Sophomore Slump

Dear Mom and Dad,

Whatever Marlee told you in her last letter, don’t believe any of it. It’s all lies. Especially the bits about me. Unless she said I’m well-behaved and studying hard — then it’s true. Sophomore year was especially difficult for us, since we weren’t in the dorms anymore and didn’t have other students around all the time to write our term papers help us out. Sometimes I stayed up all night in the townhouse just studying away while Marlee and Trent dozed upstairs.

Ravelo Family

When we weren’t up to our ears in group research or scribbling madly away in our composition books, we headed down to the Académie Gym to work out and refuel. I spent most of my time there swimming laps or practicing my various dives. I think my cannonball needs a little work (not enough splash).

Ravelo Family
Ravelo Family

Trent usually hops on one of the treadmills upstairs. Even though everyone at the gym is pretty much indistinguishable in their standard-issue gymsuits, you can always tell which one of the treadmill guys is Trent.

Ravelo Family

Marlee spends most of her time at the gym socializing or sitting in the hot tub instead of actually working out, but somehow she stays pretty fit. Maybe it’s all those dinners she burns — she ends up having to throw out half the food she cooks. I’m surprised she isn’t starving to death.

Ravelo Family

When the end of first semester rolled around, Trent and I had to cram like mad for our final exams. That means we stayed up all night, drank a lot of espresso, and studied our notes until our eyes glazed over. You guys are lucky you didn’t have to go to college. It can be a lot of fun, but you end up having to pay the price sooner or later — usually later, when you have 12 hours until final exams and a semester’s worth of assignments to do.

Ravelo Family

OK, so I was a bit of a slacker this year, but Dad, can you blame me? Sometimes we just have to get out and enjoy life, blow some bubbles, play some football, and hunt for babes. Come on, Dad, back me up on this.

The good news is that despite our slacking all three of us managed to make the Dean’s List and get full scholarships to pay for second semester. This meant we could move out of the townhouse, which was kind of a dump, and into a way better townhouse down the street. It’s enormous, bigger than our house! And it has a garage, in case one of us decides to buy a car (or someone gives us one, hint hint).

Ravelo Family

We have an awesome kitchen at our new place, with state-of-the-art appliances. Since Marlee can’t cook, I took over kitchen duty and learned how to make pancakes (mom’s recipe).

Ravelo Family

One morning I was surprised to see Marlee’s friend Christy Mace over for breakfast — I hadn’t seen her since our dorm days. I’m not even sure where Marlee met her, because she didn’t live in our dorm. She must be another one of those Lit majors.

Ravelo Family

After breakfast, Christy and I got to talking, and it was amazing how much we had in common. She liked sports and art and music, and she had this great laugh, loud and genuine.

Ravelo Family

I’ve met a lot of other girls here, but Christy was the first one who seemed like she’d be worth risking rejection for. So I asked her out on a date. I think my specific words were, “So, you wanna go miniature bowling?” Actually, I don’t know what I said, but I must have sounded like an idiot, because she flat out rejected me.

Ravelo Family

She tried to be civil about it, but it still killed me. “You’re a nice guy, Ethan,” she said, “but we have NO chemistry. None. At all. Sorry.” No chemistry? I think those were her code words for, “I hate you.”

Ravelo Family

How could I have been so wrong about her? Ah well. I guess there’s still a lot I need to learn about women. Or maybe I just have bad breath? (Mom, quick, send me some minty chewing gum.)

(continued on Page 2)

22 thoughts on “Sophomore Slump

  1. Ethan is wa-wa-wa-woom! :D I think it’s especially nice with the bit of extra blush he has to his cheeks. Hee, this is lots of fun!

  2. You really do go the extra mile, don’t you, Jen?? Wonderful update, Ethan’s cool, and there were no references that went way over my head!!

  3. That was such a cool update! I dont know what it is about your stories Jen, but whenever I’ve read one, I want to read the next one straight away!! I think Ive read over all your old stories atleast twice each xD

    Awww poor Ethan getting rejected by that girl with the braids (whats her name again?). And Trent and Tristen goi together so well, even their names match! Have you chosen an heir yet, are you going to have it like that in this legacy? I hope the heir is Trent, Im sure he and Tristen would make lovely looking kids!

    Awaiting next update!!
    Kath

  4. Hello,
    I don’t know if you remember me, but I had a sims blog before that I didn’t update after a few entries. Well, I have a new one (and it’s updated regularly, lol)…it should be linked up in my name. I have always read and been inspired by your sims blog! If you have time, check mine out if you want.

    I am really enjoying your new legacy! Marlee is beautiful!

    Pax,
    Arian

  5. Wow, that was F-U-N-N-Y. I love Trent on the treadmill. he’s so weird. You’ve made these three offspring so interesting, that I want to read about their whole lives, not just the legacy heir. Thanks again for entertaining me and my kids. :)

  6. omg Jen, this was awesome :) – wow, you are able to take such grand pictures, really, I LOVE that treadmill thing, it really made me chuckle (Trent isn’t that active, possibly ;) )? And that new nightlife feature with those photoboth pictures – they are absolutely gorgeous, honestly way too funny *g*. I love you legacy (tell me in case you get tired of hearing that *lol*)! Oh, and Tristen is wonderful, I hope she and Trent wil produce wonderful gen 3 babies g* – blond and black – a combination that I’m having for now even the fourth generation in a row *lol* – wonder if I’ll ever get a brown- or redhaired baby into the Morrigans! Keeeeeeeeeep up – and I loved this letter, was even better than the one of Marlee! And let’s please see how the 7 other kids are doing ;) – Eva

  7. Im late in reading this..stupid homework, but i wanted to let you know that i said ” I need a break and Jen’s blog always makes me happy” So i checked and you updated and i felt happy but then i got happier when i saw it was in letter form. Yay! And you write so well. Congratulations.

