Sharpe Stories: The life and legacy of Monica Sharpe

MrPlumbob · September 2023

Hey everyone. I've been wanting to do two things recently: play with aging on, and start a gameplay story thread. I figured, why not do both at the same time?

One of my favorite sims to play is my celebrity sim, Monica Sharpe.

Monica's backstory:

Monica and her dog Nugget started out as the test sims for Cats & Dogs, which I bought in 2020 a few days after I got the base game. I really enjoyed playing them, and so I kept them. Monica was struggling to pay her bills as a freelance digital artist, so I looked up the highest paying career in the Sims 4, and ever since then, Monica has been a style influencer. Her and Nugget are the only sims that I've never used cheats with. (Actually, I did cheat with them once but that was because they were living in a terrible apartment and Nugget couldn't seem to go down the elevator to...fill his needs. And I use mods that increase Monica's income from her books and videos, so that might be cheating.) Anyways, Monica is now a successful fashion influencer, having designed outfits for top celebrities like Octavia Moon. She's an expert veterinarian, she owns a retail store called SharpeStyles Fashion where she sells clothing, makes videos using the video station, and she is the author of not one, but two books! One of which earned her a starlight accolade.

Posting gameplay updates about Monica is something I've been considering for a while, but the truth is, Monica is kind of running out of things to do. She's a millionaire, she owns three houses (through a mod), a car (through another mod) and she makes at least 30,000 a day between her job and her books and videos (again, thanks to a mod that increases it.) She really has it all. And I don't really know what else for her to do. (Starting a family isn't really an option in my main save where I play with aging off and want everyone's ages to make sense compared to one another)

So, I thought to myself: why not start her story from the beginning? The first time, I started her as a young adult (and since I play with aging off, she's never aged.) This time, I wanted to start her as a teen. As I said, I've been wanting to play with aging on for a while, so what better sim to start with than Monica! I plan to play her from teen to elder, and have her start a family, and do everything that I can't/won't do in my main save.

I found the original version of her in my library, and aged her down to teen. Then, I made her mom and moved them to Copperdale. (Because, what better place to start your teen life, eh?"

Her dog Nugget isn't in the story right now, since I want her to adopt him when she becomes a young adult.

I edited the Water Tower Way lot to have a really cool basement designed for teens, and gave Monica an awesome (if I do say so myself) teen bedroom.

Water Tower Way

The Basement

Monica's room

Sorry for the extremely long post, but I wanted everyone to kind of have an Idea of how this thread came about and why I'm doing this playthrough with Monica.

As soon as I do some last minute edits, I'll post the story of Monica's first day of school at Copperdale high.

I got the first story posted! You can read it below. I divided it up into sections to make it easier for me to keep up with, and hopefully easier for you all to read.

Also, not sure how often I'll be able to post new story updates, but I'll update it as often as I can.

MrPlumbob · September 2023

Chapter 1: First Day of School

Fall 2nd, 2006. Monica Sharpe arrived at Copperdale high at 8am sharp. She had stuffed her backpack full at the last minute with pencils, notebooks, erasers, everything she could possibly need. And some dirty clothes that she packed by mistake. Not wanting to smell like dirty laundry, she tossed them in some bushes nearby.

Part 1: Wolfgang Munch

"I saw what you did." said a mysterious voice.

"huh?" Monica turned around.

"You threw those clothes in the bushes!" said the boy standing beside her.

"Who are you?" asked Monica.

"Munch. Wolfgang Munch. My friends call me Wolfgang. You, however, can call me Munch."

"Um.. okay." Monica didn't really know why this guy was so upset. "As far as the clothes," she said, "I was in a really big hurry today and stuffed them in my backpack by mistake. I'm planning to come and get them when I leave today"

"Well, that may be so," said Munch, "but this is my school, and you don't trash my School! Put them in your locker!"

"Okay okay," said Monica, backing away, "I got it. I'll put them in my locker."

"Exactly! Because..."

"I know I know," said Monica, "because it's your school."

"No!" snapped Munch, "It's... no that's right. Yes! It's my school!"

With that, he walked away.

Part 2: The before class checklist

Monica approached Copperdale high.

She took a deep breath, "Well, here I am. The next part of my life, waiting behind these doors."

She opened the doors and stepped inside

She checked the email she had received from the school yesterday.

