Trapped in the Sims (complete)

Part 24

Prom is huge and loud and amazing.

I dance all night, Melissa dancing equally enthusiastically at my shoulder for most of the time. This afternoon Melissa lived up to her promise to help me prepare for the school prom, and after lunch today, a Sim day after I talked to Hannah, we met up with Fran and Emily at the stylist's in town and went to get our promised makeovers. I was very glad to change out of the gothic sunflower outfit at last, and my hair is now back to its usual shade of light chestnut and curled slightly around my blue-clad shoulders, with blue flower-patterned sandals to match the short dress I wear. Even in her pregnant state - which oddly no-one besides Fran, Emily and Adam have questioned - Melissa still pulls off a long, rose-pink dress that doesn't accentuate her large stomach too much. They have good stylists in the Sims, I have to admit.

No-one seems to notice or mind that I'm at the prom, despite me only having been at school for a day so far. I suppose with the way that the Sims works, teenagers pop in and out of secondary school all the time, so I'm not that unusual on the grand scale of things.

It's late evening now, and there are only a few people left dancing up on the dancefloor in the centre of the room, with the majority of Sims exhausted and sitting in small groups at the large circular tables around the perimeter of the room, waiting for the night to completely end. A slow, melodic song drifts through the speakers overhead, and Melissa is one of the few still dancing, her head resting gently against Adam's as they sway together, talking in quiet voices. Adam has hardly left her side all evening, and Fran, Emily and I are all varied degrees of smug/delighted for them , especially since we managed to catch a glimpse of Adam as he leant down to kiss her during an especially romantic song. The same joyous flush hasn't left Mel's cheeks since.

"They're so cute!" squeals Fran for the fourth or fifth time.

"I know," I agree happily, my mind wandering slightly in my state of exhaustion. I'm not sure what they do put in the 'juice' at these prom parties, but I'm fairly sure one of my moodlets is at least slightly juiced. One thing that I definitely won't miss is having everyone able to apparently read my motives and knowing exactly how hungry I am or much fun I'm having - though that column is maxed out at the moment, so it's okay.

"Prom was nice," Emily says in her quiet way.

I smile at her. I'll miss Mel's friends, too, although I only knew them for a couple of days at the most. It was fun to wander around town with them this afternoon, gossiping and teasing Mel about her crush. "It was, wasn't it?" I muse. "I've never been to anything like this before."

"Me neither." Emily settles back into her seat, her gaze slipping back to Mel and Adam as the song changes and he twirls her around elegantly to finish their dance, before they both laugh and start to head back over to our table. Prom seems like it's pretty much over.

"Have fun, you two?" Fran wants to know.

"Yeah!" Mel replies slightly too quickly, only serving to make her blush more as Adam laughs knowingly at her enthusiasm.

"It was really good, yeah," he agrees, slipping his arm into the crook of Mel's elbow, which just makes us 'aww' again.

"Let's go, guys," Fran decides as people start to congregate around the exit, looking both tired and happy.

Mel catches my eye. "Yeah," she simply says, and we both follow her friends towards the rest of the crowd leaving the hall, casting a final look back over what had been prom.

Adam kisses Mel in front of everyone outside the school doors, eliciting several excited gasps from her friends, before he leaves, promising to see her tomorrow at school. Fran and Emily soon follow suit, both hugging first Mel and then, to my surprise, me before they head off home.

Then it's just me and Mel left by the school out in the summer evening.

Mel meets my eyes. "So, I guess this is goodbye," she begins.

"I guess it is," I say, unable to think of anything else to say. "I'm sorry I can't be there for -" I gesture wordlessly at her stomach, now bulging out from her still very flattering prom dress.

Melissa shakes her head, smiling somewhat sadly. "It's not your fault. You need to get back tonight, I know that, or you'll be one of us forever. Go find your real family. Anyway, you'll still get to see me have the baby, right? On your computer screen?"

"What do you want us to name it for you?" I find myself wondering aloud.

Melissa suddenly grins. "Who says you'll be naming any babies? I'm the mum, right?"

"Right." I smile, moving to hug Mel and wishing I never had to let her go. She squeezes me tightly in return, her long dark-brown hair smelling slightly of apple against my cheek.

"Bye, Rachel," she says softly.

"Bye, Mel," I reply slightly hoarsely. "I'll miss you."

"Be good to us. Get me a Ferrari," she says jokily, moving away from me a metre or so as I prepare to leave.

"You'll deserve it," I answer, only half kidding. She does deserve it, after everything we've put her through. That will stop, though. As soon as I'm out of the game.

I turn and look up at the starry sky, blinking away tears that come unbidden to my eyelashes. "I'm ready," I say as clearly as I can to where Hannah is hopefully listening, casting a final glance back at Melissa. She gives me a thumbs-up, like an odd sort of goodbye, although it doesn't really feel like that.

"Goodbye," I manage again, my voice choked up.

Her smile is the last thing I see as blackness cuts off my vision.

And then I'm suddenly back in my bedroom, blinking my way into a suddenly real world. Feeling material swaying for real against my suddenly warm skin, feeling my dishevelled mop of hair against my neck, feeling a barrage of memories suddenly re-enter my mind with an almost audible whoosh.

And Hannah is running at me and hugging me so tightly I can barely breathe.

I'm home.