Sorry :/ went to go see my cousins in Sydney yesterday, so I couldn't update (I live 3 hours away from them)

But hey :) artwork and a new chapter!

I've never submitted art for AatC before, so I hope it's okay . It's kind of how I picture them when I write: a little older and their clothes a bit more flexible and unique to their character. The scene is kind of from later in the story, but sums up the idea, so :) later on I might make one with an Alvon scene instead.

Meanwhile,

Enjoy!

Day 5: Focusing On the Career

You know when you look forward to something, assuming it'll be great, and then it turns out that you hate it? Well, that's how I felt about this Saturday.

I mean: no school! Yay!

No.

When I woke, I was okay. I started writing a note to Brittany in hopes of maybe a second chance. Maybe if it was pre-written, I'd do a better job wording what I wanted to say.

I finished around noon (I only woke up at ten!) and went on my way to give it to her. Before I left, I heard Dave talking to Theodore and Simon about something. I sneaked up and listened in again, ignoring a feeling in my gut that this would turn out like the last time I listened in on a conversation I wasn't invited to.

' – can't just put everything on hold, but… I don't have a choice…'

'It'll only last for two more days at most.' Simon tuned in.

'But we have things to do, Simon,' Dave insisted. 'It's not just about his voice: it's about our career.' (which summed up the topic of the conversation nicely for me). 'Sy's already called me twice in the last three days.'

My gaze slipped downcast. Great, another thing I can feel bad about… I walked past the room and out the front door. Hopefully this note will go better than that conversation…

I absent-mindedly noticed the loose gravel on the road walking to the Chipettes' house. But my gaze wasn't fast on it. I had too much on my mind, right now.

I looked at the note as I approached the neat house, reading it over. I supposed it was as good as it could get. I chided myself for trying again. It might lead to a third rejection, after all. And that would be very shocking for me to achieve. Especially by the same girl. I know what Simon said… that she was wrong… but… I really am not myself without my voice… even Simon should notice that… we haven't spent so much time together in… well, never.

I smiled at that thought. At least something was going well.

I pushed open the gate to the Chipettes' house and walked briskly up the path, eager just to get this over with.

What if she doesn't like this? What if it just reminds her I have no voice?

No, it's like a love letter. Girls like love letters, don't they?

I think so. I looked down at my note. Maybe I should have made it pink and in fancy writing, too…

But then you'd seem desperate.

But she loves pink.

With a grimace, I realised that I was talking to myself. I told myself to shut up and knocked on the door, putting a hand in my pocket casually and ruffling my hair a bit.

Not desperate at all…

Shut up!

Jeanette answered the door and I smiled at her.

'Hi, Alvin.' She said with a kind smile.

I nodded, then indicated inside.

'You want to come in?' She asked. I shook my head and pointed to the second story where their room was. Jeanette shook her head. 'Hold on, I might see if Ellie can understand.'

She left and I rolled my eyes. Pick the sister I don't want…

Jeanette came back with Eleanor and I used the same motion I did with Simon, pointing to Eleanor, Jeanette, and then thin air.

To my surprise, they both frowned in confusion. I frowned just the same. How come Simon understood..? I blew out a breath and quickly showed them the top of my note that read her name.

'Oh, you want Brittany.' Eleanor noticed.

I nodded eagerly and they left to get her. I was still unsure why Simon understood something that two people combined couldn't. I wondered if he could read minds, but that was impossible. He didn't know when I was saying thank you.

Brittany appeared and I smiled charmingly at her.

'What's going on?' She asked.

I shrugged and handed her the letter, then waved and left, not going to stick around for her reaction. This way she could dwell on it 'till Monday.

After I got out of the gate, I started to jog home, trying to shake the thought of rejection.

Just as I got to our gate, I remembered the conversation with Dave, Simon and Theodore that I'd overheard earlier and I slowed to reluctance. To stall, I had a look in the letterbox and found, underneath a fan letter, an invitation of some sort. I held myself back from opening it, knowing Dave hated that, and by the sounds of it I already wasn't in his good books.

