his room and he told me he was allowed to have friends and they were allowed to visit his room.

I'm not sure I believe Chris's version of events but I think I'm going to stay out of it. I feel guilty about it but I don't think it's my place to butt in any more than I already have.

Notes:
  • Title is from One Step Ahead by Split Enz.
  • Both boys are maintaining 4.0 GPAs. Not a shocker, seeing Chris is Knowledge and Edward is Knowledge secondary.
  • Chris is Romance secondary, so I wasn't exactly stunned when he started rolling romantic wants for Ella but I was a tiny bit surprised. He's been all about Elspeth up until now. He's still quite into Elspeth as well, so apparently, he wants to have his cake and eat it too.
  • I had to consider whether Edward would go to Elspeth with this information and I decided he wouldn't. He doesn't really know her all that well and if he did, I still don't know if he would spill the beans. Chris has been his best friend since kindergarten, so there's a lot of loyalty and history there, even though Edward doesn't like the way he's acting right now.
  • Edward and Lucy are pretty freakin' adorable though, as always. A nice contrast to Chris!

25 comments:

  1. Gosh, so know I'm curious if Chris is being honest about Ella. I hope he is not and that there is more going on there, I don't see him with Elspeth, it seems a bit forced at times.

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  2. Oh yikes! I didn't see this coming! I guess I didn't realize he was secondary romance, that helps explain it. I can see Edward not wanting to approach Elspeth on it and not liking it ether. Poor Elspeth. But she can do better. Ahem Josh. ;) now come on Ms. Carla! lol

    Lucy and Edward are uber adorable! I feel sad for her being out of the college scene and just visiting it. I liked the photos of them at the library, very sweet.

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  3. I didn't realize Chris was Romance secondary, but this just helps me feel better in saying Elspeth needs a new boyfriend. *coughJoshcoughhack* I don't trust Chris one bit, but I can understand his best friend wouldn't say anything even if he disagrees.
    Edward and Lucy are adorable! And she seems so mature and sweet. Definitely nothing like her older sister...

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  4. Apple Valley, the truth is probably somewhere between what Chris is claiming and what Edward thinks is going on (like it so often is). Chris and Elspeth got together in what was a fairly tumultuous time for her; it's possible she didn't make the best choice.

    Thanks for reading!

    Maisie, I don't think I added his secondary aspiration until he was almost finished high school, so that would explain why most of you didn't realise. So if Elspeth were to find out, it would come out of left field for her as well. When they were together in high school, Chris didn't have any of these kinds of tendencies. LOL, and I'm more than aware of the chorus calling for Josh and Elspeth to get together!

    Poor Lucy just didn't get the scholarships she needed to go to college! It's kind of nice to have some Sims not go though, seeing most of mine do. She and Edward will just have to work around their differing schedules for a while and so far, they seem very willing to do that. The library photo took a while, by the way, so I'm glad you like it!

    Thanks for reading!

    Fini, LOL, Josh at least felt bad about kissing Elspeth when he was with Lila. I don't Chris feels the same guilt over any of his dalliances with Ella. ;) We'll see what happens with them next time.

    Lucy is the polar opposite of her sister, in almost every way. She's more what I was expecting a daughter of Pamela and Corbin to turn out like - very sweet, shy and quite serious. Julia was a bit of a surprise!

    Thanks for reading!

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  5. Oh, dear... I didn't see that coming! It will be interesting to see how this works out.

    It's good to have some sims that don't go to college, but it is harder to keep relationships going if their partner is at college. I try to give my couples in that situation lots of visits, but you never know what ACR will throw at them while they're apart. It's good to see that Edward and Lucy have a strong relationship.

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  6. Oh my, I didn't except Chris to be the one who cheats! I honestly thought Elspeth would have a weak moment and fall into Josh's arms.

    I can understand why Edward wouldn't tell Elspeth. Not knowing all the facts and not knowing her, I wouldn't tell her either.

    Edward and Lucy really are a sweet couple. Too bad she didn't get to go to college but at least she's doing great in her career.

