Gen 2 Chapter 1: Meet Mikie!

So, for starters, here's Mikie! This is his young adult pic, however, it won't probably be until next chapter that you see him age up to young adult. 
His LTW is to master the Painting and Guitar skills, and so far, his traits are: Artistic, Friendly, Genius, Hopeless Romantic. His favorites are: Turquoise, Goopy Carbonara, and Roots music.


Now then, I'll hand it over to Mikie:

 I woke up and groggily tried to shake the sleep out of my head. I'm so tired, and I've got a full day ahead of me. A full day of school, plus work, and of course there's homework somewhere in there. I've also been working on a book and I'm anxious to finish it. If all goes as planned, I'll have published a novel before I graduate high school. I guess it does help to have a famous mom when it comes to finding the right people to help you get published. My mom worries about me being too busy, but I always tell her I like being busy. Which is mostly true. 

Being 'busy' is what has kept me sane through childhood, and high school. With my mom being a single mom and having to work so much, usually the hours I wasn't in school, I learned early on that keeping busy was the best way to fight off the heart wrenching loneliness of being home by yourself and having no parents around as much as you wanted them to be.

Don't get me wrong, I love my mom very much, and don't hold any anger towards her for being so absent. I actually admire my mom for being the one to support me by herself, and sacrificing the way she did. I would protect her honor to the end.  But the reality is, I spent most of my childhood and teen years appeasing her by telling her what she needed to hear so she wouldn't worry about me. My mom had enough burdens on her heart, with work, and my father's death, and trying to keep me fed, clothed, and anything else I needed. I didn't need to add to that list.

She did the best to take care of me, and I would do what I could do take care of her. If she ever found out how miserable I secretly was, during my childhood, she'd be crushed. She offered to get me babysitters, but I knew babysitters cost money, and I didn't want mom to have to worry about it. I'd go hang out with friends from school whenever I could, or hang out at the library, the school playground, wherever I could. 

I pretended I loved all the independence of taking care of myself. But truthfully, I loathed it. I just wanted to be a kid who could come home, have a nice home-cooked dinner, chat about the day I had at school, and after dinner, have help with my homework, and then scoot of to bed. But I guess that life was not meant to be for me.

There was one bright spot in all this dark loneliness. There was one person who I didn't have to hide any of what was truly in my heart. And that was my friend, Jeanna Stout.

It was usually her house that I would hang out on those lonely days my mom was working. She was the only one I ever told how I really felt about having a famous musician single mom. And she never told a single soul. But I have to admit, I was still in the habit of filling my days with activities so I didn't have to think about it.

I was so tired when I got off work and I still had homework to do. Ugh. I had a friend who met me after work help me with my homework until I couldn't see through my tired eyes, then I went straght home and gratefully fell into bed. Tomorrow was Saturday, and I was glad, because on weekends I worked on my book at the library. 

 
When I finally made it to the library that day, I made a bee-line to the computer I always use, but I got cut off by Liliana Bunch.
"Hey Lilian! What are you doing here?" 

"Oh, just wanted to read a little today, and our house is crazy like always. What are you up to?"

"Oh, I'm gonna do some writing on my book." 

"Oh, that's right, your "famous" book you've been working on since before I graduated! Hahahaha! Are you ever gonna finish that thing? Hahahah!"

"Ha ha ha..." I laughed with her, but I was really annoyed at her making fun of me. It's not like she's done anything since she's graduated, she doesn't even have a job.

I think she's still a little bitter that I didn't like her the way she liked me in high school. She's a little older than me. She invited me over to her house, but it was just really awkward, and I left early because of work (thank God!). And to be honest, I kinda avoid her now. She's nice and all, just not my type.

As I break away from my conversation with her, I look to my computer that I always work at and lo and behold, Jeanna is sitting in front of it, reading a book. 
"Um... excuse me miss, you are hogging MY computer." I tease as I come up behind her. Quickly she puts the book down and jumps up...


"Mikie! I knew if I came here and waited at 'your' computer, I'd finally get to see you!" As she spoke my stomach did a flip. I hadn't seen Jeanna in well, quite a while. We used to hang out most days after school, but with my job, I haven't been available as much. I've been meaning to hand out with Jeanna, I actually really miss her. 

"What's going on!? You aren't here to distract me from my book writing, are you?" I said winking.

"Actually," she said, moving closer to me, looking me in the eyes in a way only Jeanna could, "Yes, I did. That is... if you want to be distracted..." She smiled a smile I've never seen before on her face, but it was intoxicating. I've never seen her be so flirty and straight forward, but I have to admit, I liked it. Jeanna has always been special to me. I'm guessing by the way she's acting, she feels the same about me. 

All the sudden, I can't think straight, and I start saying and doing things that I don't even feel like I'm controlling. I gently grab her hand and say, "So, what did you have in mind?" 
She says, "Well, I am starving. why don't we go eat dinner at the bistro across the street? Spend some time catching up? I know I'm probably not very high on the priority list now that you are working and all, but..."

