I'd love to see a "Lucky Boy" story telling these events from Jude's perspective one day
I see Jude as in a position like Evie's, a young person trying to figure out life, full of wishes and assumptions and often feeling lost, a different set of coping strategies and flaws, so not quite the same story but maybe not too different.
@mightysprite somebody asked me to do this a couple of weeks ago! That's funny.
I might do it - but only after the story is finished, as I think Evie's perception of him and the mystery of what he's doing and feeling is one of the things I'm most interested in exploring. I think once I'm finished part 2 & the upcoming part 3 I'll do a bonus - or maybe even a whole other thing if I still have the drive and energy in me
@hellohannah2 I'm almost caught up! One more chapter to go.
The thing that struck me most was the conversation between Jude and Evie. I don't think either one of them have really moved on. There is still something there between them. Friends or lovers, there is still a connection. Neither one of them really knows how to broach the subject which I feel led to some of the awkward exchanges. They were close to acknowledging something and then would say something to distract from where the conversation was headed. I go back to his leaving for Berlin and not waking Evie up to say goodbye. I wonder more now than I did then, was it really because he was having a hard time leaving her and it was the easiest way out?
You were so right about Evie making some not great choices. I do not trust Dean at all. He would not be the first to make up a sad story to gain the sympathy and to get something he wants, which I can't quite use the phrase that leaps to mind on forums. I'm getting to the point that I sort of feel he has a predatory side. He senses Evie's need to please and to be liked and he's playing on that. Dean is as dangerous as Marnie is cruel. Evie's caught between the light, Claire and Shane, maybe Jude, and the dark, Dean, Marnie, and her insecurities.
I think the connection between them is very much still there, and without getting closure I can see why it would be. There is so much left unsaid between them, and I think they're being a bit silly to think that they can slip back into an ordinary friendship without talking about all the things that hurt from before. There was a version of this conversation where they actually said more, but when I was writing it it felt wrong, I felt like neither of them would have actually admitted anything or dared to be so vulnerable, hence the awkward changes in subject and general stunted energy of their conversation whenever it veered down a certain path. I'll resolve this storyline eventually!!
The discourse about Dean is so scattered still - I've definitely been dropping hints throughout the story about his intentions and who he really is, and I think it may not become obvious until the next couple of chapters. (I'm looking at you, chapter 18), but this is an awesome observation! I'll just say - keep your eye on him haha
The scene at Evie’s birthday party where Claire, Jen, and Shane point out to her the age difference is what really started me thinking about Dean being a predator. It was lurking in the back of my mind but that really brought it forward. The story he spun about feeling ashamed of how he acted at the party set off the alarm bells. I don’t believe Dean knows what shame is.
Hello readers, just a message to say that chapter 17 now... exists. I can't post a link to the forums as I don't want to violate the rules of this website, but if you want to read it you know where to find it
Ah well, okay , looks like Dean is a total jerk indeed, I just wanted to give him a chance, for, well I have my reasons.. I still wait a bit more before final verdict, as I still have a hunch that there is something more in it.
I still am not fan of Jude I hope Evie mets someone else totally
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Yeah I mean, he wasn't very affectionate with her, but she did lie to him about her experience, so I don't think there was a scenario that it could have gone well for either of them. I think they're a mess, honestly.
True - now that she's gotten it over with she can start telling everyone she's done it and maybe the pressure will be off. I imagine the feeling she has is a bit hollow though, like, 'that's it?' all of the anxiety and build up for something that she didn't really enjoy.
That bit where Evie’s surprised that she doesn’t look any different does seem to be fairly common. I think that’s part of the problem, society makes a big deal out of the “first time” and young people do seem to put pressure on themselves. Afterwards they’re just like “oh, is that it?”
I would say that, uh, WooHoo is often a bit awkward with a new partner, even if both aren’t virgins, as they don’t really know what the other likes in bed and so on.
But yes, I can definitely see how there’d be issues in the future, given how Evie knows that everyone else dislikes him.
This was pretty hard to read, but not because it wasn't beautifully written!
