Journey To Excelsior

by AmbitiousAlvin

Everyone knows that Alvin's been through a lot of development to get to the point he's at today. However, a BIG question remains. How exactly DID Alvin become Alvin 2.0? What was he like at the start of the change? In the middle? How about the end? Well, look no further! I have all the answers right here in this story made of many mini stories! Narrated by: Alvin feat the other 5

50. Geeks In Love Part 1

Chapter 50! Can you believe I made it this far!? I am very surprised that I was able to stick with this for so long.

Coming up, are some of the moments I have been dying to write since this fic began. The moments that explain why events in Alvinette Sunset play out like they do. Sorry again, Alvittany fans.

I'm sorry it's taken so long to reach this part as well, but Alvin went through a TON of development before this point. I couldn't just have him hang out with Jeanette once or twice and then fall madly in love. That wouldn't be organic. The buildup needed to feel REAL.

Anyway, I am not someone who ever thought that they'd write stories about romantic love. (I prefer to write platonic friendships and family stuff.) I never planned to have what happens in this fic happen. The characters in the roleplay drove the story themselves. I cannot stress that enough. These guys usually take my original plans and shred them to pieces haha.

Before this note becomes longer than the fic itself, I have one more thing to say. There are many forms of romance and all are valid and non-traditional romances are just as valid as the traditional kind. Romance also doesn't ALWAYS mean "bedroom antics" and stuff. It annoys me when people claim it does.

I hope you all enjoy this crazy fic about the confusion and uncertainty romance can bring.

Alvin 2.0's POV

The summer days continued to pass by quickly. Before I knew it, August had arrived and brought with it more surprises. I was about to experience another shakeup and as usual, I was blissfully unaware of it. As far as I was concerned, my identity crisis was almost over…and likely as "solved" as it ever would be.

I was LIVING IT UP this summer! I'd had more fun than ever before! Pool parties, skatepark trips, videogames, messing with Simon's VR machine, karate classes, playing soccer with Eleanor, playing volleyball with Brittany, I even did puzzles and played board games with Theo! Warbie and I did some fun stuff too. We watched all the Brothers Of Dagarak movies in order together. Simon and Theo even joined in for a couple! Dave and I did some stuff together too, although he was still pretty busy.

I was busy too! I drew up plans for several new inventions, studied physics and genuinely embraced the total dweebus that I was proud to be at last. It still felt wrong, I was STUDYING on SUMMER VACATION, after all, but, nevertheless I enjoyed it. It felt more wrong to deny my attachment to science. This was me now, whether anyone liked it or not.

People DID like me. Some people anyway. They were all slowly getting used to this whole 2.0 thing. It had taken a while to settle, but I was sure it would be smooth sailing from here. What could go wrong? For the first time in ages, everything felt AMAZING!

In addition to all the other summer fun, Jeanette and I had enrolled in a summer ballet class. I was hoping to pick up some moves to WOW my classmates once I was back in school in the fall. Jeanette joined because she loves ballet, and she's excited to be a part of the show our class is putting on.

"What show do you think we're doing?" She asked, practicing her warm up routine, dressed in an adorable purple leotard and tutu.

I gripped the bar next to the mirror and practiced lifting my leg as far up as it could go. "I think I heard it's gonna be Halloween themed." I replied. "But that might just be a rumor."

"Hmm." She reached down to touch her toes. "If that's the case, maybe we should ask Eleanor to join us."

"Or we could just invite her to watch the show." I winked at Jeanette. "Once we score the lead roles, of course."

I set my leg back on the floor and began practicing more ballet positions. I tend to get the order of first through fifth position all mixed up, so I was happy Jeanette was there to guide me along.

But I didn't want Eleanor there, nor did I expect Eleanor to have any interest. Sure, she'd taken ballet classes before, but she's moved on to different stuff.

The beautiful girl with the purple glasses rubbed her chin. "How are you so sure we'll get the lead roles?"

"Because it's you and me." I squeaked. "We can do anything, Netta."

"Attention, class!" Our teacher, Miss. Emma entered the dance studio. She was the same teacher I had for my ballet class at school. I don't think she hated me as much as Miss. Smith, but she definitely didn't really LIKE me either.

Jeanette and I turned to face the woman in the pink and purple leotard.

Miss. Emma continued to talk. "You've all shown a lot of improvement in the last couple weeks. I'm very impressed by all of you. I'm also very excited to finally tell you the theme of the show we'll be performing soon."

"What is it?" One of the other students asked.

Miss. Emma clapped her hands together. "Zombies!"

"Whoah! Cool!" My eyes widened. I definitely preferred Zombies to something like Swan Lake. "So, we get to dance around dressed as the undead!?"

Jeanette looked unsure, and gripped the bar on the wall so much that her knuckles turned white. I guess she's not a fan of this sorta stuff.

"Well, this won't be like Thriller or anything, Alvin." The teacher explained. "It's based on the Disney channel movie called Zombies."

The Chipette in purple released her hands from the bar and let out the breath she'd been holding in. "That sounds…very interesting." She responded.

I'd seen the movie at least once. Even though I had been counting on something more like Thriller, I wasn't disappointed. I did have serious questions about how they were gonna make a movie like that into a BALLET though. It seemed kinda like a ridiculous concept.

"Ohhh. Neat!" I said.

"Tryouts will be held in a few days." Miss. Emma passed each one of us a brochure detailing the story, the dance steps, and all the parts to audition for. "Best of luck to you all. Remember, there are no small parts."

Class dragged on as normal, and we all practiced the rather complicated ballet routine. By the time 2:00pm rolled around, Jeanette and I were exhausted and ready to move on to whatever else the day had in store.

"Ohhh I hope we get the leads." Jeanette sighed happily as we headed up the winding staircase to the Chipettes' treehouse.

"Me too." I pulled off my rainbow sneakers. "Gosh, my feet are killing me." I rubbed them with my hands.

Jeanette looked through the brochure we'd been given. "You're going to make the perfect Zed." She told me with a touch of pink spreading to her cheeks.

I racked my brain for what I remembered from the movie. Surprisingly, more than I expected to.

"And you'll make a stupendous Addison." I told Jeanette honestly.

"Time out! Time out! Time out!" Warbie flew between the two of us, loudly interrupting our moment. "Aren't Zed and Addison like…a couple?"

"Yeah." I responded. "So?"

Jeanette patted Warbie's head tenderly. "It's only for the show." She assured him. "And only if we get the lead roles."

Pippi, Jeanette's pet mouse, climbed onto the counter in the Chipettes' kitchen. She squeaked loudly to get Jeanette's attention.

"No, no, Pippi. Alvin and I are just friends." The girl in the light purple tank top said firmly.

I felt my heartbeat grow faster. "Yeah. Just friends." I murmured, wondering why saying that felt so weird. Jeanette WAS my friend. That was that.

Warbie tapped his talon on the table. "If you guys do get the leads, Britt's gonna blow up." He warned.

Jeanette let out a heavy sigh. "You…You have a point there." She admitted.

"Right, yeah. Brittany ruins EVERYTHING." I growled angrily. "I guess maybe we should try for smaller parts."

"Or you could be Zed and someone else could play Addison." Jeanette suggested.

I scrunched my nose in disgust. "I don't want you giving up the lead role just for that….that…DIVA." I folded my arms.

"It's alright." The Chipette in purple responded, sitting down at the table and tickling her pet mouse. "I'll probably just mess up the dance steps anyway."

"No you won't!" It hurt me to hear her have such little faith in herself. "You're an amazing dancer! You deserve that part more than anyone else in the class."

She looked up at me. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely!" I smiled at her. "I'll talk to Britt and smooth things over, I promise. We can do this, you and me."

