(I understand that scene changes, or the way I do them, don't show up. I'll be putting scene change* from now on, if this annoys readers, let me know and I'll stop.)
Alvin's Point of View
Studying absolutely sucks. I've said it once and I'll say it again, I'll say it a million times; I'll shout it to the heavens! Studying sucks! S-U-C-K-S! I've literally been studying all night, reading page after page in the engineering mechanics book -honestly, the chemistry was pointless to even attempt to learn, there's no possible way that I'll remember any of it- and by the end of the night, six o'clock in the morning and following my deal with Simon, I had actually finished the book! Endless reading -more than I'd ever done in my life!- paid off, and best of all: I understood it. Chemistry was blah blah blah with every other word being unpronounceable, but engineering, that was easy. Screw a dew-hickey here, attach these two wires there and bam! Done!
Reading all night, I doubt I would have been able to sleep anyway. The whole zoo thing scared the fur off of me. Who in their right mind puts a donut vendor with the reptiles?! Oh, yeah, not to mention I almost got eaten by Henry, stupid snake… That entire experience sucked as much as studying, it was supposed to teach Simon how to have fun, not scar him -and me- for life. If I ever go to the zoo again, that will be the day…Who am I kidding? I'm never going back to that deathtrap. I needed to think of a new way that I could teach Simon to have fun, whether it was before or after the dance because I'm certain that, unless he messes up completely with her, Brittany will really get, um… flirtatious.
Right now, it's the day of the dance, which meant I would most likely be teaching Simon afterward. No worries, no worries, shouldn't be a problem as long as Simon acts at least a little like me and not at all like himself. I couldn't think about any of that now, I was exhausted. I guess little sleep will do that to you. I wish I could sleep, really I do, but Brittany was LOUD at the breakfast table. As everyone sat in their spots, eating a healthy breakfast that consisted of only toaster waffles, Brittany blabbed on and on about her excitement.
"Tonight's the big night!" She squealed, too thrilled to notice Jeanette's sighs, "It's gonna be so fun!"Her voice pitched to a point where everyone, including Dave, had to cover their ears, "Alvie?" Ugh, I may not be myself, but that didn't stop me from hating that nickname.
"Hm?" Simon lifted his head, "Oh uh, yes, Brittany?" He was really out of it too. Although I wasn't sure if that was from almost dying or the fact that he would be going to the dance with Brittany tonight and not Jeanette.
"Meet me at my locker after school. I have a surprise for you." Okay, even I didn't know what that meant, it could be anything from some kind of divine torture to a simple kiss on the cheek, or even a kick in the shin.
"Oh, joy." Simon muttered without any enthusiasm, or concern for that matter. I understood his feeling, but I didn't know exactly what he felt… If that makes sense. Was it wrong for me to be distant from my own brother like that?
"What was that?" Brittany spat testily. From ecstatic to suspicious in two words, a second and a half. Brittany is the most feisty chipette I know.
"I mean, I can't wait." Simon corrected himself, acting as if he'd never said anything beforehand. You always had to be careful with Brittany; she could have a hot temper at times, but I found it pretty hot, the good hot. I guess that's just me, though.
"So I'm guessing that I don't need to pick anyone up until later tonight?" Dave asked with a smile. I took a head count. Simon would be stuck with Brittany, Theodore and Eleanor informed us all that they were helping to set up before changing at school. I still couldn't believe Eleanor had Munk'd up the courage to ask Theodore to the dance; that was almost as unbelievable as Jeanette asking Simon. All of the action going on about the dance left me and Jeanette to find a way home.
"I'm," Jeanette stammered, "I'm walking home."
"Are you sure?" Dave asked and Jeanette nodded, making Dave turn to me, "And you, Simon?"
"Yeah," I said, then muffled my own words by stuffing my face with a toaster waffle. I was probably going to hear about this from Simon later, but hey, I was hungry, "I'll… walk… too."
"Alright then," Dave said, "well thanks to the dance, and Simon and Jeanette's willingness to walk home, I get to attend a meeting that might get you guys signed for a huge concert. I won't be home when you two get here. You'll be okay, won't you?" Wait, did my ears deceive me? Was Dave seriously trusting me to be home without him?
