chapter33

Slide 1: 

Hermione’s ABCs Chapter 33 Break My Heart

Slide 2: 

A Note From the Author Hi again, everyone! The Exchange remains broken. But no matter! PowerPoint away! It worked out very nicely last time. I’m quite worried for the Exchange future of this chapter, “Break My Heart.” The placeholder isn’t going to be in the house that the chapter’s in now for very long. These PowerPoint chapters, including the last one, may never make it to the Exchange. Of course, if the Exchange is broken forever, it’ll never get on the Exchange. :( Also, a tip for my fellow PowerPoint writers. I first put in the pictures and then the text. And I play in windowed mode. I can go back and forth between the chapter in-game and the chapter on PowerPoint. It made things a million times easier! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It’s a shocker for most! And kind of confuzzling. Enjoy anyway! ~June

Slide 3: 

Hi, and welcome back to Hermione’s ABCs! In our last edition, “It Ain’t Exactly What You Planned,” Mimi and her mother Gabi had a bit of a fallout at the family store. Harry started awkwardly dating my daughter Belladonna, a Romance Sim. And then the three H kids finally headed off to La Fiesta Tech! Welcome back to Uni. Urgh.

Slide 4: 

The H kids all grew up to be quite pretty. Helena, our little Knowledge Sim, gets right to work on her term paper. Helena wants to top the Journalism career. I bet most of you have forgotten that.

Slide 5: 

She chooses Astoria’s desk from Chapter 20. “Why do you keep all these photobooth pictures?” Well, ever since E it’s been my custom to take photobooth pictures of all the heirs. “And one of you and Felix?” Shut up. “And you still have a jillion portraits of Demelza up here.” There are only six! They have incredible sentimental value!

Slide 6: 

Harry, our goody-goody Family Sim, has already completed his paper. He wants six grandkids someday. His and Helena’s outfits are ah-ma-zing. Helena’s dress is by nosylaace, and Harry’s outfit is from somewhere at ModTheSims. Yeah, I have a teen version that I forgot about. >.>

Slide 7: 

Mimi, our plucky Pleasure Sim hairdresser, is a bit low on skills. Mimi wants to be a Celebrity Chef. Someone has had all these LTWs before, except Journalism. Helena’s the first to go for that one. Well, Dolores was trying, but she failed. “Ooh, my opponent’s really good!”

Slide 8: 

Uh…huh. Yeah. There’s no one there.

Slide 9: 

“Hey, Helena, you look nice! I haven’t seen you look so upbeat since…well…” Mimi trailed off, afraid to make an old wound flare up. “Garrett? Yeah, I know,” Helena said with surprising ease.

Slide 10: 

“I don’t think it would have worked anyway,” Helena said. “Besides, I’m over him. He can have that other girl.” “Really?” “Really.”

Slide 11: 

“And you have Seb now,” Mimi giggled. Helena blushed, smiled, and turned back to her book.

Slide 12: 

Not so happy now, eh, sunshine? “Why do I have to fix the computer?” You used it last. You know what they say: You break it, you fix it! “Urgh.”

Slide 13: 

Hi, Rem! “Who knocked over our garbage?” Garrett. Because he’s outraged that Helena broke up with him after he cheated on her. “Not the brightest bulb?” Not at all.

Slide 14: 

Mimi does her assignment. “Philosophy…is…about…thinking.”

Slide 15: 

“Ohhh, it’s soooo harrrrd!” Sure, Mimi. Ew, that fridge is gross.

Slide 16: 

In other news, everyone remembers Abbey, right? You’d better, or else I’ll kill you. She and Aldric, Almeric’s twin brother, have hit it off! They are 3 bolters. That’s right. 3 bolts. I’ve only had TWO 3-bolt couples in the entire Legacy! Druella and her husband Anthony, and Eileen and Berjes. I was like woah! They’re very sweet together.

Slide 17: 

C’mon, Helena, no pain no gain! Work it! “Ugh!” You wanna look nice and in shape, right? “I guess so.”

Slide 18: 

The next morning, Helena called Seb. “So you wanna come over and see the house? It’s pretty nice,” Helena said. “Sure. I’ll be over in a little while.” Helena beamed and hung up the phone. He was so sweet.

Slide 19: 

When he got there, she said hello and he said the same. “Wanna play Red Hands?” Seb asked. “Sure,” Helena smiled, happy that her going to Uni hadn’t made anything awkward.

Slide 20: 

After they were done with the game, Helena decided it was now or never. She tingled with anticipation. Shyly playing with her hair, Helena said, “Look, Seb, we’ve known each other for a…a really long time, and you’ve always been my best friend. And well, I like you. Like, really like you.”

Slide 21: 

“I mean, I think you’re so nice and sweet, and just…perfect!” She looked at him eagerly. “Do you like me, too? I know I’m different, but you’ve been my friend anyway.” She couldn’t read his expression. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, “Helena…” “Yes?”

Slide 22: 

“Helena, I’m sorry, but I…I just don’t feel that way about you.” “W-what?” The smile vanished from her face. “I think it’s just that I’ve known you since you were really little. It would just be really weird,” he said.

Slide 23: 

“Like…I’m just a little girl to you?” she asked in a small voice. “Something like that, I think so.”

Slide 24: 

“Oh, Helena, don’t cry,” she heard him say. “We can still be friends.” Friends. The most horrible, ugly word in the entire world. “No…it’s…” Helena sniffled.

Slide 25: 

She couldn’t look at him. “I--I have…things…to do…” Helena wasn’t saying anything that made any sense, she was just breaking the awful silence.

Slide 26: 

“Bye, Seb,” she whispered. “So long, Helena,” he said, turning heel.

Slide 27: 

“How’d it go?” Mimi asked brightly. Helena said nothing, slumping as she made her way up the stairs. “Not well, I’m guessing,” Mimi said, answering herself.

Slide 28: 

She locked the bathroom door and turned on the water as she had with Garrett. No more pretty Helena. Ever.

Slide 29: 

Seb came back to his house. He said to himself, “I think I just lost a friend. She’ll never want to talk to you again, Philtre, but that’s just fine…”

Slide 30: 

He unlocked the door and let himself in, his mind whirling.

Slide 31: 

“But I was nice, right? I let her down easy. I wasn’t horrible.” He spoke as though to soothe himself. Or justify himself. She’d looked so sad. So sad, and yet still so beautiful… He needed something else to think about.

Slide 32: 

He went over to one of the many pieces of art he had in his house. They didn’t do much for him, he wasn’t the artsy type, but they were nice to look at. “Hmm…I wonder what the heck this means,” he muttered to himself.

Slide 33: 

“I think it can mean anything. It doesn’t have a definitive form, really. Always changing. A nomad of sorts,” said an all-too-familiar voice behind him. “Like you.”

Slide 34: 

“What?!” Seb exclaimed. “It’s not you…it can’t be you! You’re at your house! You’re not here!”

Slide 35: 

He spun around quickly. No one was there, of course. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Slide 36: 

But he had been sure he’d heard someone… Does it hurt to know I’ll never be there? Bet it sucks to see my face everywhere…

Slide 37: 

He sat on the couch. “Maybe a little TV will calm my nerves,” he said. He looked around for the remote, but couldn’t find it.

Slide 38: 

“I think the remote’s in the kitchen. Silly, you leave it in the strangest places,” said someone next to him. “You! What are you doing here?!” Seb cried. “Don’t you want me here?” “No!” “I think you do.”

Slide 39: 

“C’mere, Seb,” she giggled, “Give me a hug!” “Ack! No! Go away!”

Slide 40: 

He blinked and she was gone. He noticed he was breathing rather fast, as though he had just awoken from a nightmare.

Slide 41: 

“What the heck is going on?!” Seb muttered. Stop thinking about her!, he ordered himself. She’s just a girl, just another girl. And she was everywhere! “I have to get out of here!” he cried.

Slide 42: 

He ran for his bedroom. “I’ll just get my stuff and--”

Slide 43: 

“AAH! What are you doing here?!” Seb yelled. “Silly. I love you. I’m not just going to leave!”

Slide 44: 

She went up to him and said, “Come on, Seb, give me a kiss. You know you want to…”

Slide 45: 

He backed up. “No. No, Helena. I don’t care how much I want to. You don’t! You don’t want me…”

Slide 46: 

“Of course I do!” she cried as she grabbed him insanely tight.

Slide 47: 

She pulled him close as he struggled to get away.

Slide 48: 

Finally he broke away from her and ran. “Come back!” she called.

