I had a request from a friend for more platonic Alvittany moments. I actually finished this 3 days ago, but I didn't have the energy to post it until now.

My anxiety that I was finally handling a little better, has returned with a vengeance following some bad news. As a result, the platonic Simonette fic may have to wait. I'll try to squeeze some platonic Simonette into mini-tale 15 to make up for it.

Anyway, please enjoy this improvised fluff! Dedicated to my pal WeirdLittleTweetyBird on AO3.

Brittany's POV

I had finally done it. It had taken weeks of begging and compromising and planning, but I had finally done it. I had convinced Geek Charming to go to a party with me! He usually only attends one school party every other month. But this month, he agreed to TWO!

Our friendship had really blossomed since that awkward friend-date at La Cafe. I was trying my best to show that I accepted the person Alvin had grown into. Alvin was trying his best to NOT be a complete buzzkill when he was around me. Never in my life could I have dreamed things could ever be this perfect!

I twirled around in my best dress. It was short, but modest. Spaghetti straps showed off my stunning shoulders. The dress was covered in faux diamonds and faux pink tourmaline gemstones.

I was trying to pretend I was on a dance floor, but I was really just in my friend Sandy's living room. Still, it was turning out to be a beautiful night, regardless of the tacky furniture and ugly green throw rug.

Alvin wore a shiny red suit with glitter embedded in the fabric. He had a bright yellow bowtie and a cyan shirt under his open suit jacket. His metallic red glasses had two red rhinestones in the corners.

He was getting into the dance too! I grabbed his hand and twirled him around. He was apprehensive at first, but then he let me.

"You aren't gonna kiss me again, are ya?" The dapper boy asked, looking worried.

I twitched my nose and smiled mischievously. "No." I replied. "Why? Would you LIKE me to?"

"Not in a million years." He grinned.

"That's what I hoped you'd say." I responded.

"Phew." He wiped his brow.

"I'm really….happy with the way things are now." I confessed, letting go of his hand. "I don't want to do anything to mess it up."

"Me either." He looked into my eyes. "And thanks for convincin' me to come here. I know I can be…kinda stubborn."

"Very stubborn." I corrected.

"Fine, VERY stubborn." He agreed. "I just….I don't always feel comfortable at parties anymore, ya know." He stopped dancing and jumped onto the couch. "After everything that's happened, I don't know how to even…talk to most of these people." He gestured around at the other popular kids. "Without making a complete fool of myself."

"That's why you need to just RELAX and let loose." I climbed onto the couch next to him.

Alvin peered over the back of the couch at the teens mingling in the kitchen. "Easier said than done, most of these guys HATE me."

I smiled encouragingly. "If anyone messes with you, or teases you, I'll make them wish they'd never been born." I vowed, holding up my fist.

"Thanks, Britt." He nudged my shoulder playfully. "You're the only one I can handle teasing me right now."

He was giving me an open invitation to tease him! Thank goodness! I had a few ideas for playful insults, but I forced myself to hold back until he got more adjusted to the party atmosphere. I didn't want to go teasing him while he was in a bad place. Too many times, that had gone horribly wrong.

"Well, in that case…" I pointed to his hair. "You could really use some more hair gel. Or better yet, get a new stylist!"

"Yeah, you're right." He tried to smooth down his wild red and EXTREMELY fluffy locks. "I ran out of the extra strength stuff and the original just cannot hold it down anymore."

"Don't worry." I poked his chest. "The clothes make up for it."

"Thank you! Your dress is pretty cool too….even though it looks like you robbed a jewelry store." He chuckled.

"Your shoes…are still tacky." I pointed to his signature rainbow sneakers.

"They go with EVERYTHING." He argued.

"They go with NOTHING." I retorted, flicking my tail.

Alvin slid off the couch. "So, what sorta food have they got here?" He asked.

I followed him and we slipped into the kitchen. "Your favorite! Pizza!"

A frown twisted his lips. "Aw man. I'm not really feeling pizza tonight."

"You? Not feeling pizza?" I raised an eyebrow. "How is that possible?"

He rubbed his arm awkwardly. "I ate a whole box of pizza last night and then I had to take stupid antacid tablets because the stupid sauce doesn't play nice with my stupid old man digestive system."

"Wow." I sassed playfully. "I thought Alvin 2.0 had self control."

"He…I…do!" The red capped boy squeaked. "It was a momentary slip!"

"Bummer." I pointed to the other option sitting on the counter. "I guess you'll have to have a salad."

"Urgh! Not the salad! Isn't there anything else?" He groaned.

I knew now was the perfect time to surprise him. "There is this fruit salad. It's got pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes, banana, honeydew…ew, and mango!"

"Yes! Yes!" He grabbed the bowl out of my hands and quickly scooped a serving of the fruit salad into a smaller bowl. "That's what I'm talkin' about!" His orange eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait, how did you know I'm a sucker for pineapple and mango?"

I got a little nervous, all of a sudden. What if when I told him the reason, it creeped him out!? What if he went back to avoiding me? I couldn't risk our friendship again. I just couldn't!

"Britt?" He poked me with the less pokey end of his fork. Spearing a slice of pineapple, he munched it while looking directly at me.

He needed an answer.

"I have been….making sure to…uh…take note…of the things you like. I didn't know you as well as I thought before, and I never want that to happen again. Sometimes, I still write about you in my diary." I covered my mouth. "Why did I say that?" I gulped.