  8. Awesome. I love Trent on the treadmill! Poor Marlee, burning her food. The idiot rival mascot must really make Marlee’s day worse. And on one of them, it looks like there’s a Family Guy posted, cool.

  9. Great update Jen! (as always) I really am loving this new family you have. The YA are so funny and you give them all such great and special personalities. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the boys are quite good-looking for computer characters. ;) I hope Ethan finds someone to love, he seems lonely.

  10. Trent on the treadmill is so funny! I love the nightlife photo booth pictures. (I don’t know if I can wait until Christmas to get Nightlife!) Poor Ethan. I hope he finds someone to go bowling with him.

  11. **Sorry for the double post. it cut what I said off. ;-;

    Haha– I love Tristan. He’s sucha goof. He and Marlee’s pictures are funny. I like how Trent was shy about telling about his girlfriend. It’s kinda bad to be dating a professor. :B but oh well..
    You really put character into these sims. @.@ Moreso than any of your other sim stories, I must say. Perhaps it is because you are writing in first person? In the Braytons, none of the characters seemed to have distinguishing personalities.. *thinkthink* but,
    that’s okay.

  12. Trent looks so much like one of my Sims, it’s funny! XD In response to something in the comments from the last post: Yes, Ethan is most definitely still a bishounen. Maan. He is a cute sim.
    In fact, I queried a couple of my friends about his cuteness, using rav138.jpg as the example (the one where he’s talking to Christy, and she’s laughing).
    WhatWhiteTube (4:57:09 PM): I think he is cute
    suicide evidence (4:57:53 PM): Hmm he’s cute but his clothes scare me XD
    blustarfaerie (4:58:05 PM): XD Imma quote both of you guys on that.
    blustarfaerie (4:58:06 PM): THE LLAMA.
    And, lo. I have quoted them both. And editted several lines out. Several lines. But, they were about domain purchasing and such. Too bad his Simpackage thing needs Uni and NL. If it didn’t, I’d be all like “;_; Oh, Ethan! Come into my game! You’ll be happy! You’ll dance! You… won’t go to college or on dates. But you’ll be happy!” But he wouldn’t. He’d just glitch things up.
    Anyway, on to business! Or normal commenting.

    Oh, dearrr. Poor Trent. Tripping all up on the treadmill. *shakes her head* He’s going to break his stomach. Or arm. Ankle?
    Eek! Marlee can’t starve! People have to eat! I hope Marlee doesn’t have anything wrong. I mean. Things like that don’t happen in TS2!
    On to happier subjects. Oh, man. Silly Trent and Ethan. Should’ve studied. Like Marlee! She’s exemplary! I misspelled that. I bet his dad can blame him! So can his mom! Then again, they probably won’t. I mean… his mom probably will want a Relative to get Married/Engaged/Grandkidded any day now, ne?
    That townhouse is beautiful. I kind of want to copy the outdoors part of its design for a house of my own Sims’, but I won’t! I shall resist! Still, it’s lovely.

    Anyway, I have to go. Fast. Away!

  13. …Who is this Ethan…?
    Oh. Wait.
    Tristan is the GIRL.
    I–oups. o.o
    In former post.
    Tristan=Ethan.

  14. Another award winning entry Jen.

    Love the interior decorating you’ve done to the new home …mind coming over and helping me with my home :lol: I’ve always said I like how you decorate your homes, maybe more than once ;)

    Ethan seems like so much fun, Trent is the serious type eh? Is Trent going to take over as the heir? Marlee is so pretty will you continue to play her if she’s not the chosen one? I do believe she if matched up with a nice looking sim will gve you good looking kiddos :)

    Okay now I’m really trying me best not to fill up my downloads folder this time around and to keep it more managable. So the round window were Ethan and Trent are playing chess… it’s not Maxis right, unless I’ve passed it in the windows category? So where can I pick one up?

    Well I need to go buy my 5’8″ 13 yr old son some new pants ….. I hope to play my Theory family soon and post another chapter especially since Calypso just became a teenager last night :D

    I so gotta go and run around town to shop.

  15. Hey, I’ve read all the updates for this family and I really like your stories!
    I’m Jeanette and I’m new to the blogging community so you can check out my blog if you wanna :P.

  16. cool. Ethan’s was really entertaining, again I think you’ve given them distinct personalities, I wonder what trent’s letter’s gonna be like :)

  17. Hi everyone, thanks a ton for the comments. I hope you guys aren’t getting sick of the letters, since we have a few more to go. ;-) They’re making the college years a lot more fun to play, oddly enough.

    PRMami – The townhouse is actually a Maxis lot that came with Nightlife — I just put in some more furniture and changed/added windows (they were a horrible mustardy brown color before :yuck:). The round window was created by Windkeeper and is available at The Sims Resource. I don’t think it’s in the free section at the moment, but it might rotate in there at some point! All of Windkeeper’s stuff is great and worth downloading.

    Jeannette – Hi and thanks! Your blog looks cool so far. I’ll add you to my links list!