Chapter Text
~.~.~.~
The Song of Hope:
A Chipmunk Story
Prologue
~.~.~.~
The rippling roar of the crowd echoed through the dim auditorium. Cell phones and neon lights flickered and flashed to speck the darkness with stars. The stage was black as night as the huge crimson curtain reeled back. Three tiny shadows stood on a raised pedestal. As the music began to play, the cheering grew louder.
Stage lights flashed on to reveal the little figures. Standing only a foot tall on average, dressed in twinkling pink, lavender, and green, were three female chipmunks. They smiled and bounced on their feet excitedly, waving to the crowd and bathing in the energy of the night.
Front and center was Brittany Miller, her bright blue eyes brilliant under the spotlight, orange-cream fur showing beneath her sparkling pink stage dress. To her right was her taller, darker brown sister, Jeanette, dressed in twinkling royal purple, her big glasses reflecting the stage lights. To Brittany’s left was the youngest and shortest of the three, Eleanor, with blonde fur and a pretty emerald dress that matched her eyes. Together, the three sisters were The Chipettes.
The girls made a wonderful show, skillfully flipping and cartwheeling around each other to get the crowd even more excited. They moved fluidly and beautifully, fast and flexible with fluffy tails and sparkling skirts complimenting their every movement and turn.
When the song began, it was Brittany in the lead. Her tiny, high-pitched voice was amazingly practiced and powerful as it boomed through her little headset and into the loudspeakers around the stage. Her sisters backed her up flawlessly, as they always did.
“There'll be good times and some bad, problems everybody has
(On the way to learning, who we are, who we are)
There'll be right ways and mistakes on the road everyone takes
(On the way to learning, who we are, who we are)
There'll be bad days on the way, on the way
To the weekend
If Monday through Friday's like
The lessons we learn in life
Then when we-we get it right
It's the weekend
Put the past behind, it's done
Forgive and forget, come on
Let's me and you have some fun
Like the weekend
Oh, oh-woah, oh, oh-woah!
Oh, oh-woah, it's the weekend!
Oh, oh-woah, oh, oh-woah!
Oh, oh-woah, it's the weekend!
Even if there's other talk
Obstacles and building blocks
(On the way to learning, who we are, who we are)
As long as we get up, don't stop It doesn't matter where we drop
(On the way to learning, who we are, who we are)..."
Rocks, water, father, death!
Right in the middle of a verse, Brittany’s throat tightened. Luckily, her sisters were doing a fine job as backup, and their voices covered up the pitiful squeak. Flashes of terrible memories struck through her head like pins through a cushion. Brittany struggled to keep singing, but the pressure grew until she could feel her eyes welling with tears.
"There'll be bad days on the way, on the way
To the weekend
If Monday through Friday's like
The lessons we learn in life
Then when we-we get it right
It's the weekend
Put the past behind, it's done
Forgive and forget, come on
Let's me and you have some fun
Like the weekend”
Home, flood, cold, sick!
Brittany spun away from the crowd, hoping that the stage cameras had not seen, and continued to dance as best she could. Jeanette and Eleanor traded worried glances, moving in to cover their sister, expertly pretending that the triangle formation was all part of the act, twirling and singing as if nothing was wrong.
“Oh, oh-woah, oh, oh-woah!
Oh, oh-woah, it's the weekend!
Oh, oh-woah, oh, oh-woah!
Oh, oh-woah, it's the weekend!”
Cold, lost, orphans, hopeless!
The song came to an end. Whistling and cheering, the crowd deafened the three performers as they uttered the final notes. However, The Chipettes were quick to wave their goodbyes as they hurried off stage.
Jeanette and Eleanor followed Brittany into a dressing room and shut the big door behind them. They watched worriedly as their troubled big sister threw off her stage dress and tugged on her usual pink skirt and jacket. They could see her bare fur matted with sweat.
“Um…Brittany?” Jeanette asked carefully.
“I’m fine,” Brittany murmured, stuffing her performance clothes into a duffle bag the size of a soda can.
“But…”
“I’m fine!”
