Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Brittany's POV

I sat alone at a table in La Café, impatiently staring at the clock on the wall. This café was one of my favorite places to grab a bite to eat, usually with a friend. Unfortunately, this friend was running behind schedule.

How dare he make me waste my time like this? It had taken us forever to agree on a time and place. I even picked out a special outfit just for this. It was a pretty light pink crop top with a fuschia shirt underneath and beautiful black leggings with pink hearts up one leg.

I had been looking forward to this for WEEKS. If he forgot, it wouldn't be pretty. I had a bunch of words for him. Harsh words, no doubt, but he needed to hear them. It is very rude to keep a lady waiting.

My stomach growled. I debated ordering something and decided against it. I doubted my date,…err…just friend, not a date-date, would bring money. I'd have to order and pay for the food for both of us. I was beginning to regret this entire thing.

I decided I would give the flakey little rascal a maximum of 2 more minutes before I ordered and ate without him and then packed up and headed home. It was entirely possible he'd forgotten our meetup was scheduled for today…or he'd straight up forgotten what day it is.

Finally, he rushed into the restaurant, out of breath. He was wearing a rainbow tie dye shirt with the words "Study Hard Party Harder" written on it. Along with that, he had blue jeans with several colorful paint splatters and matching rainbow shoes.

"30 minutes, Alvin." I scolded, reminding the inconsiderate chipmunk of how long he kept me waiting. "30 whole minutes."

"I know! I know!" He sat down. "Sorry I'm late. Chess club ran a little long."

I stared at him in disbelief. "You're in chess club now?"

He blinked. "No." He responded, taking a menu and browsing through it.

"Then why were you even there?" I was so confused. All he is these days is confusing. It's one confusing decision after another.

He looked up from the menu for a brief moment. "Just hangin' with a few friends."

His facial expression indicated that even he didn't really know why he chose to visit with the chess club. It was just another nerdy thing he did that I'd have to get used to. Groan. Add it to the list.

"Right." I opened up my menu. "Well, since you're here, now we can finally order. What would you like?"

"Mozzarella sticks." The reply was instant.

I rolled my eyes at his choice. "You could have those at home. Don't you want to try something, I dunno, fancier?"

He tossed the menu on the table lightly. "Nope. I'm pretty good with mozzarella sticks for the appetizer."

"But they're so…" I gagged thinking of the texture. "Stringy."

His crystal blue eyes shone bright. "That's just the way I like 'em."

"Alvin, I will make you mozzarella sticks later. Please pick something that you CAN'T have at home." I begged.

"Okay, okay, I'll take the shrimp scampi." He told me, leaning back in his chair and adjusting those awful red glasses that unflatteringly frame his eyes.

I was not exactly enchanted by this choice either. "No. No. No. They look like grubs. This is all wrong. I'll decide for you."

He pouted. "But I like shrimp and Dave barely ever buys it because it's too expensive and he, Si, and Theo don't really care for it."

Enough with the sob stories, Alvin. Geez. I folded my hands and tried to keep my composure. The rage was beginning to boil. "Shrimp is disgusting. You deserve better than that filth."

"Can I at least have seafood?" He asked.

"No." I flipped through the menu, trying to find the perfect delicacy to delight our taste buds.

"But I like seafood." He whined, loudly.

I grinded my teeth. "Then become a mermaid." I retorted.

"Don't you mean merman?" He drummed his fingers on the table in an annoying way.

I laughed softly. "With that long luscious red hair of yours? I don't think so."

"Merman can have long luscious hair too." He protested. Then, a smirk spread across his features. That good old Classic Alvin smirk. How I have MISSED it. He flipped his hair with his hand. "Admit it, you're just jealous of my awesome looks." He teased me. That was a signal that his more fun loving personality was in control.

"Me? Jealous of you?" I flicked my hand at him. "As if!"

"Have ya found anything that lives up to your standards?" He jumped up and walked around to see the menu I was browsing.

"I'm getting there." I looked through the various appetizers and dishes. What would be perfect? And it had to be perfect. Alvin was so "busy" lately that I might not get another opportunity like this for months!

He went back to his seat and slumped. "How come you're in charge of what I can and can't eat?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Because I'm paying for it." I explained.

To my surprise, he forked a wad of cash out of his pocket. Since when does Alvin actually HAVE MONEY!? Where did he even get it from? The Alvin I know was always broke because Dave gave him a low allowance and he could never go a day without spending it on something stupid.

"Here. Can I get mozzarella sticks and shrimp now?" He asked.

I looked at the wad of cash suspiciously. "Who did you rob?"

Now it was his turn to look annoyed. Whoops. In my defense, I'm fairly certain that joke would have landed with Classic Alvin before!

"Nobody. Comic sales are just good right now, and I've been taking Simon's advice and offering study sessions. I've been turnin' quite a large profit." He babbled.

My jaw dropped. "WHAT!? Study sessions?"

"I was skeptical at first, but they're really paying off. Plus, you know, people make fun of you less if you're the only thing stoppin' them from failing physics and algebra." He chuckled, with a hint of sadness to it. I knew he was still not used to getting picked on.

Because I didn't want him to go off on a tangent about how weird his life is now that he's unpopular, I went against my instincts and closed the menu. "Alright, alright. In that case, you can order whatever you want and I'll get a nice salad with purple cabbage instead of lettuce."

He smirked again. "Still not a fan of green stuff."

"You have your quirks. I have mine." I said smartly.

He can NEVER know the real reason I hate the color green is because I was traumatized by it a long time ago. I'm not ready to be vulnerable around him. Besides, I'm still getting to know him all over again.

"Fair enough." Alvin replied, handing me the cash so he could get his choice of food.

We placed our orders and then it was back to waiting for them to arrive so we could eat. Awkward silence filled the table. I wasn't sure what else to say to the guy. Could I compliment his appearance? Would that help the conversation flow more naturally?

I noticed that he had red and cyan nail polish on only his right hand. "I didn't know you painted your nails. They look…nice."

He stuck the hand with the polished nails underneath the table at first, likely assuming I was about to make fun of him or something. Then, realizing I wasn't, he took it back out and let me admire it. "Oh, uh, I was just…experimenting a bit."

I folded my arms. "I've been begging you to try painting your nails for years." I said with frustration. "You always said it was too girly."

His ears drooped and he smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I never realized what a nice tool for self expression it would be. Jeanette taught me all about its creative potential."

I frowned. My anger level rose. I tried to hold it back. Oh, who am I kidding? I didn't try at all. I was past my limit. "Are you kidding me!? Alvin, I have been telling you all about the creative potential of makeup and nail art for YEARS! But the second Jeanette suggests it, suddenly you agree it's cool? Really!?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry. But, better late than never, don't ya think?" He wiggled his nails in front of me.

"It makes me feel like what I say doesn't matter." I grumbled. "You know how many times I've fantasized about us getting our nails done together? Lots. And then to find out you've been getting yours done with my sister instead!" I sighed. "We have very few activities we both enjoy. I just thought maybe that could be our thing."

He adjusted his red baseball cap. "It can still be our thing too."

"You just don't get it." I groaned. For a self proclaimed genius, he couldn't understand much. "I wanted us to have something we do just the two of us. Something special. Something without either of my sisters."

To that, the inconsiderate boy shrugged. "We'll find something eventually, but…ya really should stop gatekeeping activities "just for you."

"I only want one or two activities just for us." I explained, catching sight of the waiter as he returned with our meals. "Not all of them, just two."

The waiter sat our plates down in front of us. "One garden salad and some shrimp and mozzarella sticks for the happy couple. Have a pleasant evening and thank you for dining with us."

Alvin choked on the water he'd just started to drink that came with our meals. "Uh, we're not really a couple."

I was embarrassed. I hadn't thought about how this would look to all the outsiders who didn't know how awkward the situation between Alvin and I was. "Yeah." I added softly. "Just…friends."

"I'm dating her sister." WHY ON EARTH DID HE HAVE TO ADD THAT PART!?

"My mistake." The regal man corrected himself. "I hope you two friends enjoy your dinner." He walked away.

I burst out laughing, trying to cover up my embarrassment. "Can you believe he thought we were a couple?"

Alvin didn't laugh. "Yes. Yes I can. Remember that our marketing team still thinks we're a couple just because they say so."

I took a forkful of salad and sighed. "Yeah. We really should fix that…somehow."

"Any idea how to do that without destroying our careers?" He asked, biting into a shrimp with a disgustingly squishy sound.

I frowned. "Not a clue."

After Alvin had sung that duet with Jeanette, we assumed management would ease up on their guidelines for our romance. They did not. As far as they were concerned, Alvin and Jeanette were the duo who were just friends, even though the internet was full of speculation of their budding romance on all classic Alvin's socials. And as for 2.0's socials, it was basically confirmed there. Alvin 2.0's socials were a bit more hidden and private than classic's though.

"I'm gonna be stuck singing love songs to you, aren't I?" He grimaced.

I took another spoonful of salad as I thought about how unfair this was. "Looks like it." No wonder it's taken me so long to get over Alvin. I'm still being forced to pretend to have feelings for him, which is confusing my real feelings. I wonder if he feels the same.

"It's times like these when I question whether or not being a rockstar is worth the whole double life mess." He shoved a whole mozzarella stick in his mouth.

I reached across the table to gently flick his forehead. "Don't you say that. Of course it's worth it!"

"Right, yeah." He scrunched his adorable nose. "Because half of me thinks it's worth it. I can't just quit. It would hurt him….I mean, me."

Oh no. Not this again. I cannot be stuck listening to the same ol sob story about his conflicting personalities. "Which you are you right now?"

"Both…neither….it's complicated." He responded, adjusting his red glasses again.

I decided now would be a good time to talk about literally ANYTHING else. Not being selfish or anything, this is for Alvin's own good too. I don't want him to get caught in a sudden panic or start feeling really sad. This is supposed to be a fun dinner together where we hang out like old times.

"So, uh, do you remember the last time we ate here together?" I asked, between bites of my salad. The carrots in it were especially good.

He suddenly got this blank thousand yard stare on his face. "Uhhhh."

I decided to describe it more, in the hopes that it would somehow restore his shattered mind. "We were taking that etiquette course. You had to pass it in order to meet Princess Kate. The final stage of the course was you accompanying me on a date."

"Oh oh yeah! I do remember that!" He exclaimed. Then he glared at me. "You poured orange juice on me. On purpose."

I scoffed. "Well, you started a pie fight."

"Only after you poured the juice on me!" He reminded me.

"At least I apologized!" I snapped. "And we both got to meet Princess Kate. She was so nice. She gave us both signed photos of her. I still have mine."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "So do I, but it's in a junk drawer somewhere."

"You need to be more organized." I told him in my usual sassy way. Not that he'd listen.

His ears flattened. "Organization is only half the battle."

I didn't have anything to say in response to that, so the two of us just focused on eating our meals for a while. I liked playful banter, but I wanted to stop before we started snapping at each other. If that happened, Alvin might never agree to another outing for just the two of us. That would break my heart.

Finally, I thought up something new to say that hopefully wouldn't cause a huge argument. "Do you plan on going to Eleanor's soccer game this Friday?"

He picked up the last shrimp and slurped it up. "I've got comic book club."

"Couldn't you just tell them you're going to the game instead? I'll be there cheering and she could really use you cheering in the stands." I reasoned.

"I've got a really cool comic idea that needs to come out before I lose it." He insisted.

I pushed my empty bowl into the middle of the table. "That's what you said the time before and the time before that. You're always too busy! Heck, this dinner not-date almost didn't even happen because you were "too busy." I fumed.

"I have a LOT of responsibilities now. It's tough for me to balance all that and have time for fun." He picked some breaded crumbs from the mozzarella sticks off his plate. "I'm sorry. That's just how it'll be for a while."

I was getting annoyed again. "How long is a while?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe I'll have more time come summer. I sure hope I do."

I knew exactly what his problem was. "Well, maybe if you didn't spend your time hanging around in a bunch of clubs you aren't even a part of, you'd have more time to spare."

I could tell he took offense to that. Oh crud. "You don't know my life, Britt! It's a lot more complex than that. A lot more. I'm trying to handle things the best I can."

"Trying?" I was angry and hurt. "Alvin, I live right next door to you and I see you maybe two times a month if I'm lucky."

"We see each other at school." He pointed out. "And during rehearsals."

"That doesn't count. I'm talking about us getting to play games and go on walks and watch movies and other things like that." I explained. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were avoiding me on purpose, but I know you're just scatterbrained and I'm not a priority."

"Has it really only been 2 times a month?" He rubbed his arm.

I nodded. "Pretty much, yes. And, by the way, this is the first time we've hung out without you bringing up a fun fact about science in every sentence." I added. Maybe that was an exaggeration, maybe it wasn't. I didn't care. I just wanted my friend back. "So thank you for that, I guess."

"You know I have no control over how sciency I get." He squeaked. "But, you're welcome."

I pouted. "Promise me that we can hang out more. Please. Like I've been saying, I MISS you."

"I'll see what I can do." I could sense sadness in his voice. He really didn't think that he could do much about his lack of free time.

I reached my hand across the table to grab the menu again. "I could teach you how to budget your time better." I offered sweetly.

"What if I agreed to at least do something with ya once a week? It might not be for very long each time, but I can sprinkle some longer outings here and there." He told me, apologetic blue eyes glistening. "That's the best I can do for now. I doubt ya wanna third wheel my dates with Jeanette, which, by the way, don't happen that often either."

He really WAS trying. Okay, well, it wasn't ideal by any means but it was something. It was something more than I had before. "Once a week sounds nice." I responded. "Even if it's only for an hour."

"Phew." He let out a sigh of relief. "Terrific. Glad that's settled."

"Me too." I hoped he made good on his promise. "Are you ready for dessert?"

I handed him the menu. I'd already picked what I was ordering. A double chocolate slice of cake with caramel drizzle. A girl's gotta have her chocolate. Especially when being around Alvin 2.0 tends to stress me out.

He wiggled his eyebrows with a bit of that old Classic Alvin spunk. "Can I get raspberry cheesecake?" He asked.

"Sure can." I winked. 'As long as you pay for it. Because if I'm paying for it, I want you to try the chocolate."

"You know I hate chocolate." He groaned. "But you know who doesn't?"

"Everyone else in the family?" I guessed, adjusting the pink, glitter covered bow in my hair.

He grinned. "Simon."

"Are you saying I should invite Simon out to dinner?" I raised an eyebrow. "He'll surely think it's a date. Plus, you know he's still dragging his heels when it comes to asking me out. I doubt he'd want to come here."

"Ya never know unless ya ask." Alvin pointed out.

He was right about that. Maybe it was worth a shot. Although I'm sure Simon would rather go to a different place than the café. A coffee shop perhaps? He could get decaf and I could get a caramel latte. It would be so romantic.

The waiter was back, breaking me out of my small romantic daydream before it really could get good. "So that's one chocolate caramel cake slice and one raspberry cheesecake slice. Have I got that correct?"

"Yep!" Alvin and I both said at the same time.

The waiter left again to prepare our dessert. I sipped the last of my water and looked sweetly at Alvin. I wasn't as angry at him for being late as I was when he first showed up.

"You know…" He mused, twirling a strand of his shoulder length hair. "Thanks for not overdoing it on the insults tonight. I know that's rough for ya, considering how you and I used to communicate almost entirely through insults and pranks and stuff."

I had been purposely holding back and biting my tongue a lot tonight. I'm glad my efforts were noticed and appreciated. "You're welcome, Alvie."

"Please don't do the Alvie thing either." He requested.

I pouted. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

"It makes it sound like we're a couple and it sends the wrong message to anyone watching." His pupils shrank. He was scared. "I don't want people to start talking about how I'm cheating on Jeanette."

"But I know you aren't cheating." I lovingly wiped some dried up mozzarella cheese off his cheek with my finger. "So it's fine, really."

"I get enough insults without having to add dirty, rotten, no good hound dog to the list, Britt." He tilted his head down.

"Fine. I'll cool it with the Alvie." I agreed. "But ONLY in public. In private, it's still your pet name."

"Okay!" He squeaked.

After that, we ate our slices of cake and enjoyed every minute of it. This had started awkwardly and was bound to become awkward again at some point. Until then, I was content enjoying the moment, and the chocolate caramel cake too.

When it was time to leave, we both lingered on the sidewalk a little. "So, do you have to hurry off to some other nerd obligation?" I asked. "Or would you like to walk home with me?"

He scrolled through his phone looking at something. I assumed I'd lost his attention. "Huh? What? Oh yeah, yeah, we can walk home. I'm just headed home to cram in some homework before bed."

I smirked. "Homework, or video games?"

He was stone faced and serious. It was kind of creepy how much he didn't understand I was joking. "Homework."

"Just homework?" I frowned. "The rest of the night?"

He nodded. "Got a bunch of history, ELA, math, and AP science."

"I have everything but AP science." I told him. "But it'll take me maybe an hour, tops."

He looked annoyed with me. "Good for you. It's not that simple for a guy like me."

"Don't you usually play games before you start on your homework?" I asked, resisting the urge to take his hand. It wouldn't be appropriate. Sure, Theo and Eleanor held hands a lot as friends, but I didn't want to add more fuel to the shipping wars among our classmates if someone happened to see us.

"I do, but…" He was very hesitant saying this next part. "I gave up my game time today for….this."

Ouch. Well, if I wanted solid evidence that Alvin did in fact still care, there it was. He sacrificed his precious game time for me. It made me feel needed. It made me feel like a princess. It also made me realize that twice every month he went out of his way to sacrifice his after school game time just so that we could hang out together. That added up to a lot of game time.

"I appreciate that." I told him as we turned onto our home street. "Maybe the next time we hang out we could…" Urgh, I cannot believe I was about to say this. "Play videogames together."

His tail and ears twitched and his sad face brightened. "That sounds stupendous!"

We arrived at my treehouse and I knew that our rather short evening together had come to an end. It would be a while before we got another chance to hang out like this again. I didn't want the evening to end, but I knew it had to.

"See ya at school tomorrow, Britt." The newborn nerd (one of my many endearing nicknames for him) tipped his hat and set off for his own house next door.

"Wait!" I called out, running toward him. "Since no one else is around, can I hug you?'

He blinked, startled. "Uh…sure, you can hug us, err, me."

We embraced for about five seconds. They were a wonderful five seconds. "See ya round, Alvie!" I said, feeling satisfied with how the night had turned out.

I walked up the treehouse steps and entered the treehouse, where both my sisters were waiting on the couch with eager faces.

"So, tell us how it went!" Eleanor requested. "We want all the juicy details."

"Well, maybe not all of them." Jeanette was much less invasive by nature. "Just any of the ones you're comfortable sharing."

I smiled widely and took a seat between them, filling them in on all the details of my evening with my former lover turned friend. For a long time I was worried I would lose Alvin entirely. While I had lost him in some ways, I'd managed to still hold on to all the most important pieces.

It would take us a long time to know each other's new rhythm, just like Dave had said, but I knew that Alvin and I still shared an unbreakable bond. Our bond had been stretched to the limit, yet it hadn't broken. As time goes on, I'm sure I'll finally get used to the way things are now.

Maybe I still had a ways to go before I could handle changes well. Maybe I'd never get there, but no matter what, I know I have my family and friends to count on to help me through it. I'm a lucky lucky girl.

Chapter Text

Theodore's POV

Pranks. Everyone has an opinion on them. Some people like them, some people don't. Pranks can get a laugh or they could make people so mad that they never talk to you again. Some pranks get really scary. Some are harmless fun. I've got a story for you about a harmless little prank that got a bit out of hand.

It all started one day when I was talking to Eleanor. We were hanging out in the park, on the swings. I love swinging. It's very relaxing. The only thing that could make it better is if I had something to snack on at a picnic table afterward.

Anyway, Eleanor came up with an idea for a prank and it sounded pretty cool and funny, so I was on board! What could go wrong?

"Check this out! I've been looking up realism cakes on Instant-Gram and Youtube." She began, showing me a video. "And I thought we could make some."

"Oh wow!" I looked at the video. It was a cake that looked like toilet paper next to a real roll of toilet paper. Nobody could tell the difference until they tried to touch it or cut into it. "That's amazing! We should make them! What objects do you want to make?"

Eleanor grinned with a hint of mischief in her eyes. "I thought we could start with a beaker or something and use it to fool your brothers."

I frowned. The thought of using it to mess with my brothers felt wrong. "I dunno, Eleanor…."

She patted my back. "Don't worry. It's not bad. It's just a harmless prank. Everyone will laugh. Trust me."

"Well, I guess….it's not really gonna hurt them to get frosting on their fingers." I reasoned, still not fully feeling like it was a good idea.

"And think of how much they mess with you. You owe them one, Theo." The girl with the cute pigtails continued.

"They mess with each other more than they mess with me." I told her. "But, it does sound really funny." I made my decision. "I'll do it!"

That afternoon, Eleanor and I put our plan into action. We created a beautiful and delicious cake that looked exactly like an empty beaker. We made sure to shade the cake correctly to give the illusion that it was made of glass.

We high fived each other and both smiled widely. Then, we ran off to place the cake beaker in Simon's lab. Eleanor positioned it on the table next to a group of other beakers. I kept watch, cuz we didn't want Simon to come in and catch us.

"He's coming!" I whispered to Eleanor. "And Alvin's with him!"

She quickly grabbed me and we both hid behind a different lab table across the room. Simon and Alvin entered the lab, unaware they were about to get cake fake-outed. This was gonna be good.

"Get ready for the show." Eleanor whispered, peeking out from behind the table carefully. I followed her, getting a nice view of my brothers. They were, sigh, arguing...as they tend to do.

"For the last time, Alvin." Simon was grumbling. "You cannot create supersonic sneakers that break the sound barrier. It's impossible."

"The impossible was only impossible until someone came and MADE it possible." Alvin insisted, taking a seat on top of Simon's lab table.

"It breaks the laws of physics." Simon noticed him sitting on the table. "Get down from there! That's not safe!" Good thing Alvin hadn't sat on our cake. That was close.

Alvin slid down from the lab table. "What if I told you I already have them designed and I just need to test them?"

"I'd say "have fun smashing your face into a tree when they inevitably malfunction." The taller boy in blue replied with sass.

"They are 100% guaranteed not to malfunction!" Alvin quipped, folding his arms. "I TRIPLE- QUADRUPLE- INFINITY checked my calculations."

Simon tossed his head back and laughed. "That's not even a real number."

"Is so!" Alvin squeaked.

"Is not." Simon argued back.

"What do you know!?" My brother in red grit his teeth. "Not like you've tried it."

"I have tried. It doesn't work. You cannot become The Flash. Now, take off that silly T-shirt." Simon ordered.

Ohhhh! That's why Alvin was wearing a red T shirt with a yellow lightning bolt over his cyan shirt. He wanted to look like The Flash. I thought he was trying to be the super tall guy from that show about nerds Simon likes. What's his name again? Shelly? Shelton?

"Come on, come on…." Eleanor chanted softly. "Touch the beaker, you dummy."

"Be patient." I whispered to her.

"Don't touch the shirt!" Alvin puffed out his chest.

Simon snatched Alvin's cap off Alvin's head. "Haha!"

"Hey! Don't touch the cap either!" Alvin tried to jump to reach it, but Simon had already tossed it on top of a pile of boxes.

"Oops." Simon didn't look too sorry about that. He returned to his work, his fingers inching closer and closer to the cake beaker.

Meanwhile, Alvin tried to spider climb up the stack of boxes to get his hat. You can probably guess what was about to happen next.

"Let's see, I just need to add this solution and…." SQUISH! Simon pulled back a frosting and cake covered hand. "What the?"

"Yesss!" Eleanor cheered as quietly as possible.

I giggled along with her.

Predictably, Simon blamed you know who. "DID YOU REPLACE MY BEAKER WITH CAKE!?"

"What? No!" Alvin was halfway up the stack of boxes now.

"YES YOU DID! WHO ELSE COULD IT BE!?" His eyes went wide when he noticed Alvin climbing up the stack of boxes. "GET DOWN FROM THERE BEFORE YOU…."

CRASH! The stack of boxes toppled over and Alvin was sent falling to the ground, with boxes landing on top of him. "Whoaaah ohhhhh!" THUD!

"...Fall." Simon finished, rubbing his temples with his non caked hand.

Alvin lifted an empty cardboard box off his head. "I wouldn't have been up there if you hadn't tossed my cap!" He pointed a finger at Simon.

"You replaced my beaker with CAKE!" Simon growled back.

"I did not!" Alvin insisted.

Knowing that I didn't want Alvin to wind up taking the fall….another fall….I bravely stepped out from behind the lab table. "It was me! And El…." Eleanor was gone, so I just took full responsibility for the prank. "It was just me."

"Oh…." Simon rubbed his neck. "Sorry, Alvin."

"It's fine." The rest of the box pile that hadn't fallen before tumbled down on Alvin and his cap landed on his nose. "No harm done. Pretty SWEET prank, bro." My oldest brother said to me.

"Thanks! I got you good, didn't I, Simon?" I said, while helping pull Alvin out of the pile.

"Yes. I believe you did. What inspired this?" My blue shirted brother stared at me with calculating eyes.

"Uhhh…" I couldn't lie. I knew it would only come back to haunt me. "It was Eleanor. We both made the cake...together. The prank was her idea, but I went along with it."

"That makes more sense." Simon snapped his fingers. "Well, don't do it again, okay?"

"Eh, I dunno. Two or three times couldn't hurt. Just don't go nuts." Alvin told me as he placed his cap back on his head.

Simon sighed. "Do whatever you want, Theo. It is….fairly harmless." He licked his hand. "Mmmm. Lemony."

I kinda wish he HADN'T said that, cuz when I relayed that message to Eleanor, she wanted to do more….and more….and more. As expected, things went downhill pretty fast. But I was having so much fun with Eleanor, the guilty feelings weren't registering!

Next, we pranked Brittany by making a cake hairbrush.

"Can someone tell me WHY there's FROSTING in my hair!?" She hollered.

"Haha! Fooled ya!" Eleanor popped out with me from behind the shower curtain to scare her.

Brittany then chased us around until she ran out of steam.

After that, we made a cake fantasy fairy themed book….and poor Jeanette got both her hands covered in chocolatey goodness.

"What's going on?" She asked.

Eleanor and I jumped out from behind the fridge. "Gotcha!"

Jeanette didn't chase us, but she did look confused.

That was followed by getting Simon AGAIN with a cake that looked like a TV remote and Alvin with one that looked like a videogame controller.

"ELEANORRR!" Simon growled. "THEODORRRE!"

"Good one, guys." Alvin fist bumped us. "Now where's my actual controller?"

"Uhhh….I dunno." I shrugged.

Alvin chased us both around a bit, until he got distracted by a song playing on the radio.

Speaking of songs….Eleanor created a music video using all the clips of us cake pranking more and more people. There was Miss. Miller with a cake that looked like a fluffy pillow and Bocater with a cake that looked like a stack of gold coins.

That was followed by pranking Ms. Croner with a cake that looked like cat food. She was NOT happy. And then we got Britt, Simon, Alvin, and Jeanette AGAIN with cakes that resembled a magazine, Simon's laptop, a banana, and a flower pot.

The song Eleanor used for the music video was called Catch Me If You Can. It was….a really catchy song. I could tell why Ellie liked it. I mean, just look at those lyrics!

"Here I go

You'll never stop me

I'm on a roll

Now you see me, now you don't

It feels like a game

'Cause, when you think you've caught me,

I slip away

I guess you're just too slow

Can't you find me

Now I'm over here

Now I'm over there

Now I disappear

Could be anywhere

What you waitin' for

Ready for some more

So exciting

Give it all you got

But I'll never stop

Push it to the limit

Try it all you want

Nothin' you can do

'Cause I'm on the move

I double dare you now come on and

Catch me if you can

You know that

You don't have a chance

I'm faster than you are

I'm on the run

Where am I now

You run up, I go downstairs

Look all around

I can hide where you can't see me

Try and find me

Now I'm over here

now I'm over there

Now I disappear

Could be anywhere

What you waitin' for

Ready for some more

So exciting

Give it all you got

But I'll never stop

Push it to the limit

Try it all you want

Nothin' you can do

'Cause I'm on the move

I triple dare you now come on and

Catch me if you can

You know that

You don't have a chance

I'm faster than you are

I'm on the run"

She stopped the video compilation. I was feeling confused. I didn't know what to think. It seemed like she was pushing this past the point of it being funny. But, I didn't want her to feel like I was trying to undermine her efforts.

So I just asked a random question instead. "How did you manage to get all those video clips?"

"Not important." She held out a drawing of the next cake she wanted us to make. "We've gotta plan our next target."

"I….don't really feel comfortable calling my brother a target." I said.

Eleanor wasn't listening. She was caught up in the giddyness of pranking people. "Okay, so, the game controller and banana were good, but this'll really screw with Alvin's head!"

"I...I don't wanna screw with his head. It's pretty messed up already." I squeaked. "You're taking this too far, Eleanor. And you're wasting so much cake!"

I looked at the drawing. We couldn't do this to Alvin. We couldn't mess with something he cared more about than even his cap.

"Oh, hush. It'll be fine. Remember how many pranks he's played on you over the years." She cackled. "Ahahaha! Time to get a TASTE of REVENGE!"

"No. No. I can't. I'm out." I raised my hands.

"Alvin said he doesn't mind." Eleanor reminded me. "He thinks this is funny."

"Not if you mess with that he won't. Like I said, Eleanor. I'm out." I left the treehouse in a huff and walked back up to my room. I sat down on the bed and wondered how this had all turned from being fun into being….not fun.

A few days later, just when I thought Eleanor had reconsidered the prank, Alvin burst into the kitchen with golden colored frosting around his mouth. He was very very VERY mad. He had every right to be.

"YOU CAKED MY HARMONICA!" He screamed at me, voice cracking.

"Nuh uh. Eleanor did. I walked out." I explained. "I knew that was pushing it."

"I AM GONNA DESTROY THAT CHIPETTE!" Alvin stomped around angrily.

"She's too fast." I moaned. "You'll never be able to catch her. And if I couldn't talk sense into her, what makes you think you have a chance?"

He wasn't phased. "This looks like a job for my new supersonic sneakers!" He pointed to the silvery metallic shoes on his feet with tiny rocket boosters attached to the sides. "Activate: Superspeed!"

Simon walked into the kitchen. He noticed Alvin's shoes start to smoke. Uh oh.

"Whoah! I moved so fast I'm already back to where I started! Haha! They work!" Alvin said excitedly, clearly unaware he HADN'T actually moved.

"You're on fire." Simon said, calmly.

"Why thank you, bro." My brother with the red glasses thought it was a compliment. I yi yi.

"No, I mean your shoes….are literally on fire." The chipmunk with more experience inventing stuff grabbed a fire extinguisher.

"What?" Alvin looked down at his feet. "AHHHHHH GET THEM OFF ME! GET THEM OFF ME! SOMEONE HEEEEELP!" He shouted, running around and leaving a trail of flames around the kitchen.

Simon was quick with the extinguisher and put them all out, along with Alvin's melting silver sneakers. "I hate to say "I told you so, but I told you so."

"You said I'd smash into a tree!" Alvin whined, kicking the still smoking shoes off and letting Simon coat them in fire extinguisher foam. "You didn't tell me I might catch fire!"

"I didn't think I had to! I thought you knew what to do to prevent that!" Oh great. Now the two were shouting at each other again….Meanwhile, Eleanor was still sneaking around replacing who knows what with cake!

"I thought I did too!" Alvin replied angrily at Simon, though I feel like he was more angry at himself.

"Come on, let's go get some burn cream for your feet. They're not too burned, are they?" Simon helped Alvin hobble out of the kitchen.

"Thankfully, I was wearing some really insulating socks." That was the last thing I heard Alvin say before I ventured into the music room.

I needed some advice from my dad. He had sorta helped me figure out things to say to Eleanor before. I knew he could help with this...if only he wasn't so busy.

"Dave, can we talk about stuff?" I asked politely.

"Hold on one minute, Theodore. I have to get this new piano instrumental done. The deadline's tomorrow." He sat down at his piano.

"Oh, okay, yeah I can wait." I agreed.

Suddenly, I caught a whiff of something delicious. Was there a cake in this room? It smelled like a really big cake. OH NO! I connected the dots in my head and realized that Eleanor had been here and left behind a large "present." This was gonna be LOUD.

Dave pressed down a piano key with a SQUISH! "Huh?" Thinking he imagined it, he tried another key. It squished again. The entire piano had been replaced by a cake replica. "It's got goop on it!" Dave wailed. "Wait a minute...it's all made of goop!"

I wondered how Eleanor had managed to get Dave's real piano out without him noticing AND replace it with a cake one. I assume she had some help, likely from Derek. She and Derek get along pretty well now that he's less of a bully, but he's still got a love for pranks.

Dave yelled as loud as he could and I covered my ears. "ALVINNN!"

"I can explain! Look, I was trying to make supersonic sneakers and there was a tiny mishap. Si and I will get ya new flooring! I promise!" Alvin skidded into the room, tripping over the rug and falling flat on his face. His feet were all wrapped up, so I assume Simon had put on the burn cream.

Simon followed, glaring at Alvin. "There is no "Si and I." You will be using your money to replace the kitchen floor."

"Kitchen floor?" Dave looked surprised and then angrier. "I'm talking about the goop in my piano! Someone covered it in frosting!"

"Ohhhh." Alvin frowned. "Yeah, that wasn't me."

"Or me." The taller chipmunk echoed. He gave me a look. "But maybe Theodore could explain it for you."

"THEODORE!?" Our dad stood up and put his hands on his hips. "You did this?"

"Uhhh….w...welll….n...n...no….not not really….not that." I stammered.

"Do you know who did?" My dad's amber eyes flashed with even more anger.

I exchanged a knowing glance with Alvin and then we spoke at the same time. "Eleanor."

I covered my ears again as Dave bellowed. "ELEANORRR!"

Eleanor stepped out from behind the curtain, looking guilty. "Okay, okay, Theo was right. This was too far."

"Give Dave back his piano!" Simon commanded her.

"Yeah!" I added, hurrying over to stand next to my brother in the deep blue shirt.

"And YOU BETTER FIND MY GOLDEN ECHO HARMONICA TOO, BLONDIE!" Alvin was furious.

Eleanor hung her head in shame. "Yeah….I will."

"Why did you do it?" Dave asked, trying to keep himself calm. I could tell he was steaming.

"I saw it online and thought it would be funny." Eleanor smiled sheepishly.

"And it was, a little, the first times." Alvin admitted.

"Then you wouldn't stop. You've BOTH tormented the town with your cakes and it needs to END." Simon stressed the last word a lot.

"I'm very tired of it." I said to Eleanor truthfully. "I kept trying to tell you, but you wouldn't listen."

"I swear I'll bring your stuff back." The girl in the mint T shirt with a darker mint star promised. "And I'll make it up to you."

"Me too." I switched sides to stand beside Eleanor.

The next day, we called a family meeting and both apologized for the really annoying pranks. Eleanor called in a crew of people to bring back Dave's prized piano and she gave Alvin back his harmonica….and all the other belongings we snatched...except the banana, cuz I ate that.

"We made something for you." I said, pointing to a tray with a domed lid.

"It's not another cake, is it?" Jeanette asked, looking suspicious of us.

"Uhhh." I felt silly revealing it now. It WAS in fact another cake.

Eleanor revealed it for me. It was a small vanilla cake with mint green colored frosting and dark teal letters that read "We're Sorry." It had a little frowny face drawn on. That was my touch. Ellie did the rest of the decorating, but we both helped make the cake.

"We accept your apology." Alvin said, fidgeting with his precious harmonica, which hadn't left his sight since Ellie returned it.

"Yeah." Simon added. "But seriously? Did it HAVE to be cake?"

Brittany cut a slice off of the cake. "Did it have to be green?"

"It's blue green." I told her.

"Still green." She cringed as she took a bite. "But it's tasty. Mmm vanilla."

"It's a nice gesture." Dave said, cutting a piece of cake for himself.

"I'll pass on it, but I accept your apology too, guys." Jeanette, being vegan wasn't interested in eating the cake.

Simon and Alvin both took their slices at the same time. Then they both looked at each other, annoyed that they had unintentionally been in perfect sync. I personally like it better when they're in sync.

So everyone (besides Jeanette) ate the cake and Eleanor surprised Jeanette with a vegan friendly matching cupcake. I was happy to be putting the days of pranking people unexpectedly behind me, although once in a while I might still watch Ellie's little compilation video...for the memories.

That night, as we were about to brush our teeth, Alvin eyed his toothbrush as if he didn't fully trust it. Oh man. See? This is what I was afraid would happen.

"Alvin, it's not gonna bite ya." I teased.

"If this is cake, Ellie is toast." He chuckled at his joke before going back to being paranoid that his toothbrush was really a cake.

"It's NOT cake." I insisted.

"But how do you know it's not cake!?" He asked. "It could be! It's like Shrodinger's Cat! I won't know if it's cake or not until I touch it!"

"I dunno who Shroder's cat is." I said. "But I don't smell cake, you're safe."

"You promise? Cuz I don't trust Eleanor. At all." He shivered.

I sighed. "I trust her. I know her. You're fine."

His eyes widened. "You trust Eleanor? Dude, that girl is one angry outburst away from hacking into the pentagon...or raiding area 51."

I shook my head. "She has standards, Alvin. Trust me."

Alvin scrunched his face in concentration and tapped his toothbrush lightly. "Phew! Not cake!"

I was glad that was settled. "Just like I said." I gave Alvin a friendly grin. "You don't have to worry about her."

"P...Promise?" Alvin whimpered.

"Promise." I replied sweetly.

That helped him be less anxious. And if Eleanor ever tried to mess with either of my brothers again, I would find a way to stop her. Knowing Eleanor though, she's got way more important things to worry about. I don't think we'll have any more trouble and no more cake fake-outs.

Chapter Text

Eleanor's POV

"Score! I win again!" I announced, holding the air hockey paddle in the air with a wild grin on my face.

"Darn it! That's like the 15th time!" My varsity jacket wearing pal set his paddle down in defeat. "I'd play you again, but I'm all out of quarters." He ran a hand through his stylishly kept blonde hair.

I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my teal, mint, and lavender swirl overalls. "Don't worry, dude. I know I have a few more." I told him, as I my fingers clasped around the coins. I pulled three of them out of my pocket and slotted one into the arcade air hockey machine.

"Sweeeet." He picked up the paddle again. He had a surprisingly chill attitude for a guy with anger issues who just lost to me 15 times.

I scanned the table waiting for the machine to spit out the puck so I could leap into action and defend my goal. "Ready to lose again?" I taunted my friend and opponent, playfully.

"I dunno." His lips curled into a sly smile. "This time maybe you'll be the loser." A look of panic crossed his face. "Not that I'm calling you a loser in a bad way….I just….mean like….you won't win. Is that clear?"

"You're fine, Derek. I know what ya meant." I told him. I knew he usually got freaked out and overcorrected if he thought anything he said sounded the least bit like bullying. Especially when I was involved. He respected me as a person so much that he was always scared of accidentally trash talking too hard.

You see, if you didn't already know, Derek Smalls used to be the biggest bully in our school, mainly because his dad was a trash human who taught him to bully others. Once he was removed from his dad's custody and placed with his aunt, he started to slowly work his way up to being a better person.

However, because he's no longer the head bully or even a bully at all, now we have a new head bully named Ray Ray. Funny how things change a lot, but somehow life still feels nearly exactly the same. But I'm not complainin'. Without bullies around, I wouldn't have as many reasons to use my self defense skills. I have VERY good self defense skills.

"Oh phew." Derek murmured under his breath.

"Trash talk is my thang." I quipped, throwing on a weird accent for fun. "It's all good."

ZING! The puck shot out of the mechanism and I lunged at it with my amazing chipmunk reflexes. My paddle connected with it and sent it sailing toward Derek's goal.

"Oh no you don't!" The human boy reacted quickly and sent the puck sliding back in my direction.

I countered it before it could dip into my goal. We continued like this for a while. We seemed evenly matched, but I knew I had the upper hand.

You see, I had practiced on this air hockey table many many times with my sisters and Theo. None of them were very good, but it gave me time to study how the table worked. The key was in the angles. If you could bounce the puck off the side of the table in a few exact spots, it would sail behind your opponent's paddle and into the goal.

Game, set, match, in 3….2….1…..WAIT A SEC!

I reacted as fast as I could to Derek's last attempt, but I was seconds too slow. The puck sailed into my goal and the human boy jumped a foot in the air.

"YES! HA! I BEAT YOU! I FINALLY BEAT YOU! IN YOUR FACE!" He stopped his celebration to hold out a large and faintly scarred hand. "Good game, Ellie."

I shook his hand. I'm no poor sport, even though I knew I should have totally had that round in the bag. "Good game, Derek. Ya finally got me. Congrats."

"Now what do we do?" The teen asked me, resting his elbow on the side of the air hockey table.

"I have two more quarters." I said, holding them up. "So we could play two more rounds orrrrr…." I pointed to the various other arcade games. "We could play something else."

"They have a virtual wrestling game." Derek said, walking away from the air hockey table. "Wanna try that?"

"Heck ya! I'm in!" I handed him a quarter and then pounded my fist into my opposite hand. "I love wrestling and nobody ever wants to wrestle with me. Or even virtual wrestle with me." I grumbled.

Derek looked at me sympathetically. "Even nerdo?"

"Which nerdo?" I asked, chuckling. "Simon or Alvin?"

"Alvin." He stated, rubbing his thumb and forefinger on the edges of the quarter.

"He's….not really interested either, no." I admitted. It had been a long time since Alvin and I played any real OR virtual sports together. "Too busy with his nose in some sci fi book."

"Bummer." The former bully walked up to the wrestling arcade game. "At least you still have Simon to play sports with. Never thought I'd use the words Simon and sports in the same sentence." He laughed.

"Eh, besides basketball, he's not really into sports either." I revealed. "I wish I could get Britt to play football. She'd be so good at it. But she's too busy worrying about her hair getting messed up."

"Well,..." Derek reached down and offered to lift me up so I could reach the controls for the game. "At least you've got me."

"Yep. Thanks for taking a chance on me." I hopped into his hands and he set me down on the ledge where the joystick was located. "You know, most people are afraid of me."

He inserted the quarter. "Most people are still afraid of me too. Like Kevin and Warren, and Cheeseball." He frowned. "Honestly, can't really blame 'em for not wanting to give me a chance yet."

I nodded. "The wounds are still fresh." My attention was grabbed by the flashing "start game" logo on the screen. "Anyway, let's get down to business."

"Get ready to taste the pain!" The teen clasped his joystick in both hands and started to move it around from side to side, while pressing the buttons on either side of the joystick to throw punches.

I did the same, with a small disadvantage from the controls not being my size. I had to really press hard to get the buttons to work. For Derek, pressing them seemed effortless. The joystick was luckily easier to maneuver, but I needed the buttons to really get that total KO I was hoping for. (Yes, I know, that's a boxing term and not wrestling, but I feel like it still applies here.)

We played that wrestling game for about 50 minutes, locked in an eternal stalemate. Neither one of us could manage to overpower the other. And then….the lights went out. Oh crappity crap.

"Derek…" I asked, my voice seeming to echo in the inky blackness. "When does the arcade usually close?"

Derek turned on his phone and used the screen brightness to light up a small bit of his face. "I'm thinking 9:00." He said, showing me that the time on his phone read 9:02pm.

"Oh man oh man oh mannnn." I punched the arcade machine, annoyed that we'd been locked in because we weren't watching the time.

"This doesn't make any sense though." The teen said, flicking the brightness up further with his finger and making his phone a powerful flashlight. "Why wouldn't someone come by and warn us we had like 5 minutes left til they close up?"

I sighed and took out my own phone, copying Derek and making my phone a flashlight too. "Because they didn't notice us at all. Being unnoticed is my special skill and because I was with you, I pulled you into my stealth zone."

"Huh?" He waved the phone flashlight back and forth, lighting up small sections of the arcade. "That doesn't make much sense either, but...maybe."

"We gotta get out of here." I jumped carefully down from the arcade machine I'd been standing on.

"Yeah. My aunt is going to be so mad if I break curfew again this week." My teen buddy moaned.

We moved slowly and carefully through the dark, mazelike arcade. "What do you mean again?" I questioned.

"Sooo...there was this all night party at Jesse's house..." in the dim light, I could see Derek rub his neck sheepishly.

I rolled my eyes. That explained it for sure. "Say no more. I get it." I shifted into crisis strategy mode. "Okay, I've got a plan. I'm going to pick the lock on the door and then we just….walk out."

"You can't." He said with a worried tone.

I groaned. "Why not?"

"Because the alarm will go off." Derek pointed to a flashing alarm system panel by the door. "And then the police will show up thinking we broke into the arcade. And I don't know about you, but I have a not so great record with cops."

I gulped. He was right. We couldn't just take the easy way out. Plus, well, I'd had several little run-ins with the cops myself over the years. Actually, more than several. I may be in good graces with Dangus currently, but that is all subject to change.

"My record isn't too good either." I admitted. Derek was my friend and he deserved to know.

"Wait, really? But you're….you." He scratched his head.

"There's more to me than meets the eye, dude." I suddenly got a brilliant idea. "I bet I could disable that security system."

"Okay, now I know you're joking." The varsity jacket wearing boy looked at me with disbelief.

I cracked my knuckles. "Oh really? Watch me." I boasted.

"WAIT!" Derek shrieked. "I believe you, but….if they find the security system hacked, won't that just cause more problems?"

"Oh come on!" I squeaked, frustrated with the situation we'd found ourselves in. "Do you want to go home tonight, or not?"

"I want to. I do." He said softly. "But not if we're gonna set off alarms or disable security stuff."

"Then we've gotta put our heads together and think of a way out." Upon finishing that sentence, I hurried off to check the bathrooms for any windows we could climb out of. No luck. They were all sealed tight and wouldn't budge.

I returned to the main room of the arcade. "Windows are a no go." I reported.

Derek sat down in defeat on one of the chairs near the small dining area of the arcade. "The back door's got a fire exit sign, so I'm sure an alarm will go off there too." He added.

"Think we could dig a tunnel out of here?" I asked, half joking, half so exhausted and annoyed that I was hoping I had the capability to actually tunnel out of the building.

"Doubt it." He stomped his foot on the carpet. "There's a hardwood floor. We'd never get through."

I jumped up on the table. "There's gotta be some other way."

Derek's phone flashlight suddenly dimmed. "Crud. I'm out of battery." He sighed, beginning to accept there was no way to escape. "Too bad we can't just teleport out of here."

DING DING DING! I gasped and smiled. I knew exactly how to get us out of here. "That's it!"

"We CAN do that?" He raised an eyebrow.

I nodded frantically. "Yes! We can! Simon and Alvin made these force field bracelets together that also have a teleportation feature. They only work 3 times an hour, but 2 times is all we need. One time to teleport in to us, and the next to teleport out."

"Are you serious!?" Derek was clearly surprised and a little weirded out, though I detected a hint of fascination.

I punched Simon's number into my phone. "Dead serious."

I waited a few moments until Simon picked up the phone. "Hello?" His voice was groggy.

"Hi, Simon, it's Eleanor. I need you to help teleport me and a...friend out of the arcade. We're kinda locked in." I didn't say the friend was Derek, because I know Simon's still got some negative feelings toward the guy and I didn't want those feelings to influence him NOT to help us.

"No." He said firmly. "It's almost my bedtime. You got yourself locked in, you can get yourself out."

"Okay, okay…" I expected the conversation to go like this and I had prepared for it. "I guess I'll just disable the security system to get us out instead."

There was a pause and then some shuffling on the line. A heavy sigh followed. Finally, Simon answered with. "I'll send the bracelets in. Which arcade are you at? The one downtown or the one near the roller rink?"

"Downtown." I replied.

Derek was getting angry and impatient now. "Is he gonna help or what?"

"He's gonna help." I whispered.

I could hear the soft thuds of Simon walking down the stairs. Then some beeping and some mechanical whirring. "Okay, I have plugged in the coordinates. The bracelets will arrive in 3...2….1….and….there you go."

Two bracelets, one blue and one red with multicolored buttons and a tiny screen on them appeared out of thin air and landed by the door.

"Thanks, Simon. We got them!" I told him, relieved that we'd be free soon.

Simon yawned loudly. "You're welcome. Goodnight." And the line went dead.

I sped over and picked up the blue bracelet, tossing the red one at Derek. He caught it and then looked confused. "How do we use these things?"

I fiddled with the metal bracelet on my wrist. "You can add coordinates or go to programmed places like our house and school." I explained.

"How do I set the coordinates?" He poked at a random button.

"Not like that." I climbed up onto his shoulder and fiddled with the device on his arm. I chose one of the preset locations by pressing the green button 2 times "There, all set for our house. Your aunt's house isn't that far away, is it?"

He shook his head. "No, just a block I think."

"Okay, now to activate it, you hold down on the red and yellow buttons at the same time." I told the non-tech-inclined human.

He followed my instructions and vanished in a poof of cyan and red glitter. I activated the bracelet on my wrist and vanished in presumably just a boring flash of blue light. Simon's bracelet didn't have any extravagant flare to the activation process. It was cool enough without the glitter, if you ask me.

Seconds later, Derek and I found ourselves standing in the driveway of the Seville house. Well, Derek was standing. I was flat on my belly because I had been on Derek's shoulder when we teleported. At least I didn't hit the pavement too hard.

"That was….totally sick!" Derek looked at the red bracelet on his wrist. "Do you guys use these a lot?"

"Nah." I slipped off Simon's bracelet. "They're still a work in progress. I'm sure the nerd twins will work out the kinks eventually. Get them to work more than 3 times an hour for starters."

The tall teen slipped off the red bracelet and handed it to me. "Cool. Well, I guess I should get going. I'll see ya soon, Eleanor. Lookin' forward to beating you at more games." He teased.

"Not if I beat ya first." I winked.

"Haha! We'll just see, won't we?" The boy zipped up his open varsity jacket.

"I totally could have won that wrestling game if the power hadn't gone out." I quipped.

"Suuure." He reached down to pat my head condescendingly. "Keep tellin' yourself that."

I growled and he took his hand off my head. I calmed myself down and waved at him as I headed for the treehouse steps. My bed was calling. It'd been a long day.

Derek waved back and then stuck his hands into his jacket pockets and hurried away down the sidewalk. I hoped he'd make it home before his aunt was too worried. Although, maybe he should count his blessings he's got someone who DOES care enough to worry now.

Before I entered the treehouse, I looked up at the stars twinkling in the sky. It was such a peaceful night. I was glad I didn't have to spend it stuck in the arcade. Although, the spooky vibes were pretty awesome. They were sort of giving me a Halloween Haunted House idea. But that, dear readers, is a story for another time.

Chapter Text

Alvin 2.0's POV

The TV blared the Oldies music station in the background as I feverishly typed on my laptop. I knew I had to keep working as long as I could. You see, this 3 page report on Isaac Newton was due in less than an hour. I just HAD to finish it before school.

It had taken AGES for the motivation to write it to kick in. And even with the motivation, I could only do it while there was music playing in the background to filter out the possible distractions and keep my dopamine meter full.

It was by no means a perfect system, but I didn't need perfect. I just needed the report to be DONE! Typed out at least, I could give it to Jeanette to proofread on the bus. Wait, were we taking the bus today?

"Alvin." Theodore's cheery voice invaded my thoughts, threatening my ability to continue typing the report. "Breakfast is ready."

"Not hungry." I managed to hiss out, probably with more "attitude" than I should have. Oh well.

"Are you sure? We made pumpkin spice waffles! And we have that really expensive maple syrup you like." Theodore waved the plate of waffles in my face.

"URGH, Theo! I can't!" My fingers pounded the keys of the laptop in desperation as Billy Joel reached the chorus of the song You May Be Right.

Simon came waltzing into the room next. "Come on, Alvin. Whatever you're doing can wait. The Chipettes came over to have breakfast with us and you cannot just skip out."

I shook my head. Couldn't they see what a bind I was in? "I can't stop working!" I panicked. "I'll lose my motivation!"

"Dude, you HAVE to eat." Now Eleanor had entered the room. I doubted it would take much time before her sisters joined her.

"Yeah!" Theodore whimpered, concerned for my health and well-being. "You'll starve!"

I'd had just about enough of their distractions. "Then someone's gonna have to feed it to me!" I snapped.

"I'm not doing that." Simon replied.

Brittany joined us in the living room. "Me either."

"Please?" I begged. "Come on, you guys."

The pink diva I used to have a crush on threw her hands in the air. "Feed it to yourself!"

Jeanette started to cut the waffles Theo had brought over.

"Jeanette, no. Don't you dare." Eleanor snatched them away before she could help me.

I groaned. "I can't stop typing! I don't have use of my hands."

Simon scoffed and crossed his arms. "Not our problem. Just take a break."

"But The motivation!" I protested. Why couldn't they understand!?

Theo put a soft fuzzy hand on my arm. "Your health is more important. Come eat."

"Can't you just toss bite size pieces into my mouth or something!? I HAVE to get this report done. I don't want another round of detention from Miss. Smith." Especially not on a history report I had wisely chosen to do on one of my favorite scientists. I picked Newton especially so I WOULDN'T lose motivation. Sadly, it didn't work that way.

"How far are you through the report?" Simon asked, frowning.

I looked up to meet his frowny face. "I'm on the 3rd page of 3!"

"And you're SURE you can't take 5 minutes to have waffles?" Eleanor stood on the couch and poked my nose.

"Ow!" I glared at her. "Yes. I'm sure. The second I stop, the motivation will go bye bye."

"Then I guess we'll just….save you some waffles for the bus ride." Theodore sounded glum.

My stomach growled again, but I powered through.

"Good luck on the report, Alvin." Jeanette said softly before leaving the room to join the others for breakfast.

I continued to work and turned up the volume of the music station. Now, Vouge by Madonna was playing. More and more of the paper got typed and before I knew it, I was finished! I made sure I saved it, sent a copy to Jeanette, and finally got up from the couch and stretched.

There was a small buttprint indentation left in the couch where I'd been sitting. My stomach growled more and more now, so I raced off to the kitchen to grab the plate of waffles my family saved for me.

I shoved the waffles in my cheeks and then hustled outside to the bus stop. I checked my watch. Still time! I was gonna make it unless….

Drat! The bus was early! I pushed myself as hard as I could, racing to join the others. Barely on time, I collapsed into Simon's arms and he carried me onto the bus with a groan.

"I cannot keep doing this." He warned me. "You need to find a better system. All this last minute rushing does is cause you more stress."

I sighed. He was right. But this was the only system that worked for me. "I promise I'll find a better way." I said, already thinking of several possible methods to try.

I managed to get a B minus on the history paper. All that hard work for barely above a C. I guess it wasn't my best work, or Miss. Smith just hates me. Either is a possibility. At least I didn't wind up punished, although I was sure Dave would nag me for skipping breakfast.

After school, I put a new plan into action. I needed a way to eat hands free while typing up papers. The solution seemed pretty simple. I needed a new invention! Something that could launch little bits of food into the air so I could catch them in my mouth.

Or maybe something that could just hold food up to my mouth so I could take a bite? The first one seems too similar to that game I used to play with Theo which nearly resulted in me choking. Yeesh.

I started drawing up the blueprints for my brilliant chain reaction device ideas in my lab under the stairs. Suddenly, I was interrupted by the sound of shuffling feet.

In strolled Jeanette and Simon, both wondering what I was up to.

"New invention plans again?" My brother in the round blue glasses asked, looking at the blueprints. "You know, maybe you should work on some of your in-progress inventions before trying something new." He gestured to a huge binder of all my failed and still untested ideas.

"Let his creativity flourish, Simon." The much kinder Chipette who I am proud to call my girlfriend advised.

"Yeah!" I echoed. "Let my creativity flourish!"

"Yooo hooo!" Oh joy (sarcasm) another interruption. This time from the most fashionable of the three Chipettes. "What's going on in here?"

"Not now, Britt." I tried to keep my temper in check. "I'm busy."

"What are you doing?" She leaned intrusively over my shoulder.

"If you must know, I'm…" I began, before being rudely cut off by Eleanor as she ALSO entered my lab.

"Hey, you guys having a party in here?" She sat down in a beanbag chair. "You better not leave me out."

"No parties!" I huffed. "I'm trying to work."

"Really? Cuz between the neon lights and the disco ball it LOOKS like you're having a party." The blonde Chipette leaned back on the beanbag, causing her twin pigtails to hang down vertically.

"Sometimes I have parties in here. SOMETIMES." I admitted. "Just not today. Besides, I dig the decor. It makes me feel…cool."

"Well,…" Brittany glanced at me like she wasn't sure exactly what to say. "At least you FEEL cool."

"Knock knock!" Aw nuts! Here was Theo to add to the madness. "Can I see your new invention plans?"

I defensively covered the drawing I was working on with my arm. "Maybe after they're finished."

"But we'd be delighted to see the process." Simon added, slipping around to look over my shoulder as Britt was doing.

"Yeah, come on, Alvie!" Britt fluttered her lashes.

I growled. "That doesn't work on me anymore." I could feel my motivation to draw starting to dwindle away. They were just too much. Too distracting. I couldn't reach hyperfocus with them around. "Look, I would be more than happy to share this as soon as I finish it. But in order to finish it, I need to be alone."

That caused them all to look extremely confused.

"But you HATE being alone." Theodore said what everyone was thinking.

"Yeah. I do." I admitted. "Which is why Jeanette can stay. The rest of you, OUT!"

Brittany pouted, sticking her lower lip out. "How come Jeanette gets to stay?"

"Because I know she's not going to mess with me, insult me, or tell me everything I'm doing wrong." I pointed a finger at Eleanor, then Britt, then Simon so that they knew exactly who I meant for which thing.

"Urgh! Fiiine." Brittany walked toward the lab exit. "I know when I'm not wanted."

"What about me?" Theodore put both hands on my lab table. "Can I stay?"

"Guys, it has been a really stressful day…" I said, before blaring alarms interrupted my thoughts.

"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! LOCKDOWN INITIATED!" My own voice blasted from the speakers by the large metal door, which slammed closed at warp speed. I really regret putting my own voice in the security system. I thought it would be funny, but it's super weird and kinda offputting.

"Lockdown!?" Brittany gasped. "No no no no!" She pounded at the metal door, leaving dents due to her super strength. However, the door was built tough enough that she couldn't break it down.

"What's going on?" Theodore cowered under my lab table.

"I think it's a malfunction of some kind." Jeanette told everyone. "Stay calm, you guys. I'm sure it's fixable."

I was furious. "I bet Britt touched something and set it off."

"All I did was try to walk through the door!" Brittany protested. "Your security system is just stupid!"

Simon facepalmed. "I knew this would happen."

"Oh you're some prophet now too, are ya, hot shot!?" I asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. I call him a hot shot because of his uncanny basketball skills.

"No. I told you that I would help set up the security system." He explained. "But you said you could do it all by yourself. Clearly, that's not true."

"Yeah. I bet you crossed like a bunch of wires." Eleanor laughed rudely.

"I didn't cross ANYTHING! It's Britt's fault!" I ran over to the doors and typed in the code to open them up.

"Password denied." My voice said in a haughty tone. "Better luck next time, intruder."

"I am not an intruder! Listen here you dirty rotten security system!" I kicked the door angrily. "Open up!" OW! Now my foot hurt.

"Yeah. It's malfunctioning." Simon looked worried. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news,…"

"No you don't." Theodore interjected. "You love to be the bearer of bad news. Most of what comes out of your mouth is all negative and moody and grouchy."

That got everyone except Simon laughing. I love when Theo tells things exactly as they are.

After the laughing break, Simon finished his thought. "There's no telling how long we might be trapped in here."

We all looked around at each other and gulped. I felt like I had to say something, so I impulsively said the first thing I thought of. "Don't worry. I'm sure I can get it working again….somehow."

Fast forward to about an hour or two later, (My sense of time is terrible, sorry) and we were still stuck. At least the lab was pretty spacious. It would be a lot worse if we were all stuck in like…a cupboard or something.

Needless to say, morale was pretty low. Anger and emotional instability issues were high and extra squabbling was expected at a time like this.

"Have you figured out what's wrong yet?" Brittany was now draped over a beanbag chair like Eleanor had been earlier.

"I'm zeroing in on the problem. It shouldn't be long now!" I said confidently.

Brittany flopped her face forward into the beanbag. "That's what you said two hours ago."

"Perhaps…" Jeanette squeaked in her whispery voice. "You should take Eleanor's suggestion and make sure the wires are in the correct spots."

"I've got this. Just let me work." I had absolutely no idea how to fix this thing, but I didn't want to admit that with Britt, Ellie, and Simon in the room. It would make them all question if I was actually smart or just acting the part.

Theodore was entranced by the movement of my red and cyan colored lava lamp. "Whoah….look at those bubbles twist and turn. Why do they do that?"

Simon paced up and down the half carpeted lab floor. "Just let me take a look at it. You know two heads are better than one."

I shook my head. "My security system. My lab. My rules."

Eleanor jumped behind me and caused me to drop the wrench I was holding while fixing the control panel. "I could hack us out of here if you let me." She offered.

My fur bristled. "No hacking. You can't solve everything with hacking."

"Is anyone gonna answer me on the lava lamp thing?" Theodore called out, sounding just as frustrated as everyone else.

"When heated the wax mixture becomes less dense than the water. That's why the blobs of wax rise up. Then, once they cool, they float back down to the bottom." Jeanette explained to my less sciencey bro.

Theo's brown eyes sparkled. "Woah! Neat!" I have no clue if he actually understood what Jeanette said or if he was just saying "neat" as a reflex. I like to think it's the first one. She did make it easy to understand. Although, I might only be saying that because I have a science-brain now.

"This is maddening. I have to meet Jesse at the mall at 6!" Brittany complained. "And it's already 5:30!"

"Best to text her and say you can't make it because Alvin is being too stubborn to ask for help." Simon fumed.

"Alvin, please!" Tears were streaming in Britt's eyes now. "Just let Simon fix it!"

"Maybe I can help." Jeanette fidgeted with the jelly band bracelets on her wrist.

I reluctantly handed her a screwdriver. At least she was a better help than Simon. Simon would just take over and not explain what he did, leaving me entirely reliant on him next time the malfunction occurred. I needed to know how to repair this glitch on my own power.

More time ticked on and I got even more upset at the dumb security system. Jeanette and I had scoured the control panel for any signs of things that were wrong. It all looked completely fine.

"That is very odd." Simon rubbed his chin. "Perhaps the issue is with the program that the system is running….rather than the wiring."

I fumed. "Are you accusing me of writing a faulty program!?"

"Given your lackluster computer coding skills, yes." He retorted.

I balled my hands into fists. "Coding is hard!"

"Just let me take a look at the program you're running." Simon begged.

"Yes, so we can FINALLY get out of here." Brittany added. She had taken to laying on top of one of my two lab tables and I was too busy dealing with the malfunction to tell her not to.

"It's on my laptop." I begrudgingly admitted to Simon.

"Alright." He smiled a little. "Where's the laptop?"

"You're not gonna like the answer." I grimaced.

"Oh no." He rubbed his forehead, the smile fading away.

I nodded. "Yep. It's in my room. Upstairs."

"We are never getting out of here." Simon moaned, sitting down on the floor and flopping to his side like a ragdoll.

"Not true." Eleanor stood atop one of the beanbag chairs. "All we need is someone on the outside to get the laptop."

"Let's call Dave!" Theo squeaked.

I frowned. Did I want Dave knowing my barely budding programming skills had trapped all of us in my lab for hours? No! What if he punishes me by banning me from my own lab!? What if it makes him think I've regressed to old patterns of causing trouble!? What if he thinks I did it on purpose!? Also, WHY DO I HAVE THIS MUCH ANXIETY!?

"No. Dave's working round the clock. He doesn't have time to clean up our messes." Simon pointed out.

My chubby brother in green frowned. "Let's not call Dave. Who else can we call?"

"Ghostbusters!" Eleanor said with a smirk.

"Not the time, Ellie." Brittany covered her eyes with both her hands as she continued to lay on the table.

"What about Geizmo?" I asked, thinking in a sheer panic, which is something I do a lot. "If you told Geizmo exactly what to press on the laptop, could he fix the jacked up code and free us?"

"Theoretically, maybe." My brother in the blue shirt with an atom design on it sat up. "But do we really want to leave it in his hands? He's five!"

"Well, I doubt Warbie's gonna be any better." I reminded him. "He literally hunts and pecks the keyboard and his understanding of tech ends with social media."

"What about Zeela or Pippi?" My taller brother looked at my girlfriend hopefully.

Jeanette sat down on the beanbag Eleanor wasn't standing on. "I'm sorry, Simon. They're out shopping with Miss. Miller. They won't be home until late tonight. I sent them with her so that I could help Alvin with his invention. He didn't want many distractions."

I rolled my eyes. "Funny how that worked out." I didn't think it was funny, but maybe anyone reading this will.

"Great." Brittany snapped sarcastically. "Not only have I missed seeing Jesse and buying really cute dresses, now our only hope of getting out of here is….is….is….robo baby brat!?"

"Looks like it." Theo reached up to pat Brittany's head.

"No. I'm not leaving it up to Simon's kid." She growled. "For all we know, he'll malfunction too!" She leapt off the table and rolled up the sleeves of her stylish fuschia top. "I'm bustin' us out of here myself!"

Eleanor snickered. "Good luck with that."

"Brittany, I don't think…." Simon quieted down as Brittany hurled herself into the door at full force.

SLAM! She fell to the ground pounding with her fists on the door. "Owww."

"Are you okay, Brittany?" Theodore helped the Chipette in pink to her feet.

"I'm fine." She sulked. "What use is super strength if I can't even break that door down?"

"That door was built to withstand a lot more than a chipmunk with impressive upper body strength." Simon told Britt, also helping her up from her embarrassing attempt to free us.

"Too bad it wasn't built to withstand the Alvin virus that invades all tech and causes it to break." Eleanor quipped with a grin that I really REALLY wanted to swat off her face.

"Shut up, Eleanor." I snapped. I was past the limit now.

Simon pushed a few buttons on his phone and I knew he was contacting his robotic son. Yes, he has a son….Yes, it's weird. I like the little robo dude though. He's pretty fun. Doesn't get along with his cousin Warbie though. They still need time to warm up to each other.

"Geizmo, hey, hi. It's me, Simon. We need a favor." My brother said. "Are you busy?"

"Is he busy?" Brittany rolled her eyes. "He spends all day watching youtube videos. Of course he isn't busy."

"What you want, daddy?" The robot asked in his childlike voice.

"I need you to get on Alvin's laptop and run a program called Ultimate Security. Then, I need you to send me a picture of what the screen looks like." Simon instructed. "Can you do that?"

"No. You play with me first. Pwease." Geizmo replied with a whine.

"I can't." Simon grumbled. "I'm trapped in Alvin's lab."

Geizmo started to cry. "Daddy like uncle Alvin more than me! It not faaaair!"

And then the call ended.

Simon flopped his head down onto the lab table and set the phone beside him. "Well, there goes that option."

"Maybe if you were better at being a dad to Geizmo, he'd be more cooperative." Theodore pointed out, causing Simon to seethe with rage.

"I'm doing the best I can!" He insisted.

I felt the need to add some things, though I likely should have kept my mouth shut. Oops. "The best you can? You barely spend time with him! You're all like "Hey, Theo, watch Geizmo! Hey, Jeanette, watch Geizmo! Hey, Alvin, watch Geizmo!" And then, I struck it home with one last true, yet insulting blow. "Hey, Geizmo, watch youtube!"

"You try raising a kid while attending school and being in clubs and being your dad's personal electrician, plumber, tech support and….and….I can't take this anymore! I want out of here!" Simon got up from the chair and clawed desperately at the metal door.

"Does Warbie not count as a kid?" I asked, tilting my head. "Cuz I spend more time hanging out with him than you do with Geizmo."

"Yeah, but do you do any actual parenting, Alvin?" Theo questioned me.

"Some, yeah." Maybe not as much as I thought.

"So, bottom line, we are trapped in here until Dave gets home?" Brittany asked, slumping against the wall with the lava lamp shelf in defeat.

Simon sighed loudly. "It appears so. Sorry, guys. And I'll stop asking all of you to watch Geizmo so much. He is my responsibility. I created him and as hasty and ill thought out as that decision was, it's up to me to handle the consequences."

Jeanette clapped her hands. "Very good, Simon!" The girl in purple stared at us one by one, confusion on her face. "Now, what do we do?"

"We're gonna starve!" Theo whined.

"I have an emergency food supply." I opened the drawer of the lab table. "See? I've got trail mix, gummies, and dried fruit."

Theodore grabbed a bag of trail mix and hungrily munched it. "Thanks. I was starting to get really hangry."

"I feel like we're in one of those TV episodes where they only use one set location to save money." Jeanette placed a finger on her cheek.

"Like a bottle episode." I said automatically. The nerd in me was strong as ever.

"Bottle episode?" Brittany didn't have a clue what we meant.

"Yeah, you know, like on TV tropes." I cleared my throat. "This incident shall henceforth be known as The Bottle Episode."

"We've gotta find a way to pass the time." Eleanor grumbled. "And all the board games and card games aren't in here."

"We could play a game on our phones!" Suggested my youngest brother.

"My phone's dead." I said. "And the charger's in my room."

"Mine's at 8% battery." Jeanette chimed in.

"20%" Eleanor frowned. "Mine wouldn't last through more than one round of Among Us."

Theodore stuck his phone back in the pocket of his jeans. "Nevermind."

"You really need to charge your phones more." Simon nagged the three of us. "What if this were a real lockdown emergency?"

"Yeah, well, I didn't count on getting stuck in Alvin's nerd cave all day." Eleanor retorted.

Jeanette folded her arms. "I don't believe in charging mine until it's at 1%. I don't want to waste electricity."

"I just….forgot." I tapped my head. "Good ol swiss cheese brain, ya know."

"I have an idea." Britt's sassy voice came from my left. "But I doubt you'll like it."

"What is it?" I felt like I was going to regret asking this.

"Truth or Dare." Her bubblegum colored lips quirked into a grin.

"No. No. Absolutely not." Simon shook a finger in the air. "Positively not. There's too many ways that could go wrong."

"My secrets aren't gettin' spilled in some dumb game like that." Britt's youngest sister fumed. "If you want my secrets, you're gonna have to interrogate them out of me."

"Plus, this room is kinda cramped for doing a bunch of dares." Theo said. "But I would love to play Truth Or Dare some other time."

"Told ya you wouldn't like it." The Chipette in pink grumbled. "I don't know why I bother."

"You guys wanna hear the game I made up?" I stood tall under my disco ball hanging from the ceiling.

"When did you have time to make up a game?" Britt questioned.

"Just now." I had suddenly had the ideas just flow into my mind rapidly. "It's called Elemental Dance Party Adventure!"

Everyone stared at me, some of them looked intrieged.

"How do we play?" Asked Theo.

I began to explain the rules. "Okay, so, we each get a piece to move around the game board while shaking this dice." I fished a galaxy colored 20 sided DND dice off my junk shelf. "Then, this….can be the game board." I took the framed periodic table poster down from the wall and set it on the lab table. "You move across the periodic table going by the atomic number of each element. Si, Netta, and I can help move your pieces if that's too confusing."

"When does the dancing come in?" Brittany interrupted.

"I'm getting to that, hold on." I smirked. "Before you can move, you have to dance to a song that will be randomly played from….Theo's phone."

"Oh oh! I have an idea!" Jeanette waved her hand high in the air.

"What's your idea?" I could feel my excitement building.

"Once you reach the middle of the gameboard, if you get an odd number, you move forward, but an even number moves you backward." She suggested.

"Oooh! Adding a challenge! I like it!" Eleanor gave her sister a thumbs up.

"What's the middle of the gameboard?" Theo looked at the periodic table poster.

"Well, there's 103 elements represented here. So the middle of the board would be somewhere between 51 and 52. 103 doesn't divide evenly." Simon stated matter of factly.

"So 51.5 then?" Eleanor joked.

"How about we just make it 52. I like 52. It's a good number." Theodore squeaked.

"Okay, then. 52 it is." I grinned and pushed my glasses up to re-adjust them. "Let's play!"

And play we did! The game passed the time really quickly! And I was able to get game pieces for everyone from the junk shelf in my lab. Simon was being represented by a blue paperclip, Jeanette by a purple pencil top eraser, Brittany by a pink colored flower shaped button, myself by a tiny action figure of me, (classic me that is, not 2.0), Theo was being represented by a green binder clip, and Eleanor was playing the game by moving around one of her teal colored hair ties since I had nothing to represent her well on the junk shelf.

The game was heating up now. Ellie and Simon had passed the halfway point. I had too, but I kept rolling even numbers and having to move back so I was nowhere near either of them. Theo and Netta had almost made it to the halfway point. Even Britt, who hadn't even reached the halfway point, was ahead of me. The game looked like this, basically

Me: space 29 Copper

Britt: space 35 Bromine

Jeanette: space 40 Zirconium

Theo: space 48 Cadmium

Simon: space 78 Platinum

Eleanor: space 86 Radon

"Alright, Alvin, you're up!" Brittany tossed the dice at me and I caught them.

I shook and finally FINALLY got an odd number. The first I'd gotten since I hit the midway point. "Ohoho! Yes! 19! That puts me on Cadmium with Theo!"

"And now, you gotta dance toooo…." Theo shuffled up the next song on his phone. "The New Adventures of Winnie The Pooh theme song."

Britt and Eleanor cracked up at that.

I knew my face was pretty red. "Oh come on." I muttered.

"I had to dance to a song called FOOD." Brittany reminded me.

"Yeah!" Eleanor cringed. "And I had to dance to Baby freakin' Shark."

"What's wrong with Baby Shark?" Theo pouted.

"New Adventures is certainly less annoying than Baby Shark." Simon told me, pointing to the spot under the disco ball.

He was right. I accepted my fate and boogied down while the music played. I even sang along. "Time to get up, time to get going, gonna see a friend of miiiine. He's round and he's fuzzy, I love him because he's just…"

"Pooh bear! Winnie the Pooh bear!" Theodore sang along.

When we finished, I launched the dice at Simon. "Okay, your turn Si."

He shook a three. "Aw fiddlesticks. At least I'm not moving backwards." He landed on rectangle 81 aka Thallium.

"Now you have to do…" Theodore snickered. "The Hampster Dance."

Simon reluctantly did a very weird half country line dance and half hip hop routine. It was kinda awesome.

"Boys? Are you in there?" A metallic knock came from the door that trapped us all inside the lab. "Is everything okay?"

We all rushed to the door. "Dave!" We squealed. "Thank goodness you're here!"

With some trial and error, Simon showed Dave how to use the program on my laptop to re-program the security system. Turns out I had a couple of commands accidentally programmed in reverse…which explained my security system locking us all in….instead of intruders out. Rookie mistake, really.

Once we were free, I promised to let both Simon AND Jeanette double check my programs from now on. Dave wasn't mad. In fact, he was happy that we'd found such a good way to pass the time while we were all stuck.

And then, since we'd missed out on most of what we wanted to do that evening, we finished the game after a very VERY late dinner. Simon and Eleanor tied for first place and Eleanor challenged him to a tiebreaker arm wrestle. Ells won, of course.

I guess the moral of the story is that creativity helps you in ways you least expect or something like that. I dunno. I'm tired and I have to fix the mess that we all made in my lab. Then maybe I can finish the concept art for that hands free auto feeder thingamajig. Ohoho! I have a good feeling about it!

Chapter Text

Jeanette's POV

Inside the dressing room, I gathered with my sisters and the Chipmunks. We prepared to go onstage for our concert at the Civic Center. It wouldn't be long now. I could hear the crowd cheering.

It was a Saturday night, which was good since that meant we weren't out of town on a school night. The Civic Center we were scheduled to perform at wasn't in Santa Barbara, you see. It was a 2 hour drive to get here.

It wasn't a particularly fancy event. We were all in mostly casual clothes with very little glitz and glam. (Unless you count Brittany, who was wearing a sequined pink hoodie and a light pink satin mini dress underneath.)

I had chosen a pair of blue jeans with purple butterflies and green vines embroidered up the side. My shirt was plaid with shades of phlox, periwinkle, and violet. Rounding that off, was my favorite cozy and warm dark purple hooded jacket with tiny cat ears on the hood.

Eleanor was dressed in a mint colored dress that almost reached her knees. Over the dress, she wore a dark teal-green cardigan. I could tell the outfit was bothering her, but she knew that management wanted her to dress to fit her image. Which, unfortunately, meant "appropriately girly."

I watched her rip the large bows out of her hair and replace them with hair ties that had some tiny plastic fruit slices on them.

"Much better." She muttered.

"I think they look great too!" I told her, smiling happily.

I turned my attention to Simon and Theodore. They were dressed in matching solid blue and green shirts and dark jeans. Theo had brought his patchwork vest along which I think is just lovely, but he wasn't permitted to wear it onstage.

Theodore drummed the makeup table nervously with his drumsticks. "3 minutes until showtime, guys."

Simon slicked his hair to the side and made a funny looking face in the mirror. I think he was trying to look attractive, but it just seemed like he smelled something really nice.

Which was definitely NOT Brittany's perfume. That's enough to take your breath away. I caught a whiff of it and slowly backed away.

"Is everyone ready?" My older sister asked, holding up the perfume. "Anybody need to be freshened up first?"

"We're good." Eleanor snatched the perfume bottle from Brittany's hands. "We're GOOD."

"Are you okay, Alvie?" Brittany twirled one of the swivel chairs around to reveal Alvin sitting inside it. He was being abnormally quiet, which caused me to worry about him.

"Yep." Alvin sat motionless in the chair wearing his old ripped up red hoodie with a yellow A on it. He wasn't wearing the same jeans he used to, because they didn't fit him anymore. However, he'd gotten a brand new pair that was almost identical in a larger size.

He got to keep the rainbow sneakers on his feet, but the rest of his look was basically what everyone dubs "Classic Alvin." He looked okay with it, aside from the vacant stare. I wondered if he was actually alright on the inside or feeling miserable.

"You haven't said much." I pointed out, walking up closer to Alvin, but trying to avoid getting too close to Brittany and her perfume.

"I'm tired." Alvin blinked his blue eyes and squinted. "Let's get this done and over with."

Theodore, Simon, and Britt all gasped.

"You mean the great Alvin Seville doesn't want to perform tonight?" Simon teased.

Alvin jumped out of the chair. "Don't act so surprised."

My sister in pink handed him the case with his contact lenses. "Uh, aren't you forgetting something?" She teased.

Alvin sighed loudly and then picked up his red framed glasses from the makeup table and put them on his face. "No. I'm not. I don't need those."

"Management says you HAVE to wear them." Simon reminded his brother. "Since you are the one who begged and pleaded and threw such a stink to get them in the first place. Plus, they were very expensive."

"Yeah. And besides, you know glasses make you a lot less marketable." Brittany added.

Alvin growled and swiped the contact lens case from her. "I need help putting them in." He admitted, looking directly at me.

I removed his red glasses and helped him quickly to get the contact lenses situated on his eyes. I didn't mind him looking like this. It was knowing how much he hated it and how much his decisions had cost him that put a real damper on things.

"Thanks, Netta." He squeezed my hand gently.

I squeezed it back. "You're going to do great out there."

A goofy grin spread across his face and he was suddenly his energetic self again. "Ohoho! I know! I'm gonna rock the house!"

He grabbed his guitar and strummed a chord. Shaking his head to the side as he did. Some of the hair from under his cap started to spill out.

"Alvin, hair!" Brittany whispered loudly.

He put the guitar down and pushed his hair back underneath the cap. I handed him some bobby pins to help keep it in place.

"Did I get it?" Alvin spun around slowly in a circle so we could see him from every angle.

Brittany nodded. "You're good. Also, you might want a trim."

"It IS getting harder and harder to keep it all hidden." Simon rested a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Hey, on a similar note, do you think management would let me change my hair?" He wondered aloud.

"Not likely." Eleanor rolled her eyes.

I was confused. "Since when do you want to change your hair, Simon?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I just figure, you know, maybe if we ALL try something different, we'll get more people willing to accept the updates."

Brittany stood by the door and scoffed. "Or we'll ALL wind up losing our fanbase!" She insisted.

"I think trying something different could be fun. More people should be open to it." I sighed. "But I know that's not how the world operates."

"Mmm hmm." Brittany nodded in agreement.

Alvin and I held hands as we walked down the narrow passageway from the dressing room to the stage. We exchanged nervous glances and then, even though we didn't want to, we let go of each other.

Alvin stepped out into the blinding spotlight first and I meekly followed. It was time to sing and dance the night away….and then spend all day tomorrow recovering from it. Although, maybe that's just a me thing.

The concert went extremely well! We sang so many hits like Superstars, Partyin' is Life, Go On Get, Keep Dancing, and All About The Act. My feet were very tired by the end of it all. I'm surprised I didn't trip over anything.

After the crowd had cleared out and we were helped tidy up the stage, I suddenly had a great idea. I knew what would help lift Alvin's spirits after a night of being forced to pretend he's had no character development.

I scampered over to my boyfriend holding a microphone in my hands and then started to sing. The song choice was from High School Musical which is one of Alvin's favorite movies.

"You know the world can see us

In a way that's different than who we are" I closed my eyes and waited for his response. Would my idea land? Was this too much?

"Creating space between us

'Til we're separate hearts" He sang back, grabbing a microphone of his own.

"But your faith it gives me strength

Strength to believe

We're breakin' free!" We both sang together, looking into each other's eyes.

"We're soarin', flyin'

There's not a star in heaven

That we can't reach

If we're trying

So we're breaking free!"

He must have already taken his contacts out earlier, because he used the hand that wasn't holding the microphone to take his glasses from his backpack and put them back on. Then, he took off his cap and shook out his hair, letting the bobby pins clatter to the floor.

He put the cap back on and grabbed my hand, twirling me around in a circle. I giggled and then fell into his arms. This was FUN! Why couldn't I do this onstage with him more often? I love dancing like nobody's watching. Especially when nobody's actually watching….except Simon.

He looked at us sternly. "Sorry to interrupt your moment, but we've gotta go."

"Right, yes, of course." Alvin put the microphones back and then helped me down from the stage. (But I made sure to pick up my bobby pins first.)

We ran off to the tour bus together, hearts aglow. Our love was indisputably real, no matter how long we had to fake that it wasn't. I was in the mood to write a strongly worded letter to our management team, but I knew that idea would have to wait.

The next day, I invited Alvin to the mall. I figured we both needed a day to hang out and work through all the concert stress. In addition to that, I was volunteering at the Tropical Smoothie Cafe there anyway. Pamela G had invited me to job shadow her! It was very exciting!

While I waited to hear Alvin's response to the invitation, I helped sanitize the tables and un-jam the blenders. Then, Pamela taught me the recipies so that I could help make customers smoothies! It was a fascinating process. There were so many combos!

The first customer of the day ordered a Mango Hurricane smoothie with Mango, cherry, orange, pineapple, and kale. The next customer ordered a peanut butter smoothie with a banana. After that, three girls from the popular crowd at school came in and ordered a Watermelon-kiwi, Lemon-Lime coconut, and an orange and ginger smoothie. The day was going really well.

"So how many different combos are there?" I asked Pamela, as I stocked the fridge with fresh fruit that had just been shipped.

"Well, as of this week, at least 50. We have some seasonal ones that come and go." She explained.

"Wow!" I felt my ears twitch. "Are we allowed to buy one ourselves on break?" I was really in the mood for a smoothie and a falafel wrap. It is fun to say falafel.

"Of course." She showed me the list of smoothies to pick from. "Better start thinking about which one you want now so you can order quickly on break." She winked at me.

I looked over the list of smoothies and thought about the pros and cons of each choice. What did I feel like today? Definitely something fruity! The Pomegranate Plunge? The Island Green? The Strawberry Banana Sunrise? I thought about the choices even more as I continued to fetch customers their orders.

Around lunch time, Brittany strolled into the shop to check up on me. I was just about to take my lunch break. She motioned for me to join her as she sat at one of the tables.

"Hi, sis!" I greeted. "Do you wanna try a smoothie?"

She shook her head. "Not interested. I just came to see how you're doing."

"I think it's going well so far." I replied as I sat down. "Are you sure you don't wanna try a smoothie? They're really good."

"They're not my thing." She took out her nail file and began to file her nails.

I rested an arm on the table. "What if you just had a tiny sip of mine?" I proposed.

She lost her temper. "Jeanette, I said I'm not interested. Leave me be."

"Alright." I frowned. "But you'll never know if you like it or not unless you try it. And trying something different once in a while is good for you. You have to get used to differences because the world is full of unpredictability."

She stuck a finger on my lips. "Spare me the lecture, Jeanette."

A familiar high pitched and slightly raspy voice came from the shop entrance. "Hey, girls!" It was Alvin. He hadn't responded to my invite text, but he'd shown up anyway. What a joyous coincidence!

"Alvin!" I waved him over to our table. "So glad you could make it! Would you like to try a smoothie?"

"Ohoho! You betcha!" He licked his lips. "I could use a good ol thirst quencher."

"You realize most of these smoothies have vegetables, right?" Brittany asked Alvin with a raise of a single eyebrow. "You know, those things you always feed to Theodore when Dave's not looking?"

"Uh yeah." He told her. "I like veggies now. Especially when they're masked by the sweet juicy goodness of pineapple."

"You should try the Avocolada." I walked with Alvin to the counter to order as I told him about the smoothie I thought would be the perfect fit for his tastes. "It's a pina colada with avocado and spinach added! The avocado gives it a really neat texture."

"Okay! You're the expert, after all." He grinned at me.

Brittany rested her head face down on the table as we walked away. "Unbelievable." I heard her mutter.

"What flavor are you getting?" Alvin asked me, taking off his cyan colored hoodie and tying it around his hips to reveal a red T shirt that had a rocket design on it.

I went through my top ten choices and finally narrowed it down to one. "I think I'm gonna try the Berry Boost with protein powder." After all, the shirt I was wearing was a blue and purple tie dye top that I had created by dyeing with blueberry and blackberry juice.

Alvin figured out how I'd decided almost instantly. "It'll match your shirt." He laughed. "I love it!"

We ordered our smoothies and then sat down at the table with Brittany to drink them. We sat together on one side of the table while she stayed on the other side.

"Thanks for stopping by." I told Alvin softly. "Did you get my invite?"

"What invite?" He asked, before checking his phone. "Oh,…well,…I did now."

"If you never got my invite, how did you know where I was?" I tilted my head to the side before sipping more Berry Boost smoothie.

"I asked Eleanor." He said, drinking his smoothie very quickly. "Holy nuts! This tastes fantastic!" He turned his attention to my sister. "Which flavor are you gonna try, Britt?"

"None of them." The stubborn girl replied coldly. "And don't you dare try to talk me into it."

"I already tried and it failed." I quipped to my enthusiastic boyfriend.

"You're missin' out." Alvin told Britt. "It's not often ya find something healthy for ya that tastes this good."

"Can we PLEASE talk about something else?" Brittany scrolled aimlessly through her Instant-Gram feed on her phone while continuing to chat with us.

I wasn't sure what else to talk about, so I looked to Alvin to help the conversation flow. He's an extrovert and talking to people is one of his strongest skills. I usually just infodump and then panic if someone asks to change the subject.

Alvin took out a fidget spinner and played with it as he spoke. "That was some concert last night, huh? I barely even remember it."

"That's because you had a nervous breakdown that miraculously ended when it was time to go onstage." Brittany's voice sassed him, quite harshly. At least, I interpreted it as harshly. Knowing Britt, she probably meant it in a more playful way.

"Nervous breakdown?" Alvin blinked. "What? Really?" He looked at me for confirmation.

"I'm not sure what it was, but you were very quiet during the bus ride there and while we were getting ready." I informed him.

"You were doing the thousand yard stare and trembling." What followed those words was Brittany's poorly thought out attempt to show Alvin what he looked like. She forced herself to tremble while looking like she saw a ghost.

"Oh…..yeah." Alvin took another sip of his smoothie. "I was talking to myself in my head. No idea that's what it looked like. I was channeling Classic, so that I didn't mess up onstage and all that. No biggie, really."

I'm not sure I fully believed Alvin's words. "Ohhh. That explains it." Or at least, part of it.

"Right…makes sense." I don't think Brittany actually thought it made sense. I know I didn't think it made much sense.

Alvin switched gears and handed Britt the menu of smoothies to pick from. "Check it out. 50 flavors. Ya sure there's not ONE you wanna try?"

"Why is it so important to you that I try one?" Brittany huffed, seeming annoyed.

"Because you gotta learn to be less stubborn." Alvin smirked.

"And you gotta learn to be less delusional." Brittany retorted with an extra huff.

"Uh, um…." I stammered. "C…Could you guys please calm down?"

"I'm plenty calm. I am calm, cool and collected. All thanks to this super cool and refreshing smoothie." He waved what was left of his smoothie in Brittany's face. "What's that? The smoothie has something it wants to tell you. It says "try me, Brittany! Try meeeee! Drink meeeee!"

That was my cue to back away from the table. I quickly sucked down the rest of my smoothie and went to recycle the empty cup.

"Smoothies can't talk, you weirdo." I heard Brittany tell him.

"Try meeeee! I don't bite! I'm not poison!" Alvin went on.

"If you don't stop, I'll make you wear that smoothie on your head!" My sister threatened.

"Well, my lunch break's almost over." I said, returning to the table. "Gotta get back to work soon."

"I'll work with ya!" Alvin sucked down the rest of his smoothie and then tossed it backwards toward the recycling bins. He missed by quite a large margin. I wasn't so sure about having him work with me, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings by saying he couldn't.

"I've gotta run soon too." Brittany put her phone in her pink glittery purse. "I have some prom dress designs to work on back at home."

"Prom!? When's prom!?" My boyfriend jolted in his seat.

I decided to answer his question. "Prom's at the end of the year. It's many MANY months away."

My older sister flipped her ponytail as she walked to the door. "It's never too early for prep. See ya!" She walked away with a wiggle in her step.

"Oh phew. Cuz I am NOT ready for prom." Alvin commented. I wasn't sure if the comment was to me or himself.

"Me either." I agreed.

The red capped boy in the stylish matching glasses got up and picked up the empty smoothie cup he'd thrown. "Which recycling bin does this go in?"

"It's plastic." I told him sweetly. "It goes in plastic."

Alvin helped me with the rest of my shift. Pamela was a bit skeptical of him at first, but he proved he was serious about helping. The only problem was that he kept getting distracted making lovestruck faces at me.

After at least sixteen times of reminding him what he's doing, he finally seemed to get in a groove. It helped to have an extra pair of paws! Especially when the yoga class next door ended and the participants all came here for their post-Yoga smoothie.

Eventually, the day ended and I thanked Pamela once again for the opportunity. Then, Alvin and I headed for home.

"I must say, Netta, you've got some smoothie moves." Alvin made a humorous pun as we walked outside into the parking lot of the mall.

"You're so sweet." I gushed.

"Ya know, I bet if you and I work together, we can come up with a plan to convince Britt to try a smoothie." He said, slipping his cyan hoodie back on, but leaving it unzipped.

"You think so?" I asked. "I think maybe we should respect her wishes….as disappointing and utterly ridiculous as they may be." I continued. It was clear that even small changes and new things tend to set Brittany off…especially lately.

"She's gotta learn not to be so judgey somehow." Alvin swung around a street-lamp pole. "This'll be good for her."

"Hmmm." I tapped my chin as I wondered if Alvin's idea was truly good or if it would backfire. "Maybe there's a way to get her to try one. But ONLY one. We don't want to overwhelm the poor girl."

"Fine fine. We'll pick out one flavor she can't possibly resist and we'll trick her into tasting it. Then, when she loves it, we can say "TOLD YA SO!" He boasted. "And then…" He grinned even wider, almost maniacally. "We'll convince everyone to try more and more new things until they all accept that changes aren't so scary!"

"I don't think it works like that." I patted Alvin's arm sympathetically.

"I wish it did." His mood changed suddenly again, shoulders slumping.

"Are you okay?" I asked tenderly.

He looked up at the evening sky. "I'm once again wondering if performin' is really what I'm made for."

I frowned. Why would he think that he wasn't made to do what he loved? Wait, hold on. I had a theory… "Being a rockstar has lost its thrill, hasn't it?"