I am speechless. I get lost looking at her, noticing that since she's become a teen, she's so pretty. I love the color of her eyes, her warm smile....suddenly I'm overwhelmed by my feelings for Jeanna. But her comment about her not being a priority to me makes me realize I've risked losing her by not making an effort to spend time with her, and I almost feel panicked like it's now or never. 

I finally say, "Jeanna, I'm sorry if I've ignored you, you are most certainly the highest person on my priority list, I just haven't been showing it lately... really... dinner sounds great!"
"Huh, haven't been showing it is right. I thought maybe you forgot about me."
"No way! I'm so sorry I made you feel that way. I promise I'm all yours tonight... so dinner at the Bistro? Shall I go get changed and meet you there?"
She tilts her head to look at me as if she's trying to interpret what I've just said, and slowly says,
"Sure, see you in just a few..." 

I make a bee line over to my car and pull out my nice shirt and jacket I had hanging in the back, and run back into the library restrooms and change, and get to the Bistro as fast as I can. It's obvious to me by the way Jeanna was acting tonight that there's a very good chance that she feels the same way about me that I feel about her. But with us being friends for so long, it makes pursuing a relationship tricky. But I'm going to be brave and tell her how I feel, and go from there.

She shows up, and compliments my jacket, and then goofing around pushes me to the door and says, "Lead the way Mikie...."  I sure have missed her.

Our dinner was excellent. But our conversation is what I'll never forget. After we ran out of small talk, I went for it and told her how much she meant to me, and that it was becoming more difficult to think of her as 'just' a friend, that she felt like more than that to me, but I didn't want to rush into changing anything too quickly. She said she felt the same way, and that's why she came and found me in the library, she hadn't seen me in so long, she just wanted me to know how she felt. So, we knew then and there that we both liked each other more than friends, it was all a matter of when and how to pursue a more romantic relationship.
After dinner we stood outside, and I grabbed both of her hands, and she said, "So, we'll just take it slow and see what happens?"
"Yep. We'll see what happens..."

 "Oh, and I want you to know, I will probably be very busy over the next few days, with graduation and finishing my book, so I just want to let you know that now so you don't think I've forgotten about you or changed my mind or anything, Ok?"
"Oh. Ok. Changed your mind about what?"
I just couldn't stop myself. I reached over, and kissed her gently on the lips. 

Which I could tell by her response surprised her, but she didn't pull away from. When I pulled away, she looked at me smiling, but shocked. I said, "About you, of course."
Just then, I saw the restaurant shut their lights off, and realized that we were out past curfew, and would need to get home before the police started patrolling. I got Jeanna home safe, and pulled up at my house as quietly as I could. I was used to being able to come home whenever I wanted while my mom was working, but now that she was retired, she was at home in the evenings, so I tried not to wake her up. I took off my dress shirt and jacket and hung it back in the car again, and was about to walk up the sidewalk when I realized my mom was standing outside. She did not look happy. Uh oh.

"Mikie! Thank God! I was so worried about you! Do you know how late it is! I tried to call you but you didn't answer your cell phone!"
"Chill out mom, it's ok! I was just at the Bistro with Jeanna and they ask you to turn your cell phones off while you eat. I didn't meant to freak you out."

"Look, I know you are almost grown, and can take care of yourself, but I worry, ok? I don't ever remember you coming home this late before..."
She turned around and started walking back to the house, and I followed her, and replied,
"Well Mom, that's because you were always working. I'm sorry I worried you. I usually do try to make it home before curfew. I was just  not paying attention to time."
After we got in the door, she stopped, and turned around and looked at me, puzzled. 
"Wait, you said you were at the Bistro? with Jeanna? That's a fancy restaurant. Was it a date? Are you dating Jeanna?" 

A smile crept on my mom's face, and whatever worried anger she had built up towards me while waiting up for me disappeared. I think she was quite liking the idea that I might have a love interest.
"Well, it was sort of yes. I mean I like Jeanna, but we are just going to take it slow and see what happens. I wouldn't call her my girlfriend, just my... uh... romantic interest."

"Oh... ok. Well, I like Jeanna, she's a sweet girl. Good for you Mikie! Come on, let's get to bed, it's late."
"Yes, please, I'm beat..."
"And in the morning, you can tell me all about your date..."
"Right..." I slowly said as I walked to the bedroom. I hopped in bed, and as I drifted off to sleep, I thought about my mom waiting at the end of the sidewalk like that. Most kids would probably be really peeved at their parents for waiting up and worrying. But, not me. It was actually the first time in a long time that I had a real parent/teenager moment with my mom. It should have hacked me off, but instead it made me smile.... this might possibly have been the best day ever.

*buckey's notes*-Whew.. that was a big chapter for me! I hoped you enjoyed it! So,it will be interesting to see how this plays out with a male heir, since he can't be the one to give birth to kids... 
Oh, and there is probably going to be a change in the rules regarding the Bills/Mail. I have now realized that there is no way to get any certificates/books/rocks/ from the Mail, because they will never wish to do that. So, I'm going to allow Bill Paying and Getting Mail now. I'm sure you all will be happy about that! 
Oh, and another Simself made an appearance! Notice her?