-Jeanette-
That night, i sat on the front porch until Simon got home from work, and we went on a walk.
The sun was beginning to set. A beautiful pink light floated in the air all around us. We walked most of the way in silence, just enjoying each other's company. When you're with Simon, you don't have to talk. We walked, and I struggled to keep in time with him, seeing as his strides are longer than mine. As we neared teh end of our walk, I glanced over at Simon, who seemed to be deep in thought.
"Whatcha thinking about?" I asked. He didn't reply, only sighed and shrugged. "Sometimes I wish I could get inside your head..." I said quietly, then let the conversation lag and return to silence again.

-Simon-
She was what i was thinking about. "Tell her. Tell her now. You won't have another time like this..." a voice said inside my head. I looked over at Jeanette, who was looking wistfully up at the pink-and-purple clouds with an absentmided smile playing across her lips. I opened my mouth, closed it, opened it again, and said quietly:
"Jeanette..."
She looked over at me and smiled. "Hm?"
"Jeanette, I..." I paused. We were by her house at this point, and as we walked up the path to her front door, I cleared my throat and said again, in a shaky voice, "I really..." she looked at me expectantly. I sighed and opened my mouth to say it when...

-Eleanor-
I walked up the front drive, holding Theodore's hand. "Hey you two. Hope we're not interrupting anything."
Simon shot Theodore a look, which Theodore answered with a confused face.
Jeanette didn't notice this silent communtication, and smiled brightly, saying, "Oh, no worries, El!"
I looked over the front door, and noticed a pink sticky note. i walked over, and pulled it off, reading aloud with difficulty due to Miss Miller's awful cursive, "Girls, I've gone to see my second cousin (you've never met her) , who got into a car crash... I'll be back in well, as soon as i can."
Jeanette frowned, walking over to me. "Oh no! Ughhh... I hate being in this house all by ourselves!"
"You can stay at our house!" Simon blurted behind us, and blushed immediately after the words had passed his lips.
"That would be great!" Jeanette smiled genuinely.
"Yeah," I agreed, "Just let us go get our stuff..."
"As long as it's okay with Dave, of course," Jeanette added quickly.
Simon grinned and shrugged. "I'm sure it will be."
Jeanette smiled cheerily and headed into the house. I followed quickly.

-Jeanette-
I walked up the stairs, Ellie close behind. When we entered our bedroom, she said in a frank tone:
"He likes you."
I blushed,, and pretended to be very interested in the fabric of my jeans. "El, no he does not. Simon doesn't like me. He never has, he never will. Just accept it."
"Yes he does! He always has and always will! Just accept it!" she said, smiling and rolling her eyes. "Girl, did you see the way he was looking at you? It was like Alvin when we went to go see 'Transformers' and the only part of the movie he actually cared about was Megan Fox's boobs."
I gave her a dissaproving look. "Eleanor-"
She grabbed my chin and said, with a funny grin, "To him, you're the Megan Fox's boobs in the 'Transformers' movie of life!"
I pulled away from her, rubbing my chin, and exclaimed, "Gross! Gosh, that's awful, Ellie."
"It's a poetic analogy."
"No. It's disgusting," I corrected, opening my dresser drawers.
"Well, regardless, he likes you." She paused, as if waiting for a reply (which she was not getting). After a minute of silence, she said, "I mean, come on. You like him, he AH-BVIOUSLY likes you, why the hell aren't you two together?"
"A) he doesn't like me, and B) please don't curse at me."
"Okay, I wasn't cursing AT you, I was cursing AROUND you." She replied, with a quick eye-roll. "And he does like you, Jeanette! You are so his type."
I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked as I haphazardly folded a shirt and threw it in my bag.
I moved on to the next shirt, and she replied, "It's not a bad thing- don't fold it like that, it doesn't go that way- it's a good thing. He likes you."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."
"Which one are you saying that about, the way the shirt is supposed to be folded, or Simon liking you?"
"Both."

