Old Flame
Chapter 4
XOXOXOXOXO
Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, guys!
Hopefully things will get a bit more interesting this chapter. Hope you enjoy!
Ugh. I knew this was a bad idea! I just knew it. But it's too late to back out now!
Brittany should have seen this coming. Eleanor continued her ranting, even though Brittany had told her countless times that she didn't want to hear it—not then, not ever. But did her sister ever listen to her? No.
"I just can't believe you, Brittany! She's so selfish, and—and snobbish! How could you even think of joining her stupid little squad with all her stupid, brown-nosing friends?" Eleanor threw her hands in the air, completely outraged.
Brittany rolled her eyes at the blonde chipmunk. She was getting sick and tired of repeating herself. "For the last time, Eleanor: I'm not going to let the fact that Ray's... unlikable," Brittany forced herself to use a less harsh word to describe the girl, trying to condition herself to deal with her better in the future. "Stand in my way of being on the team! You know I'm not intimidated easily!"
Eleanor placed her hands on her ample hips, staring at her older sister in disbelief. "Are you serious? Does the fact that she openly disrespected me mean that little to you?"
Sighing deeply, Brittany rubbed her head. Earlier, Eleanor had told her that Ray had made some snide remarks about them in her art class. Brittany didn't like it any more than Eleanor. Heck, she had to control herself to keep from stomping right up to Ray and giving her a piece of her mind. However, she reasoned that there were going to be many situations in life where she would have to swallow her pride and keep her goal in mind. This, she decided, was one of those times.
"Eleanor, don't be like that," she pleaded. "Please, don't. Ray's a lot of hot air! It's no use even wasting your time thinking or talking about her," Brittany replied, slipping into her pink nightgown.
Eleanor sighed, looking dejected. "I guess you're right. But I just wish she'd get what's coming to her!" Eleanor admitted, clamping her fists tightly and stomping over to her bed. Jeanette was already dressed for bed, a small smile on her face. Huh. I wonder what's got Jeanette so happy today, Brittany speculated. She's usually so mopey.
Brittany motioned to the violet-clad girl, wanting her to join Eleanor and herself on the lime green bed. Hopping over (and almost missing completely and falling to the floor), Jeanette scrambled up and sat next to them. Curiosity got the better of Brittany, and she finally decided to come out and ask why her sister was in such high spirits on that particular evening.
"You seem in a good mood, Jean! What happened today?" she asked as she rubbed Eleanor's hair, who was still silently fuming in the middle of them. "Eleanor made it sound like Ray was on a rampage today."
Jeanette laughed, further worsening Eleanor's foul mood. "Oh, she ranted at you too, Britt?"
Eleanor couldn't believe them! "Stop trivializing it!" she demanded.
Brittany smiled, bopping her playfully. "Chill out, Eleanor. It's over now! Just let it go."
"Fine. Whatever," she grumbled, folding her arms and staring at the blank television.
Brittany and Jeanette rolled their eyes at each other behind Eleanor's back. They knew that whenever she was stuck on something, there was no use trying to calm her down.
"Anyway," Jeanette continued in a whisper, a gleeful expression on her face, "I... guess the reason I'm so happy is because of Simon," she glanced back at their bedroom door as if she were afraid someone would overhear her.
Brittany smiled brightly. Aw, good for you, Jeanette! I haven't seen you this excited over boys before! Heck, I'm not even sure if you were ever into a boy before now.
"Is that so?" Brittany asked, genuinely curious. "Did he ask you out?"
Jeanette blushed a deep red, shaking her head. "N-No! We just talked about stuff!" she corrected. "I mean, it's not like he knows me all that well..." Jeanette babbled, looking away.
Brittany slightly admired the innocence that surrounded her sister. It was really cute. Brittany smiled knowingly, wagging her finger. "Oh, don't be so sure!" she said. "A date's a great way to get to know someone. It might only be a matter of time!"
Jeanette became even more flustered at the prospect of being asked out by Simon so quickly. "I—I hope not! I mean, I'd definitely say 'yes'. He's so dreamy... but I'd look like a complete spazz!" Jeanette waved her arms around to demonstrate.
Brittany thought the girl was close to exploding from all the excitement. Poor Jeanette. Maybe I should help her along sometime; give her a few pointers. Lord knows the girl needs it!
"Jeanette, relax. You have to play it cool!" Brittany reminded her, attempting to sooth her sister. "Simon's just a normal boy."
Jeanette smiled in embarrassment, the blush still evident on her cheeks. "I can't help it! He's not like any boy I've ever met," she sighed, a blissful smile on her face.
