This chapter is insanely long because I had to make sure everything is set for the 3 chapter finale. I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause you and I suggest breaking this into parts to make it easier to digest.

HAPPY READING!

FRIDAY

BRITTANY'S POV

Dear, Diary,

I am so excited about the basketball game! Simon's going to be a star! I can't wait to help him navigate his popularity. I have so many tips. Of course, I know I can't just offer them up. I have to wait for him to ask about them. I don't want to come across as pushy or something. I cannot drive him away.

I have the most beautiful cheer outfit picked out to wear today. My pink cap sleeve top is covered in glitter. My skirt is slightly darker pink with blue trim around each layered ruffle. I have a set of blue pom poms that are ready to inspire school spirit and I have my signature heart necklace. It's a silver beaded chain with a red heart pendant. I have a matching one in gold, but silver worked better with today's outfit.

I skipped to the kitchen to get breakfast. I was in a really good mood until I saw Eleanor and I was reminded of my mysteriously unlocked diary last night. I scowled at her over my bowl of strawberries and cream oatmeal. I don't think she realized I was angry. She kept trying to be friendly to me like she hadn't done anything wrong. It made me feel sick.

Jeanette brought her pet mouse to breakfast and I had to keep nudging the annoying creature away from my oatmeal. Pippi would definitely be searching for a new place to live….if she weren't so darn CUTE. You just can't help but like her. Her big blue eyes and her fashion sense are irresistible.

I asked Jeanette if she was busy today and if she was interested in helping me set up for the science fair. She was thrilled to be asked and volunteered without any fuss. She also offered to pick the last two science fair judges. She mentioned Mr. Dotson, our drama teacher, would make a good fit. "He'd be able to assess presentation skills and creativity." Her words, not mine. She's right though.

When I got to school, I tidied up the office before my first class of the day. I talked to Theodore a bit in the hall too. I let him know that Eleanor's been a pain in my tail and wouldn't stop trying to break into the principal's office yesterday. He said "Yeah, that sounds like her." And then started talking about something unrelated. I'm a bit suspicious, but I'm not going to push it. If Theodore WANTS to tell me, that's up to him.

Classes are so long and boring today. It's a Friday, AND it's a sports game day, so pretty much no one is getting any work accomplished. Kids are acting like monkeys and it's making it very very tricky to concentrate on anything. Such class clowns.

Simon's still got his sports glasses on. He's trying to pay attention to the lesson, but he keeps texting under his desk where he thinks no one can see. I see him though. Probably, because I can't stop staring at him no matter how hard I try. Love is sure making me do stupid things and I don't feel like fighting it.

Speaking of stupid things, I am still so ANGRY at Alvin. His text yesterday really REALLY set me off. He can wear that cute varsity jacket Jeanette got him and pretend that he knows nothing all he wants, I am not forgiving him until he APOLOGIZES! That text was completely out of line and I will not stand for it! I deserve more respect than that and so does Simon.

It's almost time for lunch now. After lunch, Jeanette and I have permission to skip the last few classes of the day and set up the cafeteria instead. Ah, the benefits of being the Principal's Assistant and the assistant to the Principal's Assistant. I think we'll both enjoy the process. I haven't really had a chance to hang out with my favorite sis one on one in a while.

I've gotta get going now. Still one final judge to pick. I wonder who Jeanette will select. I'm guessing, maybe the crazy art teacher.

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Hey, Hey, I am back to fill in the rest of my day and WHAT A DAY it was. Let me break it down. After lunch, as planned, Jeanette and I stayed in the cafeteria. We used all the decoration ideas that I had come up with, (using the help of some nerds like Kevin and his gang.) Things were going smoothly until I found out Jeanette once again brought Pippi to school, even though Eleanor and I have BOTH told her multiple times that the school isn't a safe place for Pippi.

While hanging up a streamer, I accidentally forgot to close the door to the cafeteria and the little mouse escaped. Jeanette was very worried and I promised her we'd track Pippi down.

We walked through the hallways, trying to be as quiet as possible since everyone else was still in classes. Gosh, this school is like a giant maze. So many hallways look the same. I wonder if Pippi used the escape as practice for running Jeanette's mousy maze thing. It wouldn't surprise me. That little rodent is pretty smart.

And obnoxious. You see, after running around through the halls panicking and chasing that silly mouse, Jeanette and I returned to the cafeteria to see Pippi sitting by Jeanette's backpack. She'd outrun us and then gone back where we started from. She wasted so much of the set up time! Urgh.

Even with that small hiccup, we were able to finish setting up for the science fair. The cafeteria looked like a crazy mad scientist lab. I'm sure Simon and Alvin would find it neat. I found it creepy and slightly unnerving, especially the life sized model of a human skeleton in the one corner. Jeanette thought it looked very cool. She said that I did a good job on it and I told her I got some help with ideas from the Mathletes and the AP science geeks. Can't take all the credit. It wouldn't be right.

Before we left to get to the basketball game, I asked Jeanette if she picked the 5th judge. She said she forgot to, so we both quickly looked through a list of available teachers and selected at random. Coach Dopkins. Maybe he's not the best choice, but….oh well.

My sister started to panic that she wouldn't make the basketball game on time. I used some quick thinking and drew us a shortcut to the gym on a map of the school. There was no way I was being late for that basketball game either. Simon and the rest of the team NEEDED me there!

One stop by my locker to pick up my pom poms later, I arrived just in time! Jeanette bumped into Alvin and the two of them went off to sit in the stands together. They are so in love. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to, but it still kind of hurts seeing that he chose her over me. I should have realized my feelings for Alvin were serious sooner. Oh well. It is what it is. He does make my sister very happy.

I met up with my cheer squad and we came up with some fun rhymes on the spot. Our team was well matched. The score remained tied for almost the entire game. Some of the girls from Simon's team were really bringing the fire to this one. There was one girl with red hair tied in a ponytail that almost reminded me of myself. I started to worry that Simon might like her more than me….but then I remembered that I also like basketball. It's like...one of my favorite sports, next to American football. (Not to be confused with football/Soccer. That's Eleanor's favorite.)

