ME: It's time for more deleted scenes! Who's ready to narrate first?
THEODORE: I'm a little tired.
ALVIN 2.0: I think I wanna let someone else do the narrating.
BRITTANY: I'm surprised. Usually, all you talk about is yourself and what you find interesting.
ALVIN 2.0: What can I say? I'm sorta just…not feelin' it.
JEANETTE: I'll do one of my scenes.
ALVIN 2.0: Awesome!
ELEANOR: I want to narrate too! I better get to narrate this chapter!
ME: I promise you will.
SIMON: Good luck, Jeanette.
ALVIN 2.0: Yeah, take it away, Netta!
JEANETTE: This scene was originally supposed to be in Brace For Impact Part 6. It was cut because I chose not to narrate for parts 6 and 7. Narrating in part 3 really wore me out. I still love this scene though, and I hope you do too.
CHEERING ALVIN UP…AGAIN
Jeanette's POV
I sat on my bed, playing absentmindedly with the fringe on my fluffy pillow. Alvin was face down on the floor, looking like he'd been run over by a stampede. He wasn't even going by his name anymore, preferring Albert over it. Maybe Brittany and Simon were right. Had my lessons done more damage than good?
"Are you okay?" I asked, because I wasn't sure what else to say to the poor kid.
He propped his head up with his hands. "What does it look like, Netta?"
"Like you're glued to the floor." I responded bluntly. "And you can't get up."
The boy with the messy hair, who rarely even wore his cap anymore, let out a small and dry chuckle. "I can get up just fine." He replied. "It's all a matter of WANTING to." He stretched his arms out and then there was a large THUNK as his head hit the floor again. "Ow."
Oh dear. He was face down again.
I jumped out of bed and scurried over. I knew there must be SOMETHING I could do to help.
"Be careful." I instructed, lifting him off of the floor with great difficulty. "You're still recovering from the concussion."
His shoulders slumped. "I don't care anymore. All this supercharged brain has done is cause me a heap of trouble." He rubbed his presumably sore head. "I'd be better off without it."
I gasped. "Don't say that."
"It's TRUE." He broke away from my grasp and threw himself onto Eleanor's bed. "I wish I never took that stupid physics class. I hate physics. I hate it! It's ruined my life. I let it ruin my life, but still!" He started to sob. "I'm never going to feel like Alvin again! And I hate it!"
I stood frozen for a few seconds and then cautiously approached. "You'll feel like yourself again eventually. I promise." I rubbed is back.
"BUT WHEEEN!?" He cried punching at Eleanor's pillow. "I'm sick of waiting. I'm sick of being the exact opposite of me. I feel like I'm drowning. I need my impulses back! I wasn't cut out to overthink things."
"I'm not sure exactly when, but I know you'll be okay." I ran my fingers through his messy hair to calm him down.
"I've lost everything that makes me….me. Netta, I can't even SING! I look terrible AND I can't sing." He turned away from me and wiped his eyes with the sleeves of my purple plaid shirt that he was currently wearing.
Terrible? He thought he looked terrible? He looked different, sure, but not terrible. I suddenly had an idea.
"Alvin…" I began.
"Albert." He corrected me sharply.
"Right, uh, Albert,…" The name felt wrong on my tongue, but if he wants to be called that it's not my place to argue with him. "When was the last time you looked in a mirror?"
His lips trembled. "I…I don't even remember."
I grabbed Brittany's favorite pink rose-shaped from the drawer in her vanity. I was about to give it to "Albert" when he flinched away.
"NO MIRRORS!" He growled, his fur bristling.
"Will you humor me and just look for….three seconds?" I asked sweetly.
He folded his arms, but nodded reluctantly. "Fine."
I held up the mirror for him. "Tell me what you see." I instructed.
"Hopelessness, despair, tragedy, a hideous freak…." He went on. It hurt deeply to hear how critical he was about himself when there was simply no reason to be.
The three seconds were up. I put the mirror away as promised. "I see none of that." I told him. "I just see you. And your amazing spirit shining through."
The boy in red and purple scoffed. "Shining through the messy hair and zits, you mean?"
"Yes." I put a comforting arm around him. "Like I always say. What's on the inside counts the most."
