#josephine cunningham

[riverstonesims]

Cat, 9:45am. Hey Jo, what’s the sitch with Iris? Giu is v quiet.

As she waited for a reply, she made her way towards the TV, grabbing the remote and flicking the machine on. Her thoughts continued turned back to Giu’s outburst in the cafeteria as images flashed on the screen, distracted she went back in time. The only time other time Giu had been truly, truly angry was that night when he and Cat had had their fight about her friendship with Josephine… yet this time was different. Reflecting on having a front row seat to the spectacle, perhaps this was the first time Cat had truly seen how Iris affected Giu and how mad he made her.

Josephine, 9:47am. Cat, I’ve never seen her so angry, I’ve yet to leave my room. I can hear her angry shouts from down the hallway.

After rereading the text, Cat sent a speedy reply.

Cat, 9:48am. I’ve never noticed how much they hate each other. Have I been blind this whole time?!

[previous]

[riverstonesims]

Josephine, 9:49am. Well prior to your reconciliation with Giu, you had been fighting with him for the past two years, how on earth would you have noticed this?

Cat sighed, feeling increasingly stuck between two worlds, before a second message came through.

Josephine, 9:50am. To be honest, Iris is up to something but I’m not sure what. I’m worried.

Cat, 9:50am. So am I, Jo, so am I. I wish I could do something.

Josephine, 9:51am. Unfortunately there’s nothing we can do other than keep an eye out.

Now Cat felt real glum.

[previous]

[riverstonesims]

The seventeen year old looked at her suspiciously. There had to be a catch. Since when did his sister help him?

Giu: What, why?

The younger Cunningham looked at her best friend as well. 

Josephine: We will?

Cat rolled her eyes and nudged the girl next to her to be quiet. 

Cat: Hush. Now, Giu, are you going to take the offer or not?

Her brother hesitated. He couldn’t remember the last time the two of them had had a civil enough conversation so he was somewhat wary as to what Cat was trying to do. What was it in it for her? Did she really want to help him? God, she practically idolised Iris.

[riverstonesims]

At that point Giu looked sideways and caught Cat looking at him. He froze, turned around and pretended that he hadn’t seen her. As he twisted his beanie in his hands he didn’t hear the footsteps come up behind him. His mind was filled with Iris and the mission she was apparently on to ruin his life. He’d never done anything to offend her, had he?

Cat: Giu?

He jumped a foot in the air and dropped his beanie on the ground.

Giu: C-Cat! 

Giu stammered, heart pounding from the surprise. He’d half expected Iris to pop up behind him.

Cat: What are you doing behind the booth?

Giu: Uh, n-not a lot. What are you doing here?

Cat looked at the twisted beanie in his hands and then his face. He didn’t look so good. 

Cat: Well, not to be too judgmental or anything, but you look suspicious behind here.

He looked behind Cat to see Josephine standing behind, an eyebrow raised at him. He momentarily forgot about Iris and glared at her. 

Giu: What’s she doing here?

[riverstonesims]

Josephine: We’ve already discerned that he’s weird, what else is new? 

Josephine rolled her eyes. Giu had been very against Cat’s friendship with Josephine as soon as he’d found out. It was all very petty, Josephine had decided, that he was basing everything about off her last name. Yes… she wasn’t a fan of the automatic reaction she got from people when they found out her last name but there wasn’t much she could do about it.

Prior to their fight, Cat had always talked about how her brother had been special to her, how he could do really funny impressions at the drop of the hat or about his creative writing ability. Though Cat rarely spoke about it or him for that matter, Josephine could tell at times that Cat missed him lots; at lunch time Cat would look at her brother across the lunch hall with a distant look on her face before being brought back to the conversation at hand. “I thought you two didn’t get on?” added Josephine.

Cat: He’s my brother!

Josephine: Well he hasn’t been acting like one.

Cat: I haven’t been acting great, either.

Josephine: Yeah, but he’s the one who started it, Cat! Look, maybe it’s none of our business… maybe he and Elise have had a fight?”

Cat: No, I heard him tell Mum that she wasn’t coming today; something about being out of town. And anyway, if it was her, they never fight… ever. It’s kinda odd how perfect they would be for each other.

[riverstonesims]

Cat: “Her people”… but that sounds like…?

Josephine nodded slowly, pushing her hair out of her eyes and glancing around the panelled hallway. It was quiet, a welcoming relief from the constant fighting that had been occurring between her parents on a daily basis, a constant headache for her and her older sister Iris. Iris had seemingly managed to detach herself from it, but Josephine? It had been weighing down on the blonde’s shoulders, feeling the inevitable outcome more so as the days had gone on.

Josephine: Yeah, it’s what you’re thinking.

Cat: Oh Phine, I’m sorry to hear- that’s horrible.

Josephine: It’s been coming for a while I think… lots of signs I’ve picked up recently seemed to have been going on for a lot longer than I’d liked to admit.

Cat: Please don’t think it’s a reflection on you, okay? None of this is your fault. Your mother-

Josephine: -is trying to get out of this hellhole.

Cat: Well, I mean, uh-

Josephine: Come on Cat, you know I’m right. I just hope she takes us with her if it ends up that way.

[riverstonesims]

Things had been worse for wear at the mansion with its tall columns, nineteenth century facade, and brick chimneys. A disastrous holiday in upstate New York had ended abruptly, a deadly silence over the family of four as they’d travelled back, the summer feeling cool and stormy.

Twinbrook had welcomed them back with grey skies, itself not happy to see them, its mood echoing Giu’s. The only one happy to be back was Josephine and though she despised the house and it’s old fashioned furnishings, she just couldn’t wait to see her best friend Caterina di Forza. 

[riverstonesims]

Cat didn’t really know what to say to comfort the girl opposite her. She didn’t want her friend to leave and she also didn’t want her to go through the pain of fighting parents who were more focused on themselves rather than their children.

Cat: I-look, I’m sorry and I wish there was more I could do to help.

Josephine: Hey, I’ve got you and we’ve got heaps of Sims Tales to catch up on. Father isn’t such as fan. I’m so behind.

Cat: Are you sure?

Josephine shrugged, a smile breaking out onto her face. She linked arms with Cat and steered her towards the stairs which led to her room with its ugly wallpaper and outdated mirror, the windows a stark reminder to Josephine that having old money didn’t necessarily equate to happiness.

Josephine: Yeah, come, let’s move on. Tell me all of the Twinbrook gossip. What’s going on with Vivienne and Thomas? Also what’s the deal with your brother and Elise? Have they…?

Cat: Oh god, don’t get me started on my brother.

Josephine: What did he do this time?

Cat: Look, let’s just say things have gotten worse.

Josephine: I’m sorry I broke you guys apart.

Cat: You didn’t, it was his inability to look past your last name. And to answer your last question, no they haven’t. It’s ridiculous. It’s right in front of them.