7.0: Mutual Breakups

   I was patiently tapping my foot while waiting in line to order my tea. It was an afternoon ritual for me; I would finish work at the science lab then head across town to my favorite organic coffee and tea shop. I had been employed at the science lab for a few months. After he... Booker, I wasn't going to hold onto the negative energy and anger and let it consume me,  kicked me out of the house, I ramped up my protests. I began trying to convert everything in this town to GMO free, animal safe, all natural, organic, and energy efficient. My protest worked... until businesses began boycotting my protests by not allowing me to come inside and buy anything.
   AJ, who I moved in with for a couple weeks until I found my dream home, wasn't happy that her favorite sushi restaurant was no longer serving to our address. I was bored out of my mind and needed a hobby that wasn't offending my girlfriend. When the science lab came knocking and wanted me to be the head of a small budget research project on the benefits of organic food versus all natural food, I naturally accepted the position. Contrary to what many people thought, they weren't the same thing. Foods were allowed to label themselves natural even if they had GMOs, toxic pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones. Organic foods didn't include any of those things.
   "Hazel, hey." The barista greeted me. "The usual?"
   "If by usual you mean organic chai oolong, please." I smiled
    "Coming right up."
    "How's business?"  I politely asked. I had mastered the art of small talk while waiting in awkwardly quiet silence for my tea.
    "Pretty good. Thanks to your protests, people have become more aware and business is booming. The boss even upped our salaries two seventy nine."
    "That's great. Glad I could help." even though I was no longer protesting; my last protest was against AJ who said I could no longer protest, it still felt good to know they had made a difference.
    "How's the garden?"
    "Amazing. I bought this home with a huge yard and have been growing all these plants. It feels great to give back to nature, you know?"
    "I do. The wife has been getting me to recycle and compost. She still raves about that veggies you brought us. Say that they made the best salad she ever had."
     "I'm glad she liked them. I can always bring you more."
     "Well thanks, miss. Here's your tea." He handed me my warm cup organic deliciousness. I walked over to the small alcove and sat at a table, sipping my drink. I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I picked it up and glanced at the screen. AJ.
     "Hello?" I answered.
     "Hazel. Hey babe, it's AJ."
     "What's going on?"
     "Well," I could tell she was taking a deep breath. She only did that when she was nervous. "How come you haven't invited me over to your house yet?"
      "I've been busy. You know that. With my new job and sorting out my finances..."
      "Where are you?"
      "Oh... you know, around town."
      "Dammit Hazel.  The coffee shop?"
      "What's wrong with the coffee shop?" I asked, trying to sound innocent.
      "You've been too busy to invite me over to your new house, but you have half an hour everyday for coffee?"
      "Tea." I corrected. "I drink tea. You know that, honey."
      "Hazel." She sighed. "Look, I'm coming over tonight."
      "I've got to go. A customer's nagging me."
      "Love ya."
      "Lave ya, too babe. And remember, tonight. I'll be there."
      "I know... I know." She hung up. I took a deep breath and glanced at my home. I knew eventually AJ would want to visit my home; I had lived in her's for months. I suppose tonight would be that night. I finish my drink and tossed it into the recycling bin. I was heading home to face my lovely not so little AJ.

Third Person Point of View/Narration...

   They were in Hazel's home. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, two stories, and a huge yard that included a fish pond and spacious garden area. What more could a girl in her early twenties ask for? The couple was doing something they hadn't in a long time: dance. Hazel's arm was rested on AJ's shoulder, AJ's hand wrapped around her girlfriend's waist. They swayed in time to the gentle jazz music that was creeping through the stereo.
   She glanced off, towards the ceiling. They were both enjoying the moment of silence together. Neither one of their minds was silent, though.  Thoughts kept invading the precious moment.
   "Hazel." The lady with the pigtails whispered. She was quiet; it was as if what was whispered wouldn't ruin the moment.
   "AJ." She gazed into her eyes. She knew what was coming. They both did.
   "We need-"
   "To talk." Hazel interrupted her, finishing the sentence. She had to refrain from chuckling. Even when the couple was on the verge of the conversation they both dreaded, they still finished the others sentence."We should sit." She gestured to the couch. AJ's hand dropped from Hazel's waist, as she slowly moved to the seating.
   They sat down simultaneously, at opposite ends of the couch. They gazed at one another, wishing that they could communicate telepathically. Maybe that would make the moment a little less painful.
  "Talking..." Hazel began.
  "We need to." AJ agreed.
  "I wish we didn't."
  "I do to... it's just we've been drifting apart."
  "The tea." Hazel simply said.
   "The tea?"
   "Remember. You said coffee when we talked on the phone."
   "I didn't." She confessed. The innocent moment, a simple mistake; it slipped her mind. It didn't slip Hazel's, though.
   "See? We're forgetting the minor moments... the minor moments that make you fall in love with someone. The minor moments that matter if we were to spend the rest of our lives with one another." They knew that those minor moments would only take a minute to memorize, but the fact that they hadn't proved something.
   "Hazel, I feel like you blame me for your father disowning you."
   "I don't... honey, I don't." She didn't blame AJ, that was one piece of truth that was left lingering in the air. "But, I feel like ever since I told daddy, that bastard Booker, the mystery is gone. There's nothing left. We're an old married couple and I haven't even turned twenty-five."
    "Mystery? Is that what you want?" It wasn't what the black haired beauty wanted. She just needed a crutch. Something she could say to voice her emotions. The truth was, she didn't know what she was feeling, but she knew that she didn't want to bring AJ along for the ride.
    "We need to be..." She let the sentence drift off. The truth was, they both needed so many, many things that the relationship wouldn't work.
     "To be single." AJ finished. Out of the many, many things, that was probably the truest thing.
     "Maybe... AJ, how do you feel like we should of ended?"
     "Not this soon." She laughed to cover up the tears in her eyes. Both of them needed humor to cover up the sadness that was trying to break their hearts. "We should be an old married couple..."
     "I think maybe, after we each have time to ourselves, we could be friends. Or, you know..." More. You know, more. They needed time alone, but maybe that time would bring them closer. Maybe not. They didn't know what to think, other than that they were both newly single.
     "A decade?" AJ asked.
     "A decade." Hazel agreed. One decade until they met up again. They'd both be healed and in their thirties. More rational, more worldly. If they felt like their lives were still missing something, they'd meet up in a decade.
     AJ stood up, walking towards the door.She knew that they'd both forget each other in a decade. They didn't actually plan on meeting up. They just needed closure. While lies can hurt, sometimes you need them to comfort yourself. That was exactly what Hazel and AJ where going to use that lie for. Comfort. If all their relationships failed, well, there was still that first relationship they could go flying to. That first relationship that was toxic. Luckily, they'd gotten out before either one of them was poisoned.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry that this chapter was so long. I didn't feel like that there was a good place to break this up into a part one and two (even though I could have between the coffee shop and home scene). It's okay if you're upset that I got rid of AJ. I hate it when author's introduce a new character and then immediately get rid of them. Don't worry, though AJ isn't completely gone. (Hint, hint, nudge, nudge.)
   Also, Hazel's AWESOME home was not actually created by me I download it from the exchange. It was built by the amazing Allure and you can download it here. It was created with only base game items (so EVERY Simmer can download it. And you totally should.), so I edited it a bit with CC, things from EPs, and store content.