Jeanette jerked at the outburst and looked away, fidgeting with her purple glasses like she always did when she was scolded. Eleanor quietly padded up to Brittany’s side and laid a hand on her back. Brittany turned and looked down at her little sister, her tired blue eyes shiny from tears and red from lack of sleep.
“The nightmares again?” Eleanor whispered.
“Yeah,” Brittany replied.
Eleanor tugged her big sister by the wrists until she lowered onto her knees, then hugged her. Jeanette kneeled down behind Brittany and put her arms around her, too, as both younger siblings surrounded and comforted their eldest as best they could. Jeanette ran her little claws through Brittany’s long hair and ponytail. Brittany buried her face in Eleanor’s blonde pigtails and sniffled.
“It’s been years,” the oldest chipette finally said, “So why does it still get to me like this?”
“You did well, Britt,” Jeanette whispered, “You should never doubt that.”
“The people,” Brittany muttered, wiping her eyes, “They didn’t notice, did they?”
“If they did, we’ll just tell them you were really into that song,” Eleanor offered, “You’ve been more passionate about worse before.” Brittany managed a little laugh.
“Gee, thanks, Ellie,” she muttered, “Girls…can we go home now?”
~.~
It was a beautiful, warm summer day in the little neighborhood. There was a gentle breeze in the air, carrying the pleasant scents of sunbaked concrete, brick, and dirt. Birds and bugs sang their songs, warbling, chirping, and buzzing all around in a symphony of delicate life.
The home of the Sevilles was pretty and humble, a two-story affair adorned in creeping ivy, accented with black shutters and dark shingles, with a winding sidewalk wrapping around a few rose bushes before meeting the front door; however, none of the occupants were home at the moment.
To the right of the little home, across a wooden fence, was the property of an eccentric old lady named Beatrice Miller, the adopted guardian of the Miller girls. In the fore corner of her open yard was a towering, flowery tree, blooming bright and purple in the cloudless sunlight.
Nestled in the strong, ancient branches was a small but beautiful treehouse. It was two floors tall with a pointed roof, painted white, with big decorative windows and pretty black wire handrails. The whole affair was decorated by layer upon layer of creeping ivy and seasonal flowers and tiny potted plants. Though no larger than an extravagant doghouse to the average person, it was a comfortable home for the Miller girls known as The Chipettes.
Stretching out across the free space in front of the treehouse itself was a beautiful façade, like a big front porch made up of winding spiral staircases and hardwood decks. There were little picnic tables with brightly colored umbrellas and, at the top of one staircase, a charming gazebo. Everything was bathed in a comfortable purplish shade from the thick, flowery canopy hanging overhead.
Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor were lounging around in colorful sundresses, having a relaxing day of fun with their best friends and neighbors: Alvin, Simon, and Theodore Seville, three chipmunks just like themselves. Together they made Alvin and the Chipmunks, the longtime rivals of The Chipettes.
Eleanor waited on the stairs to the gazebo while Theodore passed around a pitcher of homemade iced raspberry tea. The chipmunk had even added real frozen raspberries to the tiny cups to act as flavorful ice cubes.
“Thank you, Theo!” Jeanette said, smiling as the short chipmunk scampered off.
“Oh you’re welcome!” Theodore replied, “There’s plenty more when you’re ready.”
“Ha!” Simon exclaimed from across the picnic table from Jeanette. He took one of his red pieces from the travel-size checkerboard between them and jumped it over one of Jeanette’s black ones. “King me, Jean!”
“Oh darn, okay,” Jeanette pretended to huff, placing another of his red pieces on top of the first, “I uh…guess I’ll have to do this, then.”
Jeanette hopped one of her pieces over three of Simon’s, all the way to his side. She clumsily fell off the picnic table laughing as his jaw dropped and his glasses nearly slid off.
“I need more tea,” Simon muttered as he hopped down and headed for the treehouse. Jeanette followed him, her victorious giggles teasing Simon all the way there.
Alvin and Brittany sat under the little umbrella of a round table, near the radio. It was turned down a good bit, but they could hear the song “Vacation” from one of their summer albums playing, one of the many collaborations from both the Chipmunks and Chipettes.
“And what if Dave says no, Alvin?” Brittany asked with a sassy glint in her bright blue eyes, referencing the middle-aged man who had cared for the chipmunk boys for most of their lives.
