The Halloween Dance

Students of Ward University finally gather for the Halloween dance party. Many of them are having lots of trouble finding a date, while others seem to have way too many.

## Plot

Travis and Charlie ask Tia about her opinion on their decorations, to which Tia admits she believed the event was cancelled. Charlie clarifies that the Halloween Dance's after-party will take place at the dorms, giving students an opportunity to showcase their Halloween costumes. Tia experiences inner turmoil regarding asking Jasper to the dance, while Derek calls Travis and questions him about not being asked. Travis responds by saying he is attending with Tati and Nadeem. Still, Derek urges Travis to disregard them and bring him instead, which causes Travis to feel uneasy due to Derek's monogamous tendencies. Travis shares his concerns with Charlie, who proposes that Travis discloses that Tati and Nadeem are still attending to Derek. Meanwhile, Tia endeavours to speak with Jasper, but he ignores her and converses with Candy.

Raymond inquires Fatima about her plans for the dance, and she informs him that she will be attending with her friends, but invites him to join them. Raymond grapples with his thoughts of not asking her directly. Meanwhile, Ezra requests Cleo to pass the salt, with his original intent being to ask her to the dance. Later on, we see Travis conversing with Derek on the phone, revealing that Tati and Nadeem will also be present at the dance. Derek attempts to remain composed and unfazed, but in reality, he is quite perturbed. *Not* cool as a cucumber.

Gideon expresses his concern over Jasper's depressing art, and Jasper reveals that Candy rejected his invitation to the dance. Jasper appears captivated by Candy, and Gideon suggests that perhaps Candy is playing hard to get. However, Gideon's statements about women are nonsensical. Following the introduction, a montage showcases all the characters preparing for the dance. Charlie and Travis argue about attending the dance, with Charlie reluctant to go, but Travis convinces her to attend for the sake of drama. Raja feels despondent about wearing a dress, while Derek is shown bringing drugs to the dance. However, the bouncers intervene and attempt to stop him. Ryan's aura intimidates them, causing them to leave him alone. Derek and Ryan converse in the bathroom while the dance commences, hiding the drugs in a broken toilet stall.

Jasper attempts to locate Candy on the dance floor, while Gideon pesters Lori. Mei and Drusilla ridicule Erika for wearing the outfit they selected for her. Travis updates Ezra that Tati and Nadeem's flight was delayed. Kaci compliments Raymond, and Erika eagerly anticipates Ryan's arrival. Amidst enjoying the dance and drinks, Derek enters the dance floor searching for Travis. Upon locating him, they engage in a slow dance. Derek asks Travis if he believes others are watching them, to which Derek feels slightly embarrassed. Travis assuages Derek's concerns, while Ryan observes them from afar. Derek inquires about Tati and Nadeem, and reveals his satisfaction with having Travis all to himself for a while.

Raja's parents are unsympathetic towards her relationship status and academic pursuits, with their criticism extending to her appearance, comparing her to a boy in high heels. Raja confronts her parents, and her father responds with a slap. She leaves, and outside, Tati and Nadeem encounter Raja sitting on a bench. They offer her their contact information and advise her to care for herself. Tati and Nadeem arrive at the dance, apologizing for their tardiness. Derek is displeased with their presence, while Travis fawns over them. Tati and Nadeem express their adoration for one another, which overwhelms Derek, prompting him to excuse himself by walking away. Travis follows Derek into the bathroom to check on him, but Derek is livid and admits that he doesn't want to be Travis's secondary partner. Travis is saddened that Derek is not as accepting of the polyamorous lifestyle as he claimed to be. Derek becomes hostile towards Travis, breaks up, and leaves him crying in the bathroom. Tati and Nadeem enter the bathroom and console Travis, while Derek walks by the university, daydreaming about an alternate existence while observing the woodworking benches.

