"Psst! Hey, guys-" we all looked over to the cafeteria doors where we saw nothing but Leo's head peeking around them. Ok..."- you ever have that nightmare where you're standing in the middle of the school in nothing but your birthday suit?" We all glanced at each other with uncomfortable looks, "Well, it's happening to me!" Leo stepped out and my jaw dropped in horror when he only had a blue towel wrapped around him. I jumped when someone covered my eyes. "Someone stole my clothes while I was in the shower!" He shouted and I heard some of the other kids start laughing. Grabbing the wrists of whoever had my eyes shielded, I took them off and saw that it was Chase. I looked around and glared at everyone who were laughing and effectively shut some of them up with my death stare.
"Brave of you to come out of the locker room." I told Leo after my gaze landed on him again and I shrugged off my leather jacket and put it on his shoulders because I felt he needed at least one article of clothing on. I got weird looks from his siblings but I shrugged. I had to do something, public humiliation is one of my greatest fears and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
"Well you know, when I lose something, I find it helps to ask yourself: Where's the last place you saw it?" Sometimes I wish Adam would just keep his mouth closed instead of trying to help.
"On my body." Leo told him, also annoyed like me.
"And you definitely checked there?"
"That is so mean. Who would do that to you?" Bree asked and I already had a suspicion of who the culprit was. We got our answer when Trent came out of the Cafeteria wearing Leo's clothes.
"A-yo!"
"Trent? You took my clothes?" Trent smiled at Leo.
"Well, yeah. How else am I supposed to play Attack of the Giant Trent? Fee-fi-fo-fum. I smell the blood of a wimpy one!" He got close to Leo and sniffed loudly. " Get it? It's you." Trent stomped around some more and then we heard something rip. "Ooh! Tear in isle two! Looks like your mommy's gonna have to buy you clothes at the "not big and the not tall store". Trent laughed and walked away.
"Why does Trent always pick on me more than anyone else?" I thought the same thing and was getting more angry by the second.
"Well, I outsmart him. I've studied his schedule and routine to ensure that we're never alone together. I even know when he is gonna take a..."
"Bathroom break!" Trent shouted as he ran through the hall. Apparently everyone needed to know he had to use the bathroom.
Chase looked at his watch and nodded. "Right on time."
"Son, you need a hobby." Bree said, making his eyes roll.
"I'm sick of this. I'm gonna go offer Trent a choice. Stop picking on me or suffer the consequences." I wanted to tell him it wouldn't work, but I couldn't fight his battles for him.
But when I heard Leo's high pitched scream I wish I had interfered for him. Trent ran out of the Cafeteria with Leo's towel in hand and I drew in a sharp breath. He didn't.
"Camera phones on people, we've got a runner!" To add to my fury, a bunch of kids crowded through the door and started snapping photos. I'm glad I couldn't see Leo from my spot otherwise I'd be scarred for life.
I watched Trent as he waved Leo's towel in the air like it was some kind of trophy. I felt myself twitch as something inside of me snapped.
Then the words "Commando App Engaged" appeared in my vision before everything went red.
THIRD POV
The three bionic siblings didn't see Harper's eyes darken as she twitched a second time. Suddenly she threw her books harshly to the ground and let out a loud yell causing everyone around her to jump.
Her three friends watched as she breathed heavily and they gave each other confused looks.
"Harper, you ok?" Bree asked, concerned why her friend was suddenly tense. The question fell on deaf ears though, as Harper was focused on the senior who continued to wave a towel around.
"Hey, pea brain!" Harper shouted, and her voice was deeper and angrier than it's ever been. "Why don't you stop waving that rag around and pick on someone your own size?" She shouted while stalking up to the guy. Trent smirked, not concerned about the sudden change in Harper's mood. That was his first mistake.
"Why don't you make me?" Harper accepted the challenge and charged at Trent, who's second mistake was not running away. Harper grabbed him by the arm and threw him a good twenty feet from her. The bionic siblings' jaws dropped when they saw this. Harper was more riled up, and stalked over to Trent who had a hard time getting back on his feet. He couldn't believe that someone half his size was able to toss him around like it was nothing.
"You better watch yourself, short stuff unless you want this to get ugly." He threatened, memories of when Chase Davenport being aggressive towards him. It didn't end well.
"Oh it got ugly when you showed up. I'm going to rip your eyeballs out and use them as marbles!'
Chase's face morphed into one of disgust at hearing this and wondered who'd want to do something like that. Bree and Adam were thinking something completely different though. There's only one person who talked in such an outrageous way.