Brittany playfully made a gagging motion. "Aw, mushy stuff!" she laughed, dodging a retaliatory hit from Jeanette's pillow.
Jeanette laughed along with her. "Shut up!" she shouted with a grin, hugging her pillow close.
Considering Jeanette's situation resolved for the time being, Brittany turned her attention to the television screen. To her surprise, Eleanor had switched it on and turned the channel to one of Brittany's least favorite shows: Celebrity Manhunt. Brittany's eye twitched at the mere thought of the gossip-filled, drama-provoking show. God, I hate that series. All they do is stalk and start rumors about celebrities! Like we need more of that in the business.
"Oh, Ellie," Brittany snapped, shooting a glare at Eleanor. She was totally engrossed in the segment, barely acknowledging her. "You know I hate this show!" Brittany pressed on. "I don't even think it would interest you anyway."
"Oh, hold on, Britt! I think they're talking about Ian!" Eleanor placed a finger to her lips, hushing her.
Brittany's eyes snapped back to the T.V. in alarm. Sure enough, it showed a recent picture of their former manager. He still sported that annoying, smug grin. And he still has those messed up teeth. God, why doesn't he get that snaggle-toothed maw fixed?
"Is it a rumor, or is it real?" a female host asked the audience, her words obviously scripted. "Ian Hawke, former manager to singing furry sensations 'The Chipmunks and The Chipettes', seems to have found a brand new star! Unfortunately, we couldn't get any photos of her, but sources say she is yet another talking chipmunk!" Eleanor and Jeanette gasped, looking at each other in horror. Brittany simply raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I mean, honestly John," she said, turning to her co-host. "Where do people keep finding these talking animals? Is there, like, a whole colony of them somewhere or what?"
"I don't know, Stacy!" the man replied. "But one thing's for sure: Ian sure knows how to find them!"
The two announcers laughed at their corny attempt at humor, provoking Brittany to smack her palm to her forehead in exasperation.
Eleanor looked up at her, worry clouding her large, green eyes. "Britt! Ian found another chipmunk! He might try and lock the poor thing in a cage!" Eleanor squeaked.
Brittany pulled the remote away from her, flicking through the channels for something actually worth watching. Jeanette, however, shared her younger sister's thoughts. "Brittany, you know how greedy and manipulative Ian is. He might try to use this new girl! After all, he did it to us..." Jeanette wrung her hands nervously.
Brittany, still unconvinced, clicked her tongue, turning to regard her sisters. "Guys, you have to learn to take anything that stupid show says with a grain of salt. For all we know, he was desperately trying to get some rat to sing for him!" She chuckled at the very idea. "If you ask me, they just twisted it around and made it a chipmunk to get people's attention."
Brittany laughed, holding her stomach. Her laughter slowly faded once she realized Jeanette and Eleanor hadn't joined her. Instead, they were still skeptical and staring at her with worried eyes.
Growing annoyed, Brittany rolled her eyes. "Anywho... who cares what Ian gets up to anyway? I personally don't give a darn what happens to him," she said truthfully. She couldn't stand that Ian Hawke. The man had manipulated and nearly torn apart the bond she and her sisters had made together! They had put their trust in him, and he treated them like vermin. She would never forgive the jerk and hated even talking about him. Even thinking about him!
"Well, I'm sure you're right, Britt," Jeanette allowed, beginning to feel a lot better. "That was likely all bogus."
Eleanor still had her doubts, but she felt it was better not to dwell on their past manager.
Satisfied with her silence, Brittany settled on a music video channel. "Of course I'm right, Jeanette. There's no need to worry about him anymore. If he's anything like he was when we met him, and if he really did find a new chipmunk star, she'll have no trouble tricking him." They all shared a laugh at this. It was true—Ian Hawke was not the brightest person out there.
Eleanor suddenly gasped, rushing to their shared closet. "I almost forgot!"
Brittany watched her rustle through her closet, throwing some of their belongings out onto the ground and making a collective mess on the floor behind her. "What are you doing, Ellie?"
Eleanor carefully pulled out a sizable poster board, taking care not to bend or rip it. "I have to color my sketch!"
Brittany cringed a little, remembering the art project she and Jeanette were working on for school. Their assignment was to draw something important from their lives. Unsurprisingly, Eleanor had chosen to draw the most embarrassing subject: their humble home in the forest.
Brittany knew that Ray was in the same art class as well. Oh, just great! If she sees that, she might not let me on the squad!