"Glad we sprung for the premium plan with internet access," thought Monica, "First things first: claim a locker"

She walked over to the locker on the end of the left side of the entryway, "Won't forget which one's mine if it's the last one!" She thought.

"Now, it feels like mine!" she said, proudly admiring her awesome decorating skills.

She threw the clothes in her locker as Munch had said, and checked the email again, "OK, speak with principal Prescott to get classroom assignment."

She wandered around until she found the principal's office.

She walked in the room to find the principal intensely clicking on her computer.

Monica raised her hand, "Excuse m..."

"Take a seat, please," Said the principal as she continued…whatever it was she was doing on her computer.

"Okay," said Monica. She checked the time on her phone. It was getting close to time for class, and she still had some things left on her to-do list.

Monica sat down and waited. The principal kept clicking on her computer for a few minutes.

She waited…

…and waited…

"Excuse me!" Monica said, waving her hands.

"What is it, miss...?" The principal trailed off.

"Sharpe. Monica Sharpe, ma'am," Monica felt rather awkward, "Sorry for interrupting you, but I need my class assignment."

"You'll be in class 1, Miss Sharpe." The principal said, rather stiffly.

"Okay," said Monica, "You know, I'm really excited for school today. By the way, how old is this school? Do you have a library? How's the cafeteria food? Are there lots of options? Is..."

The principal sighed, "Miss Sharpe, I'm very busy right now with, um, important paperwork, yes, and I'd like to finish it before the grim reaper shows up. Now if you don't mind, please, run along."

"Yes ma'am," Monica said as she got up and checked the email, "Okay. Next up: talk to teacher about class schedule."

As she was leaving the principal's office, she heard the computer say, "Game Over!"

"Important paperwork, eh?" Monica thought.

Monica ran all around the school trying to find the class 1 teacher, but she was nowhere to be seen. Just then, the bell rang. "Well, time to get to class."

Part 3: The first class

Monica followed the line of students headed to class 1.

Class 1 met in room 2. Room 2 was an add on to the original building, built above room 1. As there was no stairway, the only way to get to room two was to walk around the back of the building through what used to be the school garden on the 2nd floor.

A few students were already in the room. Monica took her seat at the front of the classroom, closest to the whiteboard. She had difficulty seeing it from much further away.

A blonde haired girl with glasses sat down beside Monica. They both took out their notebooks and pencils.

"Good morning class 1! Welcome to your first day at Copperdale High. I'm Mrs. Coombes, but you can call me Ms. Rita. We'll start with roll call from the front left of the classroom."

"Monica Sharpe?"

"Present!"

"Molly Prescott?"

"Present!"

"Prescott?" Thought Monica "Must be the Principal's daughter."

The teacher continued to lecture as Molly took notes and Monica… stared off into space, daydreaming about all the adventures that awaited her in high-school. "I'll have a boyfriend, I'll be valedictorian, I'll join some clubs…"

"MISS SHARPE!!!" said a loud voice.

"Huh?" Monica's thoughts snapped back to reality.

"I asked you a question, Miss Sharpe," said Ms. Rita, "What is the capital of the country of Windenburg?"

"Um… Windenburg…"

"That's correct, Miss Sharpe."

"It is? I mean, it is! Yes, I knew that the capital of Windenburg is Windenburg. Yep!" lied Monica.

Part 4: Lunch

Before Monica knew it, class was over and it was time for lunch. Monica hoped that the lunch at this school was better than the lunch at her old school.

After reviewing the choices, Monica said, "I'll have a junior lunch, please."

"Um… You're not a junior. You're a freshman," said the lunchlady.

"Hmhm. Freshwoman." corrected Monica.

"Right, freshwoman. Either way, you can't have the Junior Lunch unless you're a Junior."

"Please, just this one time? I'll get something else next time."

"Okay. Just this once," said the lunchlady.

"Thanks," said Monica.

As Monica made her way to a table, she noticed a kid wearing a bag on his head. "Wonder what that's about?" she thought to herself. She sat down next to a girl who was just finishing her meal.

"Mmm!" said Monica aloud as she bit into her… whatever those brown things were on her plate.

"Hey, so you're the new girl," said the girl sitting beside her.

"Yup," said Monica.

"I'm Kaori. I saw you talking to Munch this morning. Best thing you can do for yourself is to stay out of his way. He runs this school, ya know."

