Lab Rats: With A Twist – A Lab Rats Fanfiction…
A/N - Well here is chapter three! OMG sorry it took so long to update; it does take me a while to write these chapters also with the holidays added in, it makes me busy lol. Anyway I hope you all are having a safe and good holiday as well!
So here is Leo's Jam, honestly this chapter/episode was hard to write for me it was never one of my favorites because I didn't like how Adam, Chase and Leo treated one another fighting over a girl, so yeah, but I got it written and managed to add Maria into the mix as well.
I hope you enjoy and please remember feed back is welcomed, which was your favorite Lab Rats episode?
Chapter 3
Leo's Jam
Finally, it was Monday, which meant the weekend was over. Most people would hate for school to start again, but I couldn't wait. Since it was Monday, my grounding was officially over, which meant I got my phone back and saw Leo, Adam, Bree, and Chase again. Unfortunately, I didn't get to walk to school with them this morning since I woke up late; I skipped breakfast and ran out the door.
Making it to school just as the first bell rang, I sighed in relief and put my hands on my knees to catch my breath. After calming myself down, I looked around for my friends and saw Adam, Chase, and Leo standing by my and Bree's lockers. The three were in mid-conversation, and I took a moment to once more sneak up on Leo; aw, man, I loved scaring my friend.
"Hey guys!" I greeted them with a smile, coming up right beside Leo.
"Ah!" Leo squealed as he turned to see who had sneaked behind him after jumping a foot in the air. "MARIA!" Leo shouted in annoyance as I stood there and laughed; I could see Adam and Chase snickering to themselves as well. Groaning, Leo rubbed his forehead. Ugh, again, you need to stop that. Ninjas make more noise than you." Leo finishes as he shakes his head.
I rolled my eyes. "Like that is ever going to happen," I said with a grin, still laughing; I stopped when Leo eyed me. I cleared my throat. "Anyway, what are you three up to?" I wondered as I raised my eyebrow.
"Oh, hey Maria, we were just talking about the school dance coming up," Adam says with a smile. He is excited about their dance.
"Yeah, and Leo is going to give us pointers at asking a girl out," Chase explained as he leaned against the lockers he held his messenger bag over his shoulder.
I laugh. "Leo? Give you advice?" I question as I keep laughing until I see the looks all three give me. I stop and say, "Oh, you're serious?" I look between the three and shake my head.
"Yes, they are serious," Leo says with annoyance in his voice; he sighs. "Anyway, as I was saying—" Leo begins as he points to a blonde-haired girl sitting on the bench in the middle of the hallway. I recognized her from our math class; she was Danielle Lenard. Leo worships her, and it greatly annoyed me. Leo smiles, "You going to watch me ask out the girl of my dreams?"
"Danielle?" I question as I raise an eyebrow at him.
"Yeah, isn't she the girl who uses you as a footstool in math class?" Chase wondered as he eyed Leo oddly, too.
Leo sees Chase and me and asks, "Where else will she put her feet? On the floor?" Leo questions as he shakes his head in disbelief at us; I scoff at myself. He then looks at Adam and Chase, "Now open your notebooks, boys, 'cause class is in session."
Adam, Chase, and I watched as Leo walked over to where Danielle Lenard was sitting. I snickered as I watched Leo try to act all tough and mighty. Poor Danielle, she was about to be bothered by Leo. Danielle was working on some schoolwork when Leo finally made it to her. Chase, Adam, and I leaned against the lockers and watched the show; I even got my phone out to video it for fun.
"Hello, Danielle. Do you know how much a polar bear weighs? Enough to break the ice!" Leo says with a grin, trying to come across as a cool guy. I see Leo deflate a little when Danielle eyes him in confusion. She almost scoots away as Leo sits beside her, "I'm Leo Dooley."
The name caught her attention. "Oh right, my little footstool," Danielle said with a smile. Leo smiled back at her, and then she frowned and said, "Didn't you send me eighty-seven emails?"
The question takes Leo aback, but then he nods and answers honestly, "Yeah, that was a slow day."
Hearing this, Danielle grabs her stuff, "Okay, well, see you later, Lenny." Danielle says and quickly walks away; I didn't blame her; I shut my video off and saved it on my phone.
