Whoopsie, That took a little longer than expected… Aw, Well! Enjoy!
Simon's Point of View:
"UGH!" Jeanette scowled, flopping onto her bunk face down in a pillow. "I just don't understand why Simon's been acting like this!" She sat up and turned to face me with a questioning expression. Tears welled in her eyes and her hair was a mess, yet she was still beautiful to me. I wish I could tell her that there was no reason to fret, no reason to cry. All this was a misunderstanding… mostly. "Alvin, you've been acting kinda strange too. So much so that if I didn't know any better, maybe, just maybe, what Simon said made some sort of sense. But I do know better; I know he's just trying to cover up something else he's done. I just thought I knew him… I don't understand why he won't come out to me and talk about what's really going on." I listened to Jeanette and her battle against herself with the stake of keeping me as a friend. Would she disown me after everything that's happened? In the end, were all my somewhat selfish efforts in vain? Was the way I handled it all wrong? Was Alvin right… Should I have just swallowed my pride and let him in my body take Jeanette to the dance? If we both came out to everyone together it could end in total despair as everyone would insist we see more doctors (let's face it, the likelihood of them believing we actually did switch bodies is microbial). And even if there was the slightest chance they believed us, there was no guarantee it would repair the damage already done. I just couldn't do it, I couldn't tell her. "Alvin?" Jean said.
"Hm?" I looked up, "Oh, umm… Yeah. You know I think this might just be temporary, like a phase or something." This was the only defense I could think of. I had to talk myself up as Alvin as my own word no longer carried any weight. If Jeanette no longer believed me, hopefully she could still trust Alvin.
"But… he never used to be like this." She responded in a soft tone, "He never lied. He used to be so open and welcoming. It's like he changed overnight. I really thought he was starting to like me back.. Maybe it's me…"
"Definitely NOT!" I practically shouted up at her, "Jeanette, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with you. You're perfect! We- Simon's just having a tough time lately ever since I broke his science fair project. I'm telling you, after the fair, things will get better. I don't think you should worry so much. You're beautiful and smart and kind and he'd be stupid to pass that up." Talking to Jeanette was probably helping me more than her. All these feelings I've had pent up, finally reaching the surface.
"You- You think I'm perfect?" Underneath her tear-damp cheeks, did I see a faint blush? Did she think I was flirting with her? Wait, did she think ALVIN was flirting with her? While everything I said, I believed to be true, but this might not have been the best strategy when it came to acting like my brother. "That's sweet," Jeanette smiled lightly, "You're sweet."
"Yeah, well you're really great." Shut up shut up shut up! "And you shouldn't blame yourself for what's happening." Her blush grew deeper and she turned away from me as if to hide it. God, why couldn't I have told her all of this before everything happened?
"Look," She said, "You're really nice and all, but I don't think there's any fixing this. Maybe I should just move on from him…" Tears began streaming down like a miniature waterfall, landing on the ground below. No! I was losing her. Not only was losing any chance of a relationship, but I was also losing my best friend in the whole world. I needed to get her to stray from this path of thought. This kind of thinking would only lead to further problems, and I couldn't handle it all. Instinctively, without thinking or caring about who I was on the outside or what I was doing, I jumped up to the crying chipette's bed to comfort her. As Simon Seville, I knew this was what I would do. She seemed surprised as my arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her into my chest. Her body was so warm, much like a heated blanket, and I wished I could have fallen asleep right there. I inhaled, breathing in her familiar scent from the fur on top of her head, exhaling in a sigh. "A-Alvin?" She questioned after a brief pause.
"Shh," I said, holding her tense body closer, "Don't cry, Jeanie. It'll get better, please just give it time." Finally, her stiff body relaxed and she sunk into me, accepting my comfort. I couldn't care less if I was Alvin or Simon to her anymore. I probably would later, but I didn't care. She needed someone there for her and if it couldn't be me…
"Jeanie..?" She repeated, "Did you call me Jeanie?" Only now did I notice what I was doing.
"N-No, I-"
"You know…" She separated just a smidgen to look up into my eyes, "Oh! You have the same look in your eyes that Simon always has… The same sparkle…" After staring for an uncomfortably long time she cleared her throat, "T-Talk about weird, huh?" That was one way to put it. My sparkle… She saw a sparkle in my eyes before the switch and now that was gone too.