"So I've been told," said Monica.

"Kaori, who's that kid with the bag on his head?" asked Monica.

"That's Jeb Harris, "replied Kaori, "That's all I know. He never says anything much."

Just then, Jeb and Munch sat down at their table.

Monica held in a giggle as Jeb held his brownie up to the mouth on his bag and then made fake chewing noises.

Munch just stared in disbelieve at what he was watching.

Monica watched as Munch bit into his burger with the force of a cowplant's jaws. She wondered why he seemed to be so angry all the time.

"Hey, maybe we got off on the wrong foot this morning. I'm Monica."

Munch gave her an annoyed look, and, rather than saying something he just took another bite of his hamburger. (He really did, by the way)

Monica sighed, "I guess he just wants to be left alone."

Part 5: The second class

After lunch, Monica did some studying in the school library. Thankfully there was no one around to interrupt her.

For the second and last class of the day, Monica decided to sit towards the back of the classroom, in hopes that she wouldn't get called on again. She couldn't really see the whiteboard, but she figured she'd just take notes on what the teacher said.

She planned to get through this class without getting into trouble, but unfortunately, Molly Prescott decided to pass her a note. Molly motioned for Monica to pass the note towards Kaori. Monica tried to reach Kaori, but the Ms. Rita noticed and gave her a stern look. She walked over to Monica and tore up the note.

"Could we can try to get through tomorrow's class without any trouble, Miss Sharpe?" said Ms. Rita, with a tone that suggested that was an order, rather than a question. "Yes ma'am, Monica replied, trying to be as small as she could.

After class, Monica tried to talk to Molly.

"Well, it's official. I'm on Ms. Rita's troublemaker list from now on."

"Next time try to be more subtle, ok?" snapped Molly, "Because of your mistake, I had to text Kaori. I don't have unlimited minutes on this phone, you know. I'm already in trouble for going over my limit last month. If I do it again, Mom will take my phone away."

"I'm sorry," said Monica.

"Well, you're new, so… it's cool," said Molly, smiling, "See ya later, new girl."

"Actually my name is…"

Molly had already walked away.

"So this is high school," thought Monica, "Four years of this every day? How exciting," Monica said, sarcastically.

More to come later. Thanks for reading! (And don't worry, Monica's high school days will get better.)

Credit to simcubeez on the gallery for the "90s highschool" that I slightly modified and used in the post.

Author's Note:

I wrote based on what happened in-game. (For example, Wolfgang being mean to Monica right after I dragged and dropped that dirty laundry into the bushes. Had to come up with some reason why he'd do that, and well... that was the only reason I could come up with at the time.) There were several cases of "I need to come up with a reason for that happening" kind of writing. I'm still trying to find balance between writing based on what happens in game, and playing the game according that what I want to happen in the story.

Ellupelluellu · September 2023

Great story! Monica's schoolday made me giggle

MrPlumbob · September 2023

@Ellupelluellu thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

Edit: I'll note to everyone that most of what happened was not by my decision, but the game's autonomy. Including Wolfgang being assigned as the "mean kid", the dirty laundry being in her inventory (because of a mod I have), and the principal playing a game on her computer. Monica passing the note was, I believe they're called "chance cards?" (the boxes that pop up where you pick an option.) Mostly, I wrote according to what happened in game.

simgirl1010 · September 2023

Love your decorating style. Monica's room is perfect for a teen. What are her traits?

Not liking Wolfgang Munch very much.

Glad to hear things get better for her.

MrPlumbob · September 2023

@Sims4MagicalTales thank you!

@simgirl1010 thanks! Her traits are active and creative. (As a young adult, her third trait was cheerful in my other save)

Yeah, Wolfgang is not very likable lol. He's always assigned as the "mean kid" at high school in my games. Who knows though, people (and sims) can change. My concern is whether Jeb Harris was actually hungry during lunch lol. Hopefully he takes that bag off at some point so he can eat.

haneul · September 2023

I'm happy you made this thread.

I like the introductory post on Monica and am impressed that you've played her since 2020. My Sim is going to start high school soon (actually probably in a month or so because I play extremely slowly), so it's nice to see a gameplay-based story about another teen's first day. Her bedroom is great for a teen and having her wear a backpack is a nice detail. I should sort my teen's bedroom out, but I'm feeling very lazy

and my Sims need to stop spending money (redecorating her room is not in the budget right now)... I'm not sure if they make 30k/day or not, but this Sim week they seem to be spending that much every day.

