At the Davenport mansion, Harper was lounging on the couch with Adam and Leo as they played a video game. She was enjoying some much needed downtime, indulging in activities she rarely had the chance to do when everyone was occupied.

Harper flipped a page of the book when she heard Tasha calling Mr. Davenport's name to help her to the airport.

"Donald, sweetie, it's time to take me to the airport."

"Yes! No mum for two days!" Leo exclaimed at the thought of his mum being away, thinking he could do whatever he wanted. Tasha gave him a stern look, and Leo quickly understood his mistake. He and Adam stood up, and Harper followed suit. "I mean, would the lady like a hand with her bags?"

"I think what he's trying to say is, it's more fun when you're not here." Adam clarified in a less hurtful way but it came out the same way Leo spoke.

"I'm only letting you two stay home from grandma's because you promised to complete your list of chores." Tasha stated, handing Adam and Leo's lists of tasks to complete.

"Oh, I didn't ask to stay home from grandma's. I find her delicate cabbage scent refreshing." Adam said.

Leo took the list, with Harper peering over his shoulder to check what he had to do.

"You better start on those chores, Leo." She teased, earning a glare from him.

Mr. Davenport came strolling down the stairs with a big black suitcase. "Tasha, why do you need all this luggage? You're only going to your mum's for two days."

"That isn't my suitcase." Tasha told her husband.

"Oh, that's mine." Adam said, chuckling lightly.

The suitcase opened, spilling all of the clothes onto the floor. Harper smelled a pang from her nostrils as a horrid scent came to them, she pinched her nose in disgust.

"Ohh! Adam, that's disgusting. What died?" Harper gagged, plugging her nose from the horrendous smell. She wasn't surprised at all.

"A rat." Adam said sadly, placing a hand over his heart. "But don't worry, I comforted him by wrapping him in my dirty laundry."

Harper glanced up at Adam and started to speak but hesitated, realizing it might be best not to ask.

Leo approached his mother. "Okay, how come Chase and Bree don't have to do anything?"

"They did the chores last time. Now it's your turn, starting with all this laundry." Tasha replied, gesturing towards the pile on the floor.

Mr. Davenport chuckled at the amount of clothes they had to do. "Ha-Ha! Hate to be you guys this weekend."

"And here's your list." Tasha said, giving her husband a small smile as she handed him a yellow piece of paper.

"My list?" Mr. Davenport asked in disbelief. "I'll have you know, I have a list of things I'd like you to do around here." He looked back at his wife when she gave him a pointed look. "Like go shopping, go to the spa, you know, go to the airport. Go to the airports on there."

Harper bit her bottom lip in amusement at how Mr. Davenport would always do anything Tasha said. If she told him to clean, he would. That's how it worked with those two, it was cute what they had.

Mr. Davenport hurried out of the house, while Tasha waved goodbye to all the teenagers. Once they had left, Harper picked up her book and settled back down on the couch.

"Look at this." Leo complained, gesturing to the list of chores. "I've got like twenty things on here."

"I have an idea." Adam began.

"Let me guess. You want to teach a monkey how to do our laundry." Leo deadpanned.

Adam chuckled. "Leo, don't be ridiculous . Have you seen how much laundry there is? It's a three monkey job."

Harper smirked as she looked up from her book. "I'm surprised you didn't see that coming."

Leo walked over to a basket filled with laundry and let out a sigh. "I just wish there was a way to get all this housework done and still have time for fun."

Adam grinned. "Well, maybe there is."

With that, Adam left the living room leaving Leo and Harper behind. Harper sighed, knowing whatever Adam was up to was probably a bad idea, but she chose to let it go. At least when they inevitably got caught, she wouldn't be implicated.

It didn't take long for Adam to return with a zipline cable, a helmet and gloves. It took him ten minutes to connect one end of the line to the wall beside the front door and the other end down the hallway.

Harper watched from the couch as Adam attached the handle to the zipline cable.

"This isn't going to end well." Harper muttered.

"There! Now we can get around the house" Adam said as he grabbed onto the handle.

"I love the concept, but you put this zipline together in like ten minutes." Leo pointed out.

"I know, it's barely safe. Thanks for noticing." Adam responded as he started to swing his body forward to get the zipline moving, but he moved slowly instead. "Come on, zippy, let's go!"

Harper furrowed her eyebrows. "You named the zipline?"

"I'm riding it, aren't it?" Adam retorted as he continued to try to move forward, swinging his legs back and forth, but only managed to move a meter on the zipline. "I just need to pick up speed. Look guys, I'm flying!"

