"Brittany?" The auburn-haired Chipette heard the familiar voice call out for her.
It was unmistakable. That voice belonged to none other than the baby of the Chipettes. And when she heard the footsteps of the rest of the group, she knew they had to be from Jeanette and the Chipmunks.
The blue-eyed teenage girl let out a huge sigh. She was mostly relieved that the treehouse was not being broken into after all. It was just her sisters and her friends. However, a part of her almost would have preferred to be fighting off robbers right now. What could they all possibly want from her? She knew that, more likely than not, they were probably going to try to talk to her about her "problem" again.
As the pink-clad Chipette took a deep breath, she slowly let the softball bat she had been holding fall to the ground with a light thud. Brittany then slowly started to walk out of the room. However, she made sure to quickly glance at herself in the mirror before she went out there.
She thanked God she had already put on makeup earlier and was still wearing it. While she didn't mind if her sisters saw her without her makeup on, she did not want the boys to see her looking that way. Especially not Alvin, who she still felt needed to see her looking absolutely fabulous at all times so he would know what an idiot he was for dumping her.
However, she still didn't exactly feel fabulous right now. She was still incredibly pale, and she knew her hair was much thinner and barely staying in the ponytail she always wore it in. But since there was nothing she could do about that in the moment, this would have to suffice for now.
Brittany swiftly smoothed down her pink pajama shorts, adjusted the spaghetti straps on the coordinating top, and then stepped out of the room. She was still barefoot, but luckily had a pretty pedicure that consisted of glittery pink nail polish she could show off.
"Brittany?" She heard another softer voice call out as she just started making her way out to the living room.
It was the middle Chipette this time. Soft spoken, as always. Her voice was a mix of concern and nervousness.
The eldest of the Miller sisters stepped into the living room and did not miss a beat before she started shouting at every single chipmunk that was standing in the living room.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU?" The teen dressed in pink pajamas screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing throughout the treehouse. "YOU SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME! ARE YOU GUYS INSANE?"
"Relax, Brittany." The red-capped Chipmunk spoke up and used all the restraint he had to not roll his eyes.
He forgot what a drama queen his ex-girlfriend could be at times. Well, most of the time, actually. Though he wasn't sure how he had forgotten that since it was one of the things that annoyed him the most about her. But weirdly enough, it was also one of the things he now missed about her. In a way, it was good to see she still had some fight left in her. It reassured him that she was going to beat this illness she was now struggling with somehow.
"It's not like we broke in." Alvin continued to talk. "We all have keys. Remember?"
Right on cue, each individual Chipmunk and Chipette held up his or her respective key high in the air to show Brittany.
The blue-eyed Chipette stood there for a minute as she grumbled to herself. Why did Alvin still have a key? She should have made him give that back to her the day he decided to end their relationship. After all, the two of them weren't exactly going to use this as their makeout spot anymore. And if Alvin really needed to get away from his home, she was sure he could use Lindsay to help him escape.
There was not much she could do about Simon and Theodore having keys, though. Those were given to them by Jeanette and Eleanor respectively. Only her sisters had the power to ask for those back, which she knew they never would. And Brittany couldn't exactly prevent Jeanette and Eleanor from accessing the treehouse, as much as she would have liked to. They helped build it and it belonged to them just as much as it did to her.
"I had a baseball bat, you know. I was totally ready to fight back since I thought you were all robbers or something." The irritated Chipette muttered under her breath through clenched teeth.
"Well obviously, none of us are here to hurt you. You know that, right?" Simon stated gently, yet very matter-of-factly.
The bespectacled Chipmunk looked the oldest Chipette dead in the eyes, even from all the way across the room. He knew he had to approach this delicately due to the fragile state Brittany was in, both physically and emotionally. But at the same time, Brittany needed to know they all meant business. She was going through something very serious, after all, And it was urgent that she listened to them and finally accepted help.
"Yet why do I have a feeling whatever you guys are about to say to me is only going to piss me off even more? If that's even possible, that is." The auburn-haired girl snapped back as she rolled her eyes and shook her head in an aggravated manner.
"We just want to talk to you, Brittany. We want to help. Can you please just hear us out?" The youngest Chipmunk spoke up in a hopeful, yet melancholy tone with a sad look in his green eyes.
For some reason, this caused the girl in the pink pajamas to soften her demeanor just a little bit. She had no idea why. But seeing sweet Theodore looking so sad made her feel a little bad. Besides the two of them being tv buddies, he was also the only one in the group she truly felt like she could talk to without worrying about him judging her at all.