Wolfgang seems like trouble. Yikes.

MrPlumbob · September 2023

@haneul Thank you! Monica's room and the basement are the only well decorated parts of the house. I, as you said, got lazy by the time I got to the main floor. And I didn't even decorate the 2nd floor at all except for the hallway lol. Do you plan to share your gameplay? (Or do you currently share your gameplay and I just missed it?) The Sharpe family (in this new save) doesn't make very much money, and I will say I did cheat to give them enough money for their house. I use a bank mod that allows for separate bank accounts per Sim. If Monica gets a part time job, she'll keep her income in her own account, and take it with her when she moves out one day. (I don't plan to cheat her money at all.)

haneul · September 2023

@MrPlumbob Monica's room looks really good. It's so detailed.

I decorate my builds one or two rooms at a time, so I understand decorating only part of a home. I post about my gameplay on my legacy blog (fierlegacy.com (also mentioned in this thread)), but there are so many posts there and the beginning ones are very different... that sometimes it's best if people skip them and start with the more recent ones. I've never used money cheats even though I think it looks like I do from my gameplay because my Sims are huge spenders. But I ban objects like the money tree, avoid trendi, and limit some other things.

MrPlumbob · September 2023

haneul wrote: »

@MrPlumbob Monica's room looks really good. It's so detailed. I decorate my builds one or two rooms at a time, so I understand decorating only part of a home. I post about my gameplay on my legacy blog (fierlegacy.com (also mentioned in this thread)), but there are so many posts there and the beginning ones are very different... that sometimes it's best if people skip them and start with the more recent ones. I've never used money cheats even though I think it looks like I do from my gameplay because my Sims are huge spenders. But I ban objects like the money tree, avoid trendi, and limit some other things.

Wow! That’s a very nice website! That must have took so much dedication and time! I read a little bit of your stories and the page about your characters. I’m really enjoying it so far, and I’ll definitely be reading more! I’ll probably read a bit from the beginning and then as you said, skip to the later ones.

Also, I rarely put as much effort into decorating as I did Monica’s room and the basement. Your houses are so well decorated in your stories.

Belalucina · September 2023

Very nice! I like that you came up with ways to include what happened in game in your story. I hope Monica has a better day next time and makes some friends. Hopefully Wolfgang will be nicer. Love the school you used. I still have the default in my game.

MrPlumbob · September 2023

Chapter 2: Life in Copperdale

Part 1: Good Morning!

"Beep! Beep! Monica's alarm rang at 6am sharp. (6am Sharpe?)

Realising that she was very hungry, she went upstairs for breakfast.

Mrs. Sharpe had made macaroni and cheese for breakfast, and by "made" I mean "reheated leftovers from yesterday evening's dinner."

After her and her mom finished breakfast, Monica decided to go for a morning jog before heading to school.

Part 2: Another day at school

Upon arriving at Copperdale High, Monica saw a most unusual sight: Jeb Harris was attempting to play football with someone! Monica wondered how in the world he would be able to throw it with that bag on his head.

Well, as it turned out...

...He couldn't.

Monica grabbed her textbook and notepad from her locker, and headed to her first class.

Thankfully, Ms. Rita didn't ask Monica any questions today.

After Class was over, Monica headed downstairs for lunch. She was sure not to order the Junior Lunch this time, instead going with Fried Chicken Sliders.

"Are they sure these things have any real chicken in them?" Monica thought to herself as she chewed the unnaturally rubbery sandwich, "Did they even cook it?" Monica really missed that Junior lunch.

A few kids came over and sat down at Monica's table.

Munch "Munched" his sandwich as angrily as ever, and if the food he was eating was half as bad as the chicken sliders, she knew why. Then again, he was eating so quickly, she wondered if he could even taste it.
Jeb Harris, being his usual silent self, opted to study rather than eat. "Does he not get hungry?" Monica thought.

"Hey!" said a familiar voice. "Hey Kaori!" said Monica. "Rule number one was: watch out for Munch," said Kaori, "Rule number two at this school: Don't order the fried chicken sliders."
"Yep. I found that out the hard way." said Monica.
"I've got to head to the library," said Kaori, "See ya later Monica."
"See ya," said Monica.

