Tomb Building Tutorial

Daring Adventurers! You've explored all there is to explore. You've gathered all the riches, cracked all the puzzles and conquered all the dangers. But have you tried your hand at tomb building? Tomb building is a challenge all in itself and if you are ready for it, here are a few helpful tips to get you started:

·         Opening the Menu. World Adventures is REQUIRED for tomb building. If you don't have it, you won't have access to the tomb building materials. Before beginning, you need to enabled testingcheats.

To do this, press Ctrl+Shift+C and enter "testingcheatsenabled true" (without the quotations as show here):

Nothing visually happens yet. Open the blue box again, but type "buydebug" and press Enter.

Now when you enter Buy mode, you will see a box with a "?". In the screenshot shown below, it is located above the Comfort category, but if you do not have Pets, it will be located where the Pets category currently is in my screenshot.

Once you have built your tomb, you will want to link your tomb items ONE PAIR AT A TIME. This will prevent damage to brain cells. It can get very confusing if you have too many loose triggers and behaviors.

·         Triggers Versus Activated Behaviors. Speaking of damaged cells, I'm going to rewire your brain for the concept of triggers and activated behaviors. Yes, you read that right. Our brains take shortcuts when  processing information. Let's take the direction "turn on the light"; without thinking about it, you go and flip a switch that turns on a light. You didn't physically turn on a light, you turned on a switch that then turns on the light.

The light switch is a trigger that is linked up to the actual light, which is an activated behavior. The light switch is either on or off and the light is on or off. They are two separate actions that are linked together.  Another way to think about it is with the good old "If, Then" statements. If I flip the light switch "ON", then the light will turn "ON". Understand this and you will have so much creative freedom when tomb building.

·         Linking. With the concept in mind, let's link two tomb items to show you how it's done. I'm using a set of stairs and a treasure chest for this example. The treasure chest is found in the buydebug menu we brought up, but the stairs can be any standard set of stairs in the game (spiral staircases do not work for this). Now, we need to know what we want these two items to do so using the "IF, THEN" statement, I will outline how this link will be set up: IF a Sim OPENS the treasure chest [Trigger], THEN the stairs will APPEAR (or UNHIDE) [Activated Behavior].

To begin, you must open the menu by pressing Ctrl+Shift while clicking on an object. This allows you to access the menu that set up that object with a link to another object. For our purposes, we will begin with the stairs. In order to create an activated behavior that UNHIDES the stairs, we first need to hide them.

Now you the stairs are covered by floor tiles, matching the room around them. (Note: If you do this on bare terrain, you will have a hole in the ground. If you wish to have stairs outside, I'd recommend them in a "paved" area, not in the grass.) Let's set up the first half of our "IF, THEN" statement: "IF a Sim OPENS the treasure chest". This will be our Trigger. When you open the menu, there will be two options that mention Triggers. When setting a LINK between two objects, always choose Link Triggers.

We want the stairs to UNHIDE when we OPEN the chest, so select OPEN.

The Trigger is set. Easy right? Now let's set the Activated Behavior. The second half of the "IF, THEN" statement says: "THEN the stairs will APPEAR (or UNHIDE)". Again, we are setting up a LINK so make sure to select Link to Activated Behavior.

Because we want them to reappear, select UNHIDE.

You have now linked your first tomb items! To verify that it is set up correctly, hover over the two items with your cursor. You should see a pink/purple link connecting the two items when you hover over the treasure chest and a green line connecting them when you hover over the stairs.

If you do not see these lines, clear the links by selecting "Clear all links to and from this object" on both the items and try again.

If you want more than one Activated Behavior to happen when you Trigger and item, you can do this by repeating the steps with the second behavior. For instance, IF a Sim OPENS the chest, THEN the stairs will APPEAR (or UNHIDE) AND the door LOCKS. Set up the first link exactly as I described above, then repeat the IF part of the statement, also known as the Trigger, but then click on the door for the Link to the Activated Behavior portion. When you finish linking the three items you will see lines connecting the door and the stairs to the treasure chest.

