Chapter 19- Things Can Change
In the shabby part of Los Angeles, stood a big building made of wood, the Olivia Orphanage. Ms. Miller and the seven chipmunks came driving in, and they all gasped at the state of the building. "This is an orphanage?" Theodore said in complete disbelief.
"I'm afraid it is" Simon somberly answered as he pointed at the sign, which indeed read 'The Olivia Orphanage'.
"Oh god" Jeanette wept a bit, "It's too much like the one we lived in Australia." When the tall chipette said this, everyone in the car hearts dropped even further. It was no secret that the Chipettes' early years were rough, but they were lucky enough to escape. But the children that lived here, well… it seemed like only bad luck was coming their.
Just then Brittany, who was still wearing Alvin's cap, exited the car and stood boldly. Her face was filled with seriousness and determination. "Jeanette, Eleanor, we know how tough it is to live like these kids" Brittany stated, her sisters nodded in agreement, "I know you boys can relate as well, as you and Dave were once living in poverty" the Chipmunks also nodded. Before Dave even met the boys, he lived in a rickety old cabin in the woods, which is where their mother left them. "We all had the fortune of escaping that life," Brittany continued, "but there are still others who are stuck, overlooked by society. We must help them, as we both have the power and understanding to save them. I'll admit when Dave first mentioned that this place, I shrugged it off. But now seeing it with my own eyes, I can't just do nothing, and I hope all of you feel the same way. Are you with me?!"
The pink chipette was met with applause from the others. It was honestly amazing how the usually self-centered teen expressed such compassion to help the children in need. In fact, it completely changed their moods. "Oh sweetie," Ms. Miller wept with joy, "That was absolutely beautiful. I'm very proud." Brittany was surprised with the reaction she was getting, and despite her little speech, she did feel her ego growing.
"Jeanette, can you believe it?!" Eleanor asked her other sister in complete shock, "I never thought I would see the day Brittany being selfless!"
Brittany stopped feeling overly proud of herself, instead she glared at her little sister.
"She has a point, Britt" Alvin added, noting his friend's change of mood, "Where have you gotten all this confidence so sudden?"
Brittany blushed a bit, it was certainly unusual for her to act this boldly. "I'm not really sure" she admitted. Brittany may be a band leader, but she didn't often feel the need to take genuine leadership, that was more of Alvin's thing. Just then she looked up at the red cap she was wearing. "Maybe it's your cap," she smiled as she gave it a little pull, "that's probably were you get all your confidence."
While Brittany felt giddy about the remark, Alvin felt a little scared. "What if she's right?" he thought, "Does that mean I've lost my confidence?!" Simon could see his brother's fearfulness as clear as day, and when he saw the red chipmunk rubbing the top of his head nervously, he simply rolled his eyes. Alvin was so worried that he began to reconsider his decision of giving Brittany his cap. As everyone exited the car, the red chipmunk approached the pink girl. "Say um Brittany" Alvin began to say. He was going to ask for his cap back, but when she turned to face him, she looked like she was glowing with happiness.
"What, Alvin?" she asked happily.
Alvin gulped, no longer wanting to take the cap back. "Oh umm…" he stammered, he then patted Brittany on the head, "I think the cap really suits you."
Though Alvin simply said it to not look suspicious, Brittany was filled with joy by the words. It strange to the chipette, even though the cap wasn't pink, or feminine, or even went well with her outfit, she was really beginning to love it. "Thanks, Alvin" she responded softly.
DJ couldn't help but watch his parents' little exchange, and he was feeling ecstatic. Right before everyone entered the building, DJ decided to grab Alvin's shoulder. "I can see the date went well" he smiled, "Told you Ghost was the right choice."
To his surprise, Alvin shook his head, "Well actually smarty pants, I didn't take her to see Ghost. In fact, we saw Gremlins 2."
"What?!" DJ cried, "There's no way Brittany enjoyed that movie!"
"You know, DJ, I would've thought the same thing" Alvin started, "But after today, I realize that Brittany is starting to become more like me, and it's awesome! I never thought we could be so alike."
Simon was listening to the conversation and decided to interject. "Alvin, you and Brittany have always been alike" he stated plain.
"Pfft, not really" Alvin denied, "I guess I can now see why that alien said I am supposed to go out with her."
"That's great!" DJ cheered, he still regretted pulling that alien stunt, but he was glad everything seemed to be working out.
"Oh that reminds me," Alvin continued, "I still need to pop the question."