The confused chipmunk sighed. "Inside is an anxious, clingy, dorky, loser with horrible mood swings." He grumbled.
"Those feelings are only temporary." I patted his back again. "They shall pass. Well, except the anxious part." I was compelled to stay honest.
He pulled away from my embrace. "Why do you even like me?"
He didn't know? Well, we couldn't have that! I smiled proudly and told him what I was thinking. "Because I see the parts of you that other people claim aren't there. Your kindness. Your good ideas, your can-do spirit, your creativity. Your….adaptability."
"I do…really like those parts." He sniffled and wiped his nose.
"It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside." I repeated, as I kept telling him whenever these self-conscious feelings popped up. "What matters is who you are on the inside. What does your soul say? There's gotta be a tiny part of you that has good things to report." I fidgeted with my hands in my lap.
Alvin/Albert closed his eyes and sat still for a moment. Then, he opened them and looked…less angry and sad.
"Wow….maybe I am still pretty awesome." He realized.
"Always have been." I grabbed his hands. "But, again, don't let it go to your head. Just use it to fight off the icky feelings." I instructed.
He nodded. "I will." He vowed.
"There's still so much summer vacation left." I ran to the window. "Are you ready to take on today with your can-do spirit?"
He pumped his fists in the air. "YOU KNOW I AM!"
And just like that, the sudden mood swing was over. My friend had his faith in himself restored. He still had some lessons to learn, but we could worry about them later. For now, it was time to enjoy the nice weather and make the most of our time.
Once school started, well, I don't think either of us wanted to think about that. We'll cross that path when we reach it. I think "Albert" will be okay, though I sincerely hope he wants to be called Alvin again before school starts up. Otherwise, well, the other students will be real…pills about it.
He's so close to discovering all his personality facets now. We've made leaps and bounds in his training. I'm confident that everything will come together soon. It will be fast and sudden, but once it happens…the real healing can begin.
ME: Beautiful, Jeanette. Simply beautiful.
JEANETTE: Thanks.
ELEANOR: As if this story wasn't packed with enough Alvinette.
ME: You can never have too much.
SIMON & BRITTANY & ELEANOR: Debatable!
ALVIN 2.0: She is my everything.
THEODORE: What scene is next?
SIMON: According to my list, we have a brief scene from Flowers For Britt and Netta part 2. It was cut due to sounding more like a commercial clip at the start than a scene.
ELEANOR: It was also removed for being "too dark" which…come on!
ME: Yeah, I was overthinking how people would react to it. I tend to do that. A lot.
ALVIN 2.0: Alright, Si, here we go!
THE RIDE HOME
Simon's POV
Well, that was the most infuriating day of school ever. Why physics? Why couldn't Alvin be interested in a DIFFERENT topic? Then again, no matter what topic it was, he'd talk our ears off about it anyway.
I just wanted to get home and take a NAP….and I usually hate sleeping because of how unproductive it feels. (Yes, I'm aware this is not a good thing.)
Dave's car pulled up and I hustled everyone along. The Chipettes were riding home with us today, because they didn't feel like walking or taking the bus. Their other option was riding with Miss. Miller, who I'm honestly shocked still has a driver's license. She's an accident waiting to happen.
The six of us climbed into the car and buckled ourselves in. Brittany gave me a glare and I turned away so I didn't have to look at her. I wasn't thrilled about the whole "Alvin loves physics" thing either, but at least I was handling it with more diplomacy. Dave didn't even know yet, and Alvin wanted to keep it that way.
The human man in the driver's seat turned around to check up on us. "How was school today, fellas?" He asked.
"I'm living in a nightmare and I want it to end!" Brittany blurted out.
Alvin repeated the same phrase. "I'm living in a nightmare and I want it to end!"
Theo, Eleanor, and I joined in. "We're living in a nightmare and we want it to end!"
Jeanette was staring out the car window, talking to herself…I think. "….Life seems so wonderful now, doesn't it?" She blinked and came back to reality. "Did you say something?" She asked the rest of us.
"Not a great day?" Dave seemed sympathetic.
"Worst. Day. Ever." Brittany folded her arms and pouted.
Alvin rolled his eyes and put a hand on his forehead. "She's just OVERREACTING, Dave." He stressed the word, perhaps because people use that word on him constantly. "Her day wasn't HALF as stressful as mine."
"It's not a competition." Brittany spat angrily.
"If it was, you would both be looooosers." Eleanor commented, holding up her fingers in the shape of the letter L on her forehead.
"What made it such a stressful day?" Dave wondered, starting up the car.
I groaned loudly. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you."
"Just Alvin being his ANNOYING self." Brittany added.
"Why wouldn't I believe that?" The man in the periwinkle sweater raised an eyebrow.
Jeanette opened her mouth before I could stop her. "Personally, I think Alvin's made leaps and bounds of prog…"
"Shhhhh." Alvin hushed his friend, before she could spill the beans.
"It was just…a crummy day." Theodore commented, trying his best to keep the peace. "We don't have to tell you about it, right? That'll only make us feel crummier."
"No, Theodore, I suppose you don't." Phew. Dave took the bait.
Awkward silence filled the car for a bit, until Alvin broke it.
"Sooo, what should we talk about?" The red-capped boy wiggled his feet and then pulled his phone out of his pocket.
Noooo. Why did he have to say that? I was ENJOYING the silence. I needed peace and quiet after that stressful day.
"Does anyone have plans this evening?" Jeanette asked politely. Her smile was very cute…even if she was contributing to disturbing the peace.
Eleanor put her hands behind her head. "I'm just gonna cook dinner and then work out. Might run on the treadmill."
"I'm gonna watch the new Talking Teddy episode!" Theodore said excitedly. "And then work on a new song! And practice my drums! And then draw something, if there's time."
Alvin yawned. "I'm probably just gonna play some games and then struggle through homework. Same ol' story as…every day."
That was a lie. He'd probably be hiding somewhere reading a physics book. It was all the boy could talk about lately.
But I knew Alvin didn't want Dave to know yet, so I held my tongue. I was an expert when it came to keeping secrets.
"You wouldn't have to struggle if you used my study tips." I told Alvin pointedly.
He groaned. "They don't WORK ON ME!" He complained.
"Because you aren't giving them a chance." I muttered.
"I'm NOT you." He protested.
Brittany let out a soft and bitter laugh. "Coulda fooled me."
"Well, I'm going to work on a new color by number painting today." Jeanette added in, seeming equal parts invested and checked out of the conversation. I will never understand how she drifts in and out of reality at the perfect times.
"And I'm going to take a NAP." I commented, taking off my glasses and cleaning them.
Theodore tugged on Brittany's pink cardigan. "What are you gonna do, Brittany?"
"Jump off a bridge." The Chipette responded with a scowl.
Theodore gasped. "That's so dangerous."
"Sarcasm." I explained. "She's being sarcastic."
"I'm not." Brittany's lips twisted into a deeper frown. "If this stuff with Alvin keeps up, I'm going to jump off a bridge."
"Daaaang." Eleanor commented. "I've never seen you like this before."
"Nobody is jumping off a bridge." Dave said in a panic. "Brittany, if you keep having thoughts like that, you should probably, uh, get a therapist."
"Yeah." Jeanette looked worried.
Then, as we pulled into our driveway, Dave turned around to glare at Alvin. "And Alvin, STOP getting on Brittany's nerves. Whatever you're doing that's upsetting her, just STOP."
Oof. What he was doing wasn't even THAT bad. It was great to see my brother with a genuine interest in a school subject.
"Uhhh…" I wasn't sure what to say.
Alvin looked at me with a desperate "what do I say?" face as well.
I shrugged.
So, my older brother did what he does best. He improvised.
"Don't worry, Dave." He unbuckled his seat and jumped out of the car. "I'll make sure the princess is pleased." He sneered.
Then, he slammed the car door.
"HEY! What did I tell you about closing the door carefully!?" Dave yelled.
Alvin just kept walking into the house.
I watched as Dave got out of the car and yelled. "Alvin, are you listening? Don't walk away from me, mister! ALVINNN!"
"Well…" Eleanor unbuckled her seatbelt. "That was….a ride home."
I sighed. "Next time, I'll just walk in the rain." I muttered. "I've had about as much as I can take."
Theodore hugged me after I got out of the car. It took me by surprise. "Please don't jump off a bridge."