Simon wound up scoring the winning basket that tipped the score into our favor. He was voted MVP and he was pretty much attacked by fans asking him for selfies. I was slightly annoyed by that. I wanted a selfie with him! He's my friend and possibly more! I should have a right to see him. I marched straight up to a group of students who wouldn't leave Simon alone and pushed through them with my strength.

Still, I was only able to get one picture with Simon, and I don't think he even noticed I was there among the commotion. He ran over to help Alvin after some kids knocked Alvin over. Stupid stupid Alvin, ALWAYS blocking my happiness at every turn, whether he tries or not. Such a thoughtless furball.

I'm warming up a nice TV dinner stir fry right now and then I'm going to catch up on my favorite reality shows and soap operas. No homework tonight because the teachers want as many of us to spend our Saturday at the science fair as possible. That means I'll have to schedule my relaxing for Sunday instead. I will be so glad when the science fair is over. Then, maybe I can finally truly relax.

Who knows what tomorrow brings? One thing is for sure, I expect a total mess. These sorts of things are always a mess when my sisters and the Chipmunks get involved. Note to self: Make sure to lock this diary tightly and put the key on my necklace, so Eleanor can't get her grimy mitts on it. I wonder if Jeanette ever found her necklace. I think I saw it under her bed. I should go tell her. I think that's what I'll do after dinner. She'll appreciate that.

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Jeanette's got the necklace back now. She's happy! I am the best sister ever! I just wanted to write that down before I forget. I need to keep reminding myself that I am a good big sister. I provide for and protect my sisters at any cost. When they let me, anyway. Eleanor's a stubborn mule who thinks the rules apply to everyone but her. I will eventually make her understand that this obsession she has with "breaking rules for the greater good" will eventually tank her reputation if she doesn't KNOCK IT OFF. Anyway, that's about all I have to say for today.

JEANETTE'S POV

Dear, Diana,

I still can't find my butterfly necklace and I'm getting worried I might never see it again. I have looked absolutely everywhere, including the closet. I even did a really bad thing and looked in Brittany's jewelry box without asking her first. It wasn't there either. Now, I feel guilty, but I didn't take anything from it. I only peeked. It's not….it's not something I should feel guilty over, right?

I need my necklace to channel my positive vibes and to fidget with. It isn't just any item. It has a purpose! I hope it turns up somewhere. The dolphin pendant just doesn't give me the same feeling as the butterfly one.

Before school today, Pippi really wanted to run through the mousey maze one last time to practice. I told her that there wasn't time. I'd spent the morning looking for the necklace and I needed to get to school. She asked to come along. I know I'm not supposed to take her to school, yet I did. I just couldn't resist her adorable little pleading face.

I slipped her nice and gently into my shoulder bag and made sure she was comfy cozy. Then, we headed downstairs to get breakfast. Eleanor was having a yogurt parfait and Brittany had oatmeal, but I don't eat either of those things since they aren't vegan. I agonized for a bit over what to eat for breakfast and then eventually decided on making my own vegan parfait with rice cream, nuts, and some fresh raspberries and blueberries.

I also fed Pippi some blueberries and watched her nibble. She didn't seem satisfied with them though. She kept trying to sneak over and lick Brittany's oatmeal. Naughty little mouse. Hehe.

Brittany asked me if I could help her set up for the science fair. I was surprised she'd asked, after how hard I fumbled looking after the Principal's office for her a few weeks ago. I was very excited to help out regardless. I just think maybe Brittany should have picked someone more qualified. Hanging up decorations and balancing on ladders aren't exactly things I'm good at.

I asked Eleanor how she was feeling and she didn't answer. I felt a bit upset by that, but I know she may not have even heard me. She's very busy with that green bean caper. It's taken over practically her entire life. She always does this. She'll get so caught up in a project or mission that she forgets to take care of herself. I'm still worried about her. I'm also worried for Theo. He hasn't told her he's connected to the case yet, and he must be drowning in guilt. Poor guy.

During the first classes of the school day, Pippi was very active. I had moved her from the shoulder bag to my backpack. She kept peeking out of the pouch on it and talking to me. I don't think Miss. Smith heard and luckily it didn't distract the other students either. It made my history and math assignments take a lot longer than usual. I still completed them and there wasn't any homework assigned.

I watched Brittany as she watched Simon. The genius basketball star kept alternating between doing his assignments and texting somebody. He's been much better today than he was earlier this week at least. I'm starting to see his usual behavior again when he interacts with people. I wish I knew exactly what he is feeling. Maybe I'll have to ask Theo. Theodore always knows how people feel.

Eleanor was acting very odd. She kept getting frustrated and making a scene. Eventually, she had to be sent out of the classroom to wait in the hall. That case has traumatized her. She's going to need so much therapy. So so much. I hope she can begin the long process of healing her mind soon.

Alvin was also acting rather weird in class. He was using his phone every now and then too. Was he texting Simon? No….it didn't seem like texting. It seemed more like scrolling through songs to pick one. But he didn't have headphones on. How very odd. I'll have to ask him about it when we see each other later.

I wanted to get a chance to talk to Theodore. That hasn't happened yet. Maybe I'll see him later at the basketball game. It's almost lunchtime, so I'd better wrap this up, Diana. Thank you for listening. I'm sure I'll have more to tell you later!

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Helping set up the science fair with Brittany was more fun than I was expecting! We got to talk about so many things! I told her all about the Monster High episodes I watched and about the Owl House as well! She's a Lumity shipper too! Who wouldn't be?