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  7. Somehow I expected him to cheat, but he might be telling truth about nothing happening...which I doubt.
    Lucy and Edward are so sweet together, can just see Edward missing her...she is a lovely girl.

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  8. I like how you think about what the real world consequences would be for actions like Chris'. For example, how you thought it through that his buddy Edward would not spill the beans to Elspeth. I love reading about those kinds of decisions!

    I think Edward and Lucy are super cute together and I hope they stick it out as a couple!

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  9. Carla, I need a little bit of help with ACR... http://katrinaisawesome.blogspot.com/2011/07/acr-question.html

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  10. I love your Uni updates. I think it's funny that Ella and Elspeth have such similar names.

    Lucy is just too adorable, and she and Edward seem like such a perfect couple. She and Julia are similar physically, but not so much in personality.

    I had a quick CC question. Do you know if that orange NL jacket is a separate or is it a recolor of the full body outfit. I made separates of that jacket for teens, and I'm trying to figure out if I should bother adult converting it.

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  11. Blackcat, I didn't quite see it coming myself, although I probably had more of a clue than you guys did!

    That's true, it's a challenge for a couple to overcome. I try to do lots of visits as well, because absence doesn't always make the heart grow fonder!

    Thanks for reading!

    Sari, based on what was going on in Comments in Chris's last update, I think a few of you might have been thinking that! Chris had other ideas, obviously.

    Edward doesn't know Elspeth very well but he does know that she's no pushover. So he might be a little intimidated by her as well and not particularly keen on being the bearer of bad news for her.

    Lucy and Edward are very cute together. I'm hoping they stay interested in one another through Edward's college career. I adore them.

    Thanks for reading!

    Speechless, Chris is fully aware of what Edward would think of him cheating on Elspeth, so he's not inclined to be giving him the whole truth.

    Edward and Lucy have been doing pretty well, given how young they are and how long they've been together. I think they started dating when they were 15 or so.

    Thanks for reading!

    Mandie, thanks! I found that I started enjoying blogging more and enjoying my game more when I tried think about things like that. Wish I'd thought like this right from the start!

    I hope Edward and Lucy can make it as well. :) They're unbelievably sweet.

    Katrina, I suggest you go to Simbology, the forum where you would have downloaded ACR, and ask your question there. Someone will be able to help you, I'm sure.

    kalynn06, I was thinking about the similarity between Ella and Elspeth's names while I was writing! Ella was originally Emma but I changed her name in case she becomes a major player at some point, seeing I already have an Emma.

    Julia and Lucy grew more and more alike in appearance as they got older but I'm very glad Lucy didn't take on any of Julia's personality traits!

    The jacket Chris is wearing? Yes, that's definitely a separate, though I'm not sure where I downloaded it (I can check, if you like). I forgot that it would have originally been an NL mesh!

    Thanks for reading!

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  12. Haha, falling asleep in the library sounds like something i would do. Lucy's gorgeous can't wait for Edward to finish college and see what happens with those two :-)

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  13. Carla,

    If you take a look next time you think of it, that would be great. I've actually posted WCIFs for those and no luck. No rush, because the teen one is already made and the kid is half finished and pretty much ready to upload, so I don't need to convert the adult. I would like to have them though :)

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  14. I've nodded off at the library before :). I didn't expect this from Chris (I kind of thought/was hoping that Elspeth would dump him for Josh. Now I don't feel so bad about it since he's got his wandering eye and all lol). I mean if he's not interesting in being exclusive with Elspeth, I certainly know a young man willing to step in *cough, cough*. Edward and Lucy are too cute together and you're right, it was a nice contrast to Chris and Elspeth.

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  15. Roxy, heh, I did it myself a couple of times, when it was very warm in there (never because I was studying too hard, lol).

    Two more years and you'll get your wish. :)

    Thanks for reading!

    kalynn06, okay, I checked. I have the jacket in five colours, all by Amaryll. I'm not sure if she put them up at her LJ (http://witheredlilies.livejournal.com/) or at GOS though.

