Author's Note: Sorry for slacking off again... I know I'm not exactly the fastest updater. So to make it up to all of you, I made this chapter really long. So get comfortable, it's a lengthy read! Personally, I'm not so sure how I feel about this chapter. But there are a lot of Alvinor moments, so hopefully you guys like that. Please tell what you think in a review. I love reviews. :) Enjoy the chapter, hopefully I won't take as long releasing the next one!

The only thought that went through Eleanor's mind was, Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…

Well, that and a few colorful swear words.

Eleanor had never seen Brittany look so angry before. And she had seen Brittany angry many times, practically every day of their lives. Eleanor had never really thought much of it; her sister had been throwing temper tantrums since she was in diapers. Over the years, Eleanor had accepted that Brittany was just a very temperamental person.

But Eleanor had never seen Brittany as mad as she did after Brittany saw her kissing Alvin.

"What the HELL is going on?" Brittany repeated. Her body shook with anger, making Eleanor's stomach turn over.

Alvin quickly stood up, as if he had just came out of his daze.

"Britt, we need to talk," he said. Eleanor was impressed that Alvin looked so cool about this… she knew she looked absolutely horrified.

"Get out," Brittany said through clenched teeth. Her icy stare gave Eleanor chills.

Alvin didn't move. He tried again. "Brittany, just listen to…"

"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Brittany screamed. She shoved Alvin with all her might, sending him stumbling backwards.

Eleanor gasped. Brittany was petite, but she knew her sister contained scary strength when she was angry enough to use it.

Alvin gave Eleanor an apologetic look before he left room. Eleanor opened her mouth to ask him to stay, but the words wouldn't come out. She was too baffled by the last thirty seconds that she was literally speechless.

She jumped when Brittany whipped her head around to face her. If looks could kill, Eleanor would have been dead on the spot.

"You little whore," Brittany hissed. "How dare you?"

Brittany's words were like venom. Eleanor's body suddenly felt weak.

"Alvin and I have been going out for years," Brittany spat. "And you have the nerve to stick your tongue down his throat!" Brittany shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it; My own sister, a back-stabbing slut!"

Slut? A lump formed in Eleanor's throat. No one had ever called her that, let alone a family member.

"I knew you liked him," Brittany went on. "I've known for a while. The pathetic way you look at him, the stupid sports talk… it's been obvious for a long time. And you know what? I didn't care." Brittany let out a humorless laugh. "I really didn't care! Because you're my sister, Eleanor, and I knew I'd have nothing to worry about. And then I come in and find you seducing him…"

"Wait a minute!" that got Eleanor's attention. She gathered up every last ounce of pride she had left to defend herself. "You think this is all my fault? For your information, he kissed me."

"Yeah right," Brittany scoffed. She had calmed down an incredible amount in the last five seconds. Her mood had quickly shifted from furious to annoyed. "As if Alvin would ever go for you when he has someone like me."

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Now it was Eleanor's turn to get mad.

Brittany gave her sister a condescending look. "Please. Do I really need to explain?"

A rush of anger surged through Eleanor's body, and suddenly she no longer felt timid or guilty. She was mad as hell.

Eleanor stood up from the bed and looked her sister in the eye. "No, Brittany, explain. Go right ahead."

"Alvin loves me," Brittany said, as if she was talking to a three-year-old. "He has for years. And I love him. He would never leave me, the hottest girl in school, for you."

Eleanor knew she shouldn't be fazed by Brittany's words… after all, Brittany had been self-centered as long as she could remember. But the more Brittany talked about how much better she was than Eleanor, the more Eleanor wanted to smack her make-up covered face.

"You sure have a funny way of showing your love for him," Eleanor said, folding her arms across her chest. "But I guess if you call treating him like shit loving him, then, yeah, I guess you're madly in love."

"You don't know anything," Brittany said, her blue eyes narrowing. She obviously didn't have a comeback for that one.

"I know that he won't have sex with you." Eleanor's mouth was working faster than she could think. But she didn't care. She didn't care about hurting Brittany's feelings because, at this point, she didn't think her sister had any feelings to begin with.

"What are you talking about?" Brittany asked with a frown. Her face was hard, but her voice sounded unsteady, like she was nervous. "We have sex all the time."

