Jeanette's POV

Lunchtime came quickly today and it felt like English Language Arts class flew by. I grabbed my lunchbox from my locker and hustled to the Cafeteria. I had to meet up with Brittany, to discuss….what she wanted to discuss. You don't go against orders from Brittany….or Eleanor either.

I was the first one in the lunchroom, so I chose to sit down at a small, round table. The others would all be here shortly. They were probably informing the usual groups they sit with that they were sitting here instead today. I normally sit alone or with my Green Living Club on days that we have it. Brittany sits at the A table with the popular kids. I think they're a bad influence on her, and I worry that they'll be a bad influence on Alvin too when he's popular again. Eleanor sits with the so called "jocks" or with Theodore, Simon sits with the Mathletes, and Theodore sits wherever he feels like. He's friendly with everyone. Alvin rotates between 3 tables. He'll either flirt with girls at the B table, sit with the Mathletes and Simon, or hang out with his friends from his comic book club.

While I waited for them, I let my mind wander again. I thought about the art show, and all the artwork I had completed that was ready to be shown off. I sure hoped Alvin wouldn't miss it. He has a habit of committing to a lot of things and then being unable to do them all because he runs out of time. I decided that with or without Alvin I would share my artwork proudly. It would be a lot easier to work up the courage with him around, but I couldn't count on him actually showing up.

Theodore was the first one at the lunch table. He took a bite of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich and spoke to me with his mouth full. "Hi! How's your day going?"

I don't really love that question. I know it's a standard greeting, but how is one supposed to quantify their whole days' experience into a generalization? Was it good? It was just like most days….except now I had a boyfriend. Was it bad? Uh, there were parts that weren't so great. Was it fine? Normal? Usual? What could I answer?

"Okay. I think. I'm a little stressed." I finally squeaked timidly.

Theodore looked at someone in the lunch line and then turned back to face me. "Because of Brittany?" He asked softly.

I nodded. "How'd you know?"

"I'm pretty observant." He grinned. "Plus, she left Alvin a bunch of messages this weekend. Some of them were not nice."

I sat in silence awkwardly, not having a good response for that.

Eleanor and Brittany took their seats, followed by Simon, who made sure to clean off the table with a disinfecting wipe before setting his lunch down. Simon looked at me, those big blue eyes staring into my soul. Then, he turned to Brittany. "Why have you called us all here today?" He adjusted his glasses as he ate a ham and cheese sandwich. Poor innocent pig. It doesn't deserve to be ham. I've sworn not to impose my vegan agenda on anyone. Let me tell you, it gets very difficult sometimes.

"Two very weird and very frustrating reasons." Brittany told him. I took slight offense to that. How dare she call me frustrating? At least I'm proud of being weird.

Simon looked aggravated. I didn't know for sure if he was annoyed by Brittany's statement, or if that was simply his face. He has a grumpy resting face.

"One of those reasons isn't even here yet." Simon told her firmly.

Brittany's fur bristled. "He better be here soon or I'm gonna punt him into the basketball hoop." No way she could do that. The basketball hoop in the courtyard is SUPER tall. She'd never be able to throw him that high.

"That's so mean!" Theodore stuck out his lower lip.

Eleanor crossed her arms. "Don't you think you're taking this a bit too far, Britt? You don't have to be happy about them dating, but you don't have to call a group meeting to rag on them."

"I am saying IMPORTANT THINGS!" Brittany huffed, standing up on her chair.

Simon took a long and slow sip of his water. I sensed he was trying to stop himself from saying something.

I was confused. Utterly and completely. "Britt, you don't like us dating? Then, why did you encourage me to give Alvin a second chance when I was having doubts?"

Brittany laughed in the way that villains in cartoons do right before they go insane. "ENCOURAGED!? YOU THINK I ENCOURAGED YOU!? I WANTED YOU TO DUMP HIM! DUMP HIM HARD! I said everything I could to make you think he wasn't the right guy! How could you possibly think I WANTED you to date him? How naive are you!?"

I suddenly didn't feel like eating. The atmosphere around had grown quiet. Theodore's mouth had dropped open. Simon was hiding his face behind his lunchbox. Eleanor was making the kind of expression she makes when she gets injured playing sports. And behind them, right behind them, stood a very angry and hurt looking Alvin.

"Don't you talk to her that way." Alvin's body shook as he addressed my older sister. "EVER!"

"Back off, weirdo." Brittany snapped. "This is between me and my sister."

Alvin raised an eyebrow. "Uh...It's also about me."

"You think EVERYTHING is about you." Brittany pointed out.

I remained silent. I wanted to speak up, but I was crushed. I had misunderstood Brittany's intentions. I don't think my sister is a bad person. Sometimes, it takes her a long time to come to terms with changes. There's nothing wrong with that. Fear of change and the unknown is common.

"That's enough outa you. Can't you see?" Alvin pointed one of his stubby fingers at me. "You've hurt Jeanette's feelings. And stop calling me a Weirdo!"

Theodore raised his hand, making the unfortunate choice to comment on the tense confrontation. "I thought you and Jeanette liked being called weirdos, you know, "Weirdo Power!"

