0:00

Maxie Miles is a production of a typical artists

0:02

and I heart radio. Hey

0:08

THEO. Wait up? Okay,

0:10

Max, you have a free

0:13

period now too. Well.

0:15

I'm headed to the library to study if you want

0:17

to join. Actually, I was hoping

0:20

to talk to you. Look,

0:23

Max, I don't know anything

0:25

about the investigation. I promise my

0:28

dad won't tell me anything. No,

0:31

no, it's not that. I

0:33

mean so if you had even overheard

0:35

something or know what the main theory is right

0:37

now? Nope, no, never

0:40

mind, just focus, Max,

0:44

Um, Are you okay?

0:46

I so

0:50

this is kind of weird. Okay.

0:55

Jenna has been getting these notes in her locker, like

0:58

poems and stuff, and she

1:00

wanted me to figure out who it was. And yeah,

1:05

have you told her yet? No? No, I

1:08

didn't. I thought that maybe

1:11

you'd want to tell her. What

1:13

Why would I want to do that because

1:15

you have a crush on her? Max?

1:19

What you don't know? I?

1:22

Oh god, this is humiliating.

1:25

Yeah, thanks, No,

1:28

sorry, I didn't mean. I just

1:31

look. I think it's

1:34

really sweet what you were doing. I

1:36

read the notes and they

1:38

were really good, THEO really

1:41

romantic. Really

1:45

Yeah, Jenna's

1:47

a lucky girl. You really think

1:49

so? I do? Often this is perfect.

1:52

You can tell her for me, what I

1:54

mean. She wanted you to

1:56

find out who it was, and you

1:59

did, so now you can tell her.

2:01

But THEO, if you know she's

2:04

going to know it's you, wouldn't it be

2:06

better to just tell her yourself

2:09

ask her out? But she

2:12

might say no, okay, but

2:15

that's true. Even if I tell her, don't

2:17

you want her to hear how you feel from you? I

2:20

don't know. I guess I

2:22

never really thought about what I would do

2:24

if she found out, So you

2:26

were never planning on telling her. I

2:29

was kind of just focused on writing the poems,

2:31

if I'm honest, I

2:33

never really thought about what she might

2:35

think of them. But you were writing

2:37

those poems for her, right,

2:40

Yeah? You really think

2:42

they're good, the poems. Yeah,

2:46

I mean it's it's clear

2:48

you really care about her. Well,

2:51

you know what they say, poetry

2:53

is the food of love. I guess

2:55

the opposite is true too, love

2:57

makes for good poetry. I

3:00

guess THEO

3:03

if you're not going to do anything

3:05

about it, I did promise

3:08

Jenna i'd figure it out for her. Yeah.

3:11

Yeah, it's totally fine. I

3:14

get it. So you're

3:16

okay with me telling her that you

3:18

like her sure, and

3:21

if she doesn't like me back, well I

3:23

hear heartbreak is good for poetry too, Right,

3:28

Anyway, I should get to study hall.

3:30

Are you coming? Um? Actually,

3:33

I've got other stuff I need

3:35

to do. Are

3:37

you going to tell Jenna now? No?

3:40

No, I'm meeting her after work. I just I

3:43

don't much feel like sitting in a dark

3:45

and quiet library right now. See

3:48

you later, Max. Yeah. By

3:51

THEO from

3:58

a Typical Artists and I heart radio. You're

4:00

listening to Maximles. This

4:26

is chapter five The Truth. Good

4:35

afternoon, Max, Hey liss honey.

4:37

Well, I'm

4:40

so sorry about the other day

4:42

with Oh, no need to apologize.

4:45

I understand where your father is coming from.

4:48

Joe. Isn't my dad, he's

4:50

my uncle. How nice to have

4:52

family in town. No, it's my

4:56

parents. They they

5:00

passed away a few years ago. So

5:03

Joe takes care of me. Oh I

5:06

see, I'm

5:08

so sorry Max, Yeah,

5:11

me too. He seems like he's a fantastic

5:13

guardian. He is, even

5:16

if he's being stupidly overprotective.

