Note: This chapter was intended to be separated into four sections, but the Doc Manager won't allow me to format my documents the way I want to. Therefore, there are some jarring plot shifts in my story-sorry. :(
Simon jumped out of bed; someone had slammed the front door shut so violently that it felt as if the house had slid off its foundation.
"What was that, Simon?" Theodore asked sleepily.
"I don't know, Theodore." Simon opened the bedroom door slightly and peered through the crack.
"Go to hell, Dave!" Alvin's voice resounded through the house.
"Alvin! Don't you dare speak to me like that!"
Theodore gasped. He was awake now.
"What's going on, Simon?" the youngest chipmunk asked, his voice quivering.
Simon didn't respond. All he felt he could do was to continue listening to the vicious argument taking place between his brother and father. Alvin stormed into the kitchen, out of Simon's view…but not his earshot.
"…and what if I do dare?" Alvin yelled.
"Alvin, go to your room!" Dave thundered at his eldest son.
"Ha! Go to my room? I'm sixteen, Dave! You can't order me around anymore!"
For a moment, neither son or father spoke. Then Dave broke the silence.
"Go to your room, Alvin." he said, softly but firmly.
Another pause.
"Sure, 'Dad,'" Alvin said sarcastically. "I'll see ya later." With that, he turned on his heel and stormed up the stairs.
As Alvin reached the top step, Simon threw open the bedroom door.
"What, exactly, took place between you two between here and your premiere?" Simon said harshly from the doorway.
"How long have you been listening?" Alvin scowled at his brother.
"Oh, really, Alvin. They could hear the shouting all the way in Albany, New York! How could I not listen?"
"Uh-huh…and I'm sure you know the exact distance between here and Albany?" Alvin cracked.
"That's beside the point, Alvin."
"I don't want to talk about it." Alvin pushed past Simon into the bedroom.
Brittany stared longingly into a pair of deep, brown eyes. "How could I refuse you, Leon?" she smiled.
Leon, a tall, dark-furred and handsome chipmunk, was used to getting his way. So when he saw the eldest Chipette at a popular nightclub a month ago and fell for her, he decided that he would charm her into loving him. He had always been convinced he would succeed, but it had worked even better than he had expected. Brittany had fallen head over heels in love with him. Or so Leon thought.
"Alright then," Leon said in his slightly accented, baritone voice. "I'll pick you up at 8:30 PM tomorrow."
Leon kissed Brittany gently on the lips, then on her hand; the Chipette shivered with delight.
"Goodnight, Brittany." Leon emphasized Brittany, soothing over the word as if tasting its delicate flavor.
"Goodnight, Leon, Darling."
Okay…need to cancel Alvin. Brittany wrestled with her clunky, 1980's cell phone. Damn, I wish these were smaller!
A glum Dave answered Brittany's call.
"Hello, this is Dave Seville speaking. May I ask who's calling?"
"Dave? Hi! Can you give me to Alvin, please?"
"Um…no, I'm sorry Brittany. Alvin is…preoccupied."
"Oh. Okay. When will be a good time to call?"
"Not for two weeks."
"Two weeks?"
"Well…Alvin's grounded, Brittany."
"Wha…but wh…what has he done?" Brittany was shocked. It had been several years since Dave had last grounded Alvin. The Chipette just assumed that Dave had decided than Alvin was too old for such a punishment.
"We…we had an argument," Dave said, his voice strained. Brittany almost thought she could feel him wince over the telephone. "I'm sorry, but I just don't think this would be a good time for you to talk to him."
"O…okay, Dave. T…talk to you later."
"Talk to you later, Brittany. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"N…no, Dave. Bye."
"Bye." Dave said quietly. Then he hung up.
Brittany stared confusedly at her phone for a moment, then sighed. Well, at least I don't have to tell Alvin that I canceled our date. He'll never have to know!