"It's Leo, by the way!" Leo tried to call after her, but she was already gone.
Adam, Chase, and I walk over to where Leo sits on the bench. Adam snickers and pretends to write something down, but Chase also says, "So Leo, what should I write in my notebook? Other than denied?" Chase wondered mockingly.
"Oh, wait, you can cheat on me! " Adam begins as he nudges Chase. " I have; she's not going to the dance with Lenny." Adam finishes as he and Chase laugh.
I laugh, pointing to Adam's notebook, "Don't forget to add, scurried away from Lenny." I say as the three of us laugh while Adam writes it down.
Before Leo could reply, Bree approached us, and I could tell she looked super annoyed. After eyeing us, she crossed her arms and asked, "Are you guys talking about the dance, too?" Bree wondered. She groaned, "Why is everybody making such a big deal out of this stupid dance?" Bree demanded as she stomped and growled a little; I was almost afraid of her.
Chase smirks at his sister, "Nobody has asked you to the dance yet, have they?" Chase questions as he laughs at himself; he stops when Bree glares at him deathly.
"No!" Bree sighs: she looks at me. "Has anyone asked you yet, Maria?" Bree questioned with a raised eyebrow.
I shake my head, "Nope, and even if they don't, I'm still going with myself." I say with a grin while I point to myself.
"Lame!" Adam calls as he and Leo laugh to themselves. I glare at them, and they stop laughing.
"Guys, there is nothing wrong with going to the dance by yourself; it leaves options open for whom you can dance with while there," I explained as if it was apparent and smiled at them.
"That's not a bad idea," Bree says as she thinks, frowning. "But it won't work for me. I want to dance with this guy; he is Ethan, and we have Chemistry together. Coincidence? I think not!" Bree exclaimed with a smile, her excitement showing. "What should I do?" Bree wondered with panic.
"Don't ask Leo for advice; he was a bust." I shoot back at Leo for his laughing at me being dateless.
"Hey!" Leo calls as he is about ready to defend himself.
Chase stops us from starting a fight and says, "Look, there's Ethan now; I got this." Chase says, causing us all to watch him.
I watch Chase place a hand to his ear, undoubtedly getting his bionics to work. We're quiet momentarily as Chase does his thing, and then he says, "Ethan's talking about a girl he thinks is cute." Chase says as he listens while Bree and I squeal in excitement for her. Chase then turns to Bree, "Ew, he's talking about you!" Chase says as he rolls his eyes, "And he's coming over here to ask you to the dance."
"What!?" Bree questions as she starts freaking out. "No! Now? Why!? Really!?" Bree questions, unsure of how her emotions feel.
Before we knew it, Ethan approached the five of us. He smiled at all of us, but his eyes were mainly on Bree, "How's it going?" Ethan asked all of us nicely.
"Ethan!" Chase exclaimed, trying to act like he didn't just hear his conversation. "What a huge surprise! To see you here for reasons we do not know!" Chase finishes as he nudges him on the shoulder.
I rolled my eyes as Chase smacked my hand from his shoulder. "Hi, Ethan!" Bree interrupted Chase's and my little scribble; she continued, "…uh you know…." Poor Bree, I could tell she was nervous. "…decided that….hey, what's that over there?" Bree wonders as she points to a random place.
Adam, Chase, Leo, Ethan, and I looked at where Bree was pointing. I suddenly felt a gush of wind and a sigh; I knew Bree had superspeed away from us. We all turned to look back at one another. "Where'd she go?" Ethan wondered as he eyed the four of us; I could tell he felt slightly down since Bree was gone.
"Uh….most importantly…." Adam began as he tried to think of an answer. "….What's that over there!?" Adam questioned as he randomly pointed to a spot.