Even Jeanette was guilty of judging her occasionally (which Brittany had seen evidence of with her very own eyes when she read Jeanette's diary back in the third grade and saw that her sister thought she was egotistical and selfish). But Theodore was different. She basically felt like she was in a judgment free zone whenever it was just the two of them hanging out.
"What do you guys want from me?" Brittany reluctantly asked with an exasperated sigh as she rolled her icy blue eyes.
Suddenly, there was several minutes of silence among all six of the chipmunks. Alvin, Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor all exchanged expressions with each other as if they were all nonverbally trying to decide who should speak first. Which one of the five treehouse visitors was going to bite the bullet?
Meanwhile, the Chipette who had been living there all weekend long was now leaning with the left side of her body against the wall that was closest to the bedroom she had been hiding in just mere minutes ago. She started impatiently drumming her left hand against the wall out of boredom, frustration, and anxiety (though she would never own up to that last one). She just wanted to get this whole thing over with, whatever it was they all wanted to tell her. Brittany had no intention whatsoever of listening to anything any of them had to say. She had no plans of doing anything they told her she should do or wanted her to do.
She would not go back to living in the home that belonged to her late mother with her sisters. Not right now, at least. She was not going to see a shrink. And most of all, she was not going to tell her sisters, ex-boyfriend, and friends who were in the treehouse with her right now about her eating disorder. No matter how much they tried to push her, she would continue to deny it.
Why should she tell them the truth? Why should she accept their help? She refused to be seen as weak.
For all her life, she had always been able to handle everything on her own. There was no way she was going to allow anybody else to believe that she couldn't still do that. She was going to fight her eating disorder all by herself. And in private.
It didn't matter how many times she failed to stop binging and purging. It didn't even matter if she continued to do damage to her body. She couldn't give up. And if she told anyone and accepted help, that was exactly what she would be doing. So she had to continue to fight and appear strong.
The pajama-clad girl then let out a huge yawn for dramatic emphasis as she covered her mouth with her hand. She needed to appear bored and uninterested in anything they had to say. She just hoped she was effectively communicating this. She could not let any of them see her fear.
Eventually, the four younger chipmunks' eyes all landed on Alvin. The boy in red looked around at each and every one of them. Normally in this situation, he would push Theodore (the bigger pushover of his two brothers) forward and pressure him to start talking first. But somehow, the eldest Seville brother just felt like he couldn't do that this time. This whole intervention had been Alvin's idea, and he was the one who had been inspired by seeing it on tv.
God, what was happening to him? Was Dave right when he said that he was "growing up" and "becoming more responsible"? Whatever. He didn't want to think about that right now. At this time, Brittany had to be his main focus.
So after a moment of hesitation, the oldest of the five finally stepped forward. He walked right up to Brittany. While he kept a comfortable distance between himself and his ex, he still got near enough to be able to make eye contact with her as he talked.
"Brittany," Alvin started out in a tone so soft that he barely even recognized his voice as his own. "We're all here because we care about you. Every single one of us. Even me. I've always cared about you. No matter how weird things are between us now. Or how complicated our past is. Even when we fought and couldn't stand each other, I still cared. And I still do. I... I always will."
Brittany scoffed as she shook her head and her eyes turned up towards the ceiling.
"Oh, really? You always cared? That's rich considering how you were willing to let me stay under that Sleeping Beauty spell. You didn't even want to kiss me! The only reason you did was because you wanted to show off to Bart after it wasn't working when he tried. Let's be real. You would've let me stay in a coma forever if you didn't feel the need to one up someone else. Not exactly Prince Charming material there."
Alvin could do nothing but stand there completely baffled after that with his ocean blue eyes wide, and his mouth hanging open. He didn't even have a snarky comeback for that one, not this time. Not only was he stunned that Brittany would use an incident from so long ago against him when he was only trying to help her (which actually stung a lot more than he was willing to admit). But he wondered how she had even known what he had said when she had been asleep the whole time? Who told her?
Come to think of it, what did he even say that day? He really couldn't remember much of the whole fiasco besides kissing Brittany and her waking up right after that. And then getting on the school news station and talking about it, of course. Whatever he had said, he was sure he didn't mean any of it. Even he knew that he had a tendency to run his mouth and not really think about the words that were coming out of it.
The teenage girl who was leaning against the wall rolled her eyes even harder, realizing her ex-boyfriend had probably totally forgotten about what he said while she was in her coma. But she found out about it because the cameras had still been rolling, and she saw the video footage during editing later that day. Plus, Eleanor had told her all about it not long after she had woken up.
How he had first accused her of faking it (although she might've been guilty of faking being a zombie to convince him to bring her to the black and white ball, it certainly wasn't true of the Sleeping Beauty curse!), and then said he didn't want to dress in a silly costume and swing from a chandelier just to save her until Simon and Theodore convinced him it would get him on tv at their school if they did a story on it. And then he said he didn't even want to kiss "Sleeping Brittany". He seemed more than happy to let Bart do it until it wasn't working. Of course, Jeanette had told her the reason it didn't work when Bart tried and only Alvin's kiss woke her up was because Alvin was her one true love. For a while, she actually believed that. But now she knew it was just some made up crap, just like when she saw some false future on Simon's defective time machine where she and Alvin were married, living in a mansion, and had twin boys.
"Did you really think it wasn't going to get back to me somehow?" The ponytailed teen shook her head again and groaned, her hands forming into fists at her sides as she dug her nails into her palms.
"Look," Alvin responded as he exhaled deeply, and then shifted his weight and shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. " I get it if you hate me after everything. Especially after what happened this summer."
The teenage Chipmunk took a momentary break from speaking and swallowed before forcing himself to continue. His voice unintentionally breaking slightly as he did.
"But like I said in the car, this isn't about me or us right now. Your sisters need you. We all need you. Just... please get better, Britt. We can't lose you."
Brittany froze, standing perfectly still in her spot for a minute. She was actually seriously contemplating Alvin's words, despite swearing to herself she wouldn't just minutes ago. Despite their rocky past, she didn't actually hate Alvin. At least, she didn't think she did.
The thing was, the two of them had always had a love/hate relationship going on since they had both known each other. One that was filled with rivalry, competitions, back and forth banter, and bickering. Even when dating, that never changed. But they would still always literally kiss and make up after all of it. No matter how many times they would threaten to break up.
This was just the way Alvin and Brittany had both been wired. But at the end of the day, the two of them still always cared about each other deep down. And neither truly wished any malice towards the other. Hell, they had even helped one another out from time to time.
Brittany remained rigidly stationed in her position against the pink floral wallpaper with a stoic expression on her face, refusing to budge in the slightest. It was as if she were a living statue. But deep within her, it was hard to deny this act was difficult to keep up. She missed the person she used to be before this disorder took over her body and her life so bad. And Alvin was doing a good job of reminding her of who that was.
But she knew she could never truly go back to being that girl. Even if she did do the things everyone in the room wanted her to do. She had lost too much by now. Her eating disorder had changed her too much and taken away the person she once was.
Simon was the next one in the group to step forward. He adjusted his glasses as he moved to the front and approached Brittany the same way his older brother did. He kept enough distance between them to be respectful, but also stood close enough to establish eye contact. Which he did not hesitate for a minute to do, his own blue eyes staring directly into Brittany's with quiet determination.
"Brittany," Simon began after clearing his throat as he searched for the right words. "I'm not gonna pretend to know exactly what you're going through. Because honestly, I can't even imagine how you must be feeling. I'm aware that what you've been through this last year and a half is a lot for someone our age. Or any age, really. But as your friend and someone who cares, I can't stand by and watch you head down this dangerous path I see you going down either. So I need to be completely honest with you about just how much you're jeopardizing your own health."
The middle Chipmunk never broke his eye contact with the oldest Chipette. He continued to wear the same serious expression on his face, feeling he needed to let the frail girl standing in front of him know just how much she was risking her life by not letting anyone help her get better. The pajama-clad teen seemed to shift ever-so-slightly against the wall, though she didn't budge much.
"Bulimia is a very serious, potentially fatal disorder." The boy in blue continued in a stern, yet caring manner. "It can cause hair loss, dental issues, you can do permanent damage to your voice, which will affect your singing. And that's only the superficial symptoms. There's also a risk of stomach ulcers, infertility, organ damage, electrolyte imbalances. That last one is the reason you keep passing out, by the way. And your heart could literally stop beating at any moment. Did you know that? Look, I don't want to scare you..."
Simon paused his speech for a minute and put his pointer finger up to his chin as he considered what he just said. He then shook his head and resumed speaking immediately after that. His voice seemed even more firm than it did before this time around.
