She did with her friends at the graduation party that night, too. It was one of the last chances she would have to hang out with her local friends and classmates as a big group before they would go their separate ways.
“I’m going to miss you so much when I head out to Sims U,” Iris told Kristal. Time and lack of drama, and nothing like it happening again, had healed the wound that the drama with Lester had done previously to their friendship. It had been a bitter lesson for Iris, but she learned it, and she still regretted hurting Kristal the way she had. She was glad that she and Lester seemed to have found something more permanent and stable with one another. It was odd. Occasionally she would see him and feel, well, something, but it was not enough to consider thinking about going there again. Not with so many downsides and so many other unexplored and unknown options out there. He was far better suited to someone like Kristal anyway, a genius artist who really got someone like him. He was hot and all, but if she wanted to hear someone drone on and on about art, she could talk to Patrick or Maria. She didn’t need to date someone into that.
“Aw. I’ll miss you, too. But it’s not like you can’t message me whenever!”
“I know, but we can’t hang out. You, me, and Rashida. We could’ve taken Sims U by storm, and we all got in.”
“Yeah, but she can’t afford it, and didn’t have your grades for the scholarships. And Lester didn’t get in, so I’d have missed him if I went there. Plus, Britechester offered me a scholarship and entry into their distinguished fine arts program, so it was a better offer than Sims U.”
“And they did accept Lester, even if not distinguished.”
Kristal smiled. “Yes.”
Iris smiled back. “Because you’re smarter than him.”
Kristal could not help but smile a little more. “Well… yes, but it feels a little harsh to say that.”
Iris patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t feel bad about it. It just comes with being a genius, my friend. You get used to it. Some of us are just smarter than others.” She shrugged.
“Ah. Yes. Like, some of us know not to woohoo in a public photo booth.” Kristal rolled her eyes, while Iris nearly spat her drink.
“What?”
“Oh, yeah. In case you were wondering where Rashida and Alfonso were? Corina told me a little while ago that when she was upstairs playing Whack-A-Gnome, she saw them go into the photobooth and heard some, uh, interesting sounds coming out of it along with their voices that made it pretty clear what was going on. They were loud enough that it was over the music. Sommer heard it, too.” Kristal made a face. “I mean, really. I know Alfonso has his daredevil streak and she’s into that, but eew. The thought of someone walking in on you or listening in creepily aside, didn’t she ever think about how many microbes and other nasty things are on the surfaces in there? I’d want hand sanitizer just after a regular picture, let alone getting down and dirty, especially thinking about if other people have done
that!” She made a face. “Yuck. How un-sexy can you get? And can you imagine the pictures? Oh no. Can you say awkward camera angles?!”
“Oh yeah, they were getting it on like nobody’s business,” Corina confirmed from over at the bar. “That thing was rocking harder than the karaoke machine and she was trying not to moan his name. It was hilarious because the thing was flashing away the whole time. Way to be subtle, guys.”
“Cheaper than paying a camera man, I guess,” snorted Lester.
“Those things take terrible pictures anyway.”
Lester looked over at Iris, amused. “What, are you speaking from experience?”
She nearly dropped her glass, but it was impossible that any of them could have known about
her recent rendezvous with Cameron at the dance club in the photo booth on Love Day, since none of them were there. No, that was just a snarky remark and coincidence. It had to be. “Hardy har har. No, I’m just saying, when do
you think was the last time that lens was cleaned?”
Kristal winced again. “Stop. You’re grossing me out.”
“Here. I’ll pour you a stiff one,” Corina offered. “I learned some great mixes with the good plum living at the Landgraab mansion with my big sister.”
“Careful,” warned Lester. “Kristal’s got a little trouble handling it when it’s too stiff.”
She shot her boyfriend a look while Corina and Iris burst into giggles. “Oh, Les, you walked into that one,” Kristal groaned.
“Oh, you know what I meant! Juice!”
“Yeah, yeah.” Corina was still snickering as she set the drink tray down and grabbed some fruit to dip into the chocolate fountain. “Okay, Kristal. Drink at your own risk. Don’t put anything too
hard in your mouth without Lester’s okay.”
That got another round of giggles while Lester and Kristal shuffled to get their drinks and Iris picked up another one and swished it. She only sipped at it, as it was too strong for her taste and juice like that made her feel wilty.
“Is it really that strong, Iris?” Kristal asked quietly.
“It’s… potent.”
Kristian Bunch nodded. “Don’t mind Corina. Living with the Landgraabs is enough to drive anyone to drink.”
“I didn’t think Malcolm was all that bad,” Iris mused. “I know my parents and Blair thought old Nancy was kind of a snotty llama, and Malcolm and Bianca’s dad did some trashy plum before they divorced, but Malcolm always seemed all right. We’ve had him over at parties and he was nice enough. Bianca, I don’t know that well. She was in Chris’ class, I think. Kind of high on herself and super sporty from what I know of her. Never talked to her much.”
