Musical Meetup by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters. You have been warned.
A few weeks had passed and with it the normal days of school with it. School had more or less remained the same. Pent was passing by with flying colors and had faced very little difficulty. He had perfect scores in every class and most of the teachers liked him. Of course, there were a few who thought he was somewhat overzealous though none of it said it to his face.
It was the beginning of a new day. The fox teen awoke on a Saturday morning to the sounds of birds whistling outside his window. Pent yawned and stretched as he looked outside. The avian songstress tweeted with its ruffled feathers puffing out from its chest. The fox teen admired the bird for a moment, identifying it in his mind as a Blue Jay. He watched it for a few moments before getting out of his bed.
Pent stepped out from the bottom bunk and checked the top one. Samaliel was still snoozing and the older fox could hear his somewhat quiet breathing cycle. The white-furred teen headed out of the room to make breakfast. He figured that his brother didn't need to be woken up since it was the weekend and was mostly free to do as he liked. Besides…Pent knew Samaliel could handle himself as he was old enough now.
The teen made his way to the kitchen and turned on the radio to the sound of some music. Some jazz was playing but he was indifferent to it as he had other things he needed to take care of. Pent needed to get ready to tutor his brother's best friend. The fox had been working hard the last few weeks to save up the money he needed to go to the Alvin and the Chipmunks concert with his boyfriend.
He had been tutoring much more frequently these days and Samaliel had hooked him up with some of his friends. The job had been somewhat lucrative for him, especially after they learned how academically focused he was. Most of the time Pent did not ask for a lot of money but many of the parents were insisting he took more than he asked. All of their kids were now doing better than they were before and they credited it to him.
The fox pulled out a small case of yogurt and a single muffin from the fridge. He wasn't keen on making anything big that day. He stuffed it into the microwave and made himself some juice as it heated up. It didn't take long before it was ready and he popped it out of the oven. Serving it up onto a plate before grabbing himself a single peach from the fridge to nibble on.
Pent ate his meal and went about planning his day in his mind. He wouldn't see Xavier that day but it was a necessary thing since he was so close to achieving his goal. The concert was now a week away and he figured this would be the last job he needed to finally be able to buy the VIP level tickets that he wanted. Nait's parents had told him they would pick him up shortly after 9 so he had a short while before that happened.
He cleaned up and as he was doing so he noticed that his brother walked through the kitchen door.
"Morning, Sama. Did you sleep well?" The older fox asked the younger one.
The smaller boy rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. How about you?"
"Yup. I'm just going to get ready to head out today. Are you going to be alright on your own today?" Pent wasn't sure of his brother's plans for the day.
The salt and pepper cub walked past him. "I was wondering. Can I go over Dakota's since you're going to be out?"
"I don't see why not. What are you gonna do with her?" The older teen asked him curiously.
Samaliel opened up the fridge to grab something from it. "She wants to see the Looney Tunes movie. I offered to go with her since she didn't have anyone to go with."
"That sounds fun. I didn't know you liked the Looney Tunes. They are kind of before both of our times. I hope you like it." Pent had never heard him mention the cartoon before.
The younger boy shrugged. "I don't but she wants to go and it's better than doing nothing."
"Well, try to have fun. It's better than sitting home and just playing games by yourself." The white-furred boy made his way out of the kitchen.
The smaller cub poured himself some drink. "Yeah, I guess. I'll let you know how it is."
"Sounds good." The teen made his way down the hall to get ready for the day.
The arctic fox made his way back into their room. Changing into his street clothes for the day. Picking out a graphic t-shirt and some jean shorts along with some older tennis shoes. Checking the time, he still had a short while before Nait's parents came to pick him up. Pulling out his latest book he began reading to busy himself. It didn't take long before he was completely absorbed in it and lost himself.
A short while later his brother came into the room. "Nait's mom is here to pick you up. Are you ready?"
The older fox put a page marker in his book. "Yeah, thanks. I'll see you later. Have fun at the movie."
"I will. See ya later." Samaliel made his way to the computer.
The teen got up out of his bed and grabbed his phone before heading out. Slipping on his shoes he grabbed his keys. He greeted the lion boys mother but there was no sign of the cub himself. Pent figured he must have stayed home. The lion cub was just as much of a gamer as his brother was. After all it was one of the biggest things they related about other than being fond of soccer.
"Hello, Mrs. Gomez how are you?" Pent greeted the older woman as he approached her.
She smiled at him. "Very well. How are you, Pent?"
"I am well. Thank you for hiring me." The fox bowed to her a bit.
The woman chuckled lightly. "No problem. Come on, my son is having a lot of problems with his assignment."
Pent followed her to the vehicle. She had a larger car despite Nait being an only child. The fox filed into the front seat and buckled in. They began the trip over to the Lion family's home. It was on the other side of town. As usual, the teen was quiet as he didn't know what to talk about. Even still, he wasn't quite as nervous about tutoring as he was with other things since he'd done it so many times before.
It was a somewhat short ride over to Nait's place and it took a little more than half an hour. Pent wished he had brought his book with him but instead, he fiddled away on his phone to pass the time. They arrived at the single-family establishment before long. The lion families home was a one floor space but was fairly large. The fox had only been there a few times so he was only somewhat familiar with it.
The lion's mother pulled in front of the house. Outside was a well-kept garden with recently pruned bushes and flowers. The woman was quite the gardener and took great pride in maintaining her landscape. Pent noticed there was no other vehicle present so he wasn't sure if the cub's father was home as well. The two of them got out of the car once it came to a stop and made their way to the front door.