"Why don't you go ask her now?" DJ insisted. They all looked at where they were right now, even Simon knew this was no place to make romance bloom.
"Now's not a good time" Alvin stated, "Maybe I'll ask her after the fundraiser."
Then him and Simon entered. Before DJ entered the building as well, he decided to take another look at his picture. He couldn't believe his eyes, his family was still fading, but it looked like it had improved. DJ jumped high up in the air, finally things were going his way! He then calmed himself, as he knew the job was done. He felt hopeful that by the end of the day, he could finally fix the future.
Once everyone was inside, they all observed sadly at the state of the big, yet neglected orphanage. There were countless cracks, trash everywhere, lightbulbs flickering, wall paper peeling, and broken furniture.
"Hey everyone!" Dave greeted as he approached around the corner, "Thank you for being here on time."
"Of course, David" Ms. Miller nodded, "How could we dottle when there's people in need."
"Yeah!" The children chanted.
Dave smirked at them, happy that they seemed to care as much as he did. Just then, a little girl in tattered clothing popped her head out of a door down and the hall and spotted the group. "Gasp, hey everyone, the Chipmunks and Chipettes are here!" she yelled out into the room. Then all of a sudden, she and big group of other tattered clothed children burst out of the room and surrounded the teens.
"Oh my god, it's really them" a little boy cheered.
"I can't believe we got celebrities visiting us!" an older boy said.
"We always dance to your music every Saturday!" added another girl.
"Hey Alvin, can you show us your moves?" Asked an older girl. The orphans had the two bands completely surrounded, and they all looked upon in wonderment.
"Now children" a woman in tattered clothing announced as she approached as well, "We must give them some space to our guests. They are doing us a huge favor, after all." She then walked over to Dave and shook his hand, "Thank you all so much for coming, we all really appreciate you for helping us with the fundraiser."
"Oh, it's nothing" Alvin grinned confidently.
"Yeah" Theodore interjected, "We used to be orphans too, so we understand how hard it is." The orphans seemed to act excitedly to the information.
"Hey guys, maybe we should start a band too!" One of the girls suggested.
"Yeah, if they can do it, so can we!" a boy agreed.
"Now now, children" the woman giggled, "let's not ahead of ourselves." She then turned to her guest, "I'm Gwen, by the way. I'm the caretaker here."
"I'm Gorge!" a boy greeted.
"I'm Alice!" a girl greeted as well.
"I'm Ben!" another boy greeted. All the orphans then start to say their names to everyone simultaneously. They all quoted down once Gwen shushed them.
"Yes, it's nice to meet all of you" Dave grinned, "So where is the fundraiser being held?"
"Oh, it's in the dining hall" Gwen answered, "We should mention that we're low on food, sorry."
"Now don't worry your pretty little head about that,'' Ms. Miller announced as she, Eleanor, and Theodore took out the food they made earlier.
"Oh wonderful" Gwen cheered, "Children, why don't we lead our guests to the dining hall?"
The orphans complied, they all ethically lead the two families, calling them over, and running ahead. The chipmunks and the adults laughed with joy. Eventually they reached the dining hall. All tables and chairs have been sorted to fit the event. Like the rest of the building, the hall wasn't in the best shape. Some of the chairs were even missing a leg. The food was pretty cheap, more fit for a child's birthday party than a fundraiser. On the ceiling hung a banner saying 'Olivia Orphanage fundrazor' (it seemed that the orphans made it).
After Ms. Miller and the small chipmunks placed the food down, a certain producer strutted his way in with assistants behind him. "Ian Hawke is in the hiz-ouse!" the bald man announced. DJ and Simon flinched when they heard his voice. When they looked at him, Ian gave them a sinister wink.
"Ian!" the others cheered. Except for Jeanette, whom after seeing Simon resent Ian, wasn't sure how to feel. Ian went ahead and fist bumped the teens that did greet him.
"Welcome, Mr. Hawke" Gwen greeted, "I also want to thank you and Jett Records for sponsoring our fundraiser."
"The pleasure is mine!" Ian replied, "If I had the money, I would adopt every kid here."
"Oh" Gwen beamed up, "You're interested in adopting?"
"Yeah Ian" Dave interjected, "Surely you have enough money to adopt one kid."
Ian winced, he wasn't really being serious. "Eh, I don't want to have to choose between them." he lied.
"So Ian" Dave began to ask, "What's the plan?"