"Britt, wow….I don't know what to say." Alvin looked down at his fruit salad.

I hid my face behind the large salad bowl so he couldn't see how embarrassed I looked. "I made it weird. I'm sorry. I tried so hard not to make it weird, but I still made it weird."

He reached out and took the salad bowl away, scooping me some fruit salad and carefully avoiding all the icky honeydew chunks. "Maybe now would be a good time to tell you, I write about you in mine too." He passed me the fruit salad, so tenderly prepared. "It's what friends do."

"It's what CRUSHES do." I emphasized. "Isn't it?"

"Friends can do it too. Plus, you know, if I'm totally honest…it's not always GOOD stuff." He shoved a cantaloupe slice in his mouth before he could continue.

I frowned.

"But, you know,…" He said with his mouth full. "Some of it IS. I write about a lot of the fun things we do together. And about how awesome you can be. I don't have a great memory, and writing things down helps me not lose…" He gestured around at the party. "…all this."

I felt my nerves calm down a little. So maybe I was truly over my crush on him, even though I feared I wasn't. The feelings didn't just leave. They trickled out slowly like…oh drat, I need a good metaphor…Simon would know how to describe it.

"I write about that stuff too." I looked at my bestie fondly. "Like the time we went to the roller rink together, and the arcade, and the time we went to the park. You bet me that I couldn't drink an entire soda and still swing on the swingset, but I did!" I laughed. "Then you tried it and got sick in the bushes."

"Oof. Yeah. You held my hair back while I was hurlin'." Alvin looked up at the ceiling and then back at me. "And then you carried me home."

We continued exchanging the "greatest hits" of our shared memories for a long while. There were more than I realized.

"Hey, what about the time we played mini golf and I got the club stuck in the blades of the windmill?" I ate my fruit salad between bites. A polite lady doesn't speak with her mouth full.

"Or the time we went to the carnival! And your shoe flew off on the paragliders and WHACKED Simon right in the face!" Alvin laughed so hard that tears were in his eyes.

"Remember when you used all those free samples in Bath and Body Works? And then you were like a walking perfume bomb! And Theodore couldn't stand it, so you had to sleep in your treehouse until it wore off?" I giggled.

"In my defense, I was bored." Alvin twirled his fork in his hand, then stabbed a bunch of holes into his napkin.

I reached out and flicked the brim of his cap. "You're ALWAYS bored."

"You wanted me in Classic mode!" He squeaked. "You get what you signed up for!" Then, he looked at me with a serious expression. "And DON'T touch the cap."

"Sorry." I returned to eating my fruit salad. "Anyway, since this is your first time at a party in weeks…" I began, with an idea forming in my mind. "I was thinking, we should do something special to celebrate it."

He licked the empty fruit salad bowl like one of Ms. Croner's cats does with their food bowls. He paused when he heard what I was saying. "Whattya have in mind?"

I whispered my idea into his ear.

"I love it!" He exclaimed.

And so, I dragged him over to the big sheet of paper that Sandy had taped to the wall. She has a tradition, you see, that everyone who attends her party signs the paper with their name.

But Alvin and I didn't just sign it. We drew a picture! He grabbed a red pen and I grabbed pink…duh! Even though he loves cyan, red's still a signature color too OBVIOUSLY.

I drew a very precise and beautiful drawing of myself looking at Alvin. He drew himself next to me. His doodle self was looking at me and wearing a superhero costume. The drawing was a lot sketchier than mine, but somehow more detailed. Our artstyles looked nice next to each other. I was going to draw a heart, but I knew that might send the wrong message or start rumors.

In the end, I drew some sparkles and flowers and Alvin drew lightning bolts and light bulbs. He wrote his name above his drawing and I put mine above my simple, but fabulous masterpiece.

"It's still missing something." Alvin murmured.

I studied the drawing. "But what?" I asked.

"I dunno." He adjusted his glasses and then held up his fingers like they were a camera lens. "Something to tie the whole thing together."

I tilted my head. "What more could we possibly add?"

"I've got it!" Alvin grabbed the pink pen from my hand and started writing. "Close your eyes. I wanna surprise ya."

I sighed. "Fine." Please don't be drawing a mustache on me or something. I begged in my head.

Alvin finished and stepped back. "You can open your eyes now."

In red and pink pen, with the color alternating back and forth for each letter, he'd written the words BEST FRIENDS FOREVER.

I couldn't stop smiling. My heart was fluttering, but not in a romantic way. Nope! This was something different, a new feeling that I was slowly but surely getting used to, even though changes are hard for me.

"You like it?" He put the pens down.

"I LOVE IT!" I exclaimed. "Besties forever!"

"Best FRIENDS." He corrected.

I ticked his chin. "Besties sounds so much cuter."

"Does not." He argued.

"Does so!" I smiled.

"Not to me." He folded his arms, but the smile was still on his face. I knew he wasn't mad.

"I'm sorry." I sassed. "I didn't realize you were the ONLY one who mattered in this friendship." I grumbled sarcastically.

I LOVE OUR BANTER SO MUCH! Life just isn't the same without it. I'm glad we can still rile each other up. It's honestly good for us. Alvin says that certain types of conflict fuels his dopa-meter or whatever. It makes him happy! What better conflict than a playful one where both people are aware of boundaries!?

"I'm not." He stroked his chin. "But I still think besties makes you sound like you're on a Disney Channel Sitcom."

