When Harper was dropped off at school by her sister, she met up with Adam, Bree and Chase. They walked to school sluggishly, barely lifting their feet.

Harper furrowed her eyes at their tired appearance. "Are you guys, okay?"

Bree sighed. "No. Our new neighbor kept us up last night by driving his car through our front lawn."

"Have you tried telling him to stay off your property?" Harper suggested.

"Yeah, but that doesn't stop him from racing up and down our street." Chase replied.

"And not to mention, we woke up to see Mr. Davenport in his cheetah pajamas." Adam added.

"Cheetah pajamas?" Harper questioned. He nodded, and was about to answer, but she cut him off. "Never mind. I don't want to put that image in my head."

The four teens passed the lines of students waiting for locker reassignments.

Chase spotted Leo at the front of the line. "Leo, how'd you get to be first in line for locker reassignments?"

"Oh. Since I couldn't get any sleep, I've been here since dawn." Leo explained.

Harper pursed her lips. "You didn't get your eight hours of beauty sleep?"

Leo had discovered in freshman year that he needed at least eight hours of 'beauty sleep' and ten hours if he wanted the 'Leo Glow'.

"Try three. FYI, you do not want to see the lunch ladies without makeup." Leo said.

"Wait. They wear makeup?" Bree questioned in shock.

"But since I'm first in line, I'll finally get the corner locker." He added.

"Wait a second. I thought this was the line for lice check." Adam said before clicking his tongue in disappointment and walked away.

Leo eyed the locker next to Perry's office. "There she is: Locker 106. Away from the traffic, near the cheerleaders, and I can see Principal Perry before anyone else- and a two second head start can save a life."

"Mhmm." Bree and Chase said in unison.

The two of them took off to the cafeteria for breakfast while Harper stayed behind with Leo.

"Listen up, weasels!" Perry shouted when she exited her office. "It's locker reassignment day. Why, you ask? A little trick I learned from my days as a prison guard." She then hit the sign-up table with every word. "Never let the perps get comfy!!! Also, drag your hands through potatoes to check for weapons. Enjoy your lunch." She licked her fingers. "All right, Dooley, what locker do you want?"

"The corner one." Leo replied.

"Already taken!" She exclaimed.

Leo's eyes widened. "What? By who?"

"By me." A boy in a baby blue sweater responded, turning around and pointing his finger. "Clayton Harrington."

"Well, Clayton Harrington..." Leo began, mimicking him. "I know you're new here, but I was first in line."

"Oh, I know. That's why I offered Principal Perry an all-expense-paid trip to go wherever she wants." Clayton responded.

Principal Perry grinned. "Staten Island cat show, here I come! Rroww!"

"But that's not fair, Leo was first in line." Harper pointed out.

"Yeah, I was first in line." Leo affirmed.

"I know. Isn't justice infuriating?" Perry questioned with a smile before she walked away.

Leo turned to face Clayton. "Why do you care so much about getting the corner locker?

"Oh, I don't." Clayton replied simply. "But I hate lines, and Harrington's don't wait. We let our money do the talking. And right now, it's saying...." He grabbed a dollar bill from his pocket and mimicked a high-pitched voice. "'You don't have as much as I do'."

Harper shot Clayton a look as he laughed and left her and Leo in the hallway.

Perry walked over to Leo and Harper. "Well, Dooley and Wilson, there are no more lockers left."

"But I didn't even get in line yet." Harper protested.

"Sucks to be you. So, here's a key to the boiler room. Just remember to knock first. My relatives stay there when they're in town." Perry said, handing them flashlights.

••••

After school, Mr. Davenport invited Pierce over to discuss the issue of him driving in Davenport's driveway late at night.

Harper was unsure how things would unfold, but she suspected that money might be involved in resolving the situation. From what she could gather, their neighbors weren't very kind after hearing they splashed Mr. Davenport with mud last night.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Okay, that's Pierce. Now watch as I handle this like an adult." Mr. Davenport said as he walked to the front door.

"Okay, but what do you want us to do when you start crying?" Harper asked.

Mr. Davenport dismissed her remark and opened the door to reveal Clayton on the other side.

"Clayton?" Leo questioned, rising from his spot on the couch. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking good and smelling great." Clayton replied smugly, stepping inside. "Oh, my dad came to talk to your dad."

"Wait. Pierce is your dad?" Chase asked.

"Hmm."

