Old Flame

Chapter 10

Swallowing Pride

XOXOXOXOXO

Author's Note: Finally broke out of a writer's block concerning this story. Phew!

Anyway, thanks for all of your patience! With me nearly done with school, I'll have time for more updates.

XOXOXOXOXO

ALVIN

He just couldn't understand how everything took a turn for the worse.

Scratch that. He did know why. But that didn't make things any easier.

He had lied to Brittany, the girl who was quickly becoming his best friend. The girl who, as much as he didn't want to admit it, was quickly stealing his heart. Ever since she had walked into his life, she had turned his world upside down. In a good way. But despite how much she meant to him, he hurt her. Called her names he never thought he could ever have the nerve to say.

He didn't mean to hurt her, if that made any kind of sense. He might tease her or playfully taunt her, but he never wanted to hurt her. But what was he supposed to do? What could he have done differently to avoid the situation he found himself in now? All he wanted to do was spend time with his old friend. For God's sake, was that so wrong?

In his defense, he had listened to all the lies Brittany fed him. While he was being hounded for telling a little white lie, she was trying to spin a whole web of deceit. Her ridiculous account of Charlene was both shocking and insulting. According to Brittany, Charlene was plotting against all of them, somehow...

Seriously, how could she say such terrible and hurtful things about her? Charlene was one of the sweetest, kindest girls he had ever known. He had never known her to intentionally hurt anyone, and he knew for a fact that she would never do the things Brittany claimed were true. And Brittany had the nerve to get mad at him for lying?

Alvin stopped staring at the ceiling of his bedroom and flipped over onto his stomach. The darkness of the room only served to further his foul mood. All through dinner, Brittany and Alvin didn't even bother to acknowledge each other's existence. He had a feeling his brothers, Jeanette and Eleanor had guessed that something had gone on between them, but they didn't bother to ask. They must have assumed that he and Brittany had gotten into a small argument (as usual), but would soon go back to laughing and playing by the following day. Alvin didn't think so this time.

This was their first, genuine fight. And neither of them was willing to budge.

Alvin groaned, grabbing his pillow and forcing it over his head. Everything was just so freakin' complicated, and it was getting on his nerves big time. What was he supposed to do? Who was he supposed to believe? Why did he even have to choose between them? And even if he did find out one of them was truly lying to him, would that make things any better? He honestly didn't think he could accept that Brittany or Charlene was deceiving him.

Why is Brittany being so difficult? I mean, what the heck is going on? If I take what Brittany says as truth, then Charlene is a lying, backstabbing witch. But why would Charlene do that? We were friends since we were kits. Not just me, but she was friends with my brothers too, Alvin pondered, throwing his pillow off of him and sending it tumbling off the side top bunk of the bed. But if I completely dismiss what she said, then that means Brittany's just bullying Charlene around when she didn't do anything wrong. But I know Brittany's not that kind of girl. She'd never do that.

Sighing deeply, he sat up and kicked off the red covers decorated with his trademark "A". He rubbed his head in frustration. All of this thinking was starting to hurt!

Was he looking at this all wrong? Ever since she had confessed to him earlier today, he had automatically dismissed what she had to say as lies. But what if he was wrong? Brittany wasn't a liar, he knew that for sure. So, why should this time be different? Why didn't he just sit down and think about all of this earlier, instead of having a knee jerk reaction and throwing around insults?

His heart skipped a beat. What if she did tell me the truth?

He shook his head, his reddish brown bangs fuzzing up even more. He didn't want to think about that. Charlene wouldn't – but would she? He hadn't seen her in years. Who's to say that she couldn't have changed? Not only changed, but did a complete one-eighty? What if she wasn't the sweet, kind girl he had known from his childhood?

Alvin wasn't there with Brittany and Charlene constantly. What if it was all an act? What if Charlene really was out to make Brittany's life a living hell? Had Charlene really done all of those horrible things to her?

Alvin gulped down the guilt. His heart raced at the dreadful possibility that he had hurt Brittany, when all she had tried to do was tell him the truth. To warn him. And now... she was suffering all alone.

"Dammit," Alvin cursed, burying his head in his hands. "What do I do?"

Finally, he decided to not dwell on it any longer. He just couldn't decide who to trust. His head was swimming with things he didn't want to think about. For now, he would push it to the back of his mind. Whoever was really lying, he would find out in time, right? He'd cross that bridge when the time came.

But, for now, Alvin began to realize that he was too harsh on Brittany. Why couldn't he give her the benefit of a doubt? After all, he had lied to her, put her in a situation she specifically said she did not want to be in, and even yelled at her and compared her to Ray, of all people. Brittany didn't deserve that disrespect.

Having made up his mind, Alvin jumped off of his bed. He landed safely at the bottom of their bunk bed, brushing off his red pajama shirt. After recovering, he walked over to their bedroom door, keen on making things right.

"Alvin? What are you doing up so late?" asked a small, timid voice from behind him. Alvin tensed, realizing that Theodore must have heard him land.