He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "No….maybe….maybe a little." He admitted. "I don't like keeping up the act. It's lying. It's lying to not wreck my life, but having conditioned myself to avoid lying as much as possible, it feels wrong."

"You're overthinking it again. You made it through. Now you don't have to worry until the next concert." I nuzzled his cheek.

"This dang brain overthinks a lot." He pouted. "But you and I both know I can't keep up the act forever. One of these times, I'll slip up….and lose everything."

"No you won't." I assured him. "Stop thinking that you will. You're only stressing yourself out more. Let's work out exactly what we're going to do to help Britt face her fear of change."

That helped snap him back into scheming mode and out of crisis mode. We discussed possible plans until we made it back home.

The next day, after the day of school had concluded, Alvin and I put plan number one into action. We sat innocently in the mall food court and waited for Brittany to arrive. Alvin was sipping a strawberry milkshake which was really a Tropical Smoothie Cafe strawberry banana smoothie in disguise. To further attract Brittany, we'd added a small sparkly pink umbrella to the fancy pink tinted glass containing the beverage.

Then, at precisely 5:00pm, Brittany entered the food court just as I'd instructed her to. I figured the food court would be a more comfortable place for her than the smoothie shop. Although it was very crowded, and much less comfortable for me.

"How long are you going to do this job shadow thing anyway, Jeanette?" She took a seat beside me and asked.

"Only a week." I responded.

My sister seemed satisfied with that answer and turned her attention to Alvin, noticing the smoothie he was drinking. "Where'd you get that?"

"Dairy Queen." Alvin fibbed.

Britt's ice blue eyes watched the sparkle encrusted umbrella, fit for a princess. "What flavor is it?"

"Strawberry." He grinned, pushing the enticing drink toward her. "Want a taste?"

"I hear it's very good." I added. I had no idea if Dairy Queen milkshakes were good or not. They contained milk. I don't drink milk.

To my surprise, the idea didn't actually work out. Brittany folded her arms and looked suspiciously at the drink. "Nice try. I know exactly what you're doing."

"What? Whattaya mean?" The boy in the red cap held his arms out to the side.

Her nostrils flared. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

Alvin opened his mouth to answer and I sensed whatever he was about to say would only anger my sister more.

I leaned across the table and whispered. "Don't answer that."

He shut his mouth immediately after hearing my words. He narrowed his eyes as he calculated what to say next, choosing his words very carefully. "Britt, I'm not gonna poison ya. This doesn't even have anything green in it."

"I've had just about enough of you two." Brittany got up from the table and strutted away. "And Jeanette, I can't believe you're encouraging this. I thought you were better than this."

Ouch….well, that hurt a lot. "Maybe we are best leaving her be." I murmured. I didn't want my sister to view me as an enemy conspiring against her.

"Don't worry." Alvin looked over at the girl in pink as she left the food court. "I've got a better idea."

Two days later, I watched nervously as Alvin poured the strawberry banana smoothie into Brittany's reusable pink thermos that previously contained her strawberry milk.

"I liked the first idea better than this." I whispered.

"Shhh! She's coming!" Alvin and I hid ourselves underneath the table in our kitchen.

Brittany shuffled into the kitchen wearing a pair of earphones and dancing across the floor to the beat of the music in her head.

She picked up the thermos and unscrewed the lid, taking a drink from it and then….spitting it out. "What the heck!? Ohhhh! ALVINNN!" She cursed angrily.

I watched with guilt piling up as she dumped the entire smoothie down the drain without even taking another sip. So much for plan B.

Too scared to face Brittany after our transgression, Alvin and I bolted upstairs and I sent him back to his house via the zipline that connects our bedroom windows.

Brittany stomped upstairs and I laid down on my bed with a book in my hands, trying to give the illusion I was doing that the entire time.

"You!" She pointed at me and I cowered. "Tell your idiot boyfriend that his little tricks won't get me to try a dumb smoothie."

"I will." I vowed to make Alvin stop messing with her, somehow.

She descended into an angry rant. "He tampered with my thermos, he tried to squirt smoothie in my mouth with a squirt gun, he replaced my toothpaste with it, he even covered me in a fake rash and said the only cure was this "serum" I had to drink. Guess what the serum turned out to be!"

Wait a second. I'd only approved putting the smoothie in her thermos. The other ideas Alvin had told me about, but I warned him they weren't okay. I felt very very upset with him at that moment.

It was time we had a very important discussion. It was rather late, so I would have to talk to him after school sometime tomorrow. I wrote a list in preparation of things to say. I'm not too skilled in coming up with words on the spot.

The next day came around and I was back serving smoothies until my evening break. During the break, I confronted Alvin with Brittany by my side to offer backup.

Brittany allowed me to start the difficult conversation. "Alvin, Brittany told me what you've been doing to her. I thought we talked about it and you agreed those ideas were wrong!"

"I was desperate!" He clasped his hands together and got to his knees. "And she was being so unreasonable! I couldn't help myself!"

"Excuses, excuses." Brittany scoffed, about to smack Alvin with her purse until I intervened and grabbed it away from her.

"I know it was wrong and it could have ended a lot worse than it did. I'm sorry, Britt." He faced her with sad eyes.

"Why is it so important that I try the stupid smoothie anyway!?" She took her purse back from me and slung it over her shoulder.

I put my hands behind my back. "We just figured that with fifty flavor combos, there'd be at least one you like. Then, I think once Alvin got involved it became a battle of wills." That about sums it up, I think.

"Well, I'm still not going to try one." Brittany insisted.

"And that's okay. That's your choice. I respect it." I nudged Alvin to encourage him to agree with me.

"Yeah okay." He rubbed his neck. "I guess pranking ya into tryin' a vegan smoothie was kinda dumb."

"Kinda dumb?" Brittany put her hands on her hips. "Kinda?"

"Fine! Fine! VERY dumb." Alvin admitted.

"Thank you." My sister strolled up to the counter and set some money down on the table. Wait, was she actually going to buy a smoothie!? That didn't make any sense. "One bag of sunchips please." She turned around to face Alvin and I. "Do you guys want anything?"

"A Mango Hurricane." The Chipmunk wearing red, yellow, and cyan squeaked.

"And I'll take a Strawberry Sunrise." I added. "Please."

"Yeah, please." Alvin smiled his dorky and endearing grin while Britt rolled her eyes at him forgetting his manners.

The person taking orders looked down at Brittany. "What flavor sunchips would you like?"

"Any flavor is fine with me." She shifted her footing, causing her flared fuschia skirt to swish.

Alvin leaned closer to me and whispered. "Wish she had that attitude toward smoothies."

I giggled and hoped Brittany hadn't overheard that comment.

When the smoothies were ready and Britt had her bag of sunchips, we gathered at our favorite table in the shop. I drank my smoothie and Brittany opened the bag up and started to munch.

Alvin fidgeted with the straw on his smoothie. "So, do you guys wanna hear about the pop quiz I totally aced today?" He asked.

"Not particularly." Brittany said, nibbling a chip. "Also you didn't ace it. You got a B plus."

"Which, for me, is practically acing it!" He insisted, taking a drink of his marvelous mango flavored smoothie.

"Congratulations, Alvin." I said proudly. "Was it a science pop quiz?"

"Nope! History! My worst subject!" He replied in a confident way. "I am totally rockin' this semester."

Brittany clutched her throat suddenly and panted. "Uh, guys, these chips are setting my mouth on fire!"

"Yeah. That's to be expected." Alvin showed her the words on the bag. "They're zesty jalapeño."

"You knew!?" My sister screeched in outrage. "You knew and you let me eat them!?"

"Oh no." I moaned.

Alvin shrugged. "You said any flavor's fine, so really this one is on you."

"Urgh!" Brittany grabbed my smoothie faster than I could react. "I can't believe I have to do this." She took off the lid and started drinking it as fast as she could. When she finished, she had a strawberry flavored mustache, which she licked off with her tongue. "You know, that's actually not bad."

"That's what we've been saying!" I quipped with a giggle. The way events played out was so unexpected.

Alvin got to say what he'd been waiting to say for days. "I TOLD YOU SO!"

"What flavor was this again?" She asked me, cheeks pink with a tinge of embarrassment.

"Strawberry Sunrise." I repeated, happy my sister had come around at last.

Even later that evening, when it was an hour from closing time, the three of us were walking through the mall to do some window shopping.

"So, Britt, do you think you'll try any other smoothie flavors?" Alvin asked her.

"Maybe." My sister admitted. "But it'll take some time and I need you to be patient with me."

"We'll be very patient." I promised wholeheartedly.

"Good." She glared at Alvin. "You too, okay poindexter?"

"You got it." He reached out to high five her, but she was clearly not in the mood so she rejected his gesture. "I'll be more patient than Theo and Ellie watching a pie bake in the oven, more patient than Dr. Wilson is when I don't understand a question, and more patient than every fan still waiting to know if we're ever going on a world tour or not." He babbled.

"I get it." Brittany made the "zip your lip" motion.

"He's been working on practicing his patience." I told my exhausted sister. "He's doing a lot better."

She nodded and then stared at an object in the distance. A confused look spread across her face. I hurried forward to get a closer look for myself. On the wall was a poster with a picture of Alvin's face on it.

The picture was at least a few years old because in it he wasn't wearing glasses nor did he have his long hair and freckles. But it was the word written under the picture that really caught our attention. It said, in very bold letters, "BANNED."

Brittany gave Alvin an angry glare. "You told me that you weren't banned from the mall anymore!" She hissed.

Alvin stood next to the poster which highlighted the similarities and differences between the poster and the physical three dimensional version of him. "Relax. Nobody cares anymore." He chuckled. "And those who do, don't even recognize me." He tapped his glasses. "Clark Kenting is real!"

"But you're still going by the name Alvin." I scratched my head. Then again, the poster didn't SAY his name anywhere on it.

"They must think I'm my own cousin or somethin'. Which is fine by me. I was banned unfairly anyway." Alvin snapped a picture of himself by the poster using his phone. He stuck out his tongue and made the two fingers up peace sign. It was adorable.

"You confuse me so much." Brittany shook her head and then pulled him away from the poster.

"I know." Alvin responded with a half smile.

"Come on, guys." I said quietly, hoping to stop any arguments. "Let's go."

Alvin scurried ahead. "Do you guys wanna come to my house tonight for gummy bear pizza? I'm making it to celebrate my amazing pop quiz score."

"I'll pass on that." I clutched my stomach at the thought. "Because of the cheese." And also because it sounded revolting.

"How about you, Britt?" He poked her shoulder with his finger.

She gave him a push and sent him backward to land on his bottom. "No thanks. That sounds disgusting."

"You'll never know unless you try…." Alvin began, before switching his sentence. He must have remembered he needed to respect Britt's tastes and not pressure her. Good for him. "I mean, that's fine. More for me."

He linked arms with me and we walked together with Britt next to us texting on her phone. It had been a very crazy week so far. I wondered what else would happen before the week was over. Whatever it was, it was sure to be a wild ride.

I guess what you should take away from this story is that trying new things isn't as scary as it seems. That people should be open to trying new things, within reason of course. But, also, you should never pressure someone into trying something after they've said no…because you don't know what possible reasons they have for saying no. It's very inappropriate to push people out of their comfort zones, even when it's for their benefit. That's pretty much all I have to say on the matter. Thanks for reading!

Chapter Text

S TO THE 5th POWER

Simon's POV

Greetings, dear readers! I would like to tell you a story about something pretty astonishing. I'm talking about the time I decided to create my very own webshow. Now, this wasn't a publicity stunt or anything. I didn't even plan on going viral. The webshow was just born from a fleeting idea I had one day in class. As usual, I couldn't have predicted how things would turn out. Shall we begin?

I turned on my webcam and prepared to bring the first episode of my show to life. I was nervous. Would anyone even LIKE my show? It was a pretty out there idea.

"Testing….testing…..is this thing on?" Alvin, my irritating older brother, tapped the camera lense, leaving fingerprints.

I let out a groan. "Stop doing that." I ordered. "You'll smudge the glass."

He turned his head sideways so far that it's a wonder his neck didn't hurt. "Is it recording us yet?"

"No." I replied.

Alvin proceeded to tap the camera AGAIN. "Are you sure? Cuz I see a little blinking green thing."

"That means it's on, but not recording." I explained, wishing that Alvin would go away and let me record in peace. "Can you please leave me alone?" I requested.

Alvin started to whine. He's changed a lot, but that will unfortunately never change. "But I wanna help make your webshow!"

"Alvin, it's MY webshow. I don't want you taking over." I snapped, my patience thinning faster every second.

He gripped the tripod that the camera was set up on. "What if I promise I won't take over. I can be your co-host!" He offered, blue eyes glistening.

"No." I was very firm with him.

Not that it did any good. He kept talking. "But…"

"The answer's still no." I gave him a gentle push toward the door.

Finally, my brother in the red and cyan outfit shrugged. "Okay. I guess I'll have to do this the hard way." He rubbed his chin before departing.

I gulped. I didn't know what he meant by "the hard way." However, knowing my brother, whatever it was, would surely derail my plans. A predicament was brewing.

A few minutes later, Alvin returned with the Chipettes and Theodore. Oh joy. (Sarcasm) Who could have seen this coming?

Brittany was the first to enter. "You're making a webshow!?" She asked.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Her sister Jeanette walked in behind her. She was quieter than her sister, but still fairly loud.

Theodore raced into the room and grabbed the camera. "Oh boy! Can we help you!?"

I was understandably flustered. "What? No! N-O! Alvin!" I shouted.

Alvin pushed up his red framed glasses and stood next to Jeanette. "Come on, you can't get rid of all of us." He quipped with a mischievous smile.

"I don't need any help." I muttered angrily. "This webshow is mine. I'm going to create it, I'm going to host it, and I'm going to help teach kids about science." Yes, you see, that was my idea. A webshow that taught kids science, similar to the style of Bill Nye The Science Guy, but with my own, err, Simon-y twist.

"That's what you are doing?" Brittany's tail swished as she walked over to join Theo next to my camera. "A completely boring webshow!?"

"It's not boring." I insisted. What did she know anyway? Science was definitely not her thing. Nor would I want it to be, considering how annoying Alvin's been since his transformation into a science nerd.

Before I could reacted, Brittany's hands were on my shoulders. I wanted to flinch away, but I stayed put. "Simon, Simon, what the Internet needs is pizzazz!" She rambled. "Not dumb science shows that make their viewers drool. Don't you know anything about creating a quality webshow?"

She wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise. "Well….I…"

"No! Of course you don't. You just let me handle this. After all, I have a successful fashion blog AND a vlog series. I know how to make you so popular…" She held up the camera to practice recording my face.

I ducked out of the range of the viewfinder. "I don't want to be very popular. I get enough of that at school. I only want to enrich young minds." I responded.

Alvin tapped his fingers against his head. "I'd like a rich young mind too, but I'm stuck with this crappy old one." He joked.

I groaned again. "Alvin, that's completely off topic."

Jeanette nudged Brittany aside and Eleanor snatched the camera from her sister, handing it back to me.

"So, what's your show called?" The pigtailed girl in the mint and lavender jacket asked.

I chuckled nervously. "You mean, what will my show be called?" I rubbed my neck. "I haven't made an episode yet. I'm tossing around a few names at the moment, but I'm partial to "Simon's Seville's Sensational Science."

Alvin pretended to be sleeping, but then jerked himself awake. I was very tired of his antics. Though, it was nice having people interested in my idea.

"Sorry, I didn't get that. That title is so long, I fell asleep." He said, yawning.

It was a long name, but I liked the long and alliterative name. "I'll call it S to the fourth power, for short." I decided aloud.

Jeanette put a finger on her cheek and then smiled at me. I loved seeing her smile so much. "S to the fourth power. I like it. It's a science show, but the title is mathematical." YES! She understood exactly what I was going for!

Alvin jumped onto his bed and sat down with one leg crossed over the other. "Honestly, you should just call it "The Simon Show." It's simple and straight to the point." He quipped.

Eleanor glared at him. "That title is boring….and a cliche." She sassed.

My older brother rolled his eyes. "Oh, here we go with the "cliches" again. So what if it's a cliche!? You aren't gonna get any viewers anyway." Alvin didn't seem very "2.0" at the moment.

"I….I'll get viewers! You'll see!" I protested. I had doubts, but not enough doubts to not try.

"Not many." Alvin frowned. "Without our help, your webshow will be even more forgotten and ignored than Eleanor."

"HEY!" The aforementioned Chipette shouted at the sound of her name.

Alvin just kept on babbling. "Trust me, Si. It is HARD to make people like science if they aren't already drawn to it. And, don't take this the wrong way, but, you are no Dr. Wilson." That's the name of the Physics teacher who awakened Alvin's science mojo and turned our lives into a chaotic and inconsistent mess. Though, I have to admit, any teacher that can get through to Alvin, must be pretty good at their job.

"And you might get trolled too." Eleanor commented.

Theodore looked at me with his sad brown eyes. "People on the Internet aren't very nice." He joined Eleanor in warning me.

They were right. I knew they were right. I conceded. "Okay, okay. Um…..How about instead of just talking about scientific facts….I….have some people act them out in little skits?" I asked.

Brittany began to open her mouth. "That's the dumbest idea ev…"

"I like it." Alvin and Jeanette both chorused together. She had joined him and now both were standing on the bed holding hands.

Theodore wagged his tail. "Skits are like mini plays, right?" He asked. "I love being in plays!"

"So do I." I sensed Brittany was beginning to realize this could sharpen her acting skills. "Can we be in your science skits?" The Chipette in pink batted her eyelashes at me.

"Well, if you are all willing…..that does make my job a little easier." I told them. It felt very nice having them so eager to help, though I still feared the outcome if they did.

The Chipette in pink pranced around happily, before realizing she had no idea what she signed up for. "What are we gonna do exactly? Dress us up as scientists?"

Immediately, Alvin 2.0's hand was in the air. "I call Albert Einstein!" He waved it around like a maniac.

"I call Madame Curie!" Jeanette added.

My youngest brother in green scrunched his nose as he tried to think of someone to name, so that he could be included. Never change, Theo. Never change. "I call….uh….that guy….who invented….potato chips. I think he was a scientist."

"I'll agree to be a scientist IF I can also be a super model!" Brittany flipped her outrageously long strawberry blonde ponytail.

This was already getting out of hand. "No, no, no. You'll play the parts I tell you to play." I said softly, but firmly.

Eleanor chuckled at the chaos unfolding. "Oh brother."

Several warm ups later, we prepared to shoot our first episode of my webshow. I turned on my webcam, and pressed record. My breathing was shallow from my anxiety. I feared my family and friends would somehow goof this all up.

Nevertheless, I persisted. I began my introduction. "Greetings, people of YouTube. I'm Simon Seville and I'd like to welcome you to the first installment of Simon Seville's Sensational Science Skits! S to the fifth power for short. Today's show is all about….Biology. To be more specific, we will be learning about the parts of a cell."

I flipped the camera around and then panned it over. It revealed the others all dressed in various costumes. Eleanor, Theodore, and Brittany had designed them at breakneck speed. They were sloppy, but they did their job. Each one of my friends and family had assumed a role as a part in a cell. Some were more thrilled with the casting choices than others.

Brittany looked down at her Cytoplasm costume. "This is humiliating." She cringed.

"Well, you all wanted to help." I told her.

The Chipette wailed a response. "This costume makes me look so fat!"

Jeanette encouraged her sister to stay with us, despite the somewhat blobby costume. "Come on, everyone. Let's say our lines so that Simon can post his webshow."

I focused the camera on Jeanette.

The usually meek girl spoke loudly and clearly. She must have really been enjoying herself.

"Hi, I'm the nucleus of the cell." She squeaked. "My job is to store the cell's genetic material and coordinate all the activities the cell performs. Basically, I'm the boss."

"A part that should have been given to Brittany." Alvin commented rudely.

"Nope. That costume looks even worse than the one I'm wearing now." Brittany grumbled.

I held a finger to my lips as I continued to film them. I would edit out the squabbles in post. "Shhhhh!" I hissed, turning the camera to Brittany.

"Oh please don't make me do this!" She complained.

"Brittany, you agreed to this." Eleanor reminded her sister with a no-nonsense tone.

Brittany did play along, though she sounded annoyed. "I'm the cytoplasm. I'm made up of about 80% water and most of the chemical processes in the cell take place inside me. I also aid in cell division."

I focused the camera on Eleanor.

"I'm the cell membrane." The littlest Chipette said, sliding her sunglasses, that were part of the costume, down her nose. "Nothing gets in or out of the cell without me knowing about it. I'm like the cell's security guard." She waved a police baton. I don't know where she got it for certain, but I can bet she got it from Officer Dangus, our city's most dimwitted cop.

I turned the camera so it could focus on Alvin. I crossed my fingers he would actually say his line without ad libbing something stupid in addition.

Unfortunately, Alvin could barely even SAY his line. "I'm the michondrota….err mitorondrica….err…" He went cross eyed as he tried to puzzle over the proper pronunciation.

I tried to help him. "Slow down and sound it out."

"I'm the mi-to-chon-dri-a and I have no idea what that means." He quipped. "By the way, this costume looks like a turd. Are we sure this is actually part of a cell and not the remains of someone's lunch?" He chuckled.

Everyone laughed at him, except me. The ad libbing! WHY THE AD LIBBING!?

I grew very very frustrated. "You were supposed to memorize your lines!" I shouted.

"Hey, it took me an hour just to learn how to pronounce mi-to-chon-dri-a correctly." Alvin replied. "I'm a physics kid! Not a biology kid! You know this!"

I sighed. "Alright. Alright. You're lucky that I came prepared for this." I projected the words above his head using my handy dandy hologram projector. "Just read it from here." I instructed.

Alvin smiled. "Ohoho! Thanks, bro!"

I zoomed in on him again. This time, he said the exact line that I wanted him to. "I'm the mighty mitochondria. I provide the cell with the energy it needs to carry out its functions. I'm the powerhouse of the cell!" Well, it was ALMOST exact. I'll take it.

I panned the camera over to show Theodore in his ribosome costume.

The little boy looked confused. "I don't think mighty was in the script."

"I won't nitpick. I'm just glad he said the line." I responded. "Now, it's your turn."

Theodore looked startled that he missed his cue. "Oh….right." He cleared his throat and spoke. "I'm one of the ribosomes. I'm responsible for making the protein the cell needs. Protein helps the cell repair damage and direct chemical processes."

Now it was my turn to step in front of the camera and record myself. I placed it on the tripod. "Introductions aside, let's see the parts of the cell in action."

Well, we weren't off to a terrible start! This may actually work.

Jeanette started ordering everyone around while holding a box that said DNA. Although, it's Jeanette, so ordering people around just meant nicely asking them to do things. Alvin jogged in place, just as I hoped he would. Theodore carried packages labeled RNA and Protein back and forth. Eleanor paced around everyone in a circle holding the police baton. Lastly, Brittany stood around watching everyone.

While they were doing that, I continued to narrate the video. I got more and more comfortable in front of the camera as I continued to speak. I think my cast of crazy cell parts also got more comfortable playing their roles. We were having a grand old time.

When we finished recording, we broke for lunch. Everyone changed out of their costumes. I can tell they were all relieved to be free of the outfits.

After lunch, I started to edit the video. Before I knew it, everyone else crowded around me, all watching over my shoulder to see how things turned out. I felt overwhelmed by the attention, but I also kind of liked it.

"It's a little rough around the edges." I admitted. "But, not bad overall for a premiere episode. Thank you all so much for helping out."

Jeanette beamed. Her midnight eyes glowing. "Anytime, Simon. Although, playing the nucleus certainly was a challenge. I'm not used to being the boss." She said.

"I loved my role." Eleanor boasted. "It was the best role ever. "She put on a pair of sunglasses. It was the same pair that had been part of her costume. "Cell cop."

Alvin did what he does best. Complain. "It's not fair. Brittany got to stand around and look pretty while I had to exercise!" I'm pretty sure he ENJOYS exercise. This was clearly an attempt to annoy Brittany.

The oldest Chipette folded her arms. "I did not look pretty in that costume." She commented, sounding grouchy.

"I had to exercise too." Theodore added. "You don't see me whinin' about it."

"Geez, Teddy boy." Alvin looked shocked. "You're startin' to sound like Ells."

I looked at my brother with a rather smug smile. "The mitochondria was the perfect role for you, Alvin."

His ears twitched. "What makes you say that?" He asked, before jumping to conclusions. "Oh, right….it looks like a giant turd and apparently I'm a giant turd. Message received."

I facepalmed. "That's not the message." I explained. I hated having to spell it out for him. For someone so smart, Alvin can't seem to comprehend simple concepts without interjecting some conspiracy! "Powerhouse of the cell, powerhouse of this family, you don't see a similarity?" I asked.

Alvin waved a hand at me. "I get it now, I have too much energy for my own good."

"You could barely say mitochondria." Brittany teased, with an infectious giggle.

"If you'd just slow down and take your time speaking…" I began to tell him, before he cut me off.

His arms waved around more than one of those inflatables one would find outside a car dealership. "I can't slow down! Okay!? I don't know how…" And then, he was distracted again. "Hey, look! Someone commented on your video!"

He pointed at the comment section.

My heart beat faster. I read the comment aloud. "That was the craziest thing I've ever watched in my whole life."

"Do they mean that in a good way or a bad way?" Theodore asked, munching on a pn oatmeal raisin cookie.

"I…I'm not sure." I stammered.

Eleanor put her handsy little mitts on my laptop. "Refresh the page. Maybe there will be more." She clicked the button for me.

"Nope…..still one." I murmured. I guess this had been too much to hope for.

"Let's go do something else and come back to it later." Jeanette suggested.

Later, as my brothers and I were getting ready for bed, I took my phone out of my pocket and checked the video again. I was hoping for something, anything, that would encourage me to create another video.

I was met with nothing but disappointment.

Theodore heard me sigh and came over to look at my phone screen. "Still only one comment?" He asked.

I scowled. "There's two…..but the second one is from Alvin." I read the comment. It was OBVIOUS. "The guy in the mitokondreea costume is the coolest part of this thing."

My older brother got very defensive. "How do you know that's me?"

I blinked and then glared at him. "The username is CaptainAwesomeness101 and mitochondria is spelled incorrectly."

Theodore also gave Alvin a very annoyed and suspicious look.

"Okay, fine….it was me." The red capped boy threw his hands in the air.

"Please refrain from commenting on videos I post, okay, Alvin?" I asked as politely as I could manage when my nerves were frayed.

My older brother groaned. "Fiiiine."

One more glance at my phone, revealed a third comment! "Wait! There's one more." I declared excitedly. "I love this!" From…..My excitement faded as I read the username. "IceCreamDreams2015."

"What?" Theodore shrugged. "You only told Alvin he couldn't post."

In an attempt to stop fretting about the video, I decided to get an early night. "Goodnight, Theodore. Goodnight, Alvin." I said, as I crawled under my warm and comfortable blankets.

Alvin looked confused. "Aren't you going to put on your pjs?"

"I'm too tired." I yawned, hoping it would make them both leave me alone. I took off my glasses and put them on the nightstand.

The next morning, Alvin woke up and came downstairs to see me staring at my phone, reading some unfortunate comments.

"Still nothing?" He asked, peeking over my shoulder.

My hands started to tremble as I held the phone. "Worse than nothing."

Theodore jumped up and sat next to me on the couch. "Can I see?"

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Alvin rested a hand on my shoulder. He's never going to stop invading my personal space, is he?

"It's bad." I read one of the newest comments. "I give this a D for Dumbest Idea Ever."

"Is that the only one?" Alvin asked hopefully.

"Alas, it is not." I mumbled. I read off the next comment. "More like Simon Seville's Sucky Science Skits."

Now, Theodore read off a third comment. "A ridiculously long and boring title for a ridiculously long and boring show."

"And there's 40 more mean comments after those." I sighed. "I don't think I have it in me to re-read them all aloud. This is….devastating." It had taken me a few seconds to find a word strong enough to capture how upset I was.

Alvin frowned and then took my phone and put it in his pocket. I didn't stop him. "Well, that's the Internet for ya." He squeaked. "People are jerks."

I remained silent. The weight of the comments hit me hard.

"Are you okay, Simon?" Theodore tugged at my blue shirt with the black atom design on it.

"I think I need to be alone right now." I said, in a rather melancholy way.

Sliding off the couch, I walked toward the door.

I could hear Alvin droning on and on behind me, talking to Theodore. "We gotta find a way to cheer Simon up. I think it's time we work on a new invention together. I bet that will really help him get his groove back!"

"Alvin!" Theodore groaned.

I chuckled a little bit to myself, despite the sadness. Typical Alvin.

Around afternoon time, I thought I might be ready for company again. Alvin, Theodore, Jeanette, Eleanor were watching TV. I decided to join them. I slumped into a chair upon entering the living room.

Jeanette reached over and grabbed the remote, muting the TV. "So are you feeling better, Simon?" She asked in that beautiful whispery voice.

"Jeanette, turn the sound back on!" Alvin complained.

Jeanette looked sternly at her boyfriend. "Simon's health is more important than TV." She replied.

Alvin 2.0 crossed his arms. "Okay, okay, the show can wait."

"Simon, please talk to us." Begged Theodore.

"I'm fine." I mumbled, although I really wasn't. "I'll get through this."

Eleanor gave me a sympathetic smile. "Simon, it's a few mean comments. They totally suck, but it's not the end of the world. You know that your show was amazing."

My breath caught in my throat. "Yes, well, I deleted the video." I muttered.

Jeanette's lips quivered. I could tell she was feeling incredibly sorry for me. "I think you should have waited. Bad comments usually precede the good ones."

"All I wanted to do was teach science in a clever way." I moaned. "I failed."

"I don't think he's listening to you, Jeanette." I heard Alvin's voice, just barely through the fog of depression setting in.

Jeanette frowned. "I know. He's kind of in a daze."

"Someone should re-upload the video." That was Alvin again, I think.

Theodore's sweet voice chimed in. "I don't know if Simon would want that. In fact, pretty sure he wouldn't."

"Simon doesn't care. Right, Simon?" Alvin asked, waving his hand in front of my face. I could see it, but at the moment I didn't have the energy to move.

"I can't even make a quality YouTube show." I moaned. "Maybe I really am boring." I knew I wasn't. Depression and anxiety had combined to stick that thought in my head.

"Simon?" Alvin nudged me.

I turned my head. "Do whatever you want." I told him, before I closed my eyes and fell asleep. I couldn't cope with the sadness, and I hadn't really slept well the previous night. Would I regret telling Alvin that? Perhaps, but I didn't care. I was too out of it.

When I woke up from my nap, I did feel marginally better. I walked into the kitchen and saw Alvin and Brittany sitting there eating candy. Brittany munched on chocolate heart shaped candy while Alvin devoured gummy worms.

"Hey, Simon!" The Chipette in the pale pink dress with a darker pink bow greeted me.

Alvin shook his head. "Brittany, Brittany, he won't listen to you. He just wanders the house like a mindless zombie." Oh goodness. Had I been sleepwalking again? I really need to get that under control.

I decided to shock Alvin by being coherent. "Hello, Brittany." I waved to her.

"So how are you?" The Chipette asked, offering me one of the chocolates.

"I'm better." I nibbled the treat. "I needed time to work through the disappointment. I think I'm ready to re-upload the video."

Alvin looked like someone had just told him aliens landed and wanted to take him into space. "You? What?...Seriously!?"

"Yeah." I answered.

Alvin chuckled nervously, which filled me with dread. "Heh heh, well, I already re-uploaded it for you."

"You did?" I suddenly remembered telling him to do whatever he wanted. OH NO!

My older brother puffed out his chest, drawing more attention to the letter A on his shirt. "Bet you wanna thank me for doing such a good deed."

I gulped. "You made sure to upload the edited version, right?"

Alvin's eyes widened. That wasn't a good sign at all. "Uh….there were two videos that were named the same so I thought they were the same."

Brittany pulled out her phone in a flash. "Hold on, I'll find it." She searched YouTube for the video.

Alvin chuckled, sounding even more nervous and anxious. "Hey, I had a 50/50 chance of getting it right."

"Oh boy…...I'm thinking this is the un-edited version." The girl in pink turned up the volume of the video.

"This costume makes me look so fat!" Her own voice squeaked from the phone speaker.

Jeanette's voice followed hers. "Come on, everyone. Let's say our lines…"

I groaned. This was a nightmare. "You've really done it this time, Alvin!" I scolded him.

"Hey, it's your fault!" He shifted the blame, as he still has a habit of doing on occasion. "You're the one who gave the show such a loooong name. You know why I couldn't figure out which one was which!? Because all the stupid title said was Simon Seville's Sensa- dot dot dot! That's it!"

"The edited one said "edited" at the end." I explained.

Alvin started to cry. I couldn't tell if he was overdramatizing the situation or not. "I was trying to help!"

Theodore, Jeanette and Eleanor ran into the kitchen. They probably wondered what all the commotion was about.

My youngest brother in green was the first to speak. "What's going on?"

Jeanette took one look at my worried face and gave me a hug. I didn't mind it. Usually, I am not a hugger, but she gives such light ones that they actually calm me down.

"Simon, you're talking to us again!" She exclaimed.

I got them up to speed on the situation. "Alvin uploaded the full un-edited video online WITHOUT my permission!"

Eleanor gave Alvin a gentle smack on the back. "Alvin!"

"It was an accident!" The red clad boy replied.

Brittany's eyes narrowed and then she gulped. "I don't wanna make this worse but, this video has comments. LOTS of comments." She reported.

Jeanette nibbled her fingernails. "Do we dare read them?"

I clenched my jaw. "Well…..I don't want to, but…...I just can't help myself!" I exclaimed. "Read them. I have to know what they said!"

"But what if they make you feel bad again?" Ah, sweet Jeanette. She's always looking out for me.

I squeezed her arm reassuringly. "I think I'll be okay."

Then, Brittany surprised all of us. "Wow…..these aren't that bad…..Some of them are pretty good."

"Really?" The other five of us chorused.

She nodded. "See for yourself."

We all gathered around as Brittany scrolled through the comments section.

"Simon rocks!"? I read in disbelief.

Jeanette read the comment under it. "Well done. This is like watching bloopers for a PBS kids show."

Brittany's bright pink lips quirked into a grin. "The girl in the cytoplasm costume is a riot!" She read. "Why thank you, whoever you are."

My heart practically soared as I read the next comment. "I didn't know education could be so entertaining."

Theodore even got to read one. "This show is hilarious!"

As did Eleanor. "When does episode two come out?"

"You all know what this means. We gotta make episode two!" I jumped up onto the top of the table, giddy and fueled with adrenaline.

Alvin tapped his foot as he stared up at me. "It also means, you owe someone an apology." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't owe you anything. You shouldn't have uploaded that without my permission." He KNEW I was falling asleep.

"But….but…" Alvin stammered.

I smiled and jumped off the table, giving Alvin a gentle shoulder tap. "But, I'm so glad you did."

Alvin smiled back and fist bumped me. We both mimed explosions with our hands following the fist bump.

A few days later, we were ready to film episode 2! I handed out T-shirts with letters on them. Brittany got a U, Eleanor got a C, Jeanette got a G, Theodore got a T, and of course Alvin got an A. There's no other letter for him.

Brittany slipped on the pink shirt with a U. "Do we have to wear these?"

Alvin's shirt was basically identical to his usual signature T shirt. However, I added a cyan outline around the A. I figured he'd appreciate that.

"Why are you complaining? They look better than our last costumes." The mischievous munk quipped.

"What are the letters for?" Brittany asked.

I winked at her. "You'll see."

Alvin pointed to the pairs of handcuffs sitting next to my camera. I could tell he was wondering just what sort of episode I was cooking up.

"Look!" The red capped kid whispered.

Theodore became nervous. "Does he want to arrest us?"

"I don't know, but I'm getting out of here." Alvin whispered back.

He started to walk toward the door, but I stopped him. "Where are you going?"

"Um….out." Alvin chuckled nervously. "Thanks for the new shirt by the way."

"But, Alvin, I need you!" I begged, knowing that would force him to stay. Especially if I played up the drama.

He slumped his shoulders. He knew he was stuck. "Okay…..okay."

Time to explain to everyone what was going on. "Alright, people. Things are going to work a little differently today. I will start the episode and then I'll show you what to do."

"Okay?" The five of them exchanged worried and confused glances.

Once again, I turned on the camera. I began my customary introduction. "Greetings, I'm Simon Seville and I'd like to welcome you to the second installment of Simon Seville's Sensational Science Skits!"

"S to the fifth power for short!" Jeanette interjected excitedly.

Awww. She was so into this! Adorable. "Today, we will be learning about the bases of DNA and RNA."

Alvin tilted his head. "What's RNA again?"

"I explained it in the first episode." I said, rubbing my forehead.

"I know, but I forgot." My brother squeaked.

I decided to just keep going. He'd catch up. "Moving on. The four bases of DNA are Adenine,…"

Alvin looked down at the A on his shirt. "I think that's me."

"Thymine,..." I continued.

"That's me!" Theo pointed to the T on his lime green shirt.

"Guanine,... "

Jeanette raised her hand. She was in a red-violet shirt with a purple G. "Right here."

I smiled. "And, finally, cytosine."

"Really? I have to be last." Eleanor complained, crossing her arms over her dark teal shirt with a mint C.

"Moving on, again….The bases of DNA will always pair themselves together." I explained, for both my actors and the audience. Though Jeanette likely already knew. "Guanine pairs with Cytosine and Adenine pairs with Thymine."

My hyper-intelligent brother looked concerned. "And I have a sinking suspicion I know what those handcuffs are for." He added.

Alvin started to run for the door, but Eleanor and Jeanette grabbed him and held him back.

"Let me go!" He shouted. "Let me go!"

With a swift move, I handcuffed Alvin to Theodore. Jeanette and Eleanor handcuff themselves together no problem.

I spoke directly to the camera. "As you can see, they stick together…..like friends forever."

"You owe me so many gummies for this!" Alvin tried to wiggle out of the cuffs. If he thought this was bad, he had no idea what he was in for next.

Later in the show, Alvin was still struggling to break out of the handcuffs. Meanwhile, Jeanette and Eleanor smiled and waved at the camera.

"Now, let's talk about RNA." I was really enhancing my presentation skills. "The bases for RNA are a little different."

Alvin grumbled loudly. "I hope that means Adenine is alone!"

"It'll be alright, Alvin." Theo reached up to pat his cap.

It was honestly a struggle to get through my next line without laughing. "Guanine and Cytosine still pair up together, but Adenine pairs with the base Uracil."

Alvin's pupils shrank to pin pricks. "Uh oh…."

Brittany walked into the camera's view while I used a key to unlock the handcuffs on Theodore.

"Oh no…..no no no no no!" Alvin shrieked. Oh the internet would eat this up.

I grabbed Alvin's hand and held him as he tried to run away again.

"Alvin, you're making a scene. The sooner we get this done, the more free time we'll have to do other things." Jeanette told him gently.

"No! No! I won't do it! You can't make me!" He continued to fight, but it was no use.

"Wait, are you really handcuffing me to HIM!?" Brittany gasped, finally realizing what was happening.

I wasted no time bonding the two "bases" together.

"Ladies and gentleman, the happy couple of Adenine and Uracil." I snickered, pointing to them. Oh, messing with those two was so much fun.

Alvin was BEYOND angry. "Simon?" He squeaked.

"What?" I asked, faking surprise. I knew exactly what.

"RUN!" He started to chase me around the room dragging an equally angry Brittany along with him.

"We're going to get you for this, Simon!" She yelled.

Jeanette and Eleanor both facepalmed. All in all, a brilliant and hilarious episode 2. Mission accomplished.

After the show, everyone was back in their usual outfits, except Alvin. He was still wearing the new T-shirt with the A on it that I gave him.

"Okay, okay, so that didn't go as smoothly as episode 1." I tried to make light of the situation, but both warm colored chipmunks were still fuming.

Alvin glared at me. "You handcuffed us together!" He snapped.

"Do you know how awkward that makes things for us!?" Brittany growled.

Alvin furrowed his brow. "He knows." The redheaded boy told her. "That's why he did it."

"I'm sorry." I admitted. "But I couldn't think of a better way to show how bases act. The opportunity was just too tempting."

"Your Alvin is showing again, Simon." Theodore stated, as an attempt to make me act with more caution.

Eleanor looked at the calendar. "Do we have to be part of episode three?" She asked. Did she have other plans?

"This show is exhausting." Brittany slumped in her chair.

"You aren't enjoying yourselves?" I asked, looking around the dining room at all their faces.

"No." Brittany grumbled.

Alvin nodded. "And we're making that pretty clear, Simon."

The youngest Chipette played with an apple sitting on the table, "It's not that I don't love this. It's that…well…soccer keeps me really busy. I don't know if I can swing the time commitment if we shoot episodes every week."

"Ya know I'm pretty booked up myself." Alvin added.

"Same here." Brittany agreed, before looking irritated she agreed with Alvin. "But not booked up reading books like Geek Charming over there."

I sighed. It had been going so well, but they were right. "Does this mean we have to stop now?"

Jeanette tapped her chin. "Well, maybe…..we can find you some different actors." She suggested. I wasn't sure I could capture the same hilarious scenes with anyone different.

Then, Alvin, always the idea guy, came up with the answer. "Orrrr….we agree to do the show once every month."

"Well, that would give me a lot of time to write new scripts." I said. "I...I think that will work!"

"Yay!" Cheered Theodore.

"I can handle once a month." Eleanor replied.

"Me too!" Brittany and Jeanette said in unison.

"Phenomenal." I felt so appreciated. They were making enough time in their busy schedules to help me with this new webshow. "Now, I'll go post episode two. I can't wait to see what comments we get!" I exclaimed.

All's well that ends well! Everything worked out wonderfully. This family might drive me nuts, but they're the best friends I could ask for.

One month later, I was browsing through comments on our 3rd video. We'd just recorded it the day before. The editing process was a cinch now that I didn't have to edit away any of the funny in-between dialogue. This episode was all about forces and Alvin and I took turns narrating it, though he pretended to find the physics facts boring. We all knew better. He had to pretend though, this video was on the internet for anyone to see. Worldwide. He still hasn't revealed his 2.0-ness to his fans fully yet.

Anyway, I read through the positive comments and then another video was recommended on my feed. The title was "Fun Food Facts." I was curious, so I clicked on the video. There was Theodore, sitting in our room, talking all about food and good nutrition. I was glad I'd inspired him.

"And another fun fact." My little brother said in his childlike way. "A tomato isn't actually a vegetable. It's a fruit. Can you believe it?"

I watched Theodore's video and then ANOTHER video caught my attention. Theodore had recommended it on his channel. The title? "Alvin's Declassified Dysfunctional Family Survival Guide." Go figure.

"And yet you had the nerve to call my title too long." I said to myself with a chuckle.

In the video, Alvin, without his glasses this time, was doing what he does best. Rambling. "Being part of a family is full of ups and downs. Your family is gonna get you to try things that you've never imagined before. It might be scary, but it can also be exhilarating. You may have seen me starring in my brother Simon's new web show. Wearing the glasses was totally his idea. I only need them for reading! I mean, could you imagine if I had to wear them full time?" He fibbed. Then, the background music in the video got more serious sounding. "The eye doctor says one day I will. To tell you the truth, I'm afraid of what you guys, my dear fans and loyal supporters, will think. So, if you're totally on board with me looking like this…" He slipped the glasses on. "Let me know in the comment section. Reassure me that you'll stand by me, even if I change a little."

Good for him. My brother was finally taking some much needed steps toward revealing his true self to the world. I wish him nothing but the best.

Following Alvin's video, I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole and it led me to a brand new vlog from Brittany. It was called "My Special Guest." My keen eyes noticed Jeanette's picture along with Brittany's in the thumbnail for the video.

"It's great to be here, Brittany." The girl in purple began, nervously fidgeting with her amethyst gemstone butterfly necklace.

Brittany crossed her legs and sat in a fluffy pink beanbag chair. "So, as if I didn't know, how was your weekend?"

Jeanette twirled one of the strands of hair that hung down the sides of her face. "It was really hectic. I did some gardening, I went to the mall to check out the pet store, I helped Eleanor find a good vegan banana bread recipe. Plus, I had the yearbook to work on, and the annual craft fair is coming up. I've had a lot on my plate."

I opened yet another video after that one. I felt like I had to complete the set. The video was titled "Ell's Kitchen" Ah, an amusing spoof of the Gordon Ramsy show. The video showed Eleanor preparing a banana bread, beating the ingredients as a fire raged in the background behind her. It was clearly a green screen, which was very amusing to me.

"Alright, you guys, welcome to ELL! Mwahahaha! Today, I am gonna show you how to make a wickedly delicious vegan banana bread! First, you're gonna need your ingredients. Since this is vegan, we won't be using eggs, milk, or butter. The list of ingredients is on screen right now, so pause this video and make sure you have everything. Kay?"

I paused the video and shook my head at their ridiculously fitting webshows.

"Why am I not surprised?" I asked with a chuckle.

I now had solid proof I had inspired each and every one of them. That was very cool. I subscribed to each of their channels, since I'd only been subscribed to Jeanette's channel previously. Then, I grabbed a bag of salty and sweet barbecue flavored potato chips and went back to re-watching my Sensational Science Skits. These never got old. I couldn't wait until next month when we'd shoot episode 4.

Chapter Text

Dave's POV

All I wanted to do was have a nice family camping trip. It's summer, so the kids aren't in school. They've been begging me for a vacation. Sadly, we weren't able to manage one for a while because of my job. I'm a songwriter, but that doesn't always go very well. Inspiration is hard to come by. So, I have a job on the side, helping out wherever I'm needed at the record company. Sometimes I write scores for movies, sometimes jingles for advertising. Sometimes, I do things like print sheet music and give advice to young musicians just starting out. They've even asked me to occasionally wash the windows and clean the bathrooms.

But enough about that. I really would rather not think about work right now. It's hard balancing work with caring for three kids. Sometimes, even six kids. I know the girls aren't my kids, but they're very much like part of our family.

So, anyway, the kids spent a big portion of the summer begging and pleading for a vacation. Then, I begged and pleaded with my boss to let me use my vacation days. At last, I got a week off where other people could cover for me. Then, I spent half of my week off planning for our vacation. There was so much to do.

The kids all had very different reactions to camping. I know it wasn't the fancy vacation they were expecting, but I was determined to make some fun memories with them. I camped a lot when I was a kid, and it's always been something that brings me joy.

We packed our bags and headed to the campsite. Miss. Miller, the Chipettes mom, even decided to join us. Once there, everyone seemed to adjust to it well. I figured they would. They were all making the best of it.

I sat down on a log and Simon helped get the campfire burning. Once everyone was situated, I figured I'd have some time to relax and enjoy myself. That's what I figured. Yeah, well, I figured WRONG.

Five minutes. That's all it took. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the campfire. Then, I got up and took a short hike just around our campsite, looking up at the trees and the bright blue sky. It felt fantastic. A whole three days where I didn't have to worry about anything except enjoying nature. It was shaping up to be a great weekend.

I hummed to myself as I walked along. This was giving me some great inspiration for a new song, but there was no way I was stopping to write a song now. It's supposed to be a vacation.

When my short hike was finished, I returned to the campsite. I looked around for the kids. They were nowhere in sight. Surely, they had to still be here, right? Maybe they just went inside the tent?

I unzipped the tent I'd be sharing with the boys. Their backpacks were inside. No sign of them. I began to panic. The camouflage T shirt I was wearing quickly became drenched in sweat.

"Boys!?" I shouted. "Simon!? Theodore!?" I was about to yell Alvin's name angrily, but I stopped myself. I didn't need to yell at him. I just needed to know where he was. "Alvin!?" No answer.

I checked in the Chipettes' tent, but they were nowhere to be found either. "Brittany!?" I called. "Jeanette!? Eleanor!?"

It was time to face facts. I had no idea where any of the kids were. I had expected them to get settled while I was hiking. Where could they have run off to!?

"No no no! They're gone!?" I frantically continued my search. "But…It's only been 5 minutes!" I checked my watch to confirm that.

I sighed. I should have known I couldn't trust them alone for even two minutes. Who knew what they were up to!? Hmmm. Maybe Miss. Miller might have some idea.

I hurried over to the log that Miss. Miller was seated on. She was wearing her usual pink floral dress with her gray hair piled high on her head. She seemed to be as relaxed as I was while taking my hike. You know, before realizing that I let the kids go gallivanting off into the woods without supervision. Not exactly winning the best parent award today.

I sat down beside the elderly lady. "Miss. Miller, have you seen the kids?" I asked.

"Of course I've seen them." She responded instantly. "I live with three of them. And I see your boys all the time."

Okay, clearly she didn't understand what I meant. I needed to give her more information. "I mean, recently. Have you seen them recently? Say, in the last 5 minutes?"

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Can't say that I have, David. But I wouldn't worry. They're probably fine. They're off doing what makes them happy."

The last sentence gave me a little hope. It implied that she must know at least something.

"Did any of them say what exactly they were going to do?" I tried to ignore all the thoughts of the trouble they might be getting into that were whirling through my mind.

"Well….let's see." Miss. Miller really had to concentrate. She tapped her head. "Simon was going on a nature hike with Jeanette, Theodore's grabbing snacks, Alvin's building some fancy doohicky and Eleanor said she was going swimming." The woman reported. "Brittany should be around here somewhere. She mentioned "getting her glamp on." I have no idea what she meant by that. But she didn't seem interested in the hike."

Wow! That was more than I was expecting to get out of the scatterbrained senior.

"Thanks, Miss. Miller." I stood up and started to walk away. I was on a mission to track down the six chipmunks before it got dark. Luckily, there were still a few hours until sunset.

"Don't mention it, David." The woman replied happily. "My memory isn't what it used to be, but I hope that helps!"

Truthfully, it wasn't a lot to go off, but it was SOMETHING. It gave me an idea of where to begin, at least.

I decided to head into the woods first. I was just about to do so when I noticed that the girls' tent looked different. There were pink flowers twisted around it in an elegant sort of pattern. Had they been there before and I just didn't notice? No. That's impossible.

I heard a rustling noise coming from the tent. Aha! My suspicion was right! The flowers were new. Someone was inside the large pink tent, and it had to be one of the Chipettes!

I unzipped the opening of the tent carefully and peeked inside. Sure enough, there was Brittany. She was unpacking a gigantic pink backpack that had to be almost a third of my height. It was a LOT bigger than she was, since she stood at roughly 18 inches tall.

"When did you get here?" I wondered aloud. "I checked a few minutes ago and the tent was empty."

The girl in the light pink off-shoulder T shirt, darker pink tank top, and periwinkle shorts continued to sort her possessions. "I just got back from picking flowers." She smiled at me. "They add just the right amount of flare, don't you think?"

I didn't know what to say to that. I couldn't tell if they added flare or not. "Uh…sure." I mumbled.

"Absolutely beautiful!" The eldest Chipette seemed proud of her handiwork.

I needed to get down to business. "Brittany, do you know where your sisters are?"

I stuck my hands in the pockets of my dark gray shorts, trying to keep them from visibly balling into fists and showing Brittany how impatient and angry I was slowly becoming.

"Beats me." She fished a bag of hairclips out of the backpack. "I asked them to help me unpack, but they told me to do it all by myself. Can you believe that!? How very VERY un-sisterly of them."

I could feel my patience being tested already. "Well, maybe if you had packed only what you need, you'd have this finished a lot faster." I told the Chipette while trying not to clench my jaw.

"I did pack what I need!" Brittany protested, while unpacking what looked like a giant fuzzy pink chair.

My inner Eagle Scout was not happy with her making a mockery of camping. "Remember, I told you, camping is about the essentials." I said firmly. "You don't need to bring your entire room with you. We're only going to be here a few days."

The pink shirted child rolled her eyes at me. "This isn't my entire room. Just…most of it."

I sighed. Brittany hadn't been a very happy camper since I announced our vacation. In fact, in the days leading up to it, while the other five chipmunks had come around to the idea, Brittany remained stubbornly stuck in her ways.

As I watched her continue to unpack a lot of things she didn't need, I recalled the way she'd been acting since we arrived at the campsite.

We were climbing up a hill to reach the spot I'd picked out. Everyone was staring at Brittany as she lugged the oversized backpack. The other five chipmunks and I sported much more reasonably sized backpacks. I wondered how she could even lift that thing. Then, I remembered that she has super strength. Each of the kids has a special supernatural skill. I still don't fully understand how that's possible, but the proof it's true was right in front of me.

Eleanor squinted at her older sister. "Brittany, you look ridiculous."

Oh good. She said it so I didn't have to.

"Keep talking like that, and I won't let you use my massage chair." The girl in pink huffed.

"I wouldn't wanna use it anyway." Eleanor retorted smugly.

Alvin decided that now would be a great time for some teasing. He's changed so much and so little at the same time. It gives me a headache thinking about it.

"You look like a turtle!" The red capped chipmunk grinned.

Brittany was offended. "Do not!"

That didn't stop Alvin. He doubled down on the insult. "Do so! Turtle girl! Turtle girl!"

"Alvinnn!" Brittany shouted, whirling around to face him and almost whacking me with her backpack in the process.

The boy in the red T shirt with a yellow A and cyan shorts darted away from her. Alvin must have known he pushed too far.

I stepped back so I didn't get smacked. "I think you overdid it." I tried to tell Brittany as gently as possible.

"I did not." The stubborn girl insisted. "I have everything I need. I'm not going camping. I'm going glamping."

Thank goodness Theodore asked so I didn't have to.

"What's glamping? It sounds fun. Can I join?" The little boy adjusted his electric green bandanna.

Simon had tied his blue bandanna around his head. He said it looked cooler that way. I wasn't sure. I don't have much of a fashion sense.

"It's a fancy way of saying she's glamor camping." The brown haired boy explained. "Basically, pampering herself." He rolled his eyes, which matched his medium blue tank top. "As if she doesn't already do that every single day."

Jeanette fidgeted with the small fringe on her purple vest. "Britt, I really think you should take this opportunity to get more in touch with nature." She told her sister.

Before anyone could respond, Alvin started messing with the pink clad girl AGAIN. "I'll make her touch nature." He gave Brittany a sharp poke with a long stick he picked up off the ground.

"Quit it!" She hissed, glaring at the redheaded child.

I'd had enough of Alvin's antics. "No poking people." I grabbed the stick and snapped it in two. "Look, fellas, we came out here for a nice family camping trip and that's what we're going to have."

"Dave's right, dears." Miss. Miller added lovingly. "We're going to have a fun vacation."

Eleanor frowned. "It'll be fun alright." She murmured sarcastically.

We all continued our walk to the campsite together…

The flashback in my head concluded and I stared at the pile of things Brittany had unpacked while I was distracted. She had a hair dryer with a portable charger, a fluffy pillow, her shimmery sleeping bag, three bags of clothes, and a box of hair curlers. Is there anything she didn't pack!?

I attempted to lift the backpack to see if it was any less heavy than earlier. My knees buckled immediately, causing me to set it back down.

"How much…does this thing…weigh?" I panted.

Brittany shrugged.

"Do you know where the boys are?" I paced around the tent.

She put a polished nail against her cheek. "Theo overdosed on s'mores and went to find a place to puke."

I groaned. "Of course he did."

Brittany looked at her polished nail disapprovingly. "Can you hand me my mani pedi kit?" She asked.

I handed it over, giving up on getting her to embrace camping without all her "essentials."

"Would you like to come with me to round up the others?" I gave her an awkward smile.

"Hmmm." She thought about it and then turned the offer down. "No thanks."

I sighed. I could have used a hand. "Well…Good luck getting this all unpacked before sundown." I replied.

I left the girls' tent and decided to check the boys' tent once more to see if they'd returned.

"Hello? Anyone home?" I called, looking inside.

Nope. Nothing.

I left the campsite and came to a small lake, hoping to spot another kid, maybe even two or three.

I called their names. "Simon! Jeanette! Eleanor! Theodore! Alvin!"

A shuffling noise rustled the trees next to the lake. A familiar chubby chipmunk in a pale green T shirt and darker green shorts popped into view.

"What is it, Dave?" My youngest son asked.

I was so relieved to see him. "Theodore, oh thank goodness. Are you okay?"

"Uh huh. Why wouldn't I be?" The brown eyed boy blinked and tilted his head.

I crouched down to get closer to his height. "Brittany said you overdosed on s'mores."

"Uhh…well…I did have eleven, but I'm okay." He confessed. "I just have a tummy ache is all."

Well, that wasn't great, but at least he was still alive and not drowning in the lake or something.

I stood back up to my full height. "I don't suppose you've seen the others."

Theodore scrunched his nose. "Uhhh…nope." His eyes shined sweetly. "But, I bet I can sniff them out for you!"

Sniff them out? How was I supposed to respond to that? I think that's Theo's special "superpower" if I'm remembering what Alvin said correctly.

"A…Alright." I murmured.

We spent a while hiking around, looking for the others. I used my Eagle Scout training knowledge to navigate and make sure we didn't get lost.

As we walked, Theodore had quite a bit to talk about.

"Would you like to hear about Mr. Toasty's camping safety tips?" The green clad boy hopped over a twig on the ground as he scampered beside me.

I frowned, not because I was upset, but because as usual…I had no idea what Theo was talking about. "Who's Mr. Toasty?"

"The guy on my shirt! See?" He pointed to the graphic of a s'more with eyes and arms and legs.

"He's a s'more?" I asked.

My youngest son decided to tell me Mr. Toasty's entire backstory, whether I wanted to hear it or not. "He's a talking s'more, with a lot of good camping safety tips. Like, if you have a picnic basket, make sure that you make it bear-proof. Oh, and always remember to put out your fire before you sleep! That's a big one. And, and, choose your campsite wisely. Don't put your tent under a tree or camp too close to water." Theodore squeaked in that adorable child-like voice. "Did we choose our campsite wisely, Dave?"

Well, I guess I did appreciate him being so concerned about camping safety, even if this WAS a lot of information to take in at once…and most of it I already knew.

"Yes we did, Theodore." I responded gently.

"Are you sure?" He stuck out his lower lip in a pout.

"I'm a former Eagle Scout." I bragged. "Camping is my specialty." I might be clueless with modern technology, but out here I have all the knowledge I need.

Theodore looked up at me. "Is our picnic basket bear-proof?"

Bear proof? This was the first time I'd heard of that concept. All I knew was that you're supposed to keep the lid of the picnic basket or cooler closed as much as possible so that bears aren't attracted to the scent of the food inside.

But, I didn't want to tell my son I had no idea what he meant, so I did something I'm not proud of.

"I'm fairly sure." I lied. I straight up lied to my own son.

Theodore scrunched his nose again. I could tell he was thinking. "But not 100% sure?" DRAT! He was onto me.

I knew exactly what to say to keep him calm. "It will be fine. You don't need to worry about this stuff. I'm the parent. It's my job to keep you safe. I take my job very seriously." I responded. I didn't need the poor kid up with nightmares about bears attacking our camp. The odds of that happening were slim.

"I know. I just thought…maybe if I help you, then you don't have to work so hard and get so stressed." The little chipmunk spoke softly and tenderly.

Gosh, he was as kind and generous and helpful as they come. Almost to a fault. "That's very sweet of you, Theodore." I replied.

We continued our trek through the forest and it wasn't long before my thoughts were interrupted by another question from Theodore.

"So, did you check the weather for this week?" He tugged at my sock.

I was beginning to get irritated. It doesn't take much to irritate me. My mother used to always say I was hot headed. She wasn't…entirely wrong.

I tried my best to hide my rapidly thinning patience. "I did. It's sunny and beautiful."

Theodore didn't seem convinced. "No storms?"

"No storms." I confirmed. "The weatherman said nothing but clear skies and low humidity."

"What if the weatherman is wrong?" My son tremembled a little. "Do we have a storm plan in place? Mr. Toasty says we always need an emergency plan in case things go wrong."

An emergency plan? Well, maybe it would be a good idea to have one. I decided I would make a plan when I got back to camp.

And since I was going to make one, I lied again. "Sure, yes, we have a plan." I felt so guilty lying to him. The alternative was to have him freak out, and I didn't want that.

"That's good." He seemed satisfied and then launched into another question. "Do we have a first aid kit?"

"Yes." I groaned. Then, I muttered to myself under my breath. "This is going to be a looong hike."

Theodore gasped. "It is? Maybe I should have brought more s'mores." Darn it! I forgot this kid hears EVERYTHING.

I looked at him sternly. "I think you've had your fill of s'mores." If he ate any more, he'd surely puke…and I'd be stuck cleaning it up.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Luckily, the boy in green agreed.

After a while, Theodore suddenly shrieked. "There they are!"

I had been preoccupied thinking about possible places we might find the others and all the dangerous situations they might be getting into. The noise caught me off guard and I nearly stumbled.

"Huh?" I squinted into the distance where Theo was pointing.

"Look! Look!" He shouted again. "It's Simon and Jeanette!"

He was right! There they were! Four kids accounted for. Two to go.

Simon was wearing a medium blue T shirt that said I Will Survive on it. Notably different from the darker blue tank top he'd worn earlier that day. He waved at me with a sheepish smile. "H…Hi, Dave."

Before he could say anything else, Jeanette took over for him. She babbled excitedly as she held up a thick maroon spiral-bound notebook. "We're seeing who can identify the most flora and fauna and add it to our nature guide!" She gushed. "So far, we've added over 30 different species!"

I folded my arms. "That's great, guys, but you still shouldn't have left camp without telling me."

"We're sorry." Simon replied genuinely. "Jeanette was just so excited to go, we didn't think of it."

The girl with the purple dragonfly hairclip decorating her bun, nodded. "We'll try to remember next time. We promise."

"Truthfully, I was excited to go as well." My son adjusted his glasses. "I don't get much time to spend alone with her without Alvin butting in."

He was definitely right about that.

Jeanette rested a hand on Simon's shoulder, adjusting her own round purple glasses. "He was a little disappointed, but I told him that he could hike with me tomorrow. Today is Simon's time." She looked affectionately at her best friend.

"That's nice." Theodore agreed. "Simon deserves his time."

Enough explaining. I was happy for the two of them, but there were more important things going on.

I finally got to ask the question I was hoping to ask: "Have you seen Alvin? Or Eleanor?"

Jeanette frowned slightly. "Not since we left camp."

Simon rolled his eyes. "Alvin was rambling about various cryptids again, but that's all I know."

Theodore slumped his shoulders. "Eleanor said she was gonna swim, but when I went to the lake, she wasn't there." I could tell he was disappointed. He and Eleanor are usually like two peas in a pod.

"Maybe she was and you didn't notice her." Simon joked with a small smirk.

The boy in green folded his arms. He frowned at his older brother. "I always notice her."

Simon rested a hand on his hip. "Anyway, may we continue our hike?" He requested. "Aloooone?" He added, drawing out the vowel sound in the last word to really drive home his point.

"Yeah, of course." I replied. I thought for a moment. Simon probably knew this, but it never hurts to check. "You know how to get back to camp, right?"

He smirked again. You could really see his subtle resemblance to Alvin "Yes. we'll just follow the sound of Brittany complaining." He joked.

I scolded him for that one, even though it had truth to it. "Simon."

Jeanette was all giggles. "Don't worry. We have the map."

Theodore waved goodbye to the bespectacled duo. "We'll see you at dinnertime." He said, hopping over another twig.

"Be careful out here." I warned.

Simon gave me a goofy salute. "Sure thing, troop leader Dave." He responded, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

I watched my son and his best friend walk away and listened to them talk more about their nature guide book.

"I hope we see a pygmy nuthatch." Jeanette squeaked. "What are you hoping to see?"

Simon smiled. "A wandering salamander. Unfortunately, they're pretty elusive."

"It's definitely easier documenting things that don't move." The Chipette in the lavender ECO girl T-shirt, and deep purple shorts, agreed.

"Indeed." Simon snapped a photo of a tree using his phone camera. "Add Douglas-fir tree to the guide."

Jeanette jumped around. "And it's right next to a red alder!"

"Exquisite." Simon snapped another photo.

"I'm still impressed you were able to snap a picture of the brush rabbit." Jeanette added. "He was so fast."

My son nodded. "I honestly didn't think I'd get him."

"Did you know, California is a World Biodiversity Hotspot?" The brunette Chipette sure was enjoying herself.

My son raised an eyebrow in awe. "It is? Wow."

"60% of its flora is exclusively native to California." Jeanette went on.

"Incredible!" Simon replied, his voice fading away as he became just a tiny blue dot on the trail in the distance.

Theodore and I walked in the opposite direction, as we continued our search for Alvin and Eleanor.

The littlest chipmunk tugged on my sock again. "Do you know the way back to camp, Dave?" He asked nicely. "My legs are really tired."

I wasn't ready to go back yet. "We really need to find Alvin." I told him gently. "Who knows what trouble he's gotten himself into?"

Theodore sighed heavily. "Yeah. I know." He looked at me with those dark brown puppy-dog eyes. "Can I ride on your back?"

I couldn't say no to him. He did have MUCH shorter legs than I did. It made sense he'd grow tired of hiking sooner or later.

"Sure." I lifted my son into the air and put him on my back. He could ride up there without putting too much strain on my shoulders. Though I'd definitely feel it after a while.

"This is much better." He squeaked, sniffing the air. "I think I can smell Alvin from up here!"

I had to chuckle at that. The way he said it sounded ridiculous.

"How does that work?" I wondered. "Wouldn't Alvin be closer to the ground?"

Theodore gripped my shoulders tighter. "Maybe he's climbing trees?"

I hadn't considered that. Climbing trees was a very Alvin thing to do. "Oh, good thinking." I put my hands on my hips. "Okay, tell me which direction to go to find Alvin." I said, suddenly confident we'd locate my third son in record time.

Theodore's directions weren't the easiest to follow, he started off pointing in the direction he wanted me to go. That didn't do much good when I couldn't see where he was pointing. He was still riding on my back.

Eventually, he figured out he had to say the directions verbally. That was still pretty hard to follow.

"Right, then straight, now make a left, no, wait, right again,…"

I groaned. "Which is it?"

"Right! Right!" Theo squeaked. "It's getting stronger! And I can hear him talking!"

I couldn't hear a thing. "Are you sure?"

"Trust me, Dave." He begged.

Sure enough, he was right. We both found Alvin hooking up some crazy contraption in a tree. I had no idea what it was supposed to be. It looked like a collection of sensors and wires and a huge net. Then, there were bells attached to some sort of pole which was also attached to the net.

I gave up trying to make sense of it and shouted up at my son. "Alvin! What are you doing up there!?"

"I'm using my genius inventor brain to catch Bigfoot!" The red capped boy hollered back, sounding slightly annoyed.

Yes, Alvin's an inventor now. He calls himself Alvin 2.0. I asked him a few times to be more like Simon, and it seems like he took it to heart in the worst way possible. Okay, that's not really a fair assessment. He's come a long way, which I have to remind myself constantly because, well, he does things like this.

I groaned. Some things never change. "Alvin, Bigfoot isn't real."

"Oh yes he is!" My oldest son argued. "I saw him!"

I didn't believe that for a second. Alvin was known for jumping to conclusions. "You saw him?" I raised an eyebrow.

Theodore's grip tightened to the point where his sharp nails were digging into my shoulders, OW.

"B…Bigfoot?" The younger chipmunk trembled.

Time for some expert parenting. "It's okay, Theodore." I calmed him down. "I'm sure Alvin was just imagining things." I sternly glared up at the boy in red and cyan clothes. "Right, Alvin?"

Alvin expertly climbed down the tree and slid off a branch, leaping through the air and landing on his feet at the bottom of the tree. I noticed he'd tied his wild red hair into a tiny ponytail. He probably thought that made him look more mature. It did not.

"I know what I saw, Dave!" He continued to speak. "He was HUGE! He was covered in mud and he had leaves in his fur! A real live cryptid in our local forest! Can you believe it?"

Theodore and I answered him at the same time. "No."

Alvin huffed. "Fine. Well, then you two skeptics run along." He adjusted his red glasses and fiddled with a sensor. "I must continue my quest."

No way. I was not letting him fool around with this. Not without supervision. "That looks dangerous." I pointed out.

While this "2.0" fella has a survival instinct, he still tends to overestimate his capability to…not make things explode.

"Spoken like someone who has no idea how the laws of physics work." He scoffed.

Let me tell you, I was getting mighty tired of his "genius" and his insistence that he always knew more than I did.

I took Theodore off my shoulders and held him in my arms. That way, he wouldn't dig his claws into me if he got scared again.

"So how does your trap work?" The little munk in green asked his brother, before I could stop him.

This made Alvin break out in a large smile "I'm so glad you asked…"

He proceeded to explain his mythical beast trap in complicated science words. I didn't have a clue what he was saying. It was all too fast and too much to take in. Not to mention, I suspect he forgot that he wasn't explaining this to Simon or Jeanette, so he just babbled and babbled without stopping. He was completely unaware that his explanation was…pointless.

"Do you know what he means by that?" I whispered quietly to Theodore.

He shook his head. "Not really no."

"Should we nod and pretend we do?" I wondered, still talking in a hushed whisper.

Theodore nodded, and the two sprigs of brownish blonde hair on his head bounced around. "I think that would be best, even though it's lying."

Alvin finally finished his long winded speech of science gibberish. "And then, once the net has ensnared its victim, these bells will ring at a frequency of 8,000 hertz."

Theodore frowned. "Oh brother." He groaned. "When those go off, my ears are gonna hertz." I don't think he meant to make a joke, but I did find that pretty funny.

"Any questions?" Alvin gestured to his trap with a flourish.

"No, I think we got it." I lied.

Theodore joined me. "Yep. Totally understand it."

That seemed to please the aggravatingly wordy boy. "Would you like to help me adjust the sensors and recalibrate everything?" His bright blue eyes glistened. "I could use someone….taller." He rubbed his arm awkwardly. I could tell admitting he's too short was difficult for him.

I'm not sure how much he'll grow when he gets older. It's very likely that he'll remain too short for some things, even as an adult. They all might.

Because I felt bad for lying to him, I decided I probably should help. "Uhhh….well….sure."

Alvin 2.0 grinned and held up a hand to high five me. "Stupendous!"

I bent down and touched his tiny hand with two of my fingers.

Setting up the trap with him proved to be harder than I thought. We both got frustrated with each other quickly. Theo was there to help smooth things over, but nothing was going well.

"You need to follow directions, Dave." Alvin told me sharply.

"I am following the directions!" I insisted. You know, the ones that I actually understood. Admittedly, that wasn't much.

Next thing I knew, I was re-tying one of the ropes and Alvin was off staring into the woods.

"I think I saw him again! Come look!" The red capped chipmunk begged.

I scolded him. "Pay attention, Alvin!"

We finally got the trap fully recalibrated after at least ten failed attempts. I breathed a sigh of relief and then accidentally stepped too close to a sensor.

The net shot out and scooped me up. I found myself hanging from the tree, upside down. I struggled to flip myself upright.

Alvin chuckled obnoxiously. "Well, the good news is, the trap works." He reported proudly. "It is fully functional." Then, he started bragging. "I have truly outdone myself with this one."

I was pushed to my limit. "ALVINNN!" I yelled. "GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!"

"Oh brother." Theodore watched the scene and sighed.

"Heh heh." Alvin's ears drooped, but he was still grinning. Did that mean he felt ashamed that his trap had caught me? "Right away, Davey boy!" He released me with the push of a button.

I stood up and dusted off my camouflage T-shirt. "Are you ready to get back to camp now?" I asked Alvin, trying to calm down again.

He rubbed his furry chin. "Hmmm. I dunno. Maybe I should add another motion sensor, just to be safe." He reached a hand toward the invention.

I picked him up and held him close. "The trap is fine, Alvin. Come on."

Theodore climbed up onto my shoulder and patted Alvin's head gently. "You need to take a break from using your brainy brain." He advised.

The newly intellectual chipmunk sighed. "Yeah, heh heh. You've got a point, Theo." He admitted. I was very glad that he was self aware enough not to argue with Theodore.

As we returned to camp, I thought about what Officer Dangus must be enduring at that moment. He was hired to babysit Simon's robot son Geizmo. He was also there to babysit Warbie (Alvin's bird son), Pippi (Jeanette's mouse daughter), Lilly (Theodore's pet dog), and Zeela (Jeanette's robot daughter.) He sure had his hands full.

I was glad he volunteered to help out. I didn't want to take the kids' kids camping too. If I had anyone else to track down, I would probably lose my mind. No, scratch that. Definitely. I would definitely lose my mind.

"We're back!" Theodore announced, jumping out of my arms and running up to Miss. Miller.

Alvin wriggled away from me and scurried over to rest on a log. "And my trap is set!" He boasted. "Ohoho! It won't be long now! I can feel it!"

Brittany looked up her fashion magazine. "Are you still going on about that?"

Alvin grabbed her magazine, so that she'd be forced to pay attention to him. "You're just jealous that my face is gonna be in every newspaper!" He went on. "I can see it now! The headline reads "Famous Rockstar Discovers Bigfoot!" He appeared to be in what he calls "Classic Alvin mode."

"Doubt it." Brittany scoffed.

He handed her magazine back. "Then, I'll interview the sasquatch and publish a research paper on my findings!" He rubbed his hands together. Okay, maybe he wasn't in "Classic Alvin mode" after all. That boy is very confusing.

Brittany looked at him with half lidded blue eyes. She was clearly getting more and more annoyed by the second. "I hope Bigfoot kidnaps you."

Okay, I needed to break this up before their banter got any worse. "Brittany, Alvin, please…" I began.

My rambunctious son interrupted me. "Don't worry, Britt! If trap number one fails, I can still use your help on trap number two. The revised edition." He babbled.

"Can't think of anything I'd like to do less." The strawberry blonde haired girl retorted.

Alvin nudged her playfully. "Come on! You're always saying we should spend more time together! I'm giving you an opening!"

Brittany pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't care about your doofy little invention." She replied. "You wanna spend time with me? Let's relax in the tent and talk." She stood up and pointed to the tent she decorated with pink flowers.

"Okay!" He seemed very enthusiastic, jumping up to follow her. "I have loads to talk about."

Brittany seemed content with that. She smiled, but her smile quickly faded as the red capped boy continued to talk.

"Did you know that Bigfoot sightings happen roughly 300 times a year?" He asked.

The pink clad Chipette covered her ears. "Not about Bigfoot. I will talk about anything but that. Literally anything!" She begged.

Alvin still didn't understand. "How about Mothman? The Chupacabra?" I am pretty sure she meant NO mythical beasts.

Brittany groaned and pulled Alvin into the tent with her.

I looked at Theodore, exhaustion written all over my face. "I will never understand those two."

The boy in the pale green T-shirt shrugged. "Me either."

We could both still hear the loud voices of the pink and red duo, even though they were slightly muffled.

"Alvin! Get your butt out of my massage chair!" Brittany demanded. "I called dibs!"

He whined. "But I'm very tense. I gotta relax."

"Move it!" I heard a thud. She must have dumped him out of the chair.

"Ow!" Alvin squeaked. "Okay okay!"

Should I go in there and scold them? No, no. Let them work things out on their own. The important thing is that I know where they are.

Theodore and I joined Miss. Miller by the campfire.

The little chipmunk held up a box of graham crackers and a bag of marshmallows. "Would you like me to make you a s'more, Miss. Miller?" He asked.

"Why isn't that sweet of you?" The elderly woman replied. "Of course, Theodore."

He smiled and stuck a marshmallow on a skewer, then he carefully stuck it near the flame.

While Theo made Miss. Miller the signature camping treat, I started to talk aloud to myself. "Let's see. I found Brittany, Theodore, Simon and Jeanette are accounted for. Alvin's here too." Suddenly, I gasped. I knew someone had slipped my mind. "Eleanor! I'm missing Eleanor!"

Miss. Miller rested a hand on my shoulder. "I wouldn't worry too much about her, David. She's a big girl. She's very independent."

I just couldn't shake the fear of something going wrong. "But what if she's in trouble?"

"I could try and text her." Theodore offered. He looked at his phone sadly. "Except there's no service out here."

"Does she know the way back to camp?" I felt the tension in my body increase.

The little chipmunk nodded. "I think so. She's a survival expert." He handed Miss. Miller the finished s'more. "Here you go. Careful, it's a little messy."

"Thank you." The old woman took a bite and melted chocolate dripped down her chin. "It's delicious."

I started to pace around the campfire. I was fully aware that my neurotic tendencies were not helping anyone, but I just couldn't stop myself from worrying. "Maybe I should go out and look for her."

"You need to relax, David." Miss. Miller advised.

I shook my head forcefully. "Relaxing is what got me into this." I reminded the Chipettes' mother. "I relaxed for a few minutes and the kids went gallivanting away on their own."

Theodore tried to calm me down with sugar. As if that would actually work. "Here, Dave, have a s'more. They're very yummy." He handed it to me.

I humored him and nibbled on the treat. "They are very good." I admitted.

"I wish I could eat some, but I can't until tomorrow." My son rubbed his stomach. "My tummy says no more marshmallows and chocolate for a while."

It wasn't long after that when Jeanette and Simon returned to the campsite.

Jeanette held the nature guide to her chest. "Guess how many species we added to the guidebook now!" She squealed.

Simon hopped up onto a log and took a seat. "I'll give you a hint, it's….a lot."

Theodore was more than happy to play their guessing game. "Is it a thousand?"

"Not that many." The chipmunk in blue responded with a slight chuckle.

I decided to join in. "Uh….45?"

"Higher!" Jeanette tucked the book under her arm and pointed upward.

Miss. Miller took a guess. "70?"

"Lower." Simon replied.

I exchanged glances with Miss. Miller and Theodore. We were all in agreement.

"We give up." I said.

Theo nodded. "Yeah, how many?"

Jeanette adjusted her purple vest. "52!" She announced.

"Whoah! Nice!" The chubby chipmunk gave her a high five.

Then, he high fived Simon as well.

Alvin came around to join us, climbing up onto the log next to me. "I'm bored." He complained. "And tired of Brittany." He looked around. "What's goin' on here?"

"I'm just making s'mores for everybody." Theodore informed him. "Want one?"

Alvin's blue eyes landed on the bag in Theo's hand. "Maybe just a roasted marshmallow."

Jeanette was even happier to see her boyfriend…it's still so strange to think of them like that. "Alvin! Alvin! Look at everything we added to the guide!" She handed him the notebook.

"Wow, you two were busy." The red capped boy with the cyan bandanna flipped through the guidebook pages.

Jeanette leaned her head on top of Alvin's cap. "Yeah, we were. It was nice."

"Glad ya enjoyed it." He replied. I was a little surprised that Alvin didn't seem bothered by Simon and Jeanette not wanting his company for a while. He really has improved.

The Chipette in purple smiled. "I'm looking forward to taking a hike with you too. If you want to." She fidgeted with the friendship bracelets around her wrist.

She'd made us all personalized ones in our favorite colors. Mine had navy blue, periwinkle, white, and grey.

Alvin's cheeks turned a bit pink. "I'm in!" He smiled back. "Maybe, you know, we could look for Bigfoot too." He twirled a strand of red-orange hair around on his finger, then jumped off the log. "I have a feeling he's close. I've felt like someone was watching me all day."

Brittany climbed onto the log between Theodore and Simon. "Alvin, give it a rest!" She grumbled. "Nobody but you cares about you know who!" She shouted. "Not even your girlfriend. Tell him, Jeanette."

"Err….uh….well…" Her younger sister didn't enjoy being put on the spot.

I needed to help change the topic. "Can we get back to enjoying the simple pleasures of camping?" I asked. "Please?" I stressed the last word.

Brittany didn't even hear me, I suppose. "Answer me, Jeanette." She demanded.

"I guess not." I muttered.

Simon stared at Alvin, looking irritated. "Let me put it this way, Alvin. If you can prove Bigfoot exists, I will buy you a Ferrari."

The redhead smirked. "I'll take that deal."

I sighed. "Alvin, he's not buying you a Ferrari."

"He has to if I prove Bigfoot exists!" My rambunctious son argued.

I facepalmed. Usually, Alvin could pick up on Simon's sarcasm. Apparently, not today.

Jeanette frowned. "I think we should just leave Bigfoot alone. He's probably tired of tourists trying to locate him." She said softly.

Brittany's ice blue eyes widened. "You believe he's real too?"

The girl in purple looked like she wanted to run away. "I…I b…believe we can't s…say he isn't for certain, so it's best to assume he is."

Simon's expression matched Brittany's. "This is ridiculous. You aren't going to catch Bigfoot!"

Alvin tapped his finger against his forehead. "The last time I looked for Bigfoot, I wasn't equipped with a big ol genius brain." He responded.

"It's adorable that you think that'll make a difference." Simon gave him a smug grin.

This caused the boy in red to get even more determined. "It will! You'll see!"

Suddenly, we all heard a SNAP! Then, the sound of bells ringing loudly followed it. Alvin's trap had been sprung! But, by who? Or what? Did he really catch Bigfoot?

"Oh my gosh! He actually did it!" Brittany exclaimed in disbelief.

Alvin danced around on the log. "OHOHO! YES! In your face!"

"What on earth…" I didn't know what else to say.

Alvin sped off to check his trap, forcing the rest of us to follow. Well, aside from Miss. Miller. She stayed at the camp.

"You go on ahead, dears. I'm not much of a runner." She told us.

Upon reaching the trap, we saw who the net had captured. It wasn't what we expected, that's for sure. It was ELEANOR! There she was in her dark teal tank top with orange leopard print letters. They read "GO WILD." She also had on a pair of mint striped shorts. In her hair, leaves decorated her twin ponytail holders.

She didn't look too upset about getting ensnared by Alvin's foolishness. She just smiled and said. "Wassup."

"Hey!" Alvin put a hand on his hip. "You're not Bigfoot."

"Nope, I'm not." The youngest Chipette agreed. "Gotcha!"

He squinted up at her, looking confused. "What?"

I realized what might have been going on before Alvin did. "Eleanor, have you been trying to prank Alvin this entire time?" I asked sternly.

The girl in teal and mint laughed. "Prank, mislead, fool, freak out….there's a lot of things you can call it."

Theodore sighed. "Oh Ellie."

Alvin started to pace up and down. "But I know I saw him!" He insisted. "This doesn't make any sense!"

Eleanor tumbled out of the trap as Simon released her. "Gotta admit, I was REALLY convincing in that costume." She revealed. "I made it out of mud and dried leaves, and I used some sticks as stilts." She laughed again.

"C…Costume?" The red capped chipmunk looked surprised, then disappointed.

Brittany scoffed at her youngest sister. "You're disgusting."

"Thanks!" The pigtailed blonde replied.

The truth about what he'd actually seen finally dawned on Alvin. He smacked himself in the forehead with his palm. "I can't believe Eleanor was Bigfoot this whole time!"

"Believe it, Sucker!" She taunted. She twirled around and then nudged him.

I folded my arms. "Okay, Eleanor. That's enough." I ordered. "Let's get back to camp."

On our way back, a rustling noise came from some nearby bushes. A faint growling accompanied it. I was getting angrier by the second, and so was everyone else.

"Stop it, Ells." Alvin commanded, brows furrowing with irritation. "It's not funny anymore."

"Yeah." Brittany added. "Knock it off, sis."

Jeanette nodded. "This joke has gone on long enough." She wasn't visibly angry. I think she may have just been trying to keep the peace.

"I'm not doing anything!" Eleanor told us, waving her hands. "See? Look. I'm right here."

Well, that wasn't good. If it wasn't Eleanor, then what was making that noise?

"Guys,….that's not her." Theodore squeaked nervously. "L…L…Look!"

A shaggy brown paw stepped out of the bushes.

Even Simon was freaking out now. "Everyone run!" He screamed.

We all hustled! We sped away as fast as possible.

"Was that Bigfoot?" I shrieked.

Brittany threw her hands up. "Who knows? But I'm not sticking around to find out!"

Alvin crept back toward the bushes. "Bigfoot, hi, huge fan! I have a couple very important questions for you…"

WHAT WAS HE DOING!? WAS HE OUT OF HIS MIND!?

More growling and rustling happened. I grabbed my idiot son and sprinted away. "Let's go, Alvin!"

The boy whined at me, reaching back toward the bushes with all his might. "BUT I JUST WANT A PICTURE WITH HIM!"

"It's not worth the risk, Alvin." Theodore said, still sounding terrified.

"I know, but it's my only chance!" Alvin begged. "Put me down! This isn't fair! Daaaaave! Let me goooo!" He squirmed, but I held him tightly. He wasn't going anywhere.

"You guys, this isn't Bigfoot." A soft voice said. "It's just a friendly grizzly bear." Was that Jeanette? I turned around to see her walking TOWARD the bear. "I have to write this in the guide!" The Chipette in purple opened her notebook.

"Jeanette, FORGET THE GUIDE!" Simon grabbed her hand.

The bear roared angrily.

"Or a not so friendly grizzly bear!" Jeanette snapped the notebook shut. "RUN!"

We all ran and didn't look back. I caught Theodore giving me a dirty look and wondered why. I didn't have to wonder long before he told me.

The little munk scowled. "I thought you said you bear-proofed our picnic basket, Dave!" He said frantically.

"Not now, Theodore!" I snapped. I probably could have handled that better, if I wasn't RUNNING FOR MY LIFE.

Alvin was still in my arms, but at least he stopped squirming. "The bear probably smelled Britt's bag of perfume and was like "what's that doing in my forest?" He commented. "This is all your fault, Britt."

Brittany's tail fluffed up. "I bet your stupid alarm bells attracted it!" She shot back, furiously.

"How dare you insult my glorious invention!?" Alvin placed a hand on his heart. "I am a master of my craft!"

"I vote we throw Alvin to the bear." Brittany smiled a devilish grin. "Who's with me?"

Eleanor raised her fist to the sky, while still running. "If that bear so much as messes with us, it's goin' DOWN!" She stopped and turned around.

"Don't fight the bear! Are you nuts!?" I yelled.

Simon looked from Eleanor to me. "Yes, she is."

"Urgh. Fine." She resumed sprinting. "But I could totally take him." She insisted.

We managed to make it back to camp safely. The bear eventually got bored of chasing us. We were all out of breath when we entered the campsite again.

"That was so close." Brittany was the first to catch her breath. "Now, I have to redo my hair." And she was back to complaining.

Simon glared at her. "I think that's a small price to pay for not being bear chow." He commented dryly.

Jeanette started writing in her guide. "What a majestic creature." She sighed happily.

"I'm hungry." Surprisingly, Eleanor said that, not Theo. "What's for dinner?" I guess pretending to be Bigfoot takes a lot of energy.

"There's sandwiches in the cooler." I told her, making a mental note to figure out how to bear-proof the cooler.

"What kinds?" The kids asked together.

I listed off what I planned for tonight's dinner. "Ham and cheese for Simon, myself, and Brittany, peanut butter and jelly for Alvin, you, Miss. Miller, and Theodore, and there's a vegan granola bar for Jeanette and some rice cakes."

"And apple slices and carrot sticks for everybody." Theodore added. I had forgotten he helped me pick out the snackier foods to add.

Miss. Miller greeted us as we walked by her. "Welcome back, dears. Did you have a good time?"

"It was….an experience." I answered.

She Smiled kindly. "Did the lovable scamps behave?"

"Barely." Simon muttered.

Theodore proudly puffed out his chest. "I think I was really well behaved."

"Alvin caught me in a Bigfoot trap." Eleanor added.

Alvin looked at her angrily. "You walked into it! You caught yourself!"

Immediately, Miss. Miller started looking her daughter over, checking for scrapes or cuts like any doting mother would. "Oh, goodness gracious. Are you okay, Eleanor?"

The golden haired Chipette didn't enjoy being fussed over. "Yeah. I'm fine." She said. "Don't sweat it."

Jeanette held her Nature Guidebook up. "Miss. Miller, would you like to read about all the different species Simon and I found?" She asked gently.

"Absolutely." The elderly lady allowed her middle daughter to climb up on her lap.

I finally had a chance to relax again. But, I definitely wouldn't make the same mistake as before. "I'm going to sit down for 5 minutes." I informed the kids. "Don't any of you wander off again."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Dave." Alvin replied. I hoped he was being honest. I have to trust him more. Don't I? Forgive me, it's very hard to adjust to him…not getting into trouble so often.

Brittany shuddered. "It'll be getting dark soon anyway. I don't want to be in the woods when it's dark."

"Are you cold?" Simon asked her.

"Y…Yeah." She nodded.

Theodore looked confused. "But it's warm here by the fire." He pointed out.

It finally hit me. Brittany was afraid of the dark. Simon must have known, because he was helping her explain her shivers in a different way. He really is a sweet kid. Every bit as sweet as he is intelligent.

"Wanna borrow my jacket?" Simon brought his backpack and unzipped it. He handed Brittany a blue and indigo two toned jacket.

"Yeah." She slipped it on over her clothes. "Thanks, Simon."

I sat down at last on the ground outside our tent. "Finally, a nice place to gather my thoughts."

The day had been full of surprises, but everyone was safe and accounted for now. I watched them out of the corner of my eye. Not that I didn't trust them. At the end of the day, they're good kids. But, I just…wanted to be extra careful so I didn't lose track of them again.

The next morning, I woke early and slipped on a white T shirt with a logo on it that I designed. It said, Camp Chipmunk. I was pretty proud of it. I made matching ones for the kids, but they didn't seem interested in them.

Theodore stirred in his green sleeping bag. His brown eyes opened and he crawled out. He was still giving me a very dirty look.

"You lied to me about following all the camping safety tips." He shook his finger at me. "Didn't you?"

I knew I needed to fess up. "Yeah, yeah. I did lie." I admitted. "I'm sorry." I didn't like this one bit. It felt like Theodore was trying to parent me. But, I knew that I needed to be held accountable for my decisions. "I didn't even know putting bear repellent on a picnic basket was a thing."

"That's why you gotta watch Mr. Toasty's safety videos on YouTube." He patted my leg. "I'll show you them whenever I get some data, or when we get home."

"I shouldn't have said what I said." I decided, well, maybe it was time to tell my emotionally intelligent son the FULL truth. No more secrets. "I guess I just feel sort of threatened when someone wants to help me with my…parenting. It makes me feel like I'm not good enough on my own." I confessed. It felt great to…have that out in the open. Scary, terrifying, yet great.

"But why?" Theodore climbed up and hugged me. "You're a good dad who's always trying your best." He smiled. "Even good dads need help sometimes."

Gosh, I hadn't thought about it that way. Asking for help didn't mean I was a bad parent. When you're a single father raising a bunch of kids, you…CAN'T always do it alone. "You're absolutely right, Theodore." I said. "And I'll try to work on accepting help more often." I promised. That would be hard. I'd have to un-learn some things and work through my internalized insecurities. Still, I owed it to the fellas to at least try.

Theodore and I walked out of the tent together and found Alvin standing there, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Oh really?" The redheaded chipmunk folded his arms. "Now you'll accept help!? I've been giving you parenting advice since we arrived and you ignored it!" He claimed. Oh no. Did he overhear everything!?

Simon joined Alvin and scoffed. "Please." He chuckled. "The only thing you've talked about since we arrived…is Bigfoot."

"Yep. He's right." Theodore confirmed.

Alvin held up his pointer finger. "Well, if Dave's taking parenting critiques now, I have an entire list."

I groaned. Why does he get on my nerves so much? "That's not what I agreed to, Alvin."

"Is so! Is so!" He argued back.

Simon pointed across the camp. "Hey, Alvin, look over there! I think I saw Bigfoot!"

The rambunctious and wild boy let out a happy gasp. "Really!?" (He ran off with a determined grin plastered on his freckled face. "Ohoho! I'm gonna catch him at last! I'm gonna make hiiiiistooooryyyy!"

I smiled down at Simon. "You didn't actually see Bigfoot, did you?"

"No. No I did not." He replied with a smirk.

Theodore sighed. "He says he's so unpredictable, but then he does stuff like this."

We all had a good chuckle at the truth in that statement.

Later that same day, Eleanor, Simon, and I prepared to go fishing. We weren't actually going to eat the fish or cook them. I just enjoyed the calm, serene, relaxing experience of fishing. Jeanette had designed us fish friendly clips that wouldn't cut into them like hooks. We planned to simply catch and release them. It was a good family bonding activity.

