Chapter Seven: So Long!
The rest of the month flew by way too fast. That is until it was the day of Alvin's departure. The group had all gathered at the airport to see him off. Eleanor was holding onto him as he said his goodbyes to his family and friends.
He turned to Simon first, "Simon, you always kept me out of trouble as best you could and when you couldn't, you came along to keep me safe, for that I thank you... my brother." Simon smiled at Alvin and laughed softly,"Well if it weren't for you Alvin, I never would have got to do half of the crazy things I did." Next he turned to Theodore, "My little bro, you always tagged along even if you weren't sure that what we were doing was smart, I'll miss you, Theodore." Theodore walked over to his brother and gave both he and Eleanor a hug," Alvin, I'm going to miss you." Theodore broke his embrace and moved to stand next to Jeanette.
He then turned to Dave, "Dave, you didn't have much but still you took me and my brothers into your home and kept us as your sons. You watched over me and kept me on the strait and narrow. You made it possible for us to live the life of rock stars but still kept us humble... well mostly", Alvin chuckled softly, "I'm proud to call you my father." Dave placed a hand on Alvin's shoulder,"Alvin... you stay safe and remember, you have a wife now so you have a obligation to come back alive and in one piece." Dave pulled his son and now daughter in-law into a hug. Dave held onto them tight for only a few seconds before letting go.
Alvin looked at Jeanette and Brittany, "You two are like sisters to me. Its funny, if when we first met you told me that we would have become friends, well that would have sounded silly to me." Brittany embraced him, "I'm going to sound like I'm on repeat here but you come back if for no one else, then do it for my sister." Brittany gave him a light punch on his arm. Alvin looked to Jeanette and held out his free arm, "Can I have a hug goodbye?" Jeanette smiled and hugged him tight. Jeanette took her place by Theodore. Alvin smiled at Miss Miller, "Miss Miller, you watched me when Dave could not and for that I am thankful." Miss Miller's eyes began to well up with tears, "Oh deary..."
A male voice came over the P.A., " Flight 210 to Virginia, now boarding." Alvin looked to Eleanor and pulled away from her embrace, "Ellie, I have to go now." Alvin removed his lucky red cap from his head and placed it onto hers, "Hold onto this for me, okay?" Eleanor fiddled with the cap, "Alvin, if anything happens to you I don't know what I'll do, so be careful!"Alvin kissed Eleanor deeply then quickly turned and headed to his flight, stopping for a moment to turn back to the group, "See you all on the flip side!" Alvin showed his ticked to the man at the door and disappeared from sight into the hallway leading to his plane.
Eleanor walked over to the window and looked at his plane, "I want to stay and watch him take off if that's okay." Miss Miller smiled warmly,"Of course", Miss Miller walked over to her adopted daughter and placed and hand on her back and stood and watched with her. Brittany, Simon and Dave joined them.
Jeanette walked over to Theodore, who had taken a seat, "You don't want to watch?" Theodore let out a sigh, "No I just... He's gone and I don't know if I'll see him ever again." Jeanette sat next to Theodore and rubbed his back, "Its okay he'll come back safe." Theodore nodded, "I know but its still hard, this is the first time in... ever I'll be apart from either of my brothers for longer then a day or two." Jeanette kissed him on the cheek, "Well you have me."
Theodore smiled at her for a moment then his face returned to a frown, "That reminds me did you pick your school yet?" Jeanette nodded, "Yes, New York." Theodore nodded, "When do you have to leave?" Jeanette put a finger to her chin as she thought, "Well orientation is two weeks before the start of the school year, so about a month and a half." Theodore grimaced, "I see." Jeanette wrapped her arms around Theodore's right arm, "What about you when are you starting?", Jeanette sat back in her chair. "Well Simon already lined up a two bedroom apartment for the three of us, so we'll probably leave about the same time you do so that we have some time to get used to the new city."
Jeanette nodded, "Well you'll still be close to Simon and Brittany." Theodore looked at Jeanette, "What about you what are you living arrangements going to be?" Jeanette let out a huff," Dorm with a roommate, well until you move out there then we'll get a place together." Theodore smiled at this idea.
Dave and the rest of the group walked over to Theodore and Jeanette,"Are you guys ready to go?" Theodore nodded and he and Jeanette stood. The group made their way to the parking lot and began to drive home.
Over the course of the next week Eleanor had received a few acceptance letters and picked out the school she wanted to go to. She wasted no time getting an apartment and setting up a flight to Saint Louis, were she was going to major in English.
The day of her flight arrived and everyone gathered to see her off. She stood with them waiting for her flight and said her goodbyes, "I not as good as Alvin is at long goodbyes so I'll make this quick. You guys... all of you are the best family a girl could ask for. I'm going to miss you all while I'm away." Eleanor nodded to herself in satisfaction. She opened her arms up for a hug, "Group hug!" Everyone gathered around her and shared hug.
As the hug ended her sisters lingered. Brittany looked into her sisters brown eyes, "Ellie... What am I going to do with out you?" Eleanor smiled, "Theodore will be living with you I'm sure he wont let you go hungry." Brittany shook her head, "I mean with out you how am I going to keep myself inline?" Eleanor smiled again, "That's what Simon is for..." Brittany backed up and straitened her clothes, "Stay in contact. E-mail me at least twice a week." Jeanette backed away from Eleanor and smiled at her, "The same goes for me..."
A male voice came over the loud speaker, "Flight 190 to Saint Louis, now boarding." Eleanor pulled the red cap on her head down and smiled, "Time to go!" Eleanor waved as she ran to the gate and made her way down the hallway to her plane.
