100 Scenes in 100 Days!

[frankie (dup)]

MORE CHEATING
Expect two tomorrow. Nag me with PMs every hour. Seriously, I'm not even kidding. If you want to help me, that'd honestly be a huge help! However, I'm at Basketball from 9:10-1:30. Alberta time

Word Count: 999 (:V Bad numbers)
Genre: Fantasy
Follow Up: There'll be one about what happened to Asa and Emma, but that's more of a prequel. Asa is 65 and Emma is 58 in this time, by the way.

Characters:

Name: Cthulu Mostpeopleinthisworldhavecrazynames Sanders
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Appearance: Brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin

Name: Dennis Poorguyhasanormalname MacIntosh
Age: 13
Gender: Male
Appearance: Blue eyes, blond hair, pale skin

Name: Nero Slate
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Appearance: Black hair, green eyes, pale skin

Name: Jake Cannon
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Appearance: Brown hair, dark-ish skin, brown eyes




Cthulu

    Honestly, when my name was called, I didn’t quite care.
Now, before you start throwing accusations of being a blood knight at me, I wasn’t excited- that was for people who were waiting for their names.
Besides, I didn’t want to go.

    I was just like everyone else, just another person in the crowd.
Not a possible Chosen.
But still, when I was called, there was terror- but then peace. I would probably survive, and maybe there was a small bonus- I mean, I was 17, I could win.

    Maybe I would’ve if I hadn’t seen it.
Number 50 was called, and I saw it.
A blue eye, poking in between the slips of paper, before vanishing again.
I squeaked a little before rubbing my eyes as I walked up to the podium- had I imagined it?
No, I knew it wasn’t, especially when a hand popped up for a second or two before disappearing.
So began the day that ruined my life.

I barely heard the shouts from the parents as we started off towards the table, we got the questions and tracking anklets,

I didn’t even notice that my jaw was hanging open until one of the younger people came over to me.

“You have a cool name,” he said, eyes bright.
I could only shrug in response. I did quite like it.
“Mine is dumb,” he snorted. “It’s Thor.”
I just stared at him and he laughed.
“I’m pulling your leg. It’s Dennis.”

I shrugged and managed to grin, with my eyes at least. “Nice one.”
Suddenly, Dennis’s expression grew serious. “Did you see it too?”
I jumped and gave him a long, hard, stare. “What?”
“The… names. How they were drawn.”
I stared at him and nodded.
He nodded back. “Thought so.”

A soft sigh rippled out of my mouth- someone else knew- but soon I would never wish it on them.

Dennis smiled a little- probably feeling how I felt and then the smile dropped.
“You should close your mouth,” he said, pushing on it lightly.
I kept it shut for maybe five seconds as we walked before he laughed a little.
“That’s just worse!” He said. “It’s back open again, your eyes are bulging, and your cheeks are all sucked in like this.”
He made a ridiculous face and I snorted.
Dennis stopped. “Anyways, you look like a frightened chipmunk.” He clapped his hands in my face and pushed my head back.
“That’s better,” he said, then skipped off to the ship.
All I could do was shake my head. I was never going to understand that kid.


Nero

My heart was pounding like a drum inside my chest, but I kept my mouth shut, though I had to fight for it- I hated losing control of my own body.
I’d seen something dangerous- my brother had seen it, and by the looks of it, someone else, (Kraken? No, Cthulu) had seen it as well.

Probably noting my age and mistaking my fight for keeping my mouth shut as controlling sadness and anger, a boy who was maybe a year younger than me came over.

“Hello,” he said, mustering a small wave despite our future- he was strong, I had to give him that.
I nodded and waved back.
Deciding that I was friendly enough, he came over.

“I’m Jake!” He said. “I’m fifteen, you?”
I stared at the ground for a minute or two before answering. “Nero. I’m sixteen.”
Jake’s eyes widened. “Wow! Cool name!”
I shrugged and mustered a small laugh. “Yeah, I guess it is cool.”
I bent down to the anklet I’d gotten to inspect it, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
Inscribed on the anklet, along with my number, were three symbols.
                                            

I recognised each of them; the top two meant control and matter. The bottom one simply meant calm.
I wasn’t entirely sure what they meant, but I had the basic idea.

I’d paused for much too long, Jake was staring at me.
Quickly masking it, I slipped a bottle of red dye out of a hidden pocket on my pants. I put a small stripe of it above my anklet before putting it back.
Wiping it away, I smeared it on my shirt and said, “just a bit of blood. These things are tight.”

Jake stared at me for a while before saying; “that bottle, do you use it to clean cuts?”
I froze. Under normal circumstances, I may have said yes, but it was clear he was aiming for an answer- he wouldn’t believe me if I said yes.
“Well,” I said, giving him a long look. “Can you keep a secret?”




