How It All Started
Theodore continued to rush around back stage. He had run everywhere, but there was no sign of where Eleanor had fled to.
"Eleanor! Eleanor where are you!" he called out frantically, but he was given no response.
"Theodore, where's Eleanor?" someone called from behind him. He turned to find that Jeanette and Alvin had approached him. Alvin seemed to have difficulty walking so Jeanette was supporting him.
"I can't find her" he said depressingly. He felt so bad for her. She loved performing as the lead role, and now that had been taken from her. Theodore could feel tears building behind his eyes as he thought of how hurt Eleanor must have felt. He wanted to be there to make her feel happy, to reassure her that everything would be alright, but he had to be with her to do that. He just had to find her. Alvin seemed to sense how he was feeling.
"We'll find her Theodore, don't worry" he said softly. Theodore looked at him and nodded, but the sad expression on his face refused to leave. The three of them resumed their search. They heard as the bell rang and watched as all the other students piled out of the auditorium, but they weren't going to leave until they found Eleanor. It took them a while but eventually they found her. She had hidden inside the changing room behind a potted fern, silently crying. Theodore sprinted to her and pulled her into a tight hug. Eleanor placed her head on his chest and continued to cry, allowing him to embrace her. Jeanette and Alvin joined them and the four sat quietly on the floor. Eleanor's tears slowly started to relent and she was able to speak again.
"I'm sorry… I just feel so…" she started but she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence without bursting into tears again.
"It's alright Eleanor, we're here for you. Come on, let's go home" Theodore said and he gently helped her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her as he led the group out of the auditorium onto the street. As they walked home, Jeanette remembered something.
"Oh, you guys go home without me. I need to go and give Simon his homework" she announced and hurried off in the opposite direction. Alvin was still a little wobbly on his feet, but he managed to walk on his own now.
"Alvin, why are you having trouble walking? Did you get hurt or something?" Eleanor asked. She was still wrapped in her own sorrow, but she had been watching the behaviour curiously ever since leaving the school.
"Well uh… I kinda… told Brittany off with a song…" he said remembering the event. Just like before, his eyes widened and his legs gave way from the nerves. Theodore and Eleanor moved to either side of him and lifted him up.
"Thanks… boy that was nerve racking" he said giving a sigh of relief. He took a shaky step forward, but he soon gained his balance and started to walk again. Theodore returned to wrapping his arms around Eleanor comforting her. The blond Chipette still felt sad, but knowing how much Theodore cared about her brought some happiness to her heart.
Dave sat patiently in the den. The kids were late and with the responsibility of looking after the girls as well as his own sons he was very nervous. Just then the door opened and Eleanor, Theodore and Alvin marched inside.
"Where have you kids been? I was really worried" Dave said as he rose to his feet.
"We're sorry Dave. Something terrible happened to Eleanor at school today and we were just comforting her" Theodore said, giving Eleanor a comforting squeeze.
"What do you mean? What happened?" Dave asked concerned. He moved to the kids and crouched down so he was roughly their height. He looked to Eleanor for a response but she looked away sadly and Theodore gave her another squeeze.
"Brittany convinced Mr. Rochelle to replace Eleanor as the lead role. Now Brittany has the role and she hasn't put in any of the work that Eleanor had. She doesn't deserve the lead role" Alvin said, anger creeping into his voice. Being reminded of the incident brought some more tears to Eleanor's eyes. She brought her hands up and wiped them away, but they were replaced quickly. Dave could tell how sad she was. He had watched as she and Theodore practiced their lines in the afternoons. They had been having so much fun.
"I'm sorry Eleanor" he said and gave her a hug. She wasn't his child, but he considered all the Chipettes as family and he hated to see any of his family upset. As he released her, he noticed the angry looks in Alvin and Theodore's eyes. They were mad at Brittany.
"Now guys, I don't want you to go near Brittany ok. She did something very mean, but if you upset her you might get hurt. I'll call Miss Miller and we'll both have a word with Mr. Rochelle in the morning" he said. The three chipmunks nodded their heads. It was at this point where Dave realized something. One of them was missing.
"Hey, where's Jeanette?" he asked.
"Oh, she went to give Simon his homework" Alvin replied. Dave looked down at his watch. I was growing late and he didn't want Jeanette walking home alone.
"Ok guys, I'm going to drive to the hospital and pick up Jeanette. I'll be back soon ok" he said.
"Ok Dave" Theodore said. He wrapped his arms around Eleanor again and led her into the den with Alvin following. Dave stood up again and gave a sigh. Brittany was causing everyone so much pain. He really hoped that the therapy sessions would help her. He grabbed his car keys and headed out the door, taking one final glance at the sad chipmunks in the den. He gave another sigh then moved to his car and drove off.
Theodore sat next to Eleanor cuddling her, doing his best to comfort her. He was succeeding a little, but he knew she was very upset and it would take more than just kind words to make her feel better. Alvin just sat in contemplation about the events.
