The moment she arrived home from the dance, Brittany desperately tried to get Eleanor off her back. She simply told her baby sister she was exhausted and that must have been the reason she suddenly got very dizzy back at school. The auburn-haired Chipette then told the younger blonde Chipette that if she would just let her get upstairs, into bed, and stop playing twenty questions with her, it would help improve her fatigued condition significantly.
It seemed this was all Brittany needed to say to make Eleanor finally stop trying to force her to talk about what had happened by that staircase in their school hallway. The eldest Miller sister was utterly relieved this actually worked. The walk home felt like the longest minute of her life, with her youngest sister literally right behind her.
Eleanor had been able to catch up to Brittany in no time due to her own strong athletic skills and Brittany's weakened condition. So she had to deal with rapid-fire questions from Eleanor the whole time. She swore Eleanor was almost as bad as all those reporters back at the gym at that moment.
Once the oldest Chipette finally got to her bedroom, she quickly closed the door behind her and just about ripped the ill-fitting pink dress off. She hastily slipped into her silky pink nightgown and settled into bed, despite it not even being ten yet. It was her intention to get to bed early tonight, after all.
Brittany laid in her bed for a while with her eyes closed, but sleep just did not seem to be coming to her at all right now. No matter how hard she tried, she just could not get her mind off the events from the dance. Shelby hearing her throw up in the bathroom and then the whole conversation with her former friend that followed after. The invasive questions all those reporters kept hurling at her. And of course, Alvin and Eleanor seeing her nearly pass out again.
The wave of panic came flooding back and she continued to wonder how long it would be before everyone caught on to her. And then she started thinking about doing what had now become a dangerous habit for her. This led to what felt like endless tossing and turning. She had no idea how long this had been going on for, but finally opened her eyes and sat up in bed after a while.
As the Chipette sat there, she felt her heart speed up and her breathing become shallow. She had been so determined not to engage in binging and purging tonight. So why couldn't she stop thinking about it? Why couldn't she just go to sleep?
Finally, the teenager threw down the pink covers and climbed out of the bed. She spotted her silky pink bathrobe that matched her nightgown laying out on a chair, threw it on, slipped her feet into her pink slippers, and walked out of her room as she headed downstairs. She was barely even paying attention as she made her way into the kitchen.
When the teenage Chipette was finally in the kitchen, she opened up the refrigerator and examined the contents inside. She pulled out some leftover lasagna from dinner the night before that was on a plate and covered in shrinkwrap, as well as her own plain fat-free vanilla yogurt she would eat in front of her sisters in an effort to ward off their suspicions.
Brittany put those two items down on the kitchen table, opened the freezer, and pulled out half a carton of cookie dough ice cream, placing it on the table as well. Then she unwrapped the lasagna, popped it into the microwave and heated it up. As her lasagna was cooking, she pulled a spoon out from a drawer, headed back to the table and pulled the lid off the ice cream carton. But right as she was about to dig in with a shaky hand, Brittany stopped herself and hesitated.
She had promised herself earlier that she was not going to do this tonight. So why was she? Why was she unable to keep the promises she made herself anymore? Why was this all so difficult for her?
Brittany's hand continued to shake like a leaf with the spoon still in it. She sat there tormented by whether or not she should be doing this, hopelessly trying to talk herself out of it. She heard the microwave beep, which indicated that her lasagna was ready. Yet continued to sit there and struggle with her emotions. Eventually, she surrendered to her cravings and scooped up the cookie dough ice cream with her spoon, shoveling large portions into her mouth until the carton was empty.
The pink-clad teenager then took her lasagna out of the microwave and started digging in with the same spoon she finished off the ice cream with, not even bothering to grab a fork to eat it as she normally would. She cried while eating her lasagna, knowing that she lost control of her actions again and being well aware of what she was going to do next. Worst of all, she was super terrified Eleanor or Jeanette would walk in and catch her at any moment.
Brittany polished off the plate of lasagna and finally ate the small container of yogurt as well. Once finished, she loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Then she threw out the carton of cookie dough ice cream and container of vanilla yogurt. She decided to take the trash out herself tonight and put a new garbage bag in.