"Don't forget the tacklebox, Dave." Simon ran up to me, holding the container of lures.

"I knew I was missing something." I grabbed the container from him. "Thanks, Simon."

Eleanor started to boast. "I bet I'm gonna catch the biggest fish."

"It's not a competition." The boy in blue reminded her.

She smiled. "But it could be." She nudged him.

I checked on Miss Miller, Theo, and Jeanette. They were swimming in the shallow end of the lake.

"Are you three enjoying your swim?" I asked.

Theodore nodded. "Yep!" He splashed around.

Jeanette floated on her back, wearing a purple and blue tie dye one-piece bathing suit. "I feel so unencumbered by the worries of the world." She let out a happy sigh.

"It's delightful." Miss. Miller agreed.

"Jeanette taught me to do the limp noodle!" Theodore added. He mimiced the girl in the purple glasses. "Check it out! I'm floating and I don't even have to paddle much!" He announced.

I chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Very nice, Theodore."

As I was about to head off on the fishing expedition, I overheard Brittany and Alvin nearby. I walked over to find Alvin laying on his back outside our tent. Brittany sat down beside him, looking equal parts sad and frustrated.

"Hey." She murmured.

Alvin 2.0 groaned. "What do you want?"

The Chipette in pink picked at her polished nails. "Do you still need someone to help you find Bigfoot?" She asked softly.

"No." Alvin sat up and pushed up his red glasses. He hugged his knees, looking disappointed. "Simon and Dave are right. He's probably just a myth. I should focus on something else."

I wanted to tell him not to give up. It hurt me to see my son so sad. Maybe there wasn't as much harm in obsessing over a mythical creature as I thought.

But I didn't have to say that yet, because at that moment, Brittany knew exactly what she had to say. "Or….maybe we could build a few more traps together?"

"It's okay." Alvin replied. "I know inventing isn't really your thing."

"Maybe not, but it IS yours." The Chipette continued. "Just like looking for cryptids and aliens and all that stuff. I know I make fun of you for it, but I'd hate to see it beaten out of you." She confessed.

Alvin brightened up. His ears twitched and he made a reference to the X Files. I'm not sure if Brittany picked up on it or not.

"Well…" He winked playfully. "Every Mulder needs a Scully."

Brittany grabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet. "Come on. Let's go bag us a sasquatch…" She said confidently. "…or at least have some fun trying."

Alvin's face broke into a wide smile as he followed her.

Suddenly, I realized Simon and Eleanor were behind me.

"What the heck was THAT?" Simon exclaimed in surprise.

I wasn't entirely sure what I'd just witnessed myself. "I think…Alvin and Brittany are actually…getting along."

Eleanor laughed so hard she snorted. "That's like seeing a unicorn and Bigfoot at the same time." She joked.

Simon and I both chuckled together. She was right.

The pigtailed girl rested a hand on the tacklebox I'd set down. "You know, all in all, this camping trip wasn't as bad as I expected." She admitted.

I smiled at her warmly. "Glad to hear that, Eleanor."

"I concur." Simon added. "Just our usual brand of tomfoolery."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I told the two of them. It was true. I meant it wholeheartedly.

We enjoyed the rest of our vacation and I am pleased to report I didn't lose the kids any more times. Alvin never did find Bigfoot, but he insists he'll try again the next time we go camping. Simon caught the biggest fish and held it over Eleanor's head the rest of the camping trip. Then, she scared him with a ghost story as revenge.

Theodore managed to get one bar of signal and we watched glitchy and pixelated Mr. Toasty camping safety videos together. He also taught me the recipe for bear repellent and we spread it all around the edge of our campsite. Jeanette documented 20 more species of plants and animals in her Nature guide, with help from Theo and Alvin. Brittany joined us on a family nature hike, provided Miss. Miller and I pulled her in a pink wagon the entire time.

I thought being an Eagle Scout as a kid was hard, but nothing is more difficult than parenting six kids who are all so different and all so incredible. They teach me so much every day. They help me to look at the world through different viewpoints.

Growing up, I never could have imagined myself parenting anyone. Then, these boys dropped into my life and now…I can't imagine myself as anything but their dad. Keeping them safe and watching them grow is the most important job in the world. It's just…too bad it doesn't pay well. Haha. No, wait, who am I kidding? It does pay well. It's priceless.

CAMPING OUTFITS!!! I drew these ages ago lol.

Chapter Text

IMAGINATION MEDITATION

Jeanette's POV

It was a beautiful day…No, wait, I always start my stories like that, don't I? I should mix it up with something different. Okay, uhhh…It was a day like any other. Hmmm. That's not right either. Oh, oh, I've got it!

It was a bright and sunshiny summer day! The birds were singing, the clouds were as fluffy as the softest pillows, and I was hard at work in my garden.

I never enjoy the process of weeding. It makes me feel sorry for all the weeds. Unfortunately, if I don't get rid of them, they take the nutrients away from all the other plants. It's a necessary procedure. I do love my emotions. I wouldn't feel like the same person if I was less emotional. But, like everything they come with downsides.

I removed my lilac colored gardening gloves and wiped the tears from my eyes. "Forgive me." I whispered gently as I slipped them back on and plucked another pesky weed.

I worked in the garden for a while, until I arrived at the last patch of weeds. I internally hoped that something would come up and give me an excuse to take a break. I know breaks are very important, but once I get started on something, stopping can be extremely difficult.

There was this one time I spent 8 full hours writing a story. I can't remember which story at the moment. It might have been the fairy kitten one, with Gutsy the adorable kitten. Or maybe it was the one about the walrus who got separated from his family and had to navigate the ice and snow with help from an Emperor penguin.

Oops, getting off track.

One of the straps from my purple overalls slipped off my shoulder. I re-adjusted it and continued working. The heat was beginning to bother me, so I took a sip from my re-usable water bottle.

Just then, as if answering my silent plea, Alvin skated down the sidewalk on his skateboard. It was the skateboard he invented. The one with the ability to fly. Sometimes, he still uses his regular and ordinary skateboard, but it's clear this is the one he prefers.

The glitter glue atom drawn on his red baseball cap glistened in the sunlight. He waved to me and skated closer. "Netta, hey, how's it going?" He greeted me in a very friendly way.

I smiled and stood up, removing my gardening gloves once more and placing them in the grass. "Wonderfully!" I smiled. "It's a beautiful day!"

I really do say that a lot. Don't I? Heh heh.

Alvin dismounted his skateboard and came racing up to me with an awkward grin on his face. "Have you got time for a session?" He asked.

"I think so." I replied. Grateful to have him there, to motivate me to take that much needed break.

"Great!" He set the skateboard down and started to tell me about everything on his mind. "I'm still so stressed lately and I dunno what to do about it." He confessed. "It's summer, so I should be out having fun, but all my stupid brain wants to do is look at physics videos on YouTube and try to get ahead for the new school year. I think…I think the anxiety is…kinda kickin' my butt, at the moment." He rubbed his neck and then adjusted his stylish red glasses.

I beamed at him so intensely that my cheeks started to ache. "I have just the thing to help. Follow me." I said excitedly.

The shoulder strap on my dungarees fell down AGAIN. I adjusted it and used a clothespin from my pocket to clip it to my shirt. There. Problem solved.

I led Alvin closer to the tree containing the treehouse my sisters and I lived in. He picked up his skateboard again and set the shiny silver object down against the treehouse steps.

The excitable chipmunk rubbed his hands together. "Ohoho, sweet! What are we doin'? Some emotion analysis? Catastrophic thinkin' control? What about a little distraction action?" He stopped momentarily to rub his stomach. "I could go for something to eat. I can't remember if I ate today. I think I did. My stomach isn't growling."

He did have a habit of getting awfully distracted, but thanks to a few years of lessons I happily supplied, he had learned to use it to his advantage and work around it.

"We can get some lunch together after our session." I informed him sweetly. Then, I took a seat in the grass. I was one with nature and ready to teach Alvin something new.

"Sounds good." The energetic boy paced around, back and forth. "The floor is yours. Let the session begin. Just tell me what to try and I'll try it. No questions asked."

I was very pleased that he was eager and willing. I calmly stated my intentions. "I want you to try some meditation."

Alvin frowned and held up his hands with the palms facing me. "I'm gonna stop you right there, Netta. I don't meditate. Ever. It just doesn't work on me. I wind up bored or falling asleep." He explained.

I raised an eyebrow. "Because it's a Simon thing?"

"No….because it's….uhhh…." He struggled, before finally giving up. "Okay, yeah, because it's a Simon thing." He admitted, begrudgingly.

I expected a reaction like this, and I was prepared to handle it. "You know there ARE different ways to meditate." I replied softly.

Alvin's ears both twitched, one after the other. His eyes got wider. He was suddenly intensely invested in what I had to say.

"There are?" His tail started to wiggle.

My tail joined in. "Absolutely." I squeaked. "Why don't we try a little something called Imagination Meditation?"

This was a practice I developed for myself after realizing that I struggled to clear my head using standard meditation. Eventually, I practiced so much that I could enter a flow state at will. Creative and calming thoughts bouncing around like spirited kangaroos. Do I use too many animal similes?

Alvin 2.0, as he enjoys calling himself, stroked his chin. He was deep in thought. Finally, he answered me. "Well, I do really love using my imagination!" He smiled. "Let's give it a shot!"

I began the lesson. "Okay, sit down, close your eyes,….and picture yourself in a happy place. A place that brings you comfort." I instructed.

He immediately sat down next to me and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Not so tight." I advised. "You don't want to feel tense. Just shut them ever so gently."

"Okay." Alvin opened his eyes and then shut them again. This time, he seemed more relaxed.

I waited a little bit, no more than about 30 seconds. Then, I softly spoke to him again. "Have you arrived at your happy place?"

"Yes." He murmured.

"Is it a place that brings you comfort? And security?" I asked.

"Yes." His lips turned ever so slightly into the hint of a smile.

This was going well so far!

"Where are you?" I questioned, ready to move on to the next steps.

That's when he surprised me. "Outer space." He responded.

Okay, well, not what I expected. I suppose I can work with it though. "Is that your happy place?" I tilted my head, trying to figure out how space could possibly bring him comfort and security.

"Don't worry! I'm wearing an astronaut suit and space helmet." He babbled at a fast speed.

I giggled quietly. He is so odd. I love it. "Okay, now….what are you doing in space?"

He answered immediately. "Mainly floating, I guess. Not much to do in space. But the planets and stars sure are neat. I would impulsively touch one, but then it would burn me to a crisp because stars are EXTREMELY hot."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. I decided to improvise. "Yeah…so, um, don't touch the star." I instructed. "Especially not when you're in such an immersive daydream state. Just focus on floating….floating…."

Suddenly, his voice got louder and more vibrant. "Oh no! Asteroids are headed straight for me!" He exclaimed, still seated with his eyes closed, what a curious sight. "But they're no match for my amazing super strength! I can pick them up and toss them into another galaxy." He went on.

I had to bring him back down to Earth…in more ways than one. "Sure, sure,….but that doesn't sound very relaxing. Does it?" My round purple glasses started to slide off my nose. I pushed them up with a single finger.

"Not at all!" Alvin agreed. "But it sounds fun!"

It seemed like he was missing the point of this exercise. He stood up with his eyes remaining closed and started to act out the process of tossing asteroids.

He spoke out loud the entire time. "Haha! Take that! And that! And….oh look, here comes Brittany in a rocketship! Whoops! Accidentally sent her hurtling toward Venus. Eh, she'll be fine."

"This is not going how I planned." I murmured, under my breath.

Alvin continued to imagine more random and intense things. "Oh no! There's space pirates! They're attacking me! But, not to worry! I have got LASERS! PEW PEW PEW PEW!" He pointed at the sky with his fingers, his eyes still shut. "Taste some light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, sucker! PEW PEW PEW!"

I needed to get through to him. "Alvin?" I called out, hoping to reclaim his attention.

"Aw nuts! They're bringing in the big guns now!" The boy in the baseball cap squeaked. "They have a canon! And it's firing asteroids at me! Ahhhh! Or are those meteors? I can't tell."

I made my voice slightly louder. "Alvin?"

He wandered around, making crazy hand gestures. "BLAMMO! Oops! There goes your asteroid ammo! Hey, that rhymes! Oooh, I should make a song using that line. My lasers are no match for your puny canon! Haha!"

I didn't want it to come to this, but he'd left me no choice. "ALVINNN!" I shouted, in that similar way his father shouts.

The boy's bright blue eyes flew open. "What?" He looked confused.

"I don't want to interrupt your…uh…exciting space fight, but…we're, well, you're supposed to be relaxing." I explained, my lips quivering slightly as the nerves crept in.

Alvin blinked at me. His face was blank. His expression was unreadable beyond the fact that he either didn't understand, or wasn't fully listening to what I was telling him. Another blink.

What do I say now? This was so awkward!

"The exercise won't work to relieve your stress unless you're actually relaxing." I fumbled out, somehow. I guess I was getting better at communicating without stammering or stuttering.

To my utter amazement, Alvin rubbed his arm sheepishly. "I….I….was."

"Huh?" I wasn't sure…how that could be possible. Nothing in my psychology book talked about this.

The boy in the red and cyan T-shirt with a big yellow A started to pace around again. As he did, he told me exactly how he felt.

"All that action and drama and losing myself in the excitement….that is relaxing to me." He insisted. "I can't relax the way most people think when they think of relaxing."

It still seemed so foreign to me. I suppose that stands to reason. I didn't personally experience it, nor was I able to imagine what it felt like.

"But….but…that's going to physically tire you out and cause more stress on your body." I pointed out.

"I know. But, it's really a losing battle." He replied. "If my body is stressed out, then my mind is less stressed, but if my body isn't stressed out, then my mind is. The only time I ever "relax" is when I'm asleep….and even that stresses my mind out, with nightmares and stuff."

That poor poor kid. I wish I could find a way to take his nightmares away, while leaving his dreams.

I tapped a finger against my cheek. "…Very very interesting." I said.

"That's also why I gotta keep switchin' between doin' Classic Alvin stuff and Alvin 2.0 stuff." He explained. "Acting like Classic physically tires me out…" He gestured to his body. "…and acting like 2.0 mentally tires me out." He tapped his forehead with a finger.

That actually made more sense than I initially thought! He was searching for a way to relieve the mental stress only! So the Imagination Meditation didn't have to be traditionally relaxing! It just had to help him think about things that made him less anxious. Apparently being in a space battle was one of those things. It would do the opposite for me. Because I abhor senseless conflicts, it would make me MORE anxious.

"Incredible." I exclaimed. "I have to write this down and put it in my notes." I flapped my hands, bursting with excitement. I love learning different ways people function!

"You want a notepad? I have one in case of emergencies." The Chipmunk with the long red-orange hair pulled a notepad from the pocket of his deep blue shorts with cyan physics equations on them.

I accepted it with a giddy grin. "Thank you." I removed the purple colored pencil from behind my ear and jotted down SO MANY notes.

"Can I go back to meditating now?" Alvin asked, cautiously reaching out to put a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded while giggling. "Of course."

He jumped up in the air a little. "Cool. Now, where was I?" His eyes drifted closed again. "Run away space pirates! Or I guess like, float away, because you're in space. I'm gonna carve my name into your spaceship with my laser now! Victory is mine! Ohoho!" The dramatic hand gestures returned.

It didn't take long before my older sister, Brittany, came outside. She glared at both of us from the treehouse balcony. Both her fists were clenched around the railing.

"What is all that noise? I'm trying to write on my blog and I can't think straight!" She sounded very upset. Although, she can also sound upset by default, so I can never be 100% sure.

I looked up at her with my ears flattened down and an awkward smile. "Oh, uh, I was….just teaching Alvin to meditate."

"Does he have to be so loud!?" She asked, angrily.

Alvin cut into the convo, his eyes remained closed. "I do. I'm speaking over all the mind clutter. And the 3 songs playing in my head." I wonder which three songs they are. I probably shouldn't ask though. It might start a tangent, and Brittany has no patience for tangents.

"Urrrgh." My sister groaned.

"At least he is very….self aware." I told her, meekly.

"Oh, hey, Brittany! You're back from Venus." Alvin squeaked. "Wanna help me laser blast some space pirates?"

The girl in the light pink tank top and ruffled medium pink skirt, looked up at the sky. "Not at all."

"Sorry, didn't mean you." Alvin replied. "I meant the imaginary Britt in my head. I can see how that would cause some confusion."

I just shrugged. I didn't know WHAT to make of this situation at all.

"At least he's thinking about me." Brittany sighed. Then, she smiled a bit. "My best friend thinks about me…even though his head is full of science clutter, he takes time to think about me." She said to herself. Or maybe to me? I couldn't tell.

I decided to join the conversation anyway. "He is remarkable. Isn't he?"

"Don't push it." She snapped, back to sounding aggravated.

Maybe she hadn't been speaking to me after all. Oops. Or maybe she just didn't think remarkable was a word that describes Alvin.

I sighed to myself. One of these days, I'll figure out how to make my sister less upset by default.

The next day, I was extremely excited to tell Simon all about my success! I found him in the kitchen of The Seville house. He was baking something with his little brother Theodore and my little sister Eleanor. They were such a cute trio together. They should spend time with each other more often.

I raced over to the counter and lept onto a stack of books placed on the chair. "Simon, I have some absolutely incredible news!" I declared.

"So do we!" Theodore smiled proudly. He pointed at his older brother in blue.

Eleanor rested an arm on the countertop. "Simon finally made cupcakes that don't result in a call to poison control."

"Yeah!" Theo showed me one of the lemon flavored cupcakes. "We taught him how!"

His bespectacled brother glanced away from the recipe notes he had been writing. "It's been a challenge, but, I've embarked on a mission to challenge myself to leave my comfort zone at least once a month. Maybe twice."

"Awww! I'm so proud of you, Simon!" I gushed. I really was! Comfort zones are fun, but they can get restrictive. Branching out is a necessity.

Simon beamed like he'd just been told he won a Nobel prize. "Thanks." He looked down at the cupcakes.

Theodore finished snacking on a cupcake and wiped the crumbs from his mouth. "So what's your news about?"

Oh good! My segue into the conversation had finally arrived.

"I taught Alvin how to meditate." I squeaked, flapping my hands and then twisting the ribbon attached to my bun.

Simon's eyes widened in disbelief. "There's no way."

"Did you sedate him?" Eleanor asked. I hoped she was making a joke. Although, I don't think that's appropriate to joke about.

"No." I answered.

My pigtailed sister continued to talk. "Because I have tranquilizer darts if you need them…"

Theodore stopped her, giving her shoulder a firm squeeze. "Ellie." He said sternly, frowning a little.

"Did you bribe him with candy to get him to sit still?" Simon asked, still looking shocked.

"No." Good heavens. They all still had such little faith in him. They had come a long way, but there was still work to be done.

Theo tilted his head. "Then how'd ya do it?"

Oh dear. How to start? "I….uh….err…it's a little tricky to explain." I stammered.

I guess I didn't need to fully explain. At that moment, we heard Alvin's loud and exuberant voice coming from the living room.

"Captain, Captain, there's been a situation! Three of our men were just eaten by a colossal shark! We have to turn the ship around! I think the shark is wearing a jetpack! Ahhhh! There he is again! He just swooped in and got another one! I'll activate the cloaking device and make the ship invisible! Maybe that'll stop him!"

"What the?" Simon's ears twitched. He climbed down from the chair.

Eleanor groaned. "What's he rambling about this time?" She asked, though I think the question was rhetorical.

We all rushed into the living room to find Alvin with his eyes closed, running back and forth in front of the TV. He looked like he was having a great time. Although, I had concerns about him getting hurt. Perhaps this wasn't the breakthrough idea I initially hoped it would be.

I fidgeted nervously with my friendship bracelets.

"Oh no! The cloaking device won't work!" Alvin shouted. "That blasted shark chewed the wires! I guess we'll have to go with plan B! Feed the shark a sleeping pill. Let's put it in a giant tub of applesauce and launch it into the shark's mouth! Where will we get the applesauce!? Oh, look! There's an applesauce factory on that island! What perfect timing!" He bounced from one thought to the next, seamlessly. He wasn't even stressing about whether or not his wacky ideas were physically possible.

Eleanor watched him and then stuck her tongue out, crossed her eyes, and twirled her finger around in a circle by the side of her head. I was later informed the gesture was used to indicate someone was "crazy."

Theodore tilted his head. "Applesauce sounds good, but I don't think it would go with cupcakes." He commented. "Although maybe lemon and apple would be a nice blend."

Simon grabbed his brother by the upper torso before he could walk into the coffee table. "Alvin! What on EARTH are you doing?" He snapped.

The boy in red and cyan opened his eyes. "I'm meditating." He said, nonchalantly.

Simon and Eleanor both glared at me. Theodore still looked completely lost, but I could tell he would process the situation eventually, given more time.

Fidgeting with my friendship bracelets, I tried not to look at the twin stares of annoyance. I didn't enjoy it when people were annoyed or angry with me. I'm not sure anyone does.

"He's….He's….st…still a w..work in p..p..progress." I began in a shaky voice. "I promise I'll teach him to sit still…ish. He's going to have to fidget some. I'll also train him to keep his words…inside."

Simon rubbed his forehead. He was exasperated. "And what are we supposed to do until then? Deal with this?" He asked.

"Put him in a soundproof room with no furniture?" Eleanor commented. Was she trying to help? Or be chaotic? You never really knew when it came to her.

Suddenly, Simon's aggravated face lit up with a calmer smile. "That's….actually not a bad idea."

Three days later, Simon had managed to construct a cube in the backyard to contain his brother. It was completely soundproof and transparent. A magnificently simple design. I had taped on a cute sign, covered in doodles. On the sign, Alvin and I had written…"Alvin's Meditation Station: Do Not Disturb Until The Timer Sounds"

All five of us stood in the backyard, watching Alvin walk around and gesture inside the cube with his eyes closed. He had taken to this idea incredibly well. Not surprising, as I'm sure he didn't want to accidentally injure himself during his meditation sessions.

I wished I could hear what he was saying. I could always ask him about it later, I suppose.

Brittany didn't share my feelings. "Well, at least we don't have to listen to him anymore." She commented, peering at the transparent cube.

"This is very very beneficial for his psyche." I informed the group, smiling.

Simon seemed a bit weirded out. "I'll take your word for it." He replied.

Theodore's brown eyes shined as he observed his brother in red. "He looks like he's having a LOT of fun in there."

"Yeah." Eleanor chuckled. "Who knew he'd do his best outside the box thinking…while inside a box?"

Hey! That was a joke I actually could understand! Usually, the jokes Eleanor makes go over my head.

All five of us laughed merrily together. It was a peaceful sort of laughter. We weren't laughing AT him, we were laughing at the absurdity of the situation. And Alvin was very content in his box, doing whatever he wanted to do. The adventures would be endless…until the timer went off. Goodness knows he would stay in there forever without a timer telling him when to get out.

So there you have it, Alvin finally learned to meditate in his own special way. As for me, I finished weeding my garden and then did my own Imagination Meditation session. I went on a nature hike and then I swam with dolphins and after that I took a stroll through a historic castle…all in my head.

The moral of this story is that everyone is different and unique! What affects you one way, might affect someone else differently! And that's okay! We are all wonderful and extraordinary people! If a certain method of learning something isn't suited to you, it's okay to change it! Sometimes, you have to be a little creative. Sometimes, it takes a few tries to get it right. But you'll get there. I know you will. Just listen to your mind, body, and soul.

Chapter Text

THE SPECIAL AVOCADO

Theodore's POV

Have you ever gone on vacation somewhere and gotten a cool souvenir? Have you seen something really cool at a yard sale that you just had to have? Has someone given you a toy, or a book, or a game you just can't part with? It's funny how such small things can have a lot of, oh, what's the word? Sedimentary value? No, wait, sentimental value! I was close.

Our story today is about an object with a lot of sentimental value. I didn't get it in any of those three ways I listed though. The greatest treasures sometimes find us when we least expect it.

It was a really nice day. Not too hot, not too cold. I was in Jeanette's garden helping her and Eleanor harvest fruits and veggies. I volunteered to help because I love helping people and spending time with my friends.

We were hard at work. I was pulling carrots out of the ground. Jeanette was picking strawberries off a strawberry bush she planted a while ago. Eleanor was checking on the zucchini crop, which was almost ready, but not quite.

Jeanette smiled brightly at me. "Thank you so much for helping out, Theodore." She said in her usual sweet and quiet, whispery voice.

"It's no trouble!" I replied cheerfully. "I love gardening. It's so neat seeing where all my favorite food comes from." I pulled another carrot from the ground. "Like these carrots!"

Eleanor zoomed up to us. "The tomatoes look ready too!" She reported. Then, the girl in the teal-colored tank top started filling her basket with tomatoes. She was super fast at picking them.

I continued to collect carrots, pretending that I was Winnie The Pooh picking carrots in Rabbit's garden. It was fun! I enjoyed it lots and lots!

Jeanette eventually interrupted me. "Oh oh, Theodore!" She squeaked.

I stumbled and almost lost my footing. The basket of carrots flew out of my hands for a few seconds! Luckily, I caught it before it could hit the ground and spill all over.

"What is it, Jeanette?" I asked, once I was sure the carrots were all accounted for.

The girl, in the purple jumper covered in flowers and cyan leggings with glitter, grabbed my arm. The ribbon on her bun swung around as she moved quickly.

"I wanna show you something!" She told me in a voice that sounded really excited. "It's been growing all year and it's finally ready for the harvest season! Southern California has a great climate for it."

I got a little irritated that she was making this into a guessing game. I tried my best not to let it show. "What is it?"

Jeanette led me to a small avocado tree. Well, it was big by chipmunk standards, but small by human standards. The tree towered over me and her.

"Oh wow…." I exclaimed, looking up at all the fruit hanging from the tree. My stomach rumbled a little at the delicious sight!

The girl with the purple glasses grinned. "I just love avocados!"

"Me too!" I agreed. "They go really good on tacos, and on toast, and in guacamole!" Great, haha. Now I really wanted a taco.

Jeanette musta been thinking the same sorta thing. "Oh yes! And Eleanor's going to make some guacamole later."

"Yummy!" I said, rubbing my tummy. I could almost taste the green colored dip. It goes great on nachos. Aw fiddlesticks. Now, I'm craving nachos.

Jeanette scrambled up the tree and started to pick avocados. I followed her, eager to help out. We both took turns picking the fruits and climbing down to put them in the baskets below.

I inched along a tree branch, reaching for the final avocado I'd collect for the day. Like the rest of the fruits, this one was the same deep green and almost black color. But, there was something really unique about this avocado. It was a funny shape! There were indents in it that looked almost like eyes! And a weird part that stuck out and resembled a nose. Another indent under the nose formed a sorta angry looking mouth. The top of the avocado was weird too. Much wider than the bottom, which sorta made it look like the avocado had hair and a big chin. It reminded me of somebody. I just couldn't figure out who.

I picked the avocado and held it in my paws. Then, it hit me! My eyes widened and I gasped. It was DAVE! I'd know that angry face anywhere! The avocado looked just like my dad! This was so WEIRD!

"Whaaaat?" I said to myself, really taking in the sight.

Jeanette heard me and called out. "Are you alright, Theodore?"

"Come look at this, Jeanette!" I called back. "You're not gonna believe it!"

Jeanette climbed over onto the branch I was standing on. "Is there something special about that avocado?" She wondered.

I held the object up for her. "It looks like Dave!" I exclaimed. "See! If you turn it like this….and view it from the right angle…"

"Hmmm." The girl with the purple glasses rubbed her chin. "I don't see it."

I sighed and then turned the avocado slightly. How could she NOT see it? It was obvious!

"How about now?" I asked.

I guess the angle was perfect that time, because she definitely saw what I saw.

Her midnight blue eyes sparkled. "Gee willikers! That's amazing!"

I held the fruit close to me, to protect it. Something this unique NEEDED protection. "Can I keep this?" I asked. "I wanna show my brothers!"

The Chipette nodded. "Of course."

I was so happy! As soon as I finished the day's harvest, I took a lot of photos of the avocado. I love doing photoshoots so much. After that, I ran back to my house. I jumped through the doggy door and sped to the living room. My brothers were there! Yaaaay!

"Alvin! Simon!" I shouted, slightly out of breath from running. "Are you busy?"

"Not particularly." Simon looked up from a magazine he was reading. It was called Popular Science. I wonder if it was about how to scientifically be popular.

Alvin was laying on the couch, dressed in his classic red hoodie. He still wears that sometimes, cuz he still likes it. He wasn't TOTALLY Classic mode though. He wore a cyan vest over the hoodie. He looked very relaxed. Good for him.

"I have plans comin' up, but today, I am an object at rest. Peace out!" He uttered, flashing me the peace sign with his hand.

Simon let out a chuckle. "I do find it amusing that even when he's in classic mode, all the physics talk doesn't entirely stop." He commented.

I nodded. I was thinking the same thing. "Yup. It's so weird." I thought about the object I was holding behind my back. "Anyway, can I show you guys something?"

Both of my brothers turned their bright blue eyes toward me. "Sure." They chorused.

I proudly held the avocado up, so they could see it! I hoped they'd find it as amazing as I did! "Isn't this incredible!? I've never seen anything like it before!" I gushed.

"Whoah…" Simon breathed in surprise.

Alvin stood up on the couch. "HOLY GUACAMOLE!"

Simon gave him an annoyed glare.

I just rolled my eyes at his words.

"What?" The boy (with too much energy for his own good) said. "You know, cuz it's an avocado!" He frowned. "Aw come on! That was funny."

Simon studied the fruit. "What are you going to do with it, Theodore?" He questioned, sticking his hands in the pockets of his indigo colored jacket.

I thought about it for a minute. "Well, I wanna show Dave, but I also wanna save it forever…" I said cheerfully. "…and maybe you could treat it with something so it doesn't go rotten." I added. I knew Simon was really good at making chemistry stuff.

"Theoretically…I suppose I could." My middle brother adjusted his blue glasses.

Alvin slid off the couch and started walking around while rambling. "I wonder what the odds are of finding something like that. I mean, people find potato chips that look like celebrities all the time. But this, man, this is something extraordinary!"

"I know!" I agreed with a grin. I was glad he was more interested than Simon seemed to be.

"Can I see it?" Alvin requested, holding out his hand.

I hesitated. I was scared to let anyone but me touch the avocado. I didn't want it to get ruined somehow. But, he was my brother…and he did look really excited about it.

"Only if you promise to be careful with it." I finally agreed.

My oldest brother crossed his arms. "Theo, come on, I'm always careful."

"It doesn't show." Simon commented, before I even had a chance to fully process Alvin's words.

The boy, in the red hoodie with the big yellow A, looked kinda offended. "I will treat the Dave-ocado like my own son, okay?" He vowed.

"And where is your son?" Simon smirked.

Alvin shrugged. "Probably flying around, tormenting Ms. Croner's cats." He admitted. At least he was honest. That did sound like stuff Warbie does. "Where's yours? In the basement watching YouTube?"

Now, Simon was the one looking offended. "For your information, he happens to be with Zeela and Pippi at Miss. Miller's. He's under, err, uh, decent supervision."

"Decent supervision?" Alvin laughed. "I've seen the way she drives."

The Chipmunk in the indigo hoodie and blue shirt with sciency designs on it, groaned. "She's not driving him anywhere, genius." He said the "genius" part sarcastically…even though he knows Alvin really is a genius, just like him.

"Whatever." Alvin reached for the avocado.

"Okay okay…" I squeaked. "I'll let you hold it….for ONE MINUTE. No more." I hoped I wouldn't regret this.

He grinned and his tail started wagging. "Ohoho deal!"

I carefully handed Alvin my avocado.

Simon made a funny face. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Theodore." He cautioned.

"It's okay." I half-fibbed. "I trust him." Well, I did trust him…for one minute.

The boy in deep blue and indigo nibbled his lip nervously. "It's a weekend and he's in Classic mode!"

"I trust him." I repeated.

Alvin turned the avocado over around in his hands, inspecting every inch of it with a very calculating stare. His eyes narrowed slightly behind his red hipster glasses. Then, he laughed loudly again.

"Ohoho boy, yup, that is an angry Dave face if I ever saw one." He declared. He held the avocado up and shook it around, mocking Dave's voice as he did. "Alvin, you forgot to do the dishes again! Alvin, why is there a hole in the ceiling? Alvin, Alvin, ALVINNN!"

I sighed. Why didn't I see this coming?

Simon shot me a side glance. "I warned you."

I reached out toward my oldest brother. "Okay, that's enough, Alvin. Give it back." I commanded.

Alvin TOSSED me the avocado. He's lucky I caught it!

"Alright, alright, fine." He muttered.

Simon picked up his Popular Science magazine. "Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I've got several articles to read." He told us. "It's a very special avocado, Theodore. I'll give you that." He walked away at a very fast speed.

"Wait, but aren't you gonna….help me preserve it?" I asked, before realizing Simon was too far away to hear me now.

Alvin shrugged. "He'll do that later, probably. Although, I could always whip up something to preserve it too." He offered.

I wrinkled my nose up. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'd rather have Simon do that." I said to Alvin. I believed in honesty. "You're still a….what's the word? Apprehentice?"

"Apprentice." My brother corrected.

I snapped my fingers. So close! "Yeah, that."

Alvin jumped back onto the couch. "Well, while ya wait, wanna listen to some music with me?" He waved his iPhone around.

I shrugged. I might as well. Simon was clearly busier than he said he was. I needed something to pass the time.

"Sure." I squeaked. "But first, I'll put the avocado somewhere…for safe keeping."

Where could I put it? I ran into the kitchen and saw the fridge. Would that be a safe place? People normally put avocados in a fridge. Just to be SUPER safe, I added a note next to the item. It said Theodore's Special Avocado: Do Not Eat.

Satisfied with my choice, I returned to the living room. Alvin was scrolling through his phone.

I didn't know what to say to start the conversation. I don't think Alvin was paying attention to me either. "So…." I began, awkwardly.

Before I could get another word in, he was talking.

"I've been on an AJR kick lately." The boy in red and cyan smiled.

Why does he always talk so confusing-ly?

"A Jar kick?" I asked, at the risk of sounding dumb. I don't like sounding dumb.

"No. AJR. They're a band." He replied.

I scratched my head. I still didn't get what he meant. Maybe I hadn't even heard him correctly. "Jars are banned? Why would someone ban jars?"

He groaned. "No no no. Listen to me." He emphasized. "AJR is the name of the band. The MUSIC GROUP!"

Ohhh. That made…a tiny bit of sense.

"Why would they name a band after a jar?" I wondered.

Alvin slapped his forehead with his palm. "Where's Simon when you need him?" I heard him mutter softly, under his breath. I have really good ears.

I still had more questions. I climbed on the couch next to Alvin. "Are they named after a jelly jar or a jam jar?"

He looked like he was getting mad at me. "They're named after their initials. A, J, and R."

"Ohhhh." I finally understood, sorta. "You talk really fast. You know that?" I commented.

Alvin seemed annoyed that I would mention that. "I'm a chipmunk. We're supposed to talk fast."

I raised an eyebrow. Who was he trying to kid? "Not THAT fast."

"Speaking of chipmunks and music and fame and all that, I have a GREAT idea!" Alvin exclaimed, plugging his headphones in.

Oh awesome. (That's sarcasm.) He was distracted again. He gets distracted a lot more than normal when he's in Classic mode.

Still, I decided to play along. I wondered what big idea he had this time. "What is it?"

My older brother could somehow still carry on a full conversation with me, while his headphones blasted music into his head. He paced up and down the length of the couch as he rambled.

"We could sell the Dave-ocado and make a fortune!" He squeaked. "Do you know how much people pay for potato chips that look like celebrities!? It's a LOT! The Dave-ocado could make us RICH!"

I sighed. A stupid idea. It was a stupid idea. "Aren't we already rich?" I reminded him, in case he forgot.

He jumped onto the coffee table. "Rich-er! And we wouldn't have to work our tails off for allowance as much!"

I didn't wanna crush his dreams yet. So, instead of being fully honest, I just said what he wanted to hear. I hoped it would end this conversation and he'd move on to a different topic.

"That….That would be cool." I sounded awkward and unsure, but I don't think my excitable brother noticed.

Alvin jumped off the coffee table. "Totally cool!" He pointed a finger at me. "You should take a lot of pictures of that avocado! Gotta make it look extra amazing!"

"I already took pictures before I showed you." I explained. "I didn't know if you'd accidentally squash it or something."

Alvin's ears drooped and he smiled sheepishly. "Good call."

I rested my head on the arm of the couch. "Can we talk about something other than the avocado now? You can go back to telling me about your favorite band in a jar or whatever…"

"Sure thing! Yeah!" The boy in the red baseball cap jumped back to the couch. "I was recommended them by a friend. They have this song named Inertia. I love that word. Inerrrrtia. Such a cool physics thing! And the song speaks to me! It's relatable! All their music is, pretty much. The song Karma made me cry. It's also what made me realize I've been TOO GOOD lately. I'm feelin' stuck in 2.0's life. I gotta keep switching modes when it's appropriate! That's what keeps life exciting!"

I wasn't even fully listening after that. I just watched his mouth move at 100 miles an hour. Every now and then, I would smile and nod. I felt bad for doing that, but I just couldn't keep up. And he was LOUD. So so soooo LOUD.

The next day, I put on a simple lime green T-shirt and some baggy deep green shorts. I grabbed some blueberry Shredded Wheats cereal for breakfast. It was super tasty. I paired in with apple slices and chunks of cheese.

As I was putting the almond milk back in the fridge, I noticed that someone must have moved my avocado. I rooted through the entire fridge, hoping it was still in there somewhere. I came up empty handed and started to worry even more.

MY SPECIAL AVOCADO WAS MISSING! Where could it be!?

"Oh no!" I exclaimed in a panic.

I rushed into the dining room to find Dave munching on a bowl of Bran Flakes. That's a yucky grown-up cereal he likes.

My dad noticed how upset I looked. "What's wrong, Theodore?" He asked.

How could I explain this without giving away the surprise? I thought about it and eventually composed myself enough to talk without sounding whine-y.

"Dave, did you see an avocado in the fridge?" I squeaked. "With a note attached?" I added, in case that would help him remember.

No luck. "I don't believe I did. No." Dave responded.

I frowned. "Aw nuts!"

Before Dave could say anything else, I ran upstairs to look for Simon. Maybe he'd know where my new favorite fruit was.

I entered the bedroom, whimpering a little as I shouted. "Simon! Simon! Please tell me you took the avocado out of the fridge!" I begged.

My brother, wearing a medium blue T-shirt with a picture of a long necked dinosaur on it, poked his head out of the closet. He'd been inside his lab. He has a whole lab full of sciency stuff in our closet.

"I didn't, but, you'll be happy to know I've almost finished developing the permanent preservation solution." Simon reported.

I couldn't hide how upset I was. "Yeah. Lotta good that does without my avocado!" I muttered angrily.

He tried his best to keep me calm. "I'm sure it didn't go far."

I didn't wanna stay calm. I needed to know that my precious fruit was alright!

Not long later, I used the Chipettes' zipline and went over to the treehouse. I jumped into their bedroom through the open window.

"Gah! Theo!" Brittany jumped as she was doing her makeup. "How about a warning first?"

"Sorry." I squeaked. Although, now that I think about it, they zipline in without warning us all the time.

Brittany wiped the smeared hot-pink lipstick off her cheek. Then, she moved on to adding pink glitter eyeshadow. It looked pretty. She always looks pretty. All the Chipettes do!

Brittany's youngest sister, and my favorite of the three, was laying on her bed with her arms behind her head. Also, don't tell anyone I have a favorite. I'm not supposed to have favorites.

"Eleanor, I need you to solve a mystery!" I said to the girl in the mint colored vest with a darker teal colored shirt underneath. "Someone took my avocado that looks like Dave's face."

She stood up from the bed and brushed some shed fur off her jeans. "Someone took your…what now?" She raised a blonde eyebrow.

Jeanette looked up from the picture of a fairy forest she was doodling in her sketchbook. "Oh yeah. I was supposed to tell you, but I forgot. Oopsie daisy."

Brittany rolled her eyes as she finished clasping a necklace with a light blue diamond pendant around her neck. "Who cares about an avocado anyway?"

"I do! It's special! It's rare! And I loved it! Okay?" I shouted at her.

She softened up a little. "Well, I don't understand why you care so much, but if it's really that special…I'll help you look."

"Oh, you don't have to." I told her sincerely. "I've got Eleanor. I can tell you're busy anyway."

"Phew." Brittany sighed, before adding something else. "But, well, if you wind up needing more help later, let me know."

"I will." I responded.

Eleanor grabbed her trusty magnifying glass and her detective supplies briefcase. "I'm gonna find the thief and wring their neck!" She declared.

I gulped. "Don't do that, Ellie." I instructed. "Just make them give it back."

Jeanette continued to doodle as she spoke. "Maybe you misplaced it. Can you re-trace your steps?" She asked me.

"Nuh uh." I answered. "I know I put it in the fridge! With a note! Someone took it!"

"Probably one of your brothers." Brittany commented, walking over to her closet.

I climbed up onto Eleanor's bed. "I already asked Simon. And Alvin is too busy jamming to his new favorite band to even care…I think."

Eleanor finished gathering the supplies. "Take me to the scene of the crime." She commanded.

A while later, she and I were inspecting every inch of my house's kitchen and dining room. We looked in cupboards and under the table. We went through the fridge again, in case I missed the avocado earlier. No luck. It wasn't here!

Eleanor used her magnifying glass and scoured the floor for clues. Her apple-green eyes narrowed with an intense focus, that was almost kinda spooky.

"Find anything yet?" I wondered aloud.

She retrieved a crumpled paper, which had slipped under the fridge. It was the note I wrote! "Just this." She reported, holding it up so I could see.

My heart sank and I began to sniffle. "I hope wherever it is, it's alright. I guess I can still show Dave the pictures, but it's not the same."

The pigtailed Chipette patted my back. "I'm sorry, Theodore. The trail's gone cold."

I hugged her. "That's okay. Thanks for trying to help."

As we headed to the door, I heard Alvin in the living room loudly singing along to a song from his new favorite band. It was called The Dumb Song….and, well, don't tell Alvin I said this, but he was acting pretty dumb.

"You've mentioned Adderall,

slip this guy a sedative, he's bouncin' off the wall.

Honey, it's no big deal.

We'll get you back to college, you could study something real.

So if that's how you feel…

When we go down,

When kingdom come,

don't look at me, don't look at me,

I'm just too dumb.

I'd love to stay

But like you said

Don't look at me, cuz I got nothin' in my head

Oh in my head!"

He was be-boppin' all around the place. Alvin's got a lot of talents, but sitting still isn't one of them. Neither is being quiet.

Eleanor ignored Alvin and kept her focus on me. She smiled a sympathetic smile. "If you find any clues, call me, okay?"

I nodded. "I will."

So that was that. I needed to wait for more clues. I didn't know what to do with my time. I just scrolled through the plush toy tag on Tumblr, and then I looked at the new recipies tag. I reblogged a few things. Then, I watched some YouTube. I selected all of Eleanor's "Ell's Kitchen" videos and put them in a playlist. It was a great way to pass the time. A nice relaxing Sunday.

Near the end of the day, Alvin jumped up onto my bed while I was back to browsing Tumblr.

"Theo, guess what?" He grinned, wildly.

I wasn't interested in what he had to say. He was interrupting again…without even asking if it was okay to. He's gotta work on that.

I sighed. "You made some crazy new scientific breakthrough that's gonna change the multiverse?" I guessed. He would say stuff like that a lot.

"No." He replied. "I wish though."

Aw nuts. Now I had to ask him about it. "What did you do?"

What he said filled me with worry and anger and sadness.

"I sold the avocado for 500 bucks! Can you believe it?" He boasted. "Some schmuck actually paid 500 bucks for that! I had no idea Dave was so popular….It stings a little."

My eyes began watering like crazy. "You…You sold it?" I blubbered.

"Yeah." Alvin said, like it was no big deal to him.

I bawled. The tears dripped down my cheeks. "Why would you do that?"

He seemed very confused. "Theo, come on! I brought up the idea and you said "that would be cool." Remember?" He nudged me.

My emotions were getting the best of me now. I yelled at him. "I didn't mean GO SELL IT!" I sobbed again, before adding…. "I just didn't have the heart to tell you your idea was STUPID!"

Recognition filled his blue eyes. Alvin realized he'd messed up. Bigtime. "Wait, so you didn't wanna sell it? At all?"

"No! I wanted to keep it!" I stressed, wiping my eyes. "And show Dave! And take a bunch of pictures! And have Simon do something to preserve it forever!" I sobbed hard again. "Alvin, how….how could you!?"

My older brother panicked. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I seriously thought you were cool with it!" He jumped off the bed. "I can fix this! We can fix this! I promise! Let's go find Simon! Three heads are better than one!"

I climbed down after him. "Do you know who bought it?"

"No…But I know the address I shipped it to!" He said confidently.

"Well, at least we know something." I said, following him to the door.

I texted Eleanor and updated her on the situation. I said I would need her help after I talked to Simon. After all, she was great at tracking things down.

I carefully walked down the basement stairs. Alvin took them 3 steps at a time. I was worried he'd fall. When we reached the bottom, we frantically tried to get Simon's attention.

"Si, we need your help!" Alvin shouted.

I sniffled and wiped my eyes again. "Alvin sold my avocado!" I told our brother.

Alvin nodded with an awkward cross between a smile and a frown. "Yeah. And let's just say…well…I may have shipped it off to…Kansas." He informed everyone.

Simon's eyes widened. "What!?"

"We have to go to Kansas and get it back!" I exclaimed, still sounding all choked up and sad.

Simon folded his arms over his dusty-blue lab coat. "We have school tomorrow." He reminded us firmly. "We can't just take an impromptu road trip out of the state."

I glared angrily at Alvin. "Got any idea what we do now, genius?" Yeah, I used the genius sarcastically. Can you blame me? I was irritated!

"Several!" Alvin boasted. "However, there's a small problem."

Simon frowned as he stared at Alvin. "None of them are rational ideas that will actually work?" He guessed.

Alvin chuckled nervously. "Bingo!"

I sighed and leaned against the wall. "Why didn't I just tell you your idea was dumb in the first place!?" I asked Alvin.

"Because I am persuasive and charming?" He guessed, flipping his shoulder length red-orange hair.

I scowled. "Oh…be quiet!"

Now, it was Simon's turn to let out a chuckle.

I glared at Simon angrily. "You be quiet too. We gotta get that avocado back!"

My middle brother snapped back into serious-mode. "Right, yeah. I might have an idea that could work."

"Great! Now, you're the leader." Alvin patted Simon on the back. "So, if we screw up and the avocado is lost forever, it'll be your fault. Thank you for taking one for the team, Si."

The boy in the lab coat growled. "That's not how it works."

I had lost my patience with BOTH of them at this point. "Can you guys stop smart guy bantering for one MEASLY MINUTE!? Just tell me WHAT THE PLAN IS!" I shouted.

Simon slipped off his lab coat and closed up his not-so-secret-anymore basement lab.

"Well, I doubt the avocado has been shipped out yet." He said softly. "It's probably still at the post office."

I didn't like where this was going. "Oh, don't tell me…."

"Yep. I'm afraid so." Alvin reported with an unsure expression. "We gotta break into the post office."

"We're gonna need Eleanor." I told them.

Simon nodded. "And Brittany." He added.

"And Netta." Alvin finished.

Simon grabbed the red capped boy's arm. "And you're going to need to refund the money, Alvin. And send an email explaining the mixup."

"Yep. I'll get right on that." My oldest brother responded.

I looked at both my brothers, my heart feeling very very sad. "I hope this works." I whimpered.

That night, the six of us put on our burglar attire. That's a fancy way of saying we all wore black jumpsuits. Well, not actually black, but really dark shades of each of our signature colors. We crept into the post office like ninjas after Eleanor helped us disable the security system.

Brittany groaned as she jumped up to open the door. "I can't believe I'm breaking into a post office to rescue a freakin' avocado."

Jeanette hid behind Simon, trembling with nervous energy. "D…D…Do you think they have a security guard?" She wondered.

"It's possible." Simon replied. He had a wobbly frown that looked kinda like Charlie Brown's.

Eleanor grinned a giant smirky grin. "They HAD a security guard."

Simon looked worried. "What did you do?" He asked the youngest Chipette.

"Let's just say, I know what nerves to press to make someone go unconscious." Eleanor replied, scampering ahead.

Alvin shuddered. "You scare me." He commented.

She grinned even wider. "I know."

We crept carefully around the post office, trying to make as little noise as possible.

"Do you see any shipping boxes?" I squeaked. "Alvin, do you remember what the box looked like?"

My brother in the dark red jumpsuit frowned and rubbed his head. "Uhhh….that's a good question."

I sighed. "Do you remember what color it was?"

He got flustered and started to talk super fast again. "Look, all I did was take a spare box I found in the attic. You're askin' the wrong guy. We all know my working memory is swiss cheese. Long term is great though. Seriously! I know so many song lyrics…"

Thank goodness Simon stopped his rambles. "Off topic again, Alvin."

"Well, excuse me, for making this more entertaining." The annoying guy replied.

Eleanor was pushed to her limit. "I am THIS CLOSE to wringing your neck." She told my oldest brother, as she held up two fingers nearly touching.

He gulped and closed his mouth immediately.

Brittany finally gave us some good news. "Guys, I found the boxes. What's the address we're looking for, Simon?"

"7689, Farmington St. in Kansas City." Simon recited from memory. "Which, is actually in Missouri, not Kansas." He added.

Brittany sorted through boxes with the rest of us. "I am definitely in misery right now." She said.

"Not misery, Missouri. It's a state." Simon corrected, lifting a medium size box.

Alvin looked at the addresses on two more boxes, shining his flashlight over them. "Ohhhh. I thought Kansas was a state."

"It is." Simon groaned.

"Then why's there a town named Kansas City in Missouri!?" He went on, even though nobody cared. "That doesn't make any sense!"

I was still mad at him, and it showed. "It doesn't have to make sense. Lots of things don't make sense." I snapped. "Please….just help me find my avocado."

"Oookay!" My brother quipped.

We all searched some more. I was beginning to lose hope. What if Simon was wrong? What if the avocado got shipped away already? No, wait, stop. I have to think positive. Think positive.

"I've got it!" Eleanor's voice rang out. She held up a box, shining her flashlight on the address. It was the right box!

Jeanette looked relieved. "F…Fantastic. L…Let's get out of here."

"Wait!" I ripped the box open with all my might. "I have to know for sure."

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when I saw the avocado inside. It was wrapped in bubble wrap, for safekeeping. At least Alvin knew it needed protection.

"Thank goodness. It's okay." I closed the box.

Holding it close to my chest, I followed the others out of the post office. Mission accomplished! The special avocado was safe again! Now, I was a lot less mad at Alvin too. Everything was wonderful.

Until…we all arrived home to find an angry Dave standing on the front porch.

"What are you all doing out here? It's midnight! You have school in the morning!" He bellowed in his deep voice. "You better have a good explanation for this!"

Alvin started to explain what happened. "Uhhhh….the thing is…."

NO! I couldn't let him! If he explained things, Dave would probably misunderstand it and get really mad!

I rushed to clarify things. "We had to fix a mistake Alvin made. He shipped away my special avocado."

Dave's eyebrows raised up. "Wait a minute. Are you saying you broke into the post office?" He asked.

Eleanor giggled nervously. "Actually, we're trying hard NOT to say it. Heh heh."

"Get inside. Now." Dave ordered.

Aw man. "Please don't let us get in trouble!" I thought to myself.

Later, in the living room, I finished explaining the whole story, with help from my family and friends. They filled in the details I missed. We were a nice team.

"…and that's why I wanted to get it back! I wanted to show you!" I finished.

I unwrapped the bubble wrap and handed Dave the avocado.

He stared at it with a shocked and surprised expression. He couldn't believe how much it looked like his face. "It's…err…very nice, Theodore."

"Haha. He's creeped out." Alvin laughed. "I knew it."

"Shhhhh." Brittany and Eleanor both pressed their fingers to their lips.

I went on, talking about how much I loved my avocado. "It's very special to me. I wanna keep it forever, so that even when you're busy at work, I can look at it and think of you and smile."

"Awwww!" Brittany, Jeanette, and Alvin all chorused together.

My dad smiled warmly at me. "In that case, I'm glad you were able to get it back."

Simon held out his hands. "And I'll go dip it in that preservation solution." He offered, FINALLY.

I happily handed him the dark green fruit.

Alvin sat cross legged on the arm of the couch. "And I refunded the money, so….I'm not in trouble, right?" He squeaked.

"You're not in trouble, but…I think you owe Theodore something in return for the hassle you put him through." Dave told him.

"Put ALL of us through." Added Brittany.

I looked up at Alvin from my spot next to the coffee table. "I want you to help us in the garden." I said firmly. "Tomorrow. After school."

"Sure thing. I can do that." The boy in the red cap replied. Then, he whispered loudly into Simon's ear. "At least Jeanette'll be there."

Monday, Alvin made good on his promise. He joined me, Eleanor, and Jeanette as we tended to the garden. We picked more fruits and veggies together.

I smiled to myself. "I'm so glad I got my special avocado back." I commented.

"Me too." Eleanor agreed.

"I couldn't have done it without all your help." I gushed. "Especially you, Ellie."

She picked a ripe zucchini and put it in a basket. "Hey, at least my stealth abilities and my super spy training paid off." She responded.

I continued to pick more carrots that hadn't been ready on Saturday. They were ready now. While I picked them, I overheard Alvin talking to Jeanette. I decided to watch them.

"Are you disappointed in me, Netta?" Alvin asked, looking very sad and guilty.

Jeanette shook her head. "No, no. I'm not. Like I always say. I think it's important to exercise BOTH sides of yourself." She squeezed his hand.

"But I nearly got in trouble!" Alvin argued. It was weird hearing him argue against himself. I guess I should be used to it by now.

The Chipette in the purple dress was very tender. "But you also fixed it….and you learned something AND you had fun." She reminded him.

My brother put his hands behind his back. "So….I should let the Classic Alvin impulses out sometimes?" He tilted his head.

"Yeah. At the appropriate times." Jeanette assured him, adjusting her purple round shaped glasses. "If you spend enough time holding them in, they'll eventually come out at the WORST times. So…well….it's safer to control when you allow yourself to, err, "go nuts."

That made the boy in the cyan lightbulb design T-shirt and red hoodie on top EXCITED again. He smiled from ear to ear. "YEAH! YOU'RE TOTALLY RIGHT!" He exclaimed. "I GOTTA LET LOOSE AND PARTY!"

I rolled my eyes. She didn't mean he could party IMMEDIATELY. He isn't that good with social cues. But, then again, Jeanette isn't always either.

"Right now, you have to pick veggies." The Chipette giggled. "Then, you can party."

Alvin raced over to the zucchini patch. "And I'm gonna party all night!" He declared.

Eleanor snickered. "Or….you'll fall asleep early, on top of a calculator while doing your homework." She commented. "Face down. You'll wake up with imprints of the buttons on your face."

The redheaded chipmunk looked offended. "That doesn't happen every night. Just, you know, some of them."

I laughed a little. "She's just teasing, Alvin."

We went back to harvesting veggies, but Alvin got distracted AGAIN. He showed us a zucchini that he picked.

"Hey, do you guys think this zucchini looks sorta like Simon?" He asked.

Eleanor looked unamused. "No."

"Not at all." I added.

Alvin wiggled the zucchini around in the air. "But, you know, maybe if I put some glasses on it…then, it would!"

"Alvin, come on." I groaned.

"You're graspin' at straws." Added Eleanor.

Jeanette just shrugged.

Alvin wasn't finished yet. He dropped the zucchini and grabbed a tomato. He held it up right in our faces.

"What about this? If you squint, doesn't it sorta look like Miss. Smith?" He babbled. "Which is funny, because I hate tomatoes and Miss. Smith hates me…"

"I don't see it." Jeanette answered.

I looked at him like he was crazy. "Maybe you need a new glasses prescription." I suggested.

He sighed. "I just wanna find SOMETHING! Because like, if I find it, then I'm allowed to sell it!" He squeaked. "And then, I can buy that new videogame!"

I rubbed Alvin's shoulder. "You can't go searching for the extraordinary. You gotta let it find you." I said wisely.

He put the tomato in the basket. "I suppose you're right." He admitted.

Eleanor called out to him. "Hey, look!" She yelped, with excitement. "This tomato totally looks like Brittany!"

Alvin rushed over to her. "Really? Lemme see!"

When he was close enough, she took the opportunity to mess with him. She squished the tomato into his face, all over his glasses.

"Gotcha." She laughed.

I shook my head. I loved her, but she also exasperated me sometimes. "Oh Ellie."

"Come on, you guys." Jeanette said, helping Alvin clean off the tomato. "These crops won't harvest themselves."

And with that, we all returned to picking fruits and veggies. Then, Eleanor showed Alvin how to make guacamole. I helped too! We all had a lot of fun.

When I got home, I took the treated avocado and put it on a pedestal. I set it on my cubby shelf by my mini desk. It was such a cool find. Like I said before, sometimes the most amazing things can be found in the strangest places.

And that ends my tale. It was a crazy weekend! I'm happy I got to tell you all about it. Now, I'm going to go have some ice cream. Yeah, I know, I'm predictable. Tune in again soon for another mini tale!

Chapter Text

MAKING SIS-TORY

Eleanor's POV

I'm not exactly sure how it happened. One minute, my sisters and I were enjoying a usual school day. The next, we were whisked away to some kind of weird pocket dimension. Luckily, some friends we'd met before were here to explain WHAT THE HECK was going on.

The taller Chipette in a striped tie, teal vest, white shirt, mint skirt, and black Mary Jane shoes waved at me as we arrived. She was me, from a dimension where it's constantly the late 1980s.

"Oh, thank goodness the transporter Simon built worked!" She squeaked. Her voice was higher than mine, with slightly less attitude. "Did you all have a nice trip?"

"We…" I began, before my oldest sister in pink cut me off.

"No, we did NOT!" Brittany scowled, placing both hands on her hips.

Jeanette, my other sister, tapped her chin. "Actually, the trip itself was nice. Brittany is just upset that she was pulled away from her office job."

The strawberry blonde girl huffed. "The entire school falls apart when I don't do my job! It's a big deal!"

"Don't worry. No time is passing for you right now." Another Jeanette, this one in a baggy blue sweater and purple skirt, stepped forward. "You'll be transported back the exact moment you left."

Brittany folded her arms. "We better be."

I finally got a chance to speak. "Hey, 80s Me, why are we here? There some sort of emergency?"

"No, no." The girl straightened her tie. "Not….Not exactly."

80s Brittany appeared behind her sisters. She wore a pink crop top, darker pink top under it, pink skirt, purplish grey leggings, and yellow leg warmers. "We have to talk about a…" She hesitated. "A sensitive subject with the multiverse council."

"Is there trouble in the multiverse?" My sister Jeanette fidgeted with the friendship bracelets on her wrists.

80s Eleanor led us down a dark hallway. "Not…Not trouble. Just, well, like she said, a sensitive subject."

I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms. "Okay. And what do WE have to do with that? We're part of the multiverse council, but not a main part. We're like…." I wasn't quite sure how to describe it. "An offshoot."

"I can answer that!" 80s Jeanette squeaked happily. "It's because the other Chipettes that look like you three couldn't be here today. So, well, you're their temporary replacements."

"Oh sweet!" I exclaimed, suddenly really excited about this opportunity. "So we're, like, undercover?"

She nodded in response. "Essentially."

My Jeanette looked down at her lavender and cyan colored tie-dye shirt and galaxy leggings. "We should….probably change our clothes, in that case."

My Brittany pouted and whined, as Brittanys tend to do. "But I don't feel like wearing my cardigan!" She complained. "It took me ages to pick out this outfit."

The outfit in question was just a simple pink ruffled sundress with a bow and a periwinkle crop jacket on top. Ages? That seemed like an overstatement.

"Yeah, well, tough nuts." I replied. "I don't feel like wearing my old outfit today either." I slipped off my leather jacket with the rhinestone E. "But we'll blow this whole operation if we show up like this."

"Personally, I love what you're wearing." 80s Brittany told her counterpart. "But, she's right."

"Urgh." My sister in pink groaned. "Fiiine."

The 80s versions of us led us to a small dressing room and gave us outfits identical to the ones our 2015 show selves wore. Then, we were led into another room with a bunch of chairs and a few tables. This was so weird. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at this point, after all Alvin's told us about the multiverse, but it was STILL freaky.

Sitting at a tiny TINY white dollhouse table, were three of the tiniest Chipettes I've ever seen. They looked a lot more animal-like than we did.

The Brittany wore a pink jacket, lighter pink shirt, a pink checkered tie, and a hot pink skirt. She didn't have leggings or shoes. In fact, none of them did. That wasn't too weird though, considering they were animals.

The Jeanette at that table wore a jean jacket, purple shirt, and purple plaid skirt. Her hair was in a tiny waterfall ponytail.

Woah. Britt in a bun and Jeanette in a ponytail? That's topsy turvy. Ain't it?

The version of me at that table wore a light green dress with a darker green sweater on top. She had her hair in really high pigtails. She was smiling and giggling.

Next to them, was a slightly larger table. This was one of those kiddie tables like you might see in a pre-school. It had chunky cylinders for legs and the top was COVERED with random doodles.

The Brittany at this table had on a pink dress and a pale yellow unbuttoned jacket. Her hair was shoulder length and hanging down with just a tiny bit in a ponytail with a giant pink bow. She looked way younger than me, about toddler age. She was playing with the bow in her hair.

Her Jeanette was also toddler age. She wore a deep purple jacket over a medium purple shirt and a darker purple skirt. Her hair was hanging down too, and slightly longer than Brittany's. She had a mischievous smirk on her face. That's right. A Jeanette who smirks!? The multiverse is CRAZY, man.

The Eleanor at that table was wearing a teal-colored onesie. Her hair was in two tiny pigtails because she didn't have much hair to work with. She also had a sunhat even though we were indoors. She looked to be even younger than her sisters. Basically, an infant.

"Aw heck no!" I exclaimed. "How come I'm a baby?" I crossed my arms in my mint striped shirt. "That is not fair!"

"Shhhh!" My sister Jeanette gripped my arm.

The 80s Chipettes sat down at a fancy looking table with some cool golden details. The three girls folded their hands in front of them.

Not knowing exactly what to do, my sisters and I found a table that looked like one of our school cafeteria tables. We sat down and Brittany and I folded our hands. Jeanette stuck hers under her butt so she wouldn't be tempted to fidget.

80s Eleanor spoke up. "Without further ado, I call this meeting of the Inter-dimensional Council of Chipettes to order." She said. "We have a lot of important business to discuss today."

It made me feel good to know that the Eleanor of that dimension was recognized as a leader of sorts, among the council. She still only had one episode about her, compared to my three, but she had POWER and PRESENCE. Honestly, I was a bit jealous of how all the other Chipettes looked at her.

"What kind of business?" The littlest Brittany, with her hair in a bun, asked. She raised her paw in the air.

80s Eleanor stood up from her chair and placed both hands on the table. "The business….of the next reboot."

Collective gasps came from all of us, except baby me. She just sat there babbling quietly. I don't think she understood what was going on.

80s Brittany started to whine. "I don't want another reboot." She frowned. "I want a revival. My sisters and I are good enough to have our OWN show!"

80s Jeanette tried to calm her down. "Brittany, this happens every so often. You should be used to it by now."

"Well, I'm not!" The girl with the yellow bow around her neck scoffed. "I hate it when things change."

80s Eleanor rolled her eyes. "You hated the idea of being re-designed, and look how well that turned out."

"Well…" The diva stroked her chin. "I do look much more gorgeous now."

Tiny extra-furry Jeanette clasped her tiny hands together. "Oh, a new reboot sounds so exciting. Think of the possibilities."

"Yeah!" Her Eleanor added, in a voice that sounded like someone pitched up Joy from Inside Out. Gosh, she got on my nerves. If I heard her giggle one more time, I was gonna lose it.

I exchanged confused glances with my sisters. Wait, were we allowed to give input to create a new Chipette universe? This seemed…kinda cool!

"Mini Munks Chipettes, what do you think?" 80s Jeanette asked the table with two toddlers and a baby.

"Can I be a pwincess in a magical castle!?" Mini Munks Brittany asked.

Mini Munks Eleanor stuck her tongue out and then babbled. "Ga ga goo."

The secondhand embarrassment I was experiencing could be measured in TONS.

"Princesses are dumb." Mini Munks Jeanette commented. "We should all be artists!" She was drawing on the kiddie table with what looked like a red marker, at first glance.

"Hey!" Mini Munks Brittany shouted at her. "You 'tole my lippick again!"

80s Jeanette looked a bit embarrassed by her counterpart. "At least we got her to stop eating it."

Mini Munks Jeanette promptly threw the lipstick across the room. It landed in front of my sister Brittany.

"Hey! Watch where you throw things, you little menace!" She held up the lipstick. "This is mine now."

Mini Munks Brittany fumed and ran over to my sister. "No! It not yours! It MINE!"

80s Eleanor rubbed her temples. "2015 Brittany, just give her the lipstick." She said softly, but also calmly and firmly.

"Whatever." My sister in the pink cardigan sighed. She handed the item to her toddler self.

I was at my breaking point already, and we hadn't even been here this long. "Making a reboot sounds fun." I commented. "How do we do it?"

Tiny extra-furry Brittany looked at me strangely. "Someone doesn't know the rules."

"Yeah…" I answered with a biting edge to it. "That's because we're NEW HERE."

My sister Jeanette raised her hand.

80s Eleanor called on her. "Yes?"

"Perhaps there's a pamphlet or some sort of training video to watch with everything we need to know." She rubbed the sleeve of her purple hoodie awkwardly, before sticking her hands under her butt again.

80s Brittany jumped out of her seat. "We'll just explain the basics." She said happily. "You see, we don't get to choose how the next reboot turns out, but we DO get to give our input and then Janice, our boss, takes all that into account when rebooting us."

"Wait…Wait…Wait…" My Brittany jumped on to the cafeteria table. "Are you telling us our show WAS CANCELED!?"

The 80s Chipettes and tiny furrier Chipettes both stared at us in shock.

"You…You didn't know?" The extremely small Jeanette asked tenderly.

I laughed a bitter chuckle. Of course it had come to this. "Nobody tells us anything."

"I suppose that means we DO still exist even when the show ends." My Jeanette breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"Uh…yeah." Tiny and furry Brittany commented. "Our movie franchise ended and we're still here."

"We only got one movie!" Mini Munks Jeanette added, with a doofy grin on her very-punchable face.

"I can see why." I heard my sister in pink mutter.

"Anyway…" 80s Eleanor tried to bring everyone back on topic. "I have a list here where I'll write down all the REASONABLE ideas that you give me." I love that she stressed the word reasonable. "And together, we'll all have a hand in re-inventing the Chipettes for a new generation!"

"Like Making Sis-tory!" I added with a smile.

My Brittany facepalmed. "I'm never escaping the puns. Am I?"

"Nope!" I grinned wider.

80s Jeanette handed her Eleanor a cool pen that could write in multiple ink colors. It had 4 of them. Pink, purple, teal, and black. Nifty.

"You can add anything you like. Think about how you'd want your rebooted self to look and act. What sort of hobbies should they be into?" The girl in the oversized blue sweater quipped.

I raised my hand.

"Yes, 2015 Eleanor?" 80s me smiled.

"Make sure I'm not a baby in the next reboot." I said firmly. "I also want to retain my love of horror movies."

80s me wrote my request on the list. "I think we can probably manage that." She laughed a little.

We all took turns throwing out ideas. It was pretty fun!

"Obviously, I still have to be into fashion." 80s Brittany declared.

"100%" 2009 Brittany, as I learned the tiniest ones were called, added. "What if we actually owned a fashion studio!?"

"Our sisters could be the models!" My Brittany offered her idea.

"Yaaay FAST-SHUN!" Mini Munks Brittany squeaked.

I didn't like the sound of being a model, but I bit my tongue because I knew better than to argue with FOUR Brittanys.

"Maybe we could be in middle school instead of high school." 2009 Jeanette suggested. "I find high school is very tricky to navigate."

"I hope that we're still sweet and kind." 80s Jeanette said.

"Me too." My Jeanette agreed.

"Yeah." 80s Jeanette spoke quietly. "We can't let a situation like Mini Munks Jeanette happen again."

"I kinda like her." I watched the little brat poke at her sister's hair bow. "She's chaotic. That's my vibe."

"We don't want new Eleanor to be too chaotic." 2009 me said, while nibbling on a cookie. Where did she get the cookie? Who knows.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What's wrong with being chaotic?"

"Nothing." She giggled again. "But you are extreme."

"She's right." 80s Me actually TOOK the little rat's side! "We want an Eleanor who is more balanced. She can't be too hard or too soft."

"If she's too soft, she's basically just Theodore." My Brittany commented.

"Hey!" 2009 Brittany glared at her. "Our sister is not just Girl Theodore!"

"She has plenty of depth." 2009 Jeanette cut in. "You just didn't get to see much of it in the movies."

"I am crafty!" 2009 me squealed with her annoying voice.

"Bibble bibble." Infant me made weird noises.

"Our Eleanor is very crafty too." My sister Jeanette rested a hand on my shoulder. "She even taught Theodore to sew."

"I helped!" My Brittany quipped with a smile.

"Hey, hey." I wanted to change the topic just a tiny bit. I didn't like the implication that I was "too intense" or "too hard." I wanted there to be more Eleanors like me…so I didn't feel so…displaced.

"Hey, hey, what?" Mini Munks Brittany asked.

"The most important thing about new Eleanor is that she has to be NOTICED! She has to be given SCREENTIME! Actually make her a main character!" I blurted out, unable to hold it back any longer.

"Yes! Yes!" 80s Eleanor wrote that down. "I agree! I'm sick of being stuck in the shadows!"

"Me too." 2009 me said sadly. "Most people forget I exist."

"Same here." I frowned. "That's why this is so important. We have to make sure no Official Eleanor ever goes through that again." Haha, I say that like I'm an Official Eleanor. I'm not. But in a way, I sorta am. I have all Official 2015 Eleanor's memories. I just have a lot of OTHER memories in addition to them. Probably a different backstory too, and definitely a different future since Alvin 2.0 broke our world. But this story isn't about him. Not this time!

"You are a trailblazer." 80s Eleanor told me proudly. "I like it."

I beamed and raised my fist in the sky. "Justice For Eleanors!"

Ordinarily, I would keep narrating, but we've decided to do something a little different with this tale. It's either going to work as intended, or be a trainwreck. Honestly, I'm cool either way.

Brittany's POV

Oh, wow, okay. Uhhh, hello, everyone! Let's get back to the story! My interpretation of the story.

While the Eleanors were busy planning some sort of revolution, I was ready to submit another new idea.

"Wouldn't it be cool if there was a reboot where we were all grown up?" I asked.

"That's never been done before." 80s Brittany pointed out. "Except there was a flash forward on our show once." She looked at her nails. "You know, I wouldn't be opposed to it."

"I thought you hated change." 2009 Jeanette looked at her, confused.

"I absolutely do. But that change is EXCITING! Think of how famous I'll be as an adult!" 80s Brittany exclaimed. "I could be on magazine covers!"

2009 Brittany smiled. "I'm already on magazine covers." She bragged.

80s Brittany looked annoyed. "Well, good for YOU." She stomped her foot.

I felt something tug at my skirt. It was Mini Munks me. It is so stupid calling her that when she's a little bit taller than I am, but here we are.

"What do you want?" I asked, irritated as heck.

She looked at me with big ice blue eyes. "Can you bwaid my hair?"

I rolled my eyes. I had a babysitting job way back in season 1, but I haven't done much babysitting since then. I wonder if it'll all come back to me.

"Sure." I said, even though I really didn't want to. I'm not like Alvin. I can't easily be a part of conversations while still focusing on other things. It's near impossible. My mind only concentrates on one thought at a time.

We both sat together and I tried, very unsuccessfully, to still be part of the council's conversation while I braided her hair. I understood only a tiny bit of what was said now and then. It was too many voices all chattering at once anyway.

I liked the calmness that came from just paying attention to Mini Munks me.

"You very very good at this." She said in her cute baby voice.

I felt a little warmth in my heart. "Thank you." I responded. "So, tell me, if you're going to be a pretty princess living in a castle…what's your dress look like?"

"It have lots and lots of GITTER! and 'PARKLE!" She squeaked. "And, it be PINK! bight bight pinkie pink!"

"We Brittanys do love our pink." I agreed.

When I finished her hair, she was eager to show her twin braids off to the rest of the council.

"Look! Look what other Bwittany do!" She gushed. "I pwetty! I so pwetty!"

2009 me smiled. "She looks great."

"I know." I boasted. "I have natural talent. Maybe I could be a hairstylist in the next reboot."

"Kind of giving Anna from Frozen vibes." My Eleanor added.

"Who?" The 80s Chipettes all chorused.

"Oh, it's just a movie." 2009 Jeanette said.

I walked over and peeked at the list that 80s Eleanor was making. We had long since moved from our tables and were sort of just mingling around the room.

She noticed me and grabbed the list before I could see what was written. "Uh, excuse me."

"Sorry." I put my hands behind my back. "I was just wondering if you added the adult reboot idea."

"Brittany,…" She frowned. "I don't know if that's something Janice will approve of."

2009 Jeanette nodded, hopping up on the fancy looking 80s Chipette table. "People have been begging her to make an adult reboot for ages. It's just not in the cards."

"Yeah." My sister Eleanor slid up to us. "We wouldn't want it to turn out like that crappy Velma show. That made a mockery of the Scooby Doo franchise."

I sighed. I could see her point, but I didn't like that every Official Brittany was stuck in an infinite childhood. I wanted to break the cycle.

"Are you sure there's nothing that will convince her to give it a try?" I asked.

80s Eleanor nodded. "We have been asking for ages. Eventually, we just stopped. She ignores the suggestion every time it's on the list."

"But don't be sad!" 2009 Eleanor assured me. "That's what fanfiction is for! So many universes are created by fans!"

2009 Jeanette nodded. "Sure, they aren't Official! But, when you think about it, this means that there's a LOT of Brittanys who get to grow up!"

That did make me feel a little better. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

It was time once again, to add more ideas to the list. I'm just going to tell you what I remember because it was EXTREMELY hard to keep it all straight.

2009 Brittany wanted her reboot self to be closer to human size.

2009 Jeanette wanted the next reboot to tell a meaningful story with continuity. I totally agreed with her on that.

2009 Eleanor suggested that the new Eleanor wear a cute flower pin in her hair, like maybe a sunflower.

Mini Munks Me wanted a medieval reboot where all three of us were princesses and the Chipmunks were a knight, the prince, and the town baker.

Mini Munks Jeanette came up with the idea that we'd all be roller derby girls.

Neither of those ideas would work for a full show, but they could be special episodes.

Mini munks Eleanor was a baby, so she contributed absolutely nothing of value to the conversation.

I laughed in my head about how absolutely TRIGGERED my sister was over the baby version of herself.

80s Brittany wanted us all to continue living in a tree house.

80s Eleanor wanted Miss. Miller to be our caretaker and wanted the new reboot to explicitly spell that out instead of making the audience guess.

80s Jeanette wanted her new self to enjoy visiting a butterfly sanctuary with Simon.

I made one last request, which was to have hair that wasn't strawberry blonde. I love my hair color, but the new Brittany deserves to have something a little less…yellow.

My sister Jeanette suggested that she maintain her interest in psychology. She almost blurted out that she also wanted to keep her "weird" traits, but I stopped her. Although, we wound up compromising as she added her "animal whisperer" trait to the list.

As for my sister Eleanor, she decided new Eleanor MUST maintain her interest in soccer, after learning her 2009 self didn't play soccer.

Phew. I can't believe I remembered that much.

80s Eleanor put the list in an envelope. "Thank you all for your contributions."

"What do we do now?" My Jeanette asked softly. "Does the council have more business to discuss?"

"Not really." The palest blonde Eleanor replied. "You're free to go."

"Unless you want to stay and mingle." 2009 Brittany pointed out.

"I mean,…" my Eleanor nudged me. "If time isn't passing, then we should stay and mingle. Right?"

"I don't know, Ellie." I stifled a yawn. "I'm kind of tired."

"Yeah, but when are we ever going to get an opportunity like this again?" She reasoned.

Drat. My sister was right. I guess we could stay a bit longer. As long as we didn't blow our cover, that is.

"We should have a party!" 80s Brittany exclaimed. "I'll go get the streamers!"

"I bet all of us Eleanors could whip up a cake in no time." My sister Eleanor grinned.

"I don't really bake. But I do like to craft!" 2009 Eleanor squeaked. "I can help make decorations!"

"She doesn't bake either." My sister's pigtails drooped. "How can she call herself an Eleanor?"

"I mean, baking is probably very hard when you're 9 inches tall." My sister Jeanette interrupted.

80s Eleanor pointed to infant Eleanor. "I don't think the baby can bake a cake either, so it's just you and me."

Infant Eleanor babbled something I couldn't understand. It was going to be one very strange party.

A while later, the party was in full swing. It wasn't as strange as I thought. In fact, everyone seemed to be getting along great! Everyone except Mini Munks Jeanette, that is.

I caught her drawing with MY lipstick on the walls. How had she somehow snatched it from my purse when I wasn't looking?

"Hey, hey, no drawing on the walls!" I shouted, grabbing her and retrieving what was left of my bubblegum pink lipstick.

"Here." I left Mini Munks Jeanette next to my Jeanette. "Control…yourself."

"Uh…okay." My sister in the purple plaid shirt tried her best. "Hi, little Jeanette. It's not okay to draw on other people's things. How would you feel if they drew on your things?"

"Bad…probably." Mini Munks Jeanette shrugged.

"Exactly." The older Chipette's voice was very calm. "It's important to think about things like this."

"Whyyy!?" Mini Munks Jeanette's voice was TERRIBLE. It sounded like someone crossed Jeanette's voice with Kevin's! Gross gross gross.

"Because that's what makes you an introspective and compassionate person." She touched her counterpart's nose in a friendly way.

I watched as the toddler bit her finger.

"Owwww!" She shrieked. "That wasn't very nice."

Mini Munks Jeanette scampered away laughing like a lunatic.

"Are you alright?" I asked my sister, looking at the bite mark on her finger. It wasn't that bad. I guess the Mini Munks had less teeth or something. Or no teeth? That explains why they look like puppets.

"Yeah." She answered. Then, she looked angry. "That…That Jeanette is a little menace." She frowned. "I can't believe I just said that about myself."

Our Eleanor walked over to join us, holding a piece of cake. "Welcome to the insanity that is the Multiverse."

Stupid multiverse.

I looked at Mini Munks me, sharing some tea with 80s Jeanette and 80s Brittany. Okay, maybe not so stupid multiverse after all. She did look very cute with her braids.

I got an idea. "Eleanor, can I braid your pigtails?" I asked.

"NO WAY!" My sister ran off to go sit at a table with 2009 Eleanor! That's how desperate she was to get away from me.

80s Jeanette sat down next to me. "If you want, you can braid my hair." She said kindly. "Brittany always says I should try a French braid."

I was so excited! A volunteer! A chance to practice my skills again!

"I can do a French braid!" I responded eagerly.

And so I did, and it turned out even more beautifully than the twin braids on my counterpart.

"I love it." 80s Jeanette gushed. "Thank you."

A little while later, I decided to mingle a bit with 2009 Brittany. I liked feeling like a giant compared to her. Was it petty? Absolutely. Did I care? Absolutely not!

"So what's your deal?" I asked her. "You seem…nicer than most Brittanys."

She raised a furry eyebrow and picked at her gigantic slice of cake. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Well, no. I'm just wondering why." I rested my head on my hand. "People say I need to act nicer, and I was wondering if you had any advice."

"I don't know what to tell you." 2009 me said awkwardly. "It's just my personality. I can be a diva sometimes too. I'm just…complicated."

"Life is so complicated." I complained.

"It really is." She echoed. "I can't stand it sometimes."

"What's your Alvin like?" I wondered.

"Oh, where do I begin?" Her tail bristled, much like mine does. I wondered if she was the one who suggested I have a tail. Or maybe it was one of her sisters. "He's obnoxious, rude, rambunctious, and also somehow the sweetest…but only when things are going wrong and he's like…saving you from a mean record producer or an active volcano!"

"An active volcano!?" I gasped.

"Oh yeah. We were stranded on an island. Long story." She waved her hand, as if shooing the thought away. "What's your Alvin like?"

"In a word…" I muttered. "A geek."

Her jaw dropped.

"Actually, a geeknerd. He's geekier than Simon. Which is why I…." I suddenly stopped talking before I could reveal my crush on SIMON. I had almost blown my cover entirely. "Like hanging out with Simon more than him."

"Interesting." She murmured.

We talked for a while longer. I learned a lot about her life and she learned anything about mine that didn't wreck the secret. I wasn't Official 2015 Brittany. I was a fraud. Just someone zapped here at the last second to fill in the gaps.

But that didn't matter in the end, I enjoyed my time there. I really did.

I don't want to stop writing, but I have to because it's Jeanette's turn to bring us to the end! Go, sis, go!

Jeanette's POV

This is very outside my comfort zone to just pick up in the middle of a scene like this, but here goes…

After I tended to my sore finger, I floated around from table to table. I didn't want any of the cake. It wasn't vegan. I didn't really know where I fit in. Was I weirder than other Jeanettes? Did they secretly resent me for it? No, no, that's silly. The only Jeanette who doesn't like me very much is the little menace one.

Still, I didn't know what to do. Truthfully, I was extremely worried about blowing our cover. I don't like lying to people. Every time they called me 2015 Jeanette or Official 2015 Jeanette, I felt ITCHY! If this kept up, I would surely start breaking out in hives and ruin everything!

I went to fidget with my friendship bracelets, but that was difficult. They were covered up by the purple hoodie. The Jeanette I was filling in for didn't wear them, though it's a darn shame she didn't, because I think they would look quite lovely on her.

"Hello." A soothing voice spoke in my ear.

I turned to see my 2009 self. "Oh, h…hello."

"Is there a reason you have isolated yourself in this corner?" She asked me softly. I really liked her voice. It reminded me of Sam Sparks from Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. Gosh, I adore that movie. Flint Lockwood kind of reminds me of our universe's Alvin.

I gulped. I hadn't realized I was literally in a corner facing the wall. I was running on my impulses. There were too many people in this room. Too many different versions of my sisters. "Oh, no…nono." I awkwardly squeaked. "No reason."

"You seem tense." The smaller girl stated. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

I sighed, walking with her to the cafeteria table my sisters and I were seated at upon our arrival to this room. "I don't know…how to talk to this many people." I confessed. "I'm better with one-on-one things."

2009 Jeanette jumped up to sit on the table. "That's okay." She said. "You can just talk to me."

"But I don't want to seem like an anti-social hermit." I told her. "Or like I'm favoring you."

2009 Me rubbed her chin and adjusted her unique shaped purple glasses. "Perhaps we could rotate then." She suggested. "Start with me, and then after a little chat, you can switch and I'll bring you one of my sisters."

That sounded…survivable. "Okay."

"You're in high school, like me." 2009 me blinked her purplish-blue eyes. "Do you have a favorite subject?"

"Literature." I answered. "Followed by Art and Science."

"Mine's Literature too." She squeaked. "Followed by math."

We had a nice short conversation about how schools should have better anti-bullying policies that actually work.

Then, she brought me 2009 Eleanor.

"Hi!" The cheerful girl quipped. "Nice to meet ya!"

"It's nice to meet you too. Can you tell me about your crafts?" I asked politely.

I tried my best not to fidget too much as she told me about the dresses she made her sisters for Salsa night. They sounded adorable! She said she also loves working with clay, although fur makes it tricky.

"Oh yes." I added. "Clay gets stuck in my fur too."

"The pain of having so much fur." She paused to groom her tail. "So, do you have a crush?"

"Uh…." I started to spiral out. I couldn't lie, but I also couldn't tell her the truth. What was I supposed to do? "That's a very personal question."

"Come on." She grinned. "We're all Chipettes here." She reminded me. "I have a huge crush on Theodore and everyone knows it."

"I…" I folded my hands in front of me and clenched them tightly. "I don't feel comfortable answering that. I'm sorry."

"So you DO have a crush, you just won't spill?" 2009 Eleanor shrugged. "Okay. I respect that."

That was a close one!

Next came 2009 Brittany. She asked me about my "talking to animals" abilities and I rambled her ear off until she got bored.

I respectfully declined conversing anymore with Mini Munks Jeanette.

I took a small break to rock baby Eleanor and tell her a story about a magical fairy castle. And then Mini Munks Brittany and I talked about how interesting fairies are and she said that she wants to be a fairy princess when she grows up. I didn't have the heart to tell her she'll be a toddler forever.

Eventually, 80s me came to chat. "How are you holding up?"

"I am terrible." I answered honestly and as calmly as I could muster. "Thanks for asking."

She looked at me sympathetically. "Hang in there. It's almost over."

"My sisters are having so much fun." I murmured. "Why can't I be like them?"

I saw Brittany talking to her 2009 self and Eleanor talking to hers while also talking to her 80s self, and 2009 Jeanette too.

80s Jeanette pulled me close for a hug. "Because you have a strong moral compass. I'm sorry that we're making you lie to people. We wouldn't do this if we weren't extremely desperate."

"I know." I decided to stop holding in my fidgeting. "Do…Do you mind if I calm myself down with some stimming?"

"What's that?" She asked.

Oh. Obviously that terminology didn't exist in the 1980s. "It's, uh, it's when I flap my hands…and twist my bracelets…to avoid being understimulated and anxious."

"Oh, of course." She smiled. "By all means."

"But…won't the others think I'm weird?" I asked nervously.

My 80s self laughed a small bit. "We're talking chipmunks. We're 4 different versions of the same 3 people. We are ALL WEIRD." She assured me.

I nodded in an understanding way. Then, I got up from the table and paced around it, flapping my hands up and down. It felt so good! It really calmed my frazzeled nervous system. I felt centered, and safe.

When I had stimmed enough to satisfy the urge, I sat back down. "Thank you for that." I whispered.

Nobody had even paid attention to me other than her. They were all too busy with their cake and their conversations about the multiverse.

Now that I had properly centered myself, I felt confident enough to jump in and be a part of the group.

I walked over to where my sister Eleanor was mingling with her 80s self and 2009 self and my 2009 self.

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked shyly. This was abnormal. I was never one to just butt into a conversation I wasn't part of.

"Oh, you know, just the pains of being overlooked and neglected by the writers and the viewers." My sister replied.

"Yeah." 2009 Eleanor said sadly. "If it wasn't for the fans, barely anyone would acknowledge us at all."

80s Eleanor sighed. "Even in the fandom, most people only care about us when we're attached to Theodore. Or our sisters."

"That's terrible." I agreed. "I hope the new reboot changes that."

"Does anyone know when the new reboot comes out?" 2009 Jeanette wondered aloud.

I shrugged.

80s Eleanor sighed. "We're not sure. Could be a couple years, might be 10, maybe even 25."

"Until then, it's all up to the fandom." My sister Eleanor wiped frosting off her upper lip. "I still can't believe our show got canceled."

And suddenly, the worst thing that could have ever happened, happened. Into the room walked three girls who looked almost exactly like us. The REAL OFFICIAL 2015 Chipettes.

"What do you mean YOUR SHOW!?" 2015 Brittany growled. "It's OUR SHOW!"

"Yeah!" 2015 Me looked nervous, but sided with her sisters.

The 80s Chipettes all gasped in unison…from three different sides of the room.

"Get these IMPOSTERS out of here." 2015 Eleanor ordered.

"Time to go!" My Brittany said, racing toward the door.

"It….uh…." I tried to salvage this situation. "It's a funny story…"

"There's no time, Jeanette! Move!" My Eleanor shoved me.

"Technically,…" My Brittany said to her doppelgänger. "It's BOTH of our shows. Our entire universe is based off that show."

2009 Eleanor looked confused. "What's going on?"

The Mini Munks Brittany and Mini Munks Jeanette looked confused as well.

"Why she calling you a 'poster?" Mini Munks Brittany asked.

80s Eleanor whistled loudly. "Okay, okay, clearly, the jig is up." She said. "Sorry, 2015 Chipettes. We were trying to get a hold of you, but you never answered."

"We never got your texts." 2015 Brittany folded her arms. "Alvin stole our phones to power some crazy invention of Simon's."

2015 Eleanor stood in front of me. "Couldn't even get decent replacements." She commented. "This one has the wrong eye color."

I looked at the other 2015 Jeanette's eyes. They were purple. Purple. My midnight blue WAS the wrong eye color. Oh dear.

"We didn't even want to be replacements." My Brittany turned away from the door. "These three just ZAPPED us here with NO WARNING!" She pointed to the 80s Chipettes.

2009 Brittany waved her tiny hands. "Wait…so…there's two sets of those guys?"

80s Eleanor frowned. "They're not actually Official." She explained. "But they are part of the council. They're just a separate Fanon part of the council."

80s Brittany nodded. "Yeah. But, but, they're in a sort of gray area between canon compliant and fanon. It's FRUSTRATING to fit them anywhere."

My sister Eleanor put a hand on her hip. "We're Fanon so good that it might as well be Official." She bragged.

"Debatable." 80s Brittany mumbled.

2015 Jeanette was so much like me. She tried to diffuse the tension. "Well, uh, since we are here now, we can…join the party, right?"

"I guess so." 80s Eleanor welcomed them in.

My sisters and I headed for the door.

"Wait…" 2009 Jeanette called out.

I turned back to look at the room full of Chipettes.

"You don't have to go." 80s Jeanette told us sweetly. "There's still room for you here."

"That's okay." Brittany answered. "We probably should get back now anyway. We enjoyed the party. If you ever want to invite us back sometime, you can."

"We're sorry we took your places." I told my doppelgänger. "We didn't mean any harm. And we are so similar…it just made sense."

2015 Eleanor shook my hand. "It's alright. No hard feelings. Sorry I called you guys imposters."

"So long, everyone!" I waved to them all. "It's been so much fun."

"Laters!" Eleanor added.

"Goodbye! So long! Adios!" The 2009 Chipettes said.

"See you again someday!" 80s Jeanette squeaked.

"Let's go get our clothes and get out of here." Brittany said, once we were in the hall with 80s Eleanor. She'd been tasked with transporting us back.

"That….could have gone worse." The chubby girl with the pale blonde ponytails giggled slightly.

"You owe us." Brittany said, as we walked to the dressing room.

"No, no she doesn't." I clarified. "We are always happy to help…as long as we don't have to lie next time."

"But, being undercover was kinda awesome." Eleanor commented.

I giggled. "Not from my perspective."

The three of us changed back into our usual outfits. Eleanor was thrilled to have her mint tank top, black leather jacket, and mint camouflage shorts back. I loved re-uniting with my tie dye T-shirt and galaxy leggings. Brittany didn't bother putting her jacket on. She just focused on wriggling into the pink dress. She folded the jacket and tucked it under her arm. I think she was in a hurry to leave.

"Ready to head home?" 80s Eleanor asked us when we walked out of the dressing room.

"Yeah!" The three of us agreed.

And so, we were transported home with the press of a few buttons on a remote. I guess Alvin and Simon shared their multiverse remote technology with the others. How nice of them!

We appeared back in a hallway at Santa Barbara High. No time had passed since we left. Peculiar.

"Well…" Brittany broke the awkward silence. "That was the weirdest afternoon of my life"

"Our lives are SO COOL!" Eleanor gushed. "I can't wait to see them again, except the baby me. She's not fun at all. She can't even talk! What a rip!"

Brittany hurried to her locker. "They weren't as bad as I expected. It's just…strange knowing there's so many Brittanys out there."

"I can't believe WE got to contribute to making the next versions of us!" Eleanor grinned. "I just hope that Janice lady takes some of our advice. Particularly mine."

"I'm sure she will." I told my sisters gleefully. "At least, some of it."

"All the important bits." My youngest sister stressed.

We grabbed our things from our lockers.

"Come on, girls." Brittany smiled at us. "Let's get to class. Well, you have to get to class. I have to get to the office."

"I can't wait to tell the boys all about it." I exclaimed happily.

