Simon's POV

Families are an interesting case study. Everyone in a family has a role to play. When people stick to their roles, things run smoothly, like a well oiled machine. When people start to whine and complain about their role and stop doing what they're supposed to, the result is utter and complete anarchy.

Take my family, for example. I, Simon Seville, probably have one of the strangest families known to mankind. My brothers and I are chipmunks. We were adopted by a kind human man named Dave. Dave's role in the family is the most important one. He's the caretaker, the parent. Without him, everything would fall apart.

Then, there's me. I'm the brains of the family. I'm the person most likely to say "Hey, let's not do this dangerous thing that could hurt us." I'm a protector. I do my best to keep my family from making impulsive decisions without considering the consequences. Plus, I teach them fascinating things and help them with their homework, or in Dave's case, filing his tax returns.

Theodore, the youngest, is the heart of our family, with his childlike wonder and impressive emotional intelligence. He almost always knows how to put a smile on our faces. After all he's been through, he's become a bit of a walking self-help book.

And lastly, there's Alvin, he's the oldest. There's been a great debate for years over what his role in the family actually is. He used to always see himself as a troublemaker, the entertainer, or the wild rebel. I think his role is, to put it simply, the person of action. He's got the guts to try new things that the rest of us wouldn't dream of. He helps us leave our comfort zones, which, although unpleasant at first, is a very important step in expanding our horizons.

What I'm trying to say is that everyone is important in their own way. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has flaws, even someone who outwardly seems as calm and stoic as myself. Flaws and weaknesses might seem annoying, but they make you who you are. They're part of you.

You cannot magically remove all your flaws. It's simply an impossible feat. I know. I've been a practicing magician for years….It was fun, until one day I pulled off the biggest trick of all. I made my brother disappear.

Just kidding, kind of. You see, I did think that for a long time. Allow me to explain. Magic, to me, is just for show. The real magic is science. I've made countless inventions and discoveries since I was very young.

One day, around oh….four years ago, I created an invention that could transfer brainwaves and thought patterns between two people. Alvin and I tested it out together and basically started to think exactly like each other. Luckily, that only lasted a couple days and then we switched back.

But, Alvin just wasn't the same after that. Something about him was altered, and given the circumstances, I assumed it was the invention that caused such an alteration. Then I thought, Wait a minute, why wasn't I different too? Why only Alvin?

I'm not proud of it, but I began treating my brother like he was an experiment gone wrong more than like...a family member. I truly believed that Alvin as I knew him was eliminated and I had created something entirely new in his place. I was overwhelmed with guilt regarding the situation and I began trying to avoid Alvin.

Anyway, a year went by and Alvin kept trying to convince me that he was still himself, no matter how intelligent he became. I did some research and finally came to the conclusion that while my invention may have played a very small part in Alvin's changes, the majority of his changes were self inflicted and probably would have happened regardless of the thought transfer device test going haywire.

Then, I was jealous. Very jealous. If Alvin's smart, then what would become of me? I was always The Smart One. He was encroaching on my territory. We went through a period of time where we butted heads constantly….we still do sometimes. Eventually, just as Alvin came to accept his new role within the family, I began to accept that there could be more than one brainiac in the Seville residence. These days, while our sibling rivalry hasn't diminished, I treat him like a brother again. I've even helped him find some new opportunities.

Which brings me to our story…..The time Alvin and I both entered The Physics Bowl.

This story begins on a typical day in our house, if you can truly consider anything our family does typical. Dave was downstairs working on a new song. Theodore was…actually I'm not sure where he was, I would assume he was watching Talking Teddy episodes or maybe in the treehouse visiting Eleanor. I was in my hidden closet lab, hard at work making my half of the history diorama that had been assigned to us for homework. My partner, Alvin, should have been working on his half of the project. The key word there is SHOULD.

I was feeling very good about my half of the diorama. Earlier that day, Geizmo, my robot child, had been hindering my progress on it. I solved that problem by asking Jeanette to watch him for a few hours. Now, everything was going smoothly.

I meticulously adjusted some of the green army men that I had placed on top of the box. It was almost time to add the glue that would keep them all in place. Hopefully, the diorama would survive Miss. Miller's reckless driving. Unfortunately, Dave wasn't available to take us to school the next day, which was when the diorama was due. I sighed. It definitely needed copious amounts of superglue.

While the glue was drying, I walked out of the lab and lo and behold, there was my older brother sitting in our red swivel chair. He had a video-game controller in his hands and was staring at the TV. I had no idea how long he'd been there, but judging from his pale complexion and the dark circles under his eyes….I feared the worst.

"Alvin!" I shouted, hoping that I could snap him out of his "gamer trance."

"Huh? What?" He paused the game and looked around.

I groaned. "I have to ask you something."

