To Capture a Heart • Chase Davenport

6| SMART AND SMARTER

"Andrew Lamb has been late three days in a row." The machine announced as Andrew entered the hallway. A security guard escorted him to the principal's office.

Chase pointed to Perry's office. "Straight to the principal's office, Andy."

Harper nodded. "Oh, it was you who set that up."

"He'll thank me later for putting him on the right path." Chase said, smiling.

Adam groaned. "Oh, dude, you're never gonna win with that. Kids want fun stuff like Jacuzzi's in math class and hallways paved with candy. Oh, and I also think biology would be a lot more fun if we juggled the frogs before we dissected them."

"That's frog abuse." Harper said.

"Fine, we'll do it after, but it's gonna be messy." He responded.

••••

During lunch, Adam and Harper waited in line for their school lunch, selecting their meal items and filling their plates.

"Ooh, turkey! Oh, gravy!" Adam exclaimed, pouring gravy onto his plate.

The lunch lady gave him a disapproving look.

"I'm so sorry about him." Harper apologized to the lunch lady before turning to Adam. "Don't you think you have enough food?"

"Harper, you can never have enough food." He responded, stating the obvious.

As Adam moved his tray, some gravy spilled off his plate. At the end of the line, there was a scanner. He slid his plate under the scanner, which lit up red.

"Step away from the gravy!" The scanner demanded in Chase's voice.

"Don't tell me what to do, turkey!" Adam snapped at his plate.

Harper sighed and stood beside him. "Adam, that wasn't the turkey."

"Adam, that's my nutritional scanner, insuring that everyone gets a perfectly balanced nutritious lunch." Chase explained as he approached Adam and Harper.

"Oh, Chase, I don't think your scanner's a very good idea." Adam replied honestly.

"Of course it is!" Chase insisted. "Who doesn't love being told how to eat properly?"

Adam and Harper sat down at their lunch table, with Chase joining them. They watched as the scanner called out students and their eating habits. Harper winced slightly and started eating her lunch, while Chase frowned and glared at the scanner.

"Chase, you're going about this all wrong." Adam groaned. "Let me help! Look, I know how to win you votes."

With that, he stood up and left the cafeteria.

"Do you think he has a plan to win votes?" Chase asked.

Harper shrugged. "Let's give him a chance. He might surprise us."

Suddenly, Adam returned to the cafeteria with a cart equipped with speakers, disco lights, and a microphone.

"Everybody say hello to DJ Jersey Chase!" He announced through the autotuned microphone.

Chase approached his brother, lowering the microphone. "Adam, what is going on?"

"I'm helping you win! Or should I say...." Adam paused before speaking into the microphone again. "I'm helping you win."

"I do not need a cheesy DJ setup."

"I know. That's why I brought you this awesome DJ setup. It's a lunchtime dance party!" Adam declared, jumping off the cart and danced around with a scoop in his hand. "Go, gravy! Go, gravy! Go, gravy! Go, gravy! Go, gravy! Go, gravy! Go, gravy!"