"How could Brittany do this? I know she has been so aggressive and horrible, but she knew how much this play meant to Eleanor. I have to find a way to cure her. If I don't she'll just get even worse then I'll never see the true Brittany again. I care about her so much. I just want her to be the person she truly is, the one that I fell in love with" he thought, not realizing he'd said the last part out loud. Theodore and Eleanor both looked up at him with wide eyes.
"Love?" Theodore said. Alvin had never said anything like that before. He had admitted and shown his feelings for Brittany, but he had never once said that word. Did he really have feelings that deep for her? Alvin looked at them and realized what he had just done. His face turned red.
"Um… I… uh…" he stuttered nervously. Eleanor and Theodore both smiled at him and his face turned scarlet.
"You really do care that much about her don't you" Eleanor said and he slowly nodded his head.
"When did that happen?" Theodore asked him. Alvin thought about the request for a moment. The only person he had ever discussed with about how his feelings had developed was Dave. But that was when only Dave knew he 'had' feelings for Brittany, but now all his family knew. Perhaps retelling the events would cheer him up a little, and make Eleanor feel better as well.
"Alright then" he said after a while and he began to retell what had occurred that faithful day at the beach.
* Flashback *
"AAAAALLLLVVVIIIINNNN!" Dave screamed from the car.
"WHAT!" the red capped chipmunk yelled back in response.
"Hurry up, everyone is waiting!" his father called back annoyed. Dave had been planning this day for weeks. He had organized to take his sons and the Chipettes to the beach for the day, but Alvin was taking forever to get ready. He gave the horn of the car a honk. Moments later the annoyed Chipmunk exited the house and approached the car. He was wearing a pair of red bathing trunks and had a red towel draped over his shoulder. In his right arm he carried a blazing red surfboard with a large 'A' embroiled on it that was roughly his height.
"I'm coming, hold your horses. I had to find my surfboard" he grumbled as he placed the board on top of the car next to Dave's. Simon and Theodore both shook their heads. Simon was wearing a blue wet suit, while Theodore was wearing a wet shirt and a pair of green bathing trunks. The younger chipmunk held a red and white stripped beach ball in his hands.
"Hurry up Alvin, we need to go and get the girls" Simon said. Alvin just rolled his eyes as he slipped into his seat. As much as he wanted to go to the beach, he really didn't want to spend the entire day with Brittany. She could be so irritating. He didn't want to admit it, but she was even more egotistical then he was.
"Do we have to take the Chipettes? Why can't we just go by ourselves" he whined as Dave started the ignition.
"Yes Alvin. They worked really hard at our last paired concert and I want to do something nice for them. Besides, Theodore and Simon don't have a problem with it" Dave said as the car hummed to life. He reversed out of the driveway and headed towards the girl's house.
"I can't wait to look in some rock pools with Jeanette" Simon said excitedly and Theodore nodded his head.
"I can't wait either. I was going to play some volley ball with Eleanor. She was going to help me get better at it so I can do better in sports" Theodore said happily and he spun the ball in his lap. Alvin shook his head in annoyance and crossed his arms. Simon and Theodore looked at him and gave a sigh. They knew how angry he was that the girls were coming with them. It was quite sad that he always had to fight with Brittany. They had so much in common. Dave also detected the anger.
"Now Alvin, this is a reward for you and the girls ok. I want your best behavior, and that means no arguing" he said. Alvin gave a grunt for a reply.
"I mean it Alvin. Any misbehavior and you will have to stay in the car the whole time" he said warningly.
"Fine, just make sure she doesn't start anything" he grumbled.
The car came to a stop in front of the Miller house. Dave gave a honk of the horn and stuck his head out of the window.
"Hey girls we're here, you ready to go!" he called out happily. Miss Miller opened the front door.
"Just a minute David, Brittany is getting ready. Why don't you all come inside and wait" she called back from the doorway. Dave smiled at her and turned off the ignition.
"You heard her guys" he said turning back to the Chipmunks. One by one, they all climbed out of the car and headed to the open doorway.
"Oh David, thank you so much for taking the girls with you. They are so excited" Miss Miller said as they all entered and Dave responded with a smile.
"It's no problem Miss Miller. The girls deserve it after working so hard at the last concert. I wanted to make sure they were rewarded for their effort" he said. Miss Miller smiled. She was so happy that her girls were going to have fun at the beach. They rarely ever got to go, and David was right, they had worked really hard to give a good performance. Just then Jeanette and Eleanor descended down the stairs and entered the den. Eleanor had put on a spring green wet shirt and a skirted bikini bottom while Jeanette had simply put on a lavender one piece. Eleanor had let her hair loose and had placed on a floppy green hat.
"Hi guys" they both said and approached the group.
"Hi girls" Dave said. Simon and Theodore moved forward to meet their counterparts while Alvin lent against the doorway with his arms still crossed. Miss Miller noticed and moved to him.
"Don't worry Alvin, Brittany won't be too much longer" she said and gave him a pat on the shoulder. She had misread his annoyance for Brittany attending for simply wishing to get to the beach faster. Alvin gave her a nod, but he continued to lean with his arms folded. Dave gave him a warning glance, but Alvin ignored it.
