In the small rural town of Jewel’s Creek, California, twelve-year-olds Billy and Annie are released from detention and stumble upon fellow tweens Harriet, Clark and Neil about to set forth to find the local legendary Hopper’s Treasure. Hoping to save his local comic book store from closing, Billy joins the ragtag crew, Annie reluctantly following suit if to do nothing but annoy Billy. Together, the five kids quest outside the known boundaries of the town, following a hand-drawn map guided by hopes and dreams. The uneven terrain tests their limits when Billy’s leg is cut open by a rusted fence and an earthquake rids them of their lifesaving camping equipment. Added to that is Neil’s insistence to be right and quick-to-anger mentality when he isn’t. Despite the challenges, Harriet’s unwavering belief in the existence of the treasure spurs them on, even managing to share a laugh as they build a bridge across a ravine. But when they reach the X on the map, there’s nothing more than a hollow cave that mocks them. No treasure. On their return, a second earthquake misses killing the kids by an inch, and all hell breaks loose. Almost-mute Clark summons the courage to take charge for the first time in his life and rally the crying kids, leading the march back home. But crossing that ravine from before, Annie is swept away in a torrent of white-water rapids – Neil dives in to save her just as a search party shepherds Billy, Clark and Harriet back to safety. Only Harriet doesn’t comply, escaping the party to save her friends. Her and Neil resuscitate Annie as the adults rescue the intrepid explorers. The days that follow, especially when Annie gifts Billy a new comic book after his got destroyed on the journey, prove that despite the returning home without any treasure, it was the found friendship between them all that was far more valuable than any gold.