She shook her head. "It's too risky. Brittany's already mad that we're taking the class together. This will send her over the edge, for sure." The sweet girl buried her face in her hands.

"Netta…" I sat next to her and spoke gently. "You can't keep lettin' your sister walk all over you. You're allowed to do things that you want to do. You have every right. Heck, I'd even let you get a lead role and I'll be your backup dancer if that'll work better." I offered.

The girl with the breathtaking midnight eyes pouted. "I wanted…I wanted us both to try out for the leads together." She admitted. "I love dancing with you."

I felt heat rush through me. The sun seemed to shine brighter through the window. "I love dancin' with you too."

Pippi squeaked something at Warbie and the little bird just shrugged his wings. I had a feeling they were trying to figure out what was going on between Jeanette and I.

"We'll figure something out." I said, slipping my hand into hers and helping her up from the table.

She nodded sweetly. "Okay. I…I trust you." She squeaked.

The next day, Jeanette and I waited until Brittany was definitely not around and then we practiced our routine. While her irritating sister was off making sand castles on the beach with Theo, we were singing and leaping across the backyard. My Assemblés were getting better. (That's a ballet term for a jump from one foot where you land on two feet at the same time.)

As we practiced, we also sang together. Jeanette was one of my favorite people to sing with, although my brothers were still very high up on that list.

The song we picked, was a song from the Zombies movie…because of course it was!

I leapt around like a gazelle. "You're from the perfect paradise, and I'm living on the other side."

Jeanette's ballet moves almost took my breath away. "Oh, I've got a feeling, if you get to know me" She sang.

"Right from the start, you caught my eye. Something inside me came to life…" I made a perfect pirouette.

"Ooh, I've got a feeling, if you get to know me" Jeanette copied my move and we both spun into each other, falling into the grass together.

We picked ourselves up and continued the routine.

I took extra care to control my breathing while dancing. "Someday, this could be,.."

"This could be ordinary." Jeanette finished. "Someday…"

"Could we be something extraordinary?" I completed the line, smiling wide at her.

We both lunged and twirled and lost ourselves in the moment. We sang the chorus together in pure bliss.

"You and me, side by side, out in the broad daylight. If they laugh, we'll say, "We're gonna be someday."

After we finished practicing, we laid down on the soft grass and stared up at the fluffy clouds. I put my hands behind my head. She put hers at her sides.

"We are gonna crush that audition." I said confidently.

Jeanette nodded and then her pink nose twitched. "Do you smell that?"

"Ohoho! Eleanor must be baking something!" I sniffed the air.

"Who wants some blueberry muffins?" The girl with pigtails called out, appearing on the balcony of the treehouse with a plate of muffins in her hands.

I wasted no time running up to her and stuffing my face with them. They were the perfect way to get my energy up. They tasted a little different than I expected, due to being vegan-friendly ones, but they were still delicious.

Jeanette nibbled her muffin and looked up at the clouds again. "This has been the most amazing summer."

"Indubitably…" I replied, before getting embarrassed and switching to a less intellectual word. "I mean, definitely!"

Ah summer! My favorite season! It's too bad that summer was slowly coming to an end. Soon, I'd be back to the daily grind, obsessing over keeping my grades from slipping below Bs and Cs. I wasn't looking forward to it. I didn't even want to think about it!

Unfortunately, I was FORCED to think about it, because a couple days later, Dave dragged all six of us to the mall to endure the worst summer activity ever. Back to school shopping!

"Do we HAVE to do this, Dave?" I groaned, pacing myself along my much taller dad. "It's only August!"

"It never hurts to plan ahead." Simon told me.

"I beg to differ." I retorted.

Dave sighed. "I know it seems early, but the rest of the summer will fly by in no time." He lifted me up and into the cart he was pushing.

I plugged my ears. "La la la la la la! I don't wanna think about it!"

"Do you have to do this EVERY time!?" My dad was already starting to lose his patience with me.

Theodore scowled at me. "It sure seems like he does." My baby bro answered.

I got extremely aggravated. "Why do I need new back to school clothes anyway?" I snapped.

Brittany pointed to me and then smirked. "Didn't you outgrow like…all of your pants?" She sassed.

"Not all of them. Just some of them." I replied. "AND STOP REMINDING ME!" I glanced down at my hips, still large and impossible to ignore. I'd get used to them…eventually. No amount of exercise had reduced their circumference yet…and, given my rotten luck, probably never would.

"Look, color coded binder clips!" Jeanette wasn't paying a lick of attention to the rest of us. "These will come in handy." She dropped them into the cart.

I wriggled out of the cart and tried to slip away to another section of the store, only to be stopped by Eleanor.

"And just where do you think you're going?" She asked.

"Oh, you know, the bathroom." I fibbed.

"You're gonna have to do better than that." The blonde Chipette in the mint T shirt with a lavender star design replied.

I sighed and rejoined the group. "I hate this." I grumbled.

"I know." Simon handed me some folders. "But it'll all be over soon and you can get back to whatever else is on the agenda."

"Oh, Alvin, look at these." Dave held up a pair of brown corduroy pants that were meant for an 18 inch doll. "They have a lot of stretch to them. I think they might fit."

I felt the level of embarrassment rising again. "I'm not really a corduroy sorta guy." I reasoned.

"What about these?" My dad held up a pair of khakis.

I cringed. "No thanks, Dave. I'm good with the pants I've got at home. Really."

"Okay, well, if you say so." My dad picked out a pair of blue jean overalls and held them up to me. "What about these?"

I shoved the clothes away. "I said, I'm good." If I wore those, I'd get teased and called Chucky from the Child's Play movies.

Dave looked confused, but he humored me and put the overalls back on the hanger in the toy section.

"Are you alright?" Jeanette's voice surprised me from behind as we turned the corner into an aisle full of pencil cases, notebooks, and erasers.

"I've been better." I muttered.

She folded her hands in front of her. Her lilac skirt with flowers on it swished as she walked. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

I stared at her, wondering what I should say. I couldn't keep having her bail me out. I needed to handle some stuff myself.

"No."

"Are you embarrassed?" The girl wouldn't stop poking at me with her gentle words.

"Yes! Yes! I'm embarrassed!" I snapped.

She looked hurt. "Please, don't yell at me."

I felt like scum. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't really control my emotions right now."

"Because you're scared to go back to school?" She tenderly rubbed my back.

"Yeah. I mean, I know I've survived going back before…and arguably last summer I changed a lot more than this summer, but I KNOW everything is permanent now. I MADE it all permanent. I know exactly what I'm getting back into." I sniffled, but then wiped my eyes because I didn't know how close in proximity the rest of the group was. "And I wish Dave would stop trying to make me dress like a baby…or an esteemed professor."

"He's only trying to help." She reminded me softly. "He's doing what dads are supposed to do."

"Right. Right. And I DID want him to pay more attention to me. I pretty much asked for this." I admitted. "But I'm just not ready for new clothes yet. It's not like I'm all out of pants. I have plenty that still fit. And I've still got the leggings you gave me."

"Maybe you could agree to get a couple new things, as a compromise." Jeanette suggested. "I bet that would make Dave feel like his efforts are appreciated."

Wait, did Dave think that I didn't appreciate him helping me out? I mean, I didn't…I guess. I appreciated the thought, but not what he was actually doing. Still, Jeanette had a point. If I was going to ever make Dave see me as an improved person, then I couldn't keep acting like an ungrateful brat when he tried to help.

"Oh man, oh man, I messed up." I took off my glasses and chewed on the arm of them. "He probably hates me again."

She stuck the glasses back on my face. "No, no, he doesn't hate you. Stop saying that. I'm not trying to make you feel like you did anything wrong." She clarified. "I'm only trying to solve this situation in a way that benefits both of you."