-Eleanor-
I pursed my lips at this comment, but remained silent, to see if she had anything to say that she was withholding due to all of my chatter. If there is one thing i have learned from Theodore, it is that you must close your trap and listen to the other person when you want to learn something about them and thorough questioning isn't working.
Jeanette briskly put in her brush, her deodorant, and her bag of scrunchies. But as she put in her book, she sat on the bed and crumpled. She put her face in her hands. "Eleanor..." she said quietly and dismally, "If he liked me... wouldn't he have told me by now?"
She looked up at me sadly, and I could see in her face that this was something she had been thinking about for quite some time now. I sighed slowly, and sat next to her, putting my arm around her thin shoulders. "Oh, Jeanette..." i sighed, hugging her a little. "That's silly, and you know it. He'll come around, he just needs some time, is all. And besides..." I chuckled, patting her shoulder, "It's not your fault he doesn't have the balls to do it!"
She laughed. "Eleanor! That's simply awful!"
I giggled, walking over to my bed, where I put my phone charger into my bag. "Maybe so, but you know it's true!" I paused. "And seriously Jeanette, at some point you might just end up asking him instead. As you may remember, I had to ask Teddy, he was so shy about it."
She gasped, and looked uncomfortable. "Oh, I don't think I could ever do that. It would be so awfully embarrassing and- ... What if he said no?"
I shrugged. "Sometimes its worth the risk."
She sighed and nodded. We were silent for a few minutes.
I zipped up my bag, and she asked suddenly, "Aren't you going to take any pj's?"
I laughed and replied, "Jen, when you have a boyfriend, you don't bring pj's. You wear his."

-Theodore-
The girls came out, and Eleanor hooked her arm in mine and asked, leaning her head on my shoulder, "Hey, I can borrow some of your pj's, right, Teddy Bear?"
I blushed and glanced at Simon, who gave me a smug look on account of the cheesy pet name that he always made fun of, then said quietly, "Of course, El, i don't see why not."
Eleanor looked over at Jeanette and said, "See, what did I tell you?"
I muttered, "Okay, I don't even want to know."
WE started over to my house, and we had barely made it across the yard when Jeanette suddenly slapped herself on the forehead and exclaimed, "Ugh! Oh no! Crap! I can't beleive I- ugh! Wait, let me go back and get... ugh..."
Witht that, she turned back and scrambled all the way back to their front door. Seh leaned ont he door and tried to turn the handle about 70 times bfore the door finally gave way. Becasue she had all of her weight on the door, she fell into the house with a small shriek. We heard some clanging, like she knocked something over.
"I'm okay!" she yelled.
Simon rolled his eyes and grinned fondly, muttering, "That's my girl..."
Eleanor snorted. "Not until you grow a pair and ask her out."
Simon gave her a look but did not reply.
Jeanette finally made it back, saying something about a paper or something, and we made our way over to our house, actually getting there this time.

-Alvin-
I walked in the door, holding Brittney's hand (which, by the way, is extremely soft...) and walked in on Simon, Jeanette, Theodore, and Eleanor playing MarioKart on the Wii. I didn't have to look at the screen. i just knew. Maybe it was becasue their conversation was going something like this:

Simon: SHIT. I'm in last again- I always lose at this game!
Jeanette: Please don't curse, Si, here, you can pass me.
Simon: You don't have to do that, Jen...Really, you don't.
Eleanor: EAT MY DUST, SUCKAAAAAAAS! Ha! I just lapped you, Simon!
Simon: Shitttttt...
Jeanette: Simon...!
Simon: Sorry.
Theodore: Awwwh... I got ran over again...
Eleanor: Oops. Sorry, Teddy Bear.
Theodore: Love you too.

Brittney walked into the room first. "Hey guys. Is there a reason for this get-together? Who died?"
Eleanor must have run over Theodore again, because he said, "God, Ellie, what is your PROBLEM, honestly!" before he turned to Brit. "Oh, nobody died. Miss Miller's going away for a while, so you guys are staying over here."
Jeanette laughed. "I just passed you, Theo!"
"Crap!"
I cheered. "YES! This is awesome!" I walked into the room. "I'm so glad you get to stay," I whispered in Brittney's ear, coming up behind her and hugging her from behind around the waist.

-Eleanor-
I drove off of the giant green mushroom, that distracted me so much. Alvin holding her like that- and she could be the other girl! And he knew! Ugh. I frowned and turned back to the game, pouting furiously. Theodore, the amazing boy he is, noticed my change in attitude and gave a me a concerned look. I looked pointedly at Alvin and Brittney. He glanced over, looked back at me, and rolled his eyes.
"What is wrong with you three?" Jeanette asked, without taking her eyes from the screen. "I'm beating all of you!"
Three? I looked over at Simon, who was also looking at Alvin and Brittney with a thouroughly confused expression on his face.
I put down my remote as the game finished. I was in tenth, Theodore in eleventh, and Simon, of course, in dead last.
Theodore gave me a look and said, "I'm going to go get a snack."
"I'm coming with you," I announced, and followed him into the kitchen.

-Simon-
Eleanor and Theodore going into the kitchen alone usually meant one of three things:
1)Theodore was hungry.
2)They were going to go make out where nobody could bother them.
3)They knew something the rest of us didn't know and they wanted to discuss it in private.

I knew Theodore was no longer hungry, seeing as he had just eaten an entire box of cookies, and neither of them seemed to be in the mood today, so I assumed that they must be talking about something important. in a surge of curiousity, I stood up and patted Jeanette on the knee, saying, "I'll be right back." and followed the other two into the kitchen.
I leaned on the door and listened.
"Ugh it makes me sick," Eleanor whispered. "I can't beleive this. At all. This is just... ugh... it makes me so, so sick."
"Me too." Theodore whispered back, "But it's just the way he is and-"
"Theodore, we can't just dismiss this, okay? This is a big deal." From the sound of it, Eleanor was pacing around the kitchen.
They still hadn't really explained anything, so I figured I might as well insert myself in the conversation. i opened the door and walked in.
"Okay," I said, leaning against the counter, "What's going on?"
Eleanor gave me sarcastic smile and said in a disdainful voice, "Yes, I'm going to tell you Simon, because you were totally invited to join us."
Theodore sighed. "Simon, it's nothing-"
"Uhm, I just heard Eleanor say that it's a big deal," I interrupted. "So what is it."
Theodore looked uncomfortable, and rubbed the back of his head, making his hair get all messed up.
Eleanor shook her head, massaging her temples and closing her eyes. "Simon, I really don't think it's our place to tell you."
"Besides, we need to get back in there before the others get suspicious," Theodore added.
Eleanor nodded, grabbed his hand, and pulled him in the direction of the living room. Theodore gave me a weak, apologetic smile over his shoulder. I looked up at the ceiling for a minute, sighed, and headed back into the living room after them.

-Brittney-
Theodore and Eleanor came back into the living room and i couldn't help but notice Theodore's hair was a little messier than what it was before they went in.
I smiled at them. "What have you two been doing in there, huh? Theo, you look a little ruffled..."
Alvin, whose lap I was sitting on, added loudly, "GET YOU SOME!"
Theodore blushed, and Eleanor giggled.
"You two be quiet! We weren't doing any of that stuff..." she said, sitting on the couch next to me and Alvin, indicating a seat next ot her for Theo. He obediently sat there.
Simon came in and sat down next to Jeanette, who was staring at her socks and looking very perplexed.
"What's wrong, Jeanette?" he asked, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"One of my socks is, like, a whole five inches longer than the other..." she replied quietly. "They weren't like this the last time I wore them."
"That's because they don't match," I explained.
"Yes they do," she responded, pulling on her left sock expirementally.
"No. They don't." I said in a flat tone, then perked up, sat up straight, shifting my weight (this produced an "ow" from Alvin) and asked everyone, "So, what should we do?"
"Well, first of all, you should be careful how you sit," Alvin said.
I made a face at him. "Sorr-ee! Drama queen." Then i looked around at the other four. "OO! We should play Truth or Dare!"
Simon groaned, but everyone else was okay with it.
We all sat on the ground, and I took an empty Coke bottle and put it in the middle of the circle. "Okay, everyone knows how to play? Standard rules, 2 chickens, whoever it lands on picks truth or dare, the spinner of hte bottle asks the question or chooses the dare."
Everyone nodded, so I spun the bottle. It turned and turned and turned, and landed on Alvin.
"Heyyyy..." i said, winking. "Truth or Dare?"

-Alvin-
I sighed and pretended to think for a second, then said, "Dare."
Suddenly, Eleanor rose her hand and announced, "I propose a new rule! Everyone has to pick Truth at least once!"
Brittney seemed to approve, so i sighed and muttered, "Fine, I might as well get it over with. Truth."
Brittney thought for a second. "Hmm... Alvin Seville, what is your favorite thing about me? And you have to tell the truth!"
"Doesn;t truth have to be a yes or no question?" Eleanor asked.
"Nope, they just have to tell the truth." Brittney looked expectantly at me.
I sighed, and looked down at hte carpet, blushing over what i was about to say. It was going to come out so cheesy, event hough it was kind of just the truth... "Okay, honestly? And you might not like this, because it's not.. uh.. well, uhm,.. but it's my honest opinion... my favorite thing about you is your... uh, eyes."

-Eleanor-
Okay, so I really expected Alvin to say something like "Your boobs" or "Your curves" or "Your legs" but no, it was her eyes... and he was looking right down at the carpet the entire time, like he had trouble saying it out loud. It was so sweet. And for hte first time that day, I thought maybe this would all work out like Theodore thought, and maybe Alvin wouldn't be so bad for Brittney.

-Brittney-
It was silent for a moment while Alvin stared down at the carpet, like he was waiting for someone to laugh at him. Instead, for reasons I still don't understand, I leaned over and pulled him into a hug. He didn't hug back, just sat there.
I sat back against the couch, and smiled at him.
He smiled back, and cleared his throat. "Annnnnyways... I guess its time for me to spin the bottle, huh?"
So he spun and it landed on Theodore. Theodore frowned.

-Theodore-
Okay, I love Alvin and everything, but when you're playing Truth or Dare, he is the last person you want to be dared by, or asked a question by, for that matter. he has all these crazy dares stored up in his head where there should be, oh I don't know, Algebra or something, and oh my god, the dares he comes up with... ugh. But when you pick Truth, he asks you the most embarrassing or personal questions he could ask.
I sighed, and picked the lesser of the two evils. "Truth."
Alvin smiled deviously and said quietly, rubbing his hands together, "Okay, Theodore, please tell me..." he thought for a second. "How far have you and Eleanor gone?"
Okay, I'm pretty sure i was the color of a firetruck.
Eleanor bristled. "Alvin, that's..." she gave up and shook her head.
"Alvin, I think that's a little too personal," Simon commented.
"Doesn't matter. He has to answer it regardless. Unless he uses one of his Chickens, but I think he probably would want to save those for dares."
I sighed and asked, "Can I just tell you and can you not shout it to everybody?"
He pouted. "Wellll, fine."

-Eleanor-
I watched silently as Theodore leaned over and whispered in Alvin's ear, then sat back against the couch, slouching and blushing.
"Wow, Theodore," Alvin commented, wiggling his eyebrows. "WOW."
"Shut up," Theodore muttered, blushing even more as he leaned forward and spun the bottle. It landed on me.
"Good," i thought, "I got off easy. We never dare each other or ask each other embarrassing questions."
Theodore smiled at me and asked, "Ellie, how much do you love me?"
"To the moon and back!" I replied, giggling and giving him a peck on the cheek.
He blushed adorably, and I just had to hug him. And then I had to kiss him again, and then we had to make out right htere in the living room.
"Gag me with a spoon," Alvin interrupted us with his very loud comment.
"Don't tempt me," I replied, after pulling away from Theodore.
He made face, but didn't have a comeback.
I spun the bottle, and, whattaya know, it landed on Simon.
I smilled sweetly at him and asked in a fake country accent, "So, what'll it be, darlin'? Truth or Dare?"
Simon sighed. "Truth."
"I 'm calling a no-chicken on this one!" I told Brittney, who nodded.
Simon looked annoyed, but didn't comment.
I smiled and said, "Now, remember, Simon, you've got to tell the absolute, honest truth. No lying! And this is a no-chicken question." He just looked at me keenly, waiting for his question. I hated to put him under this pressure, but it had to be done. "Simon, if you had to date one girl in the school, who would you date?"