I laughed to myself as Ethan fell for it again. Once Ethan looked away from us, Adam gestured for us to run. I followed Adam, Chase, and Leo outside, and we finally stopped to catch our breath when we knew we ditched Ethan. We had found Bree hiding behind a bush, feeling embarrassed about leaving Ethan. Thankfully, we managed to get her away from the bush and continued our day. I wasn't going to lie, and the day sucked because I had to listen to Leo keep going on and on about how he was going to try to ask Daniellé to the dance. Frankly, I didn't think Danielle was right for him, but that could be because I found her annoying. The truth was, and I would never say this out loud, I was beginning to form a slight crush on my best friend. Yes, I, Maria Knight, was slowly falling for Leo Dooley, but of course, my best friend only saw me as that, a best friend. Little did I know the journey it would take for me to tell Leo how I felt about him finally. Of course, that wouldn't happen yet; we still had so much to deal with. I tried to finish the day without thinking about Leo, Danielle, or the dance…
…
After school, I once more found myself hanging out at the Davenport Mansion. Adam, Leo, and I were in the lab where Adam, Bree, and Chase lived and trained. Adam and Leo played with action figures, and I did homework. While I was working on my homework, I still couldn't believe I was in Donald Davenport's house and that I knew his three kids were bionic. Everything was crazy, and I loved it.
I watched Adam beat Leo in their action figure game and laughed when Leo frowned. Leo might have had a crush on Danielle, but she was not as cool as I was. I was hanging out with Leo in his stepdad's house, and she wasn't. Secondly, I knew their family's secret about Adam, Bree, and Chase, while Danielle didn't. So yeah, what did Leo see in Danielle? I'll never know, but I was just happy he wasn't talking my ear off about her again. However, Chase came rushing in and, of course, had to burst our bubble of peace.
"Hey, everyone! I finally figured it out!" Chase said with excitement as he rushed over to us.
Adam shook his head, "Oh, me too! Do not eat the outside of a pineapple." Adam explained as he made a face while Leo and I laughed, "That'll come back to haunt you."
Of course, Chase rolled his eyes at his brother's randomness, "No! I figured out how to make Danielle like Leo!" Chase explained with a smile. Leo lit up like a Christmas tree, and I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I recorded her with my bionic hearing." Chase added, "Let me play it back for you."
We all gathered around the cyberdesk as Chase stuck his figure out. My eyes widened as I watched a flash drive come out of Chase's figure, and he inserted it into the cyberdeck. We watched as he pulled up some file that had the said recording on it; Danielle's voice filled the room. "In the movie, the hero punches the bad guy and steals the baby from the alligator's mouth! I would so go out with a guy like that!" Then the clip ended, and Chase pulled the flash drive out of the cyberdeck, and it vanished into his finger again. I sat there confused about how Chase had that with him, and they said they weren't robots.
Adam jumped up and smiled, "Perfect!" He exclaimed as he turned to me, "You get the alligator, and I'll round up that baby!" Adam finishes as he turns to run out of the lab; I eye him oddly.
Thankfully, Chase stopped him. "What? Adam, no!" Chase called before Adam could leave; Adam stopped and returned to us. "We just need to make Leo look like a hero," Chase explained while he rolled his eyes at his brother.
"Well, that's a dead end; what else should we do today?" Leo questioned, shooting the idea down fast. He looked at me, and I shrugged, and he frowned.
"If only you could burrow my bionic strength," Adam said, thinking out loud.
"I can't do that! That's all you've got!" Leo started as he shook his head.
I laughed as Adam tried to decide whether or not he should be offended. But before Adam could decide, Chase said, "Wait a minute; Adam might be onto something!" Chase exclaimed as he seemed to be thinking of a plan. He then looked at Adam oddly. "Which is quite an achievement for someone who doesn't know how to eat a pineapple." Chase then muttered as he shook his head at his brother again.
"Hey!" Adam called, feeling slightly offended this time; he then looked at me. "I got it down, didn't I?" Adam questioned as he raised an eyebrow at me.
I sighed, "Yeah, and then you barfed it up an hour later." I reminded him with a grossed face as I shuddered at the memory of that day…
…
The following morning, I could walk to school with Adam, Bree, Chase, and Leo. Bree went off trying to avoid Ethan again while Adam, Chase, Leo, and I started on "Operation: Lady for Leo," as Chased called it. The whole time we worked on our plane, I knew I must've had a sour face because I felt like total trash. It could've been that Leo was still obsessed with Danielle, and I was helping my best friend/slight crush get another girl. I sighed as I tried to laugh at Adam lying under the lockers, playing on his phone like everything was fine even though it wasn't.