"Can it wait until I finish this level?" He pouted, trying to give me the saddest most pitiful face he could muster.

I decided to humor him. After all, it's better than listening to him whine. "I guess."

"Great!" He smiled and unpaused his game.

A minute and a half later, I am excellent at keeping track of time by the way, he saved his game and turned off the TV.

He stretched his arms in the air. Presumably, they were stiff and sore. "Alright," He said with his eyes half open. "What did you wanna ask me?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, hoping that would encourage him to take things seriously. "How much have you gotten accomplished so far?" I asked.

He blinked. 3 seconds passed. "Uhhh….today?" He leapt down from the swivel chair and tapped his head. "Oh, oh, I leveled up in Raceramma! I also drew up 4 new invention blueprints, changed the batteries in the TV remote, did tricks at the skatepark, and played a round of badminton with Brittany….."

At last, I was getting somewhere. I didn't need all the extra information, so I cut right to the chase. "What about the history diorama?"

He looked confused and I could feel a hint of rage beginning to boil. I could predict the next words out of his mouth. "What history diorama?" And I was exactly correct.

I tried as much as possible to keep my words calm…..it didn't work so well. "The history diorama that we were assigned a week ago. The one you told me you'd be completely on top of! THAT history diorama!" By the end of those sentences, I was shouting angrily.

"Oh…..that….yeah….that….I uh…..I forgot that existed until, you know, now." Alvin looked about half as guilty and ashamed as I expected him to. At least he was being honest. That's a step above the blatant lies of the past.

"In other words, you've done absolutely NOTHING!?" I had no chill now. I had put my faith in Alvin, trusted him, and he'd completely blown off the entire assignment.

And then, he had the audacity to say something that made things even WORSE. "It's not a total loss. You did your part! I can throw something together at the last minute and we'll get at least a C!"

A C? Was he out of his mind? Two geniuses working on a history project SHOULD NOT WIND UP WITH A C! It's far below our potential. Or at least, that's what I had thought. I grabbed Alvin's hand and pulled him toward my lab. "No. You are coming with me right now and we are going to finish that project." I ordered. "You PROMISED me you had your part handled!"

Alvin frowned. He may have been thinking, but it didn't look that way. "In my defense, I did…..for about 5 minutes." Gosh, the amount of excuses that boy comes up with could bury him if they were written down on paper.

"Alvin!" I groaned. I was exasperated with his foolishness.

"I can't do it!" Alvin whined.

"Yes, you can!" I dragged him into the lab and closed the door. He was trapped now, unless he could figure out the passcode. It was ironic. Many a time, Alvin had tried to crack the passcodes to get IN to my lab. Now, he was going to have to crack one to get OUT, and there was no way I was letting that happen. We were partners and the project would be completed, even if I had to strap him to a chair in order to make him cooperate. I hoped I wouldn't have to take such drastic measures.

Fifteen minutes later, my half of the diorama was finished and it looked amazing. Alvin's half, on the other hand, looked like something a kindergartener would make fun of.

Alvin held his monstrosity out toward me proudly. "There. Done."

"You are not done." I crossed my arms. "I know that's not the best you can do."

"Yes it is." He argued with me.

"You didn't follow the instructions." I scolded him.

He growled. "Yeah I did. I made it look like yours!"

I was very offended by that. How dare he compare his fifteen minute rush job to something I spent countless hours making into a masterpiece? "That doesn't look a thing like mine."

"It's close enough." He set the rush job on the lab table right beside my part of the project, which only served to further highlight the differences in craftsmanship.

"Alright." I said smugly. I knew exactly how to make him realize his attempt was lackluster and would result in our joint project getting worse than a C. "Tell me what's going on in the diorama."

"Wait, that's part of it?" He slumped to the floor. "Aw man. I have to know who each of those tiny army dudes are?"

"Well, not each one speciffically, but you must have a general idea of which side they're fighting for….and where this battle takes place." I informed him.

He grimaced. "Please don't laugh." He begged me as he stood back up. "Which battle is it exactly?"

Oh joy. That was sarcasm, in case it's hard to tell through text only. He hadn't even studied the material. I could feel my jaw begin to clench in rage. "Operation Barbarossa."

"Hey, that's the name of….that guy from….the pirate movie. Pirates Of The Carribean!" Alvin exclaimed, looking happier.

I didn't want to crush his happiness, but there was work to accomplish and he kept getting distracted. "No. No. That was Hector Barbossa." I explained.

Alvin's smile was no more. "Well, they SOUND similar. It was an honest mistake."

"Alvin, focus!" I commanded.

"I'm TRYING!" He sounded desperate. Unfortunately, with my brother, it's hard to tell whether he's truly desperate, or exaggerating to make you feel sorry for him.

I picked up his half of the project and shook it at him. "This is solid proof that you aren't trying."

