Lemming 2.3: I Want

     The next afternoon, I go to Emmett's place just like I'd said I would. His place is weird, the layout just like mine only backwards. He orders a pizza, and then, just like I expected, he and Justin play video games. They get me to join, me playing on a spare laptop Emmett has, and while he sets me up an account, he puts the laptop in my lap and leans over and around me to type and use the touchpad. Once we get that set up, I do try to play, but I suck at it. They convince me to be a healer, and we keep dying. Turns out you have to click on them if you need to heal them, and I keep healing myself accidentally. Oh well.
     Justin's phone rings. It's Annalise, and from the look on my brother's face, he's really happy she called, so happy that he quickly tells us bye and dashes out of the house to go to her.
     "I guess I'll go too," I say and get up to leave.
     "Hang on," Emmett quickly says and stops me before I can get to the door.

    "You don't have to leave," he says, his eyes begging me to stay, and he gets both my hands. "We could stream a movie on my laptop or something." He doesn't have a television, which is another thing I find weird about his place. I mean...three computers and no TV?
     I haven't said anything, so Emmett thinks of something else, "Or, if you want, we could work on your character." He means on the game.
     "I don't think I make a very good healer," I say quietly.
     "Well, maybe that's just not the class for you. Wanna try something else?" he offers.
     I start laughing as I say, "I'm sorry; I don't think I make a good gamer period."
     "Movie then. I have some popcorn...somewhere. I don't know. If it weren't for my microwave, I'd starve," he tells me in a rambling way.

     I laugh again. "You can't cook?" I ask, picking up on what he said.
     "I can burn things. I am exceptionally good at blackened...everything. So, if when you say 'cooking' you mean producing something edible, no, I can't cook." He smiles at my laugh. "I can, however, read instructions on a box and heat stuff up in the microwave...popcorn included," he says, the last bit being another way of him asking me to stay.
     Why does he insist I stay?
     I ask him. After all, wasn't I only coming over because Justin was too?
     "Well, because you're here already anyhow. It's nice to have you here. It gets so quiet, and since you'd just be going next door anyway...Why not just stay here?" he reasons. The neighborhood trolley rolls past, making its clacking noise as it goes by.
     "Okay," I finally say before he smiles widely.
     He takes the laptop I'd used and sets it up on the coffee table. Then, he dashes off into his kitchen to make the popcorn. While it pops, he gets the movie set to play, paused until we're ready to watch. He then goes back into his kitchen to get the popcorn, and I hear him putting it in a serving bowl and throwing the bag away. The entire time, I sit here on the couch and wonder just what exactly is going on here. With Justin still here, it was simply hanging out, but now...

     He interrupts my thoughts when he puts the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and says, "There. Only the finest gourmet popcorn for my guest."
     I smile. "Such amazing culinary skill."
     "It's a gift, really," he adds with an ironic grin.
     "Until your microwave shorts out," I say, and we both laugh.
     He starts up the movie, and we put the bowl of popcorn between us. After a few minutes, I ask, "How come you don't have a television?"
     "Why would I need a television? I mean, I've thought about getting one, but it would only be a bigger screen to hook up to one of the computers. I can't really afford one until after I buy the monster I'm saving up for," he explains.
     "Oh," I respond simply. "I guess if that's what you want, it makes sense." I reach for more popcorn, but he quickly picks up the bowl and holds it away from me. "Hey!" I accuse and laugh as I reach for it.

     However, I pull my hand back when Emmett turns his head and says quietly into my ear, "I want a lot of things."
     Anagamadoobagurblenesh, I think slowly, my brain not functioning properly with Emmett's breath on my ear. He breathes in, smelling my hair.
     "I like what you've done with your hair, by the way," he says in that same voice that makes me want to slide off the couch into a heap of me on the floor. "It's so...feminine."
     I...I da...wait no. Wait, no. Hugo. "Thanks," I say quietly and watch the screen in front of me, not really seeing it.