Theodore and Jeanette used the next month to spend as much time with each other as they could manege. They watched almost every movie that came out and went out to dinner at least every other night.
The day Theodore dreaded soon approached. Jeanette would be leaving the next day and then Simon, Brittany and he would leave for San Francisco the next day. Theodore finished packing all of his things that he would be taking with him and placed them next to the door of his bedroom. After he was done he decided that he would go see if Jeanette needed and help packing.
After a short walk he arrived at the Miller household and knocked on the door. Brittany answered it and moved to the side to let Theodore in, "Hey Theo, Jeanette is upstairs." Theodore entered the house and noted all of Brittany's and Jeanette bags gathered by the door. "All packed Britt?" Brittany nodded, "Ya, I still can't believe we can only take one car. Stupid rules..." Theodore shrugged, "One parking spot per apartment, it makes sense I guess." Brittany grunted, "Doesn't mean I have to like it." Theodore nodded, "True. Well I'm going to go see Jeanette, it was fun talking to you Brittany." Theodore made his way up the stairs while Brittany returned to the living room and un-paused her T.V show.
Theodore knocked on Jeanette's door. He waited for a response but heard nothing so he knocked again and still nothing. He heard the bathroom door open behind him and Jeanette walked out wrapped in a towel, "Hey Teddy!", Jeanette gave Theodore a hug and walked into her room leaving the door open.
Theodore stood in the door way looking at Jeanette as she walked over to her dresser and picked out an outfit, she paused and looked at him, "Come in and close the door." Theodore did as he was told and Jeanette dropped her towel and started to get dressed, "Why were you just standing there?" Theodore shrugged, "Well you were about to get dressed so I figured..." Jeanette giggled as she pulled her purple t-shirt over her head, "It not like you haven't seen me naked before." Theodore nodded, "True. I came over to see if you needed any help finishing packing." Jeanette pulled her dark blue skirt up and adjusted it, "No I'm all packed." Theodore walked over to Jeanette and wrapped his arms around her, "I'm going to miss you." Jeanette returned his embrace, "I'll miss you too." Theodore laid his head on top of hers, "How should we spend out last day together?" Jeanette pulled away from Theodore, " How about we just be with each other and watch the sunset from the porch like we all used to do when we were kids?" Theodore smiled, "Sounds good."
**That afternoon**
Theodore and Jeanette sat on the porch swing and swayed gently as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Jeanette cuddled up to Theodore, "Its going to be hard to get used to not having you around." Theodore kissed the top of Jeanette's head as the last rays of the sun disappeared, "I know..."
Brittany came out the front door as Simon pulled up in his car, "See you guys later, Simon and I are going to hit up a movie!" Theodore and Jeanette waved to Brittany and Simon as the drove away. When the chill of the night began to set in the two decided to go inside and sit together on the couch and watch a movie. Jeanette looked over the DVD collection and picked one out, "How about "50 First Dates"?" Theodore smiled, "Sounds good to me." Jeanette popped the movie in and grabbed the remote then sat on the couch next to Theodore and cuddled up to him as the movie stated. The two watched the movie in silence. After the movie was over Theodore looked down at Jeanette who had fallen asleep. He tried to getup without waking her, but as soon as he moved her eyes opened, "Please stay with me Theodore." Theodore smiled, "Of course." Jeanette stood up from the couch and her and Theodore made their way up to her room where they shared one last night together.
Jeanette was oblivious to the sounds of the airport around her, all she focused on was her family. Jeanette held Brittany in a tight hug, "Brittany, take good care of Theodore for me, okay?" Brittany nodded to her younger sister, "Remember to dress warmly, its a lot colder in New York then here in Southern California." Simon stepped foreword as Brittany stepped back. He hugged Jeanette, "Be safe and study hard, okay?" Jeanette nodded to him, "And you keep and eye on Brittany, okay?" Simon broke their embrace and adjusted his glasses, "Don't worry, I'll keep all four on her." Jeanette giggled at his lame joke.
When Jeanette heard her plane being called out she began to cry softly, "I'm going to miss you all..." Theodore hugged her, "I'll see you as soon as I can", he gave her one last kiss on the forehead before she made her way to the gate leading to her plane, she took one last look back at Theodore and her family and blinked away some tears as she waved and walked down the hallway.
As soon as they got home Simon and Theodore packed up the car and drove over to the Miller house to gather Brittany's things. When they returned home Theodore sat on his bed played with his phone, flipping it open and closed over and over. When the clock read 9 P.M Theodore decided to take a shower. Theodore took in everything that had happened over the past few months as the warm water washed over his body. Theodore tilted his head back and let the water wash over his face while a few tears fell from his eyes while he thought about Jeanette. Theodore shook his head to clear his mind and finished up his shower.
The next morning at 6 A.M the remaining group of five gathered at the Seville house. Brittany hugged Dave and Miss Miller, "I'm going to miss you both. Thank you so much for everything. Theodore followed her example and said a few words of his own, " Dave, Miss Miller, you both helped me so much while I was growing up and I can never repay that kindness. And I can never thank you enough for taking us and the chipettes in and accepting us as family." Simon steeped foreword next, "Its thanks to both of you that I'm able to follow my dreams. I'm going to miss you both so much."
Dave smiled, "Don't be strangers, come and visit us when you get the chance." The group all shared one last group hug before the remaining three chipmunks got into Simon's car and began the long drive to San Francisco. Theodore sat in the back seat and looked out the window. He watched as his adoptive father and his childhood home disappeared behind them. There was a pit in Theodore's stomach as they drove, This is where everything changes...
End of part 2.