Smoothie Sims, Inc. proudly presents…

Elle’s Bachelorette Challenge - Day 1

“You’ re giving me a what?”

“A bachelorette challenge,” Marina Smoothie repeated, watching Elle Fitzhugh’ s faceworriedly. She wasn’ t sure what she had expected Elle’ s reaction to be, but confusionand fear hadn’ t been on the list of possibi li ties, and seeing them now concerned her.“You’ re going to spend a week in a nice house with seven guys, get to know them, flirta li ttle, and send one home each day, unti l you’ re hopefully left with the one you likebest.”

“Doesn’ t that sound like fun, Ellie?” Azula, bless her, was completely on board withthe idea and doing her best to pitch it to Elle. Having found someone she wanted tospend her life with, she wanted the same thing for her sister and figured letting Elleget to know a handful of guys over a set period of time was a good start.

“It sounds more like your kind of thing, Zuzu,” Elle said honestly. “I mean, Iappreciate the thought and everything, but I don’ t know how to talk to people I don’ tknow at all, let alone strange guys, let alone seven of them at once.”

“Well, you have to get over that if you want to find someone special and get marriedsomeday,” Azula said. “Guys generally like to be the ones to approach the girls, but thegirls have to make themselves approachable, and your instinct is to run and hide ifsomeone so much as blinks at you.”

Elle grimaced. “Point taken. Sti ll.”

“I’m not going to make you do it if you really don’ t want to, Ellie,” Marina said. “But Ipromise you all the guys are good people and worth getting to know. And it might doyou a li ttle good to get out of your comfort zone.”

“I suppose…”

“And if it’ ll make you feel better, I can tell you that Azula and I wi ll be watching thewhole thing behind the scenes.”

Elle perked up a bit at this. “Really?”

“There are cameras in the house, and I’m going to give you an earpiece that wi ll allowyou to talk to us,” Marina explained. As far as the two girls knew, all Marina was totheir fami ly was a long time, trusted friend, and she intended to keep it that way ifpossible.

Elle shut her eyes in contemplation for a long moment, and finally let out a sigh ofresignation. “Okay. I’ ll do it. I guess it couldn’ t be that bad.”

“I’m sure you’ ll do great, Ellie,” Azula said encouragingly, getting up to give hersister a hug.

“The house is right next door,” Marina added. “You can head over whenever you want,and I’ ll give you a couple of hours to look around and figure out where everything isbefore I send the guys over.”

“Okay,” Elle agreed. “I might as well go over there now. Thanks, Marina. I really doappreciate it, and I’ ll do my best.”

“That’ s all I ask.”

After collecting her set of keys and her earpiece, Elle said goodbye to the two womenand began the short walk next door.

“Now what?” Azula asked, once she was gone.

“I just need to fire up my computer and make sure the cameras are working, and we’ llbe good to go,” Marina said. “We’re in for a long sit, so if you want to make yourselfa snack, now’s a good time.”

“Okay, I’ ll be back in a minute.”

Left alone in the room, Marina sat in front of her shiny new Apple desktop and gotstarted connecting to the camera system at the bachelorette house, grinning toherself. “I’ ve missed this part,” she murmured.

Azula came back after a few minutes and stood next to her chair, peering over hershoulder at the screen. “What’ s she doing?”

“Walking around, mostly,” Marina said. “I probably should have warned her about thesize of the house, huh?”

“Yeah, that might have been a good idea,” Azula replied, with a snort of amusement.

“It’ ll be a bit unti l the guys get there. Want me to tell you about them whi le we’ rewaiting just for some background?”

“Sure.”

“Okay. Here, I’ ve got pictures.”

“Ooh, who’ s that?”

“His name’s Abraham Munster, Abe for short, and he’ s a Pisces Knowledge Sim fromChocolate Falls. Kinda serious, but very nice.”

“Oh, he’ ll get on just fine with Ellie, then.”

“I hope so. Abe’ s been, uh, unlucky in love. His ex-wife was a horrible woman whoused him because she was in love with his brother, and did all sorts of nasty things totheir fami ly.”

“That really sucks.”

“Yeah, it does. This one is Akor Carter, a Pisces Fami ly Sim from Strangetown.”

“I like his cleft chin. What’ s his deal?”

