Chapter 6

Alvin was in a fit of laughter after Steph hung up the phone.

Brittany giggled as she wiped a tear from his eye, "Ok, ok, calm down now"

Simon brought in a plate of cookies, with Jeanette awkwardly carrying some glasses and a bottle of milk. Simon out down the cookies just in time to spin around to catch three glasses as they fell from Jeanette's toppling tower.

He smiled lovingly at her, "Reflexes like a cat" she smiled back and placed the rest of the glasses on the coffee table, Eleanor helping her with the bottle of milk, "Thank you Simon". He picked up a cookie calling the others, "Al, Britt, Theo, we got snacks" The other three came in laughing as Alvin and Brittany flopped on the beanbags and Theodore sat on the floor in front of the lounge where Eleanor was sitting. Simon poured him and Jeanette a glass of milk each and sat back on the lounge, "So what did we miss?" Eleanor ruffled Theodore's hair and fed him a cookie, before helping herself to another, "Oh Steph just likes Alex that's all"

Brittany joined in, with a mouthful of cookie "Yeah we were just hyping her up"

Simon nodded and smiled, "Ah, wait what happened to"

Jeanette interrupted, "Let's not get into that debacle again"

Simon looked at her then shrugged, "So what shall we do this afternoon then? We probably should get any homework out of the way, ha ha, I mean I know I could do some more reading on next semester's topics, I'd like to get ahead and" he paused when her realised everyone was staring at him blankly; Alvin pretending to be asleep, "Ok, ok, I get it". Jeanette nuzzled him on the cheek, "its ok Si"

Brittany nudged Alvin, who 'woke up' dramatically, "Oh Simon's stopped boring us? Ok so what else shall we do?"

Theodore thought, "How about we bake something?"

Eleanor smiled, "Ooh yes"

Alvin shook his head, "Theo, we just ate"

Theodore slunk down, "And?"

Jeanette smiled, "What about a card game?"

Brittany sighed loudly, Alvin groaned and Eleanor and Theodore shook their heads, "No, no card games, you two have too much strategy"

Jeanette looked defeated, "We could play Spoons? We can all do that"

Simon reminded them, "No, Dave's banned us from that game after Alvin became a little too competitive and broke the lamp table"

Alvin held his hands up defensively, "Hey, hey all's fair in love and war, I played to the rules"

Theodore chuckled and pointed out, "You're supposed to let go of the spoon if someone else has it, not wrestle to see if they'll let it go"

Eleanor rubbed her bottom in memory, "Yeah Alvin"

Alvin slunk back into the bean bag, "Ahh fine...hmm, well what else can we do?"

Brittany suggested Dance Mania, but only Alvin wanted to play, with the others complaining they couldn't compete on the same level.

They were still trying to figure out what to do when Dave walked in, "Boys, I'm home...oh hi girls" he set his briefcase by the door and put his keys on the hallway table,

"Hi Dave" the Chipettes said in unison. Dave ran his fingers through his hair, "I assume you've all finished your homework if you're all lounging around like this?" he noticed the plate of cookie crumbs and empty bottle of milk.

Alvin tried to stand up, but ended up falling back into the bean bag; the others snickering, "You see Dave" he was cut off, "Alvin?"

Alvin knew he wouldn't win, "Ok, ok, we're going" he beckoned for someone to help him up out of the bean bag. Everyone just stared at him though and went to get their books; Simon however couldn't help but say under his breath as he walked past Alvin, "Told you so"

Alvin growled and struggled to his feet, following the rest to the kitchen.

"OK guys" Dave said, making himself a coffee, "So how were the exams today?"

Simon beamed, "Great"

Jeanette added, "Fulfilling"

Theodore and Eleanor both said, "Challenging" (and then giggled)

Brittany slumped in the chair, "Exhausting" while Alvin was very dramatic and slid along the bench with his arms folded and head down, "A total waste of time"

Dave glared at Alvin, "Well I hope it wasn't a complete waste of time, your education is important Alvin, and the rest of you. Without it, you won't get very far in life"

Alvin put his head up and rested it on his arms, looking up at Dave, "Yeah but I got talent, who needs an education?"

Dave's tone dropped, "Alvin?"

Alvin tried his luck, "I'm just saying is all"

Dave shook his head and sipped his coffee, "Well you guys all take the next two hours to" Alvin shot up, eyes wide, "Two hours!"

"ALVIN!"

Alvin remained gobsmacked as Dave continued, "Yes, two hours to finish any homework and study; I'll be in the den if you need me"

He started out the kitchen, when sense came back to Alvin, "But, Dave, who in their right mind could study for two hours?" Simon and Jeanette put their hands up.

Alvin looked over at them and dismissed them with a "Pfft, yeah but look at them..." then looked back at Dave and pointed to himself, "And then look at me!"