We did hit a tiny little snag when Pippi went missing. I had been doing so well keeping track of her and then Brittany came up and told me she saw Pippi run out the door. I was TERRIFIED! The school is so big! There's so much danger lurking out there for a little mouse. If she ran into Bocarter, he would surely do something unspeakable to her. I hoped that she would run into Cheesy if she had to run into another student at all. Cheesy saved her life. He's very sweet and caring, especially to tiny creatures.

Brittany and I ventured through every hallway in the school, softly calling for Pippi. I could have sworn I saw her tail out of the corner of my eye at one point. I may have been hallucinating from the stress though.

I told Brittany about how Pippi wanted to run the mousy maze this morning and I didn't let her. I worried that she might be upset with me. Brittany said that she probably wasn't upset, but that she was using the school halls as her practice for the maze. I hadn't even considered that. It seems so obvious now that I think of it.

When we went back to the cafeteria, tired and out of luck, Pippi was there waiting for us. I was very relieved. I didn't want to have lost her AND my butterfly necklace. Pippi means the world to me, just like Zeela, my robot daughter. They are my children and I would protect them with my life.

I asked Pippi if she'd run through the halls to practice for the maze and she confirmed that Brittany's suspicions were correct. I was so happy she wasn't angry at me. I could finish setting up for the science fair! Thank goodness!

Brittany and I went back to our convo and she mentioned that Alvin had made her really mad yesterday, but she didn't tell me what he did. It's like she expected me to know. I told her Alvin didn't mention anything to me and that maybe he never meant to hurt her feelings. She considered that for maybe 5 seconds before she went back to being furious with him. Typical Brittany. She would be so much happier if she could forgive easily and let the small things slide.

Time ticked away and before we knew it, it was time for the basketball game! I worried I would be late again and miss part of it, but my older sister assured me that wouldn't be the case. She helped draw me a shortcut map that we could use to reach the gym before time ran out. Phew!

When I got there, Britt went off to join her cheer team and I ran into Alvin….quite literally. We were both on the floor, in seconds. I asked him how his leg and ankle have been feeling since the roller rink. He said they're healing. Then, I complimented his jacket. Oh, I forgot to mention that earlier. He finally wore the jacket I got him! It looked so nice on him too!

He mentioned that Classic Alvin's back, but not all the way. I wasn't sure what he meant, so he tried to explain it. But I STILL couldn't fully comprehend it until he said "Classic Alvin still isn't talking, but I have his impulses." Basically, he meant he doesn't have another voice in his head right now. That must be enjoyable. I'm a bit concerned about the "impulses" thing. I hope that he doesn't start making bad decisions.

I was going to ask him about the science fair, but the basketball game began before I could. It's just as well. I probably would have upset him by asking. He still doesn't fully have a project idea. I thought he had one, but then he changed it again and then he switched it AGAIN. I don't think he can decide on one. I wish I could help, but if he doesn't want help...I don't want to intrude.

Alvin had brought Warbie to the game and I had brought Pippi, so at least they both could entertain each other while we talked. Pippi told me afterwards that she likes Warbie a lot, but he's kind of a blabbermouth. She's right, hehe. But it's okay because I like blabbermouths. They help fill the awkward silences and make me less afraid to speak too.

We sat alone in the bleachers since we were both a bit late to the game. We didn't miss anything important, the actual game hadn't started. It just meant we couldn't easily find a seat and wound up sitting by ourselves instead of with Theodore and Eleanor as planned. Bit disappointing.

But, but, wonderous news, Diana! Brittany found my butterfly necklace when we got home! She said it was under my bed! I could have sworn I looked there. I guess I was mistaken. I am just ELATED to have it back! I'll never let it out of my sight again. I can't believe I almost lost it.

I think I'll send off some texts to Simon before bed. I want to let him know that I saw his game and he was wonderful. I wish I could have seen him after the game, but my socializing meter reached its peak and I couldn't bear to go to the afterparty. I hope he had fun there.

The day's finally come, Diana! The science fair is upon us! I wonder how the judges will feel about the maze that Pippi and I constructed together. I hope it really wows them. I also hope that the rest of my friends and family do enjoy the science fair...and that Alvin pulls off something amazing at the last minute. I know he can do it! I have faith in him!

ELEANOR'S POV

This is the private journal of Eleanor Nichole Miller. Anyone caught touching this will be SORRY!

Objectives

* Get information about Theo from Alvin

* Go over clues with Cole

* SOLVE THE GREEN BEAN CAPER!

I think Brittany is super mad at me for sneaking in the office so much yesterday. She didn't talk to me much at breakfast. Mostly, she just conned Jeanette into setting up the science fair for her. Sure, there's a chance that they both would do it together, but let's be real, what are the odds of that happening?

I spent most of my morning tidying up the horrible disaster that Brittany left in the bathroom. The shower drain was clogged with a giant hairball the size of a freakin' coconut. In addition to that, the shampoo bottles were knocked down and the countertop on the vanity was a mess.

That girl can organize her entire bedroom down to every last immaculate detail, but she can't be bothered to clean up after herself in our shared bathroom. No. I call bullpoop on this. She PURPOSELY doesn't clean up because she KNOWS I'll do it. The urge to go in her bedroom and totally trash it was strong. I ignored it because I had more important things to focus on. Boy was she lucky.

I tried to work on that song for Dave that he asked about yesterday. I kinda regret waiting so long to get started on it. Now, I'll surely be the last one to submit my ideas and I HATE being last. I still don't have any ideas though! Every time I try to think about songwriting, my mind goes blank. Maybe I'll have more luck at school.

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I'm not coming up with any ideas here either. In fact, I think I just made my ability to think even worse. Remember how I wrote that I need to talk to Alvin to get information about Theo? I tried that, and wound up suckered into one of his crackpot science fair ideas. I knew better than this. I should have tried to talk to someone else about Theo.

Alvin made me wear some janky bluetooth headphones for most of the day. He said it was to gather data on how music affects my brain and mood. What he really meant was, "I'm going to blast random songs at you all day in rapid fire succession until you lose your dang mind!"