“It’ s not nearly as complicated. He just graduated from college and was living withhis brother in an apartment for a whi le. His sister was having a hard time for awhi le with an emotionally abusive boyfriend and his psychotic mother, but that’ s overwith now.”

“You had to pick the angsty ones, didn’ t you?”

“Well, i t’ s not his angst.”

“Detai ls.”

“Moving on. This is Wi lliam Blackthorne, another Pisces Knowledge Sim, whogenerally goes by Ham or Hammy.”

“…seriously?”

“To distinguish him from his grandfather. It’ s derived from a middle name. He’ sfrom Simshire.”

“That sounds like a place out of a Jane Austen novel.”

“It…sort of is.”

“Get out of town.”

“No, really, i t is. You’ ll see what I mean when he starts interacting with Elle.”

“Ooooooookay. And who’ s Tall, Dark, and Handsome over here?”

“That’ s Joss Warner. He’ s a Virgo Knowledge Sim and he’ s from Belladonna Cove.”

“He looks fami liar.”

“He would. His grandfather’ s frequented your mother’ s shops a few times.”

“Oh, the guy with the dreads and the no shirt? I remember him. He was hi larious,always going on about nurses and wedgies.”

“Yeah…Joss has a simi lar temperament, without the constant wedgies.”

“Awesome.”

“This is Liam Whedon, a Virgo Fami ly Sim from The Hellmouth.”

“Now you’ re pulling my leg.”

“No, I’m serious. It’ s a place a lot like where you come from, actually.”

“Post-apocalyptic? Seriously?”

“Disasters can happen anywhere. Liam’s from a region that was much worse off thanSierra Plains when he left it, though. Kind of like it was back in your great-grandmother Narissa’ s day.”

“Ouch. Well, I guess it’ ll give him and Ellie something to talk about.”

“This one is Meloti Tegenaria, also from Strangetown, and an Aries Knowledge Sim.”

“Odd name.”

“Not any more than yours.”

“Shush. I like my name.”

“He likes his too. It means ‘butterfly.’ He comes from a very…scholarly fami ly. Oh,and this is pertinent to your interests…he was abducted, like your uncle, and had analien baby. Him and Abe both, actually.”

“Sweet! Automatic points from me!”

“And last, but not least, we have Stuart Legacy, an Aries Fami ly Sim from Regalton.”

“Okay, what’ s his story?”

“He’s from another old-timey place, like Ham, only the Victorian era instead of theRegency era.”

“Oh, that’ s going to be fun. Ellie’ s going to get her nerd all over these guys.”

“Well, anything that gives her a conversation starter wi ll help. Stuart’ s likely to beeasygoing about it, though. He has a special place in his heart for people like her.”

“Why’s that?”

“Long story, mostly having to do with his horrible mother.”

“Okaaay, I’m backing away now before I get caught in the friendly fire,” Azula said,eyeing the sinister gleam in Marina’ s expression wari ly.

“Sorry. I’ ll save the pitchforks for another time.” The Author coughed a bit. “So whatdo you think?”

“They all look like pretty decent guys. I’d hate to have to choose between them.”

“Lucki ly, you don’ t have to.”

“Yeah, but Elle does. They better be nice to her.”

“You can borrow my pitchforks if they aren’ t.”

“Rockin’ .”

Meanwhi le, over at the bachelorette house, Elle was beginning to wonder if she reallyhad the right place. It was a fairly normal house by modern standards, but she hadbeen living on an 8x8 patch of land her entire life and never seen a bui lding remotelythat large before.

The interior of the house only made her feel more unsure. There were musicalinstruments and artwork in the various rooms that she knew were i llegal back inSierra Plains. “Okay, I’m not in Sierra Plains anymore,” she muttered, trying to calmherself. “Things must be different here. It’ s okay, Elle, get a grip.”

The upstairs was just as nice as the downstairs, and had a balcony that looked overthe lake below with a stunning view of the countryside beyond. That made Elle smi le,and she lingered a bit before moving on to the different rooms.

“Oh, I guess this is my room.” Elle took in the old fashioned bedframe and the yellow-flowered qui lt and instantly felt at home. “I like this. It’ ll be good to have somewhereI can be alone for a minute if I need to, too. When I need to.”