Eleanor took out her pack of crayons, handing each of her sisters a color. Brittany looked at the brown crayon, wondering how she could voice her thoughts without being offensive.
First, it was this silly assignment, and recently Jeanette talked about Roy finding us! But if I complain too much about it, they'll think I'm just being bitchy. Sighing in defeat, Brittany colored in one of the tree trunks. "When is this assignment due, anyway?"
"Next Thursday," Jeanette answered, slowly coloring in the lake. "We also have to do a small oral presentation along with it."
"It'll be lots of fun! Ms. Ortega seems to really like our idea," Eleanor carried on proudly, finishing up with the yellow-orange sun. "I really wish you could be there, Britt! Her class is the best."
Brittany liked Ms. Ortega a lot. When they had first enrolled in school, she'd been the first teacher to accept them with open arms, not put off in the slightest by the fact that they were chipmunks. The teacher was kind and had a bright and youthful personality. Last time Brittany checked, she and Toby were dating. Brittany didn't really understand what she saw in the videogame-obsessed boy. I'm sure she could do much better. But, hey, I guess that's love!
"I wish I could be there too," Brittany replied honestly. She really did wish she had more classes with her siblings. Although she was getting pretty popular around the school, the people that hung around her didn't compare to the company of her sisters, save for a few of her closest friends. Brittany also guessed that the attention she received was mostly based on her fame, rather than them wanting to know her personally. It was a hazard that came with the job.
After a few minutes of silent concentration, the three chipmunks stood back. Brittany had to admit, it was a masterpiece. Their already detailed sketch wasn't colored with crayons, as was typical. Jeanette was very artistic; she gave whatever she colored a sense of depth, shading in darker tones where the shadows would normally be. Eleanor was great at mixing and blending colors, resulting in a greater variety of hues than they originally had. Brittany prided herself on being able to add convincing textures, mainly to the rocks, water, and trees.
Brittany smiled proudly, putting her arm around her little sisters. "I gotta say, girls, we truly outdid ourselves. Ms. Ortega just has to give this an 'A' plus!" she said, nodding her head.
Jeanette smiled down at her, obviously pleased with their work. "Thanks, Britt! You were a big help. We'll have to give you credit," she said, settling down to add Brittany's name to the corner.
Brittany shook her head, stopping Jeanette's hand from writing as Eleanor looked at her questioningly. "No, that's all right," she said. "You two did most of the work, and I don't want them to think you were cheating." Brittany grinned, flopping back on Eleanor's pillow. "I'd hate for you guys to lose points for something like that."
Eleanor smiled, carefully putting their finished project away for next week. Jeanette stretched her arms, looking more and more tired by the minute.
Dave suddenly knocked on their door, poking his head in a second later. "All right, girls. Lights out! You can keep the T.V. on if you promise not to make a fuss in the morning when I wake you all up," he said, switching off the main light.
Brittany and Jeanette hopped back onto their respective beds, snuggling under the covers. They all said their goodnights to Dave, watching him shut the door before returning downstairs.
Brittany yawned softly, rolling to rest on her stomach. Her eyes were heavy with sleepiness. Slowly, she succumbed to her body's needs, drifting off into a quiet slumber.
Brittany rubbed her eyes while standing in front of the bathroom mirror, memories of the previous day flooding her mind. Memories of the six of them going out to find their wayward uncle and bringing him back home. Of him deciding to spend the night, and likely most of the day. Brittany had prayed that he would go home the previous night, but Jeanette had encouraged him to stay a little while longer. Of course, Ray had accepted her offer.
It was Sunday evening, and Brittany was totally miserable. She wondered how such a great week could be ruined so badly. So quickly! And all because of her uncle.
Jeanette had gotten the brilliant idea to find their Uncle Roy, a dirty rogue chipmunk that Brittany couldn't help but be embarrassed by. Even though he, at one point, had known more about human society than them, Brittany now realized that his knowledge of human etiquette was extremely limited. He was a mess at meal times, scarfing down anything that was served to him like a rabid dog! Right in front of Dave and the boys! Especially Alvin. She couldn't bring herself to face him alone after that.
Why doesn't he just go home? Or go live with one of his little girlfriends? Why does he have to mooch off of us! Brittany asked herself.
Thankfully, in two days they would go back to school. This marked the one time Brittany actually wanted to go back to school. Anything to escape the embarrassment of her downright humiliating uncle. But, despite her personal feelings, she tried her best to be civil and laid-back about the turn of events. But this... This was too much.
