Pick'N'Mix Mods for The Sims 2

11 - Shortcut Home

Nathan was almost home when he remembered that he could no longer cut through the old house and the hole in the hedge into his garden - Helen lived there now.

Were his feet on auto-pilot or was his heart leading him? He slowed, processing that thought. He liked Helen ... if he was honest with himself, he liked her a lot. And she seemed to like him.

Unconsciously he stopped walking. But then he'd messed it up - big time! And then rubbed salt in by playing it uber-cool with his 'mates' - he deserved her disdain.

Heaving a big sigh, he realised that he was standing still. He started walking again.

He spotted her car on the drive. But she'd let him help with the styling kit, so perhaps she still liked him. And suggested he'd stayed for dinner afterwards. But other than that, she'd given him the cold-shoulder all week.

He unconsciously halted again. Perhaps she'd only let him help as she'd said he could before he'd messed things up. And it was her mother that had offered him dinner. He sighed again. "Girls!", he said, unknowingly out loud.

"What? Oh hello Nathan", it was Helen's Dad, "if you're looking for Helen she's out the back, setting up her telescope for tonight's meteor shower." He fiddled with the light that illuminated the drive.

"She's got me removing the bulbs from the outside lights ...", he reached up and fiddled with the porch light, "... to reduce light pollution." And with that he vanished around the side of the house.

Nathan had his own 'light-bulb' moment. He turned and ran all the way home ... he had a plan!

---

Nathan found his mother in the den reading a cook book.

"Mum?"

She held up her hand, marked her page, and put the book in her lap. "Yes?", her tone was still slightly frosty.

"Ummm. I know it's a big ask, but can I borrow the pick-up and take Helen to the Frog Sanctuary tonight? Please."

She looked at him.

"Helen wants to see the meteors, and there's too much light coming from the street lights and houses around here, and the sanctuary will be dark. Please?"

"You can go on Friday", she said.

"But the meteors are tonight, Friday's no good. Please."

"Why not just take her car again?"

Nathan managed to look both shocked and confused at the same time. Her son wasn't that good an actor and she realised that option hadn't crossed his mind. Neither was he asking his father, who would have said 'Yes' without a second thought. Perhaps he had learnt something and she should cut him a little bit of slack.

"Please, pretty please. I'll do all the chores for ..."

"OK"

"Pardon?"

"I said 'OK'. You can borrow the pick-up and take Helen to see the meteors."

"Thanks Mum", he beamed.

"But on three conditions ..."

Only three, thought Nathan, he'd been expecting more.

"One. You're back by midnight. Not one minute past." He could live with that.

"Two. Z.. Helen's mother calls me to say she's given permission." Always assuming Helen agrees to come, he thought.

"Three. You remember that app you had on your phone when you were in Lower School, the one that lets us know where you are ..."

"Seriously?" Nathan exclaimed

"Deadly", his mother replied icily, frost crystallising out of the air, "no app, no car key, no go."

She cut him off before he could protest further, "Just for this evening"

Nathan nodded.

---

He went to his room and called Helen's mobile.

On the second ring it cut-off. He dialled again. It rang and rang and finally went to voice mail.

He texted her "Pls anwr". He dialled again. "The mobile you have called ..."

"Damn!", he cursed, she'd turned her phone off.

"Double damn!", he added for good measure, but he wasn't going to be put off that easily.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he went looking for his mother. He found her in the garden, painting.

"Mum", he called across the pool, "what's the O'Stuarts' phone number?"

"It's in the book by the phone", she replied, "Why?", but he was already running towards the hall.

---

"Pick up, pick up, pick up", the phone rang and rang and, as there was no answer phone, rang and rang and rang.

"Pick up, pick up, pi..."

"Hello?"

"I know where there's no light pollution and ..."

"Hold on! I think you want my daughter."

"Hels, it's for you."

"It's a boy."

"No, I will not tell him you're busy."

"I was also busy. But you made me answer it, so you can come here and talk to him."

"Just a second; she's coming."

"Yes", Helen said abruptly.

"I know where there's no light pollution ..."

"And"

Nathan assumed, as this line of conversation didn't come as a surprise, that her father must have told her he'd seen him earlier.

"It's the Frog Sanctuary. We can drive there. Mum says I can take the pick-up, so we can take the 'scope. And it'll be very dark, no street-lights or house-lights."

"Can't"

"Uh? Why not?"

"Too late. It's school tomorrow."

"So long as you're in before midnight.", Helen's mother appeared to be listening in the background, "You'll be up that late in the garden, and anyway, one late night won't hurt."

"Pick me up at 8pm. And don't be late!", then she hung up.

Nathan did a little dance in the hall, just as his sisters opened the front door - Natalie looked at him in disgust, Natasha just smiled and laughed.

He was half way to his room when he remembered the second condition, he returned to the hall and redialled the O'Stuarts. It rang and rang and rang and ...

"Hello?"

"Hi", he said.

"Hang on, I'll get ..."

"No, I need to talk to you Mrs O'Stuart."

"What for?"

"Well actually my Mum needs to talk to you. She needs to know that it's OK for Helen to come out tonight."

"Put her on."

"Ummm, she's in the garden, painting."

"Lucky woman, not being disturbed all the time by a ringing phone. I'll call her."

"Her number's ..."

"It's OK Nathan, I have it."

---