Sti ll not exactly thri lled with the pending arrival of the boys, Elle headed downstairsto the pool table and tried to calm her nerves. Pool was an interesting game thatrequired quite a bit of math, if you thought about it, and math was something Elle wasgood at. She calculated her angles carefully and managed to sink most of the balls sheaimed at on the first try. It proved to be a good distraction.

So good, in fact, that the sound of the front door opening made her jump two feet.

They had arrived.

“Oh, God.” She sucked in a breath, suddenly terrified. “Marina, I can’ t do this.”

“Can I talk to her?” Azula asked.

Marina pressed a few keys. “It’ s on speaker now. She can hear you.”

“Ellie? It’ s me.”

“Zuzu, I can’ t do this!” her li ttle sister practically wai led, as well as one can who istrying to keep from being heard.

“Yes, you can. Come on, don’ t wimp out now. Just go out and say hello.”

“But--”

“They’ re not going to eat you, Elle, just do it. We’re right here.”

Elle swallowed. “Okay. I’m going.”

“Good girl. Just say hello and go from there. It’ ll be okay, promise.”

She put down the pool cue and slowly walked out to the front hall, where the boyswere congregating, and panicked freshly. They all looked so nice, and cute…what theheck were they doing coming here, to spend time with a girl like her?

“Say hello,” Azula’ s voice hissed in her ear.

Elle tried to smi le and didn’ t quite manage it. “Hello,” she croaked.

***

A couple of hours later, Elle found herself setting up the buffet table, awed by both theamount of food in front of her and the fact that she had made it through the morning inone piece.

She had been saved from a very awkward si lence earlier by one of the bachelors’coming up to introduce himself. “I’m Abe,” he said, with a big smi le.

“I’m Elle,” she replied, hasti ly, “b-but you can call me Ellie, cause everybody else doesand all.”

“Hey, don’ t be so nervous. We’re just having a conversation. People do that all thetime.”

Elle barked a laugh and took a breath. “Sorry. Uh, this isn’ t really my thing at all and Ihave no idea what to do…”

“I know what you mean. This is my first time doing something like this, too. As faras I can tell, you’ re doing fine, just relax a li ttle.”

“Okay, I’ ll try.” She cracked a smi le. “So, uh…where are you from?”

“Chocolate Falls.”

“That’ s a long way from here, isn’ t it? How was the trip?”

“Eh, pretty uneventful really compared to everything else that’ s ever happened to me.”

“Oh, well, that’ s good. Right?”

“Right.” He then caught sight of something in the room behind her. “Ooh, you have apiano? Do you mind if I--”

“Not at all,” she said quickly.

Abe wasn’ t exactly an expert at playing the piano, but Elle had never heard anyoneplay before at all, and enjoyed listening to him. Secretly, she was also thankful to beoff the hook as far as talking went, for the moment.

That didn’ t last very long, though, because someone else approached her once he sawthat she and Abe were done talking. “I hope you wi ll allow me to introduce myself,” hesaid, also with a warm, disarming smi le. “I am Stuart Legacy.”

“I’m Elle. Fitzhugh. Um, nice to meet you.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Fitzhugh.”

She blinked in surprise at his politeness. “Oh, just Elle’ s fine, really. Or Ellie. That’ swhat my fami ly calls me, except Gabriel calls me Miss Ellie because he thinks it’ stoo informal not to or something ridiculous like that. Uh, Gabriel is our Servo.”

“I…see,” Stuart said slowly, sti ll smi ling, but a li ttle confusedly now.

“I’m babbling, aren’ t I,” she said, mortified.

“Only a li ttle,” he assured her. “Would you like to begin that again? I would not mind.”

She shot him a grateful smi le. “Thanks. Call me Ellie.”

“If that is what you prefer, I wi ll be happy to. Now, Miss Ellie, how are you doingthis fine day?”

“I’m…hanging in there, I guess.” She shrugged apologetically. “How are you?”

“I am very well, thank you. This is a nice, comfortable house in a scenic area. I feelquite at home.”

“Did you have to travel a long way to get here?” she asked, remembering herconversation with Abe and figuring that was a safe enough question.

“I hai l from Regalton, which is a considerable distance,” Stuart replied. “It was notan unpleasant journey, though. The idea of attending an event such as this intriguedme. My father’ s cousin participated in something simi lar.”