He controlled the songs via his phone and it didn't start out too bad. During the first half of history class, I got to listen to some nice soothing instrumentals. Then, just as I'm working calmly to the music, Alvin changes it to super duper annoying rock opera hits. After that, it was country followed by jazz. Ordinarily, i wouldn't mind the songs, but I am not the type who likes to have music in the background when I need to THINK!

He could have at least done me a favor and added on some heavy metal or screemo songs, or halloween themed songs. Those are my favorite and I could have jammed to them. Nope. I'm not that fortunate. By math class, I was listening to Rock and Roll High School and Blitzkrieg Bop. I was quickly losing control over my temper too. At least, people noticed.

By ELA class, the music was so annoying, I complained about it out loud without meaning to. But, in my defense, after listening to 5 different versions of Witch Doctor in a row, my eardrums had taken all they were willing to take. I was sent into the hallway to calm down. Once there, I took the bluetooth headphones out. Ah, the sweet sound of silence.

At lunchtime, I ran into Derek who had also gotten roped into the musical nightmare of an experiment. I asked him if he got the same songs I did and he said he had. I asked him how he could stand it and he said it wasn't that bad...aside from the opera music.

We talked for a bit and then I asked him if he knew how I could get more information on Sabrina Nolan. He asked if I tried the office, so I recounted the tale of how Brittany kept kicking me out. He suggested I befriend her and I said I already burned that bridge. She knows I'm after her. She won't let me get anywhere near her.

Derek didn't have any other suggestions, so we talked about the basketball game instead. He mentioned it was kinda creepy how popular Simon was now. He asked if there was any danger of Simon using his new status to get back at him for the things he used to do to torment the nerds. I told him Simon was faking the new bully personality, and underneath he's still the same old Simon.

That made Derek feel better. He said he hated to think that he may have influenced Simon to abandon his morals in any way. Hard to believe this is the same kid who used to give Simon swirlies. That anger management training and therapy is working wonders. Theo thinks I should look into it as well, but I'm pretty sure I'm FINE without it.

Before lunch was over, Alvin found Derek and I and made us take a survey. He wanted data for his project. Then, he cried when the results were too inconclusive for his impossibly high standards. What a wimp. If he wants to be successful, he's gotta stop breaking down over every tiny failure. I'd tell him this, but then people would accuse me of being rude and bossy.

The next class was science, which both my sisters were absent from since they were busy setting up for the science fair. Simon and Albert-Vincent (the genius in name only) have an entirely different science class, so they weren't around either. I had no obstacles keeping me from Theo other than the fact that he STILL was trying to avoid me.

Like a tiger going in for the kill, I approached him cautiously and slowly. I asked him first if he was still going to be attending the basketball game as we planned. He said he was. It was a good icebreaker, and it made him let his guard down. I talked about the latest Talking Teddy episode, giving him some joy and making him lower his guard even more. Plus, I love to see the way he lights up when he discusses the things he loves.

With all that out of the way, I asked him if he'd seen a doctor for his fainting spells. He claimed that they're nothing to worry about and he's just overwhelmed with all the drama lately. Finally ready, I pounced. I asked him if he knew anything that could help me finally put the Green Bean Caper to rest. I thought it would work, but just then the bell rang.

Theodore hurried off to his next class and I hatched a plan to get the information I needed out of him in Home Ec. I skipped my 5th hour class and snuck into the Home Ec room early. Our teacher had told us that we'd be partnered randomly for a surprise assignment today. She'd already picked the pairs, but she was stupid enough to write them down in pencil.

Ya see where I'm headed with this, don't cha? I erased Theodore's name from the group with Cheesy and I switched Mildred from my group into Cheesy's. I wrote Theo's name under my own, copying the handwriting almost perfectly. The teacher would never know. MwaHahaha! Besides, Cheesy would enjoy being paired with his girlfriend. I was doing us BOTH a favor.

By the time Home Ec class started, I was feeling pretty low. I'm not sure where the feeling of hopelessness came from. I guess I was just thinking about how much I had sacrificed and risked my life to solve the world's dumbest mystery. Was it worth it? What if I never solved the green bean caper? Could I do this the rest of my life?

I was lucky I had rigged Theo as my partner. Theodore cheered me up and restarted my motivation. He told me that he believed I could solve the case. He also reminded me the same thing Jeanette has said. It's okay to take a break. They're both right. I don't have to work myself to exhaustion. If I take a break, the answer might eventually come to me.

I'm starting to think that Theo isn't connected to the case as I suspected. He must be telling the truth. It would be a really stupid idea to encourage me to solve the caper if he IS part of it. I think his fainting came from him being worried I was gonna try and tie him up again and question him. Oops.

Anyway, the Home Ec project went well. We had to come up with an idea for an unconventional muffin flavor. Theo suggested gummy bears so we're going with that. It's a good idea. Theo's really got a knack for mixing baked goods and candy. There was one time he made Starburst flavored cookies with chunks of Starburst candy in them. They were legendary.

When the school day ended, Theo and I went our separate ways for a short time and then met back up in the gym. We cheered Simon on as he DOMINATED the court with his basketball prowess! That boy has the makings of a professional athlete, and now I finally have someone to play basketball with when I'm in the mood.

He even managed to score the basket that broke the tie! His head musta really been in the game. I have nothing but respect for him. Major respect. I hope we can hang out again soon. I gotta pick his brain and have him teach me some of his insane jumps.

After the game was over, I got a text from Cole. The manager wasn't around today and he wanted to know if I could help him man the checkout at the grocery store while we both reviewed the clues we'd gathered. Of course I grabbed the opportunity. Cole's not the best detective partner I've had, but he's a good pal.

I was super duper giddy as we went over the ups and downs of all our attempts to solve the case. I told him that I'm getting close to the answer, but that trying to talk to Alvin hadn't worked out as well as I hoped. I told him about the music experiment and how I'd melted down in class. He was very understanding and he suggested I try and talk to Alvin tomorrow.

