Karin’s Sims 2 stories

At the Aalsmeer chateau, everyone seems a bit settled down, now that they live there for a while and the first show has started. Even Laura, who had the most difficulties with the change, seems more relaxed and can be caught with a smile on her face every now and then. She has made friends with a boy from school, Orlando Bertino, and he likes very much to come over to the chateau.

Orlando is an orphan, who lives with his grandmother. Although his grandmother tries to give him everything, she can’t give him his parents and a familylife back. He likes to visit Laura’s family therefore and has dinner with her and her parents several times a week.

Both Laura and Orlando like to play chess and whil doing it they discuss a lot of things.
“I know you don’t have parents, but I don’t see them very often either. That isn’t fun too,” Laura complains about her parents.
“Yes, you told me and I notice too. But still, they are your mum and dad and they are around when something’s the matter, right? And if you want to do something fun, you have me,” Orlando replies. He knows his friend can sulk sometimes, but still he likes her and loves to play chess with her.
“My grandma can’t even play with me, really play like tickling and everything. And she always wants me to be home before dinner. Only when I’m here, I’m allowed to come home a bit later. She is so worried about me ever since my parents died.”
“How did they die?” Laura never dared to ask, but over a play of chess she finally asks a question she always wanted to ask Orlando.
“They were killed in a car accident, when they were coming home late from a party. They both were real party-animals, that’s what grandma told me. My father had drunk a little too much that night and when they were driving home, he couldn’t control the car anymore. The car crashed against a tree and both my mum and dad were dead instantly.”
“How old were you then?” Laura asks.
“I was 4 years, old enough to have a little memory about them, but too young to really have known them. There’s one thing I remember very well about my mum though, her perfume. That’s why I like your mum, because she uses the same perfume.”
Laura is quiet, she wishes she could do something to help Orlando. Because she wants to break the silence she says: “we are both the same, because you don’t have a brother or sister and neither have I. I wish I had one, that would be fun.”
“Well, your dad and mum are way to busy for making babies.”
“That’s true. Did your grandma told you how babies are made?”
And they start talking about babies and beds and everything. Sometimes with some giggles, sometimes a bit more seriously.
Then Elise calls that dinner is ready and both kids go off to the diningroom.

Then time has come for Laura to grow up and become a teenager. Since the party was held in the evening, Orlando wasn’t allowed to come. Laura was a little disappointed, but her mother and father were both there. Komei is a friend of the family, so he was there too.
Laura blows out the candles while the others are cheering her on. And then she feels herself grow. She looks at her new body, familiar but strange at the same time.
There is no time to think about it, because the cake is eaten first. When she sees how Komei is looking at her, she quickly drops her eyes and concentrates on her cake. She doesn’t feel confortable yet with her new self.

The next day, Laura goes to school. When she returns home, she can’t wait to tell her mother about the day. At school were a few others whose body had grown too, so she wasn’t the only one. Orlando’s birthday was in a few days, but he didn’t know yet if he had a party or not. His grandmother was in the hospital with pneumonia and he was very worried about her.
Laura was worried about her friend and she missed him a lot.

When it is Orlando’s birthday, Laura calls him early in the morning. She starts to congratulate him, but she stops when she hear sobs on the other side.
“Orlando, what is wrong?”
“Oh Laura, my grandma …. she died last night in the hospital.”
“Oh no, Orlando, I’m so sorry.”
“I know it’s my birthday, but I don’t feel like it at all. Why do I have to loose my whole family?”
Laura doesn’t know what to say. She just listens to her friend, trying to calm him down and confort him. But he is very sad and lonely. “And now I will prabably have to live in an orphanage. I hate this, I hate my life, I hate everything.”
Laura talks to Orlando for some time, but she can’t make him feel any better. When she hears the schoolbus stop, she hangs up and goes to school, but her thoughts aren’t there. She is thinking about a way to help her friend.
Sometime during class, Laura suddenly knows the solution. It is a very good one and she is sure Orlando will be pleased. However, her parents must approve and Laura isn’t sure they will. She has to start working on her mum, maybe she can convince dad.

When the schoolbus brings Laura back home, she storms off to look for her mother. She finds her in the TV-room.
“Mum, I have to tell you something, about Orlando. He lost his grandma, on his birthday. Sad isn’t it. Now he he has nobody to go to.”
“How awful, it is such a sweet boy. How is he?” asks Elise concerned.
“He is very depressed and he is afraid he has to go to the orphanage. Oh, I wish I could do something to prevent that. That he could come live with us or something.” Laura quickly peeks at her mother when she says these last words. Elise is clearly thinking, but Laura has no clue about what.
Then Elise says: “Why don’t you ask Orlando to come live with us. There’s plenty of room in this chateau, he is your best friend and it is a nice boy to have around.”
“Do you mean that? Can Orlando come to live here? But what would daddy say?”
“I will talk to daddy, but I don’t think your father can have anything against it. Especially when I’m the one who is asking.”
“Oh mum, I love you, thank you. Can I call Orlando already?”
“No darling, just wait for your father to come home. I will talk to him right away and then it’s time to call Orlando.”

