Only Emptiness Remains

Crossroads

Alvin sighed as he walked into the high school building one morning. It had been six weeks since the first day of school for the year. He couldn't believe it. Six weeks.

How is it that those six weeks felt like they had gone by so fast, and yet it felt like time was dragging at the exact same time? He just could not wrap his head around it. It was fall now! Even though it still felt like summer outside.

He had also just been announced as this year's class president last week. But to be honest, it actually felt rather bittersweet to him this year. In previous years, Alvin would always get excited whenever the results of the class elections were about to be announced. But not this year. Because one major thing was missing from it all this year. Brittany.

Ever since the notorious class election in third grade when the Chipettes first started school with the Chipmunks, Alvin and Brittany competed against each other as class president every year for the school elections.

While Alvin won that third grade election, Brittany actually ended up becoming the class president the next year in the fourth grade. Then in the fifth grade, Alvin reclaimed the position. For the sixth grade, it was Brittany's turn again. And so on and so forth.

It might seem odd that it worked out that way, but they just happened to alternate as class president every other year.

He even had a little bet going with Brittany each year to see if that year would be the year that broke the pattern and one of them would be president for two years in a row for once. Then when they would both eagerly await the announcement of the results for the year, Alvin would either end up being really stoked that he won or super disappointed that he lost. And while the winner would always gloat and rub it in the loser's face, causing some bickering between him and Brittany, they both knew that there was never truly any hard feelings between them.

But because Brittany's knee was still healing and also because her plate was just full in general right now, she didn't run this year. And Alvin was left with so many unanswered questions as a result. Brittany had actually been last year's class president, keeping up with the consistent alternating streak. So if that pattern was anything to go by, Alvin would've won this year anyway.

But he still couldn't help wondering. If Brittany had run this year, would she have beat him? Would this have been the year that broke the streak? Sure, it would've meant losing the election to and bet with Brittany. And he wouldn't have been too happy at first. But he couldn't help but be curious about it all.

And the fact is, winning the presidency this year had been almost too easy. In fact, he had won the election by a landslide. Not surprising at all, considering who his competition was. Some nobody who he was sure half (or maybe even most) of his classmates had never even heard of.

Alvin scratched his head underneath his signature red baseball cap as he tried to remember what the guy's name even was. What was his name again? Max? Mark? Mike? He was pretty sure it was something that started with an M. Or was it? And that was exactly his entire point. He just couldn't remember at all. And he was sure that was the case for the rest of their class as well.

Alvin was the most popular guy in school. So naturally, it was only right for the most popular girl in school to run against him every year. And despite Brittany having to quit the cheerleading squad, she was still pretty damn popular. Even with the rest of the squad shunning her.

At least, he remembered Brittany telling him that is what had happened. But he believed her because he knew how some of those girls on the squad were. But he also knew that they were just jealous of her and he really hoped his ex could see that too.