Ezra Lang

Forest

Ezra was born in Berlin in Germany to the parts of Justus and Irma Lang, who were both junior champions in their specialist sporting fields, both meeting when they were aiming to get into the Olympics. As Irma was training every day down at Mankerstug Ice Rink to perfect her routine for the European championships, ‘Sting of a Ladybug’ she noticed Justus who was a meek, timid blonde boy watching her from the sidelines as he rested his hockey stick on the shatterproof plastic, leaning on his forearms.

Irma was not one to be easily won over, so promptly ignored him at first by rolling her eyes whenever she saw him in the stalls and pointing to the ‘closed practice’ sign that shone brightly above her head, illuminated with red neon strips. It was only when the European Championships rolled around that she noticed her watcher’s attendance at the games wearing a sports jersey with the name, ‘LANG’ printed across the back. Irma couldn’t take her eyes off him as he took to the ice rink and tackled down his opponents to score goal after goal.

After the two finally spoke, they soon realised that they shared the very same career aspiration of winning a gold medal at the Olympics representing Germany and, after a few months of learning about each other’s pasts and hobbies, they made the mutual decision to start dating. Dating and training for the Olympics at the same time was no easy task, however, as neither of them had time for one another as the months counted down to the games. They went to the Olympics but Irma walked away with a silver and Justus and his team won bronze, losing to Canada.

As the years ticked on and their bodies became to ache under the pressure of their extensive Olympic training, they collectively decided to retire early for the sake of their health and instead focus on their family.

Ezra Lang was put into sports the minute he was able to walk. His parents signed him up for every after-school activity that got his body moving and out into nature, actively going for sports that they knew Germany tended to rake in the most Olympic medals for. As Ezra grew and developed a massive competitive streak and followed in his parent’s paths and got really into basketball, following all the local and abroad games. Since his parents often had the TV on showing sports, he spent most of his childhood absorbing information about the rules of the games. When he saw an athlete he admired he learned their iconic moves by practicing in his back garden.

His parents noticed his natural talent for athletics and decided to prioritise his basketball career over his education and took him out of school to educate him themselves. The Lang family travelled the country to bring Ezra around to all the different basketball camps, training academy’s and team try-outs in a camper van where they now lived.

Ezra was soon recruited onto the national German team and began to train. Just when things were finally falling into place for their little family of three, Ezra’s dad’s health suddenly declined out of nowhere and on the night of a random Wednesday he had a heart attack and passed away.

With his mother being as inconsolable as he was, the family moved to the United States as everything in Germany reminded them both of him. Irma took on a job as a receptionist in the local gym and Ezra enrolled in highschool. Ezra tried to keep himself mentally stable as he knew his mother was struggling, but it became too much and one night he attempted to end his life.

Ezra woke in the hospital, his mother having luckily found him and called the ambulance before it was too late. He was kept in the hospital for a little while and went in for grief counselling. It was a long process, but after 8 months Ezra was finally able to scatter his father’s ashes with his mother.

He was quiet and reserved in school, having been the centre of gossip from quite a few kids but really came out of his shell once he was encouraged by a teacher to join the school’s basketball team. Ezra rose quickly through the ranks of the team and was up for the Captain position against Lev Smirnov – a wonder kid who showed the same natural talent as he had. He’d followed Lev’s social media since he was 15 and was always in awe of his ability to outsmart his competitors so seeing him in real life was absolutely surreal!

He soon found out that he and Lev shared that same competitive edge, and as fate would have it a rivalry stewed between them… but it wasn’t one of hatred, it was one of love.

If only that's where their happy ending ended. Unfortunately, it continues on. Ezra and Lev dated for over 2 years, but at the end of their college years, Lev decided to take up a once in a lifetime opportunity and leave the state to join a famous basketball team. After giving Ezra the choice to go with him or call it quits, Ezra stayed behind and their relationship ended.

Ezra wasn't used to being single. He spent the next couple of months in his apartment alone, until he saw a flyer for a club that went in his letterbox. Throwing caution to the wind, he decided to go. The evening was boring, until one man caught his eye. Confident and with a kind smile, Ezra decided to try his luck and walked over to the guy.

Milo Huang was a man like no other. He was sweet, but brash, caring but honest, and Ezra didn't hate a single thing. He needed to be pushed out of his comfort zone... and Milo helped him. Eventually, they spent all their time with each other, and as if it was inevitable, they started going out.

This one felt like it could last a lifetime, and it probably would.