Corina took a bite of fruit. “Malcolm’s stuffy as plum. I’ll give you that he’s a decent dude for a Landgraab and not a ruthless llama like his mom, but still. He’s a politician and so charm school polished. But he’s still a Landgraab. Sorry, but I just don’t trust old money rich people like that. They’re establishment. Bebe loves him and he’s all right, but like I said. Politician and stuffy and… kind of weird. He’s got secrets. They all do.”
“She’s right. Everyone knows you can’t trust politicians,” Lane Mae chimed in from the other side of the bar. “I should know. I live in the ‘rival family’ mansion across the way from the Landgraabs, and my sister-in-law’s mom was the slyest politician that ever corrupt politician-ed in the history of this town, probably. I could tell you some stories. And let’s not even get started on her dad. Oh, boy. Wait until Holly has a few juices and hear what she has to say. Issues? That poor woman’s got volumes.”
Corina turned to Lane curiously. “Hey, did you ever find any juicy secrets in the Alto mansion? ‘cause let me tell you… there’s some weird plum in that Landgraab mansion. I don’t know if this dates from old Nancy or maybe her dad Chester or even ancient old Kermit and Kitty’s time, but there’s a whole secret closed off attic floor that Malcolm put in hidden access to years back that’s got all this extra computer plum in it that does who the hell knows what. He keeps it locked, but I’ve seen it. Like what does the
mayor need that kind of crap for? He paranoid much? You’d think the science geeks next door would be the ones that have that kind of weird stuff!” She turned toward Iris. “No offense, Iris. I just mean that kind of thing would make more sense for your parents than Malcolm Freaking Landgraab and my sister the doctor or Bianca Sportygirl and Tom the Firefighter, you know? Especially since your parents have stuff like that right out in the yard like that giant pole satellite thing on the side between you and the Alto mansion.”
Iris rolled her eyes, although it irked her a bit that Corina’s loud and buzzed stereotypical caricature conjecture of her parents as weirdo mad scientists with a secret lab and strange equipment hiding in their mansion was more accurate than she wanted to admit. “None taken,” she white lied. “Actually, that machine is a collective experimental neural unit that’s been in development in coordination with Sims U for some time. The family tinkers with it as a side project.” She smiled disarmingly. “What can I say? They are a little eccentric. As for your brother-in-law, could be that stuff is holdover from old Landgraab Industries tech or patents they never sold. They used to own the lab before my parents bought them out decades ago. Old money doesn’t like letting go of old habits. Maybe they’re storing it waiting for a new opportunity to develop it with a new company.”
“Oooh. Maybe there’ll be another feud,” Sommer teased. “Landgraab vs. Wainwright.”
“Well, there are no Altos left by name to fight with anymore,” Lane pointed out. “The only Altos left are named Alvi now, like I would’ve been if my dad had bothered marrying my mother. Though I will say big bro VJ did old Nick proud in his organization after he was gone, not that you heard that from me.”
“Yeah, one thing my dad did spectacularly—steal the best Snowflake Day gifts in town, even if he did carry on the fine Alvi tradition of not bothering to marry our moms,” Kristian chimed in on a sarcastic note. “But good old Uncle Miraj and Aunt Holly don’t seem the crime lord types, so I think we’re safe from that family legacy. A high-tech science feud sounds more fun anyway.”
“If it’s all the same, I’d rather just avoid the whole mess and get along. Fortunately, for all their quirks, my parents managed to get along with both sets of neighbors and the Goths without starting anything like that, so here’s hoping that trend continues.” Iris raised her glass. “Cheers!”
“I’ll drink to that. To good friends and neighbors,” Lane echoed, picking up a glass.
“And to staying in touch long distance, since we’re all heading out to different places soon,” Kristal added.
“To a great class full of good times,” Jeanine Andrews, who had been fairly quiet, but a part of their class, spoke up, raising her glass.
“Cheers!” finished Sommer Wan, and they all drank the toast.
Afterward, Lester chuckled. “Wow. And Alfonso and Rashida are
still gone. All I’ve got to say is, that must be one hell of a photo reel by now.”
After the party was over and Iris said goodbye to her friends, it was time to prepare for her upcoming semester at Sims University. It seemed like it was time for her to go before she knew it. “It’ll be so strange without you here,” Patches lamented as Iris went over her checklist. “It just won’t be the same.”