     "I also want a car," he says more generically, visibly backing off. "I wonder when we'll get those in Sims 4." I sense him watching me closely. "I mean, we see them drive by all the time. Maybe the developers think they're not necessary, but it's still something I'd like to have."
     "Yeah. That would be interesting," I say, trying to breathe normally. "It'd also be something non-essential to spend money on when I think I'd rather save up for a bigger house."
     "True. A bigger house could be more important, depending on what you want. I'm not planning on living in this duplex forever, but I have to admit, it is nice right now." I close my eyes, wondering if I'm imagining all the possible hidden messages in everything he says.
     "Hugo wants me to move in with him," I say, remembering a conversation with Hugo when he spent the night. I also use the statement as a way to test whether or not Emmett knows I'm dating someone.
     "I hope you don't. Wouldn't you say that's a little soon?" he asks.
     So he does know I'm dating Hugo. He didn't sound surprised at all.
     "Well, we've been dating for a long while now," I reason. Then, I think about how Hugo had tried every angle he could think of to convince me to move, not wanting to listen to my reasons why I shouldn't or didn't want to. I don't want to move. I love my apartment. I'm also not really ready to live with my boyfriend. I guess, then, that I agree with Emmett. It's too soon.
     Not knowing that I just mentally agreed with him, Emmett continues. "But we've only just recently turned into adults. In my opinion, that's a little soon. Not that I can tell you what to do, but I really hope you don't. You make a very nice neighbor, Jenny," he says, and I decide I like hearing him say my name.
     Why can't Hugo understand that it's too soon? Emmett gets it, and he stated his opinion in a polite way, saying he knows he can't tell me what to do. He just wanted to give his advice.
     But what was that when he had his nose in my hair? He wants a lot of things is what he said. What things? Me? 
     He smells so good. I slowly start imagining him doing naughty things to me, and then I start wanting him to.
    Whoa, girl!

      "I should go," I say. "I'm not feeling well." I'm imagining all this; it's all part of my insanity. Emmett didn't mean me when he said he wanted a lot of things. What he meant was that he has a plan for his life, very goal-oriented like he's always been. Still, I'd better get out of here before I do something crazy.
      "Oh no. Anything I can do to help?" he asks, and again, I wonder if I'm reading more into what he says than what he might only mean.
     "No, I...just need to go lie down for a while," I explain without looking at him. Maybe Hugo was right; I'm still a little attracted to Emmett. I need to go. The last thing I want to do is cheat
     "Well, maybe we can finish the movie another time?" he asks.
     "Yeah, maybe," I say noncommittally.
     "Thank you for coming over, Jenny. Feel free to do so anytime," he says and makes a point to help me stand up.
     "Okay," I say and leave his place, cross the porch, and escape into my apartment.

     Over the next week, I go out with Hugo a handful of times. He asks me, each date, to move in with him. I tell him I'm not ready. I can read his eyes. He's worried about Emmett, and from the things that happened when I was at Emmett's apartment, unless I'm crazy and imagined it all--which could be true, Hugo might have a right to worry.
     But the thing is... this week, I only see Emmett in passing, like when I check the mail. He happens to be outside checking his, and he merely smiles and says hello in a very casual way before going back to his place, not looking twice at me. If Emmett were making a play for me, he would've done something, right? Right. It was all in my head.
     Another week goes by, and I fully believe that I imagined it all. He keeps things very casual, and that's only if we happen to bump into each other.

     I spend nearly every day painting, sometimes pictures in my head, sometimes things I see. Today, I'm remembering that hidden lot I found when I'd gone on vacation with my family.
     Hugo was so sweet to show up out of the blue like he did, simply because I texted him that I missed him. Ever since I moved into this place, he's been getting pushy. What happened to my sweet, give-me-a-chance Hugo?
     "Hello," I hear Emmett say like he always does in passing as he --passes-- me to go and have a seat at the little table the landlord set up for beautification purposes.

     "Hello," I echo casually. Glancing his way, I see him open a book and start reading.
     He just wanted to sit outside and read since it's a pretty day today. I keep painting.
     We stay quiet, coexisting, side-by-side, merely two ships headed in the same direction but without communicating. At one point, he jolts upright in his chair, and I guess to myself that something must've happened in the book he reads because he eventually relaxes and sits back in his chair again.