I gasped. "You take that back!" I shouted, before giving Alvin a small sign that I wasn't actually steaming mad. I winked at him, just momentarily.

"Nope! I don't think I will!" He quipped confidently.

I put my hands on my hips. "You better."

"You know what else it sounds like?" He went on. "Some cheesy greeting card, something a toddler who can't pronounce best friends would say…"

"Well, that tears it." I smiled smugly. "You, my geeky friend, are a bestie for life. I will call you that every day, every chance I get, I will text it to you, every morning you will wake up to "Good Morning, Bestie!" and every night you'll receive a "Goodnight, Bestie!" I walked closer to him, getting right up in his face. "And all your Christmas presents from me will be addressed "to Brittany's Bestie!"

"You are a cruel, cruel woman." Alvin stepped back and put a hand on his forehead dramatically. Then, he came up and nudged me with his hip. "Juuuuust messin' with ya. You know, I'm actually warming up to the whole bestie thing. Just, don't make it…too excessive."

"You got it,…" I winked and then we hugged. I whispered into his ear. "…Bestie."

Yeah, I definitely could get used to this. Why was it such a struggle before? I am now SO excited for the future! I'm not even dreading it! This is the start of something new…and I can't wait to see where it goes.

Alvin 2.0's POV

"I don't belong here. I don't belong here." The other thoughts in my head were background noise against this one ever-repeating thought.

"Shut up." Classic Alvin's voice demanded. "Of course you do."

"No, you shut up." Nerdy Alvin urged him.

"No you!" Classic huffed back.

I tried to ignore them. But then the anxiety bubbled up again. "I don't belong here."

"Alvie, are you okay?" Brittany snapped her fingers in front of my face. "You're staring at the wall again."

I snapped back into party-mode and allowed Classic to take the reins again. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just, err, psyching myself up to mingle. That's all. It's been a minute." I felt myself chuckle. "And by a minute, I mean a while. A long while."

She raised an eyebrow. It was like she knew I was hiding something. "Yeah. You're not exactly as….social….as before."

"But I can be!" I promised her and myself, even though I was worried it was a lie. "It just takes….practice."

"Well, then GO mingle." The Chipette in the super shiny rhinestone dress encouraged me. "Instead of just standing around and talking about it."

I started to scamper around the living room. "Right. Right. You are absolutely right."

I felt a chill run through me as I looked up at the popular kids. Who should I talk to? Captain of the basketball team? Nah, he hated me. Amber and Annie? They're also out. Maybe I could find Sheridan or Anita. Ohoho, hey, I'm a lot better at remembering names than I used to be.

"Let me have controooool again." Classic Alvin, the manifestation of my impulses and unmanaged ADHD, begged me. "I can make you seem so cool!"

I wished I could, but something was stopping me. While I needed him here to sort of jump in every now and then, I couldn't give up full control. I might wind up doing something stupid and outrageous that all the other kids take video of and post EVERYWHERE.

"You're overthinking again." Classic was taunting me!

"I wanna try and talk to them as…this self first." I explained. "If I crash and burn, then I'll give you full control. Deal?"

His slightly higher pitched voice squeaked happily. "DEAL!"

And suddenly, Brittany's hand was on my shoulder again.

"Spaced out again?" She asked tenderly.

I shook my head. "Uh…yeah. Sorta."

"Would it help if I talk to them too?" Brittany offered. "Then the pressure won't ALL be on you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. That sounded like an idea that could actually work. "Yeah…Good thinking." I twisted my hair awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm such a mess."

She flashed a confident smile. "You're not. You just need help finding your groove."

I followed her over to a group of popular kids. Some of them I knew, and some I wasn't as familiar with. They loomed over me, staring with judgemental eyes.

I gulped. Here goes nothing.

"Remember, I can step in when you crash and burn." Classic Alvin reminded me smugly.

"IF." I corrected.

"WHEN." He repeated.

Brittany gave me a nudge. "Don't you dare zone out again." She whispered.

"Hey, it's nerd boy." Logan, one of the popular boys who wore a black hoodie and a matching baseball cap, flashed finger guns at me. "Didn't expect to see you here."

WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO SAY TO THAT!?

A nervous chuckle erupted from my throat before I could stop it. "Why not? Even us academic guys enjoy the occasional shindig."

WHAT THE HECK DID I JUST SAY!?

Logan and all the other popular kids within earshot looked at me with confused faces.

"He's saying he still loves parties." Brittany translated for me.

"Yeah!" I blurted out. "I'd love to party with you guys more often, but I'm always buried in assignments and stuff."

"That's rough, buddy." Logan responded.

Jesse, the drama class superstar, gave me a kind smile as she sipped her punch from a red solo cup. "We're glad you could make it today, at least."

"I keep telling him to take breaks more often." Brittany climbed up onto the arm of the couch to get closer to the popular kids' height. "But he won't listen to me."

"Getting ahead is important." I murmured. "But enough school talk. Got any fun party games? I'm tryin' to replenish my dopamine."

Logan's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

Annie, the girl with a really dumb looking blonde bob haircut, overheard what I said and came rushing over. "You're on dope?" She asked.

"You take hard drugs? You don't seem the type." Greg, the basketball team captain, was right behind Annie. He picked me up and scanned me with his eyes.

I tried to mask how uncomfortable and nervous I was, with annoyance. "It's a neurotransmitter."

"Calling it a fancy name doesn't make it less lethal." Logan pointed out.

