Hey, guys!
I'm supersorry that it took me so long to update. I've been camping, and we didn't have wifi, so I couldn't upload the next chapter of my story.
All right, Excuses Time over. I hope you enjoy chapter seven, even if it is a little bit late :)
Several days later
"Jeanette?"
Simon wandered into the room and found Jeanette staring out through the window at the stars.
"Space is beautiful, isn't it?" she whispered.
He smiled. "Yeah, it is," he agreed.
She sighed and adjusted her purple spacesuit. Simon smiled at her and tugged at his own, blue, spacesuit. "Not very comfortable, are they?" he chuckled.
"Unless we're in zero gravity," she smiled at him. They had experienced zero gravity the day before, and it had been a blast.
"This spaceship is amazing, isn't it?" Simon asked, staring out at the galaxy. "They found a way to get normal food on here, and it's been excellent…everything is really spacious and comfortable, and we've got an awesome view." He chuckled. "I mean, for twelve chipmunks heading into battle, it's almost too good to be true."
Jeanette grimaced, to his surprise. "That's exactly it," she murmured. "I've been feeling like it IS too good to be true." She shook her head. "I'm not sure, but…something just seems…off."
Simon exhaled loudly. "Then you've been feeling it, too," he said quietly.
She turned to stare at him in astonishment. He chuckled at the look she gave him.
"I'm not stupid, Jean. I know that something is bothering you, and I can't help but feel that something's wrong, too."
"Did you talk to Singeon about it?" she asked.
Simon nodded. "He just said that he didn't really know what I was talking about, but he'd look into it some." He shrugged. "How about you?"
Jeanette nodded. "Jenelle said almost the same exact thing."
"It's really cool how well we're getting along with our doubles," Simon commented after a moment of silence.
Jeanette grinned. "Yeah, Jenelle's pretty much become my best friend." She gave him a squeeze. "Aside from you, of course."
He smiled. "Of course," he teased. He hugged her back. "We may just be imagining things, Jean. Everything seems fine to me. Maybe we're just nervous."
"That may be," she agreed, staring uncertainly out the window at the stars again.
"Well, I've got to run," he said, giving her another squeeze before heading to the door. "I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay," she agreed, smiling back at him as he left.
She sighed and turned to look out the window again. She shook her head.
Simon's probably right, she thought. Everything's going as well as it can in this situation. We've got comforts and friends…I'm probably just nervous. I've never been in a battle before. It doesn't really help that it's hard to use your wings in outer space, so my powers might not be very helpful. Jenelle said she'd help, though. I was so surprised to find out that our doubles all have the same powers as we do!
Jeanette shook her head, figuring that she was just being a scaredy-munk, like usual. She turned back to stare at outer space, and she let out an involuntary sigh. It was just so…so beautiful. She had read countless books about outer space, and she had studied it thoroughly, but she'd never thought she would end up going there one day. She sighed in content again.
But she still couldn't help that tiny, off-centered feeling in her gut.
"Jeanette!" Jenelle burst into the cabin.
Jeanette looked up from her book, smiling. "Hey, Jenelle. What's up?"
"O-Grav!" she exclaimed.
Jeanette dropped her book. "No way."
"Oh-Grav" was their term for zero-gravity. Jeanette quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, and sure enough, she and Jenelle rose up to the ceiling.
Jeanette giggled. "Wings?"
"Wings!" Jenelle squealed, and both girls removed their spacesuits enough to expand their wings. Jeanette's were a deep purple, and her primaries were streaked with indigo. Jenelle's were blue, with lilac streaks in them. They giggled and used their wings to propel themselves around the cabin.
Soon, though, it ended, and they floated gently back down to the floor.
There technically should have been zero-gravity all the time, but the monitors only allowed it in once in a while. The girls always took advantage of it to stretch their wings.
Jeanette sighed as she wriggled back into her suit. She flopped back down in her chair and smiled up at Jenelle. "I love it when that happens," she giggled.
Jenelle giggled, too. "Me, too." She flopped down in the chair next to her double. "So, what book are you reading?"
Jeanette instantly launched into a summary of the factual text about space. Jenelle listened attentively, nodding and asking questions, and Jeanette felt happy.
It's not often I run into someone who pays attention to this stuff, who actually enjoys listening to it and learning about it. I've got Simon, but it's nice to have some girl time with someone else who shares my interests, too. Eleanor and Brittany are nice to me, but they've never really been into learning the way I have.
Jeanette and Jenelle both began to say something at the same time, and then they started giggling. Then they stopped abruptly at the same moment, let out the same aggravated huff, and shoved their glasses farther up on their noses at the same time.
They stared at each other, and then began to giggle again.
"I just cannot get over it," Brittany laughed in delight.
Whitney grinned, her blue eyes sparkling. "That makes two of us."
