Alvin's Point of View
We were running out of time and I was running out of patience. Sure there was no reason for me to be having breakdowns like Simon. He's been so dedicated to the science fair and after everything I screwed up… lets just say he needed as little stress as possible. I mean, we were sort of on a deadline with the science fair, but its not like it as MY specific problem. I did agree to help Simon though (out of the goodness of my heart, no less) so I guess I should feel a little panicked. I wrecked his relationship with Jeanette, destroyed his scholarly image at school, forced him into an awkward position with Brittany, and trashed his project more times than I can count. It was time for a new Alvin, one who wouldn't be a burden. One who would help rather than wreck. It was time for me and my brother to start working as a team. And I of course would have the chance to take charge and save the day!
"All that's left are the neurotransmitter helmets." Simon said with a hint of satisfaction in his tone, standing up from what was probably what he called the generator. My favourite red sweater was drenched in sweat from all his hard labour and the pungent odor that followed only added to the sense of accomplishment. The fair was Saturday, three days from now, and not once through our (yes, OUR) two days of straight work did he look me in the eyes, and other than of course when I ask how something is supposed to be built, he'd barely talk to me. What did I have to do to get my own brothers love back? Did I really mess up so bad that I deserved this treatment? There had to be something I could do to make it up to him. I still thought he was way too uptight and often wondered if we should try going on another adventure (NOT back to the zoo!).
"Hey, umm, Simon?" I started, receiving only a half grunt in return to know at least I was being acknowledged, "I was just thinking that with all the crazy stuff going on maybe you'd wanna do something. You know, just to get our minds off life." He stopped working for a second, hopefully to consider my plea for affection.
"There won't be any need for that." He said, "We'll be back to normal Saturday. When we do the demonstration we'll pour the formula into the generator tube and the machine will break, but we'll be back to our old selves."
"What about the science fair? I thought you wanted to win."
"I did." Was this right? Now he's giving up the thing that we fought so hard to keep for him? All for what; an extra day's freedom of being in our own body?
"Si… If you're gonna give up on that too at least let me show you how to have fun. I promise we won't go to the zoo or anywhere with even mildly dangerous animals like a dog or bunny." He stared blankly at the machine, hopefully considering my offer.
"Oh are you two making plans?" Eleanor said, skipping in freely as if the room was hers. Wait…
"Yeah," I replied, "We were looking for a way to relax after this crazy week." Eleanor glared at me as if I was her mortal enemy. Probably still mad about what I did to her sister, breaking her heart and all. I guess that's important stuff to girls. Or anyone in general for that matter. I wouldn't be surprised if she'd lost respect for the munk she thought was Simon after everything. It wasn't fair for Simon to blamed for my actions… again, did everyone really have to rub it in my face like that? She turned to Simon.
"Alvin, what kinds of plans were you thinking of making?" Simon shrugged his shoulders. "Well if aren't sure why don't you join us for game night. I know Dave said you were grounded, but he won't be home tonight and I won't tell if you won't. Besides, one evening wouldn't hurt." She giggled and headed for the door, "Oh Simon, I guess you can come too if you want."
"You want me there…?" Simon's voice uplifted then, realizing his mistake, he quickly lowered his head and pulled me aside. "It's your call," He whispered, "Do we go or would you rather keep working?" Was it really not obvious which I would rather do? Shame on you little brother, shame on you.
"You're letting me decide?" I said and looked back at Eleanor, who had a quizzical expression on her face. Simon nodded blankly; he hadn't smiled in days and I was honestly missing it. Other than when I looked in a mirror, I haven't seen myself smile (obviously) and it was an interesting opportunity when all this first started. You really don't know sadness until you see a living version of yourself frown so much, not just a moving image in glass.
"We can't finish the machine until tomorrow when I can borrow a few supplies from school anyway…" I nodded with a mild form of understanding.
"Sure Eleanor, we'd love to!" I smiled, walking back over to her. She scowled, non-verbally telling me how disappointed she was that I took her offer.
"And you Alvin?" She turned to Simon with a bigger smile than mine.
"Yeah, I guess I could take a break." Simon said putting his paws in his pockets. I had to give him props for this tiny detail in his performance in being me. Doing something like that, now that was coo'l, and guess who's the coolest munk here?
"Really? Don't tell me you actually enjoy working on this silly contraption!" She giggled again, "Whatever, see you two tonight." She hopped away with one last look of disdain at me. I turned to Simon.
"Okay so a few pointers on how to behave like me tonight. Remember, you LOVE to win and-"
"I don't care anymore Alvin!" He snapped, "I just don't care anymore. Whatever happens, happens!" He didn't mean it, he couldn't have. He was just mad like usual, I was sure of it. His anger would blow over and he'd be back to his regular level of uptightedness in no time, ready to finish this bloody machine so we could return to normal. "Let's just get through tonight."
*SCENE CHANGE*
"Snacks are ready!" Theodore called out from the kitchen as everyone helped set up the first game. Ready for the game to start, he waddled in dragging in two large bowls; one of cheesy snacks, another of salty.