If you want more than one Trigger to activate for an Activated Behavior, you will need to use a Processor. I will be posting more tutorials about Tomb Building in the Tips and Tutorials section of our website, including one about the Processor, one of the more complex features of Tomb Building.

·         Polishing the Finished Product. Sure you have linked all of your tomb items, but don't forget the polish! Treasure Chests need to be filled and hints and pieces of the storyline need to be given; the tomb would be bland without them. So let's go through that now.

Treasure Chests, Treasure Spawners (the green and yellow Speech bubble), floor and wall holes, dive wells, and sarcophagus' can all give treasure and you can set the treasure you want the tomb item to give by doing the following:

Open the Tomb Building Menu on the Treasure Chest or other item and select Treasure Component.

Now you can select for the tomb item to give a treasure one time, regularly, or both.

Then select the treasure type you want to be dispensed from the list provided.  The "$" are money bags. Ancient coins can be given this way or with the pile provided in the buydebug menu, but the buydebug coin pile does not respawn.

If you want the Treasure Chest, the only tomb item that allows this, to give more than one item at a time, select Set Treasure Chest Info. You can then select for the chest to give up to 5 items.

Storyline progression is what makes your tomb unique. You want to know who built the tomb and why. What are they hiding? To help pass this information on to your explorers gradually you can drop hints with plaques and observations. As an example, I'm going to have my Sim exclaim, "Wow! Where did those come from?" when the stairs appear.

First, because I want the message to appear when the stairs appear, the activated behavior, I click on the stairs and open the tomb building menu again. Then click on Activated Behaviors, NOT Link to Activated Behavior. We have already set up the link, now we just want to add a few dazzling details.

Then select UNHIDE because that's what are stairs will be doing.

Next choose the option Set TNS on Activation.

Now enter the text you want to appear. Viola! Instant personalization.                

Lastly, we want sparkles! No, really, I mean sparkles. You can set the link of the items to sparkle, letting your explorer know that the tomb item activated something. This is very important, especially when you have tomb items that are linked in separate rooms. The sparkles, or Cause/Effect, act as a hint to your explorers as to what direction to look in for something new, like the now apparent stairs.

You always select the Activated Behavior for this, not the Trigger. So clicking on our Stairs, select Activated Behavior again.

And again, choose UNHIDE.

Finally, select Turn On Cause/Effect FX. Very easy.

Now don't forget to test your final product! I highly suggest linking and testing ONE ROOM at a time if possible. It's easier to locate the issues that need correcting.

If you have specific tomb building questions or other tutorial requests, feel free to post your request for me here.

Picture Perfect: Tips for Better Screenshots

Picture Perfect: Tips for Better Screenshots

Thanks, Docusat, for requesting this tutorial.

• Keep Your Goal in Mind. This may seem straight forward, but it can be very easy to see something "shiny" and then find yourself with heaps of useless screenshots. Yes, that vase contrasts nicely with the wallpaper in your bedroom, but you didn't even capture the bed, which makes it a bedroom.

• Off with their head...I mean Plumbob. If you are trying to capture a Sim, the plumbob absolutely must go. It's great for playing the game, but the iconic image can be an eye sore in your photos and it's easy to remove. 

• Hit Ctrl+Shift+C and a thin blue box pops up at the top of the screen. Type in "hideheadlineeffects on" and hit Enter. Viola! Unsightly Plumbob removed!

• Keeping Tabs. When you are at an angle you like, hit the "Tab" key. Not only does the interface disappear, but you won't slide around accidently. The camera view will pivot from where you "stand" allowing you to look up, down, and all 360 degrees around you. It will also let you zoom in and out certain distances. Hit "C" to take the picture. Once you've captured the shot, hit "Esc" or "Tab" again and you will return to the interface view.

