Teenage baller Kaden Hastings has a fit when his family moves to California. He can handle the new medical diagnosis that slowly eats away at his life, but when his parents separate him from his teammates and girlfriend to move him to California to...
I let out a sigh and minimize the website I'm searching.
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Mom comes into the media room. "Oh, there you are." She stares at me. ". . . Are you okay?"
I hold up my hands and spin in my chair. "Yeah." I lock my jaw to keep my face straight.
Mom rolls the other chair over and sits in front of me. "Kaden, I think we need to talk about the basketball hoop."
I lean on my arm and gaze at the computer screen.
"Oh, Kaden," Mom croons. "Listen to me; look at me." She pauses until I force my eyes on her. "You don't have to play for him anymore. I know that's what he wants, but you need to do what's best for you."
Is that what she thinks? I never played for anyone else. I played because I loved it.
"Promise me you won't jeopardize your health over basketball," Mom says.
I fiddle with my computer mouse. The website says being active can be a good thing; that it usually helps. "Okay." I look into her eyes. "I promise not to jeopardize my health." I smile at the word jeopardize.
Mom smiles back and squeezes my knee. "Good." She stands and pushes her chair back, then hovers over me. "I'm going to take a nap. Why don't you-" She cuts herself off. "I'll be in my room if you need me." Then she leaves.
I maximize the internet window and hit the bookmark button. Then I check my e-mail. Jake wrote me back.
Hey Kaden. I found your watch in my room, give me your address so I can send it to you. It keeps beeping at me, and I worry that your forgetting your meds. Thanks for the letter, it means alot. I promise.
I know your going to do whatever you want no matter what I say, so I might as well say that you should try to stay friends with Lissa, or it will be weird when you come home. Just tell her you need some time and space. She will understand.
THis girl sounds really awesome. I bet its cool to hang out with someone who knows what its like. Good luck with her, but dont rush it okay? Are you going to play basketball? Let me know if anything changes.
I click the reply button and vent.
god i miss WL. i just want to come home, but im stuck here. logan was such a dick to me last night. he threatened to tell all our new friends about the E so that i would hang out with him. sometimes he makes me feel like crap, like he thinks im ruining his life on purpose. HES the one who freaking screwed everything up!
i tried to play basketball today and my mom flipped out on me over it. she treats me like im a freaking two year old i cant even touch a basketball. i want to play so much, but my mom won't let me. i probably cant play anyways. this is killing me.
That last sentence makes me stop typing. This is what comes out when I don't censor myself? I shiver, hold down the backspace button, start the e-mail over.
hey. i dont need u 2 send me my watch my mom alrdy got me a new 1. just hold on2 it for me. i dont know when but i know youll be able to give it back to me some day. thanx 4 everything. you and lissa rly helped me out and even tho i have logan now and he rly stepped up since we moved i still miss u guys.
i rly wanna try out for basketball. i found a website that says playing sports would be good 4 me. i know my mom wont think so but i still wanna play. the szrs havent changed. im having an eeg nxt wk.
I hit the send button. My inbox reloads. Lissa sent me another e-mail. I can't keep dragging her along with me like this. And I can't keep kidding myself. This is my life and it's here, not back in West Linn. I need to tell her, before the guilt kills me. It's the right thing to do. It's what's best for both of us. I click on the e-mail and hit reply without even reading it. After a whole year and everything we've been through, I never wanted to do this with an e-mail.
Lissa ill always remebmer everything you did for me and ill always love u. but right now it just hurts too much to keep thinking about you. please give me some space to get thru this and i promise you i will be friends with you as soon as im ready if thats what you really want. i know this isnt fair to you but we cant be together and its eating me up inside knowing that im not coming home. the idea of moving on hurts too but this is whats best for me. pls understand ok?
Istare at the computer screen for a moment, leaning back in my chair andbreathing heavily. Then, before I can change my mind, I click the send button,close down my computer, and wipe my eyes on my shirt sleeve. Suddenly I feellike taking a nap too.