"I mean, I thought I was a freak, because I was a half-chipmunk, half-fish, and I can talk and sing, and still manage to be gorgeous. But you—," She doubled over with laughter.
"I could say the same exact thing," Whitney giggled. "Minus the singing."
"You HONESTLY can't sing?" Brittany stared at her double in astonishment. "How can you be MY double and not be able to sing?"
"It's astonishing," Whitney agreed flatly, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, I'm just being hard on you, Whit." Brittany rolled her eyes, too, and tugged at the top of her outfit.. "Honestly, it doesn't really matter. I guess we're not identical, are we?"
"We are in some ways," Whitney corrected. "Polar opposites in others." She grinned. "Isn't it fabulous that we don't have to wear those clunky spacesuits all the time anymore?"
"Yeah, I'm glad that Simon got that monitor fixed," Brittany agreed. "I guess being smart is ONE thing he's good for."
Whitney rolled her eyes. "Omigosh, I feel the exact same way about Singeon. I'm glad that we got a way to teleport your clothes on board, though. I mean, some of these outfits are seriously fab."
"Yours, too!" Brittany gushed. The girls both lifted their arms above their heads and twirled around together, displaying the red and pink strapless dresses they were wearing.
"Not the most practical thing ever for a ship, but hey, it's fashionable," Whitney said with a shrug. Brittany agreed.
"Hey, do you know how to french braid?" Whitney asked, flopping down on the bed in front of the vanity that they had placed in their room.
Brittany rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. "No, I don't," she moaned. "And get this—Jeanette does."
Whitney gasped. "No way," she said in a hushed voice.
Brittany nodded miserably.
"Your nerdy little sister knows and you don't?" Whitney's mouth dropped open.
"Horrible, isn't it?" Brittany wailed. "And she won't even tell me! She just says there are more important things in life and that she doesn't really remember, anyway. But I know she does. She's got a photographic memory—she doesn't forget anything."
Whitney grinned. "Well, Britt, it just so happens that I know how to french braid, too."
Brittany gasped. "Omigosh! No way. You've gotta show me, Whit. Like, right now."
Whitney giggled and moved a stool in front of the vanity. Brittany sat down and made sure she had a clear view of herself in the mirror.
"All right," Whitney said in a businesslike tone. She put on a tiny spritz of perfume, rubbed on her Tropical Island hand sanitizer, and grabbed two strands of Brittany's hair. "First…"
Brittany watched her double in the mirror twist the strands of hair together, explaining each step thoroughly. Brittany paid strict attention, but a small part of her mind was wandering just a little.
It's not often I find someone who enjoys this stuff, talking about it and teaching about it. I've got Alvin, but it's nice to have some girl time with someone else who shares my interests, too. Jeanette and Eleanor are fabulous sisters, but they've never really been into fashion the way I have.
"And voila!" Whitney finished it off with an elastic rubber band around the end and sliding a pink sparkly barrette into the front. "You're done."
Brittany admired her new hairstyle, turning her head one way, then another. She grinned. "Whitney, you are, without a doubt, completely fabulous," she squealed, hugging her double tightly. Then Brittany pushed Whitney down on the stool and reached for the hand sanitizer, and then her double's hair. "All right, it's my turn now."
"AAAAAALLLLVIIIIINNN!"
"CAAAAAALLLLVIIIINNN!"
The shouts from Simon and Singeon were already receding far behind Alvin and Calvin as they sprinted along as fast as they could, nothing more visible than a giant red-and-pink blur. They were both using their superspeed to race through the enormous airship.
"You don't stand a chance," Alvin yelled to Calvin.
"You wish, old man," Calvin yelled back, grinning. "I was built for SPEED."
"We both were, technically," Alvin laughed at him, and they both screeched to a halt at the direct end of the spaceship, in front of the airlock.
"Whew! ANOTHER tie," Calvin panted, leaning against the wall. "I can't believe this!"
"I know," Alvin laughed, also panting as he put his hands on his knees. "I haven't gone this fast since I got my powers!"
"This is so totally awesome," Calvin said after a pause. "I've never had ANYONE to race with before, not like this."
"I know what you mean," Alvin agreed.
A mischievous look entered Calvin's eyes. He reached for the air lock door. "Dare me?"
"Are you INSANE?" Alvin slapped Calvin's hand away. "No, thanks. I don't want to die." He was grinning, though. He had finally found someone as crazy as he was.
Despite the fun he was having as they both began to crack blond jokes without their girlfriends around to hear, his thoughts were drifting slightly.
It's not often I run into someone who enjoys this stuff, doing crazy stunts and making jokes like this. I've got Britt, of course, but she's not as much of a daredevil as I am; she's always worrying about her hair. And she NEVER cracks blond jokes, for obvious reasons. Simon and Theodore are good brothers, but they've never really been willing to take risks and be crazy once in a while like I do.