Eleanor elbowed me. "Especially you know who."

"Who?" I wondered.

"Never change, Jeanette." She laughed. "Never change."

Ohhh, she meant Alvin. It took me an enormous amount of time to realize that.

Anyway, we eventually did tell the boys about our adventure. It was the kind of thing we'd be replaying in our mind for ages. At least, I would. I hope Brittany and Eleanor will too. It was an incredible opportunity.

I'm still dreadfully sad that the show that served as our inspiration is gone now. The episodes will always be around, but with no new ones coming, we'll have to rely on only ourselves and the world around us for inspiration. It's going to be a big adjustment. I think we'll be alright though!

And, before I forget, Happy Chipette Day! September 17th! I hope you all enjoyed this small adventure with us! We've certainly enjoyed writing it. And thank you, to all the fans who write for us! Thank you for creating such beautiful and unique universes and interpretations! Your hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed! You are so important and valued in this fandom community! Keep on writing, everyone! Keep on reading!

Chapter Text

BRITT AND RUN

Brittany's POV

I am so annoyed that I have to write this story. It's not one of my greatest moments, that's for sure. Frankly, it's embarrassing as heck, but I guess, well, some parts of it are funny. Really, really funny.

Plus, this will give me more spotlight! I do LOVE when the spotlight is on me! Okay, yeah, I can definitely do this.

I folded my arms impatiently as I sat in the passenger seat of Alvin's hot rod. He'd offered to drive me home from school. I accepted it because it was a chance to spend time with him.

He'd been making good on his promise to hang out with me more, in general. However, the last couple weeks had gone by with barely ANY interaction between us. I was worried he'd started slipping into his old habit of forgetting that this friendship isn't going to just keep itself alive. We both have to WORK at it.

And so, it was up to me to remind him. I looked at the dorky redheaded boy who was gripping the steering wheel. He tapped his fingers on it quickly. His eyes darted around as he tried his best to focus on the sidewalk ahead. He doesn't drive on the road, because his car is technically a toy. A toy with a battery, but still a toy.

Clearing my throat, I spoke, having thought long and hard about how to say this delicately. "Are you free at all this week?"

"Huh?" His ear twitched, but his eyes remained looking ahead. "What do you mean by that?"

"What do you MEAN what do I mean by that?" I fumed, trying to keep my temper from, well, exploding.

"Britt, I need specifics." He replied rather coldly. "What do you mean by free?"

"I mean, do you have any time when we can DO SOMETHING TOGETHER?" I asked, raising my voice on the last three words.

"Not much, really." Alvin turned a corner sharply.

I sulked. Okay, time to remind him of something else, because I am sure his scatterbrain didn't know. "It's been a while since I've heard from you."

"No it hasn't." He looked confused. "We're talking right now."

"I mean, IN GENERAL." Oh my GOSH! It's like talking to a wall!

"We talk at school sometimes." He went on.

I looked down at my nails. "Well, I haven't gotten a text from you in two weeks."

The jerk rolled his eyes at me. "That's what you're upset about. Britt, most of my friends get a text from me once a month! We hang out once or twice a month! And, guess what! They're FINE with that. We can pick up talking like no time's passed at all."

"I'm not MOST of your friends." I told him sharply. "We agreed to stay in contact. I would love to hear about what's new in your life."

"What's new?" He laughed bitterly. "Same ol' same ol'. Homework, extracurriculars, chores, bullies, obligations, responsibilities, and constant ADHD management. I'm staying on top of it, but it's starting to feel impossible again. Might have to update my system."

"Here you go talking about your systems again." I sighed. "I guess I'm still the least important thing on your list."

"That's not true!" He squeaked in a rush. "You're super important!"

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TEXT ME FOR TWO WEEKS!?" I shouted angrily.

"Because I didn't know I HAD to!" He replied, sounding scared.

I calmed myself back down. "I TOLD you to. We have been over this a dozen times. At least 3 or 4 texting sessions a week. I'd even be happy with a "how are you?" or a "sorry, I'm busy. Still thinking of you." I clenched my fists. "How HARD is that to understand!?"

"It's not hard to understand." Alvin admitted, as he drove faster. "It's hard to remember. If you want, I can add you to my to-do list."

I probably shouldn't have said the next thing, but I did anyway. "I bet you text Jeanette 3 or 4 times a week." I growled. "She doesn't have to go on your to-do list."

"I'm sorry. And no, by the way, I don't. She's pretty busy too. Green living club, volunteer stuff, taking care of her robot daughter and mouse daughter. It's more like 1 texting session a week."

"Still more than me." I muttered.

Alvin looked guilty. I guess I'd finally gotten through to him. Maybe I was too demanding. Maybe it was because my sense of time and Alvin's were completely different. To me, it felt like ages since he texted. To Alvin, it probably felt like we'd texted only a couple days ago. Maybe most of Alvin's friends experience time the way he does.

"You know what?" Alvin kept one hand on the wheel. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "I'll remedy this situation right now." He declared.

I raised an eyebrow. "You will?"

"Yep." He handed me the phone while keeping his eyes fixed ahead. "Open my messenger app. Then, hand it back to me."

"You can't text and drive, dimwit." I told him. For a "genius," his smarts are nearly nonexistent sometimes.

He smiled wide. "No, YOU can't text and drive. I happen to be pretty good at it. I'm a natural born multitasker, on account of the ADHD."

"There's no way." I said forcefully.

He momentarily glanced at me with those blue eyes framed by ridiculous red hipster glasses. "Trust me! I can do it!"

"How?" I questioned.

"I've memorized the location of every single key on the keypad." He claimed, although that sounded like an exaggeration.

Whatever. I suppose I'll let him make a fool of himself. It'll be very entertaining.

I opened up his messenger app and handed him back the phone. "If you crash with me in this car…" I warned him.

Before I could finish my thought, he was texting! His eyes never left the sidewalk and his left hand never left the steering wheel. His right hand expertly began typing! This was so...so…IMPOSSIBLE!

And yet, he was doing it!? How could he focus on TWO things at once!?

He turned the corner, while still texting away. What a showoff! I folded my arms again as I waited patiently for him to finish. I didn't want to interrupt his multitasking.

"Almost done." He said cheerfully, as we neared the treehouse.

"Are you writing an entire book?" I teased. I was a lot less angry now. Alvin really can be sweet. He's so frustrating, but he DOES care. We are the best of frenemies.

He chuckled. "Nah, just a message. I'm sorry about my lack of communication lately. I'm gonna try and do better, you know, just like I said I would."

"Thank you, Alvie." I felt a small smile spread across my face.

I heard my phone make a small pinging sound. The message had been sent.

"And there ya go." The boy, in the red and cyan jacket with a letter A pin, put his phone back into his pocket. Both his hands were on the steering wheel now.

I reached into my purse to grab my own pink phone. It was in an adorable case with pink glitter and a giant bow decal. What had Alvin messaged me? I needed to know.

The hot rod came to a gentle stop. We'd arrived at the treehouse. Drat, I guess I would have to check the text later.

"Thank you for riding with The Alvin 2.0 Taxi Service." The chipmunk took his baseball cap off his head and held it out. "That'll be 20 dollars, please."

I socked him in the arm quite forcefully. "You better be joking, you dork."

He chuckled loudly. "Definitely joking, you know, leaning into that Classic Alvin side you love so much." He teased with a wink.

I grabbed the hat and shoved it onto his big ol nerdy egghead. Then, I opened the door and stepped out of the hot rod. I made sure my purse was with me. Wouldn't want to forget it. I needed to read that text as soon as possible.

"Anyway…" He adjusted his cap. "Gotta go. See ya soon, or, like, soon-ish."

I looked at Alvin sadly. "Are you sure you can't stay for a few minutes?" I asked tenderly.

He shook his head. "'Fraid not. I'm already runnin' late for my study party at the library with Kevin and Si. Been fun catchin' up though. I'll try to text more often. Have a great day, Brittany!"

And then he was gone. He revved the battery powered engine of the toy hot rod and zoomed away. Oh, how I STILL missed the way things used to be. It was getting easier to adapt, but the hole in my heart remained. I wanted to spend more time with my best friend.

I climbed the stairs to the treehouse balcony and then sat down at the patio table. The umbrella attached to the table gave me just enough shade to read Alvin's long winded message that he SOMEHOW typed out without looking at the keypad.

[Hey, Btittany, sorru aboit evrythig lately. Yoy arw the coolust! I acutlly lobe talling to yoy. I'lk texy ya morr! I promuse! I'm wilking tp put in the worj! I an a veru hzrd worjer! We're gobba stay froends no maffer whst! Ya see, Davr's bwen on my case agsin aboit possiblt dropinh Dr. Wilson'd class. He's agraid I can'y keeo up. I knoq I can! But, I unferstamd that's no resson to cit you ogf. I difn't evem know I was dping it. Homest! Gobba pin thid chat and kerp the notofibations for it turnef on! We'lk stay in conract wau more this week! And mauby eveb get to hang out nect weelend! Pleaze fotgibe me, Brott. I mixx hanhing our witj you roo and I misd our vhats. Simcereky, yoyr oal Alvin.]

Translation for anyone who can't read through all his massive typos. I guess his texting and driving system isn't so flawless. I could probably do a lot better, let's be honest.

[Hey, Brittany, sorry about everything lately. You are the coolest! I actually love talking to you. I'll text ya more! I promise! I'm willing to put in the work! I am a very hard worker! We're gonna stay friends no matter what! Ya see, Dave's been on my case again about possibly dropping Dr. Wilson's class. He's afraid I can't keep up. I know I can! But, I understand that's no reason to cut you off. I didn't even know I was doing it. Honest! Gonna pin this chat and keep the notifications for it turned on! We'll stay in contact way more this week! And maybe even get to hang out next weekend! Please forgive me, Britt. I miss hanging out with you too and I miss our chats. Sincerely, your pal Alvin.]

I smiled to myself as I started out my response. Then, I realized, I couldn't text him back right away! That seemed too needy. Oh drat, but he already read the message.

[I forgive you, Alvin. Looking forward to chatting again soon. Good luck at the study party thing. I'm not sure what a study party is. Maybe you could explain it. Anyway, thank you for the heartfelt message. It made me smile.]

There, short and sweet. I grabbed myself some of the lasagna Eleanor made, with no green ingredients of course, and then thought hopefully about the days ahead. Would Alvin keep his promise? Or leave me in the dust again?

To my surprise, Alvin kept his promise! We started to text each other a lot more!

The next day, I was just finishing cheer practice when I got a new message from him.

[How was school today, Britt?] He asked.

I sat on the bleachers and texted him back. [Wonderful! Thanks for asking! How did your study party yesterday go? Learn anything exciting?] I added the nerd emoji. It looks a lot like him, after all. It used to bug him, but these days he's warmed up to it.

I shouldn't have asked about the study party, because I knew I'd get back science gibberish. However, I wanted him to know that I'm taking an interest in his life. Every part of it.

And cue the science gibberish! [I did! If you substitute a phosphorus into a pyrrole ring it is called phosphole. The atom below phosphorus in the periodic table is arsenic. Precedent was already set for the naming of substituted pyrrole rings when arsenic was substituted into the ring. The molecule was given the name…arsole. When you fuse arsole and benzene it's called benzarsole. And, guess what! The original publication on this was titled "studies on the chemistry of arsoles". HOW FUNNY IS THAT!?] He added a laughing emoji.

I sent him a laughing emoji back too. [I'm sure you were laughing for hours.]

[I was! The Chemistry Of ARSOLES! It sounds like, you know! Arsehole!] He replied.

[I got it, Alvin.] I wrote. [You really need to stop explaining things so much.]

He texted back that weird smile emoji with the teardrop on its forehead. [My bad. Oops, gotta run. Dave is informing me that I forgot to do the dishes. Then, I have math homework to review…for the test.]

Aw no! He couldn't go so soon! Sigh. At least we got to talk a tiny bit.

[It's alright. Good luck on your equations, little nerd.] I finished my thought with a wink emoji. I have to always remind him that I support him.

[Thanks!] Was his last message of that day.

He reached out to me for a few more days, then it was radio silence again. I decided that I should reach out, but I shouldn't say anything that implied I was mad he hadn't texted. It had only been three days of no texts at this point.

[Busy again today?] I asked. Short, simple. Very to the point. It gave him an option to talk to me if he wanted, or to tell me yes and that he would text another day.

He replied a few hours later, while I was doing my makeup routine. [Always. I feel like the homework is attacking me.] He added a deep frown emoji.

[Anything I can help with?] I offered.

[Not unless you know how to balance chemical equations. I'm sorta sick of school stuff. Can we talk about something else?] OH THANK GOODNESS!

[ABSOLUTELY!] I texted. [I wanted to ask you that, but I didn't want to seem rude.]

He seemed very down in the dumps. [Nah. It's totally okay. I know I've been stuck in boring mode lately.] Another frown emoji. Not a good sign.

We needed something FUN to chat about. [Got any plans for Halloween?] I asked.

[I might do a couples costume with you know who.] He responded. Urgh. I knew he meant Jeanette.

[It would be fun to all go trick or treating as a group.] I selected a pumpkin emoji and put it next to a boo hoo eyes emoji.

I think he picked up on what I was trying to imply, but I couldn't be sure. [Totally would be! But, Ellie's got some solo plans. She's building her own haunted house. I think. I'm not sure on the details.] He informed me.

[Yeah.] I chose a sad face emoji.

OH MY GOSH! He actually realized why I was sad without me telling him. I was really counting on us being a group.

[I'm sure the other 5 of us can still go trick or treating though.] He assured me. [Maybe we'll even get to check out Ellie's Haunted House!] A happy face emoji! I guess he was less sad!

I was VERY HOPEFUL! [Sounds fun!]

[Maybe Simon would like to wear a couples costume too.] He added a cheeky smirk emoji.

I giggled to myself as I finished applying my lipgloss. [Hmmm. I'll have to think about it.] I responded.

[Welp. My timer just went off.] Drat. That meant the end of this conversation. [Gotta eat something and then it's back to the grind. Talk tomorrow!]

It's okay. I trusted him to remember to text again…soon. No idea how soon.

[Love you, Alvin. Platonically. Of course.] I sent a hug emoji.

He copied me. Now there were two hug emojis decorating our chat. [Right back atcha!]

I slipped the phone away and added some glittery fuchsia eyeshadow to complete my look. Gorgeous, as always.

More days passed with a few texts a day. I was satisfied. I still missed seeing Alvin though. I wanted to have time to go somewhere or do something with him. I had plans! I'd thought of a lot of places I wanted to go with Alvin. And sure, I could go with Simon or Theodore. They were easier to get a hold of than Alvin. IT WASN'T THE SAME!

Simon and I recently went out for pumpkin spice lattes, we went for a walk through the woods to see all the pretty fall colors, and he helped me work out some fall outfits for my ever growing fashion portfolio. I loved it. I'm not saying I didn't.

Theodore and I saw each other to rehearse for drama class, we went out for pizza together, and we got cute earrings from Claire's. I enjoyed all of that too.

But I still missed ALVIN.

Then, as if my prayers had finally been answered, I got the very text I'd waited a month for.

[Great news, Britt! This weekend just opened up! Simon told me I deserve a day off! In fact, he's demanding I take the day off! No rigorous study sessions on Saturday!] Alvin told me.

I jumped up and down on my bed. It was happening! It was finally happening!

[FABULOUS! Where should we go? What should we do?] A added a star eye emoji.

[Pretty sure I picked last time. We went to the arcade and then the videogame rental place. At least, according to the notes I took.] He replied.

I raised an eyebrow as I read the message. [You take notes on our hangouts?]

[I take notes on everything.] He explained. [It combats my executive dysfunction. Although, the notes could be organized better.]

Interesting. I sat cross legged on my bed and sent another text. [Ah gotcha. So, if it's my turn to pick, then I want to go to that new shoe store. After that, we can get ice cream and I'll let you have double the gummy bears as a topping.]

He sent an emoji that looked like it was licking its lips. [OHOHO! You spoil me!]

[Is that a yes?] I asked.

[YUP! Can't wait! Seriously! I am going stir crazy in here!] He typed out.

"Brittany!" Eleanor peered into our bedroom. "Did you forget about me already?"

I hadn't forgotten. I just didn't want to do what she asked. I knew I had to though. It was a real drag.

"No, sis." I said, sliding off the bed. "I'll come downstairs in three minutes."

"I'll be waiting." Eleanor's green eyes narrowed with irritation. She closed the bedroom door.

I sighed as I told Alvin what was happening. It annoyed me that now I was the busy one who had to end our chat.

[Oh, hey, I have to go soon. Eleanor wants me to help make dinner. There's one more thing I wanna ask you though. How are you feeling about the concert tomorrow? Any jitters?] This was important! Why did my sister pick NOW to interrupt?

[Tons. My 2.0 side is wigging out.] Alvin texted back. [Classic Alvin's excited. As for me, the weird blend of them, I'm just…neutral, I guess. I really am excited, but also scared because we all know how close I keep coming to being exposed.] He chose a scared face emoji to convey his anxiety.

I felt so bad for him. I knew that his stage fright flicked on and off like a switch. [Yeah. That makes sense. I won't let any of the fans hurt you…if you happen to slip up. Your brothers, my sisters and I will ALL be there for you.] I reminded him.

[Thanks, Britt. I'm gonna just go for it and hope for the best.] He replied.

He needed a lot of support. [You'll get through it. I believe in you!]

[Wish I did too.] A sad face emoji accompanied that message.

[Use Classic's confidence!] A sent a wink emoji.

[Oh right. I keep forgetting I have better access to that now. FINALLY.] Oh, he is such a funny little dude.

"BRITTANY! IT'S BEEN THREE MINUTES!" My youngest sister's voice echoed from the kitchen. "DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THERE AGAIN!" Even through the closed door, I could hear her no problem.

[Talk soon! Eleanor is screaming at me now.] I told Alvin. [Super hyped for Saturday! Bye!] I added a big smile emoji.

[Later!] He responded.

I put the phone on my vanity and hurried down to the kitchen. Eleanor and I made a delicious casserole together. She did most of the hard work, honestly. I just chopped up the ingredients and did some mixing. Still, it turned out beautifully! It definitely needed my special touches.

The next day, a Friday to be exact, I was driving Alvin's hot rod home from school. Are you surprised I know how to drive? Well, I do. I just would PREFER to be chauffeured around, you know, like a famous superstar.

[Thank you so much for letting me borrow your car.] I had texted Alvin, before leaving Santa Barbara High.

I cruised along the sidewalk in style. My heart-shaped sunglasses were on and my strawberry blonde ponytail was blowing in the wind. I felt amazing!

I heard the text tone on my phone chime. I wondered if that was Alvin returning my text.

It couldn't hurt to just…check, right? The sidewalk was pretty quiet.

I pulled the phone from my purse and read the text.

IT WAS FROM ALVIN! [You're welcome! I've been in more of a walking mood lately. Gotta save up all my concentration for the concert tonight.]

Against my better judgment, I absolutely HAD to text him back right away. Besides, if Alvin could text while driving, I was pretty sure I also had that ability.

[If you're leaning into Classic mode, doesn't that require LESS concentration?] I asked him.

[You would think so, but no.] He sent a laugh emoji.

I gripped the steering wheel with my left hand. [You are so weird.] I texted with my right. I switched my eyes from the sidewalk to the phone. It was exhausting. But it was WORTH IT!

[I ain't denyin' it.] He replied.

[I hope you have an amazing day and I'll see you tonight for the concert.] I texted expertly.

[Still kind of half dreading it.] I didn't realize it, but as he was texting, he was walking down the sidewalk toward me, listening to music through his earbuds.

At this point, I wasn't paying a lick of attention to where I was going. [You'll be okay. Remember CONFID…..] Before my text was finished, I heard a THUNK! and felt a JOLT! I hit the brake as hard as I could. The hot rod screeched to a stop.

"Oh crap! Oh crap! Crap crap crap!" I cursed under my breath. I knew I had hit someone or something. How could I have been so STUPID!?

I cautiously got out of the car. I felt sick to my stomach when I saw who it was I'd hit. He was on his back, red hair sticking out all over, his glasses crooked on his face, and his earbuds were still in his ears. He was wearing a red shirt with a football fused with the planet saturn on it, a cyan vest, and purple and blue galaxy leggings. His cap was off and lying in the grass next to him.

In case it isn't already obvious, I HIT ALVIN!

I didn't know what to do! I knelt down beside the chipmunk. "No." I whispered. "No no no no noooo noooo!" I got louder and louder. "Wake up, Alvin. Please, wake up."

His nose twitched. He was definitely still alive. Phew. He was unconscious, but alive.

Mustering all of my strength, (and I was a very strong girl) I picked Alvin up and put his cap back on. I set him down in the backseat of the hot rod. He slumped like a lifeless doll.

"Don't worry, Alvie." I promised. "I'll get you help."

I jumped back into the hot rod and slammed my foot on the gas. I sped past several houses and turned the corner. It wasn't long before I parked Alvin's car in the Seville's driveway and then carried the limp boy up into the treehouse.

"ELEANOR!" I screamed. "ELEANOR, ARE YOU HOME!?"

I knew Jeanette wasn't. She was still at school, staying after to help shelve library books. I had no idea what Eleanor was doing, so I hoped she'd be home.

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Eleanor rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I'm here." She yawned. "I was taking a nap before the concert. What's going on?"

I didn't know what to say. I just stood there, frozen, holding the unconscious red and cyan clad chipmunk. I had the most terrified and guilty look on my face.

Eleanor noticed Alvin and her green eyes widened. "HOLY NUTS! WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

"It….It was an accident." I squeaked.

My sister was wide awake now. She rushed down the stairs and put her hand on Alvin's head. "What kind of accident?"

I winced. "A….car accident."

"He got hit by a car!?" She gasped. "Oh no!"

"Not….Not in the way you're thinking." I set the poor limp boy on the couch and adjusted his glasses, not that he needed them with his eyes shut. "Let me explain." I sat down in a chair and proceeded to tell Eleanor everything that happened.

Apparently, she thought that it was hilarious. "Wait wait wait, you were texting HIM!? And then you hit him with his car!?" She laughed. "THAT'S SO FUNNY!"

"No it isn't!" I insisted. "He might have another concussion! He won't wake up!" I pointed to Alvin, who was uncomfortably still.

"Eh, maybe you'll luck out and it'll knock off some IQ points." My sister joked.

"Eleanor!" I snapped.

She frowned. The laughter stopped. "Okay, okay. In all seriousness, I hope he's alright."

I clasped my hands together. "You're like a doctor, right?" I asked. "Can you check him out?"

The pigtailed Chipette looked Alvin over and then reported back to me. "No sign of any bumps, lumps, or bruises aside from this one on his side where you hit him." She took off his vest and lifted his shirt to show me.

"Ewwww." I gagged at the sight of the small bruise. "Gross."

"He's gonna be fine, Britt. He's just in shock." She responded as she pulled his shirt back down.

I smoothed down my ruffled pink skirt. "When will he wake up?"

"I dunno." Eleanor shrugged. "Does it matter? We'll just keep him here until he does. I'm sure he'll wake up in a couple hours, tops."

I put a hand on Alvin's cheek. "We'll take good care of you." I promised.

"And Brittany…." Eleanor glared at me angrily.

I felt the urge to hide in my cerise pink turtleneck, but my head was too large for that. "What?" I gulped.

"No more texting and driving." She finished sharply.

"I knooow." I said miserably.

Eleanor and I spent a couple hours playing some crazy 8s and eating potato chips. We moved Alvin into our bedroom and set him down in Eleanor's bed. I wondered if making him more comfortable would wake him up faster.

It did not.

"Jeanette's going to be home any minute!" I said, starting to freak out. "He's still not up!"

"Don't worry." Eleanor smirked. "I know how to deal with this. I have a plan."

"It better be a GOOD plan." I folded my arms and pouted.

The girl in the teal jacket and mint skull design T-shirt rubbed her hands together. "Not sure if it'll work, but that ain't gonna stop me from tryin'."

I groaned. I hate it when she says that. Seriously.

My little sister pushed the button on Alvin's glasses to turn them into sunglasses.

"And how is that supposed to help?" I asked, leaning against my vanity and tapping one of my stylish pink glitter boots against the floor.

She sat Alvin up in the bed and waved his arm at me. "Now nobody can tell his eyes are closed."

I rolled my eyes. "Fabulous idea." I snarked sarcastically. "What if she wants to talk to him?"

"Uhhhh…." Eleanor's ears drooped, but her smile remained. "We say he's not feeling chatty?" She suggested.

I groaned again. "This is never going to work." I frowned. "How am I supposed to tell my sister I hit her boyfriend with his own car!?"

"Wait!" The girl in mint and teal jumped off her bed and grabbed her laptop. Then she connected her phone to it. "I've got another idea. You stall Jeanette. I'll be right back." She opened up the window and then climbed onto the zipline.

"Stall Jeanette?" I echoed in disbelief. "How am I supposed to do that?"

No answer. Eleanor was already too far away.

I heard the front door creak open and hurried downstairs. My feet missed the bottom step and I tumbled. Luckily, I didn't rip the knees of my black glitter leggings, even though I landed on them and slid across the floor.

"Are you alright, Brittany?" Jeanette helped me to my feet.

I nodded. "Yep. Totally. Just fine." I lied. "Want some potato chips?"

My taller sister tilted her head. "I'm not really a potato chip kind of person."

Drat! I forgot that! Why was this so hard!? "Uhhh…." What else does Jeanette like? "There's also…uhhh…some rice and beans…and a smoothie."

She sat down at the kitchen island. "That sounds…nice." I could tell she knew I was acting weird, but she had no idea why.

I fetched her the things from inside the fridge and warmed up the rice and beans for her. I needed to think of something else to keep the conversation going. "I had a great day." I babbled. "I just love Fridays so much."

"I am looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend." Jeanette responded, as she chewed a spoonful of beans and rice. "Especially after tonight."

OH NO! THE CONCERT! WE HAD TO WAKE ALVIN UP IN TIME FOR THE CONCERT SOMEHOW!

"Me too." I forced a smile. "I spent all week picking out the perfect concert outfit."

"I bet it looks lovely." Jeanette told me sweetly.

She finished her beans and rice as I continued to try and stall her. But, eventually, she washed her bowl out and started to walk toward the stairs.

I hurried around and jumped in front of her. "Oh, don't go up there yet. We have so much more to talk about."

"But…my journal is upstairs." The girl with the round purple glasses squeaked softly. "I wanted to write a little before the show."

"Just write on your notes app on your phone." I suggested in a rush.

Her midnight blue eyes narrowed slightly. "Brittany, is there something upstairs you don't want me to see?"

"No." I lied again.

She brushed past me. "Then I'm going up there to get my journal."

I started to panic! I raced after my taller sister and tried to pull her back. "Jeanette, WAIT!"

I was too late. She opened the bedroom door and walked inside, only to be met with….absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

Alvin was no longer in Eleanor's bed. The room looked as if it hadn't been touched, aside from Eleanor's covers being messed up.

"Geez, Brittany." Jeanette pulled her journal off her bookshelf. "What has gotten into you today?"

"I, uh, I thought there was a ghost up here." I tried to think of what ridiculous lie Eleanor or Alvin would say in this situation.

My taller sister frowned. "It's a little early for Halloween pranks, isn't it?" She tucked a purple pen behind her ear and then walked back downstairs.

"Yeah, I guess so." I leaned awkwardly against the doorframe. "But, it never hurts to get in the spirit!"

I closed the bedroom door and then hissed under my breath. "Eleanor? Are you in here?"

My closet door creaked open and Eleanor poked her pigtailed head out. "Just got back. You stink at stalling people, by the way."

"Whatever." I grumbled. "Where is he?"

"Right here." My youngest sister dragged Alvin's limp body out of the closet with her and adjusted his sunglasses.

I grimaced. "Be careful with him!"

"I'm plenty careful." She insisted. "Besides, I can't do any worse than running into him with a car." Another joke and another stupid giggle.

"Eleanorrrrr." I growled.

"Fine fine." She set Alvin back on the bed and propped him up with a pillow. Then, she set both his limp hands in his lap. "Check out what I've got." She held her phone up and pressed the touch screen.

"Helloooo, gorgeous!" Said Alvin's voice, coming directly from the phone.

I rolled my eyes. "So impressive." I said sarcastically.

"Hold on! Wait! It gets better!" She played more recordings of Alvin's voice.

"A splendid day, is it not?"

"Stupendous!"

"Live your dreams!"

"Absolutely not."

"Let's rock and roll."

I was confused. What was her plan? "Where did you get these on such short notice?" I asked, to avoid outright telling her I was completely lost. I'm not a schemer, but I do sometimes enjoy going along with a scheme.

"From the Talking 2.0 Doll Jeanette made for him." She explained enthusiastically. "I made a copy of its voice box, and uploaded the audio to my phone."

She played another voice clip. "I am a GENIUS!" Alvin 2.0's voice boasted.

Hmm. Maybe that might come in handy. "How many lines have we got to work with?"

"Only about 15." Eleanor frowned.

"Drat." I cursed. "That's not enough."

"Well, I could comb through a lot of recordings of Alvin and grab more audio, but we're kinda on a time crunch, so…this is what we've got."

I sat down on my bed. "At least it's better than nothing." I murmured.

To my surprise, Alvin's body came walking over to me like a zombie who just learned how. It sat on the bed and put an arm around my shoulder.

And I screamed, because I KNEW he was still unconscious. Yet, he was MOVING! "AHHHHH!"

Eleanor laughed again. "Relax." She held up a fancy looking remote. "It was just me."

"What the…? How did you…!?" I sputtered, squirming away from Alvin and watching him flop to the side on the bed.

"I repurposed some of the invisible wiring Simon used for Jeanette's birthday party that one year." Eleanor squeaked. "You know, the time we tried to convince her she had magic powers?"

"Oh." I felt my heart rate slow down again. Back to the usual speed for a chipmunk.

My sister was having the time of her life. "Check it out! He's like a puppet!" She exclaimed. "I can even make him dance!"

She proceeded to make Alvin do an Irish jig around our bedroom.

"Check out my sweet moves!" Alvin's voice said, from the clip on Eleanor's phone.

This entire situation gave me the heebie jeebies. It was so…wrong. And yet, it was definitely better than admitting I was an idiot who tried to text and drive and hit her best friend with a car.

"One, one little issue with your brilliant puppet plan." I pointed out. "His mouth doesn't move."

"Yeah…" Eleanor frowned. "Not sure what to do about that."

Suddenly, I had an idea. I tied one of my pale yellow scarves around Alvin's mouth. "There we go. We'll just say he's helping me model my fall fashion line."

"Love it!" Eleanor high fived me.

Then, she puppeted Alvin down the stairs. I walked behind her. It was time to fool Jeanette.

The girl with the purple paw print patterned sweater sat at our dining room table, scribbling away in her journal. I sat down next to her and Eleanor puppeted Alvin into the third seat. He flopped face down on the table and I quickly propped his head back up before Jeanette could notice.

She lifted her head up from the journal. "Oh, hi, Alvin."

Eleanor hid behind the kitchen counter and played a voice clip. "Helloooo, gorgeous!"

Jeanette giggled. "So what brings you here today?" She asked, turning her attention back to her writing.

I shot a glance at Eleanor.

She frantically scrolled through the options for audio clips and then shrugged at me with a worried expression.

Great. (Sarcasm) Now, I had to think of something and FAST.

"Alvin just had some free time and dropped by." I fumbled out. "Needed to kill some time before the concert."

"Totally!" Alvin's voice added.

Eleanor, hiding the remote in her jacket pocket, sat down at the table with us. "Britt also needed another model for her autumn fashion line." She said, "And Alvin volunteered."

Oh yeah! I had already forgotten that excuse. Thank goodness my youngest sister was here.

"He's just the best, isn't he?" I kept an arm around Alvin so he wouldn't flop forward again.

Jeanette looked at us both strangely. "Yeah. He sure is." She frowned. "Is there a reason why he's so….still?"

"He's saving his energy for the concert." I lied.

"Oh." She seemed content with that explanation. "That must be why he's less chatty too."

"Yeah!" Eleanor squeaked. "He's worried his voice will crack if he doesn't limit himself to just a few short phrases."

Wow. That was a nice save. Covered our tails nicely.

"Oh Alvin." Jeanette shook her head in exasperation. "What are we gonna do with you?"

I waved my right hand awkwardly while still keeping the left around Alvin. "I know, right? He is such an oddball."

Jeanette went back to her writing. Phew. I can't believe we actually fooled her.

Eleanor stood up from the table. "Well, we should probably get back to that fashion show. Right, Brittany?"

I gently took my arm off of Alvin as Eleanor puppeted him out of his chair. "Oh, yes, the fashion show. A..Absolutely."

"Have fun, you three!" Jeanette waved us away with a smile.

I watched Eleanor puppet Alvin up the stairs. His movements were so lifelike, yet just slightly off. It was so unsettling.

I followed Eleanor and Alvin's body into the bedroom once again. "That was close." I murmured.

"Nah, that was easy mode." The shorter Chipette rubbed her chin. "If we want a challenge, we should try and fool Simon and Theo."

"What!?" I gasped. "There's no way we'll pull that off!"

"Says who?" My sister argued, making Alvin's body cross its arms.

I put my hands on my hips. "Says common sense." I growled.

Suddenly, Alvin's phone started to ring. I picked it up and tossed it at Eleanor once I saw who was calling.

"It's Dave! What do we do!? What do we do!?" I shrieked.

"We answer it." She responded, looking at me like I was crazy.

I grimaced. "But what do we saaaay!?"

"Urgh." My sister rolled her eyes. "Guess I'll handle this too."

I listened in on her talk with Dave. I only heard her, but I could kind of read between the lines to piece together what Dave was saying.

Eleanor held Alvin's phone to her ear and remained calm. "Hey, Dave….yeah, Alvin's here….he's not up to talking, he's resting….no, he hasn't forgotten the concert….uh huh….yeah….we'll bring him over in 5 minutes to get ready….see ya soon." She hung up.

"He can't get through the concert like this!" I gestured wildly to the limp noodle of a chipmunk.

"He might be awake before then." Eleanor tried to look on the bright side.

I poked at the boy attached to the invisible wiring. "He doesn't look very awake to me." I sighed. "And how are we going to fool his family if the invisible wiring only works in our treehouse?"

"I can probably rig it up over there." She responded with a grin. "While you get him dressed."

I felt my face get warmer. "What!? I can't do that, Ellie. He's always complaining about how I invade his privacy. This is….so inappropriate."

"Yeah. I guess he'll have to get dressed himself." She stared at me with half lidded eyes. "Oh wait, he can't!"

I groaned as I took the invisible wiring off of my ex-boyfriend turned bestie. Then, I picked him up in my arms and hurried to the zipline, strapping him into a harness.

"Are you cozy?" I asked, not that he could answer.

Eleanor laughed. "Man, you think he'd wake up by now. You musta really hit him hard."

"Shut up, Eleanor." I grumbled.

Nobody was around when we entered the boys' room, which was for the best. I won't go into detail, but I wrestled Alvin into his baggy jeans and old ripped and tattered red hoodie with a golden A. I took the scarf off his neck and replaced it with a hands free microphone, which helped to block his mouth so nobody could tell it wasn't moving.

While I was doing that, my stealthy sister was rigging up invisible wiring so she could puppet Alvin inside the Seville house. Then, she brought our concert outfits over and we changed in the closet.

I wore a glittery bubblegum-pink crop top, with a fuschia tank top underneath. I kept my black glittery leggings and added a bubblegum-pink and soft pale pink tulle skirt with layers underneath. My shoes were also bubblegum-pink and the heels were shaped like hearts. They were VERY trendy.

Eleanor's concert outfit consisted of a sparkly deep teal sweatshirt with a V neck, a mint striped shirt, a mint skirt, and deep teal leggings with glitter on them too. Her shoes were satiny mint Mary Janes with a single strap. She always dresses more feminine for concerts. It's a good look on her.

"He's ready." I showed her the unconscious chipmunk in the sunglasses. "But I'm not sure I am." I added miserably.

"Oh well." Eleanor puppeted Alvin across the room and down the stairs as I followed her. "It's showtime."

This was going to crash and burn. I could feel it.

Dave was standing by the door, packing up things for the concert.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

Jeanette was in her concert outfit now. Just a simple, but glittery, indigo sweater and a purple ruffled skirt with some pale blue glitter leggings. She was helping Dave take inventory of everything we needed to bring along.

"Yeah." I looked up at the human man who had asked the question. "Just about."

"Totally." Eleanor added, before scrolling through her phone.

"It's gonna be fun!" Theodore chimed in, bouncing into the hallway cheerfully, wearing his green hoodie and faded cuffed-up jeans.

"Hopefully." Simon stood next to Jeanette wearing a two-toned blue shirt and navy blue jeans. It's so weird seeing him in his old outfit. Simon looks much better in, well, anything but that bland thing.

Dave turned his attention to Alvin, who Eleanor was making pace around with crazy hand gestures.

"How are you feeling, Alvin?" His father asked calmly, with concern. He knew concerts, especially THIS particular concert, were hard on the kid.

Eleanor made Alvin answer using her limited audio clips. "Stupendous!"

"Really?" Theodore raised an eyebrow. "Cuz it looks more like you're panicking."

"He's not panicking." Eleanor passed the remote to me discreetly. "He's just excited."

I scrolled through the options to find something for Alvin to "say."

"Let's rock and roll." There. That should do it.

"You heard him, guys." I forced a smile to hide my guilt and fear. "Let's rock and roll!"

"Race you to the car, Alvin!" Theodore sped away.

Alvin's body remained in one place, Eleanor made him slump his shoulders.

"He, uh, he doesn't feel much like racing today." I said with a nervous laugh.

"He told us he wants to sleep for the entire ride there." Eleanor took her phone back from me. "To save his energy."

"That's right." Alvin's voice confirmed.

"Alright then." Simon looked suspicious. "If that's what he wants."

"Must have been a rough week at school." Dave commented.

"He says they're all rough." I replied, which wasn't actually a lie.

We all walked out to the car. Eleanor and I held Alvin up once we were outside the house and couldn't rely on the remote-controlled invisible wiring attached to the ceiling anymore.

During the car ride, Alvin flopped onto Eleanor's head. She pushed him toward me, so his head could rest on my shoulder. Dave went over all the rules to follow for the venue and Theodore talked about his ideas for making a new album cover. It was a decent car ride, I guess.

At last, we arrived. Eleanor and I put our arms around Alvin to keep him from falling to the ground. I don't know if anyone suspected a thing. It seemed they didn't. They were all too busy worrying about concert prep.

"The Chipettes will be performing first, followed by us." Simon declared. "There's no group performance this time around."

"I don't like the song choice." Theodore complained. "It's not fair to Alvin."

"What song are you guys singing?" Eleanor asked. I knew she was making note of it, just in case.

"Thinking Of You by NSYNC." The chubby boy answered. "It's also sometimes called I Drive Myself Crazy."

At the mention of driving, I felt my throat tighten up. I've been driving myself crazy for hours now.

"Watch out for the paparazzi." Simon frowned and adjusted his glasses. "The fans seem very restless today. Even more so than usual."

"Oh dear." Jeanette murmured.

Theodore looked at his red clad brother. "How're you holding up, Alvin?" He asked, as we all started to walk into the venue.

"Ookay!" Eleanor made the limp puppet speak again.

But now his youngest brother looked concerned. "Just okay? Are you getting the jitters?"

"Maybe Alvin needs a pep talk." Jeanette suggested, fidgeting with her hair ribbon.

Eleanor smiled. "Great idea! Britt and I will get him to the dressing room and give him a nice LONG pep talk." She started to walk faster.

I struggled to keep up. "Yeah! We will!"

We broke away from the others, before they could protest and headed for the dressing rooms.

Along the way, we dealt with the usual. Screaming fans, reporters, people begging us for photos and autographs. We tried our best to ignore them, but eventually wound up posing with the unconscious Alvin for some photos with fans. Eleanor forced Alvin's lips into a smile so he wouldn't look so out of place. The sunglasses kept wanting to slip off, but I made sure they didn't.

"Alvin! Alvin!" A young girl squealed. "Over here!"

I grabbed his arm and made it look like he was blowing a kiss to her. Then, I made him wave. This was actually working!

"Sign my T-shirt!" A guy shouted.

"Sorry." I said sweetly. "Alvin's not up for autographs today, but he would LOVE to take a photo with you."

"And so would I!" Eleanor squeezed into the photo too, though half of her was cut off, leaving the focus mainly on me and Alvin.

We'd almost made it to the dressing room, when a rude reporter with an ugly bob haircut thrust a microphone in Alvin's face, bumping his sunglasses.

I stopped them from falling off. "Uh, excuse me." I said politely.

The woman didn't waste a second before bombarding us with questions. "Brittany, how are you feeling about tonight's show? Alvin, is it true that you regret breaking Brittany's heart? Do you think you'll get back together? Or is Albrittina done for good?"

"Uhhh…." I choked out. I didn't know what to say. Albrittina was done for good, but if the truth got out…our career might be too.

Alvin was, of course, dead silent.

It was all up to my sister. "Those are super personal questions." Eleanor said to the woman. "And PRIVATE questions. You really think they'd tell ya?"

"Y…Y…Yes." I stammered.

The obnoxious lady would not stop. "I heard a rumor that Alvin will be addressing his feelings about Brittany during the show tonight. Is that true?"

"I dunno." Eleanor said. "Maybe." She glared at the lady. "Now, scram."

"Yeah." I kept a tight grip on Alvin. "If we can't get to the stage, there won't BE a show tonight." I reminded her.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just such a big fan of you two." She patted my head and then Alvin's cap.

I kept Alvin's head from slumping to the side. Boy, this was hard work.

The lady let us hurry past and we scurried to the dressing room and closed the door.

"I'm such a big fan of you two." Eleanor mocked the reporter's voice. "What about me!? What am I!? Chopped liver!?"

I decided my sister needed a pep talk. "You're a lot less gross than chopped liver." I assured her.

Eleanor and I set Alvin down in a chair and my sister folded her arms. "So, now what do we do with him?" She asked, pointing at the ragdoll boy.

That was the LAST thing I wanted to hear right now. "I thought you had a plan!" I dug my manicured nails into the dressing room vanity. Boy, they were sharp. Oops.

"I thought he'd be up by now!" She shouted. "This place is so loud!"

I started to tremble. "Well, clearly he isn't. Maybe I hurt him worse than I thought." I started to panic again. "Maybe he'll NEVER wake up."

"Or…." Eleanor bit her lip and then gave Alvin a large SMACK across his freckled cheek.

He still didn't move.

"Okay. Cold water time." Eleanor grabbed a spray bottle from the dressing room table and used it to squirt him.

No luck.

My sister set the bottle down. "Nope. Nothin." She sighed. "We're cooked."

I was not giving up without a fight. I grabbed Alvin and started shaking him furiously. "Come on! You have to wake up! Wake up now!"

Still nothing, he slumped back down in the chair.

"That worked." Eleanor commented sarcastically, observing me from a short distance.

"We are running out of options!" I yelped frantically.

My sister snapped her fingers. "I got it. I got it." She stood on her tip toes and spoke directly into Alvin's ear. "Hey, Alvin, wanna hear some news about physics?"

His nose twitched, but nothing else.

"Well, if that didn't get him up, nothing will." I said sadly.

Eleanor gently tapped her fist against his head. "Knock knock, dummy. Get up. Get up now."

I sunk to my knees. "Ohhhh. How is he going to make it through the concert? Someone's bound to notice!"

"Eh, you'd be surprised what people in this town ignore." My sister replied with a hint of irritation.

"We can't just rig the invisible wiring onstage and have him…like…lip sync." I moaned.

Eleanor's eyebrows shot up and she grinned widely. "Why not? Pretty sure I could rig that."

"We only have ten minutes until we perform." I reminded her.

"I can do it in five." She winked at me. "You stay here with the corpse."

I felt my fur bristle. "He's not dead, Ellie." I muttered. "I hope." I added softly under my breath.

She scampered away to work her stealthy magic and somehow save the day. That left me alone with the biggest reminder of my mistake.

I took Alvin's limp hand and stroked the fur on it. "Come back to me, Alvie. Please, come back." My lips trembled as small tears gathered in my eyes. "My life would suck without you."

I got up and dried my eyes. I didn't want anyone to see me crying. Goodness knows the fans would have a field day with that.

I maneuvered Alvin into a curled up ball on the chair and tilted his hat down over his eyes. There. Now he looked like he was having one of his pre-concert anxiety attacks.

Eleanor returned to the dressing room and then we met up with Jeanette and the others backstage.

"It's showtime." I squeaked.

"Did the pep talk work?" Theodore asked me, looking worried.

"It did, mostly. Alvin just wants to be left alone in the dressing room until your song. Okay?" I quickly replied, my tail drooping from the guilt. I prayed Theo didn't notice.

"Why is Alvin letting you and Eleanor talk for him?" Simon asked skeptically.

Jeanette rested a hand on Simon's arm sweetly. "He wants to save his voice." She repeated the lie from earlier…not that she knew it was a lie.

"Ah." The boy in blue nodded. "That explains it."

"I'm sure all that vocal rest will pay off." Dave added. "Girls,.." He looked down at the three of us. "You're up."

And so, the three of us leapt onto the stage and launched into that beautiful song by Kelly Clarkson that I foreshadowed a few paragraphs earlier!

"Maybe I was stupid for telling you goodbye

Maybe I was wrong for trying to pick a fight

I know that I've got issues

But you're pretty messed up too

Either way I found out

I'm nothing without you"

I had chosen this song specifically for Alvin, but unfortunately he wasn't awake to hear it. He'd get to watch the concert through recordings later. The song could be taken as either friendship or romance, which is why the management team allowed me to pick it. We really really need a new management team.

"'Cause we belong together now, yeah

Forever united here somehow, yeah

You got a piece of me

And honestly

My life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you"

My sisters and I chorused loudly, our voices echoed throughout the auditorium. I loved being onstage with my sisters so much.

"Being with you is so dysfunctional

I really shouldn't miss you

But I can't let you go

Oh, yeah"

As I was singing, I didn't have the ability to really think much about my guilt. I was purely focused on the performance and nothing more. Remembering all the dance steps was tricky! Plus, I had to get the timing just right, and sing every note on key.

"'Cause we belong together now, yeah

Forever united here somehow, yeah

You got a piece of me

And honestly

My life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you"

The song ended, and my sisters and I took a bow. I blew kisses to the audience until Eleanor pulled me off the stage. How rude of her. I wasn't finished basking in the spotlight and listening to all my adoring fans.

"Brittany!" My youngest sister snapped. "Did you forget about something?"

My mind immediately snapped back to thinking about the main problem. I was finished with the song, and now I could concentrate on it again.

"No, I didn't." Which wasn't a lie, it was at the back of my mind, even if it wasn't popping into present thought. "Let's get him."

We hurried back to the dressing room to grab Alvin and drag his body with us backstage. Eleanor hooked up more invisible wires and then climbed into the rafters above the stage to puppet him.

Why did I have the feeling this was going to go horribly wrong? I mean, using the invisible wires inside our houses was one thing, but onstage!? And she didn't even know all the dance steps Alvin needed to do! She'd have to improvise it all!

"I can't look." I murmured quietly.

"Simon, Theodore, Alvin." Dave called each one of his boys. "You're up."

"Ready to rock and roll?" Theodore asked his brothers.

Simon ran his hand through his messy brown hair, looking irresistible. "More or less."

"Indubitably!" Alvin's voice finished...because I was once again in charge of Eleanor's phone.

"Good luck, boys!" Jeanette and I chorused.

Here went nothing. I went back to the dressing room with Dave and Jeanette. I looked at the TV that was broadcasting the recording of what was happening onstage.

Come on, Eleanor. I thought to myself. Please pull this off without a hitch. Please!

The Chipmunks took their places onstage. I watched intently. I knew Eleanor was controlling Alvin's every movement and had somehow rigged up a solo version of Alvin singing to accompany Simon and Theodore. But honestly, if I didn't know, I wouldn't have realized anything was off. She was doing incredible! As for Alvin, he was probably the first person to ever lip sync without moving his lips. That's a fun fact he'll probably appreciate when he's conscious again.

"I was such a fool, I couldn't see it

Just how good you were to me

You confessed your love

Undying devotion

I confessed my need to be free

And now I'm left with all this pain

I've only got myself to blame, yeah"

Wait a second! Were these the words? Sheesh, no wonder Alvin didn't want to sing this song. What was management doing? Trying to force us back together? At least, on the bright side, Alvin didn't HAVE to sing this song onstage after all. He should thank me for that, really. I'm kidding. I know he's not going to thank me for hitting him with a car.

"I lie awake

I drive myself crazy

Drive myself crazy

Thinking of you"

Eleanor kept up really well, even as the boys' did some complex choreography that mirrored NSYNC's famous moves. My sister really was something special. I owed her bigtime for this.

"Made a mistake (oh yeah)

Let you down, baby

I drive myself crazy

Wanting you the way that I do

(Wanting you the way that I do)"

Uh oh. Simon and Theodore were starting to look at Alvin with strange expressions. Maybe Eleanor wasn't doing as good a job as I thought. Or, maybe it was just easier to tell something was wrong for those closer to Alvin.

"Why didn't I know it?

How much I loved you, baby

Why couldn't I show it?

If I had only told you"

This song was a horrible choice and I absolutely intend to chew the management team out about it. I did not like what the lyrics implied. I was over Alvin now. He was just a friend. This wasn't a song about friendship. This stupid song implied that he regretted dumping me and wanted me back, which I KNOW he didn't.

"I lie awake

I drive myself crazy

I drive myself crazy

Thinking of you"

Simon and Theodore turned their eyes up to the rafters. Yep. We were officially cooked. I knew they'd figured it out. The jig was up. We'd have to confess everything. I imagined Eleanor was looking down at them at that exact moment with a sheepish grin on her face and an awkward wave.

"Made a mistake (Mistake)

Let you go, baby

I drive myself crazy

Wanting you the way that I do"

The boys finished dancing and singing together and then took a bow. One or two of the invisible threads must have broken because when Alvin bowed, he sort of flopped onto the stage. Thunk! Flat on his furry face.

I covered my face with my hands and sunk down in the dressing room chair. This was NOT going to end well. So much for getting away with it. I knew I had to come clean…if Eleanor hadn't already told Theo and Simon. I watched the brothers help Alvin up to his feet.

"It's okay, everyone." Simon announced. "He just tripped over his…ego."

The whole crowd laughed. I did not.

Needless to say, it was a very, very awkward ride home from the concert. The pieces had been put together to form the full picture. Everyone knew Eleanor and I were up to something.

"So…" Dave gripped the steering wheel angrily. "Do you girls want to explain why Alvin has completely passed out?"

Jeanette furrowed her brows. "How long has he been like this?"

"Since Brittany hit him with a car." Eleanor blurted out suddenly.

I felt my face flush. "ELEANOR!"

"She was texting and driving." My pigtailed sister added.

"Yeah, well, Eleanor was in on it too!" I shouted. "She came up with the idea to use him like some kind of creepy marionette!"

"What were you thinking!?" Simon scolded us.

"I'm sorry, okay! I'm sorry!" I blurted out. "I've learned my lesson! No more texting and driving! It's dangerous and people could get hurt! I get it!"

"And for cripe's sake, no turning an unconscious person into a puppet and fooling people into thinking they're awake." Simon deactivated Alvin's sunglasses.

"I won't do that either." I promised.

Eleanor touched Alvin's shoulder. "It was kinda funny though."

"It's not funny." Theodore whimpered. "I thought my brother was dead. He never sits still this long!"

"You're lucky he's only unconscious. You could have broken his bones." Dave pointed out.

"Here." I handed Dave my phone as he was stopped at a red light. "You can have this. That's how sorry I am."

He handed it back to me. "Keep it, Brittany."

I smiled. I guess I was getting off with just a warning after all.

"You can do extra chores instead." The human man finished.

I slumped my shoulders. Crud. So close! But, on the bright side, at least I get to keep my phone.

"And Eleanor can join you." Dave added.

Eleanor just grinned like that weird cat from Alice In Wonderland.

"Why are you so happy?" I asked. "You got in trouble too."

She leaned against the window. "At least he noticed me. That's a great sign."

I rolled my eyes. Sisters can be so confusing.

"How did you make Alvin talk to us?" Jeanette wondered, staring out the car window.

"Like this." Eleanor held up her phone and pressed a few buttons.

"BAM! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout." Alvin's voice said.

My taller sister looked equal parts impressed and concerned. "Wow. Clever."

"What's going on?" Alvin's voice said again.

I rubbed my temples. I needed out of this car. "Cut it out, Eleanor." I snapped.

"That wasn't me." My sister scrolled through her phone. "That's not even one of the options."

I turned my head and looked into familiar squinty blue eyes. Alvin was awake!

"Welcome back, bro." Simon teased.

"Back from where?" Alvin asked, rubbing his sore and bruised side.

"Alvie!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him. "You're okay! Thank goodness you're okay! You really scared me!"

"Uhhh…" Alvin scratched his head, trying to make sense of what was going on. "Yeah. I'm fine." He blinked and pushed his glasses up his nose. "When are we leaving for the concert?"

We all exchanged glances with each other. Oh boy. How to explain this?

Don't worry, we all caught him up on everything. He was a little wobbly on his feet as we walked into the house. After a night of sleep, he was his usual self again…as usual as Alvin 2.0 ever is.

We spent a wonderful Saturday together just like we planned. I picked out three new pairs of shoes at the shoe store. Some cute ballet flats with rhinestones all over, some pink and black sneakers, and some strappy heels with flowers on the straps. After that, I got him ice cream, just like I promised. I enjoyed my strawberry cheesecake ice cream and he dined on blue moon with gummy bears sprinkled on top.

As we were walking back to our houses together, Eleanor ran up to us.

"Dude, I just wanted to say sorry again." She told Alvin. "I know how much you hate feeling like a puppet. I made you a literal one, which I shouldn't have."

"It's cool." Alvin responded nonchalantly.

"I shouldn't have dragged Eleanor into that mess." I added, looking at my feet and my super cute heels with the heart wedge. "I should have just told everyone what happened and waited for you to wake up."

Alvin rubbed his chin. "Maybe, but then you might have had to cancel the show. I think everything really worked out for the best."

"Well, I'm sorry again. For running into you, for getting mad at you when you forget to text me, all of it." I told my best friend sincerely.

"I forgive you, Britt." He nudged me with his elbow.

"I'll never EVER text and drive again." I promised, placing a hand over my heart.

"Wouldn't want you caught in another Britt and Run!" Eleanor joked.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Not today." She smiled a devious smirk.

"Hahaha." Alvin laughed and tossed his head back. "Britt and Run! I love it!"

"Of course you do." I muttered, cracking a small smile.

"You know, I've been thinking…." The dorky chipmunk continued.

"And?" I tilted my head.

He looked guilty, his ears drooped. "I don't think I should be texting and driving either. My ADHD multitasking abilities are no excuse. Sure, I had a good brain day that day, but it won't always be the case." He reasoned. "Bottom line, texting and driving is dangerous even if you can multitask."

"Thanks for the PSA, Alvin." Eleanor commented, walking beside us.

I just stared at Alvin with my jaw dropped open.

"What?" Alvin 2.0 asked, not sure why I was staring.

"Nothing…Nothing. I'm just shocked you…suddenly aren't making yourself the exception to the rules." I explained.

The significance of his choice finally dawned on him. "Wow, thanks to Jeanette's "reprogramming," I've learned to recognize consequences even when I'm not the guy who has to suffer them." He said in disbelief. Then, he started to jump in the air and raise his fists to the sky. "New level unlocked. UPGRADE! Whooooo!"

Eleanor observed the nutjob of a chipmunk. "You call being hit with a car hard enough to knock you unconscious…."not suffering?" She asked.

Alvin stopped jumping and celebrating his win. He just waved a hand at Eleanor, as if her question was silly. "As far as I'm concerned, I closed my eyes and woke up a few hours later. I'm barely even sore, just disoriented."

"Uh huh…" I wasn't sure what else to say.

"Hey, do you guys wanna hear about the amazing dream I had while I was knocked out?" He asked, wagging his tail.

"Text it to me." I told him, patting his cap. "Just not while driving." I winked. "I've gotta get home now. Saturday night is spa night!"

"Haha, okay." Alvin started to scamper toward his house. "I think I'm gonna go buff the me dent out of my hot rod."

I giggled. "Good luck."

"What about you, Ells?" The boy in the baseball cap and red and cyan layered shirts stopped in his tracks. "Ells?" He looked around. "ELLS?"

"And she's gone." I shook my head in exasperation. "Typical."

I climbed the staircase to the treehouse. Then, I remembered one more thing to say. "Thanks for making time for me, Alvin."

"You're welcome, Britt." He grinned up at me, tipping his cap. "Night, best friend."

"Sweet dreams, Two Point Weirdo." I smiled warmly.

I wish I could say that was the end of my car accidents, but there was a close call a few days later. The most important part was, I was not texting!

I cruised around in Alvin's hot rod once again. This time, applying some beautiful fuchsia lipstick to my gorgeous lips. I was very confident that I could do this and still pay attention. After all, it required less focus than texting. It was practically instinct at this point.

"Fantastic." Simon's voice said sarcastically as I pulled into the driveway of the boys' house. "She's learned not to text and drive, but nobody said anything about putting on makeup!"

"I didn't know we had to." Jeanette commented. "The same principle applies."

"Well, clearly she has a tough time connecting the concepts." He fumed.

I slammed on the breaks. "You know I can hear you!" I shouted, turning my head.

WHAM! I crashed Alvin's hot rod into the side of the house.

Simon dropped the basketball he'd been holding so that he could facepalm. I guess he'd been playing basketball with Eleanor and Theodore and Jeanette was watching.

I carefully climbed out of the car. "Oopsie. My bad."

Alvin arrived on the scene, with a half drawn comic in his hand and a pen behind his ear. "Oh COME ON!" He shouted, annoyed. "I just fixed all the dents!"

"Can I interest you in more gummy bears?" I asked, batting my eyelashes.

He put a hand on his hip. The other hand still held the comic. "Nice try."

"It was an accident." I exclaimed. "Your stupid house came out of nowhere!"

Eleanor snickered and grabbed the basketball. "Wow, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree even if the tree is like 80 years old."

"Huh?" Theodore looked at her, wondering what she meant.

Luckily, my youngest sister explained it to him. "It seems like Miss. Miller taught Brittany to drive."

How dare she! I am not THAT bad! Our mother runs into lampposts! I just gently grazed the side of their house.

"When did Miss. Miller become a tree?" The chubby boy in the green vest and lime green shirt asked. "Did one of Simon's inventions go crazy?"

Simon chuckled. "It is a privilege to watch your mind at work."

"Oh I get it! It's one of those funny sayings." Theodore squeaked, looking proud.

Simon ruffled his brother's dirty blonde hair. "I knew you'd get there eventually."

"Brittany!" Alvin cupped his hands around his mouth. "You know it's not safe to put on makeup while driving either, right!?"

"I didn't." I admitted, feeling embarrassed. "But now I know."

"Maybe I should stick to driving my hot rod for a while." Alvin helped me out of the car, since the door was jammed…for some reason.

I sighed. "Yeah. That would be best."

"But, you know, on the bright side…" The nerdy boy beamed at me. "That means you get to be chauffeured again."

I sank into Alvin's arms, feeling better about this situation. "I'd love that."

"Awww." Eleanor teased. "Look at that. Platonic Albrittina is flourishing!"

"ELEANOR!" Alvin and I both screamed.

She started running and we both chased after her.

"Toss me!" The red capped boy said. "I can get her!"

I grabbed him and threw him as hard as I could. He tackled Eleanor to the ground and then they wrestled each other.

"Okay, okay…I surrender." My sister said at last.

"Nice throw, pal." Alvin told me.

"It was nothing." I flipped my hair.

We both high fived each other.

"I….will never understand their relationship." Simon commented, while looking at us strangely.

Alvin and I looked at each other and laughed. "Neither will we."

"I don't think they have to understand it." Jeanette noted. "It simply…is. And it's a beautiful thing."

And that's the end! It wasn't actually as humiliating to write as I feared. It was an interesting one, that's for sure. I like to think of it as a testament to my friendship with Alvin. It's truly unbreakable. It keeps getting tested, but we always bounce back stronger than before. And someday, someday, we might be able to be friends without management convincing everyone that there's something more to it.

As for Eleanor, she sure is irreplaceable. She's my foil, as Jeanette says. The wild card to my predictable routine, the rough and tumble girl while I'm pretty and poised. The one who is waaaay too obsessed with horror movies, if you ask me. Still, I love her. I love both my sisters. I hope that Eleanor continues to be noticed more, and to have her chance to bask in the spotlight alongside me. It is a very nice warm spotlight.

I don't have much else to say. Eleanor and I did the extra chores. Alvin still brings up the time I hit him with his car quite a lot, neither of us text and drive anymore. We kept that promise. I don't put on makeup while driving either. I don't drive often, but when I do I am very careful about it. I swear. I hope this story doesn't sound too preachy. It was supposed to be funny and heartfelt with a little bit of a lesson. Let me know if I succeeded in that.

Hopefully, the next story I narrate will be less embarrassing and I can be the hero, instead of the anti-hero. I totally deserve to be a hero. I've come a long way! I'm not the best writer. I'm not my sister Jeanette. I'm not as entertaining as Alvin. But, I hope that, well, with practice, maybe someday I can be as confident in my writing as I am in my fashion designs. That's what I'll keep striving for.

Stay beautiful, you guys. I love all my fans!

Chapter Text

MAKE ROOM FOR ALVIN

Alvin 2.0's POV

Welcome back to the confusing and contradictory world that is my life. Today, I have a story for you about changes. (Surprise surprise, right?) It's not what you're thinking though. I swear it's something new!

It's a story about a change that I fought for, that I was absolutely sure I would love. Yeah, yeah, I know. That's old hat at this point too. Old hat? Why do I sound so much like Dave!? Whyyyyy!? Okay, fine. Skipping the introduction, let's get into the episode…I mean story!

It was a school day, not sure which day it was and I'm honestly too busy to check the calendar right now. I was in my bedroom, on top of my bed, indulging in one of my favorite pastimes. Studying…for school

I know what you're thinking! I HATE studying (unless it's physics.) Hate hate hate. Well, lately I realized that's not exactly true. When I can have music plugged into my head, studying anything suddenly becomes REALLY REALLY FUN! And interesting! And exciting! Maybe I've been hanging out with Netta and Simon and the nerd squad too much. Heh heh.

So there I was, the epitome of stereotypical nerdiness. My music was only playing through one headphone, just in case someone needed to grab my attention. To anyone looking in, I seemed extremely boring.

I was feeling like a shut-in. A recluse. The antithesis of everything my former self aimed to be. But it was all worth it.

For once in my life, I was ON TOP OF THINGS! A chapter ahead in History. A chapter ahead in my AP Science book. (It helped that we were studying physics again.) And THREE ENTIRE CHAPTERS ahead in math. Man, I love math! And, it's getting easier to say that without pushback from my past self's emotions!

I was giddy with the dopamine rush of it all. I'd found a balance, of sorts. Something that worked. And yet….there was still something missing!

"You should text Netta." I reminded myself. "See what she's up to." I reminded myself to text people a lot. Actually texting them, was a different story. The thought would pop up and vanish at least a dozen times before I took action.

Reading the textbook was easier. I had to stay focused. The more I got ahead, the more I'd have the option for free time. Then, I could make sure none of my friends felt neglected. Prioritize my hobbies.

But something was still missing. It poked at me like a pointy stick. A longing, a longing for the days when fun was my priority, instead of being an excelsior individual and beacon of maturity. I was going stir crazy in this room, and yet, I couldn't rip myself away from the textbook in my hands. Just one more chapter. One more.

Did I remember to set my alarm so I can take breaks? Eh, I'm sure someone will come and interrupt me.

I stared at the ceiling, admiring the glow in the dark solar system. A sneaky thought continued to nag at me. I didn't know what it was. It was like a flower in my mind that someone had pulled from the dirt. I knew I'd forgotten SOMETHING. I knew that SOMETHING was bothering me. I just didn't know what. Or how to find out what! Concerning? Perhaps? For me, living with my stubborn and unreliable brain, it was just another typical Tuesday. (Or Wednesday? Possibly Thursday?)

It would hit me eventually. Probably in about two more chapters….Back to the book. Focus on the book. There is nothing but the book in your hands and the jukebox of tunes in your mind. Book. Music. Book. Music. Book…

"I hate this room."

Huh? I guess it's hitting me NOW. Peculiar.

Focus. You can entertain that thought later.

"I really hate this room."

Sigh. I'm not even sure which me said that. Was it 2.0? Classic? Was it core me? The blend of both?

"Why do you hate it?" I thought. (Inside my head, because I didn't want Brittany to zipline in and catch me talking to myself.)

My voice echoed back, sounding bored. "I dunno. I just do."

Well, crap. Now, studying would have to wait. I needed to find the reason why I hated my bedroom and correct it. Only then could I return to getting ahead in Math class.

I climbed off the bed and scurried downstairs to talk to Theodore. If I couldn't tell myself why I hated my room, maybe he could. He's usually got the answers that Simon and I don't.

"Theo, are ya busy?" I asked.

He was coloring in a coloring book that had a bunch of cute animals in it. He looked up and the two dirty blonde sprigs that stuck out from the rest of his hair bobbled around. "Not too busy. How about you?"

"Pretty much all caught up." I boasted. "Just getting ahead."

"Good job, Alvin." He cheered me on. "Why do you look so sad then?"

Did I look sad? I was expecting to look confused. I felt my ears. Yep. They were drooping. I guess I was sadder than I could feel.

"I have a strange problem." I confessed.

My baby bro climbed down from the table. "Oh no. Is it your identity crisis again?"

"I don't THINK so." I replied. "But I'm not sure how to explain it."

"Oh." Theodore's nose gave a frustrated twitch. "But I can't help you if you can't tell me."

ZAP! An idea flashed through my head. "Maybe I can show you."

Theodore followed me as I ran upstairs. Predictably, Dave came by and caught us when we reached the top.

"What have I told you boys about running up and down the stairs!?" He asked angrily.

I stared directly at the giant shiny black shoe in front of me. "Sorry, Dave. I'll try to walk next time. Running is just…so much more, err, productive." I tilted my head up and smiled awkwardly at my dad.

"I just don't want you getting hurt." He reminded me.

"We're very very careful." Theodore promised.

That seemed to satisfy Dave and he walked downstairs as we continued our comfortable jog to the bedroom. Technically, jogging is not running. It's slow-ish well-paced running.

We entered the bedroom and I stared at our three beds all lined up in a row against one wall. Then, I looked at the open space around the rest of the room and the mini desks all collected in one corner.

"So what did you wanna show me?" Theodore asked in his usual sweet way.

I gestured with my arms. "I hate this room. Something about it needs to be…different. But I'm not sure WHAT exactly." I explained.

"New bedsheets?" The boy, in the green shirt with an ice cream cone on it, asked.

I frowned. "Nah. Good in that department."

"What about another bookshelf?" Theo climbed onto his toy chest.

"Nope." I answered. "I mostly check out books from the library. It helps when I get obsessed with a topic and then drop it two weeks later." I put my hands on my hips proudly. "Plus, it boosts my skills. I'm basically managing deadlines and responsibilities. The skills are then transferrable to school projects and assignments."

He sighed. "You talk about assignments too much." He rolled his brown eyes.

I rubbed my neck and smiled awkwardly. "I know." I admitted.

Theodore walked around a bit. He inspected my area of the room. "I've got it! Maybe you wanna add more posters and more action figures?" He suggested.

I shook my head. "It's not that. I do want to do that, but I can't."

There it was. That classic Theodore head tilt. "Why not?"

What did he mean!? It was obvious! "Because I don't have enough space." Wait a second! It was OBVIOUS! I was kicking myself internally for not realizing it sooner. "That's it!" I exclaimed. "I need more ROOM! Of course! It's so simple!"

"What are you babbling about?" A slightly deeper chipmunk voice than mine cut into my thoughts like a knife.

Simon stepped into the room wearing his dark blue bathrobe with lighter blue polka dots. Usually, he only wore that when he was depressed, but today he looked very chipper. He held a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. Maybe his Too Sad To Function robe was now the Relaxation Mode robe.

"Simon! Simon! I have a great idea!" I squeaked excitedly.

My brother in blue raised an eyebrow. "Tell me the idea and I will decide whether it falls into the "you're a genius" category or the "you're a nutcase" category." He declared.

I forced a laugh. "Oh, Si, you're so funny. I swear it's a good idea."

"I've heard that before." He retorted with a shake of his head.

"It is!" Theodore added. "At least, I think it is. I don't know much about it yet."

Simon took a sip of his hot chocolate and then sat down in the mini desk chair. "I'm listening."

"I wanna re-arrange our bedroom!" I explained. "Because look! Look at all this empty floor space that's just….unused! The entire layout is TERRIBLE! And look!" I ran over to the three beds. "Look at this! You get a whole wall of space for awards and books and stuff! Theodore gets a whole wall to put up his artwork and posters! And he gets a toy chest! And you have your whole secret closet lab! But LOOK WHAT I GET!"

"Hmmm." Simon made a noise that indicated he was thinking.

I jumped onto my bed. "I have this teeny tiny little space! I'm squished between you two! Dave yells at me for always having a mess under my bed, but that's no mess! That's where I store my things! And I don't have enough space for posters either! See? They're all overlapping each other! And I only have this tiny shelf for my action figures."

"Yeah." Theodore frowned, seeing what I saw. "That doesn't seem very fair."

"But don't you have the lab under the stairs? Just store your things down there." Simon told me, taking another sip of hot chocolate. "Problem solved."

I jumped off my bed and ran closer to Simon. "My lab is my lab, my room is my room. Sure, they have a similar aesthetic, but they serve two very different functions. Sometimes, I just wanna relax in my bed without it feeling so crowded out and chaotic."

My brother's blue eyes narrowed behind his matching blue glasses. "I thought you LIKED it chaotic."

I folded my arms and tapped my foot. "I like it when the chaos is on MY terms."

"I see." Simon smirked. "Which is why you're fine with the living room being a swirling vortex of entropy, but your action figures are lined up like toy soldiers?"

Shoot. He had a point. The contradiction never stops. "Did I forget to pick up my stuff in the living room?" I slumped my shoulders.

"Yes." He informed me, taking another slow sip of his drink. "Your half finished comic, crayons, colored pencils, and markers are still strewn all over the coffee table."

"I'm sorry!" I said, sounding annoyed. "I leave things out where I can see them so that I don't have to go through the hassle of finding everything and getting distracted 20 million times." And I was now off topic. Back to the main thing on my mind. "Anyway, do you think Dave will be receptive to re-arranging the room? He won't have to do that much. I'll draw up the new layout and tell him where everything goes. He's just gotta be the one to move it."

"Wait, wait, wait,…" Theodore came running closer to me and holding up both hands, palms facing me. "You can't just move all our stuff around without showing us your layout!"

"Exactly." Simon added.

Theodore sniffed Simon's hot chocolate. "Can I have a taste?"

"No." Simon said sharply, before softening up and smiling. "But you can get your own downstairs."

"You don't understand." I told them. "Your beds are staying where they are, along with all your stuff! It's MINE that's moving. And the mini desks too, but don't worry, I promise you'll like the new layout!"

"Ohhhh. Okay." Theodore agreed.

My other brother was not too sure about this. "Well, good luck convincing Dave to agree to this." He frowned. "You know how stubborn and rigid he can be."

"Yes, I know." I smiled excitedly. "But I also know that if I work hard enough, there's nothing I can't accomplish."

"That's a great attitude to have, Alvin!" Theodore patted my back with his usual encouragement.

"Mmm hmm." Simon finished his hot chocolate. "Now, go clean up your art station before Dave notices it." He advised.

"Right! Yeah! On my way!" I dashed out of the room, but I made sure to WALK down the stairs. It was painful and slow and felt like it took forever. I have such tiny legs. Human stairs are not built for tiny chipmunk legs.

While Simon and Theo made themselves more hot chocolate, I hustled to the living room. I was supposed to be cleaning up the art supplies, but one thing led to another and suddenly I was fixated on drawing out my new room idea. After all, the art supplies were already sitting there for me!

Once I finished, I let myself have three lifesaver gummies to coax my stubborn ADHD brain into putting all my art supplies away. The gummies also helped me remember where everything goes. Note to self: I should really look into getting some more of those memory supplements. I've tried them a couple times since the physics bowl. They're not bad!

When the memory supplements kick in, it's a weird, but not unwelcome, POP sensation. It feels nice actually! Like POW….woahhoho, so this is what having better access to your long term memory feels like! The short term is still hindered slightly, but it's definitely better too. I can hold more things actively in short term while on the supplements. There's less of a "blocked hose" or "mental clog" effect. They boost my cognitive processing speed too, which honestly runs pretty fast even without them. So with them it's like SUPER SPEED!

And I only take 1/4th of one supplement. No more human size doses for me. I do miss the godlike memory though. A little bit. I don't miss the ear splitting headaches. Those were the WORST!

And sidetracked again. I'm sorry, readers. Probably time we switch the scene!

Later, after dinner, I grabbed Dave's attention while he was in the kitchen cleaning up. I jumped onto the counter and began to help him dry the dishes and put them away.

He looked at me suspiciously. "I'd ask if you want something, but you usually help with chores now…so I'm not sure what you're up to."

"Just being a helpful fella." I grinned, stacking up plates and then putting them in the cupboard.

"Uh huh." He raised an eyebrow. "Well, err, keep up the good work."

"Totally will." I sat down on the counter to dry a few more cups and some silverware. "Soooo, write any good songs lately?"

"Just one." My dad handed me more dishes to dry.

"Cool!" I faked being a lot more enthusiastic than I was. I was a little interested, but I knew Dave cared a lot about his music, so I needed to be a LOT interested. "Can I hear it?"

"Maybe some other time. I still have to add the final touches." Dave turned away from me to grab more silverware. "It's been a busy week, you know, with parent teacher conferences."

I gulped. Parent teacher conferences!? I had totally forgotten. Wait, what was I fretting about? I was ahead!

Since I needed to act like I HADN'T come down here to ask Dave anything, I continued the conversation, even though half of me was bored with it. I was playing the long game, and quite strategically.

"Oh yeah. How did those go?" I asked, smiling and making eye contact. Don't get distracted. Don't get distracted.

He seemed delighted to tell me. "Very well. Theodore and Simon have excellent progress reports, as usual. Surprisingly, Miss. Smith says that you're on top of everything." Ohoho! SCORE!

"Awesome!" I felt my tail wriggle and waggle. This was GREAT news.

And then, he had to ruin it. "But, she also says that you need to curb your enthusiasm because it's getting disruptive."

My smile flipped into a frown. Of course Miss. Smith couldn't just give me a glowing review. She had to add that. Now, the fact that I needed to work on something else was ALL my dad would focus on. The hard work I put in to stay ahead would be brushed aside. She couldn't even let me have ONE victory! I've never been this ahead before! I was looking forward to Dave finding out, and she RUINED it.

"Curb my enthusiasm!? What!?" I pouted. "That's such a dumb thing to add!"

"Just work on it, okay?" Dave rubbed his head, the way he often does when I'm annoying him.

"No." I said forcefully, finishing the last dish.

My father sighed. "Alvin, it's non-negotiable."

"It's very negotiable." I argued.

"She also said you're too argumentative." He added, drying his hands on the towel.

"Urgh!" I covered my ears. "Why do I have to change myself more to please her!? Dr. Wilson LOVES my enthusiasm!"

"And you can still show it in his class." Dave assured me. "But you have to tone it down for Miss. Smith."

I leapt onto the other countertop and faced my father again. "Yeeeeeah, funny story. That enthusiasm is the only thing KEEPING me on top of everything." I explained. "So, I can't do anything about it. She can either have a quiet and spaced out student learning nothing, or an enthusiastic and nerdy guy who might be a tad bit too disruptive at times, but rest assured….he…I am working on it!"

My dad frowned. "Oh."

"Ask her which me she'd rather have. I'm curious." I sassed.

He looked really annoyed now. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "I'll relay the message."

"Great!" I squeaked. "Oh, hey, I just remembered, there IS something I wanna ask ya."

My dad seemed receptive. We walked together into the living room and he sat down on the couch. "What is it?"

I climbed onto the coffee table and then showed him the drawing I'd made. "I was thinking, well, that our room could use a more…practical layout. I've drawn up this concept and I think it's a fairly feasible change. Don't you?"

He didn't look thrilled with my idea. I caught him reaching for the TV remote.

So, I snatched it. I tossed it into one of the chairs. Now, he'd have to get up to get it. And he wouldn't, because he was exhausted.

"Alvin, there's nothing wrong with the way your room is set up." He told me.

"But, Dave…." I began.

He folded his arms. "What you're asking is completely unreasonable."

"No it's not!" I insisted. "You're the one being unreasonable!"

"There you go again." He groaned. "Argumentative."

I huffed. My patience was thinning. "All I'm saying is we move the mini desks by the teepee and then we move my bed and all my stuff into the corner where the mini desks were. Easy peasy, Dave." I pointed to each item in my drawing.

He narrowed his eyes. "Why do you want to do this?"

"Because I want more space." I said honestly. "I'm stuck in the middle. It feels very confining." I let my shoulders and ears droop and put on my most miserably sad looking expression. "But I understand if you still think I'm unreasonable. You are the parent, after all. You get the final say."

This was all part of my plan. Would it work?

I jumped off the coffee table and started to walk out of the room holding the drawing. My tail drooped too. Would Dave take the bait?

"Come back here, Alvin." My father looked guilty.

I shuffled back toward him.

He lifted me up and set me on his lap. "Can you walk me through your idea one more time?" He asked kindly.

I perked up. The plan worked! He was on board! Ohoho! I am so GOOD!

And so, I gave him the instructions one more time. The next day, Dave and I worked together, with some help from Simon and Theo to re-arrange the room to my new specifications. It felt so good to be listened to!

Simon tapped me on the shoulder while Dave and Theo were moving the mini desks. "How did you get him to agree to this?"

I shrugged. "I guess my impeccable charm isn't so dried up after all."

Simon gave me an eyeroll and then we got back to work.

Before I knew it, everything was ready! I climbed up onto my bed and scouted out the layout from my new vantage point. It felt so weird. It felt good to have my own space though! I was positive I'd get used to it.

I unpacked boxes of action figures and comics from under my bed and put them on the extra shelves Dave had added at my request. Ah, this was the life! I couldn't wait to sleep over here tonight. No more feeling squished! Whoooohoooo!

"Are you cozy?" Theodore asked, standing on his own bed and looking over at me, with those bright and curious brown eyes.

I laid down and put my hands behind my head. "Yep!" I replied. "It's perfect."

"I still hate this." My brain said to me.

Shut up, brain. You'll get used to it. I told myself. I had to. The first days after a big shift were ALWAYS an adjustment.

"It sure feels empty over here without you." Theodore squeaked.

Simon was organizing his bookshelf. "It feels quieter." He teased. "I like it."

My baby bro in green whimpered. "I miss you already."

"Theo, come on." I laughed. "I'm only a few extra feet away." I slid off my bed and then banged my hip into the nightstand. "Ouch! Yah! I forgot that's on the opposite side it used to be."

"I'll get you an icepack." Theodore offered.

"Thank you." I said, clutching my sore hip.

The icepack worked wonders and soon I was ready to just chill in my new space. I fluffed my pillows and then put up some extra posters.

Something still felt WRONG, but I forced myself to ignore that feeling. It was time to return to reading. I wasn't in the mood for a textbook this time. I was in the mood for Goosebumps. Halloween was on its way! The perfect time for some spooky tales.

I was interrupted from my reading by a text from Eleanor.

[The arcade just got three new games. Wanna try them out?] She texted.

That did sound tempting, but I wasn't really in the mood. It shocked me to realize that.

I didn't take my left eye off the book. I couldn't break the delicate metaphorical cord tethering me to hyperfocus. I focused on the phone with my right eye and texted Eleanor at hyperspeed.

[I do, but not today. Ask again tomorrow or this weekend.] I hit send.

I hoped she'd quit texting now, but she sent another message. [Busy again?]

Was I? Not really. I was reading a spooky book. I was enjoying my free time. I just wasn't up for going out and hanging around with a bunch of people. It was very atypical of me to turn down an offer like that.

[Yep. Super duper busy.] And it hurt me to fib to Eleanor, but was it a fib? I was busy enjoying the book. It was about a guy who accidentally gets himself teleported to another planet where everyone has two heads and hooves for feet. Did you need to know that? No. But now you know.

[No problem. I hope we can check them out soon.] Eleanor sent the last text.

I chose not to even respond. The book had absorbed me back into the alien world. This library book needed to be finished today. Then, I could return it a week early. THAT NEVER HAPPENS!

When I was about 2/3rds through the book, (I read fast,) my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID to see an embarrassing picture of Brittany mid-scream.

Urgh. If I ignore this call, I'll hear about it for weeks. I decided to pick up the phone.

"Hey, Britt." I answered.

"Hey, bestie." She gushed. "I got word that Jesse's having a party tonight. I'm allowed to bring a friend."

I gripped the book tightly in my hands. "Sounds great, but I'm otherwise occupied." I also didn't fancy myself a party animal at the moment, but there was no way I was telling her THAT.

"What about next Friday? Can you do next Friday?" Brittany sounded disappointed, but she accepted my rejection of her offer.

I chuckled. "You'll have to ask me Thursday. But, hey, I'll make a note to leave next Friday night open." I said. It was the least I could do.

"Thank you!" She said cheerfully. "Talk soon, Alvin! Good luck on your homework!"

I hung up the phone and then put it on silent. I shoved it in my nightstand drawer. Hey, I remembered my nightstand is on the opposite side now. Cool!

You may be wondering why I suddenly just…don't feel like partying today. Let me explain.

I'm still learning how to handle this new social battery I seem to have acquired. It didn't come with an instruction manual, not that I'd have read the instructions anyway if it did. It feels like these introverted tendencies just popped up out of nowhere! Apparently, this introvert side has been lurking around all along. In the past, I was an expert at ignoring it. I pushed through. I partied the days away. I socialized even when I wasn't feeling social. I convinced myself I did feel social. That I always felt social. Then, as Jeanette helped me connect more with my inner self, I realized I was pushing too hard. It was why I kept feeling tired and drained and fed up with life.

Turns out, I'm an ambivert. Which, makes sense. It does start with an A after all. But it means that depending on the day, I can gain OR lose energy from being social. It flips, like a light switch. I'm so complicated, and I like being this way, but it's VERY tricky to balance.

I have to though. I don't have a choice. I'll never be 100% extroverted again, because I never was in the first place. Pretending to be, only set me up for burnout. Eventually, I hit the wall and now I have to give my introvert self his much needed downtime. In the long run, it makes the super social fun…more fun.

The part I hate is when I get stuck for a week or more in introvert mode and I start to wonder if this is just….it. Maybe I'll never be extroverted again. Then it comes back and I rejoice because without it, it feels like half my personality fades into nothing. It's more fun and more engaging to be the extrovert, but introvert Alvin needs love and care too.

Reading a book in my awesome and spacious room, was a FANTASTIC way to care for introvert me. I finished the book about 30 minutes later and then just let myself vibe. I re-read a couple comics. I took my action figures down and acted scenes out with them on the floor. I had enough space to do that now! .

And yet….I still wasn't feeling the new layout. I assumed I'd like it instantly. Why wasn't it making me happy?

Simon caught me playing with my action figures. "Enjoying your new space?" He asked, looking at me from the doorway.

No! I'm not! CAN I HURRY UP AND ADJUST ALREADY!?

"Yup!" I lied, forcing a grin. "It's better than I could have imagined."

"That's good." He chuckled. "Considering you threw such a massive stink about changing it." The taller chipmunk, in the blue jacket and black shirt that said STEM on it in bright-blue letters, walked inside the room. "You know, you were right. It is better this way." He continued. "I'm growing to like it."

"Awesome." I clenched my fist around my Superman action figure.

"I have to say, Alvin, this was one of your better ideas." Simon grinned.

"Yeah." It was getting harder to fake my lack of satisfaction. "It sure was."

It's no big deal. I assured myself. It's only been a few hours. I bet by tonight, it'll feel just like home!

It didn't.

I was in my comfy glow in the dark alien head PJs, the matching glowing solar system was there to give me something to stare at while I tried to count sheep. However, sleep was elusive. I couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness away.

"I hate this. I HATE this! I want everything back to normal!" The voice in my head droned on and on.

"Classic Alvin, is that you?" I asked internally.

"No, but I don't love this either. Fyi."

"2.0?" I wondered.

"I find the change quite…refreshing. But it's proving very tricky to adapt to."

"Oh no." I gasped. "There's a third voice!?"

"Yes." My nerdy side explained it to me like I was stupid. "That's your inner voice."

I was confused. "But he's separate from my usual inner monologue." I reasoned.

"Can we get some sleep!?" Classic Alvin grumbled. "All that reading was boring. It tired me out."

"Hate this. Hate it. I hate it. Listen to me."

I tossed and turned and put my pillow over my ears. It did absolutely nothing, because the voices were in my head. I used to think those voices made me insane and borderline psychotic. Then, I did more ADHD research and realized it's just all the hyperactive thoughts inside me given…compartments. It helps organize my thoughts better so it's not all a chaotic blob of noise.

Though, currently, it was verging on chaotic blob of noise.

"I just wanna sleep." I begged. "Please let me sleep."

I got up to get a drink of water from the bathroom. Then, I hurried back to bed. I happened to catch a glimpse of my alarm. 2:30am. At least tomorrow is Saturday. Actually, today. It's already Saturday morning.

WHAM! I stubbed my toe on the nightstand. "OW!" I called out.

Theodore stirred in his sleep and then sat up. "Are you okay, Alvin?"

"Yep." I fibbed. "Fine. I just got a drink and I'm going back to sleep now."

"Oh good." He yawned. "Goodnight."

Simon was sleep talking as usual. He didn't hear my cry of pain. "The alligators have formed a resistance." He mumbled. "We must attack at dawn. Hit them with pizzas and hot sauce."

Simon's thoughts while asleep are even more random than mine are while awake.

I sunk down into my pillow. At least my bed still felt sorta comfortable. Plus, the throbbing of my toe really helped to distract me from the incessant chattering of my alter egos.

Around 3:00am, I was finally able to get some sleep. I willed myself to adjust to the room overnight.

That didn't work either. I woke up even more disillusioned with it. I felt so dumb. Why was I like this?

I spent the whole weekend trying to adjust to the new configuration. I tried jumping on my bed, but that didn't fix things. I tried re-arranging my action figures too. Then, I obsessively organized everything in the room. My 2.0 side is an organization feind these days.

But nothing I did was making any difference. And the complaints in my mind turned to screams of anguish. I needed some fresh air.

I walked outside and started pacing up and down the backyard, twirling my arms around and around like the blades of a windmill. I knew I looked ridiculous, but I needed to move around like an idiot to feel secure again. The change to my bedroom did NOT feel secure. Not in the slightest.

I walked past the yellow deluxe birdhouse and Warbie poked his head out to watch me.

The young warbler's blue-green eyes widened in surprise. "You okay, Alvin?"

I was NOT okay. I was losing it. I didn't want to be losing it. I could be honest with my kid, right? I raised Warbie. He deserves to know why his dad's wigging out.

"Not really." I admitted, slumping down against the tree the birdhouse resided in. I continued to tap my fingers against my knee.

He flew down and perched on my other knee. "What's buggin' ya?"

"My room." I muttered. "I know it's only been two days…not EVEN two days, but I still hate it."

"You finally got Dave to re-arrange stuff!?" He asked.

I nodded. "Uh huh."

"But you still don't like it?" He tilted his feathery head.

"Yeah." I sighed. "I WANT to like it. I don't know what's wrong with me." I patted his tiny bird head. "I don't suppose you have any advice."

The yellow, blue, and orange bird waved his wings around, similar to how I waved my arms when I talked. "Jeanette says it takes at least a week or more to adapt to even SMALL changes. Maybe you're just trying to adapt too fast."

I considered his suggestion. "Maybe. I assumed it would be faster. I do almost everything fast."

"I hope you get used to it soon." He chirped. "I hate seein' ya all down in the dumps."

"And I hate BEING like this." I grabbed at my red hair and messed it up a little. "I'm so particular and hard to please."

"Maybe that's a good thing." The little bird replied. "You've got standards and you work hard for what you want."

"Hmmm." I murmured. "I guess."

"I know what'll cheer ya up, dad." He flew up and perched on a branch.

I was still feeling miserable. "What?"

"A spin on the ol' skyboard!" He smiled as well as someone with a beak could. "Whattya say?"

I felt the tension in my body ease. "That sounds awesome."

And so, I flew high above the trees on my mechanical marvel of an invention. Warbie flew next to me. It helped me feel more…centered. Not so much "calm" since I barely ever feel that, but it helped smooth out all the rigid stubbornness clouding my judgment.

When it was over, I felt positive that I'd walk in the room and suddenly the layout wouldn't feel terrible! I hurried upstairs after putting my flying skateboard back in my lab.

I threw open the door and leapt into the room, only to be met with the same gut wrenching discomfort as before. How irritating!

The nights were even worse than the day. I had to start forcefully closing my eyes and repeating the word "sleep" over and over. It didn't help much, because I got DISTRACTED. The covers on my bed suddenly felt scratchy. My pillow felt wrong too. How could they feel that way? They were the same exact items as before, just existing in a different space.

It felt like the walls were closing in on me. I looked over at my two brothers, sleeping so soundly. I envied them so much! My sleep schedule was getting pushed out of whack. I usually sleep around 2:00am, but I stayed up until 4:30 that weekend.

I was so worried! I couldn't go on like this! The lack of sleep wasn't healthy and it would eventually start affecting my schoolwork. I needed to stay ahead.

Monday morning, I was barely awake in time to hurry off to school. I rushed through the morning routine and grabbed a wild berry Pop Tart and a banana to eat on the way.

"Did you sleep alright, Alvin?" Theodore asked sweetly, noticing that I was moving substantially slower than usual.

"Mmm hmm." I mumbled, even though I didn't mean it.

"So then what's with the dark circles?" He pointed under my eyes.

I growled. "They're stress related."

Simon entered the kitchen and looked concerned when he saw me. "You look like death." He said bluntly. "What happened?"

"I slept in too late." I answered. "Can you mind your own business?"

"Wow." Theo remarked. "Somebody's grouchy."

I rubbed my head. "I'm not grouchy I'm just….I dunno."

"Dreading the history quiz today?" Simon guessed.

I frowned. "Yeah." I hadn't even THOUGHT about the quiz.

"I'm sure you're gonna ace it!" Theodore encouraged me.

"I BETTER." I started looking through my backpack, double and triple checking to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything important. "I've been cramming. MAJORLY cramming."

"Relax, bro." Simon rested a hand on me. "Listen to your Classic Alvin side. Don't drive yourself crazy and push yourself too hard."

I ignored him. Sure, he knew firsthand what it was like and his warning WAS a good one. But I had bigger fish to fry.

I let out a groan of frustration. "Where did I put my planner?" I asked nobody in particular.

"You mean the color coded binder thingie?" Theo peered at me curiously.

I felt my nose twitch with irritation. "Yes."

"Haven't seen it, sorry." The chipmunk in green frowned.

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you care about a planner?"

"Since it has ALL my assignments written in it! That thing is my LIFE! If I lost it, I'm DEAD!" I dumped my backpack out and frantically searched through the papers again.

"Chill out." Simon commanded. "Alvin, chill."

"Easy for you to say, Mr. Always Remembers His Assignments and Duedates!" I huffed angrily. "You know how many times I've found completed worksheets in my backpack that I just FORGOT to turn in!? TOO MANY TO COUNT!"

"I'm sure the planner will turn up. You can't have gone too far with it." Theodore told me.

Simon rubbed his chin. "Maybe it's in your room."

At the mention of "room" I lost it. I let out an angry groan. "URRRRGH!"

And then, Dave entered the room. Things quickly escalated to a frightening degree.

"Are you ready for school?" He asked us.

Simon and Theo answered immediately, grabbing their backpacks and hurrying towards the door. "Yep."