"Alright I'm coming down now!" Brittany shouted from upstairs. Alvin gave a roll of his eyes and waited for her to hurry up. However what happened next was something that had never happened to him before. Slowly Brittany headed down the stairs. She had her hair in her usual pony tail however she had used a hair tie with a pink flower on it. She wore a pink bikini that fitted perfectly. Alvin watched her descend and something happened to him. He felt his heart start to beat faster and his eyes widened. Brittany gave her auburn hair a playful flick as she reached the bottom of the stairs and approached the group. Alvin's eyes watched her intensely, not even blinking. He felt his mouth go dry and his breathing became faster and faster. Did Brittany look…pretty? Why was he thinking like that? He had never thought something like that about her before.
"What are you looking at?" Brittany said irritated when she spotted Alvin staring at her. Alvin blinked and realized how intensely he had been watching her.
"Uh n-n-nothing" he stuttered and immediately turned away. He caught Brittany raise an eyebrow then turn around and resume talking to the others. Alvin raised a hand to his chest and felt his beating heart. It was getting faster and faster and he had no idea why. He could feel sweat trickling down his forehead and his breathing was still erratic. What had come over him?
"Is something wrong Alvin?" Simon asked noticing Alvin standing away from the group, sweating and leaning over with his hand on his chest. The red capped turned his head in Simon's direction.
"Y-y-yeah… I'm… I'm fine… don't worry about it" he said shakily before turning away again. Simon watched him suspiciously. Something was wrong with him, but what?
"I'll be right back" he announced to the group and headed over to his older brother. Alvin hadn't heard him approach, his head was starting to spin.
"Alvin you don't look well. Are you sure you're ok?" he asked and placed his hand on Alvin's shoulder. He wheeled the chipmunk around and gazed down at him. Alvin removed his hand from his heart and resumed his regular posture. He felt his heart continue to beat far too fast, but he managed to slow down his breathing. He wiped the sweat off his forehead before he spoke.
"I'm fine really. I… I just got a little light headed for a second. Don't worry about it. I guess I just haven't had enough water. I'll have a drink from the water bottle when we get into the car" he said confidently. Simon eyed him for a moment then gave a shrug.
"Alright then. If you don't feel well, just tell us ok" he said before walking back to the others who were deep in discussion about what they were going to do at the beach. Alvin waited until he was well away before letting out a large breath.
"Ok guys, saddle up. Let's get to the beach" Dave chuckled and watched as the group all quickly scampered out the door, well everyone except Alvin. He lowered his eyebrows with concern as he watched Alvin look at something nervously through the doorway before proceeding through it himself.
"Wow, Brittany looks really good. Her hair looks really soft and bouncy today and that bikini seems really nice, and her eyes seem so sparkly and… wait, what am I thinking! This is Brittany! The most annoying, most argumentative, most cute… I did it again! What is happening to me?" Alvin thought to himself as he caught another glance of Brittany before heading out the door towards the car.
"Pile in guys" Dave said as he strode passed them all and entered the driver's seat. Eleanor and Theodore sat in the passenger seat together while Jeanette and Simon sat together in the centre seat in the back of the car, leaving Brittany and Alvin with a window seat each.
"Oh good, I can look out the window and try to take my mind off Brittany" Alvin thought to himself and gave a sigh of relief.
"Bye everyone, have a good time" Miss Miller waved from the doorway.
"Bye Miss Miller" everyone called back as the car sped off down the street.
"It's about an hour's drive to the beach guys so I hope you can keep yourselves occupied" Dave announced, giving everyone a quick smile before returning his gaze to the road. For the remainder of the trip Eleanor and Theodore played a game of counting cars with different colors while Simon and Jeanette sat quietly reading a book together. Brittany just stared out the window bored, but Alvin was struggling. He would do everything he could to focus his gaze on a car, or a tree, or the road or just anything he could see, but uncontrollably his gaze would slowly move to Brittany. What was it that was making him keep thinking about her? She just looked so pretty in her bikini. It showed off the soft light brown fur of her stomach and… why was he thinking about this!
Brittany's eyes seemed to move toward him and immediately Alvin turned his vision from her to something else outside the window. Suddenly the car started to slow and came to a stop. Dave turned his head around and gave a grin.
"We're here guys" he said excitedly and everyone gave a cheer. Quickly everyone jumped from the car and grabbed their things. They were in a car park next to a life guard watch tower. A life guard looked down at them and gave a wave, which everyone responded to, except Alvin. He was still too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice.
"What's up with you? We're at the beach, shouldn't you be excited?" Brittany asked snidely, but Alvin gave no response. Surprised and confused by the Chipmunk's lack of anger, Brittany turned away and resumed carrying her towel towards the sand.
The ocean looked magical. The waves were white and foamy and the water was crystal clear. People were all over the beach, sunbathing in the sand, playing ball games or just splashing about in the surf. The group all found a nice spot and lay down their towels on the sand. Everyone sat down so Dave could speak.