"Y-Yeah," I said, sinking into my seat on her bed and fighting back sorrow and tears. It was time to accept that I was no longer me and Jeanette seemed to be okay with that. She could live without me. "Weird." This was all fake. It had to be. It couldn't be real; it wasn't fair. Being with Jeanette, the one I could say with intensity that I loved, it felt so good, as if it was meant to be. But it was wrong. I wasn't me, and this moment in time wasn't fair. This moment: it should be MINE! 100% and ultimately mine! Not me in another's body, this was supposed to happen with me as me. Everything boiled up, not into anger, but sorrow. Fighting the tears was meaningless, but the crying and depression didn't come without a price. Noticing my shaking (and probably the tears rolling down my face) Jeanette spoke in a worry
"Hey," She said, "Why are you crying, Alvin." She leaned her face in close to mine, and her hot breath heated my face, making the tears stand out. "What's troubling you? I know Brittany says you don't like to talk about it when you cry, but maybe I can help." Her voice was barely a whisper, but I could hear it clearly as if she were speaking through a microphone. (Did Jeanette say Alvin cried in front of Brittany? He must have had his own demons…)
"I-I can't tell you…" I thought out loud squeezing my eyes tight in a failed effort to stop crying. This was wrong. This wasn't how our talk should have gone. This was all too much. Sure, I was feeling the sensations and comfort of my dear Jean, but I knew so strongly that none of this was directed towards me. All I ever got these days was resentment and hatred.
"Alvin?" Jeanette cupped my cheek with her warm paw, and a wild fury built up inside me, fueling my nearly depleted tears.
"No!" I screamed in my mind, "Can't you see? It's me! Jeanette, it's me! It's Simon! Please, what can I do to make you believe in me without consequences? None of this is right…" By now I was sobbing, beaten by my own freaking mistakes. Jeanette cupped my other cheek and I rested my forehead on hers, too exhausted to lift it up.
"Oh, Alvin. Don't cry." She sniffed, "Like you said, it'll get better." Her breathing was so calm, so soothing. "Whatever it is that's bothering you, we can get through it together." I looked in her eyes, tiny slits (maybe from being too close?). My vision was blurry from all the crying, but I could still make out every feature of her perfect face. Her cute button nose and small muzzle. The gorgeous line of tan fur in the middle of her darker fur running up the bridge of her nose and fading onto her forehead, as if, in some spiritual way to say that there was always light in the middle of dark times. And her lips… Her lips looked so soft, and I always imagined what they would feel like against mine. Close… She was so close… Mere centimeters apart. I don't know why, but I found my own lips moving closer still. Two centimeters… One centimeter… !
Without warning it was as if the bed slipped out from under me. A quick tug on gravity and before I knew it, I was pulling Jeanette down with me, landing on my back with her on top. Thank God for cosmic justice…
"Ugh." I groaned, "Are you okay, Jeanette?" Her full weight was on top of me and after landing on my back, the combined hits left me breathless.
"Uh huh," She whined and sat up on my stomach, staring into my eyes with her own round pearls. Her eyes shone a reflection back to me and I was sourly disappointed (understatement of the year!) to see not my own face, but the face of another. Would I ever return to my old self? The moment died as I came to my senses and remembered who I was supposed to be. What the heck was I thinking! What did I expect to happen? Did I think everything would just fall into place? That a major revelation would come up and I would magically turn back into myself? I was caught off guard as she looked ever deeper into my eyes.
"S-Simon..?" She whispered. I don't know what it was, but her voice triggered something inside me. I didn't know what it was, but I needed to leave NOW!
"D-Don't be stupid," I stuttered, "It's just me, Alvin!" I scooted out underneath her and ran out the room leaving a trail of tears behind me. I thought I heard Jeanette say something like "wait", but I didn't care enough to stay or even look back. I needed to be alone. Alone was good. Alone was safe. When alone I didn't have to worry about who I was or watch what I said. How was Alvin keeping his cool in this whole situation? Why am I the only one freaking out? Was I trying too hard? Ah, who cares, the sooner I could finish the project and switch us back, the better.
/
"Simon?" My own voice called to me in a hush as I huddled in the darkest, coldest corner of the basement, "Simon, you down here?"
"What do you want, Alvin?" I muttered, in no mood to talk. My own body sat beside me and for the first time I got a good look at how my brother was treating my body. Maybe it was just a bad day what with him having a meeting with Brittany, but I looked like a wreck. Alvin wasn't exactly keeping up with my standard hygienic practices and it looked like he hadn't cleaned my glasses once since we switched bodies, and it was starting to show horribly.