Brittany didn't know how, or why, but a simple visit to the park had turned into a fiasco. Seemingly as soon as they had arrived, they were attacked by two crazy dogs! Brittany had dived into the bushes, unable to see where the others had scattered off to. The dog had had a difficult time getting to them due to the dense shrubbery, and it soon gave up. Thankfully, there hadn't been a need for Brittany to hide too long; the dogs were soon called back by their irresponsible owner.
She hadn't left the bushes right away, of course, preferring to lay low just in case the owner foolishly let his dogs run free again. But suddenly, she'd heard an enraged scream coming from a few meters away. To her horror, she turned and saw that it was Ray! She must have been attending some family outing, because there was food scattered everywhere, and it looked like a number of family members were trying to calm the girl down.
From what Brittany could gather—and that was quite a lot—a chipmunk had run across the table, which, of course, had lead the dog to follow and ruin the whole picnic. Brittany wasn't sure who it was that had led the dog there, but she knew that none of this would have happened if it weren't for her uncle. If we didn't have to bring him along, we never would have come to the park! Of course, there would be a lot of dogs out and about, and they can't help but chase animals like us around! Heck, they probably smelled his stink a mile off!
Brittany furiously ate her ice cream, the vanilla flavor soothing her foul mood slightly. She glanced over at Alvin, who looked equally irritated. Raising an eyebrow, she asked what his problem was.
He glared at her, annoyed. "What do you think?"
Brittany didn't appreciate his tone. She glared back at him. "Are you sulking about that stupid hat?"
Alvin bristled. "That dumb dog ate it!" he retorted.
"You're lucky it didn't eat you," Brittany pointed out, raising her eyebrows. Alvin rolled his hazel eyes at her as she licked at her ice cream cone, wondering why she even bothered. After all, it was only a hat.
Alvin sighed and leaned back, finishing most of his ice cream and beginning to munch at the sugar cone.
God, he's such a big baby over a silly hat. The things I do...
"If it bothers you that much, I'll make you another one," Brittany offered. She just wanted him to stop pouting! As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't like seeing Alvin upset.
Alvin raised an eyebrow at her, looking her up and down. "Make me one?" He laughed. "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing."
Brittany smirked, flicking his nose. He twitched it, covering it with his paws.
"I'm not," she agreed. "But Kayla taught me a few things from her design class," Brittany explained, cleaning her mouth with a napkin. She smirked, turning to face him. "So do you want another hat or not?"
Alvin smiled arrogantly. "Sure, I'll take you up on that offer. It better not come out crappy, though. I like quality wear, you know."
Her cheeks flushed red in anger, causing Alvin to smile even wider. He's such an ass! UGH. "Just for that, I'm not making your dumb hat!" Brittany snapped, folding her arms.
Alvin laughed, placing an arm around her and giving her a fond squeeze. "Oh, you're such a miser, Britt! You know I'm just teasing." Alvin tickled her side, making her wriggle away from him with a small smile.
"Stop that!" Brittany ordered.
Alvin, however, caught on to how ticklish she was and advanced, wiggling his fingers. "Oh, you're ticklish, are you? Come here!" Alvin pounced forward, tickling her sides again. Unable to resist, Brittany laughed hysterically, wiggling under his grip.
She tried to push him away, but Alvin was persistent. "Gah! Alvin, stop it! Haha!" Brittany continued to laugh, much to Alvin's delight. "Pfft, haha—you are so dead when—haha!—I get my hands on you!"
Finally, after several ticklish minutes, Alvin relinquished his hold on her, throwing his head back in laughter. Brittany panted, tired from the unexpected attack. The two chipmunks simultaneously noticed the compromising position they were in, Alvin on top with Brittany pinned beneath him. They looked into each other's eyes, a light blush creeping up to their cheeks. Roy looked on with slight amusement, smirking over his ice cream.
"Get a room."
Alvin quickly got off Brittany, offering a hand and helping her up. The two brushed themselves off, glaring at the others as they snickered.
Brittany coughed, thoroughly embarrassed. We always seem to have a crowd! What's up with that? "Is everyone finished? Can we go home now?" she asked, wanting to escape the awkward situation. She hadn't even wanted to go out today, but of course, everyone else seemed to be against her. Her eyes examined her pink skirt, mostly covered by fresh grass stains. And my favorite outfit is ruined! Can it get any worse?
…Obviously, it can.
Their uncle had decided to stay for a couple more weeks. Brittany hoped that Dave would have some kind of excuse for him not to stay, but Dave felt it was a great idea for the Chipettes to have family around. Brittany dreaded sharing the same roof with her raggedy, flea-bitten uncle for the next two weeks, but she cheered herself up with one thought: at least they would be away at school for a good part of the ordeal.