"I haaaate this." He grumbled.

I set Alvin's project back down next to my own and crossed my arms. "We've got all night, Alvin." I warned him.

"Please,..." He pounded against the lab door. "Let me go. I can't do this right now. My brain won't let me! It doesn't let me until the very last second!"

More excuses. I looked at my watch and realized that we probably really WOULD be here all night. It's a good thing I didn't have any other important plans. I made a mental note to pay Alvin back somehow for wasting my time. I swore it wouldn't be a disproportionate punishment, like those inflicted in the past, just something that would inconvenience him the way he was inconveniencing me. Tit for tat, as they say.

Alvin's POV

Trapped inside the lab with Simon. Usually, it would be my dream come true, but it wasn't then. There were a thousand other things I wanted to do. The thought of having to complete a stupid history diaorama...lama ding dong was pure TORTURE. Besides, I SUCK at makin' those sorts of projects. I had to make one for drama class once, alone, because Dave wouldn't help me. The only reason it got a good grade was because I was the only kid in class whose parent didn't help. The project itself looked like total crap-o'rama.

"I don't see why I need to know history anyway!" I complained. "I should be honing my talents. Music, Art, Sports, Science,...NOT history. Blech!"

"Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it." My taller brother, in the royal blue T shirt with an atom design on it, warned.

Ha! Don't I know it? If I hadn't become 2.0, I would probably still be repeating events that got me in trouble, over and over...like the title of that one Madonna song on my ipod. But, sadly, even AS 2.0, I still have a tendency to do that. It's a pitfall of thinking with your feet.

I pointed this out to my taller bro. "Yeah, but I'm still doomed to repeat mistakes even if I DO study."

Simon ran his hands through his messy hair, which was growing messier by the second. "Stop making excuses and start doing your part of our project...or so help me!" He threatened. Dang. We hadn't been in here long and he was already resorting to threats.

"I am TRYING!" I told him. "I can't focus on it!" And, I wasn't sure how I could make myself focus. I couldn't find ANYTHING around to kickstart my brain into high gear. At least, not for history. "Oh oh! Idea! How bout you do the boring parts and I jazz up the diorama with my creativity? Huh? Huh? Then we both get to do what we find fun!" I don't know why I said that. I knew the likelihood of it working was a big fat ZERO.

Simon scowled. "And then you get absolutely no educational value from this assignment."

Told you so. Told you it wouldn't work….aw nuts. I wish it worked. Still, I had something else to say. "That's okay! I don't want it! I'm a physics kid, not a history kid." Plus, Simon's lab was really starting to give my brain that little kick it needed to help me concentrate…..on science stuff….and only science stuff. I picked up one of his blueprints for a new invention. Oooh, a machine that can read people's thoughts! Neat-o!

Simon took the blueprint away from me. "Quit messing around, Alvin. My grade is depending on you learning something….anything!"

Uh, excuse me? Like my grade wasn't also at stake. Dave would probably not let me hang out with my friends for a month if I flunk history class. I had to do it. I had to focus….on history….and only history. I had to prove I know this! Then, it happened, the fog in my brain lifted momentarily. "The Revolutionary War was started by a bunch of people who got mad that they had to pay taxes on tea. It's all about independence. See? I know this stuff." I bragged. Then, the fog resumed, and I was back to thinking about how cool it would be to read other people's thoughts.

Simon did not look impressed. "That's fantastic..." He growled sarcastically. "...because this assignment happens to be about World War 2."

Oops. Mega oops. "Uhhhh…...I know about World War Z." I said. "That's when the zombies attacked and tried to overthrow the government." Man, I wish I'd had the sense to just SHUT MY MOUTH.

"Alvin, that's from a video-game." Simon was trying to stay calm, but more often than not, he would wind up screaming at me like a banshee.

I gulped. "It is?" I asked, feeling light headed and dizzy.

He looked concerned. "Do you realize you aren't acting very 2.0 at the moment?"

I internally gasped in outrage. How dare he!? He doesn't get to tell me when I'm acting 2.0 enough…..even though he did kind of have a point. I broke down and cried. I hate how easily trigger-able all my emotions are. "My thoughts are all jumbled together!" I told Simon, hoping, praying for a BIT of sympathy. "Gimme a break! I need time to sort through them!"

"We don't HAVE time!" He shouted. "We would have had you done your part of the assignment a few days ago!"

I fumed. WHERE WAS THE SYMPATHY!? "I was busy with AP science work!"

He slammed his fist against the lab table, causing both our projects to shake.

"You can't keep using "I take an AP class" as an excuse to fool around and shirk your other responsibilities." Urgh. He was right. I knew he was right. Still, he didn't understand what I was going through.

