Playing For Keeps

18-Nick Takes On The World

Rowan

I think sometimes when nothing is going on and everything seems good, thats when you need to look out for that something that is going to shake up your world. 

Of course mine would happen on a late afternoon on one of the hottest days of the year here in Arizona. 

We've just finished the lunch break and were having the kids come back onto the ice for the second half of practice. 

There is one kid missing during head count, I even check two more times for that too familiar face but nothing. 

"Where is Nick?" I ask Lennox, "I saw his mom drop him off earlier."

Lennox looks around at all the boys standing before us. 

"Have any of you seen Nick?" He asks and there is a chorus of no's and head shakes. 

"Fu-fudge." Lennox corrects himself as he slams the clipboard down. 

Losing a kid is never good. These parents pay us to not only teach their kids but look out for them while they're in our care. 

And of course out of all the kids to get up and disappear it had to be Eleanor's son. 

"I'll go check the locker rooms, you go check lobby." I tell Lennox and he nods. 

The two of us split up but we come back with nothing and a bunch of boys staring at us with wide eyes. 

"Where could he possibly have gone?" Lennox shakes his head, rubbing his forehead like he's a got a headache coming on. 

I feel that. 

"He left." Someone in the crowd mumbles and both Lennox and I's heads snap right up. 

"Who said that?" Lennox asks and a hand is raised. 

"Evan?"

He walks forward towards us, a solemn look on his face. 

"I promised him I wouldnt tell anyone." He eyes the floor as he says this. 

What the actual fuck is Nick doing right now?

"Do you know where he went?" I ask, keeping my voice even and calm. 

Evan shakes his head, "He just told me he wanted to explore the world."

Huh?

"What does that even mean?"

Lennox groans, "I never thought he was serious."

Now I'm extremely confused. 

He rubs his neck, "I found a note on the bench ones and it belonged to Nick. It was a map of everywhere in town he wanted to go and he titled it, Nick Takes On The World."

"And do you remember what was on that note?" I ask and he shakes his head, "The only thing I remember is Joanna's house."

Which is where Casey is. 

In that moment I grab my phone out of my bag and dial Casey who answers on the second ring. 

"Ro, what's up?"

"Is Nick Snyder with you?"

🏒 🏒 🏒

Casey checked the entire property but Nick was no where to be found. 

That meant we had no choice but to call all the kids parents to send them home and then Lennox and I flipped a coin on who would call Eleanor. 

Thankfully I won so Lennox was forced to call the woman while I was in charge of making sure all the boys made it back to their parents.