Leo and Adam kept having to keep passersby away as they tried to stop and help Adam. I would've laughed at the whole situation if I hadn't been jealous of Leo's crush on Danielle. I was leaning against my locker, watching the scene unfold before me while we waited for Danielle to come. While we waited, I doodled in my notebook, and Chase came beside me.
"So, I think this will work; once Danielle sees Leo "lift" the lockers off Adam, she'll think he's a hero and agree to go to the school dance with him!" Chase said with a smile, happy at his plan.
I scoff at his explanation, "Whatever." I muttered as I rolled my eyes and kept doodling.
I didn't notice Chase eyeing me; he cleared his throat, and I looked up at him. "You know, I can't help but notice you've been acting so off since Leo tried to ask out Danielle yesterday…." Chase began as I stopped doodling and eyed him oddly.
"So..." I question, urging him to continue to see what his point is.
"…So…" Chase continues as he smirks to himself. "…If my calculations are correct, and since I'm genetically engineered to be the smartest man on Earth, I'd say they are – " Chase began as he clutched onto his messenger bag and bounced in excitement. " – You have a crush on Leo and are jealous of him liking another girl." Chase finishes making me look up, and my eyes widen; seeing my eyes widen, he cheers on himself. "I knew it! You like Leo!" Chase exclaimed, thankfully not loud enough for Adam or Leo to hear since they were trying to keep other people away from their scene.
"What. Shhh…" I say, trying to get Chase to quiet down. "….I don't like Leo!"
"Ha! Admit it, you do!" Chase says as he grins; he wiggles his eyebrows.
I pull Chase by the arm and into a nearby empty classroom. I close the door and turn on Chase, who looks at me with confusion and slight fear. I frown and lean against the wall, saying to him, "How did you figure it out?" I questioned as I crossed my arms.
Chase rolled his eyes at me as if it were apparent, "As I explained, I'm genetically engineered to be the smartest man on Earth." Chase pointed out as I rolled my eyes, I sighed, and he added. "Plus, I could see how annoyed you were every time Leo talked about Danielle and all the little side glances anytime he asked about whom you were going to the dance with, and if I remember you said, "I'm waiting for the right guy to ask me" while glancing at Leo and blushing. " Chase finishes as he grins to himself.
At his explanation, I nearly beat myself up for how careless I've been. It just had to be Chase who figured out my slight crush on Leo and knew he would ruin everything. I frowned and eyed him thoughtfully, "Fine, you're right, I like Leo. But it's just a crush…he doesn't see me the same way, so please don't say anything to him; I'm begging you." I say as I put my hands in a prayer position and get down on my knees.
"Woah, Maria, you have it wrong," Chase says as he helps me stand up. He smiles at me. "I'm not going to tell Leo anything."
I raise an eyebrow at him, "You're not? Why?" I wondered as I placed my hands on my hips.
Chase shrugged, "Because that's between you and Leo." He explained, and he shifted his messenger bag. Besides, if Leo ends up with anyone, I hope it's you because you can officially become part of the family someday," Chase said as he smiled at me.
I was surprised; maybe Chase wasn't a bad guy after all. Of course, I still worried that he knew about my crush on Leo; what if he accidentally slipped up? But before I could ask him anything, we heard Leo talking from the hallway, starting our operation: Land Leo a Lady Plan, which meant Danielle finally came into school. Chase and I rushed out to see what happened, and just in time, too, for Leo was lifting the lockers off Adam (even though Adam quickly pushed it up and acted like he didn't), and everyone clapped for Leo as if he was indeed some hero.
Chase and I shared a knowing glance, and he just smiled at me before going over to Adam. I sighed and joined the two as Leo and Danielle were talking. Our biggest surprise was when Danielle came rushing over to Adam instead of Leo. "OMG! I can't believe that happened!" Danielle said as he looked at Adam in worry.
Leo thought she was talking to him. "Yeah, well, it takes a big man, too - "he began, but Danielle interrupted him, pushing him aside. I snickered to myself.
"How are you not hurt?!" Danielle questioned Adam as she wrapped her arms around him. "You must be so strong!" Danielle stated with a dreamy voice as Adam held his arms up in surprise at her hug.
"W-What about Leo?" Adam wondered, clearly not wanting to cause any trouble with everything.
Danielle laughs and keeps holding onto Adam, "He's not hurt." She said matter-of-factly.
Leo's eyes widen, and his mouth agape as I laugh. I loved it when his plans backfired sometimes. "Look at me! I'm an opened wound!" Leo defends as he glares at Adam for taking his women.
Chase then nudged me and nodded toward Leo, indicating that this was my chance to tell him how I felt. But I shook my head and shrunk back next to Chase more. We shared another look, and before Chase could push me forward, the bell rang just as Danielle asked Adam for the dance on Saturday. She marched away after he agreed to accompany him; Leo rounded on Chase.
"Nice plan, Chase!" Leo growled as he stomped his foot and crossed his arms.
"What do you mean? That didn't go at all like we planned. " Adam asked, confused.
Groaning, Leo storms off to class, and the second warning bell rings. Chase, Adam, and I also go our separate ways to class. Though the day I worry about Chase knowing about my crush on Leo. Was he not going to say anything to his stepbrother? If so, I couldn't ignore the kind act of Chase and how he supported my crush on Leo. At first, it seemed odd, but maybe it was a good thing Chase knew because then I could talk to him about any issues with my feelings for Leo, like how I was jealous he was asking Danielle to the dance and not me. I shake my head and try to focus on my work while I am in class…
…
Later, during Lunch, I sat at the table with Chase and talked about the dance again. Of course, Chase was trying to encourage me to ask Leo, but I kept chickening out. We stopped talking about it and changed the subject to our class projects when we saw Adam and Leo come over and join us with their lunches. Leo was still angry at Adam for taking Danielle from him, and I couldn't blame him; if it were me, I would be angry, too.
"Can you pass me the ketchup?" Adam asked Leo, hoping he could have some for his fries.
Leo eyes Chase and me. "I'm sorry. Did you hear something?" Leo questions, trying to ignore Adam.
I frowned and felt terrible when I saw Adam's confused look. I sighed and passed Adam the ketchup. Leo eyed me, and I eyed him back. "Maria!" Leo whined as if trying to get me to play along.
"Leo!" I mocked back while eyeing him thoughtfully.
Chase rolled his eyes, "Are you two still fighting over Danielle? Is she worth all this?" Chase wondered as he eyed his brothers.
Adam and Leo eyed one another and said, "Yes" in sync.
Shaking his head, Chase said, "Adam, you can't have Danielle; it wouldn't be fair. Leo liked her first." Chase reasoned as he started to eat his sandwich.
"Hey, all is fair in love and fake locker accidents!" Adam defended as he eyed Chase. Seeing Leo's look, Adam sighed and said, "Fine; he can have her. I'll tell Danielle everything was a mix-up and that Leo is the one she should go out with. Adam says as he puts his foot down and stands up.
"That's good, and hey, that's a good brother right there!" I say with an encouraging smile as Adam approaches where Danielle is sitting.
"Thanks, Chase," Leo says with a smile as he eats his lunch.
The three of us eat our lunch and continue to chat about things as I watch Adam trying to explain everything to Danielle. I laugh when I see Danielle looking at Adam like a lost puppy. Chase, Leo, and I peacefully enjoyed our lunch when Bree approached us with her tray. She set her book bag down and sat down beside Leo and Chase. She bit into her sandwich and eyed Chase and me.
"So, when were you two going to tell us?" Bree questioned as she gestured a finger between us.
I raise my eyebrows, and so does Chase, I say, putting my sandwich down. "Tell you what?"
Bree laughs as if it were apparent and takes another bite of her food. "That you and Chase are dating?" Bree questions as she continues to eat like it is nothing. I see Leo drop his food at her statement.
My eyes widen, and I nearly choke on my sandwich while Chase spits out his drink. We look at one another and then at Bree in confusion. "What?" We ask at the same time, confused.
Leo looks at Bree, too. "Yeah, what they said!" Leo says, trying to find words as well.