I gripped my bare arms and squeezed them tightly. I took a deep breath. "Okay." I agreed. "I'll get a few back to school clothes." I smoothed out my long crimson T shirt with the golden A and cyan trim. I guess a few extra clothes couldn't hurt. "Thanks, Netta."

She and I scampered back to join up with the group.

Simon was the first to say anything to us. He looked frustrated. "There you are. Stop wandering off."

"Yeah." Brittany narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Stop sneaking off together to do…who knows what."

Jeanette dipped her head in shame. "Sorry."

"It's fine." I insisted. "Jeanette was just calming me down again." Hopefully, that would make Britt see that there was no funny business between the two of us.

"That's great!" Theodore sat happily in the shopping cart next to a bunch of school supplies. "Are you calm now?" He asked.

"Yeah. Pretty much." I answered.

"Super duper!" My baby bro beamed.

I knew what I had to do next. I looked up at Dave and began my apology. "Hey, uh, about, what happened earlier….I want you to know that I appreciate what you're doing and that I've decided that we can get me some new clothes. As long as they match my style." I told him. He didn't respond right away, so I kept talking. "I shouldn't have snapped at ya just cuz I was embarrassed and I take full responsibility for that."

Why did he have such a funny look on his face? Wait a second! I turned my head to see that everyone except Jeanette was staring at me like they didn't know who I was or what I was thinking, even though I told them exactly what I was thinking. In contrast to the rest of the crew, Jeanette had an encouraging smile.

"STOP STARING AT ME!" I shouted. Crud! Wait! That was rude, wasn't it? I coughed awkwardly, as I tried to remedy the situation. "I mean, PLEASE stop staring at me." I said, politely.

The others closed their mouths and gave each other stares of disbelief.

Finally, my dad spoke. "Well, uh, alright." He smiled at me warmly. "I'm glad you're cooperating." Then, Dave being Dave, had to go and embarrass me AGAIN. "I know going through a growth spurt is hard and awkward and you're at that age where…"

I held up my hands. I didn't need to hear this. "Please stop. I get it. I read ya loud and clear." Someday, in the future, I gotta tell him I can't actually age.

Brittany and Eleanor both snickered loudly.

"Are you sure? Did you read that book I gave you?" My dad asked.

I felt even hotter than before and sensed my cheeks were probably as red as my shirt. They felt like they burned with the fire of a thousand suns.

"I did." I murmured, trying to maintain my composure. "It didn't say anything about growth spurts being horizontal!"

Brittany and Eleanor laughed again.

I wished I could say "Think this is funny? You're next." But, I knew that they'd likely stay as they were.

But Dave didn't know, and that led to sweet sweet justice being served. "Oh, girls." He said to the Chipettes. "Do any of you need training bras yet? Or do chipmunks not develop like that?"

Simon tried to muffle his laughter.

Both Brittany and Eleanor's faces turned a nice shade of reddish pink.

I smirked at both of them. Ohoho! It felt like I'd gotten revenge without actually getting revenge myself.

"No…No Dave." Brittany spoke cautiously.

Eleanor grimaced. "We're fine."

"Chipmunks do not in fact develop like that." Jeanette slunk behind me. I was her wall of protection. She was as red faced as both her sisters.

"Thank goodness." Dave breathed a sigh of relief. "That's one less awkward conversation to have."

"I don't get it." Theodore scratched his head as we left the aisle. "What are training bras even for?"

Simon pushed up his glasses and stuffed another box of paper clips into the cart. "I'll explain it later, Theo." He said.

An hour or two later, I was at home modeling a pair of jeans that actually fit properly without being super baggy or super tight. Sure, they were meant for a girl doll, but I wasn't going to let myself hate them. They looked really cool! The faded knees reminded me of my old jeans.

"Do they fit okay?" Dave asked.

I walked around in them, strutting my stuff. "Feels pretty good."

"They're super stylish!" Brittany commented.

"Yeah!" Theodore agreed with her.

"Do you think three pairs is enough?" My dad asked. "We can always buy more."

"It's plenty. Trust me." I held up one of the identical pairs of jeans. "Is it okay if I add some paint splatters to these ones?"

"You and your paint splatters." Eleanor commented, rolling her green eyes.

"I don't see why not." Dave replied. "And thank you for asking me first."

"No problem, daddy-o." I stood up straighter. It felt good to be allowed to fashion my clothes the way I see fit.

"Every time I think he's done improving, he surprises me." Simon murmured, watching the scene with his calculating eyes.

Jeanette beamed and watched me proudly. "Personal growth looks good on you." She stated in an adorable tone. I could listen to her talk all day.

I agreed with her. "Yeah, it does." I chuckled a bit. "I just wish the personal growth hadn't decided to hit my hips." I half-joked. The statement was very real, but I was also growing more and more accustomed to my rockin' bod.

The others all laughed with me, not at me, but with me. It felt nice to have people actually think I was funny and not horribly annoying for a change.

"You say the darndest things." Simon chuckled.

"Remember, Alvin, body positivity." Eleanor reminded me. "Own it."

"I'm built to be a model." I bragged.

"Uh nooo." Brittany argued. "I am."

"Are not." I said, swaying toward her and then tickling her with my tail.

She began to strut around, trying to outdo me. "Are too!"

"In your dreams, maybe…" I joked. "Which I would know, since I've been inside them."

"Do not bring that up right now!" Brittany put her hands on her hips.

I modeled my new jeans all the way into the living room. "Ohoho! You WISH you had a bodacious bod like this."

"We aren't in the 80s anymore." Brittany ran after me. "You can cut the 80s talk, weirdo."

"Oh, Alvin!" Jeanette waved her hand and scurried after us to get my attention. "Do you want to come to the library with me and Pippi?" She asked.

I sure did! That beat having yet another fight with Brittany get out of hand. "You bet I do!"

"Wonderful!" Jeanette grabbed my hand and we hurried toward the door.

"Wait…" Brittany stood next to the coffee table looking upset. "So that's it then? You're leaving right now?"

"Well, yeah." I grabbed my cyan jacket and slipped it on. "The library closes at seven."

"But….but….but…" Brittany sputtered.

Jeanette pulled on a dark blue shawl over her lavender colored tank top. She let Pippi out of the shoulder bag she wore and the mouse climbed up her arm.

"Oh, real quick…" I turned to Simon with a sheepish grin as he watched us head for the door. "Do you have 80 bucks I could borrow?"

"For?" The brown haired Chipmunk asked, not sure what to make of this situation.

I felt like scum again. "Library fines."

My brother's eyes were as wide as physically possible. "How do you rack up 80 dollars worth of library fines!?" He shouted in outrage.

"I read a lot of books….then forget to return 'em." I answered honestly.

"80 dollars!? 80 DOLLARS!?" The royal blue clad boy was flabbergasted.

"Uhhh….that's the downside of having a library card." I shrugged, pretending I didn't feel guilty.

"We'll pay you back." Jeanette clasped Simon's hands. "We promise."

My brother groaned. "You have library fines too?" He asked.

Jeanette nodded. "I was reading a book by the pool and it sort of…fell in. I need 15 dollars to replace it."

"I already factored her 15 into our 80 dollar total." I said, putting my hand out so that Simon could deposit the money.

He begrudgingly forked the cash over with a snarl. "I better see every cent of this before summer ends." He warned us.

"Thank you, Simon!" Jeanette hugged him and then she and I both headed to the library to pay our fines and pay to replace some books and borrow new books.

Brittany watched us leave with an irritated glare, standing next to Simon.

The trip to the library was just what I needed after all that back to school shopping. When I returned home, I was practically floating on air. I had lost myself in sci fi and fantasy worlds for an hour, without another care in the universe. It was amazing anxiety relief.