• In Full Tilt. Aerial or birds eye shots can be tricky. You want to capture the floor plan of a build and make it easy to understand. Before beginning, make sure all the roofs are up on your build. Then press the Tilt Up button until it stops. You should be looking down on the lot. The front of the lot should be at the bottom of the screen and the back of the lot at the top of the screen. This is important because you want all the floors facing the same direction in the screenshots to clearly indicate the placement of the rooms.

Once you have the entire lot, or the entire floor plan in view, hit "Tab". Zoom in and out as needed and twist the mouse left or right to straighten out your view. Hit "C" to capture and exit the Tab view. Without moving the mouse, hit "Page Down" on the keyboard and go back into "Tab" view. Repeat until all floor levels are captured.

• All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait. Sims are bursting with personality and with great timing, you can use that to your advantage. Observe Sims with different traits. A perceptive Sim will pull out a magnifying glass randomly, a dramatic Sim can faint on cue, or one of my favorites an insane Sim will talk to himself. Using that last example, I made this picture. Notice he actually appears to be tipping his top hat. It was all in the timing. He was actually in the process of pointing, seemingly arguing with an invisible someone and I waited until just that moment with just the right angle.  Sure, it would be easier and faster with a Pose Player, but you don't need one to capture that perfect picture.

• Rule of Thirds. Professional photographers are secretly magicians. When you look at their art, your eyes go exactly where they want them to go. How do they do this? Rule of Thirds. Imagine a tic-tac-toe board with nine equal squares on your screen. The four points where the lines intersect are the strongest focal points and the lines themselves are the second strongest focal points. If your subject is alone, the most powerful placement would be on the left hand line with one or more the points. If you have more than one subject, the bottom right point is the strongest focal point and the top left is the weakest. 

• Mood Lighting. Lighting is extremely important. You don't want the image too dark, making it hard to see, nor do you want it too light, washing out the subject. If you have World Adventures, make use of the lighting panels in the Buydebug menu. Hit Ctrl+Shift+C and type in the blue box "testingcheatsenabled true". Nothing seems to happen yet. Open the blue box once again and type "buydebug". Now when you enter Buy mode, you will see a new Function category with a "?". Inside you will find lots of great items, but under Misc. Objects, you can find white shapes in different sizes. Place these to add more lighting without the actual fixtures. They will disappear in Live mode. Also, if they lights are too bright, you can dim them (or brighten them) by hitting Ctrl+Shift while clicking on a light fixture or shape. You can also change the color of the light to an eerie red or soothing blue.

• Natural light is another great resource. In Sims, the sun rises in the morning, peaks in the afternoon, and darkens in the evening. The stars and the moon twinkle in the dark and the idyllic sunrise and sunset fill the sky with beautiful colors.  Photographers use these to their advantage and so should you. Plan your Sim wedding at the right time and location to have the sunset behind the couple. Bring out your villain at night with only the stars to witness his evil deeds.
  

A Deadly Soiree: A Sims 3 Story

Dr. Marvin Shelby held the vial carefully and poured the manic red fluid into the beaker, where it hissed and bubbled. He pursed his lips, eyes narrowing, as loud thumping echoed through the room. The distraction ceased and he continued with his work. Cautiously, he opened a jar containing the scales of Deathfish and pinched one with a pair of sterile tweezers.  His tongue slipped between his lips in concentration as he leaned over the angry beaker of fluid, poised to dropped the scale.

                THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

                Startled, Dr. Shelby bumped the table with his hip, causing the beaker to teeter perilously. He jumped back before the potion came slipping on the floor, but a small splash caught his wrist and the acrid scent of burning flesh filled his mouth and nose. 

                "Aghhh!" He leapt for the safety sink and scrubbed the deadly solution from his skin, leaving patchy red marks up his forearm. He whirled to face the staircase, face wrinkled with fury, "Rigger! RIG-"

                Before the name escaped his lips a second time, a small gnarled man made entirely of metal scraps screeched into the room.  Dr. Shelby snarled and yelled, "What is that noise? I can't work with that noise!" He clenched his fists in front of him.

