A/N - This is a Alvin and the Chipmunks fic with my new favorite pairing - Simon/Jeanette. (Seriously, these two are so adorable.) I must warn you, this takes place during the episode "My Fair Chipette", which I have seen thanks to YouTube. If you haven't seen it, it probably won't make much sense. Enjoy!
What makes you different
Makes you beautiful
What's there inside you
Shines through to me
In your eyes I see
All the love I'll ever need
What makes you different
Makes you beautiful to me
- Backstreet Boys, "What Makes You Different"
To Simon, luck had a habit of throwing him into the most awkward situations.
It was the final day of the school s beauty pageant. Frankly, he didn't even want to be there; he loathed the whole idea of beauty contests. But he decided that he really didn't have a choice in the matter. Alvin insisted that he would need him there to help out in case anything went wrong, and since Simon really wanted to avoid getting into another futile argument with his brother, he gave in. Besides, he convinced himself, he was really only doing this for Jeanette. She was his friend after all, and he wanted to see her win.
He had only gone backstage for a few minutes when he heard it - very soft and almost inaudible. If he hadn't been paying attention, he probably wouldn't have even noticed it. But he did, and there was no mistaking it. Someone was crying. And, considering what had happened just moments before, he had a pretty good idea who that someone was.
He turned around, and his thoughts were confirmed. There was Jeanette, sitting on an old wooden crate, her head buried in her lap, trembling slightly with each sob.
"Jeannette?" Simon's voice was soft and unsure. She didn't even look up; she was too consumed by her tears.
Seeing her like that made his heart break. A tiny bit of resentment towards his brother started sizzling in the back of his mind. How could Alvin have been so selfish? He had put Jeanette under so much pressure - making her become something that she wasn't, exposing her to the humiliation of the crowd just minutes ago when she tripped on the stage and ripped her skirt - just so that he could win a stupid bet with Brittany.
Simon wrung his hands nervously, turning his attention back to Jeanette. He hated seeing her so upset, but he wasn t exactly the best at consoling a friend. Slowly, cautiously, he made his way over to where she was sitting.
"Jeannette," he repeated tentatively, sitting down next to her, "please don t cry."
"Oh, Simon." She lifted her head slightly, but stared straight ahead, avoiding his gaze. "I - I just can t help it. I'm not cut out for this. You saw what happened back there. I - I tripped over my own feet, and ..." She paused for a second to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her over-sized blue sweater, "without my glasses, I - I'm lost."
"Yeah, I'm not much better." Simon said, pushing his own spectacles up the bridge of his nose. "Alvin should have realized that. He was too busy thinking about himself, as usual." Simon rolled his eyes. "No surprise there." He added sarcastically.
He glanced back at Jeanette, trying to tell if his words were having their desired effect. They weren't - she was still crying.
"They're right, you know." She said mournfully, "I'm a klutz ... and a nerd. I shouldn't even be here with all these poised and perfect girls. I'm not one of them. I'm no beauty."
"Jeanette, how can you even say that?" Simon asked, resting his palm on her shoulder.
"But it's true."
"No, it's not." Simon insisted.
Jeanette sighed. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Simon, but we both know the truth."
"Jeanette, look at me." Simon said firmly, his voice so unusually low that it even surprised him.
She stopped and slowly turned to face him, her moist emerald eyes meeting up with his steady gaze. They stayed like that for a moment - staring into each others eyes. An inexplicable calmness began to wash over her, almost as if his sky-blue orbs had a mystical, therapeutic quality to them.
It seemed like an eternity before he nervously cleared his throat and spoke again. "You don't honestly believe what you're saying, do you?"
"Well ... no, not entirely." She admitted, "But I still believe that I'm not cut out for this. I'm not like Brittany and those other girls. It's not that I think I'm ugly, but I know that I'm not as beautiful as they are."
"Well, who says?" Simon asked indignantly.
"Huh?"
"Who says you aren't?" He repeated.
"Well, nobody says it," Jeanette replied, "but... you know, it's still true."
"Jeanette, can you do me a favor and forget those girls for a minute?" Simon asked.
"Oh... okay..." She said slowly.
"Now tell me, Jeanette Miller, who are you?"
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Well, I'm kind of quiet and shy, I suppose. I'm not very outspoken, and I tend to keep things to myself. I'm a deep-thinker who loves to read and write. I enjoy school and get good grades." She paused, glancing back at Simon for confirmation.
He nodded, a smile slowly forming on his face. "Yes, you're all that. And what else?"
"Well ... that's about it, I think."
"Let me help," Simon said, "You're smart - a genius actually. You have a passion for literature, history, science - and you know so much more about these subjects than most adults do. You are sweet and kind, compassionate towards everyone you meet, even to those who don t deserve it..."
Jeanette s eyes widened. Sure, Simon had complimented her before, but nothing like this.
He continued, "You put others above yourself, and are the first one to help out a friend in need. You have a warm-heart, a caring soul..."
She smiled and blushed. "Okay, you can stop now." She requested politely.
"...And did I mention, you're completely modest?" Simon joked, evoking a slight giggle from his female friend.
"Jeanette," He began again, "The point is, you can t worry about what others think about you, or about what standard you have to reach. You shouldn't change yourself to fulfill anyone's expectations. You're beautiful just the way you are."
Now it was Simon's turn to blush. As soon as the words had left his mouth, he wished he could take them back. You're beautiful just the way you are. Where did that come from? It sounded like a line from some cheesy romantic movie. Those weren't the words he usually used, even if they were one-hundred percent true.
He tugged at his collar, feeling uncomfortably hot all of the sudden. He glanced sideways at Jeanette to see how she responded to his odd statement.
She was beaming, her green eyes sparkling with an intensity that Simon had never noticed before. He instantly forgot his awkward moment - his heart soaring with the realization that he had cheered her up. He had made her tears disappear, and had given her a reason to smile again.
Suddenly, Jeanette leaned forward, her lips gently touching Simon's cheek in a friendly kiss. "Thanks, Si." She whispered tenderly, giving him a grateful smile.
He returned her smile gladly. "You're welcome, Jeanette."
Later, when the judge announced that she was the winner for the Miss Wonderful pageant, Simon eagerly pushed her on stage. He had been right all along. She was beautiful just the way she was, and it was about time that the world finally took notice.
Review please? :)