CAN WE TALK?

A/N: This story picks up from the end of Ted's Teepee, in which Theodore and Eleanor are hanging out in the Chipmunks' teepee that they always played in when they were younger. Special thanks goes to that story's author, LoaTurtle00. And FYI, I own nothing.

"Because I have a brother, I'll always have a friend."
—ANONYMOUS

"Family is not an important thing. It's everything."
—MICHAEL J. FOX

Wind. That was the first thing Theodore Seville heard as he awoke from a sound sleep. He looked at the digital alarm clock on his nightstand, and saw that it was 1:47 a.m. Normally, the young Chipmunk seldom had trouble sleeping, and he wasn't what you would consider a night owl. The only times that he actually couldn't sleep were when he was sick, worried, or just had a lot on his mind—which, tonight, he sure did: school, rehearsals for the upcoming summer tour, finals, and soccer, among other things. But more than anything else, the one thing that he couldn't stop thinking about was a certain blond Chipette who held a special place in his heart.
Eleanor.
Ellie, for short; or, as he once nicknamed her, Ellie-Belle.
Theo (short for Theodore; or T-Bear, as she sometimes called him) and his brothers Alvin and Simon had known the Chipettes—Brittany, Jeanette, and Ellie—practically forever. They were so much fun to be with; they could sing, dance, and blow people's minds like nobody's business; and at their first performance, they definitely gave the Chipmunks a run for their money. But what was really amazing was how much they each had in common with their Chipette counterpart. Alvin and Brittany, for starters. They both loved being the center of attention, and more often than not, they would butt heads over almost everything, but they still liked each other for the most part. Theo often suspected that they liked each other as more than just friends, but neither of them would admit it. Either way, in his book, they were a perfect match.
Simon and Jeanette were what most kids their age would call nerds. They both wore glasses, they were both older, taller and skinnier than their siblings, and they were both exceptionally smart. They also felt like the voices of reason in their respective groups, and that it was their job to watch out for them and make sure they didn't get in too much trouble. The only difference between the two was that Jeanette didn't have Simon's sarcastic sense of humor. And much like Alvin and Brittany, they were too shy to admit that they had feelings for each other.
Theo and Ellie were, as their teacher Miss Smith would put it, definitely two peas in a pod: both the youngest and shortest, both cooking experts, and both on the school soccer team. Theo especially enjoyed playing soccer, and thanks to Ellie's encouragement, he was getting pretty good at it, too. He'd always been on the chubby side, and the other kids taunted him mercilessly over it—which is why he tried out for the team in the first place. He was determined to get in shape, and if this was how he was going to pull it off, then so be it. Besides his brothers, the only one who ever went out of their way to stick up for him was Ellie. Sure, she was a total sweetheart, but if anyone got her upset, she'd rip them to shreds. Even Brittany knew better than to get on her bad side. Of all the Chipettes, he enjoyed her company most of all.
In fact, one could even say that he loved Ellie.
And that was a large part of the reason why he couldn't get back to sleep.
With a sigh, he slid out of bed and pulled on his favorite olive-green T-shirt. Until recently, he'd always slept in regular pajamas; but now that he was starting to lose weight—not to mention the fact that he was almost 10—he decided they were too babyish, so he switched to T-shirts and boxers. Even in the coldest weather, that's what he wore to bed. Then, being careful not to wake his snoring brothers, he crept to the bedroom door and quietly slipped downstairs to the kitchen.
The moonlight was shining through the curtains in the window over the sink, so Theo didn't have to turn on the light. Glass in hand, he opened the refrigerator and saw the pitcher of homemade almond milk that Ellie had brought them. Like Theo, she always cooked from scratch, and for the milk, she'd used fresh almonds, water, honey, and pears. Theo didn't think he'd like it at first, but she'd convinced him to try some. And, as cliché as this may sound, he was pleasantly surprised.
Just when he was getting the pitcher, he heard a sluggish voice whisper, "Theo?"
He turned, and coming into the kitchen, in red striped pajama pants, was Alvin.
