The Search

Miley couldn't stop thinking about how cute Max had looked eating her lunch, and she kept daydreaming about doing something with him after school today—it was Friday, glorious Friday—until she remembered that she was grounded. Her father had totally lit into her, pacing and demanding to know how she could have skipped school and gone into the woods while a mountain lion had been on the loose. Her mom had been angry, too, but Miley could tell that if it had been left up to her, she wouldn't have been as harsh about having to stay in all weekend. Her mom liked Max.

So, score one for my rugby guy, she thought. I've never skipped school before, but I've never had a boyfriend before, either. And I've never had such a perfect birthday. It was worth it. Except I won't get to spend time with Max except at school until I'm, oh, 112.

The last bell rang and she headed for her locker, anticipating a less-than-thrilling weekend of homework and hopefully jogging with Aunt Avery. At the thought of her aunt, who was practically more like a sister, she touched her new necklace, the one with the strange creature on it. Avery had given it to her for her birthday.

Then she spotted Amelia waiting for her at her locker. Amelia had on her cute high-waisted coat and a beret.

"I figured out the password," Avery announced. With an air of triumph, she showed Miley the screen of her smartphone. "It's 'Captain.' And here's where Leo is."

Miley squinted at the address and phone number on the faceplate as she twirled her combination lock. "He's at a motel?"

Amelia nodded, her expression cool and collected. Miley didn't know what to make of that.

"It appears so. But I've called his phone, and he's not picking up. And I called the motel, and they haven't seen anyone named Leo, or who even looks like Leo. And there's no Hunter Butcher registered."

She peered through her lashes at Miley, who opened her locker and put her lab notebook into her leather messenger bag. Miley smiled uncertainly back, not sure what Amelia was driving at.

"Color me unsurprised," Amelia said. At Miley's confused expression, she explained, "Unsurprised that there's no one there by the name of Hunter Butcher. At this kind of motel, people go by John Smith and Jane Doe. Or possibly Bambi von Boob Job."

Miley blinked at her in horror.

"And pay by the hour," Amelia added.

"No way." She closed her locker door and leaned against it. "Why would a detective arrange to meet Leo there? And would Leo even go into a place like that? Wait. Don't answer that."

"Well, apparently his phone did," Amelia said, dropping her facade that the conversation they were having was anywhere close to normal. "I need to check it out." She looked less than thrilled. "Come with me?"

Miley blanched. "I'm grounded," she said quickly. And gratefully. "I can't go anywhere."

"Except maybe my house?" Amelia asked, smiling hopefully. "To work on our English project?"

That we don't have, Miley translated. She licked her lips. "I guess it's worth a shot to at least ask my folks if I can." She'd never been grounded before. She didn't know how it worked. Max, no, but a girlfriend, yes?

"Thank you," Amelia said.

Just as Miley pulled out her phone, she caught sight of Max. He was talking to Levi, his quirky best friend, but he was staring at her. Her insides went all warm and tingly, and she gave him a little smile. He grinned and started walking over. Levi came too. That was okay with her. She liked Levi.

"What's up?" Max asked. "Did you find Leo?"

"Possibly," Amelia replied, raising her chin. She gave Miley a look. "And about that? We could use some backup," she declared.

"Yeah, um," Miley said anxiously, smiling uncertainly up at him. "Do you want to go to a motel with me?"

• • •

Max gaped at Miley. Did she really just ask me to go to a motel?

He looked over at Levi for confirmation. Yes, there it was: his best friend's jaw practically dragging on the floor. Levi looked from Max to Miley to Amelia and back to Max, as if asking someone, anyone, in turn to validate this man-dream come true.

"Are you seriously asking me that question?" Max asked Miley, and she playfully batted his arm. "Not to do... that," she said. "We're looking for—"

"We're going on an errand," Amelia cut in, then licked her lips and cleared her throat, as if she had just realized how that might sound.

"I could totally help with that," Levi said quickly. "Errands are my middle name. Actually, my middle name is almost as difficult to pronounce as my first name, but hey, I could do it."

Amelia slid Levi a glance that hovered somewhere between incredulous and impatient, and he went silent. Which, Max knew, could be very challenging for his hyperactive best friend. But it had been achieved before, and could be again if the stakes were high enough. And for Levi, who had been crushing on Amelia Faith since kindergarten, pleasing her was sky-high stakes.

"Levi is quite the hacker," Miley said, and Amelia's disdainful gaze grew thoughtful.

"And I'm sure you're very good at tracing people via their phones," Amelia said.

"They have an app for that," Levi said. "Several, actually." Amelia smiled. "Which, I'm guessing by your expression, you already knew." Max could see the lightbulb go on. "And this someone might be at a motel," Levi continued. "And I am guessing that this someone might be Leo."

Amelia shrugged. Then she turned to Miley. "Tell you what. If the boys are willing to go to the motel for us—"

"To a motel. To look for a guy," Levi said. "Maybe you should ask Seth." Seth, their lacrosse team goalie, was gay, out, and proud. "He could act, you know, more casual about it."

Then Max shut his eyes against the pain as reality came crashing down on him. "We can't go. We have lacrosse practice."

Levi stared at him, looking even more dumbfounded than when Miley had asked Max to go to the motel with her. He gave his head a little shake, then gestured for Max to move out of earshot of the girls.

As soon as they were a few feet away, he punched Max in the arm. "Are you insane?" he said. "Let's think this through. Getting smacked around by sweaty guys with sticks. Going to a motel with a girl."

Max grinned. "When you put it that way..."