Just then, an amazing thing happened!

Jeb Harris...

...spoke!

He said, "Hey."

Monica didn't know what to say. He had actually said something!
"Hey!" said Monica.
"Um..." said Jeb, "You'd like Mama's fried chicken sliders. They're made with real chicken. I know, 'cause we have chickens at the farm, and they're real.

Monica sat there for a moment, thinking about how to answer Jeb.
"I...like...chickens," was the only thing Monica could manage to say. For some reason, she felt very shy all of a sudden, and Jeb seemed...different to her.
"Won't you and your folks come over to the farm one day. Mama always likes to cook for people, and we don't have many folks come over to the farm."
"I... um..." Monica didn't really know Jeb, and it was strange that he wore that bag on his head all the time, but Monica actually thought he was kind of... cute. Even though she couldn't see him. "Maybe one day," she said.
"Oh, um... sure! That'd be great!" said Jeb.
"By the way Jeb," said Monica, "why do you wear that bag on your head?"

Monica waited, hoping for an answer, but Jeb just pretended not to hear her, and returned to his studying.

The second class was just as boring as the first class had been, but Monica was sure to take notes anyways, since there was a test coming up on Friday.

Part 3: Exploring Copperdale

After school, Monica decided to explore the small town of Copperdale before heading home.
She passed a diner, a library, and a few shops, but nothing that caught her interest. Just as she was almost home, she noticed an interesting little building. With nothing else to do, she headed inside.

The inside of the building was the coolest thing Monica had ever seen! There were vinyl records hanging on the wall, trendy decor everywhere she looked, and a counter that seemed to serve some sort of tea. A woman who looked to be in her early thirties was sitting on one of the sofas inside.

"Hi!" said the woman.
"Hey," said Monica, as she sat down beside her, "so... what is this place?"

"This place?" said the woman, "this is only the coolest place in Copperdale! ThriftTea!"
"ThriftTea?" Monica said, confused.

"Yep!" said the woman, "I'm Eloise Hiddlestix, and I own this place! It's a true one of a kind establishment! We serve bubble tea, we host weekly fashion shows, we have live entertainment, and best of all, we have all the latest and greatest fashion, right upstairs!"
"Nice to meet you, I'm Monica. This place is really cool," said Monica, "but isn't that kind of a lot? I mean, it's a great place and all, but those things seem like kind of an odd combination."

"Well," said Eloise, "That's the idea! One place for everything! I get a lot of business that way! See, there are some people who come here for the bubble tea, some people who come for the fashion, and some for the entertainment. Something for everyone, ya know?

Just then, Monica noticed a familiar face over by the bubble tea counter.
"Ms. Rita?" Monica said aloud.
"Hi Monica," said Ms. Rita, "how are you?"

"You work here?" asked Monica.
"Well, I don't know what you students think, but teachers have lives outside of the classroom too, you know," said Ms. Rita, smiling.
"I know, I just wouldn't have pictured you working at a place like this."
"A few moments ago, you didn't even know there was a place like this," said Ms. Rita.
"Fair enough," said Monica, "Good to see you Ms. Rita."
"Good to see you too. And trust me, I'm still your teacher, even when we're not in the classroom, so I've still got my eyes on you," Ms. Rita said, still smiling, but in a way that Monica knew she was still serious.

Eloise showed Monica around ThriftTea. First, she showed her the live entertainment area.

Next, they headed upstairs to the fashion area.
"This is my favorite part of the shop!" said Eloise, "I love fashion!"

Monica spotted Molly Prescott looking through one of the clothes racks, "Hey Molly!" Molly didn't notice her. She was too busy inspecting every detail of a dress she found.

"You sure do have an interesting selection of clothes," Monica said, "I've never seen such a variety! But... none of this stuff goes together," said Monica, as she looked through the clothes racks. "Well, it's like I always say: You don't start trends by following them!" said Ms. Hiddlestix.
Monica thought about that for a moment, "That's true, I guess."
"Very True!" said Eloise, "Every trend starts somewhere, and that doesn't just apply to fashion, either. Someone, somewhere, has to be the first to do something. If everyone did what everyone else's doing, the world would be pretty boring, now wouldn't it? No one would be different."