I ruffled his hair. "I won't. I promise. And I won't let Brittany either."
And that's the story of the most awkward car ride home…which is really saying something, because we have had a LOT of awkward car rides.
As soon as I got in the house, I crashed on the couch in the living room. I didn't even make it to my bed. It was a nice nap.
ME: Hahahaha, that scene still gets me every time. Dave telling Alvin to STOP doing well in school without actually KNOWING that's what he's saying. I feel so bad for all of you, but especially Alvin and Brittany.
ELEANOR: It was not too dark. You could have slipped it in.
SIMON: It's not my favorite, but it's alright.
JEANETTE: Is the marshmallow scene next?
ME: YESSS! THAT ONE'S NEXT!
THEODORE: Did someone say marshmallows? Who's having marshmallows? Can we have hot cocoa with our marshmallows?
ME: When we finish this chapter.
BRITTANY: Okay, this scene is REALLY funny.
ELEANOR: Yeah! Love this one! But when can I narrate!?
ME: You're next after the marshmallow scene.
BRITTANY: Alvin…
ALVIN 2.0: Huh? What? Sorry, I zoned out for a bit. Which scene are we doing?
THEODORE: The one with the marshmallow.
ME: And that's the title. Thank you, Theo.
JEANETTE: This scene takes place during the events of They Saved Alvin's Brain Part 1. It was cut because of being redundant and extraneous. It's another attempt of mine to help Alvin build up self-restraint. I got the idea from my psychology class. I get most of my ideas from psychology class actually. It's a very interesting class. I have a few new project ideas for it…
ALVIN 2.0: Sorry to cut ya off, but we gotta write!
JEANETTE: Oh. It's no trouble. I appreciate when people tell me I've rambled too much.
ELEANOR: You ramble about bees too much. And like, every animal too. Phew, wow, I have been sitting on that for years.
JEANETTE: Oh….I'll try to ramble less.
ALVIN 2.0: You can ramble to me all ya want though. When we've got time, that is.
ME: YOU'RE BOTH SO CUTE! I CAN'T STAND IT!
JEANETTE: And….scene?
THE ONE WITH THE MARSHMALLOW TEST
Genius-Alvin's POV
After school, I reported to the treehouse for another lesson in How To Control My Impulses. I walked into the dining room to find Jeanette sitting there with a bag of marshmallows. I was instantly curious, as usual. In fact, my usual curiosity had doubled or possibly even tripled since I set foot in Dr. Wilson's classroom.
"What are those for?" I asked, taking a seat and tapping my fingers restlessly on the table. "You don't even like marshmallows."
"They're part of your next lesson." Jeanette beamed at me and then took a single marshmallow from the bag. She sat it in front of me.
I immediately grabbed the marshmallow and shoved it in my mouth.
She seemed visibly disappointed by that.
"What?" I said, with my mouth full. "Was I not supposed to eat it? You gave it to me." I swallowed.
"Let me explain." She took another marshmallow out and set it in front of me. "Don't eat this one, yet."
My eyes were locked on the white and cylinder-shaped object. It was pure sugar. Brain like sugar. Brain need sugar.
"When can I eat it?" I demanded, as nicely as possible.
"In fifteen minutes." Jeanette launched into an explanation. I loved listening to her explain stuff, even though my mind still wanted to wander away from it to think about how good that marshmallow tastes. "This is the Stanford Marshmallow Test. By practicing it, over and over, we'll build up your self control and your ability to delay gratification."
I raised my hand. "What's gratification?"
She sighed. "Maybe I need a different way to explain it."
My eyes drifted from the Chipette in the purple jacket back to the mouth watering marshmallow. Without even thinking, it was in my hand, then in my mouth. Then, it was gone. I swallowed and felt a sense of guilt wash over me.
"Not again." Jeanette groaned. "You were supposed to wait 15 minutes. I explained to you that once you wait 15 minutes, you'll get a second marshmallow. Then, if you can wait another 15 minutes, you get a third."
"Wait….when did you explain that?" I scratched my head.
"Just now." She nibbled her lip. "Right before I told you the name of the experiment."
I hadn't heard her at all. If I had, I didn't remember. "Oh…whoops."