"Ok kids put on some sunscreen then you can go nuts. Just remember to stay between the flags while you swim and don't go anywhere I can't see you" Dave said happily as he pulled out a tube of sunscreen from his carry bag. His squirted some out into his hand and covered his own face and arms before handing the bottle to Simon. Simon copied his move, as did everyone else. As the bottle reached Brittany, all the others were lathered up and ready to go.
"Hey Jeanette, look there's a rock pool. Let's go have a look" Simon said excitedly and held out his hand. Jeanette smiled and took it and the two walked off towards the rocks.
"The water looks great Theodore, let's go for a swim" Eleanor said happily. The two younger chipmunks got to their feet and raced down to the water's edge where they started to splash each other playfully and jumped up and down against the waves.
"Hey Alvin, could you rub some sunscreen on my back. I've done everywhere else, but I can't reach back there" Brittany asked rubbing the last of the sunscreen onto her arms and face. Alvin had been sitting quietly on his towel in contemplation. Her voice seemed to break through his thoughts and pull him back to reality.
"Huh, oh, yeah sure I guess" he said and took the bottle from her. Brittany turned around and held her pony tail up so that it wouldn't get in the way.
"I'm going to go for a surf. Have fun you two" Dave said, getting to his feet and grabbing his board.
"Ok Dave" Brittany called out happily as Dave headed down to the water. Now Alvin and Brittany were alone.
"Hurry up Alvin, I want to go for a swim" Brittany groaned noticing he hadn't even opened the bottle yet.
"Huh, oh right, sorry" he mumbled. He opened the bottle and squirted a dollop of the cream into his hands. He turned to Brittany and gulped. He had no idea why, but he just felt really nervous being alone with her. Gently he placed his hands on her back and started to rub the cream in. Her fur felt so soft and warm. It was so soothing to feel. Wait, he just did it again! What was wrong with him! Why was he thinking like this!
Alvin felt his heart racing again as he finished rubbing the sun cream onto her back. Brittany let go of her hair and gave it a shake. She turned back to him.
"Thanks Alvin. Do you want to go for a swim?" she said and got to her feet.
"Uh, sure. I'll meet you down in the water. Just give me a minute" Alvin said trying to sound normal, but he could feel his breathing starting to speed up again.
"Ok" Brittany said and she skipped across the sand and dived into the water. As she came up for a breath, Alvin watched her give her hair a shake. The water sliding off her glistened and she looked so beautiful. Why couldn't he stop thinking like this?
Alvin felt his heart racing faster than ever and he had started to sweat again.
"Come on Alvin, the water is great!" Brittany called to him before taking another dive into the pristine water. Alvin gulped and lifted himself up. He nervously made his way toward the water's edge. The water washed over his feet. Brittany was right, the water was great, but Alvin didn't want to go anywhere near it. As long as Brittany was in it, he just wanted to be away but he couldn't bring himself to move. These thoughts coming to his mind were uncontrollable. He wanted them to stop, yet he didn't. He wanted to run as far away from them as he could, yet he didn't. He wanted to be away from Brittany, but he didn't. Suddenly Alvin started to feel another symptom to this strange sickness he had developed. Now it wasn't just in his head, the thoughts of Brittany, now they had reached his beating heart. He felt a strange emotion start to form as he watched her gracefully swimming through the water. Was it, longing? Did he want to be near her? When had that ever happened to him before? There were times when he wasn't arguing with the pink-clad Chipette where they would spend time together. But this was nothing like that. What was he feeling?
"What, can't you swim or something? Jump in already" Brittany said with a twinge of annoyance when she spotted Alvin standing along the shore line. Alvin took another gulp and entered the water. Slowly he approached her, a nervous smile plastered on his face.
"What's with you today? You're acting really weird" Brittany asked eying him suspiciously. Alvin felt a lump form in his throat as he tried to respond. He had always been able to speak to Brittany. Why couldn't he now?
"Uh… n-n-nothing" he managed to break out. Brittany raised her eyebrow and looked him over for a second. Alvin let out an involuntary nervous chuckle as he watched her studying him. Finally she shrugged.
"Whatever. Let's go and play ball with Eleanor and Theodore" she said pointing behind him. Alvin turned to see the two younger chipmunks tossing the ball that Theodore had brought to each other in the sloshing water. They were having a lot of fun. As Alvin noticed Brittany walk passed him, he felt another emotion. Was it… disappointment? He wasn't sure? Why would he be disappointed of playing ball with Eleanor and Theodore?
"What's wrong with playing ball with Eleanor and Theodore?" he thought to himself. No sooner had he conjured up the words, his mind brought him the answer. Now he was no longer alone with Brittany.
"How is she doing this to me? Why do I feel disappointed about not being alone with her? Why am I thinking about her at all? I'm so confused" he thought and gave a sigh. Slowly he followed Brittany and approached Eleanor and Theodore.