Brittany, however, was seriously looking forward to seeing her bestfriends again. They all usually hung out during the weekends, but she hadn't gotten the chance this time around.
On the first day, as she approached the front steps of the school, she noticed that there was a lot of excited chatter— a lot more than usual.
Curious about what had gotten so many students riled up, she scurried over to Stephanie. "What's going on? What's the news?" Brittany asked. Stephanie, previously in her own heated conversation, turned to Brittany. Kayla and Christina looked down at her as well, strange expressions on their faces.
"Didn't you know? There's a new student!" Stephanie explained as though it was the most obvious fact in the world.
Brittany raised an eyebrow, not seeing what was so unusual about a new student enrolling for the year. "So?" Brittany shrugged. "We get new students all the time."
Christina flipped her hair. "True, true. But it's rare that we get new chipmunk students."
Brittany froze, memories of the rumor the Celebrity Manhunt hosts had been gossiping about the other day flooding back. What? So... Ian really did find another chipmunk? And he enrolled her here?
"W-What's her name?" Brittany stuttered.
Kayla tapped her lip, trying her best to recall. "I think her name is Charlene. Or something like that," she answered, nodding her head.
Before Brittany could ask any more questions, Principal Coleman dispersed the growing crowd of students, ordering them all to head to homeroom. Brittany made her way towards her locker, her mind swimming with thoughts. What I Ian up to this time? And why would he enroll the new chipmunk in the same school as us? This is likely his stupid plan to ruin us, somehow.
As Brittany approached her locker, she noticed that her sisters and the Chipmunks were all gathered around their own. She was forced to assume they had also heard the news, based on their nervous chatter, and were wondering what to make of it.
"Oh! Brittany, did you hear?" Eleanor asked, turning to greet her.
Brittany nodded, entering the combination of her locker. "About the new girl? Yeah, I heard," she replied, loading her backpack with all the supplies she'd need for the next three classes.
Eleanor nodded, looking worried. "What do we do, Britt?" She strode over to her, lightly tugging at her jacket.
Brittany closed her locker, still deep in thought. "I don't know what we're supposed to do right now, Eleanor," she said with a sigh. "At this point, if she really is being managed by Ian, all we can do is warn her," Brittany shrugged, adjusting the straps of her backpack. She honestly didn't know what to do about the situation. Knowing Ian, he had likely told the poor girl lies about them, manipulating her to believe him and forge a rivalry against them. Heck, that's exactly what he did to us. And I remember how adamant I'd been in my opinion of the Chipmunks then...
"Do you think it's the same Charlene, Alvin?" Simon mused, checking his folders to make sure he had all his assignments.
Alvin waved off the idea, calling it ridiculous. "No way! Charlene is an old friend, who lives miles away from here! I'm sure it's just a coincidence!" he said, trying to convince himself as much as the others as he leaned against his own locker.
Brittany looked over at him, curious. An old friend?
"Alvin? Alvin, is that you?"
The six chipmunks turned to see the subject of their conversation. She was, indeed, a female. Her fur color was around the same shade as Eleanor's, perhaps a bit lighter. Her eyes were a piercing blue, almost shimmering in appearance. Her hair was the longest length Brittany had ever seen, going far beyond her shoulders and reaching below her backside. She wore a rose-colored dress with a small slit on the side. Unlike the Chipettes, however, she wore a dash of make-up: a little bit of lip gloss glistened on her lips. She was the same height as Brittany.
In short, she was very easy on the eyes.
"It is you!" the blonde chipmunk called, running over to Alvin and jumping into his arms.
Alvin's eyes widened in surprise, his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist.
"I'm so glad I finally found you!" the blonde chirped.
Brittany looked on in complete surprise, not knowing how to react to the situation.
Alvin released the girl, standing back a bit. After a few seconds, he smiled brightly down at her. "Charlene! Oh man, it really is you! How—wow!" He let out a deep breath. "It's so good to see you again!" Alvin said sincerely, still holding her hands.
Brittany felt a pang of jealousy, though she quickly pushed it aside.
Simon coughed, snapping the two chipmunks out of their trance. Charlene looked to the other male chipmunks, seeming to have just now noticed that she and Alvin weren't the only two in the hallway.
"Simon, Theodore! I'm sorry, how are you guys?" Charlene smiled, bringing the other two boys in for a big hug. Out of the corner of Brittany's eye, she saw Jeanette and Eleanor cross their arms, watching the whole scene with mildly suspicious expressions.