Shaking her head, Bree sighs. "Half the school is talking about it; people said they saw you two come out of an empty classroom hugging…" Bree smirks as she eyes Chase and me. "…We all know what you were doing there, making out…" Bree finishes as she takes a drink of her water.
"Okay, first of all, gross – " Chase began as he shook his head. "Second, we are not dating. Maria is not my type." Chase explained as if it was obvious, turning to me. " – No offense."
I nodded and said, "Yeah, people are just telling rumors; we are not together. All Chase and I were doing was having a private conversation, that's it. Also, Chase is not my species…" I said before turning and looking at Chase, "….No offense." I finished as he, too, nodded.
Bree briefly eyes the two of us as she thinks about our defenses. People thought Chase and I were together. Damn, high school is a jungle, that's for sure. No, Chase and I were just friends, that's it. I sigh and frown; the last thing I need is for Leo to think I was going after his stepbrother when I wasn't; he wouldn't like me then, would he? I look at Bree and sigh, "We are not dating." I clarify as Chase nods.
"Darn, I was rooting for Mase, too," Bree says, sighing. "Oh well…" She continues to eat.
"Wait? Mase?" Chase questions with a raised eyebrow; he eyes Bree in confusion.
Bree nods, "Yeah, it would've been your couple name. the M for Maria and the "Ase" for Chase." Bree explained as she sighed; she shrugged. "But it doesn't matter because you two aren't dating."
I quickly nod, "That's right, and please spread that around so others know we aren't." I demanded as Bree nodded in agreement; we all continued to eat our lunches…
…
Later that evening, I was invited to the Davenport Mansion for dinner, and my mother said it was okay for me to hang out there. Thankfully, with us telling the truth, the school believed that Chase and I were not together and just friends. Bree also helped get the rumor to die down.
Tasha was making dinner while Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo, and I gathered again in the living room, discussing the school dance. It turns out that Danielle had thought Adam was talking about Chase and came over at the end of the day to ask Chase to the dance instead of Leo, especially since Danielle now knew Chase was single. This, of course, angered both Adam and Leo since they thought Chase was stealing Danielle away from the two of them. I just rolled my eyes at the boys fighting over her.
I decided to help Tasha set the table, and while doing so, I overheard Bree asking Tasha for advice on how to talk to Ethan like an average person. I sighed and thought asking for some advice about my situation with Leo wasn't a bad idea. Walking over to where Tasha tossed the salad, I sat on the stool before the bar and smiled at her.
"Mrs. Dooley, can I ask you for some advice?" I would like to keep my voice low so no one else hears.
She smiled at me, "Oh, sweetie, like I've said before, call me Tasha, and you can ask me anything, Maria." Tasha said this as she set the salad bowl on the table and came to sit next to me.
"Well, I have a friend who has a slight crush on their friend, but their friend doesn't see them that way," I explain as she eyes me oddly while trying to follow my explanation. "What should my friend do?" I wondered as I raised an eyebrow at her.
I could see Tasha trying to think of an answer to my question. She smiled at me. "Well, just go with your instincts. If this person likes your friend back, it's meant to be. If not, then you will know, " Tasha explained as she rubbed the side of my arm.
Raising an eyebrow at Tasha, I frown and think, "But how will they know?" I wondered as I sighed while placing my head in my hand.
Tasha raises an eyebrow and smiles at me, "Is this about Chase?" Tasha questioned as I sat up and looked at her in confusion, "Bree told me about what happened in school. If you like Chase, then that's okay – " Tasha began as she tried as I stopped her.
Groaning, I sigh, "First of all, Chase and I do not like each other like that; I can't believe Bree would even tell you that!" I groan as I shake my head; I see Tasha's smile fade. "Secondly, it was just a rumor; people have nothing better to do than start rumors. Chase is just a friend, that's it." I finish as sweetly as I can.
Nodding, Tasha smiles, "Very well, I'll make sure Bree knows that…" Tasha says as she returns to making the spaghetti she is cooking for dinner.
