Chapter 7: Graduation Day!
MONTH AND A HALF LATER!
It was the day that they had waited a long time for. How proud the six young chipmunks looked, and even prouder were Dave, Miss. Miller and the boys' mother, Vinny. Everything went in a very organized fashion. The Valid Victorian of the class made a wonderful speech, as did the Principal and guest speaker too. Then each grad student had just finished walking up on the stage of the high school auditorium to collect his or her diplomas. There is not a face there that isn't without a smile grinning from ear to ear. Now everyone is mingling while they wait for the photographer to prepare for a group shot of all the students outside in the school field.
"Finally, we're FREE!" Shouts Brittany. "No more school books. No more teachers. No more bad smells from the cafeteria."
"Bad smells? What bad smells?" Theodore asks with puppy dog eyes.
"Relax, Theodore. I believe she's talking about the time when Alvin accidentally dropped that stink bomb in there last year." Simon said. He then raised an eyebrow and looked over to where Alvin stood over with some of his friends as he showed them something that he held in his hand. Simon then added with a crooked smile. "Apparently the smell never really came out." Simon hoped that would help make Theodore understanding the meaning behind Brittany's comment.
"Oh, you mean like when you and your friends 'accidentally' turned the science room purple on the Island. Right?" Theodore grinned.
Simon's cheeks turned red as he tried to laugh away his embarrassment from that experience. "Ah, yea. S-something like that."
"You're not going to College, Brittany?" Asked Jeanette in concern. By the way Brittany said about school made her think that her goal of going to College next fall had changed.
"College? Oh, well, College is different!" Brittany scoffed. "College has more freedom."
"Ok, Brittany." Jeanette smirked.
"What ever you say, Brittany." Eleanor giggled.
"Girls! Whoo hoo! Girls!" Cried out Miss. Miller. "Look this way, please!"
The three Chipettes looked over and realized that Miss. Miller wanted to take their picture. Quickly they went into a pose with their arms rapped around each other and smiled brightly at the camera. The flash of the light nearly blinded them as they began to blink away the spots that now formed in front of their faces. Miss. Miller smiles proudly as she wondered off to take more pictures of the grad students.
"Hey, Brittany!" Alvin calls out. He runs up to her flashing a plastic card with his picture on it. "Did I show you my driver's licence yet?"
"Yes, Alvin." Brittany whined as she rolled her eyes skyward. "You only showed me about twelve times today."
"You can't help to be at awe at my achievements in getting this thing!" Alvin said as he began to rub the card on his grad gown.
"Apparently a third time is the charm." Simon said, just loud enough for his brothers and the Chipettes to hear. Everyone but Alvin then starts to stifle his or her giggles.
"I'm going to ignore that remark." Alvin glared to his taller, smarter brother. He then looked down at the card in his hand and smiled with pride and placed it in front of Brittany's face once again. "Well, did you get a good look at the ultimate cool picture of myself. I believe it really captures the greater qualities of my face!" Alvin proudly gloats.
"Oh brother. Keep it up, Alvin, and they are going to have to raise the roof of this auditorium." Brittany said.
Simon, Theodore, Eleanor and Jeanette all started laughing as they knew all too well how 'inflated' Alvin's head can get some times.
"Ok, guys! Group shot!" Dave called out. The Chipmunks and Chipettes stood in a row and smiled for the camera. Alvin placed his new licence in his shirt pocket under his grad gown and rapped one arm around Simon and the other around Brittany. Jeanette stood on the other side of Simon while Theodore and Eleanor stood on the other side of Brittany. Each of them held their diplomas with pride. Brittany held hers up above her head as the picture was being taken.
Simon peered over after Dave took the picture and saw Renee's parents, Adam and Maggie, and their two younger kids, Jake and Kyle. They were only two years old when their sister had been kidnapped. Jake and Kyle barely knew Renee at all. Maggie and Adam did their best to explain their older sister to them, but it was difficult. Even Maggie and Adam barely knew their own daughter; she was always quiet around the house. They only remembered her from her beautiful smile.
