4.39 Hormonal

Warning: Contains strong language, although censored.

This warning can be carried forward to at least the start of generation five.

  "Shae." Kaity whispered as she stepped through the bedroom door and flicked on the light. "Are you awake?"
  "I am now." Shaena groaned, dragging her head off the pillow to look at her friend. "What time is it?"
  "Like, four."
  "Four in the morning?! Kait, what the hell?" Shaena let her face crash back into the pillow, sighing.
  "I couldn't sleep, I need to tell you something."
  "We only went to bed a few hours ago, give it more time." Shaena groaned into her pillow.
  "Yeah, but I need to tell you something important."
  "What?" Shaena sighed as she hauled her head off the pillow a second time.

Kaity grinned and held her hand out.
  "Well, Winter woke up when I went back into our room."
  "How long is this story, Kaity? I'm really tired."
  "Not very." Kaity shook her hand to draw her attention to it. "He woke up and we had a little talk..."
  "About what?" Shaena couldn't see properly, the light was still too bright for her tired eyes.
  "For plumbobs sake, Shaena!" Kaity snapped. "Look!" She waved her hand a little more and Shaena gasped as she saw the light glinting off the metal band.

Shaena jumped off the bed and hurried to her cousin, grabbing her hand to get a good look.
  "Oh my plumbob, seriously?! Is this an engagement ring or just a ridiculously expensive present?"
  "We're engaged." Kaity beamed, happy that Shaena was giving her the right reaction finally.
  "It's huge!" Shaena remarked, twisting Kaitys hand in the light to get a better view.
  "I know." Kaity giggled. "Apparently the kids helped him pick it."
  "Oh that's so sweet."
  "I know. What do you think?"
  "I think they chose well. I know you've never imagined an engagement ring and all that, but this is so you, Kaity..."
  "No, what do you think about me being engaged?"
  "What do you mean? I'm happy for you of course! And I can't wait to be your maid of honour and oh my plumbob we can go dress shopping and try them all on and you'll look so beautiful and you just know my mum will cry... Oh, great, now my mum is gunna push me to get married... Oh, whatever, I don't even care! I just can't wait to do all this exciting girly stuff with you!" Shaena dropped her hand and pulled her cousin into a tight hug, spinning her all around with excitement.

   "Thank you." Kaity laughed. "Don't tell Winter, don't wanna ruin my street cred, but I totally can't wait to try on all those dresses either."
  "Only pick one, though!" Shaena joked, pulling out of the hug and taking her friends hand again to get another look at the ring. "I can't imagine he's got too much in the bank after buying this."
  "Well, he can't say no to me." Kaity giggled. "This was his idea, he gets to pay. Them's the rules! But I'll probably buy some stuff too. I'll buy the bridesmaids stuff, as long as he buys my dress I'll be fine. Oh, and I'll need some new shoes, too. And something to wear at the reception, and something to wear underneath, and I'll probably want some jewelry, maybe get my hair and makeup done... And of course, he can pay for the transport-"
  "Kaity, he's gunna need a morgage for all that!" Shaena laughed, and Kaity grinned at her.
  "He's stuck with me now! He should have thought of that before!"

***

  "Thanks for coming, Nah-Nah." Luis teased, pulling his sister into a hug. He'd invited Shaena and Josh round for a family barbeque with their parents. "No boyfriend?" He asked, looking around as he pulled out of the hug.

  "Lou, you threw an outdoor party in the middle of a sunny day. Why would I bring my vampire boyfriend unless I wanted him dead?"

  "So he's not already dead?"

  "No-" Shaena stopped herself. "Uhm... I dunno."

  "But you admit he's your boyfriend now? You wouldn't yesterday."

  "He wasn't yesterday."

  "What changed?"

   "Well, he asked me the other night, the night Kaity and Winter got engaged, but he told me to think about it."

  "So he is taking things slow, then? Or did you sleep with him before you started dating?"

  "For plumbobs sake, Lou! I'm a grown woman, and no, I didn't. We didn't even kiss properly until last night. It's like he's scared to touch me... Do you have anything to do with this?" Shaena glared at her brother accusingly.

  "No, but I have to say I didn't expect him to take things slow."

  "So you admit that you were wrong?"

  "Wrong? Oh, I don't know about that..." Luis teased. "But I definately underestimated him."

  "Because, like I said, you let his reputation taint your view."

  "Maybe." Luis grinned. He'd never admit he was wrong, especially not to his baby sister.

  "Will you at least meet him before you make any more assumptions?" Shaena pleaded.

  "Shae. I won't like him, no matter how amazing and perfect you think he is, just for the pure fact that he's dating you."

  "Not ever?"

  "Well, one day, probably, but it needs to be more than twenty-four hours as your boyfriend to prove he's worth it."

  "Seventeen. It's been seventeen hours." Shaena corrected.

  "That's even less!" Luis laughed. "Anyway, lets go make sure your son isn't torturing my daughters, and get some food cooking."