As I walked up the stairs and into my bedroom, I started talking to myself. "Gosh, I love hanging out with Jeanette, I love talking to Jeanette, I love learning from Jeanette, I love Jeanette's personality, I love looking at Jeanette…" And that's when it hit me, the sudden realization that had been building for quite some time. "I love….Jeanette."

I covered my mouth with my hands. Then, I uncovered it and screamed.

"AHHHHHHH! This cannot be happening! No no no no!" But my heart said yes yes yes yes. This was going to majorly complicate my already complicated life!

I rushed into my bedroom and threw myself against the wall in a panic. I dropped the bag of library books by the door. I hoped no one was home. I hoped no one had heard me say that. I wished the feelings would just VANISH! Brittany can NEVER EVER find out about this!

As my rotten luck would have it, both my brothers were in the room and watched me throw myself against the wall, chest heaving in and out in total panic mode.

"Oh no!" Theodore rushed to my side. "What happened?"

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Did you see a werewolf on your way home from the library?" He teased.

I wanted to lie to them, but my mouth had other plans.

"W…W…Worse." I choked out.

"Do you need a drink of water?" Theodore offered. "I can get you one."

"I…." I zipped away from the wall and catapulted into my bed. "I need to lie down."

"Alvin,.." Simon was beginning to show genuine concern now. "Tell us what's going on." He demanded.

I shook my head. "Uh uh."

"Why not?" Theodore came closer to me.

I pulled the covers up over my head. "I'm fine." I fibbed, with the covered muffling my voice.

"Clearly, you are NOT fine." Simon yanked the covers off my head. "Now, we can do this one of two ways. Either you explain what's going on, or we'll tell Dave and then he'll get the truth out of you."

I had finally calmed myself down enough to talk normally, though I was still on edge. "You can't tell Dave. You can't tell ANYONE." I sighed. "Give me some time to…get ready for bed…and I'll talk." I promised.

It didn't take long for me to put my pajamas on and brush my teeth. My brothers did the same. However, I kept having thoughts about the situation with Jeanette and pushed them aside to focus. I didn't want these feelings! Why had the universe cursed me with these feelings!? Liking Jeanette like THIS was the most SIMON thing I could possibly do! I hated it!

Theodore arranged his plushies on his bed and then jumped over to mine to sit beside me. "Will you tell us why you're freaking out now?" He asked in that sweet childlike voice of his.

"I'd still rather not." I flopped backwards on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Simon arranged his pillow before coming to join Theo on my bed. "The sooner you tell us, the sooner we can all get some sleep."

"Come on, Alvin." My baby bro's brown eyes gleamed. He wanted to be so helpful, but he had no idea the earth shattering thing I was about to tell him.

I fidgeted with my hands awkwardly. "I…I have no idea where to start." I pulled at one of the friendship bracelets on my wrist. It was one that Jeanette had made me. "I learned something new about myself today and, uh, well, I don't really like it."

"What was it?" My brothers chorused.

I couldn't even meet their gazes anymore. I simply stared into my lap. "So, after all this time, I have a crush on a girl again. You'll never believe who it is!" I admitted, the words releasing ratherly slowly, compared to the usual speed I spoke.

Simon looked surprised, but then confused. "Brittany?"

"No." I winced. Gosh, I hated that Brittany was always everyone's first option to pair me with.

"It's not Eleanor, is it?" Theodore whimpered, sounding nervous.

I shook my head. "No. Not Eleanor."

"Phew." The dirty blonde haired boy sighed happily.

I finally got the courage to look over at Simon. I could tell the gears in his head were turning and he had stumbled upon the answer.

"Oh no." My blue clad brother's face paled. "Oh NO!"

"Oh yes." I replied, trying my best to stay calm. "HOW THE MUNK DID THIS HAPPEN!?" My best…was not good enough.

I jumped off the bed and started to pace, as I had a tendency to do when I needed to work out a solution to a situation.

Theodore looked at me sympathetically. "Well, you have been spending a lot of time with her…" He began.

"I CAN'T DATE JEANETTE!" I shouted. "BRITTANY WOULD HAVE A MELTDOWN!"

Simon rubbed his head and groaned. "Our marketing team and management would have a meltdown." He added.

Oh right. I thought miserably and sarcastically. Because that's the BIGGEST problem right now.

"Yeah, not really concerned about that at the moment." I snapped. "I'm more concerned about, you know, RUINING MY FRIENDSHIP WITH BRITTANY FOREVER!" I paced faster and grabbed my plush doll of Classic Alvin, squeezing him like a stress ball. "There's no way she'll ever let me date her sister. Plus, I'm not even sure Jeanette knows I have a crush on her. What if it freaks her out and makes things all weird!?"

Theodore's face lit up. He had an idea. "What if you started hanging out with Brittany more so you could develop feelings for her instead? And then you won't wreck anything." Urgh! He had a BAD idea.

Simon gave me much more practical advice, as he grabbed me to stop me from walking into the bedpost in my panic.

"Follow your heart, Alvin." He recommended. "If you love Jeanette, you love Jeanette. If you love Brittany, you love Brittany."

Did I love Brittany too? I searched deep down inside me and felt…maybe a little spark. I was very concerned about her, that's for sure. I guess that was a sign of infatuation.

"I….I love them both!" I declared, surprising myself. "I just love Britt….significantly less now." That seemed right. I had crushed on her before little bits without realizing it. But the fact that she kept making my life a living heck was turning me off her now, when it hadn't before. Classic Alvin liked it when Britt teased him relentlessly. At least, I think he did. Maybe he only did because he was expected to.

Theodore let out a loud gasp. His favorite Albrittany or Alvittany or whatever ship was on the verge of sinking. "Really?"

"Hey, she brought it on herself." I reasoned, gesturing wildly with my hands. "If she hadn't thrown such a hissy fit over the whole 2.0 dealio, we might have been able to become a couple! But noooo!"

Simon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, uh, I think you're both at fault for burning that bridge." He stated bluntly.

"It's not entirely burnt. It is hanging by a thread." I held up a frayed red shoelace and used it for a demonstration. "I'm worried one of these days the thread will….break." I pulled the shoelace until the weak part unraveled causing the lace to split into two.

Probably shouldn't have done that. I was supposed to be fixing that lace. Ah, no matter. I like the cyan ones better anyway for my rainbow sneakers.

"Noooo!" Theodore held both halves of the shoelace with tears welling in his eyes. "That would be awful! We have to find the red string of fate and re-tie you both together! Britt says that the red strings of fate are very important."

I placed a hand on the green clad boy's shoulder. "She doesn't mean it literally, Theo. There's no actual string, it's errr….symbolic."

"Oh." The littlest chipmunk took the wrecked shoelace and put it on his nightstand.

"Just take some time and think over the consequences of each decision." Simon told me, offering better ideas than Theo. "You're good at thinking now." He added, with an encouraging smile.

I smiled back. He actually said I was GOOD at thinking.

"Thanks, Si. Boy it feels good to have that off my chest finally." I climbed back onto my bed.

"So, uh, with that settled…" Simon yawned. "Can we go to sleep now?"

"I have one more question actually." I squeaked.

The boy in the robot PJs sighed. "Of course you do." He flicked off the light. "Whatever it is, it can wait until morning."

Theodore climbed into his bed. "Yeah." He agreed.

I blurted out the question, unable to contain it any longer. "How do I know if what I'm feeling is real love?"

Simon flicked the light back on. "Okay, apparently no one is sleeping tonight." He grumbled, in his grouchy way.

"Love is complicated, Alvin." Theodore said sweetly. "But when you meet a special person, well, Brittany told me you just KNOW."

"That's not necessarily how it goes." Simon interjected. "In fact, love is just a chemical reaction in the brain and like most chemical reactions, it can grow or it can fizzle out into nothing."

