This chapter is gonna be really fun to write. It is schemin' time!

Doofus-Genius Alvin's POV

"Hello?" Eleanor snapped her fingers in front of me to grab my attention. "Why are you smirking?"

"It's a secret." I responded. "I might tell you and I might not."

"You're still thinking about physics, aren't you?" Theodore shook a stubby finger at me.

I rolled up the 20 dollar bill and tucked it into my pocket. "Maybe. Thinking about it is fine, as long as I don't talk about it." I said, focusing on my lunch. Today's lunch was an assorted nut trail mix. Yum! Delectable!

"Finally…" Simon stretched his back. "I can hear myself think."

I stayed quiet for a while, trying to decide if I wanted to reveal my plan or not. Maybe they could give me some helpful advice. Or maybe they'd just claim I was stupid. Or was the plan stupid?

"Did you guys know there's a new racing game that comes out today?" Eleanor asked the whole table. "It's called Final Drive Fantasy."

"Are you going to get it?" My youngest brother asked her.

The pigtailed chick nodded. "I'm hoping. I've been saving up for it."

Racing…a physics concept! No, stop, don't think about physics. Think about how much money you can earn to buy that awesome racing game! I told myself in my head. Or I could do something easier, maybe.

I chewed some walnuts and almonds as I thought about how to ask Eleanor to lend me her game. "Can I play it when you get it?"

She wasn't thrilled about that idea. Rats! "You can buy your own."

"But it costs more than 20 dollars." I whined. "I only have 20 dollars."

Simon frowned disapprovingly at me. "Then I suppose you'll have to think of a way to make more money." Easy for you to say, Si! You're good at collecting cash. I still don't know exactly how you do it.

"I've got one." Oh come on! Why did I say that? I wasn't done considering the pros and cons of telling them my plan!

Britt, Simon, and Eleanor all looked at me strangely. "What is it?"

Theo and Jeanette were both off in their little worlds. Theodore was busy enjoying a tube of yogurt and Jeanette was staring blankly across the cafeteria. She's so cute when she stares like that.

Anyway, back to revealing my idea. I knew I had to now. I was sure they'd love it. I hoped they would, at least. "By having people pay me to shut up about, you know, sciency stuff. I'll have a fortune before the school day's over!"

"Worst idea ever." Brittany commented, narrowing her eyes.

"Maybe it was when I was trying to hide this." I explained. "But now the whole school knows how nerdy I am."

"So you're calling yourself nerdy now?" The Chipette in pink was shocked.

I nodded proudly. "Yep. NerdY. Not a nerd. Just NerdY. The Y makes all the difference."

"Alvin, no. If you pull a stunt like this, everyone will hate you." Simon warned me.

"Yeah. EVERYONE." Brittany echoed.

Eleanor couldn't help but add in her opinion. "Even your friends won't be able to stand you."

Her sister in pink rested an arm on the table. "And we know because we can't stand you."

I finished my lunch and started packing the empty bag and wrappers in my lunch box. "It'll be fine! Trust me! I'm not gonna overdo it. I just want enough money for the game. That's all. How much does it cost, Ellie?"

She frowned. "94.99." Yeesh! That was expensive for a single game.

"Right, so, if I charge 20 dollars per person, it'll take….5 people telling me to shut up to buy the game. Wow, maybe I can charge less than 20 dollars, you know, make this whole thing a lot more fair. Say I charge 5 dollars instead, then I'll need to collect from 19 people. That seems doable." I rambled out loud. This was math, not physics facts, so I wasn't breaking the deal with Britt. Although physics is somewhat connected to math. Ah, I'm overthinking it.

"I want 15 dollars back then." Brittany commanded holding out her manicured hand with those long nails I didn't want to mess with.

I sighed and gave her the 20 dollar bill. She gave me a 5 in return.

Simon looked like he was in a psychedelic daze. "I will never adjust to you being good at math." He murmured.

I got up from the table. "I've always been good at math." I smiled. "When it's something I care about. And I care a lot about money and videogames." Yeah! That's totally what it was! I was never BAD at math. I just couldn't get it when Miss. Smith wasn't connecting it to things I thought mattered. Matter, physics, crap crap! Physics, not right now! "Trust me! This'll work!"

"Your funeral." My brother in blue replied.

