The next day, Maddie, Nina, and Aileen were on an important task, a full-on reconnaissance operation complete with a group chat called "???Operation Stalk Ethan???"
"We're really doing this, huh?" Nina muttered, half-excited, half-exhausted. She pulled an all-nighter last night to finish her projects, so she could do this with the girls. Maddie declared this the "best friend undertaking". With the exception of Aileen, as they just met.
As for Aileen, she was doing this to prove that she was the unbeatable "gossip queen" of Ivy Hills University.
The trio crouched behind a large stone pillar near the engineering department's main courtyard. Maddie peered around the edge, her eyes locked on Ethan.
"Eagle one, eagle two, I got an eye on the target. Approximately 20 meters away," Aileen announced while using her binoculars in a voice they could barely catch.
Nina and Maddie turned to look at Aileen with eyes that asked, What the hell are you wearing?
How could they possibly blend in when Aileen was wearing ninja attire? Aileen was dressed in all-black ninja attire, a colorful granny scarf covering half her face.
"Aileen, no need to announce," Nina said, grimacing. "We can see it."
"Obviously," Maddie whispered back, completely serious. She decisively ignored Aileen's fashion choice and continued, "If we're going to figure out this Velocity stuff club thing and find the baby daddy, Ethan's the key. He knows something. I just smell it."
"Yes, my sixth sense is tingling," Nina agreed. "We just have to follow him and watch where he goes."
Nervously, Aileen adjusted her oversized glasses, which had a habit of always slipping down her nose, and admitted to them, "I've never done a stakeout before." Her voice was so small, as if she was afraid that the pigeons might overhear.
Nina shot her a look. "You're the best gossiper on campus, and you've never followed anyone?"
Aileen glanced at Nina, her expression earnest. "I don't usually follow people. I just... hear things."
Maddie waved them both off. "Shh! He's talking to George and Killian."
They peeked behind the pillar at the same time, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Ethan was having a conversation with George and Killian. George had that typical "I'm too rich to care" look on his face while Killian laughed at something Ethan said.
Maddie squinted, commenting, "Do these guys not have any other friends? They're always together like peas in a pod."
Aileen pushed her glasses up again and squeaked, "They grew up together."
Maddie was surprised by this information, but what she cared more was how Aileen knew. "How do you know that?"
How did Aileen know they grew up together? Did she witness it? She tried to search about their families last night, but nada. It was as if someone removed their information.
Aileen's tiny smile was full of pride. "I told you, I'm the best at what I do. It's my job to know everything about everyone."
Nina rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide her curiosity. "Okay, but like, how do you know?"
Aileen shrugged and confidently answered, "I have my ways. Trade secrets are kept hidden."
Maddie nodded, still focused on the trio across the courtyard. "Well, your ways are creepy, but I'm impressed."
The three of them continued to shadow Ethan as he moved around campus. Fortunately, they didn't have classes today. They ducked behind trees, benches, and any convenient structure they could find. Their operation was pretty amateur; it was a miracle nobody caught them yet.
But that was until they got a little bolder and they crouched behind a vending machine. Austin, the soft-spoken, blond, and perpetually overwhelmed student council secretary, spotted them as he bought a drink.
"Uh... what are you three doing?"Austin asked quietly, standing there like a deer caught in headlights. His lanky frame made him look even more awkward as he stared at the girls, eyes wide with confusion.
Maddie, ever the quick thinker, popped up from behind the vending machine and flashed him her most innocent smile. "Oh, hey, Austin! We're just, uh, stretching our legs. You know, staying active."
Austin stepped back, surprised by her actions and clearly not buying it. "You're exercising behind a vending machine?"
Nina stood up next, crossing her arms, and tiptoed, trying to look intimidating. It wasn't hard considering Austin looked like he'd fall over if someone sneezed too hard in his direction.
Nina grinned. "Yup. Best place for stretches. You should try it sometime."
Aileen nodded vehemently as she stepped closer to Austin. "We're definitely not following Ethan," Aileen blurted out.
Maddie and Nina glared at her. Aileen laughed awkwardly and stepped back, trying to hide behind the other girls.
Austin swallowed nervously as he shrank, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Uh, I don't think you should be, um, following Ethan around. Or anyone, really. It's not, uh, council-approved behavior…"
Before Maddie could come up with another excuse, a familiar voice interrupted them.
"What's going on here?"
They all turned to see Henry, the guy who carried Lila to the clinic after her fainting spell in the canteen. He raised an eyebrow, looking somewhere between amused and suspicious.
Maddie's face lit up in recognition. "Oh my god, it's you! The canteen hero!"
Henry looked mildly embarrassed at the nickname. "Canteen hero? That's… not necessary."
Aileen, who was hiding behind the girls, slowly said, "He's tall."
Nina snorted. "Yeah, that's the first thing you notice."
Henry ignored the commentary and questioned them about the situation again. "What exactly are you three doing? Austin looks like he's about to faint."
Austin, still standing awkwardly to the side, stammered, "I-I'm fine. It's just… they're…"
Maddie crossed her arms, defiant. "We're investigating. That's all you need to know."
Henry's expression hardened slightly. "Investigating? Look, you need to stay away from the student council. And definitely from the Velocity Club."
"You know about Velocity? Are you a member, too?" Nina's mouth was like a machine gun firing questions. "Are you the daddy of Lira's baby?"
Aileen's eyes went wide, and she followed up with another question: "If you're not, do you know who? We need a list." She pulled out a small black notebook in between her chest.
Nina and Maddie smiled awkwardly. She hid it there? They both looked at her as if she were some alien. They didn't even notice!
Henry sighed and declared, " It's not a place for girls like you."
Maddie's eyes narrowed. With her hands on her hips, she stepped forward. "Girls like us? What's that supposed to mean?"
Henry didn't back down, though. "It means it's dangerous, and you should leave it alone."
Nina, never one to stay quiet, chimed in. "You can't just tell us what to do. We're not scared of some stupid racing club."
Aileen nodded enthusiastically, though her nodding was more nervous than brave. "Yeah! We're not scared."
Henry shook his head, clearly not in the mood for an argument. "Look, I'm just trying to help. You don't want to get involved with them. Trust me."
Maddie's face hardened, her stubbornness kicking in full force. "I don't care how dangerous it is. I'm not letting this go until we have our answers."
Henry and Austin exchanged a glance, and after a moment, Henry just grabbed Austin's hand. "Fine. Do whatever you want. But don't say I didn't warn you."
With that, Henry turned and dragged Austin, who was having a hard time keeping up with his short legs.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Maddie scowled and stated, "We're going to get to the bottom of this."
Nina took a deep breath, grabbing the back of her neck. "Maddie, seriously. I'm with you, but we're going to have to be smarter about this."
Aileen nodded eagerly. "Yeah. We need to be stealthier. Like ninjas."
Maddie smirked. "Stealthier? I can do that."
---
They spent the rest of the day sneaking, hiding, and pretending to be interested in random campus activities while they kept an eye on the target. At one point, they pretended to be selling snacks for a class fundraiser.
"Get your chips here! Only two bucks!" Maddie shouted, holding up a bag of Doritos as Ethan passed by, completely oblivious to their extremely subtle surveillance.
Nina groaned, adjusting the visor she'd borrowed from another club. "I feel like an idiot."
Aileen, who was sitting behind the snack table, smiled brightly. "I think we're doing great."
By the time it was 11 p.m., the campus was mostly deserted, and Nina was practically falling asleep standing up. "How is this guy still on campus? Doesn't he, like, have a life?"
Aileen was curled up behind a bush, snoring softly, her glasses askew.
Maddie, on the other hand, was wide awake, as if someone had injected her with coffee. Her determination burned to the max. She wanted to know what Ethan was up to, especially this late.
Just as Nina was about to suggest they pack it in, Maddie shook her arm. "Wait. He's moving."
Nina stomped her feet, trying to shake off her sleepiness. "Huh? Where?"
Ethan jogged across the courtyard, heading toward the forested area that bordered the university grounds. "He's going into the woods."
Nina's eyes snapped open; her exhaustion washed away by curiosity. "What? Why is he going into the woods at this time of night?"
Maddie shook Aileen crazy. "Come on, Aileen, wake up! We're following him."
Aileen stood up groggily, pushing her glasses up. "Wha—what's happening?"
Maddie didn't give her time to process. She yanked both Aileen and Nina to their feet, her voice urgent. "Ethan's heading into the woods. We need to follow him. Now!"
Nina glanced at the dark, shadowy trees in the distance, her stomach twisting with unease. "I'm not sure about this."
But Maddie was already dragging them both to the forest. "Come on! We can't let him get away."
Finally, their mission was paying off. Whatever Ethan was up to, they were about to find out.