"Alvin?" My dad looked down at me.

I tried to stay as even tempered as possible. "Not yet! I'm trying to find my planner and my journal!" I replied.

"I told you to organize your things better." He was just NEVER pleased! "Then, you wouldn't have this problem."

I lost it. I started arguing with him. I AM argumentative, but I have every reason to be. People typically don't believe me or listen to me!

"I DID!" I snapped. "I organized my entire room, backpack, and locker to YOUR standards! It's the reason I don't know where ANYTHING IS!" I stomped my feet. "I had my system, and IT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU! So I changed it, and now….it doesn't work for ME!"

He just sighed. "Enough with the attitude, Alvin. I don't have time for your foolishness."

"JUST LET ME GO BACK TO MY OLD SYSTEMS!" I shouted. "PLEASE!" I almost added "and my old room configuration" but I wisely stopped myself. Never ask Dave for too much at once.

"I don't want things spread out all over." He responded sharply.

"But I NEED that." I protested. "At least some stuff."

"Alvin, come on." Simon urged me. "Or we're going to be late."

"But my planner!" I blubbered, losing control and letting the tears flow.

Dave angrily unzipped my backpack and produced the color coded planner in seconds. "You mean this? It's right here. You weren't looking hard enough."

I felt embarrassed and still very very angry. Now, I could add in confusion because I SWORE the planner wasn't in my backpack. What kind of black magic was this!?

"I was looking PLENTY hard." I grumbled.

"Come on, Alvin." Theodore tugged at my arm. "We gotta go."

I was late for first hour and Miss. Smith threatened to give me detention. (Sarcasm) Great start to my week. Everyone wondered why I was in such a foul mood and I just came up with excuse after excuse.

The week went by quickly, and I eventually did start to settle in and sleep better. That improved my mood and helped take the edge off. I thought I was FINALLY getting used to the room! I was feeling better! I was able to deal with it.

Unfortunately, being able to tolerate the discomfort and disgust didn't make adapting any easier. I wasn't a total wreck over it, but it didn't stop feeling wrong. I just forced myself to stop caring about the wrongness.

I was displaced. It was clear by week two that I wouldn't be getting used to it. Once again, I had no idea WHY I couldn't adapt. What on Earth was wrong with the room? It was everything I asked for. Everything I wanted! A dream come true! Maybe if I knew what was making it feel so wrong, I could fix it and finally settle in!

To make matters worse, even Theo had adapted! He cheerfully climbed up on my bed one day to tell me so.

"I'm really liking the extra space." He squeaked, grinning a gap-tooth grin. "Lots of room for dancing."

"Great." I forced a smile again. "I'm happy for ya."

Simon unfurled a yoga mat and then sat on it to do his daily meditation. "Mindfulness meditation never worked this well before." He commented.

I felt myself getting angry again, but I wouldn't let the emotion show. I looked between Theo, who was doing a tap routine, and Simon sitting there in total silence with his legs crossed.

"Ohoho, Best room ever." I said, without my heart in it or even remotely close to being in it.

The next day, I was obsessively getting ahead on the latest book we were reading in Literature class. It was called Great Expectations and it was boring as heck. Still, I persevered. It got me to stop thinking about the unsettling knot in my chest. I still absolutely despised the layout and I ran into the nightstand AGAIN. Needless to say, I was a munk in a funk.

Dave came in to check up on me. He was in a good mood today. That meant less angry outbursts.

"Having fun with your new space?" My dad asked, sitting on the bed.

I closed the book. I needed a break anyway. "Yep. Thanks for settin' all this up."

There was no way I could tell him that I wanted everything moved back. I was pretty sure, based on past experiences, he would NOT be accommodating.

"Has school been going well? You seem…a little out of it." He noted.

"I'm still ahead in all my classes." I said proudly. "And I practice not being disruptive every day. I don't think the practice is making much of a difference, but I won't stop trying."

My dad looked apologetic. "Is that what's been upsetting you lately?"

"Me? Upset." I forced a dry laugh. It didn't sound convincing. "I'm not upset. Just…overwhelmed. But, you know, what else is new!?"

He put his giant hand on my back. "I was thinking about what you said, and maybe…maybe you're right." He admitted, shocking me. "If you ARE actively participating in class, then Miss. Smith doesn't have the right to shut that down."

"Glad ya finally see how unfair she is to me." I responded with a relieved smile. "I will try to not stray off topic too far though. Even certain things that I think are on topic, seem like they came straight outta left field. My brain makes all these connections and sometimes they don't make sense to people unless I explain them." I fidgeted with my hands in my lap.

"I see." Dave nodded and then stood up. "You look like you could use some dinner."

I dropped the book in surprise. "It's dinnertime already!?" I gasped. "How long have I been reading!?"

Dave scratched his head. "I don't know. Did you have lunch?"

I searched for the answer, but my mind wasn't cooperating. "I don't remember."

"Is this book for school?" My dad picked up the book and handed it to me.

"Yeah." I set the book on my nightstand and then slid off the bed. "How can you tell?"

He chuckled. "You didn't seem to be enjoying it."

I smiled genuinely. Then laughed. "Never do. Miss. Smith picks the WORST books."

"She's just following the curriculum." The human man explained as we left the room.

"Well, the curriculum SUCKS." I complained.

The second I was out of that space, I felt less chest tightness and the discomfort ceased. So frackin' peculiar.

"I know." Dave walked down the stairs beside me. "But you're doing fantastic."

I felt a flutter of pride. "I did make it to chapter 15!" I squeaked with ENTHUSIASM. "Our class is only on chapter 10!"

"Great job!" He congratulated me.

"Thanks, dad." I smiled wide again.

Dinner went great, aside from listening to Dave and my brothers gush now and then about my genius room layout idea.

"You know,…" The man, in the white T-shirt with a periwinkle knit jacket on top, chewed his pasta thoroughly. "You could probably think up ways to rearrange more rooms in the house."

"Yeah!" Theodore cheered, adding peas to his pasta Alfredo. "Give everything a nice, uhhh, refresh!"

"I wouldn't be opposed to it." Simon added, as he speared a bow tie pasta with his fork.

"Whattya say, Alvin?" My youngest brother asked.

I suddenly didn't feel hungry, but I continued eating anyway. "I dunno, guys. It feels like my idea factory's shut down lately."

"That's not good." Theo stuck out his lower lip.

"It'll come back." I reassured him, and me, because I was getting scared that stress had wiped the floor with my creativity and ingenuity for good. "I just gotta get inspired."

No. I just had to solve the giant room dilemma that was wreaking havoc on my psyche.

"Don't you always say "inspiration is everywhere?" Simon raised an eyebrow at me.

"It is." I informed him. "But I find the BEST inspiration when I'm not actively lookin' for it."

"The dining room could use an overhaul." Dave said to me. "If you get inspired, can you start there?"

I shook my head. "The inspiration will take me wherever it takes me. I do not control the direction. I just enjoy the ride." I looked around. "Plus, I dunno. The dining room seems fine to me. No need for improvements."

"Maybe you'll feel different about it when your creative-ness comes back." Theodore commented, before gulping down his water.

I played along. "Yeah, maybe." I tried to focus on the taste of the pasta dish in front of me. It was hard, but my appetite returned and I did enjoy the food.

The next day rolled around and I was back at school, boiling like a tea kettle. I needed to talk to someone about what was happening. There was only one person, besides Warbie, I felt comfortable being honest with. The love of my life.

Jeanette had spent most of last week saving the dolphins or something like that. She also cleaned up the litter from our local beaches. I admired her dedication, but I missed her terribly. I only got to see her during school hours and I spent most of those actively trying to be less "off topic" when asking questions about the material.

Finally, I managed to get her alone in the courtyard. She was laying down next to a tree, staring up at the clouds. So whimsical!

I walked over to her, feeling embarrassed and a little guilty. "I'm a hypocrite." I said firmly. I was disappointed in myself.

She lifted her head up and then pulled herself into a sitting position. "What?"

I started spitting and sputtering as I paced back and forth in front of my girlfriend. "I'm the ambassador of change! The paragon of transformation! And I can't get used to that stupid new room layout! I haaaate it! I hate it just as much as the old one! Maybe even more!"

"Oh, Alvin." She murmured. "No wonder you've been out of sorts lately."

"It's been over a week now! Why can't I adjust!?" I frowned deeply. "I feel like an insult to everything Alvin 2.0 stands for. I need to tough it out and be flexible!"

"No you don't." Jeanette replied, standing up and enveloping me in her loving gaze.

"Yes, I do." I argued. "It's what everyone expects of me, Netta. It was my idea. I'm forever doomed to live with it."

She shook her head. "No, no, no." She placed a gentle hand on my arm. "It's okay to be uncomfortable with it. Your feelings are very real and valid. And you have every right to ask to have things changed back."

"But everyone else LOVES it." I told her sadly. "I want to love it. Really, I do." I groaned. "I feel like all the progress I've made is unraveling! I'm not flexible enough! I haven't grown up enough! I'm not Alvin 2.0 enough anymore! I'm slipping! Sliding back into the rigidity and familiarity!"

"Alvin, look at me." She squeezed my arm gently and peered into my eyes with her deep blue ones. They were the color of a midnight sky.

I tried my best to gaze back at her, even though I wanted to pull the hood of my cyan hoodie up over my head. "Netta, I'm sorry." I whimpered. "You had such high hopes for me."

"Being uncomfortable with the new room design does not negate all your progress from before." The kindest Chipette said firmly. "Sometimes, ideas don't turn out the way we expect. There's nothing more to it than that. You are still flexible. I promise you. You're just going through a lot, and I want you to know I'm still with you every step of the way."

I sniffled and wiped my nose with my sleeve. "Thanks." I squeaked. "I'd be lost without you."

She hugged me close. "You have to tell Dave how you feel. I know it'll be hard, but it will feel so good once you've been released from the pressure."

"Yeah." I rubbed my arm awkwardly. "I know." I sighed again and leaned against the tree. "I just wish I knew WHY the new layout sucks. What about it could POSSIBLY be bothering me?"

Jeanette nibbled her lip. "I can't give you that answer." She quipped. "That's something you have to discover for yourself." She brightened up. "And maybe once you've found it, you won't have to change the room design back after all."

"Well,…" I rubbed my head. "Currently, my memory is garbage, so if I wanna solve a mystery, I'm gonna need a major boost."

She tilted her head and her brunette bun wiggled slightly. "What did you have in mind?"

I felt my ears droop as a sheepish smile crossed my face. "The memory supplements." I answered.

She frowned for a split second, then was back to being all grins. "Just, be careful with them. Please." She begged.

"Not to worry, Netta." I stated matter-of-factly. "You have given me the gift of caution and restraint. I'm gonna be the careful-est guy around." I bragged.

She giggled. Gosh, I love her giggle.

When I got home from school, it was time. I grabbed the bottle of tablets and cut one into fourths with my handy dandy pill cutter. I swallowed one of those fourths and washed it down with some cyan colored Powerade. I couldn't WAIT for it to kick in! Hmmm what should I do while I wait?

It did take an hour to fully kick in, so I logged onto Tumblr and chatted with my friends. I posted life updates and then drifted towards collecting new music from YouTube. I was still on an AJR kick. That band just hit all the requirements to be a lasting favorite.

Then, all of a sudden, while I was pacing around the room, wondering what to do next, the effects finally hit me! I could feel my brain moving even faster than usual. From hyperspeed to ultra-mega hyperspeed. Suddenly…Pop! Like actual magic, a to-do list of all the things I'd forgotten appeared in my mind. There were quite a few things on it. It felt a little overwhelming.

"Well, I should probably do those." I told myself out loud. "Before I worry about solving the room dilemma."

And then I stood there, in the center of the room for at least TEN minutes, trying to muster up the motivation and desire to do anything on that list.

No luck. I'd rather be playing videogames or writing and drawing a comic. But the to-do list!

"Just pick two things!" I said aloud again. "Do them while listening to music. FEET, MOVE! Downstairs, now! Go sweep the floor. It's such an easy task." I commanded! My brain still wouldn't cooperate.

"Don't make me get out the candy." I threatened.

I still could not make myself start on the list. The excessive thoughts and enhanced clarity actually made it even harder than usual to choose what things to focus on.

"Okay….I can see why Simon said that the memory supplements don't function the same as ADHD meds." I muttered. "To the candy, I guess. I just need to give my brain some UMPH, and then it'll go." I hated turning to what everyone called "my crutch" but it was the only way.

I hustled to my nightstand and grabbed a box of Mike and Ikes. I chomped down on no more than three. There, that's enough sugar to bring on the motivation!

And motivate me it did! I flew through the to-do list with vigor. Floor? Swept! Bed? Made! Homework? Finished! Lawn? Mowed! Living room? Vacuumed!

And, because my rebellious streak bubbled again, I un-organized my things and re-organized them again. Back to my system that works! Sorry, Dave. I gotta live my unconventional way.

I laid down on top of my bed and the thoughts about the room poured into me again. Oh yeah, I was supposed to be solving that mystery before the to-do list appearing distracted me. Oops. That's the whole reason I took the memory supplements! I needed to think through things before they wore off! Quickly!

I hopped off my bed and paced around again. What was wrong with this? Why hadn't putting all my things back the way I LIKE them made this any more tolerable?

"There's something missing." The voice in my head echoed. "Something missing."

Okay, that's some progress. "But what's missing?" I asked.

No answer.

I sighed again.

I was feeling bored again. The candy boost had waned considerably. I needed something else to stimulate me, so I began to sing. It was an old song by the Steelers. I wasn't sure exactly WHY I chose it.

"Trying to make some sense of it all

But I can see it makes no sense at all"

I sang as I tried different positions in my new space, in an attempt to find comfort.

"Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor?

'Cause I don't think that I can take anymore"

I laid face down on the floor at the end of my bed, fed up with everything. Then, I rolled over onto my back.

"Clowns to the left of me

Jokers to the right"

I sat up and looked over at Simon and Theodore's beds. There was a tug at my heart. I felt sadness overwhelm my system.

"Miss bein' stuck in the middle with you

And I'm wondering what it is I should do"

I sang bitterly, standing up and turning away, sulking back to my own corner.

"When you started off with nothing

And you're proud that you're a self-made man

And your friends they all come crawling

Slap you on the back and say

Please

Please"

And then, while sitting all curled up on my bed, the flash of insight I had been waiting for struck me! The song had unlocked it! I knew the reason that I couldn't get used to the room! I MISSED BEING CLOSER TO MY BROTHERS!

"Clowns to the left of me

Jokers to the right

Miss bein' stuck in the middle with you."

I couldn't believe it! Sure, I felt crowded out before, but over here I felt…isolated. I felt like I wasn't part of the trio anymore, even though I WAS. I hadn't even woken my brothers up at night since the change! I missed that too, even though I'm sure they didn't. I would try to only do it…once a week! That's a good compromise, right?

Gosh, I missed feeling so…safe, surrounded by two of my closest pals. I hadn't even realized how important being sandwiched between them was! I needed to fix this! But I didn't want to go back to having barely any space to store my things either. It wasn't an easy situation to remedy.

Or was it? MY OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING CAME BACK! I hatched a plan to ask for my old space back, with a twist! But, of course, I couldn't do anything unless Dave and my brothers agreed to it.

I decided to spend one more night dealing with the isolation and then after school tomorrow, I would FINALLY be honest about…being a total hypocrite.

I couldn't wait to tell Jeanette what I'd discovered! Unfortunately, in order to do that, I had to make it through another miserable round of classes with my least favorite teacher on the planet.

"Alvin!" Miss. Smith's voice interrupted my train, err, traffic jam of thought.

I set down the Great Expectations book. I was on chapter 18. "What is it now?" I grumbled.

"We're going to be reading out loud today." My teacher looked at me with beady and judgmental eyes. "Care to start us off?"

Simon looked at me with a worried expression.

I wanted to disappear. "Uh, what…what chapter were we on again?" I asked. The memory supplements were no longer in my system and it showed.

"If you paid better attention, you would know!" She waved her finger at me. "I knew you weren't actually reading the book."

"Now wait just a second, Miss. Smith." I stood up. "I AM reading the book. I'm just not on the same chapter as you guys."

"Oh really?" She folded her arms. "And what chapter are you on? Chapter 1?"

I flipped the book around so she could see where I actually was. "Chapter 18." I replied with a smile.

She froze in place, unsure how to react.

Jeanette came over to my desk and whispered to me. "We're on chapter 12."

"Thanks, Netta." I whispered back.

Then she was gone, returned to her own seat.

"Well,…" Miss. Smith regained her mental faculties. "Since you're so far ahead, maybe you could tell us something about chapters 1 through 12."

I smiled smugly. "Gee, I would love to, Miss. Smith, but I am VERY interested in this book and I've been instructed to curb my enthusiasm." I went on, making her basically eat her own words. "I wouldn't want to disrupt the class, now, would I?"

"Fine. You don't have to read out loud or tell us anything." My teacher gave up at last. "But when it comes time for the comprehension quiz, I expect at least a B!"

"I bet I'll get an A." I grinned, before shoving my nose back into the book. It was still boring, but I understood it and I would get an A on that comprehension worksheet JUST to spite Miss. Smith. Spite is a powerful motivator.

She left me alone after that. Ohoho! I was feeling on top of the world!

At lunch time, I skipped into the library with a smile on my face to meet up with my amazing girlfriend.

"I figured it out." I told her excitedly.

She clapped quietly. "I knew you could do it." She gushed. "What's the reason?"

"I miss my brothers." I answered.

She looked confused. "But…they're still in the room with you."

"I know, but it's just not the same." I explained. "I feel, sorta, sliced out of the trio. Lonely."

She frowned sympathetically. "Awww, Alvin. Your brothers would never kick you out of the trio. You're family!"

"It…" I could feel my face getting warmer. "It sorta feels like I kicked myself out. I was so caught up trying to get my own space, I forgot what really mattered to me." I admitted.

"So what are you going to do?" She wondered, fidgeting with her friendship bracelets.

I adjusted my red hipster glasses. "I have a plan and I need your help." Dave wouldn't listen to only me. I needed Jeanette there to back me up.

"Terrific!" Netta squeaked softly.

"Oh, and, by the way,…" I sat down at the table in the eerily quiet library. "I've been listening to my introvert side more, like you said. I'm giving him love and care and time to do what he likes."

"That's great." Her midnight eyes sparkled. "How does it feel?"

"Awkward. Strange. Better. A lot better, actually." I informed her. "It's a lot more fun to go nuts and party when my social battery is all charged up. Seems like it takes forever to charge though." I twirled around the pretzel sticks from my lunchbox. "Got any tips on how to speed it up?"

"Patience, Alvin 2.0. Patience." Jeanette told me sweetly. "You'll be charged up when you're charged up. It's not a process that can be rushed. Just do the things that make you happy and find comfort in the smaller quieter moments."

"That's so haaaard." I whined.

"It is." She didn't sugarcoat things. I respected that. "But you'll get the hang of it. Be kind to yourself…err…yourselves."

"I'll do my best." I promised.

After that, I finished eating and hustled to Dr. Wilson's class. I was the first one there. I took my seat and started thinking about what Miss. Smith had said again. It made me upset, and the feeling was written all over me for the whole world to see.

"Why the long face, young scholar?" Dr. Wilson's comforting voice caused my head to turn.

I slumped my shoulders. "Miss. Smith said I'm too disruptive, too argumentative, and too enthusiastic. I didn't think she was right, but now I'm wondering if she was actually right and I am just totally biased or somethin'."

He sat down in the desk next to mine. "Ah, I was afraid it had something to do with report cards."

I was afraid to ask, even though I knew the answer in my heart. "Do you think I'm those things, Dr. Wilson?"

"Alvin, I think you're an exceptional individual with a lot to offer. Your enthusiasm is one of your greatest qualities." He answered warmly.

"What about the other things?" I felt my mouth go dry. What if he agreed with my least favorite teacher!? What then!?

"There's a time and place to share your opinions and ask questions. There's also a time and place to debate." He advised me.

"So….I am those things." I frowned. That HURT.

"To some folks, yes. To some folks, no." Dr. Wilson clarified. He gently tapped one finger on the desk quietly as he spoke. "I think you just need to know your audience better. That kind of thing comes with practice."

"Does this mean I can keep sharing my observations and stuff and asking questions in your class?" I wagged my tail.

"Absolutely." He replied. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"But then…how do I keep myself interested in the classes where I CAN'T do that?" I asked, feeling confused again.

The kind man with the cool atom designed jacket and gold glasses rubbed his chin. "Hmmm. You could use a method called The Parking Lot." He suggested. "Write down the things you're thinking about in your notes, instead of saying them out loud. Then, you can return to your written thoughts later and select one if Miss. Smith asks you to share something."

I kinda liked that idea.

"But no oversharing? And I should leave out all the loose connections that don't make sense to her?" I inquired, taking out my journal that I usually doodled in and took notes in.

"Atta boy." Dr. Wilson high fived me.

"Cool!" I said. "I'll start practicing now."

My teacher stood up and placed his hand on my notebook. "Not yet, Alvin. Save it for the classes where you need to practice. This way, you'll train yourself to know when to use the technique and when you're allowed to be your authentic and enthusiastic self."

"Ohhhh." I finally got it. It would be hard, because my brain was wired to throw me into the wrong mode for the situation, but I would never stop trying. "Gotcha." I grinned. "You're the best teacher EVER."

He chuckled. "I'm flattered you think so. I do try my best to be accommodating and inspirational."

Where would I be without Dr. Wilson? Do I wanna know the answer to that? Probably detention. Or jail. Or army boot camp. (Shudder)

I got home from school that day and called a family meeting. Those were a staple in our house. The main crew was there, including the Chipettes. Jeanette had brought her sisters along, even though I hadn't asked her to. But, whatever, I was READY to get what had been bothering me for almost TWO WEEKS out in the open.

"You're probably wondering why I called you all here." I began, walking up and down the coffee table.

"Yeah." Theodore looked worried. "Is something wrong? Family meetings are serious business."

"Yes, there's something wrong." I rubbed the back of my head. "Not, not like majorly wrong. Just something that's been bothering me."

Eleanor rested a hand on her cheek, looking annoyed. "Just get on with it."

I took a deep breath. "The new room design doesn't, you know, doesn't do it for me." I confessed. It felt like a ten pound weight was gone from my shoulders.

"You don't like it?" Dave's amber eyes widened in shock.

"I can't believe this." Simon commented. "After all the fuss you made, you changed your mind!?"

"I realized that the new layout feels wrong." I sighed. "I tried to adjust, really I did. It just isn't happenin'."

"It is kinda lonely without you close to us." Theodore twisted the hem of his lime green shirt. He wore a darker green turtleneck underneath.

"Yes!" I knew Theo would get it. "Exactly! I know it's dumb, and silly, and totally hypocritical, but I miss being in the middle."

"Of course you do." My baby bro continued to agree. "It's the safest place to be. There's love on both sides."

I dropped to my hands and knees, clasping my hands together and shaking them. "Can you do it, Dave? Can you move my bed back? And the nightstand? Please!? Pleeeease!?

"If your brothers agree to it, yes." My dad told me. "The room isn't ONLY yours."

"I agree!" Theodore squeaked.

Brittany glared at Jeanette. "You dragged me here for THIS?"

"Uh…" Jeanette gulped. "I just…thought he could use…the extra support."

Simon looked extremely irritated. "What about your extra space?"

"Oh yeah!" I got back to my feet. "I almost forgot about that. I have the perfect solution!"

Dave didn't seem thrilled. "No, Alvin. If you want everything back the way it was, it means EVERYTHING."

I motioned for Jeanette to climb up on the coffee table. It was her turn to smooth things over.

"All he's requesting is a bookshelf placed near the mini desks and he'd like to keep his small shelves for the action figures." She explained. "This way, he can have space to store his things, and have his bed between his brothers' beds again."

"I guess….that doesn't sound like too much of a hassle." Dave agreed. He actually agreed. "Since the shelves are already up."

"And there's an extra bookshelf in Miss. Miller's basement that's just gathering dust." Jeanette added. "It would fit the space perfectly!"

Simon softened up a little. "I suppose I could move my yoga mat by the window." He said.

"And I'll still have space to dance, right?" Theodore's tail wiggled. His ears twitched.

"Plenty!" I assured him. "We ALL will."

"There's just one issue." Dave revealed. He rubbed his back. "I threw my back out moving the bed last time, and I haven't fully recovered yet. You might have to wait another week, Alvin."

"No problem." Brittany jumped out of her chair and flexed her arms. "If it'll make him stop whining, I can move it."

I grinned at her. "Thanks, Britt."

And so, the room was re-configured once more. My bed and nightstand were back where they belonged. I got the shelf above the bed back too. The mini desks were back in their usual positions by our cubbies. Next to my mini desk, was a medium sized mahogany bookshelf with gold details. Next to the bookshelf, were two nice reddish colored shelves to store my action figures and whatnot.

I filled the bookshelf with everything that I'd been storing in boxes under my bed. My comics, my doodle notebooks I couldn't part with, my planners, my art supplies, and my collection of Monster Books of Monster Facts all found a new home on the shelf. I added a couple physics books as well, using the nightstand bookshelf for my library books. That kept them separated from my other books.

There was STILL space, so I chose some cool 3D printed sculptures Simon made for me for the very top. One was a model of an aluminum atom, one was Arnold Palmer the famous golfer, and one was Tony Hawk the famous skateboard legend. I added some of my plushies to the shelf as well, including the one of myself!

Something was still missing, so I added my Word-A-Day calendar I got from Netta. I also slotted in a super cool glowing sphere that projected constellations all around. Dave even let me hammer a hook into the wall by the door and store my skateboard there. (Not the flying one, the normal one. I keep the flying one in my lab.)

As a finishing touch, I added a phone charger to the bookshelf. With my phone over there, it would force me to get up for school every day on time. No more hitting snooze on the alarm because I'm too cozy in bed. Except on weekends. Hehe. I could sleep in then.

"How does it feel now?" Jeanette asked me when everything was finished.

I looked at everything on the bookshelf. I could see it all. If it was in my line of sight, I'd lose track of it less.

"Perfect." I responded. And this time, it wasn't a lie.

"Thank goodness." Dave collapsed into the red swivel chair by the teepee.

I raced across the room and leapt onto my bed, I reached up and batted the planets hanging on strings above my bed. It wasn't dark, so they weren't glowing, but they would tonight.

I was content again. The weird voice no longer screamed at me. Instead, we were completely in sync.

"I love this room." I said aloud, at the same time as my inner voice.

"I'm glad." Simon sat down on his yoga mat by the window closest to his mini desk.

"Me too." Eleanor added. "Because your complaining was driving ALL of us nuts."

"We should head home now." Brittany tugged on her glittery light pink jacket. "It's getting late."

"Wait,…" I turned to Britt. "I'm sorry I've been so busy again. I promise we'll get together soon. I'll put you on my calendar!" I pointed to the Word-A-Day calendar.

She seemed okay with that. "Can't wait!" Her ice blue eyes were hopeful. I wouldn't let her down. I'd coax extrovert me out somehow.

"Eh hem." I heard a small cough from behind me.

I turned around to see everyone's favorite overlooked Chipette.

"You too, Eleanor." I quipped. "We gotta hit the arcade."

"And you HAVE to check out the Haunted House I'm making for Halloween." Eleanor insisted.

"Wouldn't miss it!" I swung my fist in front of my chest in a show of can-do spirit. "I've been getting ahead in all my classes specifically so I can enjoy Halloween with the rest of ya. No worryin' about homework! Nerd me will be turned off!"

"Now that's what I like to hear." Brittany patted my shoulder. "Not that nerd you isn't also great, but you need to get better at turning him on and off."

"I'm still a work in progress." I squeaked.

Jeanette hugged me. "But you ARE making progress."

"See you tomorrow, boys." The three sisters made their exit.

After a little while, Theodore and I walked over to Simon. He was still meditating.

He opened one eye and stared at us. "What do you want?"

"We want…" Theodore began.

"To invite you to a dance party!" He and I both chorused together.

The boy in the blue atom T-shirt was not on board. "I don't really feel like going out on a school night. Sorry."

"No, no, silly." Theodore giggled, he grabbed Simon's arms and pulled him up. "We're gonna dance right HERE."

"Yeah!" I sprinted over to the empty space in the center of the room.

Simon followed with Theodore scampering behind. "In that case, I'm in." The taller boy replied.

And so, the three of us danced and sang together. We had such cool moves! We picked that same song I had used earlier in this story. Only now, I was singing it with a much happier sound.

"Here I am stuck in the middle with you

Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you"

We linked arms, I was standing in between my brothers. I wasn't the middle child, but boy did Dave and the world treat me like one. But I didn't care right now. All that mattered was having my brothers by my side.

"It's so hard to keep this smile from my face

And I've been zoning out all over the place"

I shuffled across the floor, singing my heart out. I felt like a true member of the trio again! No longer alone!

"Clowns to the left of me

Jokers to the right"

Theo and Simon took turns pushing me back and forth between them. We were having a grand ol' time. They sang the chorus with me loudly as we hurried away to hop in our beds, still singing once we were in them.

"Here I am stuck in the middle with you

Yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you.

Love bein' stuck in the middle with you"

I looked to Simon on my left and Theo on my right. This was how it should be. Back in my old spot, crowded, but not too crowded. I fluffed my pillow and settled in for the night.

Only to wake up a few hours later with inquiries that demanded my attention. I'd been toying around with this thought a couple days earlier, but Google was no help. I needed my brother. Fortunately, he was close by. I slipped out of bed and poked Simon to wake him up.

"Simon, I have a question." I squeaked, flicking on the lamp on his nightstand.

He barely opened his eyes. "Alvin, go to sleep." He mumbled.

"But it's an important question." I whispered.

He sat up and rubbed his forehead. "What is it?"

I blurted out the thing I was obsessed with finding an answer to. "Do you think pigeons have feelings?"

My younger bro immediately got annoyed. "That's not important right now."

"It's important to me." I reasoned.

He let out an angry huff. "You think too much." He responded.

I started to ramble. I just couldn't stop myself. My self control is always worse when I'm sleepy. "Jeanette said that all animals have feelings, so I guess they do. But they always stare at you so blank eyed and dumb looking. Maybe they're not sure how to express those feelings."

"This is really a conversation for Jeanette." Simon advised. "Just text her or something."

I frowned. "I can't." I tugged at his shirt.

Simon pulled away, getting even MORE annoyed. "Why not?"

"Because she's sleeping." I squeaked.

He groaned. "As is the rest of this country! And what does that tell you, Alvin?"

I rubbed my chin. "That I have the strangest sleep schedule in town?"

That's when Si totally lost it. "No. IT TELLS YOU THAT YOU SHOULD BE ASLEEP!"

"What's going on?" Theodore's voice whimpered.

"Now look what you did!" Simon fumed. "You woke Theodore."

No, Si. You did. Your yelling woke him. I am consciously being as quiet as possible.

I flicked on the lamp on my nightstand so I could see my other bro. "Oh good. Theo, you're up. Do you think pigeons have feelings?" I asked.

The chipmunk in the light green PJs sighed. "Can't this wait until morning?"

"Yes. It can." Simon said firmly. "Back to sleep, Theo."

The chubby chipmunk yawned. "Goodnight, Alvin." He flicked off my lamp.

"Fine, fine." I sighed. "Since you're no help, and google was no help, I'll just write it down and ask Netta tomorrow." I opened the drawer of my nightstand. "Where's my journal?"

"On the new shelf." Simon rolled over to face away from me.

"Right! Haha! Thanks, bro." I climbed out of bed and grabbed the journal from the bookshelf. "I am still gettin' used to this."

"Good for you." My brother in blue grumbled.

I smiled proudly. "But, the important thing is… I don't hate it."

He groaned as he rolled back over and turned off the lamp on his nightstand.

It was time to stop bothering him, but boy did it feel GOOD to be BACK.

I always considered myself a highly adaptable person. I thought I could handle anything. But, you know, thinking back to that whole 2.0 transformation thing, that was a doozy. I guess I'm not as adaptable to change as I thought.

But that's alright! It doesn't mean I'm regressing or falling back into bad habits! I'm still moving forward. I'm still gaining that sweet sweet character development. There's just a few bumps along the way. (Or, a lotta bumps!)

Some people do struggle with changes more than others. Some like when certain things change and certain things don't. Some are just all over the place, like me. Neuroplasticity varies from individual to individual. And even having neuroplasticity doesn't mean you'll like the changes. Maybe you'll just tolerate them, like I can do now. I mean, I could have tolerated the room better eventually, I'm sure. I chose to go back, because when something isn't working for you, and you have the ability to change it, then CHANGE IT. Your body and mind will thank you.

When it comes to your own space, you should make it as suited to your wants and needs as you can. There's so many things on this planet we have to tolerate. School, work, those great expectations, disagreements with family and friends, lame teachers who hate fun…Why should your own space be one of those things? Live your life to the fullest! Sometimes, even the tiniest improvements make all the difference.

Peace out, guys. I'm going to the arcade with Eleanor and Brittany!

Chapter Text

FIVE NIGHTS AT TEDDY'S

Eleanor's POV

Hey, Eleanor here again! I LOVE Halloween and I have the most bone chilling and spooky Halloween story cooked up for you! It will give you goosebumps and make your nerves tingle! I can't wait to share it with ya! In fact, let's just skip the intro and get right to the good stuff!

"Come on, girls! Let's go! Pick up the pace!" I shouted, bounding ahead of my sisters. The excitement was almost more than I could handle. I don't usually experience such intense emotion.

"Why do we have to go trick or treating?" Brittany complained. "Aren't we a little old for that?"

"You're NEVER too old to enjoy Halloween." I replied. "Besides, I happen to know all the houses that give out the BEST chocolate." I knew this would get my stubborn sister on board.

Brittany softened a little at the thought of her favorite candy. "Do you think they'll be giving out those rare pink colored Kit-Kat bars?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe." I doubted it, but I also didn't want to discourage my sister from trick-or-treating. I had a really fun night planned!

Jeanette, my other sister, hopped around waving her arms at all the Halloween decorations. I had no idea what she was doing, but she looked like she was having the time of her life. So, I ignored her.

Unfortunately, Brittany felt the need to comment. "Jeanette, are you okay?"

The girl in the purple sweater with paw print designs on it, looked surprised. She stopped in her tracks, realizing she was two houses behind us. "Yeah. I'm just…being a fae!" She smiled. "Spreading the magic of peace, love, and joy, everywhere."

"You aren't even in your costume yet." Brittany grumbled, slipping her hands into the pockets of her light pink hoodie. "Give it a rest."

"Hey!" I scolded Brittany. "As long as she's in the Halloween spirit, she's fine." I insisted. "Peace, love, and joy aren't really Halloween-y, but having fun and pretending is."

"Yeah." Brittany agreed, though I could tell she didn't want to. "I guess you're right."

Jeanette danced and twirled around. "It's the one day I can be as weird as I want, and nobody will say anything!" She paused and tapped her cheek. "Except Brittany, apparently." Then, she went back to dancing. It was as if nothing could bother her.

"And it's the one day I can be as spooky and disturbing as I want!" I added. "MWAHAHAHAHA!" I tacked an evil laugh onto the end of my sentence.

"Don't go overboard, Ellie." Both of my sisters warned me as we approached the Seville house.

I laughed. "Me? Go overboard? Not a chance!" I am not sure if I realized that was a lie or not when I said it. I wouldn't just be "going overboard" that night. I'd be pushing the limits of what overboard even means.

Both of my sisters looked slightly skeptical and a wee bit terrified. This Halloween was gonna rock!

I raced up the front steps of the Seville house. There were assorted spooky decorations all over the front lawn. A couple skeletons, a ghost, a hoard of gremlins, and fake gravestones. I'd helped Alvin decorate this year. He was so jealous of how absolutely HORRIFYING I made the treehouse look.

The treehouse had been splattered with red paint that looked like blood. There was an axe jammed in the front door. Piles of assorted rubber body parts that looked realistic added a sinister touch. I'd also used Simon's hologram projector to make VERY realistic looking ghosts of famous movie characters. Freddy Krueger, Carrie, that Jason dude with the ski mask, the twins from The Shining, and more. I was VERY proud of it.

Anyway, enough bragging. The treehouse wasn't the only thing I decorated for Halloween, but I'll get to the other thing later.

I knocked on the door of the Seville house. Cobweb and green slime garlands hung over it, with some of the green slime dripping onto Brittany's head.

"Ewwww." Brittany flicked it off. "Whose idea was the SLIME!?"

I grinned. "Mine."

My oldest sister frowned. "Of course."

The door creaked open and nobody was on the other side. The hallway was dark. Not a light was on in the house.

"Well, that's not ominous at all." Brittany commented sarcastically.

Jeanette's nose twitched nervously. "Should we go inside?"

"No way." Brittany gulped. "Knowing Alvin and Simon, we might fall in a black hole or something!"

I crossed my arms in my signature watermelon patterned hoodie. "I doubt it. I'm going in. Nothing those two science dorks do can scare me." I bragged. "We all know who the REAL scare-master is around here."

"Eleanor, no!" Jeanette tried to tug me back.

I pushed on ahead, stepping into the pitch black house. I jumped up and flicked on the light switch.

"GOOD EVENING!" Simon's voice boomed in a Transylvanian accent. He hung upside down from the archway near the kitchen. He was dressed as a vampire, in case that wasn't obvious. "Isn't it a de-frightful night…for a BITE!?" He bared his fake fangs at us.

Both my sisters jumped and hugged each other. "AHHHHH!"

I just yawned. "Real scary, Simon." I said sarcastically.

I heard a creepy moaning noise and Alvin stumbled into the room. He walked like a zombie and wore a tattered red and cyan suit and tie. There were fake stitches drawn all over his face and body. His fur had been tinted key-lime green.

"You don't scare me either, zombie boy." I leaned against the archway. "Where's Theodore?"

Alvin stopped his act and held up two fingers. "First. I have no clue where Theodore is. Second, I am no mere zombie. I am half zombie and half simularcrum."

Simon, still hanging upside down, groaned. "Alvin, nobody knows what that is. Even I don't know what that is!"

"Probably some nerd monster." Brittany commented, smoothing down her fur, which had been standing on end.

I knew exactly what Alvin meant. "A simulacrum is basically the type of monster Frankenstein's monster is."

"Ohoho! Bingo!" Alvin confirmed. "Wait, how do you know that?"

I stood proudly. "You think you're the only one who's collected all the Monster Books of Monster Facts?"

"Heh heh." Alvin shuffled over to Jeanette awkwardly, while still looking at me. "I totally forgot that for a second."

I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, my sisters and I are going to get our costumes on and then we can do some heavy duty trick-or-treating!"

"But we have to make sure we are done in time for the masquerade ball!" Brittany reminded me. I was pretty sure that was the only thing she cared about tonight. "I put so much work into it and everyone from school will be there!"

"It's lookin' to be the most densely populated school dance in history." Alvin chimed in. "I…maaay have peeked at the sign up sheet."

"I promise we'll be done in time for the ball." I assured her. "I planned our whole night. Trick-or-treating, then my haunted pizzeria, and then the masquerade ball. We are right on schedule." I nudged the girl in pink. "Now, go get your vamp on!"

"If I miss a single second…." Brittany just wouldn't shut up.

"You won't." I shoved her toward the downstairs bathroom. We'd be using that as our dressing room.

"I can't wait to be a fae!" Jeanette skipped happily down the hall. It was very cute seeing her so hyped to get her costume on.

I let my two sisters go ahead. I knew it wouldn't take me long to get changed. I headed back to the kitchen.

"Theodore IS still planning on celebrating Halloween with us, right?" I asked Vampire Simon.

"I think so." The boy in the black and deep blue outfit replied. "Maybe he forgot tonight's Halloween."

"Or maybe he's plannin' on scaring you." Alvin grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and munched on it.

"Didn't Dave tell you not to eat those?" Simon reminded his brother. "They're for making caramel apples."

"Mmmm caramel." I licked my lips, inserting myself into the conversation again, so that Alvin and Simon couldn't start going at it.

"A stellar Halloween flavor." The vampire chipmunk agreed.

I looked up at him. "Like black licorice!"

"Oh yes!" He also loves the taste of black licorice. It's something we have in common.

"Ewwww." Alvin looked totally grossed out by both of us. "More like licorICK. Red licorice is the best. Case closed."

"LicorICK? That pun's so bad it almost killed me. Oh wait, it can't…because I'm a vampire!" Simon retorted, slipping back into that Transylvanian accent.

"Man, this really is gonna be a gruesomely great night. Even SIMON'S having fun." I commented.

"Oh, I see how it is." Alvin fumed. "Count Dorkula thinks his jokes are funnier than mine!" He folded his arms.

"They are." Simon insisted, flapping his arms. "Yours PALE in comparison. You're GREEN with envy, much like your complexion."

"He's right." I joined in. "You should listen to him. He's DEADucational."

"You've both been watching too much Monster High." Alvin grumbled.

"Well, yeah. Haven't you?" I teased.

He deflected. "Yeah, but I always make puns." He tilted his head at me, causing his messier than usual red hair to swish. "Why aren't you wearing your costume? Going as the scariest thing ever? Yourself?" He joked.

"Nah. I just don't wanna deal with Brittany as she puts on six tons of makeup." I answered.

"Fair enough." He still looked at me suspiciously.

I couldn't concentrate on that for long though, Simon suddenly interrupted. "Can someone help me down from here? I fear the bloooood is rushing to my heeeead." He bellowed in his accent.

Alvin and I helped him down and stood him right side up. Then, I finally changed into my costume in the living room. I was going as a security guard. My shirt was such a light mint color that it was basically almost white. My pants were so dark teal that they boarded on black. I had a teal belt and shiny gold badge to finish off the look. (It was Brittany's principal's assistant badge, but she let me use it in exchange for not ratting her out immediately for hitting Alvin with a car. If you wanna read that story, flip about two chapters back from here.)

Now that I was ready, I grabbed a battery powered flashlight. I shined it on my face and chuckled at how creepy I seemed in the TV's reflection. Showtime!

"Alright!" I heard Brittany's loud voice calling. "We're ready to go. Where's Eleanor?"

I decided now would be a great time to scare them. I crept into the kitchen and flickered the lights.

"Alvin, knock it off!" The girl in the vampire princess costume growled.

Alvin's eyes were wide. He gripped his green zombie mask in his hands. "That's not me."

"I know who it is!" A familiar childlike and VERY squeaky voice said.

"Who?" Both Alvin and Brittany looked nervous.

Simon raised his arms and hissed.

Jeanette was twisting at the flowers braided into her hair. No wonder she took so long to get ready. Her hair alone must have taken at least thirty minutes.

I jumped out and spooked the group. "MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

They suddenly seemed a lot less scared. All four of them glared at me like I was slowing things down. I guess I had been. Oops.

"It's just Eleanor." That was Theodore's voice. I turned around to see him standing behind me.

He wore a ripped green hoodie and tattered blue jeans. He had fake sideburns and fluff around his neck. Fake pointed ears, similar to Simon and Brittany's but larger, were slipped over his usual ears. He was wearing slippers that matched his dirty blonde hair, but with fake claws added on them. He slicked back his hair and gave me an awkward smile, showing off the costume shop brand fangs in his mouth. Werewolf mode, activate, I guess. It was so Theodore and so not Theodore at the same time.

"Whoah! Look at you!" I exclaimed. "You actually went as something scary this year." I congratulated him.

"Lookin' fierce, Theo!" Alvin came over to pat his little brother's back. "Did ya get tired of dressing like a panda bear? Or Talking Teddy?"

"Not really." He rubbed his arm. "I just wanted to be less scared this year. I dunno what it is about werewolves, but being one makes me feel more…confident and more…brave."

"You're gonna need that bravery if you wanna survive my haunted pizzeria!" I nudged him.

He gulped and then put on his bravest face. "B…Br...Bring it on." He stuttered.

Jeanette adjusted her headband with butterfly antennas on it. Did fae have antennas? I wasn't sure. But did it matter to Jeanette? No.

"But just remember, Theodore, you can always back out if things get too intense." She squeaked. "And you and I can watch the Talking Teddy Halloween special instead."

"I already saw it three times." Theo replied, getting a bit more confident in each word. "I really wanna be a part of the action this year. Plus, think about all the candy we'll collect!"

"And Dave's busy hosting Haunted Hayrides, so we don't have to worry about him until the masquerade ball." Alvin added gleefully.

"I am so glad he agreed to be a chaperone at the last minute." Brittany patted her outrageously curly beehive hairdo with a dorky crown in it. "He basically saved the ball."

"Yeah." I agreed. "No hate to our mom, but Miss. Miller couldn't have handled everything alone."

"Enough talkin'." The red capped zombie franken-beast chipmunk grinned. "Let's get our spook on!"

"And spread the magic of imagination!" Added Jeanette, lifting the purple and green glittery skirt of her fae outfit. She had vine designs decorating it. It was really nice.

Oops, I forgot to tell you about Britt's costume. I wonder how much she likes being last. Hehe. Anyway, her vampire princess ensemble was mainly medium pink and deep pink with some fuchsia and black accents. Definitely enough black to tell she was supposed to be a fab-boo-lous vampire, yet too much pink to truly be scary. The fake fangs in her mouth were pretty cool though.

The group of us grabbed bags to collect our candy and rushed out of the house. I smirked. They all expected tonight to be like every other predictable Halloween full of tricks, treats, and parties. Little did they know, my haunted pizzeria would provide more of a fright than anyone imagined!

We hit so many houses in the allotted time. It was crazy! The candy stash grew and grew. I don't even remember the entire haul. There were jelly beans and peanut butter cups for Theo and Nerds and Starburst for Alvin, so much chocolate for Brittany, Almond Joy candy bars and pumpkin spice muffins for Simon, and even some vegan lollipops for Jeanette! As for me, I raked in my favorites too! Licorice, candy corn, Jolly Ranchers, Mike and Ikes, and ANYTHING watermelon flavored. It's one of my favorite flavors.

At one house, Simon got asked for his autograph and then the pun war between him and Alvin continued.

"So, how's the Fang Club working out, Si?" Alvin taunted with a hint of jealousy.

Simon growled. "I will bite you." He replied fiercely.

Alvin took three pieces of candy from his bag and started to juggle them. "Can't turn me. I'm already undead."

"Apparently you don't have brains. You just eat them." Simon scoffed.

I laughed loudly at that one.

"I have TONS of brains." Alvin argued. He dropped the candy and then picked it up, tossing the three chocolate pieces to Theodore. "My zombie half eats them to power my intellect!"

Simon ran a hand through his deep brown hair, which was styled into a widow's peak. "What a dreadful DIE-ET."

Theodore unwrapped the chocolate Alvin tossed at him. "Don't mind me. I'm just gonna eat my candy and pretend you're not fighting."

I gave him a gentle pat on the back.

And the two bespectacled brothers continued their contest. It was kind of entertaining. I was rooting for Simon to win.

Alvin strutted ahead. "I'm a genius and a fashion moGHOUL."

"Alvin, let's focus." Simon popped the collar of his black cloak. "There's a lot at STAKE."

"Very original." Alvin retorted sarcastically. "Your costume choice SUCKS. Get it? Sucks!"

Now, it was Simon's turn to be sarcastic. "Gee, thanks. I haven't heard that a million times tonight."

Alvin raced around Simon in a circle. Then, he grabbed his shoulder. "Wait, Si. I have one more important question."

Simon clenched his jaw and bared his fangs. "Which is?"

"Did I leave you in….stitches?" Alvin pointed a pale green finger at his frankenbeast makeup.

Brittany grabbed both Alvin and Simon and forced the two apart. "If I hear one more pun, I will sink my fangs into BOTH of you."

"And I'll cast a spell to bind your souls together, so you can never leave each other's side and you'll have to get along." Jeanette added, waving her hands. The shimmery sleeves of her outfit twinkled in the streetlights.

Simon held up a hand, palm outward toward the easily distracted fae. "We're not actually fighting."

"Right." Alvin continued Simon's explanation. "We're having a pun war. And I'm winning."

Simon grinned mischievously. "Not for long."

Brittany placed her hands on her hips. "My royal decree is NO MORE MONSTER PUNS!"

"You're not really a princess." Alvin sassed.

She rolled her eyes at his foolishness. "And you're not really a zombie-frankencreature." She had him there.

As entertaining as all this was, I had another mission to handle.

"Hey, guys. I'm gonna go set up the final touches on my haunted pizzeria while you hit the last few houses on the route. Kay?" I informed the group of monsters and mythical creatures.

Werewolf Theo made a cute howling noise. "Awoooooo. Sounds great, Eleanor." I was so happy to see him getting in character! He is a really talented actor! That's why he's in the drama club.

"Yeah!" Jeanette waved. "See you soon!"

Alvin pushed his red glasses up. "I'm sure your pizzeria is gonna be…SPOOKTACULAR!" Another pun. He's so addicted to them.

"There you go again, Alvin." Simon rubbed his head. "This is driving me BATTY." He stopped looking irritated and smirked instead.

I started to walk away twirling my flashlight.

Brittany touched my arm. "It's going to be a long night." She whispered quietly to me. "You're lucky you can get away from them."

I let out a small chuckle at that. "Just wait, sis. Once you experience what I have in store, you'll wish the entire night was all monster puns." I said darkly.

She gulped.

Man, I LOVE terrifying my family and friends.

I tore down the sidewalk running as fast as I could. I looked at all the jack-o-lanterns around town. The Halloween decor was cool, but it wasn't as gnarly as the treehouse. I took a shortcut through an alleyway and waved at some cats curled up beside a dumpster. Then, I climbed onto the top of the dumpster and leapt onto a narrow ledge.

From my spot atop the ledge, I spotted the abandoned Chuck-E-Cheese building. I'd gotten permission to use it as my haunted house. I promise I got my permission the legal way. I had to pull a lot of strings, but it was all worth it.

The building was HUGE! And PERFECT for what I had in mind! Hopefully, everything was still in working order.

I pulled my walkie-talkie from my pocket and spoke into it. "This is Halloween Havoc calling Duke Of Destruction. Come in. Over."

Derek's voice was a little hard to make out through the static, but I deciphered it. "Duke Of Destruction at your service. Whattya need?"

"I'm outside the door." I let an evil smirk cross my face. "It's almost time now. Let me in, so I can double check all the tech stuff. We wouldn't want any malfunctions." My evil grin grew wider.

Derek opened the door and grinned a matching evil smile. "You really got Theo to agree to all this?" He asked.

I hurried inside. "No. In fact, he has no idea what he signed up for. But that's part of the fun. I'm sure he'll love it." I cackled again. "If he survives!" That was a joke. I definitely wanted Theodore to survive! This was all in fun!

"Haha." Derek high fived me. "Everyone's gonna fear you."

"Oh, come on." I smiled and my tail twitched. "Who's afraid of little old me?" I was joking. I WANTED them all to be afraid. That's the whole point of this!

Derek and I trekked through the abandoned Chuck-E-Cheese, making sure all the arcade games we installed were functional.

I began to sing a song by Taylor Swift, who honestly Jeanette was more into than me. This song, however, really spoke to me and my creepy and chaotic nature.

"Cuz I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street

Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream

Who's afraid of little old me?"

I jumped off of one of the tables and startled Derek. I climbed to the top of one of the arcade machines and belted out the lyrics.

"I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean

Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth"

Who's afraid of little old me?"

Next, the two of us entered the security office and checked to make sure every camera I set up was working. I played around with buttons and switches and scared Derek by making a ghost head pop up on one of the screens.

"Well, you should be

… You should be

You should be

You should be"

I shined the flashlight on my face and used it like a microphone. I hurried through the halls with my human companion in the black and purple varsity jacket on my tail.

"So tell me everything is not about me

But what if it is?

Then say they didn't do it to hurt me

But what if they did?"

I adjusted the lights and made them flicker. Derek snuck up behind me with a skeleton mask on. I turned around and shined the flashlight at him. He'd have to do better than that.

"I wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me

You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me"

I went back to the arcade section and climbed up onto the stage section. It was covered by a curtain and while I was having my moment to sing, Derek went behind the curtain to tamper with what was hidden behind it. He electrocuted himself, so I had to go tamper with the secret weapons instead.

"So all you kids can sneak into my house with all the cobwebs

I'm always drinking my own tears, isn't that what they all said?"

I stood on Derek's shoulders as I added some fake cobwebs to the real ones already present in the building. Then, I slid down the hall and put a single pawprint of red paint on a door labeled Keep Out: Personnel Only.

"That I'll sue you if you step on my lawn

That I'm fearsome and I'm wretched and I'm wrong"

I peeked outside the front door, seeing if anyone had shown up yet. They PROMISED me they'd come, but the fact that they might forget didn't leave my mind. I continued singing, and kicked a stone with my foot.

"I'm addictive like all my songs

And that's why you're still singing along"

Derek came out to join me and the two of us exchanged glances. I knew we were thinking the same thing. If they weren't here yet, maybe we could add some extra scares. Or would that be too much? Nahhh. Nothing is too much!

"So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street

Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream

Who's afraid of little old me?"

Back in the arcade section, there was a small dining area and kitchen. I jumped over the counter and hung a sign that said World's Best Pizza. My helper and I carried boxes upon boxes of pizza from the kitchen area.

"I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean

Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth"

We unpacked them and started adding gross looking candy to each and every one. Gummy bugs, gummy body parts, gummy worms, and I even set aside two pizzas with black licorice. I filled my mouth with extra gummies and then grinned at Derek. It looked like the candy replaced my teeth. Gruesome.

"Who's afraid of little old me?

Well, you should be

… You should be

(You should be) You should be"

I returned to the security office and checked the cameras again. Everything looked to be set up perfectly. I rubbed my hands together and then danced around the room, singing some more.

"'Cause you lured me

And you hurt me

And you taught me"

I angrily bit into a package of sour gummy worms. The others STILL hadn't arrived. I trekked down the hallway, getting madder and madder.

"You caged me and

then you called me crazy

I am what I am

'cause you trained me"

I bumped into Derek in the hall, he was un-sweeping the floor. Basically, just adding as much dirt and grime everywhere as possible to get that true haunted feel.

"So who's afraid of me?

Who's afraid of little old me?

Who's afraid of little old me?"

I realized there was one thing Derek and I forgot. The sign outside! He climbed up on a ladder to hoist up the neon sign I made, so that it covered the peeling and decrepit Chuck-E-Cheese logo.

"You should be."

I whispered the final lyrics as I plugged in the neon sign and Derek and I stepped back to look at our handywork. The sign had a completely innocent looking picture of Theodore's favorite cartoon characters on it.

No, I don't mean US, haha. I mean Talking Teddy, Babbling Bunny, Chattering Chickie, and Gossipy Foxie. They're the cast of Talking Teddy TV Fun Time.

Anyway, the sign also had large electric green letters that read Talking Teddy's Tasty Treats. Though, truthfully, the real treat would be for me. Watching everyone try and fail my sinister game. I couldn't wait.

"I don't want to call them, but I'm pretty sure they forgot about me again." I grumbled as we walked back inside the building. "I know I gave them the right address."

"I'm sure they'll show up any minute now, Eleanor." Derek leaned against an arcade machine.

"They better! I didn't have Simon teach me how to build animatronics for nothing." I fumed. "Also, tonight my name's not Eleanor." I reminded him. "Call me Vanessa."

"Uhhh, I would, but my girlfriend is also named Vanessa and it's pretty confusing." The blonde teen rambled. "I get what you're going for though. Vanessa the security guard, from Five Nights At Freddy's."

I nodded. "Yup." I smirked. "Pretty snazzy. Beats the giant floofy dresses my sisters are wearing." I put my flashlight in my belt.

BUZZZZZ! The doorbell of the building went off. THEY WERE HERE! IT WAS TIME AT LAST!

I sped to the entrance with Derek following me. I opened the door and found…one lone werewolf and nobody else. Why had only Theodore arrived!?

"Welcome!" I greeted him with a friendly voice. "Thanks for stopping by. Where are the others?"

"They're almost ready, but I felt bad for keeping you waiting so long, so here I am." He fidgeted with the fake claw extensions on his hands.

"You are literally the best, Theo." I said fondly, leading him inside.

"I saw the sign outside." He continued, wagging his tail. "Did you really make a Talking Teddy themed pizzeria…just for me?"

"You know she did!" Derek said, sounding nervous.

"Wow!" Theodore exclaimed, his brown eyes glistening. "You're the best too, Eleanor." He clapped his hands. "I thought this was gonna be scary!"

"Uh…" I didn't know exactly how to break the news. "Theo, it IS gonna be scary. Really scary."

"Oh…" His lip trembled. "I'm confused. How can Talking Teddy and his friends be scary?"

"You're about to find out." Derek told him, still sounding nervous.

"It'll be fun, Theo. Remember it's all fake. Nothing here can actually hurt you, no matter how freaky things get." I said as we entered the arcade area.

The chipmunk in green nervously tugged at his werewolf beard. "Okay. I….I can do this. It's just a bunch of…" He gulped. "…special effects."

"Maybe some pizza will calm you down." Derek suggested, bringing Theodore a pizza with gummy eyeballs.

"Yeah!" I urged my soulmate pal. "It'll help you tap into those werewolf instincts of yours."

Theodore sat down at one of the tables and stared at the pizza. He poked at one of the gummy eyeballs with his claw and then picked it up and ate it. "Hey, this is pretty good!"

He scarfed down the whole pizza in seconds and then patted his stomach.

I drummed my hands on the table. "Alright, Theo! Are you ready to play…" I made the drumroll louder. "Five Nights At Teddy's!?"

He nodded. "Uh huh." A fangy smile flashed my way. "I trust you, Eleanor."

"Please, call me Vanessa." I got myself in character.

Theo accepted this with absolutely no questions. "Okay, Vanessa."

Let the frights begin!

"Okay, so, here's how this is gonna work…" I began, before Derek interrupted me. I get that he was excited too, but I HATE being interrupted when I'm saying things. Why does that happen so FREQUENTLY!?

"We should show him the animatronics first." The former bully turned friend pointed to the curtain on the stage.

That wasn't actually a bad idea. That gave us time before the others arrived. I really didn't want to give my lore dump twice.

"Animatronics?" Theodore turned his attention to the curtain. "You mean like robots?"

"Kind of, yeah. Basically." I replied.

I ran up to the stage and pressed a button that lifted the curtain. Three of the four animatronics I built, thanks to some handy lessons from Simon, started to move and dance around the stage to the instrumental Talking Teddy theme song. The animatronics were smaller than humans, but a little bit larger than a chipmunk.

Talking Teddy was a yellowish-tan bear with green vertically striped overalls and a matching baseball cap with the letter T on it. Babbling Bunny was a purple-grey bunny with a red plaid shirt, blue jeans, and a blue bow tie. Chattering Chickie, the girl of the group, was a bright yellow-orange chicken with a pink dress featuring mint green polka dots. She also had a light pink bow on her dress and a matching one in her short hair-like feathers on her head.

Theodore clapped his hands and stared in awe. "They're incredible!"

"And…" I boasted. "I even made Gossipy Foxie! "She reminded me so much of Brittany, that I couldn't resist." I lifted a smaller curtain on the other side of the room, revealing an orange fox with a big ponytail and a purple hoodie. She had blue leggings with pink hearts to complete her look.

"Whaaat?" He kicked his adorable clawed slippers back and forth. "You thought of everything." The little guy jumped out of his chair and ran to the stage. "Can I dance with them? Before you make them scare me? Pleeeeease?" He begged, giving me puppy dog eyes I couldn't resist.

I looked at Derek, who answered with a shrug, and sighed. Sometimes, he was absolutely no help at all.

"Okay." I patted his slicked back wolfy hairstyle. "But, you only get fifteen minutes."

"That's all I need." He grinned happily.

I decided to climb up onstage and dance around with him. We grabbed each other's hands and twirled while the animatronics danced too. Even Gossipy Foxie got up on stage to join us. Derek watched and tried his best not to laugh.

Spending time with Theo like this was pretty fun, but I still wanted to get to the scary part of the evening.

"This is your haunted house?" Alvin's voice surprised me. "Well, it's definitely scaring me, but not in a Halloween way." He laughed.

I stopped dancing and turned around, spotting the annoying boy at the entryway of the arcade.

"I love this." Brittany added, standing next to her best friend. "We all know Alvin's terrified of Talking Teddy."

"I am not." The red capped boy retorted. Yes, he was still wearing his cap with the zombie costume. He thought for a moment and then corrected his obvious lie. "Okay, maybe…maybe a little."

Simon and Jeanette entered behind Alvin and Brittany.

"This…was not what I expected." Simon commented.

I folded my arms. "This is just act one. We haven't gotten to the real terror yet."

Jeanette wandered off to go stare at one of the arcade machines.

Theodore climbed off the stage. "That was so cool! Did you guys see me dance with a life size Talking Teddy!?"

"We sure did, little bro." Alvin said kindly. Then, I noticed his blue eyes drifting from animatronic to animatronic. He looked terrified, all of a sudden.

A few other humans entered. It figures that Theodore was the only one with the decency to ring the dang doorbell. I took note of the other students from school who joined us.

There was Kevin and his girlfriend Pamela D. both dressed as goblins of some sort. Mildred was dressed as the Grim Reaper and her boyfriend Cheesy was….actually, I'll let him tell you.

"That's…an interesting costume choice." Simon told the chubby redheaded boy.

"I'm a Cheesy pizza! Do you get it?" The teen explained, as if his pizza costume needed an explanation. He looked like a giant triangular pizza slice with a cutout for his head. It was tough for him to move his arms.

The vampire chipmunk sighed. "Very…creative."

"I like your costume!" Theodore told Cheesy sincerely.

Rounding off the group of humans was Simon's basketball buddy Dexter. He was dressed as Shaggy from Scooby Doo and carried a Scooby Doo plush with him. And lastly, Brittany's drama club pal Jesse Sobel. She was dressed as Jesse the Cowgirl from the Toy Story franchise.

"Is everyone who wants to play my twisted game of terror FINALLY here?" I asked.

The group nodded.

"This place is wicked awesome." Dexter commented.

"You've outdone yourself!" Mildred complimented me.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet." I discreetly grabbed a tiny remote from Derek and made the lights flicker. "WELCOME TO YOUR DOOOOOM! Do you have what it takes to make it out ALIVE!?"

I watched Jeanette tremble and grab onto Alvin's hand. Cheesy and Kevin looked extremely invested in whatever I'd cooked up. Alvin still watched me suspiciously. Theodore hid behind Simon momentarily, and then forced himself to stand tall and face whatever dangers were ahead.

I was super proud of Theo for leaving his comfort zone. The braver he got, the more I could share my love of Halloween with him.

All eyes were on me now. I had the attention I so desperately craved and deserved. Feeling better than I had in years, I launched into the lore and the game instructions.

"Talking Teddy's Tasty Treats may seem like a fun place for kids, but strange happenings have tainted the childlike innocence. A few years ago, five kids went missing here. Their bodies were never found. Legend has it, their ghosts are still around…haunting all the unsuspecting victims. They cause the animatronics to get a little…quirky at night." I set the scene in the creepiest voice imaginable.

Theodore raised his hand. "What do you mean by quirky?" He asked.

I was about to answer, but Alvin beat me to it.

"Quirky typically means characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits." The boy in the ripped tie said matter-of-factly. "Zany, odd, wacky, weird, idiosyncratic..."

Theodore's fur bristled. "I KNOW, Alvin." He muttered. "I was asking what SHE means by it."

"Let's just say…." I tented my fingers together. "You'll find out."

He looked unsure again.

I continued my explanation. "I'm Vanessa, the security guard here. I'll be helping you along on your mission. Let me set the scene. All of you came here for a day of fun entertainment and delicious food, but after you enjoy your pizza…"

Derek led all of them to tables and passed out pizza slices. They could eat while I continued to talk.

"You find that you've been locked in! Somehow, you were transported into the future! The arcade is basically abandoned and you're trapped inside. It'll take five whole nights for anyone to notice you're missing and track you down. The question is…" I made my voice a little deeper. "Can you survive Five Nights At Teddy's?"

"Ohhh that's what you're parodying!" Alvin snapped his fingers. "I knew it! Really shoulda been obvious, now that I think about it."

"I love that game!" Jesse exclaimed. "This sounds super cool!"

"Almost like playing DND." Kevin mentioned.

"Or live action roleplaying!" Jeanette squeaked.

Theodore gnawed on a slice of pizza, like a puppy would. "So when do we start?"

"Right….NOW!" I made the lights flicker and go out, trapping them all in the dark. "Good luck. Mwahahahaha!"

They rushed to finish their pizza slices and then started to roam around.

"I don't see what's so scary about this." Dexter mentioned to Simon.

"I fear I'm beginning to piece together her plans." The boy in black and blue mentioned.

"We gotta hide, guys." Alvin told the group. "And quickly."

"But I'm not done with my pizza!" Cheesy whined.

"You can eat it while we run." Alvin pulled on the human boy's shirt.

"We can't just run around willy nilly." Simon pointed to the hallway. "We'll get lost."

"Simon's right." Jeanette frowned. "We need a better plan. We have no idea what sort of traps Eleanor's rigged around here."

I watched them from a spot on top of the motorcycle arcade game. My finger hovered over the remote that controlled the animatronics. Derek stood next to the arcade game holding a can of red paint.

"Does anyone have a better plan?" Pamela D. asked, pulling on her goblin ears.

Alvin reached into his pocket. "Just a moment. Let me take my meds." He emptied a whole container of strawberry flavored Nerds candy into his mouth.

"Alvin!" Simon scolded.

His brother shrugged. "What? It's Halloween. I'm allowed to indulge."

"But you promised no nerd mode!" Brittany protested.

"Ah, but you see, my dear friend, focused doesn't necessarily mean Nerd Mode." Alvin went on. Doing what he does best, rambling. "I just gotta keep my mind sharp, because with Eleanor around, it could be the difference between life and DEATH!"

Okay, he wasn't totally wrong about that.

"You're overreacting." Brittany walked up toward the stage.

Alvin followed her. "I dunno. I think you're underestimating your sister like you usually do."

"I still don't think that's a reason to put yourself in full nerd mode." She pouted.

Alvin sighed. "The candy makes it easier to focus, but it's still up to me to DIRECT that focus." He explained, inching closer and closer to the stage. "If we were at school, then I'd be in full nerd mode. But there's no school stuff around to direct my focus onto, so…no full nerd mode."

My vampire sister huffed and looked up at the animatronics. "I'll take your word for it."

I knew now was the perfect time. I pushed a few buttons and made the animatronics eyes glow red. Babbling Bunny hopped off the stage and landed in front of Alvin and Brittany. His hands and feet sprouted metal claws.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" They both screamed.

"I told you we should have been running when we had the chance!"

Brittany grabbed him and pulled him away as she ran into one of the many maze-like hallways.

Theodore and the others noticed what was going on and started freaking out. Humans and chipmunks ran left and right as I activated the other three animatronics and also unsheathed their hidden claws. I sent Talking Teddy in the direction of Simon, Kevin, Pamela D., and Dexter. Chattering Chickie lumbered toward Jesse, Jeanette, and Mildred. Gossipy Foxie reached out to grab Theodore, but he ducked just in time and dropped to all fours.

As the animatronics chased down their prey, I noticed Cheesy was still at a table in the corner, trying very hard to eat his pizza with limited use of his arms. He would be my first victim.

I sent Gossipy Foxie toward him.

"Cheesy, you have to get out of here!" Theodore screamed.

"Not until I finish!" The teen boy shouted back. "I'm just one bite away!"

I hid the remote again after giving Foxie direct orders to capture Cheesy.

"He better hope that bite's not the Bite Of '87." Derek whispered to me.

"Cheesy, come on!" The chipmunk in green urged. "The food's not important right now."

I climbed down from the arcade machine after giving Derek the signal to start spreading all the red paint around so it looks like blood. I raced over to Theodore and grabbed him.

"It's too late." I said solemnly. "He's done for." I pushed Theodore toward one of the long hallways. "Save yourself."

Theo looked completely torn, but he followed me, making sad puppy sounds.

The last thing I saw before we left the main arcade area was Cheesy being grabbed and dragged away by Foxie and Derek overturning some tables and splashing red paint around.

This was turning out better than I could have ever imagined.

Theodore and I crept down the hallway and I illuminated the area in front of us with my flashlight.

"So, are you having fun yet?" I grinned.

"Is this really fun for you?" He asked, trembling like a leaf.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Well…it's…it's not as fun for me, but…I'm not giving up." He tried to breathe slower to calm himself down. "I'm not scared. I'm not scared. It's not real. It's not real." He repeated.

Suddenly, Teddy was in front of us, eyes glowing red and mouth open to reveal what looked like razor sharp teeth. Looks can be deceiving. The teeth were soft rubber. They couldn't hurt us.

"AHHHHHH!" Theodore screamed and jumped.

"You're doing great!" I encouraged him. "Now, show Teddy who's boss!"

"I'm freaking out!" He blubbered, clasping his hands together. He started running in the opposite direction.

I followed and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Remember, channel the werewolf in you. I've seen you go beast mode before. Remember when you shaved that guy's head?"

His brown eyes widened. "Wait a minute. You weren't around for that!"

"Or was I?" I slunk into the shadows in the hall. "I can be ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE." I said in a creepy tone.

Theo turned around to face the animatronic bear. "Be the werewolf. Be the werewolf." He told himself. "The werewolf isn't scared….I'm not scared." He forced a determined expression. "I'm not scared of giant robots that look like Talking Teddy and friends!" He shouted with conviction.

A deep growl came from his throat and he bared his fangs at the animatronic. I touched the buttons on my remote and made Teddy turn around and walk down another hallway.

"Great job!" I jumped back into the light. "I knew you could do it."

"That did feel pretty nice." The boy in green admitted. "Maybe I'll be better at surviving this than I thought."

"That's the spirit!" I fist bumped him.

"AWOOOOOOOOO!" He howled as we raced down the hall.

He stopped howling when he saw the Keep Out: Personnel Only door with the creepy red handprint.

"Ell,…err, Vanessa, what's….what's that?" He whispered.

"Looks like a spot where one of the kids may have been murdered." I replied in a hushed tone.

"M…M…Murdered?" Theodore whimpered, before snapping back to his mantra. "It's not real. It's not real. There's no ghost kids here. It's not real."

"Congratulations!" Derek's voice echoed throughout the building on the intercom system. "Those of you still running, you have survived Night One! Night Two begins in 3,…2,…1,…GO!"

Theodore and I caught up with Simon, Mildred, Dexter, and Jeanette when we turned the corner.

"What happened to Day Two?" Jeanette pondered aloud.

"There are ONLY nights here." I told her, unable to keep the evil smirk from my face.

"At least I happen to be a creature of the night." Simon pulled his cloak up to cover his mouth, talking in his vampire accent once again. "This is my domain."

"Where'd Kevin go?" Theodore asked. "And Jesse?"

"Chickie took one, and Bunny took the other." Jeanette wiped a tear from her eye. "My spells aren't very effective against these things."

Mildred twirled her plastic scythe. "I'd like to see them try and capture me!" The punk girl boasted. "They don't know who they're dealing with."

"I'm honestly not sure how I got away." Dexter added. "Those things are CRAZY fast. Like, seriously!"

"Do you think Alvin and Brittany survived?" Theo tugged at Simon's cloak.

"I doubt it." Simon answered with a frown.

"AHHHHHH!" I heard screaming, and it sounded like Brittany.

We followed the sound of the screaming back to the arcade area.

"What in the UNDERWORLD happened in here?" Alvin's mouth gaped open at the sight.

Brittany was shaking her hands around and panicking. "Ew ew and double ew! Why is everything covered in blood!?"

Alvin stuck his finger in the red paint and then sniffed it. "It's not salty enough to be blood." He reported. "Unless it's like…a rare blood type or something."

The rest of us entered the arcade.

"You….sure know how to make things….horrifying." Jeanette commented, glancing at me.

"And disturbing." Dexter added.

Simon tried to pretend he wasn't also freaking out. "I eat blood for breakfast." He hissed. "And lunch and dinner. It's my MAIM CORPSE."

"Again with the puns?" Brittany rolled her eyes.

"He's a real pain in the NECK. Right, Britt?" Alvin joked.

"I'm HOWLING with laughter at that one." Theodore admitted, joining in.

"The fact that you weren't captured is SHOCKing." Simon poked at Alvin.

"If you stand around cracking jokes, Teddy and his friends will destroy you." I warned them.

"She's right." Dexter hugged his Scooby Doo plush tighter. "And something tells me my epic basketball skills aren't gonna be much help."

"Definitely not." I jumped on one of the tables that hadn't been overturned.

Alvin noticed me and hissed, his tail bristling up. "Demon!" He held a clove of garlic out toward me. "Stay back! I'm warning you!"

"Oooh, I love garlic." I responded. I grabbed the whole clove from him and ate it in one bite. "Mmmm."

"Even garlic can't save us from her!" The dorky boy covered in fake stitches yelped. He pulled his phone from his pocket. "Okay, so she's not a vampire."

"What are you doing?" Theo twitched his ears, looking at Alvin.

"Tonight, I will be solving the greatest mystery of all." Alvin tucked the notepad away and adjusted his glasses. "Discovering which type of monster Eleanor is!"

I shrugged. "Not your worst idea."

"Many signs point to ghost. Maybe I'll test that, next. But, first, I have to figure out if this is real blood or ketchup." He stuck his tongue out and leaned down to lick one of the tables.

This could end badly. "Alvin, stop." I grabbed him. "It's not ketchup. It's PAINT."

"Ohhhh." He put his tongue back in his mouth.

"Duuuude, like….maybe don't go lickin' tables." Dexter told him.

Simon frowned at Alvin's stupidity. "It's amazing how long a half-human body can survive without the frontal lobe." He commented.

"You know I have one, Si!" Alvin protested. "You scanned it and told me it was very mature! You can't remember that, brainiac?"

"Oh, sweetie." Brittany laughed. "You were right. You are definitely not in nerd mode."

I took the advantage of them fooling around and gave the animatronics new commands. They'd be bursting through the wall and into the arcade in a minute. Hopefully, they'd capture more victims…I mean, err, players.

Jeanette tried to calm the chaos. "Everyone, let's not tease each other. We have to work together."

"I'm going with Simon this time." Brittany announced. "I'll have a better chance of making it to Night Three with him."

"Fine!" Alvin muttered. "I don't wanna get stuck with you, anyway."

CRASH! Talking Teddy burst through the wall followed by Gossipy Foxie. SMASH! The wall on the opposite side of the arcade cracked apart and Babbling Bunny and Chattering Chickie entered.

"How….How strong ARE those things?" Dexter uttered, before he fainted.

Screams filled the room again as everyone ran around. I hid behind the curtain and peeked out to watch the impending massacre.

"Scatter!" Alvin yelped.

He and Jeanette ran in one direction, Simon and Brittany in the other.

Mildred raised her scythe and pulled up the hood on her Grim Reaper cloak. "Oh no, you don't. It's your turn to fear ME!" She faced Gossipy Foxie and Talking Teddy.

I caught a glimpse of Pamela D. as she ran in the direction of the exit doors. They were locked. She'd be cornered in no time. I sent Babbling Bunny to capture her.

Theodore dropped to all fours again and ran off in the same direction as Alvin and Jeanette.

Simon poked at Dexter's face. "Come on, buddy. Wake up. Please wake up."

"I've got this." Brittany smacked the unconscious teenager across the face.

Chickie grabbed onto Dexter and opened her beak, revealing her pointy teeth.

"Birds are not supposed to have teeth!" Simon cried out.

My oldest sister grabbed onto Dexter, basically getting in a tug-of-war situation with Chickie. "Let him go, you giant piece of….scrap metal."

"Brittany, come on." Simon grabbed onto her and joined the tug of war, urging her to leave Dexter behind. It was game over for him.

Man, I wished I'd brought something to snack on while I watched the show.

Eventually, Brittany released her grip and she and Simon went tumbling across the room. They got up and sped through one of the holes in the wall, almost as fast as real vampires.

Chickie dragged Dexter away. She held up his Scooby Doo plush in her other feathery hand. The hand gripped its neck, as if choking it.

Once the room was empty, I raced off to locate Theodore.

"Theo?" I shined my flashlight around. "Theo? Bark twice if you can hear me."

No answer.

My Walkie-talkie blasted a static sound. "Halloween Havoc? You there?"

I opened the door that said Keep Out and went inside that room to take the call.

"Yes. I'm here. Duke Of Destruction, status report." I demanded.

"Cheesy, Jesse, Kevin, Pamela D, and Dexter are all in the dungeon. And Foxie's got Mildred, but she's puttin' up one heck of a fight." Derek replied. "I think I finally know what Cheesy sees in that girl."

"She'll join the others soon." I said darkly. "They all will." I made my voice sound friendly again. "Except Theodore."

I left the room with the red handprint on the door and booked it to the security office area.

Derek was sitting in the seat, monitoring all the cameras. He had a bag of cinnamon red hot candies he was crunching as his eye darted from computer screen to computer screen.

"Night Three begins soon." I watched the countdown timer as I stepped out of the shadows, twirling my flashlight.

"Yipes!" Derek spun his chair around. "I thought you were one of the robots."

"Someone forgot to check his blind spots." I laughed, walking over to look at the cameras.

I needed to find Theodore. I wanted him to be the last one standing. Think of how tough and confident that would make him feel. I'd single handedly cure his fear of…anything! Or so I hoped.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping them?" Derek reminded me.

"I would, but nobody's asked for my help." I responded, watching the cameras. I didn't see Theodore anywhere, which made me a little worried.

"Probably because you're the one who sent those beasts after them in the first place." Derek put his arms behind his head.

"It's all part of the game." I insisted. "I'm sure at least ONE person will come crawling to me for advice."

"Vanessa!" Theodore burst into the security office, panting like he'd run a five mile race. "I need your help!"

"Oh look." I bragged. "Here he is now."

"My instincts can only get me so far." Theodore squeaked. "There's gotta be a way to make Teddy and his friends nice again."

"Theoretically, yeah." I said, walking out of the room with Theo and ignoring the funny way Derek was looking at us. "If we could make the ghosts stop possessing them, but we can't until the game is over."

"Ohhhh." He groaned. "Okay."

As soon as we were back in the hall, Derek's voice echoed through the building again over the intercom. "Congratulations on surviving Night Two! Night Three starts NOW!" He cackled evilly. "Ahahahahaha!"

Theodore looked miserable.

I tickled his furry fake beard. "Cheer up, wolf pup. Only three more nights to go."

He smiled at me. I couldn't tell if it was a forced smile of not. "We…We can do this!" He pumped his fist in the air.

"We just have to lay low. And watch out for the ice cream dispenser. It's a trap." I told him.

"Even the ice cream dispenser is against us?" His shoulders slumped. "What a rip."

"Were you making a pun?" I laughed.

He cocked his furry head to the side. "No."

"Ohhh." I continued walking, staying alert so the animatronics couldn't catch us off guard. "RIP is an acronym for Rest In Peace. It's what they write on tombstones."

"Cool." Another fang-y smile. But was Theo actually enjoying this and getting into it? Or was he pretending?

It wasn't too long before we bumped into Alvin and Jeanette.

"Ahhhh! You'll never get us!" Alvin screeched, karate chopping my shoulder. "Oh wait…it's just the werewolf and his demon spawn companion."

"Mildred's gone." Jeanette twisted at the flowers in her hair and the fake butterfly wings on her back wobbled as she quickly strolled along. "We tried to save her, but we weren't fast enough."

"Bummer." Theodore grimaced. "I was hoping she'd last longer. She seemed so tough."

"I think it's down to the four of us." Jeanette quietly squeaked. "Simon and Brittany are nowhere to be found."

"Have you checked the ceiling?" Alvin cracked a small grin.

"Brittany can't hang upside down." My sister in the purple and green fae dress said pointedly. "She'd ruin her hair."

"Simon's doing a better job at the whole vampire thing." I added.

The group of us heard a creaking noise. Then, multiple rhythmical metal thumps came closer and closer.

"They've found us." Jeanette whimpered.

"Stay behind me." Alvin instructed. "I have a TERROR-iffic idea."

"I hope it's better than your idea to lick a table." I said dryly.

Theodore let out a mischievous little giggle.

"It's a GHOUL proof plan." The boy with the wild red hair insisted. "I'll distract them with my unpredictable moves while the three of you escape."

"There's no way that's gonna work." I replied.

"Okay, well, what about electrocuting them with a taser!?" He went on.

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a taser?"

"Well, no, but…I could probably build one!" Alvin squeaked.

"With what supplies?" I stood on my tip toes and flicked the brim of his baseball cap.

"With….uhhhh…." He scrunched his nose. He knew I was right. "Oh rats."

I flicked his baseball cap again. "Better eat some more brains, zombie boy. Your supply of smarts is runnin' low."

He glared at me with his bright blue eyes. "DON'T TOUCH THE CAP!" He screeched loudly.

"Sorry." I stopped flicking the cap. Apparently, he didn't love it when people messed with his comfort item.

Before we could even blink, Teddy, Bunny, Chickie, and Foxie were right in front of us. Claws extended and evil smiles wide. Their eyes flickered with a red glow.

"Nice going, Franken-Einstein." Theodore grumbled sarcastically. "Now, we're in trouble."

Alvin laughed nervously.

We scattered and split up, running circles around the animatronics. What was really weird was, I hadn't summoned them to this hall. It must have been Derek.

"I wish these wings really worked!" Jeanette commented, as she dodged a blow from Teddy.

Theodore jumped over Foxie's head and then kicked her back, hard. It wasn't enough to send her tumbling, but it did leave a small dent. "Take that!"

Alvin climbed onto Bunny's head and banged on his long ears. "Trick or treat, freak!" He quipped. "Hey, does anyone notice that fox girl looks kinda like…"

"BRITTANY!" Theodore interrupted him, pointing at the two chipmunks who had arrived.

"Yeah, like Brittany." Alvin finished, looking where Theodore was pointing. "Huh!?"

Two disheveled and a lot less pale vampires stood in the hall. Against the odds, Brittany and Simon had SURVIVED.

"Where were you guys!?" Jeanette asked, doing a backflip to avoid being grabbed by Chickie.

"We raided a supply closet!" Simon announced. He used the rope he was holding to tie the animatronics together into an angry ball.

Brittany held up a broom like it was a scepter. "It's a good thing we found you when we did. You were almost done for."

She whacked the ball of animatronics with the broom and sent them rolling away down the hall.

"We were not!" Alvin said, going nose to nose with Brittany.

She poked his nose. "Were so."

"Come on." I ushered my family and friends down the hall. "It won't be long before they free themselves."

Simon's blue eyes widened behind his glasses. "They can DO that?"

"Duh." I responded. "They're ghosts possessing robotic animals. I think they can untie a rope."

"But there aren't real ghosts. Who is controlling these things?" He demanded.

I decided it was time to come clean. "Me and Derek."

"And no one else?" Simon looked concerned.

"Nobody else. They do have Ai chips installed as backup though. Those'll activate on nights four and five to make them harder to avoid." I explained. "Because then they will move on their own."

"Ai CHIPS!?" The other four chipmunks chorused.

"Where did you get the Ai chips?" Simon asked tentatively. He looked pale again, now that his cheeks had lost their rosy sheen from sprinting. Ghastly pale.

I didn't want to answer, but I did anyway. "From your lab."

"You mean the Ai chips that caused my pizza drones to run amok and cover the entire town in pizza? Those SAME Ai chips?" He got more and more panicked by the minute.

"Deep breaths, Si." Alvin instructed, glaring at me as he helped his brother calm down.

"Y….Yeah, but I am totally sure I de-bugged them." I lead the group back to the arcade area. "So, no worries." I shined my flashlight around the room.

"No…no worries?" Jeanette whimpered as she held on tight to Simon's hand. "I have a lot of worries."

"Me too." Theodore mentioned. "But I'm trying super hard not to think about them."

"Oh, hey, I have something for ya." Alvin told me, handing me a shiny coin.

I held the coin up and raised an eyebrow. "What is this for?"

"Darn it." Alvin typed something on his phone again. "That's a silver coin. She's not a werewolf either. Werewolves can't touch silver without it burning them."

I tossed the coin back at Alvin. "You never fail to find the wrong things to focus on."

Simon and Brittany took me aside forcefully.

"I have a BONE to pick with you." The tallest Seville boy said angrily.

Brittany cheered him on. "Yes! You pick that bone, Simon. You pick that bone clean!"

The boy in deep blue folded his arms. "When you asked me for robotics lessons, I had no idea that THIS was what you planned to use them for."

I leaned onto a table. The red paint was pretty much dry now. "That's cuz you didn't ask." I responded nonchalantly.

He got even madder. "I didn't think I had to!" He exclaimed. "Who in their right mind builds evil animatronics and sends them to terrorize kids!?"

"William Afton." I smirked. "Henry helped, but William was the psychotic mastermind."

His pale makeup covered fur bristled. "That's not the answer I'm looking for and you know it." He snapped.

I pouted slightly. "I just wanted to give you all a super freaky Halloween." I confessed.

"Well, we passed "super freaky" an hour ago." Brittany rested a hand on her hip. "We're now at TRAUMATIZING! I'm going to have nightmares for weeks!"

"Imagine what this is doing to poor Theodore!" Simon urged me.

I looked over at Theodore. He was pacing around the room like a guard dog, on the lookout for animatronics.

"I think Theo is tougher than he gets credit for." I argued. "I'm helping bring that side out of him. It's a good thing."

Simon sighed. He could see he wasn't getting through to me. "I need a DRINK."

"Sorry, no grape soda on the premises." I told him. "But you could settle for this juice pouch. It's blood flavored." I laughed. "Just kidding. It's fruit punch."

I handed him a juice pouch from the fridge in the kitchen section.

He took it without another word and slurped very loudly.

"I'll take one too." Brittany said with a frown.

I handed her one as well.

She and Simon sat at a table and in the arcade and slurped their juice pouches together.

I scampered back over to Theodore. "See anything yet?"

"Nope." He narrowed his eyes. "But I know they're coming. I can sense it."

"Can you turn the lights back on?" Jeanette asked, her midnight eyes were laced with sadness behind her round purple glasses.

"But it'll wreck the atmosphere." I complained.

"I….I understand." She looked at her feet.

I started to feel bad.

"And the mad doctor said, let there be…ELECTRICITY!" Alvin flipped the light switch. The lights remained off. He looked annoyed. "I said, let there be ELECTRICITY!"

"You're doing it wrong." Brittany rolled her eyes.

"It's a LIGHT SWITCH!" He protested. "There's no way TO do it wrong."

The girl in pink and black sighed. "You always find a way."

"Let me try." I shoved Alvin out of the way and flicked the light switch. Still nothing. "Uh…okay. That's…weird."

"The quirkiness has spread to the lights, apparently." Alvin commented, brushing some dirt off his ripped clothing.

"We've still got my flashlight." I grinned, turning it on. The beam of light started to flicker and dim. I smacked the flashlight with my palm and the beam brightened up again.

"I think the battery is dying." Theodore told me gently.

"First the battery." Alvin moaned. "Then US! Who knows how dangerous those Ai chips will make Teddy and his gang!?"

Theodore gasped. "They're coming this way again!"

"Does anyone besides Alvin have any plans?" I asked the group.

No answer.

"I have another plan." The world's most irritating guy rasped in his squeaky and out of breath voice. "We sing and dance to distract them."

"That's it!" Simon snapped his fingers and stood up.

Alvin's ears twitched and his smile grew wide. "You like my idea?"

"No no. But it made me think of something that might actually work." His brother responded.

"What!?" Brittany got out of her seat and stood next to Simon.

"A loud noise at a high enough frequency COULD temporarily incapacitate them. It would interfere with their programming."

Theodore stroked his werewolf beard. "Is that kinda like when you're watching TV and someone uses the microwave and it makes the TV go all static-y?"

"Yes! Yes!" Simon exclaimed. "It's basically that."

"Brilliant plan, bro." Alvin high fived him.

"I hope it'll work." Jeanette nibbled her rainbow glitter polished nails.

"THEY'RE GETTING CLOSER!" Theodore called out.

When the four animatronics came back into the room, Simon and I climbed up on a table and opened our mouths wide.

We let out the highest pitched chipmunk vocalization imaginable. A sonic scream, basically.

"I've got it! She's a banshee!" Alvin cheered, thinking he had finally solved the mystery he was stuck on.

Brittany shot him a grim look. "We can all make that noise, you doofus."

"DARN IT!" He muttered loudly.

Brittany, Jeanette, and Theodore joined in the high pitched vocalization.

It was working! The robots' circuits were being scrambled or something. They collapsed to the floor.

Alvin tried to copy our scream, but his just sounded like his usual scream. Not impressive.

"Well, MOST of us can." Brittany sassed at him.

Once the four robotic creatures were down and twitching like they were having seizures, the six of us escaped the arcade and ran down another hallway.

"You've survived Night Three!" Derek's voice informed us. "Night Four begins NOW!"

"YES!" Theo cheered happily. "We did it! We're over halfway there!"

"What time is it?" Brittany nudged me. "I don't want to miss the masquerade ball."

"This game does feel like it's lasting a while." Jeanette added.

"It's 8:15." Simon reported, glancing at the watch on his wrist. "The ball starts at 9 and lasts until 11. We have 45 minutes remaining."

"But we CAN still show up late." Alvin mentioned.

Brittany growled at him. "I think I have a craving for zombie blood."

"I shoulda brought more garlic." The red capped boy squeaked.

"Uh, Eleanor or Vanessa or whatever…" Simon looked worried again. "Didn't you say Night Four is when the Ai chips kick in?"

"And the game gets harder?" Jeanette gulped and grabbed Alvin's hand.

"Yeah, but look at us. We're completely fine." I had to build them up.

That's when my flashlight battery went out completely, leaving us trapped in total darkness.

"Ah yes. Completely fine" Simon couldn't resist some biting sarcasm. Hehe BITING.

"Don't worry, guys!" Alvin held up his phone. "My phone has a flashlight." He pulled his phone out. "And it's at 2% battery." He groaned. "I don't suppose any of you brought your phones."

"I left mine at home with my candy bag before I came here." Theodore grabbed my hand and squeezed.

"Unfortunately, so did I." Simon added. "I didn't want to accidentally drop it."

"Yeah. Me too." Jeanette's timid and soft voice spoke from the eerie blackness. "For the same reason as Simon."

"I WISH I had brought my phone." Brittany grumbled.

Alvin chuckled. "Dang, you guys were not prepared. Didn't anyone teach you to keep your phone on you at all times?"

"You're a hero, mister 2% battery." The aggravated vampire Chipette replied sarcastically.

"Wait, maybe Eleanor has her phone." Theodore suggested.

I reached into my pants pocket and then felt around on my belt. "I think I do." Nope. No phone. "Oh no. I left it at the treehouse to give myself room for the walkie-talkie."

"Does the walkie-talkie have a flashlight?" Jeanette asked meekly.

"No." I bit my lip. "But maybe I can use it to contact Derek and he can turn the lights on." I took it off my belt.

Suddenly Jeanette fell into me and I dropped the walkie-talkie.

I heard a sickening crunch and then Alvin's voice. "I am so sorry." He'd stepped on my walkie-talkie and wrecked it. So much for that idea.

"Alvinnn!" Brittany groaned.

"I can't see anything." He whined. "It was an accident."

"It's fine." I murmured.

"Fine does not remotely describe this." Simon fumed. "We're trapped in the dark with Ai powered attack machines chasing us. We have no idea where exactly we are…or where the hallway ends or anything."

"Everyone, lean against the wall." I instructed. "That way, we can feel when the hallway ends."

I hoped everyone listened to me. We crept down the hallway in silence until Brittany spoke up.

"Is now a good time to mention I'm afraid of the dark?" She asked in a pitiful little squeak.

I felt guilty. How could I have forgotten that? She sleeps with a pink rose shaped night-light and everything.

"You're what?" Alvin reacted.

"I'm afraid of the dark." My oldest sister repeated. "Go ahead and laugh. I know you want to."

"Why would I laugh at that?" Alvin sounded confused.

The pain and embarrassment was evident in every word. "Because it's stupid and childish."

"No it's not." Theodore comforted her. "It's how you feel."

"I'm afraid of a whole list of stuff." Alvin admitted.

"Me too!" Jeanette added.

Simon joined in. "As am I."

