On another day, another weekend, The Chipmunks and Chipettes spent their time doing what they normally did when they had the free time due to their six different and oftentimes conflicting schedules. Even when they weren't all together they still spent plenty of time amongst themselves. On this particular afternoon before they could all meet up again, the two trios spent it at their respective houses. It was a brief gap in the day where the young men and women were completely finished with their professional day but right before they scattered to hang out with their partners, regardless of who and how much they would deny it. Over at the Seville house the three brothers were lounging around the living room, watching television in addition to doing their own personal activities. Simon reviewed some of his paperwork for his various classes and internship applications, normally a solitary activity but he did prefer it with company be it his brothers or another special person. Theodore sat almost perfectly still, glued to the program the most. Whether in his own home, the Chipette treehouse or in the Miller household proper, he watched any and all shows shared between both groups. Today they landed on the game show channel. Lastly, Alvin sat in the recliner texting away on his phone, only paying enough attention to the television to try and answer.
"Aw come on," Alvin shouted at the screen during one of the times he was looking. "The answer was totally Polish kielbasa!" Simon smirked while concentrating on his paperwork.
"Then why did the panel say 'Swedish meatballs'," he mocked.
"Whoever wrote that answer clearly doesn't know what they're talking about."
"Oh? So YOU would put Polish kielbasa on a meatball sub," Theodore chimed in as well.
"Wait, that was the question?" Theodore and Simon started snickering as Alvin shook his head trying to save face. "W-Well yeah, you don't? That's obviously the polish way to make a sub, duh!" This only made Theodore and Simon go from a snicker, to a full blown laugh. "Who even put this trash on the air? 'To Dish or Not to Dish'? More like to watch or not to watch!"
"You'd be surprised what kind of terrible ideas they put on TV nowadays," Simon said.
"Worse on streaming," Theodore added.
"Personally, I blame social media," Alvin ended. "It makes your brain rot."
"Aw come on guys," Theodore spoke up. "Trash TV and bad game shows are always fun when you're watching it with someone else, right?" Alvin and Simon looked at each other, then back away to their own thing.
"True that," Alvin answered.
"Couldn't agree more," Simon admitted with an upward curve to his mouth. Though they felt a moment of shared peace, all three couldn't help but think about the ones that were absent. The ones that they would feel like would really make Theodore's sentiment profound.
"Congratulations Mr. Jones," the host of the game show exclaimed to both the contestant and the camera. "You're today's lucky double double with cheese and you just won one million dollars!" The studio erupted in cheer as the contestant nearly fainted from the news then ran across the stage. Alvin looked on in disgust as Theodore and Simon watched on as well.
"Wow," Alvin let out in a condescending manner. "Can you imagine just answering a couple of stupid questions and getting a million freaking dollars!"
"Can you imagine even having a million dollars," Theodore asked.
"I bet we made that much in a day back when we were actually touring!"
Meanwhile at the Miller household, Brittany sprawled out on the couch as the girls watched the same programming. Jeanette walked around the living room humming to all of the house plants she and Miss Miller brought in as she watered them. Eleanor sat on a cushion on the floor in between the couch Brittany kept to herself and the coffee table, studying but still listening to the television.
"Oh can you believe that," Brittany shouted in disbelief. "Who just answers a few stupid questions and gets a million freaking dollars?"
Can you imagine that," Eleanor teased. "Actually getting the questions right to win the million dollars." Brittany scoffed as Eleanor giggled, right before a decorative throw pillow flew right at the back of her head. Despite the clean hit, that only made Eleanor laugh harder and even got Jeanette to take notice and giggled herself.
"Do not humor her Jean," Brittany ordered. Then she slunk back down into the couch and let out a sigh. "I just wish we got to use our fortune from being pop stars. You know, live in a villa somewhere, watching the days go by on a beach."
"Yeah, how dare we spend it on frivolous things like food, college, property taxes," Eleanor answered sarcastically.
"Like, so selfish!"
"Well Britt, what do you expect? The money and sponsors had to stop sooner or later. We needed to make sure we could live comfortably. At least there's always the royalties?"
"We wouldn't have to if we kept on making music. Instead you guys wanted to… ugh, live your lives."
"Goodness forbid," Eleanor said, rolling her eyes to herself as she looked at her notes.
"Exactly, now you get it." Jeanette giggled again as she finished watering the plants in the room then joined her sisters.