"Oh." Alvin wrinkled his nose. "Well….fine. You can call me a weirdo. But, you have to stop trying to break up me and my girlfriend! We're gonna date whether you like it or not. Get used to it." And with that, the brave little chipmunk took his seat.

Brittany scowled and sat down as well. "We still need to discuss the future of our bands now that you both are…" she gags. "dating" Not really scoring any bonus points, Brittany. Unless she's playing a game entitled: Hurt Your Friends And Family Because You Want Everything Your Way.

To my surprise, Simon agreed with her. "Yes. That is valid. How do you suppose our performances might be impacted by this budding romance?"

Eleanor squeezed a packet of mustard onto her sandwich. "I don't know and I don't care."

Theodore chose to look on the bright side, as usual. "Maybe they can sing love songs together sometimes and every fan will support them."

Simon frowns. "We must think of this in a more realistic way. Not every fan will support them. In fact, most fans ship Jeanette and I, not Alvin."

Alvin trembled. "Are you saying the fans might not BE fans if they find out I'm dating Netta?"

I could tell his blue bespectacled brother did not want to answer. He hesitated before responding. "That is…..a possibility. Yes."

"Fans probably won't be fans if they find out Alvin's not a troublemaker anymore either." Eleanor added. "Just throwin' that out there."

"He's still a troublemaker." Simon assures her. "He causes trouble in different ways."

Brittany spoke again and I realized I was getting very fed up with her talking. "Fans are people, and people don't usually like changes. That is why most show reboots never gain the status the original once had. If we're going to change the band drastically, there's gonna be a chain reaction that ends with us all as washed up former popstars."

"And rockstars." Alvin corrected her. The Chipmunks are not popstars.

"That is why…" Brittany acted like she was the leader of our group. She wasn't the leader. We had no leader. We were friends. "I propose that we never tell anyone that Alvin's dating Jeanette. We act like nothing changed."

I finally gained enough courage to speak. "E….Everyone in school knows. It won't be long before the whole world knows. It's posted on the internet, after all."

"Then, hear me out…" She was clearly attached to her idea. "We stage a fake break up and have the romance fizzle out. Then, our careers as singers will be safe! Am I a genius or what?"

Everyone at the table looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"Better idea." Simon spoke calmly. "We reveal it to the world and let whatever happens happen. We all have backup dream careers, right? I want to become a famous scientist."

"A…wr….writer." I added. "Or a psychologist, or an environmental activist, or…."

Eleanor interrupted before I could finish. "Olympic gold medalist or a master chef."

Brittany frowned. Her idea was not working out. "Fashion designer or an actress." She muttered coldly.

"I wanna make my own kid's TV show!" Theodore exclaimed. "Or be an advice columnist! Or, master chef Eleanor's assistant."

There was only one of us who hadn't replied. He was probably the one who cared about being a celebrity the most. We all looked to Alvin for his answer.

ALVIN 2.0'S POV

They couldn't be SERIOUS! Backup career? Did I have a backup career? No! I love inventing, but I don't wanna spend the rest of my life doing it nonstop as a job. Jobs knock the fun out of everything….everything EXCEPT being a global superstar with 6 Grammy awards! I was destined for greatness! How DARE they even ASK me such a lousy question?

"I…..I….I…" couldn't stop STUTTERING! Why wouldn't the words come OUT!? "...don't wanna be anything else. I'm a rockstar. That's who I am."

"Alvin, you have the potential to be anything you want to be." Simon encouraged me.

"Maybe I could be…..an inventor." My heart wasn't in that answer. I only said it to watch Simon look irritated that I'm copying his thing. He said scientist though. I said inventor. Both those things are similar and yet different.

His upper lip stiffened. "If, If that's what you really want."

Aw crap! Now they all thought I WANTED to get a job as an inventor. I mean, it would be a pretty cool job no doubt, but like I'd rather have an inventor job on the side of my awesome singing career.

"You did NOT just say that." Brittany gasped.

Simon looked at the angry Chipette "I regret to inform you, he did."

I decided to clear things up. It was the only way I was gonna convince Britt I was still ME.

"I'd rather be a rockstar though. If anything, I wanna be an inventor on the side. Along with a karate master and someone proficient in every sport."

"Proficient?" Theodore questioned. Oh, right, he doesn't speak Simonese. (that's what I call long and complicated words) I, much to my chagrin, speak Simonese rather eloquently and fluently.

"Means good." I was blushing, I could feel my cheeks heat up and my forehead sweat. Curse my sweat glands being everywhere instead of on my hands and feet only like the rest of the chipmunks I know.

"This is, just a "what if" scenario." Simon reminded our little group. "There's a chance that your relationship…" he was addressing both me and my quiet as a mouse gal. "...won't make many waves at all."

"If you believe that for a second, I have some magic beans to sell you." Brittany joked. Why was she joking about my PAIN!?

My bro in green perked up at her comment. I could almost predict exactly what he was about to say. "Are they jelly beans?" He asked, deep chocolatey eyes doing that puppy dog thing that makes it impossible to say no to him.

