Note from teh G-girl:

Wow! I'm actually updating. Yes, you may all put your pitchforks down now. (School starting again's been murder, and I'm already behind, so forgive me for not attending to your needs.)

And in this chapter, guess who! Dave! Yay!

Note: Italicized lines whispering, or song dialog.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. -Plays Fats Dominoe's Ain't That a Shame-

"So boys, how was school?" Dave asked as they walked through the door, first Theodore, then Alvin, and finally Simon.

"We got a call back in the auditorium and they told us which parts we got and they gave us a rehearsal sheet," Theodore supplied, throwing his school bag down on the table and sliding into the wrap-around seat.

"Well, that's good news!" Dave replied cheerfully from the stove, where he was preparing dinner. He'd gotten off early from the recording studio, and as he had a surprising amount of spare time, he'd decided to try his hand at something fancy.

"Yeah, you shoulda seen Brittany! She was practically on fire, electrocuting everything in the vicinity, she was so mad! She didn't get the lead part," Alvin added at the confused look on Dave's face.

"Which play are you guys doing again? Moulin Rouge right?" he asked. Simon nodded and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter next to the fridge, the contents of which Alvin was exploring with great fervor.

"I remember when that one came out. Francine talked me into taking her to the movies," Dave remarked, suddenly looking a bit dreamy. Francine was a woman he had met at work, and they would occasionally go out for a night on the town. The boys liked Francine, as far as they could tell, but nothing was ever certain with Dave.

"So, what parts did you guys get?" Dave asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm going to be Toulouse-Lautrec! I looked over the script that Mrs. Finstein was passing out, and it's a really good part. Mostly comic relief," Theodore began before Alvin had a chance. Simon could tell from the excited look on his brother's face that Theodore was surprised and delighted he had gotten a role that would require more than raising curtains or pushing scenery around.

"What about you, Alvin?"

"I get to be the Narcoleptic Argentinean. He actually looks like he could be fun. Glad I didn't get anything boring like that poor guy Filmore Splanders, or whatever his name was ..."

"Sanders, Alvin, Filmore Sanders," Simon said, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Well excuse me, Mr. Cam-corder! Not everyone has a perfect memory, you know!"

"Boys! So, Theodore and Alvin are both going to be the comedians, huh? I guess we can count on some sort of dramatic figure from you Simon?" Dave asked, jokingly of course, but ironically nearer the mark than he ever would have thought.

"Well . . . um –"

"He's gonna be Christian," Alvin said, a little louder than was necessary, and he grinned at the color in Simon's cheeks and the look that clearly said 'I'm going to kill you.'

"The lead? Wow, Simon, that's great!" Dave cried, throwing his mittened hands into the air. Simon looked at the floor, extremely embarrassed.

"And guess who's gonna be playing Satine?" Alvin asked, and Simon was halfway through diving at him from across the room as Dave turned his back, asking, "Who?"

"Urmph – hey, watch it! – Jeanette –ack! – Miller!" Alvin managed to get out as Simon tried to keep his mouth shut. Dave turned again and the boys were immediately picturesque and whistling, so that their guardian was none the wiser.

"Jeanette Miller? Well, that's something," Dave said, almost to himself, and Simon felt the heat rising in his face at what he thought was a smile as the man turned back to his cooking.

"It's not . . . she's just . . . I didn't . . ." Simon tried to find words to explain, but nothing came out, and he found himself utterly speechless, a very rare thing indeed.

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The first rehearsal was an all-attendance, pretty much what looked like a read-through of the script and a get to know for anyone who was not already familiar with theatre terminology. Simon, having been in a few plays in middle school, was mostly familiar with the basics, such as the six points of the stage, and what "action!" meant. The only bad thing, all in all, was that Alvin had agreed to give the Chippette's a ride to rehearsal. This would no doubt lead to even more unending torment, and Simon was fuming, mostly at his infuriating brother.

"Relax, Simon! You'd think you were getting ready for the chair," Alvin said, and he laughed at the look his brother threw him. Alvin was just about the only person who could razz Simon and get under his skin in such a complete manner that the younger chipmunk considered it a privilege, and an honor. After all, in his opinion, Simon needed to loosen up; in any case, it wouldn't be good for him to go into the first rehearsal tighter than a screw.

"Knock it off, you guys! We're gonna be late, if we stop to argue," Theodore remarked as he hopped into the back seat with Simon. "He is right, though, Simon," He added in a whisper that Simon just barely caught, "You need to relax!"

Simon knew and saw the truth in this, but the stubborn, contradictory part of him wouldn't let him. He remained seated with his arms crossed, and he refused to look anywhere but out the window. Within minutes, they had arrived at the Miller house, and the parade would only just be beginning.

"I swear, Alvin, I'm going to have to strap a clock to your forehead, or something!" Brittany said as she hopped into the front seat.

