Chapter 82: Momentary Distraction
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~~~(POV: Ulysses Kennedy)~~~
~~~(Date: January 20th, 2026)~~~
~~~(Time: 4:12 PM)~~~
~~~(Location: At Home, Holden, Oregon)~~~
My birthday is in four days, and it's starting to weigh on me a little... Not from any pressure or expectations. The missing presence of my teammates has started to mess with my head. Not in a dangerous way, but it's making me think about life and if I'm wasting it... Sure, I'm 18... But I've already been reborn once... That's already incredibly lucky...
Hannah is cuddled up on me and taking a nap. The house is nice and toasty. We have to counter the extreme cold outside somehow. It's -8 degrees, and no one is spending any time outdoors. The TV is playing a game happening between The Grizzles and The Mavericks. It's a great match-up. Luka Doncic and Ja Morant have become premier Superstars in the NBA.
Zion Williamson is still pretty good, but he's suffering from another injury. The game is really close, but my heart and mind aren't really on it... My phone buzzes, and only one person regularly contacts me outside of Hannah and James. The notification says it's Ellie, and she's telling me she's going to be home late. Not a real problem to me... Hope she's safe in this weather...
Since my phone is out, I might as well check out Twitter... It's been forever since I last checked. As soon as I open the app, I'm notified of all the reports and pictures I'm tagged in, along with videos. My eyes widen seeing all the reports about my teammates... These people didn't know them... It's disgusting that some of the posts I'm seeing are milking them for views and comments...
There have been many moments where I think about Twitter... Mainly why so many people love it... It doesn't have that many redeeming qualities. "Ohh! Doncic hits a deep 3 to end the third quarter!!" My heart races as I look at the screen and see the Mavericks home crowd going crazy. One day, wherever I'm playing will have the same reaction. I'm motivated to post something now.
[Ulysses Kennedy]
[Twitter handle @TheSingularity]
[Watching The Grizzles and The Mavericks go at it helps take my mind off my birthday coming up. Thanks for the momentary distraction. The 24th has been bugging me. It's going to be my first birthday in a long time without my friends. I really miss you guys. I think about all of you every day. @memgrizz @dallasmavs @NBAOfficial]
I click post, and there are comments and reposts a few seconds after. Twitter is good for certain things... I close the app, turn back towards the game, and the fourth quarter is just starting. "Hmm... That was a great nap..." Hannah slowly wakes up from her nap, and she looks at the TV. Her smile appears, seeing that it's basketball.
I'm lucky to have such a great girlfriend... Especially one that likes basketball. It shouldn't always be about me, though. "We can watch something else. Watching basketball every time you're over seems unfair." She turns her head and looks me in the eyes. Moving closer as she does. It makes my heart rate rise as she inches her face closer to mine.
She stops an inch away from her lips connecting with mine, and she reaches on the other side of the couch and grabs the remote. "There is one thing that I'd like to check out." She leans back, and I relax as she does. She changes the channel to one that I've never seen before. It reports on Covid-19 and how a new variant has popped up.
Covid continues to trouble humanity, but it's somewhat less dangerous than it was in 2019 and 2020. Can't say I know a lot about Viruses, but I know that they change rapidly and can't be cured. "Geez... I'm glad that the school requires vaccinations... Even though it's controversial about this vaccine status, I feel safer knowing that everyone around me is..." She brings up a good point.
The NBA will require my medical records and vaccination status, but I'm fully vaccinated. I had to be if I wanted to attend school and play basketball. "Yeah... Hopefully, this all comes back under control..." I don't like the thought of NBA seasons being canceled... That's parts of people's careers going to waste... It's disappointing, to say the least...
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