"So, race you back?" Calvin interrupted Alvin's thoughts cheerfully. "Bet I can get Singeon to break the sound barrier."
Alvin laughed. "Simon can yell louder than anyone I've heard. You're on!"
And the two were off again.
"…148086513282," Singeon finished.
"Whew!" Simon leaned back, grinning at his friend. "That was a very impressively recited 114 digits of pi." He smirked.
Singeon smacked the table. "Nuh-uh!" he yelled. "Are you serious right now? You know more?"
Simon doubled over with laughter. "I know 115!" he snickered. "The next digit was '3.'"
Singeon growled incomprehensibly at thin air. "Honestly, I've never met anyone who's been this close to me in a memorization contest!" he cried. "You've won every other contest, and I've won all the rest."
Simon laughed. He stared at his friend who had hunched over the textbook again, looking for something to memorize. His thoughts became slightly preoccupied.
It's not often I run into someone who enjoys this stuff, memorizing and learning about the world. I've got Jeanette, of course, but it's nice to have some guy time with someone who shares my interests, too. Alvin and Theodore are great brothers, but they've never been into learning and facts and logic like I have.
"So," Singeon interrupted, "how many elements do you know from the Periodic Table?"
Simon smirked confidently and leaned back in his chair. "Antimony," he began. "Arsenic, Aluminum, Selenium, Hydrogen, Oxygen…"
"I can't—reach—the—WHOOOOOOA!" Eleanor had been about to say "sugar," but she suddenly drifted up through the air, soaring up toward the concealed hatch that held the sugar bag. She reached up and snagged the handle, yanking it open and pulling out the sugar.
"Make sure it doesn't open, or sugar will be floating everywhere!" a worried Eloise called up. "We're in zero gravity again."
"Convenient when you want to get the sugar, but not so convenient when you want to use it," Eleanor giggled as her double floated up next to her.
After several minutes, the gravity set in again, and they floated back to the ground.
"Awesome," Eloise grinned, marching over to the counter. "So then we add a cup of sugar." She did so, and consulted the recipe again. "To make our moon cupcakes, we next need to get the vanilla extract…"
"Comin' right up," Eleanor called, feeling giddy. She hurried to the counter, more cheerful than she had been in a while. She had been suspicious of Eloise at first—and rightly so, because Eloise was her double, after all—but after she got to know her twin, she realized that Eloise was the best friend she'd had in a long time. She knew everything there was to know about cooking and she read all the books Eleanor liked to read.
It's not often, Eleanor thought, that I run into someone who enjoys this stuff, reading and cooking and learning. I've got Theodore, of course, but he doesn't always understand quite what I'm trying to say. It's nice to have some girl time with someone who shares my interests. Jeanette and Brittany are wonderful sisters, but they're either way too uptight or way too relaxed, and they aren't really interested in the same things that I am.
"Ellie! The vanilla extract!"
Eleanor turned and saw the bottle teetering and tottering on the shelf above them. Desperately, she jumped up and stretched her arms out just as it fell, and managed to catch it safely.
"Nice!" Eloise cheered as Eleanor stood up, proudly holding her prize, and ran back over to the counter where they were baking their moon cupcakes. "So," Eloise continued as they added the vanilla extract, "did you read chapter eight in 'Wind in the Willows' yet?"
"Yes!" Eleanor gasped. "I could not even believe what I was reading!"
And they were off on another discussion about the things that they liked to read.
"That's so awesome!"
Theodore grinned up at Trevor, who was sitting on the bed across from him.
"Do you like it?" he asked somewhat shyly.
"It's a Meerkat Manor sock puppet!" Trevor cried. "It's AWESOME!"
"Thanks," Theodore laughed. "I know I'm kind of too old for sock puppets, but…"
Trevor shook his head. "NO one's too old for sock puppets," he corrected, sheepishly holding up one of his own.
Theodore laughed. "I didn't even know that they had Meerkat Manor on your planet," he said, picking up another pair of green socks to fold them. He had actually been doing the laundry before he got distracted.
"Are you kidding me?" Trevor gushed. "I love it!"
Theodore grinned. "Me, too!"
"Did you see that last episode?" Trevor gasped, and they both launched into a detailed conversation. Trevor scooted over to the bed that Theodore was sitting on, and he nonchalantly reached for a sock and a piece of yarn as he talked. Theodore grinned again as his double began to make his own sock puppet.
It's not often that I run into someone who enjoys this stuff, making crafts and watching educational TV shows like that. I've got Eleanor, of course, but she's pretty busy with schoolwork, baking, or reading to really do things like this. It's nice to have some guy time with someone else who likes this sort of thing. Alvin and Simon are great brothers, but they're usually too busy to care about this sort of thing.
"Ta-da!" Trevor crowed, holding up his green sock puppet. He had turned it into a frog. Theodore laughed.
Yes, this is definitely nice.