Adam lost his grip on the handles and fell, landing with a thud behind the couch. Harper promptly got up and rushed over to help him to his feet, grateful that he remembered to wear a helmet.

Leo gazed up at the zipline, hands on his hips. "I think we're gonna need a steeper angle to make it work better."

"Better? That's exactly how I envisioned it." Adam chuckled.

••••

Leo and Harper managed to fix the zipline and installed a cable in the backyard. At first, Harper was unsure about the idea, but once she put on her gear, grabbed the handles and glided through the air behind Leo, she felt energized.

"Whoo hoo!" Leo exclaimed as he soared through the air.

"This is amazing! Adam, you have to give it a go!" Harper shouted, her hair being tousled by the wind as she zipped through the backyard on the zipline towards the front of the mansion.

"Whoo-hoo! Tree. Tree. Tree. Tree!" Adam's voice echoed from behind, followed by the sounds of crashing.

Harper reached the end of the zipline, at the front of the house where Leo was waiting on the ground. She let go of the handles and landed back on solid ground with a wide smile.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but that was fun." She admitted.

Leo smirked. "And you were worried this wouldn't end well."

Before Harper could respond, Adam reached the end of the zipline, landing on the ground with tree branches sticking out of his helmet. Harper looked back at Leo with raised eyebrows and a smirk.

"It's still a 50-50 chance." Harper retorted.

The group of three chuckled, feeling nothing but a bright spark of joy coursing through their bodies. Leo opened the front door and entered the Davenport mansion, followed by Adam and Harper.

"That was fun! Who knew there was really such a thing as a flying squirrel?" Adam exclaimed, prompting Harper to playfully roll her eyes. "So what's next?"

Leo shrugged. "You know, just a few more tweaks."

"Maybe add one or two more lines." Harper suggested.

Instead of just one or two additional cables, Leo and Harper ended up adding at least ten more throughout the entire mansion.

The air crackled with electricity, charged with an almost tangible excitement that seemed to permeate every molecule in the atmosphere.

Harper's heart pounded in her chest, a staccato beat that reverberated through her entire being, as if it too were alive and feeding off the energy.

Adam stared at the ziplines in awe. "Whoa! It's beautiful!"

"Hey, check out the turbo booster I added. It'll help us get around the house ten times faster." Leo explained, pointing to the device on the handles.

"Awesome! Wait, do you think it'll work?" Adam asked.

Leo hesitated for a moment. "I think you should go first."

Adam clapped his hands in excitement, approaching the handles, grabbing onto them. With a jump and a swing of his body, the turbo booster activated, propelling him rapidly along the zip line, causing Leo and Harper to stumble back from the gust of wind.

Harper's eyes widened. "Oh, Adam, look out for the-"

"Door! Door! Door! Door!" Adam shouted followed by the sounds of crashing.

"Come on, let's do this!" Leo urged enthusiastically.

Throughout the day, Harper, Leo and Adam took turns on the zipline.

Harper experienced an initial jolt of acceleration that felt like a swift kick in the chest, leaving her gasping as the ground disappeared beneath her.

The wind whipped through her hair, creating a deafening roar that threatened to drown out her own screams of excitement. She felt weightless and free as the ground rushed up to meet her.

The speed was exhilarating, and the rush of air provided a cooling sensation against her skin.

All too soon, the ride came to an end, with the braking system slowing her to a gentle stop at the front door where Leo and Adam were waiting. She felt a pang of disappointment and a sense of loss as she was jolted back into reality.

"Man, this is a blast!" Adam exclaimed, fist bumping Harper. "Who'd wanna walk when you can zip? Oh, it's too bad I can't sell my legs. Do you think I'd get more separate or as a pair?"

"Either way, I think you'd get more for those than..." Leo trailed off, gesturing at Adam's face. "What's going on up here."

Adam nodded. "You're right. I do have great legs."

When Adam jumped, grabbed the handles and flew on the zipline, the front door opened and Mr. Davenport walked inside, his expression a mix of shock, disbelief and confusion.

Both Harper and Leo's eyes widened, startled when they saw Mr. Davenport.

"Big D! Oh! I know what you're thinking. But if it weren't for Harper and me, you'd have a house full of monkey's doing your laundry." Leo explained.

"You really would." Harper chimed in with a tight smile.

Adam quickly rejoined the group, and Mr. Davenport gave the teenagers a stern look, crossing his arms.

"Hey, hey." Adam cheered happily as he landed on the ground, then his face fell when he noticed Mr. Davenport. "Oh. May I interest you in a pair of legs?"