"Ohhh." Theodore scratched his head. "That's more complicated than I thought."

"Let's start with the basics." Simon stretched and adjusted his pillow so he was sitting up. "How does Brittany make you feel?"

"Like I just want to do whatever I can to make sure she's not mad at me and we get along." I answered truthfully. "Like I want to see her, but also seeing her makes me queasy and even more awkward. I feel like I have to be with her…because everyone says she's perfect for me. I'm not exactly great at figuring out myself, so everyone must be right."

"And what about Jeanette?" Simon continued.

"She makes me feel…seen and heard." I said softly. "Like everything is right in the world. She makes me feel safe and comfortable. She tells me that anything is possible and I believe it. I just want to be around her as much as possible and share everything with her."

"But isn't that just like a friendship too?" Theodore wondered aloud. "They both sound like they could be love OR friendship."

Simon snapped his fingers. "Of course. You likely love Jeanette platonically. You've just never had a friend that close prior to her."

"I dunno." I put my hand over my heart. "It's all so…confusing. Why is my life so confusing?"

Theodore frowned. "I think that's just the nature of being all 2.0-ified."

I sighed and stood up on my bed. "The weirdest thing with Netta is, I've never felt anything like this….this intensity for someone before. It doesn't feel like my other crushes." I waved my arms dramatically.

"What do you mean by that?" My baby bro questioned.

I thought even harder. "Well, it's…..oh god."

"What?" Both of my brothers stared at me.

I was once again getting more humiliated by the second. "I feel about her how I feel about….physics." I confessed, the weight of that statement dawning on me immediately. "OH CRAP! I REALLY DO LOVE HER! What am I gonna DOOOO!?"

"I wish I could tell you." Theodore pouted. "But I don't have any more ideas."

"Perhaps, if you think about it overnight, you'll figure out what steps to take next to determine the longevity of the crush." Simon flopped onto his pillow and took off his glasses. "No sense in telling Jeanette if it's something that won't last."

"My love for physics lasted though!" I was getting more and more anxious. "Oh no! What if my love for her winds up reshaping my personality the way liking physics did!? I can't deal with another change so drastic! Ahhhh!" I put my hands over my ears and shouted.

Theodore crawled onto my bed and gently pulled my hands off of my ears for me. "I don't think you have to worry about it." He quipped.

"Why not?" I asked.

He looked at me strangely. "Because it already did."

I felt my eyebrows shoot upward. "W…W…What?"

I looked over to Simon to get an answer from him, but he was already sound asleep, mumbling incoherently. I guess I was stuck with Theo.

"I don't think liking physics is the only reason you became Alvin 2.0. Jeanette inspired you." My baby bro continued.

Well, I hated that thought even more. Because if I did change FOR Jeanette, then it meant that this 2.0 thing wasn't what I really wanted. I locked myself permanently into something I hadn't even wanted!? NOHOHO!

WAIT! Stop! Use what Jeanette taught you. Evaluate the situation. You're freaking out for no reason. You DO want to be Alvin 2.0. I reminded myself. You ASKED Jeanette to help you and she did…and you grew closer because of that. You let your egotistical side deflate and realized so many things about the world. It's a good thing. Isn't it?

"I didn't change FOR her though. I didn't even know I liked her." I told Theodore honestly.

He shrugged. "But maybe you did and you didn't know it?"

Oh no! No nononono!

"M….Maybe. I gotta think about this some more." I curled up under the covers. I suddenly had a huge headache. How could I let myself fall in love with Brittany's sister? Wait, was this a punishment for not choosing to return to Classic Alvin mode?

"Are you okay? Did I freak you out more?" Theodore whimpered. "I didn't mean to."

"It's fine, Theo." I mumbled. "I'm tired now….I think I've kept us up long enough with my stupid romance woes."

"Goodnight, Alvin." He whispered, making sure to tuck me in. "I hope that you figure out your feelings soon."

"Me too, Teddy boy." I sighed. "Me too."

I don't know what time I finally fell asleep that night. All the moments I'd spent with Brittany and Jeanette replayed through my head, each taking on a new context. Brittany liked me back. I didn't know if Jeanette liked me back. The smartest decision, to avoid rejection, was to get with Brittany. Jeanette didn't even need to know I liked her yet. For all I knew, Simon's chemical romance theory was right and the crush on Jeanette would fizzle out.

My love with Brittany would last a long time! Like everyone said, we were made for each other! So, why didn't I WANT Brittany and I to be made for each other? Why did I WANT to tell Jeanette everything…even if she rejected me? WHY DOES EVERYTHING ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SO COMPLICATED!?

I closed my eyes and pictured myself frolicking through the park with Jeanette and then rolling down a steep hill with her. It was a memory from earlier that summer. It was followed by a memory of us splashing around in the pool and then the memory of us dancing in the gazebo attached to the treehouse. No matter what, I couldn't get Jeanette off my mind. This was just like when I first fell in love with physics. I was so screwed.

ALVIN: Take it away, Netta!

JEANETTE: Ohhhh! This story is so good so far!

ALVIN: It is very odd revisiting these feelings.

JEANETTE: I know. You were so confused.

BRITTANY: He's always confused.

ALVIN: Britt, you're not supposed to be here yet. Your part isn't until a couple chapters from now.

BRITTANY: I know. I just HAD to remind the audience that you're still confused to this day.

ALVIN: But not about my feelings for Jeanette.

JEANETTE: If you two don't mind, I'm going to start narrating now.

BRITTANY: Good luck, sis!

JEANETTE: Thanks, Brittany.

ALVIN: You're gonna be fantastic!

JEANETTE: I hope so. Here goes…

Jeanette's POV

I really enjoyed back to school shopping. I always love when the six of us hang out together as one big group. If only things didn't have to get so dramatic every time we were together. Oh well, I suppose that always happens when you put seven clashing personalities together.

At least I was able to smooth out little bits of the drama. I even stopped Alvin and Brittany from arguing afterwards. I offered Alvin a trip to the library and we stayed there until they closed. It was the perfect way to wind down.

That night, as I was making myself some warm chamomile tea, I was startled by something. I turned my head to see Pippi standing on the counter, her big mouse ears twitching to and fro. I sensed that she had something important to tell me.

"What's on your mind, Pippi?" I asked politely, continuing to make my tea.

She squeaked a total of ten times and I listened carefully. Her squeaks translated roughly to "I want to be more independent."

"You are independent." I reminded her. "I give you free run of the house a lot."

The mouse shook her head and chittered again. "I want to be like Zeela."

I was confused by her statement. "Pippi, Zeela isn't that independent. Miss. Miller watches her a lot."

"Then, I want to spend more time with her and Miss. Miller." The little mouse told me.

"Oh…" I didn't know what to make of this. Was Pippi saying that she wanted to spend more time…away from me? "I suppose that's okay."

"Great!" The white furred creature leapt across the counter and scurried toward the stairs. Then, she wiggled her ears and stopped. "Can I start tomorrow?"

I took the tea kettle off the stove and set it on a pot holder. "Don't you want to go to ballet practice with me tomorrow?" I asked.

Pippi didn't seem interested at all. "Nope. I'm good." She scampered up the stairs to our bedroom.

"Oh….okay then." I felt my furry ears start to droop. I thought Pippi loved ballet. Maybe she still did. Maybe she just didn't want to go with me. I guess she was beginning to break away from being so reliant on me. Which was good. That's what kids are supposed to do…and she was basically my child.

"Jeanette!" Brittany's voice nearly made me spill the tea I was pouring.

I turned around and faced my sister, unsure why she was so angry. Although, I had a few guesses. "What is it, Brittany?"