She set another marshmallow in front of me. "Now, pick this up, hold it in your hands, and remember that if you can hold it for 15 minutes without eating it, you'll pass the first part of the test."
I shrugged. "Seems easy enough."
It wasn't.
The experience was absolute torture. All I could think about was the marshmallow and how much I wanted to eat it. So, I did.
Then next try, I decided to walk around while holding the marshmallow. I dropped it and then picked it up and ate it.
The test repeated and I tried to purposely distract myself by thinking about things other than the marshmallow. I thought about racecars, which led me to airplanes, which resulted in a long spiral thinking about physics, which made me think about school. Then school made me think about my backpack and I wondered if I remembered my backpack or if it was still in my locker. (The answer? It was still in my locker) Theo's backpack is shaped like a cookie, cookies are delicious like candy and marshmallows…oh CRAP!
Sure enough, I broke at the 5 minute mark and ate the marshmallow.
Jeanette paced around the table. Then, she stuck her pointer finger in the air. "I have an idea!" She squeaked. "Let's just leave the marshmallow on the table and try it that way."
It didn't work either. I made it 9 minutes and then I was trembling and sweating from the sheer force of fighting my impulsive nature. I lunged onto the table and gobbled the marshmallow up.
Jeanette just shook her head in exasperation.
"Get your act together, Alvin." The weird buzzkill voice in my head droned on and on. "You can do this."
The Chipette in purple sat another marshmallow on the table.
"Torture." I complained loudly. "This is torture!"
"You're getting there." Jeanette encouraged me. "You've been able to wait longer and longer."
"Fifteen minutes feels like an hour!" I whined.
Brittany and Eleanor chose this exact moment to come into the dining room. I was instantly ten times as uncomfortable.
"What's going on here?" Brittany asked, scanning the scene with her icy blue eyes that match her icy heart.
"I'm teaching Alvin about delayed gratification." Her younger sister quipped with a smile.
I grinned too, happy to have someone else to converse with, but mad that it was Britt. "And I still don't know what gratification means."
"The Marshmallow Test?" Eleanor was apparently familiar with this method of torture. "Oh sweet! How many times has he failed?"
Jeanette frowned. "Ellie, that's not important."
The pigtailed Chipette grabbed Jeanette's notebook and looked at the notes she'd been taking on me. "Haha! Oh man!" She laughed. "He's failed 7 times so far."
"Soon to be 8." Brittany commented.
Ohoho! Fantastic. I would pass the test this time just to spite her. Besides, I really REALLY wanted two more marshmallows. I kinda wanted the whole bag, but I had enough self control to realize that was a bad idea.
Wait a sec…where did the marshmallow go?
I suddenly realized I could taste it on my tongue. "AW NUTS!" I exclaimed.
"He's never gonna pass." Eleanor snickered with her sister in pink. "At least, not until he's sick of marshmallows."
"He'll get it." Jeanette still had faith in me. "Just a few more tries."
The next try, I made it 8 minutes.
The try after that, I made it 13!
But after that try, I was tired and my self control was even worse. I only made it to 3 minutes before I popped the marshmallow in my mouth.
Jeanette didn't give up on me, but her sisters continued to crack jokes at my expense.
"What's a matter, Alvie?" Brittany taunted. "Misplace your patience?"
"Maybe it's at the bottom of your messy locker!" Eleanor teased.
"Yeah!" The pink-clad girl grinned a devious grin. "Or maybe it DOESN'T EXIST!"
"It never existed." The youngest Chipette added. "Have you seen him in line for things?"
Jeanette set another marshmallow on the table.
I closed my eyes and willed myself to get lost in a daydream. And NOT a daydream about marshmallows. I was gonna prove that I DID HAVE PATIENCE! I could delay the….whatever was that long word Jeanette kept saying.
While I was trying to purposefully will myself into a daydream, which was waaay harder than getting sucked into one without warning, Britt and Eleanor continued their taunts.
"Jeanette, you should just give up now." Brittany advised coldly. "He's hopeless."
"Alvin will be Alvin." Eleanor's lower pitched, but still squeaky voice commented.
"You're going to be here all night." The sassy girl continued.
Eleanor laughed again. "Pretty much."
"Just give him a chance, girls." Their soft spoken sister replied.
