With the fourth AATC film set to come out later this year, I thought I'd try my hand at continuing the story from where Chipwrecked left off.
This is my first story for the site, so I'm excited to hear what you guys think of it! I'm not sure if I'll continue writing past the first chapter yet; I've got a few other stories that I'm planning out at the moment too, so I'll try get those up as soon as possible as well.
Thank you for being here, and please leave a review if at all possible! :)
It had been four days since everyone was rescued from the island. The helicopter pilot that had picked them up had flown them to the closest airport. From there, Ian and Zoe had parted ways with the others. Dave had booked a hotel room nearby for a couple of nights, until he'd had a chance to sort out a flight back to L.A., and retrieve everyone's luggage from the cruise ship, which had luckily made a stop for a few days in a nearby harbor.
The Chipmunks and Chipettes had also made it in time to perform at the International Music Awards, which turned out to be quite a short distance from where they were staying. After everything they'd been through on the island, they were so glad to be back in front of the screaming crowds, doing what they loved most.
Today, they were on the plane, ready to head back home after their long, eventful vacation.
Presently, Dave was sprawled out on the floor of the cabin, having just been knocked over by a food cart. His head was raised slightly to look down the aisle at the culprit.
The cabin was silent as Alvin poked his head around the corner from the stewards' station, sporting a guilty grin. Dave sighed and looked down at the carpet, slowly getting up. He held onto the plastic armrest of his seat for support as he pushed the food cart out of the way.
Alvin cautiously scampered over to Dave, climbed up the side of his chair, and perching himself on the armrest. Dave looked down at him, eyebrows raised. Alvin slowly rubbed the back of his furry neck with his paw.
"Uh.. sorry about that, Dave." He chuckled nervously, avoiding eye contact.
Dave closed his eyes briefly and sighed again. "It's fine, Alvin. Just sit down." He said quietly.
Alvin quickly leapt across the aisle to his own armrest and climbed down into his seat next to Brittany, his mouth still twisted in a small smirk. Dave sat down and clipped his seatbelt together. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of his seat. It had been a long vacation, and he was exhausted. All he wanted to do now was sleep.
The pilot's voice crackled over the speakers above everyone. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen; this is your pilot speaking. To clear up any confusion that may have been caused, this flight will be travelling non-stop to Los Angeles. Seeing as we're a little behind schedule, we will now be beginning our taxi down the runway. Please make sure your seatbelt is fastened securely. Once again, we apologize for any confusion. Thank you."
The speakers crackled again as the announcement finished and a few of the passengers clapped and whistled softly.
The plane started moving along the tarmac, twisting and winding through the network of concrete paths, heading towards the runway.
Alvin put his seatbelt on, leaning back and sighing happily. He turned his head to the side, and Brittany was glowering back at him.
Alvin grinned at her. "You know, if you keep staring at me like that, your face is going to stay that way." He said.
Brittany ignored him. "Is this all just a big joke to you?" She snapped.
"Oh, just relax, Britt. Everything's fine! Didn't you hear the pilot?" Alvin replied, the smile never leaving his face.
Brittany didn't shift her gaze. "First of all, you're lucky we're not all being thrown off the plane after what you just did. And second, you could have really hurt Dave!"
Alvin tilted his head up and groaned. "The second thing was an accident, Britt. I didn't hurt Dave on purpose!"
Brittany huffed, flicking her auburn bangs with her paw in frustration. "That's not the point. You shouldn't have even been up there in the first place!"
Alvin shrugged. "Hey, a guy's gotta do something to keep himself busy. Long flights are so boring."
Brittany closed her magazine, pushing it to the side and facing Alvin again. "Do you ever stop to think about what you do, or does your brain just leave that part out?" She fired, raising her voice.
Alvin looked at her again and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Britt. I was just having a bit of fun, that's all!"
Brittany sighed. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. Trying to talk to Alvin was impossible. He never listened to what she was saying; he just loved arguing with her. She turned back around to face the seat in front of her, crossing her arms. "Jerk." She spat.
Alvin chuckled to himself, clearly enjoying seeing Brittany annoyed.
As soon as they had left the island, Alvin and Brittany had returned to their old selves again. The way their friendship had grown during that time, building shelters and bonding together, had all but been forgotten. They were back to that 'love-hate' relationship they'd always had, teasing each other and arguing about everything.
But deep down, they both knew that the way they behaved around each other was what had brought them closer together in the first place. It was the reason they had grown to be more than 'just friends'.