I want Dean to go away and never come back now, but that's probably too much to ask for. Claire is the sweetest and I'm happy to see that Evie knows who will always have her back ♥ It was pretty sad to see her realize how much she's lied... I hope she won't continue to spiral because of that mistake.
The call with Jude was sweet! I'm really happy this chapter ends on a positive note because otherwise the whole thing would have been so weird and sad and unsettling
and actually, as awful as Marnie is I kind of do agree with what she said about virginity at the beginning, in that it’s just something that people made up to put some sort of weight on a persons first time. I don’t know very many people who had a “perfect” experience. It’s always a bit awkward and not very nice and we often feel there should be some kind of fuss made about it.
I think issues are inevitable - like, lying about him to her closest friends is definitely not wise.
he will eventually go away, I promise, but you will have to put up with him for another 3 chapters at least. Yeah the lying thing is bad. I actually never intended for her to become so dishonest, but it was one of those things that really fit well with her character. After being a non confrontational person who was friends with a very combative person like Kelly and hiding her drinking from her parents, it seemed like she’d naturally continue to hide things from everyone else too to avoid conflict.
Jude was nice to her here, he brings a silliness to her life that she really enjoys and I feel like he allows her to be any way she wants to be.
Chapter 13 — I really like this chapter. It feels like a reality check. Evie regains her appetite, and she's comfortable enough to eat well in front of the reason she lost it. Good for her. It's sweet, too. I feel for Evie, though. I wish she could get over her crush on Jude, which is what she seems to wish for herself but sometimes feelings refuse to be controlled. Seeing pictures of Astrid on his phone was unfortunate, but it was probably best to have something harsh like that remind her of Jude's flakiness and that's he not her boyfriend. He and Claire and Shane are decent friends and hopefully seeing them in the same area as Marnie/Dean will encourage her to free herself from them. I doubt it, though.
“I don’t think it ever made a real difference. It was probably another one of those weird Catholic rules that your country is obsessed with.” I bristle a little bit against the way he says ‘your country’ like he’s divorced from it, like he hasn’t got our weird Catholic blood in his veins.
Same, Evie. When I read "your", I thought woah is Mr. I-spent-my-teenage-years-in-Ireland-so-Mexican-restuarants-here-are-fine-with-me suddenly not Irish? It must be hard for him, but being Irish seems like an identity he takes on and off. At the same time, I wonder if he feels that he's not allowed to be Irish, to say "my" country because of his accent and the way he's perceived by others. Personally, whenever I go through immigration/customs in the country that matches my passport, they are so confused... I can imagine Jude experiencing something similar if he has an Irish passport. "You're Irish? Where are you from? You live in Germany? Not America?"
Chapter 14 — Evie's new hat is adorable. I think it's hilarious that she acts like she was 17 years ago when only about a year has passed, but it's sad that she can't see her supposedly cool new self in her old one.
It bothers me that Jude is calling her mean for rejecting Liam. That wasn't mean. Evie can be mean, but rejecting someone she doesn't want to be with isn't mean. She already struggles enough with being direct and standing up for herself so that's the last thing she needed to hear.
I am not at all surprised to see Dean overstepping boundaries and showing up at her home. I doubt that Evie will be able to send him away. She'll probably think that that would be too mean (thanks, Jude), but maybe she'll surprise me.
Chapters 15 and 16 —
“I’m telling you to go away too.” I snip. “Don’t come to my house.”
Yay! I'm pleasantly surprised. But I don't think he will listen… He isn't good at being decent or listening to her. I expect her to cave and start comforting him.
“Don’t worry about it Dean, honestly, it wasn’t a big deal.”
As expected. Poor Evie. Poor Dean too, but…
Losing a parent when you've just entered your twenties is awful, but he can't also lose himself through substances because of it. Bottom line, though, to me, is that he's not good for Evie. He runs over her will. It's hard to see what is even attractive about him. The only thing he does that's positive is show interest in Evie. He's impolite. He's not good at school and he's a mess outside of school. He's stealing from his work. Her friends don't like him.
Marnie seems to know something unsavory about Dean.