"I was just going to get a glass of water," Alvin said. He winced at the lie. It seemed that was all he was doing nowadays. "I'll be back soon, Theo. Get some sleep."

"Okay," Theodore smiled, yawning softly and turning his back to him. "You better get some sleep too."

"I will," Alvin promised, gently pushing open their door and closing it quietly behind him.

Alvin quickly looked around as he stood in the hallway, praying that Dave had already turned in for the night. To his relief, a large snore from Dave's bedroom confirmed it. Tiptoeing as silently as he could, Alvin made his way towards the Chipettes' bedroom. He couldn't help but smile at the three signs each of the girls had made to claim their new room. Eleanor's was decorated with little sports stickers, her name written in curly letters. Jeanette's sign was decorated with blue and purple, tiny doodles of flowers and butterflies decorating the borders. Alvin's small smile eased into a large grin when he saw Brittany's: as expected, her's was the largest and most glittery. Pink and gold were her colors of choice, with pictures of herself adorning it.

"That's Britt for you," Alvin chuckled.

Wasting no more time, Alvin gently pushed open their bedroom door. He poked his head inside, looking to see if any of them were awake. He crept inside and checked to make sure Jeanette and Eleanor were sound asleep. Sure enough, Eleanor and Jeanette were curled up under their covers, breathing softly as they dreamed. Satisfied, Alvin finally made a move for Brittany's bed. He climbed up the side of her light pink sheets and looked over at her sleeping form.

As he walked closer, he couldn't help but stare. Brittany was sleeping quietly on her back, her chest rising and falling softly with each breath. The moonlight filtering in from the nearby window seemed to bring an innocent halo to the girl sleeping inches away from him. Brittany really was beautiful...

Shaking his head, he cursed himself for becoming distracted so easily. Focus! I'm here to apologize and make things right between us, not stare at her while she's sleeping, like some creeper!

Reaching out, he gently took her by the shoulder and attempted to rouse her awake. Brittany moaned softly, scowling slightly in her sleep. She grumbled something he couldn't quite make out, turning her back to him.

"Brittany! Brittany, wake up," Alvin whispered. "I need to – AUGH!"

Alvin grabbed at his forehead, falling back and hissing in pain. Brittany had rolled over and accidentally smacked him in the middle of his forehead with the back of her paw. To his disbelief, she didn't even seem to feel a thing! Brittany simply mumbled in her sleep and snuggled deeper into her pillow.

"Don't steal my cookies, bitch..." she said in her sleep.

Alvin's eyebrow twitched in anger. "Brittany! Wake up!" he said, this time a bit louder.

Brittany's eyes flew open and she sat up quickly in alarm. She squinted her eyes at him through the darkness, tense. However, she soon realized that it was Alvin and sighed in relief.

"Alvin, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" she whispered, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"And you nearly beat me up in your sleep!" Alvin shot back, praying that she didn't give him a knot on his head.

"What? I did no such thing," Brittany snapped, rolling her eyes. "Don't play, Alvin."

"I'm not playing!" Alvin shot back. He revealed the reddened spot under his fur. "You smacked me in your sleep, see?"

"Woah! I'm sorry, Alvin," Brittany apologized, a slightly amused smile on her face. For a second, Alvin wondered if she had done it on purpose. "Eleanor and Jeanette always did tell me I was a wild sleeper. And – wait. What are you doing in my room?" she questioned suddenly. She then narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, giving him a cold glare. Alvin winced, knowing that she recalled their confrontation from earlier that day. "What do you want, Alvin? I'm not in the mood for your mess right now."

Alvin sighed deeply, scratching the back of his head. A part of him felt that she had the complete right to feel cross at him. After all, while they had both gotten a little wrapped up in the argument, he was the one who took it a step too far. Just this once, he was willing to shoulder the blame.

"Britt, I'm sorry. I really, truly am," he told her sincerely, glancing up at her to make sure he had her attention. Brittany still seemed angry at him, but she was looking at him intently. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I didn't mean to call you a liar. Or compare you to Ray. Or, heck, any of the other things I said. I take it back. I just didn't know what to do to make the both of you happy. You know what I mean?"

Brittany looked away, peering out of her bedroom window and into the night sky. "Yeah, I guess so."

"But I should have handled things differently. Maybe if I did, I wouldn't have hurt you," Alvin said quietly. Brittany didn't respond. "I was stupid, I really was. But I know one thing: I don't want to lose you. I mean that. You mean too much to me."

Brittany's ears stood at attention at this confession. She slowly turned around to face him, searching his face for any signs that he was kidding around, or lying to her again to get her to forgive him. All she saw was sincerity and remorse.

"Y-You're not just saying all that stuff to butter me up, are you?" Brittany asked nervously. She then smiled slightly, suppressing a laugh. "Because, you know, it's rare for you to say all the right things."

"Ouch, Britt!" Alvin laughed, clutching at his heart. "Why do you have to wound my ego so? I'm being honest here!"