Travis and Ezra are conversing in a booth when Travis spots Cleo standing by herself. He urges Ezra to ask her to dance, but not before Travis discusses his recent breakup and plays melancholic music to the whole dance. During the montage, Ezra invites Cleo to dance, and she accepts. Lori eagerly anticipates Ryan's arrival, but he ignores her and approaches Candy, who enters the dance in a stunning gold dress, garnering positive and negative reactions. Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Gideon and Lori engage in sexual activity but are interrupted by Jasper searching for the drugs hidden by Derek and Ryan. A confrontation ensues between Gideon and Jasper, resulting in both of them leaving, leaving Lori alone in the bathroom stall.

Fatima and Raymond engage in a discussion outside, with their topic shifting towards Erika leaving the dance after being ignored by Ryan. At the bar, Candy and Lori argue about their relationships with Ryan. Lori threatens Candy, stating that she has the potential to ruin her, and advises her to be cautious. Meanwhile, Raja remains outside when Erika walks by, and they share their thoughts and emotions regarding Raja's parents and Erika's experience with Ryan and the Bubblegum Bitches making her believe that she had a chance with him. Returning to the dance, Charlie expresses her disapproval of Candy's actions towards Erika and accuses Candy of shutting people out of her life, which furthers Candy's distress. Despite her inner turmoil, Candy takes the stage and performs. During the performance it's revealed that Candy has had a sexual relationship with Lori previously.

At the Halloween after-party, the students are dressed up in costume. Charlie remains upset with Candy and confides in Travis that she has no intention of asking Candy to sing in their band. Erika expresses her gratitude towards Charlie for organizing the after-party and providing advice during the previous episode. They spend time together. Ezra and Cleo enjoy each other's company and their shared social anxiety at the after-party. Meanwhile, Lori complains about Candy to Mei and Drusilla. Later, Charlie gets drunk and has a random sexual encounter with Clara, one of Raja's classmates. Derek interrupts Ryan and Candy's intimate moment to inform Ryan of Jasper's drug problem.

The next day, Judith chastises Candy for humiliating her in front of the school, stating that she is an actress, not a singer. Judith harbors an irrational disdain towards musicians. On the roof, Candy encounters Charlie, and they have a disagreement before reconciling. Candy admits that she was composing a song, which she performed at the dance, instead of texting on her phone during their previous conversation. Charlie praises her talent and invites her to join the band as a vocalist.

## Cast

###### Main (in order of appearance)

* Phoenix-Artisan as Travis Lockhart
* Serendipitia as Charlie Zimmer
* Andy Jordan as Tia Frost
* HeyAndreYT as Jasper Bell
* Dale Drau as Derek Fraser
* ConnorTheVGFan78 as Raymond Stainfield
* EClassy as Fatima Antar
* Skyler Gilbert-Allen as Ezra Hunter
* Alyssa Shadow as Cleo Harper
* Mitch Xander as Gideon Jones
* Tyler Velazquez as Ryan Flint
* Casey Sara as Lori Caberera
* Allie Goodell as Candy Ward
* Zarii Arri as Erika Bell
* Bri Storm as Kaci Reign
* Diana Heslin as Judith Ward

###### Supporting (in order of appearance)

* SimsBerrry as Mei Ji
* letsplayshay as Drusilla Clemonte
* FLX Pictures as Nadeem Mansour
* Hannah Okosisi as Tati
* Richard Camfield as Bouncer
* Richard Camfield as Mr. Banerjee
* Simmer V as Clara Silva

## Notes and Trivia

* Due to the amount of background characters required during the dance, this was one of the toughest episodes for Simmer Boi to film, having to handle a couple dozens of sims for almost every scene - sometimes even filming different perspectives of the same room at separate times, so they could all be filled up with background characters while not exceeding the game's limit of allowed sims on the same lot.
* Beware of Travis's wardrobe mishap! At one point during Candy's performance, Travis decides to ditch his glamorous red outfit for a more sober black & white suit. Maybe he's mourning his relationship with Derek? Or was the director too sleep-deprived to notice? We'll never know.