Laura can hardly wait for her father to come home, but finally he arrives. She hears her mother calling him and then the door of their bedroom is shut. All Laura can do is wait and to her it seems like hours. Finally the door opens again and she hears her fathers footsteps coming over to her room.
“Laura, your mother and I talked about Orlando coming to live with us. I agree, I think it is sad enough what has happened to him and he doesn’t deserve to go to an orphanage. You can call him and ask him to come over, tonight is fine if he wants to.”
“Oh, daddy, I love you.” Laura goes quickly to her father and hugs him. Then she storms off to the closest phone to call Orlando.
Orlando is very surprised about the proposal to come live at the chateau, but he would love to be around his best friend all the time. He had already packed his things, because he was supposed to go to the orphanage the day after. All he has to do is call a cab and go.

Laura is already looking out for him in the garden. When she sees him, she runs over to hug him. Orlando doesn’t know what to say and neither does Laura. But when Laura looks into his eyes she sees more than just gratefulness. Her feelings confuse her a bit too and she quickly turns away to pick up some bags and bring them to Orlando’s new room.
In the meantime, Jacob called the orphanage to tell them about Orlando coming to live with them. The social worker says that she wants to have an interview and a date is set for that.
The social worker is very impressed with Orlando’s new home and with the couple that will look after him until he is old enough to stand on his own feet. Everything is finally arranged and life with Orlando is becoming normal routine.

The relationship between Laura and Orlando isn’t routine only anymore. From that moment in the garden on, other feelings started to grow and they both feel their friendship is going to a new phase. It’s very exciting, because neither of them wants to spoil their friendship, but they can’t deny to themselves what they are really feeling for each other.

Then one night, after Laura and Orlando finished their homework, they sit on the sofa to watch TV. Without knowing who started it exactly, they lean over to each other and start cuddling. They don’t know what to say, they just follow their emotions and enjoy being near each other.
But when Laura hear her mother walking through the hall, she jumps off and goes to her bedroom, leavng Orlando on the sofa.
In her room she lies down on her bed, feeling very confused. She doesn’t know if she did the right thing by going away, she was just afraid of what was coming. Maybe she should have stayed after all. Yes, that is what she has to do, she has to go back to Orlando and tell him ….. tell him…. that she is in love with him.

When she is sure about it, she returns to the other room, where Orlando is still sitting on the couch. She goes to him, trying to find words to explain the inexplainable. But when she looks into his eyes, she knows he feels the same way about her too. Still, she breaks the silence, she wants to say it out loud:
“Orlando, I think I’m in love with you. Do you want to be my special boyfriend?”
“Yes, of course, I’m in love with you too, Laura.”
They start hugging each other and then their lips connect in their first kiss.

After this kiss, Laura and Orlando are more together than ever before. They go to school, study to get some scholarships, they watch TV and they cuddle and kiss on the sofa. Jacob and Elise watch their daughter grow up and become almost a young adult. They smile, remembering their own adolencence. They already knew that what Laura wants most in the world is to have a family of her own and take care of her kids. They are glad their daughter found someone who shares her plans for the future.

Jacob and Elise are very happy together too and are still very much in love with each other. They share what happens at their jobs. Elise has had a few promotions in the political career and things are looking good. Jacob tells enthousiastically about the Legacy challenge show and how glad he is with Morris as the Legacy founder.
They went together to the marriage of Morris and Marylena. Elise thinks they are a bit boring, but Jacob thinks they’re doing OK for the show.

That night, Jacob and Elise watch the summary of what happened last week at the Legacy house. There is footage from their marriage and the life of Morris and Marylena together. When the program is done, Elise screams out: “how traditional they are, how boring. The show is even more boring than they are in real life. A few weeks from now and only some women will follow up on their story. This challenge show is not attractive to young people and I thought you were aiming at them?”
“But, love, don’t you see? Morris and Marylena can be an example on what love is, how you live together respectfully. Youth can learn a lot from them.”
“Not if they don’t watch in the first place, they don’t. No, if you want higher ratings and a greater audience, you have to spice up this concept. Weren’t there other candidates?”
“Yes, yes,” Jacob mutters while he stumbles to the door. Elise hears him climbing up the stairs and entering his office. She knows Jacob is thinking about something. She is curious what he will come up with.