“Oh, really? How did that turn out?”

He smi led. “He was apparently very uncomfortable with the idea, but i t ended well.He courted and subsequently married the woman left at the end.”

“Awww, that’ s sweet,” she said. “Good for him. Hey, are you hungry? I was thinkingabout opening the buffet table soon.”

So she did, and at the smell of food the rest of the men came to the dining room to eatwith her.

Elle found herself sitting between two guys she hadn’ t talked to yet--a slightlyintimidating man named Joss who wore a bandana and reminded her of her scaryalien cousin Riku, and a much more reserved fellow who murmured that she could callhim Ham, if she wished, when she asked him not to call her Miss Fitzhugh, and thendidn’ t speak again the rest of the meal.

Once they all had some food and were seated at the table, Elle decided to saysomething to the table at large and maybe get a conversation going. She cleared herthroat. “Uh, hi . I just wanted to say thank you, to all of you, for coming here to meetme. I’m very flattered, and, um, I’ ll do my best to be a good hostess. And I hope we’ llall be friends.”

“You’ re welcome,” said the nice-looking man with glasses across the table. “This hasbeen a very pleasant experience so far. I’d say you’ re doing a good job.”

“Why don’ t we go around the table and introduce ourselves, since we’ re all here?” thejacketed man next to him suggested.

“That’ s a good idea,” Elle agreed. “I’ ll start, I guess. I’m Elle, and you guys can callme Elle or Ellie. I answer to both.”

She glanced to her left, and Ham took over with a shy smi le. “I am WilliamBlackthorne,” he said, “but I generally go by Ham, or Hammy.”

They continued clockwise around the table unti l everyone had taken a turn, and thenfell into a brief si lence.

It was broken by Joss, when he saw that Elle had finished her gelatin and waswondering whether they would think she was running away if she got up to take it tothe sink. “Is that all you’ re going to eat?” he asked her.

He didn’ t mean it in a rude way, but she was sti ll taken aback by the tone of thequestion. “Um, for now,” she said slowly. “I mean, I’ ve never had gelatin before, and Ihave a light appetite.”

Joss raised his eyebrows. “You’ ve never had gelatin before? What planet have youbeen living on?”

“Oh, leave her alone,” the other seemingly reserved man, who had introduced himselfas Liam, spoke up sharply. “She can eat whatever she wants to.”

“I wasn’ t attacking her, geez,” Joss retorted.

Elle hasti ly got up from her seat. “I’m going to go wash my plate,” she informed thegroup. “Be right back.” She picked up her plate, and when she saw that Akor was alsodone, offered to take his as well. He nodded in thanks and left to wash his hands.

She hurried out of the room, but not fast enough to avoid hearing what was said asshe went.

“You shouldn’ t be so harsh,” Meloti said quietly to Joss.

“I said I wasn’ t attacking her! What is your problem?”

“I think Elle is a li ttle afraid of us. She’ s not comfortable with this kind of thing andwe should try to make it as easy on her as possible,” Abe said, glancing at Meloti ,who nodded.

“Yeah, well, I’m not going to treat her like a baby and I don’ t think she’d want therest of you to, either.”

“No one is suggesting that,” Stuart said calmly. “Mr. Tegenaria and Mr. Munsterhave simply said that Miss Ellie is i ll at ease and that we should respect that and notmake this harder for her.”

“I’m not trying to make her miserable, if that’ s what you mean,” Joss said, crossly.“But you all are treating her like she’ s going to melt if you look at her the wrong way,and I’m not going to do that, either. And now I’m done talking about this, so leave mealone.”

Completely embarrassed, Elle hurried away and decided not to go back to the diningroom once she was done with the dishes. She was tempted to run out the door as fastas she could and never come back, but she knew that if she did that, Azula would beangry with her, so she forced the urge down and made herself stay. Instead, she wentback into the living room and started another game of pool, figuring some of themwould join her if they really wanted to, but not actually expecting them to do so.

After a minute, Stuart found her there and reached for a pool cue. “Do you mind if Ijoin you?” he asked.

“Not at all,” Elle said quietly.

The first couple of moves were made in si lence, and Elle hated it enough to get thenerve to speak up. “I’m really no good with people,” she said. “It’ s not that I don’ t likepeople, but I just…don’ t know how to interact with them. Strangers absolutely terrifyme because I’m always scared I’ ll say the wrong thing and they’ ll hate me orsomething.”