All day this continued. Whenever Alvin was alone with Brittany, he felt a longing for her, it was intoxicating. He just couldn't stand to be away from her, despite feeling how fast his heart raced. But whenever they weren't alone, or one of them chose to leave, he felt strong disappointment and an urgency to return that longing. Alvin was sitting on his board out on the open water thinking, trying to come to understanding about what was going on. Suddenly a voice broke his thoughts.
"Hey Alvin, can I go for a surf? I've never tried it before"
Alvin was so shocked by the sudden question that he lost his balance. He let out a yelp as he fell from the side of his board into the water. As he returned to the surface he heard laughter. He turned his head around to see who it was from. His heart leapt when he discovered it was Brittany.
"I startled you a bit didn't I" she laughed as Alvin pulled himself back onto his board.
"I little" Alvin replied, ensuring that he had his balance again.
"So, can I have a go?' she asked as she calmed down. Alvin thought about the request. There was nothing wrong with it.
"Sure Brittany. Do you know how to?" he said looking down at her.
"Well… not really" she said with a sigh. Alvin felt a twang in his chest when he saw she looked a little disappointed.
"Climb on and I'll show you" he said without thinking. He felt himself smile as he saw her expression change.
"Thanks Alvin" she said happily and swam to the side of his board. Alvin extended his hand and she grabbed a hold so he could pull her up. The moment that she touched him, Alvin felt like he was floating on air. Her touch felt heavenly. Suddenly he remembered where he was and what he was doing. Brittany had climbed up onto the board and was sitting behind with a large smile.
"Hold on" Alvin said and he lent forward. He started to paddle the board until he could see a large wave approaching. He turned the board around so he faced away from it and whipped his head around.
"Ok when we catch the wave you need to get to your feet quickly and try to balance yourself" Alvin instructed and she gave a nod. The wave roared up behind them and within minutes they were speeding towards the shore.
"Now Brittany!" Alvin shouted over the screaming water as he got to his feet. Brittany did as she was told and shakily got to her feet. However the board started to lurch and she grabbed onto Alvin for a support. Alvin felt her grab onto him. She felt so warm and soft. The feeling was so magical. Alvin's heart was beating faster than ever and the longing feeling had never been stronger.
"This is so much fun!" Brittany cried happily. Alvin noticed and swerved the board. They rocketed along a large tunnel of water crashing down and Alvin heard Brittany screaming with joy. Her feeling happy was making him feel so good. He felt like he had to make her feel happy. He couldn't explain why, but it was bringing him joy to know how much fun she was having. He decided to try something very tricky.
"Hold on tight!" he cried and Brittany squeezed him tighter in response. Alvin shifted his weight and turned the board towards the walls of the tunneling water. Brittany screamed as the board started to go upside down. They were traveling so fast that they didn't fall. Alvin did a few loop-d-loops before he brought the board out of the tunnel and back onto the top of the raging wave. The shoreline was very close now and they could feel the strength of the wave starting to diminish. They spotted everyone else waving to them and cheering as they continued to surf along the frothing water. Suddenly Alvin felt the board start to wobble and he lost his balance. He let out a cry as the board swerved to the side and he started to fall. He heard Brittany scream as the two were thrown from the board and went crashing into the water. Alvin felt a little disorientated at first, before he came to his senses and pushed himself past the frothy water to the surface. He let out a cough and spat some water out of his mouth. He heard more coughing and spluttering and turned to see that Brittany had also surfaced. The two looked at each other for a moment then burst out laughing. The others watched them from the shoreline and also started to laugh.
"That was so much fun! Let's go again!" Brittany cried and Alvin was more than happy to comply. He looked around and grabbed his floating board, then hauled himself and Brittany aboard. As he started to paddle out he realized something. He wasn't feeling nervous or uneasy anymore. His heart was still beating fast, but not as much. He wasn't sweating or breathing fast and his head wasn't spinning. This was so strange. Moments ago he had been feeling so weird, but now, being with Brittany felt… good. The longing feeling he was experiencing remained, but it didn't feel wrong anymore. It felt good. He had no idea why, but he was actually having a good time being with Brittany. The uncontrollable thoughts were no longer unwanted. He started to accept them. Brittany did look pretty and being with her felt so good. He didn't know why, but he never wanted this feeling to pass.
Eventually the sun started to set and Dave decided that it was time to go.
"Ok kids, it's time to go. Come and get your things" he called out. Everyone was disappointed, but they were very tired, so they dried themselves and retrieved their belongings without argument.
"Today has been so great. Those Nassa Mutabilis looked so interesting" Simon said as he crawled into the passenger seat with Jeanette. Jeanette smiled at him.
"They were really cool, but I loved the Carcinus Maenas more" she said with a giggle. Brittany shook her head.
"What are those supposed to be?" she asked annoyed. She hated it when they used scientific terms for everything.
"Oh, um sea snails and crabs" Jeanette said blushing. Brittany just rolled her eyes and climbed into her seat next to the window. Eleanor and Theodore sat together in the centre of the back seat, so Alvin was once again left with the other window seat. Dave finished placing Alvin's and his surfboards on the top of the car before hopping into the driver's seat and starting the engine.
"Well that was a great day. Did you guys have fun" he asked as he reversed out of the car park and brought the car back onto the main road, heading for home.
"Yep!" everyone cried out in unison and Dave gave a chuckle.
"I'm glad to hear it. You all deserved it. Now let's go home" he said, returning his attention to the road. Throughout the journey, Jeanette and Simon sat quietly reading, Brittany stared out of the window and watched all the other cars whizz by, Eleanor and Theodore fell asleep snuggled against each other and Alvin sat in quiet contemplation. Today had been so strange for him. As the day progressed on and on, all the symptoms he had been suffering from started to go away, but the emotions grew stronger and stronger. He felt such a longing for Brittany that he just couldn't explain. He just wanted to hold her tight and be with her every second. Thoughts of her still circled around in his head. Her long auburn hair, her cute pink bikini, her soft warm fur and her sparkling blue eyes all of them flashed by in his head. She was… beautiful. Wait, no she wasn't. This was Brittany, the arrogant, manipulative, pretty… this was getting him nowhere.
"How can I be thinking these things about her? Why am I thinking about them? This is so strange. Hopefully I will have worn off by tomorrow, because this is really starting to worry me" he thought to himself as he caught himself once again gazing upon her.
Eventually they reached the Chipettes house and all the girls departed. Alvin watched her from the window as the car drove further along the street to their own home. For the remainder of the evening, Alvin struggled to come to a conclusion as to why he was thinking and feeling these thoughts for the pink-clad Chipette, but to no success. As he drifted off to sleep that night he prayed that whatever this would wear off and he could understand why it had occurred in the first place.
"Wake up Alvin" Simon said giving Alvin a gentle nudge. The red-clad chipmunk gave a groan and opened his eyes.
"It's Sunday, why do I need to get up early?" he whined covering his head with his blankets.
"Alvin it's midday" Simon said dryly and ripped the sheets off of his brother. Alvin grumbled but climbed off the bed.
"Now come downstairs. Dave wants you to have some lunch before the Chipettes get here" Simon said as he turned and started heading for the door. At the mention of the Chipettes, Alvin's memories flooded through his mind.
"What! Why are they coming over!" he panicked. Simon looked at him oddly.
"Because we invited them. Jeez, what's your problem?" Simon muttered and left the room. Alvin stood frozen still.
"What will happen now? Am I going to feel sick again? Is my heart going to beat faster? What will I think of her?" the questions flooded his mind. Suddenly he regained control of himself and he shook his head violently.
"No. Whatever happened yesterday was strange but it won't happen again. I must have just thought that her outfit looked nice or something. Yeah that must have been it. It'll be fine" He thought confidently. He pulled off his pajamas and placed on his sweater and cap before making his way downstairs. Simon had taken a seat on the couch and was quietly reading a book, while Theodore was telling Dave something. As Alvin entered the den, his adoptive father looked up at him.
"You slept well I see" he said with a chuckle.
"I just wish it hadn't ended" Alvin said and gave a glare at Simon. The witty Chipmunk just rolled his eyes and resumed reading his book.
"I made you a sandwich Alvin. It's just in the kitchen. Hurry and eat it though because the girls will be here soon" Dave said as he stood up.
"Ok" Alvin mumbled before following his instructions and heading into the kitchen to eat. As Dave had said, a lettuce and cucumber sandwich sat on the table waiting for him. He climbed onto a seat and started to wolf the food down hungrily. He had only just realized he was starving. As the last crumbs landed on his tongue he heard a knock at the door.
"I'll get it" he heard Theodore call seconds before they sound of his pattering footsteps rushing to the door. He dismounted his chair and reentered the den to watch as the girls entered. The first through the door was Jeanette. The tall slender girl thanked Theodore then shyly approached Simon. He lowered his book and smiled at her.
"Hi Jeanette. Come and read with me" he said happily patting the vacant seat next to him.
"Ok" she said quietly and Alvin noticed a faint tinge of pink flush across her face. She climbed up next to Simon and snuggled closer to him so she could see the pages. Simon blushed as she moved closer to him. The next one through the door was Eleanor. The blond Chipette gave Theodore a hug as he welcomed her inside. The two of them joined hands and headed off into another section of the house. The final one to enter was Brittany. Alvin watched as she stepped through the doorway and his eyes widened. Her hair was in its usual pony tail and she placed on her regular outfit, complete with bow and all. She turned and smiled at him before approaching.
"Hi Alvin. Yesterday was fun wasn't it" she said as reached him. Alvin couldn't emit a vocal response so he simply nodded. She looked… amazing. The smell of her perfume was intoxicating, her soft auburn hair looked so light and bouncy and her eyes were like staring into sparkling sapphire pools. Alvin felt as he heart started to beat faster, just like it had the day before. How could this be happening again? She wasn't dressed in her bikini, yet he thought she looked so… so… good. Brittany looked at him puzzled.