Dennis

We were on the ship now. I was still shaken up from the drawing of the names, though I was silently congratulating myself on staying calm around Cthulu. Speaking of him, we had silently agreed to an alliance. After all, it’s hard to share a secret like that and try to fight for control of the island.
Well, we wouldn’t for now.
I shared another glance with Cthulu and it hit me with a jolt- it seemed that it hit Cthulu too.
We wouldn’t be fighting each other.
We were escaping.




Jake

Nero and I sat silently on a bench until I broke the silence. “So. How do you know all of this?”
Nero facepalmed in a why have I not told you that, kind of way.
He looked thoughtful for a moment or two before saying; “my brother. He… was chosen. Then escaped. He visits sometimes. He told me about all of that.”
I nodded. “Makes sense.”
He smiled a little and held out his hand. “Truce?”
I grabbed his hand and shook it hard. “Truce.At least until we’re the only two. Then I’ll push you in the river.”
He smiled. “There’s no need for that.”
I gave him a confused look. “Come on, we can make it.”
Nero grinned. “I know. But we won’t. We’re escaping."

[frankie (dup)]

Word Count: 770 (So short... plus cheating. Does anyone have a cure for WB? Please?
Genre: Fantasy
Follow Up: There'll be one... eventually... maybe...

Characters:

Name: Tyler Alex Samuel
Age: 13
Gender: Male
Appearance: Brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin

Name: Daeta
Age: 14
Gender: Female
Appearance: Blue eyes, blond hair, pale skin

Name: Naet
Age: 14
Gender: Male
Appearance: Dar brown hair, blue eyes, pale skin


I’m Tyler. I’m 13 years old, It’s August 13th, I left the seventh grade on June 27th, 14 days before my birthday.
Okay, this is going to sound crazy, but it’s all true.
My family and I were driving to our new house in California, 200 miles from where we used to live,

We found a house on some site called Yuoclimay (You-cli-eye-may) that had a pretty red brick house for sale.
When we got there it was ancient and crumbling. Also brown.
“Must be a scam,” my dad grumbled, getting to work on typing up a warning review on the site.

“Well,” my mom sighed, turning to me and my eight-year-old brother. “We have to make the most of it, Tyler, will you clean the attic?” She pointed up at a room at the top of the old house, which I figured was the attic.

I nodded reluctantly, attics scared me.


We got our stuff from the moving van and lugged it inside, once all of the boxes were in the house, I headed up to the attic.

I picked up a broom and swung it around, knocking down cobwebs.
There were some rotten floorboards, which I learned about the hard way.
Once I was more or less done the cleaning, I climbed the ladder and dragged up a crate, separating the useful and junk that could go in the attic.


I moved the crate into a new pile and continued my work for a few more hours until my mom told me I could stop, and to come for some lunch.
“Just a minute!” I called down and later wished that I had just gone down for lunch.
I just had to finish the crate I was currently working on, and once I moved on to the next empty box in the attic, I saw something.
It was about a foot long and half of that across and was so bright, that even through the dust I could see that it was gorgeous.

But most importantly, it was a gem.
I reached down into the crate and pulled it out, dusting it off as I thought about what I’d say once I came downstairs.
I never got the chance.

A scream came from behind me, and I turned around and nearly dropped the gem in shock.
A boy and a girl were floating upside down in the air, staring at the gem that I held.

---
“Drop it, please,” the girl said, and I obeyed.
“Get us down!” The boy said, and I decided there and then that I didn’t quite like him.
“Please,” the girl added.

I was shaking, but I stepped forwards and tugged on them, accidently bonking their heads onto the ground.

Oops.
“What was that?!” My mom called.
“Just some-” the girl started, but I interrupted her, knowing what she was going to say.
“Rats! BIG RATS!”

She gave me a weird look. “Friends would be much more believable.”
“I just moved here,” I said, and the girl bit her lip.
“Oh, okay then, rats it is.”

The boy ran over to the gem and picked it up, stuffing it into a leather pouch that I hadn’t seen before.
“Forget you saw us,” the boy said. “Keep your mouth shut. As far as you’re concerned, this is a dream.”

“What?!”
The girl placed her hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Come on, Naet, he can help us.”
Naet sighed. “Alright, fine. But don’t flip out, okay kid?”
I rolled my eyes at him calling me ‘kid’ but took the girl’s outstretched hand anyways.

“Well,” I said. “An explanation would be nice.”
The girl smiled. “Just a little, before we go.”
Go where? I wondered.
“I’m Deata, you’ve found a very important artifact and we need you to help us,” she said. “I’ll explain more once we arrive.”
“ARRIVE WHERE?!”
Before I could get an answer, Deata tugged on my arm and we ran down the ladder, somehow, without falling on or faces.
Naet trailed behind us.


“What the-” My mom nearly dropped the box she was carrying, and I shouted the first thing that came to my mind.
“RATS! BIG RATS! RATS THAT LOOK LIKE PEOPLE!”

We rushed out the door before my mom could stop us, and then Deara zipped along the streets until we came to it.

An archway at the end of an alleyway.


“Oh great, dead end,” I said, shaking off Deata’s hand and panting.
“Not quite,” Deata said after few minutes.
She took my hand again and Naet walked up beside me.

Together, we walked through the arch and disappeared.

[Ranger of the North]

creeeepyy maan

[frankie (dup)]

Word Count: 927
Genre: Technically Fanfiction? This was originally written for the Sims. (Yes, originally )
Follow Up: Don't cry

Characters:

Name: Jimena Brynne Galvez
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Appearance: Blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin

Name: Earl Clinton Galvez
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Appearance: Black hair, brown eyes, pale skin.


Jimena stared at the house she and her husband, Earl had designed, her mouth wide open. A few days of Earl being at work, and they had this!
She laughed. "Oh my... Earl, how'd you GET this?"

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I was uh... kind of hoping you wouldn't ask that... thing is... I'm involved in some... not very nice work. Against my will."
"What?"

"Yeah... When I was fifteen, I saw some big guys pushing someone around. Thought they were just high school bullies. Man, was I an idiot. They really roughed me up. Promised not to kill me so long as I joined their gang and didn't tattle."

"I'm so, so sorry I didn't tell you. I completely understand if you want to leave me... This is really big and I..."
"Shut up."
"What?"

"I'm not going to leave you, Earl. I love you regardless. I promised that to you three years ago, remember?"

Earl felt his eyes watering as his wife reminded him of her promise. His beautiful, strong wife.

"You look... sad..."
"I'm not sad. Just shocked that perfect human being actually exist."

He could practically feel Jimena's blush.
"That's good," she said with a devilish smile. "Can't have you all sad for when you meet our kid in nine months."
"OUR WHAT NOW?"
"Our kid! Man, you need hearing aids at the ripe age of twenty-three!" She ran off before Earl could process the information, and Earl raced after her.

"Don't drop a bombshell like that and run off!" He laughed, a little dumbfounded.
He found Jimena 'hiding' in their room.
"Don't hurt me, oh great one!"
He didn't hurt her. He never would. He just picked her up and spun her around- gently as to not harm the life that was growing inside of her. "We're gonna be parents!"

"Okay, Earl. Time to put me down. I want to be alive to meet our kiddo."
She caressed his cheek instead. Much less strenuous.

"Oh boy," Jimena laughed, dropping her hand. "You're going to treat me like glass for the next nine months, aren't you?"
"Mmhm," he said, rubbing her slowly growing belly. Was it just him or did he feel a tiny kick?

It was then that he realised it. For the sake of his child, for the sake of his wife, he had to quit his job.

---

Nine months later...
There it was. Dean Adler's house. Earl swallowed. Dean was not a good person. How would he react to Earl quitting his job?

Dean was sitting at his desk, and Earl tried to quietly sit down in one of the chairs in front of the boss, but Dean heard him.
"What are you doing here? You're still on family leave for a while yet."

"Well, uh you see..."
"What?"
"I'm done."


"I can't do this anymore. It's not in my nature. I know I'm just a getaway driver, but... this isn't me. I quit."


"Excuse me? No. One. Quits. Not if I can help it."

He studied Earl's face for a minute before laughing.

"You sly dog! You really had me there!"

Earl gulped. How easy would it be, to laugh along and pretend it was all a big joke? But no. He had to go on with it. His wife was due to give birth any day now, and could not, would not, be a criminal father."
"No. Really. I quit."

Dean glared. "Fine. We fight. If you walk away alive, I'll let you go. But let me tell you this... if you live, you will gain the biggest enemy you've ever seen. Do you want to see me angry?"
Earl really didn't. But he had to.

Dean made the first move.
His boss kicked Earl in the stomach, and before he could retaliate, grabbed the back of his head and shoved him to the ground.
Earl covered his face, silently pleading that Dean wouldn't finish him off.

But even Dean had standards. Or maybe he just wouldn't kill someone who was already down because there was no adrenaline.

Dean kicked his side. "Get out of my house. Now."

Okay. So he had a nasty nosebleed. But all that mattered to Earl was that he was going to be a normal father to his kid and that he'd even be alive to meet him or her.