The rest of the night went by, and I made a mental note to talk to Bree about the whole situation with Chase and me. After all, I wanted everyone to know clearly that we were only friends. I laughed when I turned and saw Leo teaching Chase something called "the refrigerator dance" and shook my head when I saw the awful moves they were doing. Of course, I knew what Leo was up to, but I didn't say anything because I wanted to see how this all played out…
…
Finally, the weekend came, and it was time for the school dance! The school gym was decorated with balloons, streamers, and fancy silver stars hung from the ceiling. Chase and I were standing off to the corner, chatting about everything. Of course, Chase brought up my crush on Leo and encouraged me to ask him to dance, but I only shook my head; Chase was kind enough to drop it after that. Afterward, Chase went with Danielle to dance with her, and I shook my head at the two.
Bree then came up and joined me; we started talking about boys. As we talked, someone came up behind me and said, "Hey guys!" The voice suddenly exclaimed, causing me to jump. I turned and frowned when I saw Leo there laughing his head off.
"Not cool, Dooley!" I exclaimed as I glared at him, trying to pick my pride up.
Leo rolls his eyes at me. "Now you know how it feels, " he starts, causing me to sigh.
"Whatever," I mutter as I shake my head.
"Anyway….Have you guys seen Chase?" Leo wondered as he raised an eyebrow.
I nodded, "He's dancing with Danielle." I snickered, seeing Leo frown, "The girl he stole from you."
"Yes, thank you for the reminder, Maria." Leo snaps as he crosses his arms while glaring at me.
I hear Bree laugh to herself at our exchange, and I ask, "Why do you need Chase?"
Leo shrugs as if trying to change the subject. "No reason…" I watch Leo turn to where Chase and Danielle are dancing, and in a way, I feel terrible for Leo.
This was my chance, now or never, right? "Hey Leo…" I began trying to work up the courage.
Leo hushes me, "Not now, Maria; I'm trying to plot revenge on Chase…" Leo explains as he walks away.
I frowned and shook my head. I never understood Leo sometimes, but he was a good friend when it came down to it. Looking around, I was starting to feel bored, but I laughed when Chase started doing the "refrigerator dance" to try and impress Danielle. But quickly, Chase learned he was embarrassing himself and stormed over to me; he was so mad I could imagine steam coming out of his ears. I laughed when he approached me but stopped when he glared at me.
"Leo did this to me on purpose, didn't he!?" Chase questioned with annoyance.
Shrugging, I sigh, "You kind of deserve it…" I muttered, making him eye me in surprise. What? You did steal Danielle from Leo and Adam," I reminded him while pointing at him to make a point.
"Maria has a point, but that was the most hilarious thing I've ever seen; it brought me so much joy!" Adam says, coming to us with a bowl of corn chips he stole from the snack table.
Adam and I laugh once more, and then Chase and I watch as Adam sets his bowl of chips down and dusts himself off. He approaches Danielle, and I shake my head; poor girl. "Now, how about I show you how a real hero dances?" Adam says as he holds his hand out; surprisingly, Danielle takes it.
I laughed even harder when I watched Adam spin Danielle around a little before he threw her up in the air. Everyone stopped to watch what was happening, and ignoring Danielle's screams was hard. Adam looks over at us in his frozen pose, "Wow, talk about lightweight…oh, here she comes!" Adam exclaimed and then managed to catch her perfectly fine, but I could see how terrified Danielle was.
Danielle then storms away from Adam, who tries to chase her down. I could tell Chase was about to open his mouth to speak to me when the gym's double doors busted open. A fancy-dressed Leo came in with backup dancers behind him. Seeing how Leo was dressed and how confident he felt in himself, I couldn't help but blush. If only he were doing this for me, I knew he wasn't.
"Cue it up, G!" Leo called the DJ, who did as he called out.
Suddenly, music started playing, and Leo and his backup dancers started busting out moves. The whole gym watched now, and people were clapping at the music. I had to admit that although Leo could have been more athletic, he had good dance moves. I wasn't saying that because I liked him and he was my best friend; I meant it. I nodded my head to the rhythm but was surprised when Leo came over, grabbed my hand, and pulled me into dancing with him. The two of us started doing the tango while the backup dancers braked danced; it was pretty cool. Once the music stopped, Leo and I both ended up in cool poses.