***

   "Can you believe we start high school tomorrow?" Elise repeated herself a little louder, tearing the boys' attention from the television infront of them.
  "Well, yes, because you literally just reminded us like ten seconds ago." Autumn wished she didn't have to talk constantly. His sisters and mother were the same, must be a girl thing.
  "Well, nobody replied, so I assumed nobody had heard me. Clearly you were just being rude." Elise huffed, glaring at the pair of them.
  "What of it, El?" Josh cut in to stop the brewing argument. "What did you want to say about it?"

   "I don't know, really. It just feels like yesterday that we started elementary, and now we're all grown up-"
  "We're fourteen." Autumn pointed out.
  "-And everything is gunna change." Elise carried on, ignoring Autumn's snide comment. "I wonder if we'll make new friends? I wonder if any of us will get asked to prom? Who do you think will start dating first?"
  "Ellie, we're at the same school, with the same people, all that's changing is that we're slightly taller and you're somehow more annoying."
  "Shut up, Tummy." Elise glared at him, knowing how much he hated that nickname.
  "And don't you f*ckin' dare call me that at school or I'll... I just don't even know."
  "What is your problem?! I've never called you that at school before, so why would I suddenly start now?!"
  "Those are all good questions, Ellie." Josh spoke loudly over Elise. "Maybe we should talk about them in more detail."

  "Yes. Lets." Elise smiled at Josh, happy he'd stepped in again. Autumn had got a lot moodier these past few weeks, and she could feel her own hormones at play with the way she just wanted to scream in his face and pull his hair to shut him up. "I think Josh will get a girlfriend first. He's really smooth and most of the kids our age are human like him. I think loads of girls will ask him to prom, too. Basically, Josh, I think you'll be really popular."
  "Thank you, El, that was a really nice thing to say." Josh replied over-enthusiasically. "I think you'll make a lot of friends too, and I can't see any of the boys being able to keep away." The two friends smiled at each other, happy the calm was restored.
  "Until she smiles and they spot her fangs." Autumn mumbled. Josh sighed, he couldn't work out why he couldn't just keep his mouth shut. He knew Elise would react to that, but why the hell did he constantly pick fights?

  "What the f*ck Autumn? Why? It's not like you're every girls dream boy with your stupid friggin' leaves all over your flabby body! And your stupid pointy ears, and your bright blue hair and your bright pink eyes. Yeah, you're mister friggin' perfect, you are."
  "Yeah, at least people don't think I'm going to kill them when they see me." Josh rolled his eyes. He gave up. If Autumn wanted to argue he knew all the right buttons to press to get a reaction, it was inevitable.

  "What, like, seriously? That's what you're going with? People think I'm gunna kill them? That's weak, even for you."
  "No worse than your 'stupid pointy ears' and 'flabby body'. What the hell is that? Flabby body?"
  "So now you're insulting my insults? It was the first thing that came to mind, alright? What should I have said?"
  "You should have just kept your stupid mouth shut, or do you not know how to be quiet? Admit it, though, all you want to do right now is suck all the blood out of me."

  "Guys, can we stop this?" Josh sighed. Autumn was taking this too far again and it would all end in tears.
  "I can't help what I am!" Elise's voice cracked and tears pricked her eyes.
  "And I can't help my 'stupid pointy ears' and 'flabby body', so why don't you just drop it now."
  "Drop it now?! Why don't I just drop it now?!" Elise cried.
  "Yes, why don't you?" Autumn sat back on the sofa and stared at the TV.
  "So you're just going to insult everything that I am and then tell me to drop it? What if I told you to go back to your lamp and leave me alone? What if I told you to go grant some f*cker some dumb wishes? Would you go drop it and just forget about it? No, you'd call me out on it and go on and on in my ear about it until I apologised."
  "Apologise, Autumn." Josh mumbled, half to himself, as he knew nobody else was really listening.

When Autumn didn't reply, Elise stood, frustrated and started marching towards the door.
  "I just don't get you, Autumn. What did I ever do to you?"
  "I don't get you either." Autumn returned, standing. "I don't get why you don't just go live with your Papi if I'm that awful."
  "Leave my Papi out of this!" Elise turned on her heel and screamed at him.
  "Has he even asked you to move in? Or are you too much of a burden? How often have you seen him in the past month?"
  "He works evenings, Autumn! I'm not allowed to stay up late enough to see him after work, and he starts before we finish school! I'm sure your parents would be much happier if you moved out because you're an awful person."
  "I'm an awful person?" Autumn smirked, enjoying seeing her finally snap.
  "YES! Every f*cking day you have to say something horrible to someone! What is even the point? Why can't you just leave me alone if you can't say anything nice?"
  "I seem to remember you started this conversation." Autumn pointed out. "We were perfectly happy just watching TV." He looked up as Kaity stormed through the door. She didn't look happy.

  "I started a perfectly happy and friendly conversation, you're the one who started the argument! Why do you always have to-"
  "This isn't an argument, Ellie. This is you screaming at me for no reason."
  "Stop!" Kaity shouted, planting herself between the fueding teens.
  "For no f*cking reason?! Do you not remember telling me nobody would want to date me because of my fangs? You told me everyone thought I was going to kill them. How about how my Papi doesn't love me?!"
  "Ellie." Kaity pushed her back, she'd been steadily getting closer to Autumn ready to slap him.
  "You told me to f*ck off back to my lamp."
  "Shut up, Autumn! Both of you, stop. Go to your rooms and chill out."
  "Kaity, really, he started this." Elise pleaded with tears in her eyes for her to punish him
  "Both of you, rooms, now." She repeated. Elise growled, frustrated, before storming upstairs.