But as he walked home, he thought about what Dean had said. It was true, Earl didn't want Dean as his enemy. Could this be more dangerous than staying in the job?

He stepped inside. Jimena was reading a book, clutching her stomach lightly.
"Hey, babe. How'd it go?"

He turned around.
"M'kay. Dean is dead."
"Jimena..."
"I've decided. You got any knives? Maybe I can find a nice cake knife... I could give him bleach! Or dump it down his throat while he's sleeping!"
"JIMENA."

"I'll stop. Buzzkill. Also, this is probably a bad time, but I think the kid is coming."

"OH MY GOD."

"It'll be fine, Earl. I'll call Eric. He'll pick us up. Maybe get a tissue so he doesn't freak out."

"I hate Eric."
"I'll have a potentially dangerous home birth, then."

"Let's call Eric."

Eric came quickly and Jimena had a relatively uneventful birth.
But one thing in Earl and Jimena's life had changed.

They were now the parents of twin boys.
Jimena cradled both of her children. It was a rule in her family that the father named female babies, and the mother named male babies.
"Welcome to the world, Brennan and Stuart."

[frankie (dup)]

Word Count: 1211 WOOT
Genre: Technically Fanfiction? This was originally written for the Sims. (Yes, originally, again. The next one technically isn't cheating!
Follow Up: I'm... okay

Characters:

Name: Jimena Brynne Galvez
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Appearance: Blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin

Name: Earl Clinton Galvez
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Appearance: Black hair, brown eyes, pale skin.

Name: Brennan Clyde Galvez
Age: 10
Gender: Male
Appearance: Blond hair, green eyes, pale skin

Name: Stuart Lily Galvez
Age: 10
Gender: Male
Appearance: Blond hair, green eyes, pale skin

There were four members of League of Adventurers
Elsa, who preferred El because no one would stop teasing her.

Lucas. The one with pretty eyes.

And Max, the kid who made the best expressions and had awesome eyebrows

And last but not least, Stuart Galvez. The newest member and twin brother of Brennan.


He'd first met the other members of the club at school. Max was throwing water balloons, El was being super smart and knowing the answer to every question, Lucas was being all angel-ey and Stuart was being... Stuart.

"Oh, hey Stuart!" El said, waving to her friend. "Nice to see that your parents let you take the train again!"


Stuart nodded. "Uh-uh! I only got lost that one time. I'm TEN now!"
Lucas nodded. "Yeah! Us too! Are you excited for Grade Five next year? Are you taking Spanish or French?"
"French, for sure. I already know Spanish!"
"Oh, cool. Maybe I'll pick French too and you can teach me Spanish! Come join this Spacewalk thing, it's super cool!"


Stuart raced over and clung to the other rungs on the left side.

"Hey, it IS pretty cool!"

He and Lucas did a few more tricks, hanging from the rungs, but eventually, they all stopped playing.
Stuart took that time to snatch the second-in-command's position. Only the first two people who started playing could pick the Captain or Second-in-command spot.


"Cmon, guys! Don't leave yet!"

El was the first to reappear.
"Alright, Lucas, this time we can switch spots. You be Captain and I'll be one of the Space Walkers."

"Really?"


"Yeah! You're my best friend!"


Stuart's face fell. What? But El had called him her best friend over the phone just yesterday! Had that meant nothing? Was Lucas her number one best friend or something? Did she like Lucas more than him?


He felt queasy.
"Guys, I feel sick. Gonna get going."
That wasn't a lie, not really.
"We'll have another meeting when Stuart's better," El said. "Bye! Get well soon so we can all play again!"



---

Stuart walked in the door. Thankfully, he'd been able to remain cheerful on the train, but home felt safer. Less pity filled eyes of strangers.
'Hey, kiddo!" His father greeted him.
Then he saw his son's crestfallen face. "...Squirt?"

Stuart was silent. His dad trailed him, and his mother called them for supper.
"I'm having troubles," he said. "Troubles with El. She said I was her best friend. Remember when I told you that? Well, today she said LUCAS was her best friend!"
His mother smiled. "Well, you can have more than one best friend, can't you?"
"But there's a difference between a best friend and a BEST friend! She likes Lucas more than me!"


Brennan smirked. "Somebody's in love..."


"I AM NOT!"


"Boys, please... Not tonight... Not now..."


Ignoring their mother's pleas, the twins continued their argument.
"Uh, yeah you are... It's kind of obvious. When you care about what someone thinks about you so much, it means you're in love with them. But you're right, she probably loves Lucas, if she thinks so highly of him..."


"WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP! I was wanting help and you ruined it by making fun of me! AGAIN!"