Damn Dave for locking me up in here. Of course, Alvin wasn't really locked into the chipmunk's bedroom, but he was imprisoned nonetheless. I'll miss my date with Brittany! Oh, and what if she calls looking for me? What will Dave tell her? What if Simon answers? Oh, hell! What if Theodore answers?
"Shit!" Alvin hurled his red cap to the floor. "Shit, shit, shit!"
Simon, who was trying to read, sighed and shook his head irritably.
"I fail to understand why you continue to repeat that vulgar term for biological waste! If you feel the urge to make use of the "facilities", so to speak, I would suggest you use them." the bespectacled chipmunk cracked.
"Oh, shut up, Simon!" Alvin shook his fist.
"No, you shut up, Alvin. I'm reading; or, at least I'm attempting to." Simon growled.
"Don't you have any compassion for me? Come on, Simon! Two weeks!"
"Indeed, two weeks of confinement is an inappropriate punishment for your crimes; Dave should have grounded you for a month! Two months!" Simon flung his book on the bed and stood to face Alvin. "What is the matter with you lately, Alvin?"
Theodore watched nervously as the spat escalated.
"I told you I don't want to talk about it, Simon!" Alvin charged into Simon's expected circle of personal space, moving to stand only a few inches away from him.
"I am not asking you about your quarrel with Dave, specifically! I'm asking you why you've been such a mule for the last several months!" Simon shoved his finger into Alvin's chest.
"Did you just call me a jackass?" Alvin scowled.
"I won't attempt to explain to you the scientific differences between a mule and an ass, so I will say simply this: yes; essentially, I called you a jackass."
"Well…" Alvin shook with rage, "I'm tired of you treating me like I'm inferior!"
"I'm surprised to hear such a complicated word from your lips, Alvin!"
"Well…I've had enough! I'm never going to talk to you again, Simon!"
"That's going to be difficult, considering we share a room." Simon said dryly.
Alvin's face almost turned purple with fury. How dare Simon be so disgustingly composed? Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a quote popped into Alvin's head. To the last, I grapple with thee…
The rest poured from Alvin's mouth like acid.
"Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last, I grapple with thee; from hell's heart, I stab at thee; for hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!"
Simon was shocked. Where did Alvin learn this quote, and, moreover, how did he remember it?
"Do…do…do you really…hate me?" Simon faltered.
"Yes." Alvin seethed.
"Two can play at that game, dear brother," Simon growled, his composure quickly returning. "And he piled upon the whale's white hump all the hatred felt by his race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart's shell upon it."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Take it whichever way you like."
"Stop!" Theodore jumped up from his bed. "How did this get so bad so fast? Do you guys even remember how this argument started?
"I believe," Simon glared at Alvin, "The argument stemmed from Alvin's infuriating refusal to allow us to have some peace and quiet!"
"Right." Theodore frowned. "How could you get this angry at each other for something so…so…"
"Trivial?" Simon said quietly.
"Right. Trivial." Theodore replied softly.
For a moment, the three brothers stared at each other in silence.
"You're right, Theodore." Simon sighed and bowed his head. "Will you forgive me?"
"Yes." Alvin said, grinning.
"I wasn't speaking to you, Alvin. I was talking to Theodore; he didn't deserve to be forced to witness our petty squabble. You, however, Alvin, don't deserve the ground upon which you stand!"
Alvin growled in anger.
"Well, I tried to make up with you, Simon, but you blew it. That's it, I'm done with you!"
"If you truly wanted to 'make up with me,' Alvin, you would tell me what's wrong with you!"
Alvin turned from his brothers and stormed to the door.
"Where are you going? Dave grounded you!" Simon scowled.
"You know what I said about hating you Simon?" Alvin said slowly.
"Yes?"
"I meant it."
Alvin was about to step through the door when he stopped abruptly.
"I'm sorry, Theodore," he said softly, not willing to turn and face his youngest brother. "You didn't deserve this." With that, Alvin slammed the door shut behind him.