We were meant to go on a nice simple team bonding trip... a safe-ish one I too I guess—a fun day out at the zoo which thinking back wasn't a good idea with how often I get distracted. Our coaches thought it would be a good way for us to unwind, take a break from training and enjoy a coulee days off before we get back to it. Naturally, Mia and I decided to make the most of it. We were both excited, even if it felt a little strange to be hanging out together, considering I play for Everton and she's with Liverpool. But off the pitch, rivalry took a back seat to friendship.
The whole squad, both teams mixed together, walked through the entrance, chatting and laughing as we entered the zoo. You'd be surprised at how well we all get along off the pitch. The sun was shining, and the smell of popcorn and cotton candy filled the air.Pretty much everyone, if not everyone, is super excited to see the animals and maybe even take some stupid photos on the way.
It didn't take long for Mia and I to start wandering off. We're both naturally curious, I guess you could say—always looking for something interesting or different. So when we spotted a path leading away from the main group, we didn't hesitate.
"Hey, look over there," Mia said, nudging me with her elbow. "That trail leads to the tropical house. I bet it's full of cool animals."
"Let's check it out!" I agreed, already walking over to the trail.
We figured we'd just take a quick detour, see some animals, and then rejoin the rest of the group. No big deal, right?
Wrong.
The tropical house was amazing, filled with all types of exotic birds, sloths, and butterflies that fluttered around like living confetti. We spent way too long trying to get the perfect selfie with a colorful parrot perched in the background. We laughed as it squawked loudly, almost like it was protesting being part of our photos. Time seemed to slip away from us, and before we knew it, the sounds of our teammates had faded into the distance.
When we finally decided to leave the tropical house and catch up with everyone else, the zoo seemed quieter than before. We looked around, realizing that we had no idea where the rest of the group had gone.
"Uh, Mia," I said, glancing around the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where did everyone go?"
She frowned, looking around too. "I thought they were right behind us. How long were we in there?"
"Too long, apparently," I replied with a sheepish grin. "Maybe we should head back the way we came."
We started walking back, but after a few minutes, nothing looked familiar. The winding paths, the signs pointing to various exhibits, the families milling about—it all seemed like a maze. The zoo wasn't huge, but it was big enough that we suddenly realized we were completely lost.
Mia checked her phone, hoping for some guidance, but the map wasn't much help. "Great, we're lost in a zoo," she muttered, half-amused, half-frustrated.
I tried to stay optimistic. "Hey, at least we're lost together! And who knows, maybe we'll stumble across some cool animals while we figure out where we are."
Mia laughed, shaking her head. "Trust you to see the bright side. Alright then, lead the way, (Y/n/n). Let's see if you can find our way back."
We wandered through the zoo, taking random turns and passing exhibits we hadn't seen before. At one point, we found ourselves in front of the penguin enclosure, where we stopped to watch them waddle around. "Honestly, this isn't the worst place to get lost," Mia admitted, leaning against the railing.
"Nope, it could be worse," I agreed, smiling as one of the penguins slid into the water. "But we should probably try to find the others before they notice we're missing."
We continued our makeshift tour of the zoo, passing by the lion exhibit and then the giraffes, who peered down at us with curious eyes as if wondering what we were doing. Still, no sign of our teams. By now, we were starting to get hungry, and our phones were down to single-digit battery percentages.
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous," Mia said, her voice tinged with mild panic. "Are we actually going to spend the rest of the day lost in this zoo?"
"Probably, but I don't want to," I replied, spotting a zoo map posted near a food stand. "Let's check that out."
We hurried over to the map, trying to figure out where we were and where we needed to go. It took a few minutes of debate, mostly about whether we were closer to the monkey exhibit or the reptile house, but we eventually found our location on the giant square map.
"Alright, if we go this way, we should end up back near the entrance," I said, tracing the path with my finger.
"Lead the way," Mia said, looking relieved.
With a new sense of direction, we both started walking in the direction to the entrance, determined not to take any more detours or see anymore animals. We joked about how our teams would never let us live it down if we didn't make it back before closing time. As we walked, we couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Here we were, two footballers who spent our days trying to one up each other on the field, and we'd managed to get lost in a zoo.
Finally, after what felt like forever, we spotted a familiar face, one of our coaches, standing near the entrance with the rest of the group. They hadn't even realized we were missing.
"There you two are!" the coach called, waving us over. "We were about to head to the gift shop."
Mia and I exchanged a glance, both of us trying not to burst out laughing. "Yeah, we just got a little... distracted," Mia said, shrugging it off like it was no big deal.
We rejoined the group, trying to act like we hadn't just spent the last hour completely lost. As we walked toward the gift shop, I nudged Mia. "Well, that was an adventure."
She grinned. "Definitely one for the memory books. But next time, let's stick with the group."
"Agreed," I said, laughing. "Although, if we do get lost again, at least we know we make a good team... bet I can get to the gift shop before you." I added before sprinting off in the direction of the shop, Mia following closely behind.
"No way are you winning!"
