Freeman Legacy 1.5

Being a teenager was . . . different. For one thing, her homework was much harder - where Harrie breezed through her work, Helena could stare at her papers for an hour without making much progress. But she was treated differently too. Her parents got her an easel for her birthday, and had her room repainted. All her kid stuff was gone (except her pictures, which still hung on her wall) and now she had a larger bed, a proper dresser, and a dozen posters plastered on her wall. Some were movie posters, others for games or bands. Some were just cool designs. In a way, Helena's room became her Fortress of Solitude, and her parents respected her need for her own space.

On the weekends, Helena would spend hours in her room, a window open so she didn't inhale too many paint fumes, and cover canvas after canvas with her art. It used to be that when she drew something, it was something she saw or liked or made up. She still enjoyed art, but it had a new meaning now. Anything that happened, she could turn into an image. Any kind of image, really. And when it was on the canvas, it didn't have to be in her head anymore.

One particular oddity of being older meant that Helena was treated less like a big kid and more like a mini adult. So when Harriet woke in the middle of the night, convinced that a monster was hiding in the drawers under her bed, Helena went in, armed with a spray bottle to terrify the monstrous dust bunnies into submission. The next morning, Harrie had no memory of this, but Helena felt a little more grown up because of it.

Harrie, of course, was herself. When she convinced one of her parents or Helena to take her to the park, she spent the entire time talking to people, or playing chess with old ladies. Most of the time, everything was fine, though one guy named Paul Serna was a creepy. He even showed up at their house once, though he stopped after Dianna and Sergio threatened to call the cops.

For the most part, Helena didn't go in for too much socializing. She liked to be alone, or with her family. But there was one person who could change her mind: Houda Seddiki.

Houda was nearing the end of high school as Helena was heading into it, but that didn't seem to matter. They had fun together, just hanging out and talking, or texting back and forth. Besides, Houda didn't like big groups either, so their friendship was perfect for the two of them.

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Harriet's birthday came up quickly. She felt like her childhood had flown by in a flurry of school and friends and fun. But she wasn't nervous. Her sister had been having all kinds of new adventures since starting high school. And Helena didn't even like people! Surely teenager-hood had nothing Harrie couldn't handle!

Like Helena and Sergio's birthdays before them, Harrie's birthday happened to coincide with Dianna's. In a way, it made the whole thing less scary. Even if the coming years brought new experiences and unexpected surprises, at least they were going forward together.

Harriet didn't blossom into a young woman - she bloomed. She took what life gave her and worked it. Unlike Helena, who often got compared to their mother, Harrie didn't look especially like either of her parents, and she took that in stride. She was her own person.

So Harrie made sure she was herself in all things. She joined her sister in vegetarianism not because Helena didn't eat meat, but because Harriet wanted to. She wore crop tops and short shorts not because it was stylish, but because she liked how she looked in it. She wore leggings under her skirt not because her parents wanted her to, but because she liked layers. And Harrie worked out on the treadmill and jogged around the block, not because she wanted to loose weight (which she did, though that was a side-effect) but because she enjoyed running.

Dianna took to elderhood gracefully. Sure, she filled out a bit, but she didn't feel the need to loose those pounds like she had after the girls were born. Her hair had been long for years - she used to take pride in her beautiful hair - but now she cut it short. It just wasn't her anymore. In a way, Dianna realized that she had been trying to stop time for years. But time didn't stand still, and though Sergio insisted that Dianna was no old lady, she felt it. Her skin sagged, her bones ached. When she sat down to write or kneeled in her garden, she had trouble getting back up. Time had acted on her and nothing stopped time. So instead of trying to, Dianna accepted it. She cut her greying hair short, she wore clothes that fit her larger frame, and she enjoyed the time she had left.

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On one of her weekend runs, Harriet ran into a boy she recognized as being another high school student. She jogged up to him and told him that her house was the one he was walking past.

"Oh, sorry," the boy said. "I didn't mean to trespass or anything. I was just kind of walking."