"Oh, hi, Alvin," Theo said. "I didn't hear you come down."
"Yeah, that new carpeting sure works wonders," Alvin commented with a yawn. "You could tap-dance your way downstairs and Dave wouldn't hear a thing."
"Just as long as you don't trip and break your neck."
"Point taken. So, what are you doing up?"
"I couldn't get back to sleep, so I thought I'd come down and get something to drink," Theo answered as he poured himself a glass of milk. "Want some?"
Alvin looked at his brother as if he'd just offered him a plate of raw squid. "Are you kidding?" he asked incredulously. "Drink that nasty sludge that you call milk? Yecch!"
"It's not that bad, is it?"
"No offense, but I like the real moo juice myself. Preferably chocolate."
"Okay, but you don't know what you're missing."
Alvin shook his head and made his way to the living room as Theo put the milk back. He had no problem with trying new things, but the idea of drinking something that wasn't store-bought didn't really appeal to him.
"So what's up?" Alvin asked as Theo joined him on the couch.
Theo took a sip of milk. "Not much," he said. "Just a lot on my mind."
"Like what?"
"Well—like Eleanor."
Alvin couldn't help feeling amused, and also slightly triumphant. All through dinner yesterday, he'd had a gut-feeling that the two of them were doing a little more than just talking and hanging out together. If Dave hadn't told him to lay off, who knows how much more razzing he would've subjected them to.
"I see," he grinned slyly as he rubbed his chin. "This is turning out to be quite an interesting conversation."
"You're not gonna start that 'protection' crap again, are you?" Theo suspiciously inquired. He didn't mind Alvin's jokes, and he could take it just as much as the next guy. But sometimes, Alvin had a tendency to be a little too mean-spirited or raunchy, especially when he made Theo the butt of the joke. And he certainly didn't like the way he targeted Brittany.
"Oh, no, of course not," Alvin told him. "I think it's great that you and Ellie are such good buddies and get along so well."
"So why were you making fun of us at dinner?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just messing around."
"Well—okay," Theo agreed. Alvin could be a schmuck sometimes, but he still looked up to him. "But, uh—if I were to tell you something, could it stay just between us?"
"Sure."
Theo cleared his throat a couple times before continuing, which wasn't unusual for him. Every time he had to talk about something personal, his throat would dry up like sandpaper. It was then that he wished he was drinking water instead.
"Well, it's like this," he began. "Yesterday, when you and Brittany were playing video games, and Simon and Jeanette were working in the basement, Ellie and I were upstairs in the teepee, talking about how we sometimes feel left out of whatever you guys are doing and stuff like that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Anyway, I showed her this journal of mine that I keep in there. It's got drawings, poetry, ideas for song lyrics, and I even use it to write about all of you. And yes, it's all good things."
"Glad to hear it. For a minute there, I was afraid you'd written about the time somebody let 'er rip in the teepee and we had to air out the whole room for the next two days."
"No, it's not in there. And just for the record, it was not me."
"Uh-huh."
"So then I let Ellie read some of the stuff I'd written. And—well, that's when she found out how I felt about her."
For a moment, Alvin was silent. It was extremely rare that Alvin Seville, the wisecracking jokester of the group who couldn't keep his trap shut if his life depended on it, was at a loss for words. And here he was, sitting on the couch with his kid brother, his mouth agape and his wide-open cerulean blue eyes filled with shock and awe. It was as if Theo had just told him that the moon really was made of cheese.
"What'd she say?" he asked, once he found his voice.
Theo put his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in both hands with a pleased smile. "She was so happy, Alvin," he sighed dreamily. "She said she loved me, too. And then—then she kissed me."
"Whoa!" Alvin exclaimed. To say that he was impressed was a huge understatement. "That's my little bro! You know, I thought you two were getting a little, uh—oh, what's the word I'm looking for?—cozy at dinner. Way. To. Go." And he gave him an affectionate shoulder-punch.
"Alvin," Theo warned.
"Theo," Alvin mocked, then the two burst into muffled giggles. In retrospect, it was a wonder they didn't wake Simon or Dave.
"But seriously, though," Alvin continued as they calmed down, "I really do think it's cool that she kissed you."