So when I got inside I found him in the living room and passed it to him, but I stayed to hear what it was. Simon was there already, reading a book on the couch, but Theodore walked in with a plate of fresh cookies.

'Oh, wonderful.' Dave commented, and I thought I heard sarcasm. 'There's a new entertainment centre opening a few block away, and it's opening in three days. They'd like us to perform.'

Theodore gave me a small irritated look and I blushed in shame and looked down.

'So we can't do it?' Theodore figured.

'Because of Alvin, no.' Dave agreed. 'Shame. It would have been very good business and publicity.'

At this point I wished I never found the invitation. I looked at my feet and shuffled uncomfortably at the conversation, contemplating whether or not I should stay.

'Alvin will be better by then, Dave.' Simon reminded him. I looked up at him and smiled in thanks.

'A day is not enough time to rehearse something like this.' Dave put in. He faced me and I found my eyes were starting – only starting! – to gloss. A bit. 'This would have been a great for your career, Alvin.' He told me. 'We're putting everything on hold for you.'

'That's how he wants it.' Theodore put in. 'All about Alvin.'

His statement stung me more than anything. Theodore was never mad at me this bad. He never spoke that way about me, let alone to me!

I blinked away my tears threatening to fall and stood there for a moment before I ran off.

Didn't they understand? Getting this wasn't my fault – it wasn't something I wanted – and I already felt bad for putting everyone's career to a stop because of me. It wasn't about selfishness. If I could, I would stop it. I would fix it and sing again, and everything would be normal. Did they honestly think I enjoyed this?

I got up to the bedroom and I lowered myself onto the bed, convincing myself that it was nothing to cry over.

I stayed there for a good fifteen minutes before someone came in the room and guilt started eating away at my heart and my conscience.

'You okay?'

It was Simon.

I looked up at him and shrugged. He must have noticed the tears and he came forward and sat beside me. I quickly took my notepad and wrote Thank you, showing him.

Simon shook his head. 'Don't thank me. I was a little annoyed, too.' He admitted, then shrugged. 'But, I know you can't help it. It's not your fault you lost your voice, really. And you couldn't control how long it was going to last. And it's not like you're having a ball with it.'

I nodded and felt a tear roll down my cheek. Urgh… why am I getting so emotional lately?

I set the pad straight and wrote to Simon what I'd thought of the other day. You and Theo have other careers. Theo can be a chef, and you… well, you can be whatever you want to be. But I've only got one choice. I'm a singer. Being without a voice hurts more than I'm letting on to anyone. Even myself. I'm sorry that we missed that event, but like you said: there's nothing I can do. Thank you for understanding that. I handed it to him and waited.

He nodded as he read and when he gave it back to me he smiled softly. 'You're right.' He said simply, and it brought a smile to my lips.

Simon just told me I was right! Simon!

I chuckled, and to my surprise, Simon lifted a hand and cupped my cheek softly, wiping a tear away with his thumb. My laugh was forgotten at the close proximity.

'I wish there was something I could do to help you…' Simon finally said, searching my eyes. I smiled gratefully but shook my head. He was a genius, but I doubted he could help with this.

I quickly wrote: Certain foods are supposed to aid a sore throat? Maybe they work on a lost voice, too? And I showed it to him.

He shrugged. 'I'm doubtful, but it's worth a shot.' He said, which I liked. He wasn't shutting me down, but he wasn't agreeing. Simon had never been so diplomatic towards me.

Gosh, stop fawning over your new brotherly relationship… I chided myself as Simon stood.

'I'll cook, seeing as Theo's a bit… upset… with you.' He smiled in sorrow and I shook my head and smiled in a "don't worry about it" sort of way.

I got up and followed him downstairs, taking my notepad with me.

When we got into the kitchen, Theodore looked at me with a small frown, as though he was annoyed at me but unsure if he should be. Then he got up.

'I might go over to Ellie's.' He stated, calling the same type of sentence to Dave in the living room, then headed for the door.