"It's okay," Harrie said. "I mean, so long as you didn't go into my Mama's garden. She's kind of protective of that."

"Don't worry, I stayed clear," he told her. "I'm Matt."

"Harriet," she replied. "Though my friends call me Harrie."

"Harry? Like the boy's name?" Matt asked.

"No, Harrie. With an -ie." she insisted.

"Got it," he joked. "You new in town? I don't think we've met."

They kept talking until it started getting dark. Matt was nice and funny, and he also went jogging, though he mostly wanted to keep in shape for school basketball. They bonded first over sports, then over the pressures they felt. Harriet had been a straight A student in elementary school, and she felt like she needed to keep that up throughout high school too. Matt felt like he needed to be the perfect athlete, but to be in school sports, he needed to keep his grades up. He said that he spent so much time stressing over school or basketball that he didn't really have much outside of that. That was why he went for walks - to clear his head.

Harriet knew juggling two responsibilities. She worked a part-time job at the local coffee shop, from 5, when they opened, to 7, when she went back home to get ready for school. By the end of the day, she was usually so tired that it was all she could do not the pass out on the way to her bed. But her manager said she was the best worker there, and she couldn't give up on this job. It seemed like failure.

Between their schedules, Harriet and Matt had a hard time finding times to meet, but that didn't mean they never hung out. And as they got to know each other better, Harrie found that she liked him - really liked him - and Matt liked her too.

Not one to beat around the bush, Harriet just went for it when Matt was over one day. She leaned in, looked into his eyes, and then brushed her lips against his. Matt was a little surprised, but relaxed into the kiss after a second. When she pulled away, he was smiling, "What was that for?"

"Did it need a reason?" she asked.

"I guess not," Matt agreed. "But I was kind of hoping it was because you like me."

"It kind of was."

"That's kind of awesome," Matt said, and they leaned into another kiss.

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"So," Helena said that night over dinner, "anything new you wanna talk about?"

"Not particularly." Harrie sighed, thinking of kissing Matt.

"How about making out with Matt Robinson over there by the back door?" Helena asked, pointing with her fork.

Harrie shot a look at her sister. Matt had been in Helena's class during elementary school, though he'd struggled in high school and been dropped down a grade. He'd teased Helena throughout grade school and her official position for years had been that he was Stupid.

And now her little sister was going out with him. Ew.

"I thought you were in your room?" Harrie asked. Helena could be at her easel for hours at a time, and if she was in her room, it was safe to say she wasn't coming out any time soon.

"I was. I came out." Helena shuddered. "Then I saw you kissing Robinson and I went back inside."

Harriet stood up, done with her dinner. "Look, I know you don't like Matt, but I do, so you'll just have to be the big sister about this." She put her plate in the dishwasher. "Besides, I don't comment on you and Houda."

Helena spluttered. "That's different!"

It was different. For one thing, Helena wasn't romantic with Houda. Not that she didn't want to be, but she didn't want to bring it up. What if Houda didn't feel the same way? What if she didn't want to be friends after she found out that Helena had been crushing hard on her? What if Helena ruined everything?

And then there was the age difference. Houda had graduated and had a proper adult job and everything - not the part-time thing like Harrie - the real, nine-to-five, sit-at-a-desk, punch-numbers-into-a-computer job. Meanwhile, Helena wasn't even sure what she wanted to do. She liked to paint, but she knew how hard it was to make a career in the arts. Dianna had worked hard for years to make a living out of her books. Why would Helena think she would get as lucky as her mother?

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A little disagreement like that between the sisters was uncommon in the Freeman household, their parents were happy to say. But even when one did emerge, it didn't cause a rift in their close friendship. So, when Harrie asked Helena to head out with her that weekend, Helena agreed.

She didn't think they'd be going to a bar. Much less a bar at which her sister would be tending. Apparently, Harrie had become friends with the bartender, and he'd allowed her to hang out during his shift. She wasn't allowed to mix anything with alcohol, but she made a mean virgin Shirley Temple. All over, it was a fun night, though the place was mostly dead.