Nait's mother let them inside. "Nait, Pent is here to tutor you in Science."
Pent took his shoes off at the door and made his way into the building. The fox remembered where the younger boy's room was and continued back to it. Nait's room was in one of the side rooms opposite the bathroom. The halls were lined with pictures of the family at various times in the cub's life. There were even a few of them before he was born and the teen couldn't help but look at them as he passed by.
The door to Nait's room was closed. A sign was posted on it "Do Not Disturb" so the teen knocked on it.
"Yeah yeah…come in." The lion said from inside the room.
Just as he entered the room the arctic fox watched the younger boy turn off the console he was playing. The lion's room was much more decorated than his. Several Disney posters lined the walls. Many of them were of the cub's favorite cartoons and movies and some of them Pent had never seen before. Pent made his way over toward Nait's desk where he was sitting down at the computer.
The Lion Cubs computer was higher-end. He'd been afforded a gaming PC for his last birthday and the thing was rather flashy with all sorts of LCD lights. A set of headsets and a single controller were placed on top of it. On the screen in front of him, the cub had prepared his computer for what he called "Study Time". His Science class's electronic platform was opened on the browser showing the assignment he needed to finish.
"Thanks for coming. I don't get this whole Plate Tectonics and the shifting of the earth's crust." Nait had been struggling with it for a while and finally gave in to asking for help.
Pent nodded at him and smiled. "Sure, no problem. Let me grab a chair from the front room and we can get to work."
The fox disappeared for a moment before returning with a wooden chair. Sitting alongside the smaller boy and taking a look at the assignment. It was a diagram of the dynamics of the lithosphere. Pent had read more into it when he was looking into Geology so he was fairly familiar with how it worked. Pent decided to keep it as simple as possible to not confuse the younger boy.
Pent began going into the basics of the concept. Things like continental drift, seafloor spreading, as well the subsequent earthquakes that often followed. The fox showed him a few articles on the subject as well as pictures of it. Pangaea was obviously a big component of it but the teen delved into less frequented details like the Wilson cycle. He even showed the other boy some of the existing evidence that such things happened in the geological past.
The lion cub listened as best he could, often drifting off to an unconscious state of unfocus. He was far from the best at listening especially when it came to things he didn't like. Finding himself bored rather quickly. Still, he didn't disrupt the other boy and tried his best. Pent wasn't the best when it came to talking down to younger cubs but had gotten better at it. Even still, there were times that he talked over their heads.
The teen went over the top going into more detail than he should
have. Covering the supercontinent cycle in addition to continental reconstruction. It was much more than his assignment went into. Nait's eyes eventually glazed over as he was completely lost in some of the terminology used by the older teen. It took a while for Pent to realize that he'd lost the other cub and finally stopped himself.
"Sorry…I went overboard." The fox said rubbing the back of his head a bit.
The younger cub took a moment to come around as he shook his head. "It's alright. I know this is sort of your thing. I appreciate your help."
The two of them went back to the assignment soon after. Pent refocused himself to the task at hand and they were able to make short work of it. It didn't take them long once the fox had shifted his train of thought. It took a bit of effort but eventually, he was able to thoroughly explain the concept without going into much detail. Nait understood the basics of it, enough that he could complete the assignment.
The smaller boy got back to his assignment. Pent never did the work for any of his clients. He had a firm policy of letting them do it themselves. He'd been offered money for it in the past but had never caved. After all, the teen was an academic stickler and wasn't about to forgo his priorities for the sake of money. The fox checked his work to make sure he'd done it correctly and there were only a few mistakes he had to fix.
When they were done, Nait the lion got up from his chair and stretched. The cub was still in his pajamas and the two-piece clothing set was a bit short on him. Pent didn't say anything about it as it wasn't his place.
"Do you need help on anything else?" The older teen asked while rotating around in the chair.
The younger cub scratched his chin lightly. "Hmm. Your brother and I are working together on the Science Project so I don't think it's a good idea to do that without him."
"I agree. So you don't have any other homework?" Pent asked since he hadn't been there very long.
The lion thought about it a moment. "No, but I do have a history test you can help me study for."
"Oh, yeah I can do that. What are you all studying?" The teen asked since his brother never mentioned it despite being in the same class.
Nait treaded back over to his desk and pulled out some flash cards. "The 7 Years War."
"Easy enough. You want me to just ask you the questions on the cards and see if you get them right?" Pent assumed the cub had been given a study guide or something similar.
The feline nodded. "Yup. That's what I was thinking."
Pent took the cards in hand and began reading them off one by one. The topics were varied about the war with some of them delving into important figures on both the British as well as French sides. The fox was familiar enough with it that he knew most of the answers, though he was no history buff and it wasn't an area of focus for him. Nait didn't have much of an issue answering them as he'd been studying recently to appease his parents so he could get a new game.
They worked on it for a while until Nait's mother came to check on them. Nait and Pent had moved onto a different subject but were still studying. She was surprised her son was putting forth so much effort. Of course, she hadn't forgotten about the promise she made but to see him focused for once was a nice change of pace. The fox certainly had a knack for keeping him on task.
"Do you boys want some lunch? You've been working hard all morning." The boy's mother popped her head into her son's room.
Nait looked over his shoulder towards her. "Sure! Do you want something to eat Pent? We are done anyways."
"Yeah, sure. Can you take me home after?" The fox wanted to go back to doing his own thing.