"Thanks," Theo said gratefully. "It was pretty cool. You know, I was just thinking about the time you and Brittany kissed."
"Oh, no, not that," Alvin groaned, smacking his forehead. If there was one moment he wished he could forget, that was the one. "Boy, you try to give your brother some pointers on impressing the girls, and look what it gets you! If that ever got out, I'd never hear the end of it!"
"Oh, come on, Alvin," Theo laughed. "It wasn't that terrible. In fact, I thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw, even if it was an accident."
"You—you did?" Alvin asked in surprise. For the second time, Theo had caught him off-guard.
"Well, yeah! Ever since then, I've been wanting to kiss Ellie more than anything else in the world."
Alvin took a quick glance behind them to make sure no one was coming downstairs, then whispered, "Did you?"
A proud, brash grin slowly spread across Theo's face. And that was all it took for Alvin to realize that the answer was yes.
"Wow," Alvin murmured. "That's, uh—that's just—wow!"
"Yeah, I know."
"Wow!"
"You can stop saying 'wow'," Theo pointed out as he finished his milk and set the empty glass on the end table.
"Oh. Right. So, uh—that's how it all went down, huh?"
"Yup," Theo answered, smiling away like the cat that just ate the canary. "It was amazing."
Alvin put his arm around Theo. "I'm really happy for you," he said solemnly as he gave him a hug.
"Thanks, Alvin," Theo responded as he hugged him back. "You know, if you ask me, I think Brittany really likes you. And by that, I mean she likes you,likes you."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Okay, she can fly off the handle sometimes and be a real pain, but she's not so bad."
"Yeah, she's okay, I guess."
Now it was Theo's turn to be surprised. "You guess?"
Alvin clutched his knees against his bare chest and turned his back, in a futile attempt to hide the fact that he was blushing something fierce. But in spite of his naïve and gullible nature, Theo was no dummy. Even though he was the baby of the Seville family, he could read Alvin like a book.
"All right, you got me," Alvin confessed. "I'm crazy about her."
"I thought you were. So why do you tease her so much and act like such an ignoramus?"
"You're starting to sound just like Simon."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Theo said, then thought, Note to self: thank Simon for letting you borrow his thesaurus.
"Well, it wasn't intended to be one, but okay. Anyway, I—I guess I'm just afraid of telling her how I feel, and then being shot down."
If Theo wasn't taken aback a minute ago, he sure was now. It wasn't like Alvin to be so open and honest with his feelings. Usually, he just let his bravado and hey-look-at-me attitude do the talking, even though it got him in over his head more times than he could count.
"Don't sell yourself short, Alvin," Theo reassured him, putting a sympathetic hand on his arm. "I'm sure Brittany thinks very highly of you. We all do."
"Yeah, sure you do."
"No, I mean it. I dunno what I'd do without you. If it wasn't for you, I'd be so lost. I wouldn't have even had the guts to tell Ellie I love her."
Alvin turned to face his brother. "Really?"
"Really."
"Thanks, buddy," Alvin smiled softly.
"You bet."
After they shared another hug, Theo said, "I'll tell you what: I won't tell anybody about this if you try to be nicer to Brittany. I don't mean grand gestures, like mopping their kitchen floor after they wax it, or leaving little Mr. Goodbars in their mailbox. Just—try not to brag so much, and don't be such a jerk to her. You know?"
"Yeah, I get you. And I promise not to tell Dave or Simon—and especially the Chipettes—what you told me. Deal?"
"Deal," Theo nodded. And they bump-bombed on it.
On the way back upstairs, Theo felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. It was nice to see this side of Alvin for a change, as opposed to seeing him acting like—well, Alvin. And he hoped to see it more often.
When he was back in bed, he discovered that sleep was coming a lot easier than he thought it would. As he drifted off, a wonderful scenario began entering his thoughts: the sun rising on an empty beach with foamy, bubblegum-colored waves gently lapping across the shoreline and splashing his feet. A soft, soothing summer breeze. A faint mist settling on the horizon. And there he was, standing under a palm tree by some rocks and a patch of bright red chrysanthemums as he watched a brilliant, eye-dazzling sky in every shade of pink, purple and gold, with Eleanor—his beloved Ellie-Belle—in his arms.

THE END