I lost it, I sobbed as I tried my best to explain things. "WHAT PART OF "I CAN'T FOCUS" DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND!? I am TRYING SIMON! Really, I am. I…..I can't do it today. Not right now. My mind won't cooperate." I fell to my knees and looked up at my brother with wide and sad puppy dog eyes….or would they be chipmunk eyes? "Please, please, pleeeease do it for me? Just this once. I promise next time I will write it down and not forget. I promise!"

Simon let out a heavy sigh. "I am ONLY doing this because I don't want to fail." He told me, as he unlocked the lab door and set me free.

"Ohoho, thanks, bro! You won't regret it!" I ran out of the lab as fast as I could. What should I do now? What could I do now? My brain was still all foggy. Literally the only thing it wanted to do was play video-games. I couldn't do that. If Simon caught me playing games, he'd think I was just being dramatic to make him do all the work for me. I jumped onto my bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering what I should do with the rest of the day.

Ideas for things to do popped into my head left and right, but….I couldn't make myself actually get up and do anything. I flipped open my phone and read some texts.

Kevin had texted me. [Physics Bowl practice tomorrow. Are you still planning on being there?]

I thought about it. When I agreed to be part of the Physics Bowl team, I had assumed I was going to actually BE part of the team. However, Simon and the other nerds had explained to me that I was going to be an alternate. What that meant was I would watch the practices and I'd fill in if anyone couldn't make it. The odds of anyone not making it were slim, so basically I'd just be an observer. That made me upset. Alvin Seville deserves to be part of the action! I'd invited my girlfriend to the competition, thinking, you know, I'd actually BE part of it. Now I was gonna have to explain to Jeanette that all I'd do is sit in the crowd with her watching Simon, Kevin, Warren, and Cheesy answer physics questions. Yawn. Big yawn.

Then again, it would be a perfect opportunity to let my mind wander to new and exciting places. I suppose I could at least watch a couple practices. After all, I did like hanging out with my geeky pals.

I texted Kevin back. [Yep. Need me to bring anything. Theo can make snacks.]

[Nothing I can think of.] Kevin responded.

Then, seconds later he texted again. [Actually, Cheesy says snacks sound great. So, yeah, please bring snacks.]

I chuckled as I made a note in my phone to bring lots of cheesy snacks for my pal of the same name. Sure, Theo can make the snacks, but I still gotta ask Theo to do it, transport them to school, and find the right room to deliver them. That's a moderately difficult task when your brain wanders the way mine does. I like approaching tasks like videogame levels. It helps me to keep my interest in them peaked. Oh my gosh! I had just stumbled on a GREAT GROUNDBREAKING IDEA! A self help book geared toward people that love videogames! I could call it "Alvin Seville's Guide To Leveling Up In Life!" I bet it would be a bestseller! I could be rich….no, RICHER! I'm already rich.

I hopped out of bed and ran down to my personal lab in a hidden spot underneath the staircase. I was officially kickstarted!

I worked on writing my new self help book for hours and then, as soon as I finally felt tired, I dragged myself upstairs to bed.

Morning rolled around and I strolled happily into the kitchen wearing my casual red T shirt with an A over a cyan long sleeved shirt, jeans, and rainbow sneakers. I felt GREAT! I had even been fortunate enough to have a nightmareless sleep!

I poured myself a glass of orange juice. "Simon, where's our history diorama?" I asked sweetly.

He looked up from his breakfast bagel with cream cheese and scowled at me. "In a bag by the door."

"Good. Good." I smiled, thinking of all the fun I could have throughout the day.

Simon's scowl lines grew deeper. I had really upset him. "The same place you should be for your lackluster effort."

I tried to smooth things over with some classic Alvin charm. "Sorry about that, Si. In my defense, History isn't my thing."

"Next time, don't pick me as a partner." He finished his bagel and jumped off the chair.

The entire time this was going on, Theodore was eating 2 bananas, a stack of waffles, and a whole container of lowfat yogurt. He was watching us and, I assumed, silently judging.

I wasn't feeling very hungry, so I only ate one pancake. Was I nervous about the Physics Bowl thing? Nah. Couldn't be. "Don't worry. I won't." I told Simon. "I have learned my lesson….Hey, haha! I DID learn something! Ohoho! Take that, skeptical bro!" I gloated, swaggering around the kitchen.

"Alvin, stop it. You're gonna make Simon explode." Theodore finally decided to speak up.

"What? All I'm saying is I learned something. That's what he wanted." I insisted.

As Theo predicted, Simon yelled. The same way Dave always yells at me. "ALVINNN!" Actually, many people do it now….almost like it's a running gag in some wacky cartoon TV show.

I shut my mouth and spent the rest of the morning making sure I was entirely ready for school. I vowed I would try my best not to disappoint Simon again….and make him clean up my mess. Cuz, you know, that's totally not 2.0-ish.