“Well, it was a party at least.” That’s what the game said at the end of our Black and White social.
“I had fun, even if not everybody did.”
I’d had such high hopes for the party! But I guess I don’t know what teens enjoy. It wasn’t so long ago that I was a teen! But even then, I mostly hung out with adults and Alex. Even Tani didn’t hang out with me once we hit high school. I’ve just never been cool with the cool crowd.
We held the party for Angela Robinson, since I’ve always thought of her as elegant–and the Black and White is the most elegant of all parties.
We invited the adults and a few teens. From our house, only Emma and I came–plus our house guest Marcus. The others said they wanted to stay home and watch tv. They watched the first two episodes of an adaptation of Plum’s A Christmas Carol, called A Snowflake Carol and starring none other than LeSean Robinson!
Emma and I said we’d rather be with the real LeSean than watch him on tv, and Marcus said since he’d written the screenplay and directed and produced the teleplay, he didn’t need to see it again!
That morning, I’d stopped by the B&B to make sure that Sarah Firecracker had arrived ok. I was so excited to finally meet her! I’d been following her family, the Firecrackers, on the reality blog “Gather Ye Rosebuds” since before Sarah was born! I feel like we’ve grown up together, even though I’m older than she is.
I met her in the driveway, just as she was heading off to school. Once again, my fangirl enthusiasm didn’t go over too well.
“Hi, Sarah! Love your Plum Day outfit!”
She wasn’t impressed.
We’d received a phone call from the local school board to tell us that, even though we were celebrating Plum Day, it wasn’t an officially recognized school holiday, so any visiting teens or children would have to go to school on weekdays. That hardly seems like Plum Day spirit!
But since Plum Day can stretch for weeks, I guess I see their point.
Sarah didn’t seem too happy about it.
“Gotta go. Running late. School day.”
Or about being here. Or about meeting me, for that matter.
“Talk to the hand.”
LeSean, Angela, and I spent the day at the Nunleys. I was so glad to get a chance to finally meet Mariah before the family heads back to their brand new computer. And LeSean and Angela really enjoyed talking with them.
Mariah and Sarah are the closest of sisters!
We visited until the kids came home from school.
And then it was time for the party!
We all lined up outside Oakenstead for photos, since it’s not everyday that we dress up!
It’s like looking at a piano keyboard!
Not everyone was having fun.
“This is so boring!”
Sarah wasn’t the only teen to feel bored. Isobel Nunley found the little black dress to be not her style.
“Oh, gawd. I can’t believe I’m wearing this. What if somebody mistakes me for Cassandra?”
Some of Marcus’s fans have been wondering if Malcolm and Marcus are really the same person.
Malcolm-Marcus mash-up
But we’ve got proof that Malcolm is Marcus’s other face.
This doesn’t make Marcus two-faced just multifaceted.
Angela decided it was the perfect moment to catch up on blic-block.
“Hang on. I’ve almost got the high score.”
I love the way that Angela looks elegant in everything she wears no matter what she’s doing!
Saffron seemed really happy to be there,and she looked amazing in her dress.
The lovely Saffron Bird
And Mikaela is such a knock-out!
The sophisticated Mikaela Hawkins
The party started looking up once the guests came inside and began dancing. It’s hard to stay bored when Plum Day songs are softly playing and the women are softly swaying!
Even dancing the limp-wrist sway looks elegant in black and white!
Right before the party started, Elder Wolff arrived. He hadn’t known about the black and white, but his plum t-shirt suited him just fine.
“This clay is amazing stuff. It’s like addicting or something. What do they put in this crazy stuff?”
To me, a good party is when you can sit and enjoy a deep conversation with new friends. But I guess not everyone feels that way.
“Not having fun.”
Marcus had a great time, though, enjoying a few jokes with Angela.
Getting to know one’s own creation.
Even though it was technically a party for teens and adults, Vern was welcome. And he was on his best behavior. He was a little fascinated by Marcus Eugenius.
“You created me? Now I know why they call you ‘Marcus! You genius’!”
Not all the teens were bored and feeling ungrateful. Malcolm really appreciated the salt and pepper shrimp!
Is he saying grace?
Dr. Jasmine, who knows how to put people at ease, did her best to help everybody have a good time. And once the dancing resumed, it really seemed to work! Mariah and Sarah Nunley had a lovely time, and I was so grateful that they shared their happiness with us! Isobel perked right up, too, once Dr. J started telling jokes.
Dr. J’s got a wicked sense of humor!
I’d invited Uncle Jacob and even that crazy Don Lothario, but neither showed! Later, I realized that it was probably just as well that Don didn’t come, because in another wrinkle in space, he’s Sarah Firecracker’s mom’s husband!
Mr. Robinson disappeared upstairs during the party, so it was just Malcolm and all of us women. Even the entertainer we’d hired hid out upstairs, chatting on the computer during the entire event.
“Right. I’ll just be a sec and then I’ll play something on the piano.”
Sarah and I really tried our best to forge a sort of connection. I mean, we both love the outdoors! But this night, at least, it just wasn’t working. It probably didn’t help that we both wore the same dress.
“Not having fun.”
At least Elder had a great time.
“You’ve gotta try this clay!”
Beautiful Sarah Nunley agreed that clay makes for a good party!
“Woot.”
But poor Serenity Nunley thought clay was for needlenorks.
“Bored.”
Emma had the right idea, hanging out with the cool guys on the back porch.
“Hold your hands like this when you play the piano. You’ll find it’s easier to hit the notes and the touch will be so expressive.”
By the end of the evening, Isobel was happy. At least she didn’t feel that a grown-up black and white event was a total waste of time!
“You know, this isn’t such a bad party after all! I’m actually having a good time!”
And Dr. Jasmine, too, discovered the pleasures of clay.
I was thrilled to finally catch a break in my hostess duties so I could meet Elder. I’ve been such a huge fan of his family legacy for such a long time–well, for all my digital life, actually. And to meet him in person, just about threw back into fangirl-tizzy.
“Hi. Elder. Sul, sul!”
I’ve had a crush on Elder’s dad Dia for such a long time, and Elder’s got the same smile. And now he’s here in all his pixels.
Elder tried to put me at ease, pointing out that Cathy T. on the other side of the screen was also a legacy writer, so he and I had a lot more in common than we might think.
If only he weren’t a teen…
“No, hey! I hear that the self you’re a sim of is a legacy writer, too! We’ve got so much in common!”
Dr. Jasmine is such a friend of my heart! I guess through all her years as a psychologist, she’s learned not to take other Sims’ emotions personally. She just lets everyone feel how they feel, and she goes about doing her best to help out and put people at ease. I think she’s found the perfect retirement career, running this B&B. And I’m so grateful that she can fill in all the gaps I’ve got when it comes to being a host or fitting in socially.
“I think it went pretty well!”
Mr. Robinson mentioned to me later that he’d been really proud of his boys and the way they’d behaved at the party.
“Boys, I’m so proud of you. You both were gentlemen tonight. Really classy.”
Poor Emma got so tired that she snuck up to one of the bedrooms and went to sleep before the party was over.
Sweet dreams, sweet Emma.
At last the party was over, and the guests of the B&B were able to make themselves at home in their home-away-from-home.
“Now we can have some real food.”
“Clay!”
As I walked home that night, so tired I could barely keep my eyes open, one of Prince’s songs gyrated through my sleepy head, “I would–die for–you.” All I could see was Elder’s smile and that lovely shade of plum draping the muscles of his shoulders.
If only he weren’t a teen…
Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology 