-Brittney-
I woke up the next morning with a crick in my neck and an awful pain in my lower back, most likely from sleeping on the couch. I sleepily sat up and adjusted my camisole, which got twisted around in the night, and looked around the room. The TV was on, but I was the only one in the living room. I looked at the clock. It was 8:54.
"What the hell am I doing up so early?" I thought, then spotted Alvin walking into the kitchen through the patchof hallway I could see form my spot on the couch, and added, "What the hell is ALVIN doing up so early?"
I slowly stood up and stretched, then walked into the kitchen very slowly, where I was immediately met with the smell of bacon, pancakes, eggs, and rolls.
It was a beautiful day outside. Sunlight streamed in though the windows and left patterns on the floor. Eleanor and Theodore were laughing and talking as they cooked. Simon was sitting at the kitchen table next to Jeanette. I walked in and sat down beside Dave.
"Good morning, Brittney," he said. "I hope you slept well."
I massaged the back of my neck and replied, "Yeah, well, it was all right. But my neck hurts."
Dave gave me a concerned look, then said, "You'll have to get the boys to switch with you three tonight. I can't imagine the couch would be too comfortable."
Jeanette turned to us and said in a very chipper voice, "Oh, it was fantastic, actually. I slept really well on the recliner."
I gave her a look, remembering how I had wanted the recliner but she had convinced me the couch was better, and said in an icy voice, "I bet you did."
Right then, Alvin walked in with the phone. He was wearing a red t-shirt with a picture of a bike over the words "MY OTHER RIDE IS YOUR MOM". He smiled and said into the phone, "Yeah. Thanks, babe. Yeah. Bye."
He hung up the phone and threw it onto the table, barely missing Simon's head. "Okay," he said, grinning brilliantly at us, "We're all going to the mall today."
Simon sighed. "Alvin, you may not remember this, but I have a job..."
"That's totally taken care of. Celia is taking your time over today," Alvin replied matter-of-factly, sitting at the head of the table.
"Uh, what?" Simon looked suprised. "How'd you get her to do that?"
Alvin shrugged. "Let's just say..." he paused, and straightened his hat. "I can be very charming when I need to be."
Simon and Dave both gave him the same disapproving look. For men of two different species, they can be very alike.
-Alvin-
I made a face back at them, then sat straight up in my seat as Eleanor and Theodore brought in the food.
As they set the food down aand sat at the table, Eleanor said, "Wait a second. Let me get this straight. So, you flirted with her just to get Simon out of work?"
I nodded. "Yeah. But come on now, it didn't mean anything. I mean, it's Celia. Come on."
"Celia," Simon added, "Is very smart and very pretty, though a little timid. You would be lucky to have a girl of Celia's caliber, Alvin."
Brittney rolled her eyes. "Come on now. I mean, if you like that kind of girl, I can see where you're going. But she's not his type."
I nodded, agreeing, "Yep. And it's obvious what my type is..." I pointed to Brittney, who also pointed to herself.
We laughed, and I leaned over and pecked her on the cheek.
When I sat back in my seat, I caught a funny look on Eleanor's face. I wondered what it was about, but was distracted when Dave said, "So, you're all going to the mall?"
I nodded. "Unless someone wants to sit on their ass-"
"Alvin. Language."
"Sorry," I said, rolling my eyes, "...their butt all day. I mean, it's been ages since we all just hung out together..." There was a reason for that, but i wasn't going to talk about that.
"Okay," Dave said. "I'll drive you."
"I assumed. We can't exactly walk all the way there," I replied, rolling my eyes again and spooning some eggs onto my plate.
SEVERAL HOURS LATER…
-Alvin-
So there we were in hte food court. We had been at the mall for about two hours. Yes, you read that right. Two hours. We had already gone swimsuit shopping (one of the best twenty-five minutes of my life- Brittney trying on skimpy bikini after skimpy bikini), walked literally all over the mall, and now we were just sitting in the food court, people-watching.
One woman fast-walked by. She was tall, red-faced, and beefy, and looked like she was going to be late.
"I bet she is late," i commented, pointing to the woman.
Everyone looked.
"For what, her next date with a Big Mac?" Brittney added, snorting.
Eleanor punched her on the shoulder. "Brit, that's awful. Don't judge people by their weight."
Brittney rubbed her shoulder. "OW! That hurt, Eleanor. And besides, you're not even big anymore." Eleanor punched her again. "OW! What the hell was that for?"