Slide 49: 

“No, no, no, no, I won’t, I won’t, I don’t care, I’m bad for you, no, no…” he muttered as he ran out the door, down the stairs, away, anywhere. He didn’t hear her behind him.

Slide 50: 

He pushed open the doors of the spare room that supported the house.

Slide 51: 

“Seems safe,” he breathed. But the place looked different. It looked almost like…a chapel…

Slide 52: 

And there she was, waiting for him! “Hi, Seb,” she cooed.

Slide 53: 

He looked down and found himself in a tuxedo. Bride and groom. Wedding bells. “Augh! NO!” he screamed.

Slide 54: 

He ran up to her. “What the hell’s the matter with you?! I thought you were a Knowledge Sim! A smart girl! Why fall for a guy like me? All I’ll do is cheat and lie and…and…I’m not going to! I won’t!”

Slide 55: 

“I’m not going to be the reason you’re miserable! I’m not going to be Garrett!” “So don’t,” she said. “What?” “Don’t be like that if you don’t want to.” “But…”

Slide 56: 

“…and you’re gone again,” he said as he blinked and found himself alone. So don’t…

Slide 57: 

“I love her,” he murmured. “I must, if I don’t want to hurt her.” Had he even looked at another woman on the street walking home? No…why? I was thinking about her. “Maybe I’m not so bad,” he said to himself.

Slide 58: 

He turned and ran. He checked the time as he went. It was late afternoon, and the sun was setting. If he was lucky and got a fast cab, he could be there by nightfall. “I’m sure Helena’s fine. Just a little downtrodden,” he said, reassuring himself. “She’ll be locked in a room somewhere, like with Garrett. She won’t do anything crazy…”

Slide 59: 

Night had fallen at La Fiesta Tech. A lone figure sat on a balcony. Light and laughter came from the floor below. The balcony had neither.

Slide 60: 

Helena’s hair hung long and dead around her face. She didn’t speak. She didn’t cry. She’d done her crying.

Slide 61: 

She muttered to herself, “I’m done with…people. All people. All they do is lie and hurt. This whole freaking world’s just out to get me.”

Slide 62: 

“What’s the point? Why bother.” She fell silent. She watched the stars, their twinkling beauty lost on her tortured soul.

Slide 63: 

Outside the door, inside the house, Mimi was worried. Helena had been out there for hours. And she wasn’t telling anyone what was the matter. Finally, Mimi couldn’t take it anymore. She pushed open the door, calling, “Helena?”

Slide 64: 

“You okay?” “No.” “Oh.”

Slide 65: 

“Oh, Helena, don’t cry. You’re better than him. There’s someone out there for you. Trust me.”

Slide 66: 

“No one like him,” Helena choked out, waving Mimi away.

Slide 67: 

“Well, of course not!” Mimi said brightly. “No two people are the same!” Helena said nothing, and Mimi knew she’d said something wrong.

Slide 68: 

“Mimi, it’s so weird,” Helena said suddenly. “I feel numb. I can’t feel anything anymore. I have no happiness, no despair. Just this nothingness, this numbness, all over me.” Mimi wasn’t sure what to say.

Slide 69: 

“Why do you suppose that is?” Mimi asked tentatively. “I dunno. I guess my heart’s been so twisted and stomped on, I’ve overloaded my emotions. Or maybe I finally realized it’s just not worth it.”

Slide 70: 

“What if Seb came back? And said he loved you?” “He won’t.” “Would you get your emotions back?” “I don’t know. And I’ll never know because he won’t.”

Slide 71: 

Suddenly, Helena laughed. Of all things, she laughed. “Why are you laughing?” Mimi asked, startled. “Don’t you realize where we are?” “The balcony…?” “Right! I’m afraid of heights! Or I used to be. But now I’m so numb that it doesn’t matter anymore!” Helena laughed again, like a crazy person in an asylum. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve lost my fear of falling…”

Slide 72: 

The laughter left as soon as it came. “I’ve lost my fear of falling…I will be with you…” Helena took two tiny steps. Mimi watched her carefully. “What…where are you going?” No answer. “What are you…?”

Slide 73: 

Suddenly Mimi realized. “NO!” she screamed, running after her sister with a sudden fascination with falling, falling, falling…

Slide 74: 

Mimi grabbed her. “No, Helena!” “Let me go!” “He’s not worth it, no!” “Mimi, stop, let me go!” “Stop! Stop, please!” Mimi cried, biting back tears.