"That's not what I heard," Eleanor said. Her confidence grew when she sensed Brittany's discomfort. "Alvin doesn't want to do anything with you because he doesn't really love you. And I don't blame him, after the crappy way you treat him. Not to mention that you cheat on him…"

"That's ridiculous!" Brittany protested, although her face was bright pink.

"Is it?" Eleanor challenged. "Because I have it on good authority that you were…"

"Who told you?" Brittany asked with an eye roll. "That nerdy little friend of yours? What's her name, Mary? Myra? That bitch is known for starting rumors, don't believe her."

"She's not a nerd, and the only bitch around here is you." Eleanor was was surprisingly pleased that she had insulted her sister. "And it doesn't matter who told me. All I know is that you're the slut Brittany, not me."

Brittany glared at her sister. Normally Eleanor would have turned away, but she forced herself not to break eye contact. "You'd better take that back."

"And you'd better get out of Brittany Land and face the real world," Eleanor said. She didn't know where these words were coming from, but they flowed easily as if she had been reading them from a script she had been working on for months. "The world doesn't revolve around you. And Alvin doesn't love you; he loves me."

The sisters faced each other in silence. Eleanor never once considered turning away from Brittany's hateful scowl; Brittany was not better than her. They were equals. No, they weren't… Eleanor was the superior one.

"I hate you," Brittany said in a low voice. "I hate you so much."

Eleanor didn't answer. The words stung, but she didn't back down.

"I never want to see you ever again," Brittany said, her voice getting louder.

"Fine," Eleanor said, surprised that she sounded so strong. She stuffed her homework in her back pack and hurried out the door, not looking back. As she made her way downstairs, Jeanette appeared in the foyer.

"Eleanor?" Jeanette looked confused. "I was outside and heard some shouting. Is everything okay?"

"No," Eleanor said, walking past her sister.

"Where are you going?" Jeanette's eyes were full of concern.

"I don't know," was Eleanor's honest reply. "I'll call you later."

"Wait!" Jeanette called, but Eleanor had already shut the front door. She didn't know where she was going, but she certainly wasn't going to stay in the same building as Brittany Miller.

A half hour later, Eleanor was crying on the bleachers that faced an empty soccer field. She wasn't sure why she had chosen to go to the soccer field of all places; she just didn't know where else to go. She just wanted to be alone.

Eleanor wasn't usually a crier, but she let the tears flow without a second thought. She kept thinking that maybe Alvin wasn't worth it, and knew it was unlikely that Brittany would ever forgive her. Brittany was capable of holding grudges for years; when she said she never wanted to see Eleanor again, she probably meant it.

"Who am I kidding?" Eleanor asked herself between sobs. "He's totally worth it."

Suddenly Eleanor realized that she hated Brittany. She hated Brittany for taking away one of the happiest moments in her life. She hated Brittany for thinking that she was nothing but a fat loser who wasn't good enough for Alvin. She hated Brittany for hating her.

And she hated that she hated Brittany. Sisters weren't supposed to hate each other. Especially not because of a boy.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Eleanor gasped and turned to her right. Alvin was looking down at her, a sad smile on his face. Normally she would have cracked a joke about how he had just snuck up on her for the hundredth time in two days, but she wasn't in a joking mood.

She wiped her tears and turned away. Part of her was glad that Alvin had found her, but he was also one of the last people she wanted to see at the moment.

Alvin sighed and sat down next to her. The two settled into a long silence, both wondering who would be the first to speak and what they would say.

"I'm sorry," Alvin finally said.

Eleanor blinked. Out of all the things she thought Alvin would say, "sorry" wasn't one of them.

"I'm sorry about all of this," Alvin explained. "It's my fault."

"It isn't all your fault," Eleanor said.

"Yes it is." Alvin leaned backward, his back settling against the row of bleachers behind them. "I was the one who kissed you."

Eleanor felt a smile tickle her lips. "I didn't exactly try to stop you."

"You tried," Alvin reminded her.

"Not very hard," Eleanor admitted.

Alvin let out a small chuckle. "Well I started it. And I'm sorry."

Eleanor turned her body toward him and looked Alvin in the eyes. "I don't want you to be sorry. I'm glad you kissed me. I wanted you to kiss me. And if I had the choice, I'd do it over again."

Alvin raised his eyebrows. "Really? You'd go through Brittany's wrath again?"