“This seems a rather odd program for you, if you feel that way,” Stuart said, gentlycurious rather than accusatory.

She smi led faintly. “It wasn’ t my idea. My sister and a good fami ly friend organizedit because they wanted me to meet people.”

“They must really care about you, then, to go to all that trouble,” Stuart said.

“Oh, I know, and I’m grateful to them for thinking of me. I’m just wondering if it’ sreally good for me to be doing this.” She glanced at him. “And I don’ t want any of youto feel obligated to stay because you feel sorry for me.”

“Not at all!” cried Stuart. “I assure you I completely meant what I said earlier aboutlooking forward to meeting you, and I stand by it, now that I have. Please do not thinkI would rather be somewhere else.”

“Okay, if you’ re sure.”

“I am.”

Elle was quite happy, after the awful lunch, to take his word for it. She liked Stuart alot already and his gui leless manner helped put her at ease. “So,” she said, as theycontinued their game, “what’ s your fami ly like?”

“I have quite a large extended fami ly,” he replied, considering his next move. “I livewith only my grandparents, my father, my stepmother, and my older brother, Bertie.”

“What about your mother? Where does she live? Or is she--”

Stuart’ s eyes clouded a li ttle. “My father divorced her when I was small. It is notsomething we speak of often.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I do not grudge you your curiosity.” He smi led. “And you? Youmentioned a sister.”

“Yeah, Azula’ s her name. I’ ve also got a younger brother, Bi lly, and we all li ve withour parents and the Servo my dad made for my mom.”

“Ah, yes, you mentioned the Servo earlier. What exactly is a Servo, may I ask?”

“It’ s a robot, uh…a mechanical man? Maybe you haven’ t got them where you’ re from.”

He shook his head. “I do not think so. We have very little machinery in Regalton.”

“Okay. Yeah, uh, my dad bui lt Gabriel for my mom. She’ s an entrepreneur and owns alot of businesses, and he thought she could use the extra help.”

“Really? What an extraordinary coincidence. My grandfather bui lt a business empireof his own before I was born.”

She laughed, lining up her next shot. “How about that. I have to say, it’ s a lot lessexciting working on them than it is after the fact. My siblings and I were required towork at the businesses pretty much full time.”

“I imagine it was hard work.”

“It was, but…I love my mother, and that’ s what she really wanted to do with her life.Zuzu and Bi lly were a lot less passive about it, though.” Taking the shot, she sunk herlast ball and grinned in triumph.

“Hey, I won!”

“Nicely done,” Stuart said, also smi ling.

She mock-curtseyed. “Thank you. Hey, I’m getting a li ttle hungry again. Do you wantanything?”

“I am perfectly fine for the moment, but thank you for asking.”

Feeling a lot better about life, Elle went back to the dining room and found Abe andLiam already there with significant helpings of turkey. Deciding it had to be good, ifpeople were eating it, she took some herself and sat down at the table with them.“How are you guys holding up?” she asked.

“We’re good,” Liam said with a shrug.

Abe was a bit more forthcoming. “We just found out that both of us have beenabducted by aliens,” he said. “Only Liam’s happened when he was a teenager so hedidn’ t get a green baby out of it.”

“Abe,” Liam hissed, looking mortified.

Elle grinned. “Seriously? That’ s really nifty. My uncle was abducted by aliens, too, soI’ ve got a li ttle alien cousin. He scares me a bit, though, not gonna lie.”

“Why, because he’ s an alien?”

“Not really, i t’ s because he’ s just…him.”

Abe nodded. “I’ ve heard of half-aliens like that. My daughter Chelley i s as sweet ascan be, though.”

“Where is she right now?”

“Staying with fami ly unti l I get back.”

“Okay. I’d like to meet her sometime.”

“Maybe you wi ll.”

After dinner, she meandered upstairs and found Akor and Stuart playing a round ofpoker. “Hey guys,” she said. “Do you want a third?”

“I don’ t know,” Akor said, w ith a teasing grin. “How’s your poker face?”

“Better than you’ re assuming,” she shot back, before she could think about it.

“Pull up a chair then. Do you know how to play?”