    Mizzgin03, as you can see, you're not the only one who was hoping and/or expecting a Josh/Elspeth hook-up! Josh would jump at the chance, if Elspeth gave him the go-ahead.

    I think Edward and Lucy are my only drama-free couple at uni right now, if you don't count Camilla and Charlie!

    Thanks for reading!

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  16. Before I said I was hoping Chris didn't get his heart broken this time, but it might be Elspeth this time around, who get her heart broken!
    Never thought Chris would be the one who would cheat though ...

    I love Edward and Lucy, they are so sweet togehter!

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  17. Tanja, yes, things have twisted around somewhat! I don't think anyone really saw this coming.

    Edward and Lucy are super-cute. I'm hoping they maintain interest in each other forever, lol. I'd be sad to break them up!

    Thanks for reading!

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  18. Uh oh! Chris is starting to wander a bit...that can't be good. But hey--Elspeth has done her share of wandering herself, so maybe she'd forgive a lapse.

    Edward and Lucy really are cute together--I especially like that she won't let him take her out when she's caught him sleeping at the library. That's very considerate!

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  19. Rachel, uh oh indeed! Elspeth hasn't actually wandered herself - she was faithful to Connor, faithful to Chris last time she was with him and has been faithful to him this time as well. You could make the argument that she aided Josh in his own wandering but she did push him away. So how forgiving she'd be of Chris is anyone's guess.

    Edward and Lucy are so sweet. They were another couple I just threw together but I really like them. I should have known they'd be a good match though - they're quite alike. I'm looking forward to playing them out of college and seeing what happens.

    Thanks for reading!

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  20. Edward and Lucy are so adorable!
    For Elspeth and Chris... well, I always enjoy a bit of drama, so I can't say I'm happy with that! *lol* I'm so curious to see how it will turn!

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  21. Sandy, well, I already know, roughly, so I won't reveal anything yet. As I said in the last entry, a lot of stuff went down that I didn't write in, just because it was too much!

    You can safely assume that Edward and Lucy weren't involved in any of it though. They're just happy to stick to each other. :)

    Thanks for reading!

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  22. Oooh, Chris! He gets Elspeth, and then he's off on the next one. Apparently, he just likes the hunt. Fitting for a knowledge/romance sim, lol.

    Though I confess I always had a little feeling that he was sort of out of Elspeth's league.

    Edward and Lucy are pretty adorable together.

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  23. Lunar, I think Chris likes the hunt but he likes to keep his trophies as well. He's rolling wants for Ella but is still interested in Elspeth too. Kendal would be very disappointed in him. ;)

    And yes, I've never seen Elspeth and Chris lasting too long but we'll see. Edward and Lucy have a much greater chance at success. :)

    Thanks for reading!

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  24. Aww, Edward and Lucy are so cute. I’m glad he likes her so much. So sweet! And I’m glad she’s doing well at the salon. It still has to suck seeing your friends and boyfriend off at college doing college things. That was a cute pic of them in the library. I was never in the library enough to fall asleep in the first place! LOL

    And oooh, Chris! Bad boy! Does he not remember who his girlfriend is? He shouldn't have any girls leaving his room no matter how innocent he says it is. Period. But I definitely can't see Edward telling her about Chris' late night activities because he doesn't know the whole story and also because she'd bite his head off lol. I'll be interested in seeing how this all plays out.

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  25. Danielle, I think the only time I fell asleep in the library was when I was really tired and it was so lovely and warm in there that I couldn't help it! But I can't sleep in public, in general, so I woke up pretty fast. It was maybe two minutes, max.

    Anyway, yes, Edward and Lucy! At this point, Lucy would like to be at uni more because she knows she'd get to see Edward more often than out of any real desire to study. She's not a career-minded girl - she just wants to get married and pop out babies, you know?

    Ha, yeah, if Elspeth finds about Ella, she will not be happy and I don't think it will matter to her much whether they've slept together or not. Like you say, he doesn't need to have girls going in and out of his room for any reason. And yes, better she finds out herself or from Chris - Elspeth is definitely the type to "shoot the messenger"!

    Thanks for reading!

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