Goo...This is hurting me. But I have to say it...

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This story MAY go on Haitus until Christmas Break.

*hides in a cardboard box hoping everyone won't hunt me down while I explain*

See, everything was wonderful last week...then...it flipped upside down. First there's the poor performance on the PSAT...(I shaln't say, but to me it's equivilant to failing an unfailable test...perhaps to you it's good, but to me the score is atrocious and disgusting.) Plus two big projects due soon, so that's going to take up all my time so I won't be writing...at least not for fun. And...here's the big evil: I have three C's. Now, I know to some people C's are miracles, but not to me. Oh no not to me...My entire future rides on weather or not I get scholorships or not, and right now...it's lookling more towards the not. So...If I wasn't trying before (which I was, and that makes it completely ironic because when I didn't try I got straight A's with one B here and there...now that I'm actually trying I'm starting to fail!), I am certainly dedicating all my time to my school work now.

I mean, I'll still try to get my Christmas video up...I'll work on that Saturday and Sunday mornings because I swore that I'd get at leat one video up for every holiday over the next year (which started back with the fourth of July), so that I'll do to keep the depression bug at bay...But writing...Oh my writing...Once I start typing, I can't finish until something drags me away (usually my mother). I know if I pull up this or ANY story, I'll write the night away. Well, type...I actually prefer typing stories. Since I'm lefthanded, it means no graphite on my hand. But I digress...

Like I said, the big word is MAY. That's only if things stay as nuts as they are...After this, the rest of the week is going to be dedicated to finishing my gov. project (which, if I get the full 130 points on that should at least drag my C up to a good, solid B) and my geometry work. But I really have to get back on track with my French...I keep up and do my homework, but no matter how much I understand it my mind blanks on the tests.

And it doesn't help that musical is just around the corner...and I have a dedication to people that'll actually hurt me if I don't help because they see me every day (you guys can't actually hurt me...and it does hurt me to say I may not update, but...better to be alive and not updating than dead and unable to ever update again, right?).

I love all the reviews you guys have given me so far (heck, I'd even go so far as to say I love YOU, my fans, but...then it'd just get a little awkward, wouldn't it?), so please...don't be mad or frustrated. I'll try, I promise. But a 'try' is all I CAN promise.

AND DON'T FORGET: Sign my petition to let Ross and Janice know that we want to see more of the cartoon Chipmunks (and not just the old episodes either...the Chipmunk Adventure needs to be shown on TV as well as the fact that they need to make more).

Switched

Chapter 11 – Running 'Errands'

"Al-vin!" Miss Miller called in a tone so sweet it scared him. He was once again mopping the kitchen floor, even though he wanted to drop dead. His feet were killing him, his eyes were barely staying open, and his back ached. That's what he got for staying up until after midnight (they'd gotten home just before midnight).

"Yes Miss Miller?" he replied, his voice portraying his fatigue.

"We're out of bread."

"And you want me to…?" She was pulling a ten dollar bill out of her purse as he spoke.

"Would you be a dear and run out and get me a loaf of wheat bread?" He blinked, reaching out and grabbing hold tentatively.

"Can I go with him?" he heard Simon yelp from the doorway.

"What?" Alvin hissed. "Think I'll steal it?"

"No! I just want to…to hang out with my older brother for a little while." He put on the best fake smile he could manage.

"I know what you want," Miss Miller said, shaking her head. "Here's some extra money, go ahead and take Theodore and get some ice cream, alright?" They stared at her for a moment, not believing that she was handing them another ten dollar bill.

"Why don't you give us a five for the bread and we'll get ice cream with the ten?"

"I didn't give you a five?" She stared disbelievingly at the bill in Alvin's hands. With a shake of her head, she put away her ten and pulled out a five, handing that to Simon. "Now go on, but don't you boys take to long. You have to finish your chores."

"Yes Miss Miller." Simon grabbed Alvin and hurried his brother upstairs.

"Simon?" Alvin hissed. "Why are we going to the bedroom?"

"To get our money."

"Why are we getting our money?"

"Because…Because there's something I have to buy!" Alvin burst out laughing.

"You're really going to get Jeanette that necklace, aren't you?" Simon didn't answer, merely ran over to his suitcase and pulled out his secret stash of money.

"And you're going to get something for Brittany." Alvin sucked in a deep breath to keep himself from hitting Simon for such a stupid idea.