The reunion with Renee hadn't come out as they hoped. After Renee's death it was very hard for any of them to cope. It had been after Simon sobered up and received counselling that Jake and Kyle would hear more about their sister through him. Especially when Simon would came over to baby-sit from time to time. The two young chipmunks loved it when Simon told them stories of their older sister. They only really knew her the day when she had returned home. The reunion had been very brief and hadn't really given the true identity of the real Renee.
Simon walked over to them and shook Adam's hand and gave Maggie a hug. They have been very support of towards Simon and treated him like a member of the family. For a moment Adam and Maggie thought what it would be like to see their oldest child right now, graduating and becoming an actress or reporter that she had always dreamed to be.
"We are honoured that you invited us to come here today, Simon!" Adam spoke.
"The honour is mine. Thank you for coming." Simon replied.
"Hey, Simon! Maybe later you can tell us more about some of the adventures you and our sister went on?" Kyle asked. He and his brother Jake looked up with pleading eyes as they started to grab each of Simon's hands and began shaking them.
"Hee, hee! I already told you all I remembered." Simon protested.
"Pllleeaassse.!" Both boys chimed at once.
"Now, come on you two. You shouldn't be bugging Simon right now anyway." Maggie stepped in and calmly grabbed her two boys' hands in order for them to let go of Simon's.
"Maybe later I could tell you *one* story." Simon said with a wink at the boys. Both of them grinned with anticipation.
Simon then turned around and saw Tom's dad, Nathan. He walked with pride as he came up to Simon. Nathan had always treated Simon like a son. He too suffered deep depression, being that he'd first lost his wife to a terrible car accident. Then his one and only child, Tom, was kidnapped. But to lose his son, again, nearly pushed him over the edge. For the longest time Nathan could not focus on anything, including his shop, the one thing in his life that he pretty much obsessed over. He just stayed at home and away for the rest of the world. It wasn't until when he heard about Simon's suicide attempt that he decided it was time to move on. He started to focus more on Simon and talking to him about this whole experience.
After Simon came out of the hospital, the two of them spent quite a bit of time together and reminisce with each other of the times they had spent with Tom. It brought tears to Nathan's eyes when Simon explained the great leadership Tom would show and the loyalty he had over his friends. In the long run they really helped each other with the healing process. Nathan even gave Simon a part-time job in his auto shop last summer and hoped that he would come back again this summer.
Nathan stepped up and gave Simon a proud hug. He took a deep breath in order to control him self from crying before releasing Simon from his arms. He gave Simon a big smile. "Tom would have been proud to see you like this right now!"
"I know!" Simon said as he smiled back.
Both the Seville and Miller clan joined Simon and his late friends parents for some more pictures. Vinny simply beamed with pride over her three 'little ones'. One by one she hugged each of her sons and kissed them on the cheek. She had just finished hugging Theodore and Alvin and turned to Simon and stopped for a moment. Then she gave him a wryly smile before giving him a hug and kiss. Simon knew that she still had issues about him wearing an earring and couldn't help to shake his head and laugh at that. The last time she came to visit was during Simon's depression. It was a week after Tom and Renee's Funeral. She came and stayed by Simon until she could talk him out of bed and join the rest of his family. At first Vinny didn't even notice the little jewel, until after Simon finally got a haircut.
From the corner of her eye, Vinny could see the glimmer of the dreaded jewel. She could still remember the first discussion about the earring and gave a little sigh.
********
TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FUNERAL!
Vinny comes in the kitchen; her sons are having a conversation about cars in a magazine on the table. They are also sampling some cookies Theodore made. She pours herself a glass of juice and walks up to the table. As she starts to sip her juice and looked at her boys proudly. Each of them were now talking and even laughing, she smiled more when they did that. That was when something caught her eye around Simon's face. Simon had finally gotten his hair cut that morning, and she could now see his entire face.
"What is that?" She cried while slamming her glass on the table.
All three boys look at her questioningly.
"W-what is what, mom?" Simon asked noticing that she was pointing at something on him.