"No, I take that last statement back. I do want to scare you. Because I think maybe you need to be scared. Maybe that's what it'll take for you to finally acknowledge your problem and seek treatment for it. Because you're gonna need to get help for this whether you like it or not. This won't go away on its own."
"Thank you, Dr. Simon!" Brittany sarcastically retorted, though her voice lacked its usual bite. "Did you read all that in one of your medical books? If I wanted a science lesson, I'd be studying right now."
However, the pink-clad girl's body language contradicted her words. She tensed up and started rubbing each of her arms with her hands. As if there was a sudden draft in the room and she was now trying to warm herself up. It was obvious that what Simon had said was getting to her.
Simon then retreated to the back of the room to let someone else say their part. He realized that he might have sounded harsh. But he wasn't trying to be mean. He was coming from a place of genuine concern and care. And if this was what it took for Brittany to finally accept help, so be it.
Brittany continued to try to protect herself from the chills she now had, her arms covered in goosebumps. Her back was now against the wall. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so afraid. Who cares how smart Simon was? He couldn't predict whether she would die!
Why was she even allowing this to go on right now? She would be kicking them all out of the treehouse if she wasn't so low on energy. She wondered who was going to lecture her next?
Right on cue, the youngest Seville boy moved forward. Theodore looked into Brittany's eyes. His kind green eyes met her hollow blue ones. He looked sad, but knew he had to keep himself together for Brittany's sake.
"I miss you, Britt." Theodore said sincerely, his voice cracked a little as he tried to stay strong. "I miss watching tv and movies together. I miss talking to you. I just miss hanging out with you in general. I wanted to give you space this past year because I know you went through a lot and whenever I tried reaching out to you, you seemed to want to be left alone. So I respected your wishes. But it hurts to see you isolate yourself like this. Simon said it's not good for your... mental health... I think it was?"
The green-clad boy then looked over to his older brother who nodded to confirm he used the right clinical language. The older boy then motioned with his hand, gently urging his younger brother to go on.
"Anyway, I know it's going to take a long time for you to get better. And I know you might not go back to being exactly the way you were before either. I just want you to get better. I miss my friend. And I'll really miss you if... well... you know..."
Theodore then walked away over to where Simon was standing. He couldn't carry on. He knew if he did, he was going to break down on the spot. He just hoped he got through to Brittany somehow.
Brittany blinked in surprise. Someone in the room actually told her they didn't expect her to be the person she used to be before all this. He wasn't even asking that of her. She had forgotten how empathetic Theodore could truly be. His older brothers could learn a few things from him.
The Chipette wearing spring green was the next to move up. But unlike the boys, Eleanor actually walked directly up to her eldest sister. She looked Brittany square in the eye and put her hand on her left shoulder. At first the older girl had reached to swat her youngest sister's hand away. But for some reason, she dropped her own hand to the side and let the hand of her little sister stay there.
"You know," Eleanor started out gently as she rubbed Brittany's back with her free hand, which caused the girl in pink to recoil slightly before allowing it. "I remember that day in middle school after gym. We were both in the locker room and some of the girls in there were saying mean things about me and my weight. Do you remember that?"
The taller girl shrugged her shoulders slightly. She did have some vague idea of what Eleanor was talking about. But the truth was, kids in school actually made fun of both her sisters pretty often back in middle school (and to some extent, there were still some who had less than pleasant things to say about Jeanette thanks to her clumsiness and horrible fashion sense). She could use a bit of a refresher.
"Well, you marched right up to those bitches and tore them a new one. Told them you would kick their asses if they didn't shut up." Eleanor reminded her with a smile. "I was so proud to have you as my sister that day. You're the reason I'm so strong and confident. I learned all that from you. I know you and I butt heads way more than we do with Jeanette. But I wouldn't be the person I am without you."
Tears started to fall from Eleanor's big brown eyes. She wiped away tears that were rolling down each of her cheeks with the long sleeves of her spring green t-shirt. She then spoke again as soon as she felt she could.
"You're the strongest person I know. But being strong doesn't mean facing everything alone. Please let us help you, Britt. I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to you."
Eleanor didn't move. She stayed right where she was and threw her arm around Brittany's shoulder as the older Chipette reluctantly accepted it. The older Miller girl then tightly folded her arms over her chest, guarding herself from the vulnerability she was now feeling.
"I raised you both before Miss Miller came into our lives." Brittany said with a cracking voice as she tried to keep from crying herself. "You and Jeanette. I raised both of you for the first eight years of our lives. Eight years! And then I had to raise you both again after we lost Miss Miller."