Mr. Davenport stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the ziplines with a hint of frustration. "You guys put ziplines throughout the entire house?"

"We only did it to help us get our chores done." Leo explained

"How could you do this..." Mr. Davenport scolded.

"We'll take it down." Harper reassured him.

"And not invite me?! This is awesome!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed excitedly. Leo and Harper exchanged surprised looks as Mr. Davenport took the helmet from Adam and put it on. "I cannot wait to try this. Safety first."

"You ready?" Adam asked eagerly.

Mr. Davenport nodded as he grabbed onto the handles. "I was born rea- AAAH!"

Mr. Davenport screamed as he zoomed across the zipline. Harper couldn't help but chuckle as she watched him soar through the house.

"Look at him go! He is not a good father!" Leo shouted happily, high-fiving both Adam and Harper.

••••

For two consecutive days, Mr. Davenport, Leo, Adam and Harper flew across on the ziplines non-stop, installing additional cables and handles to accommodate everyone taking turns simultaneously.

Harper found herself soaring through the air, with the wind whipping her face and her surroundings blurring below. The sensation was nothing short of exhilarating.

"Whoo-hoo! Yeah!!"

"One handed! Whoops! Not one handed. Whoo!"

"Comin through!"

"Yeah! Whoo!"

Everyone was zooming through the house at an incredible speed. The landscape around them turned into a vibrant mix of colors and sounds, overwhelming their senses and leaving them with wide grins on their faces.

Harper felt light, liberated, and completely alive, as if she had shed all her worries and stepped into a word of pure, unfiltered joy. The breeze rushing past her, the excitement of the ride, all blended together to form an experience that was both exhilarating and peaceful, a true paradise for adrenaline junkies.

The four of them lined up together as they finally came to a stop in the living room and jumped down behind the couch. Harper's heart was still pounding in her chest, and she felt a sense of euphoria wash over her.

"That is a good time." Mr. Davenport chuckled as the four of them began taking off their helmets. 'But after two days of this we should probably get to our chores."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Your chores." Harper corrected.

Mr. Davenport, Adam and Leo walked into the kitchen and started washing the dishes. Harper noticed piles of dirty clothes scattered throughout the living room, kitchen, and dining table.

Adam huffed. "I don't know about you guys, but I could use a break."

"Me, too."

"I call next!"

"Wait guys, hold on." Harper called out, capturing everyone's attention. "At some point you need to finish Tasha's to-do list. You know how mad she gets when we don't do something she asks. So, we should come up with a plan."

Adam gasped. "Ooh! How about we-"

"That does not involve monkeys." Harper stated firmly.

"Is a baboon a monkey?"

"Yes."

"Ooh! I have an idea. How about we have a contest? Whoever completes the entire zipline course without being knocked off, wins. And then the two losers have to finish all the chores." Mr. Davenport suggested.

"Yeah!"

"Good idea!"

"Let's do it!"

"Wait. But how are we gonna knock each other off?" Leo wondered.

Mr. Davenport chuckled sheepishly, crossing his arms.

••••

Leo, Mr. Davenport and Harper stood in the living room, each holding a t-shirt cannon. Harper was impressed that Mr. Davenport had these in his house.

"You have t-shirt cannons?" Leo asked in surprise.

Mr. Davenport scoffed. "What mature adult doesn't have t-shirt cannons?"

"All of them." Harper replied bluntly.

Then, the sound of Adam on the zipline was heard in the distance.

"Here he comes!" Mr. Davenport called out.

Leo and Harper took their positions beside the couch, while Mr. Davenport stood by the kitchen as Adam entered the room. With a loud boom, the cannons roared to life, shooting out rainbow colored shirts that flew through the air like miniature rockets.

"Missed me!" Adam's voice echoed as he zoomed on the course.

Harper rolled her eyes and groaned in frustration, standing. She turned to see Leo still crouched on the ground with black pants covering his face.

"Opps. Uh. Yeah, we probably should've stand across from each other." Mr. Davenport advised.

"Ya think?" Leo questioned, standing up and lifting the pant leg so he could see. "I'm covered in my mum's panty hose!"

"Actually, those are my compression leggings from cycling class." Mr. Davenport corrected.

Harper grimaced. "Ew"

Without hesitation, Leo quickly grabbed the pants off his face and threw them to the ground.

The three of them hurried down into the lab, their shoes squeaking on the floor, out of breath from their attempts to subdue Adam with t-shirt cannons from various parts of the house.

"Get ready, he's almost here!" Harper informed.