Dave did this and in his eyes it was clear he wasn't budging on the time limit, "My point exactly, two hours Alvin" they others started getting their books and pens out; Alvin continued to bargain, "How 'bout one hour?"

Dave was getting impatient, "Alvin?"

"Ok, one and a half hours?" Dave's

"ALVIN!"

Alvin smiled and bartered, "One hour forty five minutes? And that's my final offer!"

Dave was ready to explode now, "AALLLVVVIIINNN!"

The rest chuckled under their breath as Dave stormed toward the den, Alvin clearly defeated sat with the others in the booth in the kitchen, "Stupid education"

Simon adjusted his glasses and arranged his pencil case just right in front of him, "Alvin" he was about to reason, but realised quickly it would get him nowhere, "Just do your homework"

Alvin sighed and opened his history book; it opened on a page about Caesar Augustus but someone had drawn male genitalia on him, Alvin broke out in laughter.

Simon glared at him, "Alvin if you don't mind, I'm trying to do my calculus work"

Alvin put his hand to his mouth, "Sorry Si" he continued to add features to the sketch; a party hat askew on his head, an empty beer bottle and some badly drawn girls hanging from him.

Brittany looked over to see Alvin doodling (*heh heh*) and gave out a giggle too, "Alvin, that's so wrong"

Alvin laughed and began adding speech bubbles.

Jeanette leant over the table to see Alvin's artwork, "You know they collect these after the year?"

Simon stopped what he was doing and peered over; sighing in disgust, Alvin continued to amuse himself, "Yeah but they're not seriously gonna look through every page of every book are they?"

Eleanor giggled and Theodore added a cake, to which Simon added, "Theodore, don't encourage him!"

Theodore replied simply, "What's a party without cake?"

Alvin laughed aloud, "Ha! Oh yeah, up high Theo, good one" He held his hand up, to which Theodore replied with a high five. Simon grumbled and began clearing his things, "I'm going to work in the living room, away from all these distractions"

The rest all snickered, Simon looked at Jeanette who stopped her giggling and gathered her things, "Oh right, coming"

The others watched as Simon and Jeanette walked into the living room. Alvin stopped and held the book up for everyone else to see, "Now who else would appreciate this?"

Brittany giggled as she drew a flower in the corner of her paper; Alvin laughed again, and took his phone out of his pocket, "Heh heh I'll send it to Simon" he held the camera over the photo drawing and flashed a picture onto his phone. He chuckled and showed Brittany, Theodore and Eleanor the photo, who in return laughed, before he sent it off to Simon; within seconds they heard the 'beep beep' of Simon's phone. There was a slight muffled chuckle and giggle from the living room followed by the tinkle of Alvin's phone; a message. He opened his message and read:

a lil amusing...but ur still an idiot. Si.

Alvin snickered to himself, "Hmm not the appreciation for art I was expecting...umm, who else?"

Eleanor finished writing her summary notes; she smiled and said, "How 'bout Steph? She loves all that stuff"

Alvin grinned, "That's true" he tapped through till he found Steph's number; adding the message:

sumthin 2 help u thru da arvo lol Al ;)

it only took a few minutes for Steph's reply;

lol sxy man where can I pik him up from? Steph xx

Alvin showed everyone the text as he burst out in laughter, joined by everyone else.

Dave's voice rang down the hall, "I hear a lot of laughing in there, I hope there's study happening too?"

Eleanor called back, "Yes Dave!"

Alvin wiped a tear of laughter from his eye, "Ahh...Classic" with a sigh of relief from laughter, Alvin slid out from the booth and stretched, "Well I'm done" the others looked at him blankly. Alvin looked back at them, "Study break" he confirmed.

Brittany smirked, "You haven't done anything yet"

Alvin grinned again, "Yeah but still...study break, coming?" He grabbed Brittany's hand and pulled her up, leading her toward the back door; Simon looked up at that moment though and caught them out. He called to Alvin, "Going somewhere Alvin?"

Alvin and Brittany froze in their tracks. Turning on his heel, Alvin walked into the living room, Brittany following, "Simon, Simon, Simon...I gotta get outta here, c'mon you know I'm not the study type, I get distracted too easily"

Simon frowned, "Yeah I have a message proving that, but still, Dave said we need to do two hours of study and, " he checked the clock on the mantle, "it's only been forty five minutes" Alvin looked at Brittany and grinned, she in return smiled cheekily, "I know, but I need a study break" with that he growled at Brittany playfully and chased her upstairs.

Jeanette sneaked a peek in Simon's direction, hopeful, yet saw that Simon simply rolled his eyes and put his head back down to his books. Jeanette looked away dejected and flipped the page in her chemistry book.