Well, I am pleased to announce that all my grades are finally rocketing up. *Phew.* Other than that....

This story may prove to be about eighteen chapters long and something close to 100 pages. Yes...that IS a short story to me. And: This chapter may be short, but this IS that Alvin/Brittany fluff you've all been begging me for. I hope it satisfies you enough, because it doesn't get much deeper than this (remember...they are ten after all).

And...this isn't going to come up for a while yet, but what song do you guys think is the perfect duet for Theodore and Eleanor?

Ahem: And don't forget to check my DA page for that special surprise I promised you.

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 12 – A Meeting in the Park

Brittany sighed with frustration as she walked away from the store. Alvin was no where in sight. She trudged along down the street, melting shakes in her warm hands. The necklace that Jeanette had liked was also conveniently missing from the display, along with a gorgeous necklace that she had been admiring but knew it was way too far out of Alvin's price range. Probably bought up by some diva of a child.

There wasn't any wind, which was making her sweat underneath her jacket. She hurried to the nearest park to set the drinks down and take it off. Flustered, she merely dumped it on the ground as she sat, glancing around. She wasn't sure what made her think they'd have gone there in the first place. Miss Miller had just said they were running an errand. Going to get bread and maybe some ice cream. So why hadn't Alvin been with his brothers? And why were Jeanette and Ellie with the two?

She glanced up at the grey clouds, only to turn her head away as the sun suddenly peeked out right where she was looking. Her attention instantly turned to the birds that were chirping happily away in the tree next to her bench. The sun made them happy. All they needed was a warm day in late November and they could be happy.

Brittany could hear twigs cracking behind her, but she didn't bother to look. Probably just the camera guy sneaking up on her to catch the dramatic moment on film for the rest of the nation to see. Suddenly, she wasn't quite so fond of being part of a reality TV show.

"You know…Those shakes will melt if you don't drink them soon." She almost jumped right out of her skin as she spun around and slipped off the bench. "Although I can't see why someone who's so obsessed with their image would want two shakes all for themselves…"

"They weren't both for me!" Brittany declared as she leaped back onto her feet. "I got one of them for you!" Alvin stared at her, unable to do more than blink. Once he got past the shock, he pretended to clean out his ear with his pinkie.

"Did I just hear you right?"

"Yes! You heard me right! I got you a vanilla milkshake. So…so why don't you come over here and drink it?" She picked up her jacket nervously, sitting back down on the bench.

"No yelling."

"What?"

"Promise me you won't yell anymore."

"Anymore today or anymore forever?"

"Anymore forever is impossible for you. Just anymore today."

"That I can handle." She picked up her drink, not looking towards him as he sat down. But she did hear the crinkling of paper. She sipped some of her half-melted milkshake, trying hard to overcome her curiosity and not look at what he had, but she just couldn't. As her blue eyes glanced over, she saw that he had a small bag from the exact same store that she had just come from. So he had been there…

"What are you doing here by yourself?"

"I wasn't going to stay home when Jeanette and Ellie went to the ice cream parlor with your brothers!"

"So you went with them?"

"No."

"But you went to the ice cream parlor?"

"Before they did. They just followed me I guess."

"Nah. I told Simon to take the extra money and get some ice cream with Jeanette. I wasn't in the mood for it."

"Could have fooled me." He stopped sucking up his own milkshake as he noticed the look in her eyes.

"Milkshakes aren't the same as ice cream." She turned away, trying desperately to think of something to say.

"Brittany…can you do me a favor?"

"What?" She glanced over at him, seeing that he'd crossed his legs on the bench and was now examining some of the dead leaves on the ground.

"For Thanksgiving…Please try to keep Dave happy, no matter what happens."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The polls…I almost forgot about them, but Simon didn't. Last he looked…Eighty percent had said no."

"What? That's so unfair!" She jumped up, letting out a little yelp as her shake flew out of her hand. "How could they do that to us? Don't they understand what family means?"

"It's probably all the kids that are jealous because we have this opportunity and they probably wouldn't have." She opened her mouth to start complaining, but then she realized how calm he was about it. Alvin…was not only being serious, he also seemed to be deep in thought. The world had to be ending…it just had to be!

"So, what are we going to do about it?"

"I don't know."

"You…don't know? You have an answer for everything! I mean, it's not always the smartest answer, but you always have an answer!"

"Well I don't have one now!" His eyes turned up and seemed to stab right into hers. "We signed their rules and we have to live with it! Even if it's just Thanksgiving…It's a big deal!"

"I know Alvin! The only real Thanksgiving we've ever had is with Miss Miller! Sure, my sisters will still be with me and Dave is almost like a step-father or something…"

"Please don't say that."

"Say what?"

"That Dave is like your step-father." He had his hand over his face now, embarrassed completely. So she instantly dropped her voice to a whisper.

"Where's the camera man?" He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Over there by the water fountain. And that's just the one I saw."

"They can't hear us from all the way over there…"

"But a big moment like this…they wouldn't miss it for the world! They have their ways you know. They do it on other TV shows all the time." She gulped, turning around and sitting down.

"What'll we do?"

"Well…we could tell each other how sorry we are for the miserable way we've been treating each other this past week. I mean, you did get me a milk shake for some reason, right?" Brittany couldn't speak…but the blush on her cheeks said it all. "Here."

"Huh?" She looked up just in time to catch the bag. "For me?"

"Who else do I waste all my money on?"

"Waste!"

"Well…maybe not always completely waste." She glared at him for a moment, but the gift was jus too powerful. She reached in with both hands and pulled out a fine black necklace case. Inside was the most dazzling pendant she'd ever held, diamond and silver that would go perfectly with almost any outfit.

"Alvin…this had to cost…"

"Eighty bucks. It was on sale."

"On sale? Alvin! Where'd you get that kind of money?"

"I haven't really had much that I wanted to buy lately. Usually I'm buying stuff for you anyway, so I'm just not used to spending my money on myself anymore. Which, by the way, that has to stop. Gifts are ok, but I need my money for stuff I like…I don't even know what I like anymore!"

"Sure you do! You like video games, skateboarding and biking, getting on my nerves, plotting adventures, having adventures…You love sports and music."

"Most music."

"Most?"

"I hate rap. It's annoying." Brittany giggled.

"You hate rap…who'd have thought it? You're just like the kind of kids that love rap."

"Just because I'm like them doesn't mean I am them. Rap was ok for a while, I guess, but then it just got…well, boring. They all talk about the same stuff and half the time you can't even understand them. Besides…Dave won't let us listen to most rap because of how it's not child appropriate at all."

"Since when do you do what Dave tells you to?"

"I do what he tells me to all the time! I do my chores, I wash my hands, I brush my teeth…"

"Alvin, I don't need to know every detail of your life. I'm pretty happy just knowing the basics. And there's a lot of stuff I've learned about you lately that I'd be much happier not knowing."

"Like what?"

"Oh…stuff."

"Like what?" Now he seemed anxious.

"Well…let's just say you forgot to tell Dave not to tell us your life stories…"

"What?"

"Just kidding."