Brennan was silent for a while, and at first, Stuart thought he had him beat.

...And then he started yelling again.
"You're being REALLY stupid and you know it! I don't even make fun of you that much!"

"That's true... if 'not much' means EVERY SINGLE DAY!"


Jimena pinched the bridge of her nose. "Brennan... come into our room. I need to talk with you."

"ONLY ME? YEAH, 'CAUSE STUART DID NOTHING WRONG BY YELLING AT ME? HE'S JUST YOUR LITTLE ANGEL, ISN'T HE?!"


Brennan did relent, though, and came into her room.
"Brennan, let me start by saying that I'll talk to Stuart later. You were both in the wrong. Stuart should've tried to stay calm, but you shouldn't have made fun of him in the first place. You really are making fun of Stuart too much, though, he's right, there."

"Stuart can't take even a little JOKE! He's just a big baby!"


"Brennan! Don't say those things! He's your brother! He's family!"

"I can say whatever I want! It's not like he can hear me!"
But he was wrong. Stuart could hear him. He’d been standing right outside the door the whole time.
Stuart walked way, shoulders slumped, to his bedroom.

--

Jimena stepped into Brennan and Stuart's room. "Stuart?" She asked. "You in here?"

He stood up
"I heard everything."

"Oh no..."

"Brennan hates me, doesn't he? I don't blame him... Sometimes I feel like everything's bad, or like it won't get better. I don't want to get out of bed sometimes, and I just..."
He didn't finish his sentence.

Jimena's heart skipped a beat. That sounded too much like someone she knew. Herself. It sounded like... depression. It ran in families, didn't it? She hoped she was wrong. But it was better to be safe than sorry.
She sat on his bed.
"Have you heard of... depression?"


He blinked back tears. He wasn't forcing a smile, but his face was almost too neutral to be a resting face.
"Well, yeah. It's like when you're sad a lot, right?"


"Well, no. It's more... like someone following you. Through your dreams, everywhere you go. It's like a shadow. Sometimes you don't feel motivation, or you don't see a light, an end to any sadness you might be feeling. Like you might be sad... forever." She gulped, then observed her son.

"Sometimes... sometimes I feel like that. But..."
Jimena pursed her lips. She couldn't cry, not now. She remembered how it made her feel when her mother burst into tears when the therapist confirmed their fears, that yes, their daughter had depression. MDD, no less.

"We'll go see someone on Wednesday. They'll tell you if you have it or not."
"You mean like a therapist? I'm not crazy, right? Am I crazy?"

Jimena's heart broke. "No! Definitely not! No one's crazy! Sometimes our minds work differently. Like, their brain might not react properly to things, or maybe it doesn't produce enough of a certain chemical. It's all in the brain, there's nothing crazy about depression, or anything people are."

"I hope I don't have it."
"Me too, honey, me too..."

She headed back to Brennan.
"Well?" He asked.


"He heard you call him a baby," Jimena said, her voice low and quiet.

"I feel bad about it, now! I know I shouldn't have said it, is he mad?"
"No. He's not mad... he's just... upset. He feels like you hate him."
"OhmygodIhavetotellhimhe'swrong."

"Um... I'm sorry. Really, really sorry. I'm your big brother, so I should be making you feel good and happy, not bad and sad. ...And just so you know, I don't hate you."


Brennan waited for his brother to accept his apology, but Stuart reacted in a very different way.
"...Really? Stop calling me your little brother. You're FIVE MINUTES older than me! You're not better than me! It's... it's... patronising!"

"Pfft. Patronising? That's not a word. You made that up."
"I did not. Check the Dictionary."
"Fine. you owe me five bucks if it's not in there, though."
"Oh."

[frankie (dup)]

NUMBER 20
*Throws balloons everywhere*
Technically not cheating because I wrote it right now, just no for the 100 Scene challenge. I feel accomplished. I have kissed WB goodbye!

Word Count: 800 (PRETTY)
Genre: Technically Fanfiction? Written for The Sims
Follow Up: Likely none. However, if you'd like to read the Galvez's adventures for yourself, check them out and read them from the beginning with screenshots here!

Characters:

Name: Jimena Brynne Galvez
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Appearance: Blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin

Name: Earl Clinton Galvez (Does't appear)
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Appearance: Black hair, brown eyes, pale skin.