5:19

You don't think you should be worried that

5:22

that boy Riley is still

5:24

missing, isn't he? Yeah? He is, which

5:27

is whyatt I

5:30

just I think I can

5:32

help. Max. I understand being worried

5:34

about your friend, really I do, but

5:36

you need to take care of yourself. The

5:38

last thing this town needs is another missing

5:40

child. Yeah, yeah,

5:43

I know. Chin up, Max, It's

5:45

going to be okay. Why, just

5:47

on my way here, I heard some people

5:50

discussing the search party this afternoon. They're

5:52

doing another one. I guess they want to look

5:54

deeper into the woods. This time they'll

5:56

find Riley. Max. Yeah,

6:00

yeah, they will, right, Yes.

6:03

Now the reason I'm here,

6:06

Oh right, what

6:08

are you shopping for today? You? In

6:10

fact, I was hoping

6:12

to solicit your aid in

6:16

a peculiar problem I'm having.

6:19

Really you want my

6:21

help? Well, as you know, this

6:23

town really is quite small, and people

6:25

do talk. Guessing you've

6:27

heard some stories about me. Apparently

6:31

you're very good at solving town issues.

6:33

See, I can help with Riley. Missing

6:36

pets and stolen bikes are a bit

6:38

different. I think. I

6:40

don't say that to diminish the things you do, Max,

6:43

but it might be best to work your way

6:45

up to the serious stuff. So what

6:48

kind of problem are you having? It's the

6:51

end. There's been some strange

6:54

noises this past day or so. I

6:57

fear that someone may have broken in. Oh

7:00

wow. Now, I don't

7:02

want to distract the community watch group with this

7:04

when they've got much more urgent things to focus

7:06

on. So I

7:09

was hoping you could lend a hand. You're

7:11

sure my uncle didn't put you up to this to

7:14

keep me busy. I assure

7:16

you he did not. Why would someone want to break

7:18

into the maple floorpe. It's not even open

7:20

yet, right exactly, It's practically empty,

7:23

so I have absolutely no idea why anyone would

7:25

be lurking about unless

7:29

unless what, Well, it's

7:32

foolish, but some of

7:34

the noises, it almost feels as if the

7:36

place is haunted. What. I'm

7:39

not inclined to believe in such things, but

7:42

the building really does have quite

7:44

the history. Oh, I am in,

7:47

I am all the way in, excellent.

7:52

I know you have school and work and all of that. So

7:54

I was thinking maybe Saturday.

7:57

Whatever is going on, I don't think it's a danger.

7:59

Said today is perfect, lovely.

8:02

I will see you then, have a good day,

8:04

Detective Miles, thanks

8:07

you too. Hey,

8:33

Mr Monty, is my uncle

8:35

there? Hey?

8:38

Joe? Yeah, Yeah,

8:41

everything's fine, No,

8:45

not yet. Well,

8:47

that's actually why I'm calling. We

8:49

just got a new shipment of stuff in

8:51

and I offered to stay late

8:53

to do inventory. Is that

8:56

okay? No?

9:00

I think we're planning on ordering a pizza,

9:05

maybe like nine or

9:07

so. No, you don't need to What

9:10

was that? Oh?

9:13

Wow, great? Thanks? No,

9:16

she just said she'd give me a ride home.

9:19

Yep, of

9:22

course, I love you too. Where

9:28

are you calling for me? Uh?

9:31

Nope, it was out on the phone,

9:33

wrong number anyway, tills

9:36

all locked up? Wait wait,

9:38

wait, it's only four thirty. Right,

9:41

you've got that extra curriculo thing today I forgot

9:43

yep, exactly. Me

9:45

and a friend are doing an environmental survey

9:48

in the park. All

9:50

right, thanks

9:53

bye?

10:08

What not the answer you were expecting?

10:11

THEO? THEO has been sending

10:13

me these notes. No,

10:16

no, THEO and I are friends. This

10:19

there's no way I thought we understood

10:21

each other. This is a disaster understood

10:24

each other? What do you mean? I

10:26

thought THEO was like me, like,

10:29

too busy for dating? You mean, yeah,

10:33

too busy for dating? Well, I

10:35

mean after talking to him,

10:37

I'm not sure that. I mean, is he totally

10:40

cracked? Never in my life

10:42

have I thought about THEO combs in that

10:44

way. If it makes you feel better,

10:47

I actually think because like, even

10:49

if dating was on the table, he

10:51

shouldn't want to date me, and I

10:53

would never want to date him. We'd want

10:55

to date people like ourselves,

10:58

or at least that's what I thought. I'm

11:01

sorry, Jenna, I'm totally lost like

11:06

another girl. Okay, that's

11:09

what I'm saying. I don't want

11:11

to date THEO, not because he's not

11:13

great and all, but because I don't see

11:15

him in that way. In fact, I'll

11:17

never be able to see him in that way, because

11:20

because you want to date another girl? Yeah,

11:24

anyone in particular, that's

11:27

your first question. Well, I don't

11:29

know. I'm kind of like invested

11:32

in your love life after all this. I'm

11:35

curious Max.

11:40

You always zig when I

11:42

think you're gonna zag. No,

11:46

No, there's no one in particular. What

11:51

what are you thinking right now? No,

11:58

it's nothing. I just

12:00

got I got swept

12:02

up in the romance of these notes. I

12:04

guess I was kind of hoping

12:07

this would all lead to you sailing

12:09

off in the sunset with someone. And

12:15

you thought THEO was the same way

12:18

that he wouldn't want to date you because

12:20

he would want to date a boy instead.

12:25

Yeah, And I

12:28

don't know. We never talked about it or anything

12:31

clearly. Maybe he does want to date

12:33

boys too, but I just thought it

12:35

doesn't matter now our friendship is screwed

12:38

up forever. Why

12:40

because he likes me and I can't like him

12:42

back. I don't see why that has to ruin

12:44

everything? And for

12:47

what it's worth. Well,

12:50

I wasn't planning on saying anything, but I

12:52

don't think you'll be offended by it now, So what

12:55

is it? Max? I

12:58

don't think THEO was really all

13:01

that invested. What well?

13:07

I told him that I knew

13:09

it was him who wrote the notes so

13:11

that he could tell you himself instead of me, and

13:14

he didn't want to see I

13:17

knew whoever was writing these was a coward.

13:20

Come on, that's not fair, Jenna. Theo's

13:23

your best friend. He probably didn't

13:25

want to mess anything up either, then why

13:27

write them at all? I

13:30

think I

13:32

think you're his news? What?

13:36

Yeah, that must be it.

13:39

He seemed way more focused on his poems

13:41

being good than anything else and

13:44

was going on about heartbreak is food

13:46

for poetry or something. I

13:48

don't know. I wasn't really following. That

13:51

sounds like THEO, so maybe

13:55

he was just playing a part

13:58

the poet in love with the beauty a full news.

14:01

Maybe I think

14:03

you should talk to him. You won't tell

14:05

him, right, tell him

14:07

what that I'm

14:10

that I'm gay? Oh No,

14:14

I don't think it's mine to tell. I

14:18

am surprised that he doesn't know already. Aren't

14:20

you guys like really close? Yeah?

14:23

We are, but I

14:25

don't know. We don't always talk about real

14:27

stuff, you know. Yeah,

14:33

why didn't you tell me what?

14:35

In all the heart to hearts we've had in the

14:37

past few years? Okay?

14:40

Fair? So you

14:43

didn't know in middle school what

14:46

I mean. We were friends then, so

14:49

I assume you hadn't figured it out, or

14:51

otherwise you would have told me. Oh

14:53

my god, Max, How

14:55

are you making this about you right now? Sorry?

14:59

Sorry, I'm not I I

15:01

just want you to know that you

15:04

could have told me. You could

15:07

have told me anything. I was still figuring

15:09

it out, okay, and

15:11

it wasn't something I wanted to talk about until

15:13

I had completely figured it out. Did

15:17

you think that I'd care? Because

15:19

I don't. I don't think anyone would.

15:22

It's just it's

15:24

hard being different in Hastings. You

15:26

know, it's easier to just

15:29

go along with what everyone else is doing

15:33

and there are no gay people here. My

15:36

uncle is gay. Okay, great,

15:39

one person. Actually,

15:42

I'm pretty sure he's dating someone, so

15:44

that would make two people who aren't totally straight.

15:46

Really, who is he dating? I

15:49

have no idea, but he's been spending

15:52

large parts of the weekend out and then he comes

15:54

back all happy. Gross.

15:57

I know you

16:00

don't think I understand what it's

16:02

like to be different. I

16:04

mean, every family in Hastings is

16:06

like the perfect white

16:09

bread all American, two

16:11

parents and two point five children,

16:14

and I'm

16:16

me. Yeah,

16:18

you're you president of

16:20

the Hastings is the Best Place to Live

16:22

Committee. Just

16:24

because I love Hastings doesn't mean I

16:26

always feel like it loves me. You're not alone

16:28

and being raised by a single guardian

16:32

person. THEO lost

16:34

his mom too. I

16:36

know that's part

16:38

of why I'm

16:41

sorry Max, for

16:44

whatever that's worth. I

16:46

actually am sorry

16:49

for what that THEO likes

16:51

me and that I don't

16:53

like him. But you do,

16:56

No, I don't. Oh, come

16:59

on, Mac, everyone

17:01

knows ironically

17:03

THEO is the one exception to that. Yeah,

17:07

well I guess I know

17:10

why he wouldn't. He's been

17:12

a bit distracted. I'm sorry.

17:16

It's not your fault. Besides

17:20

what, I

17:22

don't know what talking

17:24

to THEO this morning about you, I

17:28

wasn't nervous for the first

17:30

time ever, ever,

17:32

since Ross told me that THEO wrote

17:34

the notes. I

17:36

don't know what THEO

17:40

liking me made him repulsive to you.

17:44

No, it's it's not that. It's

17:48

the poems were so beautiful, you

17:50

know, so passionate,

17:53

and then talking

17:55

to him about them was he didn't

17:57

mean any of it. I didn't

17:59

say that THEO thinks

18:01

the world if you. I don't know what

18:04

it is exactly. THEO

18:06

is more passionate about the idea of

18:09

love than he is about me. Yeah,

18:13

yeah, that's what it is.

18:16

Classic prioritizing

18:19

having a crush over who the crush

18:21

is, and that's a pretty cynical

18:23

way to look at things. Yeah. Well,

18:26

understanding people has never

18:29

been your strong suit. Max. You're

18:34

right. I don't understand

18:37

how you could feel strongly

18:39

enough to write poems for someone and not

18:41

do everything you possibly could to

18:43

tell them. I get being

18:45

scared. I mean, I never told

18:48

THEO how I feel. But if

18:50

I were really in love with someone, I

18:53

like to think I'd do anything for them.

18:57

Isn't that the way it's supposed to be. I

18:59

have no idea, Max, find

19:02

me another girl in New Hampshire who also likes

19:04

girls, and maybe I'll tell you.

19:08

Well, I've already solved

19:10

one. Jenna Ambrose love life mystery.

19:13

I'm on a roll. I

19:20

wish Riley was here. I

19:22

feel like he'd have the answers. You know, Riley

19:25

has never dated anyone either. Yeah,

19:28

but he has that thing,

19:31

you know, the fitting in thing

19:34

that we don't the perfect family.

19:38

He feels like he has things figured

19:40

out. Yeah,

19:44

I just hope he's okay me

19:46

too. Any

19:49

new leads. I'm

19:52

exploring a few avenues, so

19:55

no, yeah, basically

19:57

not. But speaking

20:00

of I gotta go. They're

20:02

doing another search party. Are you sure

20:04

that's a good idea after

20:07

what happened last time? I promise

20:10

I won't go running around this time. Hey,

20:13

Max, thanks

20:16

for

20:19

for listening and for being

20:21

cool with everything. Of course,

20:23

Jenna, I know we're not

20:27

that we're not as close

20:29

as we used to be, but I'm

20:33

here. I'm always

20:35

here. Yeah,

20:38

all right, go be reckless

20:41

and stupid. I'm not being

20:43

reckless or stupid. You

20:46

say that now, Hiley,

21:10

Riley, Riley,

21:16

Riley, Righty,

21:20

Riley Right,

21:23

Riley Riley

21:26

Okay, right,

21:29

Riley? Where are you right?