“I know. I still could give you that potion Mom gave me if you want.” A while back, Susan had discovered a formula buried deep in the occult vault of the lab archives that allegedly unbound a spirit doll from its doll form and allowed it to assume corporeal form. Whether it was an old witches’ alchemy potion that had been transcribed into scientific components by a scientist or an actual discovery made by a scientist back in the day, the notes did not say, as it had been in a notebook even older than Boyd or Susan. Regardless, it was still untested and there were no notes on its efficacy from back then, either. Neither Patches nor Buddy had been willing to take it so far. Buddy wanted nothing to do with it, content with his existence as it was, and Patches was wary of it, too.
“No. I don’t think so. If Buddy can survive Patrick going away to University, I think I can, too,” she said on an upbeat note.
“Even without Orion to harass telepathically or an evil gnome to kick around? I thought that was how he stayed sane while he was gone. That and trolling my parents from time to time.”
“Oh, Buddy’s really not so bad. Just a little rough around the edges.” She giggled. “Or more than a little, but still. He doesn’t pick on them as much now that they’re so old. He doesn’t want to risk them ‘suddenly keeling over from fright or anything’ as he puts it.”
Iris raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you have a thing for Buddy?”
“Ahhh no! He’s more like a… big annoying brother. If I was going to get into those kinds of feelings, I’d pick someone nicer than him for sure. I’m just saying he’s not all bad. He watches over Jessica, and I’ve seen him telling Fluffs how to help her out.” She turned toward Iris. “I’ll miss you, of course, but I’ll be all right. Don’t worry about me. Have lots of fun at Sims U!”
“I plan to! But I’ll miss you, too.” She hugged her. “I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.”
When the time came for Iris to leave for Sims U, everyone came out of the house to see her off. “Have a great time and good luck!” Patrick said with a grin and a wave. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
“Oh, good. That leaves all my options open, then,” she laughed back.
“And that’s one way to assure your old father has a heart attack from worry while you’re gone,” Boyd added as he hugged her goodbye. “Please don’t do anything too crazy.”
“I won’t, Dad. I love you and I don’t want you to have a heart attack.”
“Or at least she won’t tell us if she does,” Susan said dryly as she took her turn for the goodbye hug. “Take care, sweetie. Good luck. We love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
Maria also gave her a hug. “Have fun and good luck, Iris. I know you’ll stun them all at Sims U, both academically and socially.”
“Thanks.”
“Try not to break too many hearts,” she teased with a knowing smile.
“Nah. Not too many,” she smiled back.
“Best of luck in your academic endeavors and achievements, and social outings!” cheered Plumboptimus.
It was a bit awkward, but she appreciated it anyway. “Thanks, Plumboptimus.” She hugged him, too.
“Bye-bye, Iris!” Jessica bounced and waved, and Iris set her suitcase down long enough to pick her up and hug her little niece.
“Bye, Jess! I’m sure you’re going to be a lot bigger when I get back. I’ll see you soon.” She waved and got into the van, excited for her upcoming adventure in higher education.
They watched the van drive away that late spring day with mixed feelings. They were all happy for her, but they would all miss her, too. “It’s not going to be the same without Iris and her teenage angst around anymore,” Maria mused with a wistful smile. “I’m going to miss hearing all her fun gossip of the high school crowd and the inspiration it gave me for my writing.”
“Well, now you’ll get the Sims U version. We can hear how it’s changed since we’ve been there.”
“How old we’ve gotten, you mean,” Maria half-groaned as she thought about how near middle age loomed. “Don’t remind me.”
“Old,” Susan scoffed playfully. “Don’t talk to me about old, miss I’m still youthful enough to be having a baby. Talk to me about old when you’ve got great grandchildren and your youngest baby just went off to university.”
“To be fair, the great-grandchildren were adopted in elementary school and that cut a decade out of the process.”
“Ah, but there’s also decades of putting up with Cycl0n3’s mouth before that, which, while not scientifically proven yet, we have a theory grays your hair faster with each prolonged exposure,” Boyd pointed out.
Patrick snorted. “Is that why poor Blair stayed so childish? Trying to balance out those grays?”
“I wish I could disagree with some of that, but sadly, I can’t,” said Maria.
While her family adjusted to her absence, Iris arrived at Sims University. It was in a town on a rocky and mountainous terrain much farther up the coast than Sunset Valley, and the weather there was still much cooler. Some of last fall’s leaves still blew across the ground in the spring breeze as she walked up the path to her dorm, a historic building that almost looked like an old castle. It was not an open dorm for all university students, but one exclusive to a very few honors students like her that earned special scholarships that were highly competed for. Sometimes there were nice perks to being a genius plantsim from a rich family of scientists.
Although the old stone building was dark and nothing like the open sunniness of a greenhouse or modern home full of windows like she was used to, she could not help but like it. It felt special and exclusive, and made her feel optimistic about the upcoming semesters ahead of her. Iris Wainwright had arrived, and she was ready to take on Sims University!
