Chapter 4: Strange feelings

Years had passed since the Professor's death, and so far, there had been not one sign of evil around. Life had changed for the Chipmunks and Chipettes since there were no longer adults around, and even they had started to change themselves.

As they had grown up, the boys started noticing changes in their bodies. They grew taller, their shoulders became broader, their voices began to crack and deepen (although it was still high-pitched like a chipmunk) and they began to develop muscles. Theodore had even started to lose some of his baby fat, making his chubby body look more like muscle.

The girls had also noticed changes in their bodies as they grew up. They too had become taller and their hips began to get bigger (making them look curvier). Eleanor, like Theodore, had lost weight (although she still stayed a bit chubby). The girls also noticed their chests were getting bigger; showing that they were developing breasts.

Puberty was a confusing and painful time for them, but it soon began to slow down as they got older. Anyway, it was pretty obvious the Chipmunks and Chipettes were no longer children; they were teenagers, and it made the world around them a more mysterious and confusing place.

"Jean, it's time to get up." Simon said gently as he tried to wake her up one morning.

"Britt, come on, wake up lazy-bones!" Alvin teased as he tried to shake Brittany awake.

"Ellie, come on, don't sleep in all day." Theodore begged the sleeping Eleanor.

All three girls stirred in their sleep. Brittany was the first to wake-up, but she refused to open her eyes.

"Alvin, go away you pest. I'm trying to sleep." Brittany groaned sleepily.

"Oh, come on, Brittany! It's Christmas morning; I can't have you sleeping all day." Alvin groaned.

Brittany just ignored him, and turned over.

"Alright guys, time for plan B." Alvin said with a smile, and his brothers nodded in agreement.

"Brittany, Santa Claus came last night! He left presents; and unless you want your presents stolen by me, I suggest you wake up now." Alvin teased her.

"I'm up!" she exclaimed, jumping up quickly and running out of their fort.

Alvin smiled to himself.

"Worked like a charm!"

Simon and Theodore were still trying to wake up Jeanette and Eleanor.

"Jeanette, come on, get up! Come and see the presents that I-Santa left for you." Simon urged her gently.

"Okay Simon, I'm up." Jeanette stretched and yawned.

"Come on Jeanette, I'll meet you outside." Simon said as he headed outdoors.

Sleepily, Jeanette followed him.

"Eleanor, don't you want to see the presents from Santa?" Theodore asked her with disappointment.

Eleanor heard the disappointment in Theodore's voice and decided it was time to get up.

"Alright Theodore, let's go get those presents." Eleanor said excitedly.

Theodore smiled. Both he and Eleanor headed outside where their siblings had already helped themselves to their Christmas stockings (which were ordinary socks held to a thin branch with a clothes peg). Theodore and Eleanor grabbed their "stockings" and sat down together in the sand to look at them.

All six chipmunks sat about two metres away from their siblings as they sat with their counterparts and looked at the presents they had received. Brittany pulled out a handful of pearls from her sock.

"Oh, Alvin, they're beautiful!" Brittany gasped.

Alvin smiled, pleased that Brittany liked her present.

"I found them in the oysters I collected for breakfast this morning! Simon told me that they are called pearls, but I think they're marbles. At least you can pretend they are when you play with them."

Alvin didn't realise he had just spilled out his secret. Brittany put her hands on her hips and gave Alvin a suspicious look, but she was also smiling.

"What?" he asked nervously.

"You planned this, didn't you? It wasn't Santa who put the presents in my sock; it was you!" she laughed.

"Surprise!" he replied nervously.

Brittany gave him a playful slap across the chest, and then pushed him over. Both she and Alvin started laughing.

"Brittany, why do we fight all the time?" he asked.

"I don't know." Brittany shrugged.

"Well, maybe that should be our New Year's resolution: to fight less." Alvin suggested determinedly.

"Um, okay, that may be possible. By the way, thank you for the present, I love it." Brittany leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Alvin, all of a sudden felt his cheeks burn, and found himself caught in Brittany's eyes, and she was caught in his. Brittany managed to shake off the stare, but found something on Alvin's face that made her concerned.

"Alvin, your cheeks are going red!" Brittany gasped.

"Oh, are they? It must sunburn or something." Alvin suggested, hoping to cover up the real reason his cheeks were going red.

He knew he was blushing; but was confused because he didn't know why Brittany's kiss was making him blush. He thought he only blushed when he was embarrassed, but he was feeling something else instead...but what was it?

"See you, Alvin!" she said as she walked away.

"Yeah...see you." Alvin murmured, as he placed his hand on his chest, trying to slow down the beating of his heart.

Meanwhile, Simon gave Jeanette her gift. It was a rock with a fish-like skeleton pattern on it.