"That *thing* on your *ear*?" She cried.
Alvin and Theodore begin to stifle their giggles, while Simon blinks in slight embarrassment. They couldn't believe that their own mother didn't recognize Simon's earring until now, the same one that would notice the slightest thing that could be wrong.
"Y-you mean my earring?" Simon answered cautiously.
"Earring? Since when did you start wearing an earring?"
"Since I was on the Island!" Simon winced, "It has become more a symbol rather then a fashion statement, actually!"
"And what kind of symbol *are* you trying to make?" She asked annoyingly.
With a sigh, Simon continued, "The time I spent on the Island and away from my family. The friends I made. and lost." A distant look darkened on his face as his mind wondered. "And to the.kids that never made it home." He finished in a choking whisper.
Everyone around the table became respectably silent as Simon finished his speech. Finally, Vinny crossed her arms and looked at her son sternly as she sighed deeply.
"Well, even though it's a nice symbol, I still don't like the fact you're wearing an earring." She said harshly.
"You don't have to *like* it, mom, you just have to *live* with it." Simon glared up at her then got up from the table and left the room. The discussion got too much for him to handle.
It shocked Vinny that Simon would speak to her in that tone. This was the son that respected others and talked to people with politeness. She was about to go after him, when Alvin and Theodore stopped her and started to explain Simon's mood and the troubles he had to endure the past five years. They explained that she should give him space to adjust to being at home again.
*********
Simon and Vinny pulled out from their hug. Vinny opened her mouth to say something and Simon stopped her.
"Mom, don't say it!"
"But."
"Mom, we are not going to discuss the earring right now, ok!"
"Very well!" She sighed in defeat.
An announcement called out over the loud speakers to let everyone know that the photographer is now ready to take the picture now. Everyone gathered together outside as the entire grad class got together for one last group shot in the field. The man focused the camera and prepared to take the picture. He then raised his hand to let everyone know he is about to capture the image of the group of students. All of 385 grad students took off their grad caps from the top of their heads and tossed them as far up in the air as they could as the snap of the camera took the picture.
MONTH AND A HALF LATER!
It was the day that they had waited a long time for. How proud the six young chipmunks looked, and even prouder were Dave, Miss. Miller and the boys' mother, Vinny. Everything went in a very organized fashion. The Valid Victorian of the class made a wonderful speech, as did the Principal and guest speaker too. Then each grad student had just finished walking up on the stage of the high school auditorium to collect his or her diplomas. There is not a face there that isn't without a smile grinning from ear to ear. Now everyone is mingling while they wait for the photographer to prepare for a group shot of all the students outside in the school field.
"Finally, we're FREE!" Shouts Brittany. "No more school books. No more teachers. No more bad smells from the cafeteria."
"Bad smells? What bad smells?" Theodore asks with puppy dog eyes.
"Relax, Theodore. I believe she's talking about the time when Alvin accidentally dropped that stink bomb in there last year." Simon said. He then raised an eyebrow and looked over to where Alvin stood over with some of his friends as he showed them something that he held in his hand. Simon then added with a crooked smile. "Apparently the smell never really came out." Simon hoped that would help make Theodore understanding the meaning behind Brittany's comment.
"Oh, you mean like when you and your friends 'accidentally' turned the science room purple on the Island. Right?" Theodore grinned.
Simon's cheeks turned red as he tried to laugh away his embarrassment from that experience. "Ah, yea. S-something like that."
"You're not going to College, Brittany?" Asked Jeanette in concern. By the way Brittany said about school made her think that her goal of going to College next fall had changed.
"College? Oh, well, College is different!" Brittany scoffed. "College has more freedom."
"Ok, Brittany." Jeanette smirked.
"What ever you say, Brittany." Eleanor giggled.
"Girls! Whoo hoo! Girls!" Cried out Miss. Miller. "Look this way, please!"
The three Chipettes looked over and realized that Miss. Miller wanted to take their picture. Quickly they went into a pose with their arms rapped around each other and smiled brightly at the camera. The flash of the light nearly blinded them as they began to blink away the spots that now formed in front of their faces. Miss. Miller smiles proudly as she wondered off to take more pictures of the grad students.