Eleanor took a deep breath and nodded. Because she realized that she truly would. "It was worth it to kiss you and hear the things you said." Eleanor smiled. "And that note you wrote was adorable."

Alvin cleared his throat as a blush crept up to his face. "Thanks. Glad you liked it."

Eleanor giggled. She didn't think she could ever make Alvin Seville embarrassed. "It was cute, Alvin. I liked it because it came from your heart."

"I meant every word," he said, still looking uncomfortable. He obviously wanted the talk about his gooey love confession to end, so Eleanor decided to change the subject.

"So what are we going to do?"

"About what?" Alvin asked.

"Us." Eleanor bit her lip. She hoped that he still wanted to be with her, despite everything that had happened.

"I want to be with you Ellie." Eleanor's heart did a million flip flops in her chest, even though Alvin's face was serious and she knew there was going to be a "but" coming up. "But it's not going to be easy. If we date, Brittany is going to let the world know that you stole me from her."

"I didn't steal you from her!" Eleanor exclaimed. She couldn't believe Alvin had just said that.

"I know," Alvin said. "But no one else knows the whole story. Brittany can turn everyone against you just like that." Alvin snapped his fingers. "And I don't know if I could put you through all that bullshit."

Eleanor sighed. Alvin was right. Brittany and her copy cat friends would make her life a living hell if she and Alvin publically dated. Actually, Brittany was probably well on her way to spreading the news that Alvin had "cheated" on her with Eleanor. She wouldn't be surprised if by tomorrow she was the new school slut.

"Maybe we should just sleep on it," Alvin suggested. "We should go home. Remember, you have a soccer game. You can't focus with all this crap going on."

Eleanor groaned. She had totally forgotten about that stupid soccer game.

"Come on," Alvin said. "I'll drive you home."

"I can't go home," Eleanor blurted.

Alvin gave her a curious look. "Look, I know Brittany isn't your favorite person right now, but you need to be able to go inside your own house, Eleanor."

"No." Eleanor shook her head and felt the tears come back. "I can't. You know how she gets when she's angry. And I can't put all this stress on Miss Miller and Jeanette. I just can't go home."

"And where do you plan on going?" Alvin asked.

Eleanor shrugged as tears slipped down her cheeks. She hadn't thought about it.

"Okay," Alvin said, standing up. "If you feel like you can't go to your house, you'll stay at mine."

Eleanor almost laughed. "Alvin, I don't think staying with you is a good idea."

"Why not?" Alvin asked. "It's not like you have anywhere else to go."

He had a point.

Alvin picked up Eleanor's backpack. "Let's go."

"Alvin," Eleanor said. "What about Dave? We have school tomorrow; he'll never let me spend the night. And how am I going to explain all this to Miss Miller?"

"So we won't tell them," Alvin said simply.

"Miss Miller will notice I'm gone."

"I doubt it," Alvin muttered. Eleanor gave him a warning look. "I mean, we'll think of something, okay? Just relax. Trust me, this will work out."

Alvin took Eleanor's hand in his, which somehow made her feel much better.

"Okay," Eleanor agreed. It was as if Alvin had put her under a spell, making her believe that everything would be okay. "Let's go."

"Are you sure about this?" Eleanor asked Alvin on the Seville's front porch. "I mean, shouldn't I sneak in the back or something?" She nervously glanced toward her own bedroom window to make sure Brittany wasn't watching her.

"Relax," Alvin said, as if he had snuck girls into his house thousands of times (which, knowing Alvin, he probably had). "Just stay here for a minute and I'll make sure the coast is clear. Then I'll come get you, and you run up to my room as fast as you can."

Eleanor took a deep breath, not bothering to hide her discomfort.

"You know," Alvin said gently, "we could just ask Dave if you could stay the night. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"No," Eleanor said, looking at her bedroom window again. "We can't tell Dave about what happened. He'd probably think I was a slut too."

Alvin rolled his eyes. "This is Dave we're talking about, El. I don't even think the guy knows what a slut is."

Eleanor cracked a smile. "I just don't feel comfortable telling him, okay?"

"Fine." Alvin grinned. "Sneaking in is more fun anyway."

Now it was Eleanor's turn to roll her eyes. "Let's just do this before Brittany sees us."