"Uhhh, guys, I think Spike's back in Harper's body." Bree said with a shaky voice as they watched Harper circle around Trent like he was her prey. He tried to run but Harper jumped onto his back and proceeded to tackle him to the floor.
"That's impossible, she can't have the commando app unless." Chase stopped mid sentence when he remembered yesterday's training session. "ohhhh."
"Yeah, ohhh. We trained last night and your bionics were replicated last." Bree said recalling the event. She expected Chase to freak out, but instead he broke out in a huge smile.
"This is awesome! I've never seen the commando app in action. I need to take notes." Bree grabbed her brother from reaching into his backpack.
"We need to stop her before she rips Trent apart!"
"But can't we just-"
"CHASE!" The youngest Davenport groaned but nodded showing he was ready to help.
"How do we deactivate the app?" He asked his siblings.
"I don't know, you're the genius!"
"But I'm not the ones who deal with Spike!" He retorted, starting to get agitated.
"Maybe if we get her attention and talk to her, she'll snap out of it." Bree suggested. Adam took this task upon himself and cupped his hands around his mouth.
"HEY HARPER-OR SHOULD I CALL YOU GIRL SPIKE?" Harper swiveled around to face the trio, growling. She let go of Trent and stared down the bionic siblings.
"I don't like the way she's looking at us." Chase said in a shaky voice and he pulled his sister in front of him.
Trent took the opportunity of Harper being temporarily distracted and made a run for it into the cafeteria. Harper heard him scurry away and wasn't happy and chased after him, ignoring the three siblings calling out to her, whose instincts told them to follow the crazed maniac.
"Just leave me alone freak!" Trent yelled in a very undignified way, looking about ready to wet Leo's pants.
"How about instead, I give you a taste of your own medicine?" All the kids in the cafeteria backed away from Trent, leaving him to fend for himself.
"Guys.." Adam took charge again. He ran and grabbed Harper, lifting her off the ground as he carried her out of the cafeteria and didn't stop until they were away from the crowd. During all this, Harper thrashed in Adam's arms, growling and at one point roaring, demanding to be let go.
"What do we do!"
"Maybe we can talk her out of it?" Chase suggested and Bree nodded and motioned for him to do that. Chase was about to protest, until an idea came that might work. He gulped but stepped forward. "Hey - Hey uh, Harper. Uh, look at me." Harper paused her struggling and tilted her head as Chase continued to talk in a soothing tone. He had her attention, that's a start. "Good. Now, take a few deep breaths. Slowly." Harper didn't listen, but her demeanor was becoming less aggressive. " I need the real Harper to come back, alright? She's in there, I know she is." Everyone held their breath and when Harper's softened and her whole body relaxed.
Commando App Disengaged
HARPER'S POV
I blinked a few times and saw Chase standing in front of me with Bree looking over his shoulder, both appearing relieved for some reason. I realized I had a pair of strong arms wrapped around me and my feet weren't touching the ground. One glance over my shoulder told me it was Adam.
"What happened?" I asked and I wriggled in Adam's grasp, signaling I wanted to be put down. He did as Bree stepped out from behind Chase.
"You uh, were in Commando Node."
"Commando mode? How-" Wait, I had power replicated Chase's bionics last night. "-ohhhh." I was still confused about one thing." But what triggered it?"
"I'm not sure. You attacked Trent after he took Leo's towel. I think Trent doing what he did triggered your Commando App." Chase explained.
"How'd you disengage it?"
"Chase talked you out of it. I have to say, I was impressed and I don't say that often. You knew exactly what to say." Chase and I shared a quick glance that hopefully no one saw. I knew we were both thinking the same thing. This isn't the first time he's calmed me down.
"Well, I am a genius." Chase said with his signature 'I'm the smartest person in the room' smile so no one suspected anything.
"And you ruined it."
"We should probably go see if Leo's ok."
Just then Leo walked up to us wearing an oversized pantsuit.
"Lost and found didn't have anything so Principal Perry lent me her emergency pantsuit."
Trent walked by and lifted the jacket over his head.
"Jacket head!" My fists clenched and I took a step in his direction but Chase held me back and gently but firmly told me to stay calm. Reluctantly, I listened.
"Ok that's it. It's time me and Trent had a talk. Now he's disrespecting my brother and casual business attire." Adam said angrily and I gasped dramatically.
"The nerve he has." I said in fake shock. Principal Perry walked out behind Leo and smiled at Leo.
"Looking good Dooley! Sorry about the crumbs in the pockets, I'm a girl who likes her crackers." I pried Chase's strong grip on my arm off so I could walk closer to Perry.
"Principal Perry, are you going to let Trent get away with what he did to Leo? I'm pretty sure he should be suspended at least." Perry shrugged.
"If you want me to, I can. But then I'd have to suspend you also for attacking him."
"I couldn't help it I was-" Bree elbowed me and I clenched my jaw. "just going to say thank you for overlooking this whole thing and providing Leo with a very... nice pantsuit." I reluctantly patted Leo's shoulder and had to literally bite my tongue so I didn't make a sarcastic remark.
"Did you hurt your neck making that turn." I forced a smile at Perry and left the group so I could cool off.
Later that same day I joined Bree and Owen, after much persistence from Bree. It's not like I had a reason to sat no since I'm staying with them. I don't know if Bree and Owen were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Thankfully they kept the googly eye and giggles to a minimum.
About an hour in Owen set down his pencil and stood.
"Sorry to cut our study session short. But my art is calling. And when you gotta sculpt you gotta sculpt... did that sound weird?"
"Not for you." Bree told him sweetly, if not a little weirded out. I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes.
Bree's phone rang as she got a message and looking at it she grew excited.
"Oh, I just got a text! They're going to let me decorate the gym for the dance!" Owen didn't share Bree's excitement.
"What? But I'm the best artist in school. I always decorate for the dances."
"Oh, well I asked Mrs. Thistle and she didn't remember that. But to be fair she also thinks it's 1942."
"Well, can I at least help you?"
"Yeah sure. The theme is the American frontier. So I'm thinking of a wild west thing." Owen tapped his chin as he thought about it.
"Wild west. I love it. I see wagon wheels no, barrels. Lots of barrels." Bree raised an eyebrow and glanced at me briefly.
"Ok."
"You know what, this is your thing. I'm gonna back off and let you dry things your way. But I'll leave you with this. Barrels." With that final statement Owen left.
"Good thing he's cute." I commented from the table after she shut the door and Bree laughed and nodded. She hurried back to the table with an excited grin.
"We're going to have so much fun decorating!" I blinked.
"We?" Bree now wore a sheepish expression.
"Oh, did I forget to mention I signed us up together?"
"Why would you do that?"
"I thought it'd be a fun thing for us to do together. We haven't hung out, like just the two of us."
"I didn't know you wanted to. I'm not that interesting to be honest."
"I don't think that's true." My nose wrinkled as I thought about having to decorate for a dance I didn't even want to go to.
"Decorating isn't really my thing-" I started but Bree interrupted.
"Please!"
"Bree-" she clasped her hands together and started begging.
"Please! Please please please-" I rubbed my temples and yelled 'fine!' so she'd stop. "Yay! Let's go shopping right now!" Great, now I have to shop. Another thing I dislike. It's going to be a long night.
One thing good about helping Bree is that on the day of the dance we got to skip our afternoon classes to get the gym ready for the dance that night.
We walked into the gym with our arms holding multiple bags, with many many more to come.
But we weren't expecting the gym to already be fully decorated and made to look like a scene from Alien Gladiators.
"What on earth.." Bree said and Owen who was fiddling with a decoration turned and smiled.
"Actually, it's Mars." He pointed to the middle of the dance floor where a picture of Mars was, "Is the red not red enough?"
"What is all of this?" Bree demanded while I set down my bags by the doors.
"I figured I'd do you a favor and handle all the decorations. You are welcome."
"But the theme is supposed to be the American frontier. " I told him, wondering how he managed to match American Frontier with space.
"I thought about that. And technically, the new frontier is space. What do you think? "
"I hate it." Bree said and Owen didn't look like he understood why, "I spent all night shopping for a wild west theme. Do you know how hard it is to find a place that sells ten gallon hats and spurs."
"And bails of hay when we live in the city?" Owen looked confused again.
"Can't be that hard, there's a place down the street called Cowboys-R-Us." And we're just now hearing about it? "Look I knew you were in over your head and inspiration struck. So I went with it. Again, you are welcome."
Owen did a weird bow and sauntered off, oblivious to Bree and I's frustration. But, I knew a simple solution.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked her and we both nodded. Using our super speed, we took down all of the decorations and shoved them in the corner of the gym. We fist pumped when we finished and got to work redecorating with our stuff.
At one point I left to go get a drink of water. I opened the door and found Trent in a fetal position in the corner and was rocking back and forth. He looked like he'd seen a ghost and people were laughing at him.
