If there was no you

Round 14: Winter 2021


Max Fielding is 65, Regan is 57 and Lilly is 16.
(Josh is 16.)

Narrated by Lilly Fielding

Dad had a second floor built on his shop and he's now much more interested in it than he was before. He also got a deal with the government that he will provide all musical equipment for the schools in our district.

He has customers lined up every time the shop is opened and he has started to keep it open quite late.

My parents have been through a lot during their marriage but now it feels like they fight every day. Mom's furious because she feels that dad is spending all his time at the shop nowadays. The other night mom was yelling that dad's never home.

Dad yelled back at mom. He said that she's been so focused on her career all her life that she has barely had time for her family.

"You're still spending all your time studying and researching. Should I just sit around waiting for you to come home?!" dad yelled.

I don't think they've spoken to each other ever since. The next morning I could tell that mom had been crying and dad was really quiet during breakfast and gave me a big hug when I was leaving for school. I just hope they'll be able to solve their problems. It's so stupid to fight over something like this.

I think mom's outburst only makes dad spend more time at the shop. I went there after school one day and saw him flirting with some woman. He saw me and said he was just trying to make a sale. I know he wouldn't cheat on mom but still... The woman was like half his age. It was embarrasing!

She didn't seem to mind though.

Mom and dad made over Erin's old room into a study for mom. Lately she's been pretty much locked up in there. She reads and reads. It paid off, she got a promotion but I just wish she would come out and talk to dad and they'd be happy together again.

I'm trying to concentrate on other things and just stay out of their way. I found my love for playing violin again when I played at Greg and Malia's wedding. I have been practising quite a lot lately. I'll never be good enough to become a professional musician but it's a great way to express myself.

Josh and I were going through a rough time last year but we got over it. He was pressuring me to have sex and I just wasn't ready. I finally got really mad at him and told him that we're over if he doesn't stop. He's been really great for the past few months. The whole subject of sex hasn't even come up at all. I guess he must really love me if he's willing to wait.

The funny thing is that now I think I am ready! I haven't told him yet because I want to be sure but I know it's going to happen sooner or later. We don't see each other so often nowadays anyway because we both got after-school jobs but we try to get together at least couple of times a week.

I've been cooking a lot lately. I'll be leaving for college in a couple of years and I want to make sure I won't starve to death when I'm on my own. Freshmen and sophomores have to live in one of the dormitories and they have cafeterias but Josh and I have already been talking about renting a house when we start our Junior year. It's still very far away in the future though.

Dad brought me a synthesizer from the shop and mom let me put it in her study. I've been playing it a lot and it's fun! I kind of like the electronic sound and I've already composed a couple of my own songs. Maybe dad will let me make a demo in the recording studio in his shop.

My parents are still acting like little kids. Mom's hiding in her study and dad's in his. He goes there every night to write his novel when he comes home from the shop.

The whole atmosphere in our house is pretty icy. I asked mom how long are they going to continue avoiding each other and she just looked at me like she didn't know what I was talking about. I think I'm going to call Nyah and Erin and tell them about this stupid fight.

I would go insane if there was no Josh.


Extras:

I let Lilly decide if she's ready to have sex with Josh or not. I recently installed syberspunk's Teen Enabled Woohoo Wants and Lilly rolled the want to have her very first woohoo with Josh. Josh also has the fear of breaking up with Lilly so they're staying together.

Notes:

• Title from "If there was no you" by Brandi Carlile
• Max rolled the ros Viagra overdose - flirt with next appropriate walkby 4 times. It seemed totally out of character for him so I had to make up a fight between him and Regan.
• I was going to include something about Erin's wedding planning here but the update got long enough without that. Anyway, as you might have noticed from the play schedule, the wedding will happen in Summer 2021.