"Don't mind if I do, Theo." I said nonchalantly and grabbed a chip from the cheesy bowl. Crunchy and savory, yet still once chewed once, it would dissolve in my mouth; such a brilliant creation by food companies everywhere! It wasn't until I started chewing that I realized what I was doing wrong. Everyone's eyes were on me and I could tell that "Simon" was not welcomed, but merely invited for the sake of being polite. One had to wonder if something like this was all my fault, and normally I'd try to convince everyone that the blame should not be pit on me, but even I had to admit the evidence was pretty stacked. I needed to find a way to make this up to Simon before his presence causes a riot in our own family. He was being treated like a martyr and that wasn't fair.
"First game, Monopoly!" Eleanor squealed, "Now everyone, grab a piece!" Coincidentally (not!) I ended up picking last, stuck playing as either the thimble or the hat. Knowing Simon, he'd pick the top hat just for a little sophistication. When I rolled for my first turn (again I ended up going last) everything I did was practically ignored by everyone other than Theo, and when I passed GO for the first time, I had to fight for my $200. I was nearly exempt from every property I landed on and never got to go again when I rolled doubles.
I could see from the corner of my eye Simon in my body try not to look defeated, watching as his body was treated so poorly. "Why don't you speak up for yourself, dangit?!" I thought, "What's stopping you from changing their target to me?" The guilt seeped into my mind, torturing me in every way possible. Listening to the abuse from the others, looking at my broken brother, did he think he deserved this? Was he trying to protect my own image? What was he doing? SAY SOMETHING!
Simon cleared his throat, "Be right back," He uttered, "Just going to the washroom."
"I'll come with you." I said, a little too hectically.
"Umm… What?" I could feel all the strange looks from behind me, stabbing me in the back.
"What I mean is… I gotta go after you so don't take too long." He shook his head as if to say I'm an idiot and hopped up the stairs.
"Be back soon, Alvie." Brittany called up after him with a wink. I never did find out what happened at the dance, but whatever did happen, Brit seemed to be smitten. She constantly sighed the kind of sigh when you have a deadly crush, and her eyes faltered whenever my body left the room. Whatever did happen at the dance, I had no right to know, all I knew was that my relationship with Brittany couldn't be stronger, and I didn't get to enjoy any of it. Is this what Simon meant when he said he wanted to be himself in order to be with Jeanette? This was a poisonous feeling. Did I make the right decision after all in letting him go with Brittany?
After some time, Simon still didn't return and I volunteered to go check on him, stretching as I got up. Theodore, being the only one who probably didn't hate Simon at this point, responded with an innocent smile. Hopping up each step I wondered what my brother could possibly be doing. On another note, I never really noticed how old and splintered these stairs were. Looking down at them, I guess that's why everyone always trips all the time; who'd have thought that splinters could be a chipmunk's worst nightmare? As I approached the bathroom, I thought I could hear something. Sniffling maybe? Was Simon crying? I knocked on the door and behind it immediately went dead silent. More sniffling; at least that's what it sounded like, but something seemed odd about this. It sounded different than before.
"Simon?" I knocked again, "It's me, Alvin. I'm coming in, I hope you're decent." I jumped up and opened the door. There Simon stood, conveniently carrying a large can of air freshener. "Are you okay?" I asked, forced to plug my nose from the strong scent of spring meadow. Tears welled in my brother's puffy eyes. "I thought I heard crying."
"Nope." He responded before I could even finish the sentence. "You must have just heard the can spraying.' He pulled the nozzle again, releasing more of the gross smell (the one that gave me a headache); this sounded exactly like the second "sniffle" I heard behind the door. He sniffed and a tear rolled down his damp, furry cheek, "S-Stupid allergies."
"Am I doing something wrong?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" He said, a surprised tone in the midst of his crying.
"Dude, you suck at acting. I can tell when you're crying and I can tell when you're upset and I hope that by now I can tell when I've done something wrong. Besides, it's a lot easier figuring this stuff out when it's your own body that's doing it."
"How do you mean?" He said, wiping his tears.
"Well maybe… MAYBE… Sometimes, I cry a teeny tiny bit." I admitted, "Now tell me what's wrong."
"I really need to tell you?" He said, "I should have just stayed and worked on the transmitters. At least then I wouldn't have to listen to the abuse." He grabbed my arm and lead me to the top of the staircase. From there we could see everyone gathered around the coffee table.
"Well, Theo?" Brittany was saying, "What do you think is wrong with Simon lately? He's been a real jerk to Jeanette."
"I don't know," Theo said back, "My brothers have both been acting weird. I'm kind of worried. Maybe they're not getting along."
"I was thinking of having a talk with Simon, see what his deal is and all that. And Jeanie," Brit turned to her younger sister, "I want you to have a talk with Alvin. He's been so caring lately he'll be a good ear to talk to. It'll do you good to be treated properly for a change."
