Chapter 3: Suspicions

Alvin sat sullenly in his room, his brows arched in concentration as he set himself to finish his homework before dinner time. With Simon downstairs in the basement working on his latest experiment, Theo at cooking class with Eleanor and Dave still at work, the red-capped chipmunk was hoping that the silence would help him to focus a lot more.

Okay, so maybe math wasn't exactly Alvin's best subject. But as he looked at the questions, they stared back at him in a similarly bizarre way like Simon would whenever Alvin got his brothers into trouble. The real problem was that his entire class was assigned to write an essay about the importance of nutrition and the food pyramid, and there was a certain chipmunk that came constantly to Alvin's mind.

While the easiest option for him would be to go and ask for Theodore's advice, Alvin felt as though he could never look his baby brother in the eyes the same way as before. His thoughts flashed back to the moment in the empty classroom when they promised to keep their relationship a secret. As Alvin looked at his bed, the memories of him and Theodore admitting their feelings and kissing each other flashed vividly in his head.

Do I really love Theodore? He's still so young, yet he's got no problems at all when he confides in me! This is ridiculous! I'm the oldest brother, and some perfect example I turned out to be!

He looked down at the empty sheet of paper on his desk. Or rather, it was empty a few minutes ago until Alvin had doodled aimlessly, pouring out his thoughts and feelings. He studied what he'd written more thoroughly:

Why I Shouldn't Be In Love With Theodore

1. He's my brother. Nuff said.

2. Simon and Dave will freak if they find out. (Actually, it'll be a laugh!)

3. Brittany's my girl. I can't break her heart. She'll kill me for that.

4. Imagine the reputation, the fame, the fans. It'll all go down once me and Theo go public.

5. We'll become the laughing stocks of the school, or worse, the media.

6. It's just not right.

As compared to:

Why I Love Theodore

1. He's willing to listen to me and my problems, even if he can't help me out.

2. Theo is sweet, innocent (in a good way) and he's very cuddly.

3. He doesn't question anything I ask him to do.

4. There's something about him that Brittany doesn't entirely possess: his golden and open heart.

5. It'll be fun to watch Simon in shock when he finds out about us.

6. I can't explain it, but it's magic when we kiss.

7. Maybe it's great to have pros overweighing cons.

The red-clad chipmunk smiled as he looked at the last sentence. Then suddenly, he snapped out of it and crumpled up the paper, before throwing it into the bin.

Frustrated, Alvin threw down his cap and held his head in his hands. He couldn't believe how cruel fate had been to him that it changed the course of events in his life. In less than a week, he'd gone from major teen rock star to sideshow freak. How could he face the world with this newfound reality?

And Brittany, what would she think of him if she found out? It would break her heart, that's for sure. But could he really live with a paw in two different worlds?

Unable to take the pressure of his thoughts, Alvin threw open his window, stuck his face out and screamed to the sky above. The evening air whipped cool and lightly against the chipmunk's face, and for a minute, he hoped that it could snap him back into being normal once more. Alvin continued to vent out his frustration when he heard the doorknob turn and Simon's voice startled him.

"Alvin, what are you doing?"

The red-clad chipmunk pulled himself back in and faced his brother. "Nothing! I was...ahem... I was practicing my screams for the concert tomorrow night. Yeah, I thought that the fans would love it!" he lied.

It was definitely convincing enough, since Simon stopped to polish his glasses, a common sign that he understood stuff. "Uh, okay. Just don't overdo it, Alvin. We don't want our lead singer exhausting himself before the big night. And frankly, I don't think we need to scream. Let the fans do that."

He was about to leave when Alvin called out to him. "Simon, wait!"

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry, okay? I never should have brought up that whole issue of you sucking your thumb." Alvin adjusted the rim of his collar, wiping away a few beads of sweat. "This whole concert thing, it's been stressing me out a lot lately. So, are we cool?" He extended a paw.

Simon shook it and pulled Alvin into a quick hug. "Yeah, no hard feelings.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to my experiment. I'll call you once Theodore gets back. Then we can have dinner and go over some last-minute details about the concert."

Alvin winked and returned to his studies.

After half-an-hour, he'd managed to get some of that homework done without so much as a thought on Theodore, but the silence was too much too bear. He went through his CD collection and smiled at the first disc he pulled out. It was Brittany's first solo cover, and he remembered being there at the studio when she worked hard on getting it right. It took a few trials, but the result was worth it when the producers called it a day and Alvin threw himself into Brittany's embrace, rewarding her with a kiss before they left to celebrate with ice-cream.

It was true that Alvin knew that he'd fallen in love with Brittany not just because of her looks, but her enchanting voice. They had argued previously over who could reach the highest note, and Alvin was always trying to out-sing Brittany whenever he got the chance. Maybe if he listened to her sing again, Alvin could relish that true moment once more. He smiled as he heard her singing loud and clear, her notes in perfect harmony.

Something has changed within me

Something is not the same

I'm through with playing by

The rules of someone else's game

Too late for second guessing

Too late to go back to sleep

It's time to trust my instincts

Close my eyes and leap

As Brittany started the chorus, Alvin decided to sing along.

It's time to try defying gravity

I think I'll try defying gravity

Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity

And you won't bring me down

There was a new surge of confidence in Alvin's voice as he sang with more enthusiasm, imaging Brittany standing next to him.

I'm through accepting limits
Cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost

I'd sooner buy defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
I think I'll try defying gravity
And you won't bring me down

When he got to the final part of the song, a lump formed in Alvin's throat and the pitch sounded all over the place, like a broken record. Coughing and spluttering, Alvin collapsed onto his bed as he gasped for breath. Clearly, the high notes were something that Brittany could beat Alvin at, and it would be best to leave it to the Chippete.

Simon burst through the door a second time, anxiety shining in his glass-rimmed eyes. "Alvin, are you alright? You sounded like you were in pain!"

"I'm fine. I'm fine," gasped Alvin. Simon took one look at the CD cover lying on Alvin's bed and rolled his eyes.

"Were you, by any chance, trying to sing 'Defying Gravity' from Wicked?"

Alvin could only nod in reply. "How's that for a high note, huh?"

"Don't ever do that again. For what it's worth, you sounded like an alley cat in heat." There was a mischievous glint in his blue eyes as he spoke. "In heat," he repeated, before closing the door.

As Alvin got up, he realised that there was something unusual about the way his brother had stared at him, let alone talk to him. In fact, it was the kind of creepy look that Alvin had when he decided it was time to clarify another of his wild and reckless theories.

Was Simon clearly on to something?

To Be Continued...

The song is Defying Gravity, which I do not own. The words, however, might reflect on Alvin's choices.

And what could Simon possibly know? Hmm...

Next up - the big concert night! Don't miss it!