21:35

Is that? Riley? We're right? Why

21:40

is Mr Beatie breaking off from the crew?

21:47

Where is he going? It's

21:54

just an animal, Max? Is

22:03

that cabins?

22:06

What are you doing? Ross?

22:10

What? Why? Why?

22:13

Sorry? I didn't mean to scare you. Were

22:15

you following me? Were you joining the

22:17

search party without a buddy?

22:20

I was late?

22:23

So you walking around alone has nothing to do

22:25

with the fact that Sheriff Combs would definitely call

22:28

your uncle if he saw you trying to join the search again?

22:31

Look at me, I'm fine, aren't

22:33

I? Now? Come on? What

22:36

where are you going? Mr

22:39

Beaty is up to something great? Here

22:41

we go? Look

22:43

Ross, there's a cabin up there. Okay,

22:46

so what we're in the woods?

22:48

Woods have cabins. But why

22:50

is Mr Beady heading toward it in the middle

22:53

of a search? Is it his cabin?

22:55

Is this where he's been coming in the middle of the night.

22:57

I don't see him anywhere? Why,

23:00

your beauty, you said you saw him?

23:03

Yeah?

23:05

Where did he go? Maybe

23:07

he's searching like we're supposed to

23:09

be doing. Why are you even here?

23:12

Ross? Remember what happened last

23:14

time? But how would you know

23:16

I would be here? Come? On. Whatever,

23:22

what's your plan here? Just barge into

23:24

someone's house. I know I saw

23:27

Mr Beaty walking to the cabin seconds

23:29

ago. There's no likes

23:31

on, so so maybe

23:33

he's not there at all. Right,

23:36

there's one way to find out. Oh,

23:39

you can't be serious, Come

23:42

on, Ross, what's the worst that could happen?

23:45

You want me to go down the list? If

23:47

Betty isn't in there, we can poke around

23:50

the in and out before he gets back. And

23:52

if he is in there, we'll

23:55

play dumb. Say we got lost

23:57

on the search and are looking for help. Ship,

24:02

What what's wrong? That's

24:05

a solid plan. I knew you'd

24:07

come around tell her. Now let's go ship.

24:22

It's locked? Is that surprising?

24:26

Maybe there's a black door or

24:36

you can't be serious, it's

24:38

unlocked. I think crawling

24:40

through a window still counts as breaking an entering, even

24:42

if it's unlocked. Okay,

24:48

I don't see anyone. I think we're

24:50

clear. Are we really doing

24:52

this? We have no idea if this has anything

24:54

at all to do with Riley? Well,

24:57

only one way to find out. Yeah.

25:08

Maxie Miles was created by Lauren Shippen and its

25:10

production of Eighth boocal artists and I Heart Radio.

25:13

This episode was written and directed by Lauren Shippen. Dialog

25:16

getting and sound as I'm by Marrissy Younging of Hemma Creek

25:18

Productions, with editing systems from Lauren

25:20

Davis and Melissa Ponds. It

25:23

featured Jordan Cobbs Maxie Miles, Mike's

25:25

a Follow as Ross Teller, Morgan Elgerton

25:27

as the OCMBS, Jacquelin Landgraph

25:29

as Miss Honeywell, SHAWNA. Cannakar as Jennet

25:32

Ambrose, and Lauren Shippen as manager. Original

25:35

artwork by Shane McMullan. For more information

25:37

about the show, please visit Maxie Miles

25:39

dot com and follow at a Typical Artists

25:41

on Twitter and Instagram. Maxie Miles is

25:43

executive produced by Lauren Shippen and I Heart Radio

25:46

and for more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the

25:48

iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or

25:50

wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Thank you

25:52

for listening and keep curious.