"I wasn't big," Eleanor responded, sipping her soda calmly. "I'm just smaller now."
Brittney sighed. "You were big. Admit it."
Eleanor shook her head. "I wasn't big. And even if I was big, it doesn't matter because guess who is wearing your jeans."
Brittney gasped. "Oh my gosh! Stand up, El! Let me see!"
Eleanor stood up, holding up her shirt a little so we could see the jeans. She spun around.
"I'm so proud of you!" Brittany squealed, pulling Eleanor into a hug.
"You see, Theodore," I said, leaning toward him, "If you lose a buttload of weight and wear my jeans to the mall, I'll squeal loudly and hug you too."
Simon and Theodore laughed.
"I'll have to start losing weight then, "Theodore said, laughing.
Brittany turned Eleanor around and smacked her butt. "Your ass looks good in my jeans!"
"I know, right?" Theodore added, pinching her butt.
Eleanor blushed, spinning around to face us, and exclaimed, "Theodore!"
Theodore smiled and stuck his toungue out at her. She giggled and sat back down on his lap.
-Jeanette-
They're so cute! I glanced at Simon, and wondered if we would ever be like that. Would I ever sit on Simon's lap in the food court? Would I ever giggle and rest my head on his shoulder while he had one arm around my waist and the other resting on my knee?
No. Odds are, I would not. Because Simon doesn't like me that way.
-Brittany-
I leaned on Alvin and sighed, then looked up at him. He seemed distracted. I waved my hand in front of his face. "Helloooo? Earth to Alvin?"
He blinked several times and looked over at me. "What?"
"What's wrong, Alvin?" I asked.
"Oh," he shrugged. "Nothing." But I could tell there was something. I didn't ask further. After a moment, he smiled and said, "Who's ready for highschool chorus?"
Simon sighed. "I don't even know if i'm going to audition."
"What?" Alvin and Jeanette said at the exact same time.
I was not so suprised. Simon had talked for a while about not doing chorus to get in more schooltime. When we had talked about it in the hall last year, he had said, "Only seven periods, and so much to learn."
"Well," Simon said, "It's just, we get three exploratories, and i want to take French, get PE over with, an take the engineering class at the Career and Technical center."
Jeanette looked horrified. "But Simon... it won't be the same."
Simon shrugged. "Yeah, but I need to get ready for the rest of my life, and i just don't think singing is going to be part of that."
Alvin sighed. "Well, that sucks. But I know I'm trying out for mixed chorus, and for the afterschool choir too."
"Afterschool choir?" Simon repeated, looking surprised.
"Yeah, apparently the lady from the Arts school downtown is retiring. And now she's going to start an afterschool choir so she has something to do. It's at the art school,but the public school kids are welcome. Auditions start in two weeks."
I nodded. "I heard that."
Eleanor rolled her eyes. "I've heard that woman is totally bonkers. I've heard her audition process is insanely hard."
Theodore nodded. "I've heard she's very unconventional."
"Well," Alvin replied, eatingone of my fries, "We're not exactly converntional either, now are we? Talking chipmunks."
-Eleanor-
The Arts school. So, how did Alvin hear about this? Was he still in touch with Sophi?
"How'd you hear about this anyway?" I asked, shifting my weight and leaning forward.
Alvin shrugged. "I have my sources."
"Like what?"
"I just heard it, okay? Why're you being so nosy anyway?" he asked defensively, crossing his arms.
"I just want to know where you heard it," I said in my most innocent voice.
"I heard it from Sophi," he responded, shrugging. He sighed. "Anyway, I'm going to try out."
-Brittney-
"Who's Sophi?" I asked.
Alvin shrugged. "Nobody important. You wouldn't know her."
"I recognize that name," I said, tapping my toes underneath the table. Where did I know that name? Gossip? Chorus? Dance class? "Are you sure i wouldn't know her?"
"Yes, Alvin, are you sure," Eleanor added. "Are you sure she shouldn't know about Sophi?"
Alvin threw up his hands and said in a very, very defensive voice, "God! Why are you two bugging me? You don't know her. It doesn't matter, okay? So can we PLEASE change the subject? PLEASE?"
He was acting weird.
A girl named Sophi, whose name i was sure i recognized.
Something Alvin seemed to be hiding.
That should have been clue number two.