She held up the brochure for Zombies: The Ballet. Inside it, I had circled Addison's name in purple and Zed's name in red. I had also highlighted the parts that Alvin and I would be performing, if we got the lead roles. I guess it was very obvious and Brittany had figured out what the highlighted parts implied.

She shook the brochure in my face. "You can't try out with Alvin! Are you nuts!? If you both get the leads, you might have to KISS each other or something!"

"It's only acting, Brittany." I reasoned. "You're always telling me to work on my acting skills."

"This is NOT what I meant!" The girl in the fuschia colored sundress fumed.

"It's no big deal." I squeaked, ducking behind the counter, in case Brittany got angry enough to throw things. "We might not even GET the parts."

The angry strawberry blonde Chipette slapped the brochure onto the counter. "I still don't like this."

I sighed. "Okay." I didn't want to anger my sister any more. "I'll try out for a supporting role instead. Maybe Eliza…or one of the other cheerleaders."

"Oh no, sis." Brittany grinned. "You can still try for Addison, as long as Alvin doesn't try out too." She flipped her hair. "Plus, if you need any advice about being a cheerleader, your big sister's got you covered."

Wow. I did appreciate the help. But…I didn't really want to be in a lead role without Alvin. Having him around helped me be less shy and nervous.

"I don't think Alvin will agree to that." I warned Brittany gently.

She rubbed her hands together. "Give me some time to talk to him, and I'll make SURE he does."

"Okay, I'm putting a stop to this before you both do something you regret." Eleanor popped up from behind the counter and folded her arms. "Brittany, stop trying to manipulate Jeanette." She ordered. "And Jeanette, you don't have to give in to make Brittany happy. If you wanna do this with Alvin, that decision is for you and Alvin only."

I blinked at Brittany, realizing what she was actually up to…thanks to Eleanor pointing it out. "You were trying to manipulate me?"

My oldest sister scuffled her feet and looked down at them. "A little bit, yes. But it's for your own good. Alvin is trouble. He's a heartbreaker, sis. I'm the only one who can handle him." She pointed to herself.

Eleanor cracked up laughing. "Handle him?" She wheezed. "You can't STAND him."

"Alvin's my best friend in the world." I reminded Brittany, in case she'd forgotten. "He's not as troublesome or dangerous as you think."

"Oh, my naive naive little sis." Brittany reached up to pat my head. "You always assume the best in everyone. It's so sweet, but it's also something that makes you an easy target."

My other sister nodded, her ponytails bobbling. "Britt's right, to an extent. We want to look out for you. Assuming the best can get you in some scary situations. We want you to be able to protect yourself."

"But Alvin isn't manipulating me." I protested. "Is he?"

"Yes!" Brittany answered.

"No!" Eleanor answered at the exact same time.

So much for solving that puzzle, I suppose.

"This…This isn't helping, girls." I frowned. "I think I'm going to just…contemplate for a while and sip my tea, okay?"

"We're sorry, Jeanette." Eleanor sat down and poured herself a glass of watermelon Kool Aid. "I know it's confusing, but someday you're going to get it…or at least be better at recognizing it than Brittany."

A loud scoff sounded from the girl all dolled up in pink. "Excuse me? I am the BEST at spotting when I'm being taken advantage of."

Eleanor tented her fingers and narrowed her apple green eyes. "Oh really? What about the time Annie and Amber made you think that your own sisters didn't care about celebrating your birthday while they threw you the fakest surprise party known to mankind?"

The sizzling mad girl closed her mouth immediately. Seconds later, she let out a sigh. "Okay, you win this round, Eleanor."

Brittany texted on her phone while Eleanor and I sipped tea. Eventually, Brittany left to go take a soak upstairs in the tub. There were only two of us remaining. I figured this was a good time to let Eleanor know what I was currently thinking about.

"Don't let Brittany get to you." My youngest sister advised. "She's just…being Brittany."

I wanted to change the topic, so I did. "Do you think Pippi is tired of me? Am I too boring for her?"

"Where is this coming from?" Eleanor almost spit her tea out. "Pippi loves you."

"Well, yes, but I think she's tired of being my sidekick." I explained. "And I don't blame her, because that's good and healthy. You never want to be a side piece in someone else's story." I rambled. "But, I'm feeling a little lost. I miss her already and she's only started to pull away." I felt my lip quiver. "Am I a bad mom, Eleanor? Am I a bad mom for wanting her to be my sidekick forever?"

My blonde haired sister stuck her finger under my chin, lifting it up. "Hey, no, no, don't say that. It's a totally normal thing to feel." She assured me. "You aren't a bad mom. You're a good mom. To both Zeela and Pippi. Pippi probably just wants to be trusted outside your sight…like her sister." She reasoned.

I dried my eyes with a napkin. "So that means Pippi doesn't want to cut ties completely?"

"Absolutely not." Eleanor smiled. "I mean, I can't speak for her, but like…she is gonna miss you almost as much as you miss her."

"Thank you, Eleanor." I stood up from the table. "I feel a lot better now."

"Happy to help." My sister replied, as we cleared the table together. "And hey, even if Pippi's not around as much, at least you've still got Alvin. He basically can't live without you."

"You're right." I gasped. "And I love being around Alvin. He's like my other half. We compliment each other really well, and we both help each other take on new opportunities."

"Careful." Eleanor held a finger to her lips. "If Brittany hears you say that, she'll FLIP." She chuckled. "Because it almost sounds like you're in love with him."

Was I? Did I have romantic attraction to Alvin? How could I tell if I did or not?

"Right, yes. And I don't want to date Alvin or anything." I frowned. "Eleanor, what does true love feel like?"

She looked grumpy all of a sudden. "You're asking the wrong person."

"Oh yes. I forgot. You've never experienced it either." I finished the last of my tea. "It's such a mysterious force."

"I don't think I'll ever get it." Eleanor admitted, standing up and pushing her chair in. "I don't really wanna talk about it either."

"Oh, okay, we can talk about something else, if you like." I said, following her into the living room and sitting beside her on the couch. "Are you excited to go back to school?"

"Eh." She shrugged. "School is school. I'm excited for baseball season and soccer season, but school doesn't really thrill me."

"I'm excited to share my story with all my friends in the Green Living club." I gushed.

Eleanor seemed surprised. "Oh, you finished your story?"

"No." I responded. "But I am fairly close. I think I only have a few chapters left."

"Two or three?" She asked.

"Seven, maybe eight." I admitted. "And that's if everything goes according to plan."

"Well, congratulations on having it nearly done." My younger sister smiled. "You rock."

"Thanks." I rested my head on my hands. "Do you ever ponder the existential reality of being stuck in the 10th grade forever?"

"You know, this is probably a topic for your good buddy Spacecase." Eleanor handed me my phone. "Why don't you text him?"

"Is that a sign that you're ready to stop talking to me now?" I asked. "And enjoy the rest of your night?"

"Yeah." She looked guilty. "I'm sorry. Communication mode is kinda turning off for the night. I wanna sit and chill, ya know."

"I understand completely." I responded, standing up from the couch. "Thank you for your honesty, Eleanor."

And with that, I left her to watch the wrestling program that she was watching on TV. I wasn't very much into it, though I did enjoy the small chat I'd had with my sister.

I sat down on my bed and noticed Pippi was already curled up on my nightstand. She was making the most adorable snuffling and snoring sounds. I guess she didn't need me to sing her a lullaby tonight. I couldn't help but feel less needed.

So, I texted the one person Eleanor told me couldn't live without me.

[I can't wait for ballet practice.] I typed, adding an emoji of ballet slippers and a smiling kitty face.

I waited a bit for a response, and decided to immerse myself in writing more of my fairy kitten tale.

I finished one chapter and then checked my messages. Alvin had responded!

[Me either.] Awww! And he added a smiling face with sunglasses!