Name: Brennan Clyde Galvez
Age: 10
Gender: Male
Appearance: Blond hair, green eyes, pale skin

Name: Stuart Lily Galvez
Age: 10
Gender: Male
Appearance: Blond hair, green eyes, pale skin

Name: Matthias Damien Ellis
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Appearance: Greying, black hair,




"You ready to go?" Jimena asked her son Wednesday after school.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

They drove for fifteen minutes before coming to the therapist's.
It was a small, white building. Jimena didn't take Stuart to see her therapist- they specialised in adults and marriage counselling.
Instead, she was taking her son to a Mr Ellis. He specialised in diagnoses of children, and helping them, if the family wanted it.

They sat in the waiting room. The house they were at was a family run business- if you could call it that. Mr Ellis' wife sat at the desk, tapping away on her computer.
"Hey, mom, after this, could we get donuts?" Stuart asked. "Good donuts?"
"Hmm..."
"HMM..."
"Yeah, why not."

"Hello," Mr Ellis said, looking out the door. "You guys ready."
"Yep. Stuart?"
"Uh-huh!"

Stuart sat on the couch and waved at Mr Ellis. "Hey, Mr Ellis!"
"Hello... Stuart, right? Let's talk."
"About what?"
"Anything. Family. Friends. School. Is school going well for you?"

"Uh, school is great. You're married, right? Do you have any siblings or kids? What's your first name?"
Mr Ellis chuckled. I'm loving this kid already. "Yes, I'm married. My name is Matthias. I don't have any siblings, but my wife, Madison, has a twin sister. Olivia. We had twin daughters together. I guess it runs in the family? Their names are Kaylyn and Ashlynn. They're both sixteen, but my wife's sister has two kids. They're ten. And your family?"

"WOAH, twins!? I'm a twin! My brother's name is Brennan."
They three talked for a while before Mr Ellis broke the silence.
"So, Stuart. You're here because you may have depression?"
"Yeah..."
"Alright. I'll gonna ask you a few questions, okay?"
"Okay..."
"You can skip any that you don't want to answer."
"Okay."

Mr Ellis started to ask his questions, and Stuart poured his heart out. He felt safe around this man.
Jimena listened. She couldn't cry...

Mr Ellis' shoulders sagged. This wasn't even a debate. The poor kid...
He swallowed. "I'm sorry. That sounds like depression to me. If you want, you can get a second opinion. I knew a few people who also diagnose depression."

For a minute, Mr Ellis thought that Stuart wouldn't cry.
He was wrong.

Stuart bawled.
Mr Ellis felt frozen on his feet. "Would you two like to be alone? To talk?"
"Yes..."

Jimena turned to her son.
"Depression is okay," she said, softly. "Well, it's not. It's the opposite. But it doesn't make you crazy if you have it."
"What if people say things?" Stuart said, his voice trembling.
Jimena wrapped Stuart in a hug. "Then you should let them go. No, kick them out. If they're your friends and they say nasty things because you're depressed, they don't deserve to have you as a friend. And you don't have to tell anyone who you don't want to tell."

Stuart's lip still trembled. "What if I never meet anyone who's like me?"
Jimena's heart skipped a beat. he was a wreck right now.
Maybe she could calm him. Just a little bit.
"I have a secret to tell you?"

He sniffed. "I like secrets. I won't tell anyone."
"You already have met someone like you," Jimena said. "I have depression."

His mouth opened wide and he smiled, just a little.
"I shouldn't be happy," he said. "Why do I feel so good right now?"

Jimena's lips curled into a smile. "I guess it feels good to know that someone is going through the same things as you are," she said. "Someone will laugh with you. Smile with you. Most importantly, cry with you."

They talked for a short while longer, then left the room.

Mr Ellis watched them pass. He hoped Stuart's family would be okay with him. What if he faced bullying? A diagnosis was supposed to help someone.
But sometimes, he felt like it hurt them more.

They two arrived home, and after a few hours got ready for bed.

---

Brennan studied the lines of his face in the mirror. He'd been relieved when it turned out he needed glasses in the second grade- and not just because it was easier to see.
Even with their different clothes and hair, people mixed up Brennan and Stuart.
And now... one more thing was setting them apart.

Stuart had depression.
Or he was depressed. One of the two. Brennan didn't know the difference.

He sighed and spit into the sink.
Poor Stuart.

---

The family was asleep. The world was almost all asleep. Except for a few little things.
A car, driving down the street.
A lighthouse, guiding a solo boat.

No matter what happened, the world would keep on going. Things would keep on living.
And hopefully, a ten-year-old boy would continue smiling.

[Ranger of the North]

*celebratory clapping*

[frankie (dup)]

*celebratory clapping*

*Bows*

[frankie (dup)]

Cheating
Word Count: 950 (PRETTY)
Genre: Technically Fanfiction? Written for The Sims
Follow Up: Give me a minute

Characters:

Name: Jimena Brynne Galvez
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Appearance: Blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin

Name: Earl Clinton Fredericano
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Appearance: Black hair, brown eyes, pale skin.