Brittany took a brief pause as her vision blurred with the tears she was holding back. God, why did her voice sound like this? She fully intended to be yelling right now. To be shouting, screaming even. At Eleanor, at Jeanette, at the Chipmunks. All of them. She wanted them to exit the treehouse and just leave her alone.
"I know you all think I'm some shallow snob who only thinks of myself. Even if most of you don't say it to my face, I know you think it. And fine. Maybe Theodore and Simon and... especially Alvin... maybe they don't get it."
She then turned her head to meet Eleanor's eyes once again.
"But you and Jeanette? You were there for all of it. When we were being tortured by Miss Grudge in the orphanage. When I got us all to New York. When we were living on the streets there. Do you remember that I was the one who kept all three of us safe and made sure we got food and could keep warm at night? I got us everything we needed for this very treehouse we're all standing in right now. I got us enrolled in school against my better judgment because Jeanette insisted on it. And then when Miss Miller passed away, I got emancipated and had to become responsible for you guys."
Tears were now spilling from her ice blue eyes, which she frantically used her hands to wipe away and hoped no one noticed. She averted her gaze up towards the ceiling just in case. She then looked directly at the wall ahead of her and tried to focus on the pink, flowery pattern instead.
This was a complete disaster! She felt like her voice was breaking with every other sentence. Why couldn't she shout? That was something she normally had no trouble doing. It came naturally to her. Now she couldn't even force herself.
"I gave up everything for you guys. Everything! And what do I get? Just you all standing there and judging me. That's all you guys have ever done!" The teen who was trying to keep it all together choked as she said that last sentence and then bit her lip in an attempt to keep more tears from falling.
Jeanette wasted no time rushing to where her sisters were and sliding into place on the opposite side of Eleanor. She put her arm around Brittany's other shoulder. This time, the oldest Miller sister didn't even try to fight it. She was too busy trying to prevent herself from becoming a total basket case.
"We're not judging you, Brittany." The bespectacled girl spoke softly as she tucked a loose strand of Brittany's hair behind her ear. "None of us. That's not what this is about. We do know everything you've had to sacrifice for us, and we appreciate it all. Really. But we also realize that this is what got you here. Things beyond your control were happening, so you latched on to something you felt you could control. It makes sense."
Jeanette was now shedding tears herself. She didn't even bother to wipe them away and carried on with talking.
"But this isn't the answer. You're hurting yourself. And if you keep going on like this... you're gonna... die."
The brunette girl sobbed even harder as she choked out that last word.
"We don't want that. And honestly, I don't think you do either. I think deep down, you want to be helped. But you don't know how to accept it because you've always had to be the strong one your whole life. But I think it's time for things to change."
And that was the straw that broke the camel's back. She had no idea why this whole group intervention got to her like this. But the truth was, she knew everyone was right.
Her hair was falling out, she had more sore throats than she ever had in her life, no amount of makeup could make her look any less pale or cover the huge bags under her eyes, and she was disgusted every time she looked in the mirror or tried on clothes now. She was tired all the time, she couldn't run or dance anymore without needing to catch her breath or feeling dizzy, and she felt so weak. And just a couple of days ago, she threw up blood. Even though it hadn't happened again yesterday or today, she knew this was a very bad sign.
Then she looked around the whole room and at each individual person in there. The looks etched on their faces... there was nothing but care and worry for her. They weren't here to tell her what to do. They were genuinely terrified of losing her.
No longer being able to fight, Brittany began sobbing uncontrollably. She simply couldn't hold back anymore. She knew she would probably feel embarrassed about this later. But right now, all she could do was cry in front of everyone. Everything she had been holding back since September was all coming out now. The walls she had built around herself had finally broken down.
"I don't want to live this way anymore!" The distressed teenager finally admitted through her sobs. "You're right about me. All of you. I... I'm.. bulimic. Ever since school started this year. I've been binging and purging. And now I can't stop. I've tried. God, I've really tried. But it's like I'm addicted. I can't stop eating. And I can't stop myself from puking it all up after I eat. I just wanna enjoy a meal again. Just like the rest of you can. And like I used to be able to."
Brittany sniffled before continuing with her confession.
"I never meant for it to get this bad. I just wanted to lose a little bit of weight. And I thought if I could manage that, everything would fall into place. But now... I'm scared. I'm really scared."
Brittany gasped for air as Eleanor rubbed her back and Jeanette rubbed her hand.
"I need help."