"Glad you asked, Dave" Ian smiled, he then started to announce the plan to everyone, "Okay guys, I invited the richest people in the state and news media to the fundraiser. They should all be here in about an hour. Oh, and uh as the bands perform, it's going to air live on MTV."
"MTV?!" Dave exacerbated, "Jesus Ian, you're really going all out with this fundraiser."
"That's right!" Ian exclaimed, "By the end of the night, we'll raise enough money for each kid to get their own hot tub!"
"Mr. Hawke!" Yelled a mover as he entered the room, "Where do you want us to put them?!"
"Over there!" Ian answered as he pointed to the other side of the dining hall. Just then, a bunch of movers entered carrying various equipment including: rock band instruments, large speakers, colored lights, and TV cameras. They then started to set up a makeshift stage. Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, and Eleanor were now getting pumped up for their performance. After the movers were done, they all looked in awe at the sleek and shiny instruments that have been set up to them. Alvin, being the eager chipmunk he is, rushed over to the electric guitar and started to play with it.
"Now Alvin," Dave pestered, "Be careful about that guitar, it's quite expensive."
"But I'm ready to rock out!" Alvin exclaimed.
"Me too!" Brittany added enthusiastically as she ran over to the microphone, "Come on guys, how about we practice before the show?"
"Sorry Brittany" Eleanor answered, "I think me and Teddy are going to help Ms. Miller prepare more food."
"What?!" Brittany gasped, "Don't you rather play music than boring old cooking?"
"Hey, cooking isn't boring!" Eleanor snapped.
Brittany rolled her eyes, "Jeanette, tell Eleanor and Theo that they have to practice."
"Um… I think it's okay if they rather cook" Jeanette peeped.
"Are you serious?!" Brittany snapped, "Jeanette, how are we to practice without rhythm?!"
"Well… um" Jeanette hesitated to say more, as she didn't want to upset her sister, "How about we don't practice?..."
"How's that fair?!" Brittany exclaimed.
"Yeah" Alvin agreed, "Only Theodore and Eleanor don't want to practice."
"Well actually Alvin," Simon objected, "Me and Jeanette were hoping to have a thorough conversation."
"You gotta be kidding me!" Alvin grunted. Brittany was equally peeved.
"Alvin" Dave pestered some more, "Remember what we discussed last night, you have to respect your brothers' interests."
Alvin grumbled a bit, but didn't argue back. However, Brittany wasn't backing down, "Jeanette, Eleanor, we're a band, you don't have time to cook or be nerdy!"
"Brittany!" Ms. Miller began to scold her daughter, "The same thing applies to you. If you're sisters don't want to practice, than you have to respect that."
"But Ms. Miller!" Brittany whined, "I really want to perform right now!"
"Brittany, you need to learn you don't always get what you want! Now quit your whining!" Ms. Miller exclaimed as she turned to the small chipmunks, "Don't mind her, you two. Let's get started." The three of them then entered the kitchen to start cooking more food.
Brittany groaned even louder before she stomped over to a corner and started at the ground. Alvin put the guitar down and went over to comfort the pink chipette, "Hey Britt, if it means anything, I understand how you feel."
"No you don't" Brittany grunted, "The Chipettes means everything to us, how could my sisters bail on me like that?"
"Well unlike you, your sisters probably more interested in other things," Alvin answered, "I'm mean my brothers don't take our band as seriously as I do."
"I know that" Brittany responded, "But it annoys me how they don't understand that performing is our job, our life! They shouldn't waste time on hobbies, what's going to happen when we're adults?"
"Um… Britt" Alvin began to say. He took a deep breath, "I don't want to be a downer, but I don't think Jeanette and Brittany will want to stay in the band when they grow up…"
Brittany was absolutely stunned by his words, "What did you say?..."
Alvin contemplated if he should say more, but he felt like Brittany needed to face reality, "I said I think your sister would rather do other things. I know Simon wants to be a scientist."
Brittany was starting to become quite upset, but she still didn't want to accept it, "There's no way the Chipettes will end. I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"But…" Alvin tried to rebuttal.
"Alvin" Brittany warned.
The red chipmunk let out a sigh, things were going well with Brittany and he didn't want to ruin it.
"Hey Alvin" one of the boys yelled out, "Want to play board games with us?" He and some other kids had brought out board games and set them up on the floor.
"In a minute!" Alvin yelled out, he then turned back to the auburn haired teen, "Hey Britt, want to join us for some board games?"