“Highest hand wins, right? We each get dealt a hand, look at it, and then go around thetable making bets unti l we’ re ready to show them and see who wins.”

“That’ s about right. Do you want to deal?”

“Maybe next game? Are we betting with anything?”

Stuart laughed. “Only the chips. However, Mr. Carter is beating me senseless.Perhaps you can help me turn the tables.”

Akor passed her a stack of chips. “You can have some of mine to start, Elle.”

“Thanks.”

He winked at her. “I wi ll definitely be taking them all back, though.”

“You sure talk a lot,” Elle quipped. “We’ ll see who’ s gloating when this hand’ s over.”

In her earpiece, she heard surprised laughter and a cry of “Go Ellie!” from Azula, andcouldn’ t help grinning.

And, quite possibly out of her determination to stick it to Akor, she won the firsthand.

“Not bad,” he said, impressed. “Have you ever played this before?”

“My cousins like it. I play with them sometimes. Another round?”

“Sure, if you want.”

They played five rounds before deciding it was time they headed to bed. “Thanks forletting me play,” Elle said. “It was fun. I’ ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Pleasant dreams, Miss Ellie,” Stuart said.

“Yeah, you guys too.”

Elle settled down to sleep feeling significantly better than she had that morning, anddecided that a bachelorette challenge wouldn’ t be such a bad thing after all.

What she had forgotten, of course, was that she would have to send someone home atnoon the next day.

***

The next morning, Marina dragged herself out of bed before 6am, cursing the timeand the bright idea that had led her to start the whole thing in the first place. Collegestudents didn’ t ever get up that early unless they had to, and she was no exception.However, she had to make sure to catch Elle before she went out to mingle with theboys, to let her know what the plan for the day was.

Slinking into her computer chair, she rubbed her eyes as she turned on her laptop andconnected to the house. “Elle, are you up yet?” she asked softly.

“Just about,” Elle replied sleepi ly, hoisting herself out of bed. “What’ s up? Is Zuzuthere?”

“Sti ll asleep, as far as I know. I’m going to go get her in a minute and we’ re going togo to the computer downstairs after we have something to eat. Listen, I wanted totalk to you about what you’ re going to do today.”

All of a sudden, she remembered and groaned. “That’ s right, I have to send someonehome at twelve. How am I going to do that?”

“Pick the one you feel you’ ve connected with least. You don’ t need to feel bad, Ellie, allof them know how it’ s going to go down.”

“I’m going to anyway, you know.”

“You’ re doing great, Ellie,” Marina said. “I told you you would. Now, unti l noon, justwalk around and interact with the guys like you did yesterday, no pressure. Afteryou’ ve sent one home, go up to the tea set on the second floor and brew the tea, thenask the guys to join you. The first three that get there get to chat with you for threehours. After that, get some one on one time with all the remaining guys, chat them upa little. Think you can do that?”

“Yeah, I think so. You and Zuzu w i ll help me if I get stuck, right?”

“That’ s what we’ re here for. Let us know if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

After she took a shower and got dressed, Elle had breakfast with Abe and Meloti . Itturned out that Meloti had also had an alien daughter, and listening to the two mencompare stories of their abductions fascinated her. She didn’ t have much tocontribute, but it was a good conversation anyway.

After breakfast, she headed back to the pool room, hoping once more that someonewould join her. When no one did, she assumed they were getting washed up and readyfor the day and used the time alone to think.

She really didn’ t want to send anyone home. There were a few she had barely talked toat all, and she didn’ t want to pass up a chance to get to know them. She was sure shecould be good friends, at least, with most of the remaining guys. It was a difficultdecision.

By the time noon rolled around, she had narrowed it down to two she couldn’ t possiblydecide between, and decided to call the guys together to tell them and see where itwent from there.

“Abe, seriously, do you have to play the same etude over and over again?”

“It’ s my favorite.”

“Yeah, and it’ s driving me nuts. Please stop.”

“Hey, guys,” Elle greeted them. “Can you help me gather everyone in here? I need totalk to you all together.”

“Sure,” Abe shrugged, getting up.

Liam glanced at her face and frowned. “You look kind of sick, Elle, is everythingokay?”

“I’m fine,” she said quickly. “I just need to talk to everyone real fast.”