"You bet!" I squeaked, overwhelmed by Dave's trust, "Wait, I'm Simon," I thought, "No wonder he's treating me like an adult." Oh well, it felt good to be trusted so I didn't have to be watched by my dad, even if it meant stealing that trust from my brother.
"Love the enthusiasm, Si." Dave admired, "Just don't blow up the house with your machine; I think I'm still cleaning out pieces from the attic from your first explosion." Of course, the one time Simon gets in trouble and I'm him.
"No promises." I thought, but just smiled at him as my response.
"Everyone done?" He asked, and each of us nodded, "Okay, off to school!"
*Scene change*
Welcome to the worst class in the history of school: physics. As I entered the classroom at the sound of the bell (I actually showed up on time!) I found myself sitting next to a distressed Jeanette. She gave me a fraction of a smile as I approached, but as positive as she usually was, I knew her heart wasn't in it.
"Okay, class," The teacher began his lesson, "back to our unit of motion and-"
"Blah blah blah…" I got lost in my own mixed thoughts, "Will this class ever end?" I looked at the clock, I looked at the clock, nine exactly, only fifty minutes to go before I was out of here. Only. Fifty minutes, the fact that I'd even be getting out of here would have lifted my spirits had Simon's second period class not been math. Math is the kind of course where it almost ties with physics, but math was part of chemistry and engineering too, the topics that would fix everything.
"Simon?" Jeanette whispered, hopping over to my desk. The teacher didn't seem to mind; his two star students having an enticing conversation about… what did smart people talk about? Didn't matter, it wasn't actually smart, but the teacher continued lecturing, "Are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out." Guess I need to work on my facial expressions.
"I'm just bored." I admitted. Knowing Simon, he would be too. He didn't need this "easy" course.
"Yeah, I already know all of this too." She said, a hint of cockiness in her tone. Wow, was she ever getting the wrong idea; I didn't mean boredom from going through this again, I meant boredom from having to go through this at all. I knew nothing! "So the dance is tonight; it's all anyone can talk about..." Jeez, how long was she going to torture me with the painful memory of turning her down? She couldn't let it go; she's like her sister that way. "How much trouble do you think Alvin and Brittany will get into?" Tch, like I'd get into any trouble at a dance… but then again, I'd have gotten a kiss from Brittany, maybe two.
"I don't think they'll be doing too much." I replied, knowing how much Simon hated having to go in the first place.
"Why do you say that?"
"Just a feeling." I hummed, unable to cover up my smirk, "Alvin's been a little… distracted lately." The last thing I watched Jeanette do before our conversation got broken up was give me a questionable look.
*Scene Change*
Ah, lunch. Finally a break from the hardcore classes that Simon chose. He really should prepare better, just in case of an emergency; didn't he ever think ahead just in case we might ever switch bodies? I sat with everyone like usual, watched Simon fight off Brittany's advances, and do he his best to get beside me. He was successful, but at a price.
"You'll be mine." Brittany winked, and I had to nudge my little brother so he remembered to wink back.
"Alvin, I don't think I can go through with this." He whispered, "She's been following me all day and I can't shake her off. There's no way she won't… attack me at the dance."
"Come on, buddy, you can do this." I encouraged him. I doubt it helped, but it shut him up. The dance was only four hours away and he was getting really uptight. "You need to relax and act like you're having fun." I thought, suppressing any urges to blurt it out to him.
"Jeanie," Eleanor said, "Since you're not going with anybody, maybe you'd want to join me and Theodore?" Jeanette looked up with a frail smile at Eleanor's sentiment.
"Thanks, but I think I'll just stay home." She replied, "I have homework to do anyway…"
*Scene Change*
"Yo, Simon!" Ryan called from the middle of the gym. I scurried over to him and accepted his high-five, "You've been killing it lately, or so I hear, maybe you want to chill later?" Okay, I know I'm supposed to be my brother, but I couldn't resist the temptation of having some of my old life back. Finally, I could act like myself around someone! I hoped Simon wouldn't be too peeved about it. It would only be one time while I waited for him to finish on the machine.