Ellie took his joke and ran with it. "I'll start making the gravestone now. Here lies Alvin's popularity. It was murdered by his latest get rich quick scheme."

"I thought it was already murdered by Brittany." Theodore commented. He was, you guessed it, confused. He's always confused!

I placed a hand on my hip. "You're just jealous you didn't think of this."

Brittany didn't say anything. She just sighed sadly and put her head down on the lunch table.

"Oh dear." I could have sworn I heard Jeanette whisper.

The youngest Chipette was STILL joking around. "Looks like his genius wore off already. That was fast."

Then, even THEO joined in. "Thank goodness." He squeaked. "I won't have to use a dictionary to understand him anymore."

I was getting VERY perturbed. How could they not see this idea was FANTASTIC!? "Stop making fun of me!" I felt light headed. "My genius is still all…you know…genius-y! This plan is foolproof." Oh, goody, there's classic Alvin. Well, maybe that is good. It'll convince Britt I'm still me.

"Can't be fool proof if it was made by a fool." Simon snarked.

"Simon's right." Britt added.

Eleanor laughed again. "Can't argue with that logic." I can. And I do.

With my new ambitious determination, I marched away from the table on a mission. I was sick of being teased. I was sick of the taunts that I would go "back to normal" or that this was "just a phase."

"Hmph! I'll see ya later. I have funds to accumulate." I huffed. It was time to see how this plan fared. Would I be right? Would they be right?

I smirked and looked back at my family and friends. The Chipettes were looking at me with worried faces and Simon was facepalming while Theo tilted his head, likely thinking I was nuts. A song the Chipettes covered that was originally by Selena Gomez titled Falling Down started to play in my head. On repeat. I could NOT get this song to leave!

"Uh, oh oh, oh

Uh, oh oh, oh

Uh, oh oh, oh

Uh, oh oh, oh

Uh, oh oh, oh"

I walked up to the popular kids table and started blabbering physics facts until they paid me to stop. Theodore followed me and tried to get me to stop by yanking on my arm. I ignored Theo and continued my quest, dragging him along.

"You walk and talk

Like you're some new sensation"

I sauntered up to three more cafeteria tables, moving in a circle, blabbering about physics stuff and once again getting paid to shut the heck up. Ohoho! It was working!

"You move in circles

You don't need an invitation"

After school, I turned in my stack of cash at the store to buy that racing game. I went home to play the game, but then found out it wasn't anything like how it was advertised. It was kinda dull. SIGH!

"You spend your money

You can't get no satisfaction"

Back at school, on my mission, I collected money from a bunch more students in the hallway before being pulled away by Simon and Jeanette. They were sick of my big idea. But I needed money for another better, cooler, game!

"You play it right so you can get the right reaction"

Later, Jeanette locked eyes with me as I was paid by Amber, Derek, and Annie to stop talking physics. She gave me that disapproving stare that made my stomach queasy. Uh oh! Guilt? Why am I feeling guilty for this?

"It won't be long my darling"

After school, I started CALLING people to ramble about physics. I was pretty darn confused when they hung up on me. Especially, when one of those people was Kevin!

"Pick up the phone, nobody's on it"

The next day at school, I waved to a group of students. They quickly avoided me and basically RAN away. I was baffled as to why they were doing that. The connections hadn't fully formed. I was too caught up in the money and the physics to realize I was making a mistake.

"Where are your friends now, baby?

Aren't they the ones supposed to be there for

You (you)?

I answered several science questions in Miss. Smith's class and then got sent to the hallway. Brittany looked at me sadly as I walked out of the room. Why was my brain STILL a problem?

"You're falling down

The world's not spinning 'round

You (you)"

I ran up to a group of kids playing soccer in the courtyard and asked to join in. They turned their backs on me and ignored me. I asked Ellie if I could play, but she ignored me too.

"When you're falling down

No, it's not all about

You (you)"

Jeanette met up with me after school. We went to the florist shop. I talked to her about my day and then I used some of the "don't talk about physics" money to buy her a bouquet of irises. Cuz, you know, her middle name is Iris! Plus, she was the only one being supportive of me.

"When you're falling down

You know I'll be around"

Back at home, I lied awake in bed, thinking about how I used to be popular and now no one wants to talk to me, except Jeanette.

"When you're falling down, falling down

Falling down, down, down, you're falling down"

I walked up to the mirror wearing my glasses and pointed finger guns at the mirror. Then, I noticed the glasses were on and moved them up to the brim of my cap. I wanted to see my cool face. Sadly, without them, my entire reflection became too fuzzy to fully make out.

"What's out of place when you look into the mirror?

The truth is blurry, but the lies are getting clearer"

Wearing my reading glasses again, I read more of the physics textbook I bought. Brittany tried to get my attention. I put the book down and waved and smiled at her. She walked off with a huffy sigh. Why was she so mad at my nerdiness?

"Your eyes are fixed, your smile is so elastic

You gave her roses, but they're all just made of plastic"

Later that day, I was hanging out in the Chipettes' treehouse watching Jeanette water her periwinkle vase of Irises. You know, the ones I bought for her. I noticed Britt staring sadly at her red vase of pink plastic apology roses. I didn't understand why she was upset. In my mind, both gifts have the same value. Britt's actually have more, cuz they'll last forever. Irises eventually die.

"It won't be long my darling

Pick up the phone, nobody's on it"

After I left the treehouse, I called up Kevin and Cheesy, but both of them didn't answer the phone at all. It was that moment when I started to wonder if I'd gone too far and pushed away everyone I had left.

"Where are your friends now, baby?

How's anyone supposed to be there for

You (you)?"

I went to the park, because being outside relaxes me. I rode SLOWLY on the merry go round at the park, looking at my wads of money and feeling the guilt. I knew I screwed up. I pushed the limit and now I was paying the price.

"When you're falling down

The world's not spinning 'round"

I thought about everyone's angry faces until they all blurred together into a huge swirling mess in my imagination. How could I have done such a stupid thing?

"You (you)

When you're falling down

No, it's not all about"

Jeanette stopped the slow moving merry go round and climbed onto it. She saw that I was sad and placed an arm around me. I put my head on her shoulder and cried a little, but not a lot…cuz crying is lame.

"You (you)

When you're falling down

You know I'll be around

When you're falling down, falling down"

Back at school, I walked down the hall clutching a physics book to my chest and looking ashamed. The other students all gave me disapproving stares. Frankly, I deserved that. I felt like an idiot.

"Smile for the camera, everybody's looking at ya"

I located Brittany, Eleanor, and Simon who all pointed and laughed and made jokes about how they TOLD me this would happen. Disgusted with them, AND MYSELF, I ran off to the school library, still clutching the physics book.

"Smile for the camera, 'cause they're all about to trash ya"

I don't really know how long I sat alone in the library. I've never been the best at telling time, a fact that I remind people of repeatedly. People always expect me to know things that I don't. They expect me to be aware of everything when I'm too caught up in my own, far more exciting, world.

What was WRONG with me? Why did I do such dumb things even when people told me not to? And why didn't my sudden Nerdification FIX ME!? Why couldn't I have anticipated the consequences of my scheme instead of the consequences of telling my family and friends about my scheme? I needed help. Who could possibly help such an unlovable, unteachable wreck?

"Alvin, are you in here?" The soft and gentle tone of Jeanette called out. Her voice echoed slightly through the empty library. That's due to the soundwaves reflecting off….Urgh, brain STOP! I'm having a crisis. I don't have time to consider physics facts when I am having a crisis.

I didn't answer the friendly Chipette, but I did peek my head out from behind the bookcase.

She walked over to me and sighed. "Come on out, Alvin."

I slinked into view, the guilt oozing from every crevice of my body. "I screwed up." I said, my voice tight in my throat. "Are you mad at me too?"

"Not….Not extremely." She reached out to hand me a tissue. "I know you didn't mean to drive everyone away."

"But you are mad?" My lip quivered. I hated being this vulnerable in front of her. Oh well, at least it wasn't Britt or Pigtails. They would tease me about it for life.

She looked as though she didn't know how to answer. "A little, yes. Everyone is. But, but, I still believe you can turn this around!" Her tail twitched with excitement.

Conversely, I felt my ears droop. I clutched the book tighter. "How?"

Her face was blank. Clearly, she was not expecting that answer. "You apologize for annoying everyone with your fun facts and making them pay you to stop."

"That doesn't fix everything." I moaned. "I'm still doomed to a life of physics brainrot. I have to be. Because if I let myself get physics out of my head, it won't go back in. And I NEED it in. It's part of me."

"Well,…" She scrunched up her nose. "Maybe the answer is to find people that you CAN infodump to. You have to know who to share it with and who you can't and it's a very delicate balance." She babbled. "Plus, then there are people like Brittany and Eleanor who are sometimes interested and sometimes you talk too long and then they tell you to go away and leave them alone."

"Why is it all so….complicated?" I set the physics book down on the library table.

She stared off at one of the bookshelves. "No one knows really. Life just is."

I startled her by grabbing her hand. "Jeanette, can I ask you something I've never asked anyone before?"

Her tiny mouth opened in an O shape. She squeezed my hand gently and then replied about 5 seconds later. "Sure."

"Can you teach me how to be less of an Insufferable Genius?" I blurted out, my cheeks turning hotter by the second. "Simon tried, but his teaching style and my learning style are NOT sympatico."

"Of course I can." She let go of my hand, her face a canvas of joy and exuberance.

"Phew." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Cuz there's no point in having smarts if you can't, you know, use them for good stuff."

"First lesson. You've gotta make amends." We got up from the table and she put her arm around me. "Luckily, that's something you're good at, because you have to do it so often."

I scowled. I know she didn't mean it in a bad way though. And she was right. "Don't remind me."

"Sorry." She hugged me and then we broke apart. "Good luck with the apologies. I'll be right here, cheering you on, from the sidelines." She assured me.

"Why can't you be right next to me?" I questioned. I would feel more confident in my apologies with her around.

She frowned. "I don't want people to think the apologies are my words. I want them to know they're yours."

Hmm. That made sense. "Got it." I smiled. "Hey, think that apologizing will make me popular again?"

"I dunno." Jeanette shrugged. "But popularity is very overrated anyway. The important thing is to have a few really close friends."

I thought about what she said deeply. Popularity really DIDN'T seem as important as it used to. Which was good, because now that my physics obsession was brought to light, my coolness in the eyes of my peers was cooked.

And then I was off on a new quest. The Alvin Seville apology tour was in full swing. I also returned the crummy racing game and gave most people their money back. (I kept Derek, Amber, and Annie's and trust me, if you knew them, you would too. Besides, that was the money I used on Jeanette's flowers.)

"Sorry I kept trying to talk your ears off about science. I know it was wrong. I take full responsibility." I said to a random attractive girl.

"I promise from now on I will talk about physics only when it's appropriate." I told Tommy. I think that's his name. Random tall kid with a baseball cap. Although, from my perspective, everyone is a tall person.

"Sorry for being a complete jerk. I know what I did was wrong now." I tried to apologize to Kevin and Cheesy, who said they accepted it. However, they also said they still need a break from me for an indefinite period of time. Every apology was hammering in how much I screwed up. If I forgot this lesson, I truly was unteachable.

I found Britt in the hallway on my way to the next class. "I would like to, you know, apologize, for the obnoxious-ness of my behavior recently…and uh…also about not listening to you guys." I fumbled out.

"Why don't you go hang out with your sci fi buddies?" She scoffed, turning her head away from me.

I figured the glasses were bugging her, so I moved them back to the brim of my cap. "Because even Kev and Cheesy don't wanna talk to me." I told her sadly.

She had no sympathy whatsoever. "Yeah, you see, that's what happens when you don't shut up about physics." She walked away from me.

So, I did what any Alvin would do. I chased her. My red converse shoes hit the school floor forcefully. "I know! I screwed up! But the main reason I was talking about physics so much is because I thought that if I didn't talk about it enough, I'd forget." She deserved to know the truth behind my insanity.

I regretted telling her. She turned to face me and scowled angrily. "Maybe it would be better if you DID forget."

I gasped. "No! That would be the worst!" I held my free hand to my chest. The other hand was holding my beloved physics book.

"You could have everything you wanted back." Brittany insisted, in a very enticing way.

I stopped dead in my tracks. "You mean my status?"

"Your status, your old friends, maybe even a wonderful girlfriend if you wanted." She went on, also stopping. I guess she wasn't trying to run away from me after all.

I rubbed my neck with my free hand. That awkward gesture was becoming a habit. Then, I said something that no Alvin besides me would EVER say. "Yeah….uh…Thing is…I'm not so sure I need popularity anymore. It might stunt my growth."