"I think I would rather be alone right now" Brittany answered softly.
Alvin frowned, he was worried about the chipette, but he also respected her space. "Alright" Alvin responded as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, know that I'll always be there for you." He kinda regretted saying that, as he didn't want to come on too strong. But it was true, nevertheless. Brittany smiled a bit, but she was still in a fowl mood. Alvin reluctantly left her alone as he went over to play some board games.
DJ watched the whole thing from afar and started to worry, but when he checked that the photo was left unchanged, he let out a sigh of relief. He was then reminded that he should probably give his uncle the good news. Simon was still talking to Jeanette when DJ went over to see him. "Hey Simon, can I talk with you for a moment?" DJ asked.
Simon looked at Jeanette for some confirmation. "It's alright" she mentioned with a warm smile.
"Okay, but I promise it will only be a minute" Simon assured. He and DJ went to the far corner so no one could hear them. "I'm assuming your worried about you mom" the tall teen whispered.
"Actually, quite the opposite" DJ stated enthusiastically as he showed his uncle the picture, "Look, it has improved!"
Simon gasped, "Stupendous!"
"I know" DJ cheered, "I think the job is almost done, I can feel it!"
"I agree" the blue chipmunk nodded, "But remember to still be careful."
"I know" DJ assured. He was glad that he was almost finished fixing the future. But there were still other things he still wanted to change, "Wait Simon, what should we do about Ian?"
Simon paused, he wasn't exactly sure. He couldn't ignore the producer anymore, especially after the fact that the bald man was aware that he knows. But the blue teen wondered what could he do without drastically altering the future. "I'll think about a plan to stop him," Simon decided to answer, "For now, I'm going to continue talking to Jeanette."
"Alright" DJ sighed, "I'll just keep an eye on him." And that's exactly what the maroon chipmunk did for the next half hour, which was kinda boring, as all Ian did was boss around his assistants and interns and kiss up to any rich person that arrived. Ms. Miller and the smaller chipmunks finished cooking more food for the fundraiser, and this time it was more fit for a cocktail party (which is an upside). Brittany eventually stopped brooding in the corner and joined Alvin in playing board games with the orphans. At the current moment, Dave wanted to speak with Ian about something.
"Make it quick, Dave" Ian said, "We should be starting any minute now."
"I understand, I just wanted to tell you some great news" Dave exclaimed enthusiastically, "Remember when you said if I manage to write a really good original song by the end of the week, you would let me write the rest of the songs? Well I just written one! I even wrote lyrics and made the instrumental, tomorrow we should have the kids sing it!"
"Oh" Ian pretended to be happy "That's great…" In reality, the bald man just told Dave that so he would stop bothering him about the covers. And to say the least, he was not at all interested in hearing it, let alone releasing it.
"I swear, it will be the hit of the summer!" Dave proclaimed, "I can't wait for everyone to hear it!"
Ian faked his smile some more until he looked at his watch, "6:29! Okay everyone, let's get this show on the road!" Everyone stopped what they were doing and got into their places. The Chipmunks and Chipettes ran over to tune out their instruments. Everyone used the same instrument as they played at the mall's grand opening, but this time they were playing with more expensive models. Though some key differences were that Theodore had electric drums, Eleanor had both a maraca and a tambourine, and Jeanette had a duel keyboard. Alvin looked over at Brittany, who still seemed a bit down.
"You alright, Britt?" he asked. The auburn haired girl simply nodded.
The cameras started to roll and Ian came into view with a microphone, "Hello MTV, I'm Ian Hawke, the producer of the Chipmunks and the Chipettes! We're live at Olivia Orphanage to help raise money. The orphanage is need of 3 million dollars to pay for rent and repair. If they don't get the money, they'll be forced to close down." He then grabbed a little orphan girls a little to harshly and positioned her head at the cameras, "Look at this cute face, do you want her to lose her home?" He then shoved her away, "my bands have a big enough heart to assist the orphanage by performing for free. All we asked in return is that you send money to this address, and if you live in Los Angeles, please pop by and donate hard cash directly. Even one dollar will be a huge help. Now put your hands together for these six rockin' rodents, the Chipmunks and the Chipettes!"
Everyone clapped as a spotlight was lit on the teens. Right off the get go, the assistants were getting calls for donations, but the rich people present weren't budging. Jeanette started to play a soft synth melody as the other began to snap. And then Brittany started to sing:
I'm gonna make a change,
For once I'm my life
(All the chipettes) It's gonna feel real good,
Gonna make a difference
Gonna make it right
They all stopped snapping and started to play.