"Just why am I going to do that?"

"So she'll cheer up so Jeanette will be in a good mood rather than being bogged down with a moody Brittany all the time!" Alvin blinked. His brother really wanted to impress Jeanette. It was almost scary. "Well, what are you just standing there for?"

"I really don't want to buy anything for Brittany. She doesn't deserve it."

"But you deserve the peace that will follow. You give her the necklace, she'll be happy…Everyone else will be happy again."

"Except me. Because she'll come back for more…Again!" Simon sighed and looked at his brother.

"I know it doesn't make much sense to keep appeasing her, but right now that's the best thing to do. You've already voiced your discontent, so when you give it to her tell her that it's the last thing like that that you'll get her because she asked for it. Make sure she understands that when you get her something, it's a gift you're giving her as something special. Not because she wanted it, but because you wanted to give it to her."

"That won't stop her. And besides, if we're going to go with that, I don't want to give it to her."

"Which is probably why she complains so much and calls you spoiled."

"Excuse me?"

"You never give her anything."

"Should I have to?"

"Well…no, I guess…But…" Alvin let out a huff as he nodded. Simon couldn't find the right words to explain this one. "It's the nice thing to do, I guess."

"She never gets me anything."

"Please! Alvin, you can't live your life saying 'I didn't help them because they didn't help me.' That'll get you no where."

"I never said I wouldn't help someone. I just said I won't get a spoiled brat something because she'll be ungrateful." Simon sighed.

"At the very least, you're coming with me. I…I've never gone to a store like that alone."

"It's just a store choc full of dresses and jewelry."

"An all-girls store, you mean." Alvin laughed, looking at his brother. He could almost see Simon blushing.

"You're too innocent. Even Theodore wouldn't have trouble with that. If Ellie wanted something, he'd go in there with her…"

"Exactly. With her. How many boys go into chick-stores alone?"

"I do. All the time. For Brittany…" Alvin was back to the angry seething.

"That's why you're coming with me."

…X…

"Ellie…Jeanette…" Brittany pleaded through the locked door. Her sisters hadn't been talking to her since the night before. Things had gone from bad to worse after they'd left the concert. She'd gotten into a real, true fight with her sisters. It had started as mere bickering, but soon Eleanor had wacked her over the head with a pillow. It was one of those shut-up things. Probably because she'd brought Theodore and Simon into the conversation, lumping them together with Alvin.

She really had wanted to apologize to Alvin by the end of Dave's talk. But once she'd seen him outside his dressing room, she just couldn't. She'd ended up turning her nose up and walking straight past him.

But Alvin really didn't matter right then. Her sisters had locked her out of the bedroom right after breakfast. She'd been munching on her pancakes and they'd finished early. Together, they'd gone upstairs and shut and locked the door. And now they weren't listening to her pleadings.

'Maybe you should get him some ice cream…'

Dave's words echoed in her memory and she knew she really should make amends with him. She just…couldn't. She'd almost never apologized, ever. It was too hard. But if she got him ice cream, at least, she wouldn't have to say she was sorry. She could just give him the ice cream and run off or something. Letting out a sigh, she jumped up and ran down the stairs.

Dave was at the kitchen table, obviously frustrated with whatever he was doing. She was almost afraid to go in as she watched him filling out what looked like checks. She slipped in as quietly as she could, but Dave was used to sneaking children. He heard her as soon as her feet touched the kitchen floor and instantly shut up the check book and flipped over the papers in front of him.

"They're still not talking to you, are they?" he asked gently. "I can go talk to them if you want."

"No, that's alright. I was actually hoping…that maybe you'd let me go out. I have to get something."

"You can't go home."

"I'm not going home…I'm going to the ice cream parlor." She flashed him a shy smile and he smiled his understanding smile.

"Alright. But shouldn't you find out where Alvin is first?"

"He's probably back at the house. I'll just walk by there and shout for him…"

"That won't attract any attention at all…"

"Well, what would you suggest?"

"Call him. Have him come meet you at the parlor. It's safe because you won't break any rules, plus you can have some time just to talk to him without Simon or Theodore or Miss Miller around." Brittany's eyes lit up as she ran over and reached up for the phone. It was much to far out of her reach, so Dave went over and handed it down to her, dialing the number while he was at it.