"Can't you at least treat my body with SOME respect?" I said weakly.
"I'm sorry about before." He said, ignoring my complaint, "I should've told you my plan beforehand…" I sensed he was holding something back, and sure enough I was right, "I messed up pretty bad during my talk with Brit, too." I thought nothing of it. Maybe I should have, but I was honestly just done with this day. After everything that happened with Jeanette I was too tired to care about anything else. He could've told me that he broke the machine and I probably wouldn't have cared. "Si, did you hear me?"
"Yeah, I heard you," I said, emotionless, "You messed up."
"You're not mad?" Alvin exclaimed, "But I didn't even tell you what I did yet!"
"Doesn't matter," I said, "I'm not allowed to get mad." The repercussions of my actions with Jeanette were all hitting me at once. How close we got, how I practically did everything I could to turn her away from me… "Not after what I did."
"Want a bet?" Alvin challenged, "I told Brittany about the switch and now she thinks you're so stressed that you need to have a 'deep, emotional talk like the ones you used to have.' So, in other words, you're a nutcase and I've totally destroyed your reputation in the family. Beat that!" I thought about getting mad at everything her said, I really did, but I had no right.
"I almost kissed Jeanette." Silence. Nothing but the eerie silence of the basement. That weird ringing that can sometimes be heard in your ear while sitting in silence banged against my ear drums. It was actually really nice. Refreshing. At first I saw a look of pure shock on my brother's face, but it quickly faded.
"Okay we'll call it a draw…" He said, "Boy, aren't we a couple of disasters?" Alvin smiled, but I doubt he was happy about anything in particular, "Soo, can I expect Jeanette to be swooning over me like all the other ladies when we switch back?"
"Tch, yeah right." I couldn't help but laugh, trying desperately to be miserable, "Something tells me she won't want anything to do with either of us."
"You couldn't have possibly messed up that bad."
I nodded, "Does Brittany think I should be locked up in a mental hospital?" Now was Alvin's turn to laugh. He leaned his head against the wall.
"Oh yeah. I couldn't have made a bigger mistake. You can expect some crazy looks and questions tomorrow."
"I could say the same for you," I grinned,
"You idiot." We both said at the same time, each of us laughing without a care in the world, harder than ever before. After our fit of laughter ended I looked at my brother trapped in my body.
"How on Earth do you be you?" I asked, "I can build a machine that switches the bodies of two living beings, but I can't even pretend to be my own brother for a week and a half without destroying every relationship I've ever had." I thought about what Jeanette could have meant when she talked about Alvin crying, "Sometimes I think I hardly know you."
"Heh, you're telling me!" He said, "Not only am I not allowed to be good at sports, but I have to attend school – oh by the way I failed your physics quiz- and don't think I don't know about your little chats with Brittany about me. What's all that about, huh? Are you sure you're Simon Seville?" I sighed, lowering my head to the ground.
"Oh. You know about those?" I closed my eyes, "I could really use one of those talks right about now."
"Well, Brit thinks you acting out is a cry for one. Just how buddy-buddy are you?"
"Let's just say I certainly know her better than I know you." I thought out loud, "At the end of every talk we promise that not another soul will find out. She even makes me pretend my mouth is a zipper with a lock and key. We talk about daily problems, our siblings -including you- and just our feelings in general." Once I stopped talking the eerie silence returned. The tension was almost painful, "You know, every time we have a talk it kinda goes like this."
Alvin coughed, "Wow. So, you've had some heart-to-hearts, haven't you?" I nodded, feeling shame for some reason. I was allowed to keep this from my own brother, right? "Man, we suck at this." Our own little chat ended on that note and the realization of our situation settled in. "What do you say we get a head-start on finishing the transmitter tomorrow?" I smiled, secretly frightened at the thought of going upstairs where the others were.
"O-Okay." I stammered and stood up.
/
The two of us rushed to our room, avoiding Theodore and Eleanor, who graciously cleaned up the game, as if it never happened. We bolted up the stairs to the place I thought would be safe… Until I remembered Brittany and Jeanette. The two of them stood between us and the transmitter talking. As we entered the room, their conversation ended, and nervous glances came our way. Alvin and I finally on the same page for once, attempted to work on the machine while pretending the chipettes weren't there. The two seemed to be on the fence about something, but talking to them would be pointless. Their whispers on the other hand were interesting enough to keep my ears' attention. Jeanette shook her head and hopped out of the room with a sniffle, leaving Brittany staring at us quizzically.