I hated the fact that they misinterpreted what I was saying! What was wrong with them!? They needed to be EDUCATED!

"People's brains produce the hormone NATURALLY." I quipped, my voice taking on an unintentional scholarly quality. "Like Serotonin, Melatonin, Adrenaline…."

Greg set me back down on the ground. "Get help, man. Seriously."

As soon as he said that, Brittany lept into action.

"HEY! Do not talk to him like that!" She ordered, giving Greg a threatening glare.

"Yeah! Only she can talk to me like that!" I shouted. "And I'm not on drugs!" I folded my arms. "Unless you count memory supplements…and the occasional ADHD and anxiety meds." Drat, okay. So I was on drugs, but not the ones they thought.

"He doesn't take anything that's bad for him." Brittany stated firmly. "It's all approved by his psychiatrist and his therapist."

"By which she means Simon and Jeanette." I clarified.

Brittany turned to glare at me.

Oops. Apparently, I wasn't supposed to clarify.

That got the popular kids to change the subject, apparently.

Jason, that dude who once put me through rigorous challenges to prove I was still cool, flipped through his phone while he mingled. "Did anyone catch the football game on Friday?"

"Sure did! It was TOTALLY LIT!" Greg fistbumped him.

"Oh yeah! The wide receiver was the star of the show." Logan stated. "That's me. By the way."

"You were soooo talented out there, Logan." Amber and Annie batted their eyes at him and I resisted the urge to vomit.

I decided to fib a little, to make up for my mistake. "I saw the game too! It was a good one! Truly one for the football history books."

"Leave it to the nerd to think about history books." Laughed Greg. "That's all you are now. Isn't it, little guy?"

Brittany's ice blue eyes flashed with anger. "GREGORY, I AM WARNING YOU!"

"Why did you bring him, Brittany? He doesn't belong here." The basketball team captain responded. It was like Britt's threats weren't having much impact.

"I don't belong here." The sad voice in my head repeated.

I tried to choke some words out, but they died before they could leave my lips. Because Greg had a point. I didn't belong here. Why was I even here again? Oh yeah, because I wanted to have a good time with Brittany.

At least Brittany still thought I belonged here. She made it 100% undeniable as she faced off against the ridiculously tall dude.

"Alvin has JUST as much right to be here as the rest of you. Sandy invited BOTH of us!" The Chipette's tail bristled.

"It's true." Sandy danced on by, stopping when she saw the Texas standoff forming between Brittany and Greg.

"We'll see about that." Greg turned his attention to me again. "Tell me, Poindexter, what was the score of the football game?" He narrowed his eyes and smirked.

"Uhhh." My mouth felt dry. Static filled my ears. "I don't remember."

"That doesn't prove anything, Gregory." Brittany folded her arms. "He doesn't remember lots of things."

"Haha." Annie laughed. "Except like…math stuff and science stuff."

"Even that I struggle to recall sometimes." I confessed.

Greg glared at me again. "Question 2. Which school were we playing against?"

"Do you wanna waste time quizzing me, or do you wanna play a party game?" I responded, avoiding the question entirely.

"You didn't watch the game. I know it." The bully hissed. "You didn't even know there was one."

"And so what if he didn't!" Brittany shouted. "He's got a LOT of things to focus on. Maybe he can't keep up on everything we talk about anymore, but he's still my bestie and because he is my bestie, he BELONGS at this party. So stop trying to prove he doesn't. Because you can't."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Sandy added, smoothing out the ruffles on her orange dress.

Jesse nodded in agreement.

"I'll get better at this." I promised them all, even though I wasn't sure the ability to was even inside me these days. "Ya just gotta give me time to get re-accustomed."

Greg just snarled, but the rest of the group seemed receptive.

"Now, while you guys discuss whatever party game ya wanna play, I have got to…." I needed a good excuse. "Get a little fresh air."

I sprinted to the door and jumped up to twist the doorknob.

"Wait for me." I heard Brittany say.

"You need fresh air too?" Amber asked. "Like, okay, that's kinda weird."

"It's a chipmunk thing." She fibbed hastily, before joining me outside.

I sat down in the grass outside. I was completely silent, because I was once again trapped inside my own head.

"A deal's a deal, pal. My turn to drive." Classic Alvin quipped in a sassy voice.

"I just don't know what went wrong." I sighed. "I tried so hard."

"It's not your fault." Classic assured me. "All your cool genes, or whatever, are connected to me."

"I'm supposed to be the blend between you and Albert/Nerdy/Full on 2.0." I explained. "But I always lean more into his traits than yours, even if I'm TRYING to lean the opposite direction."

"Yeah. Sucks to be you." My fun side teased, sounding slightly sad.

"Alvie?" Brittany's voice brought me spiraling back to reality. "Please don't leave."

I stood up and stuck my hands in the pockets of my red glitter suit pants. "I wasn't gonna."

"Are you sure?" She asked sweetly, with some sadness.

"Yeah. I just needed fresh air is all." I assured her. "Like I said."

"I'm sorry they said those things to you, especially Greg." Brittany reached out and put a hand on my shoulder.

I looked at my feet. "It's fine. It's not your job to apologize for them."

"Still, I want to make sure you feel safe here." My best friend insisted.

I rubbed my arm awkwardly. "I'm not sure you can. But I'm fine, really. I'll shake it off like I always do."

