I do love a challenge, so this story and all the chapters after it will be part of Little Miss Independence's 100 word story challenge! My first one-shots. Huh. Not sure when it's supposed to be over, but let's see if I can finish by the time I leave for college. August 14th, I WILL be done before you!

Lonely

The young blond boy stretched out his right hand to grasp the stalk of a violet. He added the flower to the two purple blossoms he already clutched gently in his left. It was a beautiful day out, Lucas had to admit. The sun shone brightly through the leaves of the weeping willow tree whose leaves fluttered lightly in the spring breeze. A bluejay sang a sweet song to his mate as he gathered twigs for a nest. A group of other children ran and played not far away from Lucas. He could hear them giggling and shrieking as they raced back and forth in the yard.

Lucas sighed to himself. Why were there so many lonely people in this world? He knew what it was like to be surrounded by people but never seen. Sometimes it was as if he was a ghost, everyone looked right through him or just ignored him. People seemed to think that his soft spoken nature was something to look down on. They would smile and nod at what he had to say, but they never really listened. He shook his head as he plucked a buttery yellow daffodil and brushed his light hair out of his eyes.

For a moment, Lucas gazed out at the other kids a few yards away. How nice it must be to connect with others so easily. To come into such a strange, unknown setting and instantly be able to make friends. It was a skill Lucas felt he could never acquire. If only he could be like the snapdragons he carefully pulled from the earth. They were surrounded by others just like them from the moment they had sprung to life. No wonder they always looked like they were smiling. If he could be any flower, Lucas was sure he would like to be a snapdragon.

For the past few weeks, Lucas had felt so alone. But today, he had woken up feeling different. As soon as he had opened his eyes he had a smile on his face. He had a plan.

Lucas placed the last flower in the center of the bouquet he had created. It was a beautiful lily of the valley. The smooth white petals were tinged with the faintest hints of yellow and blushes of pink. It seemed to make the surrounding rainbow of colors appear brighter, yet still keep all of your attention focused on the lily. He grinned, no one could resist its beauty, he was sure of it.

There she was. She sat by herself, trailing her fingertips along the surface of the pond. The koi fish circled her hands, making a game with each other. She was so unlike her brother, she was shy and demure, she didn't like being surrounded by strangers. So the other kids had soon forgotten about her.

Lucas walked over to the pond, holding the bouquet behind his back. He shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. She turned her head, gazing at him with her glassy chocolate eyes. She tilted her head to one side, a tiny smile on her lips.

"Will you play with me?" Lucas asked shyly as he held out the flowers. The girl's whole face brightened as she gingerly took the blossoms from his hands. She then reached out and pulled Lucas into a tight hug.

A grin broke out onto Lucas' face as he knew that the idea he had gotten this morning was just what the world needed. There are so many lonely people out there, but if they all came together, the world would be a much less lonely place.

Hope you liked it :)