"Make sense: Rich jerk, rich jerk's son." Adam remarked. He leaned towards Clayton and sniffed. "Oh. He does smell good."

Clayton held his coat on his pointer finger. "Hello? Isn't anyone going to take my coat?"

"Heck yeah, I'll take it!" Adam said eagerly, taking the item and slipped on Clayton's coat but accidentally tearing it with his strength. Clayton's face turned pale at the sound of the tear. "It's got a lot of give."

Clayton chased after Adam to retrieve his clothes.

Pierce walked into the living room, tossing his car keys to Chase. "Two coats light wax, and shampoo the carpets. And don't touch the radio - I'm an easy listener."

"I'm not washing your car." Chase said, handing Pierce his keys back.

"Me neither. But may I take your coat?" Adam offered. Harper glanced back at him; he had his arms behind his back still wearing Clayton's coat.

"Can we move this along? I got gold in the A.M., and I like to show up early to scream during other people's swings." Pierce insisted, letting out a loud scream to demonstrate. "Drive 'em crazy."

"Look, I'll get right to the point. You have been driving your car across my lawn at night, and it needs to stop." Mr. Davenport addressed.

"Not gonna happen. But I will pay you to stop talking. What's your price?" Pierce asked, pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket.

Mr. Davenport chuckled. "Are you trying to pay me off? I'm a billionaire."

Pierce grimaced. "Wow. Just a billionaire. Must be rough. Well, if you ever need a loan, you know where I live. It's the castle at the top of the hill that casts a shadow over your entire existence."

"Well, please. You do not have more money than I do." Mr. Davenport challenged.

Pierce pulled out his phone. "That's my net worth." He informed. Mr. Davenport scoffed, unimpressed. "Well, not all the zeros fit in one screen."

Pierce held his phone horizontally and swiped his finger across the screen, causing Mr. Davenport to gulp nervously.

"Whoa." Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo and Harper said. Pierce continued sliding his finger across the screen. "Woah! Woah!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, I see one zero that's not on that screen. Ha! Take that!" Mr. Davenport retorted, trying to sound confident.

"Someone's about to start crying." Bree sang.

"Look, okay. Enough is enough. What is it gonna take for you to stop driving on my lawn?" Mr. Davenport asked.

"I can't think of a thing. Good night." Pierce replied, heading towards the front door.

"No. No!" Mr. Davenport insisted, stopping Pierce. "You are not leaving until we resolve this."

"Fine. How about a contest? We can settle this on the race track. My stock car against yours. You do own a stock car, don't you?" Pierce proposed.

Mr. Davenport let out a forced laugh. "Of course... I own a stock car. And when I win, you stop driving your car on my lawn."

"Oh, no, no, no." Pierce disagreed. "I think we should play for much bigger stakes- like the deeds to each other's houses. The winner stays the loser... goes."

"Deal!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed quickly.

Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo and Harper exchanged nervous glances at the risky deal.

"See you on the track. Or later tonight when I tear up the rest of your lawn." Pierce quipped as he and Clayton exited the mansion.

Bree stepped forward. "Mr. Davenport, are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, if you don't win, we'll lose our house." Leo chimed in.

"And the lab too." Harper added.

"Guys, I got this." Mr. Davenport reassured them. "Don't worry about it. I just have one question, though. What exactly is a stock car?"

Harper sighed. "Nice knowing you guys."

••••

Harper never imagined she would attend a NASCAR race and be just a few feet from the track. Yet, here she was, inspecting Mr. Davenport's stock car.

Leo smiled as he observed the car. "Sweet ride, Big D. For a second there I forgot you weren't cool."

"Yeah, a guy with a huge ego and a sport where they put your name and face on everything. It's a perfect match." Bree sarcastically remarked.

"Are you sure you're gonna be able to beat Pierce?" Chase questioned. "I mean, you have no stock car experience, not to mention you get car sick going to the store."

"Please. Look at this track." Mr. Davenport said, gesturing to the track in front of them. He then pointed at Adam. "Even Adam can drive in a circle."

"But this is an oval, and those terrify me." Adam fretted.

"Driving in a circle gets exponentially harder at two-hundred miles per hour." Harper pointed out.

"Plus, no bathroom breaks." Adam added, reaching for a bucket behind him. "You're gonna need this."