"If you're fine, then why do you still look like someone said you flunked an exam?" She asked softly.

I fidgeted and paced around. "Because I basically did flunk an exam." I sighed. "I was trying, Britt, really I was. I wanted to survive this party as myself. To prove that I'm not so different after all. But I AM different and nothing can change that fact."

"The Alvin I know doesn't give up after the first try." Brittany reminded me, gently stroking my arm.

"There's something I can do, but I'm not sure if I should." I muttered. "It might backfire worse."

"What is it?" Her pink lips parted in an O of surprise.

I nibbled my lip. "I could…summon my Classic Alvin side. He's already been helping a little, but he wants full control. He wants me to turn off my inhibitions and then we're both sure we'll blend in better."

"You know I absolutely adore your fun side." Brittany rubbed her chin. "But I thought you couldn't do that at will."

"I've been practicing. It's not a perfect system, but he's here now and…yeah." I felt so embarrassed talking to her about this. I sounded crazy. I was crazy.

"Then do it." She smiled. "If you make a mess, I'll help you pick up the pieces."

I frowned. "But if I do, then that means I have to admit I couldn't get through the party as 2.0."

"So what?" Brittany shrugged. "There will be other parties. Maybe tonight just isn't the night for this side of you."

"Maybe." I pouted. "But I wanted to make it through as myself so BADLY."

She stared into my eyes and smiled with confidence. "Look at me, bestie. You are yourself. That's what you always tell me. You are Classic. You are 2.0. You are the full-nerd guy. It doesn't always seem like it, especially from an outside point of view."

"It doesn't always feel like it from an inside point of view either." I admitted.

"Bottom line, If going Classic mode is what you need to do, then don't stop yourself from doing it!" Brittany insisted. "You always complain that Dave punishes you too much. Right now, you're punishing YOURSELF." She pointed out.

"Oh…" I murmured.

Was that true? Was my reluctance to let my Classic Alvin side out to play…a means of punishing myself? For spending a night out at a party when I had other more important things at home I could be doing? Oh no! It was!

"Are you sure you're not just telling me this so you can hang with my alter ego?" I asked half-nervously and half with a teasing smile.

"I'm going to be hanging out with YOU. You and Classic share memories. Don't you?" She poked her finger at my forehead.

"Uh huh. We do." I told her.

"Then…" She smiled wider. "What are you waiting for? Tonight, you have no responsibilities. You are allowed to relax. Go nuts."

"Okay." I closed my eyes and willed myself to switch into my unencumbered and free spirited state of being.

"My turn to drive now?" Classic Alvin was giddy.

"Yes." I told him as I felt myself sort of…fuse into him. "Your turn to drive."

My eyes flew open. I suddenly had even more energy than before. I still was aware of my surroundings and definitely in control of my body. I did not feel like a backseat driver. Had the intentional switch into Classic mode been a success?

I tried to think about studying and found it absolutely mind-numbingly boring. I wanted to go back inside the house and play whatever party game was cooked up.

That was a sign it worked, wasn't it? Eh, why was I overthinking this? It had DEFINITELY worked. I was Classic! I was also me!

"Leeeeet's party!" I grabbed Brittany's hand and pulled her back inside.

"Whoah!" She giggled. "That was fast."

"Of course it was fast." I bragged. "I do everything fast."

"So it worked?" She wondered aloud. "How are you feeling?"

I threw open the door and jumped inside. "Like a gazillion times better than before!" I yelped happily.

"Great!" Brittany squeaked. "It's nice to see this…part of you. You really should let him out more often."

"Yeah! I totally should!" I agreed.

Then, I raced up to Greg and smiled wide enough to show off my giant chipmunk teeth.

"Hey, dude. I'm baaaaack! Who's ready to have some fun!?" I raised up my fist for a fistbump.

Greg raised an eyebrow at Brittany. "Did you drug him?" He asked.

"No." She put her hands on her hips. "All I did was give him a little pep talk. He was nervous, but I took care of it."

"What game are we playin'?" I asked excitedly.

Logan's eyebrows wriggled. "Truth or Dare."

Brittany's face contorted into a worried expression.

Inside my head, a faint "oh no" came from my Nerdy side.

I ignored it without even trying to. "Ohoho! That sounds fun!" I exclaimed. "Dares are always super exciting!"

The popular kids were all giving me strange looks, but I couldn't figure out why, so I didn't focus on them. It was GAME time!

"Who wants to start?" Sandy asked.

All of the kids who wanted to play the game, gathered in a circle. Let the fun start NOW! Because how can truth or dare be anything but fun!?

Brittany sat next to me. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"What could go wrong?" I shrugged my shoulders.

(Turns out, letting my impulses run rampant made me oblivious and shortsighted. My ability to predict consequences was hindered noticeably.)

Seriously! What could go wrong? I know these games get weird and emotional, but I have a VERY thick skin! I can take whatever people dish out!

Besides, I wouldn't pick truth! I would choose dare and then I wouldn't have to answer any uncomfortable emotional questions. Ohoho! I am so smart!

"Who gets to go first?" I wondered aloud.

Brittany volunteered herself. "I'll go first." She pointed to one of the popular girls. "Annie, truth or dare?"

Annie grumbled. She didn't look happy to be chosen. "Dare I guess."

A devious smirk spread across Brittany's pretty face. "I dare you…to shave half your head."

"WHAT!?" Annie shouted. "She can't do that! Can she?" The cheerleader looked at Sandy.

