FINALLY, seeing how popular the story was and not being able to think of anything else I really wanted to do at the moment, I decided to take a break from my videos and update! Enjoy!

"Thanks for the Ultralord action figure, Sheen!" said Alvin.

"Hey, no problem."

"Man, I hope that they come out with Ultralord in my universe! Hey, if they don't, then I could come up with it! They can't sue me because the real creator lives in a different universe, and I'll be RICH!"

"Sweet!" exclaimed Sheen, who was still dressed up in his Ultralord outfit. "Hey, maybe I can steal an idea from your universe! What does your universe have that mine doesn't?"

Brittany returned from the mall wearing a pink blazer over a white shirt with a tie and a darker pink skirt (yes, the same outfit from the movie) that Cindy and Libby had helped her pick out. Eleanor, Theodore and Carl had just finished baking a batch of lemon cookies with icing smiley faces on them. Simon returned from the rocket trip with wide eyes and trembling lips.

"It's… it's impossible…"

"Simon, calm down," said Jeanette. "It's-"

"Leave me alone, I'm trying to construct a theoretical model of a universe that is flooded with oxygen… under what conditions would that be possible… yes, different universe, different rules… different physical constants…"

Jeanette wrapped her arms around Simon in what to him was an uncalled-for hug.

"Let – go…"

"How about we play chess? That always cheers you up," suggested Jeanette.

Jimmy said, "Great idea! I happen to have won six national chess tournaments in my time."

"Impressive!" said Jeanette. "Simon's only won five!"

Simon's face burned as he watched Jeanette lean on Jimmy, one of her feet raised awkwardly in the air.

"But you also must take into account that he's two years older than me! If you adjust for age, I have won more than him!"

Jimmy said, "Ha! I'll bet I can take you on!"

Simon folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "You have no idea who you're up against."

"Neither do you."

Brittany walked into the two of them with their faces against each other at the coffee table. She pulled a blue hoodie out of a shopping bag and tossed it at Simon.

"I got you all some modern clothes. You try that on, and Jeanette, I think that this jean jacket, pink tank top, and purple sweater will look great layered on you! Oh, and I picked out this cute purple plaid skirt that is totally your style!"

"So, Brittany, are you going to watch the show?" asked Jeanette, referring to Simon and Jimmy's chess match, after she changed.

Brittany yawned. "Are you kidding?"

Jeanette said, "It's either that or that Ultraman or whoever he is that Sheen and Alvin are watching."

"ULTRALORD!" Sheen and Alvin shouted in unison.

Cindy said, "Hey, you can watch what you want at my house. I can see that this is going to take a while… You will have a much better time at my house, Jeanette."

"Thanks, but I like watching chess."

"Don't hold your breath. Last time Nerdtron butted heads with another brainiac, they were at it for 148 hours."

Jeanette said, "Wow, that's longer than Simon's longest chess match, which was… actually, it was against me."

Cindy sighed. "Have it your way. Brittany, Eleanor, Libby, slumber party at my house!"

"Can Theodore come?" Eleanor asked. She was already dressed in the enw outfit that Brittany bought her.

Cindy said, "I guess. Just don't let him hog all the popcorn."

Libby said, "And he's getting a makeover!"

Theodore giggled. "How fun!"

He stared at Simon and Jimmy, their eyes fixated on the board, and offered each of them a cookie.

Simon grabbed the cookie and took a crumbly bite from it, his eyes never leaving the board, and placed it onto the napkin that Theodore set on the coffee table. Jimmy did the same in an uncannily similar fashion.

Jeanette stared at the board as intently as her boyfriend and his rival were, calculating in her head what moves she would make if she were each of them, but resisting the urge to shout them out loud.

"It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of taking on such a worthy opponent," Simon said about two hours into the game.

"Likewise," Jimmy responded.

A quarter past one, and Simon, Jimmy and even Jeanette were still up. Carl, Sheen and Alvin were passed out in front of the TV.

Finally, after hours of holding the same poker face, Jimmy yawned. His eyes closed as he did, and when they opened, they were in an expression of fury.

"Why, you cheated! You took the opportunity while my eyes were shut to move when it wasn't your turn!"
"No, I did not!" shouted Simon. "Look at your pieces again. Can you kindly tell me which piece I moved, and to where?"

Jimmy observed the board with heavy eyelids and realized that Simon was right.

"Sorry… but you know that sleep deprivation can cause impairments in frontal lobe functioning-"

"Resulting in cognitive impairment, memory lapses, and a poor sense of moral judgment," Simon finished.

Jeanette woke from a microsleep at the sound of her sweet Simon's voice. "Um… don't you guys think you ought to take just a small nap and finish your game later, you know, so that you both can play to the best of your abilities?"

"NO!" the two of them shouted.

"I have pulled all-nighters working on my MANY incredible inventions before," Jimmy huffed.

"Ditto," said Simon.

"And they turned out JUST FINE!" Simon and Jimmy shouted in perfect unison.

"OK, you two are scaring me… you are like each other's twin from another dimension… even your playing styles are similar!"

Simon wrenched his eyes open from a microsleep and moved his queen.

Jimmy stifled a yawn as he stared, bleary-eyed, at the board.

Jeanette could almost see their weary thoughts working in synch.

"Stalemate." The word rang in stereo.