[Do you want to do something before ballet?] Typing actual words to him was nice, though now and then I would default back to only strings of emojis to convey my thoughts. I was feeling more social today. I added the park emoji and the beach emoji, to tell him those were the two places I was thinking of going.

The three little dots appeared and I waited again for a response.

Eventually, it came through. [Can't. Orthodontist appointment. Getting my braces tightened again.] He sent a sad face emoji and a looking at the ceiling emoji…or as Brittany and Alvin call it, the "Simon face" emoji.

I sent a sad face emoji and a smiling emoji back. [That's okay.]

He sent me a red and purple heart in response. This was followed by another message. [Ignore those. My finger slipped.]

I giggled to myself. [It's alright.] I added the smiling kitty face and the nerd emoji.

[You're a stupendous pal, Netta. I can't tell ya that enough.] He sent the kitty face and nerd emoji too.

[You are too.] I typed. [See you tomorrow!] I finished with a kitty emoji with stars in its eyes.

I set my phone down, but it vibrated again as another text came through. [Sweet dreams.] The sleeping emoji was attached to this message.

I smiled as I walked to the window and stared out at the boys' house. [You too. And stay out of Brittany's.] I playfully added a winking face emoji.

[Lol] He responded, with a laughing emoji.

The conversation was done now, wasn't it? It was almost time for bed. I flipped through my spellbook a while, and then decided to research the psychology of love. It was a beautiful and relaxing night. Even when. Brittany came into the room to complain she couldn't find her summer pajamas.

"They were RIGHT here!" She fumed. "Eleanor, did you take them?"

The exhausted pigtailed girl entered the room, looking irritated. "They had a hole in the armpit. I've still gotta repair them." She rubbed her forehead. "Just wear something else."

"But those are my FAVORITE summer pajamas!" The girl in pink wailed.

Eleanor grabbed a pair of lavender colored earplugs. She stuck them in her ears as she climbed into bed. "Then by all means, whine about it until I get around to fixing them." The young Chipette closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Brittany."

"No it's not a good night!" The girl in the pink floral sundress rooted through her closet angrily. "Now, I have to wear my backup summer pajamas." She pulled out a satiny fuschia tank top and super short light pink shorts.

"I'm sorry." Eleanor put on an eyemask. "Do I look like I give a dang?"

Brittany stomped into the bathroom to change her clothes and I grabbed a hold of my bookshelf before it could topple over from the force of her footsteps.

Boy, my sister really needs to work on her anger issues. She gets so bent out of shape over the littlest things. I understand she's upset about learning the nature of this universe and she's very angry about Alvin's self-improvement, but she'll eventually have to come to terms with it. She's already a little better at accepting Alvin as 2.0. I think anyway. Who knows what she hides inside? I wish she'd let me help her the way I helped Alvin. Unfortunately, that's not likely.

I brought my tiny rodenty paws out on top of the covers as I lay in bed, just thinking about everything that had happened today. There was so much to process and go over. It was starting to overwhelm me.

Eleanor's words echoed in my head. "Alvin can't live without you."

I didn't think I could live without him either.

Wait a minute! Did that mean Alvin and I were…soulmates? It might! I felt an odd flutter in my chest when I pictured Alvin's face. How peculiar! Could this be…true love? It was, wasn't it? How could I have missed it before? I was as in love with Alvin as Brittany was! Although, mine was a much less intense sort of love. Alvin felt safe. He felt comforting. I felt steadier around him. I felt like the two of us could be just like a fairytale…romance. Yeah. There was no doubt about it. I was in love with him.

I didn't know how to feel about this revelation. How could I tell him? Did he even feel the same way? Would the love last? Weren't we better off as friends? Romantic relationships came with an intense pressure and I wasn't exactly ready for that. Plus, there was the biggest obstacle of all. Brittany! She would be FURIOUS! I couldn't hurt my sister by falling for her biggest crush. What if it made her hate me? Oh my stars! No, feelings, please, please go away. You can't just come in and ruin this. My friendship with Alvin was fine with no romance attached.

I needed to get these feelings out somehow. Wait, what did Simon do when he wanted to get over his crush on Mandi with an I? He wrote her a poem! That's wonderful! All I have to do is write Alvin a poem! Then, my feelings will be processed and they'll be easier to keep under control. I hope.

I sprung from my bed and ran downstairs, grabbing my notebook. I flipped open to a blank page and turned on the living room light. I made myself cozy on the couch and then started to compose my poem. It took a while. I kept distracting myself by fixating on the possibility of Brittany hating me. But, in the end, I managed to complete it. A glorious encapsulation of all my thoughts and feelings about Alvin.

"I know not much, about the power of love

All I know, is who I'm thinking of

Your flaming hair and eyes like the sky

I think to myself and wonder why

Can't I tell you how I feel?

How do I know that this is real?

Do you share my intensity?

Is this even meant to be?

I've helped you understand who you are

I hope my advice will take you far

I love you with all my heart

I miss you whenever we're apart

You inspire me and I inspire you

I think that's what we're supposed to do

While I still don't know what love's all about

Do you think it would hurt to…try it out?

You and me, combined in harmony

Please tell me, it's meant to be."

Well, that definitely made the emotions react, though I'm not sure they're reacting the way I hoped. In fact, I think I just fell even MORE in love with him. New plan. Time to research how to make a crush go away. Because I'm sure Alvin only sees me as a friend. Why would he see me as anything more?

I closed the notebook and let out a breath. Why did love have to be so difficult? I took my glasses off and rubbed my eyes. That's when I noticed the time on the clock. It was almost midnight! How long had I been agonizing over that poem?

I signed and walked back upstairs, getting back into bed. If I didn't sleep now, I wouldn't be in tip top shape for dance class! As I was trying to clear my mind and go to bed, the soft moonlight illuminated the photo of Alvin 2.0 on my nightstand next to the sleeping Pippi. I rolled onto my side so I wouldn't be tempted to look at the photo. It was going to be a long night.

JEANETTE: Just a bit more and then we're finished. Your turn, Alvin!

ALVIN: Oh, already?

JEANETTE: Yeah. I'm following the outline. It says you have a tiny bit left at the end of this chapter.

ALVIN: Oh! Right! I almost forgot.

Alvin 2.0's POV

The next morning, before my orthodontist appointment…which I was dreading, I still hadn't made any progress figuring out my complicated feelings towards two of the three Chipettes. I decided to try something that was a little bit unorthodox. Most scientists would never THINK of doing what I was about to, but I wasn't most scientists.

I walked downtown, looking up at the cloudy sky. It was dull and gray and made my mood even worse than it already was. I needed to stop thinking negatively. Maybe some singing would help? Of course, my impulses made me sing about what was on my mind…which was, the very remote possibility that maybe, just maybe Jeanette actually liked me back.

"Jeanette was a dancer

Suppose I knew her well

Her feet danced miracles

I was deep within her spell."

I put an extra skip in my step as visions of Jeanette's amazing dance moves drifted through my head.

"Jeanette loved a singer

Who was the leader of some band

He looked just like a boy

And stood just like a man."

Ah, Smokie's The Dancer, could you HAVE any more PERFECT lyrics!? I know it seems like a song I wrote, but trust me, this song exists and I didn't even have to modify the words!

"And it rains on

Down the

Avenue"

Thunder rumbled overhead and it started to pour. Ah, so one of those freak summer storms was rolling in. I didn't care. I continued to dance down the sidewalk in the rain.

"Yes it rains on

Down the

Avenue

Just for you boy."

Ohhh, I knew why it was raining. It was because I was singing about it raining. Typical. It added to the storytelling visually. Very cinematic. Predictably, the rain began to pour harder as I approached the shop I had set out to visit.