Jimena Galvez lived in a huge house, all by herself.

Or at least, she did now. Her parents had died unexpectedly five years ago, leaving her as an orphaned teenager. She was twenty now, and she didn't plan to move out. She was living in the lap of luxury, in a house that used to be a hotel. Of course, there were budget cuts, so when Jimena's parents got to it, it was two stories tall and had a lot of rooms cut out. Honestly, Jimena had been and still was relieved. The family wouldn't need or want those extra rooms, the bills were high enough as they were.

She loved to browse the internet, mainly to look for cute puppy videos or some sort of meme.
Sometimes there were shocking things on the internet, things that made her cry, or even scream.
This was shocking too, but not the kind of shock she usually saw.

Jimena's green eyes widened. Some group was telling the world that they had the secret to immortality.
They didn't reveal what it was, but they said that in order for the world to become immortal, a few things had to happen.
Some random citizen, aged eighteen to twenty-five, could send an Email saying that they'd do it. They would move to Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, or Windenburg and have only... 1800 dollars to spend.

She laughed at that. Immortality. Really?

She changed her Facebook status, still laughing. It now read; OMG I just heard about the whole 'immortality' thing. How dumb do they think we are?

But still... that didn't stop her from dreaming. Someone would be that unlucky person who died just before immortality happened, right? Families would be pretty angry if their husbands, wives, mothers, father, grandparents, etc died because of a late immortality release.
Oh well. She shut down the computer and headed to bed. Maybe the group would revoke their statement tomorrow.

---

They didn't. But there was a new, shocking comment on her Facebook status.

It was a link. Upon clicking it, it lead her to a page describing how TheImmortalityProject was not a joke or scam.
Youth potions. If enough life from one place was absorbed, the chemicals could give everyone... immortality. It was scary. Scientists, scientists confirmed it.

She went back to her Facebook status, replied to the latest comment, and made a new status.
Just heard that TheImmortalityProject is real... Sort of embarrassed, but I don't think many people thought differently.

Jimena set her phone on the counter and rose to her feet, placing her head in her hands.

She sat down at the computer and found the original post. She clicked on the Email link they provided and wrote a short, simple, life changing three words.

I'll do it.

---

Jimena looked out the airplane at her new home in Willow Creek. It didn't have the endless green plains of Newcrest, the jagged cliffs of Windenburg, or the sandy desert of Oasis Springs.
It looked a lot like Newcrest, really, except with more trees. Newcrest with trees. Yeah.

Jimena almost ran out of the airplane once they got to the airport. She was terrified of those giant, flying, metal, death machines.
She got in a taxi with her remaining money- she'd ordered a small room that was to become her bathroom to be built, and she had a bed and fridge being delivered.

Her stomach was already protesting about yogurt, cereal, milk, and orange for... however long it took the young founder to get a stove and counter.
"Are you sure this is the place?" The driver asked once they reached her new 'home.'

Jimena glanced out the window, and with a small sigh, said, "yes, this empty square of land is my new home."

It was the most barren thing she'd ever seen. Green stretched for a long time over the land, not a single thing there except for her mailbox, lonely and stark against the deep green of the grass. She'd gotten rid of her black and white dress before she left, and exchanged both it and her heels for a more legacy appropriate tank top, jeans, and sneakers.

She admired the empty plot of land. There were so many things she could do with it! The entire place could be a giant pool, and you had to swim to get to rooms! Wait, no, that sounded more like torture. She'd just build a house.

"Oh. My. God. It's her!"
Jimena took her head out of the clouds and looked around for some pop star. Or a model. She was definitely not expecting a huge crowd to come rushing at her.

They started rapidly taking photo after photo, and Jimena thought it'd never stop until she put up her hands and covered her face.

"Quit it," she said, with a grumble and an eye roll.
"Sorry..." One of the photographers said, though, they didn't seem all too sincere.

Jimena groaned when she saw the mics the group was holding. Great, her photos would be in some magazine. And the story would probably be inflated drastically.

She rolled her eyes and sat on the grass of her lot.
"Hey, sorry about those people. Idiots. Don't they know you need consent to take someone's picture like that?"

Jimena looked up, and she would have fallen over if she wasn't sitting.

Whoever this guy was... he was gorgeous.
Long, black hair in dreadlocks spilled over his shoulders like waterfalls. He had deep brown eyes, and pale skin with high, deep cheekbones.

She felt sixteen again talking with her friends about the cutest boys.
Except she had no friends here.
But maybe... he could be the first... and more...