I told him that wouldn't work because of the science fair, but he said that if I could get to Alvin before the fair started, I could learn for sure whether Theo's telling the full truth or not. Then, there's a chance that at least ONE mystery would be solved...even if it isn't THE main mystery.

Back at home, I made dinner for my sisters. Brittany rejected it because she had already warmed up a microwave TV dinner. She was also still mad at me. I wish she weren't, but I understand why she is. I just wish she could help me out on this case instead of keeping me away from important info. It's not like I would blab to the principal that she gave me Sabrina's file or anything.

It's getting pretty late now, so I should probably closing this entry. Boy, these have been really long ones. I don't mean to write so much. There's just a LOT going on in my life….and everyone else's lives.

I think, before I go to bed, I'll take one more crack at that song for Dave. I've got an idea for it now. I'm going to make it about friends who help you find your ground when you're losing your mind. I feel like that'll be super relatable.

Will I solve the mystery tomorrow? Who knows? But, even if I don't….I know I'll solve it someday. I'm Never Givin' It Up, givin' it up noooo! (That's a song btw)

THEODORE'S POV

Dear, Diary,

I'm gonna try my best to remember everything that happened today. It's been a loooong one. I might miss a few things, but I'll be sure to write the important stuff.

Starting with breakfast! I got to talk with Simon while we had cereal and s'mores as a treat. He told me that he wants to go back to being his normal self! Finally! I knew he'd eventually get his sense back. I expected this after watching him hand out apologies, for his crap-tacular (that's a word Brittany taught me) behavior, yesterday.

Still, it was nice to hear him so serious about getting back on the right track in life. I wouldn't mind if he did still change a little, as long as he didn't turn into a bully. I've had enough of bullies. They stink.

Classes at school went pretty okay. They were just the usual. Textbook reading, worksheets, no group projects or anything. Except for in Home Economics class. I wound up teamed up with the worst possible person to be teamed up with right now. Eleanor.

We had to come up with an unconventional muffin recipe. I suggested something like tomato flavored muffins, but Eleanor said that would be gross. I said that they make corn muffins and that sounds gross, but it's actually delicious. I expected her to suggest green bean muffins...and make me have an anxiety attack by doing that. She didn't, in fact...she seemed uncharacteristically sad.

Being the compassionate kid I am, I forced myself to ask her why she was upset. She said she was thinking of giving up on the green bean caper because she hadn't made much progress. She said maybe the case wasn't meant to be solved and that chasing Sabrina was a dead end too.

Inside my head, I was screaming at myself. THIS IS IT! THIS IS YOUR CHANCE! TELL HER! I was still too scared. I found myself telling her not to give up instead and hyping her up. I reminded her that she's a master detective and that it's still okay to take a break from the case if she wants to and return later with a relaxed mind.

My advice was good, but I still felt really bad. I don't like misleading her. She doesn't deserve that. I could have saved her a lot of pain and agony if I had told her the minute I found out. Now, I've waited too long and she's gonna think that I was stringing her along as a mean game. Too bad there wasn't some way to have her solve the case without knowing that I know I'm connected to it. But that would still be dishonest.

Talking about this is starting to make me tremble. Let's change the subject. There was a lot of strange energy at school today. Eleanor seemed like an emotional wreck...which she usually isn't. Her mood was all over the place. Brittany was mad at Alvin for something, but I asked Alvin if he knows what he did and he told me "she's mad at my existence, bro. Ignore her." I'm starting to think he teased her and Simon too much or something like that.

I even asked Britt what Alvin did and she wouldn't even tell me. You know it"s bad when the friendly neighborhood therapist isn't even allowed to know. Sheesh!

I offered to help Brittany with the last remaining science fair prep, but she said she already had Jeanette assisting her. That's good. I really didn't want to help anyway. I just felt obligated to ask. Although, with how accident prone Jeanette can be, I'm probably the safer option. It's good for the sisters to spend time together though. Yay for bonding opportunities!

I had fun at lunchtime listening to some lo fi study music as I went over flashcards for history class. I'm not really good at history...or science or math. Hopefully, the flashcards help me commit things to memory so that I can do alright on any quizzes we have next week.

While I did that, I also treated myself to some cheese pizza with a side of broccoli and carrots. My drink of choice was a purple grape flavored juice box. Yum yum! Hehe. I'm not super good at multitasking, but I knew I had to use my lunchtime wisely. Cuz after school, there was a basketball game! That meant no study time at home after. I'd be too sleepy.

I guess I should probably talk about the basketball game next, while I'm thinking of it. Simon was INCREDIBLE! He pretty much scored like...all of the baskets. Well, maybe not ALL of them, but a lot. The team that our school was playing against was tough as nails. They had the score tied pretty much the whole game. Whenever our team pulled ahead, they caught up within seconds. It was a real nail biter as Eleanor would call it.

I waved my foam finger proudly and sat in the bleachers next to Eleanor. We were gonna sit with Alvin and Jeanette originally. When it came time for the game, we couldn't find them, so we sat next to Derek. I know that Derek's not so much a bully anymore, but sitting near him still makes me uneasy. I hope that feeling goes away over time.

The game ended after Simon scored the final basket. He was voted MVP and then the team paraded around with him front and center. He got to take photos with all his fans. It looked like he wasn't really enjoying it. I don't blame him. It seems like his privacy is non-existent these days. Plus, he's always being asked to respond to texts and show off his basketball skills. I imagine it gets very tiring. It tires me out just watching him.

I'm glad I remembered my earplugs too. That gym was really LOUD! Sports make the crowd go crazy. It reminded me of how our fans go crazy for us. It's about the same scale...I think.

When the game was over, I finally felt ready to tell Eleanor everything. Sadly, she disappeared into the crowd before I got the chance. I feel so dumb. I missed my chance! I should have said something in Home Ec class. I swear, I will tell her tomorrow even if it kills me. (I hope it doesn't kill me.)

Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier, Ellie and I did finally decide on an unconventional muffin recipe. We picked gummy candy as our special ingredient. Now, the only problem will be making sure Alvin doesn't sniff them out and eat them. That guy is really addicted to gummies.

After the basketball game, I went home, ate leftovers from yesterday's dinner, and turned on some Talking Teddy episodes. Wholesome Teddy stuff always help me unwind and decom...what's that word? It rhymes with depressed...but it's like relaxing instead of depression. Urgh. Why do so many words sound so alike? And why do we have so many words for the same things? Whose idea was that? It makes learning to understand everyone so difficult.

I'm going to go ask Simon what that word is because now it's bugging me and I can't go to bed until I know what it is. Sorry I have dragged this on so long.

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Okay, the word is decompress. Not to be confused with compass. I think I can sleep now.

I wish I didn't have to spend the whole day at the science fair tomorrow, but I will be there to support Alvin. He needs all the support he can get. Especially since I heard Miss. Smith is gonna be a judge. Yikes.

Oh man, I just thought of something else. If I tell Eleanor and she gets mad, she might wind up making a scene at the science fair. I should wait until after it's over to tell her. Yeah. That's it. That's my plan. I'm gonna try and stick to it.

Goodnight, diary!

SIMON'S POV

This Journal is Property of Simon Oliver Seville

DO NOT TOUCH: ESPECIALLY YOU, ALVIN!

Another day, another journal entry. What to write about first? I have no idea. I guess I have to simply start somewhere. It was a slow morning. I had strange dreams the night prior, so I was fairly groggy. Stress tends to make my dreams rather concerning. They don't make much sense, which only stresses me out more. I don't like when things don't make sense.

Right now, it seems as though my life when I'm awake doesn't make much sense either. I've been striving to make amends for my mistakes and encouraging myself to remain level headed as my popularity continues to increase. I need a balance. It's alright to enjoy the popularity to an extent, but I mustn't allow the popularity to cause me to do things that I know in my heart are wrong.

That being said, Dave still doesn't know I pulled the fire alarm and I would like to keep it that way. I'll never do it again, that's for sure. I believe the guilt that is eating away at my sanity is enough punishment.

This morning, while I was munching some raisin bran cereal for breakfast, Theodore noticed I looked deep in thought. He commented that it was good to have me back because he thought I might go off the deep end like Alvin and never return to my usual self. "Not that I wouldn't love the new Simon too. It would just take a lot of getting used to." He clarified.

I don't think I want to be "Simon 2.0" anymore. At least, not entirely. I feel horrible for worrying everyone as much as I worried myself. Plus, I'm embarrassed that I got so caught up in it. I have to return to some semblance of normal. Back to doing things by the book, listening to logic and reason.

I told Theodore all this and I told him that I appreciated him looking out for me. He offered me one of the s'mores he made with a mini microwave he'd gotten for Christmas. It really hit the spot. I was ready to take on the day.

Or so I thought, because, it turns out I was wrong. The second I arrived at school, I was whisked off to practice some basketball before my first hour class. I wasn't exactly doing the best. My head wasn't in the game at all and neither was my heart. It was sad, I loved basketball. I still wanted the companionship of a team. Sadly, the price I was paying to remain a part of that team was very high. If only there was a way to enjoy basketball without the constant pressure.

There's a basketball game later today AGAIN. It feels like I just finished the first one and already there's another. I can't put up with week after week of this. I confided my doubts in Dexter, the only member of the team I felt comfortable sharing my feelings with. Dex said that he had similar feelings, but that I would adjust in time. I don't think I will though. I wasn't built for this. I'm not even a naturally high energy individual.

I thought about this as I suffered through the first few classes. I attempted to raise my hand and answer questions. Maybe if I was perceived to be "nerdy" again, the constant attention would cease. It did not work. It only made people fawn over me more! Only now they were praising my intelligence along with my basketball skills.

I could feel it going to my head again. I've never thought of myself as an arrogant sort of guy before. Although, I guess I was always fairly arrogant when it came to my superior intellect. You would be too, if you were surrounded by complete fools all day. As I was being praised, I heard a loud snap and turned to find that Alvin had broken his pencil in rage. He said he was fine and it was an accident. I'm not so sure.

I've gotta head to lunch soon. This is my last chance to talk to the team before the big game. Hopefully, I can get them to give me tips on how to handle all this newfound adoration, before I'm buried in it.

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They weren't much help. Greg looked at me like I lost my mind when I asked him about it. They can't begin to imagine how I feel. Popularity, for them is like a drug. They're addicted to it, always craving it. For me, it's not that simple. I'm NOT extroverted. Sure, I do relish being the "favorite" of my small family. That's completely different than being part of a group of school favorites who are basically famous throughout the school.

Even being in a band with my brothers isn't this bad. Alvin is the frontrunner. He gets the majority of the fame. Although, if he does reveal his 2.0-side to the fans...there's no telling what that could do. No, I can't get ahead of myself. I need to focus on what I am feeling right now.

I miss being able to just venture into the library to check out a book without people waving at me or asking me how it's going. I miss being able to focus on science. I miss those small moments when I could just hang out in the courtyard alone and absorb the sunlight.

It's not fair. I shouldn't have to give up a sport that I enjoy just to be able to enjoy other activities. There has to be some sort of compromise to work out…..

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Phew. That was close. Greg almost saw me writing in here. I'm fairly certain that he would read all this out loud and then laugh at me. He's not a friend. He's really not. But, that doesn't mean that I can't still be friends with Dexter. He's not as bad as Greg or any of Greg's followers. Plus, it's not like the entire team would always follow Greg if given another option. Hmmm. Perhaps, there's a way out of this that will allow me to keep some new friends after all.