Chapter 17 — Oh, Evie. Because she's kept her relationship with Dean secret, she has nothing to say to Claire when he leaves her on Thursday. Claire is a good friend, but she doesn't have superpowers and she can't hear that's something wrong from Evie's voice alone (especially while Evie continues to lie). I wish Evie had someone she could confide in. I actually wish Evie could call her mother and just tell her everything.
At least there's Jude. She's lucky he's not busy.
“Hm, okay, but like, would you eat something absolutely disgusting for it? Like a bucket full of live worms?”
Personally, no. In my mind, Jude was a rich kid, so I was surprised to hear him rationalize the question by making such a big deal out of a million euros ("one or two horrible days and then immediately have a million euros to live off for the rest of your life. seems like a small price to pay") instead of it being about honor or bravery or something else. I briefly wondered if he was being fake to relate to Evie, but I don't think that's the case. I think he's trying to be fun.
Thank you It was important that she actually talk to him so that she won't keep on spinning the same story about him in her head over and over - and to remember that he's a normal person. Exactly as you said - seeing Astrid is a reminder that he's not hers, even though some of those old feelings she used to have for him are coming back up when she sees him, he's in love with someone else now. It kind of makes me sad for her, but it's reality!
Haha yes! He has this whole thing about being a guy who "got away" from Ireland as if that makes him unique, and actually, I never thought about that and it's so interesting. Perhaps he never felt like he could fit in at all, and has now just embraced that he's always going to be different from the people who were born in Ireland. Perhaps he kind of feels like a citizen of nowhere, still trying to find his place in the world.
I agree! I think it's such a cute gift from Shane. He really is thoughtful underneath his gruff exterior. I also thought this when I wrote it, but I have a distinct memory of being about 19 & chatting to a group of people in their late 20s, and I said "When i was 18..." and they all laughed at me, like "Why are you saying it like that? You were probably 18 about three months ago" Time feels different when you're young like that, the difference the years make seems to be greater.
He meant this as a joke but I feel it didn't land well. I'm not sure he realised how bad she already feels about what happened with Liam, and it just made her feel a bit worse. To him it was a funny moment, because he wasn't there, but to her it was devastatingly awkward. I wanted this as something that might be on her mind when she ran into Dean later, carrying the fear of being mean and rejecting another guy harshly might soften her and allow him to get to her easier. Thanks Jude, indeed!
Go Evie! Exactly - being assertive would work on someone else, but Dean will absolutely not go away until he gets what he wants. I think this is where Dean gets a bit complicated, because his life is genuinely not great right now, and his suffering is genuine too so the way he behaves might be understandable, but I don't think it makes it okay - especially later on, as you'll all see. I feel like he uses his backstory as a crutch to behave in ways that other might not get away with. What Evie likes about him is the way he makes her feel - desirable. He gives her the attention she could not get from Jude
Yep! I hate these lies, they bother me a lot but I really felt like this is exactly how Evie would handle this situation. She would try to please everyone all at once and end up stuck in the middle of it, spinning more and more lies to cover up the first one.
Haha - I wouldn't either. I think you're right, he was trying to be fun here, I wanted to create the impression that these are the kinds of conversations they used to have all the time. Perhaps to Jude a million euro has a different value to Evie, but they can still have a laugh together
Is the world ready for me being mad at Claire now?
I'm a little torn, I don't stand behind all of Evie's lies but I can't help but find Claire's reaction somewhat excessive. Like crying because your best friend uh... woohoo'd with somebody you didn't approve of. On one hand I understand the confusion and the hurt in the heat of the moment but it also seems kind of toxic to hold it over Evie's head like that. Claire disapproved of Dean (so did I haha), Evie made a decision she would've disapproved of as well and didn't tell her about it, alright, it wasn't a good decision but it's her life and such a personal choice. And Claire would've helped for sure if Evie had confided in her, but shutting Evie out now (for a month! In her darkest hour!) isn't going to help at all, it'll do the opposite (I guess it's a good thing, it's driving the plot forward haha).
Even if Claire did approve of Dean in the first place, I feel like keeping your first woohoo private isn't that groundbreaking, even if Evie has been upfront about all the boys she ever loved and kissed before up until that point, it's just not the same, I don't know. There's something controlling about Claire's behaviour, finding the wrappers and taking the whole thing personally: she reacts like a toxic mom would but maybe that's what their dynamic ended up coming to, it's not unplausible.