"You can spray a skunk with all the perfume you want, sis. At the end of the day, he still stinks." Eleanor joked. I knew I was the skunk in her analogy. Is that the right word?
"Skunks are incredible animals." Jeanette responded. Not sure she got the analogy Ellie was goin' for.
I heard Brittany groan loudly. "What she means is, there's only so much you can change about Alvin. Some things he just CAN'T learn."
"He ain't wired for self control." Eleanor claimed.
She was wrong! They were both wrong!
While all this was going on, I was walking around an alien planet in my head. I picked some fruit that looked like a mutated banana with little barbs on it and ate it. Then, I skateboarded up this big mountain and defied the precious laws of physics. After that, I built myself a fort and stuck a flag on the surface of the alien planet. It was a red flag with a yellow A.
"Time's up!" I heard Jeanette say at last. "You may now eat the marshmallows."
My eyes flew open and I was back in the dining room. "What marshmallows?" I asked, having momentarily forgotten the test.
I saw the two marshmallows sitting in front of me and the situation came rushing back into my head.
"You passed the test. You made it 15 minutes. I'd ask you to try another 15, but I think it's probably time to stop."
"Sweet!" I cheered.
I noticed Brittany and Eleanor were staring at me in disbelief.
"How did he….?" The girl in pink murmured.
"I have no clue." The mint clad girl replied.
I grinned triumphantly at the dazed Chipettes. "Well, I guess SOMEONE has more self control than he gets credit for." I boasted. "It's me. The someone is me."
"It's now been 16 minutes." Jeanette clicked her stopwatch. "And you still haven't eaten the marshmallows!" She was excited.
I picked up one of the marshmallows. For some reason, it no longer seemed appetizing at all. "Yeah, uh, about that. I'm a little sick of marshmallows." I confessed to my lesson planner. "Can I have two packs of fruit snacks instead?"
"Certainly!" Jeanette handed the marshmallows off to Brittany and Eleanor and fetched me two packs of Welch's fruit snacks made with real fruit juice.
I ripped open the bags and dined on my reward. "Thanks."
Eleanor ate her marshmallow instantly. "Oops. Guess I failed the marshmallow test." She joked.
Brittany just set the marshmallow down on the table and continued to stare at me with a surprised and equally worried face.
It felt good to have a little bit more impulse control than before. I hoped that together, Jeanette and I could continue to find more ways to hack my brain and help me become the kind of guy I've always dreamed of being. I needed to control myself, but still have fun doing it. It was a rough balance.
Still, one thing was bothering me. "Hey, Netta, can you explain what gratification means now? I promise I'll listen." I quipped.
ME: Great job, Alvin!
ALVIN 2.0: That scene is so embarrassing. Looking back on how…little self control I had compared to now.
BRITTANY: Now you have TOO MUCH.
ALVIN 2.0: Yeah. I'm not good at balancing things, as we have established.
JEANETTE: I think it's a very nice scene. And I think it makes for an adorable short.
THEODORE: It's like a little tie-in webisode thing.
ELEANOR: I wish I got to watch Alvin fail more.
ALVIN 2.0: Keep talkin' like that, and I will end this chapter without letting you narrate.
ELEANOR: Oh no you don't!
ME: Guys, please.
SIMON: Who put Alvin in charge? Was that you, Jenna?
ME: It's HIS origin story.
ALVIN 2.0: Yeah, it's MY story!
BRITTANY: Playing favorites again.
ME: Eleanor, if you can stop being a ball of chaos for five minutes, please narrate the final scene of the chapter for us.
SIMON: I am not sure she CAN stop.
JEANETTE: Chaos cannot be a ball. It is an abstract concept with no physicality.
ALVIN 2.0: She's right.
ELEANOR: Hey, I am multidimensional. I don't have to ALWAYS be chaos. Anyway, this one is from Becoming 2.0 Part 3. If you guys remember, that was the chapter fully narrated by yours truly. This scene was cut for the funniest reason ever. Because Jenna was too lazy to look up baseball statistic stuff at the time.
ME: Too lazy!? My internet was OUT! I couldn't look it up if I tried! This chapter was the one we typed fully without internet, so yeah, a couple ideas got scrapped in the process.
