My heart is pounding so hard, I’m sure my teacher can hear it. I can’t move, I can’t speak. This is it. Two weeks into my new year at a new school, and I’m already going to be the biggest troublemaker in the seventh grade. My mom is going to be so disappointed and Kenny will laugh at me and the welcoming committee won’t welcome me at lunch anymore.

“You must have found the other bathrooms.” Mrs. Ellingham smiles. “The line did get pretty long.”

“Yeah,” Mercedes says, a faltering smile on her face. “The line was so much shorter. Thanks for the tip, Mrs. Ellingham.”

I just stare at Mercedes. She’s quick.

“Is that okay if we head back to our groups now?”

In front of us, in the grassy lawn next to the planetarium doors, kids from our school sit in small groups eating their lunches. I spot November, Ted, and Sunny. Ms. Garcia is patrolling the fence along the pools. My heart slowly returns to its normal rhythm.

“Yes, run along.” Mrs. Ellingham is already turning away from us, heading toward Ms. Garcia.

“I can’t believe it!” I hiss. “We almost got caught!”

Mercedes stops walking. “That was nothing,” she says. “Now, you go your way and I’ll go mine. Act normal. Meet you…” Mercedes looks around. She points to a little grove of trees next to the science building. “Meet you over there when lunch is over. Make sure Ms. Garcia sees you and counts you before you escape.”

“Escape? Again?”

Mercedes looks around to see if anyone is watching us. No one is, not even the teachers. She grabs me by the shoulders. “Mattie. We’re staying here until we find him. Get your friends to cover for you. We’ve got to find the library. We’re not going back with the field trip.”

“We’re not?” I feel itchy.

“No, if we have to, we can take the city bus back.”

“But. The plan?”

“Exactly. That’s why we studied the transit schedule.”

“I thought—”

“Or I can get Cristina to drive us home. Focus, Mattie. All you need to do is get someone to cover for you and meet me over there. And make sure Ms. Garcia counts you!”

And then she’s gone.

“But—?”

None of this was part of the Operation D.A.D. plan written in my notebook. Now what? How am I supposed to get away? What if I can’t? What if my new friends won’t cover for me? Then I won’t find my father. I clench my teeth, willing myself not to cry.

“Mattie!” November is calling and waving. “Over here.”

I paste a fake smile on my face, just like Mercedes did, and wave at November and Ted and Sunny.

“Where did you go?” November asks with his mouth full.

“Me?”

Sunny mumbles something.

“What?”