     I don't understand why he chose to sit in that chair to read. I'm sure the furniture he has on his back porch is much more comfortable. Maybe the light is better right there.
     Well, the light is fading. I'd better finish this up.
     "Yeah, the sun is mostly set," Emmett says, and I realize I didn't think what I'd thought I'd thought. I'd said it instead, talking to myself again just like my mother. At least Emmett thought I was talking to him.
     I look over at him and smile in a friendly way. "Well, I'm done."
     "Mind if I have a look?" he asks politely.
     "Okay," I say and gesture to the easel.

    He looks at it and then turns to me, a look of amazement on his face. "Wow, Jenny! I feel like I could jump right into the picture and go there."
     I think of a scene in Mary Poppins and giggle. "It's sorta based on the secret lot I found when I went on vacation."
     "You found the secret lot?!" he asks excitedly, a look of true geek on his face. "Cool! You should take me there sometime; I'd love to see it."
     I giggle again and say, "Maybe someday."

     "If it's as nice as that artistic rendition you've made, that should be great. Whoever buys that painting is a lucky sim." He looks longingly at my latest piece of art. It's not that good, but he looks like he really likes it.
     I turn my head towards him. "Do you want it?"
     His face snaps from the painting to me in surprise. "You mean it? I don't want to take away from possible income."
    "Don't worry about it, Emmett. It took me one afternoon to do, and if you really like it, you should have it." I smile at his goofy expression.

    "Thank you!" he exclaims, and I laugh now. He looks funny when he gets excited about something, and I'm flattered he thinks my work is good. "I know just where to hang it: the bathroom. Because that's where you said great art goes." The Maker takes it and does just that.
    I laugh a little harder, happy he remembered what I'd said that day he'd apologized for hurting my feelings when we were teens.
    "I'm glad," I tell him. "Then you'll think of me every time you see it." I don't know what made me say that.

     "Of course I will," he says with a lot of emotion and hugs me.

Lemming 2.2: Doing Stuff

Who?

      Hugo texts me back after I'd finished my painting, asking who my neighbor is.

Emmett Crews. Isn't that funny?

     I don't get an answer.

     Evening rolls around, and Hugo shows up. I meet him at the bottom of the stairs.

     I hug him, and I can tell something is wrong. I ask him once I've pulled back.

     "Your neighbor is Emmett. Of all the men in the world, it's him," he tells me plainly, not beating around the bush.

     "What are you talking about?" I read his expression. "You think I'm still interested in him?"

     Hugo gives me a look like he thinks I am.

     "I'm not," I tell him, not liking the look in his eyes.

     He relaxes only a tiny bit, and he closes his eyes with a sigh.

     "Can you at least understand why this bothers me?" he asks. "I thought I'd never get you to give up on him, and now you live next to him, sharing a house in essence."

     "It's no big deal. I've been here for a while, and I've only just found out this morning. It's not like I'm seeing him all the time," I say, and he watches my face closely.
     "Jenny, it's not that I don't trust you..." He stops, not knowing how to say what he's trying to say.

    "Well, look at you. I know he can't be that blind, and now, he's not needing to 'focus on his studies' anymore, is he?" he finishes. Then, I see the old, confident Hugo start coming back. I like this side of him much more than the insecure one. "How can he possibly resist the hotness living right next door?"

     I giggle. "Oh, there you are."
     "Yeah, sorry, baby. I guess I have a little jealous streak."
     I grab his hand and pull him up the stairs to come see my apartment.

      I show him the living room, but when we get to the dining room, he surprises me by suddenly yanking me to him and kissing me.

     He's never kissed me like this before. His kisses have always been sweet and simple, but this is a kiss from a man, not a little boy. It's like he wants to devour me. I doubt I could make him stop kissing me...if that's what I wanted. As it is, I want to kiss him. It's an easy way to prove that I love him not Emmett.

     He likes me kissing him back like this, and he responds by further crushing me to him, making my ribs hurt. I have to whimper before he finally releases me enough to where it doesn't hurt. I try to pull back to breathe, but he won't let me...at least at first. When he at last gets the message, he lets me get some air.

    "I love you, Jenny Keilani," he says quietly when he pulls back. "You need to know that. I've always loved you, always, ever since meeting you on the playground that day. I saw you, and I thought, 'now, that's the girl for me.' I'd do anything for you. What can I do to prove it?"