On the way home, Monica thought about what Ms. Hiddlestix had said, "That's what I want to do! Be different! Start trends instead of follow them!"

Thanks for reading!

(Credit to enikobalogh on the Gallery for the "Copperdale Bar" lot which I slightly modified and converted into the ThriftTea shop.)

Author's note:

Monica decided on her own that she had a crush on Jeb Harris. That may or may not have been the original plan. I'm not going to say just yet.

Some of the upcoming updates may be a bit shorter, as I find myself writing more than playing lately. I'll probably feature less of Monica's school days, and more of what happens after school, unless something important or interesting happens while she's at school. There may also be times I focus on Monica's friends, rather than Monica. Expect the main focus of the story to remain about Monica though, as it is her story, after all.

I can't wait to share what happens next! (I already have a few things planned!)

Belalucina · September 2023

@MrPlumbob

I laughed out loud when Jeb hit Morgan with the ball.

And of course she would get a crush on Jeb. He IS a cutie...underneath that bag. Lol.

MrPlumbob · September 2023

Belalucina wrote: »

@MrPlumbob
I laughed out loud when Jeb hit Morgan with the ball.
And of course she would get a crush on Jeb. He IS a cutie...underneath that bag. Lol.

@belalucina

Thanks for reading! Lol I paused it right before he threw it, and thought to myself, “if she catches that ball it’s going to ruin a perfect story moment! thankfully, Jeb missed as he should’ve. What I didn’t include in my story, is the fact that he somehow managed to catch the ball when she threw it back to him! As for Monica’s crush, I really don’t remember what Jeb looks like under that bag and I really couldn’t say it matters much to me, but I just hope that she’s okay with how he looks under there lol. (If she ever finds out what he looks like.) Have to admit though, I haven’t really figured out myself why he wears that bag, other than he’s just really shy. I’m not going to be the one to tell him that he’s drawing more attention to himself by wearing the bag, rather than not wearing it.

MrPlumbob · September 2023

Chapter 3: The boy who wears a bag

Edit: I realised I typed "Chapter 4" instead of "Chapter 3" Oops. Don't worry, you didn't miss anything. I've corrected the mistake. It should say "Chapter 3" now.

Part 1: More school. Yay.

Monica decided to run on the treadmill this morning instead of going for a jog.

She managed to make time to do a little homework, and then ran out the door. Since she was so late, she didn't have time to change out of her workout clothes.

She saw Kaori and Morgan playing football in the hallway. I guess Morgan learned not to play with Jeb anymore.

During class, Luna seemed very nervous. It's as if she sensed what was about to happen...

...The fire bell rang! Thankfully, it was just a drill. Monica really needed to stop by the bathroom on her way outside, but she didn't want to get in trouble. Walking by the water fountain wasn't exactly ideal right now.

Soon everyone was outside and the firefighters arrived. Monica was really uncomfortable now.

This firefighter threw her drink at poor Greta! Munch seemed quite amused...

...Until Greta got angry. I think he was scared of her.

"Sorry! I thought you were on fire!" said the firefighter. Yeah, right.
The firefighter then went inside the school...

...and read a book!

The bell finally rang, and Monica headed inside to...fill her needs.

Monica decided to just get something out of the vending machines today, "Anything's got to be better than those chicken sliders," she thought.

She sat down and ate her veggie pizza roll, "Not too bad."

Munch sat down at the table across from her. "I saw you and Jeb yesterday. I know you like him, but you could do so much better. And by 'better' I mean me," he said, "It could work, you know."

But Monica was too busy daydreaming about Jeb Harris to notice.

Part 2: Jeb! Jeb Harris!

There he was. He walked towards her. Her heart pounded in her chest. What would he say?

Jeb stood there for a moment.

Then he leaned closer.

Monica was getting nervous. What would he say????
He leaned close to her ear, and said...

"Because I want to be invisible."

"Huh?" said Monica, confused.

"Yesterday, you asked me why I wear this bag. I should've told you then, but I'm telling you now. I'm shy, and my bag gives me confidence. It makes me feel safe. I can hide behind it when I'm feeling awkward, or don't feel like saying much."

Monica thought for a moment, then said, "You know, someone told me yesterday about the importance of being different, and being yourself. You're a really cool guy, Jeb. If you can be confident with your bag, then you have the confidence in you whether you wear it, or not. I'm not going to ask you to stop wearing it, just remember: bag or no bag, you're still Jeb Harris. You had the confidence to come over here and tell me that. You. Not your bag. I know that was really hard for you, but you did it, and it means a lot to me that you told me."