As I, turn up the collar on
My favorite winter coat
This wind is blowing my mind
(Chipettes) I see the kids in the streets,
(Chipettes) With not enough to eat
(All) Who am I to be blind?
(All) Pretending not to see their needs
Brittany then walked over to the orphans and started to stroke them.
(All) A summer disregard, a broken bottle top
(Back to just Brittany) And a one man soul
They follow each other on the wind ya' know
'Cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know
Brittany started to dance more lively as they all sang:
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
(Na na na, na na na, na na, na nah)
The calls came pouring in, the assistants had a hard time keeping up. DJ could hear some people outside giving the other assistants envelopes of money. Even though the rich people still haven't budge, things were looking hopeful as the numbers on the digital counter went up to $3000 already.
I've been a victim of a selfish kind of love
It's time that I realize
That there are some with no home, not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me, pretending that they're not alone?
Brittany then walked up to the rich people with the orphans in hand. They all gave them puppy eyes.
A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart
And a washed-out dream
(Washed-out dream)
The wealthy bunch were still not giving in, but it seemed like they were getting to them. Some other orphans came along with mirrors in hand, showing the wealthy people their guilty reflection.
They follow the pattern of the wind ya' see
'Cause they got no place to be
That's why I'm starting with me
(Starting with me!)
In defeat, one of the rich men took a couple of hundred dollar bills and placed them in an orphan boy's pocket, who counted them in triumph.
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
(Ooh!)
I'm asking him to change his ways
(Change his ways, ooh!)
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that
(Take a look at yourself and then make that)
Change!
A bunch of people came bursting in with countless envelopes in money. At this point, the digital counter skyrocketed, going from $250,000 to $500,000 in just seconds.
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
(Man in the mirror, oh yeah!)
I'm asking him to change his ways
(Better change!)
No message could have been any clearer
(If you want to make the world a better place)
You can't close your, your mind!
(Then you close your mind!)
That man, that man, that man, that man
With the man in the mirror
(Man in the mirror, oh yeah!)
That man, that man, that man,
I'm asking him to change his ways
(Better change!)
You know, that man
No message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
(If you want to make the world a better place)
Take a look at yourself and then make the change
(Take a look at yourself and then make the change)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Na na na, na na na, na na, na nah
Change!
The song was over and everyone started to cheer loudly. Not only was it a great performance, but they managed to reach one fifth of the needed amount. Ian Hawke then returned on stage, "Wow, wasn't that an amazing performance?! And would you look at that, we have reached $600,000! Just 2 million and 400 thousand to go! Please stick around for more songs, right after this short commercial break!" The cameras stopped rolling, and everyone started to congratulate themselves.
"Hot damn!" one of the boys cried, looking at all the cash they accumulated, "We're stinkin' rich!"
"Language, Harald!" Gwen scolded, she then looked at the pile of dough herself, "Jeez, we should really store all of this in a safe place."
"You're right, Gwen" Dave agreed, "Don't want any of this being stolen."
Alvin and Brittany drooled at the sight of all those bills, nearly forgetting what the money was for in the first place. Simon saw what was happening and dragged the two teens away from the money. "Oh no, you don't!" he scolded, "Dave we need to get this money out of here before these two get any bright ideas."
"Hey, we were just admiring our work!" Alvin argued.
"No worries" Ian smiled, "We got this covers. Bring in the bags!" A bunch of assistants then came in with empty money bags, and began to stash away the cash."It will be safe in the basement" the producer assured the caretaker.
"Oh bless you, Mr. Hawke!" Gwen cheered. For the next couple of hours, the chipmunks continued performing. More and more money was coming, and mostly physically surprisingly. Despite being in the bad part of the city, thousands of people crowded the orphanage just so they could donate to the cause. It gave great pride to the two families that they were genuinely changing lives. Eventually they did reach 3 million dollars, and even though the two bands were exhausted, they wanted to keep going. Not only did they wanted to make sure the orphanage would be able to sustain itself after the fundraiser, but they also wanted Gwen and the orphans to be able to live better lives. So when 10pm came around, a total of 5 million dollars were collected, over 66% more than the initial goal. So they decided to end the fundraiser, and the people crowding the orphanage left.
"Good work, everyone!" Dave congratulated, "I truly can't believe all the money we raised!"
"Naturally, Dave" Ian smirked, "These kids are absolute money makers."