I watched with obvious guilt in my eyes. I hoped Theodore saw it so he knew how sorry I was. I jotted down a sentence for Simon. Theodore's been seeing Ellie a lot lately. I showed it to him and he nodded like it was obvious.

'Well, they are dating, Alvin. What did you expect?' He smiled and got out a packet of chicken soup.

I blinked. They're dating? I asked myself, a question that I wrote to Simon as well.

Simon looked at me confusedly. 'Didn't he tell you?' He asked. 'It's almost been two weeks.'

My mouth opened in shock. How come he didn't tell me? What's with that? I'm the dating genius, after all! Why not come to me?

I closed my mouth and stood with my arms folded against the bench stubbornly. I didn't know what was going on with Theodore lately, but I didn't like it. Secretive and bitter. What happened to good old curious and innocent?

We're all changing… I reminded myself. You're mute, Simon's actually fun to hang around (Gasp!), and now Theodore's starting to… stand up for himself.

Well, when you put it like that it doesn't sound so bad.

But it's pretty bad so far.

I was starting to wonder if being mute meant I'd have more conversations with myself. I was certain I only had one voice in my head before.

The doorbell rang and Simon and I shared a confused look before he went to get it. I waited. If it was important, I'd be summoned.

'Oh, Jeanette! I completely forgot, I'm sorry.'

Great… Jeanette's here…

Why exactly is that upsetting..?

I… don't know.

Simon brought Jeanette into the kitchen with him and I gave her a smile of recognition.

'Jeanette and I organised a study session, today,' Simon explained, 'but I forgot about it. Hope you don't mind, Alvin.' He said with an inquisitive look, since I probably looked a little disappointed. But I shook my head and smiled to be polite.

Me and Simon were going to have another brotherly moment! I know it!

'Are you still…' Jeanette motioned to her throat and I nodded with a reluctant look. She nodded in understanding. 'I'm sorry it's taking so long to go away. I know you must feel awful that you can't sing.'

Yeah. Thanks, I hadn't noticed. I thought, but smiled and shrugged.

I had my chicken soup in peace while Simon and Jeanette went into the music room to study for some Chemistry test they had coming up. They weren't done when I finished eating, even though I purposely took a long time, and after almost three hours (during which time I think I read two comics and wandered the house aimlessly several times), she finally left.

I gave Simon a look with a raised eyebrow when he came back smiling happily.

He seemed to read me like a book. 'Oh, nothing's going on with Jeanette and I,' he assured me, 'she just taught me this great way to study for Chem.' He explained.

I smiled fondly. Good.

''''''

Theodore came home and he was all excited about being with Ellie. It made me feel pretty annoyed at myself. I mean: I was hoping to have a similar relationship status with Brittany, right now, but no. And there was Theo, who didn't even tell me he had a girlfriend in the first place, annoyed at me and telling everyone about his visit to her house.

Okay, so that made me annoyed at him, not at myself, but still.

But then I felt guilty for being annoyed at him, because I knew the cause of his annoyance was me. I was starting to get so tired of feeling guilty. I'd never done it so much in my life.

Theodore still acted a little cold towards me, but he couldn't keep it up for long. Dave wasn't even speaking to me.

Simon made me some tea with honey, which was quite nice. I didn't know why he insisted on making things for me. I couldn't talk: it didn't mean I couldn't make my own food. Especially a simple thing like tea or soup. But, I'll admit, it was nice having him there for me.

Dinner was quick and quiet, since we all knew the only thing on Dave's mind was his career and how I was ruining it by – you know: purposely – losing my voice. And no one wanted to bring that up, because the family was split in half on whose side they were on.

I finished first and went upstairs straight away, not wanting to deal with that awful guilt sitting in the air over Theodore and Dave's heads.

That night I had an odd dream.

I don't really remember what it was about, exactly. It involved me and Simon, that was for sure. Probably something about our amazing new brotherly relationship. But I remember it being… different, in some way. Well, it was odd to have a dream involving just Simon and me in the first place, but still.

I was certain something made it special.

Ah, well.

Probably not important.

:P

Thanks guys for all your support so far, and I hope to hear your feedback :D

See you all soon!