                The little metal man named Rigger replied, his voice a strange combination of protesting rusty cogs and clinking glasses, "We seem to have a visitor, Master. A woman."

               

                Dr. Shelby glared at Rigger. "Make. Her. Go." Each word forced in an attempt to constrain his temper. "I will not have any distractions." He started to turn, but a new voice stopped him.

                "Master, a pretty lady." Dr. Shelby wrinkled his nose in disgust at the slow Neanderthal's voice. "Earl let pretty lady in. She give Earl cookie."

                "What?" He pivoted to face the second tiny man with bushy eyebrows and crumbs around his mouth. Earl shrank back from him, confused. "Arghhh! Fine. I'll see what she wants." He bent low and poked Earl in his round little belly. "And I'll deal with you later."

                Stomping down the stairs, Dr. Shelby muttered to himself aloud, "I don't know what Mother ever saw in him..."

                Rigger, oblivious, replied, "Money. Money is all she ever needed from any of us." Dr. Shelby shot him a look of loathing over his shoulder as Rigger clanked down the stairs. Earl was using his club as a crutch and picking his nose. All you are good for too.

                As Dr. Shelby entered the parlor, a prim and proper blonde strode up to him, hand outstretched. "Welcome to the neighborhood. I'm.." The offered hand hung suspended in the air and she quickly retracted it, recovering from the slight. "I'm Connie Stepford, chair of the welcoming committee. I brought you some of my famous Oatmeal Raisin cookies. I hope it's okay, but I fed one to one of your pets. I've never seen pets like these." She bent down to scratch beneath the chin of a small furry bear serving champagne and nearly had her fingers nipped off as it tried to bite her.

                Smirking at the woman, Dr. Shelby reprimanded the creature, "Hugh, it is not kind to bite our guests, tasty as they might be." Hugh made a noise that was a mix between a bark and growl, which Connie realized was an attempt at laughter.

                Connie smiled, meekly, no longer sure of herself. "Ah, yes, well...as I said, I'm chair of the welcoming committee, but I'm also a Mayoral Candidate, one of the many candidates." She rolled her eyes. "Anyone can sign up to complete for the Mayoral seat, but the lot that's signed up, well...let's just say it's a diverse group. Anyway, I'm having a little soiree at my place tomorrow evening to get to know some of the voters and I'd love to have you attend. Don't worry, there will be other candidates present so you can get to know them as well."

                A loud knock sounded from the front door. Dr. Marvin Shelby threw up his hands in exasperation and exclaimed, "Another one?"

                He strode to the door and yanked it open, only to find no one there. He stepped out on the porch and searched the dark yard, when a foul stench filled his nose. He looked down to find his pant leg on fire and his shoe covered in dog feces. Stomping and whirling, Dr. Shelby finally put out the flames, just as a young woman in pigtails came yelping out of the bushes.

                "Ahhh! Something bit me!" The woman screamed, clutching her rear end.

                High pitched, but seductive giggling followed her and a flying little woman landed beside the wide-eyed trespasser. "Master, it would seem you have another warm welcome." She licked her lips and continued, "Very warm indeed."

                "Cassie Proke! I should have known!" Connie was standing in the doorframe behind Dr. Shelby, frowning in disapproval. "This is no way to greet our new neighbors. You are a grown woman. When will you ever grow up?"

                Cassie rolled her eyes. "It's all in good fun." She leered at Dr. Marvin Shelby. "You don't mind, do you?" She stuck out her bottom lip and peered up at him with round innocent eyes, never fooling the man for a second. This is a dangerous one...

                Mrs. Stepford squirmed around Dr. Shelby and stormed up to Cassie, yanking on her ear. "If you want to act like a child, I will treat you as one. I may not be your mother, but I will not sit by and watch this behavior."