"I think she can. Those are the rules." Sandy smiled. "I'll get you a razor."

"Omg! This is like SO UNFAIR!" Annie continued to complain.

A little while later, the sullen teenage girl sat on the floor with a really cool looking haircut. Half her head was shaved, but the other half was still long. Hey! Maybe I should try that look!

"No please!" Nerdy Alvin begged faintly. "Don't do anything you'll regret."

Annie pointed to Greg. "You! Truth or dare?" She demanded.

"Truth." The basketball captain replied.

"How many people have you dated in your lifetime?" Annie asked, taking a drink of her soda and grinning.

"I bet he's really gotten around!" I blurted out, before I could stop myself.

"Shut up, rat." Greg responded to my interjection.

Brittany grabbed my hand and squeezed it, to signal I needed to be quiet.

"Well?" Amber, Annie's best friend, looked at Greg with a matching grin.

"Are you and Tiffany still a thing?" Logan wondered.

Sandy snorted. "Nah. He dumped Tiffany months ago."

Annie picked at her nails. "Still waiting on your answer, Greg."

"7." The tall dude finally admitted. "When I was 12, I dated this girl named Christina. Two years after that was Mandi, then I dated Annie for a weekend. Tiffany was next. I dated Roger, Corey, and currently I'm with Lisa."

"Wait, you like guys too? I didn't know that!" I exclaimed.

"Got a problem with it!?" The basketball player threatened.

"Of course not. Love is love." I explained. "I'm just surprised, is all."

Amber looked at Annie with her jaw dropped. "YOU DATED GREG!?"

Annie's face was redder than a whole bucket of tomatoes. "It was just one weekend! I didn't think that counted!"

"It totally counts." Greg said. "But anyway, movin' on." His burly finger pointed directly at me. "Geekazoid, truth or dare?"

I stood up and puffed out my chest. "Dare."

Greg rubbed his hands together and then pointed at the table in the kitchen with the refreshments. "You like science, right?"

Did I? Surprisingly, yes. Even in Classic mode, my love for science persisted. "Yeah."

"I dare you to make a science experiment using anything you can find on that table." The teenage boy demanded.

"Okay! Challenge accepted!" I got up and hustled to the table. The rest of the group followed.

Brittany watched me with that same worried look on her face.

I scanned the table for things to use for my big experiment. My eyes fell on a big bottle of Coca Cola and a container of fruity flavored Mentos. "Stand back! This is gonna be EXPLOSIVE!" I grabbed both items.

I could have done the experiment OUTSIDE, but I wasn't thinking ahead very far, so that never occurred to me. Instead, I just dropped the Mentos in the bottle and let the chemical reaction do the rest.

KA BOOM! With a loud noise, the bottle launched a stream of foamy and frothy soda in the air. The rest of it oozed out of the bottle and got over everything. The kitchen was a total mess.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Logan shouted.

"WHAT THE HECK!?" Greg's eyes were wide.

"Cool!" Cheered Sandy. "My parents are gonna kill me, but that was so worth it!"

"How does it work?" Brittany asked. That was shocking to me, because she normally doesn't care how sciency things work.

I tried to gather the information needed to explain it, but my brain dismissed it as boring facts. I wasn't in the mood to infodump. I wanted to continue the game!

"Uhhh….well….it's….uh….chemical….stuff. Like, the two….substances cause each other…..to blow up." I fumbled out. "Sorry. Not exactly in science mode at the moment!" I said in a rush.

"I gotta try this as a prank on my cousin." Logan commented. He adjusted his baseball cap and wiped some foamy soda off his face.

I looked around the room, wondering who I should choose to go next. Eventually, I picked the person here I could mess with the easiest. "Brittany, truth or dare?"

Brittany gulped. Then, she very quietly squeaked out… "Dare."

I took my glasses off my face. "I dare you to wear these, while tap-dancing on the table."

Brittany took the glasses, even though she didn't want to. "That's a weird request."

"You have to do it." Annie taunted. "That's the rule of a dare."

The world around me was blurry as heck. I could barely make out what was happening. I saw a pink blur climb up and dance around on the table.

Everyone clapped for her, including me.

She moved her feet faster until she slipped in some of the soda and slid off the table with a loud THUD!

I was immediately at her side. "You good?" I asked.

She handed me back my glasses. I put them on and came face-to-face with a very angry blue eyed glare.

"Why would you pick THAT!? My designer shoes are covered in Coke now!" She grumbled.

"I just thought it'd be funny." I reasoned.

"And was it?" She asked.

"YEAH! Even though I could barely see ya." I helped her to her feet.

She looked at me with concern. "You know, maybe you're taking this Classic mode thing a bit too far."

I blinked at her. "Huh?"

"You know what I mean. The act is too…intense." She criticized.

I tilted my head. "Act…ing? It's not an act. This is ME! It's all ME!"

"Come on, 2.0." Brittany said in a soft voice. "I know you're in there. We need you…for damage control."

"Britt, relax. I can totally take care of myself without the fun sucker." I reasoned. "Quit worryin'. I'm fine!"

"If you say so." She frowned.

The game of Truth or Dare went on and on. When the turns got back to me and Britt, there was trouble.

Jesse pointed to Brittany. "Brittany, truth or dare?"

"This time, I'll go with truth." The Chipette said with confidence.

She would likely regret that.

"Do you ever have dreams about getting back together with Alvin?" Jesse asked.