I think this is just my standards for Claire being unmet haha, I might have been putting her on a pedestal because until now she was the only good thing in Evie's life, but she's still a young woman just like Evie that shouldn't be expected to act like a perfect grown-up all the time. Now that I think about it, I've been anxious about the extent of Evie's spiralling for a while now, so it makes sense that I would panic when the only rock that Evie has left crumbles in front of my eyes What is the poor girl going to do now? Well, at least she has Jude left but with him being far away I'm not sure how much it's going to help and I'm soo apprehensive about how part two is going to end as a result, the ending of part 1 was bittersweet but the ending of part 2 might be full on sour
Evie has to have all her support knocked out from under her. This maybe the moment of her lowest point. A toxic boyfriend, a love that can't be fulfilled in Jude, an estranged family, hangers on who are acting behind her back and now a best friend hurt and needing to be apart from Evie. This is drama...and as Dean says "why does everything have to be a drama with you?" Have we seen her at her lowest point now and will the next few chapters mark the rebuilding of her life, expectations and goals? Will she stop allowing all the drama to control her life?
I agree - I can't really decide who is in the wrong. I guess neither and both of them, Evie, for lying, of course, but Claire for not being more clued in and asking what was going on. People this age can be so mixed up - i suppose who can say that they were a paragon of maturity and behaved flawlessly when they were 19!
Yes! I'm ready! I'm caught between them and don't know who is worse, but we're allowed to hate on Claire this week, I think.
I think many of the things she said were excessive, including bringing up her dad and Jude as ammo, which felt unnecessary, and her decision not to speak to Evie for a month is also a little bit unfair. She is hurting because she felt their friendship was open and honest, and didn't understand why Evie would want to hide something so huge from her. Considering all of the details they've shared in the past with one another (Down to the detail of Jude's forearm muscles, no less), she's very jarred about being left out. Claire didn't realise that her words - and Shane's words - about Dean is what made Evie feel like she needed to lie to her. She couldn't say no to Dean, and therefore threw herself into a situation where the only options were confrontation or dishonesty. It's true what she says about feeling like their judgement of Dean is a judgement upon herself - why choose someone "defective" unless she is herself, also defective.
I think that's really interesting what you've said! I totally get it, although as a person who has often shared things about relationships easily and openly (not the exact details of them, of course) for me I'm not sure I would distinguish much of a difference between telling a friend I kissed someone and telling her that we... as you said, woohoo'd This is definitely a situation where it's each to their own! I see what you mean about that! The only thing worse might have been taking the wrappers out of the bin and laying them out on the table to prove a point. (the thought of that makes me anxious)
Agreed! Claire is one of the only good people in Evie's life, but it doesn't make her above reproach. Claire has always, always been a bit clueless, all the way back to part 1 when she didn't realise Kelly was mad for being left out of her conversation with the boys & Jen. It only felt right that she'd be a bit clueless about how to deal with Evie during her worst moments too, she just never had to confront something like this before. Her life has always been okay. UGH, girl, I've also been anxious. I haven't been quiet about the fact that the last three chapters almost gave me panic attacks lol, I've genuinely never been more frightened of anything I've ever written. I think there is no character that's safe at this point.
I'm giving nothing away! Just brace yourself for the ending!!!
It has to get as bad as it can possibly get in order for us to really understand her. How she behaves when everything falls apart is the biggest tell of who she is, in my opinion. Yes! Everything is going wrong, and every part of her support system is starting to collapse. I'm nervous for the ending, but she's going to be alright!!
It seems to me also that Evie is conflicted about Dean. There are things she likes and things she doesn't like, but she's pushing the things she doesn't like to the side and pretending they aren't a problem. Meanwhile, Claire immediately saw all those same things, didn't like them, saw that Evie doesn't like them either, and started pointing them out immediately.
So now Evie can easily push against Claire, instead of exploring further her own mixed feelings and doubts about Dean.