During AP science, I started off trying to complete my worksheets on quantum mechanics. I got about 1/8th of the way through it before being interrupted by texts from Greg. He told me that he knew I would do great things tonight which made me so stressed that I started to get itchy. What if I wasn't as good this time as last time? What if he decided to kick me out? Well, would that be so bad? It would solve the popularity problem. At least, Dr. Wilson didn't see me texting, so I got to keep my phone.

Back in Miss. Smith's class, I knew I couldn't risk her seeing me break school rules. I was already on thin enough ice as it was. I turned the phone off and pocketed it until the school day was over and it was time to meet my team in the excessively sweat filled locker room. Ew.

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A couple of boys whose names I didn't know, offered me a grape soda before the game. I was wary about it, knowing how I tend to react to them. I tried to resist it, but they said Greg recommended it. As team captain, what he says usually goes. I had to think quickly. What would Alvin do if he had to convince someone he drank something he didn't want to?

It took me quite a while to come up with the answer. I just wandered around with the open soda can until I saw a trash bin and was able to dispose of it. The smell of the bubbly purple liquid was very enticing though. I must confess, I took a couple small sips before I tossed it. Enough to give me stamina and energy to make it through the game.

It worked a little too well. I moved extremely fast and my reflexes were unmatched. Coach Dopkins even took off his sunglasses to show how wide eyed he was when I did something that I wish I never had done. I scored the winning basket. Why did it have to be me? Why couldn't someone else have scored? As bad as things would have been if I missed the basket, this was WORSE.

I got voted Most Valuable Player for Pete's sake. Now, on top of the other popularity, I'm the basketball team's shining example of excellence. I didn't WANT this. I wanted to be a part of a team, as in, to disappear into the unit that is the team. Preferably, in a way that the other popular kids didn't notice. Too bad I couldn't switch powers with Eleanor….but that would mean giving up my super memory and being reduced to having one that's as spotty as Alvin's. No thank you.

Eleanor, Brittany, and Theodore all congratulated me. I could see Jeanette watching from afar with Warbie and Pippi. She looked happy for me too. I could see Alvin fighting through the crowd to get to me, being pushed left and right. I helped pick up his glasses after Ray Ray and Jason knocked them off.

That was my chance to finally tell Alvin that I was sorry for letting the popularity go to my head. That he was right about some of my teammates being a bad influence on me. He hugged me and congratulated me on my "epically awesome trick shot." It was nice to finally be acting brotherly toward one another again. I have honestly...kinda missed that too.

Unfortunately, I didn't get long to talk to Alvin before I was mobbed by people asking me to take selfies with them. Although I didn't actually want to, I played along. I continued to play along through the entire afterparty. It wasn't as fun as the first one. The only good thing was that I got to float an idea by Dexter. I mentioned that maybe we should pull away from Greg and be in a basketball club after school instead of a team. Preferably, a club that didn't meet as often. I still wanted time for the Mathtrons and the Chess Club, after all.

I'm finally home now and my stomach is churning miserably from the various unhealthy food I ate at the afterparty. Dave lent me some of his over the counter IBS medication. It's helping a small amount. I think I'll leave it here. Tomorrow is going to be a busy one. I really hope I can just enjoy observing the science fair, but I fear my popularity will make that impossible. I have officially dropped out, so I can lend my invention to Alvin tomorrow morning. He'll appreciate it, I think.

I'm sure Britt will be at the science fair, since she did set it up. Eh, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I cannot start thinking about her crush on me while I have so many other things to process.

ALVIN 2.0'S POV

"And you still don't have the right look, and you don't have the right friends. Nothing changes but the faces, names, and the trends. High school never ends." — Bowling For Soup "High School Never Ends"

Dear, secret book of my rambles and prime examples of overthinking,

I woke up feelin' pretty good. Better than I have felt in days, in fact. I admired my reflection in the mirror and posed as attractively as I could. I was gonna prove to the school that I was still totally cool, as cool as Simon. (Possibly even cooler.)

The red varsity jacket with the gold A Jeanette gave me felt so comfy. It was like she was right there hugging me. I was wrapped in the embrace of her unconditional love. It felt so AMAZING to finally put it on. It even looked cool from behind, it had my name embroidered on it.

Underneath the jacket, I wore my favorite red, orange, and cyan sweater-vest just as I planned. That way, if I needed to don a scholarly appearance quickly, all I had to do was remove the jacket. Brilliant, right? And...I just spent about five minutes writing about clothes.

Okay, on to the more important matters of the day. Clothes are all well and good, but they're not the essential thing for me to write about. The essential thing is the science fair, of course. Boy, am I getting tired of having to write about it. At least my presentation of how music affects the brain is FINISHED!

Although, now that I think about it….it's not really a very exciting presentation. It won't wow anyone. And I don't really have an experiment to go with it….just the explanations. I need to gather data! Time is running out!

I grabbed two cherry pop tarts for breakfast and rode my bike to school again. I changed my glasses into sunglass mode, to make sure the other kids saw that I was BACK to being both cool and geeky instead of singularly geeky.

When I arrived, I asked Kevin, Warren, Bruce, and Cheesy if they could help me and be my test subjects. They said they would have helped me, but they're too busy with their own projects. Warren and Bruce are working together on a model rocket and Kevin and Cheesy have created a scale model of a Hadron Collider. Gosh, I wish Dave hadn't vetoed the model roller-coaster.

I looked over my project again. It stank in comparison. It really really did. Unfortunately, I was stuck with it. The science fair is tomorrow! I had no time to come up with anything else. I barely had enough time to gather data. Eleanor must have overheard my complaining. She ran up to me and offered to help. Obviously, I was wary of this. I'm pretty sure she didn't actually want to help. She likely just wanted an excuse to get me alone so she could accuse me of being the green bean thief. Being the genius I am, I gave her a pair of bluetooth headphones that I could control via my phone. It was a way to do the experiment, without being forced to talk to her one on one very long. She would wear the headphones the rest of the school day while I quietly observed from a distance.

