The Lost Sweet Tooth

Chapter 10

"Did you see where he went?" Jacob asked the booth's owner as he frantically examined the nearby crowd. With so many people wearing Casey themed merchandise, it was impossible to spot a specific kid wearing a Casey hat even with its distinctive torn ear.

The man's eyes widened. "Shoot! I was busy watching you." He shrunk under Jacob's glare. "He couldn't have gone far. I'll radio the other staff and ask if they've seen him."

There was no telling where Nate could have run off to. Jacob sprinted away from the booth with the Casey plush tucked under his arm as the booth's owner yelled into a walkie-talkie.

An ocean of parents and children surged around Jacob. Elbows dug into his side as he scanned the crowd.

"Get out of the way!" a particularly eager kid yelled as he rammed into Jacob. "I have to get Casey's autograph!"

Jacob lost his balance. His face crashed into the cobblestones below as the crowd parted to avoid stepping on him.

His breath rushed in and out in quick bursts as he remembered the last time this had happened to him. All of it was familiar: the sudden impact, the coldness of the cobblestones, the pain lancing through his jaw. Thankfully, he hadn't lost a tooth this time, just gained a bruise.

Jacob dragged himself to his feet and pushed his way out of the crowd, muttering apologies all the way. He'd never spot Nate in the middle of that mess.

Signs led Jacob to the lost and found station where the park's security guards collected everything from lost cellphones to lost children. One of the security guards looked up from a crossword puzzle as he heard Jacob approaching. "Yikes!" he said as he put his pencil down. "That's quite a bruise you've got there. Let me get the first aid kit."

Before Jacob could tell him what was actually bothering him, the security guard rummaged through the supplies under the security desk until he found a tube of ointment and a cotton ball. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle," he said as he squirted some medicine onto the cotton ball.

Jacob winced as the man dabbed at his bruise. It was tender to the touch, but the pain eased as the medicine took effect. "Thanks," he said, "but that's not why I'm here. Have you seen a seven-year-old wearing a Casey hat with a torn ear?"

"No, but we are looking for a kid who matches that description. His dad filed a report saying that he and his brother went missing earlier today." The security guard put a hand on Jacob's arm. "I think you'd better stay here while we give him a call."

Jacob's eyes widened. He'd get in so much trouble if his dad found out he'd lost Nate! "Actually, um, I'm here with my mom." Jacob glanced at the people nearby and pointed at a random woman. "She's right over there!"

Jacob sprinted away from the security guard as fast as he could. He weaved through a blur of shirts with Casey's smiling face plastered all over them as he struggled to outrun him. The footsteps behind him slowed down and finally stopped as he ran until his legs felt like overstretched taffy.

Jacob gasped for breath as his sides heaved. He thought about where he should look for Nate until he remembered something the kid who had knocked him over had been yelling about. If Nate had heard about Casey's autograph session too, there was only one place he could be.

He had to go to Casey's house.