Normally, Brittany would rather die than be the one to take out the trash. She would usually try to pass off that responsibility to one of her sisters, even when Miss Miller was alive. And on the rare occasions when she did get stuck with taking care of the garbage herself, she would whine endlessly about it. About how it was gross and stinky and would totally ruin her manicure.
But things were different now. She had been determined to hide any evidence of her binge sessions from her little sisters. So this meant having to give in and do things she hated doing. Once the trash was taken care of, she scurried into the bathroom.
Brittany washed her hands at the sink, then turned on the water of the bathtub, silently praying her sisters wouldn't wake up. And if one of them did, she hoped they wouldn't question her taking a bath in the middle of the night. As the water was running, the Chipette knelt in front of the toilet with tears in her eyes. As she lifted her finger to her mouth, engaging in the dreadful act of purging, all she could think about was how much she wanted this whole pattern to end.
A few days later, Jeanette Miller brought the mail into their house and began sorting through it. She made three separate piles. One for herself, one for Brittany's mail, and another for Eleanor. The brunette Chipette then let out a dejected sigh when she realized that there was some mail there for Miss Miller too. Reluctantly, she created a pile for her late adoptive mother as well.
Even though it had been a year and a half since Miss Miller passed away, they were still getting her mail at their home. This made sorting through the mail Jeanette's least favorite chore of all these days. Most of the time, she was usually happy to trade this one off with Brittany for taking out the garbage, cleaning out the cat's litter box, mopping the floors, or doing the dishes. In fact, going through the mail was the one chore her older sister never complained about, since she loved seeing when new issues of the various magazines she was subscribed to arrived for her.
However, the middle Miller sister felt differently about being given this task. Seeing mail for Miss Miller made her so emotional every single time. It was such a blatant reminder that her mother was gone and Jeanette would never be able to give her mail again. Or see her reading one of her celebrity gossip magazines on the living room couch. Or if Jeanette was watching a movie or tv show with her, she would share the gossip she read about one of the stars in those magazines.
The middle Chipette had disliked those types of magazines herself. She felt they were incredibly mean-spirited and always took anything published in them with a grain of salt. But Miss Miller believed she had to keep up with celebrity gossip in order to better relate to her teenage daughters. Even though Jeanette did try explaining to the sweet elderly woman how inaccurate most of what was printed in those magazines were, she gave up after a while.
But as the brunette teenager was going through her late mother's mail, something caught her eye. She picked up what appeared to be another tabloid magazine featuring a picture of Brittany from the dance. The brunette pulled her glasses up slightly and held the magazine closer to her to read the text.
Her heart caught in her throat and her eyes widened as the shock grew more and more by the minute when she read the headline:
Brittany Miller: Secretly addicted to painkillers? A source close to The Chipettes reveals their band leader's recent weight loss might be connected to the injury of her knee she suffered from last year.
Naturally, Jeanette's curiosity got the better of her. After all, she had an obligation to see what was being written about her big sister. Even if everything printed was a lie, she knew it would only be a matter of time before Brittany heard about it too. So finding out would help her in providing her sister with the support she would undoubtedly need.
Jeanette's heart raced as she slowly opened up the magazine, afraid of the scandalous words she anticipated reading about her sister. She cautiously thumbed through the pages until eventually getting to the one she was looking for. There it was. A picture of all six of them performing at their school. The photograph was so huge, it spread across two pages.
Below the photo, there was a white background with the text of the article written in black. The purple-clad teenager pulled her glasses back down, walked into the living room as she was reading, and nearly tripped over the cat, who quickly ran out of the way. Probably having learned her lesson from the time Miss Miller had tripped over her and strained her ankle.
However, the cat's sudden movement caused Jeanette to stumble over onto the ground. But the brunette quickly picked herself back up and made her way over to the couch. As the purple-clad Chipette made herself comfortable on the couch, she continued reading. A frown had clearly taken over her whole face at this point.
