Friends....

I STILL need a good duet. I can't post the next chapter unless I get one. Well, actually I probably could...this just shows how behind I am. You guys have caught up with me! I'm still writing the next chapter! (But this two week break has me on the un-wind...I'm just lazing about right now, finally getting rid of all the toxins caused by High School.)

And...I don't do this much, but this is sort of a filler chapter to attempt to build up suspence. It really is almost completely drabble...I dunno. Maybe you guys will like it. My writing seems to be on a down-spiral thanks to this long vacation. (I suppose I need school to keep my mind from going to mush after a while.)

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 14: Evading the Cameras

Jeanette nodded, her face scrunched up in thought as Simon whispered in her ear. The cameras couldn't pick up whispers, so that was what they were reduced to. The camera men were utterly confused. First Alvin had locked himself in the bathroom all day Sunday (unbeknownst to them, he was working out an intricate plan he liked to call 'the Turkey Maneuver'), and then he and his brothers had done nothing but whisper to each other. Now the boys were all whispering to the girls. Something was up…but six kids couldn't cause that much trouble, right?

Suddenly Jeanette nodded and ran over to meet with her sisters by a tree on the school's playground. Alvin and Theodore rejoined Simon. More whispering…The cameramen grumbled with frustration. They were supposed to be getting all the juicy moments on film…But it was quite obvious that this wasn't working.

"Alvin, I agree with what you're trying to do, but I'm really having second thought about how you're going about getting it done," Simon hissed.

"And you act as if you've never followed along on one of my schemes before," Alvin laughed back. "You want Thanksgiving with Dave, don't you?"

"Yeah, but…"

"You and Jeanette are the know-it-alls. But you've already said you can't hack the site from Miss Miller's house and Brittany told me that Jeanette couldn't get in from our computer. That means we have to get the two of you to where the site is run."

"Alvin, what if it's someone's house?"

"I doubt that. It's probably right from the station. They have more than just the set there you know."

"Yeah, I know…" Simon sighed, sitting down on the ladder that led up to the monkey bars.

"I think this'll be fun!" Theodore said.

"Fun? We're breaking the rules we signed to and we're going to be breaking the law!"

"I mean getting away from the cameramen. While you guys run off, Ellie and me are gonna keep them busy!"

"Just don't crack under the pressure."

"Huh?"

"He means don't come clean," Alvin replied, glaring at his do-good brother. Simon was in a tough spot. Either path he chose was just as wrong as it was right. He'd never forgive himself for not helping, but he certainly didn't want to break the law!

"When does this 'Turkey Maneuver' start again?"

"After school."

"By the way…I pick the names from now on."

…X…

Eleanor smiled and waved at the camera man that was following after her. She'd conveniently let it slip that she was planning on getting a little present for Theodore, just loud enough for them to catch it on camera. So now one was shadowing her every movement. The problem with her plan was that she had no clue what to get her friend! Sure, he'd love anything, but she wanted to get him something nice. There was just no way she'd be able to do that at Wal-Mart…But that was where they'd decided to meet up. Theodore would get the other camera man into Wally-world while the other four split up and made their way to the station.

Alvin and Brittany were the other distraction, in case there were any hidden camera-people. They had already planned out an entire fake fight, so they too were conveniently going to meet up. Simon had rigged a little beeper (with a beep so quiet no camera could pick it up, but Alvin would know) that he'd single once when he got there, twice when Jeanette got there. Or three times if Jeanette had gotten there before him.

That was to be his signal to storm off, leaving Brittany to throw a temper tantrum and keep the attention of the cameras while he just walked away (as boringly as he could muster) and then found his own way to the studio to help the two goody-goods get in.

But for now, the two merely walked towards their destination. Alvin was grumbling about how Brittany had managed to talk him into taking the longer way there, and Brittany was practically waltzing along, enjoying the late-November world for a change. Sure, it was very grey outside. But there were still plenty of flowers. They were in California after all. The winter months were always hospitable, if not on the warm side. In fact, she rather felt like going to the beach.

Theodore walked down the other side of the street, waving to her as he passed. "Not to give away any secrets," Brittany shouted at him, "but Ellie want to Wal-Mart for some reason. She wouldn't tell anyone else, maybe she'll tell you!"

"Thanks!" Theodore shouted back, skipping along his merry way.

"Why don't you go see her right now?" she continued, pulling the chubby little Chipmunk to a full stop.

"That'd be a pretty good idea!" Theodore turned around and darted back up the street while Brittany sucked in a deep breath and shook her head. The poor kid could be just plain dunce sometimes.

…X…

Simon glanced around carefully before boarding the bus. He felt like a complete fool wearing the jeans and the over-sized jacket Alvin had managed to scrape together for him. And the hat on his head was just too much. But Alvin insisted that someone was bound to recognize him, seeing as he was younger brother to the Alvin Seville. "Hey kid!" the bus driver shouted as he tried to sit down. "Don't forget to pay." He pointed at the coin box and Simon groaned. He searched his pockets, pulling out barely enough change to pay the fee. But the bus was better than taking the taxi. A taxi driver would ask too many questions.