“Pht!” Alvin spat, “And why would Dave say no to a free trip to the Caribbean?”
“Ah, you know,” Brittany muttered, stirring the ice in her pinkish raspberry tea with a toothpick, “Because last time you did that, we ended up stranded on an uncharted island with an active volcano? Because you just had to try hang-gliding on a kite?”
Alvin crossed his arms and made a grumpy face, glancing up at Eleanor and Theodore dancing and playing in the gazebo. He was almost jealous of his smaller brother’s simple romance.
“At least I got us back out of that problem, too!” he retorted. “All I need is a credit card and a suitcase, and we can-“
“This isn’t going to be like the time Dave went out of town and you put your whole house up for rent, is it?” Brittany asked incredulously, raising one eyebrow, “Because this time I’ll rat you out faster than the grounding you got for that one!”
Alvin folded his arms tighter. “Girls, always doing their best to ruin everything fun! With your pampering, and your…your…nail painting, and hair styling, and, and…”
“And pulling your butt out of the fire on a daily basis?”
“What? No way!”
“Hey, guys!” Eleanor called, “They’re mentioning us on the radio!”
Simon and Jeanette joined Theodore and Eleanor as they gathered around Alvin and Brittany’s table, turning up the volume so they could hear.
‘…fourth annual Fair Talent Exhibition, where we saw an exciting array of performances, including ventriloquist Sam Noland and contortionist sisters Abbey and Reida Williams. Friday night also marked the appearance of guest stars Brittany, Janet, and Eleanor Miller as The Chipettes…”
“It’s Jeanette!” Jeanette snapped, quite flustered. The group shushed her.
“…seemed the pressure was too much for the lead singer, Brittany Miller, who appeared to break down in the middle of the group’s last song. Could it be the stress of the media world on such a fragile young woman…er, chipmunk, is just too much? Or is it some other celebrity drama? Stay tuned after the break as we discuss some-“
‘Click!’
Brittany smacked the OFF button, and slowly slid back in her chair. “Stupid high definition cameras,” she hissed under her breath.
The group was awkwardly quiet. Not even Alvin dared to comment. It was Simon who finally tried, though he stuttered a bit as he always did under pressure.
“Uh…w-well, that’s nothing, right, Brittany?” Simon began carefully, “Just, uh…a rough night, or, or Eleanor stepped on your foot.”
“Hey!” Eleanor snapped, “I don’t step on feet unless I mean to.”
“Rough night would be the best answer,” Jeanette replied, but a glare from Brittany made her stop. The most precious thing to her big sister was her pride. It was Alvin who was always the first to test it.
“Come on, Brit,” Alvin offered, throwing his hands wide, “You’re among friends! Spit it out, I promise I’ll only laugh a little.”
Brittany shrunk further into her seat, staring glumly between her feet at the wooden planks beneath the table.
“Come oooooon, you know I won’t shut up until you do,” Alvin teased. He leaned over the table and lifted Brittany’s chin with a finger, tickling it and talking as if he were addressing a baby. Her eyes looked into his and narrowed with growing annoyance.
“Coochie-coochie-coo! Pwease, Bwittany, tell Papa Alvin what wong.”
“I’m about to shave Papa Alvin bald while he sleeps!” Brittany came out of her dim mood to spit back, slapping his hand away from her chin. Alvin chuckled.
“Whoof, Brit, if you wanted to see me naked there’s easier ways to- eep!”
The chipmunk ducked as Brittany’s teacup flew at his head. The tiny plastic cup, originally from a doll set, soared off the treehouse façade. Moments later there was a ‘plink!’ followed by an unpleasant groan. The group rushed to the railing to see David Seville standing below.
“Owch!” he muttered, rubbing his hand through his black hair, “If you’re playing ‘Defend the Castle,’ then count me out as your dragon this time, please!”
“Sorry, Dave!” all six chipmunks said in unison.
“No problem, kids. I’m glad to see you’re getting along for a day,” Dave replied before muttering, “Or, at least, an hour. Anyways, I’m going out for a bit, when I get back we’ll have a nice dinner at our place. Want to come along, girls?”
