The next morning, Lena met Max at their usual spot — the weathered bench near Grandma Rose's rose garden. Max was already there, bouncing on his heels with a backpack slung over one shoulder and a grin wide enough to split his face.
"You brought the map?" he asked.
Lena nodded, slipping it from her canvas messenger bag. She had barely slept the night before, her mind buzzing with possibilities. She'd read every inch of the parchment a dozen times by flashlight, memorizing each faded symbol.
They unrolled the map carefully across Max's lap, smoothing out the creases with reverence. The path began just beyond the treeline that marked the border of the forest behind Lena's grandmother's house. It curved past a crooked stream and circled a series of landmarks marked only with cryptic symbols — a tree, a crescent, a circle of stones — before ending in a bold, red X.
"It's totally real," Max whispered, awe in his voice. "Like something out of one of those adventure movies."
"I know," Lena said. "I think we're supposed to follow the trail."
Max grinned. "Finally. Something epic to do this summer."
But Lena's mind was already racing. If someone had hidden a treasure deep in the woods, why? Who made the map? And why had it ended up in her grandmother's attic?
Their thoughts were interrupted by a sudden voice behind them.
"Well, well. What do we have here?"
They turned sharply.
Jake Harrington.
He leaned against the garden gate, arms crossed and wearing his usual smug expression. Jake was the kind of kid who could charm teachers and pick a lock in under a minute. With messy black hair, dark eyes full of mischief, and a reputation for causing trouble, he wasn't exactly on Lena's list of favorite people.
"What do you want, Jake?" she asked, quickly rolling up the map.
Jake held up a crumpled, yellowing piece of paper. "Looking for this?"
Lena's heart skipped. It was another map fragment — nearly identical in style to theirs, though torn along the edges. Symbols covered it, but the path was different, curving from a different section of the forest before merging with their own.
"I found it in the library," Jake smirked. "Behind a false panel in the local history section. Must be part of the same treasure."
Max's jaw dropped. "There's more than one map?"
Jake stepped closer. "Looks like we're in for a little competition. First one to the treasure wins. Unless you're too scared."
"I'm not scared," Lena said sharply. "This isn't a game."
Jake raised an eyebrow. "Everything's a game, Lena. Some of us just play better."
With that, he stuffed his map into his jacket pocket and strolled away, whistling.
Max watched him go, eyebrows raised. "Great. Now we've got competition."
Lena clutched the map tightly. "We need to move fast. If he really found another piece, we don't have the whole picture."
Max nodded. "Then we'd better get started. Before he beats us to it."
They exchanged a determined glance. Whatever this treasure was, it had just become a race — one that would test not just their courage, but their friendship.