"Oh, stop that, Brittany! It's only four thirty, rehearsals don't start till five!" Eleanor called as she slid into the seat next to Theodore. Jeanette came in behind her, so that she and Simon were on opposite sides of the car, refusing to look at each other, instead taking up mirrored positions with their arms against the arm rest on the door, chins in their hands, gazing out the window with determined resoluteness.

"So, anybody catch the history assignment?" Alvin asked, determined to break the ice, as it where.

"Pages 220 through 270?" Theodore asked, looking around for confirmation. Eleanor and Simon nodded.

"And the workbook pages that go with it," Jeanette said, glancing at Alvin.

"I just love having you guys around," Alvin snickered, glancing in the rear view mirror, "I'll never have to write down another assignment as long as I live."

"What about college?" Simon said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm gonna study music! Since when do guitarists need to take notes?" Alvin said.

"Oh, that was so bad, Alvin," Brittany said, rolling her eyes, but grinning.

"What?" Alvin said, feigning innocence.

"I've heard better puns off the back of cereal boxes!" Brittany retorted, and the banter continued until they reached the auditorium.

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They were some of the first few there, so they sat in the second row with Rhett, Bell, Fred, and Candy; Bell head-banging to what sounded like heavy metal, Rhett nudging Fred and pointing to the stage before whispering something that made the other boy shove his fist into his mouth to keep from laughing, and Candy applying a very interesting shade of neon green eye shadow.

"Looks like the stage hands are getting a run down," Theodore whispered in Simon's ear, and he looked up at the stage to find Mr. Calahan giving what looked to be quite an animated speech to the crew, his hands flying around as he talked. Most of the kids looked bored, having done this sort of thing a hundred times, but a few ears perked up as Simon caught the name "Luhrman," and he could practically see the gears in those minds turning.

"I guess. I wonder if they volunteered?" Simon whispered back. Theodore shrugged.

"Not a chance!" Alvin hissed in Simon's direction, "Who in their right mind would volunteer to be a stage hand?" He received a swift elbow in the ribs from Brittany, causing Eleanor and Jeanette to giggle.

"Hey! What was that for?"

Simon sat in silence and observed as the other five chipmunks carried on their hushed conversations, watching the producer describe the visual effect he was going to try to achieve. It sounded very close to what the film had done, but with different touches that would be better suited for a stage production. He watched what appeared to be adult workers moving set pieces around, arranging furniture, all from previous plays. It sounded to Simon as though Mrs. Finstein was looking through previously owned props to see if there was anything she particularly wanted to re-use. Slowly, the first, second, and third row came to be filled with the remaining cast members, till the whole of the auditorium was alive with chatter, and Simon was wondering how on earth Bell was still managing to listen to her Ipod with the same intense concentration she had been using but minutes ago.

"All right, gentlemen, ladies, settle down, quiet! We're going to be proceeding to the lobby very shortly, and it would help those of us up here a great deal if you could all just be a little more patient and quiet for just a few more minutes!" Mrs. Beckens said, just barely shouting to be heard above the din made by the students. The noise level gradually descended, and as Mrs. Finstein wrapped things up backstage, the cast was ushered from the auditorium and into the lobby, which was empty save for a few adults still lugging giant furniture-sized props around, and the director had everyone sit in the pre-arranged armchairs that formed an almost perfect circle in the middle of the lobby.

"All right," she said, once everyone was settled, "we are going to begin rehearsal today with a review of the standard of behavior that will be expected, how we are going to proceed with rehearsals, and a read through of the script." She concluded by passing a large, hundred-and-some-odd-paged stack of papers to every student, holes punched down the side and tied off with cheap twine. Simon looked down at the first page.

Moulin Rouge!

Script

She then proceeded to explain that all the students would be expected to have their lines memorized by the end of next month, and that anybody found to be causing trouble would be kicked out of the show without a second glance.

"No man is expendable if they are a risk to a good production," Mrs. Finstein said, eyeing the crowd. Simon personally thought this to be a very wise decision, but a few students rolled their eyes, seeming to think themselves above this set rule. He noticed that Brittany was one of them, but he doubted any trouble would come from the chippette's end. Mrs. Finstein also made a note that for the next two months, in order to help with memorization, the cast would be doing a reading at the beginning of each rehearsal, not necessarily of the whole script, mostly just the scenes to be worked on that day.

"Well, then, why don't we get started?" Mrs. Finstein finished, and there was a crinkling of paper as everyone turned to the first page. Simon gulped quite audibly, as his were what appeared to be some of the first lines. He glanced over at Theodore, who was turning a little red, being the first to take the plunge. Simon smiled encouragingly at his younger brother, which Theodore caught from the corner of his eye.

"No need for you to sing, dear," Mrs. Finstein said as Theodore gave her a questioning look, noticing the italicized lines. He nodded, and then strode boldly forth.

"There was a boy . . . a very strange enchanted boy . . ."

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