"And I'm sure there's a lot of things Eleanor's afraid of." Alvin went on. "She's just too stubborn to admit it."

"Maybe a few things." I rubbed my arm sheepishly. I was glad nobody could see how uncomfortable I looked.

"Don't look behind you." Theodore told us. "Just start running."

I ignored his command and looked. Four pairs of red eyes stood out like tiny dots in the darkness. We were being followed!

We zipped down the hallway, keeping close to the wall. Thankfully, we were able to outrun the machines again.

Soon, we found ourselves at the main entrance. Near the door, there was light shining in from the neon sign above it. It wasn't much, but it was enough to see each other again.

"Thank goodness." Brittany realized she'd been holding Alvin's hand and let go of it. "That was awful."

"But you made it through." Jeanette hugged her sister.

Simon tugged at the door handle. "Why is it still locked?" He glared at me. "Enough is enough. Let us out of here."

"And what did you do with our friends?" Alvin demanded.

"They're safe…in a dungeon in the basement." I informed everyone.

"You made a dungeon!?" Simon shrieked.

"This place has a basement?" Brittany added.

We heard the sound of metal footsteps again.

"Those things do not give up." Jeanette groaned. "I don't know if I can run anymore."

"Anyone up to singing to ignore the pain?" Alvin asked, wiggling his eyebrows. "I can do a mean rendition of It's Terror Time Again."

"I have a better idea." I whispered my thoughts to my sisters.

And then, we did something that I would definitely not advise when you're trying to get away from creepy attack robots. We sang. Just my sisters and I, much to Alvin's dismay. But, this story wasn't all about him! The song was written by our good friend Awkward Marina. It was a great song for the moment. Boy, can I pick 'em!

"I'm afraid of the dark

Whatever's lurking"

Brittany started us off, as we entered a dark hallway once again. She hugged herself and shivered.

"When you're cold and your flashlight battery's not working"

I sang the next line, while I furiously smacked at my flashlight, only to have it produce a barely lit flickering beam for a second and then go out again.

"I'm afraid of the ghosts

And yes, they're real"

Brittany sang as she ran along. She tried her best to stay brave, even in the face of one of her worst fears.

"I'm afraid of the wolves in the woods

I'm afraid I'll be their next meal"

I added, putting a protective arm around Theodore. Alvin and Simon both stared at their brother and I. I guess they were wondering if Theo was okay. I was positive he was fine.

"Awoooooooo!" Theodore howled, grinning at me.

My sisters and I broke into the chorus as we crept into the kitchen area.

"Are you scared, are you scared

Of something that isn't there?

Are we all paranoid

That we'll sink into the void?"

We entered the arcade area and all six of us went through the holes left in the wall. My sisters and I continued to sing.

"So on this Halloween

Just make sure what you believe is true

Are you afraid of the dark too?"

Another dark hallway loomed, and the six of us took it in stride. I thought I saw a pair of red eyes on the ceiling, but it turned out to be my mind playing tricks on me. I think, anyway.

"We bout to get spooky" I belted as I nudged Jeanette. "Hey, hey, come on."

We emerged into a lit area again. The glittering fae girl treated our ears to her solo. She was incredible.

"I'm afraid of the dark

Afraid of witches

I can't help it that I'm oh-so superstitious"

Her costume wings appeared to flutter as she ran. She and Alvin twirled together and high-fived each other.

"See the blood on the walls"

Jeanette sang, looking absolutely disgusted by the red paint splattered everywhere in the small lit-area. A lone red light shone down from the ceiling.

"Bloody bloody, bloody and gory"

Brittany and I chorused together, standing behind Jeanette. I was having SO MUCH FUN!

"The oozing handprints"

Jeanette continued her solo as Alvin walked over to observe the red handprint on the Keep Out door. The door creaked open, revealing Foxie behind it.

"Creepy creepy, so creepy creepy"

Brittany and I sang, as we all ran away from the door. I didn't even know those things were capable of opening doors. Maybe Simon's Ai chips WERE a bad idea.

"No one else can see, but I can hardly stand it."

We traveled down another fairly dark, but less than pitch black, hall as Jeanette finished her solo part and led us into the chorus once more. This time, I did look up and saw Chickie looking down at me. I pointed upward, and everyone else saw her too. We sped away again.

"Are you scared, are you scared

Of something that isn't there?

Are we all paranoid

That we'll sink into the void?"

My sisters and I sang the chorus as we all raced through a different hallway. Teddy almost cornered us, but Theodore and Alvin teamed up to distract him. We got away, but it was not easy.

"So on this Halloween

Just make sure what you believe is true

Are you afraid of the dark too?"

We finished the song and found ourselves back in the arcade area. Brittany took an overturned table and held it up like a weapon. Simon collapsed on the floor. Alvin held his side and clung to Jeanette. Theodore pressed himself against one of the arcade machines. Jeanette clung just as much to Alvin. I helped Simon up from the floor.

"It feels like we're running in circles." Brittany complained.

"We ARE running in circles." Jeanette pointed out. "There's nowhere else to run."

"Unless we run into the basement." Alvin adjusted his cap. "But I don't even wanna know what's down there."

"We should stop by the security office and get Derek on our side." I told them all. "He's bigger than Teddy and friends. He could help us defeat them."

"I don't think he'd be much help." Simon frowned. "Did you not see that thing carrying away Cheesy?"

"They are freakishly strong." Brittany agreed. "Kind of like me."

"When is Night four gonna end?" Jeanette unbent one of her antennas on her headband.

"It feels like FOUR-ever." Alvin added.

"Make one more pun and I will feed you to the bunny." The strawberry blonde Chipette threatened. "Or the chicken or the fox or the bear. Mark my words, one of them will be munching on franken-zombie guts."

"I've about had all I can take." Simon turned away from me.

"Oh, come on, guys. I know this isn't exactly how things were supposed to go, but we've almost beat the game!" I needed them to know I believed in their ability to succeed outside the comfort zones.

"Everything is a game to you." My oldest sister in the vampire princess costume scoffed. Her ice blue eyes glared into my green ones.

Theo started to whimper. "It's getting harder and harder to be brave!"

"Tell me about it!" Alvin agreed. "I'm pretty sure my heartrate just broke a world record."

"I didn't expect to spend my night running from killer animatronics!" Simon was furious now. Fun Simon had left the building.

"Neither did I, and now we might miss the masquerade ball!" Brittany whined.

Chickie burst through the wall again, causing a panic.

"I can't run anymore." Simon cried out. "I surrender."

"At least I got to die playing a real-life videogame." Alvin quipped, putting his hand over his heart. "Not a lot of people can say that. It is a very cool way to go."

"They won't actually hurt us." Theodore clenched his fists. "They're only supposed to scare us!"

"Yeah…that was before they got infected by Simon's Ai chips and went rogue." His brother grumbled anxiously.

Theo wasn't listening at all. "Hey, I wonder if I can scare them like last time!" He squeaked.

I reached out my hand to stop him. I didn't have control over the robots anymore. During all my running, I'd lost the remote too.

"Theodore, no!" Jeanette did the same thing as me.

The adorable wolfmunk ran up to the animatronic and growled loudly. Chickie's eyes flashed red and she chased after Theodore, waving her wings.

"Bad idea!" The boy in green cried out. "Really bad idea!"

My sister in purple clasped her hands together. "I was trying to warn you. I don't think they're programmed to be scared of….anything."

"They're just mindless machines following orders from Ellie…err Vanessa or whatever." Alvin said darkly. "At least they WERE."

Theo tried to outrun the animatronic on all fours. "I think I made Chattering Chickie REALLY angry!"

"Eleanor, let us out of this DEATHTRAP!" Simon pounded on a table.

Brittany threw the table she'd been holding at Chickie.

"Just a few more minutes to go, and we'll make it to Night Five!" I informed them excitedly.

"We need to split up!" Simon announced.

Alvin shook his head. "We need to stay together! Bad things happen when people in horror movies split up!"

I cupped my hands around my mouth. "Just keep running, Theo!"

"I don't have any other plan!" He muttered loudly, sounding pretty mad.

Alvin swung into action. "Stay away from my little brother!" He tried to land a karate chop, only to give a yelp of pain. "OWWWW! I dunno why I thought that would feel like the plushie."

Chickie clamped down on Alvin's arm VERY hard.

"HEY, let me go!" The chipmunk in red and cyan shrieked.

"Get your filthy feathers off of him!" Brittany attacked Chickie and freed Alvin with her amazing strength, only to find herself trapped in the animatronic's clutches.

"Brittany!" Alvin cried out.

Jeanette wept. "Oh no!"

"Can you get yourself free?" Simon asked frantically.

"I'm….trying!" The Chipette blubbered.

The animatronic sped away with Brittany in its clutches.

"Make sure you wear pink roses to my funeral!" My oldest sister called out as she was taken.

"Okay. This has officially gone too far." Simon declared. His judgement filled eyes stared into my soul.

"Heh Heh. She'll be fine." I told the group. "She's just being a drama queen."

"I'm not so sure about this." Theodore frowned angrily at me. Well, at least he was more confident in expressing his anger. That's something, right?

"It's all in good fun." I repeated, trying to calm my friends and my remaining sister.

"Aside from, you know, being locked in." Alvin stated again. "And you losing control of the robots."

"I'll figure out how to get the control back." I responded.

"You better." Simon warned me.

"And you could help." I nudged him with my elbow.

He hissed at me like a vampire or angry cat would.

I looked at Simon's watch. "That's odd." I murmured. "Night Four has definitely ended by now. I wonder why Derek didn't say anything."

"We made it to Night Five!" Theodore exclaimed. "That means we can get out!"

"Uh…well…" I smiled sheepishly, ears drooping. "We still have to make it through Night Five. And THEN we can leave."

"Aw maaan." He folded his arms and looked irritated.

Alvin tapped Simon's shoulder. "Well, since Britt bit the dust, that means our BOO-pendous pun war can continue!"

"SplenDEAD idea, Alvin." Simon put on his silly accent once more.

Hadn't this running gag gotten old yet? I almost wished Chickie had carried ME away. I like puns, but there's a limit.

"Positively spellbinding!" Jeanette joined in their little pun war.

But the little werewolf was in a mood. "I'm furious." He declared.

"Don't you mean…FUR-RIOUS!?" Alvin and Simon both said in unison.

"No." He grumbled.

I hopped onto one of the tables again. "This is not the time for your witty monster puns."

"Why not?" Alvin sassed back. "We're already in GRAVE danger."

"Playing a nasty game of hide and SHRIEK!" Simon added in his Transylvanian accent.

"Hey, hey, Simon." The boy in the red cap poked his taller brother in the back. "Do you ever watch NECKflix?"

I rubbed my temples. "That's not even clever."

"Sometimes." The vampire chipmunk grinned. "But I'm more into computers. Did you know I designed my own enCRYPTor chip?"

"Guys, I hear them again." Theodore cupped his hand around his pointy ear.

I sighed. "I hear them too, Theo."

"No. Not my brothers." He clarified, still looking mad. "THEM."

Right on cue, Talking Teddy peeked through one of the holes in the wall and bared his sharp rubber teeth.

"AHHHHHH!" Jeanette, Simon, and Alvin screamed bloody murder and we were off running through the halls again.

"In here!" I yelped, pulling the group into the security office.

I yanked Theo inside first, then Jeanette.

Alvin just followed me inside.

I grabbed onto Simon, but so did Teddy. The bear had a strong STRONG grip.

"I've got you, Simon!" I held his arms tightly.

But Talking Teddy was too strong. He ripped the chipmunk in blue away and hung him upside down by his feet.

"Noooooooo!" The vampire boy bellowed. "Curse you, Eleanor!"

I watched Talking Teddy lumber away down the hall and wasted no time activating the steel doors in the security office.

"We should be safe now." I told the others. "Until the electricity runs out."

"Is that set to go out forever, like the lights?" Jeanette hugged her knees and sat in a corner.

"Well…." I rubbed my neck. "It's like in the game Five Nights At Freddy's. The doors have a very limited amount of electricity, so we shouldn't keep them down for long."

"There's also two blind spots on the cameras." Alvin added. "Right outside the doors."

I blinked in surprise. "How do you know that?"

"Videogame expert. I've played Five Nights At Freddy's. At least, the first one. I played it at Kevin's house during a sleepover. Neither of us slept that night. It's a funny story, really…." Alvin's voice drifted off. "But we don't have time for that."

I de-activated the doors and let them go back up.

Suddenly, I realized something very concerning. "Oh no."

"Now what?" Theodore grumbled.

The room was empty except for us. Cinnamon candies littered the floor.

I gulped. "Derek was supposed to be here, and he's not. I think…." I watched all the cameras I could, searching for a sign of my friend. "I think the animatronics got him too."

"How DREADfully BLUNDERfull." Zombie boy paced the floor of the security office.

"H….How…d…do we shut the game down?" Jeanette picked at the polish on her nails.

"Everything should shut down as soon as we make it through Night Five." I assured them.

Theodore's big brown eyes judged me. "And what if it doesn't?" He asked, sounding even more angry than before.

"It has to." I felt a little bit worried. "…Right?"

"If it doesn't, I'm sure that we can put our heads together and find a way to de-activate everything." Alvin spun around in the security office's swivel chair.

"Yeah." The flash of worry was gone. I had confidence we'd be alright once again. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do. Jeanette, you control the doors."

My sister stood up on trembling legs. "Y..You…g..got it."

"The rest of us are gonna watch these monitors." I instructed. "Now, and this is REALLY important…." I looked directly at Alvin. "Don't get distracted. We need to be vigilant. If we see those things coming our way, we scream at Jeanette to put the door down."

"Why must you scream?" The gentle Chipette whimpered. "Can't you just ask me nicely?"

"We have to make sure you hear us." I explained.

"Foxie's in the kitchen. Bunny's in the arcade on the stage." Alvin reported. "No sign of Chickie or Teddy." He tapped his fingers on the table. "It's a good thing these cameras have night vision. Cuz those hallways are DARK."

"I see Teddy and Chickie." Theodore reported. "They're on stairs somewhere."

"That's the basement." I replied. "Good work, Theo."

"They probably just put Brittany and Simon in the dungeon." The little wolfmunk moaned.

"Yep. Probably." I focused on only watching the cameras. I barely even registered what Theo had said.

Alvin got out of the chair a minute later and let Theodore sit down. I could see the red capped boy's eyelids start to droop.

"Alvin!" I snapped.

He perked right up. "I'm awake! I'm awake! I swear!"

"Don't get distracted." I repeated.

"I'm not!" He insisted. "I love this game! I'm really good at it! But, well, my candy boost is wearing off. I don't suppose you have any more sugar for me."

"There's cinnamon candy on the floor." I offered.

He stuck out his tongue in disgust. "I'm not that desperate."

"Bunny's coming down this hall!" Theodore panicked. "Jeanette! The door!"

"JEANETTE!" Alvin and I screamed at once.

The spaced out little fae wasn't listening. She was staring up at the cracks in the ceiling of the room.

"NETTA!" Alvin screamed louder.

She finally snapped back to look at us. "Oh….the door? Right. Right." She was just about to activate the steel doors, when a fuzzy purple hand reached in and grabbed her, yanking her out of the room and into the hall.

I leapt into action and activated the doors, before any more of us could be snatched.

Theodore's face was glum, but he turned back to watch the cameras again.

Alvin clutched his chest in pain again. "We have to go after her!"

"She'll be fine when the game is over." I grabbed Alvin by the shoulders and shook him.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" He screamed back in my face.

Theodore put his head down on the desk holding the computer monitors. "Yay." He grumbled sarcastically. "More fighting."

"That is my girlfriend, Eleanor." Alvin stubbornly deactivated the doors. "If you won't help her, then I will."

"You'll get caught too!" I re-activated the doors.

The electricity available to use the doors dropped lower. I could gauge how much was left by looking at the glowing green meter attached to the wall. It started with 70% and had dropped now to 40%.

"I don't care at this point." He growled. "I'd rather be in the dungeon than trapped here with you." He slammed his fist on the button to de-activate the doors and slipped away before I could re-activate them.

The meter now indicated there was only 30% of the electricity remaining.

"Fine! Be that way." I shouted after him. I jumped on the desk and watched the monitors with Theo. "Guess we get to watch your brother's demise." I commented.

"I don't like this game." The pouty werewolf grumbled.

"You don't?" I frowned. "But you're doing so well! You and I are gonna be the last survivors! Isn't that exciting?" I looked at him with a hopeful face.

"No!" He shook his head. "I just want my brothers and your sisters and all our friends back."

I put an arm around him again. "And you'll get them back."

"Promise?" The puppy dog eyes came out again.

I stared into them and nodded. "I promise."

We watched the monitors and eventually saw Alvin try and fail to fight Foxie in the halls. The animatronic carried him away and he screamed so loud we heard it all the way in the security office.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP! I CHANGED MY MIND! I'D RATHER BE WITH THE PIGTAILED DEMON CHILD!"

"Oh Alvin 2.0." I shook my head in exasperation. "So brainy and brainless at the same time."

Theodore was still grumpy. "Now what do we do?" He gave me a deep fangy frown.

"I guess it's up to US to rescue them from the dungeon." I walked toward the open door.

Wolfboy groaned loudly and slid out of the chair.

"I've got a plan." I did not have a plan, and I hated lying to Theo. Still, I didn't want him to know that I had no idea how long we'd be trapped in here. If Derek was in the dungeon, then it was possible the game wouldn't end when it was supposed to.

"What is it?" He crossed his arms and glared at me.

The lights flickered on in the hallway that was previously blacked out.

"Is that part of your plan?" He wondered.

I shook my head. "No, but, I guess Derek fixed the lights….or they fixed themselves."

Theodore slapped his forehead. "Can you just tell me your plan?" He demanded. "I'm getting hangry. You won't like me when I'm hangry."

I chuckled nervously. "Uh…sure thing." I willed my mind to come up with the course of action, but I got…nothing. "So the plan is…"

He raised a wolfy eyebrow.

"Really….really….complicated." I finished.

Theodore's frown deepened even more. "I'm starting to think you don't have a plan."

"What?" I forced an awkward smile. "Of course I have a plan! What kind of dunderhead wouldn't have a plan?"

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Okay!" I finally confessed. "I don't have a plan!"

"What else have you lied about tonight, "Vanessa?" He asked, uncharacteristically coldly, using finger quotes.

I felt cornered. Being caught in my lie was as terrifying to me as I wanted the Five Nights At Teddy's game to be to everyone else. Huh…I guess I really was scared of some things after all.

Before I could answer, we turned the corner and came face to face with all four animatronics. But that wasn't the worst part.

"Here we go again!" Theodore growled loudly.

As the machines chased us, we heard banging and softly muffled familier screams.

"THIS ISN'T FUN ANYMORE, ELEANOR!" Was that Simon?

"LET US OUT OF HERE!" Brittany's voice too.

"I DON'T REMEMBER SIGNING UP TO BE ANIMATRONIC FOOD!" Alvin screeched.

"Please…" Jeanette's voice begged faintly. "Stop this at once!"

"Where are you guys!?" Theodore shouted, sounding extremely scared.

"Oh no!" I pieced together what had happened.

"Your voices sound close…yet so echoey." Theo scrunched his nose in thought. "WAIT! DID TALKING TEDDY AND HIS FRIENDS ACTUALLY EAT YOU!? ARE YOU GHOSTS!?"

"No. We're not." Simon stated, his voice coming from inside Teddy.

"But we ARE stuck inside them!" Jeanette confirmed. Her voice came from Bunny.

I wondered which one Brittany was in. Probably Foxie.

"This is sorta cool, in a weird way." Alvin squeaked. "But why do I have to be stuck in the curvy fox girl!? This feels intentional!"

Oh so Alvin was inside Foxie. That left Brittany inside Chickie,

"It could be worse." Brittany fumed. "You could be a chicken…literally!" Her complaining raged on. "I wanna be Foxie. Well, actually I'd rather be free, but if I have to be trapped in one of these things, why can't it be the one with better hair!?"

The animatronics continued to advance on us.

"Are you guys controlling them or not?" Theodore asked, picking up the pace.

"We are not." Simon replied in an aggravated voice. "We can't do anything to stop them from attacking you."

"It feels like we're possessed!" Alvin said cheerfully, though I don't think he was actually cheerful. "It's miserable."

"Ohhhhh." Theodore whimpered. "That's not good."

"I'll find a way to get you out." I told them. "Somehow."

"Eleanor doesn't have a plan!" Theodore snapped.

Well…now they all knew.

"Are you saying we might ACTUALLY die in these suits!?" Brittany hollered.

Alvin's voice was even louder now. "JUST LIKE THE FIVE KIDS WHO WENT MISSING!?"

"No!" I held up both my hands. "Of course not!"

Theodore looked at me skeptically.

"I'll save you. I promise." I vowed. "But right now, I gotta kick your butts."

A heavy groan came from Teddy. "Do what you must." Simon told me.

"Let's do this, Theo." I grabbed the broom Brittany had dropped in the hall earlier and waved it like a sword. "En guarde!" I said, channeling my fencing training.

The red glowing eyed animatronics surrounded us in a circle.

"There's one thing really bothering me." Simon went on, as Theo and I took turns using the broom to jab at our attackers.

"What's that?" My werewolf partner asked.

"How on earth did these creatures have the perfect amount of space to store a chipmunk?" Simon continued.

I gulped. Would they figure it out?

"Don't poke at the plotholes, Si." Alvin advised.

"Maybe it was part of the plan all along." Jeanette stated, as Bunny swung his fist at Theo and he and I dodged it.

"That's it!" I heard the loud SNAP of Simon's fingers. "Eleanor, were you PLANNING to trap us in here!?"

"Uhh….well…" I twirled the broom and managed to crack the glass on Teddy's eye. "Kind of…yeah. For Night Five. It was going to be Theo vs all of you."

"You…You were gonna leave me ALONE to face all of them!?" My werewolf partner's fur bristled. "NOT COOL! NOT COOL AT ALL!"

"But leaving your comfort zone helps you be more confident!" I twirled the broom again and swiped it under Chickie's legs, causing her to fall.

"Oww." Brittany squeaked.

"And it makes you brave!" I went on. I knew I was in the wrong, somewhere deep inside, but my pride wasn't backing down.

That's when Theodore finally broke. Everything that had happened weighed heavily on him. Everything he held back, came spewing out like acid.

"You turned my favorite characters into monsters! And you're trying to turn me into one too!" He shouted. "But maybe I don't wanna be a monster! Maybe I just wanna be NICE! GENTLE! THEODORE!" He got even louder, pounding his fist into the side of Foxie. "There's such a thing as nice monsters too, you know!? Now we might die! And my brothers might die! And your sisters might too! And you're too caught up in the thrill of spooky stuff to realize it! I wanted to be brave, but not like THIS!" He growled angrily as he punched the red-orange animatronic again.

The dread crept over me. Oh no. Oh nooooo. I had been so caught up giving everyone (especially Theo) a fun Halloween, that I completely disregarded the fact that we were all in REAL danger now, because of me.

"You're right." I rasped, my voice catching in my throat. "I promise I can fix this."

Those big brown eyes had lost their shine. Theodore actually looked downright terrifying in his werewolf costume for the first time tonight. "At this point, no. I really don't think you can." He replied coldly. Then, he added something that sliced through my soul. "I don't trust you anymore."

The pain radiated out from my chest. Theodore has ALWAYS trusted me. If he didn't now, that means I'd screwed up in a way I wasn't sure I could take back.

"Look out!" Simon warned, but I was too caught up in my thoughts to fully hear him.

Suddenly, I felt a metal rubber clawed hand covered in a thin layer of fuzz grab me. Talking Teddy lifted me into the air before I could react.

"No!" I shrieked.

Theodore, even though he was still boiling mad, pushed Talking Teddy over with a strength I didn't know he had. "Get your paws off ELEANORRRRRRRR!" He growled.

"Oof." Simon grunted, as the animatronic's hand released me.

"Sorry, Simon." Theodore squeaked. "Hope that didn't hurt."

I took that opportunity to give off another extra loud and extra high pitched chipmunk vocalization. It scrambled all the robots' circuits like last time. They flopped to the ground and jerked around.

"You guys okay?" I asked, because I didn't want my friends and family electrocuted. I wasn't THAT deranged.

"We're fine." Jeanette squeaked. "I think."

"Just get away from us!" Alvin warned.

He didn't have to tell me twice. Theo and I ran as far away as we could. I opened the Keep Out door with the fake blood handprint and we ran inside and shut the door.

Theodore fell on his stomach and then pushed himself up, panting.

I looked at him and a small relieved smile crept onto my face. "You saved my life, Theodore."

"Hey, I might still be mad at you, but I don't wanna see you get hurt." He responded genuinely.

I opened a secret passage by typing into a keypad on the wall. One of the shelves spun around, revealing the stairs that led to the basement.

"Where are we going now?" He asked.

"To ready our troops." I said darkly. "For the final battle."

"So the basement?" My wolfy pal asked.

"Yup." We started down the staircase.

"To free your prisoners?" He continued, as he followed me.

"Yup." I pushed open the basement door.

Inside a large cell, all the human captives were glaring. Not a single one looked happy to see me.

"So, guys…" I began awkwardly. "There's been a slight change of plans."

Theodore facepalmed.

Once everyone was rescued from the basement, we all gathered in the arcade section.

Derek and Kevin teamed up to open the Teddy animatronic and attempt to free Simon from inside.

The rest of us continued to fight and dodge and defend ourselves against Bunny, Chickie, and Foxie.

"I'm so bored." Alvin complained, from inside the robotic fox.

Leave it to him to be bored while trapped inside the belly of a beast.

It was pandemonium in the arcade. I expected to love every second, and I still did love the thrill, but I couldn't stop thinking about how upset Theodore was. I needed to fix it.

Dexter took a mop from the kitchen and poked it at Chickie. "Stay back!"

Mildred twirled her scythe again. "Come at me. See what happens!?"

Theodore stood next to Pamela D. and Cheesy, growling and barking and even kicking at the robots.

Jesse tossed a table at Foxie, sending the creature down for the count.

Derek carried a very exhausted Simon over to me once he and Kevin had successfully rescued him.

"Simon." I hated saying this, but there was no other way. "I need your help."

He stumbled a bit, as Derek handed him the remote.

"How do we go about this?" The boy in the black and blue outfit asked.

"We…" The idea finally came to me. "We can switch them back into dancing mode?" It wasn't my best plan, truthfully.

"We have to remove the faulty Ai chips first." He explained.

And so, with help from our human pals, we found a way!

Derek, Cheesy, and Dexter worked together to pin down Foxie.

Jesse, Mildred, and Kevin worked together to pin down Chickie.

While they were pinned, Simon, Theo, and I removed the Ai chips. Then, the humans freed Alvin and Brittany.

"Worst Halloween ever." The pink clad diva grumbled.

After that, Pamela D. worked with Cheesy and Dexter to hold down Bunny.

Jesse, Derek, and Mildred held down Teddy.

Alvin and Simon removed Bunny's chip, while Theo and Brittany and I opened up the animatronic and pulled out a very shaky Jeanette.

Finally, Simon and I extracted Teddy's Ai chip.

The robots were completely still. I closed them back up and looked around at the mess I'd created.

"This…is gonna take a while to clean up." I mumbled.

Everyone glared at me again.

"You never told me they'd ACTUALLY go rogue." Derek sat next to one of the arcade machines that had toppled during our fight.

"I didn't think they would." I explained. I let out a guilty and nervous laugh. "I guess the lesson is…Ai is a crapshoot."

Brittany looked at Simon's watch." We've missed the first fifteen minutes of the masquerade ball!" She whined.

"It was an accident, guys." I assured them. "I thought this would end differently."

"It's alright." Mildred said. "It was…sorta fun, at the start."

"We forgive ya." Dexter added. "Right, dudes?"

"Yeah! Totally!" Came some other voices. Kevin and Cheesy I think.

"Gotta run now." Jesse looked at me. "You can unlock the front doors now, right?"

"Yeah." I felt embarrassed. "I can."

I released all the unfortunate victims from my disturbing live action videogame.

My sisters and the three Chipmunks stayed behind a little longer.

Derek did as well. He looked at the trashed arcade. "Do we have to clean all this up?" He grimaced.

Unfortunately. "I think we do." I patted his leg. "It'll probably take all day tomorrow."

"Eh." He shrugged. "I don't really have anything else to do."

"Can we PLEASE go to the ball now?" Brittany stomped her foot impatiently.

"I think I finally figured out what monster type you are, Eleanor." Alvin stood on a chair. "You're…either a ghost…or an invisible person!"

I didn't even dignify that with a response.

"Thank you for rescuing us." Jeanette told me, lifting her skirt delicately as she stepped over broken glass on the floor. "After putting us in danger."

"I couldn't have done it without Simon." I looked at the vampire chipmunk. "And Theodore." I smiled at the wolfmunk.

Theo turned away from me and stuck his nose in the air

"Oh come on." I begged. "Don't be like that. Don't give me the silent treatment. Please."

"It's either the silent treatment or you get to deal with Mr. Grouchy." Theodore snarled angrily. "I don't like being Mr. Grouchy but you left me no choice."

How could I make him less mad!? "Theo, I'm sorry! It was too much. I get it." I ran around so that I'd be in his line of sight again. "I just wanted to share my love of Halloween with you. Can you forgive me?"

"Once I'm sure you've learned your lesson." He sassed, turning away from me once more.

Everyone started to leave and walk to the exit.

I chased after Theodore desperately. "I fixed the animatronics. Everyone is safe. What more do you want from me?"

"All that tells me is, you haven't learned your lesson yet." The green clad boy in the ripped hoodie continued.

I groaned loudly. "But what is the lesson?" I thought I'd already fixed my mess!

He turned to face me again.

The other four chipmunks stood in stunned silence.

"I thought you'd have figured it out by now." Theodore sighed. "But I guess I have to tell you. You….You pushed me too hard, Ellie." He kept his voice as calm as possible, but the sadness still broke through. "There's a difference between leaving your comfort zone to build character, and being pushed so far out of your comfort zone that you snap. I tried to enjoy your game, really, I did. But it was too much for me. Way too much." Tears fell from his eyes. "And now I can't even enjoy my favorite show without worrying the characters from it will attack me." He swallowed thickly. "You took the thing that I relied on for comfort and….and you ruined it." He finished, letting the tears flow down his cheeks. "I….I don't wanna talk to you for the rest of the night."

He ran out the door.

I pushed the door open and ran after him, into the parking lot. "Theo, wait…."

"No." His lips were trembling. "Please. I need some time to cool down. Respect my boundaries."

And then he was gone, racing away into the night.

Derek followed us out into the parking lot. He didn't know what to say. Neither did Brittany or Jeanette.

But Alvin did. Because he never stops talking for long.

"I've never seen Theodore snap like that before." He took his baseball cap off and gripped it tightly in his hands.

"It was an accident!" I repeated, unable to say much else.

"Scaring him was NOT an accident." Simon snapped. "You're lying again."

"Well, no, but….the intensity was….kinda." I had a headache and the chest pain was getting worse. I know people have always said emotions can cause physical pain, but I never believed that until now.

Simon put his hands behind his back. He was a tall and imposing presence. "You have to fix this."

"I don't usually agree with that guy." Derek gestured at Simon. "But he's right. You messed Theo up BIGTIME."

"Good intentions can often backfire." Jeanette reminded me.

Brittany fixed her tower of hair as she spoke. "He's traumatized for life. You traumatized your crush."

"And Britt knows about that firsthand." Alvin commented.

Brittany shot him an annoyed look.

We all left the parking lot and began the walk to the school. Alvin STILL WOULD NOT SHUT HIS MOUTH!

"I can't believe you somehow made Theo hate Talking Teddy." He rambled. "The power you hold is IMMENSE!"

I covered my ears. "Can someone stitch his mouth shut?"

"What I'm trying to say is that if YOU made him hate Talking Teddy, then YOU can make him like Talking Teddy again!" Alvin pointed a key-lime green finger at me. "It's all up to YOU! Use your power wisely, Ells."

"Yeah…I'll try." I rubbed my arm. "It won't be easy."

"You shouldn't have scared him in the first place." Simon cast another disapproving glare at me.

I was definitely noticed, but all the glares weren't how I wanted to be noticed. In fact, they were starting to make me angry.

"Oh PLEASE!" I retorted. "You and Alvin scare him all the time!"

The boy with the red glasses agreed with me. "It's true! Remember that one year when I tried to re-create Monster Blood from the iconic Goosebumps book!?" His ears drooped momentarily and perked right back up at the mention of his favorite book series.

"Everyone remembers that, Alvin." Simon groaned. "We were cleaning green gunk out of the basement for WEEKS."

"Can we, I dunno, focus on my problem for like 5 more minutes?" I asked, trying not to sound pushy. I probably failed.

"Sorry, sorry. Sure, Eleanor." Alvin hopped over a crack on the sidewalk.

"I wish I knew how to help." Jeanette frowned. "I think he just needs time to re-center himself. Surround himself with comfort."

"Maybe." I murmured.

"You need to find a way to make Theo less afraid of Talking Teddy." Simon stuck his hands in his cloak pockets. "I'm not sure how you can pull that off, but hopefully you can."

That's when I suddenly knew EXACTLY what to do.

"That's it!" I exclaimed, turning around and running in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" Brittany was fed up with my antics.

I didn't want to explain my idea, in case they talked me out of it. "I forgot something really important at the haunted pizzeria." I responded. "I'll catch up with you later!" I waved at them.

Everyone looks confused. Derek and Brittany looked the most confused.

Simon broke the awkward silence. "Well…Theodore did say he needed space from her anyway."

I didn't bother listening to anything else they said. I had a new objective. I arrived back at the abandoned Chuck-E-Cheese and fired up the animatronics. It was time to give Theo exactly what he wanted all along.

I rode on Talking Teddy's head as I controlled the 4 robots and led them all to Santa Barbara High school.

I kept them outside, hiding in some bushes until I needed them. Then, I slipped into the gym, completely unnoticed.

Alvin, Brittany, and Jeanette were dancing together, all wearing their masks now. Alvin's green zombie mask looked out of place next to my sisters' more traditional looking pink and purple masquerade masks.

Simon hung around the punch bowl, chatting with Kevin, Dexter, and Cheesy. He had a fancy black bat shaped mask over his eyes.

I slipped on a simple looking mint green domino mask. There were a bunch of assorted masks in a box by the door.

I walked around, looking for Theodore. Unfortunately, he found me first.

"You don't follow instructions very well." He lifted his rubber Wolfman mask and revealed his face.

"You know what they say about her." Alvin slid past us, dancing to the Monster Mash song that was playing in the background. "Just when ya think she's gone, she always comes back."

"Beat it, Alvin." I growled.

"Sure thing, Eleanor THRILLER." He twirled away.

Heheh. Replacing Miller with Thriller was pretty funny. Also, I totally need to make a cover of Thriller.

Theodore and I were alone again. "What happened to respecting my boundaries?" He grumbled.

"I'm sorry…" I squeaked. "Again. I just…I wanna talk."

"I'm not really in the mood." He turned away again.

There was nothing left to do but pour my heart and soul out to him. "You have every right to stay mad at me. Everything you said was true. I screwed up. And I can't change what I did. But, please, let me make it up to you." I slumped my shoulders. "I didn't realize that I'd make you hate your favorite show. I should have, but I was stupid. I was too obsessed, too short sighted, and I ignored the signs you were throwing at me all night until the damage was done."

Theodore spun around to face me, his face still grief stricken.

I continued to let it all out. "I should have NEVER tried to push you out of your comfort zone so much. I shouldn't have done that to anybody. Not Jeanette, not Brittany, not Alvin, not Simon, or…anyone. I care about you, Theo. I do care about your feelings. And I'm sorry I lied and I'm sorry I wrecked your trust in me. And, well, if you're open to it…I think I know a way to make Teddy and his friends less scary."

Theodore let out a heavy sigh and looked at me with sad brown eyes.

"But…" I swallowed. "If you still want me to leave you alone….I can go." I turned away and started to walk toward the door.

"No." A meek squeaky voice stopped me.

I turned my head to see Theodore reaching out for my arm.

"Stay." His lip trembled again. "You can stay."

He pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry I got so mad at you, Ellie. I didn't know how to make you understand." He whimpered.

"It's okay, it's okay." I patted his slicked back hair. "You needed to get mad."

"It did feel…really good." He broke from the hug and squeezed my hand. "I love you so much. I just…don't always love all the stuff you love."

"I know. And I appreciate trying to stick it out for the night." I sighed. "But you don't HAVE to love thrills like I do."

"Yeah." He nodded. "We're different and that means we like different stuff. I like cute and cuddly stuff and you like bloody and gory stuff."

"Speaking of cute and cuddly stuff…." I pulled the remote from my pocket. "Check this out!"

I gave the four animatronics commands to come inside the gym and start dancing.

Theodore looked apprehensive, but quickly realized that they weren't going to hurt him.

The other students did not realize this, and soon there was a panic sweeping through the gym as everyone ran away from the animatronics.

"What are they doing here!?" Simon demanded.

Theodore giggled. "They're dancing for me!" He scurried over to dance with Talking Teddy. "Eleanor controls them again! And she made them NICE!"

"Leeeet's BOO-gie!" Alvin exclaimed.

"Dance the FRIGHT away." Simon smirked at Alvin.

"Watch out for Simon's BAT breath." The red capped menace shouted back.

Simon folded his arms. "I almost laughed at that one. Oh wait, I'm just COFFIN."

"Oh not again." Brittany sipped some punch from the punch bowl.

"I guess you're the pun war winner." Alvin finally gave up. "I'm not sure how to top that one."

"I knew I'd win." Simon bragged. "No need for self REFLECTION."

"I gotta HAND it to you, bro." Alvin removed his hand and waved it around. It wasn't really his hand, just a look alike prop he'd been hiding in his sleeve.

"Oh, so gross." Brittany shuddered.

Chickie danced near her.

"Don't give me that look, birdbrain." She threatened, holding up her cup.

Simon grabbed the cup from her. "Let's refrain from spilling punch on the electronics."

Jeanette peeked her head out from behind the refreshment table. "Very…uh…interesting way to….fix things, sis." She told me.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON!?" Dave exclaimed, running over to us. His costume was a suit like Beetlejuice's and Phantom of the Opera style mask.

Miss. Miller followed, dressed in a fancy Cinderella dress. "Who let in the dancing bunny?"

"That would be Eleanor." Jeanette ratted me out instantly.

"I'm trying to un-traumatize Theo." I admitted. "I think it's working."

"I officially forgive you." Theo grabbed my hands. "Let's dance!"

"What have I missed this time?" Dave wondered, scratching his head.

Derek stepped forward. "I can tell you, Mr. Seville."

While Derek took the chaperones aside, to explain about the night that I would DEFINITELY be punished for, Theodore and I started to sing the rap section of that Awkward Marina song my sisters and I performed earlier.

"Chocolate-flavored candy corn won't save us today

We're out here chillin' with the villains, and they won't go away

I'm talkin' clowns and zombies out here to haunt me

Out in the woods you can't call your mommy"

We both bumped booties and continued dancing together. At that moment, nothing mattered more to me than knowing that Theo forgave me, and that, even though he'd have nightmares for a while, I'd always be there to help him through it.

"Running for your life, you got that fear in your eye

You drop the candy out your bag as there's a storm in the sky

I'm talkin' bats, black cats, and all kinds of rats, yeah

Run for your life 'cause they're out to getcha"

We raised our hands up like claws and snarled at each other. Then, we giggled and fist bumped.

My sisters and I sang the chorus of the song, and even Alvin, Simon and Theodore joined in. At this point, the other students had figured out the animatronics weren't going to kill them, so they danced along too.

"Are you scared, are you scared

Of something that isn't there?

Are we all paranoid

That we'll sink into the void?"

Yup. It was surely a Halloween to remember. I'd make more monster puns, but I think you've probably heard enough of them. Next year, I'd dial the scares back for Theo. And Jeanette too. And anyone who wanted me to. But, for the horror buffs like me, I could go all out. I couldn't wait.

"So on this Halloween

Just make sure what you believe is true

Are you afraid of the dark too?"

We all struck various monster poses. Simon and Brittany bared their fangs and raised their hands up like claws. Alvin walked like Frankenstein's monster. I copied him, with more of a zombie limp. Jeanette just threw her hands up in the air and smiled.

Theodore finished off our song, tilting his head back and howling at the ceiling.

"Awoooooooooooo!"

And like…cue the end credits! Sorry, I totally turned this into a movie length feature film instead of a mini tale. You can never have too much Halloween fun. Oops, actually you can. I just learned that. But the point is, uh, I had a lot to tell ya and I hope you enjoyed my funky little parody. I'm so HAPPY I finally got to share Halloween with all you awesome readers!

This is Eleanor Thriller (I kinda like that) sayin' PEACE OUT! And, if you're a fan of the gruesome and gut wrenching and disturbing, remember not to accidentally scar your friends for life!

Check out the kiddos in their costumes. (Eleanor wasn't the best at describing anyone besides her or Theo.)

Chapter Text

Brittany's POV

I had finally done it. It had taken weeks of begging and compromising and planning, but I had finally done it. I had convinced Geek Charming to go to a party with me! He usually only attends one school party every other month. But this month, he agreed to TWO!

Our friendship had really blossomed since that awkward friend-date at La Cafe. I was trying my best to show that I accepted the person Alvin had grown into. Alvin was trying his best to NOT be a complete buzzkill when he was around me. Never in my life could I have dreamed things could ever be this perfect!

I twirled around in my best dress. It was short, but modest. Spaghetti straps showed off my stunning shoulders. The dress was covered in faux diamonds and faux pink tourmaline gemstones.

I was trying to pretend I was on a dance floor, but I was really just in my friend Sandy's living room. Still, it was turning out to be a beautiful night, regardless of the tacky furniture and ugly green throw rug.

Alvin wore a shiny red suit with glitter embedded in the fabric. He had a bright yellow bowtie and a cyan shirt under his open suit jacket. His metallic red glasses had two red rhinestones in the corners.

He was getting into the dance too! I grabbed his hand and twirled him around. He was apprehensive at first, but then he let me.

"You aren't gonna kiss me again, are ya?" The dapper boy asked, looking worried.

I twitched my nose and smiled mischievously. "No." I replied. "Why? Would you LIKE me to?"

"Not in a million years." He grinned.

"That's what I hoped you'd say." I responded.

"Phew." He wiped his brow.

"I'm really….happy with the way things are now." I confessed, letting go of his hand. "I don't want to do anything to mess it up."

"Me either." He looked into my eyes. "And thanks for convincin' me to come here. I know I can be…kinda stubborn."

"Very stubborn." I corrected.

"Fine, VERY stubborn." He agreed. "I just….I don't always feel comfortable at parties anymore, ya know." He stopped dancing and jumped onto the couch. "After everything that's happened, I don't know how to even…talk to most of these people." He gestured around at the other popular kids. "Without making a complete fool of myself."

"That's why you need to just RELAX and let loose." I climbed onto the couch next to him.

Alvin peered over the back of the couch at the teens mingling in the kitchen. "Easier said than done, most of these guys HATE me."

I smiled encouragingly. "If anyone messes with you, or teases you, I'll make them wish they'd never been born." I vowed, holding up my fist.

"Thanks, Britt." He nudged my shoulder playfully. "You're the only one I can handle teasing me right now."

He was giving me an open invitation to tease him! Thank goodness! I had a few ideas for playful insults, but I forced myself to hold back until he got more adjusted to the party atmosphere. I didn't want to go teasing him while he was in a bad place. Too many times, that had gone horribly wrong.

"Well, in that case…" I pointed to his hair. "You could really use some more hair gel. Or better yet, get a new stylist!"

"Yeah, you're right." He tried to smooth down his wild red and EXTREMELY fluffy locks. "I ran out of the extra strength stuff and the original just cannot hold it down anymore."

"Don't worry." I poked his chest. "The clothes make up for it."

"Thank you! Your dress is pretty cool too….even though it looks like you robbed a jewelry store." He chuckled.

"Your shoes…are still tacky." I pointed to his signature rainbow sneakers.

"They go with EVERYTHING." He argued.

"They go with NOTHING." I retorted, flicking my tail.

Alvin slid off the couch. "So, what sorta food have they got here?" He asked.

I followed him and we slipped into the kitchen. "Your favorite! Pizza!"

A frown twisted his lips. "Aw man. I'm not really feeling pizza tonight."

"You? Not feeling pizza?" I raised an eyebrow. "How is that possible?"

He rubbed his arm awkwardly. "I ate a whole box of pizza last night and then I had to take stupid antacid tablets because the stupid sauce doesn't play nice with my stupid old man digestive system."

"Wow." I sassed playfully. "I thought Alvin 2.0 had self control."

"He…I…do!" The red capped boy squeaked. "It was a momentary slip!"

"Bummer." I pointed to the other option sitting on the counter. "I guess you'll have to have a salad."

"Urgh! Not the salad! Isn't there anything else?" He groaned.

I knew now was the perfect time to surprise him. "There is this fruit salad. It's got pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes, banana, honeydew…ew, and mango!"

"Yes! Yes!" He grabbed the bowl out of my hands and quickly scooped a serving of the fruit salad into a smaller bowl. "That's what I'm talkin' about!" His orange eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait, how did you know I'm a sucker for pineapple and mango?"

I got a little nervous, all of a sudden. What if when I told him the reason, it creeped him out!? What if he went back to avoiding me? I couldn't risk our friendship again. I just couldn't!

"Britt?" He poked me with the less pokey end of his fork. Spearing a slice of pineapple, he munched it while looking directly at me.

He needed an answer.

"I have been….making sure to…uh…take note…of the things you like. I didn't know you as well as I thought before, and I never want that to happen again. Sometimes, I still write about you in my diary." I covered my mouth. "Why did I say that?" I gulped.

"Britt, wow….I don't know what to say." Alvin looked down at his fruit salad.

I hid my face behind the large salad bowl so he couldn't see how embarrassed I looked. "I made it weird. I'm sorry. I tried so hard not to make it weird, but I still made it weird."

He reached out and took the salad bowl away, scooping me some fruit salad and carefully avoiding all the icky honeydew chunks. "Maybe now would be a good time to tell you, I write about you in mine too." He passed me the fruit salad, so tenderly prepared. "It's what friends do."

"It's what CRUSHES do." I emphasized. "Isn't it?"

"Friends can do it too. Plus, you know, if I'm totally honest…it's not always GOOD stuff." He shoved a cantaloupe slice in his mouth before he could continue.

I frowned.

"But, you know,…" He said with his mouth full. "Some of it IS. I write about a lot of the fun things we do together. And about how awesome you can be. I don't have a great memory, and writing things down helps me not lose…" He gestured around at the party. "…all this."

I felt my nerves calm down a little. So maybe I was truly over my crush on him, even though I feared I wasn't. The feelings didn't just leave. They trickled out slowly like…oh drat, I need a good metaphor…Simon would know how to describe it.

"I write about that stuff too." I looked at my bestie fondly. "Like the time we went to the roller rink together, and the arcade, and the time we went to the park. You bet me that I couldn't drink an entire soda and still swing on the swingset, but I did!" I laughed. "Then you tried it and got sick in the bushes."

"Oof. Yeah. You held my hair back while I was hurlin'." Alvin looked up at the ceiling and then back at me. "And then you carried me home."

We continued exchanging the "greatest hits" of our shared memories for a long while. There were more than I realized.

"Hey, what about the time we played mini golf and I got the club stuck in the blades of the windmill?" I ate my fruit salad between bites. A polite lady doesn't speak with her mouth full.

"Or the time we went to the carnival! And your shoe flew off on the paragliders and WHACKED Simon right in the face!" Alvin laughed so hard that tears were in his eyes.

"Remember when you used all those free samples in Bath and Body Works? And then you were like a walking perfume bomb! And Theodore couldn't stand it, so you had to sleep in your treehouse until it wore off?" I giggled.

"In my defense, I was bored." Alvin twirled his fork in his hand, then stabbed a bunch of holes into his napkin.

I reached out and flicked the brim of his cap. "You're ALWAYS bored."

"You wanted me in Classic mode!" He squeaked. "You get what you signed up for!" Then, he looked at me with a serious expression. "And DON'T touch the cap."

"Sorry." I returned to eating my fruit salad. "Anyway, since this is your first time at a party in weeks…" I began, with an idea forming in my mind. "I was thinking, we should do something special to celebrate it."

He licked the empty fruit salad bowl like one of Ms. Croner's cats does with their food bowls. He paused when he heard what I was saying. "Whattya have in mind?"

I whispered my idea into his ear.

"I love it!" He exclaimed.

And so, I dragged him over to the big sheet of paper that Sandy had taped to the wall. She has a tradition, you see, that everyone who attends her party signs the paper with their name.

But Alvin and I didn't just sign it. We drew a picture! He grabbed a red pen and I grabbed pink…duh! Even though he loves cyan, red's still a signature color too OBVIOUSLY.

I drew a very precise and beautiful drawing of myself looking at Alvin. He drew himself next to me. His doodle self was looking at me and wearing a superhero costume. The drawing was a lot sketchier than mine, but somehow more detailed. Our artstyles looked nice next to each other. I was going to draw a heart, but I knew that might send the wrong message or start rumors.

In the end, I drew some sparkles and flowers and Alvin drew lightning bolts and light bulbs. He wrote his name above his drawing and I put mine above my simple, but fabulous masterpiece.

"It's still missing something." Alvin murmured.

I studied the drawing. "But what?" I asked.

"I dunno." He adjusted his glasses and then held up his fingers like they were a camera lens. "Something to tie the whole thing together."

I tilted my head. "What more could we possibly add?"

"I've got it!" Alvin grabbed the pink pen from my hand and started writing. "Close your eyes. I wanna surprise ya."

I sighed. "Fine." Please don't be drawing a mustache on me or something. I begged in my head.

Alvin finished and stepped back. "You can open your eyes now."

In red and pink pen, with the color alternating back and forth for each letter, he'd written the words BEST FRIENDS FOREVER.

I couldn't stop smiling. My heart was fluttering, but not in a romantic way. Nope! This was something different, a new feeling that I was slowly but surely getting used to, even though changes are hard for me.

"You like it?" He put the pens down.

"I LOVE IT!" I exclaimed. "Besties forever!"

"Best FRIENDS." He corrected.

I ticked his chin. "Besties sounds so much cuter."

"Does not." He argued.

"Does so!" I smiled.

"Not to me." He folded his arms, but the smile was still on his face. I knew he wasn't mad.

"I'm sorry." I sassed. "I didn't realize you were the ONLY one who mattered in this friendship." I grumbled sarcastically.

I LOVE OUR BANTER SO MUCH! Life just isn't the same without it. I'm glad we can still rile each other up. It's honestly good for us. Alvin says that certain types of conflict fuels his dopa-meter or whatever. It makes him happy! What better conflict than a playful one where both people are aware of boundaries!?

"I'm not." He stroked his chin. "But I still think besties makes you sound like you're on a Disney Channel Sitcom."

I gasped. "You take that back!" I shouted, before giving Alvin a small sign that I wasn't actually steaming mad. I winked at him, just momentarily.

"Nope! I don't think I will!" He quipped confidently.

I put my hands on my hips. "You better."

"You know what else it sounds like?" He went on. "Some cheesy greeting card, something a toddler who can't pronounce best friends would say…"

"Well, that tears it." I smiled smugly. "You, my geeky friend, are a bestie for life. I will call you that every day, every chance I get, I will text it to you, every morning you will wake up to "Good Morning, Bestie!" and every night you'll receive a "Goodnight, Bestie!" I walked closer to him, getting right up in his face. "And all your Christmas presents from me will be addressed "to Brittany's Bestie!"

"You are a cruel, cruel woman." Alvin stepped back and put a hand on his forehead dramatically. Then, he came up and nudged me with his hip. "Juuuuust messin' with ya. You know, I'm actually warming up to the whole bestie thing. Just, don't make it…too excessive."

"You got it,…" I winked and then we hugged. I whispered into his ear. "…Bestie."

Yeah, I definitely could get used to this. Why was it such a struggle before? I am now SO excited for the future! I'm not even dreading it! This is the start of something new…and I can't wait to see where it goes.

Alvin 2.0's POV

"I don't belong here. I don't belong here." The other thoughts in my head were background noise against this one ever-repeating thought.

"Shut up." Classic Alvin's voice demanded. "Of course you do."

"No, you shut up." Nerdy Alvin urged him.

"No you!" Classic huffed back.

I tried to ignore them. But then the anxiety bubbled up again. "I don't belong here."

"Alvie, are you okay?" Brittany snapped her fingers in front of my face. "You're staring at the wall again."

I snapped back into party-mode and allowed Classic to take the reins again. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just, err, psyching myself up to mingle. That's all. It's been a minute." I felt myself chuckle. "And by a minute, I mean a while. A long while."

She raised an eyebrow. It was like she knew I was hiding something. "Yeah. You're not exactly as….social….as before."

"But I can be!" I promised her and myself, even though I was worried it was a lie. "It just takes….practice."

"Well, then GO mingle." The Chipette in the super shiny rhinestone dress encouraged me. "Instead of just standing around and talking about it."

I started to scamper around the living room. "Right. Right. You are absolutely right."

I felt a chill run through me as I looked up at the popular kids. Who should I talk to? Captain of the basketball team? Nah, he hated me. Amber and Annie? They're also out. Maybe I could find Sheridan or Anita. Ohoho, hey, I'm a lot better at remembering names than I used to be.

"Let me have controooool again." Classic Alvin, the manifestation of my impulses and unmanaged ADHD, begged me. "I can make you seem so cool!"

I wished I could, but something was stopping me. While I needed him here to sort of jump in every now and then, I couldn't give up full control. I might wind up doing something stupid and outrageous that all the other kids take video of and post EVERYWHERE.

"You're overthinking again." Classic was taunting me!

"I wanna try and talk to them as…this self first." I explained. "If I crash and burn, then I'll give you full control. Deal?"

His slightly higher pitched voice squeaked happily. "DEAL!"

And suddenly, Brittany's hand was on my shoulder again.

"Spaced out again?" She asked tenderly.

I shook my head. "Uh…yeah. Sorta."

"Would it help if I talk to them too?" Brittany offered. "Then the pressure won't ALL be on you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. That sounded like an idea that could actually work. "Yeah…Good thinking." I twisted my hair awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm such a mess."

She flashed a confident smile. "You're not. You just need help finding your groove."

I followed her over to a group of popular kids. Some of them I knew, and some I wasn't as familiar with. They loomed over me, staring with judgemental eyes.

I gulped. Here goes nothing.

"Remember, I can step in when you crash and burn." Classic Alvin reminded me smugly.

"IF." I corrected.

"WHEN." He repeated.

Brittany gave me a nudge. "Don't you dare zone out again." She whispered.

"Hey, it's nerd boy." Logan, one of the popular boys who wore a black hoodie and a matching baseball cap, flashed finger guns at me. "Didn't expect to see you here."

WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO SAY TO THAT!?

A nervous chuckle erupted from my throat before I could stop it. "Why not? Even us academic guys enjoy the occasional shindig."

WHAT THE HECK DID I JUST SAY!?

Logan and all the other popular kids within earshot looked at me with confused faces.

"He's saying he still loves parties." Brittany translated for me.

"Yeah!" I blurted out. "I'd love to party with you guys more often, but I'm always buried in assignments and stuff."

"That's rough, buddy." Logan responded.

Jesse, the drama class superstar, gave me a kind smile as she sipped her punch from a red solo cup. "We're glad you could make it today, at least."

"I keep telling him to take breaks more often." Brittany climbed up onto the arm of the couch to get closer to the popular kids' height. "But he won't listen to me."

"Getting ahead is important." I murmured. "But enough school talk. Got any fun party games? I'm tryin' to replenish my dopamine."

Logan's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

Annie, the girl with a really dumb looking blonde bob haircut, overheard what I said and came rushing over. "You're on dope?" She asked.

"You take hard drugs? You don't seem the type." Greg, the basketball team captain, was right behind Annie. He picked me up and scanned me with his eyes.

I tried to mask how uncomfortable and nervous I was, with annoyance. "It's a neurotransmitter."

"Calling it a fancy name doesn't make it less lethal." Logan pointed out.

I hated the fact that they misinterpreted what I was saying! What was wrong with them!? They needed to be EDUCATED!

"People's brains produce the hormone NATURALLY." I quipped, my voice taking on an unintentional scholarly quality. "Like Serotonin, Melatonin, Adrenaline…."

Greg set me back down on the ground. "Get help, man. Seriously."

As soon as he said that, Brittany lept into action.

"HEY! Do not talk to him like that!" She ordered, giving Greg a threatening glare.

"Yeah! Only she can talk to me like that!" I shouted. "And I'm not on drugs!" I folded my arms. "Unless you count memory supplements…and the occasional ADHD and anxiety meds." Drat, okay. So I was on drugs, but not the ones they thought.

"He doesn't take anything that's bad for him." Brittany stated firmly. "It's all approved by his psychiatrist and his therapist."

"By which she means Simon and Jeanette." I clarified.

Brittany turned to glare at me.

Oops. Apparently, I wasn't supposed to clarify.

That got the popular kids to change the subject, apparently.

Jason, that dude who once put me through rigorous challenges to prove I was still cool, flipped through his phone while he mingled. "Did anyone catch the football game on Friday?"

"Sure did! It was TOTALLY LIT!" Greg fistbumped him.

"Oh yeah! The wide receiver was the star of the show." Logan stated. "That's me. By the way."

"You were soooo talented out there, Logan." Amber and Annie batted their eyes at him and I resisted the urge to vomit.

I decided to fib a little, to make up for my mistake. "I saw the game too! It was a good one! Truly one for the football history books."

"Leave it to the nerd to think about history books." Laughed Greg. "That's all you are now. Isn't it, little guy?"

Brittany's ice blue eyes flashed with anger. "GREGORY, I AM WARNING YOU!"

"Why did you bring him, Brittany? He doesn't belong here." The basketball team captain responded. It was like Britt's threats weren't having much impact.

"I don't belong here." The sad voice in my head repeated.

I tried to choke some words out, but they died before they could leave my lips. Because Greg had a point. I didn't belong here. Why was I even here again? Oh yeah, because I wanted to have a good time with Brittany.

At least Brittany still thought I belonged here. She made it 100% undeniable as she faced off against the ridiculously tall dude.

"Alvin has JUST as much right to be here as the rest of you. Sandy invited BOTH of us!" The Chipette's tail bristled.

"It's true." Sandy danced on by, stopping when she saw the Texas standoff forming between Brittany and Greg.

"We'll see about that." Greg turned his attention to me again. "Tell me, Poindexter, what was the score of the football game?" He narrowed his eyes and smirked.

"Uhhh." My mouth felt dry. Static filled my ears. "I don't remember."

"That doesn't prove anything, Gregory." Brittany folded her arms. "He doesn't remember lots of things."

"Haha." Annie laughed. "Except like…math stuff and science stuff."

"Even that I struggle to recall sometimes." I confessed.

Greg glared at me again. "Question 2. Which school were we playing against?"

"Do you wanna waste time quizzing me, or do you wanna play a party game?" I responded, avoiding the question entirely.

"You didn't watch the game. I know it." The bully hissed. "You didn't even know there was one."

"And so what if he didn't!" Brittany shouted. "He's got a LOT of things to focus on. Maybe he can't keep up on everything we talk about anymore, but he's still my bestie and because he is my bestie, he BELONGS at this party. So stop trying to prove he doesn't. Because you can't."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Sandy added, smoothing out the ruffles on her orange dress.

Jesse nodded in agreement.

"I'll get better at this." I promised them all, even though I wasn't sure the ability to was even inside me these days. "Ya just gotta give me time to get re-accustomed."

Greg just snarled, but the rest of the group seemed receptive.

"Now, while you guys discuss whatever party game ya wanna play, I have got to…." I needed a good excuse. "Get a little fresh air."

I sprinted to the door and jumped up to twist the doorknob.

"Wait for me." I heard Brittany say.

"You need fresh air too?" Amber asked. "Like, okay, that's kinda weird."

"It's a chipmunk thing." She fibbed hastily, before joining me outside.

I sat down in the grass outside. I was completely silent, because I was once again trapped inside my own head.

"A deal's a deal, pal. My turn to drive." Classic Alvin quipped in a sassy voice.

"I just don't know what went wrong." I sighed. "I tried so hard."

"It's not your fault." Classic assured me. "All your cool genes, or whatever, are connected to me."

"I'm supposed to be the blend between you and Albert/Nerdy/Full on 2.0." I explained. "But I always lean more into his traits than yours, even if I'm TRYING to lean the opposite direction."

"Yeah. Sucks to be you." My fun side teased, sounding slightly sad.

"Alvie?" Brittany's voice brought me spiraling back to reality. "Please don't leave."

I stood up and stuck my hands in the pockets of my red glitter suit pants. "I wasn't gonna."

"Are you sure?" She asked sweetly, with some sadness.

"Yeah. I just needed fresh air is all." I assured her. "Like I said."

"I'm sorry they said those things to you, especially Greg." Brittany reached out and put a hand on my shoulder.

I looked at my feet. "It's fine. It's not your job to apologize for them."

"Still, I want to make sure you feel safe here." My best friend insisted.

I rubbed my arm awkwardly. "I'm not sure you can. But I'm fine, really. I'll shake it off like I always do."

"If you're fine, then why do you still look like someone said you flunked an exam?" She asked softly.

I fidgeted and paced around. "Because I basically did flunk an exam." I sighed. "I was trying, Britt, really I was. I wanted to survive this party as myself. To prove that I'm not so different after all. But I AM different and nothing can change that fact."

"The Alvin I know doesn't give up after the first try." Brittany reminded me, gently stroking my arm.

"There's something I can do, but I'm not sure if I should." I muttered. "It might backfire worse."

"What is it?" Her pink lips parted in an O of surprise.

I nibbled my lip. "I could…summon my Classic Alvin side. He's already been helping a little, but he wants full control. He wants me to turn off my inhibitions and then we're both sure we'll blend in better."

"You know I absolutely adore your fun side." Brittany rubbed her chin. "But I thought you couldn't do that at will."

"I've been practicing. It's not a perfect system, but he's here now and…yeah." I felt so embarrassed talking to her about this. I sounded crazy. I was crazy.

"Then do it." She smiled. "If you make a mess, I'll help you pick up the pieces."

I frowned. "But if I do, then that means I have to admit I couldn't get through the party as 2.0."

"So what?" Brittany shrugged. "There will be other parties. Maybe tonight just isn't the night for this side of you."

"Maybe." I pouted. "But I wanted to make it through as myself so BADLY."

She stared into my eyes and smiled with confidence. "Look at me, bestie. You are yourself. That's what you always tell me. You are Classic. You are 2.0. You are the full-nerd guy. It doesn't always seem like it, especially from an outside point of view."

"It doesn't always feel like it from an inside point of view either." I admitted.

"Bottom line, If going Classic mode is what you need to do, then don't stop yourself from doing it!" Brittany insisted. "You always complain that Dave punishes you too much. Right now, you're punishing YOURSELF." She pointed out.

"Oh…" I murmured.

Was that true? Was my reluctance to let my Classic Alvin side out to play…a means of punishing myself? For spending a night out at a party when I had other more important things at home I could be doing? Oh no! It was!

"Are you sure you're not just telling me this so you can hang with my alter ego?" I asked half-nervously and half with a teasing smile.

"I'm going to be hanging out with YOU. You and Classic share memories. Don't you?" She poked her finger at my forehead.

"Uh huh. We do." I told her.

"Then…" She smiled wider. "What are you waiting for? Tonight, you have no responsibilities. You are allowed to relax. Go nuts."

"Okay." I closed my eyes and willed myself to switch into my unencumbered and free spirited state of being.

"My turn to drive now?" Classic Alvin was giddy.

"Yes." I told him as I felt myself sort of…fuse into him. "Your turn to drive."

My eyes flew open. I suddenly had even more energy than before. I still was aware of my surroundings and definitely in control of my body. I did not feel like a backseat driver. Had the intentional switch into Classic mode been a success?

I tried to think about studying and found it absolutely mind-numbingly boring. I wanted to go back inside the house and play whatever party game was cooked up.

That was a sign it worked, wasn't it? Eh, why was I overthinking this? It had DEFINITELY worked. I was Classic! I was also me!

"Leeeeet's party!" I grabbed Brittany's hand and pulled her back inside.

"Whoah!" She giggled. "That was fast."

"Of course it was fast." I bragged. "I do everything fast."

"So it worked?" She wondered aloud. "How are you feeling?"

I threw open the door and jumped inside. "Like a gazillion times better than before!" I yelped happily.

"Great!" Brittany squeaked. "It's nice to see this…part of you. You really should let him out more often."

"Yeah! I totally should!" I agreed.

Then, I raced up to Greg and smiled wide enough to show off my giant chipmunk teeth.

"Hey, dude. I'm baaaaack! Who's ready to have some fun!?" I raised up my fist for a fistbump.

Greg raised an eyebrow at Brittany. "Did you drug him?" He asked.

"No." She put her hands on her hips. "All I did was give him a little pep talk. He was nervous, but I took care of it."

"What game are we playin'?" I asked excitedly.

Logan's eyebrows wriggled. "Truth or Dare."

Brittany's face contorted into a worried expression.

Inside my head, a faint "oh no" came from my Nerdy side.

I ignored it without even trying to. "Ohoho! That sounds fun!" I exclaimed. "Dares are always super exciting!"

The popular kids were all giving me strange looks, but I couldn't figure out why, so I didn't focus on them. It was GAME time!

"Who wants to start?" Sandy asked.

All of the kids who wanted to play the game, gathered in a circle. Let the fun start NOW! Because how can truth or dare be anything but fun!?

Brittany sat next to me. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"What could go wrong?" I shrugged my shoulders.

(Turns out, letting my impulses run rampant made me oblivious and shortsighted. My ability to predict consequences was hindered noticeably.)

Seriously! What could go wrong? I know these games get weird and emotional, but I have a VERY thick skin! I can take whatever people dish out!

Besides, I wouldn't pick truth! I would choose dare and then I wouldn't have to answer any uncomfortable emotional questions. Ohoho! I am so smart!

"Who gets to go first?" I wondered aloud.

Brittany volunteered herself. "I'll go first." She pointed to one of the popular girls. "Annie, truth or dare?"

Annie grumbled. She didn't look happy to be chosen. "Dare I guess."

A devious smirk spread across Brittany's pretty face. "I dare you…to shave half your head."

"WHAT!?" Annie shouted. "She can't do that! Can she?" The cheerleader looked at Sandy.

"I think she can. Those are the rules." Sandy smiled. "I'll get you a razor."

"Omg! This is like SO UNFAIR!" Annie continued to complain.

A little while later, the sullen teenage girl sat on the floor with a really cool looking haircut. Half her head was shaved, but the other half was still long. Hey! Maybe I should try that look!

"No please!" Nerdy Alvin begged faintly. "Don't do anything you'll regret."

Annie pointed to Greg. "You! Truth or dare?" She demanded.

"Truth." The basketball captain replied.

"How many people have you dated in your lifetime?" Annie asked, taking a drink of her soda and grinning.

"I bet he's really gotten around!" I blurted out, before I could stop myself.

"Shut up, rat." Greg responded to my interjection.

Brittany grabbed my hand and squeezed it, to signal I needed to be quiet.

"Well?" Amber, Annie's best friend, looked at Greg with a matching grin.

"Are you and Tiffany still a thing?" Logan wondered.

Sandy snorted. "Nah. He dumped Tiffany months ago."

Annie picked at her nails. "Still waiting on your answer, Greg."

"7." The tall dude finally admitted. "When I was 12, I dated this girl named Christina. Two years after that was Mandi, then I dated Annie for a weekend. Tiffany was next. I dated Roger, Corey, and currently I'm with Lisa."

"Wait, you like guys too? I didn't know that!" I exclaimed.

"Got a problem with it!?" The basketball player threatened.

"Of course not. Love is love." I explained. "I'm just surprised, is all."

Amber looked at Annie with her jaw dropped. "YOU DATED GREG!?"

Annie's face was redder than a whole bucket of tomatoes. "It was just one weekend! I didn't think that counted!"

"It totally counts." Greg said. "But anyway, movin' on." His burly finger pointed directly at me. "Geekazoid, truth or dare?"

I stood up and puffed out my chest. "Dare."

Greg rubbed his hands together and then pointed at the table in the kitchen with the refreshments. "You like science, right?"

Did I? Surprisingly, yes. Even in Classic mode, my love for science persisted. "Yeah."

"I dare you to make a science experiment using anything you can find on that table." The teenage boy demanded.

"Okay! Challenge accepted!" I got up and hustled to the table. The rest of the group followed.

Brittany watched me with that same worried look on her face.

I scanned the table for things to use for my big experiment. My eyes fell on a big bottle of Coca Cola and a container of fruity flavored Mentos. "Stand back! This is gonna be EXPLOSIVE!" I grabbed both items.

I could have done the experiment OUTSIDE, but I wasn't thinking ahead very far, so that never occurred to me. Instead, I just dropped the Mentos in the bottle and let the chemical reaction do the rest.

KA BOOM! With a loud noise, the bottle launched a stream of foamy and frothy soda in the air. The rest of it oozed out of the bottle and got over everything. The kitchen was a total mess.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Logan shouted.

"WHAT THE HECK!?" Greg's eyes were wide.

"Cool!" Cheered Sandy. "My parents are gonna kill me, but that was so worth it!"

"How does it work?" Brittany asked. That was shocking to me, because she normally doesn't care how sciency things work.

I tried to gather the information needed to explain it, but my brain dismissed it as boring facts. I wasn't in the mood to infodump. I wanted to continue the game!

"Uhhh….well….it's….uh….chemical….stuff. Like, the two….substances cause each other…..to blow up." I fumbled out. "Sorry. Not exactly in science mode at the moment!" I said in a rush.

"I gotta try this as a prank on my cousin." Logan commented. He adjusted his baseball cap and wiped some foamy soda off his face.

I looked around the room, wondering who I should choose to go next. Eventually, I picked the person here I could mess with the easiest. "Brittany, truth or dare?"

Brittany gulped. Then, she very quietly squeaked out… "Dare."

I took my glasses off my face. "I dare you to wear these, while tap-dancing on the table."

Brittany took the glasses, even though she didn't want to. "That's a weird request."

"You have to do it." Annie taunted. "That's the rule of a dare."

The world around me was blurry as heck. I could barely make out what was happening. I saw a pink blur climb up and dance around on the table.

Everyone clapped for her, including me.

She moved her feet faster until she slipped in some of the soda and slid off the table with a loud THUD!

I was immediately at her side. "You good?" I asked.

She handed me back my glasses. I put them on and came face-to-face with a very angry blue eyed glare.

"Why would you pick THAT!? My designer shoes are covered in Coke now!" She grumbled.

"I just thought it'd be funny." I reasoned.

"And was it?" She asked.

"YEAH! Even though I could barely see ya." I helped her to her feet.

She looked at me with concern. "You know, maybe you're taking this Classic mode thing a bit too far."

I blinked at her. "Huh?"

"You know what I mean. The act is too…intense." She criticized.

I tilted my head. "Act…ing? It's not an act. This is ME! It's all ME!"

"Come on, 2.0." Brittany said in a soft voice. "I know you're in there. We need you…for damage control."

"Britt, relax. I can totally take care of myself without the fun sucker." I reasoned. "Quit worryin'. I'm fine!"

"If you say so." She frowned.

The game of Truth or Dare went on and on. When the turns got back to me and Britt, there was trouble.

Jesse pointed to Brittany. "Brittany, truth or dare?"

"This time, I'll go with truth." The Chipette said with confidence.

She would likely regret that.

"Do you ever have dreams about getting back together with Alvin?" Jesse asked.

Brittany's face flushed pink and she started to stammer. "I….uh….is this….is this REALLY an appropriate question to ask about someone's bestie?"

"Hey, this is a safe space to share." Greg lied. I knew whatever Britt told him would practically be front page news tomorrow.

Jesse popped her bubble gum in her mouth loudly. "So tell us! We are DYING to know."

I wasn't sure how to feel about this question. Truth be told, I was much too busy staring at the light fixture on Sandy's ceiling. It looked like a weird upside down tree. The branches coiled and…

"Y…Y…Yes." Brittany folded her hands in her lap. "I've had a few."

A few what? I didn't know. I was totally not fully listening. "Awesome!" I said, feeling the need to contribute, but with no clear idea what I was contributing to.

"You think THAT'S awesome!?" Brittany looked shocked and uncomfortable.

"It's a sign you aren't over him." Jesse commented.

"Yeah." Logan agreed.

"You both should date again." Jason added. "It didn't work the last time, but you get along better now."

Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! What had I agreed was awesome!? I had a sinking feeling it was something I shouldn't have commented on at all.

"What did you ask her again?" I questioned.

Brittany took a deep breath. "Jesse asked if I have dreams where we're boyfriend and girlfriend again." She revealed. "I have them…once in a while."

My eyes went wide and my jaw dropped. "You do? Okay, uh, that's….interesting."

"Why did you say it was awesome?" Brittany asked, sounding incredibly irritated.

"I dunno." I shrugged. Lying was better than admitting I hadn't been paying attention.

Brittany rubbed her forehead. "Look…" She told the other popular kids. "As much as I hate to admit it, those dreams don't mean anything. They're just what happens if I read too many comments online from my fans."

"Yeah!" I blurted out. "The pressure is real!"

"I'm perfectly happy being besties with Alvin. I tease him sometimes and act like I wish we got together, but it's all just messing around." Brittany explained.

"Hey, I wouldn't blame you for still havin' the hots for me." I nudged her. "I mean, look at this handsome face!" I gestured to myself. "People are CRAZY about me."

Brittany scoffed. "I do NOT have the hots for you."

"I know. I'm just sayin' I would understand if ya did." I replied.

"Oh my gosh." Annie groaned. "Just kiss her already! I dare Alvin to kiss Brittany!"

"It's not your turn." I pointed out.

The teen kids all looked at us and started chanting. I guess it didn't matter whose turn it was.

"KISS KISS KISS KISS KISS KISS KISS!"

Brittany held up her hands. "STOP!"

"Yeah, this is waaaay too far." I stood up and tapped my foot.

Sandy stood up and raised her hands too. "Enough, you guys."

"If this keeps up, Alvin and I WILL leave." Brittany threatened. "You all know exactly how complicated things were between us, and I do not appreciate you forcing us to be romantic for you."

"Platonic besties fur-ev-er!" I added, while half-zoned out again.

Brittany suddenly was smiling.

"What?" I asked, unsure when she switched from being mad to smiling.

"You called us besties." Her voice was thick with positive emotion.

I winked playfully. "Of course I did. It's what we are."

The other students exchanged glances with each other.

"Can we still call you Alvittany?" Logan spoke up. "Or Albrittina?"

Brittany wrinkled her nose. "I'm afraid not."

"Bummer." The teen sighed.

"Fine." Annie crossed her arms. "But you both would have been so cute together!"

Sandy knew it was a good time to change the conversation. "Guys, guess what I found in the freezer! ICE CREAM! It's time for a make-your-own Sundae bar!"

After we had our ice cream, we mingled a bit more and then the party was over.

Brittany and I walked down the sidewalk, talkin' about what went down.

"Darn Truth or Dare games. I muttered. Always pullin' on your heartstrings."

The Chipette in pink looked at me with sad eyes. "I'm so embarrassed."

"You're fine. Like you said, they're just dumb dreams." I grinned. "About my gorgeous face."

"You can bring 2.0 back now." She rubbed her head again.

"Eh, not feelin' it." I put my arm around her.

She pushed it off. "Oh my god. Do you still have a crush on me when you're like this?"

"When I'm like…what?" I scratched my head.

"When you're in Classic mode." She frowned.

"Uh…." I thought as hard as I could. Did I? "You're pretty, and I love spendin' time with you, but…no. I'm not head over heels for ya." I put my arm around her again. "I'm just the type of guy who likes invading people's personal space."

She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried you might have regressed back to when you had a crush on me."

"Hahaha!" I laughed loudly. "Nah, you're good, bestie."

"So you like that word now?" Brittany wondered. "I thought it sounded too Disney Channel for you."

I took my arm off her shoulder and slapped my knee. "It does, hahaha, but it means a lot to you, so, you know." I rubbed my neck awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm not great with words like this."

"But I know someone who is." The Chipette reached out to stroke the fur on my cheek. "How do you switch back to your 2.0 mode or whatever?"

I blinked in shock. "You're ready for the other side of me back already?"

"I know. I know. It's surprising me too." Brittany adjusted my glasses for me. "I didn't expect to miss…the way you act…when you're him."

I almost cried. I was too wound up to cry at that moment, but the feelings I get from crying happy tears coursed through my whole body. An unbeatable warmth.

"She wants to talk…to me." Nerdy Alvin's voice whispered in awe.

"But I'm not finished driving yet!" Protested Classic Alvin, as I closed my eyes and un-fused with him.

"I'm sorry, dude. I'll let ya out to play again soon." I promised.

I partially fused myself with my nerd side, but not all the way, because I didn't wanna scare Brittany off with the intensity my raging nerdiness can sometimes have.

Brittany poked my shoulder. "Hello? Earth to Alvie?"

I opened my eyes and immediately started sobbing happy tears. "You like me! You actually DO like me! All my intrusive thoughts were wrong!" I wept.

"Now what's happening?" Brittany asked.

I wiped my tears. "Don't mind me. I've just got the feels. Love ya, bestie."

She tilted her head. "I love you too."

I stopped crying and the fuzzy memories of what I had done while in Classic mode were suddenly crystal clear. Yikes! It was strange how drastically different I viewed my actions in this mental state. I could pinpoint every little thing I SHOULD have done with more caution and everything I could have said with more tact.

Except, Classic was right. I fit in at the party a lot better as him. Maybe I didn't need to do anything differently after all. Still, I couldn't help but feel self conscious of all my decisions in Classic mode.

"That was some party." I quipped. "Kinda, kinda regretting some of that stuff. I hope I didn't embarrass ya too much."

Brittany raised an eyebrow. "Wait, did you switch? Are you 2.0 again?"

"It isn't obvious?" I fidgeted with my fingers.

"Not really. You just closed your eyes for a few seconds and started crying after." She told me.

I smiled awkwardly. "Oh. Haha. Well, yeah. I am a mix of both 2.0 and full-nerd mode right now."

"You didn't embarrass me and neither did Classic you." Brittany assured me. "In fact, you were almost back to being the life of the party."

"Phew." I wiped my brow.

"How did it feel?" She walked along the sidewalk with her usual sashay. "To switch?"

"Weird, strange, liberating, and interesting." I drummed my fingertips against my leg while walking. "Pretty much indescribable. I was barely even aware I switched. I just felt like me, with less emotional baggage."

"Hmmm." Brittany responded.

"Can't give ya more than that." I said honestly.

We approached the treehouse and my house. The night was basically over now. I was looking forward to climbing into bed. Being Classic Alvin tires me out a lot physically.

I felt Britt's hand grasp my arm. "Before you go, there's one more thing I want to ask you."

I yawned. "What?"

"How DOES that Coke and Mentos thing work?" She asked.

I almost sobbed happy tears again, but the euphoric feeling of infodumping eclipsed my will to cry.

"Ohoho! It's fascinating really. Classic me was wrong. It's not a chemical reaction at all! It's a physical reaction! Coke has carbon dioxide and that causes bubbles. Mentos candy looks smooth, but it's actually covered in tiny bumps. The rough surface allows the bonds between the carbon dioxide and the water to break down. This creates even MORE carbon dioxide bubbles and BAM! An eruption occurs!"

Brittany smiled at me. "There's the long winded explanation I was looking for." She teased.

"Did I nerd out too much?" I asked, looking sheepish.

She shook her head. "You nerded out just the right amount."

"I would love to chat more, but I gotta head home." I pointed to my front door. "I'll text ya tomorrow. Thanks again for inviting me."

"You're welcome, bestie." She waved in a friendly way. "Goodnight."

"Wait…" I chased after her and then reached out and pulled her in for a hug. "Thank you for asking me to go all 2.0-mode again. Seriously. That means…so much. To know that you…WANTED HIM. That you WANTED the side of me you previously couldn't stand."

"Well,…" She giggled. "You are kind of adorable when you nerd out like that." She suddenly looked to her left and then her right. "Don't tell anyone what I just said." She threatened. "Or else."

"My lips are sealed, bestie." I responded.

I was practically glowing as bright as the solar system mobile on my ceiling as I climbed in bed that night. I never could have imagined Britt being THIS accepting of me. Of all of me. I am not the type of guy who believes in destiny, but I knew our friendship was destined to last forever.

It was crazy how much more comfort I'm finding in my flip-flopping personality too. I gotta start going to parties more. I gotta take advantage of my Classic mode. Now that I know Britt doesn't ONLY like him, it's almost less daunting to be him around her. Because I DO like being him. I always have. I just needed to know the appropriate time and place to be him.

I lay in bed, waiting to feel mentally tired to accompany my physical tiredness. I flipped through photos on my phone taken at the party and saved them all to an album entitled Precious Memories. Now I'd never forget this incredible night. I zoomed in on one of my favorite pictures.

It was a selfie of Brittany and I with the pictures we drew on Sandy's mural in the background. I was giving Britt bunny ears and she was looking aggravated. I zoomed in on the words under the picture. I was suddenly concerned whether or not I'd spelled friends correctly. I have a tendency to forget the i. Turns out, it was spelled correctly. I smiled as I read the words.

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER

Chapter Text

CHEER UP, SLEEPY JEANIE

Simon's POV

Grief. It's an emotion that can sure pack a punch. It hits everyone differently. It can make you do some very out of character things. Or it can make you clingy, angry, sad, and confused. I don't often enjoy talking about such a sensitive subject. Sadness can turn incredibly serious and all encompassing for me in an instant. Still, I feel it's important to discuss.

Most people think of grief only existing when someone passes away. However, people can grieve all sorts of things. Grief starts, in a sense, with the absence of hope. In order to grieve, and really process your feelings without letting them destroy you, you must teach yourself how to hope again. It can be excruciating.

I regret to inform you, but you probably have already caught on, that our story today is about grief. It's about a complicated form of grief, a kind that can halt the hopes and dreams of even the most sweet and tender soul. This story…is about her.

"Has anyone heard from Jeanette?" I asked, walking into our bedroom.

Theodore looked up from scrolling through his phone. "No, not much." He replied. "Why?"

"Because I just realized she's been…incredibly quiet lately. More than usual." I paced the floor anxiously. "I'm afraid something's wrong."

"Oh no!" Theodore's ears drooped. "I hope she's okay."

I noticed that Alvin was also in the room. He was seated at his mini-desk, hunched over his laptop.

"Alvin, have you talked to Jeanette lately?" I tensed up and then forced myself to breathe naturally again.

My brother didn't take his eyes from the computer screen. "Can't talk. Coding."

"This is important." I insisted. "I think the coding can wait." I nibbled my lip.

"Can't talk. Coding." His fingers flew over the keys, writing line after line of code.

"Alvin!" I tried to wave my hand in front of his face.

The hyperfocus couldn't be stopped. "Can't talk. Coding." There was only one explanation for this behavior.

I turned around to face Theodore again.

"He took his meds, didn't he?" I groaned.

Theodore nodded. "Big Computer Science project due in three days. Candy wasn't enough." He explained. "I'm worried about him."

I sighed and rubbed my nose. "Short release or extended?"

"Extended." My younger brother's lower lip stuck out.

You see, ADHD meds made for 100% human brains have adverse effects on a chipmunk-human mutant. I specifically made some medication that's suited to Alvin's brain. The adverse effects are supposed to be minimal, but the medication heightens his already terrible anxiety and workaholic tendencies. Especially extended release, which he agreed to reserve only for emergencies.

"Due in three days is an emergency?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Theodore nodded. "He says it is, yeah."

"Fantastic." I grumbled sarcastically. "So the one person who might know what's going on with Jeanette is out of commission."

"Uh huh." Theodore scampered over to me.

"I think…" I rubbed my chin. "We should pay Jeanette a visit."

I heard mechanical clanking and turned to see Geizmo standing near Theodore's bed. "Geizmo visit too? Maybe I see Zeela!" I did think it was adorable that he enjoyed spending time with Zeela. The same couldn't be said for Alvin's son Warbie.

"Sure." I smiled. "Come on."

Theodore picked up Lilly from her dog bed.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"Well, uh, maybe she needs a therapy dog. Lilly is a really good therapy dog." The dirty blonde boy in the green sweater with a Teddy bear face said kindly.

"Ah. Good thinking." I patted his head. "Bring her along."

We made our way over to the treehouse and knocked on the door. I stopped Geizmo from pulling at the flowers decorating our neighbor's extravagant home.

Theodore petted Lilly's head as we waited for someone to answer.

Eventually, Eleanor opened the door. She was wearing her usual green apron with the strawberry design on it. "Hey, boys."

"Hey." Theodore waved. "How's Jeanette doing?"

Eleanor blinked. "How should I know?"

I folded my arms. "Because she's your sister." I said with a hint of irritation. I was trying to keep myself composed.

"She's been in her room all day. Probably writing." Eleanor invited us into the house with a sweep of her arm.

Geizmo toddled into the kitchen on his mechanical robot legs. "I help!" He declared, grabbing Eleanor's mixing spoon.

"Oh no no no." The blonde pigtailed girl squeaked. "I've got everything handled."

"Are you making stuff for Thanksgiving dinner?" Theodore sniffed the air, probably trying to figure out what exactly Eleanor was cooking up.

"Yeah. Miss. Miller and I are in charge of hosting it this year." The girl in the apron groaned.

"And you're sure you don't want help?" Theodore asked.

Lilly wiggled out of Theodore's arms and almost jumped up onto the countertop, but I stopped her before she could make a mess.

Eleanor twirled the spoon that she'd taken back from my robotic son. "I'm sure. I have EVERYTHING under control." Then, she frowned. "Maybe…Maybe I could use some help tomorrow." She admitted.

"URGH!" A groan came from the couch in the Chipettes' living room area. "He cannot possibly STILL be busy."

I walked over to find exactly who I expected to find. Brittany Miller.

She was looking at her phone with a despondent expression.

"If you're waiting on a text from Alvin, you'll be waiting for ages." I told her sadly. "He took the 12 hour meds today."

She sighed. "Of course he did."

"I need to teach him to be less school and chore focused." I rubbed my arm absentmindedly. "But, truthfully, I'm…not the best teacher for that particular subject."

I had workaholic tendencies and so did Dave. The only person spared of the curse was Theodore. When the tendencies first revealed themselves in Alvin, I hoped it would be a phase. And, well, I certainly wasn't EXPECTING the ADHD meds to make him worse. Thank heavens he doesn't take them often. I probably should lock the cabinet in my lab where they're located, now that I think about it.

"Yeah, I understand." Brittany frowned and sat up. "Do you wanna do something today?" She looked hopeful.

I shook my head. "Not really." Was that too harsh? "Not YET." Okay, that was the right amount of tenderness. "I want to check on Jeanette first. She's been awfully quiet this past week."

Brittany nodded subtly. "Now that you mention it, she was really quiet." The Chipette in the pink jacket and white shirt looked worried. "She wasn't even looking out the window and daydreaming like she usually does."

"Yeah." Theodore came to join us. He must have finished speaking with Eleanor. "And she didn't draw either."

"If she upset, why she not tell us?" Geizmo tapped his foot. "Very very un-nice of her."

I walked toward the stairs that led to the Chipettes' bedroom. "Perhaps she isn't sure how. Perhaps she doesn't even know she's feeling out of sorts."

"Do you think it's burnout?" Brittany followed me up the stairs.

"That's more an Alvin thing." I cringed. "And a me thing." I put my hand on the doorknob in front of me. "I'm not sure WHAT this is. I just have a feeling it's something. She's my friend. I can sense these sorts of things."

"I hope we're wrong." Theodore whimpered, petting his puppy as he cradled her in his arms. "And Jeanette's just tired."

"Only one way to find out." Brittany noticed that I hadn't opened the door yet. She shoved me aside, turned the knob, and swung the door open.

Jeanette was curled up on her bed wearing a purple nightgown. She held a fluffy pink bunny plush in her arms, squeezing it tightly. She stared off into the distance, right past us, as if we weren't even there.

I awkwardly approached. "Jeanette, is everything okay?"

No answer. Not even a blink. The poor girl was going to get dry eyes if she kept this up.

"Poke poke poke." Geizmo tapped on Jeanette's back with his extendo arm. "Tickle tickle!" Then, he tried to tickle her under the chin.

She remained motionless, aside from the occasional shiver. A single tear streaked down her cheek.

"Sis?" Brittany touched Jeanette's hair.

Her sister's messy bun was much messier than usual.

"What happened, Jeanette?" Theodore whimpered. He set Lilly on the bed next to the uncomfortably still Chipette.

A small choked up sob came from Jeanette's lips. "I...I…" She couldn't get the words out, so she just hugged the plush bunny tighter.

"Did anyone hurt you?" Brittany asked, getting angry. "Was it Alvin? Is he ignoring you too? Did he blow you off to focus on his coding or his studies or anything else his crazy "genius" cooked up?"

Jeanette shook her head no.

"Did something happen at school?" I inquired, staying beside her bed.

She turned her head side to side again. Then, she burst into more tears.

"Jeanie,…" I used my pet name for her. "We can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong."

Between her sobs, she managed to get out some words. "You….You….can't help me….if I do…either, so what's….the point?" She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow.

"Poor poor nettie." Geizmo climbed onto her bed and patted her on the back.

"I'm sure we can help you." Theodore cheerfully forced a grin.

"Uh uh." Jeanette said into the pillow.

"This isn't like you, Sis." Brittany leaned against the windowsill. "Don't tell me you're going through an identity crisis."

"Brittany, with all due respect…" I told my crush turned kind-of sort of girlfriend. (We're still testing things out) "…Your comments are unnecessary and quite frankly inappropriate."

"Yeah." Theodore added. "Your sister is in a lot of pain."

"Sorry sorry." Brittany looked embarrassed and sounded sincere.

"Do you want a hug, Jeanette?" Theodore offered, placing both his hands palm down on the bed.

"No thanks." Came the still-muffled reply.

Lilly licked Jeanette's hand, causing her to roll back over. She stared up at the ceiling lifelessly, not even making eye contact with the canine companion.

"This is so serious!" The little boy in green gasped. "She doesn't even want hugs!"

I was getting extremely worried. Fortunately, I am a pro at managing my anxiety…by shoving it aside to be dealt with later. I never claimed it was a good management system.

"Please, please tell us what's going on." I begged.

"Yeah!" Brittany, Theodore, and Geizmo all said at the same time.

Jeanette just burst into sobs again.

"You really should drink some water." Theodore suggested. "It must be really hard to think when you're all dehydrated from crying." He whimpered again. "You're gonna make me cry too. I just wanna help you."

Then, both Theo and Jeanette were sobbing uncontrollably.

Eleanor poked her head into the room. "What is with all the crying? Can you guys keep it down?" She grumbled. "It's like Niagra Falls in here."

"Something is wrong with Jeanette." Brittany snapped. "Not that YOU care. Apparently."

That caused the grouchy Chipette to soften. "Oh." Suddenly, Eleanor's priorities had shifted.

I assumed she wasn't happy about the shift, but she kept it together for Jeanette's sake. And Theodore's sake.

"Are you sick or something? Do you need some soup? I can make soup." The youngest Miller sister offered.

"Not sick…..physically." Jeanette choked out. "Just….emotionally."

"Oh no." Eleanor nibbled her lip.

"Yep." Brittany murmured. "I guess sometimes even the family therapist needs some therapy."

Theodore blew his nose on a tissue. "I guess I gotta…fill in for Jeanette."

I felt confused. How could I possibly get to the bottom of what was going on with Jeanette? What was so bad that it couldn't be fixed? She's JEANETTE! She thought every dark cloud had a silver lining. She served as a walking talking anti-depressant. I wasn't so sure I could serve the same purpose for her, but I had to try.

If I chose not to try, I'd regret it the rest of my life. So, I did something incredibly hard for me to do. I turned myself into a temporary optimist.

"I'm sure there's….some positive to whatever…situation caused this." I blurted out.

Everyone in the room stared at me like I'd just announced I was giving up science and starting my own lawn care business or something along those lines.