The woman nodded. "Certainly but not before I feed and pay you for your services. You did a fine job."
Nait wasn't one to lie so she took her son for his word. Pent got up and followed both of them to the kitchen. The lion family's kitchen was much larger than his own. There was a large wooden table with a table mat over it. The cubs mother was a bit of a craftswoman so she had knitted the thing herself. The fabric was designed with pink, purple, and blue stripes as she was rather fond of the colors.
Pent sat down opposite the younger cub. Already some sandwiches' had been made with a few of them sitting on a plate for them to pick from. She was aware of the fox's dietary restrictions and so had planned for It ahead of time.
"The ones with the toothpicks in them are for you, Pent." The other boy's mother said to make sure he took the right ones.
She went to the pantry and grabbed them a bag of chips before handing each of them an empty glass.
"Does Apple Juice sound good or would you like something else?" She asked as the lion woman looked in her fridge.
The teen looked back at her. "That sounds fantastic. Thank you."
She poured both of them some drink and joined them at the table. Both of them ate the meal they had been prepared. The sandwich was chickpea salad with some soy sauce poured onto it to add some flavor. Taking a single bite the sandwich was rich with flavor and made Pent's taste buds tingle with anticipation.
"Oh, this is good. Thank you very much." Pent complimented the chef of the dish.
The cub's mother smiled back at him. "Of course. I am glad you like it."
They finished their meals before long. It was much better than what Pent usually ate. He cooked well enough but was far from a chef. It was apparent she had a bit more training than he did. Nait was the first one to get out of his chair, excusing himself before starting to clean up. The older teen got up from his chair to help him but he was stopped by the other boy's mother.
"Ready to head out? Nait can handle cleaning. It's his responsibility." The lion woman gently touched the teen on the shoulder.
The white-furred boy nodded at her. "Alright, yeah. That sounds good."
"Thanks, Pent." The younger boy said before the two older furs left the room.
The two of them made their way out back to her car. Heading back down the same roads they came to get there. Pent once again looked out the window to busy himself. Not saying much to her as he didn't know what to talk about. When they arrived at the teen's apartment she paid him and gave him a bit of a tip for his hard work. She wasn't one to skimp out on paying extra when she thought it was deserved.
"Thank you very much." Pent bowed to her once again.
The lion woman smiled at him. "No problem. I hope you enjoy your concert with your boyfriend."
"Erm…how did you know?" The teen asked before lightly blushing.
She poked her forehead lightly. "A little birdy told me."
Pent still wasn't entirely sure how word had gotten out but none of that mattered now. He took the cash from her and made his way to his apartment. Counting it, he finally had enough to buy the tickets. All that was left now was to buy them. Then it was just a matter of time before he could go to it with Xavier. The Arctic fox couldn't help but be a little more excited about it.
The following day Xavier's father would buy the tickets for both of them. The two teens would pay him back but buying them electronically was the only option. The man was a bit surprised they wanted to go to what he considered a "cubs" concert. After all Alvin and the Chipmunks was geared towards younger cubs. He didn't question it and bought it anyway, glad to see the two of them get out of the house again.
A few days had passed and it was now the afternoon of the concert. Xavier hadn't planned extensively for it but he had a bit of an idea how it would play out. His boyfriend was going to be picked up soon and they would be heading over to the venue early. They had VIP tickets and so they were permitted to go backstage with the band and meet the members of it. The rodent wasn't sure how it would work out considering Pent's social issues but he had faith he could help him through it.
Xavier had just got changed into a shirt that he'd bought just for the concert. It was a bit small on him but it was the only one that the store had in stock. The front of it had a graphic of the three members of the band with Alvin on the mic, Simon on the guitar, and Theodore on drums. He felt a bit silly wearing it. He'd never even listened to the group outside of the times that Pent had played the music but he knew his boyfriend was fond of them so he went along with it.
The teen's mother passed by him. "You alright, hon?"
"Huh? Oh yeah…I just never thought I'd be going to a Chipmunk concert." The rodent said scratching the back of his head.
The older woman smiled at him. "Ah. Yeah well, you did invite your boyfriend. You can't back out now."
"I know. I don't know why he likes them." Xavier had questioned it before but never in front of Pent.
She sat down next to him. "Does it matter? He does things that you like all the time. Just tickle his fancy. He will appreciate it."
"I will Mom. I promise. Do I look alright?" The brown-furred boy tugged down the shirt to straighten it.
His mother looked him over briefly. "You look fine. Don't worry about your shirt so much. It's not like you have to wear it again. Just try to have fun."
"Yeah, you're right. I'll try, Mom. I promise. Thanks." Xavier relaxed a bit as the anxiety he was feeling subsided.
She got up, leaving him be. The chipmunk watched television for a while until the front door opened. Xavier wasn't expecting his boyfriend for a bit so he didn't bother to look back as he was watching the local sporting news. Sure enough, his father had picked up the other teen early. The arctic fox snuck up behind him quietly before hanging his body over the couch to cover the bigger boy's eyes.
"Guess who." Pent said in the best fake voice he could come up with.
The brown-furred teen didn't move. "Hmm…is it my favorite fox boy?"
"I sure hope so." The
smaller boy hopped over the couch to join him.
The rodent's father raised his voice towards them. "Don't get comfortable. We're leaving soon. I just need to use the restroom."
"We won't, Dad." His son said as he smiled at the other teen.
