28: A Different Version of Nick

APRIL

As planned, Nick parked a block away from the Juvenile Detention Center and we walked the rest of the way.

Surprisingly—like I said, Nick was full of surprises today—we engaged in harmless small talk and even shared some laughs on the way to the center, I was almost saddened that our arrival meant the end of our rapport, but I reminded myself that he would likely snap out of it soon, this was probably just him being professional because it was a school project.

“Hello, we have an appointment slot for the next two hours,” Nick’s words to the police officer at the reception yanked me back to reality.

“What name is your appointment under?” she asked him while clicking away on the keyboard before her.

“Nick Bright,” he supplied.

After a few more clicks on her keyboard, she called a warden to show us to the interrogation room where they assured us that the first teen we were to interview would be waiting. When we walked in, I carefully took in the scrawny teenage boy in blue scrubs a