A/N: Hiya! It's me again! Yep, I'm back, just like I said I would be. Here's the second one-shot; this time, for Alvin and the Chipmunks! In celebration of the second day of CarnelianFox's birth-week! (Yes, I still know that's not a real thing, but, again, I don't care.) Now, just to clear up any confusion, this is based in the CGI movie universe, taking place a little after Chipwrecked. Now, you probably figured this out, but I don't own Alvin and the Chipmunks or the song Bad Day. The song belongs to Daniel Powter, and I have no idea who originally created the Chipmunks. And now, here's the one and only Jeanette Miller with a very special message.
Jeanette: U-um... H-happy second day of your birth-week, CarnelianFox. A-and please enjoy this story. It was written just for you. Was that okay?
It was perfect. Now, on with the show!
Bad Day
…
For Jeanette Miller, the day had started out as normal. She and her two sisters—the other Chipettes—had woken up for school along with the Chipmunks. Although, on the bus ride there, she couldn't help but feel a few times that she was getting looks. But when she looked around her, no one seemed to be there. She had ultimately left it be, deciding that the feeling was just that—a feeling.
For the first few periods, everything continued as usual. Classes were interesting and informative. Jeanette always paid special attention to her favorite subjects, such as science. It never failed to fascinate her. With the day going on like it did, it didn't take long for her to forget about the strange feeling on the bus. At least, until she got the same feeling again during the lunch period.
Again, when she looked about, there was nobody there. Twice in the same day; two coincidences in a row like that were unlikely, but a lot less unsettling than the possibility that someone was following her. And not in a loving way like a parent does, either. Once again, deciding it was her imagination, Jeanette simply let it be.
Jeanette continued through the last few periods as she would normally, albeit a bit nervously and alertly. Every so often, she would glance about her surroundings so she would not be surprised if someone actually was following her. If that was the case, she figured it might have just been a simple prankster who was waiting to jump out and scare her. She sincerely hoped that was all it was. Her confusion subsided when she found a chipmunk-sized note in her desk in the last period, which read as follows:
Dear Jeanette Miller,
My name is Carlos. I am a chipmunk, just like you. I have recently moved here from my old forest home. I have been a huge fan of yours since the International Music Awards. I've heard many great things about you. I would love to meet you face-to-face. I wanted to come talk to you in person, but… I get so nervous around other people. Especially humans. That's why I'm leaving you this note instead of simply talking to you. I hope you don't think me rude. If you could, would you please meet me in the park after school lets out?
Your fan, Carlos Norman
Upon finishing the note, Jeanette felt her earlier nervousness disappear entirely. This Carlos character was most likely who was following her. Normally, she would feel uncomfortable with this fact, but from the looks of the note, the poor guy sounded like he wanted a friend but was too shy to talk to anyone. Folding the note up and putting it away, Jeanette decided that she ought to give the new chipmunk the welcome he deserved.
…
Later, the rest of the school day had gone on without any more surprises. Jeanette's sisters were a little confused when she told them she wasn't riding the bus home with them, but when she told them she was meeting a friend in the park, they whole-heartedly encouraged it. They knew how shy Jeanette generally was, so they were of course very glad she was making friends outside the family.
Her own shyness was one of the reasons that Jeanette was so willing to meet with this Carlos. She felt for anyone who was too shy to speak to a lot of people. For such a long time, her only friends had been her two sisters. She had been so glad to have three new friends in the Chipmunks, and a parental figure in Dave, but other than them, she was still rather secluded.
Sitting on a park bench, she shivered a bit in the chilly evening wind. How long had she been waiting? The sky was painted a bright orange, and the clouds tinted pink. To pass the time, she decided to hum a little.
"I'd know that amazing voice anywhere," a high-pitched, yet masculine voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Out of a nearby shrub walked a young chipmunk with brown hair and fur, and sage-green eyes. He was wearing a dusty, torn gray jacket.
"Carlos, I presume?" Jeanette asked as she jumped down from the large bench. She was a little nervous about meeting him, but knowing he was also nervous was a bit of a comfort.
"That's right," the chipmunk nodded. "And you are the famous Jeanette Miller, correct?"
"Oh, I don't know if I'd say 'famous'…" Jeanette said shyly, playing with her glasses a little. "I mean, Brittany's usually the popular one."
"Not to me," Carlos said quietly. Jeanette blushed a little under her fur. "You want to take a walk?"
"Alright," Jeanette agreed, coming to Carlos' side.
"Excellent," Carlos grinned. "Let's be off, then." There was something in his voice that seemed a little… off to Jeanette. What was it? As she walked, the gears in her brain turned as she tried to identify what her instincts were telling her. Hesitance? Not quite. Unwillingness? Perhaps. Reluctance? Yes, that seemed about right. What could he be reluctant about? Her instincts told her that something was wrong, but she let it go. She always made it a point not to judge a book by its cover.