Slide 75: 

Mimi called desperately, “Harry!” “What?” Harry called back. “Harry, it’s Helena, oh, God, she’s gonna jump, Harry!” Mimi called again, struggling to restrain Helena, digging her heels into the stone. And Harry ran.

Slide 76: 

Helena broke free from Mimi and faced her, face twisted in fury. “Let me go! You don’t get it! I don’t want to exist anymore! Nobody will ever love me, and you don’t get it, because you’re popular and pretty and just freaking perfect!”

Slide 77: 

“Me?!” Mimi exploded. “I’m not perfect! Mom hates me, in case you haven’t noticed, and I’ve never had a boyfriend. You’re a million times prettier than me, and you can sing, and you’re smart!”

Slide 78: 

“Helena, you’re my only sister and my best friend, and I’m not going to stand by and let you jump off a stupid balcony over some guy!”

Slide 79: 

Harry arrived and stood by the railing, crossing his arms defiantly. “You’re our sister and we love you, Helena, and you’re not going to do this. We won’t let you.”

Slide 80: 

Helena huffed impatiently. “Neither of you get it!” she screamed. “You both hate Seb, he’s no loss to you! He’s a loss to me! And he’s never coming back!”

Slide 81: 

And suddenly came someone none of them expected to see. Seb saw the three siblings on the old balcony. He reached out even though he knew he couldn’t touch her, wanting to wipe her tears away and see her smile, and called out, “Helena!”

Slide 82: 

“Seb?!” The three of them yelled back at him.

Slide 83: 

Helena rushed to the railing, and no one stopped her. “Seb? What the heck are you--?” CRACK.

Slide 84: 

Part of the stone railing fell away and Helena felt herself falling. Her dress tore with a loud rip but her bloodcurdling scream drowned out the sound.

Slide 85: 

Her siblings joined the cacophony of screams but were rooted to the spot. “Helena!”

Slide 86: 

“No!” Seb ran. His mind pulsed with one line of thought: No, you can’t die, you can’t! Save her, save Helena, run, run, run!

Slide 87: 

She, flailing wildly, grabbed him, and he struggled to stay on his feet and keep her from harm.

Slide 88: 

He closed his eyes tightly, relieved.

Slide 89: 

He gently let her down to the ground. She stared at him for a moment. “Seb,” she finally said, sounding a bit dazed.

Slide 90: 

“Me,” Seb replied with a little chuckle. Helena stared at him silently. Her face was blank. It was as if she didn’t really believe he was there.

Slide 91: 

He smiled and leaned in, hoping to see her bright smile and to mend her heart. “What do you think you’re doing?” he heard her say, her voice as sharp as a razor.

Slide 92: 

“I don’t believe you! You damn Romancing jerk!” “I--” he backed away, embarrassed and confused. “Who do you think you are?! I was ready to jump off a balcony because you broke my heart, and you drag your sorry carcass back here and try to kiss me?!” “Helena, please, jus let me explain! I didn’t--!” Seb cried desperately. “No! Get out of here!” Helena screamed.

Slide 93: 

“Helena, please!” “No.” “Why not?”

Slide 94: 

“Because with every word you say, my mind starts to change.”

Slide 95: 

“Good night, Seb.” “Wait!”

Slide 96: 

“Shut up!” Helena exploded. “I don’t love you! I never loved you!”

Slide 97: 

“I needed something, anything, to take my mind off of Garrett. And unfortunately, you were around.”

Slide 98: 

“You’re no better than him.” Seb would have liked it better if she hit him. Her words stung more.

Slide 99: 

“Helena…I love you…” “You love everyone.”

Slide 100: 

SLAM.

Slide 101: 

“Helena…” “Why am I crying? *sniffle* He doesn’t care about me. He doesn’t care about anything! I hate him!” “Maybe you don’t,” Mimi said softly.

Slide 102: 

I need another chance…one more chance…

Slide 103: 

“I know!”

Slide 104: 

“Helena! HELENA!” Seb called.

Slide 105: 

“Oh, what now?” Helena snapped.

Slide 106: 

“I thought I told you to go home, Seb.” “Helena, sing with me. You know, like we used to?” Helena replied icily after a moment: “Fine, Seb. I’ll bite. We have a karaoke machine out back.” He beamed. “But I pick the song.”