                She turned to face him, dragging Cassie with her. "I apologize. I will escort her home and make sure she stays put. Unfortunately, Cassie decided to sign up for the Mayoral Gauntlet as well so she will be at my little soiree as well." She sighed dramatically and continued, "I do hope to see you tomorrow; in fact, I insist on you attending. It's not right to leave this as your welcome." She gestured dismissively toward Cassie, still grasping onto her.  

                Mrs. Stepford nodded to Dr. Shelby and said, "Well, have a good night. Taa-taa!" Cassie managed to stick out her tongue at him before being dragged away.

                The little woman glided up beside Dr. Marvin Shelby and they both watched Mrs. Stepford and Cassie depart. "You'll need to watch that one, Master. She has...bad blood."

                For a second, Dr. Shelby's eyes seemed to glow and he replied, "Yes, I agree. I think I will need to attend this little party. I may come home with another souvenir for my... collection."

_______________________________________________________________

                After the shocked silence following Dr. Marvin Shelby's appearance at the very floral party, Mrs. Stepford hesitantly guided him Dr. Marvin Shelby to a loud and scantily clad woman. "Caprice, this is our new neighbor, Dr. Marvin Shelby."

                Caprice raked her eyes up and down the length of Dr. Shelby. She flashed him a small seductive smile, bit her lip and said, "Mmmm...you look like you'd be a lot of fun." Connie blushed at her brazen behavior, excusing herself to check on the hors d'oeuvres.

                "Lay off. I saw him first." Cassie squeezed between Caprice and Dr. Shelby, giving him a wicked wink intended for his eyes only. Dr. Shelby squirmed, uncomfortable with this attention and suspicious of Cassie's games.

                "Oh please. If he wanted a little girl, he'd visit the school yard." Caprice cocked her brow and smirked at Cassie.

                Dr. Marvin Shelby caught a few fragments of conversation at the bar that intrigued him and he tuned the girls out, letting them bicker. Without turning, he glanced over at the three men.

                "The fire completely devastated Strangetown."                The blonde apparently off duty firefighter said, shaking his head animatedly. "It took three districts to put the thing out and by then, half the town was in ruins."

                Dr. Shelby smiled to himself, shifting his weight.

                "I've been to that town. Aptly named place, I'll tell you. Creepy." The handsome man shuddered behind the bar.

                The firefighter shrugged and replied, "Maybe it was, Carmul, but I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Several people died."  

                "Hmmm...land there would be pretty cheap then..." The third man said, pensively. His crisp suit reeked of money and ambition.

                "Come on, Joseph. You aren't seriously thinking of swooping in and robbing these people blind." Firefighter asked, incredulous.

                "Business is business, Seth." Joseph grinned as he stood, pulling out a high tech cell phone and wiped the face of it with a handkerchief. "Excuse me..." He said, walking away.

                Seth, the firefighter, sighed and excused himself as well.

                If they only knew...

                Dr. Shelby returned his attention to the girls, just in time to see Caprice explode in anger and stalk away, downing her drink in one shot. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, having missed the whole conversation.  

                Cassie slipped her arm into his and looked up at him, batting her eyes. "Be a dear and get me a drink. I'd love a Sweet Hijinks after that encounter." She twirled a finger in her hair and went to sit down.

                He stood there, stunned, unsure what to do. He wondered at what point he became her date for the evening. Muttering to himself, Dr. Shelby walked up to the bar. The man named Carmul smiled and nodded in greeting, "You must be Dr. Shelby. You're the talk of the town lately. I hear all sorts of crazy stories." He laughed and leaned over, whispering, "So is it true you kidnap orphans for your experiments?" Carmul smirked.

                Dr. Shelby bristled. "The abuse of children is not a joke." Beneath his suit, his muscles were tense and he worried he may have an episode soon if he's not careful. Too many people.

                "Whoa. Sorry." Carmul busied himself with mixing the drinks he ordered, occasionally sneaking glances his way.

                A beautiful woman with exotic eyes slipped up to the bar. She wore a flowing white gown with her hair cascading down her back. "Can I get a Kyoto My Heart please?"