I think that's really interesting what you've said! I totally get it, although as a person who has often shared things about relationships easily and openly (not the exact details of them, of course) for me I'm not sure I would distinguish much of a difference between telling a friend I kissed someone and telling her that we... as you said, woohoo'd This is definitely a situation where it's each to their own!
That's fair, I'm now thinking with my adult brain but I probably would've done the same when I was younger, and it goes for Claire too as in if that's the established standard for their friendship then I understand the confusion and the hurt of being kept in the dark. But my adult self knows that no one is entitled to this kind of information, so there was an inner conflict here on my side haha
This is also why I like writing my reviews on the spot, it's like a raw reaction and then I get to think about it and the contrast is interesting!
I am now impatiently expecting Marnie and Dean to be yeeted into the sun
I didn't mention anything about Marnie in my first comment because I was focusing on Claire's outburst at the end of the chapter but she was SO frustrating, I'm glad Evie fought it and tried her best not to give her any satisfaction but she's a nightmare and she needs some karma justice haha
Comments
I see Jude as in a position like Evie's, a young person trying to figure out life, full of wishes and assumptions and often feeling lost, a different set of coping strategies and flaws, so not quite the same story but maybe not too different.
I might do it - but only after the story is finished, as I think Evie's perception of him and the mystery of what he's doing and feeling is one of the things I'm most interested in exploring. I think once I'm finished part 2 & the upcoming part 3 I'll do a bonus - or maybe even a whole other thing if I still have the drive and energy in me
You were so right about Evie making some not great choices. I do not trust Dean at all. He would not be the first to make up a sad story to gain the sympathy and to get something he wants, which I can't quite use the phrase that leaps to mind on forums. I'm getting to the point that I sort of feel he has a predatory side. He senses Evie's need to please and to be liked and he's playing on that. Dean is as dangerous as Marnie is cruel. Evie's caught between the light, Claire and Shane, maybe Jude, and the dark, Dean, Marnie, and her insecurities.
Under The Tartosan Sun
Schemes and Dreams
The discourse about Dean is so scattered still - I've definitely been dropping hints throughout the story about his intentions and who he really is, and I think it may not become obvious until the next couple of chapters. (I'm looking at you, chapter 18), but this is an awesome observation! I'll just say - keep your eye on him haha
Under The Tartosan Sun
Schemes and Dreams
Have fun lol!
Okkay, 3 pennies now, 2 was clearly not enough
I still am not fan of Jude
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Seems like they both felt sad and let down afterward.
I wonder if Evie will turn a corner in a way, though, now that she doesn't have the loss of her virginity to wonder and obsess over?
Hahahaha fair enough, I think he only appears one more time in part 2 so you won't have to suffer through him for much longer. (for now)
@mightysprite Yes, oh dear </3
True - now that she's gotten it over with she can start telling everyone she's done it and maybe the pressure will be off. I imagine the feeling she has is a bit hollow though, like, 'that's it?' all of the anxiety and build up for something that she didn't really enjoy.
I would say that, uh, WooHoo is often a bit awkward with a new partner, even if both aren’t virgins, as they don’t really know what the other likes in bed and so on.
But yes, I can definitely see how there’d be issues in the future, given how Evie knows that everyone else dislikes him.
The call with Jude was sweet! I'm really happy this chapter ends on a positive note because otherwise the whole thing would have been so weird and sad and unsettling
I think issues are inevitable - like, lying about him to her closest friends is definitely not wise.
Thanks for commenting!
@Velvet_Lilies haha I’m sorry!! And thank you!
Jude was nice to her here, he brings a silliness to her life that she really enjoys and I feel like he allows her to be any way she wants to be.
Thanks for commenting!
I've caught up.
Same, Evie. When I read "your", I thought woah is Mr. I-spent-my-teenage-years-in-Ireland-so-Mexican-restuarants-here-are-fine-with-me suddenly not Irish? It must be hard for him, but being Irish seems like an identity he takes on and off. At the same time, I wonder if he feels that he's not allowed to be Irish, to say "my" country because of his accent and the way he's perceived by others. Personally, whenever I go through immigration/customs in the country that matches my passport, they are so confused... I can imagine Jude experiencing something similar if he has an Irish passport. "You're Irish?