ELEANOR: I know that. I was joking.
ALVIN 2.0: If you call an ADHDer lazy, you risk facing their wrath.
ME: Yeah, please don't joke about that. My dad already genuinely believes I'm that.
ELEANOR: (genuinely apologetic) Sorry. Sorry.
THEODORE: Go for it, Ellie! This is your moment!
MAJOR TROUBLE
Eleanor's POV
I knocked on the door of the boys' bedroom. I wondered why it was closed. Usually, they left it wide open because Dave was always reminding them not to close doors. He wanted to keep an eye on his kids.
I wonder what Dave would say about this college baseball betting idea of mine. He'd probably be totally against it, even though I was TECHNICALLY not breaking any laws. He is no fun. I bet he used to be fun when he was younger. Theo and I have talked about it before.
The door remained closed and my patience was tested. I knocked again. Usually, I have a lot of patience, but I was really excited to share my next idea with my little team of statistics nerds.
Simon opened the door, at last. He sighed when he saw me. "Hello, Eleanor. What brings you here…again?"
I'd been visiting a lot more these past few days. It was nice to have a place besides the treehouse and the soccer field to stretch my legs.
"I've got another plan." I rushed into the room before he could stop me.
"Oh no." Simon groaned, sounding annoyed.
"Are Alvin and Jeanette here?" I asked, looking around the room.
"WE'RE STUDYING!" Alvin's crackly and raspy squeak rang out through the room.
I could sense that it came from the closet area. He must be in Simon's hidden closet lab.
I wasted no time running into the shiny room. The walls gleamed with a blue chrome-ish finish. It was pretty sweet looking. I gotta ask Simon to build me a secret hideaway sometime.
"Studying baseball stats, I hope." I told the red and purple duo.
Jeanette shook her head from side to side.
"Nope." Alvin looked miserable. "Studying for exams. You can never start too early." He twirled the multicolored pen in his hand. It had 8 different colors of ink depending which switch you pushed down. Very neat.
"Ya got a minute to take a break?" I requested sweetly. "Because I have BIG NEWS!"
Alvin's bright blue peepers glanced up at Jeanette. He was basically putty in her hands. She'd done a number on him. That number? 2.0
"Can I, Netta?" He asked as gently as possible. No whining. No begging. Weeeeird.
A tiny nod came from my older sister. "I think now's a perfect time for a break."
I pulled Simon into the lab to join us. We gathered around the table together. Three brainiacs and me, who, let's face facts, is probably smarter and has more common sense than all three of those guys combined.
I thought my idea was the best idea ever. I couldn't stop smiling. "We've been making a load of cash from college baseball, right?" I rubbed my paws together. "Think of how much money we'll make if we start betting on Major League!"
"Uhhh…" Alvin gulped.
Simon narrowed his blue eyes. "Absolutely not. College baseball is risky enough."
"I agree." Jeanette tented her fingers and looked off to the side. "Let's just stick to the original plan."
"But guys…" I waved my arms. "It's MAJOR league."
"And a great way to get us in MAJOR trouble." Alvin stood up and shoved his chair in.
"Don't you wanna bet on the Los Angeles Dodgers?" I asked Alvin frantically. If I could get him on my side, then I could swing the other two. "Or the Boston Red Sox?"
He rubbed his arm and didn't answer.
"What about the Atlanta Braves!? Their logo is a big A! You love big As!" I yelped. "Or the Los Angeles Angels? They also have an A! With a halo on it."
"I…." Alvin itched at the freckles on his cheeks. Then, he glanced at Jeanette and Simon. "I can't let ya do this, Ells."
"Come on, man!" I begged. "Are you seriously telling me you DON'T wanna bet on Major League?"
"What I want is irrelevant." His tone changed suddenly and sharply. "If we start betting on Major League teams, we're pushing our luck. Someone will find out we're 4 kids and a crazy cat lady. We'll get busted."
"He's right." Simon agreed, looking surprised that he agreed with Alvin. "And we can't just think about ourselves. Ms. Croner will be affected by our decisions as well."
"I'm sorry, Eleanor." Jeanette frowned. "We have to play this game…safely."
"But the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward." I reasoned.
