Back to School

September 2027

Danni Bertino, Kevin Waters and Charlie Cooke are 18; Joshua Pitts, Lora Toyanaga, Sam Green and Nicky Phoenix are 19; Matthew Langerak is 20; Angel Go and Ivy Pitts are 21



The summer has ended and at SSU, students are settling in for the new school year.

It’s Charlie Cooke’s first semester, and the timing is perfect – Charlie’s family are all tied up in planning his sister’s wedding in a few weeks, and he’s glad to get away from it all.

He’s an Arts major, which gives him a legitimate reason to spend as much time as possible with his beloved guitar.

 

He’s also glad he no longer has to worry about his parents and teachers nagging him to cut his hair or shave.

He already knows some of his housemates – his cousin Joshua…

… and Joshua’s girlfriend Lora.

Charlie’s pleased to learn that Joshua is also interested in playing guitar…

… and equally pleased to discover that Joshua is not nearly as good as him.

Joshua is also an Arts major, although his real talent is in painting.

Nicky Phoenix is also Charlie’s cousin, although he doesn’t know him quite so well.

Their other roommate is Angel. She’s a bit quiet and keeps to herself, but she’s ok.

Joshua’s sister Ivy also used to live in the house, but she’s moved to the dorm down the road for her final year of college.  She’s enjoying the chance to catch up with old friends…

 

… and make new ones.

Matthew and Sam are not quite so happy this semester…

"School’s back already,“said Matthew, “and we barely saw you all summer. Your sister saw more of Sophie than you did”

“My sister lives next door to your parents.”

“I thought you were going to live with us too, when school’s out.”

“You know summer’s my busy season,” she said. “The competition circuit doesn’t shut down just because of a baby.”

“The baby’s our daughter…”

“… and she is still a baby. She’s not going to remember if I was there or not this summer.”

“And next summer…?”

“We’ll work that out next summer.”

----

At a slightly less-upmarket dorm on the other side of campus, Danni and Kevin are making the most of the fact that they now have their very own room together.

They’ve spent the last few days getting to know the campus…

…but now it was good to finally have some time alone together.

Danni had another important reason to want some time to herself.

“Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?” Kevin asked. “Once you do this, there’s no turning back.”

“You know I’m sure,” said Danni. “I’ve been planning this for months.”

“I still think you should have done it while you were still at home.”

“Are you kidding?” said Danni. “The one time I so much as mentioned finding my biological parents, everyone went nuts…”

“… Mum got super-supportive, and started offering to do everything for me, just to prove she was ok with it. Dad wanted me to see a counsellor in case I was traumatised by what I found out or something. I don’t want any of that. I just want to find out who they were and why I was adopted out… I mean, I get that they were probably just poor people who couldn’t afford to keep a baby or something, but I’m curious, that’s all.”

“As long as you’re sure… “

“I am,” she said. “Really sure.”

----

I think Danni’s going to be in for a bit of a shock when she finally does meet her biological parents.

New household pictures, now that its a new school year and we’re here in TS3:

… there really are only two playable sims in the second dorm, although that will change as the school year goes on.

Also, I accidently left Marie’s boyfriend Nicholas off their picture (I’d forgotten he’d already been elevated to playable status in TS2). He is still here and they’re still a happy couple, we’ll just have to catch up on them later…