Alvin nodded. He quietly opened the door and cautiously stuck his head inside. Then he opened the door wider and slipped into the house.

Eleanor folded her arms across her chest as a chilly breeze blew past her. She knew that she should be happy; after years of having feelings for Alvin, he had finally returned them. He had kissed her, something she only thought would happen in her dreams. Yet the only emotion Eleanor could feel at the moment was fear. She was afraid of getting caught staying the night at Alvin's. Eleanor knew how bad it would look only hours after they had…

The door opened, interrupting Eleanor's thoughts.

"It's safe," Alvin whispered. "I think everyone is in the kitchen."

"You think?" Eleanor's eyes widened. Thinking wasn't good enough!

"I know they're in the kitchen," Alvin said, even though Eleanor knew he was lying. "Now come on, we don't have much time."

Eleanor followed Alvin into the house. They quickly but quietly made their way upstairs and into Alvin's bedroom. Alvin shut the door as soon as they were inside.

Eleanor let out a sigh of relief. She instantly looked at Alvin's window to make sure the blinds were closed. Luckily they were.

"See?" Alvin said with a smile. "I told you there was nothing to worry about."

A loud knock at the door made both of them jump.

"Alvin?" It was Dave.

Heart pounding, Eleanor dropped to the floor and hid behind Alvin's bed.

"What?" Alvin asked causally.

"Where have you been?" Dave sounded irritated. "Dinner has been ready for almost an hour. We were getting worried."

"I had to go back the school," Alvin replied. "I, uh, forgot my cleats."

"Why do you need your cleats?" Eleanor heard the door knob jiggle, followed by the sound of a turning lock.

"Don't come in!" Alvin yelped. "I'm, um… I'm changing!"

Eleanor listened to Dave give a frustrated groan. "Just come down and eat your supper."

"Yeah," Alvin said. "Be down soon!"

A few seconds later, Alvin announced Dave was gone.

Eleanor came out of her hiding spot and sat on Alvin's bed. "That was a close one."

"Nah," Alvin shook his head. "I had it all under control."

Eleanor's stomach made a loud growl. She had been so focused on other things in the last few hours that she had forgotten she hadn't had anything to eat since lunch.

Alvin raised his eyebrows. "I think someone is hungry."

Eleanor shrugged. "Maybe a little."

"Don't worry," Alvin said. "I'll bring you up something. Just stay here and be quiet." He left the room before Eleanor could say anything else.

Eleanor sighed and pulled her cell phone out of her bed. There were some things she needed to take care of.

As she dialed Jeanette's number, Eleanor made her way into Alvin's crowded closet. It was a tight fit, but she didn't want Dave or one of Alvin's brothers to hear her talking on the phone.

"Eleanor?" Jeanette picked up after the first ring. "Where are you? What's going on with you and Brittany? She's been yelling and…"

"I can't talk long," Eleanor said quietly. "I'm at the Sevilles' house. I'm going to stay here for the night."

"What?" Jeanette was obviously confused. "Why are you…"

"I'll explain later." Eleanor quietly closed the closet door and flipped the light switch on. "But you can't tell anyone I'm here, especially not Brittany."

"Um, okay."

"I need you to do me a favor," Eleanor said. "Tell Miss Miller that I'm spending the night at Mara's for a school project." She figured Miss Miller wouldn't mind; and she wouldn't be likely to ask any questions about a school project. "And I need you to bring my gym bag to school tomorrow for my soccer game."

"Alright," Jeanette sighed. "But I wish you would tell me what was going on."

"I'll tell you everything tomorrow," Eleanor promised. "It's a long story. Just make sure that Brittany doesn't find out that I'm here."

"Does Dave know you're there?" Jeanette asked.

"No," Eleanor admitted, feeling guilty for sneaking around Dave. "The only people who know are you and Alvin."

"Alvin?" Eleanor could practically see Jeanette scratching her head in confusion.

"Like I said," Eleanor whispered, "I'll explain tomorrow. Thanks again, Jeanette. I really appreciate this."

After a quick good bye, Eleanor hung up the phone and exited the closet, careful not to make too much noise.

She sat on Alvin's unmade bed and, for the first time, really observed his room.