"Hello?...Is Alvin there?...Where'd he go?...I normally do that, don't I? Well, that makes sense I guess…Thanks Miss Miller….No, that's alright. I'll catch up with him. I was just about to head out and I wanted to know if he could spend the afternoon with me…Yes Miss Miller, I know its Sunday. But this is sort of special." She giggled at whatever Miss Miller said next. "Something like that. Bye."

"That sounded like it went well."

"Yep." Brittany held it up to him. "So I can go?"

"Of course." She grinned as she ran through the front door. He waited, watching as she came back and grabbed her jacket. It was down in the fifties today after all.

…X…

"This is it!" Simon said excitedly as he pointed at a pendant on a sliver chain behind the glass on the counter. Alvin glanced from the creased paper in Simon's hand to the pendant in the case. It was the exact one…but the description from the on-line store said it was less than thirty bucks. The necklace in the case was almost forty dollars.

"You sure you want to spend that much on a necklace?" Alvin hissed. Theodore seemed to be in shock, his eyes wide as he stared at the price tag.

"It's for Jeanette." Simon rang the bell on the counter, glancing around as he wondered where the workers were. "Which reminds me, shouldn't you be picking something out for Brittany?" Alvin sucked in a deep breath.

"I am not getting Brittany anything."

"You keep saying that, but you brought your money."

"We'll get ice cream or something."

"I'm going to run this over to Jeanette…"

"No you're not!"

"Why not?"

"The rules. Do you want to get kicked of the show?"

"You know…that might not actually be so bad."

"What?" Alvin stared unbelievingly at his brother.

"Have you checked the polls lately? Eighty percent of the voters voted no! Eighty percent of people out there don't want us to have Thanksgiving with Dave!" Alvin nearly choked on his own breath.

"Eighty…Eighty percent?" Theodore whimpered. "Maybe it would be best if we got kicked off…"

"We'll do no such thing!" Alvin said. "We signed up for this, we're not bailing out." Still, his eyes focused on his reflection in the glass. He continued to stare at it as the cashier finally showed up and Simon purchased the necklace.

"Alvin…Alvin! Come on!"

"I…I think I'll catch up later." Suddenly, a thought struck him as Simon opened the door. "Oh! Wouldn't it be easier if you just called Jeanette and had her meet you somewhere? You know they don't have anything to do, and you sill have to get whatever it is that Miss Miller sent us out to get."

"Didn't she give us ice cream money too?" Theodore asked sweetly.

"There you go. Take Jeanette and Ellie to get ice cream."

"What about you?"

"I'm not in the mood for ice cream anyway." He smiled and waved his brothers out the door, turning back and walking past the glass case. There was a gorgeous diamond pendant, swirled within an equally gorgeous silver design. It would cost everything he had to get it…But it wouldn't hurt to have something in his back-up arsenal for when he was ready to forgive Brittany. Or for Christmas. Whichever came first.

…X…

"Two vanilla shakes please," Brittany said.

"Why not cones?"

"They'd melt before I got to the person I'm taking them to."

"Ah. Now why are you getting ice cream when it's in the fifties outside?"

"Because ice cream is the perfect way to apologize to someone." The cashier smiled, taking her money and turning around to spout out the order. Brittany shifted her weight from foot to foot restlessly. She wanted to hurry up and get to him before he left.

"Here you go."

"Thanks." She spun around, hurrying for the door. As she looked up from the shakes in her hand, she saw something that made her heart sink. Her sisters were heading into the parlor alongside Simon and Eleanor. Quickly she ran for the girls bathroom, leaping in and shutting the door as fast as she could.

"Excuse me miss," a mother said. She was holding the hand of a wet three-year-old. No doubt she'd just scrubbed the child clean of whatever treat the child had spilled.

"Sorry." Brittany ducked out of her way, peeking through the door after she had left. Her sisters had already passed the hallway by the looks of it, so she crept up to the corner and peeked around tentatively. They were turned away from her, choosing their treats. She took the chance to dart out the door, praying that neither of them would turn around.

Much in her favor, they didn't. But Theodore did. He saw Brittany's pony-tail bobbing up and down as she ran across the parking lot and on down the street. He turned back to say something to Simon, but his brother was ordering. So he just shrugged it off and let it be. The girls were mad at Brittany anyway.