[frankie (dup)]

Word Count: 950 (PRETTY)
Genre: Technically Fanfiction? Written for The Sims Romance (AGAIN? Wow, me. I'm on a roll with dem genres!)
Follow Up: Give me a minute

Characters:

Name: Jimena Brynne Galvez
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Appearance: Blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin

Name: Earl Clinton Fredericano
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Appearance: Black hair, brown eyes, pale skin.

Jimena was flustered at first- some stranger, a very attractive stranger, just started talking to her, right out of the blue.
It took her a moment to answer, but finally, she formed words. "I'll be fine, I think. If my story is in some magazine, there won't be any pictures. I'd look confused, angry, or just weirded out in every single one of them."

"That's good to hear. What's your name, by the way?"
"Jimena. Yours?"
"Earl. So that's J-i-m-e-n-a?"

Jimena smiled. "Yes, actually! How'd you know?"
He shrugged.

"I took Spanish lessons. Nothing really big or impressive. I know tons of people who spell it right. Granted, they were all in the classes, but..."
Jimena laughed, and Earl good-naturedly rolled his eyes before laughing along.
"You're biracial, I assume?" He asked.
Jimena shook her head. "No. Both of my parents were white."
"Oh. How'd you get your name, then? Your parents just liked it?" He quipped.
Jimena shook her head again. "No. It's kind of a personal story. I'll tell you later."

The two talked for hours sitting on Jimena's lawn, before to Jimena's dismay, her new friend got to his feet and announced that he had to leave.
"What's your number?" Jimena asked abruptly.
Earl looked surprised at first, but he answered soon enough. "129-654-2552. Yours?"
"129-262-5846."

Jimena waved as he left, and added his number to her contacts.
Not too bad, Jimena, she thought. Your first day in the 'hood and you have someone's number.

---

A week passed and Jimena's bed, fridge, and the tiny room came in, and she continued to fall hard and fast for Earl.
Then one night, she had a dream that was a mix of horrible and amazing.

Jimena boarded the plane back to Willow Creek with a smile, Earl trailing close behind here.
"I'm excited to meet your parents!" Her boyfriend told her cheerfully.
The plane ride went by as quickly and her first meeting between Earl and Jimena went. They talked the entire time- Earl was so easy to talk to.
The two got into a taxi and pulled up in front of Jimena's old house.
Jimena flung open the front door.
The house was empty.

She woke up abruptly and covered her face with her hands. Earl wasn't her boyfriend. That wasn't the upsetting part. But even if he was her boyfriend, he could never meet her parents. They'd been dead for five years.

Jimena smiled and tucked her phone away. Even if Earl wanted her as nothing more than a friend, he was a great one. Even if he was a bit impulsive and blew up at small inconveniences. What was a person without flaws?

His car pulled up and he jumped out. "You've been crying," he said simply.
Jimena nodded and relaxed a little once he sat down. "I had a dream," she said quietly. "I was going home to visit my parents, but... they're... dead."

Earl looked taken aback. "What? But you can't be older than twenty!"
Jimena shrugged. "I was fifteen. My mom died of cancer because she decided to stop taking chemo. It was hard for everyone, but my dad took it especially hard. He stopped taking care of himself, stopped eating, stopped drinking. He died of health problems."

Earl was silent for a while before he wrapped Jimena in a hug.

Jimena sighed. He was so warm... so nice...
Soon that hug turned into something more.
Earl's eyes were closing, he was pulling his head forwards. Jimena's own eyes started to flutter shut, and she began to move towards his lips, her heart beating like a drum.
She thought for sure that they'd kiss. Then he pulled away.
"Jimena..." He sighed, putting his head in his hands.
"What?"
"You won't love me."
"Yes, I will!"
"No, you won't."

He relaxed, and Jimena watched in awe as his human appearance melted away, revealing... an alien.
His skin was deep blue. His eyes were all pupil, swirling purple mesh within them. His face was dotted with freckles, and although he was her age, there were creases on his forehead.
But other than that, he was still Earl.
Jimena shook her head. "I'll still love you. Human, alien, vampire, ghost. You'll still be Earl. You'll still be you."

The two sat back down, and Earl reclaimed his disguise before sending a smile Jimena's way.

He was happy with her response. She could tell by his soft, happy smile.
"Why don't we try again?" He said. "We've both been holding back our feelings for each other."
Jimena paused for a few minutes before nodding, her lips grazing Earl's.

The kiss wasn't short, but it wasn't long enough. His lips were soft on hers and she could feel his breath against her cheek.
Before she quite knew what was happening, Earl was pulling back.
"Good night, Jimena," he said, heading back to his car.

She smiled as he passed by. Maybe she'd sleep well tonight after all.