Thanks to all read the last chapter, The number of visitors that read the story last month was 270 people. Slighty down from the month before, but with one less update which makes sense. Trying to set a goal of 300 visitors this month; It would be the first time it would happen so let's go for it and make it happen! So here is Chapter 15 without further adu. As always, All rights to go their respective owners.

Chapter 15: True Feelings

As Alvin tried to peek at Brittany getting her dress on as she prepared for Alvin's dinner he set up for her; Simon, Jeanette, and Eleanor peeked over into the kitchen as Alvin spotted them. Alvin gave his brother a rare thumbs up to him which Simon returned back as the three in the hallway then turned back to talk to each other.

"So how long do you think it'll last?" Jeanette wondered to the others.

"I'd say about a minute and twenty-three seconds." Simon predicted which they all chuckled at. Even Simon chuckled at his own joke, but of course, it wouldn't have surprised him at all if it really happened. "So what should we do now?" Jeanette asked them as Eleanor stepped in.

"You guys can do something together if you want, I don't mind." Eleanor told them, Simon and Jeanette looked at each other with uncertainty if they should really Eleanor alone or not.

"Eleanor? Ar-Are you sure? We were hoping we could do something together." Simon told her, but she just shook her head.

"You go ahead. I...need to think about something." Eleanor looked at them with trust and content. They nodded and began to walk off, paws together, but Jeanette turned her head around to watch her sister as she walked off into their bedroom. Simon and Jeanette chose to head outside to sit on the stairway to possibly gaze at the stars in the night.

While they chose to head off outside, Eleanor jumped up onto her bed and sat down in the dark to gather her thoughts. She was alone again, but she almost prefered it. It allowed to her think about her best friend without anyone giving their opinion. She still wasn't sure if her feelings changed for him that night, Theodore was so disappointed in his family's lack of belief in him; and Eleanor often wondered if there was more she could have done, or perhaps less she should have done. After while, she put her left paw under her chin and moved one of her fingers on her pillow staring down at it though not hardly being able to see it as she sighed.

"Oh Theodore..." Eleanor whispered. "I miss you."

XXX

Meanwhile elsewhere...

Look at what's happened to me

I can't believe it myself

Suddenly I'm up on top of the world

It should have been somebody else

Believe it or not

I'm walking on air, I never

thought I could be so free

Flying away on a weekend affair

Who could it be?

Believe it or not

It's just me!

Theodore was singing in one of the studio boxes at Jett Records at the top of his lungs as best as he could, yet he looked exhausted. After finishing the last couple lines, he gave a coughing gasp and fell onto his bottom breathing heavy as he just had no air capable of singing the high notes needed as Ian cut the music off from across the glass.

"Come on Theo, you gotta hang in there, we're almost finished." Ian told him tapping through the glass, but the look on Theodore's face as he looked through looked like he had nothing left to hang on to. This put a worried look on Ian's right hand man sitting next to him.

"Ian, why don't you give the kid a break, he's been singing for 3 hours straight." He said. Unheard of, but yet true. Ian was really pushing young Theodore hard, but only in Ian's mind because he knew he could handle it.

"Look, he's not earning that massive check by sitting on his rump Grover." Ian argued over to him as he stood up.

"Look at him, you're gonna work him to death Ian." Grover said pointing through the glass with his hand as Ian looked through seeing Theodore still panting looking down at the stool he was sitting on. "If he doesn't have a voice left, it isn't gonna matter if he's sitting or standing."

Ian knew his friend was right. He had to push him hard, but he was starting to go too often. Ian had Theodore in studio singing nearly non-stop for a week straight, and he realized that his investment in Theodore would be harmed if he continued to push him as hard as he was. "You're right." Ian nodded in agreement as Ian clicked on a button to talk in a speaker to Theodore. "Good job Theo, we'll call it a night." He said and turned off the speaker which Theodore looked up to.