Alvin leaned over the armrest towards Brittany. He pressed his elbow against it, looking at her. "Aw, don't be mad, Britt." He pouted mockingly.
Brittany said nothing, and continued to stare straight ahead.
Alvin stretched his arms out wide. "How about a hug?" He offered, trying to stifle a laugh.
Brittany didn't move. "Don't touch me." She snapped.
Alvin held his hands up in defense. "Whoa, no need to get feisty." He teased, giggling.
While Alvin and Brittany fought, Simon and Jeanette were having problems of their own in the seats next to them. Jeanette was panicking about the flight, and Simon was trying to calm her down.
"But.. but what if we crash or something?" Jeanette whispered as she looked down, her voice shaking. She had her head bowed towards her lap, and her arms were wrapped tightly around her knees.
Even though Jeanette had travelled on planes many times, being an international pop star, she'd always had a tremendous fear of flying. She hated everything about it; it made her feel so unsafe, being miles up in the air with nothing beneath her but a thin layer of metal. She'd told her sisters about it years ago, but Simon was only finding out about it today.
Simon had leaned over the armrest, and his head was inches away from hers. He looked down at the floor, speaking softly. "Jeanette, nothing like that's going to happen."
Jeanette bit down on her bottom lip, nodding. "I-I know. But.. but.. w-what if it does?" She asked.
Simon looked up at her. "It won't, I promise." He replied gently.
Jeanette turned her head towards him, remaining in the same crouched position. "A-are you sure, Simon?" She squeaked. She stared deep into his azure eyes, as if hoping to find the answer inside them.
Simon nodded. Hesitantly, he reached forward and gently placed his paw on her forearm, looking away slightly as he did so, before looking back at her. He was nervous, but it felt like the right thing to do. "Absolutely." He reassured her, smiling.
Jeanette looked down at Simon's paw, blushing. She smiled, looking back at him.
Ever since they'd met each other, Simon and Jeanette had been really good friends. They'd always shared a passion for knowledge, and they could talk to each other about almost anything. But, at the same time, they could both tell that they wanted it to be something more; the way they laughed together, the way they got nervous around each other. Alvin and Brittany had noticed it, too, and they never missed an opportunity to tease them about it when the other wasn't around.
"And I'll be right here the whole time." Simon continued.
Jeanette nodded, straightening up in her seat. "Thanks, Simon." She replied, still smiling.
Simon removed his paw and sat back up. He nodded, smiling back.
Sitting to the right of Simon and Jeanette were Theodore and Eleanor, whom, unlike Jeanette, were extremely excited about the flight.
"I can't believe it Theo, we're finally going home!" Eleanor squealed.
Theodore leaned back in his seat, spreading his arms out and looking up at the curved ceiling of the plane, sighing happily. "I thought we'd never get off that island."
Eleanor rolled her eyes up in agreement. "Ugh, I know, right? I mean, it was kinda fun at first, being on the beach with everyone, but then I started missing home."
Theodore nodded. "Yeah, me too." He replied.
They were both silent for a couple of seconds, before Theodore spoke up again.
"I hope lunch comes soon." He complained, looking down and rubbing his rotund rump with his paws. "I'm so hungry."
As if agreeing with him, his stomach grumbled loudly, making Eleanor giggle.
"So am I." She replied, smiling. "Maybe they'll have, like, a menu or something, and we'll be able to pick whatever we want."
Theodore moaned longingly at the thought. "I hope so! I'm gonna order everything on it!"
Eleanor giggled again. She thought Theodore was so cute when it came to food. "Well, maybe we could get something and.. share it together." She said quietly, blushing a little. She tilted her head to look over at him with large, emerald eyes.
Theodore turned and met her gaze, a look of excitement spreading across his small, chubby face. "Yeah, I'd really like that." He squeaked.
Theodore and Eleanor were still at an age where they didn't fully understand the concept of love and relationships, but they were still best friends, and they spent as much time together as they could. They found it so easy to talk to each other because they had so much in common.
Theodore had more of a softer, kinder side to him than his two older brothers did, and that was one of the reasons Eleanor liked him so much. He always knew how to make her smile when she needed it. And Eleanor knew exactly what to say to make Theodore feel better when he was feeling down. They both had huge hearts, and they were always beating for each other.
The plane had now arrived at its designated runway, and was accelerating rapidly. The tarmac quickly became a grey blur beneath its wheels.