Everyone was quite happy, especially the orphans. "I bet we could all have our own room with this money" a girl exclaimed.
"Let's not forget that we could also buy real clothes, instead of these rags" another girl cheered.
Gwen felt her heart melt seeing the children so happy, it honestly felt like a miracle to her. "Thank you so much all of you!" she said to the guests, "How could we possibly repay you?"
"Well…" Ian began to ponder (he never does anything for free).
"Don't worry about it, Gwen" Dave assured, "Just promise that you'll take the best care of these children."
"Of course, Mr. Seville" the caretaker grinned.
Ian sighed frustratedly, but decided to leave things, "I think I'm gonna call it a night. I'll see you all later".
"Bye Uncle Ian!" the teens waved (minus Simon and DJ). Ian made his leave, but not before giving a sinister grin. DJ felt uneasy, he guessed that the bald man noticed he was watching him the entire time. Dave then looked around the room and saw it was a complete mess. "We should really help clean up" the man chuckled.
"Clean up?" Alvin whined, "But we just helped them raise 3 million dollars!"
Dave was quite displeased with his son, "And now we're helping them clean up. Here, you kids are in charge of picking up the trash." Ms. Miller then walked over and gave each of the chipmunks an empty garbage bag. Alvin simply grumbled. The chipmunks went around picking up trash (though Brittany was doing quite slow) while everyone else rearranged the furniture, put away the decorations, and wash the dishes. Once the chipmunks all had their bags full, they began to head to the dumpster outback. "Excuse, DJ!" Dave called out to the maroon chipmunk before he followed the others outside, "Could you help me move this table?" It seemed everyone else was too busy to help.
"Be right there, Dave!" DJ answered back, "Hey Simon, could you take my bag with you?"
"Yeah sure" the tall teen obliged. Simon took DJ's trash bag, while also holding his, as the headphones wearing teen went over to help his grandfather.
"Come on, Si" Alvin pestered, "Let's throw away these bags already, they're beginning to stink." Simon just rolled his eyes as the two bands went outback and threw the trash into the dumpster.
"Jeez" Brittany sighed, "I'm absolutely exhausted."
"Don't worry Brittany" Jeanette comforted her sister, "We'll probably be heading home soon."
Just then the teens jumped when they heard some stuff topple over. Theodore quickly hid behind Simon. "What was that noise?" the green chipmunk whimpered.
"Oh calm down, Theodore" Simon sighed, "It was probably just a rat. We are in a dirty alley, after all."
"Ew" Brittany cringed, "I hate rodents."
"Um… Brittany" Jeanette wanted to point out that her sister, plus all of them, were literally rodents, but then something curious came floating out of the direction the noise occurred, a dollar bill.
The dollar bill was being pushed by the wind until it got caught on Alvin's shoe, who picked it up, "What the?" They all decided to nudge forward into the dark part of the alley, and to their shock, it was the bags of money they accumulated. And one of them had fallen over and spilled out all the cash all onto the floor. They started to panic when the wind started to lift the cash away.
"Quick!" Simon shouted, "Grab the money!" All six of them then frantically rushed around and grabbed the bills before they could fly away. Because of the sheer amount and little time, they resorted to stuff their pockets with the money. While they were all retrieving the money, Simon heard a clicking sound. He looked around for a bit before shrugging it off and continuing to retrieve the bills. Once they finished putting the money back in the bag, they all sighed in relief when Simon resealed it.
"Thank god we were here" Eleanor commented, "Or else all that money would've gone to waste."
"What are these bags doing out here, anyway?" Alvin sneered in annoyance.
"Some of Ian's assistants probably mistaking took them out here" Simon hypothesized, "Come on, let's bring these back inside." They all nodded as they began to grab money bags re-entered the building.
After saying goodnight to Gwen and the orphans, the two families drove back home. Once they returned and exited the vehicle, it was almost midnight. "Alright girls" Ms. Miller announced, "Time for some shut eye. Say good night to the boys"
"Good night, Simon" Jeanette said, "Thank you for hanging out with me today."
The purple chipette was about to leave before Simon stopped her. After those nice words she told him at the patent office, and talking to her all day, he couldn't leave things be anymore. "Hey um.. Jeanette" Simon began to asked nervously, "Do you… want to… want to do something tomorrow?" Everyone was shocked, especially Jeanette. It seemed that the usually timid Simon was asking Jeanette out on a date.