"Thanks Ian..." Theodore called out to no delight, being he was just too exhausted to be happy about, he laid back still breathing very heavy as Ian's right hand man was right. Ian was working him to death; it was a straight week of late night, singing resitals of Theodore singing until he literally couldn't sing out another word. He didn't complain though because he thought in his own mind, it was Ian's way of testing how far he had come. He was showing his toughness on the outside to Ian and the others to make it look like he had made leaps and bounds, but in truth, when he knew he was alone, he turned back into himself. He felt like he was nothing but a gimmick, a classic Jekyll and Hyde with both sides of him having their own advantages. He may have been to keep a good poker face in front of everyone, but deep down, he hadn't changed. He often thought if he could keep this up, but he knew one thing for sure...that he had to. One slip up, and his whole world could come crashing down.

XXX

Back home, the dinner table that Alvin had set up was all ready. Brittany was helped into her seat by Alvin trying to be as polite as he possibly could, really trying hard to show Brittany a very affectionate side of him. Alvin set the pecan pie that Eleanor baked for them and told his date that dinner was served. In Alvin's eyes, everything was going perfect; Brittany usually being very picky with her food wasn't just tasting it, but she was eating it with much delight. After about five minutes of them enjoying themselves, Alvin pulled on his bowtie and found the urge to talk to her.

"So Brittany, do you uh...like the pecan pie I baked?" He said with a grin showing his smile to her that she looked up at him with a smile herself.

"Did you really bake this Alvin..." Brittany asked, but before Alvin answered, Brittany added on. "...because I know who really baked it." She didn't say it though with rudeness, but with toyness; almost daring Alvin to keep egging it on. Alvin just chuckled and made a quick give up on that attempt.

"I can't get anything past you can I?" Alvin asked her cockily crossing his arms sitting back in his chair.

"Trust me, I know when Eleanor cooks something...because it's delicious." Brittany said leaning over the table to tell him, and she continued to dig in in a way Alvin never saw her eat ever.

"Wow. It must be good, the way you're chowing down." Alvin in a way joked, but also being truthful. Brittany wasn't offended though.

"When it's my sister's cooking, I'm willing to spoil myself." Brittany said. Anything she could do to make her sister feel better, she would. And when it came to eating anything she made, that was easy to do for Eleanor was by far the best cook Brittany ever knew.

"So...how's she doing?" Alvin couldn't help but wonder and the mood kinda went away from the two being sweet with each other to reminding them of everything around them.

"Better, at least that's how she's leading off...but Alvin, I know you didn't set up this wonderful dinner with me to talk about my sister did you?" Brittany asked him trying to get his mind back off the problems they were having.

"Oh course not, when I've got the prettiest girl sitting in front of me," Which brought a warm smile to her face. "...with your gourgous eyes and pretty hair and...and...UGH!" Alvin stopped and stood up out of his chair and started walking around on the table which Brittany felt weery seeing him act so down.

"Alvin?" Brittany called him trying to get him to talk to her. He did so as he sat back down in his chair and sighed.

"I'm sorry Brittany..." Alvin apoligized which Brittany looked into his eyes. "I thought I could make an awesome dinner scene for the both of us to get our minds off of what's been going on...but I can't stop thinking about Theodore." He admited as he put his head down on the table resting his chin in his arms.

"Hey guys I brought home some..." Just then Dave walked in the back door after ordering a bucket of fried chicken for the kids, not seeing any of them until seeing a glorious lit kitchen with candles and saw Brittany dressed elegantly with Alvin on the table, Brittany noticed Dave and gave a silent head gesture with her teeth gritted slightly telling him it wasn't a good time. Dave decided to heed the advice and then proceeded to walk out of the kitchen and into the hallway to find the others to let them enjoy the food, also allowing Alvin and Brittany to be together. It was rare that Alvin and Brittany were getting along, but it still wasn't in the way that either of them really wanted, Brittany felt it was time to see if she could help Alvin soothe the pain he was feeling.

"Alvin...why did you lie to him?" Brittany confronted him with such a personal question that popped Alvin's ears up as he lifted his head up.

"I didn't lie to him Brittany." Alvin denied, Brittany wasn't ready to give up though.

"Alvin, I'm here to help you. You can tell me." Soothing words from Brittany let Alvin know she really was trying to help and he felt he needed to tell why he really did feel this way about everything that had happened.