Alvin folded his arms and copied Simon's glare. "I think you're getting a little too obsessed with this."
That really fired me up. "I'm obsessed!? That's calling the kettle black! You spend most of your time trying to invent a stupid skateboard flying machine! How DARE you call ME obsessed!?"
"Let's all calm down." Jeanette suggested. "We can work this out like kid-dults."
"Nuh uh." I argued.
"Inventing is my passion!" Alvin reminded me.
I rolled my eyes. "You have a new "passion" every month." I used the air quotes on purpose. "When will soccer be your "passion" again?" I hissed. "I'm still WAITING."
His right eye started to twitch. "Keep waiting, then." He picked up the math book that was sitting on the lab table. "Jeanette, I think I'm ready to get back to studying."
"Already?" The Chipette looked puzzled.
I tapped my foot angrily on the floor. I knew in my heart that they were right. My idea was TOO risky. It hurt me to admit it out loud, so I chose not to.
"Whatever." I muttered.
Jeanette pushed her chair next to mine. "I know you're very upset about this. It's okay to be upset."
"I don't need your advice!" I snapped.
She shrank back, looking scared.
I knew I had to make things right, or at the very least…better.
"Sorry, sis. I'm just…disappointed. And I shouldn't be taking it out on you." I stood up and walked toward the exit. "I guess I'll just go."
"For what it's worth…" Simon pointed out earnestly. "You're lucky we've agreed to this scheme of yours at all."
"I know." I murmured. "And I appreciate it."
"Cheer up, Ellie." Jeanette smiled in her endearing and encouraging way. "I'm sure everything will be alright."
"Yeah." Alvin joined in, trying to keep his eyes on me, though they kept drifting to the math book. "We're gonna make so much money that we won't NEED to bet Major League!"
Was he right? Maybe, but I'd never admit that out loud either.
"I guess we'll see." I cracked a forced smile. "Good luck with the…studying."
I left the lab before anyone else could talk to me. I was still angry. I'd wasted my time trying to convince them to take this opportunity. I had nothing to show for it.
I decided to go home and bake something. I slipped on one of my favorite novelty aprons. It was a Christmas gift from Brittany one year. The apron was light mint-colored and had a picture of a cupcake. It also had fun crazy bold letters that read "I bake because punching people is frowned upon."
I made a small batch of lemon cream filled cupcakes. And then, I ate them all by myself. Well, almost all of them. I saved two for Theodore, because he was currently the only person who didn't cheese me off. Just goes to show, frustration can sometimes be DELICIOUS.
ME: Good job, Eleanor! And that's a wrap on chapter 2!
ALVIN 2.0: Maybe someday she'll actually get to bet on Major League Baseball!
ELEANOR: Maybe. Idk. Not really interested in it anymore. I have other ways of getting money.
THEODORE: Like solving mysteries!
ELEANOR: And my various part time jobs. Bein' a lifeguard at the pool was such a drag though.
THEODORE: Maybe you can be one at our pool.
BRITTANY: As long as she allows me to splash Alvin!
ALVIN 2.0: What did I ever do to you?
BRITTANY: Oh, you know, obliviously ignore my romantic advances for years, purposely make me think you're nerdier than you actually are, aggravate me, think I was a body snatcher, sing random songs that get stuck in my head, and just be a general pain in the tail.
ELEANOR: Yup. But you're still AWESOME!
ME: We all are.
SIMON: And we're stuck with each other, so we may as well be a tight knit group.
JEANETTE: That reminds me. Eleanor, can you teach me how to knit some mittens this year?
ELEANOR: Sure can!
ALVIN 2.0: Bye, guys! We'll see you soon! Thanks for reading! We got more fun scenes comin' up! Not sure when, but they'll be comin'.
THEODORE: (singing) They'll be comin' round the mountain when they come!
ME: I love that this gives you guys a glimpse at the inside of my brain 24-7. I wish I could say this was exaggerating, but it isn't. But, on the plus side, I get to look at the world through a bunch of completely different viewpoints and it's raised my empathy considerably.
THEODORE: Yay for empathy!
JEANETTE: Empathy is a wonderful trait to have.
ALVIN 2.0: And it builds character! Character building is important!
ME: Anyway, so long, readers! Until I post again!