Brittany's face flushed pink and she started to stammer. "I….uh….is this….is this REALLY an appropriate question to ask about someone's bestie?"

"Hey, this is a safe space to share." Greg lied. I knew whatever Britt told him would practically be front page news tomorrow.

Jesse popped her bubble gum in her mouth loudly. "So tell us! We are DYING to know."

I wasn't sure how to feel about this question. Truth be told, I was much too busy staring at the light fixture on Sandy's ceiling. It looked like a weird upside down tree. The branches coiled and…

"Y…Y…Yes." Brittany folded her hands in her lap. "I've had a few."

A few what? I didn't know. I was totally not fully listening. "Awesome!" I said, feeling the need to contribute, but with no clear idea what I was contributing to.

"You think THAT'S awesome!?" Brittany looked shocked and uncomfortable.

"It's a sign you aren't over him." Jesse commented.

"Yeah." Logan agreed.

"You both should date again." Jason added. "It didn't work the last time, but you get along better now."

Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! What had I agreed was awesome!? I had a sinking feeling it was something I shouldn't have commented on at all.

"What did you ask her again?" I questioned.

Brittany took a deep breath. "Jesse asked if I have dreams where we're boyfriend and girlfriend again." She revealed. "I have them…once in a while."

My eyes went wide and my jaw dropped. "You do? Okay, uh, that's….interesting."

"Why did you say it was awesome?" Brittany asked, sounding incredibly irritated.

"I dunno." I shrugged. Lying was better than admitting I hadn't been paying attention.

Brittany rubbed her forehead. "Look…" She told the other popular kids. "As much as I hate to admit it, those dreams don't mean anything. They're just what happens if I read too many comments online from my fans."

"Yeah!" I blurted out. "The pressure is real!"

"I'm perfectly happy being besties with Alvin. I tease him sometimes and act like I wish we got together, but it's all just messing around." Brittany explained.

"Hey, I wouldn't blame you for still havin' the hots for me." I nudged her. "I mean, look at this handsome face!" I gestured to myself. "People are CRAZY about me."

Brittany scoffed. "I do NOT have the hots for you."

"I know. I'm just sayin' I would understand if ya did." I replied.

"Oh my gosh." Annie groaned. "Just kiss her already! I dare Alvin to kiss Brittany!"

"It's not your turn." I pointed out.

The teen kids all looked at us and started chanting. I guess it didn't matter whose turn it was.

"KISS KISS KISS KISS KISS KISS KISS!"

Brittany held up her hands. "STOP!"

"Yeah, this is waaaay too far." I stood up and tapped my foot.

Sandy stood up and raised her hands too. "Enough, you guys."

"If this keeps up, Alvin and I WILL leave." Brittany threatened. "You all know exactly how complicated things were between us, and I do not appreciate you forcing us to be romantic for you."

"Platonic besties fur-ev-er!" I added, while half-zoned out again.

Brittany suddenly was smiling.

"What?" I asked, unsure when she switched from being mad to smiling.

"You called us besties." Her voice was thick with positive emotion.

I winked playfully. "Of course I did. It's what we are."

The other students exchanged glances with each other.

"Can we still call you Alvittany?" Logan spoke up. "Or Albrittina?"

Brittany wrinkled her nose. "I'm afraid not."

"Bummer." The teen sighed.

"Fine." Annie crossed her arms. "But you both would have been so cute together!"

Sandy knew it was a good time to change the conversation. "Guys, guess what I found in the freezer! ICE CREAM! It's time for a make-your-own Sundae bar!"

After we had our ice cream, we mingled a bit more and then the party was over.

Brittany and I walked down the sidewalk, talkin' about what went down.

"Darn Truth or Dare games. I muttered. Always pullin' on your heartstrings."

The Chipette in pink looked at me with sad eyes. "I'm so embarrassed."

"You're fine. Like you said, they're just dumb dreams." I grinned. "About my gorgeous face."

"You can bring 2.0 back now." She rubbed her head again.

"Eh, not feelin' it." I put my arm around her.

She pushed it off. "Oh my god. Do you still have a crush on me when you're like this?"

"When I'm like…what?" I scratched my head.

"When you're in Classic mode." She frowned.

"Uh…." I thought as hard as I could. Did I? "You're pretty, and I love spendin' time with you, but…no. I'm not head over heels for ya." I put my arm around her again. "I'm just the type of guy who likes invading people's personal space."

She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried you might have regressed back to when you had a crush on me."

"Hahaha!" I laughed loudly. "Nah, you're good, bestie."

"So you like that word now?" Brittany wondered. "I thought it sounded too Disney Channel for you."

I took my arm off her shoulder and slapped my knee. "It does, hahaha, but it means a lot to you, so, you know." I rubbed my neck awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm not great with words like this."

"But I know someone who is." The Chipette reached out to stroke the fur on my cheek. "How do you switch back to your 2.0 mode or whatever?"

I blinked in shock. "You're ready for the other side of me back already?"

"I know. I know. It's surprising me too." Brittany adjusted my glasses for me. "I didn't expect to miss…the way you act…when you're him."

I almost cried. I was too wound up to cry at that moment, but the feelings I get from crying happy tears coursed through my whole body. An unbeatable warmth.

"She wants to talk…to me." Nerdy Alvin's voice whispered in awe.

"But I'm not finished driving yet!" Protested Classic Alvin, as I closed my eyes and un-fused with him.

