Chip-ergarten

About This Story: The Chipmunks start Kindgarten and meet some mysterious new friends, the Chipettes. Some similarities may overlap with "The Squeakquel", only they are in Kindergarten. Warning: some chapters contain some harsher adult(-ish) themes, even though age-wise they are 5. I don't own any part of the Chipmunk franchise, just borrowing them from Nickelodeon, Janice Karman, & Ross Bagdasarian, their family, & their company.

About This Chapter: Rated PG, due to mention of starving (or force-dieting) a child.

Pairings: Theodore/Eleanor


2. First Lunch

Theodore was eating quietly in the school cafeteria and savoring his lunch just across the lunch table from his bigger brothers. He didn't mind being practically ignored for now - it only left him to enjoy his lunch in peace - but he enjoyed watching their antics. It was his biggest source of entertainment at the moment. Alvin was trying to convince Simon to toss grapes into the air so that Alvin could catch them in his mouth. Simon just wanted to eat his lunch in peace, telling Alvin "If you wanna play with your food, leave me out of it."

The brothers were sharing another kiddie-picnic table in the lunch room about three feet away from the other kiddie-picnic table where the girl chipmunks sat. Simon had told Theodore that they were sitting right behind him. Simon had a better view of them, but Theo could hear them better. The girls seemed to keep to themselves, otherwise the boys wouldn't mind meeting them. But at the moment, neither group was in a hurry to break the ice.

"Hey, my lunchbox is completely empty!" Theodore heard one of the girls exclaim when she returned from the restroom. "Do either of you know how I'm supposed to eat?"

"Brittany and I just had a few carrot sticks and crackers, and we've almost eaten them all." Theo heard another voice say. "It's OK, Ellie, we can try to get something together... I mean, maybe we can have a snack after school."

"I can't wait that long!" The first voice cried. "I'm hungry right now." She even started to cry.

The second voice said, "Uh, if you'll excuse us a moment... Brittany, could you please show me where the bathroom is?"

"Yeah, sure." A third voice replied.

"Guys, when you come back, please bring me something, I'm really hungry." The first voice continued to sob.

"We'll see what we can do." The second voice said as she disappeared.

As soon as Theodore could tell that just one girl was left at the table, crying because her lunchbox was empty and she was going to go hungry, he instantly took pity. He glanced across the table to see if Simon or Alvin had heard the girl's plight. He hoped to consult with them first, but they were still arguing about tossing grapes into Alvin's mouth, oblivious to the situation. Theo sighed as he glanced at his half-eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He pursed his lips and a determined expression crossed his little face. Was the poor girl gonna go hungry? Not on his watch!


Once in the girls' bathroom, Jeanette pulled Brittany aside.

"Sorry, Jeanette, Ian didn't give me any extra money or much of a lunch, either. I don't know what we can do for Eleanor besides tell a teacher or ask other kids for any extra leftovers or something." Brittany shrugged when she knew that she and her sister were alone.

"Brittany, please don't tell a teacher." Jeanette begged. "But I know why Ellie's lunchbox is empty. Ian wants Eleanor to go on a diet. I don't know how to tell her. I love her the way she is, and would never want to force her on a diet, especially a starvation crash-diet - that is just not healthy. Uncle Ian told me that if I told a teacher or any other adult, that he would lock me in the Punishment Cage for the night. At least you aren't a teacher... But I wanted to tell you, so maybe we can figure out a way to tell her."

"I don't wanna hurt Ellie's feelings, either." Brittany sighed. "But I don't want her to starve. I guess so you don't get in trouble, and so Ellie won't go hungry, we should go ask some of the other kids in our class if they have any leftovers they could share. Otherwise we are gonna have to hear her whine about how hungry she is for the rest of the day. And you know how she gets crabby and cranky when she's hungry - she's no longer her sweet and sunshiny self. So I'm ready to beg the other kids for leftover scraps for my little sister. How does that sound?"

"Sure." Jeanette nodded. "Me too, anything for one of my sisters."

"Good, then let's go..." Brittany took Jeanette's hand and left the bathroom.


Eleanor sniffled with her head resting on her folded arms when her sisters left for the restroom. She could now taste her own salty tears. Right now, they were delicious, but not satisfying. How could her bigger sisters leave her for a bathroom break at a time like this? She had gone before eating lunch, and when she came back to the table with her sisters, her lunchbox was empty. They had already eaten theirs, otherwise she could just forage through their lunchboxes. She guessed she could take a nap instead...