"Are you ok Alvin? You look funny" she said noticing him start to sweat and breath faster.
"Uh n-n-no, I… don't feel that good. I'm just going to go lay down" he stuttered and rushed out of the room, Brittany's concerned gaze locked on him the whole time. He raced to his room and slammed the door shut, gasping for air. How had this happened t him? Had she done something to him that was making him act like this? Why did she look good to him? She had never looked that way to him before, so why did she now?
The questions just rushed through his head as he made his way to his bed and lay down. He stared up at the ceiling, but his mind was elsewhere. For the remainder of the day, he lay on that bed, struggling to focus his mind on something, anything but her. But he didn't succeed. He thought about her smile, he thought about her laugh and he thought about her eyes. Dave came and checked on him to make sure he was ok, but Alvin wouldn't move. He was just too concerned about what was happening. For days he struggled to wrap his head around it. At school he would see her and rush to the nurse's office, but they would just send him away telling him he was fine. His brothers and the Chipettes all started to get very worried about him. One afternoon he just couldn't take it anymore.
"I have to find out what is going on!" he cried. Simon an Theodore weren't home, they were both at the Chipette's house, so he couldn't ask them. So he was left with only one person. Dave. Slowly Alvin left his room and headed downstairs until he was in the den. Dave was sitting on the couch watching something on the television.
"Um Dave. Can I… talk to you for a minute?" Alvin asked quietly, turning his gaze to the floor. His father looked at him and he narrowed his brow in concern.
"Sure Alvin, what's wrong?" he asked, beckoning for the Chipmunk to approach him. Alvin moved closer and his father picked him up and sat him on his lap.
"Well… I need some help. I'm really confused" he said, looking up into his father's eyes. Dave was even more concerned now.
"Tell me what's wrong?" he asked. Alvin let out a sigh and started to explain his situation. He told Dave about his heart beat and his sweating. He told him about his breathing and his head spinning. He told him about his strange thoughts for Brittany. He told him about the weird emotions that he was feeling. He told him about how the symptoms just kept coming back every day. He told him everything that was happening to him. Dave sat quietly and took in everything that his son was saying. As Alvin finished, his father gave a chuckle.
"Don't worry Alvin. What you're feeling is normal. You are just starting to like Brittany. There is nothing wrong with that" he said. Alvin took in the words.
"But what do you mean Dave? I already like Brittany" he asked confused. Dave gave another chuckle.
"Alvin, you starting to like her as 'more' than a friend. It means that you are developing feelings for her. It's not a bad thing at all" he said kindly. He could see that Alvin was still a little confused, so he decided to try and explain.
"Alvin, have you ever seen how Simon blushes when Jeanette is around, or how Theodore acts when he is around Eleanor?" he asked. Alvin gave a nod and waited for him to continue.
"They act like that because they have feelings for them. They care about them deeper then friendship. That is what is happening to you. You are seeing Brittany as more than a friend. You are growing up Alvin, and this is a natural part of it. I can't tell you much more as the next step is something you need to discover for yourself. Don't try to block out all your thoughts and feelings. Accept them and you will be able to find out how you really feel about her" he said wisely. Alvin sat still for a moment, thinking over what Dave had just told him.
"Ok Dave" he said and gave his father a hug. He climbed down from Dave's lap and headed back to his room.
"I've developed… feelings for… Brittany. This is so strange" he thought to himself. He sat down on his bed and continued to think over Dave's words. Thoughts started to re-enter his mind, but this time he didn't try to ignore them. He did as Dave told him and allowed them in.
"Brittany is very pretty. Her hair is always so soft and her outfits look nice on her. She always smells nice from her perfume and she is so warm and soft to hold, and her eyes. Her eyes and her smile. They are the best parts of her. That smile is so warm and friendly, and her eyes look beautiful and sparkly. Oh my god. Dave is right, I think I'm… falling for her" he thought to himself. He sat on his bed for a while as this revelation dawned on him. The more he thought about it, the less it frightened him. Slowly he started to enjoy thinking about her. That longing feeling that was hanging around him, calling for him to be with her was no longer his enemy, but his friend. He truly accepted his feelings. Alvin had fallen in love with Brittany. As the feelings brewed within him, he started to sing.
I know we've been friends forever
But now I think I'm feeling something totally new
And after all this time I opened up my eyes
Now I see you were always with me
Could it be you & I
Never imagined
Could it be suddenly I'm fallin' for you
Could it be you were right here beside me and I never knew
Could it be that it's true
It's you and it's you
It's kinda funny you were always near
But who would ever thought we'd end up here
And everytime I need you, you've been there for me
Now it's clear I've been waiting for you
Could it be you & I
Never imagined
Could it be suddenly I'm fallin' for you
Could it be you were right here beside me and I never knew
Could it be that it's true
It's you and it's you
'Cause today is the start of the rest of our lives
I can see it in your eyes
And it's real, and it's true
It's just me and you
Could it be that it's you
Could it be you & I
Never imagined
Could it be suddenly I'm fallin' for you
Could it be you were right here beside me and I never knew
Could it be that it's true
It's you and it's you
As Alvin finished the song, he gave a smile. He had accepted his feelings and it felt good. He raced downstairs and found Dave still on the couch, but instead of watching television he was sitting quietly waiting.