Xavier leaned in to kiss the other boy on the cheek. Looking at him briefly it appeared the fox had chosen a similar t-shirt. It had a different design to it but it featured all 3 of the band members. Unlike his shirt, Pent's fit him.
"You look nice, Xae." Pent said with a soft hushed tone.
The bigger teen blushed a bit. "Thanks, Pent. Are you looking forward to tonight?"
"Yeah, I can't wait to meet Simon." The white-furred teen smiled wider at the mention of it.
Xavier perked his ears a bit. "Oh? Is he your favorite?"
"Yeah, but he's not as cool as you." The smaller teen leaned in to return the kiss with one of his own.
The chipmunk's father returned soon after from the bathroom. He was jingling his keys as if to signal to the two teens that he was ready. He waited a few seconds for them to get the idea but didn't say anything. Eventually, his son picked up on it. After all, he'd seen his old man do it before and he knew all too well what It meant.
"Come on, Pent. Let's head out." Xavier said as he got up and offered his paw to help the other teen up.
The fox and chipmunk joined hands before following behind Xavier's father. They headed to the man's car and entered it. Both of them sat in the back so they could sit together. Of course, the older male said nothing about it since it was all but expected these days. The older male turned his head around to make sure that they buckled in. Both of the teens were fastened and ready for the ride to the venue.
The concert was to be held in the center of the nearby city. The trip was a little more than an hour but it depended on traffic. Bell Centre was the biggest arena within the province and was famous for hosting the local hockey team. They had been there a few times before but had never gone there for a concert. It would be the first time they got to experience such a thing.
Xavier's father took the vehicle down the major road leading towards it. Both teens looked out the window as they got ever closer. The highway had some traffic but since it was the weekend there weren't as many cars as usual. The chipmunk man maintained the speed limit and was able to make good time. Passing by some signs indicating "Montreal" as the big city got closer and closer. In the distance, the two teens could see some of the big buildings.
Once they entered the "Metropolitan District" traffic became a bit more heavy. Trucks hauling trailers with big compartments on them were everywhere. Xavier's father slowed down as the traffic came to a stall when they hit a construction area leading further into the city. The 4 lane highway narrowed to a two-lane one which is what was causing things to slow down. Neither the two teens nor the chipmunk's father complained as they knew there was nothing they could do about it.
It took them a short while to get past the construction area. Things sped up once they passed it. Now passing by some of the largest buildings in the city they were able to see some of the more familiar landmarks. Xavier's father continued to follow signs until they came to an off-ramp. Entering into the "Entertainment District" part of the city where most of the sporting complexes and concert venues were.
They pulled into the Bell Centre where the commuter parking was. Several lots had been assigned to the building and a few of them had overhangs. Banners of the Montreal Canadiens hung on the various flag poles as the Hockey Season was just around the corner. It was starting to get cooler and the few trees that were around it were beginning to change color. Several piles of leaves clumped up underneath them.
Xavier's father got out of the car to accompany them. He wasn't planning on staying but he knew the place required parental sign-offs on such a thing. Pent's foster mother had approved him to sign for the Fox Teen. The three of them walked toward the building and looked over at it. The outside of it had some screens showing images of the band. A pre-recorded played on one of them with the dates and times of the concerts when the band played.
Continuing over the crosswalk, they could see a small crowd in front of the ticket booth. Several cubs and their parents were all in front of it. The older male led them over to the small line in front of the building. Pent and Xavier were the oldest of the ones that were there except for the parents who were hanging around. They filed into their line and waited their turn as the line dwindled.
When it was their turn, the three of them approached the window of a booth. Inside the glass was a spotted gecko. The lizard wore the uniform of the building with her name emblazoned on a faux golden tag.
"May I see your tickets, please?" She asked while giving a quick glance over to the teens.
Pent and Xavier showed her the digital credentials that they had purchased. The place no longer took paper tickets and had long moved on from the practice. The woman scanned both of their tickets.
"I see you have purchased the VIP tickets. Please proceed to the left door and they will take you backstage. I assume this is your guardian?" The woman waved them off as she had to keep the line moving.
Xavier's father nodded as she handed him some paperwork to sign. "You can go on boys. I will take care of this. Xavier, I will be here right when the concert ends so please don't make me wait so we can avoid some of the traffic going back home."
"Okay, Dad. Thanks!" The chipmunk said as he and his boyfriend pushed off past the set of booths.
The two teens made their way to the left door. In front of it, a similarly dressed attendant stood. No one was waiting so they continued over to them. Once again their credentials were checked and scanned. The attendant motioned for them to head inside telling them to wait near the sign. The fox and chipmunk went over to it while the employee called in a radio to get them their guide backstage.
A large hippopotamus man soon appeared. The man was wearing a blue blazer and matching slacks. Over his head he had a headset and on his breast a sewn patch showing he was security. He called them over to follow him. The chipmunk and fox headed over toward him. He didn't say a word to them and beckoned them to follow him as he made his way back down the same way he came.
Pent and Xavier followed him down the large hall. It was mostly empty except for a few vendors setting up for the day. Several carts had been set up with all sorts of merchandise on them. A few of the closed ones featured products of the hockey team but no one was stationing them. As they went further down the hall they could hear the sounds of speakers and equipment being tested.
Eventually, they were led down a set of stairs. The stairs led into the arena itself. In front of them, they could see the stage. On it, some stagehands were setting up the instruments and some microphones. None of them paid the Hippo or the trailing teens any attention. At the end of the stairs, they were guided through a gate that took them into the closed-off area in front of the stage.