Mr. Davenport sighed. "Don't worry, there's no way he's-"

"Whoo-hoo-hoo!" Adam shouted as he zoomed past them, causing the three to squint from the wind.

"... Getting by us this time." Mr. Davenport finished, groaning in frustration.

Without hesitation, Leo fired the cannon, sending a fresh wave of shirts at Mr. Davenport. Harper couldn't help but laugh at Mr. Davenport shocked expression.

Leo shrugged with a smirk. "Oops."

Leo and Harper dashed out of the lab, with Mr. Davenport close behind. They hurried upstairs to the kitchen, eager to catch Adam before he could claim victory in the competition.

Mr. Davenport huffed. "If we miss him here, we lose, to Adam, and the only thing more embarrassing than that would be to lose to-"

Harper and Leo instantly aimed their t-shirt cannon at Mr. Davenport, giving him a pointed look.

"Go ahead, say it."

"We dare ya."

Mr. Davenport rolled his eyes, then his face fell as he heard the whirring of the zipline. "He's coming!"

"Oh, no, I am not giving up without a fight!" Leo exclaimed with determination.

Before Harper could respond, Leo turned his attention to the checkered flag on the front door and dashed towards it. Adam's cheers reverberated through the house, nearing the finish line.

Leo leaped, spun around and landed on his back, sliding across the ground. He fired the t-shirt cannon just in time, hitting Adam with the flying shirts and knocking him off the zipline.

Harper and Mr. Davenport cheered, exchanging high-fives.

"Nice shot!"

"You did it, Leo!"

Adam stood up removed the purple shorts from his head and grimaced. "Eww! Tasha's swimsuit?!"

"Actually, that's my..." Mr. Davenport started but stopped when he saw Harper and Leo's shocked expressions. "Eww! Tasha's swimsuit."

••••

When it was Harper's turn on the zipline, she only made it to the lab before was bombarded in the face with items of clothing, fortunately none of the them belonging to Mr. Davenport.

Leo also failed his attempt when Adam shot a brick out of his canon, hitting Leo straight in the head and causing him to fall in the hallway. Luckily he was okay.

Now, it was Mr. Davenport's turn to ride the zipline course.

Adam, Leo and Harper walked out of the hallway, each holding their cannons. Mr. Davenport was close to winning, a scenario none of them desired.

"I'm sorry I took you out so hard." Adam apologized. "I forgot I had a brick in my pants pocket."

Leo held his head in pain and stared at Adam. "Why would you even have a brick in your pants pocket?"

"Looks, it's really a long story, but let's just say I know a guy who knows a guy who was givin our free bricks." Adam explained.

"You're just lucky Leo wasn't severely hurt." Harper chimed in.

Leo sighed. "Let's focus. Big D's almost to the finish line."

"I'm home. Did you miss me?" Tasha greeted as she opened the door and walked inside.

Before any of the teenagers could respond, the air was filled with the sound of whooping and hollering as Mr. Davenport rode into the living room.

"Wife! Wife! Wife! Wife! Wife!" Mr. Davenport shouted.

Tasha screamed as Mr. Davenport body slammed her. Adam, Leo and Harper winced before rushing out to the front to see Mr. Davenport landing on top of Tasha, who groaned in pain.

"Nope, he definitely didn't miss you." Leo told his mother.

Mr. Davenport smiled groggily at his wife. "Good news, honey, I won!"

••••

The next day at the Davenport mansion, Adam, Leo, Mr. Davenport and Harper were all stuck doing chores. Harper was also being punished for participating in the ziplines.

The four of them were cleaning the floor, with Harper holding a trash bag and picking up garbage that was on the ground.

"I shouldn't have to help you guys. I won." Mr. Davenport complained as he swept the floor.

Harper arced her eyebrows. "You body-slammed your wife. I'm pretty sure you didn't win."

"She went down hard." Adam chuckled, then mimicked Tasha's scream and the crash. He scanned the room. "Where is she, anyway?"

Suddenly, they heard the sound of whooping and whirring as Tasha rode the zipline in the backyard.

"Whoo-hoo! Scrub it, guys!" She called out as she zipped through the backyard on the zipline towards the front of the mansion.

Mr. Davenport turned to the teenagers. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin?"

The group of four dropped what they were holding and grabbed the t-shirt cannons hidden in the living room.

"Locked and loaded. Mama's goin down." Leo declared.

With that, they all raced out the front door.

________________
PUBLISHED: 26.08.24
DEDICATIONS: Peters_suit_lady ItchyAgalea mkbucklin2