The piece started off talking about this being the comeback performance for The Chipettes and how perfect the show was. But then it quickly shifted to discussing the way Brittany had looked at the event. About her haggard appearance and noticeable weight loss. It talked about how this had prompted concerns about the lead singer's overall health.
It once again mentioned the source, saying that this specific reporter had spoken to a classmate of Brittany's who had confirmed that the ex-head cheerleader was prescribed painkillers after being diagnosed with a torn ACL last spring. And word is, she never stopped taking them. Even after doctors had advised her to.
There were even more details about how this former social butterfly was now nowhere to be seen at all the hottest parties or school events within the last year. It went on to state that this was somehow connected to Brittany's "using", implying she was spending her time getting high instead. Even more misleading information followed, stating that the oldest Chipette had pushed all her friends away, likely out of fear that they would catch on to her drug habit.
It then went on about how she had broken the hearts of several boys who wanted a chance to date her after her breakup with Alvin and also declined many who wanted to take her to this most recent dance. It even speculated that the reason Alvin had dumped her was because of this little problem she refused to get help for. It hinted the breakup was far from mutual like both chipmunks had claimed and that it only made Brittany's "addiction" spiral even more out of control.
The report concluded by asking how this was going to affect the lead Chipette's career and guardianship of her sisters. Jeanette forced the magazine closed and practically crumpled it in her hands. She then attempted to throw it onto the coffee table, but missed and it landed on the floor instead.
The middle Miller sister's hands were now both balled into fists, with a huge scowl on her face and a fire in her eyes. She was angry. And it was very rare for Jeanette Miller to be angry like this. She usually tried to remain calm and collected most of the time. But this was different.
Even though she had known for a while now that Brittany was hiding something major from them all, she did not believe one word that was printed in that tabloid she just read. Brittany had quit taking painkillers months ago, when her orthopedist stopped giving them to her. Even when she was taking them, it was only as recommended by Dr. North. And these so-called "journalists" were grasping at straws with everything else they had written in this piece.
Jeanette sighed heavily, knowing that this was just one report she happened to come across and that there were likely others going around with a similar story or possibly even worse lies. Her heart ached for her elder sister. She wondered how long it would be before her big sister found out about this rumor going around about her. Or maybe she already knew since Brittany tended to follow celebrity gossip herself.
Sure enough, the middle Chipette's prediction was accurate. Brittany had decided to stop at the drug store on her way home from school to pick up some more makeup and nail polish. As the teenager in pink was waiting on the line to check out, she spotted a magazine with her picture on it.
Of course, this was enough to pique her curiosity. But as the pony-tailed Chipette got a closer look, it was the headline above her picture that legitimately made her heart practically stop. Her ice blue eyes widened as she read the horrifying title:
Brittany Miller: Is the grieving Chipette using painkillers to numb more than just her physical pain? A close source says yes.
Brittany reached out over to the shelf and pulled the magazine from it in one swift motion. She then frantically flipped through the pages until she got to the one she wanted. When she accomplished this, she read the article as she continued to wait on line. The Chipette knew immediately that she was going to regret doing this. But she just had to know what was being said about her!
As the young Chipette carried on with thoroughly looking over the piece of writing, her outrage grew stronger and her grip on the magazine tightened progressively with each slanderous comment she absorbed. She truly could not believe the false information unfolding right before her eyes. Her breathing became less steady as her knuckles whitened from her grip. As if the allegations that she was abusing painkillers had not been bad enough. But there were other lies in there as well.
When it was time for Brittany to check out, she emptied her basket of beauty products out onto the counter. The twenty-something female cashier then pointed to the magazine the Chipette was holding in her right hand.
"Do you want me to ring that up too?" The friendly cashier asked her in a cheerful voice.
This jolted the teen Chipette right out of the troubling thoughts going on in her head.
"No," Brittany replied, as she shook her head.
She then handed the magazine back to the young cashier face down, desperate to keep her from seeing the front and identifying her as the same girl. Although she had a feeling the cashier most likely knew who she was anyway. She was famous, after all. And it's not like there were very many female chipmunks in their town.