"Where did this come from?" DJ thought to himself. He wasn't exactly sure, but he was happy that his uncle finally had the courage to ask his aunt out.
Jeanette tried to stop herself from exploding with joy. "Yes!" she cheered loudly. She quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment.
Simon was nervous for a second that she was going to say no, but was overjoyed by her response. "Great!" he cheered, before he calmed himself, "Well um… goodnight."
"Goodnight…" Jeanette said softly. She then returned home.
"Theodore" Ms. Miller began to ask, "Are you going to be alright tonight?"
Theodore gave Eleanor and DJ glances before answering, "I will. I don't think I'm afraid anymore."
"Oh good" Dave sighed in relief.
"I'm going to miss having you over, Teddy" Eleanor frowned.
"I'm not" Brittany added blankly, which caused her sister to glare at her.
"I will too, Ellie" Theodore responded, "But we'll see each other tomorrow."
Eleanor smiled, "You're right! Good night, Teddy!" And to DJ's surprised, she looked at him as well, "And good night, DJ."
"Good night!" everyone said to each other. Everyone returned home, except for Alvin and Brittany, who continued to stand by the sidewalk. The pink chipette soberly removed the red cap from her head, "Thanks for letting me wear this."
"Of course" Alvin smiled as he took his cap back and put in on his head. To say the least, the teen felt fully dressed again. He then noticed that Brittany still looked a bit down. "Is everything alright?" Alvin asked.
Brittany let out a sigh, "Is it really true what you said… about how the Chipettes might end?"
Alvin scratched the back of his head awkwardly, not sure what to say, "Look, I think you should talk about it with your sisters. You guys are family, I'm sure you can come up with an understanding."
"Okay" Brittany answered softly.
Alvin decided to give her a sympathetic pat on the end, "See ya tomorrow, Britt."
"See you, Alvin" the pink chipette said back. The two of them then returned to their respective homes.
Before Simon hit the hay tonight, he wanted to check in on the time machine as he didn't get to look at it that much today. He was still overjoyed that Jeanette said yes. After the fundraiser, he could make a genuine change. He also couldn't stop thinking about how Jeanette believed he was going to change the world one day, which he absolutely did by inventing time travel. The tall teenwas probably the most proud of himself as he ever been in his entire life.
He took out DJ's phone which gave him trouble all afternoon. He was glad that he was no longer putting himself down. He even chuckled at the fact that he had the patent for the smartphone (of course he wasn't going to use legal action with it). He was hopeful for the future, and so he decided to watch the video of his future self once more. Throughout the video, he was content to how he ended up. He had his dream job, he had a nice look, and if things went well with Jeanette, things could get even better. But then he reached the part of the video he left off. His future self was about to retrieve the plutonium when fear suddenly struck his face.
"DJ, RUN!" his future self shouted. There were some gunshots in the background before the video cut off. Simon's heart sank, his nephew didn't mention any deadly encounters that night. He kept watching the last part of the video while trying to piece it all together. The more he thought about it, the more bleak the answers got.
DJ entered the garage silently to check in on his uncle,but paused once he saw what he was doing. His heart started to race, the entire time he had been stuck in the past, he had forgotten that his uncle was murdered before he left. If there was anything else he had to prevent, it was Simon's untimely demise. "Hey Simon" he approached nervously.
Simon jumped in surprise before turning the phone off and placing it down. "Oh hey, DJ" he answered nonchalantly.
DJ stammered a bit before continuing, "There's uh… something you need to know about…"
But the maroon chipmunk was quickly interrupted by his uncle, "No, no! Don't tell me anything about!"
"But Uncle Si!" DJ tried to get through with him.
"Nope, I can't know anything!" Simon cried as he covered his ears, "I don't want to disappear like you!" He then started to exit the garage.
"But it's important!" DJ exclaimed.
Simon inhaled a bit as he opened the door, "Please, don't tell me." He then shut the door behind him.
DJ stood there motionless. He wasn't sure what to do, as that particular event wouldn't happen for another 30 years. But most of all, he was worried about his uncle, both for his mental and mortal well being.
Over at the Chipettes' rooms, the girls were getting ready to go to bed. Brittany sat on her bed silent, as a million thoughts ran through her head. "I think you should talk about it with your sisters. You guys are family, I'm sure you can come up with an understanding." she remembered Alvin saying.
She let out a sigh before confronting her sister, "Girls, can I talk to you about something."