The fox and chipmunk continued to follow the man into the chorus area and up another set of stairs. The two of them couldn't help but look around and stopped where they were. They were now on the stage itself and several stagehands worked around them but still kept their distance. Alvin's signature guitar with the yellow glazed "A" was visible. Their guide soon realized they had fallen behind and urged them to follow him again.
They followed onward once again, pushing back further onto the stage. Soon following into a thin hallway leading behind it. They could hear the chatter of some furs from behind but it was unclear who it was or what they were saying. Through the hall, they could see various pieces of equipment set up and wires were all around. Some of the busy stagehands walked past them and a few of them bumped into them without saying a word.
The hippo soon led them behind the stage where a waiting room was situated just behind the stage. Two large velvet sofas were situated and empty of anyone there. A few boxes of cookies and various other snacks lay open on a tray in the middle of a center table. Some attendants circled through the areas, offering drinks to the workers. The guide asked the two teens to wait there.
Pent and Xavier sat on one of the sofas. Still, none of the workers paid them any attention. Behind the Scenes VIPs were common and they were no different. It was a short while before the hippo came back. The man now looked harried and as if he had way too much to do. Still, he kept a calm demeanor about him.
"Please come this way." The guard urged them to follow him again.
The teens got up and fell in behind him again. They went beyond the backstage area to the halls just behind it. Leading into a wider open area with several doors in it. On each of them, there were the names of each of the band members. Pent squeezed his boyfriend's hand. It seemed like they would finally get to meet the band. The hippo moved behind them and instructed them to wait once more.
A short while later one of the three doors opened. From within, the titular lead member came out. Alvin was wearing black silken trousers and a glistening sequined jacket. He had an athletic body with a slightly defined tone to it. The older chipmunk had some sunglasses on despite them being indoors. He gazed over toward the two teens and approached them.
"Hiya!" He said as he pushed back the fur on his head.
Pent squeezed his boyfriend's hand as he was a bit nervous. He wasn't one to get starstruck but that didn't stop him from being shy.
"Cat got your
tongue? No worries…I can help with that." Alvin approached them and offered each of them a small can of soda.
Each of the teens took hold of the cans. They were cold to the touch and some perspiration dripped down the side of it. Xavier looked at it a moment before popping it open. Sipping on it, he nudged the smaller boy to relax a bit. Pent was still standing there idly so he squeezed his hand tightly.
"Your friend nervous?" The older chipmunk backed away noticing how uncomfortable the fox looked.
The smaller rodent looked over at him. "You could say that. He's a big fan though."
Alvin motioned for the two of them to follow him. The sequins on his jacket shone against the light of the room. Going back into his dressing room the front man expected them to follow him. Xavier nudged Pent again. He wasn't about to let the other teen back down. Not after all he'd talked about meeting the band. Being nervous was one thing but he was there to help him through it.
The younger chipmunk smiled at Pent. "Come on, Pent. I promise it will be fine. Alvin won't bite."
The fox nodded and the two of them walked into Alvin's dressing room. A large plush couch sat at the back of it with a wardrobe and mirror on the side. It was well-lit with posters of various acts that had come through the arena recently. Alvin sat down on the couch and kicked up his paws. The white-furred boy slowly broke away from his boyfriend, seeming to relax a bit. Pent finally began to drink the soda he'd been given to calm his nerves.
"I'm a big fan of you guys. Where are Simon and Theodore?" The white-furred teen couldn't help but ask.
Alvin smiled at him before he whistled into his fingers. A moment later the door behind them opened and closed again. Simon and Theodore approached them from behind. Both were wearing similar style garments with Theodore's jacket being green and Simon's being blue. Simon was the tallest of the bunch and the only one of them who wore glasses. The three of them walked around the two teens to join Alvin on the couch.
Simon and Theodore sat next to the other band member. The fox boy in front of them reached into his pocket and pulled out a small picture of the band that he'd brought with him. Handing it to Alvin, the frontman looked at the small photo.
"Do you want us to sign this? It's kind of small." Alvin said as he reached behind him into a small bin where some poster prints of the three of them had been placed.
The chipmunk pulled out one of them and signed the thing with a red marker before handing it to Simon and Theodore to do the same. He handed it over to the fox who gladly took it. Pent pocketed the other picture.
"Thanks! I appreciate it. My favorite album is Undeniable." The white-furred boy still hadn't moved away from his boyfriend but was easing up.
Xavier smirked at the other boy whose tail was very visibly waging behind him. He always thought it was cute to see him get excited.
Alvin leaned back in the chair back onto a cushion. "Oh? We'll have to play a few tunes in our set then. Sound good, boys?"
"Most Certainly, Al." Simon said with a confident nod.
Theodore leaned up in the chair. "Well, if you excuse us we must be going. We need to get ready for our show."
The frontman grabbed his brother's shoulder. "Hold on a moment. Where are your seats tonight?"
"We have seats in section one in row Q." Pent said as he pulled out his phone to remind himself.
The chipmunk got up from his chair and went over to the door. A few moments passed before he returned to the room.
"You're in row A now. I can't have VIPs in row Q. That simply won't do. We enjoyed meeting you but we have to warm up. Tootaloos." Alvin motioned for his brothers to follow him.
The three of them exited from the room. A few minutes later the Hippo from earlier returned to the room to fetch them.
"Mr. Seville has asked me to show you to your seats. The show is starting soon. Please come with me." The man's voice was burly and deep.