"Guys, don't worry about this." Mr. Davenport reassured as he approached his car. "I have spent hundreds of hours training in a stock car simulator, I hired the best pit crew in town... I got this."

Harper looked over and saw Pierce and Clayton sauntering over to Mr. Davenport's pit stop.

Pierce smirked. "Well, Davenport, we just wanted to wish you luck."

"You'll need it against our driver." Clayton chimed in.

"Driver?" Mr. Davenport questioned in confusion.

Pierce nodded. "Yeah. I said we'd race; I never said I'd be the one driving. Joey!"

Joey crawled out of his stock car window and waved at all of them.

Mr. Davenport scoffed. "That's your driver? When does he get his learner's permit?"

"Uh-oh. I've seen that guy before." Chase said nervously. He touched the side of his temple to research Joey. "That's Joey Logano. He's been racing since he was six! He's the youngest NASCAR driver to win on the pro circuit... ever."

"Also in 1997, when he was seven, he won his first Eastern Grand National Championship in the Jr. Stock Car Division." Harper added.

Mr. Davenport paused, processing the information. "Oh."

"We're gonna need a bigger bucket." Adam said, handing it to Mr. Davenport.

Mr. Davenport nervously nodded, clutching the bucket and waddled away from the group with a queasy feeling.

Harper tried to find a way to think optimistically about Mr. Davenport racing against the one and only Joey Logano. Mr. Davenport can win this, right?

Meanwhile, Adam picked up a container beside him and shouted 'hello!' into it.

"Really?" Chase asked, grabbing the container from Adam and setting it down.

"I can't believe Big D has to race against Joey Logano." Leo said.

"Guys, I can win this. You forget; I hired the best pit crew in town." Mr. Davenport reminded before pointing to the man fixing his tires. "Right... pit guy number one?"

Chase smiled sarcastically. "Yeah. Nothing motivates a team like a boss that doesn't know your name."

"Whatever. Look, I'm ready. Bring on the checkered flag." Mr. Davenport insisted.

"Morning, grease monkeys." Principal Perry greeted, wearing a checkered outfit.

"I take that back."

"Principal Perry? What are you doing here?" Harper asked.

"Workin. I moonlight as an announcer-slash-flag waver-slash-hot rod calendar girl." Perry replied striking a pose. Mr. Davenport quickly covered his eyes with his hands. "No one sells lug nuts like me!"

Bree cleared her throat and stepped forward. "Principal Perry, don't all of these side jobs you have take away your focus from being a school principal?"

"Oh ho! Absolutely!" Perry exclaimed with a wide smile before approaching Mr. Davenport and Joey Logano. "Now let's go over some rules. Hey, Logano. Rich guy. Get your sassy chassis over here and let's talk some track. In each of my precious paws is the deed to your house, which makes your bet a square deal. It's two hundred laps around, whoever crosses the finish line first wins."

Joey reached out and shook Mr. Davenport's hand. "Well, good luck out there."

"Thanks." Perry said, stepping closer to Joey. "I'll do my best."

••••

Mr. Davenport and Joey were lined up in their stock cars at the starting line. Perry stood between them, holding a green flag on her shoulder.

Chase and Leo were the only ones with headsets to communicate with Mr. Davenport. They shared one side of the headset so Adam, Bree and Harper were able to hear him.

Perry waved her flag in a criss-cross pattern, and Joey took off instantly.

"Hands at ten and two, check. Mirrors adjusted, check. Oh, he's gone already." Mr. Davenport noted. Harper sighed and lowered her head. "This is very different from my simulator."

"Go!" The five teenagers yelled.

Without hesitation, Mr. Davenport quickly accelerated as he hit the gas pedal, and his car sped off.

Mr. Davenport started the race at a fast pace but gradually slowed down. He wasn't far behind Joey initially, but as the race progressed, Mr. Davenport fell behind. Harper estimated that he was twenty-eight laps behind.

"You're doing great, Mr. Davenport." Chase said as he looked through the binoculars.

"Really?" Mr. Davenport asked, surprised.

"No. You're twenty-eight laps behind." Chase informed.

Bree sighed. "Please tell him he doesn't have to wave every time he passes us."

Just as she spoke, Mr. Davenport passed them again, sending a wave.

Clayton approached the group, crossing his arms. "So, where are you guys thinking about moving?"

"Well, my gut says Cleveland, but I'm an Indiana man at heart." Adam replied.

"We're not gonna lose, Clayton." Leo stated confidently.