Slide 107: 

Helena led Seb out back. “There’s only one microphone, so we’ll do without.” Helena went over to the screen and scrolled through the songs with a strange fierceness until she found the perfect one. The music started and she began.

Slide 108: 

“Well, when you go Don’t ever think I’ll make you try to stay. And maybe when you get back I’ll be off to find another way.”

Slide 109: 

“Well, after all this time that you still owe, You’re still a good-for-nothing I don’t know. So take your loves and get out. Better get out while you can.”

Slide 110: 

“When you go, Hey would you even turn to say, ‘I don’t love you like I did yesterday’?”

Slide 111: 

Seb joined in. “Sometimes I cry so hard from pleading, So sick and tired of all the needless beating.”

Slide 112: 

“But baby when they knock you Down and out, It’s where you oughta stay.”

Slide 113: 

Afraid of her fury, Seb backed up and tripped over a wire. He could have sworn he heard Helena’s laugh, malicious and cruel.

Slide 114: 

Helena didn’t miss a beat. “And after all the blood that you still owe, Another dollar’s just another blow.”

Slide 115: 

“So fix your eyes and get up. Better get up, While you can.” Helena sighed, as if she knew she’s regret this, and offered him her hand.

Slide 116: 

He took it, smiling.

Slide 117: 

“When you go, Hey would you even turn to say, ‘I don’t love you like I did yesterday’?”

Slide 118: 

“Well, come on, come on…” Seb whispered. And finally Helena smiled.

Slide 119: 

He swept her into his arms, and she didn’t pull away. “Do you hate me?” Seb asked. “A little bit.” But she was still smiling. “Why did you come back?” “I was wrong, and I had to make things right.”

Slide 120: 

“So you do love me,” Helena breathed. “More than anything.”

Slide 121: 

He swept her low and kissed her, and it was as if the entire world froze around them. The two of them were separated from the world in a bubble of bliss and perfection.

Slide 122: 

Seb pulled her up again and they broke apart.

Slide 123: 

He said, “I was afraid I was going to hurt you…like I’ve hurt so many other girls. I didn’t want to be Garrett again. I didn’t trust myself to be faithful.” “It’s a choice to be a Casanova, Seb,” Helena murmured. “And I trust you.” “Then maybe I can trust myself.”

Slide 124: 

In time with the music, Seb sang, “I won’t go, and I swear I’ll never stray. I love you, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Slide 125: 

Meanwhile, Harry and Mimi had been watching the entire thing. “Ooh, Harry, don’t you just love a good romance?” Mimi gushed. “Not when it’s with my baby sister and the local Don Lothario,” Harry grumbled.

Slide 126: 

“Harry, we both know she’d be miserable without him.”

Slide 127: 

“Doesn’t mean I have to like him,” Harry grumbled. “Give him a chance.” “No.”

Slide 128: 

“Well, he’s gonna be your future brother-in-law!” “What?!” “And nobody likes your girlfriend, either.” “What?!” “Nothing.”

Slide 129: 

Down below, Seb had dropped to one knee in the sand. “Oh, Seb,” Helena gasped.

Slide 130: 

“Helena, you’re the loveliest girl I’ve ever met. Without you, I wouldn’t know how to go on.”

Slide 131: 

“Helena, will you…will you marry me?” Helena gasped again. “Oh, Seb! But you’re--” “I know, I know. But I can’t be without you. I love you.”

Slide 132: 

“Oh, yes! Yes! Yes, I will marry you!” Helena squealed.

Slide 133: 

Seb nearly fell over from her ecstatic hug. “Ack! Helena, you’re crushing my windpipe there,” Seb joked. “Shut up, I’m happy,” Helena giggled.

Slide 134: 

“I guess I’m just the kind of human wreckage that you love,” Helena laughed. “Exactly.”

Slide 135: 

Wipe off that make-up, what’s in is despair. Well, I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of college! Two more to go. Urgh. I have to give some song credits here, there were a lot! Songs In This Chapter: “I Don’t Love You”, “The End”, “Blood”, “It’s Not a Fashion Statement It’s a Deathwish”: My Chemical Romance “Never Again”: Kelly Clarkson. See ya next time around!

Slide 136: 

“We were pretty much ignored in the climax, Rem,” Abbey whined. “Yeah. But at least there’s some hope that the Exchange might start working again.” “I guess so. But I really wanted to be in the climax!”