Xavier squeezed his boyfriend's hand again. Looking at the fox briefly, he could see that Pent had a huge smile on his face. The chipmunk was glad the other teen had gone through it. He knew it wasn't always easy for him but with his support, he was able to get through it. The smaller one grabbed the small poster he'd been given and the two of them once again followed behind the hippo back the way they came. This time avoiding going back through the stage and instead going around it.
They eventually found their way to their new seats. Dead center in the front of the Arena. Xavier couldn't believe how close they were. Did Alvin do this for every VIP? It was a question he didn't know the answer to but the fact remained it had happened to them. A curtain had now draped over the stage and nothing could be seen beyond it. The audience was now full of furs and there were very few vacant seats.
The lights soon began to dim as some strobe lights remained to give ambiance to the place. Pent watched the stage with interest as he waited for the band to get their set started. The curtain soon pulled upward and behind it, the three chipmunks stood ready to Rock. Alvin with the guitar and on the mic, Simon on base, and Theodore on drums. The frontman stepped into the limelight as the crowd went wild.
Soon they began playing some of the most familiar tunes. Hitting things off with the "Chipmunk Song" and rolling into "Witch Doctor". These two popular tunes were enough to get the crowd into it. Even Pent began cheering and singing along, something that Xavier couldn't help but chuckle at. It was rather strange for him but he was glad the teen was enjoying himself.
Alvin and his band soon began playing more crowd favorites. "Party Anthem" was met with raucous applause and they even got the audience to sing along. The lead man was the most energetic, doing his usual dance and animated plays with his guitar. Things like throwing it over his head and playing it behind his body. The chipmunk had played these songs so many times in the past that he could play the chords without looking.
The concert was a big hit and went off without a hitch. Pent had more than gotten into it. His energy was still reserved but more excited than he usually was. He knew many of the songs by heart. Even Xavier got into it, simply because his boyfriend was enjoying himself. After all, Pent's enthusiasm was infectious and he wanted to show his support. Alvin and the Chipmunks ended the show with an encore, finishing the show with "Home".
The concert closed to the brightening of lights once again. The venue had filled with some smoke from some of the theatrics. It wasn't thick enough to cause any issues for anyone. Slowly the audience started to get up and filter out of the arena. The whole act had been about 2 hours and both Pent and Xavier were a bit stiff for sitting mostly still for so long. The ushers helped people through the narrow stairs leading up to the exit.
Xavier decided to text his father to let him know that the crowd was slow-moving. He quickly typed him a message before putting his phone away. The chipmunk and fox waited as the crowd filed upward. It was a slow and steady process and the two teens were near the end of the line since they'd been moved to the front row. Still, there was little they could do about it as they waded ever upward.
It took them a while to go back through the archway that led back to the larger halls of the arena. Once they were in that part of the stadium things moved much more quickly. They walked around the perimeter of the arena, Pent noticed that some of the merchandise stands were still open. The fox tugged on his boyfriend and pulled him to the side. He wanted to buy both of them a souvenir to remember the night by.
They approached a small cart where the vendor was cleaning things up for the night. The flamingo didn't even notice their approach as she continued to put things away in boxes. Pent scanned through the various pieces of merchandise until he saw something that caught his eye. A small plush of Alvin holding a mic in its hand.
"Hello, may I purchase this plush please?" The teen said in his usual quiet tone of voice.
His voice was somewhat muted by the crowd so Xavier decided to get her attention. "Hello, do you have a moment?"
"Oh, certainly. Do you want this plush? It will cost $22.98 after taxes. Would you like it?" She took it off the shelf expecting them to agree to it.
The fox rifled through the cash he brought and handed her $23. "Yes, please"
"Thank you. Here you are." The bird handed over the plush and change.
Pent smiled at her. "Thanks!"
The fox handed over the plush to Xavier. "This is for you."
"Thanks, Pent but you should keep it. I mostly came for you." The bigger teen hugged his boyfriend.
The white-furred boy hugged him back. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, you can add it to your growing plush collection." The chipmunk chuckled at his joke.
The smaller teen rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah…whatever. I only have two."
"Come on, Pent. My dad is probably waiting outside." The brown-furred boy tugged on Pent to get moving again.
The smaller teen put the thing under his arm before they continued their way out of the arena. The crowd outside was a lot less dense since they were spread out. Parents were walking their cubs to their cars or the local public transit pick-up site. Xavier looked at his phone again. His father had responded to let him know where he was waiting. The teen let him know that they were outside now and would be in the car as soon as possible.
Making their way to the back of the building they headed to the carpool zone. It was where the arena had arranged for both pick-ups and drop-offs. Sure enough, Xavier's father was waiting in the car for the two boys to get inside. He had been there a while but had remained patient as he knew there was little
he could do to hurry them up. The man could see the fox teen had a big smile on his face and figured the concert went well. He didn't notice the souvenirs he had brought back with him.
The two teens got into the back of the car and both greeted the Chipmunk boy's father.
"Did you two boys have fun?" The man said before starting the vehicle back down the route away from the arena.
Xavier nodded. "Yeah, Pent enjoyed it more than I did though."
"It was very fun. Thank you for taking us." The fox leaned into his boyfriend's shoulder to get comfortable for the ride back.
The chipmunk boy put his arm around the other teen. "Yeah, thanks, Dad."
"No problem. I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves. I will drop Pent off then we can go home, Xae." The older rodent said as he headed through some of the city streets toward the highway.
The brown-furred teen smiled at him. "That sounds good. Can we get some lunch on the way back?"