Britt came charging at me and grabbed me by the shoulders. "You have to stop talking to Jeanette! She's putting these silly ideas in your head." She begged. "Popularity doesn't work for her, but it DOES work for you."

"Not anymore, Britt. Not anymore." I said truthfully. The nerdy voice in my head had finally won out. I didn't need popularity. I wanted it, but I didn't NEED it.

Brittany let go of me and growled. "Okay. Pick a new name." She ordered.

"Why?" I asked.

"Just do it." She poked my nose. "Unless you want your new name to be Discount Simon."

Discount Simon? Ouch. "Britt…."

"Ah ah ah." She shook her blurry finger in my face. "Look, I need to know what to call you, because I refuse to call you Alvin anymore."

I frowned. I was still Alvin….partially, anyway. "But won't also calling me Simon just make things more confusing?"

"Fine. Now you're Anti-Alvin." She declared. "See you around, Anti-Alvin." She walked away swinging her hips in a dramatic fashion.

I looked at the ground. "At least it still has Alvin in it." I whispered to no one in particular.

I thought about Brittany as I trekked to my art class. Why was she so against my decisions? These were MY decisions. They weren't Jeanette's. I asked Jeanette for advice and she delivered, but ultimately I made the choice. I had made up my mind. I knew what and who I cared about. I know who I wanted to be. And because of Jeanette's kindness and compassion, maybe I finally had the guts to BE HIM.

It felt like I had very little dimension 'til she widened the view. I cannot even begin to repay her. The irises were a start, I guess. Yeah! They were! And she loved them. Maybe next time I'll get her a book she likes or a plush owl or kitty cat or something. We were two oddballs who got cast aside constantly. We fit together perfectly. I am so glad Jeanette Miller is one of my best friends.

ALVIN: Netta, would you like to put in your thoughts?

BRITTANY: I thought I was the guest narrator!

ALVIN: I can have two guest narrators.

JEANETTE: Well, um, I….I….would love to. If it's alright.

ALVIN: You have the floor, superstar.

JEANETTE: Oh, I'm blushing.

BRITTANY: Get a room, you two.

JEANETTE: Get a room where exactly?

ALVIN: Hahahaha!

BRITTANY: Just narrate.

Jeanette's POV

Watching Alvin apologize to all those people made me even more sure he was serious about what we'd discussed. He was growing in ways he never thought possible and I couldn't be more proud of him. Before, he'd only had one thing to focus on. "Being cool." He called it. Now that he'd moved away from traditional high school "coolness," he could discover that there was so much more he'd been missing out on. His narrow minded way of thinking was slowly but surely opening up.

I sat next to him in art class so that I could see what he was working on. It was a comic of somekind. He sure did love comics. There was a superhero in a red cape fighting what appeared to be a rattlesnake.

"Did you know that a rattlesnake's tail rattles because it's made of special scales?" I asked him, happy to have him there to listen to my interesting infodumps. (I learned the word infodump from Brittany.)

Alvin grinned at me and pushed his red glasses up onto his nose. "That's so cool! Did you know that rattlesnakes can see heat? Infrared radiation?"

"I did know that, but it's cute watching you get excited about it." I giggled.

He slid the glasses back down his nose. "I am pretty cute, aren't I?" He winked at me playfully.

I decided it was time to remind him to apologize to his brothers, if he hadn't done so yet. "Did you get a chance to talk to Simon and Theodore?"

He snapped his fingers. "Dang it! No! But I did talk to Britt."

Oh dear. I know Britt wasn't taking Alvin's decisions to change his life in stride. In fact, she was extremely upset about them. Brittany is my sister and I love her very much. That being said, she is not very enjoyable to be around when upset.

"What did she say?" I lined my set of animal shaped erasers up on the desk, avoiding eye contact with Alvin now, but still listening to him.

"Oh, you know, the usual." He sighed. "That I'm not me anymore, that I'm throwing my life away, that I have some sort of nerd virus, that I'm spending too much time with you…"

"Ah. So she's jealous then?" I asked, turning over the cat shaped eraser in my paws.

"Jealous, worried, something along those lines." He tapped me on the shoulder. "I'm still me, right?"

I blinked. I'm not sure I knew where he was going with this. "Why wouldn't you be?"

"Because Britt doesn't want to call me Alvin anymore." He looked at the drawing of the superhero. I think it was him as Superman. The outfit looked familiar. "And I'm not so sure I feel like Alvin anymore either."