My eyes searched the common area and landed on three boys and somehow I knew they had something to do with this. Their guilty expressions said it all when my confused then angered gaze settled on them. They tried to make a run for it.
"Freeze!" I yelled and they did and looked down in guilt as I stalked over to them. Crossing my arms, I looked at each one. "Did you three nimrods have something to do with that?" I asked sternly and Adam pushed Leo forward.
"It was Leo's idea."
"I don't care whose idea it was! It isn't right." I scolded, and they were confused as to why I was defending the guy who just humiliated Leo in the worst way possible.
"Trent has been picking on me for years and I wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine." Leo said defensively and while I understood where he was coming from it still didn't make it right.
"Seriously Leo? I'm disappointed in you." I pointed at the other two. "It's bad enough these two messed with me as pay back, but I thought you were better than that." I swiveled on my feet to glare at Adam and Chase, "And you two, let me make this clear. You either help Leo fix this or I'll deal with each of you myself. You'll wish for Spike compared to what I'll do to you." All three boys looked utterly terrified.
"Ok OK, we'll fix this." Chase said quickly and he held his palms out, "Just stay calm before Spike-or whatever your alter ego should be called- comes back."
Knowing they'd hold up to their promise, I left them with one final death stare that no doubt sent chills down their spines.
Bree and I were putting the finishing touches on a big banner when Owen made an appearance. He wasn't expecting to see all of his decor taken down.
"Bree..." He said slowly, completely in shock.
"Oh, howdy partner." Bree chirped happily.
"What happened? "
"Oh, an artist told me once that when inspiration strikes you gotta go with it. So I went with it. "
"This is not my conceptualization. This is an unraveling of particularity. I want my space stuff back! "
"Yeah sure. It's over there. Right by the barrels."
"You know what Bree, I finally figured out what was missing. May I?" Owen took the spare paintbrush that was in a bucket of bright red paint and I had a sudden feeling things were going to go south. He walked over to one of the scare crows we had by the front and put a red smear across its face, and Bree and I gasped. "Better."
"Ok. Since we're on the topic, I don't think Mars is red enough." Bree went over and splattered red all over the cardboard cut out of the planet and Owen wasn't happy but didn't back down.
"That's the best you got?" He taunted and Bree smirked.
"Hardly." Owen should have seen it coming but I guess not all artists are good at foreseeing things. Bree sauntered over and copied what Owen had done to the scarecrow on him, with a few extra strokes of the brush. Owen rubbed the paint from his eyes and smiled, but it wasn't the lovey dovey one he normally saved for Bree.
"You know how I said I wanted to paint you? " Now Bree was the one to get paint on her face and Owen went as far as getting her arms and shirt added on the list of victims assaulted by red paint.
I finally decided to step in when they started shoving the paintbrushes at each other and ran in between the pair, not thinking about the flying paint. In an instant I got brushes in my face and paint along with it. In the rush of the moment to stop them I didn't see that Bree had grabbed the bucket of red paint and what was supposed to be dumped on Owen was dropped on me. Half a gallon of red paint dripped down my hair and to the rest of my body.
My jaw dropped in shock and it was silent for a few tense seconds.
"Ok, Bree I'm getting the sense you don't want my help here. " Owen said and I wiped paint from my eyes so I could give him a death glare.
"Really? What makes you think that?" I asked, sarcasm dripping from my lips alongside the red paint. I turned to Bree to give her the same look. "You know, when I said I wanted to dye my hair red this isn't what I had in mind!" I yelled and I had to wipe my mouth as more paint made its way onto my lips and I didn't want to ingest any of it.
I left the pair alone to work it out themselves and since I didn't want to walk into the common area where everyone would see me, a vision in red, I left the back way and super sped to the Davenport's since I was still staying with them. Laura ended up extending her stay wherever she was.
The shower was stained red after I used it and I made sure to clean it before someone thought a murder took place.
I decided to wait until the dance was about halfway over before I showed up. Bree made me promise to come and after seeing what she did to Owen I did not want to get on her bad side.
She lent me a black jean skirt that I wore with a black tank top and a red and black plaid shirt that I left unbuttoned. The shoes I wore were the ones Douglas gave me, because they were nice and I wasn't going to throw away a perfectly good pair of shoes even if it was from a mad man.
I was nervous, because I've only been to one other dance and it ended with a bowl of punch dumped on me. I'll make sure to stay away from the food table.