…
"Um, Carlos?" Jeanette spoke up after a while of walking. She loved walking as much as the next chipmunk, but the sun had already gone down, and she figured she ought to be getting home soon. Besides, that nagging feeling that something was just not right would not go away. Come to think of it, it was a little strange that Carlos seemed to favor walking through dark, city alleyways. Plus, the whole way, Carlos' nervousness had not gone away, though Jeanette could tell that it was not from their meeting. "This has been fun, and it was really nice meeting you, but it's gotten dark, and my family will probably be worried about me by now."
"Of course, of course," Carlos nodded. Was it her imagination, or did he wince before he spoke? "But before you go, I have something I would like to show you, and it's not much farther from here."
"Well, I guess, as long as it won't take too long…" Jeanette decided uncertainly, adjusting her glasses nervously.
"Certainly not," Carlos assured. "It's just around this corner. Come on!" He called out before he scampered behind the bend that was right in front of them. Jeanette looked carefully down the alley; or tried to, at least. It was so dark already, that the only things she could make out were a pile of rubble, an old tire, and a broken wooden plank.
The nagging feeling seemed to grow stronger. Run away, it said. Don't go in there! But the thing was, Jeanette hadn't sensed anything bad about Carlos. He genuinely seemed like a kind chipmunk. Taking a deep breath, Jeanette steeled herself and slowly stepped into the darkness of the alley.
"Um, Carlos…?" Jeanette called out nervously, unable to see or hear her new friend. "Are you still there?" Her ears twitched at the sound of someone crying.
"Jeanette…" Carlos' voice croaked out from somewhere in the darkness. "I… I didn't want to do this… I really, really didn't…"
"You didn't want to do what?" Jeanette asked, the nagging feeling growing ever louder. No! You know something's wrong! Run away! She still couldn't see him, nor pinpoint his location. "Whatever's wrong, I'm sure it'll be fine."
"No… No, you don't understand," the voice of Carlos sniffled. "I-I had to do this… B-but I didn't want to… But I-I-I had to… He-He… H-he threatened my sister…" Jeanette gasped. In her mind, she put together as many puzzle pieces as she currently could. First, it seemed that Carlos was being forced to do something against his will. Second, whoever was forcing him had done so by threatening his sister. And third, whatever Carlos was being forced to do had to do with her.
Obviously, she had been lured into a trap, but of what, she didn't yet know. But she couldn't bring herself to be angry or feel betrayed by Carlos. If one of her sisters were in danger, she would be willing to do anything, too. She had listened carefully for any sort of malice or trickery in his voice, but couldn't find any. He was being sincere. He really, truly had not wanted to do this.
"Carlos…" Jeanette began with a sigh. She still couldn't see him, but she had a very strong feeling that he had flinched at the sound of her voice, as if he was afraid of hearing what she had to say about all of this. "I think I understand."
"I'm sorry, Jeanette…" Carlos sobbed in the darkness.
"Oh, give it a rest, you crybaby!" a new voice rang out, startling Jeanette. She heard loud footsteps, and when she squinted, she could just make out the silhouette of an adult, male human.
"Oh, dear…" Jeanette whimpered, barely audibly, before she yelped as she was suddenly picked up by the tail.
"Well, would you take a look at this wimpy little thing? This'll be a lot easier than I thought!" the voice of the man chuckled cruelly before he poked Jeanette in the stomach. "Nicely done, crybaby. You can go ahead and scram, now."
"Not until you hold up your end of the deal!" Carlos cried out as defiantly as he could through his guilty tears.
"Oh, right. Fine, here you go," the man said before he reached into his coat pocket with his free hand and tossed something out.
"Carlos!" the scared voice of a young, female chipmunk cried.
"Melanie!" Carlos called out. Jeanette could now tell that Carlos was at the man's feet, along with the tiny, young chipmunk, apparently Melanie.
"Now, scram!" the man repeated and kicked a pebble at the already scurrying-away chipmunks for clarity. With an evil grin, he turned his attention back to the captured Chipette. "Alright, now this is gonna be fun." Jeanette had no idea what he was about to do to her, and there was no way she was just going to wait around to find out. She nipped the man's hand as hard as she could. It probably didn't hurt him too much, but the surprise from it caused him to drop her back onto the ground. Once she recovered from the landing, she scurried away. No second thoughts. No looking back.
…
Later, Jeanette had been greeted home by an entire family of worried chipmunks (and a human). When she explained what happened, her sisters were checking her all over to make sure she hadn't been hurt. She assured them that she was absolutely fine. Which was true, physically. The only scratches she had gained were on her shirt, from when she had fallen on the ground.
But though she had not been injured, she was still very shaken up. Who knows what might have happened to her if she hadn't managed to get away in time? She shuddered to think about it. She felt so scared and endangered. She felt like crying. But still, she had told everyone that she was fine, and she didn't want to worry anyone.