                "Of course." Carmul grinned. "Where are you from? You have a slight accent I can't seem to place..."

                "Oh, I'm from all over. I travel a lot; I recently came from Al Simhara. I'm Leanna." She returned his warm smile.

                "Really? I've always wanted to go there. I want to collect some new ingredients like the Life Fruit, Flame Fruit and Pomegranate. I bet I can make far superior drinks with them." Carmul said, excitedly, nearly spilling the drinks he slide over to Dr. Shelby. Carmul's eyes never left Leanna as Dr. Shelby stood and walked away.

                Anxious, Dr. Shelby dropped Casse's drink in front of her and without saying a word, left and went to find Mrs. Stepford. He needed to get out of there quick. His hands shook and his heart was beating like a cornered rabbits'.

                Dr. Shelby walked through the swinging kitchen door. He heard voices and laughter and made his way toward it. "Mrs. Stepford?" He called.

                As he rounded a corner in the large kitchen, he found Mrs. Stepford tangled up in the arms of the firefighter. "Anytime you need me, Connie, I'm here for you, you know that?" He whispered, nuzzling her.

                Dr. Shelby backed away, hoping they wouldn't notice his intrusion.

                "Oh God!" Mrs. Stepford exclaimed, attempting to straighten her mussed hair. "Oh, Dr. Shelby. I...we...oh, please don't tell anyone. My husband...he's never home and I..."

                Lifting his hands and shaking his head, his body tenser than earlier, "Everyone's got skeletons in their closets, at least yours aren't literal." He backed away and jumped when he heard screams come from the other room.

                Together, the secret lovers and Dr. Shelby ran back to the party. A huddle of people, some crying and others gossiping, blocked the view. Cassie slithered between the group, heading away from the mob. As she passed him, she shrugged and said, "I just bumped her." She flashed him a malicious grin and continued, "It wasn't my fault she was downing Cherry Casanovas. Cherries should come with a choking hazard."

                As she walked out the door, she turned and made a phone sign with her hand, flirting with him. Oh yes. I will definitely be adding her to my collection. The little monster.

                "Is she dead?" Mrs. Stepford cried out. Seth shouldered his way through the crowd. He pulled her into his arms, but not in the same embrace as earlier, and started performing CPR. Dr. Shelby knew it was futile.

                Caprice was dead.

                The air grew cold and Dr. Shelby shivered as his sixth sense  was triggered. He's coming.  Invisible spirits brushed his skin as he tried to reach the front of the crowd. They didn't disturb him; he's grown up with them his whole life. Unlike for Seth, the crowd didn't move for him. They stood like a barricade against him.

                The tension in him reached a boiling point and he knew he should get out of there, knew what was coming, but he needed to see him. Angrily, he shoved people out of the way, but too late, the usher of death vanished after the ghost of Caprice.

                "DADDY!!!" Dr. Shelby screamed, breaking down. The tension of the evening exploding from him in that one moment. The other guests backed away from him, eying him with alarm.

                As quickly as it had arrived, the episode passed. He stood and brushed himself off.  Silently, he strode over to Mrs. Stepford, face set in determination.

                She cowered from him, but he ignored her fear as he said, "I think this town has closets that need cleaning up." Connie's eyes widened as she glanced at Seth. "Yes, I think it's time I took my little crusade to a more global level, starting with the townspeople of New Pleasantview. Tomorrow I will submit my name for consideration as Mayor."

Mayoral Gauntlet Picture This! Round 3

Sims Name: Dr. Marvin Shelby
Theme: Mad Scientist
Did you use a photo editing program (the answer here needs to be “NO”): Nope, I don't even know how. LOL.