"Thanks Monica," said Jeb, "I've never talked to anyone about it before, but you just seem so...confident and sure of yourself. You inspired me to have the courage to talk about it."

"Me? Confident? I've had very few confident moments in the last few days. I'm completely new to this town, very few people will talk to me, I've got in trouble with the teacher...I'll admit, there have been a few times this week that I wish I had a bag to hide under," said Monica.

Jeb stood there for a moment, Monica could tell he was blushing under his bag. "Uh..I guess I better get to class. We have to study for our test today," he said. He waved a shy goodbye, and headed down the hall.

Munch had been sitting at the table watching the whole time. He turned to Monica and said, "I don't know what you two were talking about, but I'm going to warn you now. Jeb Harris doesn't really care about you, wait and see. When he's done with you, maybe you'll see that I'm the one for you, Monica."

Part 3: Jeb's decision

As soon as the doors opened, Jeb ran out of the school bus. He ran past his parents, up the stairs, and into his room. He knew what he had to do.

He got some paint, and a large canvas, and started to work.

"Perfect," he said to himself. Jeb tried to get some homework done, but he couldn't think. Monica's words echoed in his head.

He closed his book and sat down on the floor.

"Okay, you can do this," he said, taking a deep breath. He stood up, and walked over to his dresser. Slowly, he lifted the bag off of his head.

After retrieving his old mirror from behind his dresser, and hanging it up where it once was, he looked at his reflection in the broken glass. It was done. He did it. The bag was no more. Feeling extra confident, he ripped the bag into pieces and scattered them in the cage where his pet rat lived.

Author's notes: Read these last, unless you like spoilers! (does anyone like spoilers? I'm sure there's someone out there who likes spoilers. If you're that person, then these notes are for you!)

Jeb removed his bag! And it's not going back on anytime soon, as his pet rat is chewing up the pieces as you're reading this. (not really, since the game can't do that.) Anyways, let's address the even bigger event in this story: Munch. Munch thinks that he and Monica should be together??? (It should be noted that I was the one who instructed him to flirt with her. Truth be told, he'd never do that on his own lol) But is he right about Jeb? Does Jeb really care about Monica? Will he be the same since he took off his bag? What was he making with the paint? (I think you already know.) Comments, theories, and questions welcome.

There's a school dance coming up this Saturday. (today in game is Wednesday) I'm going to say that it's not prom (since, in my opinion, having a prom once a week is a bit much) but it is a dance. The big question is: will Monica go to the dance? If so, who will she go with?

Also, I have no idea why that firefighter threw her drink at Greta. Or why she read a book. Or what she was reading (hopefully a book on how to be a better firefighter). In my game, firefighters always do strange things. They seem to do everything except fight fires lol.

Belalucina · September 2023

@MrPlumbob

Why is Wolfgang giving me Draco Malfoy vibes?

Anyone else? Is it just me? lol.

MrPlumbob · September 2023

Belalucina wrote: »

@MrPlumbob
Why is Wolfgang giving me Draco Malfoy vibes? Anyone else? Is it just me? lol.

@Belalucina

Oh man! I didn't think about that when creating his character, but he really does! Now that you said that, I thought about what Draco told Harry: "You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort" Maybe Wolfgang thinks Jeb Harris is the "wrong sort" lol

Belalucina · September 2023

@MrPlumbob

Yes, that's exactly what I thought of! lol. Obviously HE is the right sort. Lol and just trade out him saying "Monica" for "Potter" and it's definitely Draco.

MrPlumbob · September 2023

Chapter 3.5: The Farm

Note: I'm calling this Chapter 3.5, since it's not really a long update. I just got the chance to play a bit more this evening, and thought I'd go ahead and share this.

Part 1: Earlier Today...

The school day on Thursday was much the same as any other school day for Monica

But something, or rather someone seemed to be missing...

"Kaori, have you seen Jeb today? I didn't see him in the hallway this morning, and he's not in the lunchroom. I even checked the library and the computer lab."
"No, Monica. I haven't seen him anywhere," replied Kaori.

Before the second class started, Monica tried texting Jeb.