"You know it." I said smoothly before the phys-ed teacher gave us our instructions for the class. Seeing as the dance was being held in the gym, we were to help set up for the whole period. This meant blowing up balloons and hanging streamers. The dance's theme (oh, the freaking irony): getting to know your special someone. I learned that Simon would get the HONOUR of learning EVERYTHING about Brittany during a bloody gym class! Everyone who went with a date would be filling out a questionnaire about their date at the end. This is where the acting lessons BETTER work for Simon. If he answered that thing how he normally would then eventually Brittany would be able to put the pieces together and find out she was with Simon for the whole thing. This was already the worst week ever, I didn't need it to get worse.
The bell rang before I could sneak a peak of the question cards, and I was quickly pushed out of the gym. At my locker (Simon's locker) I gathered any school supplies I knew he would rather die than leave at school. I watched Simon stop at his locker (my locker) and approached.
"Ready for your surprise?" I mocked, forcing him to scowl.
"Shut it." He snapped, "It's bad enough you're forcing me to maybe kiss her, but did you know she did stuff like this?"
"Yeah," I laughed, "lighten up, it might not be as bad as you think." We reached Brittany's locker and she smiled when she saw Simon. One look at me though and that smile was wiped away.
"Hey, Simon, Jeanette's waiting for you at the entrance." She said and turned back to Simon, "Ready for your surprise, Alvie?"
"Um, sure?"
I walked away, knowing I was being a third wheel, and before joining Jeanette at the front entrance I heard the slamming of a locker behind me, with no one in sight.
"Ready?" Jeanette asked solemnly and I smiled and nodded. I couldn't tell if she accepted the smile or not, she just began our descent home. Minutes that felt like hours of awkward silence went by and we were barely half way there.
"So," I began, hoping to break the silence that lingered in the air, "Do you really have homework?"
"No," she answered, "I just didn't want to go… I'm guessing you don't either? Have any homework I mean." Simon would say and mean no, I was forced to tell another lie, tell her no, but throughout it all I thought YES! But then again, Simon wouldn't be in this situation.
Finally the guilt, whether I should really be feeling any or not, hit me hard. I was hurting this perfectly innocent chipette for no cause or real reason and I practically got slapped in the face by her pain whenever she spoke.
"Jeanette," I breathed and she looked up from the sidewalk that we traveled on. The dance was going to begin soon and I guess she knew, getting even more fidgety every second that it came closer. Every minute seemed to be torture for her.
"Yes?" She said, fidgeting with her paws.
"I'm sorry for not taking you to the dance," I blurted, "I know it meant a lot to you and if things weren't happening right now I'd love to-"
"I get it!" She snapped with her eyes watering, "It's done. You don't need to come up with these ridiculous excuses!"
"But Simon really wants to go with you." I blurted, unable to contain the words coming out of my mouth. I knew I said Simon and not "I" but I didn't care, I couldn't keep this guilt, this burden.
"Listen you- Wait, what?" she blinked through her own tears and, knowing what I was about to do, as well as the consequences that would come with it, I informed her of what happened between me and Simon.
"You see, it's me, Alvin," I explained, "I messed up during the test experiment and while Simon's machine blew up I guess it switched our minds or bodies or something." She blinked again before furrowing her brow. Not the reaction I was expecting.
"Simon, I can see you clearly; this is over the line. I could understand if you wanted to rationalize everything to ease the rejection, but now you're outright lying to me, and to my face!" As we approached our home she turned around, tremoring, "I don't believe you'd do something like this, Si. I thought we were friends, and I wished we could have been something more… Wished."
"Jeanette, it's really me, Alvin." The truth was out, and it hurt, but she didn't believe a single word of it. How could she not believe me? What isn't believable about this story? Me and Simon switched bodies accidentally and now we needed to get back to normal, that's a fact! "Jeanette, please believe me; you gotta believe me." I begged.
"You're a loon, Si." She whimpered as she pushed by me, "A lying lunatic." She cried before jumping through the mail-slot.
"Man..." I exhaled, "This really sucks."Not only did I make things worse, but I think I may have just ruined Simon and Jeanette's relationship, whether it was only a friendship or something more. There had to be something I could do to fix it. Anything. One thing I knew for sure that wouldn't work now -and perhaps I should have just done this against Simon's request- was to take Jeanette to the dance. There was no way she would want to now, not even with the real Simon.