Some time passes by before the sun begins to set on a nice, clear sky. The two groups at last reunited and the now three pairs went off on their own to spend the rest of the daylight. Eleanor and Theodore walked through the farmers market on main street looking for fresh ingredients for the night's dinner. Simon and Jeanette decided for a quick peer review before logging into their favorite game and Alvin and Brittany retreated to the treehouse before being called to dinner, laying down on Brittany's bed in a poorly kept secret. These were the days they wanted the most and when they came around none of them took it for granted, regardless of how they saw their relationships. It just came naturally to them since the moment their two pop groups met by chance.
Eleanor and Theodore passed through the emptying pathways of the farmer's market, looking for what they could use now that the majority of customers had already come and gone with the freshest products. Though they were there on a mission, it was still their time to spend and they spent it talking about their day as they shopped around.
"You should have seen it Theo," Eleanor told with excitement as Theodore listened. "I had, like, the best burn on Brittany I've had all week! Probably top 10."
"Really,' Theodore asked, attentive and completely engaged. "I wish I had one of those for Alvin this week."
"It was while we were watching 'To Dish or Not to Dish' before we met up." Theodore stopped in his tracks and lit up.
"You guys were watching that too," he asked.
"Of course! Trash TV and bad game shows are way more fun with someone else and you weren't there yet." The two giggled as they were in complete sync, a reminder of their harmony with one another. The lines and crowds were thinning out but some of the bigger stalls still had some produce left to sell, one of which caught their attention and they stopped to peruse.
"Did you see that guy win a million dollars," Theodore asked as he gauged the quality between two onions.
"I did! He landed right on the double double. Talk about a payday," Eleanor answered as she put a thread of garlic bulbs on a scale. She looked at a batch of cucumber but before she could grab one, Theodore moved her hand away and gave her the best one thanks to his school taught keen eye.
"Hm…" She thought aloud as Theodore stepped to the side to grab something else. "No tomatoes… or raisins… so maybe…walnuts? That's good for a salad." Theodore let his eyes wander, but then noticed an ad for the game show nearby.
"We'd still have to stop by the supermarket for the fish…" Eleanor continued to herself.
"Hey Ellie," Theodore spoke up as he bought a brand new jar of fresh honey.
"Yes Theo?" Eleanor responded as she looked for a bag of walnuts at another stall next to him.
"What would YOU do with a million dollars?" The question caught her off guard but she giggled anyways. She then turned her eyes and gave him a smirk, though Theodore's attention was elsewhere as if he just spoke up without giving it much thought.
"What would I do?"
"Mhm!"
"Hmm," Eleanor paused while they both continued to shop. "Well, I guess it would be nice to put it into our savings. Kind of like how Miss Miller and Dave did for us growing up."
"That sounds just like you Ellie," Theodore commented, but then quickly whipped his head to her once he thought it over. "Wait! You would save all of it?"
"Yeah? You know, for the future." Eleanor took another moment to think. "Okay maybe just most of it, I can't really think of anything in particular I'd want to buy."
"But don't you want anything for you?"
"Well yeah but…"
"What about a dream! You can always get that started right?" Theodore didn't notice as his attention was caught elsewhere again, but Eleanor stopped. She hesitated, not really expecting him to ask that. She could only let out a few broken utterings as she tried to give an answer.
"O-Oh… right. Dream…"
"Yeah! You know, our dream! We could finally get it started!" His clarification gave Eleanor a much needed moment of relief.
"Oh! Oh y-yeah! Our restaurant. Of course."
"I've been thinking about that lately," Theodore began to trail off. "I'm thinking, what if we do a fusion style?" They continued to go through the lanes.
"Theo we talked about this," Eleanor said, calmer than before. "We settled on a steakhouse, remember? Y'know, something nice and high in taste? Dim candle lights, waiters with metal platters?"
"Yeah but what if people don't want steak?"
"Then they'd really be going to the wrong-" Eleanor cut herself off. "Ooo, handmade pasta. This would be great for next week! But yeah, they shouldn't be going to a steakhouse if they didn't want a steak."
"I guess so, but I would want them to at least have an option." The two of them thought about it for a moment and in another moment of harmony they both spoke up. "Surf and Turf!" The two laughed and Eleanor's smile lingered towards Theodore before they kept onward.
"Okay, okay. What about you Theodore?"
"I think I would spend it on you guys."
"Really," Eleanor asked, surprised.
"Yeah! I can help all of you guys get your dreams started with that kind of money!" Eleanor swooned and went in to give him a hug.
"You are just the sweetest."
"Y-You think so?"
"Mm, I know so." The two blushed and looked at each other lovingly as they exited out of the farmers market with bags in hand towards the supermarket to get the rest of the things they needed before heading back home. "But maybe… don't use it for Britt or Alvin's dreams. You'll go broke in a heartbeat."