Simon sat back, "See? Once we switch back I have nothing but ridicule to go back to anyway." He sighed. I could see where he was coming from, but was he having second thoughts about switching back? I needed him to be stable and to think clearly. As if reading my mind he responded, "It's not that I don't want to be me again, it's just, I wish I could take a break, you know? Just sit with a good book and not worry about anything, with no one on my back, constantly ridiculing me. I don't want to be you, I don't want to be me, just sit and be no one." I instinctively felt like apologizing, feeling that I did something wrong and this was my fault.
"Don't worry, Si," I said with a pat to his back, "Once we're in our own bodies again, everything will go back to normal. Everyone will come to like you again and think of you as responsible and nerdy, and I'll be back to the cool, macho, and fun munk that I am!"
"You can't honestly think that's what we think of you, can you?" Perhaps I chose a poor set of words, but in all honesty, that is what I am, no argument. And since I'm Simon now, shouldn't he have all my amazing qualities? Then it dawned on me. The others, they were looking at all of Simon's good qualities that he was putting off on me, and all my poor qualities that I showed through him. Maybe we didn't suck at acting, maybe if the others just saw my better qualities in Simon, things wouldn't be so bad for him.
"I have an idea!" I said and ran downstairs.
*SCENE CHANGE*
"Simon what are you doing?" Theodore asked.
"Ohh, nothing," I said slyly, jumping up to the stereo system and hitting eject. "Just thought we could use a bit of music." I plucked a random CD from the shelf and set it up jamming the play button and blasting the volume. I was expecting some hard core rock and roll but my adrenaline passed as a slow song played. "Well this isn't exactly party music," I muttered, "Time to improvise a little." I looked over at Brittany, but then remembered who I was. I know Simon said he didn't want anything like this to happen, but he just had to trust me on this one. This was me making the call, not him. This was the right thing to do. I turned to Jeanette, grabbed her hand and began to twirl her.
Now normally now would be the time where Simon would follow up on the plan, but I MIGHT have forgotten to tell him what the plan was exactly in the first place, garnering a completely different reaction than the one intended. Simon blushed and I knew immediately that he thought I was trying to make him jealous. Let's just say he was certainly willing to play ball. Grabbing Brittany, he initiated the slow dance I taught him. Maybe I could've been the bigger munk; stop the plan, talk to him, make sure we were on the same page, but I let my ow jealousy get the better of me. He was getting on my nerves and it was time to put him in his rightful place.
The music changed to something a little more upbeat and even though Jeanette probably thought we were done I could imagine her surprise when I continued our dance. Interlocking our hands (Hers were surprisingly warm and soft almost like tiny pillows that would occasionally clam up out of nervousness) I lead us into something of a salsa.
"Simon," Jeanette piped up, "What's gotten into you?"
"Ohh, uhh…" I tried not to ignore her question as I paid more attention to what Simon was doing. As if on cue, wanting me to look at him, Simon started a fresh set of dance moves and combinations with Brittany. I hadn't even seen him pull off moves this fancy before! This was the sort of dancing we did in performances; where did he learn this kind of stuff? With new adrenaline fueling my spite, I sought revenge in the form of being better. I pulled Jeanette closer to me and together we moved closer to Simon and Brit and "accidentally" nudging into them and messing up their dance. With an angry look on his face he backed up for another supposed move and bumped into me, pushing me into Jeanette. I stopped our dance and smacked him upside the head. Their dance ended and he turned around smacking me back just like a CHILD!
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Eventually we were completely ignoring our dance partners and eventually they got sick and tired of it.
"That's it!" Brittany shouted, "Time for a little chat!" She pinched my ear with robot-like strength and dragged me to the closet, nearly tearing it off. "Come with me!"
"Ow ow owww!" I whined. Thump! Thump! Thump! Simon, dragged by his tail up the stairs by Jeanette, complained, sure that he would he would come out of this with a concussion.
*SCENE CHANGE*
"What's your problem?!" Brittany said, tossing me deep into the closet where no one could hear my screams of terror and agony.
"OWWWWW!" I whined, "What are you talking about? I thought everyone wanted me to go to the dance with Jeanette. Is this not the next best thing?" She face-palmed with an exacerbated sigh.
"That's all well and good, but what the heck is with your arguing with Alvin? And why are you playing with Jeanette's feelings like that?" She had me cornered. Was there any other way out of this? Jeanette didn't believe me when I told her the truth but would Brittany? Sure, she didn't when Jean told her, but what if it came from the source? What if she could look into my eyes as I told her? Then she could see for herself that I really was Alvin Seville trapped in my brother Simon's body. I couldn't keep something like this a secret forever, could I? And who knows, maybe she could even help Simon and I finish the machine or something. Sorry Simon, but this was my decision, and it had to be the right one. This is something that had to be done and he would have to see it my way. "This is in our best interest, Simon." I thought to myself.
"Brittany," I said, "It's me, Alvin."