    "What do you mean? You don't have to do anything to prove it. You've done that over and over. Where is this coming from?" I ask, trying to read the desperate expression in his eyes.
    "It's coming from my need to tell you. I just need to tell you," he answers evasively, and I notice his hands fisting themselves in my clothing.
    "Okay," I say gently and reach up to stroke his cheek. He closes his eyes and moderately relaxes. I can't help but wonder if his actions now are a continuation of our discussion on the sidewalk earlier. I need to make him realize that he has nothing to worry about. "I love you, Hugo. You're my wonderful, sweet Hugo that's taught me what it's like to be romantically loved. You once asked me for a chance, a chance to date me and show me how much you care. Now, I'm asking you to give me a chance to do the same thing, to also trust me."
    "I do trust you, Jenny," he says with his eyes closed, but he opens them to say the next thing. "But it's him I don't trust. He may need glasses, but he's not that blind."
     I playfully roll my eyes. "He's not even interested in me, Hugo. He told me that." I kiss the tip of his nose.
     He sighs and completely relaxes.

     I start to make some salad for dinner, but Hugo complains that he's hungrier than salad. So, I change what I'm fixing to pan fried tilapia. I can't help but give a half-smile at his appreciative moans while we stand in my kitchen and eat. Why use the perfectly good dining room? Nah. We just stand here in the kitchen.

     "Jenny, with the prospect of having food this good often, I'm going to need to workout every day or I'll have to roll my way to work in the morning." He laughs quietly.
     "It's just fish, and it's not fried or anything. It's healthy."
     "But if you can do this with 'just fish,' I'm eager to find out what you can do with everything else."

     I give him a sultry look. "I guess you'll have to wait and see, but what if I don't want you disappearing every morning for the gym?" I get brave. "What if I give you your own personal workout?" I think he knows what I mean.
     He puts his plate on the counter, takes mine, and puts it on the counter as well. "You're right. Who needs the gym?" He takes my hands and leads me to my bedroom, guessing correctly since I haven't shown him the way yet.

     Hugo's eager, and I'm ready.

     He's a wild man under the sheets!

     He spends the night. The next morning, I drowsily wake up to him making up his side of the bed. He leans over and kisses me, saying he needs to get home to change and then head to work.

     One day not too long after that, I finish a painting and look up from my easel at what I just painted, but my eyes snap over to where Emmett kneels on the ground, digging at a rock. He looks at the rock so intently, so focused, like nothing else exists in the world but him and that rock.

     He stands up, and I start from surprise. Worried about what he'd think if he knew I'd been staring at him a minute ago, I hurriedly pick up my picture and quickly walk towards my place, leaving the easel where it is.

     One evening, I have my brother over for dinner.
     "Emmett lives next door, doesn't he?" he asks.
     "Yeah. He told me you two work together," I say conversationally, wondering why he mentioned Emmett.

     Justin laughs. "Yeah. He's great. I can't believe we never became friends in high school. I guess we just ran with different crowds."
     More like he was avoiding me because I made him uncomfortable. I always ran with your crowd. I don't think of my high school friends as MY friends. They were mostly Justin's friends that put up with my idiosyncrasies for his sake.

     After we eat some dinner, we sit and talk about stuff. I try to get him to talk about Annalise, but he changes the subject every time. I decide not to push him.
     He leaves, and I sit and watch a few shows on my new television. I hear a knock at my door, and I go to answer it. It's Emmett, and he stands in front of me with an apologetic look on his face.
     "Sorry to bother you. May I come in?" he asks very politely.
     "Uh, yeah, sure," I answer and step back to let him in. As I close the door, I wonder what it is he has to say.

     He goes and has a seat on my little couch, so I decide to sit down next to him.
     "Sorry to invite myself over like this," he starts out.
     "It's fine," I reply, looking across the room instead of at him. Every time I look at him, I can't help but think how he's got the 'adorable geek' look down. My brother looks stupid in his glasses when he wears them, but Emmett makes them work for him.
      "I've had something on my mind lately, and, well, especially since we're living right next door to each other, I thought I needed to air it out," he explains.
     I glance sideways at him and ask, "What?"

