***
The car was already idling when Mira walked out of the school building, her backpack slung low and her hoodie half zipped. She pulled the door open and slid into the passenger seat without a word.
Her mother didn't look up from the steering wheel right away. Just sat there, she breaths out ready to pop the question.
"Did you get into trouble today?"
Mira blinked. "No."
Her mom shot her a side glance. "Mira."
"I said no," Mira snapped, too fast.
Her mom drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. "Because you've been late to class three times this month. And I don't want another phone call about your behaviour."
"Well then maybe they should stop calling," Mira muttered, staring out the window.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
The drive home was tight with silence. Only the blinker dared to make noise.
****
At dinner, Mira pushed broccoli around her plate like it might rearrange her life.
Her mom sat across her with her phone face down on the table. The TV in the background played some game show Mira wasn't watching.
"Any homework?" her mom asked.
"Nope."
"Anything you want to talk about?"
"Nope."
Her mom gave a small tired sigh. "You know, Mira, slamming doors and sulking doesn't magically make things better. If there's something wrong...i can..."
"Everything's fine," Mira snapped.
Her mom narrowed her eyes. "I don't like the way you talk to me lately young lady!.."
Mira dropped her fork. "I'm not in trouble, I didn't do anything wrong, and I wish you just stop acting like I'm some kind of criminal."
Before her mom could reply, the phone buzzed against the table.
Both of them looked down at it.
>Caller ID: Willow Creek High School
Mira's blood froze.
Her mom picked it up slowly, eyebrows knitting together.
"Hello?" she said. Then after a pause: "Yes, this is her mother."
Mira's chest tightened. She watched her mom's face closely the growing frown, the clenched jaw, the nods that always meant someone was saying something she didn't like.
"I see. Yes, I'll talk to her. Thank you mam.."
She ended the call and kept the phone trying her best to appear calm.
"Mira."
"I didn't ..."
"I don't want to hear it."
Her mom stood, gathered her plate, and walked to the sink.
Mira stared at the table, her cheeks burning.
She couldn't take it anymore the rules, the pressure, the guilt. She stood up, chair screeching back across the tile.
"I didn't ask for any of this," she blurted. "I didn't ask for your rules, or your stupid job that adds to your stress or your pain! You treat me like a problem instead of a person."
Her mom turned slowly. "You don't get to talk to me like that."
"Well maybe I don't want to talk to you at all."
Mira's hands trembled. Then, before she could stop herself:
"I wish I could never see you again!"
The words hit like a slap. Her mom's face didn't even change it just emptied.
"Go to your room."
Mira turned and ran up the stairs.
---
That night, her room felt smaller than usual, what a terrible way to end the day she thought.
She didn't cry. Not really. But she didn't sleep either.
Her phone lit up at 1:12 AM with a message from Jayden:
>Jayden: You still in for Friday?
She stared at the screen.
Then typed:
> Mira: the fake camp?
> Well...yeah....
She breaths out before typing
> Yeah Something away...
---
The next morning, Mira found the others by the bleachers.
Zoe was balancing on the railing, Leo was pacing like he was trying to burn nervous energy, and Ash sat cross legged with his sketchbook, drawing what looked like an island.
Jayden was hunched over his phone, grinning.
"Guys," Mira said. "What if we went on our own trip? No parents. No school. Just us like a Secret vacation."
Leo stared at her like she just kicked him in the stomach. "You're joking, right?"
"She's not," Jayden said, eyes still on his screen. "Because I found something."
He turned the phone around, showing them a forum post titled:
> "MIRAGE ISLAND – THE PLACE THAT DOESN'T EXIST"
Mira leaned in.
Zoe laughed. "Sounds fake."
Jayden scrolled down. "Old rumors. Supposed to be cursed. People say the island appears only to those who aren't supposed to find it."
Leo shook his head. "Nope... I'm out. That sounds exactly like how horror movies start."
Ash looked up. "What if it's not a horror movie?"
"What else would it be?"
Ash shrugged. "Maybe it's a test."
Zoe smirked. "Or maybe it's the best vacation ever."
Mira crossed her arms. "We're already going to be lying about the camp. Why not lie better?"
Jayden nodded. "I can get the GPS coordinates. I found an archived page with coordinates that were pulled off Google Earth in 2011 before they disappeared."
"Because they were fake," Leo insisted.
"Or because someone didn't want them there."
Silence fell.
Then Leo groaned and ran a hand down his face.
"If we die, I'm haunting all of you."
Jayden grinned. "Deal."
I don't think we should do this... May be some other time but not now, I have to gather a lot of confidence for this scary adventure... Leo begged.
Ok fine , we give them one week to treat us right or else we leave.... Mira muttered folding her hands.
---
Across the sea, unseen by satellites or human eyes, Mirage Island began to pulse. The tide rose around it like breath drawn in.
Someone had finally said the magic words.
---