***

The next morning, Elise was up nice and early ready for school. As she left her room, Autumn blocked her path downstairs to breakfast.
  "What do you want, Autumn?" She sighed, folding her arms defensively.
  "To apologise."
  "Sure, what's the point? You don't mean it." She rolled her eyes.
  "I do. You're right, everything is gunna change now we're high schoolers, and surely we'll need each other to make it through?" He smiled at her. "Friends?" Elise glared at him a little while she tried to figure out if he meant it or not.
  "Ok." She conceded. "Friends."

Josh appeared from seemingly nowhere and draped his arms around them.
  "Come on, guys! We need to get some breakfast before our first big day of high school." He grinned, giving them each a gentle push to coax them towards the stairs. "I've got to get me a following of girls, remember?" Elise laughed, remembering her comment from the day before.
  "And I've got to scare all the boys off with my fangs." She added, giving Autumn a look to show she was over it.
  "Your face should do the job well enough." Autumn joked, smirking at Elise.
  "Don't you think it's a little big-headed of you to wear a shirt with your self-portait on it?" Elise teased, leaning round Josh to gesture at the zombie on Autumn's shirt.
  "Ha-ha, funny." Autumn replied, sarcastically.

  "Guys, it's too early to argue. I'll have to push one of you down the stairs if you don't shut up." Josh moaned, pulling them down the hallway.

***

  "Mum said we can pick our own dresses, as long as they match and are pink." Jaydean laughed. "She's not gunna make you wear a pink suit, is she?"
  "I've got her down to just a shirt, but she wants me in a hot-pink tie and I'm not sure I can pull that off..." The twins burst out laughing. They thought it was pretty cute how Winter would even agree to wear any pink, but it was hard to say no to their mother.
  "Tell her you will if she goes to the gym with you?" Sophie suggested. "You're forever trying to get her to go with you, so maybe that will work?"
  "Why do you even want her at the gym with you? I thought that was your 'me time'? Surely you can't want to be with her all the time?" Jaydean asked.
  "Well, it is, but she's always saying she ought to go to keep fit, and then when I tell her I'm going, she grabs some chocolate or wine and lazes on the couch instead." The girls laughed again. "It's not like she needs to go, but she moans when she doesn't."
  "Well, when you're married then you can use that as an excuse." Sophie grinned. "Isn't one of the vows about keeping fit?"
  "I don't think so?" Winter made a face as he thought about it. "There's 'in sickness and health'?"
  "Oh, that was it. Nah, that don't really work."

  "I'm so happy you're gunna be our step-dad." Jaydean blurted out, changing the subject suddenly. "You never had to care about us or spend time with us, but you always have. And I can't imagine mum without you now. Thank you."
  "It's not a problem, honey! There was something I've been meaning to talk to you about in that regard, too." Winter paused as he chose his words. "What would you think to me adopting you, becoming your real dad?"

  "Oh my plumbob!! Really?!" Sophie screamed, while Jaydean seemed to chew his words over a moment or two.
  "Why?"
  "Why? Because I love you like my own anyway, and I've raised you, and I want to have proof of that. Of course, it's completely up to you, and I'll understand if you'd rather I was just your step-dad-"

  "Yes." Jaydean mumbled as she rushed to him and hugged him tight. "Thank you, Winter." Winter wrapped an arm around her and held his other out for Sophie to join them.
  "Call me 'dad', if you'd rather."
  "Ok, daddy." Sophie grinned, leaning her head into his chest and rubbing her sisters back as Jaydean began to cry a little.
  "Thank you." Jaydean whispered as Winter gave them both a squeeze.

***

Sorry!! This jumps about a LOT, I know. I hope it wasn't too confusing, but there's a lot going on right now :/
Trait-time! And yes, I skipped the birthdays because I don't even know the time scale of my own story anymore, but the kids were one day from aging up for ages and I wanted to play the actual save so I just did it. Sue me.

Josh Farrah

 Josh's traits are: absent minded, good, friendly and he gained dog person from this ageup. He's purdy <3

Elise McQueen

The beautiful Elise's traits are: couch potato, loves the outdoors, excitable and she gained unflirty on this ageup. I didn't get to pick either her or Josh's traits this time round. Josh seemed to have an aversion to the school bus, making him late almost every day, and Elise never finished her homework.

Autumn Mattell

Autumn's traits are: clumsy, grumpy (remember that one, he'll use it a lot), virtuoso and I gave him great kisser, just 'cus. I didn't really know what to give him, and I'm a bit OCD about everyone having all their trait slots filled.
He has more markings than the one on his head... I should have got a pic. I'll be sure to show him mostly naked soon :p

I'm sure I had something else to say... But I forgot. Sorry! :/