     "I want to... I need to apologize for that afternoon when we were teens," he says slowly.
     I'd rather forget about it, thanks, I can't help but think.
     He doesn't hear my thought, so he continues, "What you did took guts, and I don't think I explained myself properly, the things I said."
     "What I did?" I ask, needing him not to leave any doubt in my mind as to what he's talking about.
     He opens his kind eyes and looks at me. I can't look away. "When you'd asked me if I had a girlfriend and I'd told you I didn't want one."
     I free my eyes, slouch back against the back of the couch, and look at the floor. "Oh."
     "Jenny, please hear me out. I want to apologize."

     I turn my eyes back in his direction. "Apologize?"
     He takes in a deep breath. "The only reason I didn't want a girlfriend was that I really didn't want any distractions, anything that would've made my GPA suffer. Sometimes, I can get so tunnel-visioned that I don't see what else goes on around me, and I was focused on getting perfect grades."
     "Okay," I say simply. This isn't news. That was the reason he gave me when I'd asked him.
     "I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry if my reason hurt your feelings. Honestly, it had nothing to do with you personally."
     Not me specifically. I think back to that afternoon. I had assumed he also meant me specifically. After all, he'd said, 'I'm not...interested, Jenny.' I took that to mean me.
     He looks at me like he wants to say some more stuff, but he holds back. Is he waiting for me to say something? I figure I may as well tell him the truth.
     "I...thought you meant just me," I say quietly.

     "No," he tells me quickly. "And that's what's been bugging me, especially lately." His eyes go from serious to begging. "I really need you to understand that, that it wasn't you. Call the high school me a stupid kid in your mind because that's how I picture myself now."
    "It's okay, Emmett. Don't call yourself stupid, even a past you," I say and lean away from the intense look in his light grey eyes. "Maybe I was the stupid kid in thinking that everything was about her."
    "No. You're not stupid. You're brilliant. Your brother showed me some of your art, and you're incredibly talented."
    I offer a half-smile as my thanks for the compliment. "You and my brother have been becoming friends," I state, but it's also a question in its own right.
    "Yes. Right now, I guess you could call him my best friend although I doubt he sees me like that. He makes friends so easily."
    "I don't know how he does it." I shrug. "He's just good at it."
    "Well, he may be good at making friends, but you're the one with the brilliant creativity." He smiles his sweet smile at me, bring the topic back to me. "Like that one right there." He points to the painting on the wall, the one I'd been working on when we'd found out we were neighbors. "It looks like a window instead of a painting; it's so real."
     I blush. "I hung it up there because you said it was good. I was going to just stick it in the bathroom."
     "Your paintings don't belong in a bathroom."
     "What's wrong with going in the bathroom?" I ask. "People spend a lot of time in bathrooms. You know...doing stuff."

      We both laugh like a couple of kids.
       "I guess I can see that that would be a more personal room for art to go, but I like it here in your living room, where everyone will see it," he says with a smile.
     I shrug again. "Okay."
     After a small pause, he says in a more serious tone, "Thank you for hearing out my apology, Jenny. That means a lot to me."
     "Don't worry about it," I say with a small smile. I remember how tortured I felt during school after I'd pretty much told him I liked him and he'd turned me down. I'd gotten good at vanishing until Hugo brought me back into regular society. Emmett hurt me, but I really do believe him now when he says that it was because he was totally focused on his grades and wanted no distractions. After all, I'd seen how focused he'd been on just a rock the other day! He wasn't very good at the time of conveying that message to me, but we were just kids.
     Emmett sits quietly and watches me, and again, I get that feeling like he wants to say some more stuff. He stays quiet about whatever it is, though.

    "Oh, hey, I've invited Justin over tomorrow afternoon to hang out. You should come too. You know, since you're next door and all. I'm ordering a pizza. Maybe we'll save you a slice." He winks at me playfully.
     I laugh. "Okay. Sure, if the geekdom isn't too overpowering," I answer, picturing the two of them doing nothing but eating pizza and playing video games, which I can easily see my brother doing.
     "Hey! I resemble that remark!" he says jokingly, saying 'resemble' instead of 'resent' just to be funny.
     I crack up laughing.
     "Great! Well, see you tomorrow then. Come over whenever," he says, and I wave bye as he gets up and sees himself out.