"No" Britt snapped. Apparently, it wasn't impossible for her.

"I….I have….a...an….id...d...dea." Jeanette stammered.

"Let's hear it." Simon pushed up his glasses and finished the last of his sandwich and apple slices. Lucky! Dave packed me a cheese, spinach, and tomato sandwich. I HATE tomatoes. My dad doesn't even know what my food preferences are! That's how little he pays attention to my wants and needs. Only grades. Grades grades stupid grades.

Jeanette cleared her throat and spoke as confidently as possible. There was a little wobble to it. Still, I was totally impressed. "What if Alvin and I sang a duet together, before we tell people we're dating. It would get the rumors going and then people would already be expecting that we're dating. The change wouldn't shock them so much."

By George, she did it! That was the best idea ever! Even better than my idea to introduce 2.0 to the public bit by bit. So far, I'm up to wearing my rainbow shoes onstage and occasionally wearing the glasses. The rest of my new look remains a secret from everyone outside the town of Santa Barbara. I even have a bunch of different social medias. Some for classic Alvin and some for Alvin 2.0. I'm extra careful that I don't post the wrong stuff to the wrong ones.

"I love that idea!" I shouted happily.

Theodore clapped his hands. "Me too."

Eleanor smiled. "It could work."

"A brilliant and very wise decision, Jeanette." Simon added looking relieved. I guess he didn't want to lose our singing career either.

"Yeah." Brittany grumbled. She was still super perturbed. "It's great." There was no life to her words. They were soulless and empty.

Jeanette looked thrilled that everyone had accepted her idea. Knowing how bad she is at understanding sarcasm, she probably thought Brittany was actually on board with the idea and not just conceding. I almost thought she'd refuse to concede. Then, I remembered she's the most conceited person I know….aside from myself. Haha, word humor.

"I know a great song for us to sing too!" Was I pushing Britt's buttons? Yes, yes I was. Gosh dang it, I have the right to love my girlfriend and prissy priss cannot change my mind. I will not rest until she accepts our love! That is my one mission! Or, you know, my third mission after "Regain my popularity" and "become comfortable in my own skin." Yeah, I don't like the way my body looks. It's like I was meticulously designed by a cruel creator who said "this boy is going to look like the most adorable thing you ever did see." I'm CUTE, but not in the way I want to be. I'm not super hot. I used to think I was. I also used to think I was cute in a sexy way. I am not. At all. I'm cute in a very babyish "awww can I pinch your giant flabby cheeks?" sort of way. Being a chipmunk has drawbacks.

At long last, the awkward lunch period ended. I thought about talking to Brittany more, then realized it's literally useless. She's too stubborn. Jeanette can soften her. I can't. Speaking of Netta, she walked beside me through the hall as we returned to our lockers.

"Simon called me wise." She sounded awestruck. "Do you think I'm wise?"

I let my mouth curve into a loving and attentive smile. "You're the wisest person I have ever met." I answered honestly. "You may not always understand everything, but you understand the most important things in life. That makes you wise." In that way, she reminds me of my brother Theodore.

"I think you're very wise too, Alvin Einstein." She giggled as I held her close. I didn't have the next class with her. It was AP Chem while she had regular science. I wanted to give her something special before I departed.

"Permission to kiss your cheek?" I asked gallantly.

"Permission granted." She told me, turning her cheek toward me.

I gave her a giant smooch and then grabbed my AP Chem textbook. "See ya in art class." I said.

I walked down the hallway toward Dr. Wilson's classroom feeling on top of the world. This day wasn't as bad as I thought. It had its ups and downs, but there were no such things as terrible days when you're dating the prettiest Chipette in town. Yeah, I think Jeanette is prettier than Brittany. Britt tries so hard to be pretty that she really looks...fake. Jeanette's all natural. A bit of non-toxic animal cruelty free lip-gloss here and there, but otherwise untouched by makeup.

Someone I really didn't want to see ambushed me as I made it to the door of my class. It was Brittany, yet again. Does she have a tracking chip on me? Oh, no, wait. She works in the office and has access to my class schedule. Nuts!

"You're really willing to risk losing everything just to date her? Your fans? Your fame? The feeling of being onstage and singing your heart out while people scream how much they love you?" Brittany was pulling out every manipulative tactic in the book. Too bad I am an expert at manipulating people and her little tactics are useless on me.

"Yeah." I answered, making sure to hide my emotions and sound calm.

She stepped closer to me. I could smell her overpowering perfume. Yuck! "Why?" She asked me. "Why risk it?"

Uh, because I'm Alvin. What's life without risk? I had a different answer that was equally true and would frustrate the diva even more. "Because it's Jeanette." I risked my reputation for her once, I would do it again. I would risk anything for her. Anything to keep our love alive.

Brittany scowled and stomped away. I had won the argument with 3 simple words. Hoho! I am so good at this! I had a nagging feeling though. I didn't want to let go of my friendship with Brittany. I really didn't. I had to make her accept this, one way or another. Maybe Netta and I would have to team up to convince her that us dating isn't the end of the whole dang world.