The cashier took the magazine, placed it behind the counter, and continued to ring up the remaining items in the basket. At the same time, a whirlwind of emotions started spinning through Brittany's mind. She had very mixed feelings about what she had just read.
While she was definitely pissed off about the false information the tabloids were spreading about her, she also felt a strange sense of relief. She was relieved because at least this fictional drug addiction that was being reported was a distraction from what was really going on with the teenager. The secret that she was so desperate to keep anyone else from finding out.
After Brittany had paid for the products she bought and left the store, a small smile formed on her lips. She continued to bask in the relief that her habit of binging and purging would stay under wraps. And she was determined to keep it that way. But as always, this emotion was very short lived. She quickly moved on to panic as she made her way home.
She was now rumored to be a drug addict! How was she going to explain this one to her sisters? To Dave? Or her social worker? And everyone at school?
She absolutely dreaded the thought of going to school tomorrow. She could already anticipate all the pointing and whispering in her direction as she walked through those hallways. Oddly enough, this was bringing back some memories for her as well.
When she was cheer captain just last year, she was usually the one on top of school gossip. She remembered standing by the lockers with her squad in the mornings and between classes. How they would all stand there talking about the latest rumors they heard while giggling and then trying to discreetly point at the subject of the rumor if they happened to walk by. Though she was sure their targets noticed anyway.
But she didn't appreciate gossip very much when she was on the other side of it. She was not used to being the one being talked about, laughed at, pointed at, or stared at. Actually, maybe she was technically used to being talked about and stared at. But not for all the wrong reasons like that.
She was Brittany Miller. The most popular girl in school. The one all the girls wanted to be and all the boys wanted to be with. At least, that used to be true. Now she was not so sure where she fell on the social spectrum in their school and she hated it so much.
In the meantime, Jeanette restlessly paced back and forth in the living room back at the Miller house. The bespectacled Chipette had gotten up from the couch, picked the magazine up off the floor, and put it down on the coffee table. She was trying to come up with a plan of action.
As she was pacing and fidgeting with the hem of her loosely-fitting purple sweater, Jeanette's thoughts kept going back to how Brittany was going to take it when she heard about this. The eldest Chipette was already in such a fragile state. What if this latest vicious rumor ended up causing the amount of stress she was currently under to significantly increase?
She knew how concerned Brittany had always been about her public image. There was no doubt in Jeanette's mind that her older sister was going to be devastated when she heard what the press was saying about her. And she did not even want to think about how this was going to affect her social standing at school, which was also in very delicate shape now.
Poor Brittany. Everything she had worked so hard for throughout her entire life was falling apart right in front of their very eyes. And to make matters worse, Brittany was still extremely closed off from both her sisters. This was going to make comforting her all the more difficult.
Jeanette decided right then and there that it was time she showed Brittany the magazine article. She desperately hoped this would finally get the eldest sister to let them in on what she was really going through, whatever it was. After all, the truth couldn't be worse than what the media was saying about her right now. Could it?
Jeanette picked up the offending magazine and went to search for Brittany, hoping her big sister had returned home from school by now. By the time she made her way back to the kitchen, Eleanor was in there. The youngest Miller sister was baking muffins. Tomorrow was the last day of school before spring break, which the high school had always used as the day to hold their annual bake sale.
Naturally, Eleanor had volunteered to bake her famous blueberry muffins, just like she did every year. And the girls all knew that right next door at the Seville house, Theodore was baking his own well-known chocolate chip muffins. Together, the couple was an unstoppable force at their school's spring bake sale.
The two youngest chipmunks were always tied as far as which students sold the most at the bake sale. As a matter of fact, all of the muffins the two of them baked would be completely sold out. Admittedly, this did have a tendency to bring out Eleanor's more competitive side. However, Theodore was always satisfied with the plain knowledge that his muffins were making other people happy.
After briefly taking in the delicious scent of blueberries as Eleanor was carefully placing the first group of muffins into the oven with her spring green oven mitts on, Jeanette cleared her throat as she prepared to ask her little sister if she knew Brittany's whereabouts.
"Hi, Eleanor." The middle Chipette cautiously greeted the youngest Chipette. "Have you seen Brittany? Is she home?"