"We're doing good," Simon replied. "We certainly didn't expect to ever see you here, of all places!" He smiled, standing back.
Theodore was, apparently, ecstatic to see her as well. "How did you get here?" he asked, genuinely curious to learn how she'd found them when she lived so far away.
Charlene grinned, her hands on her hips. "I have my ways," she replied coyly.
Brittany tapped her foot, looking pointedly at Alvin. Alvin smiled sheepishly, taking Brittany's hand and getting Charlene's attention immediately.
"Charlene, this is Brittany," he introduced. Brittany smiled at her, to which Charlene smiled back. "And these are her sisters, Jeanette and Eleanor." He gestured in their direction.
Jeanette and Eleanor waved, greeting her. Charlene shook their hands, still smiling. "It's good to meet you all. A pleasure, I'm sure."
Brittany noticed that the new girl had a slightly southern accent. Her voice was welcoming, almost motherly. She would have seen more, except the bell sounded at that moment, signaling for all of the students to get to class.
Charlene walked over and hugged Alvin again, a little longer than Brittany thought was strictly necessary. "I'll see you around, Alvin. We have a lot to catch up on." With a flirtatious wink, Charlene sashayed away to her own class.
Alvin looked on, seemingly captivated by Charlene's swaying hips.
Brittany glared at him. "'A lot to catch up on,' huh?" Brittany rolled her eyes, turning to walk to class.
Alvin quickly followed behind her. "Aw, Britt, don't take it that way!" he protested, taking her hand.
Brittany jerked her paw out of his angrily. "Take it what way, Alvin? It seems you two know each other pretty well," Before he could say more, she arrived at her classroom door and turned to face him. "Are you going to be too busy catching up with Charlene to work on our project?"
Alvin frowned, shaking his head. "Of course not, Britt. I wouldn't flake out on you! She's just a friend," he assured her.
Brittany sighed. Maybe I am getting ahead of myself. After all, it's not like me and him are dating or anything, so I really have no right to get so angry.
"Alright, Alvin. I'll see you in Social Studies," she murmured.
Alvin smiled at her, sensing that she wasn't angry with him anymore. "I can't wait."
Unfortunately, Charlene shared the same Social Studies class. Mr. Duskmore introduced her to the rest of the class, much to their amazement. To them, West Eastman appeared to be a magnet for all singing, dancing chipmunks! After introductions were made, Mr. Duskmore assigned her a seat—a seat that happened to be right next to Brittany.
"I'm sure you'll all feel more comfortable sitting together," he said with a smile. Brittany groaned softly, resting her head in her palms. Comfortable, he says. This is going to be so awkward. And he was only trying to help…
As Mr. Duskmore started the lesson, Charlene leaned all the way over Brittany to talk to Alvin. Brittany raised an eyebrow, finding the motion to be incredibly rude. However, for the sake of preventing a possible argument, she kept silent.
"Alvin, honey. What are you all working on?" Charlene asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him.
Alvin smiled goofily. "Oh! Well, we're doing a project about our favorite place, anywhere in the world," Alvin explained.
Charlene nodded, stroking her chin. "Oh? That sounds kind of fun," she said. "Why don't we work on it together? Maybe about Paris?" Charlene offered, placing her paw over his.
Alvin gulped, nodding. "Sure, that'd be great!"
Brittany couldn't believe her ears. Had Alvin really just blown her off like that, when mere minutes earlier he'd promised that they would work together? Not only that, but he'd gone along with Charlene's suggestion without a second thought! When Brittany had suggested the exact same place, he'd been quick to object.
Anger bubbling inside her, Brittany shot an ice-cold glare over to Alvin, making him flinch. She had half a mind to shove Charlene's head back into her own seat as well.
"I thought we were doing the project together. Or did you, all of a sudden, forget?" Brittany asked, her voice dripping with malice.
Alvin gulped, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, that's right! Sorry, Charlene, but me and Brittany are partners," he quickly corrected. Brittany smirked, satisfied. Charlene, however, frowned, leaning back into her seat.
"Now, if anyone has any questions about the project, please ask them now," Mr. Duskmore finished, wrapping up whatever lesson he'd previously been teaching the class. Brittany became even more annoyed when she realized she had likely missed out on some valuable information, likely on a test or quiz. Crap. I'll have to ask Davis or somebody else to lend me his notes sometime.
Charlene's little arm shot into the air, waving to get the teacher's attention. "Excuse me!"
Mr. Duskmore looked up from his textbook, pushing his glasses further onto his nose. "Yes, Ms. Hawke?"