He was struggling. He needed advice before he started to question things more than he should. "It's up to you to decide who Alvin is and who he's going to be." I told him in as gentle a way as I could manage.

"So….I am Alvin….just…not the same Alvin I used to be?" He tucked the drawing into a folder.

I nodded and then the art teacher looked at us. I started back on my project for the week. It was a charcoal picture of a cottage surrounded by all sorts of animals. That's why the animal erasers were on my desk. I needed a good visual. I draw best when I can see the object in front of me.

Back at home in the treehouse, I was still working on my art project. I was also listening to Brittany and Eleanor talk and adding to the conversation now and then.

"…so, I guess since Anti-Alvin's not interested, I'm going to have to work on the school Dance Committee ALONE." My older sister grumbled as she colored in a new fashion design she was working on.

"I would help." Eleanor offered, threading fresh white laces into her sneakers. "But I have a soccer team to lead, a baseball team to lead, volunteer work to do, and I still need time to hang with Theo. He's been feeling more left out than usual lately."

"You wouldn't enjoy it anyway, Ellie." She scoffed, setting her pink pom pom topped pen down carefully.

Eleanor looked irritated by that. At least, I think I was picking up irritation. "What makes you say that? You don't know half the things I like."

"Sure I do!" Brittany got out of her chair. "There's sports, and cooking, and…snooping in other people's business…." She scrunched her nose. "And more sports."

"She does fencing." I offered. "And archery."

Brittany glared at me. I didn't understand why she was so mad. Did it have something to do with Alvin? Was she just mad in general? "Yeah. Those fall under SPORTS." She stressed.

"She also plays videogames." I added. "Like that new racing game."

"That was a total dud." Eleanor complained. "Final Drive Fantasy? More like Final Drive Flop! The tracks were so basic."

"At least you were able to get a refund." I reminded her. "And Alvin got one too."

I got up from the table and walked over to water my Irises that Alvin had so kindly bought for me. I hadn't even had to ask for them. Which is good, because I feel very uncomfortable asking for things, even if they're things I really want.

"You mean Anti-Alvin?" Brittany fumed, folding her arms. "Because that is NOT Alvin."

"You really must stop calling him that." I informed her. This was very important for her to know. "You're upsetting his delicate psyche."

She stomped her foot. "And what about my delicate psyche, Sis!? Don't you care how I feel!?"

"Oh, cut the drama, Britt." My youngest sister snapped. It was getting mighty confrontational in here.

"My best friend is basically dying and you're the one who is accidentally murdering him!" She shouted at me. "He doesn't care about anything he used to care about. He isn't FUN anymore. He doesn't even dress the same! He's been wearing his stupid gym shirts for days! They have BLUE on them! Alvin doesn't like blue."

"I….I…." I didn't know what to say to her.

But luckily, Eleanor had some idea. "He's just too lazy to change his clothes. Or, hey, fun idea, maybe we all shouldn't just be chained to a couple colors? Hmmm? Wouldn't that be fun?" She pointed to her sneakers. "Guess what. I like lavender. That's a purple. That's a Jeanette color. Oooooh scandalous." I think she was being sarcastic with the last part. I'm not very good at reading sarcasm though.

"I'm sorry I've been hanging out with Alvin too much." I said to Brittany at last. "And that's taking time away from him being with you. I'm only helping him through a really difficult time in his life."

Brittany sighed and then took a seat, getting back to her fashion design. "I guess you aren't accidentally murdering him."

I furrowed my brows. I was angry at Brittany now. "Are you saying I'm doing it on purpose?"

"What? No no no no!" Brittany smiled at me. I think it was forced, but I'm not positive. "What I'm saying is you aren't killing him at all. But it feels like the Alvin I knew DID die."

I was confused. "But he's still around."

"Urgh. Why is nobody getting this?" She put the pen down again.

"Because he's still annoying. Now he's just booksmart AND annoying." Eleanor explained.

Brittany tightened her lips. "He's very close to stepping on a path that he can't get off of. A path that leads far away from everything that makes him Alvin."

"What things make Alvin…Alvin?" I drew a bit more with my charcoal. "Do you know? Does anyone but Alvin know?"

"I would wager even he doesn't know." My youngest sister chuckled. "Anyway, enough talking about that basket case."