Chapter 14 — Evie's new hat is adorable. I think it's hilarious that she acts like she was 17 years ago when only about a year has passed, but it's sad that she can't see her supposedly cool new self in her old one.
It bothers me that Jude is calling her mean for rejecting Liam. That wasn't mean. Evie can be mean, but rejecting someone she doesn't want to be with isn't mean. She already struggles enough with being direct and standing up for herself so that's the last thing she needed to hear.
I am not at all surprised to see Dean overstepping boundaries and showing up at her home. I doubt that Evie will be able to send him away. She'll probably think that that would be too mean (thanks, Jude), but maybe she'll surprise me.
Chapters 15 and 16 — Yay! I'm pleasantly surprised. But I don't think he will listen… He isn't good at being decent or listening to her. I expect her to cave and start comforting him.
As expected.
Losing a parent when you've just entered your twenties is awful, but he can't also lose himself through substances because of it. Bottom line, though, to me, is that he's not good for Evie. He runs over her will. It's hard to see what is even attractive about him. The only thing he does that's positive is show interest in Evie. He's impolite. He's not good at school and he's a mess outside of school. He's stealing from his work. Her friends don't like him.
Marnie seems to know something unsavory about Dean.
Chapter 17 — Oh, Evie. Because she's kept her relationship with Dean secret, she has nothing to say to Claire when he leaves her on Thursday.
At least there's Jude. She's lucky he's not busy.
Personally, no. In my mind, Jude was a rich kid, so I was surprised to hear him rationalize the question by making such a big deal out of a million euros ("one or two horrible days and then immediately have a million euros to live off for the rest of your life. seems like a small price to pay") instead of it being about honor or bravery or something else. I briefly wondered if he was being fake to relate to Evie, but I don't think that's the case. I think he's trying to be fun.
Haha yes! He has this whole thing about being a guy who "got away" from Ireland as if that makes him unique, and actually, I never thought about that and it's so interesting. Perhaps he never felt like he could fit in at all, and has now just embraced that he's always going to be different from the people who were born in Ireland. Perhaps he kind of feels like a citizen of nowhere, still trying to find his place in the world.
I agree! I think it's such a cute gift from Shane. He really is thoughtful underneath his gruff exterior. I also thought this when I wrote it, but I have a distinct memory of being about 19 & chatting to a group of people in their late 20s, and I said "When i was 18..." and they all laughed at me, like "Why are you saying it like that? You were probably 18 about three months ago"
He meant this as a joke but I feel it didn't land well. I'm not sure he realised how bad she already feels about what happened with Liam, and it just made her feel a bit worse. To him it was a funny moment, because he wasn't there, but to her it was devastatingly awkward. I wanted this as something that might be on her mind when she ran into Dean later, carrying the fear of being mean and rejecting another guy harshly might soften her and allow him to get to her easier. Thanks Jude, indeed!
Go Evie! Exactly - being assertive would work on someone else, but Dean will absolutely not go away until he gets what he wants. I think this is where Dean gets a bit complicated, because his life is genuinely not great right now, and his suffering is genuine too so the way he behaves might be understandable, but I don't think it makes it okay - especially later on, as you'll all see. I feel like he uses his backstory as a crutch to behave in ways that other might not get away with. What Evie likes about him is the way he makes her feel - desirable. He gives her the attention she could not get from Jude
Yep! I hate these lies, they bother me a lot but I really felt like this is exactly how Evie would handle this situation. She would try to please everyone all at once and end up stuck in the middle of it, spinning more and more lies to cover up the first one.
Haha - I wouldn't either. I think you're right, he was trying to be fun here, I wanted to create the impression that these are the kinds of conversations they used to have all the time. Perhaps to Jude a million euro has a different value to Evie, but they can still have a laugh together
https://luckygirlstory.wordpress.com/2023/04/14/chapter-eighteen-2/
I couldn't even tell you why now, but this is the one that practically kept me up at night with stress! Enjoy
I'm a little torn, I don't stand behind all of Evie's lies but I can't help but find Claire's reaction somewhat excessive. Like crying because your best friend uh... woohoo'd with somebody you didn't approve of. On one hand I understand the confusion and the hurt in the heat of the moment but it also seems kind of toxic to hold it over Evie's head like that. Claire disapproved of Dean (so did I haha), Evie made a decision she would've disapproved of as well and didn't tell her about it, alright, it wasn't a good decision but it's her life and such a personal choice. And Claire would've helped for sure if Evie had confided in her, but shutting Evie out now (for a month! In her darkest hour!) isn't going to help at all, it'll do the opposite (I guess it's a good thing, it's driving the plot forward haha).
