AATC 'Eastwood Academy' pt.3

Alvin and the Chipmunks; Eastwood Academy part 3

    Alvin took each step of the crooked stoop cautiously and rubbed his arms for the chill of cool California nights had crept up from the trees in the form of a midevening breeze.
    "4104," he read the copper numbers above the tall oak entrance doors, "this is the place."
    The house was not by any means in any particularity frightening or stereotypically old and creepy. The house was as modern as any house that the boys were familiar with around their own neighborhood. But the eve and the dark had rained down and cast its severity and twisted shadows in a menacing way.
    Theodore kept close to his brother and pulled the hood of his sweater over his head to hide himself from the creeps he was sure was watching from the bushes and the brush. Alvin stepped up to the door mat and knocked. The door opened quickly and an enormous blast of music swept them under their feet. Pure, white light flooded the porch and a tall, grizzly looking young man greeted them.
    "It's about time you showed up, Alvin," the young man pulled them both back up their feet and patted Alvin on the back.
    "You brought us to a party, Alvin?" Theodore inquired as a waft of sweets and cakes entered his sensitive nostrils.
    "Not just any party, Teddy," Alvin assured him, following the young man into the house, "this is a frat party."
    "A ... a FRAT party? What do they have to do with US?" Theodore retorted confused.
    "They celebrate US," Alvin grinned, "Theodore, this is Leo."
    The shaggy faced individual clapped Theodore on the back with a wide, yellow grin, "We grew up on you guys," Leo stated, leaded them through the main corridor into an enormous living quarters where young people were lounged around. It took Theodore a moment to realize, but it soon became plain as day that the blasting music that send them on their backs was their very own music.
    "That's ... that's us," Theodore commented to his brother.
    Alvin grinned contently with his arms crossed as a flock of  young girls crowded in his direction, "Good evening, ladies. How is everyone?"
    "But ... why are we here?" Theodore asked over the excitment and shouting.
    "We're here," Alvin lifted the back pack over his shoulder, "to get into school. All SIX of us."
    Theodore stood with his hands in his pockets as the information downloaded into his head. He payed no mind to the small cluster of young people that crowded about him, "How?" he asked simply.
    "I work in the admissions office," Leo smirked, unzipping the backback and pulling out the artifacts Alvin promised.
     "Hey!" Theodore shouted, "Those are our original albums!"
    "I know - extremely valuable amongst the people of our generation," Leo replied and safely stuffed them away, "Welcome to Eastwood Academy boys. You'll be recieving your letters in the mail shortly."
    "Bottoms up, Teddy!" Alvin shouted merrily, lifting a plastic blue party cup, "And Happy Birthday to Simon!"