So, when she was sure that everyone was occupied with something, she quietly made her way to the Chipmunk's and Chipette's room. She climbed into her bunk bed after changing out of her now dirty clothes. She got under the covers, curled up, and started crying. She began to let out all the stress that she had been bottling up all day. She only stopped when she heard a comfortingly familiar voice from the doorway.
"Jeanette?" the voice of Simon quietly called out. Jeanette quickly sat up and tried to dry her tears.
"Oh, Simon. I didn't hear you come in," she said, struggling to speak clearly with the lump in her throat. Simon carefully made his way over to Jeanette. He knew she was sad, and wanted so badly to help. He held out his arms in case she needed a hug. And hug him she did.
"Is there anything I can do to cheer you up?" he asked.
"I don't know," Jeanette answered with a sniffle. "I guess I wouldn't mind a song." Quick as a wink, Simon began to search his memory for the right song. Then it just clicked. He wasn't used to singing lead—it was usually Alvin who was the lead singer—but that didn't stop him from beginning to sing with all his heart.
"Where is the moment we needed the most?
You kick up the leaves, and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to gray,
They tell me your passion's gone away,
And I don't need no carrying on
You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee to go
They tell me your life's been way offline,
You're falling to pieces every time,
And I don't need no carrying on
Because you had a bad day,
You're taking one down,
You sing a sad song just to turn it around,
You say you don't know,
You tell me don't lie,
You work at a smile and you go for a ride,
You had a bad day,
The camera don't lie,
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day,
You had a bad day
Will you need a blue sky holiday?
The point is, they laugh at what you say,
And I don't need no carrying on
You had a bad day,
You're taking one down,
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know,
You tell me don't lie,
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day,
The camera don't lie,
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day,
You had a bad day
Sometimes, the system goes on the blink, and the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back, and you know that you could be, well, oh, that strong
And I'm not wrong
So where is the passion when you need it the most?
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
'Cause you had a bad day,
You're taking one down,
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know,
You tell me don't lie,
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day,
You've seen what you're like,
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day,
You had a bad day"
By the end of the song, Jeanette was in tears again. But this time, they were tears of joy. She was overcome with emotion as she hugged Simon again.
"Thank you, Simon," she thanked.
"I'll always be here for you," Simon promised. "Always."
…
The next day, Jeanette was surprised by two visitors.
"Carlos?" Jeanette asked in disbelief. Indeed, Carlos was right in front of her, as was his little sister, Melanie. Now that it was light, Jeanette could see Melanie more clearly; she was half Carlos' size, and like him, she had brown hair and fur, and was wearing a pink jacket. Her eyes were a chocolate brown.
"Um… Y-yeah…" Carlos stuttered, rubbing his arm. "I-I… I…" Melanie sighed and rolled her eyes.
"What my big brother wants to say," Melanie interjected, knowing that Carlos would take a while to speak on his own. "is that he's very sorry for what he did. We just thought that you ought to know that the guy who tried to hurt you got caught by the police last night, so he won't be causing any more trouble."
"Well, that's certainly good to hear," Simon said. Interestingly, he had an arm wrapped around Jeanette.
"I know you didn't want to do it, Carlos," Jeanette reassured the sage-eyed chipmunk. "I forgive you."
"Oh, phew!" Carlos let out an enormous breath of relief, placing a paw on his chest as if a great burden had been lifted off it.
"Didn't I tell you?" Melanie said slyly to her brother. "Anyway, since you guys don't seem to be angry about it, we were hoping maybe we could be friends? For real this time?"
"I'd really like that," Jeanette said sincerely.
"Yay!" Melanie cheered. "So, you'll be seeing us a lot more! Hooray!" She kept cheering as she scampered off.
"Always in a rush…" Carlos sighed as he watched his speedy sister. Then, he turned back to Jeanette and Simon and explained, "We've got a lot of things to do. But we'll see you around?"
"Definitely," Jeanette nodded.
"Thank you," Carlos thanked, then turned his attention back to his scurrying sister. "Melanie, wait for me!"
"Looks like there's nothing to worry about now, doesn't it?" Simon asked rhetorically as he and Jeanette watched their new friend run to catch up with his sister.
"Especially not when I'm with you," Jeanette added, leaning against Simon. That day was truly a good day.
...
A/N: Okay, so, I don't know how good this one is, but I hope it was okay. And since I know some people are going to complain about the 'easy forgiveness' thing, it's because 1: I was kind of pressed for time, and 2: I'm really not one for the whole 'I won't forgive you until you prove you're really sorry' drama thing. Besides, Jeanette, to my understanding, is very forgiving. I mean, in Chipwrecked, she forgave Zoe for all that stuff. Anyway, if you liked this story, and even if you didn't, please go check out CarnelianFox's Chipmunk stories. They're ALL amazing. And, CarnelianFox, please check back tomorrow for the next one! And I hope you liked this story I wrote for you! Bye!