On board, Dave had already fallen asleep. His hands were folded neatly across his chest, and his mouth was slightly hanging open.
Across the aisle, Brittany had gone back to reading her magazine, still ignoring Alvin. Alvin himself had given up trying to get her attention, and now had his eyes closed, resting quietly.
Over the other side of the row, Theodore and Eleanor began squeaking in excitement when they felt the plane beginning to move.
In between the other four with Simon, Jeanette had her head pressed against the back of her seat. She felt an extremely uncomfortable feeling building up inside her as the plane got faster. She felt her emotions beginning to well up. Her heart began beating faster in her chest. Her breathing became more rapid.
She reached over the armrest beside her and grabbed Simon's paw, squeezing it tight in hers as she shut her eyes. Tears began to leak from between her eyelids, leaving thin, silvery trails behind them. Her breathing was shaky, and incredibly shallow.
Simon snapped out of his thoughts as Jeanette grabbed him. He looked over at her, shocked at the state she was in. "J-Jean? Are you alright?" He whispered. Jeanette didn't move, her paw shaking softly in his.
He looked around at the others for help, but they all looked preoccupied. He didn't want anyone panicking unnecessarily. Slowly, he turned back to Jeanette, sighing quietly. He reached out timidly and placed his other paw on top of hers. "E-everything's okay, Jeanette." He said as gently as possible. "I'm right here. J-just breathe nice and slow."
Jeanette kept her eyes closed, nodding as tears continued to stream down her face from behind her glasses. She did her best to breathe in for longer, before exhaling slowly. She started feeling a little better as she kept breathing, each exhale longer than the last.
"That's it." Simon encouraged, patting her paw gently. "Just keep breathing..." He trailed off.
The plane began to tilt back slightly as it lifted off the ground, pushing everyone against the back of their seats.
Theodore and Eleanor cheered, Brittany held on to her magazine as it slid all over her seat, and Alvin continued mumbling to no-one in particular.
Jeanette bit down hard on her bottom lip, sobbing loudly as she realized that they were no longer on the ground. She was absolutely terrified.
Simon sighed quietly. It hurt to see her like this. He cared about Jeanette a lot, and he hated seeing her upset. He removed his paw from on top of hers and slowly began to stroke her arm. "Keep trying to breathe, Jean. I'm right here." He repeated softly.
Jeanette gripped Simon's paw tighter. With great effort, she parted her trembling lips.
"O-ok-kay." She sobbed, her eyes still firmly shut. She opened her mouth wider and began inhaling and exhaling deeply once again, her breath still shaking.
Brittany was still reading her magazine when she began to hear the sobs and hushed voices coming from next to her. She looked over next to her at Simon, who was leaning over the armrest on Jeanette's side, his back facing Brittany. He was blocking her view of whatever was going on, but it seemed to have something to do with Jeanette. Confused and a little concerned, Brittany reached over and tapped him on the shoulder.
Simon looked over at Brittany. His paws never left Jeanette as he continued to comfort her.
Brittany was starting to get worried. "What's going on, Simon? Is Jeanette okay?" She whispered.
Simon opened his mouth, hesitating for a couple of seconds, before replying. "I think so." He nodded. "She's.. she's just finding the flight a little rough."
"Oh." Brittany said quietly, looking down. She was aware of her sister's phobia. "She's always been like that. She gets a little panicky at first, but after the take-off, she's fine." Brittany paused, before smiling gently. "Thanks for being there for her, Simon."
Simon smiled back. He nodded again, before turning back around to Jeanette.
Brittany looked back down at her magazine. Even though they weren't actually together, she could tell that Simon and Jeanette both cared about each other a lot. Brittany sighed. Why couldn't she have that with Alvin? Alvin and Brittany were together, and she knew he loved her.. in his own, weird way, but he never treated her like Simon treated Jeanette.
He never asked her if she was okay, or told her that he loved her. The only times he ever really got romantic with her was when they were making out. It made her feel cheap. It was as if he was just going through all the everyday relationship stuff just so he could get his paws on her body again. The rest of the time, he was either teasing her about something, or ignoring her completely.
Brittany looked over at Alvin, who was slumped against the back of his seat with his eyes shut, snoring softly. She sighed, looking back down at her magazine. She wanted to talk to him about it, but she knew now wasn't the time.
I tried not to rehash too much on the events at the end of Chipwrecked, mostly to avoid spoiling it for those who haven't seen it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1!