So she really is being managed by Ian! Brittany glanced over at Charlene, biting her lip softly. I really should have a talk with her sometime and warn her...
"This new project... I don't have a partner. And I think everyone's already paired up..." Charlene sadly looked down at her lap, her question trailing off.
Mr. Duskmore frowned. "Ah, that is a problem, isn't it?" He looked around at his students, pondering what to do. Indeed, all of his class had already chosen partners and were likely already brainstorming what their projects should be. Settling on the Seville chipmunks, he nodded. "How about you join Brittany and Alvin? I'm sure they won't mind, would you, guys?"
Charlene smiled brightly, looking to them both for permission. Alvin, as Brittany predicted, jumped at the chance.
"No problem! Wouldn't that be fun, Britt?" he asked, turning to her.
Brittany forced a smile, her fists tightening in her lap. "Yes. Fun," she forced out through gritted teeth.
Charlene clapped her hands together happily. Mr. Duskmore himself smiled, adding her name to the list of partners. "It's settled, then."
Brittany sighed deeply, feeling a small headache coming on. It seemed like everything was going wrong.
Yup, the Devil's busy...
Later at lunch, Brittany decided to warn Charlene of Ian's intentions. Sure, Charlene didn't give a good first impression. Frankly, she seemed like a total floozy, but Brittany honestly didn't wish what she and her own sisters had went through on anyone. Besides, she hadn't been raised to be vindictive and evil.
Finding Charlene on top of her lunch tray in the line, she scampered over to meet her. Charlene, looking over the many choices of desserts, jumped slightly as Brittany approached her.
"Oh... Brittany, was it?" Charlene asked, trying to recall her name.
Brittany nodded, taking care not to knock over any of her snacks as she walked closer. "That's right. I wanted to tell you something. About Ian," she whispered.
Charlene smirked at her. "Is that so? Do tell," she implored with a dark chuckle.
"He's just going to use you," Brittany announced, thinking it better not to beat around the bush. "He did the same thing with the Chipmunks, as well as with us. He'll run you ragged, and as soon as you refuse to do anything he says, he'll throw you in a cage! Or worse, threaten to kill you." Brittany shuddered at the past threats Ian had made towards them.
Charlene, however, rolled her eyes and laughed. Brittany scowled. What, does she think this is some sort of joke?
"Charlene, it's the truth! I just don't want you to get hurt," Brittany persisted, meaning every word she said.
Charlene, much to her dismay, continued to snicker. "Honey, I can take care of myself. Unlike you and your sisters, I learn from what I see. I'm not stupid enough to let him use me like he used you." Charlene smirked, looking Brittany straight in the eyes.
Brittany blinked, taken aback. She hadn't expected such harsh words from the seemingly friendly girl.
"So, don't worry about me," Charlene continued, pulling a piece of cake onto her tray. "I'm a big girl, who can take care of herself just fine. In fact, you might want to take notes. See how it's done." She raised an eyebrow, daring Brittany to challenge her.
Brittany stood, dumbfounded, unable to respond.
Charlene shooed her away. "You can go now."
Silent, Brittany jumped off her own tray and trudged over to her usual table, still stunned. Talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!
"Britt? What's wrong?" Jeanette asked, noticing Brittany was completely silent as she picked at her pudding.
Brittany shook her head. "Nothing. Girls... What do you think of Charlene?" she forced herself to ask. Brittany wanted to know if her sisters got the same negative vibe from her. She wondered if she had done something wrong, offended Charlene in some way. Maybe it was her own fault.
Jeanette popped a purple grape into her mouth, chewing it thoroughly before answering. "Well... I haven't seen that much of her yet, to be honest. She seems like a nice enough girl." Jeanette smiled, picking up another grape.
Brittany sighed softly. Not the answer she wanted to hear.
Eleanor sipped her milk through a straw, pondering her own answer. "I don't know... Something seems off about her. Like she's trying to hide something. Kind of the same thing with Ian."
Brittany looked up at Eleanor, relieved she'd gotten the same impression of Charlene as she had. "Yeah, I definitely think she has some kind of ulterior motive for being here."
"But I still think she deserves to know what Ian has planned for her," Eleanor said, standing up. "I'm going to warn her."
Brittany took Eleanor's hand, pulling her to sit back down and shaking her head. "Been there, done that."
Eleanor and Jeanette looked over at her with wide eyes. "Oh? You already told her?" Jeanette stared at her. "What did she say?"