Clayton scoffed and patted Leo's shoulder. "Keep telling yourself that, junior."

"I'm the same age as you."

"Your wallet's not."

Harper furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "That doesn't make any sense."

"My wallet makes sense. It talks to me all the time, and right now it's saying..." Clayton began, playfully mimicking his wallet in a high-pitched voice. "'Can I have Leo's bedroom'?" He chuckled and patted his wallet. "Yes, you can!"

Clayton turned around, cooing his wallet and giving it a kiss as he walked away.

"Oh, yeah? Well, just for the record, your wallet and money have the same voice!" Leo shot back

Mr. Davenport then pulled to their pit stop. The five teens jumped over the barrier to Mr. Davenport's window as the pit crew sprang into action.

"I can't believe I'm losing so badly." Mr. Davenport said.

"You do know that stepping on the gas pedal makes it go faster, right?" Bree remarked.

Mr. Davenport rolled his eyes. "There must be something wrong with the car."

Adam crouched down by the window. "Okay, let's be smart about this and eliminate variables. First of all, are we sure the car is not in reverse?"

Chase rolled his eyes and pushed Adam aside. "Wait. It's been almost a minute. Shouldn't your pit crew be done by now?"

"Yeah, and where's your crew chief?" Bree asked.

Harper glimpsed behind her and located the chief talking with Pierce.

"Um, I found him." She informed, poking Chase's arm.

"What is he doing down there?" Chase wondered. He tucked the small wisps of his hair behind his ear, activating his bionic hearing. He whipped around and crouched next to Mr. Davenport's window. "Pierce is cheating. He paid your pit crew to sabotage your car."

"I knew it." Mr. Davenport grumbled. He unbuckled his seat belt and crawled out of the window. "You guys are fired. Get out of here, Ken! Ken, that was it!" The pit crew rolled their eyes and walked away from the tireless car. "Probably shoulda waited until they put those back on."

Harper nodded. "Most definitely."

"Wait." Chase called, gaining everyone's attention. "Mr. Davenport, what if we replaced your pit crew with a bionic pit crew?"

"Or we could start rooting for Joey Logano." Adam suggested, earning looks from the group. "Hey, just throwing out options."

"Hold on. Isn't using bionics technically cheating?" Leo asked.

"Look, they cheated first. Technically, I'm just leveling the playing field." Mr. Davenport explained.

"Okay. I'll tap into the car's central computer and optimize it for peak performance." Chase informed before pointing at Bree. "You use your super-speed to change these tires and to gas it up. And Adam-"

"Can do this." Adam said, lifting the car. "Pretty cool, huh?" His hands began to burn from the hot front. "Ow! Hot Radiator!" He pulled back his hand, blew on it, and switched hands. "Hot Radiator!"

Bree swiftly put the tires back on and refueled the car using her super speed. Chase accessed the car's computer to help Mr. Davenport get back on track.

After a quick wardrobe change from their everyday clothing to black and red pit crew jumpsuits, the five teenagers were ready to work.

Mr. Davenport's speed increased every time he zoomed by in his car, causing a loud blare in Harper's ears.

"With fifty laps to go, Logano's lead is shrinking! Davenport is actually catching up!" Perry's voice boomed through the stadium's intercom. "And don't forget, your lug nut calendars are available at the concession stand. Keep an eye out for April, I'm wearin tires!"

The five teens grimaced and groaned at the image implanted in their heads.

Harper leaned on the red barrier to get a closer look at the cars on the other side of the track. Mr. Davenport was right behind Joey, closing in on him with each passing second.

Mr. Davenport then pulled up to the pit stop.

Leo nodded. "Okay, we need to change the tire in under ten seconds, or-"

Before he could finish, Bree used her super speed to change the tires. "Done."

Mr. Davenport waved at them and his tires screeched as he sped off. The gust of wind from his state of speed caused Leo's hat to fly away and push him back.

Mr. Davenport closed in on Joey on the same lap, but Joey maintained a slight lead by a foot.

"This is incredible. Davenport has evened it up! I'm almost beginning to care who wins!" Perry exclaimed over the intercom.

Then all of a sudden, Joey Logano approached Mr. Davenport's pit stop with his helmet in hand, making the five teenagers stare at him dumbfounded.

"So, it looks like my afternoon just freed up. You guys need any help?" Joey offered.