Eleanor had been in Alvin's room a before, but never longer than a few minutes. She had never taken the time to look around; the red-painted walls were covered in posters of rock bands, football teams, and bikini models. Shelves were filled with various awards Alvin had won from soccer and his childhood singing career. The carpet was barely visible, littered with clothes, magazines, sports equipment, CDs, old homework assignments, and other miscellaneous objects. The room was a mess, a disaster zone. Yet somehow Eleanor felt comfortable and safe.

Stepping over the various items on the floor, Eleanor walked to Alvin's bulletin board. There were so many photographs tacked on that they overlapped each other. The pictures were very random, and from various dates. There were photos of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore on stage when they were younger, pictures of Dave and the boys on summer vacations, pictures of Alvin and his friends on the soccer team, and, of course, pictures of him with Brittany.

There was one picture that the former couple that really captured Eleanor's attention. Judging by their outfits, Eleanor assumed it was from one of last year's school dances. Brittany's arms were around Alvin, and they were both smiling. But Eleanor noticed Alvin's smile looked strained; the corners of his mouth turned up, but his eyes looked vacant. None of the other pictures on the board looked like that.

Maybe he was more miserable with her than he thought, Eleanor thought.

Suddenly the doorknob turned. Eleanor's heart began to pound.

This is it, she thought. I've been caught.

As Eleanor began to prepare an explanation, Alvin stepped into the room.

"Oh my God," Eleanor breathed. "You scared me."

"Sorry," Alvin said. He looked from Eleanor to the photo collage. "You weren't snooping around, were you?"

"I wouldn't need to," Eleanor said with a grin. "I know all of your secrets anyway."

"You wish," Alvin leaned against the door, looking adorable cocky.

"So," Eleanor said, making sure to keep her voice quiet, "did you bring me anything to eat?"

"Sure did," Alvin replied. He handed her an apple, a few granola bars, and a bottle of water. "I would have brought you up an actual meal, but Dave would have been suspicious."

"He's probably already suspicious," Eleanor pointed out.

Alvin smirked. "No he isn't. And you're welcome."

"I was going to say thank you," Eleanor said. She took a bite of her apple and looked at the digital clock on Alvin's candy wrapper-covered nightstand. It was almost eight o'clock and she still had homework to do.

"Do you have somewhere you need to be?" Alvin asked as he followed Eleanor's glance.

"I have homework," she groaned. "Good thing I brought my backpack."

"Speaking of that," Alvin said, "don't you have a game tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"How are you going to get your gym bag?" Alvin asked.

Eleanor unscrewed the water bottle lid. "I already took care of that."

Alvin looked intrigued. "Oh really?"

"I called Jeanette," Eleanor said. "She's bringing it to school tomorrow."

Alvin's blue eyes widened. "So Jeanette knows you're here?"

"Yes."

"I thought you didn't want anyone to know where you were."

Eleanor took a long drink of water, loving how refreshing the cool liquid felt as it slid down her throat.

"I can trust Jeanette," Eleanor said. "She's the nice sister."

Alvin smiled. "Good point."

Eleanor and Alvin talked as Eleanor ate her food and did her homework. As usual, their conversations flowed easily, containing perfect amounts of humor and seriousness. After a while, Eleanor began to forget about Brittany. It felt as if she and Alvin were the only two people in the world.

After Alvin finished telling a story about a kid passing out in his science class when they watched a video about reproductive organs, Eleanor noticed the bright red numbers on the alarm clock read 11:33.

"Alvin," she said. "We've been talking for over three hours."

"Really?" Alvin seemed surprised. "Wow. It seemed like we just got here."

Eleanor smiled, but her smile vanished when she felt a familiar feeling in her lower stomach.

"Uh, Alvin," she said nervously.

"What?"

"I have to go to the bathroom." Eleanor held up her empty water bottle and shrugged.

"Okay," Alvin calmly nodded. "Not a problem. Just follow me."

"What if there's someone in the hallway?" Eleanor asked.

"There won't be," Alvin assured her. "Dave and Theodore go to bed at like ten on weeknights. And if Simon is up, he's busy on his computer."

Eleanor had no option but to trust the guy. After all, he hadn't been wrong about anything so far.

Alvin opened his bedroom door and looked around the hallway. He turned and gestured Eleanor to follow him.

The two tiptoed down the hall and slipped into the bathroom. Eleanor was relieved they had made it. By this time, she really had to go. But as she made her way to the toilet, she noticed that Alvin was making no effort to leave.