As they all gathered in the room and took a seat on the couches, Elle looked around andsighed. She was sti ll no closer to a decision and she really, really hatedconfrontations.

“Hey guys,” she said quietly. “Um, I’ ve been having a good time getting to know you alland I’m really glad you all came. Unfortunately I’ ve been told that I have to send oneof you home today.

“Thing is, as far as I can tell all of you are great people and I’m not thri lled aboutpicking anyone to go home. I’ ve spent more time with some of you than others, though,and a couple of you didn’ t seem interested in talking much at all.” She shrugged. “And,well, I’ ve been thinking about it and I can’ t really choose between those two. Sobefore I decide who goes home, I’d like to talk to Ham and Joss alone for a minute.The rest of you can go have lunch or something whi le you’ re waiting.”

She asked Ham to stay behind first and told Joss she would ask him to come in whenshe was done. The floppy-haired young man smi led, but seemed nervous. “So,” shebegan, unsure how to go about it, “um, I don’ t know if you’ re just shy or what, but Isaw you once, at lunch yesterday, and we barely talked then, so…”

“Oh, I do apologize,” Ham said quickly. “I did not intend to ignore you, Miss Ellie.Please forgive my rudeness.”

“It’ s okay. I get the shy thing, I really do. I mean, you saw me.” They shared a quicklaugh. “Thing is, though, I need to pick someone to go home, so I need to know if youwant to stay. Since I hardly talked to you, I really don’ t know.”

“I should very much like to stay,” he said eagerly. “And I wi ll be sure to spend asmuch time with you as you would like if you wi ll let me.”

“You’ re sure?”

“I am quite sure.”

Elle smi led. “Okay. Can you send Joss in then? I just need to talk to him for a minutebefore I decide for sure.”

“Of course.”

Elle knew the second Joss walked into the room that he was not in a good mood andhated that she had to bother him, but to be fair, she had to try. “Hey.”

“What’ s up?”

“Well, um, I didn’ t want to say this in front of the others, but I’m not sure I want youto stay, or that you want to stay, because you didn’ t have anything nice to say to meyesterday at lunch and I haven’ t seen you at all since.”

“Oh, for spork’ s sake,” he growled, startling her. “I already said I wasn’ t trying toattack you and I am so tired of having to explain myself!”

“I didn’ t say you were--”

“Yes, you did. You said I wasn’ t being nice to you, and that’ s the same thing. Look,sorry if I hurt your feelings or whatever, but if you’ re looking for someone to treatyou like a delicate snowflake, you’ re better off asking someone else, because thatisn’ t me.”

“So does that mean you’d rather I sent you home?” Elle asked quietly, squelching aprotest to avoid starting a fight.

“I guess you’d better,” he said.

Elle sighed, getting up. “Okay. I’m really sorry. I would’ ve liked to talk to you a li ttlemore, at least.”

“Eh, forget it. It’ s probably better this way.” He smirked a bit. “Good luck, anyway.And, as a bit of advice, try growing a spine. You’ ll be happier that way.”

“I’ ll, uh, do my best.”

So Joss left to inform Ham that he was staying, and then he called a taxi to take himback to Belladonna Cove.

And as he was leaving, Elle quietly made her way upstairs to pour the tea, satisfied atleast that she had made the right choice, if a choice had to be made.

***

That’ s the end of Day 1, everyone! Look for Day 2 to be up in a few days, and unti lthen, Happy Simming!

Many, many thanks to Cait (charris) for the cover, it is beautiful ^_^

Turn the page for the day’ s scores -->

And as a bonus, have a picture of Abe and Meloti attempting to do the Mexican HatDance in the bathroom. <3

Scores

Stuart Legacy (A Victorian Legacy by Dicreasy) - 53/8 = 61

Abe Munster (The Munster Legacy by HurriKaty) - 9/2 = 11

Liam Whedon (A Buffyverse Apocalypse by RoseFyre) - 5/5 = 10

Meloti Tegenaria (The Science of a Legacy by GintasticNecat) - 3/3 = 6

Akor Carter (The Barsoom Legacy by tlhs0) - 2/2 = 4

Ham Blackthorne (The Regacy by charris) - 0/0 (tiebreaker - 15/0)

Joss Warner (Yakko’ s World by ladylarkrune) - 0/0 (tiebreaker - 12/0)