To: Jeb Harris
From: Monica Sharpe

Hey Jeb, its Monica. Where R U? Haven't seen you at school today.

To: Monica Sharpe
From: Jeb Harris

At home. U still coming over later?

Part 2: The Farm

Jeb had texted Monica the address to his farm earlier today. Willow Creek wasn't very far from Copperdale, so Monica rode her bike there.
She walked up the front steps and knocked on the door.
A young man about her age came to the door.
"Um... Is this the Harris residence?" she asked.

"Hey," said a familiar voice.
"Jeb?" Monica couldn't believe it! It was Jeb! And he wasn't wearing his bag!
Come on in, Monica. Come meet my folks!

Monica went into the house. Jeb's dad Cleatus introduced himself, while Jeb started the fireplace.
"So, what do you do for a living, Mr. Harris?" asked Monica.

"Me?" said Cleatus, "Well, besides being a farmer, I'm an inventor!"
"Really?" said Monica. She was a bit surprised, since you don't hear of many people who are both farmers, and inventors.
"Do you invent farm stuff?" asked Monica.
"Nope!" replied Cleatus, "Now how 'bout them chicken sliders Jeb kept tellin' us we needed to make when you came," Cleatus seemed in a hurry to change the subject.
After eating, Jeb took Monica outside to see their chickens.
"These are our chickens," said Jeb. There's 8 of 'em.

Monica enjoyed petting and playing with the chickens for a while.

"So Jeb, have you heard about the school dance coming up this Saturday?" asked Monica.

"Uh... Yeah, I think so," said Jeb.
"I'm really excited for it, but..." Monica trailed off.
"What is it?" asked Jeb.
"It's just...I don't know how to dance. Like, slow dance. What if...someone...asks me to dance? I won't know what to do," said Monica.
"Well then, I'll just have to teach you," said Jeb, "Follow me."
Monica followed Jeb over to the barn.

"Wow! This place is really cool!" said Monica.
They headed upstairs, where a dance floor had been built.
"May I have this dance, Ms. Sharpe?" said Jeb, after turning on the radio. A slow melody began to drift from the speakers.

"Now, hold my hand, and...here we go."

They danced for what seemed like forever. Monica looked deep into Jeb's green eyes. It felt as if they were the only two people in the world.

"See, that's not so hard, is it?" said Jeb.

"Mr. Harris, you are quite the expert at this!" said Monica.
"Well, dancing is easy compared to playing football with a bag on your head," Jeb laughed.

As the song came to an end, they stepped away from each other, wishing they could freeze this moment in time.
"Monica, there's somethin' I've got to ask you," Jeb said. He got on one knee...

...and reached into his pocket...

"Monica, will you go to the dance with me?"

"Oh Jeb!!! Yes!!! Of Course I will!!!!" Monica could hardly catch her breath she was so happy. She couldn't believe what just happened!

"Oh, look at the time! I was supposed to be home an hour ago!"

Monica and Jeb said goodbye to one another, and Monica headed home, hoping she wouldn't be in trouble for staying too long.

She dreamed all night about her wonderful dance with Jeb. She couldn't wait for Saturday!

Thanks for reading!

Credit to Daniel_SimFansDE on the Gallery for the "Country Farm" lot that I modified and used for the Harris' farm.

Author's Notes: (Once again, there are spoilers)

So, Jeb asked Monica to the dance! The question now is, what about Wolfgang Munch? How will he take the news?

I know you were all probably hoping to see Jeb's face, but you can't see it just yet. Remember, this is Chapter 3.5. Jeb's face will be revealed in Chapter 4. (But apparently, Monica thinks he's handsome.)

You're also probably wondering why Jeb didn't show up for school today. All I'm saying is this: Those dance moves must have took a lot of practice! (How did Jeb know that he and Monica would end up dancing? I don't even know, and I wrote it!)

Also, the scene with the chickens took a long time to get the pictures right, so...the chickens had a visitor.

haneul · September 2023

@MrPlumbob

I look forward to seeing Jeb's face in the next chapter (or soon after).

The back of his head is nice and it seems like he's going to ask Monica to a dance. I love that last screenshot. I hope Munch backs off, but I doubt it. I wonder if ThriftTea will become a hangout for Monica. The lot looks good.

ETA: Somehow I missed 3.5

He's cute and I'm glad he asked her to the dance!