"Do you want to go to the mall this weekend?" Brittany asked, still looking sad.

"Sure." I figured that I could hang out with her instead of Alvin. That might help her cheer up. I would also tell Alvin to discuss things more with Brittany. I feel like she was just lonely and missing when he would call her up and invite her places. She historically doesn't do well with loneliness.

"Eleanor?" Brittany's tail gave a tiny wag. It was good to see her feeling a little better.

The girl in the mint outfit, who had just revealed herself to also like lavender, squinted one of her eyes. "Not much at the mall for me, but I don't have plans this weekend."

"Is that a yes?" Brittany nudged her, smiling.

She batted Brittany's hand away. "It's a yes. But if you make me wear anything with ruffles or make me paint my nails or pierce my ears, you are toast."

"Fabulous!" Brittany hugged us both.

"Does this mean you aren't mad at me anymore?" I asked, as she squished me with her bear hug. She is very strong for her size.

She let me go and then touched my cheek with her hand. "I could never stay mad at you. You're my favorite sister."

"Let's not go picking favorites." Eleanor grumbled.

Brittany touched Eleanor's cheek. "And you're my other favorite sister. You both mean the world to me."

I was a bit confused as to how she could flip so suddenly from being distraught to being absolutely fine. I guess the mall trip was enough to make her stop thinking about everything else.

"Sisters forever! We stand together!" I shouted raising my hands to the sky.

That night, as we were getting ready for bed, Brittany sat at her vanity and looked at the stack of fliers with Alvin's face on them.

"He'll be fine, Britt." I told her softly.

She wiped a small tear from her eye and tried to make it look like she hadn't been crying. "Be careful with him, okay?" She requested. "He's very impressionable right now."

"I will." I had to honor her wishes. That's what sisters do. They listen to and respect each other. "He's in good hands."

"And don't let him manipulate you either." She warned. "He's very good at that. I've seen you editing things for him."

"We have a system." I smiled. "He's also learning how to spell and check his own grammar. I don't do everything for him. Plus, well, he's done things for me too."

"Like buy you flowers." She sulked. Why did the flowers upset her so? Alvin knows I like flowers and he bought me flowers. That's all there is to it.

I tilted my head. "Didn't he buy you flowers too?"

She flopped back onto my bed. "Just stupid fake ones. Shows you exactly how he feels about me. I'm a fake friend. He sees me as a fake friend. He has since that day my secret came out."

Ohhhh! I understood now. "Britt, I don't think fake flowers means he thinks you're fake."

"Well then what do they mean!? And how come you get real ones!?" She muttered.

I ran over to the nightstand where her roses were. I carefully lifted the plastic bouquet and held them out for her to see. "Because these last forever, without much upkeep. Much like your friendship with Alvin." I went on, telling her the way I saw everything. "You both act like enemies. You insult each other, you prank each other, you're rude to each other, you act like you can't stand each other….and yet, you're still friends. You would risk your life to protect him and he would do the same for you. And that, that is what these roses represent."

She took the roses and held them to her chest. A tiny hint of a smile inched onto her face.

"Or maybe it was something as simple as Alvin knows I take better care of flowers or that I'd have more fun watering them and you would complain about it and make Eleanor do it." I added. "But I like the other interpretation more."

"Me too, sis." Her ice blue eyes shined again. She must have been feeling better. "Me too."

I led her to the window and we looked out at the night sky. The stars twinkled like diamonds. I hoped that watching the stars would make Brittany feel as serene and peaceful as I did. Maybe she could imagine them as gems on a new dress design? Or maybe a jacket? Or a skirt? Or maybe a pair of heels? The possibilities were endless.

And, because I had been practicing reading situations better, I knew now was not the appropriate time to tell her fun facts about all the constellations. I'd save that kind of thing for another time. For now, we stood and quietly appreciated the beauty of mother nature after dark.

How'd you like the surprise Jeanette POV? Eleanor gets to narrate some of story 5 and I am looking so forward to writing her. She is a real feisty little fireball.

There's one chapter left before this story wraps! Will Alvin finally break the news to Dave? Will he take the next marking period of Dr. Wilson's physics class and learn even more advanced stuff?

He's also still gotta apologize to his brothers as well. Maybe finally take a fraction of Simon's advice?

You'll have to keep reading to find out!