Eleanor shook her head no.
"Don't think so." The youngest Miller replied, as she took the oven mitts off and then adjusted her spring green apron. "I saw her by the lockers after my last class. I was gonna walk with her since I skipped soccer practice. I wanted to get a head start on baking for tomorrow. But she said she had to stop and pick up some stuff from the drug store. I don't think she's back yet."
Jeanette then let out an exasperated sigh, as her eyes darted around all corners of the room. Eleanor must have sensed how distressed her older sister was.
"Why?" Eleanor asked, her kind voice filled with concern. "What's up?"
Jeanette wordlessly handed the magazine over to her little sister, who was now stirring up more muffin batter in the mixing bowl, obviously getting another set of muffins ready.
Eleanor set the bowl and spoon down on the big kitchen table, next to the previously made tray of muffins. She accepted the magazine from her big sister. The first thing the blonde Chipette did was examine the front cover. Her brown eyes practically popped out of their sockets when she saw the headline.
"No way!" The blonde teenager exclaimed. "Ugh, this is just trash! They can't be serious?"
There was now dead silence throughout the Miller house. Eleanor's hands trembled as she turned the pages until she got to the piece about Brittany, dreading what was to come.
Eleanor's agitation clearly grew as she read each line. Her normally sweet brown eyes now glared at the pages in front of her, her lips twisted into a frown, and her face was turning red. When she appeared to have finished reading the article, she slammed it down and pounded the table, almost knocking everything off of it.
"I can't believe this!" The green-clad Chipette furiously spoke up, as she gripped the edges of the table. "They're painting Brittany as some kind of troubled former child star. This is just cruel."
"Yeah, and we both know she hasn't taken any painkillers in months. Not since Dr. North told her to stop and her last prescription ran out. Besides, she hated taking those even when she needed them. Remember how she would always complain about them making her so sleepy? Or how she said they were hard on her stomach when she didn't eat enough?"
"Yup. And she also had concerns about being on meds that could mess with her head for too long. You know how much of a control freak she is."
"Right, so I highly doubt she's abusing painkillers or any other drugs. Prescription or not. But..." The Chipette in purple started to trail off.
"You still think something else is going on with her." Her younger sister finished that thought for her.
"Yes," Jeanette nodded with a sigh and a clear frown on her face. "There's just too many red flags to ignore. We've all noticed. Even Simon keeps asking me how she's been doing since the incident at rehearsal. It scared the boys too."
The sad look in the taller girl's eyes was obvious, even through her glasses.
Eleanor gave an understanding nod.
"Do you think Alvin's heard what the press is saying about Brittany?" The shorter teenage girl asked, recalling her conversation with the eldest Chipmunk on the soccer field just one week before that rehearsal where Brittany had collapsed.
"I have no idea. I just saw this today. It was... it's mail that we're still getting for Miss Miller."
Jeanette blinked rapidly as her vision started to blur. She could no longer keep herself from crying. She removed her glasses and set them down on the table as she wiped her eyes while tears fell out of them.
"We've already lost so much." The purple-clad teenager said through sobs. "We lost the only mother we ever knew. I can't handle losing a sister too..."
The girl in green wrapped her arms around her older sister as she tried to hold back her own tears.
"It'll be ok." Eleanor reassured her sister, feigning the optimism she knew everyone expected of her. "Whatever Brittany's going through... we'll find out what it is. And make sure she gets help if that's what she needs."
"But how do we help her if she won't confide in us? Every attempt to talk just makes her angry. And I... I can't stand the thought of pushing her away forever!"
Jeanette continued crying throughout her speech and was now struggling to breathe. Eleanor hugged her tighter and stroked her back.
"I know this might seem like a shot in the dark... but... maybe Alvin could get some information out of her?"
"Alvin?" The older Chipette asked cautiously, while reaching for her glasses and putting them back on. "Are you sure Brittany will be ok with that? You know, considering the way he ended things with her..."
Eleanor bit her lower lip.