                                               **    **    **    **    **
    
    Jeanette strolled uneasily across the back of the store with Simon humbly at her side, unknowing of her rushing heart beats, huffing away within her. He followed her into the dingy employee lounge that was tucked so far back that not even the most skilled of theives would recognize it. Jeanette entered into the familiar sound of the rumbling old refridgerator, and the thick smell  of over buttered microwaveable popcorn. The Zenith t.v. on a half broken stand was on and it's sound crackled. Jeanette threw her old brown, heavy messenger back over her shoulder and led Simon out of the store.
    "Thanks for giving me a ride," she said bashfully as they ventured out into the cool, summer evening air.
    "It's my pleasure," he assured her formally, pulling out the keys to his old Jeep Wrangler. He hurried before her and opened the passengers side door. He grasped her small, warm hand and helped her up into her seat. She blushed madly under the new moonlight and thanked him quietly.
     Simon joined her on the other side. The drivers seat was covered with a a very practical, bright blue cover. It had several different compartments for whatever he desired to store; wallet, money, cell phone, mp3 player. He pulled a rather heavy set of keys from the pocket. There were more trinkets hanging from the silver rings than keys; they made sounds, lit up, and sprung about dangled from the ignition. Simon pulled his cell phone from his pocket and stuck into a pocket of his seat cover close to his left ear and plugged his Sanyo MP3 player to the cassette retriever in the old radio. The jeep started with a reluctant sputter then purred ominously.
    Jeanette pulled the seatbelt across her chest and sat back comfortably. Simon kept his car very neat. She could smell Turtle cleaner and polisher on the dashboard as though he just recently ran a washrag across it. The air vents were dusted and all grim was carved from cracks and nooks. The seats and floors were vacuumed and she was certain she could eat off of them. From the mirror hung a picture of all six of them. She sighed quietly with contempt as the mp3 player sounded over Simon's home-made speakers. She was so at home. Perhaps she would let her car remain unfixed. To be picked up everyday from work by Simon would be ravishingly refreshing.
    "What are we going to see?" she inquired as they began off down the cigarette-speckled LA street.
    "I thought we'd check out that new 3D film. (yes, readers. I'm referring to Avatar lol)  It looks interesting enough," Simon replied with a confident heir.
    "I've been wanting to see it," Jeanette confessed resting her arm on the center arm rest, "... I promised Brittney and El I'd wait for them though ... I guess they won't mind."
    Simon paused before he replied, flicking the blinker to turn left, "Well ... if you like, we can just rent a movie," he suggested shyly.
    "Well, I suppose there's no wrong in that," Jeanette answered feeling her tongue slightly twist as though no more words would produce. She was on a ride to a very nerve-wracking evening - stuck in her stinky work uniform no less. Her heart pounded hard against her chest, threatening to stop. With her sleeves still rolled high up to her elbow, her bare arm on the center rest could feel the heat radiating off Simon very near. Her ears, she was certain, had turned a particularly bright red.
    "We could just rent something on paper-view," Simon went on casually, unaware of Jeanette's near-nervous breakdown, "have you eaten anything yet?" as the Jeep came to a red light he looked over to her with calm, great big blue eyes. They sent her into a sentimental reverie.
    "Uhm, no. Not exactly," she felt silly. They were always alone together. Why now did it matter?
    "I didn't make much this pay check, but it wouldn't hurt to buy out tonight for us. I haven't heard from Alvin or Theodore," he thought to himself, taking the freeway as a short cut. The lights as they passed them threw delightful gold shadows across his face, "so I'm sure they've already eaten, especially Teddy."
    The two shy creatures continued their drive. They'd stopped at a respectable coney for carry out, Jeanette ordered light as she felt anything else might send her into a dizzying spin of nausea. When the Jeep pulled into the old drive, she was feeling light headed with romance. She couldn't help herself. Her mind was set on him.
    Simon removed the bulky key set from the ignition and pocketed it, as well as his cell phone and mp3 player. He balanced the paper bag of food in one arm and hurried to the passenger's side to help Jeanette out. Even in her sagging blue work t-shirt he thought she was beautiful and her sparkling green eye contact sent him into a frenzy of tingly heart pounds. He proposed in his mind that she may jump down from the jeep and right into his arms and he would heroically carry her up the stoop and right into his bedroom. Whence she was safely on the ground and gazing dazidly in a different direction, he gulped nervously and took a breath to grasp focus on the night ahead.
    The house was dark and empty. There were no other cars in the garage. Not even Dave was home. Simon contemplated his luck and weighed the consequences of what might or might not happen. He was feeling either very unlucky, or incredibly fortunate. He unlocked the back door and held it open for his fair maiden. He could write poetry that very moment; a great epic piece of the mistress with emerald eyes and flowing chestnut tresses of her. His heart was very near the back of his throat and his blood was raising with it. All of him was a big bubbly mess. He would trip or fumble - he knew it. He would try to say something smoothe - than lose it. He felt fine five minutes ago. But now, in the still of his own home, in the darkness of the empty house, the vulnerability of midnight creeping upon them was ripping him wide open.
    He reached for the light switch and set the food that now felt like a hundred pounds on the counter top. The kitchen flooded with mellow, low yellow light and revealed that the both of them had very red faces. Empty handed, Simon for a moment felt very awkward. They gawked idly at one another from either side of the kitchen, their toes twisting within their old tennis shoes. Simon's glasses drooped down his nose. And quite suddenly, as if the both of them had a psychological understanding, they ran to one another and met in the center of the kitchen. Their lips met and their hearts met. Simon was feeling wonderful and Jeanette was a star high, high up in the sky. The old kitchen light bulb flickered uneasily twice - thrice and, died. Jeanette's courage raised ten degrees. She grasped onto the collar of his modest, soft cardigan and pushed him against the kitchen table. With veracity she pulled the thing off and rubbed up close against him.
    "Jeanette," Simon breathed nervously, "are you sure?"
    "More sure than ever," she replied confidently, she now had him atop the table. She crawled up - almost tripping, "if one thing's for certain, this little family of ours," she grinned referring to the six of them, "needs a proper mommy and a proper daddy."
    Simon laughed cynically and placed a hand in her messy hair, "I guess you're right," he pushed her over and rolled on top, "but ... for safe measures," he picked her up into his arms. She screamed and laughed all at once, enraptured with complete fulfillment. "for safe measures," he went on, kicking the kitchen door open, "let's go somewhere else."
    "Oh Simon!" she shouted cheerfully, embracing his neck, "let's always be together!"
    

TBC.