"Uh...." They replied simultaneously, frozen in place.

"Please say yes. I want to hide from that flag lady." Joey pleaded

"Yoo-hoo!" Perry called from her stand. "Hey, Joey! Wanna go halfsies on a hoagie?"

While Perry ate her sandwich, Joey made a face of disgust and quickly hid behind the barrier.

"Yeah, hiding will only work for a few minutes. She will find you." Harper told Joey.

Joey grimaced before tossing his head back. Chase handed Joey his headset, and he stood back up, finding a spot between the five teens. Pierce was now driving his stock car against Mr. Davenport.

"Two laps to go in the rich jerk five hundred. Davenport and Pierce are neck and neck." Perry announced. "It's anybody's race. And I think we're all wondering the same question: is there a Mrs. Logano?"

Joey glanced at his give friends with a 'are you serious' look. He quickly refocused on the tracks.

"Davenport, you're doing great." Joey said over the headset. "Just please stop saying 'vroom vroom' every time you make a turn."

Harper chuckled, but her jaw dropped as Mr. Davenport's car swerved side to side on the track, its tires screeching. A wave of anxiety washed over her.

"Uh..." She trailed off.

"You do know it pops back on, right?" Joey reassured.

Harper felt relieved as Mr. Davenport regained control of the car.

"What is Mr. Davenport doing? Why is he slowing down?" Chase asked.

"He's gonna lose!" Bree exclaimed.

"No. He's obviously giving up. It's the honorable thing to do." Adam said.

"No, he's just drafting." Joey explained.

Confused about what he meant; Harper focused back on Mr. Davenport on the track. He slowed down, hiding behind Pierce's car, then sped up next to Pierce and increased his speed.

Harper leaned forward as Mr. Davenport approached the finish line.

Perry waved her checkered flag. "And Davenport crosses the finish line!"

Harper jumped up, raising her hands in the air, and engulfed Chase in a hug. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist tightly.

It was as if the world stopped still on its axis. There was no time, no wind, no noise.

Just them.

When the two pulled apart, they continued to stare at each other. Chase instantly noticed how the soft glow of the sunlight made her eyes look like emeralds sparking. He quickly caught himself for staring too long so he cleared his throat.

Harper could hear her heart pounding in her ears, beating a million times per second. She felt like her heart was about to explode out of her chest.

"Great job, guys." Joey complimented as he took off his headset, bringing Harper and Chase back to reality. "Now, it's time for the real race, getting away from that flag lady."

"You forgot your calendars!!" Perry shouted as she ran towards him.

Joey left his headset on the barrier and quickly ran away from the scene.

Mr. Davenport parked at the pit stop and unbuckled his seatbelt. Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo and Harper clapped and cheered for him, but their cheers turned to groans when he fell crawling out of the window.

When Mr. Davenport stood up, the teenagers continued cheering him on.

Chase grinned. "Man, nice work, Mr. Davenport! You totally showed those guys who's boss."

"Yes.... Yes, I did. But it's important to remember: always win with dignity." Mr. Davenport said before laughing and pointing at Pierce. "Ha! I beat you! I beat you! I beat you! I beat you! Hey, need the number for a moving company? I own one!"

••••

The next day at school, Harper walked in with her backpack slung over her shoulder, a smile playing on her lips. Leo looked on in admiration at the corner locker he had always wanted.

Leo must have said something to catch the passing cheerleader's attention, but he brushed her off.

Adam, Bree, Chase and Harper joined Leo as they made their way together.

"So, how does it feel having the best locker in school?" Bree asked.

"Oh, I'm not the only one with a good locker." Leo replied. "I got primo updates for you four, too. Any locker you want until we graduate."

"No way! I get that locker for six more years?" Adam asked.

Bree looked up at Adam. "Maybe more."

"How did you manage that?" Harper wondered.

"I don't know. Principal Perry is just in a really good mood." Leo explained.

Perry then emerged from her office wearing Joey's racing suit. "Hey, Dooley."

"Where'd you get that?" Leo asked.

"Joey Logano left his racing suit behind and I customized it in all the right places." Perry replied, striking a pose before walking away.

Harper quickly shut her eyes, not wanting to see Perry. She already had the image of Perry and the calendars in her head; she didn't need any more.

"And some of the wrong ones." Chase added.

________________
PUBLISHED: 18.03.23
DEDICATIONS: Peters_suit_lady