Her sisters looked at her in silence. Usually when Brittany wanted to 'talk', it wasn't anything good. But usually she would say it in a peeved manner, but this time she seemed sad. "Yes, Brittany?" Jeanette peeped.
"You know how you guys didn't want to practice at the orphanage?" the pink chipette began.
"Yeah?" her sisters answered. They remembered how annoyed she was.
"Is it true that you guys prefer to do other things than performing?" Brittany continued.
"Well" Eleanor responded, "Cooking is my favorite thing to do."
"And I do enjoy literature the most" Jeanette answered sheepishly, "What are you getting at?"
Brittany had a bit of a hard time saying the next part, "Do you want to have cooking and writing as a job when you grow up?"
"Of course!" Eleanor stated bluntly.
"Absolutely" Jeanette stammered.
Brittany then started to water up, "But… but what about our band?"
Her sisters winced. They saw that Brittany was starting to becoming upset, but they couldn't lie. "Well Brittany" Eleanor answered softly, "I think we're going to have to stop being in a band once we grow up."
Brittany than turned fiery red, "Oh I see, you two just want to abandon our dream, huh?! I thought we were going to be the biggest band in the world!"
"Calm down, Brittany" Jeanette said, "We like performing, but we have other interests."
"But the Chipettes is who we are!" Brittany exclaimed, "Are you forgetting all the hardships we've been through?! Surviving in New York, making a name for ourselves here in L.A, becoming as big if not bigger than the Chipmunks?! You just want to throw all of that away?!"
"Brittany!" Eleanor shot back, "Of course we haven't forgotten!"
"Yeah" Jeanette joined, "We're allowed to have a life outside the band!"
Then suddenly, Ms. Miller came burst in, "What is all this jabbering about?!"
"Jeanette and Eleanor want to leave the band!" Brittany exclaimed, "Just so they could do their stupid hobbies."
"They're not stupid!" Eleanor spat.
"How dare you, Brittany!" Ms. Miller scolded, "Your sisters interests mean a lot to them. Don't be selfish by holding them back!"
"But that would mean the Chipettes would end!" Brittany cried, "And I love performing!"
"Well your sisters matter more than the band!" Ms. Miller shouted, "You need to stop thinking about only yourself!"
"YOU'RE THE ONES BEING SELFISH!" Brittany screamed as she ran out of the room and leaving her family speechless. She sobbed as she ran all the way outside and broke down on the front porch.
Alvin was brushing his teeth by the bathroom window when he noticed the pink chipette crying. He gasped as he spit out the toothpaste and hurried outside to see her. "Brittany!" he cried, "What happened?!"
Brittany was barely holding it together. "My...sisters… want to end the band." She then broke down again as she cried into Alvin chest. The red capped chipmunk stroke her hair as he comforted her. He was going to say 'I told you so', but he refrained as it wasn't appropriate. "Alvin…" Brittany whimpered, "Can I sleep with you guys tonight?"
Alvin froze, none of the girl stayed over at their place by themselves. "Don't you think you should talk to your sisters?"he asked softly.
"No way!" she cried, "I don't want to see them right now!" The red teen let out a sigh as he got up, "Come on, I'll sneak you in."
Brittany stopped sobbing, instead she looked up at Alvin. She was motionless at the sight of him. She grabbed his hand, and then the two of them walked over next door. Everyone else in the house had already went to bed. Alvin gestured Brittany to be quite as they went then sneaked right into the bedroom. Simon and Theodore was asleep, but DJ noticed his parents coming in. Brittany walked over to Alvin's bed and sat on in. "Alright" he whispered, "You can sleep in my bed, I'll go sleep on the couch." He was about to leave when Brittany grabbed his arm.
He looked down at her, and she seemed to be blushing. "Can you stay here?" she whispered. Alvin gulped, he had never slept in the same bed with a girl before, and it was the girl he unadmittedly had a crush on. Not want to see her upset, he decided to climb into bed and lie with her. She snuggled up beside him. "Thank you" she whispered with the smile. Then the both of them went to sleep.
DJ dared not to disturb them, as he was absolutely ecstatic. He took out the picture one last time and looked at it; it was nearly back to normal. He did a little dance before going to sleep. Tomorrow, no matter what, he was going to get his parents together.
There's another long one. Looks like there's a bit of a bitter ending to this mostly sweet chapter. But will things stay sweet, or will they turn even more bitter? Will DJ finally succeed? What is Ian up too? And what will be Simon's fate. Find out as we go into Thursday.