Oh, oh, I wonder if this is how Alvin feels every time he does something wildly out of character and everyone notices.

"Since when are you the upbeat and chill one?" Eleanor asked me with a sneaky grin.

I pointed at Jeanette, who was still trembling and softly sobbing. "Since she can't be."

"No positives." The girl in purple whispered in a hushed tone, barely audible. "It's not worth it. Thinking….positive…only….hurts."

Brittany and Eleanor exchanged horrified looks and Theodore visibly became even sadder.

Geizmo was currently distracted. He was pulling on the ears of Jeanette's bunny plush. "Where Zeela?" He asked when he finished tying the ears in a knot. Jeanette didn't even stop him.

Eleanor took the robot's hand and led him away from the bed. "Zeela and Pippi are upstairs. I'll take you to them, okay?"

"Okay!" My son's electronic face morphed into a big grin.

"I hope you guys figure out what's got her so down." The Chipette in the apron said to us, before leaving.

Lilly pressed her wet nose against Jeanette's shoulder.

I took Theodore and Brittany aside and got them into a huddle. "What do we do? What's our next plan? I believe we need a different approach, because this isn't working."

"Do I look like a plan maker to you?" Brittany huffed. "We need Two Point Weirdo. Tell him to get his furry tail over here."

I shook my head. "Alvin won't be able to make a plan at the moment. He has tunnel vision." I explained. Honestly, I was regretting making those meds. But, well, live and learn.

Theodore frowned. "Yeah. Plus, the long release meds make him less creative and interested in other people's feelings…and his own feelings. The short ones don't, but the long ones do."

"Super." Brittany spat with sarcasm, rolling her stunning ice blue eyes.

"Perhaps Jeanette needs one of her favorite books to cheer her up." I rubbed my chin. "A good book always cheers me up."

"Good thinking." My little brother squeaked. "But, I don't think she can read through the tears." His ears drooped.

I reached up to touch mine and realized they were doing the same. As they should, because I was fighting the urge to spin out into a depressive thought whirlwind. Depression management through physical activity and distraction helped, but it could only do so much.

"What if we…" Brittany tapped her head and then gave up with a frustrated sigh. "Sometimes, I wish I could come up with more than just fashion ideas."

"You've come up with…some ideas that aren't fashion related." I reminded her. "Just, well, not often."

"I've got it!" Theodore exclaimed suddenly. His brown eyes lit up with excitement. He was thrilled to use his enhanced emotional intelligence to accurately assess the situation.

"What's your idea?" The Chipette in pink flicked a small clump of fuzz from Lilly's fur off her skirt.

I stood motionless, prepared to listen intently to my brother.

"Well…" The boy in green clasped his hands together in front of him. "Jeanette doesn't get as chatty around lots of people. Maybe she'd talk if there was only one of us in here. She's already overwhelmed. I think so much attention is making it worse."

"He's right." Brittany agreed. "When Jeanette and I are together, she rambles on and on about everything from flowers to stars. In a group, she still talks, but a LOT less. And her rambles go away, mostly."

"I have noticed this as well." I leaned against Jeanette's nightstand. "Theodore, since it's your idea, I think you should be the one to stay."

"And we can go out for dinner together!" Brittany squealed. "And take a romantic walk downtown. They probably have the Christmas lights up already."

Theodore looked up at me. "No." He stated firmly. "Simon, I think you should stay."

"Me?" I almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of the thought. "Theo, Theo, I'm not….I can't…Do I seem like the cheering up type!?"

"You can." He gave me a gentle push toward the bed. "You can do it. It'll be good for you."

"No!" I objected once more. "I can't. Really. This is much more your speed."

I tried to shove Theodore toward the bed, but he ran away.

I chased him.

"She's your friend too. And what if whatever is going wrong is something really complicated? Too complicated for me to understand?" He asked, pushing me back toward the bed.

"What if I make it worse?" I turned around and picked Theodore up.

Brittany laughed, so I stared at her.

"What's so funny?" I clenched my jaw.

"Oh nothing." She giggled again. "Just watching your antics."

"Brittany, you're the deciding vote." Theodore announced. "You get to pick which one of us stays."

"Phew." I sighed, feeling relieved. "She's going to pick you." I set him down on the ground again.

There was no way Brittany could resist dinner with me and a walk downtown.

"Simon." The girl's voice responded, almost instantly.

"HUH!?" I stared at her in disbelief. "But…you….I…HUH!?"

"As much as I would love to spend time with you,…" Brittany sighed. "My sister's crisis comes first. And Theodore's right. She could be upset over some science journal she read." The Chipette put a firm hand on my shoulder. "It's up to you, Simon."

Well, isn't that just fine and dandy. (Sarcasm)

Theodore smiled proudly at me.

I gulped and sat at the end of Jeanette's bed as Theodore and Brittany left the premises.

Here goes nothing. How do I even start?

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Hello, again. It's me, Simon. Obviously you can see that. I am not sure why I felt the need to say it." Goodness, I was rambling as much as Alvin. "Anyway, uh, you and I are…alone now…and…I would love to hear about anything that may be bothering you."

Jeanette grumbled, which is very out of character for her. "You're not going to stop asking until I say it, are you?" She sat up and wiped her tears.

"I have to know." I said with sincerity. "I can't stand to see you so…so…" My mind couldn't locate the word I was looking for. So many words, but none that could describe the misery except one. One that Jeanette would never utter to describe herself. Until now.

"Hopeless." She filled in. Untying the ears of her rabbit plush. "I'm hopeless, Simon. The whole…" She sniffled. "The whole world is."

I froze and blinked. "It was….THAT bad?"

"People don't care about each other enough. They don't care about the planet." She was off on an angry rant, whilst still sobbing. "All they care about is following trends and being greedy and…and…hiding behind their stupid life philosophies." She rubbed the fur on her plush's head. "I'm sick of it! Whatever happened to kindness? And understanding? And science?"

Aha! We were getting somewhere. "Well, some people, unfortunately." I told her. "But not everyone."

"Too many." She frowned. "Global Warming is a fact and not only do they act like it doesn't exist, they're speeding it up by refusing to change their lifestyle even SLIGHTLY!" Her deep blue eyes stared at me, duller than I'd ever seen them and flooding with tears. "And there's so many of them. The ones who support Mother Earth are outnumbered. We…We can't save the planet. All we can do, is be the ones who say "I told you so" and watch the world…die."

I felt a pang of sadness in my chest, more powerful than before. This wouldn't be an easy fix. It wasn't like a broken toy that could be glued or a lost necklace that could be found. Jeanette's eyes had been opened to the dreadful truth, to MY cynical view of humanity. She couldn't go back to being oblivious and naive. Could she even go back to being hopeful?

"So that's what this is about." I frowned, moving closer to her on the bed.

She nodded and tucked her head down so that it touched her plush. "Uh huh."

"What exactly made you…" Realize? No, not that word. "..Think this way?" I questioned her, calmly. "Did you read something on the internet?"

She wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her nightgown. "No. It was my proposal." She explained, before blowing her nose on a Kleenex.

If Theodore were here, he would ask Jeanette if Alvin rejected her marriage proposal. They did have plans to get married at some point, in the Sims 4 videogame. Knuckleheads.

However, I was not Theodore and thus I knew EXACTLY which sort of proposal she was referring to. I suppose this proves Theo's decision to leave me alone with Jeanette was indeed the correct one.

"The Clean Energy Proposal?" I took her tissue and threw it away for her. It landed directly into the trash can…on the other side of the room. I had skills!

"Yeah." She sighed. "They voted on it Monday. I didn't get enough votes. I didn't even get half the votes. I got a tenth of the votes."

"Oh….Jeanie." I felt my eyes begin to water. It takes quite a bit to make me cry. This…this was A LOT. "I'm so sorry."

"I don't know what to do." She reached out to hug me. "I've never been truly hopeless before. It's so…exhausting."

"Yes." I felt heavier. Like I could fall right through the floor with the way the weight the world was pressing on my shoulders. "Yes. It is."

"I don't think I'll ever….enjoy things again." She murmured. "It's like someone muted all the color in the world."

OUCH! I needed to snap her out of this.

"Of course you will. You just need time to grieve and time to reflect and process everything." I told her, rubbing her back.

"It feels like…it's been months." The brunette girl whimpered.

I smiled through my pain. "Jeanie, it's been a week. Not even a week. 4 days."

"Oh." She slumped her shoulders.

"You have to give yourself time." I looked around the room for something to occupy her. Redirect her mind before it can continue its frightening rumination. "How about we color together? Would you like that?"

I held up one of her favorite coloring books with a bunch of intricate stained-glass-style flower designs.

"That just makes me think more about nature." She took off her purple glasses and covered her eyes. "Oh, Simon. I'm such a mess."

"Hey, you are NOT a mess." I squeezed her shoulder and put my arm around her. "You are having a perfectly natural reaction."

"Nature." She blubbered again. "Nature."

And then the floodgates burst. Tears were pouring and I was completely unsure what else to offer.

So, I just held her close as she cried. And cried. And cried some more.

Eventually, the tears on her face were all dried up. And her tear ducts couldn't produce anymore. She was too tired to even cry.

"Let's get you something to drink. And something to eat." I helped her walk downstairs carefully.

"I want to write poetry." Jeanette whimpered. "Bleak poetry….I want to write about the way I feel."

"After you eat." I said strictly. "No big decisions on an empty stomach."

She pouted at me. "Okay."

"Hey, how's it going? Eleanor asked, as we entered the kitchen.

"It's….going." I responded, frowning and resisting the urge to clench my jaw. "She needs nutrients."

"Duh." The Chipette dusted her hands off on her apron. "What can I getcha?"

"Rice." Jeanette said. "And maybe a banana. Please."

"And to drink?" I nudged the sleepy girl.

"Just water. While there's still water to drink…which there may not be for much longer." She started to cry again.

"Oof." Eleanor met my blue eyes with her green ones. "So, did ya figure out what's wrong with her?"

"Her Clean Energy Proposal didn't pass." I whispered. "I'm doing what I can, but I fear she needs to see a professional."

"Eh, she'll live. She's just gotta get her mind off it." The tough-as-nails girl said cheerfully.

"That's not healthy. She needs to process it first. Her entire worldview has been flipped in reverse." I explained. "This isn't something she CAN get her mind off of." Then, another thought hit me. "Where's Geizmo? Weren't you watching him?"

"I couldn't stand him." The pigtailed girl confessed, while cooking the rice for Jeanette. "So I let Theo and Brittany entertain the kids."

Phew. Crisis averted. I trusted Brittany and Theodore.

"They're playing fashion show." Eleanor added, while grabbing a banana and tossing it at Jeanette. Then, she went back to tending the rice on the stove. "I'm sure you'll hear all about it later."

I caught the banana since Jeanette was just staring off into space again. Her usual smile still replaced with an expression of misery. Whatever she was daydreaming about, was not a happy thing.

"Jeanette the space cadet returns." Her sister squeaked, piling the rice onto a plate.

I rubbed my forehead. Exasperated. I feel that emotion a lot. Interacting with people who cannot be serious is exhausting.

"Eleanor, you're not making this any better." I clenched my fist under the table.

"Chill out. She can't even hear me." The feisty blonde set the plate in front of the tallest Chipette. "Eat up, buttercup. And cheer up, buttercup."

Jeanette didn't move.

"Jeanie, your food is ready." I gently touched her arm.

She blinked and then turned her head toward me. She started to nibble the rice slowly. "Thank…you."

I watched her eat as I thought about possible ways to help her out of the funk. She'd be back in it by tomorrow, but she needed a bit of relief before it was time for bed. I'm not sure how frequent her nightmares are, but her imagination can rival Alvin's, so I assume they're a common occurrence.

When she finished eating, and sipping her water, she seemed a bit more…level, emotionally. That was a good sign. Or so I thought.

"What would you like to do now?" I asked, gently.

She pouted. "Write." She answered. "I want to write poetry."

"Then,…grab a pencil or your laptop and…" The girl with the purple glasses that matched the shape of my own, cut me off before I could finish.

"I can't." She laid her head on the table. "I can't write. I can't even brainstorm."

"You're tired. That's why. We'll do something less mentally taxing." I offered. "By morning, maybe your feelings will be ready to come out on paper."

"M…Maybe." The thin girl pushed herself up from the table with all her might.

"You guys could do Sudoku or word searches." Eleanor suggested, thinking she was helpful.

I gave her a glare. "I said LESS mentally taxing."

"Sor-ry." She returned to working on Thanksgiving dinner prep. "Just tryin' to help."

Since Eleanor had excused herself from the conversation, I took Jeanette into the living room. I sorted through the Chipettes' collection of DVDs.

"Would you like to watch a movie?" I asked.

Jeanette curled up on the couch like a cat. Her head tilted down slightly. Was that a nod?

"Yes or no?" I asked again. I needed to be certain.

This time, I could see her nod.

"One of your favorites?" I held up a movie about wizards who live on a street called Waverly place.

Her frown deepened and her eyes narrowed.

"Not feeling that one? Okay, how about….Inside Out? Very emotional. It teaches us that sadness is good and healthy, but the problem is with an overabundance of sadness that drowns out every other emotion." I held up another DVD.

This went on for a while, I held up each of Jeanette's favorite films. Every single one was rejected. Every. Single. One.

I was stumped. What to do next? How could I help? Wait a second…

"Would you like to watch a sad movie?" I suggested, sitting next to her.

Another subtle nod. The narrowed eyes relaxed and her scowl softened to a thin line.

"Alright." I started to look through the piles of DVDs again.

Meanwhile, Jeanette slowly grabbed the remote for the TV. She started flipping channels until she came to a documentary called Extinct Animals We Barely Got To Meet.

I gasped. "I don't think you want to watch this."

When I reached for the remote, she clutched it tighter. Her tail fur bristled and her ears flattened to the side.

"You DO want to watch it?" I pondered aloud. The idea made no sense. Logically, this would make her feel worse. But, who was I to argue with someone grieving?

I got up and brought her a warm blanket to wrap around her. We watched the movie in total silence. I watched as some tears trickled down her cheeks again. I had no idea if this was helping or not.

Also, I certainly didn't want to watch this movie. I liked a sad film now and then, but I was having a good day…mental health wise. I worried this might ruin it.

So, halfway through the film, I got up to pace around. Jeanette didn't notice. She was immersed in the film. What to do now? I could go upstairs and check on Geizmo. Yeah, you know what, that's a good idea.

I climbed the stairs all the way up to the girls' attic. I laughed when I saw the fashion show taking place. Theodore and Brittany were teaching Geizmo and Zeela how to strut. Pippi, was apparently already an expert on the technique.

The little white mouse sashayed like a diva. I could tell that Brittany had likely taught her those moves previously. She wore a sequined reddish-purple sleeveless dress.

"Oh yeah, Pippi! Work that runway, girl!" Brittany cheered.

"You got da moves." Theodore squeaked.

"What about Geizmo's moves?" My son's electronic face formed a frown.

The Chipette in pink giggled. "You'll get there."

"Yaaay! I be a pwetty model!" He twirled around.

Geizmo and Zeela were dressed in matching princess dresses with floofy sleeves, and very wide layered skirts. Geizmo's was a pale blue and Zeela's was pale yellow.

Did I object to my son wearing that? No. Only if Brittany forced him into it. It seemed he was enjoying himself, which indicated she hadn't.

"I wook pwetty too!" Zeela copied Geizmo and then laughed.

"Yes, you both look exquisite." I agreed. "Very…royal." I was at a loss for compliments to add.

"Dance with me, daddy!" Geizmo tugged at my arm.

"Yeah, Simon." Theodore added, clapping his hands. "Dance with him."

"I'm a bit tired." I tried to get out of it.

"Pweeeease?" Oh how could I resist my own creation? I programmed him. I programmed him to be a toddler.

And so, I engaged in the fatherly duties of…playing along with your child's imaginary games.

I shuffled my feet and danced around the attic with my son and Jeanette's daughter. My moves were stiff, at first. Then, Theodore eventually convinced me to loosen up. What would I do without him?

When we finished, the models or contestants (or whatever they were called) lined up in a single file row.

"You're the judge, Simon." Brittany grabbed me and pulled me closer to her. "Who's Santa Barbara's Next Top Model?"

I folded my arms. There was no way in heck I was going to pick only ONE. I'd hear about it from the other contestants for DAYS.

"They're all winners in my book. Pippi has the best moves. Geizmo has the best smile. And Zeela has the most compassion for her fellow competitors." I finished.

"Yooou whooo." Eleanor called.

The girl in pigtails had arrived like a specter in the doorway. Shadows obscured her until she stepped into the room.

"Eleanor! Eleanor!" Theodore greeted her immediately. "Would you like to be a model too?"

"Eh, not really my speed." She responded. Then, she looked directly at me with a worried look. "How's Jeanette?"

I felt the tug of sadness trying to pull me to the abyss and quickly pulled in the opposite direction against it. No depressive spirals. Not today. NOT TODAY.

I fidgeted with my fingers ever so slightly. "She's doing…as well….as she can be….you know…doing."

"What is THAT supposed to mean?" Brittany asked, running her fingers through her yellow-orange hair.

"She has to feel her sadness, a lot, in order to process it." I explained. "So…this may get worse before it gets better."

"WORSE!?" Brittany and Eleanor chorused as a duo.

Geizmo, Zeela, and Pippi had thankfully gone to the other side of the attic to play with Jeanette's doll collection. They were not privy to this conversation. Zeela was teaching Geizmo not to throw the dolls. Precious. Utterly precious.

"Give her a break, guys." I advised. "This can't be fixed overnight. It's like she's lost her innocence."

Theodore scrunched his tiny nose, deep in thought. "If you lose your innocence, can you find it again?"

I was compelled to be honest. "Rarely." I answered in a melancholy way. "Very rarely. Usually,…no."

Brittany and Eleanor exchanged equally sad and worried expressions.

My little brother continued to try and get a feel for the situation at hand. "Oh, do you feel it when you lose your innocence?"

"Some people feel it more than others." I said bleak-ly.

"I'm questioning if I was even born with childlike innocence." Eleanor quipped, interrupting my train of thought.

I grimaced. "So are the rest of us." I said, trying to sound less serious and more like I was joking. I'm not sure if it registered that way to the others.

Theo tapped his finger on his cheek. "I see….Well, Eleanor's a nice person, even without her innocence." He concluded.

Awww. He never ceases to be sweet. Although, Eleanor didn't blush, her face lit up with a huge smile.

"I fear don't have any either." I mentioned. "I know far too much."

The little boy in green scrunched his nose again. "But if you lose your innocence, you don't die." He said, like he knew that was fact.

"Part of you does." Eleanor set a hand on his shoulder, as she "joked" to lighten the mood.

My brother gasped so loudly it's as if the air had been sucked from the room.

Brittany took pity on him. It was clear he wanted to know, but the struggle to understand the complexity of it all was REAL.

"It's…hard to explain, Theo." She said in a surprisingly gentle voice.

Theodore shuffled his feet as he walked in a circle, scratching his head. Then, he stopped. "I'm starting to think I haven't lost my innocence yet." He squeaked.

I didn't want him to feel left out. "Parts of it you have, actually." I explained. "Other parts, thank goodness no." Oof. This was likely only going to confuse him more. I should have kept my mouth shut.

"Oh….well….I still feel like me even without those parts, so maybe innocence isn't as important as I thought." The little boy put his hands on his hips and forced a grin.

I gulped. "Uh…I'd say the parts you still have are…very important considering we can't age."

My brother let out a pained sigh. "I'm never gonna understand this." He sat down on the floor.

Eleanor sat down beside him. "Theo, it's not a REQUIREMENT." She stressed.

"But I wanna understand it more." He pouted.

Brittany shook her head forcefully, swinging her obnoxiously large ponytail from side to side. "No, trust us. You don't."

"Yeah." Eleanor hugged him and squeezed tightly. "Protect the innocence you've still got."

That made Theo a little happier. He smiled and nodded. "Okay!"

We chatted for a bit longer and then I excused myself from the room. I went back to check on Jeanette. She was still watching the extinct animals program on TV. She was laying on the whole couch now. I assume she noticed I left.

"How are you doing, Jeanie?" The gratuitous use of her pet name was surprising me. Though I suppose it made sense to treat her softer…much softer than normal.

She yawned. "Tired." She squeaked out.

"I bet you are." I placed a hand on hed forehead. "Would you like to go up to bed?"

She shook her head. Then, she slowly sat up and handed me the channel changer that she'd been cuddling like a plushie.

"Can….Can you find me…something new to watch?" She asked, blinking her deep blue eyes. "Something a little, just a little, less sad."

I nodded and skimmed through the channels until I found a tragedy and comedy movie about two people suffering from a terrible illness, living their best life until the eventually happy ending where they learn they're not going to die. I don't know the name of it, but I believe it was inspired by the plot of The Last Holiday.

I watched a little of that and then asked Jeanette if she'd be alright if I left. She said yes, as long as I'd return later. I texted the others and told them to check on her now and then.

I decided to take a short break and return home. I could feel the sadness and despair creeping in. If I was going to continue to assist Jeanette with her healing process, I needed to step away and recalibrate. The others would pitch in to cheer her up in the meantime.

I took a deep breath and opened the door. Walking inside, I removed my indigo colored hooded jacket that I'd been wearing over a solid royal-blue shirt. I heard some noise and turned my head to watch Alvin carefully and SLOWLY walking down the stairs. This was abnormal behavior, but that was to be expected.

"What are you doing? Practicing to enter in the Snail Grand Prix?" I teased.

"No. That sounds ridiculous." He answered.

His voice, while not entirely an emotionless monotone, was very…stilted. It was like his esteemed scholar voice, but with something missing. I just couldn't put my finger on what.

I put my hand on my hip and narrowed my eyes at him. "Then, what exactly ARE you doing?"

"Are you aware that there are over 100 stair related injuries per minute?" My brother responded, matter-of-factly.

I rolled my eyes.

Alvin reached the bottom of the stairs and approached me, at a nice even pace instead of like a speed demon. I took note of his appearance. His messy, shoulder-length hair was tied back in a tiny ponytail. He wore a cyan T-shirt that said "I'm Quarky. Deal with it." in rainbow letters. There were designs of quarks themselves on it too, each labeled with a letter.

In addition to that, he wore a red long-sleeved shirt underneath and a pair of galaxy patterned leggings. He tends to always dress more for comfort when he's overstimulated. He also finds that he needs less of the color red, because it's such a powerful color.

"I see you finished your coding project." I commented.

He wasn't even fidgeting as he talked. "Indeed."

"How did it go?" I was interested. I hoped he wasn't STILL stressing about it.

The awkward boy shrugged. "I have no idea. It is done. It is satisfactory, I suppose. I am not pleased with it."

I noticed that his face appeared to be fixed in a neutral and oddly pensive expression. His mouth was a thin and nearly perfectly straight line. He appeared to be so focused elsewhere, he was forgetting to emote. At all.

It was so creepy. I wasn't sure where to take this conversation next. "Okay…"

"I also deep cleaned the kitchen." Alvin went on. "The floors have been scrubbed to perfection. Then, I helped Dave re-organize his sock drawer."

"And how did that go?" I walked with him, into our living room.

My medicated brother blinked twice and then responded. "A fantastic father son bonding activity, if I do say so myself. Boring tasks? I don't believe I know them anymore."

I nibbled my lip. "Must have felt good."

His face was still blank. His voice still didn't sound quite like his own. "I wasn't aware how it felt. Irrelevant stimuli ceases to entertain me."

"Cut the robot act." I rubbed my temples. "Please." This was getting on my nerves. "I know my meds were NOT designed to cause this."

Alvin delivered the bad news, still barely fidgeting at all, aside from his finger tapping at his thigh. "It is not an act. I really haven't a clue how to stop it." He frowned, but then his smile went back to being a flatline in seconds. "If I had one, I would take these more often." He told me sharply.

I sighed heavily. "Oh, Alvin, I'm sorry I did this to you."

He shook his head. "No no. I did it to myself. As we have established I do not take well to significant shifts in my perception."

No, you don't say? That's so unexpected. (Sarcasm.)

I adjusted my glasses and tried to set aside my guilt. I noticed that Alvin's tail was EXTRA bushy. The fur was spiked up on end. That, told me that he was extremely anxious, even though his face couldn't tip me off. If only I hadn't convinced Alvin he needed to try medication. I opened a frightening can of worms.

"So what are you going to do now?" I inquired

"My mind is alternating between things to accomplish and complete static. I suppose I shall just pick one. What is priority?" Alvin quipped.

I got visibly frustrated with him. "I don't know. I can't see the list IN YOUR HEAD." I stressed the last three words.

Alvin didn't seem to react at all to my frustration. "I know. I shall watch an informative documentary about geology." He declared.

"Fun." What else could I say to that?

"No. But useful." He corrected, raising his pointer finger in the air. "Nothing feels fun. I cannot focus on my feelings, a fact we previously have established."

I was sick of talking to him. It felt like getting nowhere, more than usual. His over-response to most attempts at ADHD management is frightening.

I folded my arms and resisted the urge to roll my eyes again. "How long until this wears off?"

Alvin walked over to grab the TV remote. "I took the meds after eating my lunch, so that was noon." He stated. "By midnight, I will once again be my loveable and humorous self."

"Midnight. Great." I mumbled sarcastically under my breath. It seemed I'd need a nap if I was going to deal with his antics late at night.

As I strode out of the room, my chemically altered sibling followed.

"Would you like to watch the documentary with me?" He asked, without a HINT of excitement present in his delivery.

That sounded like an even more unpleasant experience than watching my good friend Jeanette sob repeatedly.

I shook my head. "No, no. I think I'll pass." I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans.

"Suit yourself. I cannot wait until I am back to being Alvin 2.0 again. I am certain he will be enthralled by all the knowledge I have gained." The boy in mostly cyan replied.

"Yep, Shelvin Cooper. I'm sure he will." I muttered dryly, but loud enough that he could hear me.

The similarities between him and the popular character from the hit show The Big Bang Theory were impossible to ignore. It still wasn't an exact match. I could see hints of Alvin's signature brand of insanity, at times. It was a close enough match though.

"His name is Sheldon." The Chipmunk in the cyan T-shirt corrected me.

I purposefully relaxed my jaw, before I started grinding my teeth. "It was a pun." I reminded him.

"Oh. Right. I usually make those as jokes." Alvin laughed the most dry and forced sounding laugh. "What a complete waste of mental resources. Such a foolish child I can be."

That's it. I couldn't listen to him anymore. My stretched patience was about to SNAP. So, I did the only thing I could do at a time like this.

I walked away.

Then, I felt bad, so I returned, peering around the corner to keep an eye on my brother. Alvin stood nearly motionless for about 30 seconds.

Finally, he rubbed his chin. "I guess that is my cue to leave as well." It took him FAR too long to realize that.

I watched as he headed into the living room. His pace was still too slow and calm for my liking.

But I couldn't get swept up in Alvin's issues NOW. I needed my break!

"He's fine. He'll be fine. It'll wear off and then I am DEFINITELY locking up the meds." I said aloud quietly to myself. "They're not supposed to be addictive, but at this point I think Alvin can become addicted to ANYTHING."

With that settled, it was time to tire myself out with some basketball and then take a well deserved power nap. I needed a reset, before the pessimist in me bubbled to the surface and made everything worse.

I returned to the treehouse later and Jeanette informed me that she didn't want to sleep in her own room tonight. She wanted to go to Miss. Miller's. That would be a much MUCH better and quieter place for her to process. Her sisters' arguments can get very overwhelming for her. Best to avoid them.

I walked with Jeanette down the treehouse steps, keeping her steady so she didn't fall. She still seemed spaced out in the worst way possible. She had changed out of her nightgown and into her favorite pajama top with a cat-eared hoodie and striped pajama bottoms.

A bit later, as we entered Miss. Miller's house, the elderly woman could IMMEDIATELY sense something was up with her daughter.

"What's the matter, dear?" She knelt down, despite the crack that came from one of her knees.

Jeanette squeezed her bunny plush tightly. I noticed it had a name tag that read Presto. Oh yes, I do remember her introducing me to that plush toy a while ago.

"I've lost all hope and the universe feels empty and colorless." The girl in purple complained with a weepy sigh.

"Well, that's not good." Miss. Miller stood up and led Jeanette to the kitchen. "We need to do something to get your mind off all that."

"I can't." The Chipette whimpered. "I am a…void. My creativity is nonexistent." She murmured in a daze. "I've cried so much that I'm numb. I don't like feeling numb."

OUCH OUCH OUCH! A pain I knew all too well.

"Oh my. Oh my stars." Thr elderly woman placed her hands on her cheeks. "Simon, what do we do?"

"If I knew, I would have done it already." I said bitterly. No, that was too pessimistic. I corrected myself seconds later. "I'm sure we'll think of…something."

I wouldn't stop until I did.

Miss. Miller offered Jeanette her favorite vegan desserts. Tofu chocolate chip cookies, rice cream, oatmeal raisin cookies, and even a one of the tooth cleaning vegan lollipops she'd saved from Halloween.

The grieving girl refused them all politely. She just wanted to get to bed.

Miss. Miller and I set up the bedroom for her. Extra fluffy pillows, nice cozy blankets, the works.

I even tucked her in and helped her let her hair down. She'd been struggling to remove her hair-tie.

"Thank you for everything, Simon." She whispered hoarsely. "And you too, mom."

"I hope you sleep well, dear. I'll be right by your side if you have nightmares." The elderly woman had changed into her white and pink flower pattered nightgown. She climbed into the bed next to Jeanette.

"And I'll be back tomorrow." I swore. "I promise."

"Yay." She murmured softly, with sincerity.

I retucked her covers to make sure they were perfect. "Now, cheer up, sleepy Jeanie." I told her in a playful manner. "No thoughts of doom tonight."

She yawned. "Okay."

I removed her glasses and put them on the nightstand.

"Simon,…can you sing to me?" She asked softly, rubbing her tired eyes. "I don't think I can fall asleep…without a lullaby."

Miss. Miller had fallen asleep already, snoozing with her sleep mask over her eyes.

I didn't particularly feel like singing, but this was for Jeanette. I would do anything for my good friend.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I can." I thought about a perfect song for that moment.

Then, I began to lull her with the dulcet tones of a haunting melody by Adele. The song was named Remedy.

"I remember all of the things that I thought I wanted to be

So desperate to find a way out of my world and finally breathe

Right before my eyes, I saw that my heart, it came to life

This ain't easy, it's not meant to be

Every story has its scars"

I watched as my friend's eyes fluttered closed. Her lips turned their corners upward into a VERY slight smile. It was working! I continued to sing softly.

"But when the pain cuts you deep

When the night keeps you from sleeping

Just look and you will see

That I will be your remedy"

"When the world seems so cruel

And your heart makes you feel like a fool

I promise you will see

That I will be, I will be your remedy"

Her shallow and panicked breaths fell slowly back to an even, steady pace. I started the second verse.

"No river is too wide or too deep for me to swim to you

Come whatever, I'll be the shelter that won't let the rain come through"

I heard soft purring and wondered if Miss. Miller's cat had joined us. I realized I was now sitting on the bed instead of standing beside it. No clue how I'd gotten there. My body reacted automatically I suppose.

Where was that purring coming from? I looked around for Duchess, but the fluffy feline wasn't in this room. That meant the purring must be coming from….Jeanette?

Of course! Chipmunks CAN purr. I always temporarily forget that because I rarely do it. I know Alvin's mentioned he loves listening to his girlfriend purr.

With that mystery solved, I returned to the chorus.

"When the pain cuts you deep

When the night keeps you from sleeping

Just look and you will see

That I will be your remedy

Your remedy ooooh."

The purring grew louder and eventually Jeanette was entirely asleep. I patted the fur on her cheek.

"Goodnight, sleepy Jeanie."

I returned home and checked on Alvin. He had his nose in a geology book he'd borrowed from the library. It was 10:00pm. I had time to chill and meditate a little before my usual brother returned.

After my meditative session, I did some yoga stretches. That was followed by a nice simple chat with my friend Dexter. Lastly, I entered the dining room and pulled out my own book to read. Stress Management Skills And How To Use Them was the title. A very useful source of information.

I was interrupted from my reading at 12:06am. A furry hand tapped my shoulder.

"Brittany texted me." It was Alvin. And his voice had expression again!

All of the personality and hyperactivity that had drained from him, had returned as if it never left. I knew that must be very jarring for my brother to experience, but he seemed to be handling it alright.

I put the book away, delighted to see the brother I was used to dealing with once more. "Was it about Jeanette?" I inquired curiously.

He nodded his head REALLY quickly. I noticed his tail fur was no longer bushed out everywhere. "Yeah. Something's going on with Netta? I can't believe I didn't know about this!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, you picked a great day to get lost in a task saliency fueled coding rabbit hole." I responded sarcastically.

He jumped onto the table and pouted. "I hate those meds."

I groaned. We'd rehashed this conversation so many times I was sick of it. "If you hated them, you wouldn't continue to take them." I pointed out.

He paced up and down the table, gesturing wildly with his hands. His movements were so much more lively.

"Okay, fine. I love-hate those meds. I love the intense focus! I love the follow through! My reliability skyrockets!" He rambled. "But I hate what they do to me. I hate that work and fun feel exactly the same on them, so I always pick work. There's no urges to goof off or entertain on them, so I just…don't. There's no excitement from learning on them. It's more of a compulsion to learn. I feel stable, but by my standards, it's very robotic. And not the Geizmo sort of robotic. The emotionless kind. It's not even the meds' fault. It's ME. I could have emotions on them, but for whatever reason I just choose never to focus on my emotions." He rubbed his head in frustration. I assume he had a massive headache from the sudden flip in brain chemistry.

"It does sound awfully rough." I agreed.

"I blame Dave." He went on, still pacing with a confident vigor. "He cursed me with workaholic syndrome! Dave's always like, "get your priorities straight." I can't get them straight! Even on meds! They're always zig-zagged. I'm either not focused enough or too focused. There's no in between. ARRRRGH!" He paused to sniff the air. "I smell waffles? Is someone making waffles?"

I chuckled lightly and got out of the chair. "Well, thankfully it appears the medication has worn off now."

He stared at me with a confused face. "How can you tell?" Okay, so a bit of the Sheldon-ness was still making its way out of his system.

I blinked at him in surprise.

The sudden realization smacked him seconds later. "Ohhh, the rambles….yeah."

He jumped off the table.

"Not just the rambles." I clarified. "Everything. It's good to have…this side of you back." I smiled warmly.

He clenched his fists as he jogged around the dining room table. "It is, but…I'm still mad. Takes me longer to do homework on medication because my cognitive processing is SLOWER and the work is less enjoyable. Takes me longer to start homework off medication, but IF it's something I'm interested in, I zip through it." The long ramble continued. "Basically, I'm screwed. Because either way I'm looking at 6-8 hours a day on homework and I simply have no school-life balance." He pushed his red glasses up on his nose and folded his arms. "I'm totally wired right now and mentally tired and I just….I hate it."

I stopped him before he accidentally ran into a table leg. "We'll figure something out. Two AP classes was too much. You could handle one, but two was pushing it. You knew this." I reminded my older bro wisely.

He sighed, because he knew I was correct. "I did. Just a glutton for punishment I guess. And for waffles." He raised his voice and ran into the kitchen, while I followed. "Theo, are you making waffles?"

The chubby boy beamed as he presented Alvin and I with a plate of mouth watering treats. "Hot off the waffle iron! It's midnight waffle time!" He announced, with a wag of his tail.

"WAFFLES!" Alvin shouted excitedly.

"Waffles do sound pretty good." I agreed.

The red capped boy grabbed one and shoved it into his mouth. "Oh yeah. That's the stuff. Those particular meds blunt the taste of everything. I still eat, but I can't ENJOY it." He rambled.

"Yeah. You say that a lot." Theodore mentioned sympathetically. "It sounds terrible."

"The worst!" He finished the waffle and grabbed another. "So, what's going on with my girlfriend?" He asked between bites.

We all sat at the counter to enjoy our waffles.

I had to break the bad news to him. "She's become disillusioned with life." I said, sadly. "Devoid of faith."

"Jeanette's sad and hopeless?" Alvin washed the waffle down with a swig of orange juice. "Jeanette?"

Theo nibbled his waffle with a suddenly sad face. "Uh huh."

Alvin dropped his half eaten waffle and gasped. "We can't have that."

"I don't know what to do to help her." The younger boy whimpered. He wiped away a tear with his napkin.

Alvin leapt onto the counter again. "Neither do I, but I can't stand by and let the world crush her spirit!" He raised his fist toward the ceiling. "It's already taken a chunk out of mine, and I won't let it take hers too!" He declared confidently.

"It's okay, for now." Theodore stuck his finger in the syrup and licked it off. "Simon took care of it and she's asleep. You can help her in the morning."

Alvin grabbed his belly and let out a genuine laugh, instead of a dry and throat-y half-laugh. "I'm sorry, SIMON took care of it? Simon!? Help Jeanette think positive?" He climbed back down to his seat to finish the half-eaten waffle. "Why didn't ya just shoot her in the foot too, while you're at it?" He asked me with an eyebrow wiggle.

I glared at him, quite annoyed. "I think I did a…a decent job at mitigating her grief…a little." I responded.

"He did wonderful." Theo added with a grin.

"Yeah. A little." Alvin, jumped off the seat, cracked his knuckles and raised his arms above his head. "Step aside, and watch the master of entertainment at work!"

I climbed down from my chair and the stack of books beneath me. I clamped a firm hand on Alvin's arm. "AGAIN, She's sleeping. You can see her in the morning."

The exuberant red-capped boy pouted again. "Aww, but I want my chance to cheer up sleepy Netta."

"And you'll get your chance, tomorrow." Theodore assured him.

Alvin sulked back to his seat and ate his waffle, ears and tail drooping. He felt guilty, I assume. Guilty for not being there when his girlfriend needed him most. Nevertheless, he'd get his chance to make up for it. I was…positive.

We let the waffles digest and then made it to bed. Alvin was restless, because he had his energy back and hadn't been able to burn any off during the day.

"Alvin, you need sleep. It's late." Theodore said with a rub of his eyes.

"I will sleep. I'm just gonna do some light reading first." Alvin pulled a thick (heckin' chonker, as some may say) of a physics textbook out from under his pillow. Why he had it under his pillow, I may never understand.

I raised an eyebrow. "Light reading?"

"Yes." He opened the book and smiled widely.

I playfully teased him with a smug grin. "Your Simon is showing."

His smile faded momentarily, before returning less intensely. "Yeah."

"And the meds aren't even in your system, so you can't blame them." I reminded him, turning on my side to both face him and get comfortable.

"I know…" He was clearly annoyed, but trying to stay calm. "And I accept and embrace this part of myself, as frustrating and difficult as it may be….he is a good kid. I think all of us are, including Classic Alvin." He finished, smiling wistfully.

"That's what I like to hear." I replied, giving him a wink.

Theodore clapped his hands. "Yeah! We are!"

I gave Alvin 15 minutes to enjoy his physics book before turning out the light.

"Hey!" He snapped out of his hyperfocus.

"The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you can help Jeanette." I stated wisely.

He groaned. "Okay okay. I'll sleep."

The next day, we all met up at Miss. Miller's and then took Jeanette on a walk through our town. We constantly took turns suggesting ways to cheer her up.

"Would you like to go to that smoothie place you love?" Brittany wondered, hopefully.

"Not really." Jeanette slumped her shoulders and looked at the ground. Her bun was hastily done up, and half falling apart. She wasn't even wearing a ribbon dangling from it like she does frequently. All bad signs.

"What about the park?" Theodore offered.

The girl in the light lilac sweater with the kitty cat face on it just shook her head and sighed.

"Netta, I am so SORRY! I should have been here for you sooner!" Alvin was frantic. "I'll help you, I swear. I can make it up to you!"

"It's okay." Jeanette told him with a frown. "I didn't….really want to tell anyone about it." She explained. "Or I would have told you."

"Oh." Alvin's reddish brown eyebrows raised. His hair was out of the ponytail now, hanging around his neck like a lion's mane. "Still! There's gotta be, you know, SOMETHING I can do to fix this! I'm not gonna stop tryin' 'til you're happy again!"

"For what it's worth." I interjected, sticking my hands in the pockets of my blue hooded sweatshirt. "It is possible to have fun without being happy."

"That makes no sense." Theodore wrinkled his nose.

"It's true." Eleanor added. "I have fun, even when I'm REALLY upset and angry. I do stuff that I love. I'm still angry afterwards, just less angry. And I'm still angry while having the fun, but the fun like…takes priority."

"I'm always slightly sad." I admitted, though I didn't relish mentioning my ongoing depression struggle. "But, I'm way less sad than I used to be."

"Do you love it? Do you love it? No, I ain't happy yet, but I'm way less sa-aad." Alvin sang to himself while bobbing his head. That was an AJR song. One of MY favorites, actually. The message was right on the nose.

When you heal from depression, you don't suddenly find yourself happy about things and satisfied with your life entirely. But you do learn to be a lot less sad and focus a lot less on being sad. You get Way Less Sad, like the name of the song states.

I can never become a Theodore-like person, who looks for the good in things first. That's never going to feel natural. However, the more I practice, the easier it becomes to work a little Theodore-ness into myself now and then. And it helps. It helps A LOT.

As for Alvin, he can never learn what it feels like to live without his combo pack of neurodivergence. The most he can get is adaptations that help him succeed and the occasional chemicals that flip his brain so far in reverse that it's foreign to him. (Due to his extreme hypersensitivity, unfortunately.)

As for Jeanette, to go from being a Theodore like person, to suffering something that could eventually result in depression if she couldn't find ways to cope…That would be the worst thing ever. None of us would stop helping her, until we were sure she was okay again.

"Urgh!" Brittany picked at her polished nails. "We are running out of places to take you." She snapped at Jeanette.

I squeezed her hand tightly. "Calm down." I said, gently.

"I know!" Theodore waved his hand. "We can go to the soup kitchen and help out!"

"I can start my own recycling business!" Alvin declared.

"With your busy schedule?" Eleanor raised an eyebrow. "You must be joking."

"Aw nuts. You're right. I barely have time to do the things I love, let alone anything new." He grumbled.

"What do you think about the soup kitchen, Jeanette? Jeanette?" Theodore looked around and then gasped. "She's gone, guys."

"Wow." Brittany teased. "She pulled an Eleanor."

"And you better stop it." Eleanor threatened. "Unless you want your hair pulled."

I frantically began to search for my friend, turning around in a circle. I spotted her across the street, staring in the window of a building and looking even more miserable.

"There she is." I said.

The others flocked around her.

"Is there something special about this place?" Theodore asked, tugging on the brunette girl's sweater.

Jeanette didn't answer. She just burst into tears again.

"This is the election office." Eleanor pointed to a sign in the window. "It's where her proposal was voted on."

"Ohoho, it is?" Alvin rubbed his hands together. "I have an idea!"

"Which side of you has the idea?" I teased.

"The blended side." He scrunched his nose and adjusted his glasses. "I think. Me. Good ol' Alvin 2.0. The combo!"

Eleanor rolled her eyes.

Theodore wagged his tail and looked up at Alvin. "What're you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna demand a recount!" And before any of us could stop him, Alvin went into the building and let his rebellious spirit go wild.

A little while later, he was thrown out of the place, and a big sign with his face on it that said BANNED was hung up in the window.

Alvin got up and rubbed his back, brushing the dirt off his jeans too. He looked annoyed and a little bit bummed out. "Well, that didn't work."

"I'm shocked." I stated, with my usual signature sarcasm.

"In fact, they probably never wanna see my face again." He rubbed the sleeve of his cyan jacket and then tugged at the hem of his red T-shirt.

Eleanor chuckled. "Pretty much, yeah." She grabbed a hold of Alvin and turned him to face the poster.

As soon as he saw it, his eyes lit up and he smiled. "Look! 2.0's first banned poster!" He pointed upwards. "Aren't I adorable? My glasses really look good in poster form, as does the rest of me…"

Brittany cut him off, giggling. "That's enough bragging for now."

Jeanette moved from her spot by the window and tapped Alvin's arm gently. "Thank you….for trying."

"I tried so hard, Netta." He frowned again. "I wish it worked." His ears drooped and his voice lowered. "What do we do now?"

As it got closer and closer to Thanksgiving Day, we continued our quest to show Jeanette there was still a chance to help slow down, and possibly even prevent the demise of planet Earth. We did so much volunteer work that I can't even begin to list the sheer amount of things we accomplished.

At most, it made Jeanette feel a tiny bit better. She started wearing her hair in her usual way again, and added her ribbon and bow on a dangly string. She would fidget with it again and chew on it and twist it constantly.

But, she was still missing her creative drive and her joyful faith. A far cry from her usual self, but slowly SLOWLY making her way back.

I tried to schedule an art day for her, so that she and I could draw together. I hated the process of producing art. I was still so nitpicky and finicky over every little detail. It drove me crazy, but I would do it…for her.

We sat in the living room at my house, gathered round the coffee table. Geizmo and Zeela colored with us and then I had to clean doodles off the table because apparently Geizmo STILL cannot grasp the concept of keeping the markers and crayons on the PAPER.

"How are you doing, Jeanette?" I asked, after making peace with the gears I had drawn and the imperfect freehanded circles I was making. (VERY DIFFICULT!)

She'd drawn a single flower, very small and neatly in the center of the page. She handed it to me with a heavy sigh.

"Okay, okay, not bad. What else can you add?" I tried to compliment her and encourage the process.

She shrugged.

"What if you drew me?" I suggested.

She put a pencil to the paper, but before she could make a single line, she burst into tears again. "Simon, I can't! I can't create anything! It's not….It's not coming to me like it usually does."

"It will come back." I promised her.

"I want to write." She stood up and started stimming by flapping her hands. "I want to write! I want to write! I want to draw! I want to sing! And dance! And be happy! I want to feel…I want to feel okay again."

"There there, mommy." Zeela hugged Jeanette's thin legs. "It okay. You be okay."

Geizmo ignored what was going on, wrapped up in drawing a mustache on himself with a marker.

I looked at him and coughed loudly. Then, I pointed to Jeanette.

He blinked his electronic eyes and then finally realized what was going on. Then, he joined Zeela and hugged the sad Chipette.

"Geizmo make you feel better." He promised.

"I make you feel better too." Zeela added.

Jeanette eventually sat down at the coffee table again. "Being creative is…" She sniffled again. "It's such a big part of me. What if it never comes back? I'm not sure I know who I am without it." She frowned. "I sound like Alvin, don't I?"

I nodded sadly. "Little bit."

She looked at one of the crayons, a red one. Then, she picked it up and sighed.

And, in an instant, I knew exactly how to get her creative juices flowing again.

"Wait here." I instructed. "I'll be right back."

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I ran over to the room under the stairs and typed in the passcode. Then, I ventured into Alvin's lab.

He was there, sitting at one of the lab tables, typing more endless strings of code into his laptop. Nooooo! If he'd taken the extended release meds again, he'd be no help at all.

"Do you…have a minute?" I called out softly, expecting a stilted and concise reply.

Fortunately, Alvin saved his progress, and then closed the laptop. He groaned loudly. "I HATE IT! I HATE IT! I HATE CODING! I HATE IT! I just can't understand it like other stuff! No matter how hard I try, I make like 300 bugs! Then, I patch those, and they somehow turn into 500 bugs!" He opened the laptop and started up the program again, as if on autopilot. "I'm not cut out for this! STUPID STUPID STUPID!"

"If you hate it so much, why are you taking the class?" I came closer to him.

He turned his swivel chair to face me. "I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE!" He exclaimed. "I guess, because Nerdy Me thinks it's a good idea. Well, I don't think he was prepared for how much we genuinely SUCK at it." He ranted.

"Then just….stop." I told him with an exasperated frown.

"I can't." He muttered. "I wanna be a software engineer so frackin' bad."

I raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted to be a physicist."

He jumped out of the chair and threw his hands up with a shout. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT! I NEVER KNOW WHAT I WANT!" He complained. "I think that's why I keep taking the meds sometimes even though I hate it. When I'm that guy, I just….know exactly what I want to do and I DO IT. No fighting with myself. No having to psyche out my brain or bargain or trick myself into boring stuff. I just DO IT. But some of the stuff on meds that I do, is stuff I don't WANT to do. Random stuff I feel obligated to do. Most of it, most of it is actually."

"Like organizing a sock drawer?" I teased with genuine concern.

"YEAH!" He collapsed into the cyan bean bag chair with a heavy sigh. "Urgh! I'm such a mess. How do you put up with me!?"

I chuckled. "Not sure, but I manage."

"I just….I can't stay on top of everything. I got a taste of what that felt like. IT WAS INCREDIBLE! Then, I took Halloween as a vacation day and suddenly I'm behind again!" A tear rolled down his freckled cheek. "I'm behind again."

I pulled him up out of the beanbag chair. "Alvin, you don't have to stay on top of everything." I said firmly. "You CAN'T stay on top of everything."

"But I gotta!" He blubbered. "I owe it to myself! I can't waste my limitless potential!"

I thought about all the stress, all the obligations Alvin took on, in addition to his homework, when he didn't HAVE to. It wasn't even about teachers, or students, or even Dave anymore. Sure, Alvin still blamed them. But he had learned he didn't have to fit other people's expectations entirely. This was about Alvin's own ridiculously high, unattainable expectations for HIMSELF.

But why did he have such high expectations? What drove him? What fueled his descent into madness? Why did he have such a twisted view of the things he was capable of? How could I snap him out of it?

I stared at the book sitting on Alvin's lab table. It was a book he'd written, in a single night, while procrastinating on a history project that he'd been partnered with me to complete.

"Alvin's Guide To Leveling Up In Life" the title said.

And that's when it hit me. Everything suddenly made sense! Why hadn't I seen it before? Alvin was fine taking on things at first, but he kept adding and adding to them. The more he accomplished, the more he sought out to do. And why?

Because he was treating life….like a videogame! He was going for the high score! He was trying to beat his own high score! That's why he kept returning to the extended release meds despite hating the way they alter his personality. That's why he jumped right into another AP class. And that, if I didn't talk him out of it, was going to leave the poor kid so burned out that he wouldn't HAVE a sense of self left to worry about.

I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Life is NOT a videogame, Alvin!" I yelled.

He paused, then looked confused. "What…?"

"You can't beat your high score." I went on, letting go of him. "You won the game. You're on the daily quests and side quests now. You have done amazing things, you'll continue to do amazing things. But you can't do everything at once. You can't. It is KILLING you." I stressed that word, because I needed him to let some things go. I missed when he was HAPPY being Alvin 2.0. I'm sure he did too.

"I know….I know….but I don't know how to stop." His voice shook as much as his trembling body.

"Pick and choose what to get into." I advised. "I know that's hard for you, so I'll do what I can to help. But, you HAVE to quit Computer Science next semester. Or you have to quit AP Science."

He walked over and closed the laptop once more. "And what do I do about this semester?"

"It's almost over, Alvin." I replied.

His ears twitched and he seemed more alert. "What? Really? Where did all the time go?"

I rolled my eyes. "You spent 80% of it obsessing over chores and homework and studying."

"You're right, Si. You're right." He forced a sad smile. "Guess you and the others are gonna have to force me to have fun more often."

"I think Jeanette would like to do something fun with you today." I told him. Never once having forgotten why I came into his lab. "I think BOTH of you need it."

Alvin sighed whistfully and took off his cyan jacket, tying it around his waist. "I miss having fun…without feeling like the fun is a waste of time in the grand scheme of things." He groaned again. "Urgh. I need to drop Computer Science. Coding has messed me up far more than the meds did. I'm not cut out to write code for a videogame."

I put an arm around him as I led him out of the lab. "No. You aren't cut out for this class. But, I think, if you really committed to it, you could learn to code a videogame. Bit by bit. No rushing. Just set aside a little time each week to code."

"That….seems do-able." The awkward boy squeaked.

I smiled encouragingly. "Or, you know, you could always…have help."

"You'd code it with me?" His tail twitched and wagged like that of an excited puppy.

"I would." I responded sincerely, before giving him a gentle shove into the living room. "Now, go brighten Jeanette's day with your spontaneity."

Alvin wasted no time joining us and fidgeted with the markers as he drew Jeanette a wonderful masterpiece. It was a picture of her, some stars, the earth, music notes, recycling signs, and flowers.

He wrote words on it too, in bright, eye-popping cyan letters.

"You saved my world! Pretty sure you can save the universe! It's alright to cry, just don't give up!"

He handed her the picture and gave her a very wide and genuine smile. "I, uh, I made this for ya." He spoke abnormally softly. "I hope ya like it."

Jeanette took the picture in her hands. Then she cried, and cried, and cried some more.

"Are those sad tears or happy tears?" Alvin asked with a nervous chuckle. "Please tell me I didn't make it worse."

"Happy tears!" Jeanette squealed. "So happy! I'm happy again! I'm still sad, but I'm also happy too!"

"Maybe you're finally ready to write some poetry." I commented.

She smiled and spoke between choked sobs. "I am! But, maybe tomorrow. Right now…" She dried her eyes. "I wanna sing."

"OH GOOD!" Zeela exclaimed, the little antennas on her robot head bobbling. "Mommy's back!"

"She sure is." Alvin and I said at the same time.

Jeanette started singing a song from her favorite Rapunzel show. The one by Natasha Bedingfield that provides the show's end credits. I confess, I have seen at least a few episodes.

She danced around the room and everything was right in the world again. As right as it ever could be.

"Now I got my eyes, opening wider

My heart, burning like fire

Feels like I'm so alive

I'm never going back

Whatever I want now, I'm gonna chase

Who I am, I can't contain it

I'm not gonna hold it in

'Cause there's more of me to give."

Alvin and I exchanged relieved expressions as the weight was lifted off both our shoulders. It was good to have Jeanie back to her joyful self. I really hoped it would last.

On Thanksgiving, we all gathered around Miss. Miller's dining room table to enjoy the turkey and tofurkey and all the other Thanksgiving staples. There were sweet potatoes and cranberry jam. There was also pumpkin pie and pecan pie for dessert.

As we sat down to dig in, Dave started to speak. "Alright, everyone, before we have dinner, let's all go around the table and say what we're thankful for."

Brittany stood up in her chair. "I'll go first. I'm thankful for this lovely meal that Miss. Miller, Eleanor, and Theodore have generously prepared. And…I'm thankful I don't have to eat anything green."

We all chuckled at that last part.

Eleanor beamed at her sister, green eyes shining. "Thanks for not saying my name last." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I'm thankful for all of you guys, and thankful that I can be anything I want to be. Chef. Super Athlete. Detective. Spy."

"Don't forget knight in shining armor!" Theodore quipped. "I'm thankful that Jeanette's feeling more like herself again. Plus, I'm thankful that there ARE lots of people who DO want to make the world a better place."

He discreetly fed Lilly some scraps of turkey under the table. He took such good care of that puppy.

"I'm thankful for a secure and stable job, and I'm thankful I get the opportunity to focus less on work to spend time with you kids during the holidays." Dave announced.

"Maybe that'll cure my workaholic syndrome too, daddy-o." Alvin teased.

"I'm thankful for my cousin Geizmo." Warbie chirped. The little bird rolled his eyes. "Because Alvin said I have to be."

Alvin gave a nervous titter and handed Warbie a gummy worm to shut him up.

"I thankful for music and dancing!" Geizmo shouted happily.

"And I thankful for a nice home and lots of toys." Zeela quipped politely.

Pippi squeaked something completely unintelligible that only Jeanette understood.

"Pippi says she's thankful to be Santa Barbara's Next Top Model." The girl in purple looked lost. "I'm not sure what that means, but I'm glad she's happy."

"I'm thankful for my girls." Miss. Miller added. "And for these nifty things called hearing aids. What an invention."

"Can I go yet?" Alvin picked at his sweet potato casserole, looking bored.

"After me." I stood up in my chair, as Brittany had done. "I'm thankful for so many things, but one that stands out to me is….finally getting a good handle on my depression this year. It's been a long haul. I know I don't always talk about it, but I suffered a lot. I'm grateful that lately, the suffering has been significantly reduced."

"Whooooo!" Eleanor cheered.

"Way to go, Simon!" Brittany exclaimed.

"So proud of ya, little bro!" Alvin gushed.

Jeanette gave me a thumbs up.

I sat down in my chair, feeling good, but very light headed. I took a long sip of my grape juice.

"Okay, my turn. My turn!" Alvin stood up in his chair put his hands on his hips. "I'm thankful for teachers like Dr. Wilson! And my awesome girlfriend! Who is an awesome teacher too! I'm thankful that I've got the COOLEST family ever! And a rockin' music career! You know, I have like twenty new ideas for songs that I've gotta write down so that someone can help me turn them into reality. But, I digress. I'm thankful for the trees, and the sky, and the grass, and nature walks and learning how to do imagination meditation instead of the boring Simon kind. No offense, bro. It doesn't work on me. But I digress, you know, again. Sorry, bear with me. I'm super duper self aware of my rambles now. I know you're all waiting for me to shut up, but I just gotta get this all out. Which reminds me, I'm thankful that I have meds that can help me manage my anxiety and release Classic Alvin and meds that can help me manage my ADHD, even though the side effects are laaaaame and make me boring. I'm thankful I don't have to take them ALL THE TIME! I didn't, like, realize that was an option with ADHD meds, so it's kind of…cool." He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "But I digress a third and final time…."

"Oh my gosh, wrap it up already." I thought, inside my head. I didn't want to say it out loud, but I was ready to eat!

Alvin finished his ramble on a high note. "I'm thankful that Simon taught me that life is NOT supposed to feel like a videogame. That I've been chasing an impossible high that I'd never actually reach. I gotta slow down more. Just like Jeanette said too. I had learned that before, but I forgot it when I started that coding class because lately my brain just feels like a mess of coding stuff. I'm going to quit Computer Science, everyone! Now, I'm done. Thank you."

He FINALLY took his seat.

Eleanor snickered under her breath. "Yeesh. Someone should have given him his meds before he came here."

Brittany slapped Eleanor's hand and glared at her sternly. "Not funny, sis."

Alvin glared at her too, before looking at the Chipette sitting next to him with a lovestruck grin. "Netta, you're up!"

"I….I have a poem…I've written." Jeanette stood up and unfolded a piece of paper that had been tucked behind her ear. "And I'd like to share it with all of you."

Everyone was silent and attentive, including Alvin.

The girl in the lilac sweater and long blue skirt with flowers embroidered on it began to read her words aloud.

"When troubles come and make you doubt

The best of friends can help you out

When things get dark and times are tough

You begin to think you're not enough

The sadness creeps around every corner

You cry, you sigh, you don't want to have to say goodbye

Then, someone comes along and lifts you up

They mend your soul and fill your cup

You realize you're safer than you thought

You don't have to be distraught

Things bounce back to their natural order

You cry, you sigh, you no longer want to lay down and die.

The world is once again a beautiful place

You can't keep the smile from your face

Your friends arrived, just out of the blue

They showed you how much you can do"

She finished and we all clapped.

"I need that printed on a T-shirt." Alvin exclaimed.

"Okay, okay, settle down." Dave said. "That was a lovely poem, Jeanette."

Her face turned pink and she fidgeted with her hair ribbon. "Thank you."

"Let's eat!" Theodore cheered.

And so, we all ate a lovely Thanksgiving dinner together. Our giant, dysfunctional, crazy, unique, wonderful family. Whether or not you celebrate, I hope that you remember to tell the people you love how thankful you are that they exist. Take time each day to appreciate the things you love about life.

You may not think there's anything, I know I used to have a mindset like that. Occasionally, I slip back into it. But, I guarantee that no matter how tough things get, no matter how many horrible, horrible things happen, there's ALWAYS something to be thankful for. You just might have to look a little harder to find it.

Alvin's picture for her!

Chapter Text

OPERATION: FIND A PAL

Alvin 2.0's POV

After a grueling day of busy work and once again getting scolded for being too off-topic during class discussions, I was ready to sit back, kick my feet up, and veg out on the couch.

I'm attempting this thing where I nap or at least lie down and rest a little between school and the rest of my day. It's hard for me to switch from work-only mode to fun-and-work mode. And it's even harder to switch to fun-only mode on those rare days when I have NO HOMEWORK! I hope this new method makes mode switchin' easier. Time will tell.

I laid on the couch and closed my eyes, but I couldn't fall asleep. I heard the front door slam and worried it was Dave. Even though he's nicer about letting me take breaks these days, the usual response is still deeply ingrained in me. If it was Dave, I didn't want him seeing me lounging on the couch! How unproductive!

I bolted upright and then jumped to the coffee table and then to the floor. I slunk along the wall, tip toe-ing ever so cautiously into the hallway…to find Simon in a blue hoodie over his basketball jersey and his stylish oval sports glasses. (He wears those for basketball so that his usual round glasses don't slip down his nose and block his shots.)

My brother immediately spotted me and twirled the basketball he was holding on his finger to show off. A smug grin crossed his face. He knew I was still jealous of his basketball skills and his popularity.

"Hey, Si." I greeted him casually. "Let me guess, just got back from the 'ol B-Ball club?"

He dribbled the ball into the kitchen. "You know it."

"Careful with that thing!" I warned him. "You know how Dave is about playing ball in the house!" I paused as another thought occurred to me. "Or is that only a rule that applies to me?"

Simon looked uncomfortably guilty and tucked the basketball under his arm. "No, no. It applies to all of us. I'm just….excited."

"Oooh!" My curiosity, one of my very best qualities, piqued. "What's got you all hyped? You're usually the last guy to show hype about anything." I said.

"It's none of your business, Alvin." He had snapped from jock-Simon mode back to usual Simon mode.

"Aw, come on! I can't even have a little hint?" I pouted, following him into the dining room.

Theodore was there eating a sandwich. I think it was peanut butter and jelly, but that's an irrelevant detail and I'm supposed to be learning to leave out irrelevant details.

"Hi, guys!" Our little bro waved at us.

"Hi, Theodore." Simon responded, before narrowing his eyes at me. "No hints."

I followed Simon and when he climbed into a chair, I sat next to him. "Why can't I have a hint?" I demanded. "And why can't I know? Is it a secret? Are you worried I'll wreck it?"

"It doesn't involve you." He stated with an eerie calmness that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Who's involved?" I asked, staring directly at Simon, wearing him down until he eventually gave up and told me whatever big secret he was sittin' on.

"It's none of your business, Alvin." Theodore licked some grape jelly from his fingers. "It's between Simon and Dexter."

My brother in blue let out a heavy sigh. His secret had been partially foiled! Tough break, Si.

"Ohoho, so that's why you're keeping it from me. You don't want me to hang around with your buddy and steal him from you." I guessed out loud. "Like what happened with Jamie."

Simon rolled his eyes. I guess my hypothesis was waaaay off.

"It's not a Jamie situation. Besides, Dexter's never going to be your friend, he finds you creepy and insufferable." The brown haired Chipmunk sliced into my self-esteem with those words.

I tried my best to ignore it. Some days were easier than others. I don't take rejection well.

"Creepy!? Insufferable!?" I shrieked. "Theodore, are you hearing this?"

Theodore looked from me to Simon and back. "I don't really have a choice. Yeah." He sighed. "I just wanna eat my sandwich in peace."

"It's your own fault." Simon told me sharply. He set the basketball in the chair next to him and rested his hands on the table. "You haven't exactly given Dexter the best first impression. And the second impression he got was your raging physics nerd side."

"Ohhh." I murmured. I knew my intensified nerd side was an acquired taste.

"You tried to teach him quantum mechanics because he asked you how to make a trick shot." Simon couldn't stop reminding me of my misdeeds.

At least my intentions were good.

"I was tryin' to help!" I protested, before letting my mouth move faster than my wiser mind bits. "No offense, Si, but your pal is….kinda an idiot."

He scowled at me from across the table, while Theodore just watched our bickering and slowly chewed his sandwich.

"Call my friend an idiot one more time and I will personally drop your favorite Dr. Zap comic in the pool." Simon threatened, pounding a fist on the table.

I gasped and clutched my heart. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me." Simon folded his arms.

"Can we all take a minute and appreciate how amazing it is that Simon has a friend?" Theodore interrupted us. He finished the last bite of the sandwich and then continued. "And not just a school focused friend like Warren or Kevin! A SUPER CLOSE FRIEND! One that he can share everything with and have sleepovers with and one who agreed to visit the science museum with him, even though he doesn't like science at all! He's doing that for Simon! Isn't that sweet of him!?"

"Dang nabbit, Theo." Simon grumbled. The full secret had been spilled now.

I felt my tail start to twitch and my ears wiggle. "Yeah! It's awesome!" I agreed, before latching on to the last words Theo said. "You guys are going to the science museum!? Is that why you didn't want me to know?"

"Yes." Simon admitted, looking very irritated. "Because you're not invited to come along. And, if you happen to show up with Jeanette there on the same day as Dexter and I, we will make the next week of your life MISERABLE. You got that? Do you understand?"

I slunk lower in my chair. Aw nuts. There went my plan. The worst part about thinking more like Simon and Simon thinking more like me is that we can predict each other's moves quite frequently.

"Yeah." I muttered, upset my plan was foiled. I wanted to go to the museum too! "I understand."

"Thank you." Simon's face brightened a little.

"Why ya smiling?" I tapped my fingers on the table, trying to shove aside the boredom, as I was so accustomed to doing.

"I'm thinking about what Theodore said." The boy in blue confessed. "I never imagined I would ever have a friend like Dexter."

I laughed pretty hard. "Neither did we."

Who would have predicted that Simon would bond with a sporty guy? A guy who talks like Shaggy from Scooby Doo and who thinks Steve Jobs is "that wheelchair dude." (Wrong! It's Stephen Hawking.)

"We were really worried about you." Theodore said softly to Simon. "Remember that time me and Alvin…"

"Alvin and I." Simon and I both said in unison. We did that so much it was hardly even scary anymore. But, it still made my stomach a little queasy.

Theodore blew up his hair fringe with a huff. "Do you really have to correct my grammar? I'm trying to say important stuff."

"Sorry." I felt my cheeks warm up. Having the habit of correcting other people's grammar was embarrassing. Whyyyy did managing my ADHD unleash a hidden Simon-brain!?

"Go on, Theodore." My bespectacled bro politely allowed Theo space to talk more.

Theodore grinned a cheerful grin and played with the zipper on his two toned green and lime green jacket. "Anyway,…" He began. "Remember when we both tried to find you a friend, Simon?"

"I recall it somewhat, yes." His lip trembled. "It was a rough time in my life."

"I was still….just plain Classic Alvin then." I glanced down at the cyan shirt and red vest with a green alien head pin that I was wearing. It served as a stark reminder that I was so much more than Classic Alvin now. But, he's still a big part of me. He just has…add ons!

"Yeah." Theodore sighed wistfully and stared at the ceiling. "It feels like ages ago."

"It does." Simon murmured.

"A whole lifetime ago for me." I added. Then, as I watched them stare up at the ceiling, thinking about our past, an idea popped into my head. "Are we trying to trigger a flashback sequence or something? Maybe we need some harp music! Who do we know who can play the harp?"

Both of them just laughed at me. Was I being too meta again?

I didn't care if ANYONE thought I was too meta. I wanted a flashback sequence, darn it! I closed my eyes and imagined the scene rippling before me. I also imagined the perfect chord, played delicately on a harp. It was working! I was triggering the memory in my head! Ohoho here we go!

Classic Alvin's POV

HEEEEY! WHAT'S UP, PARTY PEOPLE!? Boy, it is good to be back! I get to narrate most of this story! Ain't that totally awesome!? I missed this mindset so much! Being Classic Alvin makes everything seem so un-serious and so funny! However, uh, well, not ALL of this will be funny. You've been warned.

I'm stalling. Oops. Okay, let's see….how do I start this? I hope you guys like hurt/comfort stories, because boy have I got a doozy! And the way to start will come to me….right about….now!

It was another typical day in our house. Dave had yelled at me for so much that I didn't remember or care to remember. Theodore was working on making a friend for his clay blob person named Mr. Lou. (Now there's a story for another time.) As for Simon, he was missin'. I needed him to help me fix my busted up bike, but he was nowhere to be found.

How did the bike get busted, you ask? Funny story. Eleanor bet me I couldn't jump a chasm on my bike and I proved her wrong! Then, just when I was celebrating my win, the bike rolled away and fell into the chasm. I was sure the dents wouldn't be that hard to fix, especially for Simon. He can fix ANYTHING! Someday, maybe he can teach me to fix stuff myself. Naaaah, that sounds like way too much work.

Whatever. Point is, I was tryin' to track down the elusive Simon. To do this, I walked through the whole house and called his name.

No answer and no luck.

I entered the music room and poked Theodore in the back.

"YAH!" He threw his lump of turquoise clay in the air.

I used my amazing reflexes to catch it before it could get smushed by landing on the floor.

"Have you seen Simon?" I asked, setting the half made clay figure back on the small kiddie table Theo had brought inside the room.

He shook his head. "Nuh uh. He's probably helping Dave with computer trouble again."

"I've checked the whole house. He ain't here." I started to pace. It helped me think. Thinkin' wasn't something I liked to do, but if Simon was missin' then this was a crisis situation that required thinkin'.

Theodore put his clay figure in a container to keep it safe. "Maybe he doesn't wanna be found."

"Hmmm." I rubbed my chin. "If he doesn't wanna be found, then we gotta look even harder."

Theodore looked confused, but he followed me around. "Why do you wanna find Simon anyway?"

"I just wanna know he's safe." I half-fibbed. "And, you know, if he is, then maybe he can fix my bike."

"Oh Alvin." My baby bro in the green hoodie sighed.

We searched high and low for Simon and came up empty handed. Where could he be!?

At last, we heard shuffling footsteps. Theo and I hid under my bed and watched as Simon came out of his secret closet lab that we were rarely allowed in.

"There he is." I whispered. "Do you think he's working on a top secret invention? Do you think he'll let me test it? But, you know, I only wanna test it if it's a cool invention. I hope it is!"

Theodore frowned and whispered back. "I can't tell what he's doing, but he looks sad."

We both watched as Simon sat down at his mini desk and then slouched forward. He wasn't doing anything! He was just sitting totally still! Who can possibly sit that still!? Does he ever get bored? I feel like I'm always board. Oops, wrong spelling. Hey, do you ever wonder why board and bored are said the same way and yet mean two completely different things!? I do.

Moving on. After like two solid minutes of watching Simon do nothing, I rolled out from under the bed and approached him.

Theodore followed, looking unsure what to say next.

Fortunately, I ALWAYS know what to say. I love talking and I don't even have to put in effort to chat to people! I just find something I wanna talk about and talk.

I stared at Si, waitin' for him to notice me. His blue eyes were fixed on the window, but they looked dull and lifeless. OH NO! Had my brother been bitten by a vampire!? Or a zombie!? Or was he dead!? He definitely looked dead.

"Si, you good?" I asked, trying to make sense of what was going on.

My blue clad bro grunted and groaned. He stayed hunched over his mini desk with his head hanging down.

"Are you a zombie?" I gulped, reaching for my squirt gun so I could defend myself.

Aw nuts! I'd forgotten where in the closet I put it! Shoulda made myself a note.

Theodore pulled me away from the closet. "I don't think he's a zombie. He sorta looks like Eeyore from Winnie The Pooh."

I rolled my eyes. "Wow. You found ANOTHER dumb 'ol bear to talk about." I commented. Theo and his dumb baby TV shows.

"He's a silly 'ol bear. Get it right." The boy in green corrected me.

I didn't like being "wrong" about stuff. "Whatever! We gotta cheer up our brainiac bro! Any suggestions?" I left the closet in a rush.

Theodore put a furry hand on my equally furry arm. "First, we have to find out what's wrong." He advised.

I smiled with determination. "Ohoho! Leave it to me."

"Oh brother." Theodore groaned.

I poked Simon very hard in the side. "What's wrong?"

No response whatsoever. Simon was really out of it. I bet I could draw a mustache on him with markers and he wouldn't even flinch. Not that I'm gonna do that, but the thought is VERY entertaining.

"Siiiii!" I poked him even harder. "Don't make me tickle you!" I threatened.

Finally, he turned his head to look at us. "Leave me alone." He said, with a dash of sorrow and a whole lotta anger.

"Not until you tell us what's buggin' ya." I put my hands on my hips.

Simon let out a groan. "It doesn't matter and it's none of your business." He loved that phrase. I assume it's one of his top 10 favorites.

"Is so!" Theodore argued.

"Is not." Simon replied sharply. "Now, go." He ordered. "I require peace to gather my thoughts."

I rested my elbow on his shoulder. "You think too much." I tapped his head with my finger, invading his personal space. I didn't know that was wrong then. I do now.

"You think too little." He replied coldly. Well, OW!

I frowned. "I think too much thinkin' makes you all depressed."

"It does sorta seem like that." Theodore added. He was squeezing a rubber frog in his hands. I wanted to take it from him and fidget with it.

So I did. And he gave me a rotten look. So then I immediately handed it back.

Meanwhile, Si was in denial. "I'm not depressed." He told us, sticking his hands in his pockets and attempting to straighten his posture. "I'm just…disappointed…and upset."

Spoiler alert: He was, in fact, depressed! Bro has a serious case of depression that he used to think was just normal sad.

I think somehow Theo knew, even back then. "How can we help?" The shortest of our trio offered.

"You can't." Simon snapped. "Now, leave me alone."

I waved my hands around. "But….But….But you're miserable!" He HAD to admit that. Right?

Another groan, louder this time, echoed through the room. "Because neither of you will stop pestering me with irrelevant questions!"

Theodore put his hands behind his back and passed me the fidget frog toy. "If we guess why you're sad, will you tell us?" He asked our prepituily annoyed brother.

"Absolutely not." Simon stood up from the desk and scowled.

And I decided to use reverse psychiatry on him. At least, I think that's what it's called.

"Bummer." I said. "Oh well. Come on, Theo. I guess Mr. Grouchy Pants doesn't wanna have fun with his best buddies!" I started to lead Theo away from the mini desks.

As I predicted, Si folded like a cheap suit.

"I HAVE no best buddies." He squeaked out softly with a sad sigh.

"Oh….Simon." Theodore started to sob. "Of course you do."

We both immediately ran back to Simon's side.

The blue chipmunk (in more ways than one) got even more sad. "No, I don't. And I never will. I can't make friends, and the few I do make, I can't keep."

I sat next to him on the heavy textbook he used as a seat. "So that's what's got you down?" I asked. "You're worried you're doomed to a friendless, lonely existence?"

Those blue eyes of fury kinda…stung. "This isn't making me feel better." My brother responded.

"Well, maybe if you were less nerdy and boring, people would like you more." I advised with a big smile. I expected Simon to finally realize I was right. He's gotta dial the nerd thing back. (And now, so do I, unfortunately)

"ALVIN!" Out of nowhere, Theodore was scolding me. I was so startled, I dropped the fidget frog.

Then, I brushed it off and I shrugged. "What!? Someone has to tell him!" I reasoned like it was fact. "It's CLEARLY why he sucks at makin' friends."

I turned my head to see Simon glaring at me furiously. "I sincerely hope you regret saying that someday." He spat.

I was confused. Why weren't my ideas well received? I thought they were GOOD ideas. "I'm just tryin' to help." I took a step back.

He hit me with some of his snarky and sarcastic sass. "Why thank you. I feel so comforted."

"At least I'm tryin'" I retorted angrily.

Simon thought he could beat me at getting angry. He clenched his fists at his side and stood up. "For the last time, leave me ALONE!" He demanded.

Theo shook his chubby finger in my face like he's seen Dave do a million times. "You shouldn't have said that. Now he's really really angry." My baby bro warned.

"Yeah. I can see that, Teddy boy. My eyes aren't terrible like his." I replied. (Yes, go ahead and pause for laughter. We all know how this turned out.)

"Only you would think insulting me "helps." Simon sneered.

I threw my hands in the air. "I am graspin' at straws here!" I admitted.

"I can teach you to make friends, Simon." Theodore offered sweetly.

Simon sounded sad instead of angry finally. "It's pointless."

"Nuh uh! It's easy!" I told him. "Ya just walk up to someone and start talking about whatever thoughts come into your head!" It always works for me.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, clearly my thoughts are too BORING." He responded.

"You're doing that thing you do." Theodore pointed out.

Simon's left ear twitched. "What thing?"

"Using sarcasm so you don't have to be vulnerable." OHOHO! THEODORE BE SPITTIN' TRUTHS UP IN HERE!

"That's it. I've had enough." And Simon was back to being angry.

I had to calm him down somehow. "Wait! Si, I've got it!" I exclaimed. "I have a four step plan for getting you a BUNCH of friends!"

I didn't get to say anything else before Simon shoved both me and Theo out the door.

"And out you go." He told us sharply. "I'll talk to you when I feel like it."

My assistant pouted and whined. "When will that be?"

"Probably next week." Simon had endured all he could.

We blew it!

"But…." I began, but my words trailed off as Simon slammed the door in both our faces. How rude.

Well, I guess Simon wasn't in the mood to accept some quality advice from the most well liked guy in school! His loss.

I decided that I'd go play a videogame while I waited for Si to come to his senses. I was about to walk away when Theodore stopped me.

He yanked on the torn hem of my red hoodie, and he did so really hard!

"You made him even more upset." He said to me, sounding angry, but not nearly as angry as our bro.

I got defensive immediately. "My advice was great."

Theo's chocolatey brown eyes narrowed. "Was it though?" He asked.

Him saying that caused me to start second guessing myself. "I….think so?"

I got a heavy sigh in response.

"What do we do now?" I paced in front of the closed door. "We gotta get him outa that room!"

"We will." Theo promised me. "We just gotta think a little harder."

Now, it was my turn to groan. "I suck at thinkin'." I admitted. "I'm a doer, not a thinker!"

My baby bro shrugged. "Maybe you can be both?" He suggested.

I threw my head back and laughed. "Ha! Like that'll ever happen!"

Suddenly, Theo's brown eyes lit up. He had an idea! "What if we found a friend for Simon?" He squeaked. "To cheer him up?"

I let out a delighted gasp. "You're brilliant!" I exclaimed. "We find the most boring, dorky, hopeless, academic dude….and then introduce him to Simon! They'll hit it off and his troubles will be over!"

I raced toward the stairs and slid down the bannister. All thoughts of videogames and fixing my bike had been postponed! I had a new mission that was urgent! Simon was in crisis and it was up to us to fix it!

"But where are we gonna find him?" Theo called after me, opting not to slide down the bannister. He walked down the stairs like a boring person.

As soon as he reached the last step, I grabbed him eagerly. "Leave that to me! Let's go!"

I thought about a place where guys like Simon love to hang out. The first thing that came to mind was a library. Ewww. I was NOT setting foot in one of those. Besides, libraries were too quiet! I needed a place where I could easily strike up a conversation. I had to advertise Simon like he was a hot commodity. I knew I could convince somebody to look past his dullness! And, well, if I couldn't, then Theo definitely could! Theo's great at stuff like that!

A few more ideas flashed through my mind. Museum? Costs money to enter. No. A bookstore? Nah, I wasn't in the mood. Wait, but there was one bookstore that was ALWAYS filled with geeky people! The comic book store!

That's where Theo and I went. It took me three tries to find it, because I kept gettin' the directions messed up. But, eventually, I pushed open the door with my tiny chipmunk might and strolled inside.

And, predictably, I was immediately distracted by a row of Dr. Zap comic books in one of the displays. "WHOAH! These are neat!" I grabbed one and started flipping through it.

"What about your mission?" My own voice asked, above the chaos inside my brain.

"What mission?" I thought back to him. "Wait, don't tell me." I turned the page and grinned. "Dr. Zap is about to fight Electro Boy with his newest invention. It's called the Destructinator!"

"Alvin." Theodore tugged on the sleeve of my red hoodie. "Focus. We came here for Simon."

"Oh…right." I sheepishly put the Dr. Zap comic back on the shelf. I didn't stop thinking about the plot though. I had to know how it ended! "Wait…Can I buy this comic first?"

My baby bro shook his head. "No. You don't even have money, remember?"

"Aw nuts." I trekked away from the shelf….and right into a display of Star Trek comics. "Oooh, cool!"

Theodore had to grab the hood of my sweatshirt and yank me away. "You're wasting time, Alvin. We gotta help Simon as fast as possible."

"Yeah. Yeah. I know. I know." I switched on my charming and irresistible friendliness as I approached a small group of guys huddled near a table. "Hello, nerdy dudes! Have I got great news for ya!"

One of the boys blinked, but the other two seemed to ignore me.

"You see…" Theodore twisted at the bottom of his green hoodie. "We have this brother…who really needs a friend…."

I wasn't even listening to Theo. I was too busy selling Simon like a package of cheese about to hit its expiration date. "How would you like to be pals with someone who is world famous!? And basically a genius!?"

"Uh…." The first boy, in a graphic T with The Justice League on it, looked uncomfortable.

The other two guys, in a turquoise plaid shirt and a brown jacket with a bunch of colorful pins on it, looked up from their comics and stared at me like I was crazy.

"I'm talkin' about Simon Seville. He's my best bro ever. You've probably heard of him." I went on, walking closer to the group of humans.

"The guy in Dr. Hayward's class?" Turquoise plaid shirt dude asked.

"I've never heard of him." Graphic T guy added.

The quiet dude with all the pins just shook his head.

"They don't go to our school." The plaid shirt guy explained.

Theodore climbed up onto the table. "Are you guys friends with each other?" He questioned them sweetly.

Graphic T-shirt guy shrugged. "I guess."

Pin dude nodded.

The most talkative of the trio tucked the comic he'd been reading under his arm. "We do hang out a lot, but usually just…here."

I wagged my tail and jumped around. "Would you be interested in a 4th hangout buddy!?" I offered.

The plaid shirt guy knelt down to talk to me more directly. "We're pretty happy with things the way they are." He quipped. "And, uh, no offense, but you can't just barge up to people and bug them about being friends with your brother."

"Oh…" I frowned. "I didn't know that."

"Well, now you know." Plaid shirt dude stood up again.

Theodore climbed down from the table. "Sorry for interrupting your reading." He told the trio.

"It's alright." Graphic T guy smiled.

The other two boys nodded.

"Hope you can find your brother a friend somewhere." Plaid shirt dude waved us off.

I ventured through the store and came to another small group. This one had two girls and two guys.

"What's up? How ya guys doin' today?" I strolled up with a confident sorta swagger. "This place is like a nerd's paradise, ain't it?" I added. "Of course, it's not my paradise, cuz I'm not a nerd." I spotted a shelf nearby with something that interested me. "Holy nuts! There's action figures here!?"

The humans all watched me with curious faces, probably wondering what a guy like me was doing in a place like this.

I felt totally embarrassed. I forced myself to try and ignore the action figures. "Anyway, uh, my brother Simon, he would LOVE it here. He is a major bookworm. Just, you know, the wormiest.

"Are you okay?" One of the girls, a really pretty one with braids in her hair and a rainbow on her shirt, looked concerned and confused.

"Absolutely positively!" I squeaked. "I just really like talking out loud, especially about how great my brother is. Anyone would be lucky to be his friend. Do you know he's got his own flying machine in the basement? Pretty snazzy! I rode in it once!"

I saw the humans all exchanging weird looks.

"Uh huh." One of the boys murmured.

The rainbow shirt girl forced an awkward smile. "That's great. Good for your brother. Can you…maybe go over THERE to talk about him?" She pointed across the room with her finger.

"Oh…okay." I replied. "I take it you're…not blown away by his talents and supreme coolness?"

Again, they looked at me like I was crazy. I thought for sure there wasn't anything wrong with me.

Drat. Why wasn't this idea working either?

"He…uh…he didn't get much sleep last night." Before I could say anything else, Theodore was tugging at my arm again. "Let's go, Alvin. You really need to lie down. You're scaring everybody."

I let out a small whimper as Theodore pulled me out of the store. Once we were on the sidewalk again, he started scolding me harshly.

"Didn't you hear what the other guy said? You aren't supposed to ASK people to be friends with Simon!"

"I wasn't asking?" I protested. "I was talking about how great he was, you know, hopin' someone would pick up the hint! Then, you know, they'd ask to be his friend! Whammo blammo problemo solved…mo." I knew it sounded silly, but it was really fun to rhyme words.

"I think we need a different way to do this." Theodore told me, frowning.

I leapt over the cracks in the sidewalk as we walked home. More inspiration struck me instantly! "Yeah! And I just came up with one!"

"Hopefully, it's not gonna creep people out." The boy in green huffed softly.

When we got home, I fired up my laptop and used a photoshop program to create a super cool poster with Simon's face on it. A few more tweaks, and it was ready to be printed.

Before it got dark. Theodore and I put the "Friend Wanted" posters up all over town. Now, people would see them, and hopefully someone would contact Simon and ask to hang out! I felt like a total genius!

"Are you sure this plan will work?" Theodore finished sticking one of the posters to a telephone pole.

I plastered three on the fence in front of Ms. Croner's house. "Trust me, Teddy boy."

"Nobody likes it when you say that." He squeaked, folding his arms.

"They have really bad taste." I commented. "That's my catchphrase."

We finished hanging all the posters and then reported back home for dinner.

I rushed into the dining room to find Simon setting the table. I would have helped, if chores weren't impossible to focus on for more than 10 seconds.

I nudged him with my hip. "Get any interesting phone calls recently?"

He dropped the fork he was holding and then bent down to pick it up. "No."

"Are you sure? Maybe you accidentally have your phone on silent mode." I babbled.

"There's been nothing out of the ordinary." My cynical bro raised an eyebrow at me, expecting the worst. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." I answered quickly. "Can't a guy take interest in his brother's life?"

"You're up to something." Simon murmured. "I can feel it."

I shrugged. "Pretty sure your trouble sensor is busted." I climbed into my seat.

"Alvin, help Simon set the table." I heard Dave's voice and turned my head to see him standing in the archway connecting the dining room to the kitchen.

I moaned in pain. "Do I have to?" The task made me wanna lay on the floor afterwards. It took too much energy! It was strange that I always had a lot of energy until I started doing chores and then the energy level fell sharply. Very strange.

"Yes." My father ordered. "You have to. We all pitch in around here, Alvin. That's what families do."

Simon gleefully handed me a stack of plates with a smug grin.

I resigned to my fate and helped set the table.

After we all ate dinner, it was time to wind down and either do homework or something else quiet before bed.

I chose to rock out to my favorite songs usin' my headphones.

The next day, as we were walking to school with the Chipettes, Simon suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" He bellowed, sounding madder than ever.

Jeanette hurried over to him. "What's wrong, Simon?"

"Probably something Alvin did." I heard Brittany scoff as she walked next to me.

"Nuh uh!" I argued back.

The Chipette in the pink cardigan rolled her eyes. "It's always you. Grow up a little, Alvin."

"I'll grow up when I'm good and ready!" I sassed. "Or NEVER." I stomped my foot.

Theodore smacked his forehead and said nothing.

Eleanor, nosy as ever, snuck up behind Simon's back. "Whatcha got there?"

It was that moment when I noticed what Simon was holding. It was one of my posters! The "Friend Wanted" ones! Something told me that my good intentions had backfired AGAIN. Why does this keep happening!?

"Solid proof that my brother is TRYING to ruin my life." The boy in blue told his shorter and blonde pigtailed companion.

Brittany smirked at me. "I told you so." She sassed.

"I'm not trying to ruin your life!" I squeaked, feeling a lot smaller than my actual height at the moment. "I promise!"

Simon shoved the poster in my face. "Then WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" He demanded, reading the poster aloud. "Friend Wanted: Science haters need not apply!? If you're interested, contact Simon Seville for more information!? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?"

"Always has been." I heard Eleanor mutter under her breath, causing Theodore to giggle.

Si got even more outraged by the second. "YOU PUT MY PERSONAL PHONE NUMBER ALL OVER TOWN WITHOUT EVEN ASKING ME!?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise!" I waved my arms frantically. "I'm just tryin' to find you a friend!" I folded my arms. "And you're acting mighty ungrateful, you know."

Simon crumpled the poster into a ball and threw it at my head. "If I'm going to find a human buddy to pal around with, I will do it on my OWN. I don't need you screwing everything up!"

"But…Si!" I slumped my shoulders.

The angry chipmunk in blue tore up two more posters and threw the scraps at me.

Theodore stepped forward. "It's my fault too." He blubbered sadly. "I helped Alvin with the posters."

"I know you didn't know any better, Theo." Simon was so much nicer to him. I felt my fur prickling with envy.

"But what if I did?" Theodore wiped his tears with a tissue that Jeanette supplied him. Jeanette's nice like that.

Our aggravated bro let out a loud groan. "We'll talk about this after school." He hurried away, tearing down every poster he could get his hands on.

Brittany nudged my side with her elbow. "Your ideas are the worst." She taunted.

"I….I…." I looked down at my red and white converse shoes. "I dunno where I went wrong."

Throughout the whole day, Simon was very distant from me. I felt large bricks of guilt piling on my back and weighing me down. I tried to think about my idea again, wondering where I went wrong, but between Miss. Smith's boring lessons and the fact that I can't stand school, my mind wandered around and got way off topic again.

I was in the middle of trying to figure out how a spaceship tractor beam works when Theodore tapped me on the shoulder.

"You should apologize to Simon." He whispered. "Also, class ended 15 minutes ago."

I jumped out of my seat in a panic. "I was paying attention! I swear!" I shouted, which was technically a lie.

"So you'll apologize to Simon?" The little chipmunk in green clasped his hands together hopefully.

I tilted my head, having totally forgotten about earlier. It would eventually come back to me, after the carousel of REALLY IMPORTANT thoughts had finished its rotation. "Apologize for what?"

Theo sighed. Great! (Sarcasm) Even the kindhearted and somewhat dimwitted guy thought I was stupid.

"The poster thing." He said, unwrapping a package of crackers with cheese in the middle.

The memory was triggered instantly. "Ohhhh. Yeah, yeah, I should. What do I say?"

"How about…"I'm sorry?" I could sense his patience was thinning. I guess not everyone thinks I'm a delight to talk to.

I shook my head. "No, no. That's too predictable. I really upset him, so I need a big grand apology with loads of pizzazz! That'll make him realize I care SO MUCH about him! I'd never wreck his life on purpose!"

Theo stood on his tiptoes and put a hand on my shoulder. "Sometimes, the simplest words can make the biggest impact."

I groaned. "But "sorry" sounds so lame!" I complained.

"But it's the right thing to say." My baby bro insisted as we walked through the hallway toward the exit. "You're always telling me to trust you. Can you trust me?"

When he put it like that, it did sound like the best option. "Yeah." I smiled. "Yeah, I can." Theo and Si are both my best bros ever! Sorry if that sounds too sentimental or mushy. It's the way I feel.

As soon as I got home from school that day, I walked down into the basement, singing at the top of my lungs. Saying an apology was so predictable and boring, but singing it felt so HEALING and EXCITING!

"I'm sorryyyy!" I sang. "So sorryyyy! That I was such a fool! I never thought love could be so cruel! Oooh oooh oooh oh oh, oh yeah! They say, that mistakes, are part of bein' young! But that don't right, the wrong that's been done." I jumped onto the bottom step. "So, I'm sorryyy! So sorryyy!…"

Simon put his hands over his ears and growled. "WOULD YOU SHUT UP!?" He got up and turned away from the math homework he'd been working on.

I stopped singing and frowned. "Am I bothering you?"

"Isn't it obvious!?" He shrieked, his patience with me was gone.

I walked closer to him with my head tilted downward. "I just, you know, came to apologize."

"That was an APOLOGY!?" His eyebrows shot up to the top of his head.

"Bear with me." I admitted, rubbing my arm. "I suck at apologizin'. I always make things worse."

He turned his nose up and then sat down at his lab table again. "Maybe that's because you never think things through. You just go with whatever crackpot idea pops in your mind."

"I promise I'll work on…not doing that." I vowed honestly. Someday, anyway.

"Good apologies require you to understand why what you did was wrong." Simon sternly glared at me. "Let's try this again."

I took a deep breath and tried to say what I figured Simon wanted to hear. "I'm sorry that I put those posters up…and did that stuff at the comic book store."

"What did you do at the comic book store?" He asked, before shaking his head. "Nevermind. I don't want to know." He adjusted his glasses. "Do you know why I was angry?"

Did I? I thought back to the moment when he crumpled the poster and threw it at me. Piecing together WHY other people reacted the way they did was so hard!