"Sure, you boys didn't eat at the venue?" The man asked as he assumed that would have been the case.
Xavier shook his head. "We weren't hungry."
"Okay, no problem. We'll hit something before hitting the highway. Does fast food sound alright?" The older male wanted to save some time.
The chipmunk boy looked over at his boyfriend who shrugged at him. "Yeah, that's fine."
The older male took a quick turn through the city streets until they got closer to the highway. Fast food places were everywhere so Xavier's father just picked one since it didn't seem like the teens had preference on choices. The place in question was a Mexican drive-through and offered the more popular dishes like Tacos, Burritos, and Enchiladas. Xavier's father stopped by the menu to let the teens pick what they wanted.
Once they had decided they went through the drive through and he ordered for both of them. Pent offered to pay for himself but the other boy's father declined it. The fox was a valued part of his family even if they weren't related by blood. After all, he and Xavier had been a couple for several years now and there was no signs of it changing. He continued to support them in any way he could.
Xavier's father bought the two meals and drinks which were delivered through a glass window in a bag. Handing them back to the two teens, both of them thanked him for buying them. The chipmunk boy peeled back the bag and handed some napkins to his boyfriend. He let Pent take his burrito out before taking the quesadilla he had ordered. Each of them bit into it and the things were rich with flavor.
The two teens continued to dig into their meals in the bag seat while Xavier's father pulled out of the drive-through. Continuing back onto the main streets which fed back to the highway. Pent and Xavier were mostly quiet during the drive back. The fox laid into the bigger teen seeming all too content to just be up close and personal. The brown-furred boy draped his arms over his boyfriend.
The drive back to their part of town was a bit longer than it took to get there earlier in the morning. Traffic was much denser and more congested. Once they were on the highway, things slowed down a lot. Xavier's father was not an overly aggressive driver and was overly patient, especially when his son or wife was in the car. That day was no different so he took it slow as he needed to.
Once they had gotten back through the construction area, things sped up a little bit. Traffic was still slow but was moving faster than it had when they first got on the highway. The trip back to their town took well over hours with several backlogs along the way. Even passing by a small accident that further delayed things. Fortunately, it was a minor fender bender so no one got hurt.
Xavier's father exited the highway with a heavy sigh. He wasn't a huge fan of commuting and being on the highway that long tested his patience. Still, he was as calm and collected as normal. By this point, the two teens in the back had dozed off as if napping. He had wondered why things had been so quiet and it wasn't until he turned around that he found out that they had dozed off.
He pulled into the area in front of Pent's apartment. The man turned around and gently roused the fox who was still laying against his son. He never imagined their relationship would have worked out this well. The fox and his son were so different and yet got along so well. There was no doubt in his mind that nothing was getting between them now. It took a few tries before the smaller teen came around.
"We're at your place, Pent." He said in a soft tone with a smile on his face.
The fox leaned in to kiss his boyfriend on the cheek and grabbed his plush and poster. Xavier was still sleeping so he didn't wake him. Unbuckling himself he got out of the car and thanked the older male for taking them. Xavier's father wished him well and was on his way. Pent made his way toward his apartment complex. It was now later in the afternoon but not late enough that the street lights had turned on.
Returning to his apartment, the teen let himself inside. He could hear the sound of a video game being played. The fox assumed this meant his brother was likely back home. Placing the plush and poster on the couch, he headed back to their shared room. Sure enough, Samaliel was playing something. The younger fox looked over at him briefly as the older boy entered the room. Pent looked down at him and kneeled to get to his level as he was on a bean bag chair.
"I thought you were going to Dakota's?" The white-furred boy asked his brother.
The smaller boy nodded. "Yeah, we went to the pool and then she had a doctor's appointment so her mom took me home."
"Oh, alright. Did you have fun?" Pent as he looked at the screen to see what he was playing.
Samaliel smiled at him. "Yup, I just got out of the shower so I'm just chilling now. How was the concert?"
"It was fun. I enjoyed it. I'm not sure if Xavier liked it though. He just went for me." The fox felt a bit guilty about making his boyfriend go to the event.
The younger cub arched his eyebrow at the comment. "What makes you think that?"
"He didn't seem that excited. I know he doesn't like the band. I feel bad for making him go now." The bigger teen rubbed the back of his head.
The salt and pepper boy thought about it for a moment. "Well, it's too late for that now. Maybe just do something nice for him to make it up?"
"Yeah, I just need to come up with something we don't usually do. We both spent a lot of money on tickets." Pent finally sat on the floor.
Samaliel offered him a spare game controller. "You'll figure something out. Don't worry about it so much. You do a lot for him."
"Alright, do you want me to play with you since you have no one to play with?" The teen asked as sometimes gave in to the cub's hobby.
The smaller fox gently pushed the controller into his hand. "Yep. You're stuck now. Let's play a bit."
Pent chuckled at him. It had been a while since he'd played with his brother so he decided to play along. The two of them began to play, switching to a cooperative title that the cub had picked up recently. "It Takes Two" was an older title but one they hadn't played much together. Samaliel had saved it for playing with his brother since Pent was far from the most apt at gaming.
They started up the game and each of them took up a character with the task of battling a hive of bees on behalf of some local squirrels. Everything was miniaturized as the game focused on doll-sized characters. Their challenge was to overcome the hive to reclaim the tree in the name of the collective of squirrels. Taking up squirrel-sized weapons, they began their challenge.
