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ELEVEN!
let's go clubbing
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Most of the Mech X4 team excluding Mark, were sitting in the lab and watching Harris fiddle with his project for the Harper Grant science fair. Harris has been going on and on for weeks about the Harper Grant as the grand prize was the winner gets to be a personal apprentice for Seth Harper. Harris's dream was to work for Seth Harper and winning this competition could ensure that. Ryan was kind of annoyed with Harris as the boy kept spending all of his time on perfecting his project, instead of trying to search for Leo with Natalie.
"So, instead of figuring out how to get to Leo, you've been working on a science fair project?" Ryan asked in annoyance.
"First, it's the final selection for the Harper Grant, not a science fair. Respect the game and I'm doing both at the same time." Harris explained. Ryan just nodded as he trusted the boy. Harris then led everyone over to his project.
"Check this out! The power amplifier I created, it can manipulate any kind of power source from any distance." Harris explained.
"Increase." Harris said, turning a switch on his project. The lights in the room became super bright. "Decrease. Whatever you want! So, I win the Grant using this bad boy, use Harper's tech to miniature all this into a wristband, patent, make it rain and I marry Selena Gomez." Harris exclaimed happily.
"And when do we find Leo?" Ryan asked impatiently about Harris's plan.
"Using everything I'd have at my disposal at Harper Futuristics, five minutes after I walk in there." Harris explained.
"Yeah but first, I gotta find tech to give Mech X4 a submarine mode." Mark said as he entered the room. Spyder quickly handed him a wrench.
"Oh, yeah, I also designed a sub mode. All these parts will be at Mech X3." Harris said and handed a booklet to Mark.
"Which is where I'll be if you need me and uh, good luck at your nerd off." Mark said before leaving.
"It's not a competition! Even if it was, all I need to do is be the biggest brain in the room." Harris said.
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It was finally the day of the Harper Grant finals at school and the entire Bay City High gym was set up to be able to host the event. The Mech X4 team, excluding Mark, when to the event to support Harris during the nerve racking project evaluations. The five were gathered around the project table and Harris had to keep hitting away Spyder's hands to ensure that the boy didn't mess up the display.
"What's up with Harris?" Hana asked Natalie in a hushed tone. Natalie just gave her a look before Hana turned the girl to face in Harris's direction. Instead of focusing on his project, Harris was staring at this girl in the distance. She didn't look like your typical nerd but both girls could admit that she was good looking.
"Looks like he might have a crush." Natalie smirked.
"Yeah and she's good looking too." Hana added.
"Yeah, I wonder what the other boys think." Natalie said, out of curiosity.
"Why don't you ask, idiot." Hana said, referring to Spyder as idiot.
"Hey, Spyder. What do you think about that girl over there?" Natalie asked the boy.
"She seems nice." Spyder shrugged.
"Do you think she's pretty?" Natalie asked.
"Well, she's not as pretty as you." Spyder complimented slyly. Natalie just blushed intensely at his comment and Hana facepalmed in annoyance.
"Never mind, forget we asked." Hana said and pushed the boy away. The girl in question, turned and immediately noticed Harris and the girls staring directly at her.
"Shoot! She's coming over here, act natural." Hana said at the sight of the girl walking over to them. Natalie quickly slid over and placed her arm around Spyder's shoulder.
"Spyder, did I ever tell you that you look really cute in that hat of yours?" Natalie asked with a blush.
"Really?!" Spyder exclaimed happily.
"I said, act natural, not flirt with Spyder." Hana pointed out in annoyance.
"Well, how is the second smartest kid in Bay City doing?" The girl asked, approaching Harris.
"Totally a competition." Ryan pointed out to the Mech X4 group.
"Second smartest? I'd say last year's chess championship says otherwise, Veracity." Harris said with a smirk. The mysterious girl had a name and it was Veracity.
"Yeah but I won the year before, so technically we're tied, hair bear." Veracity shot back, using a stupid nickname to annoy the boy.
"Aww, they have cute nicknames for each other." Hana said happily and Harris glared at her.
"Well, Mark was right, it's a nerd off. Run! Run! Run!" Spyder exclaimed before he took of running. Everyone watched the boy with a weird look. Ryan just sent a reassuring smile to Harris before going after the delinquent boy.
Veracity turned her attention to the girls, who were eyeing her intensely. "I'm surprised that you have friends who are girls because look at you." Veracity pointed out.
"Ha! Ha! Very funny, Veracity. You were always very good at jokes." Harris said in annoyance.
"I think it's even funnier that you're friends with a girl who could basically snap you in half." Veracity said, referring to Hana. The girl just blushed.
"I've never been complimented in that way before. Thank you for that. I'm Hana." Hana introduced.
"Veracity." Veracity introduced back.
"I have a feeling that we're gonna become good friends. Now, tell me about your project thats gonna destroy nerdo in the science fair." Hana said and Veracity led the girl back over to her project.
"Hana! I thought you were suppose to be my friend! Not friends with the enemy!" Harris exclaimed at losing his girl best friend to his frenemy.
"I do what I want!" Hana shouted back.
"She's gone, Harris. I'm so sorry." Natalie patted his shoulder in a comfortable way. Harris just watched the pair in disbelief.