Lemming 2.1: Paint Nose

A/N:

I've decided to officially decide to have Jenny be the 2nd gen heir of the family. I might hop over to Justin for kicks and giggles, but it'll be mostly Jenny at least for a while. I'd thought about waiting for Mickey, but I missed playing with Monique, and Jenny is so very much like her that I can have some of the same kind of fun with Jenny as I did her mom. Well, kinda. Her mom's LTW (or whatever it's called) was to have a bunch of relationships or something like that. That, and Monique has the "commitment issues" trait that Jenny does not.

On with the show!

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    Hugo asks me to meet him at the local bar, and when I get here, imagine my surprise to find Dad of all people as the bartender! I guess the game sees him as a useable townie now, and he does have a high mixology skill.

     He makes a very good bartender and has everyone laughing within minutes.
     "I almost didn't recognize you," a baritone voice says in my ear, "but then I saw your beautiful face."
     I turn my head and see Hugo smiling at me. At least...it has to be Hugo. I guess I'm not the only one who did a little changing.

     We get up and change seats since sims 4 sims do that a lot while carrying on a conversation near chairs. "You grew a mustache...and a beard thing," I say brilliantly. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my twin brother Justin come in and have a seat at the bar. He's in his lame party clothes. The clothes are lame, not the party.
     Hugo laughs quietly and smiles. "I thought I'd try it out. Do you like it?"
     "Actually, I do. You just look all grown up."
     "Is that a bad thing?" he asks, his eyebrows going up.
     "No!" I say quickly. "I said I liked it, didn't I?"
     Why do things feel awkward? Hugo and I have known each other our whole lives, but right now, I almost feel like I'm on a blind date.
      Like he can sense my thoughts, he smiles that smile of his and says, "It's still me, Jenny. Just like I'm trying to remind myself you're still you. Don't get me wrong, your hair is beautiful, but I'd gotten used to the really short hair."
     "I don't know. I wanted something a little more normal."
     "Normal is overrated," he says and winks. I laugh.

     "So, you want me to switch back?" I ask.
     "No. I really like it. Like you told me, you look grown up." He grins.
     "You're saying I look old?" I tease.

     Ever romantic, he blows me a kiss before saying, "Of course not."

    We hang out at the bar for a while, and he dances while we chat. My brother comes in and dances too, looking totally stupid. That's Emmett's dad behind the two of them. I'll never forget how when I first went over to introduce myself how I spent more time talking to Mr. Crews than his son.

     When Dad leaves, Gavin comes and takes over for him. He and Justin act goofy on the other side of the bar.

     "Are you liking your new place?" Hugo asks.
     I nod. "It's really nice. I'm glad Dad and Katherine are helping me with the rent since my art career hasn't really taken off yet."
    "It will," he says with certainty. "I can't imagine 'paint nose' being anything but an artist." He means the teasing nickname he gave me when we were children and I'd gotten paint on my nose during art class. No one told me about it all day long, and I remember how hurt I was by the nickname. However, Hugo told me when we were teens that he thought I looked adorable with the paint on my nose, and he didn't know what else to do but tease me.

     "Well, don't you say the sweetest things?" I ask playfully.
     "I try." He pauses before he goes on, "For instance, I have to say that I'll bet you don't have a clue what the back of that sweater does to me. And I love watching your hips move in those jeans."
     "Should I turn and walk away so you can see the back of my sweater and watch my hips move as I walk?" I giggle.
     "No, because then I wouldn't get to look into your amazing, expressive eyes," he answers. "I feel like another universe exists in those eyes, a place where I could happily live the rest of my life because you would be everywhere."
     Wow, I think mutely and watch Hugo's smile spread that he made me speechless.
     "What are you doing tomorrow evening?" he asks, and I realize it's gotten late.
     "I don't know. Hanging out at home, I guess." I get an idea. "Wanna come and see my new place?"
     He grins again. "I thought you'd never ask."

     The next morning, I stand on my back porch and watch the neighborhood gardener water the neighborhood garden out back. The redundancy strikes me as entertaining, and I feel I must paint it. So, I get to work.

      Is there too much green? What if that's too much green? It looks like what I'm seeing, and there's a lot of green there. Maybe it's not too green. I hear footsteps on my back porch stairs. Then, a voice accompanies them.
     "Hello. You must be my new neighbor."
     I know that voice.
     It can't be!

     "H-hiiii, Emmett," I say oddly as I slowly turn around.
     "Wait a sec," he suddenly says.

     "Jenny?" he asks in obvious surprise.
     I nod and look at the floor as I try to tuck my hair behind my ear. Of course, it doesn't move. "Yeah, it's me." I scratch my nose before looking back at him.

     "Well, this is amazing!" he happily exclaims. "And here I worried I'd have to try and meet someone new, but that's obviously not the case." He lets out a relieved breath.
     "Yeah, um, okay," I say because I don't know what else to say.
     "You painted that? Or, are painting that?" he asks, and I open my eyes to see him pointing to my silly painting.
     "Uh, yeah. I like to paint." My nose itches. "I'm working at trying to make a career of it."
     "It's really good! And look! The guy is right over there! It's almost like a photograph," he exclaims, and I turn and see that he's right. The gardener is again at about the spot I memorized.

    "You like it? I thought it was ironic that he was the community gardener at the community garden," I tell him.
    "Isn't that what he's supposed to do?" he asks.
    He's just...staring at me! After so long of the two of us avoiding each other, he's staring at me really hard, right at my face. I guess we can't really avoid each other now. Not really. I guess he thinks we may as well get along since we're neighbors.
     "Yeah, but I'm on my back porch painting something behind the back porch that's a gardener in the garden. It's redundant if you think about it," I say. He looks almost exactly the same as he did as a teen. He even still has the cute glasses.
     "Uh, I guess so," he says diplomatically. He doesn't get it. That's okay. He's probably left-brained like my brother.
     "So...what keeps you busy nowadays?" I ask conversationally.

     "Oh, yeah. I'm in the tech guru career path. I work with your brother! He's great: really smart but always finds time to crack a good joke," he answers me, smiling brightly.
     I laugh some. "He's memorized all of Dad's good ones."
     "Well, if his job fails him, he could make an excellent comedian, I guess following in your Dad's footsteps," he comments nicely.
     "Oh, he can't really write his own material. He isn't that creative when it comes to stuff like that," I say, not trying to sound like I'm cutting my brother down. It's just a fact.
     "Really? Because his execution is flawless." He pauses and then continues, "I guess you got the lion's share of the creativity gene, huh?"
     I smile and scratch my nose again. "I guess, but I didn't get a bit of the computer savvy-ness that he has."
    "Oh? Well, if you ever run into any problems, I would be glad to help. You know...since I'm next door and all." He smiles.
    "I don't...have a computer," I say sheepishly, "just my phone."

    He blinks, and his eyes get wide for a second before he replies, "Oh. Okay."
    "But, thanks for the offer anyway," I say.
    "No problem at all." He stares at me again. "Um, Jenny?"
    "Yeah?"
    "You, uh, have paint on your nose." He lifts his hand to almost touch my face. "Right there."
    "Oh my goodness," I say quickly and start trying to wipe it off. Sure enough, green paint shows up on my fingers. Well, more green paint. They already had some on them, which is probably how the paint ended up on my nose in the first place.
     "Sorry. I...just thought you might want to know."

     "Well, I need to get going," he says and turns. "I'll tell your brother you said hi. See you later, Jenny."
     "Okay," I reply simply and feel my face get hot.

     I decide to text Hugo:

I met my new neighbor. You'll never guess who it is.

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Gavin and Jocelyn had a kid:

meet Finley

So, yeah, Jenny and Emmett live in a "duplex" that I built. Obviously, it's not an actual apartment thing like in sims 2 and 3, but I'm making it work for my plans. I'd share it on the community gallery, but it's not creative enough for me to plaster my name on it. It's basically a bunch of pre-made rooms slapped together. I'm thinking about redoing it, so maybe I'll share it then.