"It's a fossil, Jeanette!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Wow, that's pretty cool, Simon. What is it a fossil of exactly?" she asked curiously.

"I'm not exactly sure, but it looks like some kind of prehistoric fish." Simon presumed.

"Oh, okay. Well, thank you for the present, Simon. I am guessing it was from you instead of Santa Claus." Jeanette said, giving Simon a look.

"Yeah, you caught me, Jean. I know it's a lame present, but it's the best thing I could find." Simon admitted sheepishly.

Jeanette smiled and giggled.

"Hey, as long as it's from you, Simon; I love it!"

Jeanette threw her arms around Simon, and he returned the hug eagerly. As he held Jeanette close in his arms, a strange feeling came over him. His heart started beating faster and he got a funny feeling in his stomach, and the strangest part of it was; he liked it.

Simon cleared his throat, and pulled away from Jeanette.

"Is something wrong, Simon?"

"Huh...no nothing's wrong. I'm just not feeling very well at the moment." Simon said, stretching the truth a little to cover up his nervousness.

"Do you want to lie down, Simon?" Jeanette asked with concern.

"No, I-I'll be fine, Jeanette." Simon said reassuringly.

"Okay then, bye Simon!"

"Bye Jeanette!"

Simon shook his head, hoping to shake out the strange thoughts that suddenly came into his mind.

Eleanor admired the present that Theodore had given her. It was a necklace made out of shells and feathers on a piece of string.

"Oh, Theodore, I love it!" she exclaimed.

"I hoped you would. I thought it would be much nicer to make a present. It's especially nice when you're stranded on a tropical island."

"Thank you so much, Teddy, it's beautiful." Eleanor smiled.

Theodore loved it when Eleanor smiled; it made her look more beautiful than ever...huh, why was he so focused on her looks; it was her personality that mattered. Still, that smile was wonderful.

"Could you put it on for me, Theodore?" Eleanor asked gently.

"Um, sure, I'll put it on for you."

Eleanor turned around so Theodore could put the necklace around her neck. As Theodore tied the knot to hold it in place, he felt Eleanor's soft skin against his fingers, he was surprised by how soft it actually was; like baby skin, and she never put lotions on or anything.

Eleanor turned around to face Theodore, and gave him another one of her beautiful smiles. Theodore felt like his whole body was melting, but his heart was beating so fast, skipping between beats. It felt so confusing and strange.

"Theodore, why are you looking at me like that?" Eleanor asked gently.

"I, um, was looking at the necklace. It really suits you Ellie, and yet it's horribly made." Theodore said modestly.

"I think you made it beautifully, Teddy." Eleanor said honestly.

"Thanks, I guess."

Eleanor finally got up, and started to walk away.

"Thanks again, Theodore. I'll talk to you later, okay!"

Theodore watched her walk off into the distance and tried to ignore the fact that he was sick to his stomach.

'What the hell is wrong with me?'

Later on that day, all three boys were doing some building on the fort that they all slept in, while the girls sat nearby, watching them work. As you know; the Chipmunks and Chipettes didn't wear their normal clothes very often, because of the hot weather. Instead they wore their loin cloths, so at the moment, the boys were shirtless.

Brittany's eyes were somehow fixated on Alvin's body. While he was working on tying two pieces of timber together, his wide, broad shoulders tightened, showing off the muscles on his back. Brittany continued to ogle at Alvin's appealing muscles, and felt something deep inside of her wanting to desperately come out, yet she didn't know what it was.

Alvin spotted Brittany looking at him funnily, and gave her a strange look.

"What are you looking at?" Alvin asked grumpily.

"Your muscles!" she answered breathlessly.

"What about them?" he asked, looking down at his muscular chest and slightly visible six-pack.

Brittany didn't know how to answer his question, so she looked down at the ground shyly.

"You are so weird, you know that, Brittany?" he grunted.

Brittany just scoffed, and tried her best not to look at Alvin.

Jeanette was also looking at Simon's body. She admired his muscular biceps as he chopped up some wood nearby.

She licked her lips a little bit, and Simon saw it.

"Jeanette, am I really that interesting?" Simon asked with annoyance.

"Well...um...!"

Simon shook his head and continued on with his work.

Eleanor was making eyes at Theodore. Although he wasn't as muscular as his older brothers, he still had some appealing muscles across his chest and arms that turned her on a bit. She rested her chin in her hands, and gave a deep sigh, that Theodore heard quite clearly.

"Eleanor, can you stop looking at me that way. It's starting to freak me out." Theodore said with frustration.

"Oh, I'm sorry Theodore." Eleanor replied with embarrassment.

Although they didn't know it yet, this simple attraction was going to turn into something much more.