"Um, Alvin?" She spoke up and, remembering at the last second who I was, I stopped working.
"Yeah, Brit?" I asked, and after the long day, felt a sense of pride at how much I sounded like Alvin, "What's up?" The fact that I was the one who answered seemed to please her.
"Can I speak to you in private for a sec?" She motioned for Alvin to leave the room and I signaled to him my approval. Once she was sure we were alone, Brittany started. "I'm worried about Simon. I realize now that I shouldn't have acted so hectically when he said he was really you. I should have seen it as the cry for help that it is. Do you think you could convince him to talk with me sometime soon?"
"Uh, yeah, you bet. I'll tell him about it later." It was nice to know I wasn't a total martyr.
"Thanks." Brittany said, "Um, also…" There was an also? Ugh… "Do you remember the dance?" I nodded furiously. This was dangerous territory, "Umm, what did it mean to you? The dancing, getting to know me… Did you like it? Are you happy you went with me?" What was with all the questions all of a sudden? Did she talk to Jeanette about what happened between us! Or was she onto me and Alvin? There was a reason I didn't want anyone to know about the switch. Especially now with everything that's happened! The sheer awkwardness of knowing everything could cause irreparable damage in all our friendships! If everyone found out now the consequences could be dire. It would be best if Alvin and I could just take this secret to our graves.
"Oh, uhh," I stammered, "Of course! I had a really great time. I'd love it if we could go on another date." No no no! Bad Simon! "Aaafter I finish helping Simon with his machine." Nice save.
"Really? You mean it?" Brittany's eyes lit up and she wrapped her arms around my neck in a hug, "How about right after the science fair?" Perfect! Alvin would LOVE me for this. Setting him up on a date right after we switch back; talk about best brother ever (I guess I have been hard on him lately, I felt like I owed him).
"Yeah! For sure!" I smiled brightly, "Me and Simon really gotta get back to work though, so can you send him back in?"
"You got it, Alvie!" Whatever she was thinking before vanished instantly, replaced by happy thoughts. She ran out and soon after Alvin took her place.
"What the heck did you two talk about?" He said, walking up to me.
"Oh, nothing." I grinned, "You're welcome though."
/
Ahh, bedtime. Despite the awfulness that was today, I was unusually chipper. The chemistry lab was apparently opening early tomorrow (info Alvin discovered and forgot to tell me) and the formula was the only real key component left for the project. And to make things better, the day after tomorrow was the fair, and my last day of being stuck in Alvin's body. As I was about to enter the washroom to brush my teeth I heard the familiar voices of the chipettes. Enticed to learn of their conversation, I peeked in.
"I'm telling you, Jean." Brittany said, "There's no way they could have switched bodies. Alvin's acting totally normal and whatever you think you saw in his eyes must have just been your imagination. Or his natural twinkle."
"Maybe," Jeanette replied, "But I guarantee you that that was Simon's sparkle…" Brittany shrugged.
"Maybe you're crushing on Alvin. Sorry, Jeanie, but you know the rule – I got there first."
"Eww." Jeanette said, "I could never do that to you! I guess I'm just trying to make up excuses for Simon's actions." Jeanette and her sister embraced, "There's no trust with him anymore…" Her confidence in me was completely destroyed… Everything we've been through utterly shattered.
"I think they're both stressed," Eleanor piped up, "They've both been acting kind of weird. You know, I heard Dave talking on the phone about the two of them slow dancing!" Dang it, Dave! Was nothing sacred?
"He'll slow dance with Alvin, but not me?" Jeanette said sounding hurt. Hurt. More hurt. Everything I hear from her makes her sound like she's in pain. My chipper attitude immediately vanished. It was at this point that I couldn't stand to listen in anymore. Instead I went straight to bed on the reclining chair where my brothers already lay.
"Theodore seems like an open book" I thought as I lay down, "But I never expected Alvin to hold so many feelings bottled up like I do. I guess I never thought about it. How selfish." Tonight, I slept haunted by one thought on my mind. Not the machine, nor the fair. Not even the fact that I would soon be myself again. No, all I could think about was all the heartache I caused my dear Jeanette.