There it was. The biggest step towards recovery. And knowing Brittany the way they all did, they knew this definitely was not an easy thing for her to admit. She had made so much progress in just this one day. But the hardest part was still yet to come.
Without hesitation, Jeanette hugged Brittany from the left side, while Eleanor embraced her from the right. All three of the sisters were wrapped up in a big, tight hug. Their familial bond was seemingly on the mend.
Then, in his typical impulsive manner, Alvin ran up to the three and gave Brittany a hug from the front. To his surprise, she didn't push him away. She accepted this gesture from him just as easily as she had from her sisters.
Next, Theodore ran to the side Eleanor was on and joined the group hug. And finally, Simon ran to the side Jeanette was on to be part of the group hug as well. And there they were. Brittany's sisters and three closest friends now had her enveloped in a protective circle as the hug continued for a while.
"We'll make sure you get the help you need." Eleanor reassured Brittany as her hand moved to stroke her hair. "We're here for you. All of us."
Once the group hug eventually broke up and they gave Brittany some air, they all did their part in helping her pack up everything she brought over to the treehouse with her permission. She agreed to go back home with her sisters as they looked into treatment plans for her.
The five chipmunks loaded everything into the trunk of Alvin's BMW as Brittany quickly changed into a loose-fitting pink sweatshirt, jeans, and pink sneakers in the bathroom. Clothes that looked like they could've been Eleanor's. However, she didn't feel comfortable in very many outfits these days. Her options were limited in her mind. She fixed her hair and makeup as well since they both were a mess after her breakdown (which she still felt ashamed of).
Alvin and Brittany were the last two to leave the treehouse, following just a few inches behind the others. Before she could go out the door, he called out her name.
"Britt?" She heard the voice of her ex-boyfriend calling her.
She turned around and faced him.
"Yeah?" The Chipette asked in response.
The red-capped teen took a deep breath before saying what he needed to say.
"I just wanna let you know... I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I know I screwed up real bad. And I'll probably never be able to make it up to you. But I'm sorry. For everything. I just need you to know it."
Brittany very faintly nodded her head.
"I know." She responded in barely above a whisper. "And thank you."
She knew she probably should have said more. After all, it wasn't exactly an everyday thing for the normally cocky Alvin Seville to display this kind of vulnerability. She knew from what she just went through herself that this couldn't be easy for him.
But right now, she was exhausted and still trying to process everything that had happened today. Everyone now knew about her eating disorder, and she was the one who confirmed it was true. So right now, she had no more words.
However, Alvin seemed to accept this as the two exes walked out of the treehouse, locked up, and Alvin took out his keys and got ready to start up his car. He drove back to the neighborhood they all lived in, dropping the girls off at the Miller residence before pulling into the driveway of the Seville house next door.
Nobody knew exactly what was going to happen from here. But for now, there was a sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, things would get better for Brittany. After all, she had finally agreed to get help.
A/N: And that was the long-awaited intervention chapter! Brittany finally admitted she has a problem and needs help. Were you expecting them all to get through to Brittany the way they did?
I know I said I already had a rough draft of the intervention in the last chapter. But it was a long time ago when I wrote that scene out. Once I read through it while editing, I ended up needing to change a lot more than I expected because the story direction ended up evolving since I first thought up the intervention scene (for example, Brittany wasn't staying at the treehouse in the original and it was supposed to take place in the Miller living room). Funny how you can sometimes have a specific vision when you start out writing a story, but then you end up taking it in a totally different direction you never would've thought of before as you go along.
And what do you think will happen going forward? Will Brittany be going to an inpatient treatment center like Simon suggested a couple of chapters back? And how will Jeanette and Eleanor handle having Brittany back home? How will she deal with being home after spending the weekend in the treehouse? And after her confession?
And what did you think of that last bit with Alvin apologizing to Brittany? Is Alvittany on the mend? It's clear he still cares about her. And she knows it too. How do you think she'll feel if she finds out the intervention was his idea?
Again, I'm super grateful to everyone who has been reading. And I really appreciate every hit, review, favorite, follow, and PM I've received for this fic. Thank you so much! You guys are amazing! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the big intervention that occurred this chapter as well!
Friendly reminder to check your inbox if you've left me a review or PMed me recently. I've noticed I've only been getting about every other notification myself. So there's a chance you might not have seen it if I PMed you (and vice versa). Hopefully this glitch is fixed by my next update!
Hope 2025 has been good to all of you so far. See you next chapter!