Level One
Which Category: Mayoral Candidates having a get-together
Specific Prompt: Dinner Party
Which Candidates are in this photo (use usernames): Joseph Harrington (svengo42), Connie Stepford (tiger_lily5), Seth "Flint" Kindle (itguyinsc), Dr. Marvin Shelby (Mom2Elias), Carmul Machiatto (originalsim), Caprice Francesco (sambails), Leanna London (elle080, and Cassie Proke (littlemissleo)
Picture:
Murder Mystery Dinner. Was it the Business Man using a Hit Man? Was it the Stepford Wife with a hair pin? "Flint" with his passion for fire? Dr. Shelby with his close association with Death? Carmul with his access to the drinks? Caprice with her stiletto? Leanna with her tomb exploration? or Cassie with her evil pranks??

Level Two
Which Category: Two of the Mayoral Candidates get married
Specific Prompt: Exchanging Rings or First Kiss
Which Candidates are in this photo (use usernames): Carmul Macchiato (originalsim) and Leanna London (elle080
Picture:
Carmul and Leanna met at the murder mystery dinner and spoke of exotic coffees and drinks from around the world. After traveling the world together, they found the remains of her parents and had a private ceremony, hoping that they could witness their daughters happiness.

Level Three
Which Category: Two of the Mayoral Candidates have a child together
Specific Prompt: Preparing Teen for First Date/First Prom
Which Candidates are in this photo (use usernames): Carmul Macchiato (originalsim) and Leanna London (elle080
Picture:
Daddies love to terrorize their daughters dates

Level Four
Which Category: One of the Mayoral Candidates becomes a Ghost
Specific Prompt: Create Your Own
Which Candidates are in this photo (use usernames): Dr Marvin Shelby (Mom2Elias)
Picture:
Finally, Dr. Marvin Shelby gets some time with his Daddy

 

Chapter 3: Roses Are Red

 Click and Select 'Brick by Boring Brick' to Listen to the same song as Kendyl

Sweat slid down Kendyl's spine as she pushed her screaming legs to a run, trying to escape her wandering thoughts about Jeffrey and her sister, to escape the roses. A cool morning breeze lifted stray stands of her damp hair and she closed her eyes and felt tears welling up. Kendyl squinted, livid at herself, and turned up the song, "Brick by Boring Brick" by Paramore, her feet slapping the pavement to the angry beat. 

                 Nearly three months has past and her heart still ached. He never denied it. He just stood there! Kendyl tried, but couldn't forget the horrified look on Jeffrey's face as he watched Kate run away in tears. Celine had come up behind Jeffrey and had the gall to try to comfort him.

                Kendyl finally found her voice, but it only came out as a whisper, "You slept with Kate?" He turned to Kendyl, but only he stood there with his mouth gaping.  

                Celine placed a hand of Jeffrey's shoulder and replied for him, "Kendyl, you don't understand-"                                "Don't understand??? Did you or did you not sleep with her, Jeffrey?" She yelled, barely containing the raging energy coursing through her body. "DID YOU?!"

                Jeffrey's jaw locked and he looked away, tears streaming down his cheeks. A nod, firm and deliberate, and she suddenly felt limp, all the rage and tension gone and she wanted to crumple up and cry. Not in front of them!  Kendyl ran, blinded by her tears.

                Now, Kate was living with her, the growing belly a constant reminder. She finally told their parents, realizing she couldn't hide the baby bump any longer, and they flipped out. Between Kate and the roses, escaping the pain and drama was nearly impossible.

                A block from her house, she slowed to a walk, dreading what she knew she would find there. Kendyl could almost smell the sweet heady scent of them, a cloying aroma that threatened to leave her fighting for air.  As she rounded the bend, she spotted them: red roses. Once her favorite flower, the only girlish thing she could truly claim, now filled her with heartache. There were more bouquets today, one on the truck, on the porch, in the mailbox, on the back porch... Why is he doing this to me?  

                Kendyl nearly tripped over a bouquet as she tried to walk through the front door and she snapped, kicking the vase over and scattering the red petals. A thorn managed to snag the skin on her ankle and she cried out. She knelt down and watched blood, as red as the roses she destroyed, bead around the small scratch.

