An Unexpected Odyssey

Chapter 2

Leo shook his head as he walked beside Alex, who was still clutching the map as if it might blow away in the breeze. They had just left the library, and Alex was already buzzing with plans for their "treasure hunt."

"I don't know, man," Leo muttered, frowning at the map. "This could easily be some kid's old prank. It's just a piece of paper."

"Oh, come on, where's your sense of adventure?" Alex grinned. "Imagine the headlines: 'Local Teens Find Lost Treasure, Become Instant Millionaires.' You're telling me you don't want a cut of that?"

Leo rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling a little. "Knowing our luck, we'd end up finding an empty box...or maybe an angry raccoon."

"That's the spirit!" Alex elbowed him playfully. "Besides, it's probably just a short hike. We'll go check it out, and if it's a bust, you can say 'I told you so' for the next ten years."

Leo sighed, glancing at the map again. "Alright, fine. But if I find one spider, I'm out."

Alex gave him a triumphant grin. "Deal."

The next day after school, they met up at the edge of the woods with supplies: a couple of flashlights, water bottles, and a questionable bag of snacks Alex had thrown together.

Just as they were about to head into the woods, a voice behind them made them both jump.

"Going somewhere?" It was Ella Rivera, the new girl who'd just started at their school last month. She stood there with her arms crossed, looking at them with a smirk.

"Oh, hey, Ella," Alex said, trying (and failing) to sound casual as he quickly folded up the map.

She raised an eyebrow. "What's that you've got there?"

"None of your business!" Leo snapped. But then he quickly corrected, "Uh, it's...an art project. For school. Historical...mapping."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Right. And I'm the Queen of England. I saw you looking at that thing in the library yesterday. You guys think it's some kind of treasure map, don't you?"

Alex stammered, caught off guard, but Ella didn't wait for a response. "Well, if you two are going on a wild goose chase, you're going to need someone who actually knows a thing or two about maps. I'm coming with you."

Alex and Leo exchanged glances. Leo shrugged, looking half-relieved—if anything went wrong, at least they'd have a witness to tell the story.

"Alright, fine," Alex said. "But if we get eaten by wolves, don't say I didn't warn you."

Ella smirked. "Deal. Now, are we going, or are you two just going to stand around all day?"

And with that, the three of them headed into the woods, the map clutched tightly in Alex's hands, each step pulling them closer to something neither of them could predict.