Soon enough, the world was whizzing past him outside the bus window. It was possibly the most comfortable bus he'd ever been on. He felt like he could just curl up and fall asleep…

"It's such a pity," he overheard the people behind him saying. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but with his eyes closed all the noises seemed louder. It was easier to focus on just one conversation rather than have the whole bus roaring in his ears.

"What's such a pity?" the girl's companion replied.

"Those poor kids. I mean, I know they're big stars and could probably use a good humbling anyway, but that's so unfair. Splitting up their families for Thanksgiving?"

"I voted to split them up."

"How could you?"

"You said it yourself! They're big stars. Their heads are probably bigger than…than Michael Jackson's was when he went loco."

"I said probably. Theodore is a real sweet-heart…"

"On stage! How do we know what they're like in real life? Stars are never how they appear." Simon was starting to seethe a little. How could complete strangers talk about his baby brother like that? Theodore was the sweetest butterball on the face of the Earth!

"Maybe Alvin…but there's no way Theodore is bad."

"And what about the middle one? Simon?"

"I don't know. He's somewhere in the middle…they're triplets. Maybe he's the mediator."

"Like me?" someone across the aisle laughed. Simon opened his eyes, daring to peek. Across the aisle was a girl and another boy in the window seat. He leaned over just enough to see the boy in the aisle on his side, realizing that the three in his line of sight had to be related.

"Yeah. Like you." Simon strained to try to see the other girl without giving away that he was spying. He finally caught sight of her as she stretched herself out, poking her head over the seats for a second. She looked completely different. The trio all had reddish hair, hers was black. The trio was pale. She had a rather dark tone with lots of freckles. "I don't know where we'd be if you weren't there to keep Jack in line."

"I'm not that bad," the boy at her side replied. "Besides, you know you love me all the same."

"Do you think Theodore really could be bad?" the smaller boy all the way over by the window said. Simon almost laughed seeing that the kid was wearing his own green sweater. He probably idolized the little butterball.

"Theodore is as sweet as anything," he found himself piping up. "He couldn't hurt a fly or a spider or anything anymore than he could lie. And trust me; he can't lie without feeling guilty and coming clean less than an hour later."

"And just how would you know that?" Jack snapped. Simon cowered down, suddenly realizing what he'd done.

"You his friend or something?" the girl across the aisle asked.

"Something like that," Simon replied, adjusting his glasses.

"You're Simon!" the little one accused.

"Guilty." All of a sudden all four let out some sort of squeal. Even Jack let out some sort of noise of surprise.

"I hope Jack didn't insult you too much," the first girl said. "He's got a big head sometimes. He's completely convinced that all stars are only out for themselves."

"Not all stars. Just most. Even Alvin is better than that." He tugged his hat down, making sure no one else had noticed him. "And please keep quiet. I'm sort of on a mission right now."

"Mission? What sort?"

"I'm going to…to talk to the studio. I really don't want to be split up for Thanksgiving. It's just not right."

"Talking won't help," the second girl laughed. "They have all the money and they have your signatures on their contracts. You do what they say." Simon sucked in a deep breath.

"I'll still try all the same. I can't just sit around and let idiots vote my family apart." He noted that the first girl nudged Jack in the side and he cast her a slight glare in return. "By the way, who are you guys?"

"I'm Roxy," the first girl said. "I'm Jack's girlfriend. Then those two are Rachel and Tyler. These three are triplets, just like you and your brothers."

"Theodore is my idol," Tyler announced.

"I'm rather fond of you," Rachel told him. "Smart kids don't normally get the credit due to them, and yet you are always on TV and the radio. You and Theodore are perfect role models."

"What about Alvin?" Simon asked tentatively.

"What about him?" Jack said.

"Jack is just like him, if that's what you're wondering," Roxy laughed. "All the girls squeal for him and he's got the attitude to boot."

"Really now?" Simon laughed.

"Could you autograph this picture for us?" Rachel said, offering a picture that looked like it had been taken at one of their concerts a while ago.

"No problem." He took the pen offered to him too and quickly scribbled his name. It was probably the only time he'd ever signed anything on his own without his brothers there too. Sure, Alvin had signed plenty on his own, but this was a first for the smart brother. "This is my stop. See ya later."

"Probably not," Jack hissed. "You'll probably never see us again. We don't even go to your school."

"What school do you go to?"

"Lincoln." That was his school's bitter enemy. Simon just knew that in a few more years Jack and Alvin would both be football team stars facing off for some championship prize.

"I'll look you up and get you four tickets to our next concert." With a smile, he skipped down the bus steps.