I expected to hear music playing and people laughing and having fun, but that wasn't the case. Walking in, my jaw dropped. The decorations were destroyed and everyone was either in the common area or huddled in groups amongst the carnage of hay and thistle.
"What the heck happened here?" I asked Bree who was towards the back with her brothers and Principal Perry. I tilted my head at the blue jumpsuit the boys wore and were they holding some sort of laser gun? Bree gestured angrily to the others.
"These idiots and Principal Perry ruined all of our hard work!" I rolled my eyes.
"Why am I not surprised? Was torturing Trent not good enough for you?"
"We thought there was an actual ghost and tried to capture him but it turned out to be special effects by Principal Perry." Chase explained.
"Again, why am I not surprised?"
"It doesn't matter, the party's ruined. Thanks for showing up late, Harper." Bree walked away, clearly upset with me, though I'm not sure why. The others oohed and ignoring them I took off in the direction Bree went.
"Bree, wait!" I put a hand on her shoulder and made her turn to face me. "Why is it such a big deal if I showed up late? I couldn't have stopped Perry from pranking anyone."
"But we still could have hung out which is what I really wanted." I was taken aback.
"Why? Why would you want to hang out with me? There are a bunch of cooler, more interesting people you could hang out with."
"But they aren't my true friends. There's a whole part of my life I have to keep a secret from them. You're the only other person in the entire world who I can have in both of my lives. In a way, I kind of see us as sisters. Bionic sisters."
"I-I'm not sure what to say." She thought of me as her sister? After everything I did?
"You don't have to say anything. It was probably a stupid thing for me to hope for anyway. I know you like to be on your own. Just forget I said what I did." I stopped her, still trying to wrap my mind around her previous statement. There was a weird warm feeling in my chest and I couldn't tell if it was heartburn or... joy?
"No! It wasn't a stupid thing. I just-I'm not- I think it goes without saying that I'm a little... rough around the edges. Making and keeping friends has always been a struggle of mine. Eventually I just gave up. But no one has ever tried to be my friend. And I'm not sure how to... handle it." Bree smiled and put a hand on my shoulder.
"You're used to being alone. But remember, Mr. Davenport said we'd be there for you and he meant it. We all did." I chuckled.
"I thought he just said that to make me feel better about my situation." I admitted, massaging the back of my neck nervously.
"No, we meant it." Bree repeated and I chuckled again.
"Again, I'm not sure how to handle this." Bree grinned, and it was similar to Chase's when he found out about my superintelligence. No matter how much they denied it, they looked a lot alike that at first I thought they were twins.
"Maybe we can officially become friends and do all the stuff friends do? Shopping, sleepovers, pranking my brothers." I grabbed both her shoulders to stop her before she glitched from being so excited.
"I'm ok for the last two, but shopping isn't really my thing." Bree smirked.
"I'll take it as a challenge to get you to like it." I smirked back.
"Then I'll take it as a challenge to not be corrupted by your unhealthy obsession of shopping. No offense." Bree laughed and I found myself chuckling.
Later on that night Bree and I hung out in 'my room' and I'll admit I was enjoying myself. Bree used to annoy me when we first met, but as time went on her happy and energetic personality grew on me. I'd find myself smiling like I am now after she told me an embarrassing story about her brothers.
"Hey can I ask you a question?" I became nervous by the sudden seriousness in her tone but reasoned she couldn't ask a personal question.
"Shoot." I said reaching for my cup on the side table.
"Do you like Chase?" I choked on my water and began coughing which lasted for a full minute. Once I could breathe normally I looked at her with wide eyes.
"What would make you think I did?" I asked, out of breath.
"I don't know, I've noticed the past few days you giving each other secret looks. Did something happen?" I wrapped my arms around myself and looked away.
"W-Well not what you probably think."
"But something did happen." She said and I turned my head sharply.
"I didn't say that."
"But you implied it." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, scolding myself for letting it slip. "Come on, you can tell me anything. If something happened between you two, I as your friend need to know about it. But I can't imagine you going after nerdy, arrogant Chase." Ok, I needed to make one thing clear. I don't have to directly mention the panic attack.
"It's not like that. He just helped me when I was having a... rough moment and that's it. There's nothing going on between us." I said the last part slowly to make sure she understood and there wouldn't be any confusion.
"Good, because it'd be weird if my best friend/sister dated my brother." I nudged her shoulder and smirked.
"Well, you'll never have to worry about it. Because there's no way Chase and I could ever be boyfriend and girlfriend."