"Hey, Brittany!" Alvin calls out. He runs up to her flashing a plastic card with his picture on it. "Did I show you my driver's licence yet?"
"Yes, Alvin." Brittany whined as she rolled her eyes skyward. "You only showed me about twelve times today."
"You can't help to be at awe at my achievements in getting this thing!" Alvin said as he began to rub the card on his grad gown.
"Apparently a third time is the charm." Simon said, just loud enough for his brothers and the Chipettes to hear. Everyone but Alvin then starts to stifle his or her giggles.
"I'm going to ignore that remark." Alvin glared to his taller, smarter brother. He then looked down at the card in his hand and smiled with pride and placed it in front of Brittany's face once again. "Well, did you get a good look at the ultimate cool picture of myself. I believe it really captures the greater qualities of my face!" Alvin proudly gloats.
"Oh brother. Keep it up, Alvin, and they are going to have to raise the roof of this auditorium." Brittany said.
Simon, Theodore, Eleanor and Jeanette all started laughing as they knew all too well how 'inflated' Alvin's head can get some times.
"Ok, guys! Group shot!" Dave called out. The Chipmunks and Chipettes stood in a row and smiled for the camera. Alvin placed his new licence in his shirt pocket under his grad gown and rapped one arm around Simon and the other around Brittany. Jeanette stood on the other side of Simon while Theodore and Eleanor stood on the other side of Brittany. Each of them held their diplomas with pride. Brittany held hers up above her head as the picture was being taken.
Simon peered over after Dave took the picture and saw Renee's parents, Adam and Maggie, and their two younger kids, Jake and Kyle. They were only two years old when their sister had been kidnapped. Jake and Kyle barely knew Renee at all. Maggie and Adam did their best to explain their older sister to them, but it was difficult. Even Maggie and Adam barely knew their own daughter; she was always quiet around the house. They only remembered her from her beautiful smile.
The reunion with Renee hadn't come out as they hoped. After Renee's death it was very hard for any of them to cope. It had been after Simon sobered up and received counselling that Jake and Kyle would hear more about their sister through him. Especially when Simon would came over to baby-sit from time to time. The two young chipmunks loved it when Simon told them stories of their older sister. They only really knew her the day when she had returned home. The reunion had been very brief and hadn't really given the true identity of the real Renee.
Simon walked over to them and shook Adam's hand and gave Maggie a hug. They have been very support of towards Simon and treated him like a member of the family. For a moment Adam and Maggie thought what it would be like to see their oldest child right now, graduating and becoming an actress or reporter that she had always dreamed to be.
"We are honoured that you invited us to come here today, Simon!" Adam spoke.
"The honour is mine. Thank you for coming." Simon replied.
"Hey, Simon! Maybe later you can tell us more about some of the adventures you and our sister went on?" Kyle asked. He and his brother Jake looked up with pleading eyes as they started to grab each of Simon's hands and began shaking them.
"Hee, hee! I already told you all I remembered." Simon protested.
"Pllleeaassse.!" Both boys chimed at once.
"Now, come on you two. You shouldn't be bugging Simon right now anyway." Maggie stepped in and calmly grabbed her two boys' hands in order for them to let go of Simon's.
"Maybe later I could tell you *one* story." Simon said with a wink at the boys. Both of them grinned with anticipation.
Simon then turned around and saw Tom's dad, Nathan. He walked with pride as he came up to Simon. Nathan had always treated Simon like a son. He too suffered deep depression, being that he'd first lost his wife to a terrible car accident. Then his one and only child, Tom, was kidnapped. But to lose his son, again, nearly pushed him over the edge. For the longest time Nathan could not focus on anything, including his shop, the one thing in his life that he pretty much obsessed over. He just stayed at home and away for the rest of the world. It wasn't until when he heard about Simon's suicide attempt that he decided it was time to move on. He started to focus more on Simon and talking to him about this whole experience.