"All right, everyone; give up for Maria, Aunt Janice, and her book club!" Leo called out as he pointed to each of us, and the whole gym applauded.
Danielle came rushing over and pushed me aside, and I glared at her as she did. "Wow, that was awesome!" Danielle exclaimed with excitement, clearly impressed.
"Just something for the kids," Leo stated, trying to be remarkable.
"Shall we?" Danielle asked as she held her hand out to him.
The two walked away hand in hand, and I stood there with a frown, honestly feeling heartbroken. The dance with Leo was fun. I had thought he wanted to dance with me, but of course, I knew it had been only to impress Danielle. Someone must've felt my sadness because the next thing I knew, someone's hand was on my shoulder in a comforting way. I looked back to see Chase there with a look of pity on his face, and I smiled softly at him.
"Come on, let's go get some punch," Chase suggested, and I nodded in agreement.
We walked off and went to the snack table, where Adam was stealing another bowl of snacks. The three of us sat on a bench on the side of the gym, feeling like losers, while everyone else slowed and danced. I laughed a little when I saw Chase try to get some snacks from Adam's bowl, only to have Adam slap his hand away. I sighed and kept my eyes on the floor so I wouldn't see Leo dancing with Danielle. I only looked up when a shadow came over us.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Leo questioned. I scoffed at him while Chase and Adam glared at him.
"You already won, Leo. You don't have to rub it in our faces," Chase muttered as he shook his head. "Plus, you used Maria, which wasn't cool," Chase added but quickly went quiet when I eyed him.
Leo frowns, "I know, and I wanted to apologize. Maria, I shouldn't have used you like that, and I'm sorry; you are my best friend." Leo explained, trying to apologize before he looked at Adam and Chase…" – And I'd never do something like this to my friends, but you guys aren't my friends…"
Adam cut him off with a scoff, "No offense, Leo, but this is the worst apology ever!" Adam exclaimed, and I couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"I'm saying you're not my friends because you're my brothers, and Maria is like a sister to me. I was wrong about what I did and shouldn't have treated my family like this. Can you forgive me?" Leo questioned him as he looked at us with hope. I felt touched that I was a part of his family, theoretically, but it was still lovely.
Chase sighs, "Honestly, we've all been kind of jerks." Chase admitted to which Adam agreed; I nodded as well, even though I was stubborn about the situation. "We should all be apologizing, right guys?" Chase wondered as he looked at me and Adam.
"Right." Adam agreed as he smiled softly.
"Yeah, I'm sorry for acting like a jerk instead of supporting your crush on Danielle." I apologize as I stand.
Leo hugs me, and I hug him back. Everything is right away. After our hug, Leo looks at all of us. " Let's promise never to let another girl or boy, "Leo adds while looking at me before he continues, " Come between us again. Deal?" Leo asks as he gestures to the four of us.
"Deal!" Adam, Chase and I all said in agreement.
A few minutes later, Leo cleared the dance floor for us. Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo, and I were in the center of the dance floor with the rest of the school. "Cue it up, G!" Leo called as he wore his sunglasses. The music started, and the five of us started to bust our moves out. Honestly, this was the best part of this night and was a blast.
Sure, the whole dance didn't go as planned, and sometimes it was funny watching the guys fight over a girl, but this was why I came alone. After all, Leo still had no idea I had a crush on him (which I intended to keep that way), and just dancing with your friends/second family was sometimes better than going dancing with someone anyway. Yup, all in all, tonight hadn't been a total bust.
So, when the time came to end, I got a ride home from Tasha who came and picked the kids up. I thanked Tasha for the ride and went in to tell my parents about the school dance. Of course, I left the part about my crush on Leo out; so far, Chase was the only one who knew, and I intended also to keep it that way. After dinner, I finished my homework and prepared for bed. I couldn't help but smile as I wrote about today in my journal, another adventure with the Lab Rats, and yes, that was what I was calling Adam, Bree, and Chase, the lab rats, in my journal. I closed my journal, turned my light off, and went to sleep with the dance still fresh in my mind. I couldn't help but wonder what Leo and the lab rats would bring tomorrow…