Even if Claire did approve of Dean in the first place, I feel like keeping your first woohoo private isn't that groundbreaking, even if Evie has been upfront about all the boys she ever loved and kissed before up until that point, it's just not the same, I don't know. There's something controlling about Claire's behaviour, finding the wrappers and taking the whole thing personally: she reacts like a toxic mom would but maybe that's what their dynamic ended up coming to, it's not unplausible.
I think this is just my standards for Claire being unmet haha, I might have been putting her on a pedestal because until now she was the only good thing in Evie's life, but she's still a young woman just like Evie that shouldn't be expected to act like a perfect grown-up all the time. Now that I think about it, I've been anxious about the extent of Evie's spiralling for a while now, so it makes sense that I would panic when the only rock that Evie has left crumbles in front of my eyes
Hold on Evie, it's gonna be alright! (I think
Read Sim 66 here:https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978195/sim-66/p1
https://kelloggjkellogg.blogspot.com/2020/10/sim-66-prologue.html
@Velvet_Lilies Indeed!
I think many of the things she said were excessive, including bringing up her dad and Jude as ammo, which felt unnecessary, and her decision not to speak to Evie for a month is also a little bit unfair. She is hurting because she felt their friendship was open and honest, and didn't understand why Evie would want to hide something so huge from her. Considering all of the details they've shared in the past with one another (Down to the detail of Jude's forearm muscles, no less), she's very jarred about being left out. Claire didn't realise that her words - and Shane's words - about Dean is what made Evie feel like she needed to lie to her. She couldn't say no to Dean, and therefore threw herself into a situation where the only options were confrontation or dishonesty. It's true what she says about feeling like their judgement of Dean is a judgement upon herself - why choose someone "defective" unless she is herself, also defective.
I think that's really interesting what you've said! I totally get it, although as a person who has often shared things about relationships easily and openly (not the exact details of them, of course) for me I'm not sure I would distinguish much of a difference between telling a friend I kissed someone and telling her that we... as you said, woohoo'd
Agreed! Claire is one of the only good people in Evie's life, but it doesn't make her above reproach. Claire has always, always been a bit clueless, all the way back to part 1 when she didn't realise Kelly was mad for being left out of her conversation with the boys & Jen. It only felt right that she'd be a bit clueless about how to deal with Evie during her worst moments too, she just never had to confront something like this before. Her life has always been okay. UGH, girl, I've also been anxious. I haven't been quiet about the fact that the last three chapters almost gave me panic attacks lol, I've genuinely never been more frightened of anything I've ever written. I think there is no character that's safe at this point.
I'm giving nothing away! Just brace yourself for the ending!!!
@Kellogg_J_Kellogg Absolutely!
So now Evie can easily push against Claire, instead of exploring further her own mixed feelings and doubts about Dean.
That's fair, I'm now thinking with my adult brain but I probably would've done the same when I was younger, and it goes for Claire too as in if that's the established standard for their friendship then I understand the confusion and the hurt of being kept in the dark. But my adult self knows that no one is entitled to this kind of information, so there was an inner conflict here on my side haha
This is also why I like writing my reviews on the spot, it's like a raw reaction and then I get to think about it and the contrast is interesting!
I am now impatiently expecting Marnie and Dean to be yeeted into the sun
I didn't mention anything about Marnie in my first comment because I was focusing on Claire's outburst at the end of the chapter but she was SO frustrating, I'm glad Evie fought it and tried her best not to give her any satisfaction but she's a nightmare and she needs some karma justice haha
I already don't have access to my pictures so there'll be no preview images either.
Enjoy