"Man, I hate living in a cartoon." I sputtered, soaked to the bone now. My T-shirt clung to my form in ways I really wish it wouldn't.

I pushed open the door with all my might and entered the shop. The worn out neon sign blinked overhead, showing a woman with a crystal ball. That's right, guys. I had decided to see a psychic. I figured she could steer me toward a better future, with either Brittany or Jeanette. I didn't mind which, as long as it was a GOOD future.

"Greetings." The lady in an ornate purple dress with beads of red and yellow and pink decorating it was sitting at a table. She had black hair and a very mystical presence. "I am Madame Ivonkanova. How may I assist you?"

"Can I have a towel?" I asked, with a nervous giggle. "It is POURING out there."

"But of course." She handed me a fluffy orange towel.

After I was all dried off, I took a seat at her table and handed her the money. "My friend Brittany said you helped her figure out who's really there for her." I explained. "I was hopin' you could do the same for me."

"You've come to the right place, young man." The lady, Madame…whatever that long name was, said.

"Alright, fortune teller lady. I need some advice on….my love life." I admitted, feeling that familiar heat rush to my freckled cheeks.

The woman folded her hands. "Tell me more. What exactly seems to be troubling you?"

"I have a crush on the sister of the girl who's crushing on me." I replied. "I want it to go away."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to deny your feelings?"

Oooh boy. How did I even go about explaining this? "Because they're obviously a side effect caused by my brother's invention messing with my head." I blurted out. Did I believe that? Well, the evidence that I had somehow taken on Simon's preferences in girls was tough to ignore.

"Are you sure about that?" The psychic woman tapped her hands on the purple colored crystal ball in front of her.

Ah, purple. The color of Jeanette. Urgh! Shut up, brain!

"YES! What other reason could there be!?" I asked loudly.

The woman smiled mysteriously. "True love?"

I turned my attention to the object on the table. "Can your magic crystal ball thingie TELL me for sure whether my feelings are REAL or the result of a curse?" I gulped. "Or invention, or spell, or some sort of glitch?"

"Of course." She placed the crystal ball in front of me. "Look into this…and tell me what you see?" She instructed.

I am sure you can guess what I saw, the same things that kept flashing through my head nonstop. "Jeanette and I holding hands, laughing, talking, spending time together…."

"Mmm hmm." The woman folded her hands again.

I realized what the crystal ball indicated. "Nohohoho!" It had to be wrong! Surely, it was part of the glitch! A side effect of being 2.0!

"Your feelings for this girl are real, and only growing stronger by the day." She looked into the crystal ball with me. "I would recommend facing the feelings before it's too late." She advised me.

I started to panic. "I can't do that to Brittany! I can't! She'll never forgive me!" I shouted.

"Do you also love Brittany?" The fortune teller asked, her hand once again resting on the magical orb that apparently knows all.

I couldn't lie to her. "….Maybe a tiny bit." I admitted.

The woman smiled wider. "I see. So you're having trouble choosing a path?"

Finally, we were getting somewhere at last. "Yes. Because whatever I do, it defines the rest of my life from this moment on." I responded. "Who should I pick!? Tell me! Please, tell me!" I begged.

She waved her hands around the crystal ball and studied it intensely. "I cannot tell you who to choose. Your future with one of them will be a life of passion, drama, frustration, humiliation, and regret. Your future with the other, a life of challenges, anxiety, sorrow, excitement, and joy."

Huh? "This sounds like I lose either way." I was disappointed. Even the great Madame I don't care to learn that long arse name couldn't help me!

"In life, we must take the good with the bad." She stood up. "No future is free of downsides."

I sighed. Worst 20 dollars I've ever spent. I should have known she wouldn't help. "So which Chipette leads to which life?"

She smiled mysteriously. Yup. She wasn't giving away any answers. "I think you already know."

I didn't already know. I knew a big heap of diddly squat. My brain wasn't in the mood for puzzles today. "If I give you more money, can you tell me?"

"I'm sorry, young man. Our time together grows short." She replied. "For I have…another customer."

I heard the door open and turned around to see Officer Dangus step into the room. "Gosh darn it, it is rainin' cats and dogs out there!" He announced.

"Hi, Officer Dangus." I waved to him, as I hopped out of my seat. "She's all yours." I whispered something softly as I passed him. "Just don't ask her about your love life."

"Ah. Not a problem." The cop tipped his hat to me. "I'm askin' her 'bout a case that's been trippin' me up for weeks."

"Then you're all good." I got to the door. "Bye!" I said to the fortune teller. "And thanks for tryin' to help, at least."

I exited the shop and walked back into the pouring rain. A car drove by and sent a huge splash of water my way, drenching me further. It was going to be one of those days.

I got home and dried off again, making sure to eat and then brush my teeth before the orthodontist appointment. I didn't want my braces tightened again. I wished I could just reschedule the appointment. Every time I go, it's the same old story. I ask to get my braces off, and the doc says "three more months." I'm never getting out of these things.

"Alvin, come on." Dave looked at his watch as he ran into the living room. "Did you forget about your appointment?"

I was watching some TV to clear my head, but unfortunately it was an episode of Big Bang Theory where Sheldon's dealing with his feelings for Amy. It was NOT getting my mind off the Jeanette situation.

"I didn't forget." I flicked off the TV in a huff. "I just don't wanna go."

"Maybe you'll finally get good news!" Theodore squeaked, jumping into the room.

I slid off the couch with the most bored expression on my face. "When do I ever get good news?"

"At least you'll get to see Jeanette later." Simon gave me a teasing smirk.

I wanted to punch him. I wanted to punch him so hard. "Yeah. Looking forward to that." I muttered sarcastically.

"Huh?" Dave seemed concerned as we piled in the car. "When don't you like hanging out with Jeanette?"

"Since he's being a grumpy Gus today." Theodore answered for me.

I didn't bother adding anything to that. I was just grateful that my little bro kept my secret. The last thing I needed was The Talk from Dave. I had been humiliated plenty.

"It'll be alright, Alvin. I know it doesn't seem like it, but it will." My dad assured me. "You've survived a lot. You can survive this."

It helped that Dave had faith things would be okay, but the orthodontist appointment was the least of my worries. I wasn't so sure I could survive the choice between the two Chipettes of my dreams. Especially because, truth be told, I was gravitating toward Jeanette over Brittany. But life with her was the life I just knew I'd regret. After all, it was obvious. Jeanette even rhymes with regret!

I stared out the car window doing what I did best as Alvin 2.0, thinking. What was I thinking? Why was I feeling like this!? How could I get these feelings to leave me alone? What if I COULDN'T make them leave me alone? What if…deep down, I didn't WANT them to.

"Oh, Netta," I cursed internally. "What have I let you do to me?"

Heeey! We did it! They're finally not as clueless anymore! This was a crazy chapter, wasn't it?

It's sweet seeing just how close they are! And how much Alvin's improved at dealing with Dave, even though he continues to go through it.

I'm glad I got to work Madame Invonkanova in here. Crystal Ball Birthday was one of my favorite Brittany episodes, and a reference seemed fitting.

What will happen now that romance is in the air? Will it bring these two closer together? Push them further apart? What will happen to Brittany? Who will Alvin and Jeanette tell next?

Also, special thanks to the Guest reviewer who wanted Alvin and Jeanette to sing Someday from Zombies. It's taken a while, but I found a way to work it in. I hope you enjoyed that. It wasn't in my original outline. I actually never said what the ballet show was in my roleplays before. I think it really added to the moment though.

Did you love Jeanette's poem? She's such a talented writer, isn't she?

Also, what do you think will happen next? What other surprises and drama are around the corner?

I'll be back before you know it with Part 2! Now, to celebrate the 50th chapter with some ice cream. Thanks for reading! Seriously, I couldn't have done any of this without support.