"You can go now," she told him.

"No," Alvin said. "I have to stay in here. I can't just stand by the door. If someone has to use the bathroom, I'll look suspicious if I tell someone not to go inside. It's better for them to think that I'm using the bathroom."

Eleanor's jaw dropped. "I can't pee in front of you!"

"I won't look," Alvin promised.

"No way!" Eleanor hissed. Although Alvin's theory actually made sense, Eleanor wasn't about to go to the bathroom in front of him. They were nowhere near that point in their relationship.

"It's not a big deal," Alvin said, rolling his eyes. "Everyone pees. Now it would be kind of awkward if you had to… you know, do the other thing." Alvin looked at her carefully. "You don't have to do that, right?"

"No!" Eleanor squealed.

"Okay, good." Alvin was visibly relieved. "I like to pretend that girls don't do that."

Eleanor started to say something else, but was startled by a knock on the door.

"Alvin?" Simon's voice asked. "Are you in there?"

"Yeah," Alvin called. He gave Eleanor an I told you so look.

"Are you almost done?"

"Almost," Alvin answered. He pointed to the toilet, urging Eleanor to hurry up.

The tickling feeling in Eleanor's bladder increased, and she knew she had no choice but to go.

Eleanor mouthed the words, Turn around to Alvin, which he did. She quickly pulled her pulled her pants down, sat, and did her business. The tinkling sound of her urine hitting the toilet water was extremely embarrassing. She looked at Alvin, whose shoulders were shaking. Eleanor knew he was silently laughing.

A few seconds later, Eleanor was done. She flushed the toilet and was about to wash her hands in the sink when Alvin stopped her and shook his head no. Before Eleanor could say anything, Alvin pulled her toward the bath tub and gestured that she should get in. Eleanor's eyes widened and she shook her head with protest, but Alvin pushed her closer to the tub. Reluctantly, Eleanor climbed into the tub and sat (thankfully the tub was dry). As Alvin quietly shut the shower curtain, she saw him raise the toilet seat.

Wow, Eleanor thought. He really thinks of everything.

She heard Alvin open the door and Simon asked, "What took you so long?"

"If you were so tired of waiting, why didn't you just use the bathroom downstairs?" Alvin asked. Eleanor had wondered the same thing.

"It's convenient," Simon replied. "My toothbrush is in here, and I…"

"Okay, whatever," Alvin said. "Night."

"Good night," Simon sighed.

Eleanor held her breath as Simon closed the door. This was turning into the most awkward five minutes of her life.

She heard a zipper and then a tinkling sound. Eleanor cringed. She couldn't believe she was hiding behind the shower curtain, listening to Simon Seville pee. How humiliating!

Simon flushed the toilet and washed his hands. Then Eleanor heard him brush his teeth.

Please, she silently prayed. Hurry up!

But she had no such luck; Simon spent nearly five minutes on his teeth, and then combed his hair. Eleanor didn't think boys combed their hair at all, let alone before bed.

Finally, Simon turned out the light and left. Eleanor waited a few minutes before quietly getting out of the tub and cautiously making her way to Alvin's room. When she got there, Alvin was sitting on his bed reading a magazine.

"I don't know whether to thank you or slap you," she said as she closed the door behind her.

"I think you know which one I prefer," Alvin said with a grin. "Although slapping could be kind of kinky."

"Shut up," Eleanor giggled. She reached into backpack to fish out her travel sized bottle of hand sanitizer. "By the way, why wouldn't you let me wash my hands?"

"Simon would have been suspicious," Alvin answered.

Eleanor found the tiny bottle and squirted the liquid on her palm. "Why?"

"Well he thought I was the one using the bathroom," Alvin explained. "And I don't normally…"

"Ew!" Eleanor's nose wrinkled. "You don't wash your hands?"

"Name a guy who does," Alvin challenged.

"Simon did!" Eleanor said. She rubbed the sanitizer on her hands.

"Okay," Alvin said. "Name a normal guy who does."

"That's gross," Eleanor said. She tossed him the hand sanitizer, and although he rolled his eyes, he used some.

"Here you go," Alvin said. He handed her a large t-shirt and plaid pajama shorts. "I guess I'll go to the bathroom and change." He grinned. "And I'll even wash my hands this time."

