All I Ever Wanted

Chapter 1

Flashback:

I sat underneath the big oak tree in the park and focused on the drawing in my sketchbook. I was almost done with it. It was a blue rose amongst a vast field of red ones. It described how I felt no matter where I went, always the odd one out.

Just as my pencil touched the paper a basketball hit my hand and caused me to draw a line through my sketch.

I stared down at the page in shock. My beautiful picture had a huge dark line across it now.

When I looked up to see who the culprit was, I was surprised to see a skinny guy with a Lakers jersey on walking towards me with a frown on his face.

"Are you okay?"

With a sigh, I nodded my head.

The boy came closer and looked down at my drawing.

"That's cool, but the big line going though it looks stupid."

The guy was infuriating me. He really thought I purposely added the line.

My finger pointed at his basketball sitting a few feet away. "Your basketball added that touch."

He looked sheepishly at me and rubbed the back of his neck before kneeling down next to me.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, before holding out his hand, "I'm Klay."

I was surprised that he was being so kind to me. I wasn't used to this from anyone, not even my family.

Extending my hand to meet his, I looked up at him and said, "Nice to meet you, I'm Logan."

End Flashback

"What are you doing tonight?"

I quietly close the door to Hope's room and make my way down the hallway. "Reading. I started a really good novel about-"

"Boring! So," Ava talks over me, and I roll my eyes at my friend's behavior as I take a seat on the couch, "it's friday evening and yours truly has managed to score two tickets to a basketball game tonight. Want to go?"

Part of me did. I can't remember the last time I went out and did something fun. But then I think of the little girl sleeping down the hall, and I am reminded of the fact that I can't just go out and do whatever I want anymore. There's someone else I have to take into consideration.

"It sounds fun, but I can't go. There's no one to watch Hope."

"Bring her! I have an extra ticket. Come on, it'll be fun. Please, Logan?"

. . .

An hour later, I find myself standing amongst a large crowd in front of the Oracle Arena, and almost everyone is wearing yellow and blue.

"Why didn't you tell me it's a Warriors game?" I whisper semi loudly into Ava's ear, hoping not to catch the attention of Hope, who is bouncing up and down with excitement as we make our way towards the entrance doors.

Ava gives me an 'isn't it obvious?' look as she pulls the tickets out of her purse and scans gives them to the door attendant to scan. "Because then you wouldn't have come. I don't know what you have against them. They're all easy on the eyes and super talented. How could you not like them?"

Oh Ava, if only you knew. It's not that I don't like them, it's actually the opposite. I like one of them a little too much.

Even though I've known Ava for the past three years and she has been with me through thick and thin, I have never confided in her about my friendship with Klay. It isn't that I don't trust her, but honestly I don't think she'd believe me if I did tell her. Someone like me being friends with someone like Klay? She'd probably just laugh.