Helena, however, did not get to enjoy the night. She got uncomfortable from the small crowd and retreated to the bathroom, where she spent ages on the toilet and then washed her hands for arguably longer than necessary. Harrie noticed that her sister wasn't there and, when Helena reappeared, she thanked the bartender and agreed to go home early.

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Dianna Freeman loved cooking for her family. She always had, and after many years, she had gotten pretty good at it. She'd baked the cakes for every birthday, made breakfast, lunch, and dinner for her husband and two growing girls. Ever since Helena had announced she wanted to eat vegetarian, Dianna had worked hard to learn meat-free alternatives to recipes and now that Harrie had followed in her big sister's footsteps, she was making more vegetarian food than ever.

Not that Sergio would think of complaining. He loved his wife's cooking, no matter if it contained meat or not. But things had been troubling him. He was old. Older than Dianna, definitely. It was the sort of age difference that didn't seem like a big deal when they were young and old age was a distant threat that hadn't yet darkened their horizon. But now his sky was covered by the black storm that summoned his coming death. Sergio felt death coming for him, creeping under his skin and down his throat.

So Sergio tried to make the best of it. He spent less time working, and more time with Dianna. He would kiss her in the morning and tell her she was beautiful. He would spontaneously buy her flowers, or take her out to dinner. Little romantic things that he should have been doing all along, but had always seemed less important than something else.

When she asked him why he was being so romantic all of a sudden, he said, "I love you and want to be with you. Always and forever. And I want to make sure you know that."

Dianna giggled. "I've always known that."

Sergio made it a point to be home when the girls got back from school. He made sure to eat dinner with them, and learn about their day. He didn't know a lot about history or Simlish, but there were other subjects he could help with, if they needed help. Mostly, they could do well on their own, and although he was disappointed that he couldn't help, Sergio felt pride in his intelligent daughters who had come so far.

All this did not go unnoticed by his family, and Helena wanted to do something for her father. She didn't think there was much she could do, but she could paint. Helena took a weekend and spent most of it in her room, working on a portrait of her father. It was based off a picture she'd sneakily taken with her phone, and she thought it was a good representation of Sergio.

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Dianna had been working hard. It was Helena's birthday, and Dianna wanted to make something different from all the other cakes she'd made for all the other birthdays. After all, this one was special. Her little girl was going to be a woman, and all that went along with it. So it deserved a special cake.

What Dianna ended up making resembled a wedding cake more than a birthday cake, but Helena liked white cake and vanilla icing, so that was what she got. Once she finished icing it, Dianna put it in the fridge and smiled to herself. This was quite the exciting day.

When the girls got home from school, Dianna rushed to add the candles and put the cake out. Helena came through the front door, joking with Harrie about something that had happened at school, but stopped short when she saw her mother with the cake.

Helena hugged Dianna. "Thank you, Mama! I love it."

"Happy birthday, honey," Dianna said, wrapping her arms around her daughter.

Helena put her school things to the side and took her place at the table while Dianna lit the candles. To the side, Harrie was cheering like her favourite team was winning, while Sergio sang 'Happy Birthday to You' very badly and off-key. Helena smiled at her family, took a deep breath, and blew out her candles.

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And that's it! Generation One is officially over! Next chapter will be 2.0, and we'll see the beginning of either Helena's heirship or Harriet's. I honestly love both of the girls, and will be happy no matter who wins (also sad no matter who loses).

Speaking of, the heir poll will be set up! You can either comment on this (and only this) chapter with your vote, or you can go to Boolprop (I'll put a link here) and vote on the poll there. Or you could be sneaky and really support your favourite by doing both.

It took me way too long to play the two weeks covered by this chapter, but I hope it's worth it and that you enjoyed this chapter. Please vote, and I hope you will continue to enjoy this legacy! I'll see you after the heir poll closes with a result!