"Thanks," Eleanor said. Then she thought of something else. "What am I going to wear to school tomorrow? The only outfit I have is the one I'm wearing, and this is what I wore all day."

Alvin shrugged. "Well no one notices jeans, so you can wear the ones you're wearing now. And you can borrow one of my hoodies or something."

"Sounds good to me," Eleanor agreed. Maybe this whole secret sleepover thing was going to work out after all.

Alvin left the room to let Eleanor change into her (well, Alvin's) sleepwear. When he came back, he brought a toothbrush that was still in its package, along with toothpaste and a cup of water for Eleanor to brush her teeth. She was touched by his thoughtfulness.

Finally it was time for bed… although Eleanor still wasn't sure what the sleeping arrangements were going to be.

"So," Eleanor said, "where am I going to sleep?"

Alvin looked at her as if she had just asked him what country they lived in. "My bed. Where else?"

"Then where are you going to sleep?"

"My bed." Alvin smirked. "Where else?"

"Okay…" Eleanor wasn't sure what to think.

"Relax, Ellie," Alvin said. "We're just going to sleep. We don't have to do anything." He raised his eyebrows. "Unless you want to, of course."

Eleanor laughed, but she hoped he was kidding. But his hopeful look remained.

Okay, maybe he's not totally kidding.

"Sleeping works for me," Eleanor said.

"Fine," Alvin said, even though she knew he wasn't surprised. "But seriously, it's not a big deal sharing the same bed, Eleanor, so don't freak out."

"Why would I freak out?" Eleanor asked.

Alvin shrugged. "You just don't seem like the type of girl who jumps into bed with people."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Eleanor said. It was nice to hear someone say that she wasn't a slut for a change.

"You should," Alvin told her.

Eleanor knew Alvin had a point about her potentially freaking out about sleeping with him, even if it was just sleeping. But she promised herself that she wouldn't be prude about it; Alvin was right, it wasn't a big deal.

"You know," Eleanor said, "most guys would offer to sleep on the floor and let the girl take the bed."

"I'm not like most guys," Alvin reminded her. "Besides, there's no room on my floor for a sleeping bag."

"That's true," Eleanor agreed.

Alvin turned off the flipped off the light switch. The only light was the glow of the red numbers on Alvin's digital clock and the moonlight pouring in between the blinds.

Alvin pulled down the blankets and nodded toward the king sized bed. "After you."

Eleanor climbed into the bed and Alvin followed. They pulled the blankets up at the same time and spent a few minutes laying in silence.

"Alvin," Eleanor finally spoke softly.

"Yeah?" He turned to face her, his elbow propped up against the pillow, his hand holding up his head.

"Thank you," she said. Eleanor looked straight at him, hoping he knew she truly meant it. "Thank you so much for everything."

"You don't need to thank me," Alvin said.

"Yes I do," Eleanor insisted. "You've been so great about letting me stay here. I really appreciate it."

The two fell silent again, not taking their eyes off each other.

"I really want to kiss you right now," Alvin said, his voice slightly hoarse.

"I don't know," she replied, even though her heart was doing a million flip flops. "Hasn't kssing gotten into enough trouble?"

Even in darkness, Eleanor could see the mischief in Alvin's eyes.

"Since when have I ever cared about getting into to trouble?"

That was all it took. Her lips were pressed against Alvin's in no time.

Eleanor decided to let loose and savor the moment. She knew the next day would be pure hell, so she figured to enjoy herself while she could. Who knew when she and Alvin would be able to kiss like this again?

So when Alvin tangled his fingers in her hair, she let him. When he pulled her closer, she let him. When his tongue entered her mouth, she let him do it. She let herself relax and enjoy her first make-out session instead of worry if she was doing it right.

They finally broke apart after a few minutes, breathing hard.

"Wow," was all Alvin could say.

"And you thought I'd freak out," Eleanor said with a smile. She snuggled up to him. She had never felt so close to anyone before. "Good night, Alvin."

Alvin rested his cheek on the top of Eleanor's blond head. "Night, El."

Seconds later, Eleanor fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, not once worrying about what was yet to come; because no matter what happened, she had found someone who loved her. And at the moment, that was all she could think about.

Well what did you think? Send me a review and tell me! :P