“Only if I get to help out!” Eleanor exclaimed.
“As always, Ellie,” Dave chuckled, “Alright, see you all in a bit.”
They watched Dave walk away, whistling the tune of his latest song.
Brittany watched until the man was out of sight. She sighed and pushed off of the railing, pacing across the façade as she started a half-hearted rant.
“You see, that’s where you guys just don’t get it,” she muttered, pointing at the Seville siblings, “You have a great, big home with more food than you can handle. And then there’s Dave. I won’t even try to pretend we don’t make his life a mess! I swear that man ages a year for every time Alvin gets us into trouble.”
“Hey!” Alvin pouted.
“Hey, what?” Brittany snapped, startling Alvin, “You have a great, big dad who loves you no matter what, appreciates all your talents, puts up with your nonsense when you really don’t deserve it, and hugs you when you cry!”
Brittany was aware of five pairs of eyes watching her quietly. She turned away as tears stung hers, fighting them back. With a sniffle, the chipette continued.
“But us girls? It’s always just been us, and it always will. There’s no one looking out for us, and that’ll never change.”
“Oh come on, Brit!” Alvin cut in, approaching his distraught friend, “You know that’s not true. We’ve got your back no matter what!”
“Yeah!” Theodore chimed, “You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us! And that means you girls, too!”
“Tell her, Teddy,” Eleanor giggled.
Brittany turned, her eyes dark.
“And what if something happens to Dave? Or Miss Miller?”
The cheer was immediately killed among the group.
“When our little fortune runs out,” Brittany continued, “The house burns down, termites eat our tree, the property suddenly doesn’t belong to me and the girls. What about then?”
“Brit,” Alvin said, putting both hands up, “You are, like, really scaring me right now.”
“Please calm down, Brittany,” Jeanette pleaded.
“How can I calm down!?” Brittany snapped, “When I have to go through every day wondering if we’ll have to run again! We’ve barely been here as long as it took us to get here! It took a trip across half of the whole world just to find one good home! I just can’t trust that we’ll ever be able to keep it!”
Brittany whirled away again, slapping the tears off her cheeks in embarrassment. She hated crying, especially in front of anyone. It was a sign of weakness that she refused to acknowledge or accept.
“Whoa, wait,” Alvin said slowly, “Back up a minute. Half…of the world? Like half of the whole globe world?”
“Come to think of it,” Simon pondered, “We’ve only ever heard how you came to show up at our school. Is there more to this than we’ve known?”
“Much more,” Jeanette whispered. Brittany shot her a glare.
“Don’t,” Brittany warned.
“Brittany,” Eleanor said, plodding up to lay a hand on Brittany’s back, “I think it’s time they heard everything. These guys are our family now.”
“Are you sure?” Brittany sniffed, wiping her little nose.
“I like stories!” Theodore exclaimed, “But not ghost stories. Is it a ghost story?”
Jeanette laid a hand on the plump chipmunk’s head and laughed. “No, it’s not a ghost story. But um…it’s not always a happy story, either.”
“All the best stories have some amount of peril,” Simon put in, “Brittany, we’re here for you. We all need to hear it.”
Brittany looked at her amusing assortment of friends and family, with all their different sizes, colors, personalities, and talents. They were all smiling at her. Not even Alvin commented on her crying. They respected her, and loved her, all in their own ways.
“Thank you guys,” Brittany murmured, pulling up her flowery sundress to wipe her eyes, “It’s, uh...not a short story.”
“Let’s see,” Simon examined, “Beautiful summer day, not a cloud in sight, just after noon. I think we can deal with whatever extraordinary tale you have for us.”
“Funny word,” Jeanette whispered, “Extraordinary…like ‘extra ordinary’, even though it describes something not very ordinary at all.”
~.~
Eleanor and Theodore passed out some fresh, crisp raspberry tea to the whole group as they sat around in a circle in the gazebo, at the top of a pretty winding outdoor staircase.
Brittany took a deep breath, thinking as far back as she dared to remember.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
Alvin, Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor nodded all at once.
With another breath, Brittany began her tale...
“It all started in the wilderness, half a world away...”
~.~.~.~