She suddenly felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She sat up and turned around with her tear-stained face to see the little boy chipmunk in the green shirt standing next to her table. "Uh, hi!" He began. "Uh, if you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, would you like the rest of mine?"

Wow, he was as generous and friendly as he looked when she first saw him upon walking into the classroom! And he was even more adorable this up-close and in person! Eleanor had only seen generic pictures of him on various Jett Records' albums and posters. She had also heard recordings of his voice as he sang "Christmas Don't Be Late" and "Witch Doctor" along with his brothers. But here he was actually talking to her - and offering her the rest of his sandwich! "Oh-Oh-OK, thank you!" Eleanor blinked as she accepted the sandwich. She motioned to the empty part of the kiddie-table bench next to her. "Wanna sit down?"

"OK." He shrugged as he sat next to her. "I can't believe your daddy or mommy would just forget to pack you a lunch."

"Me neither." She said around a few bites of food. "Oh this sandwich is delicious! You'll have to give me the recipe sometime."

"Really?" He looked surprised. "I think my daddy made it, but he's let me help make these before. He takes two slices of bread, then spreads peanut butter on one slice, then spreads jelly on the other slice, and then puts the two slices together." He used the upturned palms of his hands to demonstrate.

"So you like to cook sometimes?" Eleanor asked him. "I wish I could cook..."

"Yeah!" Theo nodded. "I like cooking! Sometimes it's as much fun as eating, especially if you eat a few bites while cooking." He giggled. "By the way, I'm Theodore. What's your name, again?" He offered his hand.

"Eleanor." She smiled and shook his hand. She also noticed how his eyes reminded her of little round brownie-bites.

He smiled. "Eleanor...that's a pretty name. It suits you!" He noticed at this point how her eyes reminded him of little green gumdrops, it was a very pretty aqua-green color unlike any he had ever seen.

Eleanor giggled. "Thanks, Theodore. You know, you're kinda cute, too."

"Really?" Theodore blushed but giggled. "Thanks, Eleanor!"

"Ellie, there's something we need to tell you..." Jeanette stopped when she saw one of the boy chipmunks at their table next to her little sister.

Brittany looked surprised. "Oh... What is he doing here?"

"He let me have the rest of his sandwich, so I let him sit down." Eleanor explained to her sisters. "Guys, this is my new friend, Theodore. And Theodore, these are my big sisters, Jeanette and Brittany."

"Hi, Theodore!" Jeanette sat down across from them at the table. "Thank you so much for sharing with our little sister. I was gonna just ask any of our classmates for leftovers, since Brittany and I finished ours. And any friend of Eleanor's is also a friend of mine."

"Sure, Jeanette!" Theodore smiled. "It's nice to meet you. And you, too, Brittany!"

"Hey." Brittany nodded a quick greeting to him. She hesitantly sat down next to Jeanette. She cautiously glanced around, ensuring no one was watching them.

She seemed a little more cold and distant than her sisters, as though she were embarrassed to be seen in company with Theodore. Theo just shrugged, thinking she just may not be comfortable around boys yet. The bell rang for recess and interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey, Theodore, would you like to play with us on the playground?" Eleanor asked.

"Sure!" Theodore's eyes perked up. "I'd love to!"


A/N: Obviously, when Theodore compared Eleanor's eyes to "green gumdrops", it's a nod to "The Squeakquel". When Ellie compared Theo's eyes to round brownie-bites, that is from a family inside joke where we all know of my mom (Terri) as an extreme "choco-holic" (chocolate fanatic!). One day, my sister(-in-law) asked my dad, "How did you ever land a girl like Terri? Isn't she out of your league?" My dad chuckled & thought for a moment before he answered, "Well, at one time early in our relationship, she did tell me that my dark brown eyes looked like little brownies." That cracked us up! And my mom laughed when we told her. (In the Nickelodeon cartoon, Theodore has brown eyes and Eleanor has aqua-green eyes. Their eye color was reversed in the 80s cartoon.) Alvin catching grapes in his mouth was done in "The Squeakquel", as well as Nick cartoon episodes like "To Serve And Protect", & mentioned in "The Sub".