Before lunch, I was able to hand bluetooth headphones out to a few more students, along with notes that explained this was FOR SCIENCE if their teachers told them to take the headphones off. Derek even offered to help! I wonder why. Maybe it's the varsity jacket! Man, this thing is power!

During lunch, I made my test group take a survey to demonstrate how much the music improved their mood and creativity. The results were...a bit less conclusive than I hoped, but they were something.

I should probably eat now, so I'll come back to writing later. Dave packed me some cocktail shrimp, some crackers, and some tuna to spread on the crackers. I love seafood! Simon HATES it. I won't lie, the urge to go over and sit with him and the basketball team is strong. I know it wouldn't be right, but it would be so funny. Classic Alvin may still not be talking to me, but I feel his essence in my heart...or brain...or wherever feelings come from.

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So, there's a basketball game today. I totally forgot that was gonna happen. Now, I face a monster of a predicament, the mother of all indecision. What should I do? Should I focus my work on my science project? Should I go to Simon's basketball game and support him? Does he even deserve to have me there after the way he and his "friends" have treated me? Wait, do I still have comic book club? Drat! Yeah. It's a Friday! I have comic book club and then Simon's basketball game. I'm definitely going to have to forgo the afterparty this time around.

Can I still squeeze in everything? This may be cutting it too close. I hate to finally have a science fair project just to abandon it at the last minute. However, the data is inconclusive anyway. And I do really want to be at the game to support my brother. (By which I mean, flaunt my varsity jacket and make sure people know I AM as cool as Simon.) Apparently, all the popular kids care about is what you wear. Hmmm. You know, I think that's where Brittany gets it from.

Speaking of Britt, she's avoiding me today. She seems angry. I wonder what could be making her so upset. Does she think I'm trying to out-cool her crush? Eh, it's Brittany. Any number of things could be makin' her fume.

I worked on refining all my How Music Affects the Brain notes during AP science. Simon worked on….absolutely nothing because he texted the basketball team the whole time. I wanted to tell on him, but I took pity on him instead because I knew how excited he was about the game. It's almost time for the last class of the day to start, then I gotta get to comic book club. I hope everything goes relatively well.

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Oooh boy. Where do I begin? Comic club was awesome. Warbie stopped by to cheer me up cuz he's noticed I've been miserable lately. I wrote a comic about a kid based on me who enters a science fair. His project is "The Physics Of Roller-Coasters and why it's AWESOME!" Obviously, he wins first prize. Am I using that comic to cope with my various failures? Pretty much, yeah. I don't care about winning though, really. I just wanted to have an experiment that was fun for people to learn about. Instead, I've somehow taken the fun out of music for them. I don't understand! Learning how music affects my brain made it more fun for me! I didn't realize I was that different than them.

As soon as the club ended, Warbie and I rushed to the basketball game. We got there just in time to bump into Jeanette, who was also running a little behind. Luckily, the game hadn't started yet, so we grabbed seats next to each other and had some time to talk. She greeted me with "I like your jacket." "Thanks, my super awesome girlfriend got it for me." I responded with a wink. She giggled and Warbie told us to "get a room" which confused Jeanette.

Then we chatted some more and she asked if classic Alvin had returned. I said that he kinda did, or at least...his personality was back. I no longer felt like I was missing pieces of who I am.

The game began and I watched Simon speed around the court like he had too much caffeine. I hope that's not a sign that he had more soda. I am not carrying him around tomorrow if he's on a hangover. I won't have time. Tomorrow is all booked!

Our team won the game, but the score was really close. It was Simon that made the basket that won the game. I swear, sometimes I feel like I'm trapped in a really predictable teen movie. I wonder if my desire to be unpredictable and re-invent myself every so often comes from that. I like to shake things up. I can't stand when everything is all cookie cutter molded. It's monotonous.

After the game, I walked up to Simon to congratulate him and had to fight through a mob of his fans to do so. I was bumped by several feet and pushed around and my glasses wound up slipping off my face.

Simon picked them up and gave them back to me, his finger accidentally (I hope) deactivating the sunglass lenses and making them look like hopeless dork glasses again. He thanked me for coming and I swear he looked a tad bit uncomfortable. Maybe mister favorite has suddenly decided that he doesn't want to be MVP anymore.

One of Simon's buddies invited me to the afterparty and this time I did decline and not allow them to talk me into it. I said I had stuff at home to work on that was super important. That big dude...Greg I think his name is, asked me if the important thing was more studying.

I didn't answer and then someone else shoved me from behind, but I didn't see who it was. Greg picked me up and unzipped my varsity jacket revealing the sweater-vest underneath. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" He commented. "It's the guy who always boasts about being your "true self" pretending to be something he's not."

"I'm not pretending! I'm both cool and a nerd! If Simon can be both, then so can I." I hoped Simon heard me yelling, but he was too far away to notice Greg cornering me. The mean bully told me that I would never be popular or cool again, no matter what. Tons of people have told me that. I don't believe them and I will not stop fighting.

He dropped me on the ground and kicked me toward Jeanette, who helped me up. Then, we both ran away from that horrible guy. I wasn't feeling very up to working on the science fair project when I got home. My drive was gone again. It had been scared off by the mean jock.

I'm terrified to think of what horrible stuff they're convincing Simon to do at that afterparty. I hope he's got enough wits to bail if things get too bad. Meanwhile, I think I'll just give up on the science fair. My "projects" are mostly just piles and piles of random data and broken inventions. I was never cut out to be a great inventor. I should have NEVER spent so much time trying to be one. I've wasted so much time.

Urgh, but I can't give up. I don't quit things. I see them through to the end, even though it humiliates me often to do so. Think I can come up with a stupendous and exciting project at the last minute? I only have a few HOURS left. But, I do work best and most effectively at the very end of every deadline. Maybe I CAN still pull this off. It's not over yet!

IT IS GO TIME! YOU GUYS READY TO FIND OUT HOW THIS ALL ENDS!?