Chapter 5
"Eleanor, relax" Jeanette said to the youngest chipette for what felt like the hundredth time. She flipped another page in her book, "We checked the status of the flight online before we left, and his flight just landed about a minute ago. It will take a few minute for him to get off the plane and get his luggage, you know.
"Save your breath Sis. . ." Brittany smiled and flipped another page in her celebrity magazine without looking up. "She hasn't been able to relax since Dave said yes last night. Instead, she's been bouncing off the walls."
"I know. . . Sorry. "The youngest chipette looked at her sisters, and sighed." It's just. . . It's been a long several months." She cast her eyes out the dark tinted windows of the inconspicuous black SUV they were waiting in. "I. . . I just really miss him you know?"
Her two sisters looked up and smiled. "It really has been a long time since we've seen any of the boys. . ." The oldest sister said. "We all used to be so close". The slight hint of regret in her voice didn't go unnoticed. Eleanor knew what her eldest sister was thinking about, or rather who she was thinking about.
"Who knows?" Eleanor's face brightened, "maybe someday the six of us will get back together."
Brittany snorted, earning a look from Mrs. Miller. "That will never happen. Alvin and I both want to lead the group. And, we can't both lead."
"Why not?" Eleanor wanted to know. "Don Henley and Glenn Fry both lead The Eagles."
Brittany gave her little sister a questioning look. "Who?"
Eleanor shook her head, "never mind." She looked out the window and sighed. "Where is he?"
Her eldest sister smiled, while Brittany shook her head. "Didn't we just go through this? You really have to calm yourself down, Eleanor."
The youngest chipette closed her eyes. 'It's been two long years Eleanor. . . You can wait a few more minutes, just breathe.'
'Breathe in, breathe out.'
'Breathe in, breathe out'
'Breathe in. . .'
"Eleanor, there he is!" Jeanette tapped her shoulder excitedly.
Mrs. Miller turned around in the driver's seat. "Now Eleanor, remember to let Theodore get in the SUV first, then you can attack him with everything you have." She smiled.
"Yes ma'am." Eleanor smiled back as the door opened. She waited for a split second, then once she saw Theodore's green eyes, she smiled. True to her word, the youngest chipette waited until the youngest chipmunk and his two guests got into the car. Then, they threw their arms around each other tightly.
"Theodore."
"Eleanor", they spoke in unison. Theodore pulled away, "I've missed you so much. . ." Before the chipette could respond, the chipmunk gave her a deep passionate kiss. It was so long, and so full of love, it made her knees weak.
Until. . .
"Hi," Cody turned to the two eldest chipettes, "you must be Brittany and Jeanette. It's nice to finally meet you".
"Likewise. . ." Jeanette smiled.
Theodore, having broken the kiss, smiled at the green eyed chipette. "Sorry, I've been waiting a long time to do that. Was it as good for you as it was for me?" He gave her a sly smile.
She smiled back. "Even Better"
The green eyed chipmunks smiled as they glanced across the private dining room of their favorite Italian restaurant, the same one where they went on their first date. But, at the moment, they weren't looking at each other. They were sneaking looks at the new couple at the other end of the room, and smiling.
"They are so good together", Eleanor looked back at Theodore, "I knew they were perfect for each other."
Theodore grinned. "Did you have any doubt? Cody would stutter every time I mentioned her."
"Rosie would just blush and change the subject." Eleanor glanced back at the two teenagers, then back at Theodore. "I let her get away with it every time because I was hoped she wouldn't be too shy to take the chance when she got it. You know?" Rosie, like Cody, was the daughter of The Chipettes head of security and lead bodyguard. Rosie started out as a replacement guitarist and pianist for the band. Since then, Rosie and the girls had become best friends. She and Eleanor had become almost joined at the hip. "It's good to see her gain so much self-confidence."
The chipmunk nodded. "He may not look it now, but Cody was very shy when we first met. I was too, our mutual love of music made us open up though. I don't think he would have even thought of dating anyone, letting alone falling in love with a girl." He chuckled. "But, from the way he would blush almost any time I mentioned her, anyone could see that Cody was in love."
Eleanor nodded, and then turned back to Theodore. "So, how are Simon and Alvin?" Her face shown with concern, and her voice was tentative. Even though she knew it was a delicate subject, and had heard rumors, she still felt like he wasn't telling her how bad it was. "I know somethings going on, and that you're not telling me everything."
Theodore gave her a guarded look, "I don't want you to worry-"
"I'm already worried", she interrupted. "Please teddy bear. . ." She whispered her special name for him; knowing that once she did, the chipmunk would do anything for her. True to form, he gave in.
"Come on," He took her hand in his own, "let's go outside. . ."
Once the two of them were seated outside the restaurant, Theodore began. . .
"About two years ago, we noticed we were starting to lose our fan base. . . Well, except Alvin. He thinks he's still this big star. You know, on top of the world. He thinks we can still record covers, and our voices will make us stand out." He sighed and looked up at the night sky, "but the novelty of singing chipmunks has worn off for us. We keep doing the same thing, and Alvin doesn't think we need to change. . ." The chipmunk gave a wry smile, "Alvin's a star in his own mind."
"Simon. . ." Theodore continued. "Simon just wants to retire and move on. I don't think we need to do anything that drastic, maybe just take a break. But, Alvin doesn't even want to stop touring. If fans still want shows, give them shows."
For the first time Eleanor could see how exhausted the youngest chipmunk was. She could see It in every feature on his face. "I know you've been touring for a long time."
"We've had at least ten shows a month, every month, for the last two years." He gave a small smile, "you do the math"
Eleanor was shocked, that was over two hundred shows. For a group that usually only did shows in the summer, that was a lot.
"As badly a Simon and I want to stop touring, we can't." Theodore wiped a tear from his eyes, and sniffed. "Alvin said that if we did, he would leave."
"The group?"
"No," the chipmunk sniffed again, "the family. . . He said he would go solo and never speak to us again." Finally, the chipmunk let a tear slide down his face.
Eleanor couldn't help but shed a tear of her own. She knew that Theodore loved his brothers more than anything and just wanted them to be happy. He also hated when they fought with each other, because they hurt each other with what they said. When his brothers were hurt, it hurt Theodore too. If Alvin left and never spoke to them again, it would tear a large piece of his heart out. "Will Dave let him do that?"
"Alvin's eighteen now, he's a legal adult. He can do whatever he wants" Theodore sniffed, and then spoke again. "Simon doesn't want him to leave either." Theodore gave a small smile through the tears. "Deep down, he's just big brother who loves his little brothers . . . both of them. To make things worse, they can't sing like they used to."
"When we turned sixteen our voices became lower, kind of like human teenagers." Theodore explained. "I learned how to control my voice easily, because Dave and I hired a voice coach. But, Simon didn't want to take the time to learn. His passion is in science, not singing. I think that's why he wants to retire. . . Alvin didn't thing he needed to learn. He thought his voice was just fine and he would grow into it, never mind the fact he can't stay on key. . ." He hesitated, and then added," that's why I sang the lead vocals on the last album".
The chipette smiled, "I know. I could tell it was your voice." Theodore looked at her with a small smile. "I'd know your voice anywhere." She explained.
"They desperately need to take a break." Theodore looked up at the sky, "from singing, from preforming, from being stars. . ."
He looked back into her sage green eyes, "I told you they're fighting after pretty much every show." His forest green eyes now looked at the pavement, and he started to rub his left shoulder with his right hand. "I try not to get in the way anymore. . . All it did last time was get me hurt."
Eleanor stared in shock. "What do you mean?"
Without speaking, he unwound the scarf he seemed to be wearing a lot lately. He then turned his neck so the moonlight hit his fur just right. When it did, the light revealed an almost healed scar that started midway up his neck and disappeared into the green button up shirt he was wearing.
"Who did that?" She asked. When he said nothing, she guessed. "Alvin?" "Alvin. . ." He nodded. But, he quickly added "but I know he didn't mean to. . ."