"You were right Dave. I do like her more than a friend" he said excitedly and bounded to his father. Dave smiled and gave him a hug.
"I'm proud of you Alvin. It is very difficult for people to admit their feelings to themselves" he said as he released him. Alvin gave another smile.
"I feel… so good" he said. Dave smiled.
"That's great Alvin. Now comes a tough decision. It's a decision that your brothers currently have to face and now so do you. I can't give you any help with it. It is something that you have to do on your own. Now you need to figure out how to tell her how you feel" he said. Alvin nodded his head.
"Well… I'm not sure. I guess I'll have to think about it" he said thinking this over.
"Well you have all the time in the world Alvin. This is a big step so only you can decide when you are ready" Dave said kindly and Alvin smiled.
"Ok. Thanks Dave" he said and walked out of the room. This was a big decision. How was he going to tell her? his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door. He opened it and was surprised to find the person he had been thinking about was standing there.
"Hi Alvin. I just wanted to come and see you. You've been acting really strangely lately and I wanted to make sure you were ok" she said with a look of concern. Alvin felt a smile creep across his face. She had been worried about him. Somehow that made him feel good that she cared for him enough to worry.
"I'm fine Brittany. In fact I'm better then fine, I feel great" he said happily and he felt joy bubble inside him as she smiled.
"That's good. Do you want to go to the arcades?" she asked.
"Sure" Alvin smiled. It just occurred to him that maybe now he could tell her about his feelings.
"Hey Brittany" he asked.
"Yes" she said. Alvin was about to say something, when he felt a lump build up in his throat. He couldn't get the words he wanted to say passed his lips.
"Brittany I love you!" he wanted to scream it out loud, but he couldn't. she cocked her head confused as to why he wasn't saying anything.
"Uh, Alvin?" she asked.
"Uh Brittany, I… I… I just need to go grab some money, I'll be right back" he spluttered then quickly retreated into the house. He let out a sigh then went to his room to grab some money.
"This is going to be harder than I thought" he mumbled before heading back down the stairs to find Brittany waiting for him.
"Ready to get your butt whooped" she said eagerly as he approached and Alvin couldn't help but grin.
"You're on" he smirked then the two of them started to race down the street laughing. This was going to be much harder then he thought.
*End Flashback*
"After that we went to the arcade for a few hours. Ever since then I have just felt my feelings for her grow and grow" Alvin said as he finished retelling his story. Theodore and Eleanor were both smiling.
"That's so sweet" Eleanor said and Alvin felt himself blush, but he didn't mind. Retelling the story had done as he hoped and cheered himself up a little, and by the looks of it, Eleanor as well.
"So that's how I first discovered my feelings for Brittany. Next time I think its Theodore's turn" he said with a cheeky grin. Theodore blushed fiercely and Eleanor gave a giggle. Just then they heard the door and in stepped Dave and a smiling Jeanette.
"How was Simon" Alvin asked as they approached.
"He is feeling a lot better. He can sit up now. It was nice to be alone with him for a while" Jeanette said and started to blush. Everyone smiled at her.
"Alright guys, I'm going to start dinner" Dave announced happily and strolled out of the room. Once he was gone Jeanette turned to everyone.
"So what did you guys do while I was gone?" she asked, taking a seat on the couch.
"Alvin told us how he fell in love with Brittany" Eleanor said happily and Alvin blushed again.
"How you fell in love, really? Oh I would have loved to have heard that" Jeanette gave a little pout.
"We don't mind listening to it again. Why don't you tell her Alvin" Theodore said happily as he adjusted his seating and placed his arms around Eleanor.
"Well, alright then" Alvin said happily. Now that he had already told the story to someone, he didn't mind telling it again. It actually helped to remind him of who Brittany used to be, if only for a little while.
Whoa this was a long chapter. I started the flashback and then I just kept on writing. I really didn't think it would take up that much space. I had initially wanted to also fit in a hospital scene with Simon and Jeanette. I guess I'll save that one for the next chapter. So what will happen next? Brittany has to attend her first session of therapy, but will it help her? And what about Simon? Will he be able to recover, or will he be paralyzed for the rest of his life? And what of Eleanor? Will she be able to get over losing her place as the lead in the school play, or will she grow more and more hurt? Find out soon!
(Updated! Those of you who previously read this chapter may be surprised to see the change in the song. I was recommended this song by Winddragon 797, another great author on the site. I initially had 'Accidentally in Love' as the song however 'Could it be' fit the scene even better. I still love Accidentally in Love as a song and I may end up using it someplace else in the story, but Could it be was just perfect for the scene. I listened to it and I was raging around my room for about 20 minutes for not thinking of it myself. Thanks for the suggestion Winddragon )