Samaliel and Pent worked their way through the level, felling worker and soldier bees. The older fox made some off comments about the "biological balance of bees" but his brother ignored it as he knew it was the teen's attempt at a joke. To overcome obstacles they had to combine their efforts to get rid of barriers with sap and flame. Platforms had to be adjusted for weight to bring them down with many of them requiring flame to drop ramps to get onto.
It was a collaborative effort that required them to work together. Pent found it easy to pick up the mechanics of the level and his brother took the lead as he'd been through the level once before. The younger fox allowed his brother to take command when he wanted to but he was more hesitant when it came to gaming. Still, they enjoyed themselves and were able to reclaim and locate the hive so the Squirrels could live in peace.
When the game was over, Pent got up. He had played the game but it wasn't overly stimulating for him. His brain preferred other things and sometimes he got bored easily.
"Thanks for playing bro. That was fun." The salt and pepper boy said with a big grin.
Pent smiled back at him. "No problem. I'm going to make dinner now. Want anything specific?"
"Whatever is keen. Dakota's parents made us soup for lunch so I'm pretty hungry." Samaliel said as he rubbed his stomach.
The older fox nodded and made his way to the kitchen to get started on dinner. Looking through the fridge he had plenty of options but decided on some fish, tofu, rice, and veggies. Pent was a big fan of tofu but he knew his brother wasn't quite as fond of it. Beginning to make the meal he worked to cook it and set up the table so they could have dinner together. Shooting a quick text over to Xavier as he waited.
"Thanks again for going today. I feel kind of bad for making you go. I hope you enjoyed it at least a little bit." Pent was rather bad about keeping his guilt hidden, especially from his boyfriend.
Pent continued finishing making the meal until he heard the notification on his phone.
"I enjoyed myself. What makes you think I didn't?" The chipmunk responded.
The fox typed back to him. "It's just I know you don't like their music."
"I didn't go
for them. I'm going to hang out with you. Xavier was as thoughtful as ever.
The white-furred teen. "Cool. I just wanted to make sure. I love you."
"I love you too. See you at school in a few days. Don't forget our big game is next Wednesday." The rodent wanted to make sure his boyfriend remembered.
Pent finished up making the meal between texts. "I didn't forget. I will be there in the front row. You guys are going to crush the school team."
"You be we are. Have a nice night, Pent." Xavier stopped texting after that.
The fox teen felt a bit better about things now. He called to his brother who came in before long. The two of them ate their meal without much being said between two of them. It was a good meal that hit the spot for both boys. When they were done, Samaliel took charge of cleaning the remains and clearing the table. It had become much more normalized as late since the younger boy seldom helped with making food anymore.
The older fox returned to the living room to collect the plush and poster he'd gotten from the concert. Taking them to his room, he hung up the poster with some tacks on his side of the space. It was the only concert poster either of them had and was larger than most of the posters Pent had on his side of the room. Taking care to stash the plush on his bookshelf along with the other ones he'd gotten.
Pent grabbed his pajamas and headed to the bathroom to take care of his usual hygiene routine. He didn't feel gross but he still wanted to be hygienic. He took a shower and cleaned his body, taking extra care to remove some gum that got stuck in his fur during the concert. The fox ended up having to cut it out but it was nothing serious. When he was done he stepped out to dry himself and change to get ready for bed.
The white-furred teen returned to his room before long. Samaliel had already finished with the dishes so he was back playing games. The older boy looked at his brother with a brief gaze. He didn't mind if the younger cub played games much longer but he also didn't want to interfere much with their usual sleep schedule. Still, he said nothing as he knew his brother was pretty good at being respectful of Pent's wishes.
He got into bed after grabbing a book. This time it was a book about the quantum mechanics of black holes. It was a topic he hadn't delved much into but had intrigued him. Pent quickly lost himself in the book and blocked out the fact his brother was still gaming. A short while passed before he was disrupted.
"You got a new poster…and a plush?" Samaliel hadn't noticed them before.
The older fox didn't put his book down. "Yeah, I got them at the concert."
"I like the poster. It's neat. They signed it?" The salt and pepper cub looked at the red signatures.
Pent remained focused. "Yup during our VIP session with them."
"Super cool. Was Simon as neat as you hoped?" The younger boy tried to take a bit more interest in the concert than he had earlier.
The white-furred teen finally put the book down. "He didn't talk much. It was mostly Alvin but it was still cool to get a chance to meet them."
"Cool, I'm glad you had fun." The younger fox stepped out of the room to take care of his needs before returning shortly.
The teen opened the window as it was a clear night out that night. A gentle breeze blew through the window as he gazed at the stars. The light twinkled above him as he tracked a few constellations with his fingers.
"Night, Pent." His brother said as he stepped up the ladder leading up to his bunk.
The older boy said softly. "Night, Sama."
Pent went back to reading for a short while. He wanted to at least finish the chapter he was on. Fortunately, it did not take him long. Getting up to turn off the lights and to kiss his brother on the forehead. It hadn't been an overly active day but social things were always draining for him. Still, he had a good time and it would be a date he would remember for some time. The fox got into bed as he tried to rest his eyes.
His mind was awash with thoughts that night. It took him a while to go to sleep that night soon falling into the realm of restful blessing. Replaying events from the day in his mind. His dreams wondering to ideas about other things, hopes for not only himself but for his relationship with Xavier. Even fantasizes a bit about the upcoming game and how his boyfriend would be the most valuable player. Ever looking forward to the next day and a chance to see him again.