"Because... he's my brother." Alvin answered after a delay of saying the first word. Though Brittany actually believed Alvin by what he said, she didn't understand the logic behind it.

"To me that would be less a reason to lie to him." Brittany claimed.

"You don't understand Brit," Alvin rebutted. "He's not just my brother. He's my "little" brother...and...he's my best friend, my only friend." Brittany was taken aback by his words, really believing that Alvin truely felt in his heart that Theodore was his "only friend". "...and no matter how bad or how many times I goofed up, he was always there for me. I've spent my whole life trying to protect him, to make sure he didn't get hurt. I just couldn't lie to him, I just couldn't hurt him. He's always looked up to me, and all I ever do is let him down. I wasn't going to do it again. I couldn't tell him the truth Brit, I just couldn't..."

Alvin put his face in his arms, he poured his heart out for Brittany. A side Brittany never saw from him; Alvin always made himself the primary focus, and for Alvin to say such statements in Brittany's mind, really put things in perspective. She nodded though he couldn't see it, she knew what to say.

"I understand Alvin..." Brittany said with comfort. It definetely got Alvin's attention too.

"You do?" Alvin slowly lifted his head from his arms which she nodded to him.

"Yes. Theodore was always there for you. In a way Alvin, Theodore's kinda the glue that kept you three together." Alvin thought about it for a second as Brittany continued her explanation. "When you and Simon had your differences, you would always put it behind you, because neither of you could bear to make Theodore feel sad."

"Yeah..."He agreed. She was right, Alvin and Simon always tried to make sure their arguments never got out of hand. Or if by any chance that they did, making sure they stayed away from him so he wouldn't see. Although there were times when he did and the look Theodore would give them would be so embarrassed followed by a "I hate it when you guys fight!". But now.

"Now without that glue, you feel like you two are falling apart." Brittany continued on. Another statement she hit the nail on the head with.

"We do. With Theo gone, I don't have that best friend...to be there for me." Alvin moaned as his head sunk back down in his arms. Brittany though smiled with sincere and stood up, walked over to Alvin and gestured for him to stand up with her. He looked at her weirdly for a second, but soon abliged. Brittany looked him eye to eye knowing he really needed someone to be there.

"I'll be here for you Alvin...if you want me to." Said Brittany. Alvin's ears which had been laying down on his head shot straight up upon hearing those words.

"As a friend?" He asked holding both her hands with his.

"As a "best" friend." Brittany told him as Alvin slowly pulled her in and they hug as Alvin drops his head into her shoulder. Although in Alvin's mind this dinner didn't turn out like he hoped, he acomplished what he set out to do; show Brittany that he didn't just care about himself.

Brittany was in a bit of a bind though. Alvin's morale was crushed and he did need her there for him right now, which she was glad to do, but just like Alvin; Brittany's "One up" ego made it difficult for her to love him so. He was fine now, but what if Brittany began to gain true feelings for him and Alvin then went back to himself. She just wouldn't be able to love Alvin in the case; no one could "love" a person that feels they're better than you in everything. But at the same time, she was the same way and she knew felt the same about her. All in all, Brittany knew that Alvin would ultimately be the one she would fall in love with, and Alvin knew like wise. The question was: When would they choose to love each other more than themselves?

Meanwhile on the outside, Simon and Jeanette can see their brother and sister respectively on the kitchen table in an enlongated hug from the porch as Simon turns to his friend.

"I guess it lasted longer than I thought." Simon pointed out pertaining to his eariler prediction. Jeanette then said a smile. "Which one did you think would mess it up?"

"Yes..." Simon replied after a quick blank stare that Jeanette giggled at.

"You're funny Simon." Jeanette confessed.

"Really? I don't try to be funny." Simon admitted to her. "I know. That's what makes it funny." While Simon didn't quite understand the logic in it, Jeanette knew that when Simon tried to mock his own predictions gone wrong, she as much a laugh out of it than the others, but her laughter of course was for much different reasons.

There is Chapter 15, Chapter 16 will be out as soon as I possibly can. So stay tuned and thanks for reading and reviewing. :)