When he was a kid, Bikky had hated his hair, wishing it had been black and curly like his mom’s instead of blond like his dad’s. The contrast between his hair and the color of his skin had made him a target for the other kids because it marked him out as different, and the fact that he wore his hair long just made him stand out even more.

Yet despite being picked on and called names, he hadn’t wanted to get it cut. Even then, young as he’d been, he’d known having short hair wouldn’t have made much difference. He would still have been the runty little half black, half white kid, so he’d endured the bullying until he was big enough and tough enough to fight back, and after that he’d mostly been left alone.

He'd still hated his hair though.

Now he’s older, in college on a basketball scholarship, and his hair is no longer an annoyance he has to put up with, because now he wants to be noticed. His bright hair and darker skin make him stand out on the basketball court, people can’t help but notice him, and when they do, they don’t forget him. It’s impossible to confuse him with any of the other players.

If he’d known as a kid what he knows now, he would have been grateful for the quirk of genetics that made him blond and blue-eyed with mocha skin. Someday, every basketball fan will know who he is.

The End