Brittany shrugged. She wanted to tell them how nasty Charlene's response was, but she didn't see much good coming from it, and she didn't want to seem too judgmental. "She said she could handle herself."
Jeanette nodded, readjusting her violet glasses. "I see. Don't worry, Britt! You did your part by warning her. It's up to her to realize it for herself. It took us a while to catch on to Ian."
"Yeah, I know." Brittany scooped up some of the vanilla pudding. Eleanor stared at her as she ate, greatly annoying Brittany. After a few bites, Brittany snapped at her. "What, Eleanor?"
Eleanor seemed to snap out of her trance, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I'm kind of hungry."
Brittany tilted her head at this. "Then... why don't you eat?"
"I'm on a diet," Eleanor said quickly, eying her hips self-consciously.
Jeanette and Brittany exchanged bewildered looks. A diet?
"Ha! Since when are you on a diet?" Brittany laughed.
Eleanor glared at her, folding her arms. "I'm serious this time!" she snapped, stomping her foot.
Jeanette nudged Brittany's foot, sending her a meaningful look.
"Oh, sorry. My bad," Brittany apologized, trying to quash her amused smile. Eleanor sometimes claimed she was going on a diet, only to later say that she didn't need to go on a diet to impress anybody. Brittany had little doubt that this was one of those times. Nevertheless, she went along with it. "So, er... how much are you aiming to lose, then?"
Eleanor blinked at the question, seemingly taken aback. She quickly recovered, however, folding her arms. "I'll decide when to stop when I get there!"
Brittany raised her hands in a sign of surrender. "Alright, alright! Even though I think you do fine on your own, I'm all for it."
Jeanette twitched her small, pink nose curiously. "Why the sudden change of heart?"
Eleanor looked at Jeanette, straightening out her skirt. "For Theodore," she said primly.
Brittany raised an eyebrow. "Theodore? What does he have to do with you losing weight? Did he… say something about it?" Oh, if he made her feel bad over something like that...
"No, no!" Eleanor blushed, waving her hands. "He didn't say anything like that. I made this decision on my own. I want to stand up for him better."
Jeanette smiled, touched that Eleanor wanted to protect him.
Brittany, however, looked utterly disgusted. "He needs you to protect him? From what?" she spat. She couldn't believe Theodore was so weak that he'd fully depend on Eleanor to fight all his battles for him! I bet this all started with that stupid horror story.
"Eleanor, would this be about that little horror story Alvin told him the other day?" Brittany asked, already knowing the answer.
Eleanor nodded her head numerous times, her pigtails bouncing. "Yes. In fact, it does. Alvin was a jerk to scare him like that! Even if Theodore did ask to hear it, he knew the story would scare him!" Eleanor ranted, narrowing her eyes.
Brittany stared at her, mouth agape. "Eleanor, he's old enough to not make a big deal about a silly story! I can't believe this whole thing is escalating this far!" she told her, shaking her head. "I think we should all just let it go now."
Eleanor rolled her eyes. "You're just taking Alvin's side."
Brittany flinched at the remark. Sure, she honestly did think that everyone was placing sole blame on Alvin's shoulders. It seemed that Theodore was always the victim, that he could do no wrong. Brittany hated that to no end. It was unfair.
"I am not taking sides. I'm just giving you my opinion," Brittany stated calmly. Her day was already turning out badly, and she didn't want to start anymore arguments—especially with her own sister. "I just don't want you mixing yourself up in unnecessary drama."
Eleanor huffed, picking up her milk carton. "I know what I'm doing, Brittany. Someone has to stand up for him. Everyone wants to pick on him, and it's—it's not fair! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go keep him company."
Brittany watched in disbelief as the round little chipmunk made her way across the cafeteria and over to Theodore, who was sitting with a couple other girls. I can't believe this. It's like I'm damned if I do wrong, damned if I do right. I just can't win today!
Jeanette watched Eleanor leave, frowning. "Maybe we should go after her…?" she suggested hesitantly.
"Don't bother, Jeanette. If she wants to be his 'knight in shining armor', let her. She'll learn that lesson the hard way," Brittany muttered bitterly. If she wants to go down that road, fine. See if I care.
Author's Note: Aww, poor Brittany! It seems like everyone's against her.
So, Charlene finally meets the Chipmunks and the Chipettes! This chapter was special: it was only from Brittany's point of view. Next will be Charlene's. For the most part, from now on, this story will be told from Brittany and Alvin's perspective, so as not to ruin whatever Charlene has planned.
Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks so much to Contemperina for being a wonderful beta reader and just an all-around sweetheart. God bless her!