"I'm sorry, dude. I'll let ya out to play again soon." I promised.

I partially fused myself with my nerd side, but not all the way, because I didn't wanna scare Brittany off with the intensity my raging nerdiness can sometimes have.

Brittany poked my shoulder. "Hello? Earth to Alvie?"

I opened my eyes and immediately started sobbing happy tears. "You like me! You actually DO like me! All my intrusive thoughts were wrong!" I wept.

"Now what's happening?" Brittany asked.

I wiped my tears. "Don't mind me. I've just got the feels. Love ya, bestie."

She tilted her head. "I love you too."

I stopped crying and the fuzzy memories of what I had done while in Classic mode were suddenly crystal clear. Yikes! It was strange how drastically different I viewed my actions in this mental state. I could pinpoint every little thing I SHOULD have done with more caution and everything I could have said with more tact.

Except, Classic was right. I fit in at the party a lot better as him. Maybe I didn't need to do anything differently after all. Still, I couldn't help but feel self conscious of all my decisions in Classic mode.

"That was some party." I quipped. "Kinda, kinda regretting some of that stuff. I hope I didn't embarrass ya too much."

Brittany raised an eyebrow. "Wait, did you switch? Are you 2.0 again?"

"It isn't obvious?" I fidgeted with my fingers.

"Not really. You just closed your eyes for a few seconds and started crying after." She told me.

I smiled awkwardly. "Oh. Haha. Well, yeah. I am a mix of both 2.0 and full-nerd mode right now."

"You didn't embarrass me and neither did Classic you." Brittany assured me. "In fact, you were almost back to being the life of the party."

"Phew." I wiped my brow.

"How did it feel?" She walked along the sidewalk with her usual sashay. "To switch?"

"Weird, strange, liberating, and interesting." I drummed my fingertips against my leg while walking. "Pretty much indescribable. I was barely even aware I switched. I just felt like me, with less emotional baggage."

"Hmmm." Brittany responded.

"Can't give ya more than that." I said honestly.

We approached the treehouse and my house. The night was basically over now. I was looking forward to climbing into bed. Being Classic Alvin tires me out a lot physically.

I felt Britt's hand grasp my arm. "Before you go, there's one more thing I want to ask you."

I yawned. "What?"

"How DOES that Coke and Mentos thing work?" She asked.

I almost sobbed happy tears again, but the euphoric feeling of infodumping eclipsed my will to cry.

"Ohoho! It's fascinating really. Classic me was wrong. It's not a chemical reaction at all! It's a physical reaction! Coke has carbon dioxide and that causes bubbles. Mentos candy looks smooth, but it's actually covered in tiny bumps. The rough surface allows the bonds between the carbon dioxide and the water to break down. This creates even MORE carbon dioxide bubbles and BAM! An eruption occurs!"

Brittany smiled at me. "There's the long winded explanation I was looking for." She teased.

"Did I nerd out too much?" I asked, looking sheepish.

She shook her head. "You nerded out just the right amount."

"I would love to chat more, but I gotta head home." I pointed to my front door. "I'll text ya tomorrow. Thanks again for inviting me."

"You're welcome, bestie." She waved in a friendly way. "Goodnight."

"Wait…" I chased after her and then reached out and pulled her in for a hug. "Thank you for asking me to go all 2.0-mode again. Seriously. That means…so much. To know that you…WANTED HIM. That you WANTED the side of me you previously couldn't stand."

"Well,…" She giggled. "You are kind of adorable when you nerd out like that." She suddenly looked to her left and then her right. "Don't tell anyone what I just said." She threatened. "Or else."

"My lips are sealed, bestie." I responded.

I was practically glowing as bright as the solar system mobile on my ceiling as I climbed in bed that night. I never could have imagined Britt being THIS accepting of me. Of all of me. I am not the type of guy who believes in destiny, but I knew our friendship was destined to last forever.

It was crazy how much more comfort I'm finding in my flip-flopping personality too. I gotta start going to parties more. I gotta take advantage of my Classic mode. Now that I know Britt doesn't ONLY like him, it's almost less daunting to be him around her. Because I DO like being him. I always have. I just needed to know the appropriate time and place to be him.

I lay in bed, waiting to feel mentally tired to accompany my physical tiredness. I flipped through photos on my phone taken at the party and saved them all to an album entitled Precious Memories. Now I'd never forget this incredible night. I zoomed in on one of my favorite pictures.

It was a selfie of Brittany and I with the pictures we drew on Sandy's mural in the background. I was giving Britt bunny ears and she was looking aggravated. I zoomed in on the words under the picture. I was suddenly concerned whether or not I'd spelled friends correctly. I have a tendency to forget the i. Turns out, it was spelled correctly. I smiled as I read the words.

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER

I LOVE HOW WELL THEY GET ALONG NOW!

I'm interested to hear your favorite parts! Mine's gotta be when Alvin 2.0 lets his Classic side fuse with him for a tiny bit. And when Brittany asks him how the experiment works. That's right! SHE FINALLY SHOWS THAT SHE MISSED HIS NERDY SIDE A LITTLE!

I have to draw their doodle at some point.

Anyway, I'll do some research for the other platonic Simonette fic while I work on another improvised fic. The munks and I need an emotional release after the bad news, so expect the next fic to be a hurt/comfort one.

Love you guys! Thank you for inspiring me to keep writing! I need my coping mechanism now more than ever.