**********************************************************************************

                "Wow, Jeff, your roses are beautiful!" Kendyl lowered her nose to a vivid orange one and inhaled the delicate and somehow spicy scent. "I love roses."

                "I remember..." Jeffrey smiled at her as he brought out hot dogs to grill on the barbeque. 

                Kendyl blushed and said, "Oh...right." He had given her a pretty lavender rose to thank her for helping him unpack that first day; she must have mentioned it then. He glanced away from her and she thought she detected a smirk.

                "Did you know that the different colors of roses have a meaning?" Jeffrey asked, paying attention to the grill.

                Kendyl slipped into a patio chair and replied, "No, I didn't. Why would they have different meanings?" The warm afternoon sun beat down on her and she reached for a glass of lemonade.

                "Well..." Jeffrey tilted his head slightly and Kendyl  watched the sinewy muscles in his neck and shoulders work under his tan skin. She took another drink of lemonade as another flash of heat assaulted her.  "It's a way to show someone how you feel about them. Like the yellow rose is for friendship, the pink for appreciation or admiration, and red for romance. "

                Jeffrey slide the last hot dog onto the plate and brought them to the table, but instead of seating himself, he turned to a bush with red roses. "Kendyl, I..." His fingers brushed the ruby red petals at his hesitation.

                Kendyl's heart caught in her throat. I can't hear it...I can't hear him say he's falling for Celine... "So the purple ones, they say, 'Hey, thanks for the help', right?" She laughed halfheartedly.

                Jeffrey's shoulders sagged slightly and he replied, softly, "Yeah....something like that..."

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                "Kendyl?" A footstep creaked on the porch stairs and Kendyl looked up to see Celine. "Oh, are you okay? Are you hu-"

                Kendyl stood up, backing away from Celine's outstretched hand. "I'm fine. What do you want?"

                Celine looked down at her feet, blushing. "You haven't been returning my calls...I...well, you need to talk to Jeffrey. He really misses you."

                Injured by those simple words, Kendyl turned away and started kicking the glass and roses into a pile. "Why can't he leave me alone? Can't he understand that I don't want to be his scapegoat anymore?"

                "His- what? His scapegoat?" Celine asked, confused.

                "Yes, his scapegoat. He can't go around romancing other girls- teen girls! -and then tell them he loves me to get out of any commitment or responsibility. This entire time I thought we were friends and he was using me!"

                Celine laughed, an almost musical sound, and Kendyl spun around, "It's not funny! Wait-why are you even defending him? He was putting the moves on you right after he hooked up with my sister!"

                "Oh Kendyl..." Celine had stopped laughing, but her expression was amused and sad all at the same time. "No, honey. He only has eyes for one girl. He's in love with you and has been for a long time."

                Kendyl frowned. "I don't understand. That doesn't even make sense. You two were holding hands and laughing that day...and he had sex with Kate! Is this some sort of cruel joke?"  The glass ground into the porch floor as she shifted toward Celine in anger.

                "No, no." Celine lifted her hands in submission. "I'm serious. You misunderstood what you saw that day." She gestured down at her left foot, which was bound in gauze and wrapping. "I twisted my ankle slipping off a small ladder. Jeffrey offered to bring me back early and help me get proper medical attention to make sure I didn't seriously damage any tendons or ligaments. The entire time we were there, Jeffrey was in his own world and down. He finally told me what happened with Kate and how he truly felt about you. I was trying so hard to cheer him up, but I think he was glad to have an excuse to get home early."

                Emotions tumbled through Kendyl, so fast and fleeting, it was hard to identify them. "He still had sex with Kate! If he loved me..." Her voice hitched. "If he...why would he..." She looked up at Celine, heart racing at the thought, at the possibility, of him truly loving her. "Why didn't he ever tell me?"

                Celine bit her lip, "Kendyl, I can't really answer any of this for you. I think it's time you spoke to Jeffrey." 
                Kendyl took a deep breath, the scent of the red roses surrounding her, and she felt hopeful.