"I….I don't know for sure." I said, carefully picking my words. "But I think it was because I shared your phone number. You like your privacy and I messed it up."

He softened slightly. "Well, that is ONE of the reasons."

I groaned. "There's more than one!? It's a trick question! You're messin' me up with a trick question!"

He held up a hand to silence me. "I can see I'll have to walk you through this step by step. Clearly, it's going over your head."

Frustrated, I paced around the lab table. "So what're your other reasons?"

"Alvin, I don't WANT you to find me a friend." Simon stated calmly, with only a hint of annoyance.

I couldn't believe it! I felt so confused. "WHAT!?" I blurted out. "But you were all blue about not havin' one!" Like his favorite color lol. "You're sending me mixed signals." I finished.

"No, I think I was VERY clear. Abundantly clear" He stressed, getting out of his chair again. "DON'T TRY TO FIND FRIENDS FOR ME!"

I talked through my thought processes out loud, because that helped me understand things more. I paced to the stairs and back. "So, let me get this straight. You just wanna sit in silence and mope about not havin' a pal, but when I inact Operation: Find A Pal, you don't want that either!? Do you LIKE being miserable, Si? Is being miserable how you have fun?"

"No." He rubbed his temples. "You're still not getting it."

"Then TELL me! Stop making me guess! I hate looking for answers! It's exhausting." I huffed.

He grabbed me by the shoulders. His blue eyes stared into mine with a sadness so powerful that it was contagious. "I desperately want a friend, but I want to make one MYSELF." He explained, at last.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, then why didn't you just say so?"

"Because I thought you'd realize it. I thought I was making it obvious." Simon grabbed his math homework and hugged it to his chest as we walked up the stairs together. "I want to overcome the challenge. I don't want a friend just handed to me. It wouldn't feel earned. It wouldn't feel real."

I nodded. "I get that." I jumped up to the top step and opened the door. "At least ya still got Kevin. Maybe he's not some super-duper share everything pal, but at least he's your friend."

"An acquaintance I'm fond of." Simon replied.

I nudged him and wiggled my eyebrows. "That's just a nerdy way of sayin' friend."

"Perhaps." Simon walked out of the basement.

I followed behind him, like his loyal sidekick.

Theodore noticed us as we passed by the living room. He climbed off the couch and ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Did Alvin apologize to you?" He asked Simon eagerly. His big brown eyes were glistening.

"I did!" I blurted out proudly. I think my apology had gone over well, all things considered.

Simon cracked a tiny smile. "He did his best."

"I know where I went wrong now!" I started to catch Theo up on everything while walkin' with a pep in my step. "Simon wants to make a best friend HIMSELF! He doesn't want us doing it for him! It's, uh, better for his ego that way or somethin'."

"Alvin would be the expert on EGOS." Simon chuckled. "But, in all seriousness, I just want to feel….capable of making a meaningful connection."

Theodore nodded, causing the two brownish blonde hairs that stuck up from the rest of his hair to wiggle. "Ohhhh! That makes so much sense." He smiled.

We all walked together into the living room. Theodore turned the TV back on. I got my phone out and played a racing game. Simon put his math homework on the table and began to look it over.

"Hey, Si…" I hung upside down off the couch while I waited for the lives on my game to refill. "In the future when you get a buddy to hang with, what do you think he'll be like?"

My brother looked puzzled by the question. "No idea, honestly." He admitted. "I guess time will tell."

"I bet, whoever they are, they'll be exactly what you need." Theodore offered his usual positivity during a commercial break of his favorite cooking show.

"Yeah…." Simon didn't look convinced. "I hope so, anyway." He busied himself with his work.

My lives refilled and I returned to the game. It was great. It helped me get my mind off of most things, except that Dr. Zap comic and those action figures I still wanted to buy. I hoped one day I'd have enough money to actually afford stuff I wanted.

And I do, now. Well, technically it's my 2.0 side's money, but he lets me spend some when we're in Classic Alvin mode. Everything really did change for the better in most ways.

And Simon eventually made a connection with someone that went deeper than just liking all the same things. That was what he wanted most of all.

Boy, I have loved narratin' for ya, but It's time for me to step aside and let my inner dweeb take over again. See ya later! Rock on!

Alvin 2.0's POV

DING-DONG! Was that the doorbell? The flashback I was experiencing ended abruptly and I was jolted back to reality.

"HE'S HERE!" Simon jumped onto the table and then slid across one of the placemats. He lost his balance and landed on the floor. "Whooooah! Oof!"

I climbed up on the table much more carefully and looked down at him. "Ah, lack of friction. Gets ya every time." I teased.

He glared up at me. "Help. Me. Up….Please."

"But of course, dear brother." I slid down one of the table legs and then grabbed his hands. I yanked him to his feet.

He took off toward the door and Theo and I ran behind him.

We watched as Simon opened the door to find his favorite tall, lanky, casually dressed basketball buddy standing there.

"Hello." My fellow genius bro greeted, sounding professional despite the gigantic youthful smile adorning his features.

Dexter scratched behind his ear. "Hey, so, little snag. Greg's got the car, so my dad can't drive us."

Simon's smile inverted itself. His tail drooped immediately. "Oh, that's…alright." He said. "I suppose we'll have to plan for another time."

"You can always spend the night here, Dexter!" Theodore offered. "It's not the same as a museum, but sleepovers can be really fun too!"

"I'd be down." The medium tan-skinned and brown haired guy responded.

I quietly observed the situation. It was something I wasn't terribly skilled at, but I was practicing a lot with Jeanette and getting better.

Simon looked broken. He'd been so hyped about the museum thing. "Yeah…I guess it's better than nothing."

"You okay, dude?" Dexter asked, kneeling down to talk to my brother in blue.

Simon nodded. "I'll live. I just really wanted to see an exhibit about nuclear power that they're pulling next week."

I sensed it was time to step in. I'd been rotating the carousel of ideas in my mind and I finally latched onto a few that might work.

"You could get Dave to drive you!" I suggested, while trying not to jump around and act too excited.

Simon pulled off his sports glasses and exchanged them for his usual round ones. He zipped up his hoodie so you couldn't see the jersey underneath. "Dave's at work, Alvin. He's working late too."

Okay, so that plan was out. Luckily, I had more. "What if Eleanor drives you?"

Dexter tilted his head. "Your girlfriend has a driver's license?"

"No, she doesn't." Simon commented dryly.

"Also, his girlfriend isn't Eleanor. It's Jeanette." Theodore told Dexter kindly, while tapping on the human boy's shin gently. "Eleanor is the one with the twin ponytails and she's my soulmate pal."

"Ohhhh." The teen boy chuckled. "Wow, that is embarrassing."

"Eleanor driving would get us in trouble." Simon shot down my idea, using his words as arrows. "I'm not in the mood to break any laws."

I rubbed my chin and then delivered a third idea. "What about Miss. Miller?"

"I'd like for us to get to the museum ALIVE." My brother placed his hands on his hips.

I twirled a strand of hair on my finger as I spoke. "You will! I mean, she's bad, but not that bad. The worst that'll happen is you dent a lamppost or something."

"It's fine." Simon grumbled. "I changed my mind about going anyway."

He slunk out of the room with his tail still droopy.

"Poor Simon." Theodore whimpered.

Dexter sat crosslegged on the floor and put his chin in his hands. "He's been lookin' forward to this for…like…ever."

"For a week." My chubby little bro in green corrected. "But for Simon, that's a long time to feel happy about something."

"He wanted to share his sciencey side with you." I added. "There's gotta be SOMEONE who can get us to the museum."

Theodore ran to his backpack and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Would you take the bus? I have a bus schedule!" He showed Dexter the paper.

Dexter shook his head. "I feel like Simon would probably be pretty uncomfy on a bus. Too many people." It was true. He knew Simon so well.

Another idea popped into my head. "Would he feel uncomfortable in a police car?" I exclaimed, tapping my foot as energy coursed through me.

Both of them looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

"Uh….yeah." Theodore squeaked. "Pretty sure he would."

Oof. Okay, yeah. That hadn't come out the way I planned to say it. I took a small pause to rapidly rehearse what I was about to say using my inner monologue. "What I mean is, what if Officer Dangus drove him!?"

"Heh heh Dangus. That's a funny name." Dexter chuckled.

Theodore hugged me without warning. "THAT'S BRILLIANT, ALVIN!"

I couldn't wait to tell Simon the great news!

I rushed up the stairs and found him lying face down on his bed. "Simon! Simon! Good news! You can still make it to the museum! Here's what we're gonna do!"

A little while later, Theodore and I were in the backseat of Officer Dangus's state-of-the-art police cruiser. Dangus was at the wheel and Simon and Dexter were in the passenger seat. Simon sat on Dexter's knee, looking irritated.

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this." He fumed.

"Hey, if it works, it works." I replied casually.

"Ya'll good back there?" Officer Dangus asked, turning his head momentarily to look at Theo and I.

"We're good!" Theodore gave him a thumbs up.

"How 'bout you two?" The kind cop asked Simon and Dexter.

"My brother rode in a cop car once." Dexter snickered. "But it was for a totally different reason."

"Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to do this, Officer Dangus." Simon politely addressed the man.

Dangus hit the brakes as we approached a red light. The car eased to a stop. It was a sharp contrast compared to how Miss. Miller uses the brakes on her car. Let's just say, the stops are anything but gentle.

"Ain't no problem. Just think of me as your backup father." The cop laughed. "No, wait, does that sound weird? It sounds weird, right?"

I let out a nervous chuckle. "Little bit."

An hour later, Dangus dropped us off in front of the science museum. "Have a great time! Call me when you're ready to be picked up! I'm gonna hit the mall across the street. Okay?"

I caught Simon giving me a dirty look.

I sighed. I knew what the right thing to do was. As much as I wanted to experience the wonderful treasures provided by the museum, Simon and Dexter deserved their alone time.

"Actually, do you mind if Theo and I stick with you?" I asked, smiling sheepishly. "I could go for some window shopping, or a snack at the food court."

Theodore licked his lips. "I smell doughnuts! I bet they have a doughnut place inside!"

"Did you say doughnuts?" The man in the cool looking shades grinned. "Now, I don't wanna sound like stereotype or anythin', but I LOVE doughnuts!"

"Everyone loves doughnuts!" Theodore giggled.

"Is that a yes?" I climbed into the passenger seat.

Dangus nodded. "Darn tootin'! Hop in!"

Theo scrambled into the back seat again. "Bye, Simon. Bye, Dexter! Go get your science on!"

"Enjoy yourselves!" I waved goodbye to them.

"Well, little dude, let's head in." Dexter let Simon climb up onto his shoulder.

Simon was filled with joy. It radiated from him like the rays of the sun. He sat happily on Dexter's shoulder and his tail waggled a little. "Are you ready for the most educational experience of your life?"

"You betcha!" The basketball playing teen quipped.

As we drove away, I watched the two pals head into the museum. Who would have ever guessed that a guy like Simon and a guy like that would hit it off playing BASKETBALL of all things? I guess life's just mysterious like that.

Now, when you think about it, if I hadn't become Alvin 2.0, then Simon wouldn't have gotten the idea to join the basketball team. It was there he met Dexter, and Dexter stuck with him when he quit the team after and created a smaller (and less peer pressure intensive) basketball club. Technically, I DID help Simon make a friend after all. I'll never mention that though, because I don't wanna diminish Simon's achievement in his eyes. But I'll always know.

As the police cruiser approached the mall, I heard my phone chime. A new message had come through. Who was it from?

Turns out, it was Simon. [I know that was hard for you. Thanks. You and I can visit the museum together someday too. You're a good brother.]

I felt happy tears welling up in my eyes and blinked them away. I didn't know what to respond with…so I just sent a happy emoji with teary eyes.

I'm a good brother. I'm a GOOD brother. No matter how tough things get, nobody can ever take that away from me.

My phone chimed again. It was another text, from Dave. GULP!

[WHERE ARE YOU!? I got someone else to cover my shift. WHY AREN'T YOU HOME!?]

I frantically texted out the first thing that came to mind. [I can explain later. We're all good though! With Officer Dangus! Sorry I forgot to leave a note!]

[ALVINNN!] He texted back, with three angry face emojis.

Man, I sure hoped he'd cool down by the time we got back. This was gonna make for a real funny story to tell him.

To sum everything up, Theo, Dangus, and I had SCRUMPTIOUS gourmet doughnuts together in the food court at the mall. Simon managed to teach Dexter THREE things total that stuck and he considers that a win. Dave didn't punish any of us after we got back and explained the situation. Then, Dexter and Simon had a sleepover together and Theo and I had a sleepover in Dave's bedroom to give them their space. All's well that ends well!

There's a lesson in here somewhere, I think, but I've been writing on this for a few days now and I'm too tired to tell you what it is. I'm gonna leave it a mystery! It'll be like a scavenger hunt! I hope you've enjoyed this little flashback tale. Entering Classic's mindset as needed is getting easier and easier. It's pretty epic. I have the best of the mature side and the silly side. Much like Si never could have imagined having a pal who looks (and sometimes acts) like a darker skinned Shaggy from Scooby Doo, I never imagined I'd reach a place where I can say…"my identity crisis doesn't bug me as much as it used to." But, well, here we are.

Isn't it cool how life is crazy like that?

Chapter Text

POLICE NAVIDAD

Dave's POV

Christmas was approaching fast. Our whole house was humming with holiday cheer. Christmas has always meant a lot to me and my boys. We have a very thick book of traditions. Simon wrote them down for us, so that we don't forget.

I knew it would be a holiday to remember. Although, I had no idea just how memorable it would be. This Christmas brought a lot of surprises, that's for sure. Some good, some not so good, others downright aggravating…

"DAVE! DAVE!" My oldest son shouted at the top of his lungs as he ran into the kitchen. "You have GOT to check out my new invention! It's AWESOME! I have truly exceeded my own expectations!…I think anyway."

I stirred the vegetable stew I was making as I listened to him. "Alvin, can you let me finish making dinner first?"

"But I wanna test it out before dinner!" The boy in the red and cyan sweater with a Christmas tree on it (styled to resemble a letter A) jumped up onto the stove and startled me.

I jumped and almost splashed myself with stew. "Careful!" I scolded him.

"Oh, relax." He waved his hand dismissively. "This burner isn't on and I knew that."

He was right. The stove had burners that could be switched on independently of one another. He had jumped on the ones that were turned off.

I composed myself and sighed. "Still, you need to be less reckless."

"Yeah, Alvin." Eleanor said as she sliced more vegetables to add to the stew, while simultaneously stirring a bowl of thick brown batter that would be used to make chocolate drop cookies. "You were closer to getting burned than you thought."

"Whoah…" Alvin leapt from the stove to the counter to bother the girl in the teal sweater with a sugar cookie star on it. "Ells, I didn't know you were ambidextrous!"

She chuckled. "That's cuz I'm not. I'm left handed." She explained. "But I taught myself to do a few things with my right hand."

"Amazing." I complimented her.

"You know what else is amazing?" Alvin asked, sliding across the counter. "My invention!"

"This isn't all about you." Theodore rolled out the cookie dough and began cutting out fun shapes while Miss. Miller helped assist him.

Alvin adjusted his Santa hat with a small pout, but he nodded at Theodore's words. He'd grown up a lot since the day he lost his popularity at school.

"I know." The Chipmunk in the red sweater replied glumly.

"It's important to wait your turn." Miss. Miller added.

"I just don't wanna be forgotten, ya know." Alvin complained.

Eleanor couldn't resist using sarcasm. "Wouldn't that be a shame."

I could sense that things were about to go from calm to chaos in the blink of an eye. How could I stop it?

"Let's just try and finish getting dinner ready." I said awkwardly.

Before I'd even said the last word, Simon darted into the kitchen. He was chasing after Geizmo, his robotic….son. (Yes, it is weird. I love my weird kids.)

"Geizmo! No! Give me the scissors! WE DO NOT RUN WITH SCISSORS!" The boy in the blue sweater with a white snowflake screamed.

"Ahahaha!" Geizmo laughed. "You slooooow! Too slooooow!"

Warbie, Alvin's son…who is a baby bird, fluttered into the room and landed on my shoulder.

"Hey, grandpa! Wanna hear me sing a Christmas song? I've been practicing!" He chirped in a bright clear voice.

"Don't call me grandpa." I groaned, trying to focus on the stew as the chaos continued to rage around me.

"But you ARE my grandpa." The yellow baseball cap wearing bird argued.

I added more vegetables to the stew as Eleanor handed them to me. "That doesn't mean I want to be reminded." I grumbled. Being called grandpa made me feel so…old.

"Right right." He jumped off my shoulder and perched by the coffee maker. "Can I sing for you yet?"

"Oh dear!" A cry from Miss. Miller caused me to turn around.

She had dropped the rolling pin and it was rolling across the floor.

"This is a recipe for disaster!" Theodore squeaked. "Hehe…That's funny…recipe…cuz we're baking right now…" He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Someone better catch that rolling pin!"

"I got it! I got it!" Alvin jumped down and dove for the rolling pin. He misjudged distance and wound up balancing on top of it.

His brother in the green sweater with a gingerbread man looked very worried. "Careful, Alvin!"

I had a feeling none of this was going to end well. It was all happening so fast! I couldn't keep up.

"We found the sprinkles!" Brittany shouted, arriving back into the kitchen with Jeanette. They'd gone over to their treehouse to retrieve Eleanor's collection of Christmas themed sprinkles.

And now they were back, at the worst possible time.

"Girls, look out!" I cried.

"Whoooooah!" Alvin shouted. "I can't stop this thing!" He rolled around the room, running on top of the rolling pin like it was a treadmill.

"Duck and cover, people!" I heard Eleanor shout, as Geizmo had bumped her and caused her to lose her grip on the mixer.

The beaters spun quickly and flung cookie batter everywhere.

I was already overwhelmed before, but it was getting worse. "EVERYONE, BE CAREFUL!" I yelled.

"GET BACK HERE, GEIZMO! GEIZMOOOO!" Simon shouted.

"Ew! Stop getting that disgusting batter on my sweater, Eleanor!" Brittany fumed, ducking into a cupboard to protect her pink sweater with a candy cane heart.

"OH MY GOD! I DON'T HAVE THE MIXER!" Her sister shouted back.

"Then who does?" Jeanette wondered aloud, wiping some batter off her lilac swearer with a snowman.

"I play chef!" Geizmo announced, waving the mixer as the batter continued to fly around the room.

"DROP IT!" I ordered.

Miss. Miller put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. "Everyone, stay calm." She reached into the pocket of her poinsettia patterned apron with green trim. "Now, where did I put those recipe cards?"

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Alvin and the runaway rolling pin crashed into me and knocked me down.

He just kept on rolling.

"WHY CAN'T I STOP THIS THING?! THIS DEFIES THE LAWS OF PHYSICS!" He shrieked.

"CAN YOU FORGET ABOUT PHYSICS FOR ONE MEASLY SECOND!?" Eleanor screamed.

I picked myself up off the ground. My back was sore and I could swear there were birds circling my head.

Oh wait, make that just one bird….Warbie.

"Now would be a great time for that song!" He declared. "It'll help break the tension with comedy!"

"Please, no!" I moaned.

But the scene continued to unfold before me. Everyone was screaming or talking or singing. I couldn't even hear myself think. It was so noisy! Too noisy! My temper was flaring! The stress was unbearable!

"DADDY! Look! I PAINT THE CEILING!" Geizmo said, pointing to the splatters. "Like mikeyangeljello!"

"That's Michalangelo!" Simon corrected him.

"THIS IS WHY I NEVER OFFER TO HELP WITH COOKING STUFF!" Brittany shrieked, poking her head out of the cupboard by the sink.

"Oh sure THIS is why." Eleanor snapped, rolling her eyes. She didn't believe her sister for a second.

"WHOOOOAH! I still want to show off my invention!" Alvin was very stuck on that topic. "IT'S GOING TO MAKE DECORATING A SNAP!"

"WOULD YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT THAT INVENTION!?" Brittany huffed.

Geizmo whipped the mixer in her direction and the Chipette in pink closed the cupboard door just as a glob of batter hit it.

Jeanette huddled with Theodore on top of the refrigerator as they both plugged their ears.

"JINGLE BELLS! YOUR STEW SMELLS! LIKE A ROTTEN EGG!" Warbie sang as he flew around my head. Almost every note was off-key and ear splitting. "OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO SING THIS STUPID SONG TODAY! HEY!"

"That was dreadful." Eleanor commented.

Theodore giggled. "Let's hear your rendition of Pizza Toots."

"PIZZA TOOTS! PIZZA TOOTS! AIN'T NO HIDING IT!" The little bird kept going.

"NOOOOOO!" Simon covered his ears. "NOT THAT INFERNAL SONG!"

"WARBIE, STOP IT!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet.

The smell of something burning filled my nose.

"OH NO!" Theodore gasped. "THE STEW!"

"ARUUUOOOOO!" Lilly, Theodore's dog joined the chaos and howled the best a puppy can. The loud noises were probably upsetting her too.

CRASH! Alvin and the rolling pin hit a chair in the dining room. "I'm okay!" The boy in the Santa hat squeaked.

I quickly turned off the stove, but it was too late. The stew was ruined.

"GOTCHA!" Simon turned off the mixer once he'd wrestled it from his son's grasp.

The whole kitchen fell silent.

I folded my arms and glared at everyone in the room. "Well, our traditional Christmas stew is ruined." I fumed. "But, I know it was an accident. Still, we're all going to have to work together to clean this up. And Geizmo…you're going on time out."

"I no like time out!" The robot whined.

Simon climbed up to the counter and picked a glob of cookie batter from his hair. "Dave, with all due respect, I can parent my own child."

Hmmm. He was right about that. I stepped back to allow him to choose an appropriate punishment for the rowdy robot.

"Geizmo,…" He folded his arms and looked at his son sternly. "One hour in the time out chair." He ordered.

The little robot sulked away to the miniature blue chair in our living room.

"Stellar parenting, Si." Alvin said sarcastically. "Ya just copied what Dave said."

"Come on." Eleanor helped Theo climb up to the counter again. "I think we have enough ingredients for more cookie batter."

"At least the dough for the sugar cookies survived." Theodore said optimistically. "Even if the chocolatey ones didn't."

Warbie stepped in one of the splatters of chocolate cookie batter. "Guys! I just stepped in poo! There's poo on my foot!"

Alvin groaned. "Not the time, Warbs. Not the time."

"Whooooweeee." Another voice joined the commotion. "It smells like someone's makin' charcoal in here." Officer Dangus entered the room and plugged his nose. "Seriously, I ain't smelled anythin' that grody since my Uncle Chuck tossed broccoli in the bonfire by accident."

"Officer Dangus!" The Chipmunks and Chipettes all chorused in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Theodore asked.

"And how did you get in?" Simon wondered. "We never heard a knock or the doorbell or anything."

"Ya left the door unlocked. But don't worry. I went and locked it up for ya." The man in the police uniform held up a familiar set of keys.

My keys. Those were my keys. I could tell by the charm that looks like a music note and the charm that says I Hate Mondays with a picture of Garfield and lasagna on it. I love lasagna so much that it's become a running gag my boys tease me about. They gave me that charm.

"Would the owner of these keys like to come forward?" He twirled them on his finger.

I stepped forward, feeling completely embarrassed and a little sweaty. "They're….They're mine, Officer."

He dopped the keys in my hand and smiled. "This ain't the best neighborhood for leavin' yer keys in the door, Dave." He teased playfully.

I groaned. That was the third time this week. It was also a bad habit of mine, along with forgetting to lock the door. I'm sure every adult with kids and a full time job struggles with this sort of thing.

"I'll try to remember next time." I promised.

Then, Alvin took over the conversation and tried to make things less awkward, which only made them more awkward. "Soooo, why are ya here, Dangus? Did ya decide to drop in and visit your favorite dysfunctional and well meaning family?"

"Alvin, quiet." I murmured as low as possible. I didn't want Officer Dangus to catch me scolding the boy. He's right. I can be too hard on Alvin sometimes.

The man in uniform put his hands on his hips. "Actually, little guy, I got a few noise complaints." He revealed. "And by a few, I mean a dozen. Ya'll are lucky most people aren't asleep at this time. You'd wake up the entire street."

"I bet one was Ms. Croner." Eleanor laughed. "But I can't say she was wrong. We were hecka loud."

"And now our Christmas stew is ruined." Theodore whimpered, holding Lilly close and petting her.

Why was the puppy on the counter? Nevermind, too exhausted to deal with that conversation now.

"There's no domestic disturbances here." Alvin puffed out his chest and adjusted his red framed glasses. "I assure you."

Miss. Miller picked up Jeanette and nodded. "We didn't mean to cause a disturbance, sir."

"There were…a few mishaps." The girl in her arms fidgets with her purple framed glasses.

"A few?!" Brittany opened the cupboard and jumped out. "Ignore her. She's sugar coating everything! It was a mess! And my favorite sweater almost got ruined!"

"Her sweater is more important to her than anyone else in this room, apparently." Eleanor commented dryly.

"Sugar coating is delicious!" Theodore was EATING a container of sprinkles now.

I leaned on a countertop and tried to act like I wasn't positive my life was falling apart around me and spinning out of control. "Everything's all good, Officer. We'll get things cleaned up and be quieter." I said with a forced smile.

"Gooood." The cop clicked his tongue. "Because I don't wanna write you up for this sorta thing. I get it, families are crazy sometimes. But, if ya'll can't settle down, I'mma have to file a report and make ya pay a fine."

"We understand!" The Chipmunks and Chipettes chorused again.

"Yes we do." Miss. Miller added.

Warbie tilted his head up at Dangus. "I don't understand. Can we get arrested for being loud?"

"I'll explain it, Warbie." Simon took the young bird aside.

"Do you wanna see my invention now?" Alvin poked me in the side.

"Alvin, not now." I replied.

"I'd love to see it." Officer Dangus said, to my surprise. Then, he looked at me with a slightly annoyed expression. "What have I told you about shuttin' that poor boy down?"

I slumped my shoulders. He was right. I'd been putting off seeing Alvin's project awhile. He hadn't been this annoying and desperate at the start.

"Alright, let's see your invention." I told my son.

He was giddy. "Everyone, follow me!"

We all went into the living room. Geizmo was still in his time out chair, looking sad, but he brightened up when he entered.

"So…" Brittany seemed at least a tiny bit interested in Alvin's idea. "What does it do?"

"Ohoho!" The excitable boy rolled a medium size CANNON into the living room. "It makes holiday decorating a breeze! No more endless hours spent stringin' lights! Thanks to…" He waved his arms at the invention. "My newely patented CHRISTMAS LIGHT CANNON!"

"He didn't get it patented." Simon corrected, jumping onto the couch and taking a seat between Eleanor and Theodore.

"But I will!" Alvin insisted. "Someday."

I sat next to Officer Dangus and gulped. "Did you help make this, Simon?" I whispered to my right.

"I've been busy with my own inventions." My middle son revealed.

That's it. Time to put an end to this. "Alvin, holiday decorating isn't something to just rush through. It takes care and precision…"

"This little beauty has all the precision we need." He insisted.

I felt my temper flare again. "I DON'T WANT YOU SHOOTING OFF A CANNON IN MY LIVING ROOM!"

"David, cool your jets." Officer Dangus put a hand on my shoulder and I suddenly felt warm again. "Hear the boy out. He says you can trust him. He ain't as much trouble as he usedta be."

He had a point, but the risks were still too great. "BUT IT'S A CANNON!" I repeated.

"It's no more dangerous than a confetti cannon." Alvin stated calmly.

"And it's in my….living room." I couldn't stop imagining Alvin blowing up the entire room with the cannon.

Dangus squeezed my shoulder and then awkwardly released his hand. "Just breathe, Dave. Ya good?"

I nodded even though I was still freaking out.

"Ya need me to hold yer hand?" The kind cop offered.

I felt even hotter. "N…No! That's okay. Really…I'm fine."

"Take it away, 2.0." Simon told Alvin with a grin.

The boy in the Santa hat BEAMED. "Alright, so, all I do is press this button and…"

The cannon swiveled around and shot a string of Christmas lights around the room. Alvin controlled it with a remote in his hands.

The lights did look pretty nice up there, very very festive. You'd never have realized that they weren't hung up by hand. And it was certainly faster.

It was working well until it suddenly swiveled the opposite direction and shot Christmas lights at Alvin, tying him up and pinning him to the floor.

"I guess it's still got a couple kinks." The chipmunk admitted, struggling to free himself from the lights.

"Well, it sorta works." Brittany clapped for him. "Good try."

"Nice job, Alvin!" Theodore cheered.

"Awesome!" Warbie perched on the coffee table.

"Exquisite idea!" Jeanette jumped up and down, showing the most support.

"Not bad, little man." Dangus added.

Eleanor seemed unimpressed. "Were we all watching the same demonstration?"

"Be nice, dear." Miss. Miller played with the holly hair ties in Eleanor's pigtails.

Simon leapt from the couch and walked over to Alvin. "It just needs some tweaks. I can help."

"No!" The stubborn boy squeaked, before changing his mind instantly. "I mean…yeah…okay. You can help."

While the others helped Alvin untie himself from the Christmas lights, Officer Dangus took me aside.

"Since I'm already here…" He began. "Can I talk to ya 'bout somethin'?"

"Sure. Of course." I responded, following him into my home office, where we would be safe from whatever disaster was about to happen in the rest of the house.

"I ain't sure how to ask this…" He took off his shades and played with them as he spoke. "Or if it's somethin' you'd even be into." His cheeks turned pink. "I was wonderin' if…."

I didn't know how to react. "If what?"

He put the shades back. "Nah, you know what? It's probably dumb. Nevermind."

"Doris…" I used his first name, which he'd told me in secret one time. "Come on. You know you can tell me anything."

He took his shades off again. "Really? Ya promise?"

"Absolutely!" I smiled.

"Well, I was wonderin' if ya might…have some time to go see the lights downtown and grab some hot cocoa with me." He wiped his brow.

"I would love to." I told him honestly. "And the boys would love it too."

He sighed and then played absentmindedly with a pen on my desk. "That's the thing, Dave. I enjoy your kids, don't get me wrong. They're outstandin' kids." He nibbled his lip nervously. "But I was hopin' this could be just a you and me type thing. If you ain't up to it, I understand. It was just an idea."

Oh. Interesting. He's the first person who's ever asked to hang out with me without the fellas before. I did love Christmas traditions with them, but…

My mind flashed back to the day's earlier chaos. Was it so wrong to want a break from that? A short break? A walk and some hot cocoa? That's all it was, right?

"I suppose I could ask Miss. Miller to watch the boys." I told the policeman, sounding very interested in his offer. "And we could have a whole evening to ourselves."

"Super duper!" Dangus cheered, looking relieved. "Which evenin' are ya free?"

"Tomorrow actually." I responded, hiding my sweaty palms behind my back.

He slipped his shades back on and flashed me a finger gun salute. "I'll pick ya up around 6." Then, he awkwardly slammed his shin into my desk as he went to leave the room.

"Are you okay?" I asked, seeing him crumpled on the floor in pain.

"Oh yeah." He fibbed. "I'm fiiine, I'll just walk it off." He stood up with a wince.

I held the door open for him. "There's an icepack in the fridge."

"You're too kind, David." He laughed. "Know what? On second thought, I'll take that ice."

As I grabbed him the ice, I smiled to myself. I was overjoyed thinking about an evening out on the town with my good friend. I didn't have a lot of contact with other adults outside of work. Sure, some of the kids' friends' parents were alright, but we didn't have the same connection that I had with the handsome policeman. Miss. Miller and Ms. Croner I spent time with, but I felt out of place with them as well. I never felt out of place around Doris. He was the type of guy that people write songs about.

The next day, I was waiting impatiently for 6 o'clock to come around. The boys all had very mixed reactions to being left with Miss. Miller. They stood at my feet as I waited by the door.

"Dave, come on." Alvin was complaining. "We can handle ourselves without a babysitter. I've told you this like 1,000 times."

"After what happened yesterday?" Theodore frowned and shook his head. "No way." He fidgeted with the strings hanging from his green winter hat.

The boy in the Santa hat pouted again. "But Miss. Miller was HERE when that happened."

"Geizmo shouldn't be much trouble today. He's busy watching YouTube again." Simon reported, the puffy white pom pom attached to his blue striped winter hat wiggled as he moved his head.

"Ya see, Dave!?" Alvin climbed up to my shoulder without warning. "YouTube is the best babysitter! Who needs Miss. Miller?"

I gently grabbed the rambunctious Chipmunk and set him back on the ground. "It'll be okay, Alvin." I promised him. "You'll have fun."

Theodore clapped his hands with excitement. "We can watch a movie and make more sugar cookies!"

His older brother with the wild red hair leaned against the wall. "I still don't see the point. Shouldn't she be with, you know, her daughters?"

Simon elbowed him with a smug grin. "She's bringing the Chipettes, you dimwit."

"Would a dimwit be taking AP classes?" Alvin ran over and invaded Simon's personal space. "Wait, she's bringing the girls!? Well, why didn't you say so!?"

I rubbed my temples to prevent a headache. "I thought it was obvious, Alvin."

We heard a knock at the door and Miss. Miller's signature "Youhoo!" Another knock followed. "Is anyone home?"

I pulled the door open and adjusted my tri-color Christmas sweater. It was a mix of red, blue, and green. Each one of my kids' colors was represented. "Hello, Miss. Miller." I greeted her.

"Whyyy, don't you look sharp, David." The older woman phrased that as more of a statement than a question.

"You could win a contest with that sweater!" Jeanette added, the snowflake barrette in her hair glistening.

Brittany had a matching one. Unfortunately, her attitude didn't quite match her sister's. "Yeah, an Ugly Sweater contest." She muttered.

"Leave my dad's sweater alone." Alvin scolded Brittany sharply. It was nice to hear him defend me. Too bad he immediately had to ruin it. "Only I get to call it ugly."

I sighed and checked my watch again. Where was Officer Dangus?

I felt something brush against my legs and looked down. There was no one there. So strange.

"So where are ya goin', Dave?" Eleanor's voice was suddenly very loud in my ear. She'd climbed up my back without me knowing!

I felt my cheeks get warmer. "Oh, just, you know, out….with a friend."

Alvin joined Eleanor and hung onto my shoulder with both his hands, digging his feet into my already sore back. Thankfully, he kept his claws tucked away so they couldn't poke me.

"Ooooh? And who is this friend of yours?" My oldest son's curious nature was showing.

"Wait, when did you get a friend?" Eleanor stood on the opposite shoulder Alvin was clinging to. "Did I miss something?"

I felt like a battered shelf made for holding up chipmunks. It was hard to keep my cool. "It's…."

Before I could reveal the answer, the door opened and there stood Officer Dangus wearing a blue Santa hat and a deep blue sweater that said Police Navidad on it in snowy white letters.

"What did I tell ya about lockin' the door, Dave?" The kind man teased as he moved his shades up on top of the Santa hat.

I felt embarrassed again. "I….Miss. Miller just got here." I explained. "I didn't forget this time."

Alvin was so shocked by the news, he released his grip. Then he stared up at us, jaw hanging open. "Wait, wait, wait, you're going out with Officer Dangus!?" His reddish orange eyebrows shot up so high that you could fully see them behind his red framed glasses.

I didn't answer. I was frozen on the spot. It wasn't even that cold either. I had no excuse. "Uh….well…."

"Isn't that lovely?" Miss. Miller pulled both Dangus and I in for an unexpected hug. "You two gentlemen have a wonderful night."

The policeman and I broke away from her grip and awkwardly stared at each other. The others seemed to think this was a bigger deal than just two friends having a night on the town.

Eleanor slid down my back and hit the floor. "We'll take care of everything here." She told me, climbing onto Miss. Miller's shoulder. "Don't ya worry."

"Yes, go." Simon told me with a hopeful smile. "Enjoy yourself."

"I have no idea what's happening." I heard Brittany murmur.

Alvin leaned close to the girl in the candy cane heart sweater. He whispered something into her ear.

The Chipette's ice blue eyes went wide and she looked stunned.

I wonder what Alvin told her. Probably some misunderstanding I'll have to clear up later.

Without fully thinking, I grabbed Officer Dangus's hand and pulled him to the door. "Well, it's 6:15." I spoke quickly. "Let's not waste any more time."

"Have fun, Dave!" Theodore and Jeanette chorused together, both waving at me.

"Yeah…have fun." Brittany still looked stunned.

Alvin winked at me. "And don't forget these!" He reached into his pocket and tossed me a pack of small mints.

"What are these for?" I wondered, as Dangus and I walked out the front door together.

The man put his shades back on and smiled. "Oh, I dunno." He said playfully. "What could they possibly be for?"

"YOUR BREATH!" Alvin shouted, before Miss. Miller closed the door.

I scowled and shoved the mints into the pocket of my black-colored jeans. "My breath doesn't stink." I fumed. "Why does he always have to do these things?" I released my grip on the man's hand.

"I think he's just tryin' ta help ya out." Doris Dangus seemed to think he knew my son better than I did.

Was that possible?

I folded my arms. "Well, it doesn't seem that way."

The friendly cop rubbed his arm and then brushed his hands off on his tan khaki pants. Hmmm. I guess his hands must have been sweaty too.

"Anyway, why are we standin' around talkin' about your son?" He chuckled nervously. "We got the whole night ahead of us."

"Oh….yeah." I rubbed my neck as we walked down the sidewalk. What could I talk about that didn't turn the conversation back to my lovable and equally maddening kids?

It was dark outside, since it always gets dark earlier in the wintertime. The light-up Christmas decorations filled almost every yard on the block. The California air was crisp, but not too cold. Just the sweaters would do us fine.

"Sooo…" Doris broke the silence. "Write any good Christmas songs lately?"

I had been distracted by the reindeer decorations in someone's yard, so the question caught me by surprise. I turned back to face my friend with a sheepish smile.

"Just a few instrumentals." I put my hands behind my back again. "I haven't had much, uhhh, inspiration lyric wise."

"I'm sure they sound amazin'." The man complimented me.

I felt like I was going to faint. I'd eaten dinner already, so it couldn't be that I was hungry.

On the topic of dinner, we'd still have to come up with a way to re-make our stew or start a new tradition with a different thing to replace it. We typically had a buffet for dinner on Christmas Eve, with everyone able to choose what they wanted to eat. I enjoyed the vegetable stew because it was just like my mother used to make. I haven't spoken much to my mom in years. She's….not exactly thrilled her son is raising three rodents instead of human kids. I haven't even told her about the bird, the robot, and the dog.

Oh shoot. I should probably respond to the compliment.

"You alright, Dave?" Doris asked.

I stuck my hands in my pockets. "Yeah….thank you. I don't usually get compliments on the things that my boys don't sing."

"That's a darn shame." The man responded sweetly. "Ya got more talent than people give ya credit for."

I wobbled a bit and almost tripped over a rock on the sidewalk.

Officer Dangus's strong hands steadied me. "Don't fall on me now." He said.

"Thanks….Thanks." I replied.

We made it into town and I looked up at the blinking snowflake lights strung across the buildings. There were red and green ones decorating the small trees spaced around between each storefront. Even the alleyways had decorations.

It looked incredible. The night was perfect.

If only it wasn't so awkward. Why was I so painfully awkward when it came to talking to friends? I don't remember being like this when I was hanging out with Barry and Skins and my other bandmates. Of course, that was a long time ago. I'd aged a lot. The stress made me tired constantly.

"Someone's really outdone themselves this year." I commented, gesturing to the lights.

"Aw shucks, David." Doris's cheeks were red, probably from the reflection of the red Christmas lights we were standing by. "…oh, wait, ya meant whoever did the decoratin'….yeah. Yeah, they suuure did."

"You've outdone yourself too." I said reflexively. "You gave me the gift of time to get away from it all."

He nudged me gently. "Ain't no way ya can handle everythin' 24-7."

We continued down the sidewalk until we were sure we'd seen all that downtown had to offer. Along the way, we chatted some more about anything that came to mind.

"The teens are crazy this year." Dangus was telling me as I listened and tried to keep up with his fast paced chatting and thick accent. "Shopliftin' reports always go up during the holidays. Hey, do ya think I'd make a good mall cop?"

"Sure." I smiled. "But only if you want to leave the station."

"Sometimes, I do." He got quieter. "The other cops all make fun of me. They say the only reason I ain't been fired yet is cuz I'm entertainin'."

I frowned. Even cops were bullies? That was news to me. I suppose bullies can appear anywhere. "That's not very nice of them."

He nodded, and wiped away a stray tear behind his shades. "They think I'm bad at my job, but I'm not. It's a hard job. I'm not as experienced as the other officers. I'm still learnin'." He brightened up. "But I don' wanna wreck the night with my sob stories or anythin'."

"If it makes you feel better…the music business is no picnic either." I said. "I'm surprised I've been able to keep my job too."

"It's crazy!" He exclaimed. "Ya know my grades at the police academy were top of the class? But I get out in the field and I'm screwin' up left and right. It's like I forgot everythin' on day one."

"That's how I felt about writing music FOR people instead of FOR myself." I told him honestly. "It's like I had to re-learn how to write."

"Ya know what that tells me, Dave?" The kind cop raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue thoughtfully.

My mind was blank. "What?" What was he talking about?

"That ya gotta take more time to write stuff for YOURSELF." He declared with his hands on his hips. "Forget the trends and go back to your roots! What type of music do YOU wanna hear?"

"I did have this really good idea for a song." I sighed as we passed by Brittany's favorite clothing store. "But my boss says it's too 80s."

"You gotta be your own boss." Officer Dangus poked my chest with his finger. "Take chances. And if he still doesn't like it, then there's nothin' stoppin' ya from makin' the song and releasin' it yourself. People like you, David. You've won Grammy awards! I think you put yourself down almost as much as you put Alvin down."

Oh my goodness. He was onto something. Is that why I couldn't be the cheerleader I needed to be for my eldest son? Because he reminded me of me, and I couldn't even cheer myself on.

"Thank you." I felt determined all of a sudden. "I'm going to get that song on the radio. Who cares if it's too 80s?"

"80s music rocks." Dangus agreed. "Personally, I'm more of a country music junkie, but I can dig it. Oh oh! I bet ya can't guess my favorite 80s song!" He bragged.

I rubbed my chin. "You're right. I can't. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"I'll give ya a hint." He tapped his aviator shades and smirked.

I tried to come up with something, but I couldn't. There were too many possible options. I briefly considered texting the boys and seeing if they knew. No, no, I had to do this myself. "Uhhh…."

"Don't short circuit on me now, Dave." He laughed. "Here's your second hint. It's by Corey Hart."

Oh! That made it click instantly. "Sunglasses At Night! Of course."

"Righty-o." He grinned.

Then, he started to sing. He wasn't great, but after hearing Warbie's terrible singing voice, his sounded alright to me.

"I wear my sunglasses at night

So I can, so I can

Forget my name while you collect your claim

And I wear my sunglasses at night

So I can, so I can

See the light that's right before my eyes."

I joined in and suddenly we were both dancing and singing underneath the rainbow Christmas lights decorating the art studio.

"While she's deceiving me

She cuts my security

She's got control of me

I turn to her and say."

Dangus mimed playing guitar and I chuckled. He was such a fun person to be around. We continued to sing together, while the other people walking around thought we were probably nuts. Was this nuts? A little. But, it felt great. I'd have plenty of time to be embarrassed about it later.

"Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades, oh no

Don't masquerade with the guy in shades, oh no

I can't believe it

'Cause you got it made with the guy in shades, oh no."

We made it past the thrift shop as the song ended. The coffee shop was only a few storefronts away.

"Whoooweee. I'mma need somethin' to drink now." Dangus coughed. "My throat's a little dry."

I nodded, as the embarrassment started to set in. People were looking at us, probably wondering if we were in our right minds or not. Most people don't burst into song while walking on the sidewalk.

"Drinks sound good." I agreed.

With that, we made our way to the coffee shop. I couldn't wait for a nice warm hot chocolate to take my mind off the self consciousness that was building up.

I was extremely glad that I'd taken Doris up on his offer. This Christmas was shaping up to be very…relaxing. I wasn't even thinking about my kids the whole time…just some of the time. The awkwardness had faded slightly and the friendly neighborhood cop and I were really hitting it off now. You know, I wasn't so bad at talking to other adults. Why did I ever think I was?

OFFICER DANGUS'S POV

Boy howdy, this was a darn pickle. David Seville was absolutely clueless. I'd been droppin' hints like crazy, at least, I thought I had, but the man wasn't gettin' a single one. It was startin' to get to me. How could I come out and directly ask him what I'd been plannin' to all night?

What if he didn't actually like me that way? What if he only wanted to be friends? I didn't even know if he liked guys! But, I mean, it did seem like we had some sort of flirty banter now and then.

Point is, I was sittin' across from Dave in a coffee shop, thinkin' about how to bring up an awkward question without scarin' the poor guy. I sipped my hot chocolate and stirred it with a peppermint stick. Why's he gotta be like this? Most people would have caught on by now! But not Dave, never Dave.

The painfully attractive man ran his fingers through his deep brown hair. He took a sip of his hot cocoa and wound up with a mustache of whipped cream.

If he didn't stop bein' such a heartthrob, I was gonna sweat through all my clothes. Why was everythin' that man did so darn SEXY!?

I couldn't resist makin' a comment about his look. "Nice mustache there, partner." I teased.

"What?" Surpriiiise surpriiiise, he didn't even notice THAT!

I got nervous again and just started ramblin' about whatever came to mind. I wasn't the best idea, I'll admit.

"You know, I had a mustache back at the police academy." I told him proudly. "It looked pretty swell, if I do say so myself."

Dave blinked his amber eyes and looked confused. "Really? I can't picture you with a mustache."

I knew I could fix that. If he can't see it in his head, I'mma give him the full picture.

I grinned. "Hand me that whipped cream." I reached across the table.

"Why?" Dave wondered, as he slid the can over.

Pickin' up the can, I squirted a line of whipped cream across my upper lip.

The attractive man continued to stare, tryin' to figure out what the heck I was up to.

I slid the can back across the table and pointed to my whipped cream mustache.

"What do you think? Do I look macho? I look pretty darn macho, right?" I felt super confident.

The man in the red, blue, and green sweater laughed. "You're a nut."

I laughed a little too and then licked the tasty stuff off my upper lip. "At least I know how to have fun." I reasoned.

He nodded and then FINALLY noticed his own whipped cream mustache. Boy, that man was slower than an armadillo crossin' the street.

"You do make everything more fun. I'll admit." He said softly and warmly, in a voice that made my insides start meltin' like chocolate.

He tried to lick off his mustache all by himself, but only managed to get half of it.

"Here, mind if I help ya?" I offered, grabbing a napkin.

He blushed from embarrassment. "Not at all."

I leaned over the table and used the napkin to clean off the gunk.

Being even closer to Dave felt even more intimidating. It was scramblin' my thoughts every which way. I finished wipin' as fast as possible.

"There ya go. Our macho-staches are history." I announced.

An awkward silence filled the room again as we sipped more hot cocoa.

I guess that meant it was time for a new topic to yak about.

"This is a nice little place, ain't it?" I pointed to some of the art on the walls. Each picture was a coffee cup decorated to match a month of the year. There were 12 total.

"It is." Dave agreed. "I can't believe I've never been here before."

"Very cozy." I added, crossin' my legs under the table. "The perfect place to talk about anythin'."

Dave frowned. "I'm…..not very good with conversation starters." He admitted.

"Nothin' ta be ashamed of." I replied. "Lucky for you, I'm a pro. I can talk about anythin'."

He raised those thick and dark eyebrows of his. "Anything?" He challenged. At least, I think it was a challenge.

I picked the first topic I thought of. "If you could go on a dream vacation anywhere in the world, where would ya go?" I took a big gulp of my hot cocoa while he was thinkin'.

"Hmmmm." He looked up at the ceiling.

"Take yer time." I advised.

"I've always wanted to hike through a place with mountains." The man finally decided. "Or take a road trip and visit a few National Parks."

"Sounds like a great time!" I took off my shades and spun them around usin' one of the arms.

"What's your dream vacation?" It was Dave's turn to ask me.

I had to think a bit because there were a lotta options. Eventually, I settled on one.

"I'd like to take a cruise, with one of them carnivals on it. Ride a rollercoaster and then relax in a lawn chair by the pool with some cherry limeade." I said with a smile. "Although, my backup plan is just goin' kayakin' down a river, maybe do some fishin'."

"I used to go fishing with my Pap Pap all the time." Dave commented. "Also, I've never had cherry limeade. Is that like lemonade?"

"Naw, it's WAY better." I leaned back in my chair. Man, these chairs were comfy! "I can give you the recipe."

"Thank you." He finished off his hot cocoa. He looked down at the empty cup. "Can we get refills?"

I motioned for the waiter to come over. Once he did, I handed him Dave's empty mug.

"My buddy here needs a refill, please." I declared. "And throw in some extra marshmallows if ya can."

"Alright, sir." The waiter hustled off to complete the request.

Dave folded his hands on top of the table. "Extra marshmallows? You're spoiling me." He teased.

I winked at him. "It's no biggie. I only want the best for my favorite guy."

I took the peppermint stick out of my hot chocolate and chomped down on it. I knew I had to ask the question I'd been tryin' to pop all night VERY SOON, but I still wasn't ready.

Maybe if I tell him I like men first…he might catch on. Then again, it is Dave….it might just sail right on over his irresistible head AGAIN.

"Did someone turn up the heat in here?" My crush started to fan his face with the menu that was sitting on our table. He was blushin' red as a ripe tomato.

I shrugged, pretendin' that I didn't see how flustered I was makin' the poor guy. "I can't tell, maybe."

"Maybe I've just gotten all warmed up from the hot chocolate." He reasoned.

I couldn't resist rollin' my eyes. "Yeah maybe. Anyway, ya wanna hear the story about one of the strangest vacations I've ever been on?"

He nodded, cheeks looking only slightly less red. "Sure."

Here goes nothin'. Once I say this, I can't take it back. I hope I don't get judged. This guy don't even realize he's in the closet. He could have any reaction!

"My old boyfriend decided, in his infinite wisdom, to spend a couple weeks takin' a road trip all the way from California to Tennessee and back! He invited me along, and he wanted to show off this fancy new GPS system doohicky he got." I spun my tale from what I could remember. "I told him we oughta get a map just in case, but he was all like "naw, computerized stuff is better." Well, it WASN'T! That thing took us on so many detours! We were ridin' down an ATV trail that wasn't even for cars at one point. Can you guess where we wound up when it FINALLY said we arrived at our destination?"

Dave tapped his chin. "Uhhh….Indiana?" He looked puzzled.

I slapped my knee. "I wish! Nope, we were in CANADA! All the way up to Edmonton. Really shoulda known somethin' was wrong when we crossed that giant bridge. We were freezin' our tushies off! It was up to me to salvage the vacation, so I went and got us warmer clothes and signed us up for a health spa and curlin' lessons."

"That sounds like quite the adventure." He responded, never once taking his eyes off me.

"You betcha it was!" I grinned. "Oh, and did ya know that in Canada there's a Tim Horton's on every block? I ain't kiddin'. They got so many doughnuts that you'd think the sky rained 'em!"

"Interesting." He chuckled playfully. "Sounds like the boys and I should plan a show in Canada and see for ourselves. Theodore especially would love it."

I let out a small sigh. "Yeah, heh heh. My old boyfriend, he sure was a….craaazy guy."

The waiter returned and set a refilled mug of cocoa in front of Dave.

I expected my crush to ask something…anything about my boyfriend, but he just sat there with a dopey smile on his face, sipping his hot cocoa.

"They should make these year round instead of just at Christmastime." He commented.

I could feel myself getting more and more restless. "Yeah…" I murmured. I continued my story, hoping Dave would PAY ATTENTION to the parts of it I desperately needed him to. "Anyway, we broke up a couple months after that. He found another guy who was a big tech company CEO and then I never heard from him again."

"I'm so sorry." The kind man's face fell. "That must have been hard."

I nodded. I was feeling extremely vulnerable. I reached for my shades and passed them back and forth from hand to hand. "I've felt pretty unlucky when it comes to love. It ain't easy growin' up in the South when you're….you know."

"When you're…unlucky?" Dave guessed.

I wanted to hit something. Why wasn't he picking up ANY hint about ANYTHING!?

"When you're GAY." I stressed the word, because apparently he has a head full of cotton stuffin'. "I'm GAY, Dave."

He looked surprised. HOW IS THAT A SURPRISE!? I'm the most camp guy in town! I might as well have GAY written on my darn forehead!

"Really? You don't seem the type." He shook his head and then smiled warmly. "But that's great! I appreciate you telling me! I think it's wonderful that people can love whoever they want to love. It was a lot different when I was a kid. Much more on the down low."

"Ya did hear me say "my old boyfriend," didn't ya?" I rubbed my forehead and tried to hide the building frustration. If he didn't stop missin' cues, I was gonna pop!

"Well, yeah, but….ohhhh." It finally dawned on him.

Now that things were more uncomfortable and vulnerable than ever, I decided to get a little revenge.

"So what's your love life been like, Dave? Bet there's some juicy stories there." I smirked and slurped the rest of my hot cocoa.

"Uh, well…." He swayed back and forth in his seat. "There's nothing "juicy" but….I have had two girlfriends…" He coughed before continuing. "Claire and Marsha. Neither one worked out."

"Uh huh." I urged him to continue.

"…And there was a short fling with one of my bandmates. His name was Barry."

HIS!? WAIT!? DID THIS MEAN DAVE WAS AWARE HE LIKED MEN TOO!? Why is this man so hard to figure out!?

"So when you say fling, what do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow. This conversation had flipped from infuriatin' to interestin'.

"Oh…" He rubbed his neck. "I mean, I'm…Bi. I knew for a while, I just didn't realize it had a name until my kids explained it."

"Really?" I teased him. "You don't seem the type." I winked. It felt good throwing his own words back at him.

"Heh heh." He was starting to blush again.

"Well, welcome to the club." I shook his hand with my excessively sweaty one. "I'd give ya a complimentary flag, but I ran out." I said. "That's a joke. I don't have any flags on me."

He chuckled again.

Okay, here goes…This is the perfect moment. I'll never get a moment more perfect than this. I have to ask him out NOW! And I have to be 100% clear that I am lookin' for a ROMANTIC date, not a two guy buddies date!

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. As I looked at my crush, I saw somethin' behind him that I really didn't wanna see.

A chubby cheeked face and a mess of wild red-orange hair appeared in the window. Alvin's little hands pressed against the glass. He was talkin' to me, mouthing some kinda words. I ain't good at lip readin'.

What on Earth did he want!? Couldn't he see I was in the middle of a VERY important conversation!? Oh no! Oh no! I saw that little pigtailed chipmunk next to him! The detective one who always snoops in other people's business! What's her name again? Ella? Ellen? Oh! Eleanor!

Alvin and Eleanor were joined by Simon, Theo, Brittany, and Jeanette. All six of the little buggers had come to rain on my parade! Why!? I needed to know why they were here…and make sure they didn't blow this for me!

"Are you okay?" Dave tapped my shoulder.

I focused back on him and ignored the window. "Yeah, I think so. I had somethin' else to say, but I think I need to…err…go outside for a bit and get some fresh air." I stood up.

Dave copied me. "Should I go with you?"

"No, no no. You stay right here." I insisted. "I'll be okay. I'm just nervous. Being so open about stuff takes a lot outa a guy."

"Ohhh. I understand." He sat back down. "I'll be right here waiting when you get back." He promised.

"Super!" I hustled out of the coffee shop and burst into the cold air. I ran to the window where I'd seen the Chipmunks and Chipettes.

"Kids!? Wha…What are ya doin' here!?" I was running out of breath. I picked all of them up and then moved away from the window. When I was sure Dave couldn't see us from where he was seated, I set the kids down.

Eleanor was the first to speak. "Mom fell asleep halfway through National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." She reported.

Alvin smiled sheepishly. "I maaay have slipped a little secret formula into her eggnog." He admitted.

"You drugged Miss. Miller?" I gasped.

"Not drugged." He raised his pointer finger. "Secret formula. Very scientific."

"I told him not to." Simon frowned. "He didn't listen. Then, I followed them all here…and here we are."

Theodore tugged at the strings on his snow hat. "We wanna help!"

"If you'll let us." Jeanette added, hands clasped in front of her.

Brittany jumped up and down. "Please let us help!" The girl with the giant ponytail begged.

I knelt down to be closer to their height. "Uh, I dunno, guys." I began. "I was countin' on tonight bein' just me and Dave. There's something I wanna ask him and it's, well, it's a little personal." That's all they needed to hear. Hopefully, they'd beat it and I could finish my plan.

To my surprise, Eleanor smiled and patted my knee. "Yeah, we know. Alvin told us."

Theodore jumped at me with his arms spread wide. "Congratulations, Officer Dangus! Ohhh! I hope he says yes."

I hugged Theodore and then set him back down.

"Me too." I looked suspiciously at the group. "Wait, how did Alvin know?"

Brittany leaned against a lamppost with one hand and put the opposite one on her hip. "You send off the strongest signals."

Alvin nodded. "Also I went into your dreams and ya told me there, remember?"

I did remember, now that he mentioned it. "Ohhh. Yeah. I keep forgettin' you can do that." I replied.

"I am already planning your wedding." The Chipette in pink gushed. "No pressure."

"Brittany!" Eleanor scolded her sister.

I felt even more overwhelmed and stressed out to the max!

"Whoah whoah whoah!" I waved both my hands. "I ain't asked him yet! I don't think I know….how. He's not catchin' on. He thinks we're just friends!"

Before I could react, Alvin was standin' on my knee. "Ohohoho. No problem." The bold chipmunk declared. "Hold on to your Santa hat. I am going to give ya a crash course on the art of romance!"

Simon looked up at me and whispered. "Ignore everything he says."

"Just speak from the heart!" Theodore advised, twirling around on the sidewalk.

Alvin still wouldn't stop chattering. "Come on, dude. Let me teach ya how to woo my dad….I can't believe I just said that." He squeaked.

Brittany shoved him off my knee. "Oh, puh-leeze. If you want romance advice, I'm your girl." She insisted.

"Just don't get me involved." Eleanor smirked. "I only came to watch the drama. Not be part of it." Her smirk grew even more devious. "This time." She added.

"Ya'll think you can teach me how to ask Dave out?" I gently nudged Brittany off my knee and stood back up.

"Absolutely positively!" Alvin promised. "No doubt about it."

I heard a small gulp, and realized it came from Simon. "I have some doubts. Many, actually, many doubts!" The blue sweatered boy quipped.

Jeanette offered some advice of her own. "Perhaps a gift could uhhh…break the ice…is that the expression?"

Alvin threw an arm around Jeanette's shoulders. "Sure is, Netta!"

Theodore jumped around happily. "It can be like a Christmas present!"

I tried to remember all the advice they were throwin' out lickity split.

"Okay, gifts. Speak from the heart." I looked down at the boy in red and neon burn-your-eyes-out blue. "Alvin, what's your plan?"

He delivered, climbin' up onto a parkin' meter and lookin' directly at me as he spoke. "Butter him up with compliments and then, as you're about to leave…mention that you can't stop thinkin' about him. Really pour it on niiice and thick. After that, ya ask him out and tell him you love him, just like Theo said, straight from the heart. Look him straight in the eyes and tell him that you have dreamed about this moment for years." He finished his instructions and folded his arms confidently.

I took in his words and decided that maybe that kid was onto somethin'.

"Ya know, that ain't half bad." I told the group.

Eleanor laughed. "Yeah, ever since the wizard…" She pointed to Jeanette. "….gave the scarecrow a brain, his ideas have been pretty decent."

"SOME of them, anyway." Brittany added with a huff.

Alvin, still standing on the parkin' meter, grabbed my face and pulled it closer to him. "Whattya say, Dangus 'ol pal?"

I broke free from his furry paws and stood up straighter. I was feeling…READY! Knowin' the kids all believed in me helped SO MUCH.

"I….I think I can do this!" I swung my fist in front of my sweater with can-do spirit.

"Ohohoho! HE'S READY, GUYS!" Alvin cheered.

I was about to walk back inside the coffee shop when Theodore stopped me.

"Theo, watch out. I almost stepped on ya, little man." I knelt down again.

"Sorry." The little boy's ears drooped before perkin' back up again. "Here!" He handed me a pair of tiny green socks on a string. "You can take my lucky socks….for extra confidence."

"Awww, thanks." I tied the socks to the belt loop on my pants. It looked kinda silly, but I didn't care. It meant a lot to Theodore and maybe the socks WERE lucky.

"We've gotta get back now." Eleanor informed me. "Good luck, Dangus!"

"Yeah!" The others cheered.

I watched them scurry away, with Theodore and Jeanette both waving to me.

Alvin was the last to leave. He leapt off the parkin' meter and didn't quite stick the landin'. His feet went out from under him and he fell on his butt.

"Oof…I'm okay." He stood up and brushed off his evergreen colored Christmas jeans. "Remember, Dave likes you too. He just might need a push to, you know, realize that." He patted my leg. "You gotta be that push."

He scampered off to join the others.

Be the push. Be the push. It sounded simple enough.

"Okay, here goes nothin'!" I told myself as I strolled back inside the coffee shop.

I took my seat and faced Dave again.

"Did you get enough fresh air?" He asked me sweetly.

I nodded. "Yup. Got a nice heapin' helpin' of it. I'm ready to ask ya somethin'."

To my shock, Dave said something completely unexpected. "Doris, there's something I've been meaning to ask you too….but I didn't know if it was, you know, appropriate to ask tonight."

Is this it? I wondered. Is he gonna ask so I don't have to? Please, let him ask so I don't have to!

"It's been on my mind all this time, and I keep trying to shove it away, but then it comes back." Dave continued, his amber eyes looking down into his hot cocoa mug.

I decided to play it cool. "Whatever it is, it's all good, Dave." I responded, making sure to put my shades back on. If I was gonna play it cool, I had to look the part.

"Are you sure?" The sexy songwriter added. "It's a big request."

OH MY GOODNESS! THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE MOMENT! IT IS HAPPENIN'!

I felt my heart racin' in my chest. "I can handle it." I stayed calm on the outside while my insides were turnin' to jelly.

"Would you…." Dave paused for a moment to decide how to say it.

Here it comes, here it comes! I thought. MY LONG WAIT IS FINALLY OVER!

"Would you watch the boys on Christmas Eve? Miss. Miller and the Chipettes are going to see The Nutcracker ballet and I know they'll be lonely without me there. You're great with them, especially Alvin. But, well, I didn't know if you had Christmas Eve plans already." The man requested, seeming overly flustered.

All I could do was stare at him. I was frozen in place. I bet I had a real funny look, but that was the least of my worries.

My fragile heart ripped in two instantly. Are ya kiddin' me!? That's what he wanted to ask!? That!? What in tarnation was that man's problem!? Maybe this was a sign that it wasn't the right time yet. I sure wasn't feelin' like butterin' him up with any more compliments now. I was madder than a raccoon someone sprayed with Lysol. My mother did that once. She's still got the scar.

But, he needed an answer, and I sure did enjoy bein' a supportive guy to those amazin' kids.

"Yeah, I can swing on over and keep them company. My plans…ain't been goin' well lately." I was sad and annoyed and it showed. Bigtime.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Dave gave me a sympathetic look. "And thank you. I hate that I have to work on Christmas Eve. I'll come back as soon as I can. You can even stay for dinner if you'd like."

Well, if I'm there for dinner, maybe I can ask him out then! It seems a lot more intimate and less frightening than a coffee shop. Plus, like the kids said, he'll say yes. Unless the kids are wrong. Gulp.

I gave my infuriatin' crush an exhausted smile. "I'd like that, Dave. I really would." I answered with all my heart.

The rest of our evening went fine. More chats happened. None of the chats went very deep. And then, I walked home with Dave and we said our goodbyes and stuff. It wasn't the worst date I'd ever had. In fact, all things considered, it was better than I expected. Plus, I had learned that Dave DOES have romantic attraction to men. That's something promisin'.

Anyway, that's how I found myself spendin' Christmas Eve with the Seville boys. They were all pretty happy to see me again. I gathered them all in the livin' room and sat down in one of the chairs by the TV.

"What do you three wanna do tonight?" I asked the trio of Chipmunks.

"Soooo much!" Alvin hung off the arm of the chair and glanced up at me with his shiny blue peepers. "But first, tell us how the date went? Did ya ask him?"

"Yeah! Are you our second dad now?" Theodore was standin' on a step stool and placin' an elf doll on top of the TV.

Simon sat on the couch with his earbuds in, scrolling through Christmas music on his phone. "Give the poor guy some space." He commented.

"He forfeited his right to have space when he agreed to look after us." Alvin replied, climbing onto my lap. "Come on, Dangus, spill the tea, or should I say, the hot cocoa?" He rambled.

I sighed. "I….didn't get to ask." I admitted. "Not yet, anyway."

Alvin's smile disappeared instantly. "What? Did you get scared again?"

"No…no." I leaned back in the chair. "It's just….complicated."

Simon took his earbuds out and put his phone away. Then, he jumped onto the back of my chair. Theodore hopped off the stool and joined Alvin in my lap. They were crowdin' me out, no doubt, but it felt nice to be surrounded by happy-go-lucky kids on Christmas Eve.

"Perhaps,.." Simon cleared his throat. "We should get started on that list, Alvin."

"But I wanna…." The boy in the Santa hat protested.

"Alvin." Simon repeated sternly.

"Okay, okay…." Alvin pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. "First things first…" He leapt out of my lap and hit the floor. "We gotta record a new impromptu Christmas music video. Really shouldn't have been putting that off this long. Then, we wanna play with the Christmas village, play with Simon's snow machine, make a gingerbread house,…"

"Dave usually reads me a Christmas story!" Theodore squeaked, still chillin' in my lap.

"Oh, yeah, that too. Anyway, last on the list is leavin' out cookies and milk for Santa." The boy in the Christmas tree styled A sweater finished and tucked the list away.

I held Theodore as I stood up from the chair. "We can do all that!" I announced. "Ya'll mind if I add somethin' to the list?"

"Nope!" The trio squeaked cheerfully.

"I wanna take a stab at makin' a Christmas stew. I know Dave was upset the last one got wrecked and I just…well…I think it'll prove to him that I…care. A lot." I felt my cheeks get warmer. "Plus, I've been makin' stew since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I made my ol' pops a possum stew once."

"Ewwww." Theodore shivered.

"I'm sure you can try." Simon encouraged me. "This is an all veggie stew though."

Alvin waved his hand in the air. "I'll get you the recipe!" He offered. "But, after we make the video."

Before I knew it, the three had pulled me into the music room and they were all standin' in front of a giant screen with Christmassy themed pictures scrollin' across it. Alvin pressed the button on his fancy schmancy glasses to turn them into shades. Simon grabbed his bass and Theo pushed his drums in front of the screen.

"What've I gotta do?" I looked from the computer to the instruments and back.

Alvin held up his guitar and smiled. "Just record us with the camera." He declared. "It's easy."

"We'll do the rest." Theodore twirled his drumsticks.

"And then you can help Simon edit the video." The redheaded boy tucked his long hair underneath his Santa hat.

"What's he doin' that for?" I bent down to ask Simon.

The boy with the blue glasses chuckled. "He's Classic-mode-ing." He explained. "It helps him relieve his performance anxiety."

"Ohhhh. I gotcha. I gotcha." I picked up the camera laying on the table and pointed it at the boys. "Alrighty! I'm ready when you are!" I couldn't help but smile.

I made sure I could see the three kids in the camera's viewfinder and the giant screen behind them. It had a pile of presents and animated snow falling on it.

"WE'RE READY!" The trio responded with excitement.

I pressed record and the boys started to play their instruments. What followed was an absolutely amazin' performance of a song that I later learned was called My Christmas List by Simple Plan.

As the three boys sang, with Alvin as lead and his brothers as backup, the screen behind them changed to match the lyrics in the song. How cool was that!? I was totally blown away by the tech skills these boys had!

Alvin was SHREDDIN' on that guitar…wait, is that how you say it? Or is shreddin' only for skateboarding? Either way, he looked like he was havin' a blast!

"Santa is coming tonight

And I want a car, and I want a life

And I want a first class trip to Hawaii"

That backdrop of Hawaii sure looked mighty relaxin'. Then, it switched to a bunch of candy and cookies and ice cream. I felt my stomach growl. I forced myself to look at the boys instead, otherwise the next thing I'd take video of would be the fridge.

"I want a lifetime supply

Of skittles & slurpees and Eskimo pies

I want a DVD

A big screen TV

Just bring me things that I don't need"

Alvin danced some more and I watched the white pom pom on his hat jump around. He slid across the carpet and put his guitar BEHIND HIS HEAD, still playing it the whole time. How was that even possible?

"'Cause now it's Christmas

And I want everything

I just can't wait"

Christmas

So don't stop spending

I want a million gifts, that's right

Don't forget my Christmas list tonight"

Simon and Theodore joined their wild and crazy brother for the chorus of the song. They both smiled, but not as widely as the boy in red. Alvin wheeled a tiny trampoline into the room and then jumped on it while STILL playing guitar. Behind him, the screen now showed money raining down before switching back to a pile of gifts.

"Somebody take me away

Or give me a time machine

To take me straight to midnight

I'll be alright"

Alvin sang the second verse as I watched Simon roll his eyes and Theodore slam on those drums like there was no tomorrow. I noticed my foot tappin' along to the music.

"I want a really fast sled

To spend time with you

A PlayStation 2

I want a shopping spree

In New York City

Just bring me things that I don't need"

The screen showed a sled for a few seconds before switching to raining videogames. The Chipmunks pointed directly at me when they said "to spend time with you." I felt touched, but then I realized it was part of the music video and aimed at their fans. But, I was a fan, so…then they WERE talkin' 'bout me.

"'Cause now it's Christmas

And I want everything

I just can't wait

Christmas

So don't stop spending

I want a million gifts, that's right

Don't forget my Christmas list tonight"

The trio of boys sang together and Alvin continued to rock some amazing moves. He got back on the trampoline as a long Christmas list appeared on the screen behind him. Theodore twirled his drumsticks and then slammed on his drums as hard as possible. Simon finished the song with a solo on his bass.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!" Alvin screamed as the music ended.

Simon put his bass down and took a bow. Theodore jumped out from behind the drumset and took a bow too. Alvin waved and then looked kind of…tired.

"Okay, that's a wrap." The little dude set his guitar aside.

"Ya'll were downright awesome!" I turned off the video camera and high fived Alvin.

His reddish-orange tail swished from side to side. "Ohoho! Best song choice ever!"

Simon got to work transferring the footage to Dave's laptop. "Personally, I would have picked a different song. Holly Jolly Christmas, for example."

"You're only sayin' that cuz it's been stuck in your head for days." Theodore pointed out with a giggle.

Alvin glared at Simon. "What's wrong with my favorite Simple Plan Christmas song?"

"Let me put it this way." Simon responded with barely any expression on his face whatsoever. "It's like someone took Christmas, Don't Be Late and made it 10 times more obnoxious and materialistic."

"Duh." Alvin huffed. "That's what makes it perfect! A total upgrade!"

"Did you like the song, Officer Dangus?" Theodore asked me sweetly, looking up with big brown eyes.

I sat down in front of the laptop and the boys all gathered around me. "I thought it was a darn good Christmas carol, guys." I rubbed my stomach. "But it made me crave Eskimo pie."

Alvin took off his glasses and switched them back to havin' clear lenses. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "You guys work out the editing." He put the red glasses on again. "I need a nap."

"You cannot possibly be out of energy already." His taller brother narrowed his eyes.

The red, green and neon blue sweatered boy groaned. "Being that OBNOXIOUS on command when it no longer feels natural takes a lot out of a guy, Simon."

That made his brother soften up a little. "Good point."

"Go take your break, Alvin." I told him gently. "We've got this."

And so, as Alvin moseyed away, the other three of us worked out how to edit and post the music video. It was easier than I expected, though we hit a couple snags here and there with the program we were usin'.

After that was finished, we played with the Christmas village that was set up outside on the lawn. Theodore pretended to be the town baker, Simon was a Christmas caroler, and I played the mayor. Alvin was awake by then and all recharged. He decided to play a cop.

Simon fired up his snow machine and then we all made snow angels together. It was pretty fun. The kids and I were pretty entertainin'. I'd never really thought about havin' kids of my own, but if I was gonna be Dave's boyfriend…then the Seville trio and me would be seein' a lot of each other. The thought of that warmed my heart.

Soon, Theodore and I were puttin' the finishin' touches on a giant gingerbread house. Alvin and Simon helped as well, before their own kiddos ran interference.

"….and….finished." Theodore used frosting to stick the last green gumdrop on the roof.

I pumped my fist in the air. "Now that's what I call a gingerbread castle!"

"If we had more ingredients, I could make a dragon." The boy in the green sweater with a gingerbread man on it grinned.

"Oh no! Ingredients!" I slapped my forehead. "The stew! I plum forgot."

Simon's aggravating robot toddler scampered up to the table. "I play castle with you too?"

Theodore shooed him away. "No no, Geizmo. This isn't for playing with. It's for eating. Later…tomorrow probably."

The little robot sighed and went back to scribbling on a coloring page with a picture of an angel on it.

"Do you think it's too late to make the stew?" I asked, looking at the clock on the wall. "Dave said he'd be back 'round dinnertime and it's almost five."

"Hmm…." Theodore closed his eyes and opened them. "I don't think so. It'll still be a surprise if he catches you makin' it."

Alvin found me the recipe as he promised, and I started whippin' up some stew with Theodore's help. It was really simple, but the interruptions from the other kids made it harder.

Especially when that crazy bird came flittin' about.

"Hi!" The yellow feathered flyin' menace chirped. "You must be backup Dave!"

"No, I'm not." I answered reflexively, though I guess I was in a way.

"Whatever." Warbie, I think that's his name, tapped his talon impatiently on the counter. "Guess what! I learned another new song! It goes like this!" He started singing at the top of his tiny bird lungs. "Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo! He loves me and I love you!"

"Why you singin' 'bout poo?" I was completely disgusted. "That's nasty."

"Because it's funny." He flew over closer and hung upside down from the top of the stove, right above the pot of stew.

"Hey, watch it!" I grabbed him and set him back on the counter. "We don' need no roasted bird on our hands."

Simon, seated on top of a stack of books at the counter, gave Alvin an irritated look. "Who in their right mind let Warbie watch South Park?"

Alvin backed himself into one of the corners of the kitchen. "Uhhh….I think it was Classic me." He squeaked.

Simon jumped down and followed him. "So you weren't in your right mind?"

"No, I was." Alvin argued. "He lives in the right brain section. Albert's the left. I'm both."

I didn't have much of a clue what he was talkin' 'bout. I just stirred the stew while I listened to them yak.

"The right brain and left brain thing is a myth." Simon countered.

His shorter and louder voiced brother chuckled nervously. "I'm aware. But trust me, I get a major headache on the right side after being Classic, and the left after bein' all Albert-y. I don't think our cartoon logic knows it's a myth."

What the heck was he yappin' 'bout? Cartoon logic? That boy is outa his mind.

"Fascinating." I could tell that Simon probably also thought he was outa his mind.

Alvin scurried away from Simon and then climbed up on the counter to bug me. I love that kid, but Dave's right. He can get annoyin' at times.

"That smells STEWpendous!" He grinned so wide that I could see his buckteeth. "I've always wanted to use my catchphrase like that."

"It better." I took the pot off the stove and took a big whiff myself. Man, that did smell good. "If I'm gonna win your dad over, it's gotta be the best darn stew he's ever tasted."

"Can I have a taste?" Theodore requested sweetly.

I found a spoon in a drawer and handed it to him. He reached into the pot to scoop out a tiny bit.

"Mmmmm. It's really yummy!" He reported.

"Whooohoooo!" I cheered. Success!

Unfortunately, Simon climbed up to the counter once more to put a damper on my plan. "I have some bad news, guys." He informed us sadly. "Dave said he's on his way, but he's stuck in a traffic jam. The bridge is out."

"OH NO!" I exclaimed with Alvin and Theodore.

The youngest Seville boy's brown eyes watered. "Does that mean Dave won't be home for Christmas?"

Simon patted his brother's head. "I hope not." He murmured. "But it does mean he won't be home for dinner."

"Well, we ain't eatin' this stew without him." I said firmly. I decided to stick it in the fridge until Dave arrived.

"That's okay." Alvin rooted around in the freezer and pulled out some boxes. "I have a backup plan. We got some mac and cheese, hot pockets, and bean burritos."

"Or…we could just eat the parts of Christmas Dinner that aren't the stew." Simon suggested. "I'll warm up the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole."

Alvin stuffed the boxes back in the freezer. "Oh yeah. That's a better plan."

We ate dinner just the four of us. Five if you counted Warbie and six if you counted their puppy dog. Geizmo didn't eat, cuz he's a robot.

As it got even later into the evening, Simon tucked Geizmo into bed and Alvin made Warbie a nest in his nightstand. It was so stinkin' cute. Theodore fed his puppy some treats and got her cozy in the dog bed.

Around 8:30, the Munks and I were watchin' Deck The Halls all curled up on the couch together. Dave had still not returned. I was gettin' worried, but I needed to keep it together because I didn't wanna spread my feelings to the kids.

Theodore tugged at my arm. "Dangus…" He whimpered. "I miss Dave."

"I know, little man. I miss him too." I rubbed the green sweatered boy's back.

"I'm sure he'll turn up any minute now." Alvin was faking optimism. I could tell he was losing hope as well.

"It's just…..it's not Christmas without Dave." Theodore started to cry.

Simon left the couch and hurried to the window. "We've….never spent Christmas Eve apart from him before." He told me, trying to hide his sadness. "Not since the day he adopted us."

Alvin joined Simon by the window. "Yeah. He might miss a lot of important moments, but we've always had the holidays."

I gently moved Theodore over and stood up from the couch. I grabbed him some tissues and then sat back down. "I wish I could just snap my fingers and make him appear for ya." I told the emotional trio.

Alvin drew a bunch of music notes and stars on the window with his finger. "Why didn't he just refuse to work? What sick company makes their employees work Christmas Eve!?"

"More than you'd expect." I frowned. I could tell they were getting even more upset and scared.

"What if he got in a car accident?" Theodore sobbed some more and blew his nose on a tissue.

"Aw naw. Let's not go catastrophizin'." I warned. "We just gotta think of somethin' to pass the time. He'll show up soon, I'm sure." I snapped my fingers. "Hey, I know, why don't I read ya a Christmas story?"

"No thanks." Theodore frowned. "I'm not in the mood."

The youngest Seville boy slid off the couch and joined Alvin and Simon by the window. The kids peered out desperately, hoping for a glimpse of their father. All three of their tails were droopy. Their ears were droopin' too. Even the little sprigs in Theodore's hair seemed to droop.

I was feeling very tired, but I peeled myself off the couch and trekked over to join them by the window.

"Come on, kiddos." I said. "Waitin' while doin' nothin' is only gonna make ya feel worse. There has to be SOMETHING you wanna do."

They all turned around and shook their heads. This was gonna be tougher than I expected.

"What about leavin' milk and cookies for Santa?" I suggested.

Theodore wiped his eyes with his hands. "I don't even care if Santa comes. I just want my dad."

"Now now, Teddy boy." Alvin looked horrified. "Let's not go sayin' things we can't take back."

"It's almost 9 o clock." Simon slumped his shoulders. "Time to face facts. He's probably not going to make it home before midnight."

"He'll be here." I clenched my fists and pursed my lips with determination. "Don't give up on him."

"I guess…maybe we should get the milk and cookies ready." Theodore walked away from the window. "Just in case Santa is early."

"Now yer talkin'!" Alvin agreed.

I saw a snowflake hit the window, then another and another. "Look, boys! It's snowin'!" I exclaimed.

Simon tilted his head. "I don't think I forgot to turn off the snow machine." He quipped.

"It's real snow!" Theodore cheered, racing back to the window with cookies in one hand and a glass of milk in the other.

"Great." His tallest brother muttered sarcastically. "Now, Dave's gonna have icy roads to deal with too."

"Nuh uh. Nuh uh. Don't think like that, Simon. Your father is safe and he's on his way. I can feel it." I insisted.

Theodore set most of the cookies and milk on the coffee table. He started nibbling on the one cookie he hadn't set down.

"I know what we can do to pass the time!" Alvin exclaimed suddenly.

"If you say "test the Christmas light cannon" I swear to god…." Simon began, before Alvin shoved a hand over his mouth.

"No no no." The boy in the Santa hat squeaked. "We gotta sing our feelings! It always helps! ALWAYS!"

"And dance!" Theodore added, finishing his cookie. "We can dance the fears and sadness away!"

"Yeah!" I cheered them on. "Go for it! He'll be here before ya know it!"

They all started to sing together. Alvin was lead again, I notice he takes the lead a lot. As they sang, they danced around the living room. I paused the movie, havin' totally lost the plot the second the kids got sad and needed my attention.

"The snow's coming down

(Christmas) I'm watching it fall

(Christmas) lots of people around

(Christmas) Davey, please come home"

Awww, ain't that cute. They swapped out baby for Davey. These guys sure know how to make a lyric change work.

"the church bells in town

(Christmas) all ringing in song

(Christmas) full of happy sounds

(Christmas) Davey, please come home"

Alvin got out a bunch of jingling bells and shook them. Simon took them off him and put them back on the staircase where they belonged. Theodore danced into the kitchen to grab a cookie and bring it to me.

"We're watchin' "Deck The Halls"

But it's not like Christmas at all

'Cause I remember when you were here

And all the fun we had last year"

They all rushes back to the window to look out again, their tails and ears were less droopy now. They seemed content while singin', though I knew they were still missin' their dad.

"Pretty lights on the tree

(Christmas) I'm watching them shine

(Christmas) you should be here with me

(Christmas) Davey, please come home"

Alvin dragged out his Christmas light canon again and Simon shoved it back into the music room. They all posed in front of the Christmas tree and then continued their dancin'.

"We're watchin' "Deck The Halls"

But it's not like Christmas at all

'Cause I remember when you were here

And all the fun we had last year"

I got up and started to boogy down with them, we showed off our moves as we ventured into the hallway and circled around back to the living room.

As the song ended, we all heard a car pullin' into the driveway.

"HE's HERE!" Alvin, Simon, and Theodore rushed to the window, giddy and spirited.

I followed them, filled with relief.

CRASH! I saw a grey object come rolling across the yard in front of the window.

"And there goes the neighbor's trash can." Simon commented, groaning immediately after.

Theodore frowned. "Must be Miss. Miller."

Sure enough, we saw the pink Cadillac skid across the yard sideways and take out one of the reindeer decorations.

Miss. Miller and the Chipettes had arrived, but Dave was still takin' his sweet arse time.

"He's still not back yet!?" Alvin's patience was gone. "What is TAKING him so long!?"

There was a knock on the door and the four of us ran to answer it.

Miss. Miller waved at me. "Why, hello, Officer! Nice to see you again."

"Heads up." Eleanor leaned against the door frame. "Miss. Miller just annihilated Rudolph."

"That wasn't Rudolph." Theodore corrected, looking irritated. "It was Prancer."

"Well, he won't be prancing anymore…" The girl with holly in her pigtails walked inside the house. "Unless he can do it without a head."

"How was The Nutcracker?" Simon asked Jeanette.

"Oh it was magical!" The girl in the lavender sweater flapped her arms around.

"Are we late for dinner?" Miss. Miller asked me.

I looked at the clock as I led them to the kitchen. It said 9:20pm. "Just a bit." I joked.

"It's okay." Theodore licked his lips and smiled. "I don't mind having two dinners."

"Thank goodness." Brittany placed a hand against her forehead dramatically. "If I don't get food soon, I'm going to pass out."

We all gathered 'round the table and I took the opportunity to have some more sugar cookies while everyone else was eatin'. Alvin and Simon didn't eat that much this time around, but Theo, Miss. Miller, and the girls suuure were hungry.

At 10:15pm, we were cleaning up dinner when I heard the front door creak open and footsteps in the hallway. I was on my way to the sink with a stack of dirty dishes and Dave entered the dining room. I almost dropped the whole stack, but I managed to keep my grip on the wobbling dishes.

"Dave!" I exclaimed, as happy to see him as his kids.

He looked tired as the three Chipmunks ran around his feet bombardin' the man with questions.

"DAVE! YOU'RE HOME!" Theodore squealed.

"What took you so long?" Alvin asked. "Where have ya been!? We were so worried!"

"Do you still have time to read me a Christmas story?" Theodore tugged on his pant leg.

Simon hugged his dad's other leg. "Was there an accident? Are you okay?"

"No accidents." Dave removed his black suit jacket and revealed his Christmas sweater. "I got gridlocked. Then I went down the wrong street. I missed a detour and one thing led to another." He picked Theodore up and hugged him. "And yes, I'll read you a Christmas story….after I have dinner."

I carefully put the dishes in the sink. "Merry Christmas, Dave. Don't worry, the boys behaved themselves the whole time." I said, wondering how to bring up the THING I needed to ask him with all these people around.

"We could always save the story for tomorrow." The brownish-blonde chipmunk told his dad kindly. "I don't mind."

"Yeah!" Alvin pointed directly at me. "Officer Dangus has something REALLY important to ask ya."

Oh, I guess that was my cue. Dang nabbit, Alvin. I wasn't ready yet!

"Oh?" Dave looked at me with those stunning amber eyes. "What is it?"

I ran to the fridge and took out the giant and heavy pot. "Are ya in the mood for some veggie stew?" I set the pot down and scooped him out a bowl.

As I was heating it on the stove, I felt a sharp pain in my toe. I looked down to see that Alvin had kicked me.

"That's NOT what I meant." He whispered.

I grabbed the rascally rodent and brought him up to sit on the counter next to the stove.

"I can't do it, Alvin. Not in front of Miss. Miller too!" I said sadly.

"Dude, it's now or never. If ya don't, you're gonna miss your chance." Alvin warned me. "Now, get out there."

"The stew's not warm yet." I was stalling now. I knew that.

Alvin gave me a shove. "I'll take care of it. JUST GO."

"Okay okay." I moved my shades to the top of my Santa hat and awkwardly re-entered the dining room. So many people….Simon, Theodore, Miss. Miller, The Chipettes. My heart was poundin'.

I cleared my throat. "There's uh….one other thing…I wanna ask ya, Dave." I gulped. "I've actually been tryin' to ask…for a while, but I keep turnin' into a total chicken."

My crush's voice was calm and friendly. "What is it, Doris?"

That didn't make this easier.

"Heh heh. Doris." I heard Eleanor snicker.

Brittany and Simon forced a breadstick in her mouth horizontally to keep her quiet.

She spit it out and glared at them.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine it was just me and Dave in the room. Nobody else. Then, I opened them and focused only on my crush. "Will you…." I felt like I might pass out. "…do you wanna…." The words weren't coming out right. Finally, I just went for it. No holding back. "Do you wanna be my boyfriend?"

Dave was frozen, staring at me in shock.

This wasn't how I pictured it going down.

In fact, the whole room was silent.

Then Alvin broke the silence by jumping up on the dining room table. He set a bowl of stew in front of Dave. "And here ya go, compliments of the chef…who happens to be Officer Dangus." He noticed that his father wasn't moving. "Oof. I'm guessin' you told him."

I nodded, unsure what to say next.

After what seemed like an hour, but was really only like four seconds, Dave looked down at the stew, and then back at me. "You…You're attracted to me?"

I nodded again.

"So…the whole thing yesterday…that was…supposed to be a date?" His deep tan face started to turn red.

"Uh huh." I felt like mine was probably just as red.

"Well,…" Miss. Miller put her hands on her hips and stared at Dave. "Are you gonna give this fine young gentleman an answer or not?" She demanded, pointing to me when she said 'fine young gentleman.'

Dave looked flustered and gasped. "I didn't answer you, did I?"

"No, ya didn't, Dave." Alvin commented, looking aggravated.

The handsome man stood up and walked closer to me. He reached out to grab both my hands and I let him.

"Yes." Only one word left his lips, but it changed everything!

The whole room cheered.

"Ah ah ah." Alvin folded his arms. "Yes, WHAT, Dave?"

"Yes, I would like to go out with you." He told me. "Doris Dangus, you've been my friend for years and I didn't realize it until now…but…I have a…huge crush on you."

"Dave's got a boyfriend for Christmas!" Theodore cheered.

"And we get another dad for Christmas!" Alvin added. "A cooler, more fun one." He whispered quietly.

"Good for you guys!" Jeanette clapped politely.

Brittany wiped her tears with her napkin. "I just adore when two doofuses fall in love."

"Who you callin' a doofus, little lady?" I teased. I already knew it was both of us.

Simon smiled with tired eyes. "Congratulations, you two."

"Love always wins!" Miss. Miller exclaimed.

Brittany flipped her ponytail proudly. "I taught her to say that."

"And I taught her all about different orientations and EVERYTHING LGBTQ+" Eleanor bragged.

Phew. So that's why Miss. Miller wasn't freaked out by this. Thank goodness for her girls.

Alvin pointed at the bowl in front of his father. "Your stew's gettin' cold, Dave."

"Oh….of course." Dave took his seat again and motioned for me to sit beside him.

I did, happier than a pig rollin' in mud.

"Thank you for everything. Taking care of the boys, the stew, helping clean up our messes, treating me to hot cocoa." The attractive man babbled. "And thank you…for putting up with my…clueless-ness." He blushed again.

I chuckled. "Ah, it was nothin'. I'd do it a million times."

It was fast approachin' midnight after we finished chattin' and Dave finished his stew. Dave and I took turns readin' The Night Before Christmas to Theodore and then everyone went to sleep. Miss. Miller and the Chipettes stayed in the spare bedroom. Dave and I mutually decided that it was too soon to share a bed, so I took his bed and he slept on the couch. I would have taken the couch, but he insisted. Who am I to pass up an offer like that?

Christmas morning came and the kiddos ripped open their presents. Dave and I chatted some more and got to know each other even better. While all this was happenin', Miss. Miller baked a fruitcake.

"Yesss! Madame Raya's official Mad Scientist Kit!" Alvin hugged the box to his chest. "I love it! I love it so much!"

Simon rolled his eyes. "But you have your own lab with all of that stuff. Also, those chemicals may not even be real."

"So? It comes with a free poster featuring EVERY monster known to mankind!" The red sweatered boy declared.

"You put it on your wishlist for the poster, didn't you?" The taller chipmunk accused playfully.

Alvin rocked back and forth on his feet. "Maaaaybe."

"Unbelievable." His brother commented.

"Really?" The boy in the red glasses challenged. "I think this is totally consistent with my previous behavior."

Simon walked away to go enjoy his presents. "Thank you for the new socks, Dave." He told his dad, showing off snazzy navy blue socks with funny math symbols on them. He later explained to me that was the sign for pi. Which isn't the dessert kind.

"You're welcome." Dave said warmly. "Glad you like them."

"YES!" Brittany waved around her present. "A new hairdryer!"

"And I have a gift card to Subway!" Theodore squealed happily. "Veggie subs here I come!"

Jeanette ripped open her present. "A comprehensive guide to every constellation that exists!"

"Now your challenge is "Which nerd did that come from?" Brittany laughed, pointing at Simon and Alvin.

"Coulda been Santa." Theodore reminded her.

"Yesss boxing gloves!" Eleanor put them on and started punching the air. "Oh I'm gonna have fun with these!"

She punched Brittany in the stomach.

"OWWWWW!" The girl in the bright pink sweater got angry. She pulled off one of the boxing gloves from her sister's hand. "Let's see how you like it!"

"Hey!" I scolded. "No roughhousin', girls!"

"Sorry." They chorused together.

I focused my attention away from the kids and onto Dave. "Here." I handed him a small box with a shiny blue bow. "I gotcha a little somethin'."

"Oh…you didn't have to." He looked embarrassed. "I didn't get you anything."

"I know, I just, I wanted to, okay? It's Christmas and you've already given me the best present ever." I urged him to open the box.

He took off the lid and pulled out a Bi flag pin. "Is this…my pride flag?"

"Sure is, Dave." I grinned.

He pinned it to his sweater. "How does it look?"

I was feeling warm again. "Everything looks good on you."

"Guys, I made another invention!" Alvin announced.