I know I haven't updated this in a long time. I started this in June-July so I didn't have school then... I got tied up in a lot of other summer things and now that I'm back in school I have more time after homework and whatnot. Truthfully I forgot about this, and just remembered because I got Open for Business for Christmas. ._.;; I'm going to try again.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Sims 2. I do however, own several businesses on there now. :3

The next day was the first day of school I was really nervous, and I could hardly think of a plan to get my Sim casually into my life.

"There's a bus stop down the hill by mine. I'll walk to the stop today, but I want you to wait outside for me when I leave before my mom does. I want you to wait by that bus stop, and I'll keep going to mine. Then when you get on the bus, act like you don't know me and you just want a new friend, so you sit next to me. We'll talk and everything, but I'm not going to plan those out to make it seem casual. Just one thing: you don't know me."

She seemed confused at first, but slowly understood as I explained. "Okay so how will I get outside without--"

"This window. I'll get out first to make sure you get out okay." I pointed to myself with my thumb and grinned. "I'm a professional at getting out discreetly."

"Oh, okay... I'm nervous."

"I am too. Until we can get you back in the game, we'll have to deal with it. It'll only be hard at first..."

"I mean, I've never climbed out a window before."

"Oh yeah. ...Then, watch what I do." I went over to the window and slid it open, and climbed up on a chair. I slid my leg out first, then the other, then let myself fall onto the table outside. I waved to her, gesturing her to do the same.

She walked over to the window and stared at me like I was crazy.

"Now you do it."

"Um..." I saw her get up on the chair, and that's all I saw before she fell out the window and hit the table right on her bottom. I couldn't help laughing, but I was also thankful that because I was on the table, it only wobbled slightly rather than falling over. "Nice." she said, getting off and dusting herself off. "Can we go now?"

"Yeah." I hopped off and grabbed our backpacks off the ground that I had left there the night before. "Let's not mess this up."

I was really afraid of leaving her there by herself, at the first stop. Sims had a tendency to do whatever they wanted, so I reminded her that it was really important that she stayed. I handed her her backpack and continued on up the hill. I listened to music as I waited, and a few minutes later my mom's car drove up, just in time for the bus. I got on with my brother, and two other kids that waited there. I stared cautiously out the window and longed for time to just speed up to the next stop, like it did in The Sims. Luckily it was just down the street, and the Sim girl was there just like I told her. Thankfully she grabbed her backpack and stepped on the bus casually, but she stopped halfway down the aisle. In a split second, I had remembered that Sims disappeared when they got on the bus. I quickly gestured for her to sit with me, and it was almost like it never happened.

"Phew." I sighed when she had sat down and put her hands in her lap, like they usually did. "Hi stranger!" she said, smiling. At least she got the part about not knowing me. "What's your name?"

"Melissa, but you can call me Mel."

"Oh cool, that's--"

"Your name is Lacey." I whispered.

"--a cool name. Mine is Lacey." she said, smiling. "It'd be too ironic if we had the same name and looked somewhat alike." I said quietly, and she nodded.

She managed to keep it cool on the bus, but she almost forgot her backpack on the way out. Everyone figured we were friends now, and that was a good start. The only thing was, I had forgotten that there was no proof that she was enrolled here. I couldn't think of anything. I'd have to play it cool as I went.

As I entered homeroom, the Sim girl, now names Lacey, followed and proceeded to take the seat next to me. Alli was right in front of me, next to a new kid. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at me. I could read her, that's what her and I did. I could tell that she basically said, "they belong to us now."

So Lacey was my pet and David was Alli's. Eventually, I knew I'd have to tell Alli the truth about Lacey, because she'd know eventually if I was lying to her.

Lots of kids came up to us and pointed out that we looked a lot alike. I merely shrugged and Lacey did the same.

At attendance, the teacher didn't call her name. I raised my hand. "You forgot Lacey."

"All the new kids don't have their name in yet." he pointed out, and I slumped down in my chair. Half in relief, half in panic. Her enrollment wasn't confirmed yet, so I had time to think of something because all the new kids weren't. I panicked because I still hadn't thought of something. If worse came to worse I had a plan to hack the school computers.

So for the first day, I had bought some time. Everyone believed she was a part of the school, even the teachers. Only problem was the staff. They'd find out eventually, so I had to think of something.

And the problem in that problem was: what?