Brittany rolled her eyes. "It could stand to be deflated a bit, if you ask me."

Alvin was tempted to give a snide comeback, but resisted. This wasn't the time to argue, even if it was just their usual playful banter. He shook his head, becoming serous again.

"Britt, I really am serious," he said firmly. He gently took her paw in his own, giving it a small squeeze. "And I'm willing to prove it. Let me prove to you that I am sorry. I just want things to go back to normal between us. I don't want us to grow apart."

"Really, Alvin?" Brittany said, a grin beginning to grace to features. Alvin's heart pounded in hope, but what she said next made him wince. "I don't know. I mean you did force me into tolerating Charlene in my own house. Without even telling me, I might add. Not to mention you lied to me. I think you owe me anything I want, don't you?"

Alvin bit his tongue, realizing that she was absolutely right. Had he been in her shoes, he'd be saying the exact same thing. True, he didn't understand the animosity Brittany held against Charlene. But he realized that she might just have her reasons, and he would have to respect that. No more forcing her to work with her. No more inviting Charlene without notice. If things were going to go well between him and Brittany, he had to accept the fact that Charlene couldn't be in the mix. The two had to be separate.

Choosing his words carefully, Alvin replied, "Okay, I'll give you that. But can you try and see it from my side too? I don't know what to think. I know you're not a liar, but..." he sighed, rubbing his temple. "I just can't think of Charlene doing all of those things. Maybe it's just me, but I just think, maybe, there's some sort of mistake. Somehow." Alvin closed his eyes. "I just want to make things right."

Brittany stared at him for a few seconds, deep in thought. After a while, she sighed deeply, entwining her fingers in his own.

"Alright, Alvin," she said kindly, smiling up at him. "I can give you that. Maybe I didn't see it from your position either. I guess Charlene – "

"I don't want to talk about Charlene," Alvin cut in. Brittany raised a brow at him, taken aback. "It's just you and me right now. Charlene has nothing to do with us."

"Right. It's just about us," Brittany agreed with a smile. Alvin was relieved to see her smile at him again. This was his first sign that things would be okay. "So, anything I want, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah," Alvin snickered. "Just this once."

"Spoil sport," Brittany said, sticking out her tongue. She pondered for a moment before smiling again. "Okay, I want you to take me to the mall and help me go shopping."

"Ugh, I knew you were going to say that," Alvin groaned. He absolutely hated shopping, in general. But going shopping with a girl who practically breathed fashion? That was even worse! "Fine. Anything else?"

"Then I want you to treat me to something yummy at the bakery there," Brittany continued, looking off in a dreamy manner. "A nice strawberry shortcake. And maybe a few gingerbread cookies. It's getting close to the holidays."

"Okay, that doesn't sound too bad," Alvin said, actually liking the idea. He smirked at her, folding his arms over his chest. "You know, I have a feeling you're going easy on me, Britt. I expected you to make me your personal slave for a week or something."

"I thought about it," Brittany said nonchalantly. Alvin's jaw dropped open, making her laugh. "But I do have a heart, you know."

"So does that mean I'm off the hook after this?" Alvin asked.

"Maybe," Brittany smiled. "As long as you promise never to do anything like that again," she added pointedly.

"I promise," Alvin said, placing a hand over his heart and raising the other one.

Brittany leaned over and gave him a hug, startling him. He felt his cheeks flush a light red at her touch, but he slowly returned the hug.

"Well, I guess I can put it behind us, just this one. For you," Brittany said, sighing contently. "And I mean, you only."

"Thanks, Britt," Alvin smiled, stroking her auburn hair gently. He watched as her ponytail bounced softly at his touch. "So, it's a date. We'll go the mall, I'll have to hold a ton of your shopping bags," he said, gagging comically. Brittany giggled. "And then we'll gorge on sweets. Sounds like fun!"

Brittany smiled up at him. "It does. I can't wait." Brittany glanced at her heart-shaped alarm clock, the pink, glowing numbers flashing "3:13". She removed herself from his embrace, much to Alvin's disappointment. "Ahem, er, well, it's getting late. We better turn in before anyone catches us. Goodnight, Alvin."

"Goodnight, Brittany," Alvin smiled, kissing the middle of her forehead. He heard her squeak in surprise and he had to suppress a smile. Still got it. "I'll see you in the morning."

Soon after, Alvin crept toward the bedroom door again. Brittany waved at him from her bed. Alvin waved back before gently closing the door behind him and quickly returning to his own room. Thankfully, Simon and Theodore were still fast asleep. Alvin scurried up the ladder leading to the top of the bed and snuggled back under his monogrammed covers.

But two hours later, when the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, Alvin found that he couldn't get back to sleep. He was simply too excited! Brittany had forgiven him without any real drama, and things were finally going back to normal between them.

What more could he wish for?

XOXOXOXOXO

Author's Note: Big ball of Alvittany fluff! I love eeettt~

Next chapter will be up soon! Reviews are love.