After Simon came out of the hospital, the two of them spent quite a bit of time together and reminisce with each other of the times they had spent with Tom. It brought tears to Nathan's eyes when Simon explained the great leadership Tom would show and the loyalty he had over his friends. In the long run they really helped each other with the healing process. Nathan even gave Simon a part-time job in his auto shop last summer and hoped that he would come back again this summer.
Nathan stepped up and gave Simon a proud hug. He took a deep breath in order to control him self from crying before releasing Simon from his arms. He gave Simon a big smile. "Tom would have been proud to see you like this right now!"
"I know!" Simon said as he smiled back.
Both the Seville and Miller clan joined Simon and his late friends parents for some more pictures. Vinny simply beamed with pride over her three 'little ones'. One by one she hugged each of her sons and kissed them on the cheek. She had just finished hugging Theodore and Alvin and turned to Simon and stopped for a moment. Then she gave him a wryly smile before giving him a hug and kiss. Simon knew that she still had issues about him wearing an earring and couldn't help to shake his head and laugh at that. The last time she came to visit was during Simon's depression. It was a week after Tom and Renee's Funeral. She came and stayed by Simon until she could talk him out of bed and join the rest of his family. At first Vinny didn't even notice the little jewel, until after Simon finally got a haircut.
From the corner of her eye, Vinny could see the glimmer of the dreaded jewel. She could still remember the first discussion about the earring and gave a little sigh.
********
TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FUNERAL!
Vinny comes in the kitchen; her sons are having a conversation about cars in a magazine on the table. They are also sampling some cookies Theodore made. She pours herself a glass of juice and walks up to the table. As she starts to sip her juice and looked at her boys proudly. Each of them were now talking and even laughing, she smiled more when they did that. That was when something caught her eye around Simon's face. Simon had finally gotten his hair cut that morning, and she could now see his entire face.
"What is that?" She cried while slamming her glass on the table.
All three boys look at her questioningly.
"W-what is what, mom?" Simon asked noticing that she was pointing at something on him.
"That *thing* on your *ear*?" She cried.
Alvin and Theodore begin to stifle their giggles, while Simon blinks in slight embarrassment. They couldn't believe that their own mother didn't recognize Simon's earring until now, the same one that would notice the slightest thing that could be wrong.
"Y-you mean my earring?" Simon answered cautiously.
"Earring? Since when did you start wearing an earring?"
"Since I was on the Island!" Simon winced, "It has become more a symbol rather then a fashion statement, actually!"
"And what kind of symbol *are* you trying to make?" She asked annoyingly.
With a sigh, Simon continued, "The time I spent on the Island and away from my family. The friends I made. and lost." A distant look darkened on his face as his mind wondered. "And to the.kids that never made it home." He finished in a choking whisper.
Everyone around the table became respectably silent as Simon finished his speech. Finally, Vinny crossed her arms and looked at her son sternly as she sighed deeply.
"Well, even though it's a nice symbol, I still don't like the fact you're wearing an earring." She said harshly.
"You don't have to *like* it, mom, you just have to *live* with it." Simon glared up at her then got up from the table and left the room. The discussion got too much for him to handle.
It shocked Vinny that Simon would speak to her in that tone. This was the son that respected others and talked to people with politeness. She was about to go after him, when Alvin and Theodore stopped her and started to explain Simon's mood and the troubles he had to endure the past five years. They explained that she should give him space to adjust to being at home again.
*********
Simon and Vinny pulled out from their hug. Vinny opened her mouth to say something and Simon stopped her.
"Mom, don't say it!"
"But."
"Mom, we are not going to discuss the earring right now, ok!"
"Very well!" She sighed in defeat.
An announcement called out over the loud speakers to let everyone know that the photographer is now ready to take the picture now. Everyone gathered together outside as the entire grad class got together for one last group shot in the field. The man focused the camera and prepared to take the picture. He then raised his hand to let everyone know he is about to capture the image of the group of students. All of 385 grad students took off their grad caps from the top of their heads and tossed them as far up in the air as they could as the snap of the camera took the picture.