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"Day one at the Harper Grant Regionals concludes at five o'clock. Semi Finalists will be notified via text if they move on to tomorrow's finals." A voice over the intercom announced.
The science fair had gone on all day, so Harris had been stuck in the gym. Natalie and Hana stayed to entertain the boy as he anxiously waited for the results. Spyder and Ryan had accidentally gotten themselves involved in a Mech X4 fan club that had been set up at the school. Hana and. Natalie went to check the club out and basically just stole as much food as they could fit in their pockets before bolting out of the place.
Right now, the three teens were in the process of spying on Veracity, who was Harris's biggest competition. The girls were also there to see if Harris did have a crush on his opponent.
"That's....that's pretty amazing." Harris complimented at the sight of her project. Veracity explained it as a black hole in a box.
"Don't." Veracity demanded.
"Don't, what?" Harris asked in confusion.
"How long have we been doing this? Since pre-school? My brain is fast and furious and you know that I can deal with the outcome of any situation." Veracity said.
"So, how does this play out?" Harris asked.
"Simple, we compete, I win." Veracity shrugged.
"And?" Harris questioned.
"And the end. The credits are rolling and there is no bonus scene for the next movie, so finish your nut cluster and go home." Veracity threatened.
"Well, I'm gonna bust some predictions on you....." Harris started to say but was quickly cut off by the gym doors being loudly shoved up. The teens all turned to see that the varsity team, also known as Mark's best friends, had entered the gym.
"What are you geeks doing here? This is varsity territory." Dane announced.
"Not today and tomorrow, thanks to a generous donation from the Harper Futuristics Foundation." Harris reminded.
"Nobody warned us there was gonna be a nerd room in our gym." Dane mocked.
"Look, jockstrap. Let me tell you how this is all gonna work out. You leave." Veracity said.
"Time passes." Harris added.
"And in ten years, when I order a chai soy latte and you bring me a half-calf flat white..." Veracity said.
"You get the order wrong." Harris said.
"I report you to the manager, probably this guy." Veracity taunted.
"Unnecessary!" Harris exclaimed.
"And he fires you. Oh, no Christmas presents under the tree for jockstrap junior." Veracity said.
"But....I..I will so...provide for my family. Come on, let's find some other kids to pick on." Dane huffed before stomping out of the gym in frustration. The rest of his jock friends followed after him.
"Man, we destroyed him." Harris said happily and held his fist up for a fist bump.
"We're in a frat now?" Veracity questioned.
"No." Harris denied and put his hand down awkwardly. He never usually got turned down like that as his best friends always returned it.
"I've never see Dane react in that way before and I have been making fun of his intelligence since the first day. I'm impressed by your mockery. You need to teach me. Veracity, you and I need to hangout more." Hana suggested slyly. Natalie instantly picked up that Hana was slightly flirting. She sent her best friend a look and Hana glared at her.
"Alright, would you like to get a chai soy latte after the competition?" Veracity asked.
"I though you would never ask." Hana agreed and the two girls then walked away together.
"How does this keep happening?" Harris asked in confusion at the sight.
"I don't know but you know Hana, she likes to make friends with everyone's enemies. Alright, how about we go check out the rest of the projects and you make fun of them?" Natalie suggested. Harris nodded and led the girl to the next project near them.
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"Stay a member of the club?" Spyder asked as he threw himself down on the couch. Hana and Natalie followed, so Spyder instantly moved over to make room for the girls. Ryan just scoffed.
"I'm already a member of a club." Ryan scoffed before Harris nervously walked over to them.
"They're about to announce the winner of the Harper Grant. I can't open it, you open it." Harris demanded. Ryan used his power to open the email.
"Oh, man, I'm sorry." Ryan apologized and the other teens ears perked up as they were expecting the worse for the boy.
"I lost?" Harris asked in disappointment.
"No, you won but so did I." Veracity smirked as she made her way over to Harris. She then put her arm around his shoulder and gave him a tight smile.
"Seriously?" Harris asked in annoyance.
"Yep, we both won for helping to save Bay City High from your garbage science. Catch you around the lab, sparky." Veracity said and patted Harris's cheek.
"Ahh, just kiss already." Spyder groaned.
"Inappropriate." Harris pointed out.
"Weak." Veracity said with rolled eyes before walking away from the Mech X4 team.
"Sorry." Spyder rolled his eyes sarcastically.
"Hey, Natty would love to kiss you, so why don't you go put on that cherry lip balm that you were telling me about. Natty hates chapped lips." Hana smirked to Spyder, who jumped off of the couch.
"Don't worry, Nat. I will be back with the softest lips for you to kiss." Spyder said before leaving.
"Are you going to keep annoying me until I tell him?" Natalie asked in annoyance, whisper to the girl beside her.
"Yes, I'm going to keep annoying you until you burst like a water balloon." Hana smiled evilly and Natalie just groaned in response.
"Good thing is once I get to Harper's, I know I can get everything we need to find Leo." Harris said.
"Cool, who do I keep on thinking we forgot something?" Ryan asked and they all just shrugged. They had all clearly forgotten that Mark's best friend was still locked in the closet.
★ 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐃 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 ! spyder johnson ★
(© 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝘆𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱)