The Disaster Log

Book 1: The Great Hamster Escape

Chapter 1: Worst. Monday. Ever.

My name is Milo Finch.

If you ask my teachers, they'll tell you I'm a "bright student with potential."

If you ask my parents, they'll tell you I'm "usually responsible."

If you ask my little sister, she'll tell you I once got stuck in a laundry basket for twenty minutes.

Unfortunately, she is correct.

Anyway, none of those things matter right now.

What matters is that on Monday morning I became the number one suspect in the disappearance of Captain Fuzz.

Captain Fuzz was our classroom hamster.

He was small, fluffy, and somehow more popular than everyone in sixth grade combined.

When Mrs. Patterson rolled into class carrying his cage, something seemed wrong.

The cage was empty.

She set it on her desk.

Everyone stared.

"Class," she said, "Captain Fuzz appears to be missing."

The room exploded.

"What?!"

"Did he run away?"

"Maybe he got kidnapped!"

"Maybe he joined the circus!"

That last one came from Tessa Reed, my best friend.

Tessa had watched exactly one documentary about circuses three years ago and somehow connected every problem in life back to them.

Mrs. Patterson held up her hands.

"Please stay calm."

Nobody stayed calm.

Then Jordan Lee raised his hand.

Jordan was the smartest kid in school.

He once corrected a science textbook.

"Technically," Jordan said, "a hamster cannot legally join a circus because hamsters are not recognized circus performers."

The room got quiet.

Then Tessa said, "That's exactly what a circus hamster would want us to think."

Somehow that

made things worse.

Mrs. Patterson sighed.

"I checked the security camera outside the classroom."

My stomach dropped.

You know that feeling when you're on a roller coaster and it suddenly goes downhill?

Imagine that.

Then imagine someone pushing the roller coaster.

On Friday afternoon I had been the last student in the room.

I knew it.

Mrs. Patterson looked down at a sheet of paper.

"The last person seen near Captain Fuzz's cage was..."

No.

Please no.

"...Milo."

Twenty-six heads turned toward me.

Again.

I hate when that happens.

"I didn't do anything!" I said.

Tessa nodded.

"That's exactly what someone who accidentally started a hamster uprising would say."

"THERE IS NO HAMSTER UPRISING!"

At least I hoped there wasn't.

Because if there was, I had a feeling it was about to become my problem.

And that was how the worst week of my life began.

Chapter 2: The Investigation Begins

At lunch, I had exactly two goals:

Unfortunately, I achieved neither.

The second I sat down, kids started pointing.

"That's him."

"The hamster guy."

"I heard he taught the hamster how to pick locks."

"I heard the hamster taught him."

People will believe literally anything if it sounds interesting.

Tessa dropped into the seat across from me.

"You need an investigation."

"I need a normal lunch."

"Nope. Investigation."

Jordan appeared beside us carrying a notebook.

"I have already prepared a suspect list."

"You made a suspect list during math?"

"I made it during recess," he said.

Of course he did.

Jordan opened the notebook.

SUSPECTS

"Why am I number one?" I asked.

"Because everyone thinks you did it."

"That's not evidence!"

"It's very convincing evidence."

I put my head on the table.

This was going terribly.

Then something happened.

A scream echoed across the cafeteria.

Everyone jumped.

A sixth grader pointed toward the hallway.

"There!"

Kids rushed to the doorway.

Tessa was already running.

"MOVE!" she shouted.

I followed.

A crowd gathered near the lockers.

"What happened?" I asked.

A kid pointed dramatically.

"I saw something furry."

Something furry.

My heart skipped.

"Captain Fuzz?"

The kid shrugged.

"Maybe."

That was not helpful.

Jordan crouched near the floor.

"Interesting."

"What?"

He pointed.

Tiny footprints.

They stretched down the hallway.

The crowd gasped.

Even though they were obviously hamster footprints.

People acted like we'd discovered dinosaur tracks.

Tessa grinned.

"The chase is on."

And before I could stop her, she started following the trail.

I had a bad feeling about this.

Actually, I had several bad feelings.

The biggest one was that somehow this investigation was going to make me look even guiltier.

And based on my luck lately, I was probably right.

The next morning, the entire school was talking about Captain Fuzz.

There were rumors everywhere.

Some kids thought a teacher had taken him.

Some thought he was living in the vents.

One kid claimed he had seen Captain Fuzz riding a Roomba after school.

Honestly, that was one of the more believable theories.

When I got to my locker, another note was waiting for me.

This one was different.

No hamster drawing.

No jokes.

Just five words.

COME TO ROOM 12. ALONE.

My stomach dropped.

"Tessa is going to freak out when she sees this," I muttered.

Unfortunately, Tessa was already standing behind me.

"I AM freaking out."

Jordan appeared beside her.

"I have calculated a ninety-two percent chance this is a trap."

"Thanks, Jordan."

After school, we headed to Room 12.

The classroom was empty.

Desks sat in neat rows.

The lights were off.