"Look, you and I both know Brittany still has feelings for Alvin, as much as she tries to deny it. And... I strongly suspect his feelings for her never went away either. You know how stubborn they both are. But I've seen him with Lindsay. Their relationship seems pretty one-sided. But whatever's going on there, I know he still cares about Britt. He told me so himself not that long ago. I could tell he meant it too."
"So you think Brittany would actually talk to him about something she won't even open up to us about?"
Eleanor hesitantly started twirling her platinum blonde French braid, as she tried hard not to doubt her own words. But she collected herself and continued with her determined attitude.
"It's obvious Alvin's opinion still matters to Brittany. I think maybe if he lets her know how worried he is about her too, she might finally open up."
The two younger Miller sisters continued to chat about whether getting the oldest Seville brother involved would be the best course of action to take.
Eventually, Brittany had returned home from her trip to the drug store. She was still seriously distressed over that whole fabricated story she read about herself. The intrusive thoughts she kept having refused to leave her alone. It felt like her brain was going to explode.
She dumped her pink tote bag and plastic bag from the drug store by the front door as she walked into the Miller home. She was immediately greeted by the aroma of blueberries. Feeling hungry after yet another day of not having eaten properly, she let her nose guide her into the kitchen.
By the time she had made it there, it was empty. She figured her sisters were probably upstairs in their shared room doing their homework. However, the Chipette in pink instantly noticed the tray of blueberry muffins left out right there on the kitchen table. She knew right away that had to be the scent she had detected from the living room.
She also knew about the school's annual bake sale tomorrow and that Eleanor had been at home making muffins for the event. Eleanor had even told her earlier that she would be skipping out on soccer practice this afternoon just so she could dedicate extra time to cooking for the bake sale. Brittany recognized how serious her baby sister must have been about this, considering that she was even willing to miss soccer for it.
Before the blue-eyed teenager even realized what she was doing, she sat down in the chair that was right in front of the muffin tray. Then she yanked a blueberry muffin from the tray and crammed as much of it into her mouth as she could. When she was finished with it, she pulled out another and also ate it. It was like her brain was on autopilot.
Then she started on another muffin after she finished her second. But in the middle of chowing down on that third muffin, she stopped and realized that a whole row of the muffin tray was now empty. The teenager was mortified beyond belief.
What was she doing? What had she done? Eleanor was for sure going to notice this! And she was supposed to bring these to school tomorrow morning with Theodore. She knew her youngest sister was going to be pissed. She had worked so hard on these baked goods all afternoon.
Still, Brittany could not stop herself from eating more of them. If anything, the stress she was feeling over wondering how she was going to explain this to Eleanor was making it even more difficult to control herself.
She cried as guilt consumed her with each bite. Guilt for losing control yet again, guilt for eating food she knew was not meant for her, and guilt over what would inevitably come after this binge. She could already taste the bile, which overpowered the sweet flavor of the freshly baked treats she was consuming.
All these fears continued to torture her during this session. What was she going to do when Eleanor found out about the missing muffins?
A/N: Oh no! Do you think Eleanor is going to figure out who ate all the muffins? And if so, will she freak out over it? Or maybe cut Brittany some slack with everything that's unfolding?
And what do you think of Jeanette and Eleanor's plan to get Alvin involved? Do you think he'll be able to get Brittany to talk? Or will it end up backfiring?
And how about the headlines that were cooked up for Brittany? Brutal, huh? Poor girl can't catch a break! How did these reporters come up with such outrageous lies?
What do you think school is going to be like for Brittany the next day? Will this ruin spring break for her?
Huge thank you to every single one of you who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this fic! Your support means so much to me. Seriously, you guys are the best!
Again, I apologize for having been slow to update these last couple of months. My miniature boss (aka my adorable toddler) has been keeping me super busy! But at least I posted another hearty chapter for you to make up for lost time! Thank you for hanging in there with me.
I'm gonna try to get the next chapter up a little faster. But I also don't want to rush too much because I want it to be good!
As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter and theories on what's to come. Your feedback is like morning coffee for my writing. It motivates me and I love reading it! Seriously can't thank you enough. Hope everyone is having an amazing 2024 so far.
Until next time!
