Lies On The Ice

Chapter 3

Alex

I sat staring blankly at the chalkboard, but my mind was far away. I could not stop thinking about what Mom had said a few days ago. Worry twisted in my chest every single minute. I lived in constant fear that my secret would be found out at any moment. If Mom had learned that I was pretending to be a boy and standing on the same hockey team with Dale, my whole world would fall apart.

I felt someone sitting at the desk beside me, but I did not bother to look. I already knew what was happening. Our homeroom teacher had sent a message in our group chat saying we would rearrange seats, so I expected a new deskmate.

"Alex, can you switch places so I can sit beside Dale instead?"

It was Bea, our campus beauty and the most popular girl in school. My heart skipped a beat the moment she spoke Dale’s name. I quickly turned to look at the desk beside me, and my breath caught in my throat. It was Dale. He was sitting there, looking calm and unbothered.

My heart did a frantic somersault against my ribs. It felt like a dream. Dale had chosen to sit right next to me. He wanted to be my deskmate.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside my chest.

"I would not be sitting here if I wanted to be near you," Dale said bluntly to Bea. His voice was sharp and frank, which made Bea’s face twist in clear annoyance. Dale never softened his words. He did not care if he was talking to the prettiest girl in school or anyone else.

"Why do you prefer sitting next to Alex, a boy, instead of me?" Bea asked, mockingly lifting one eyebrow. "Don't tell me your tastes have changed and you like boys now?"

Laughter spread through the classroom, and heat rushed to my face. I burned with anger at her insult toward both Dale and me.

I could not stay silent and let her hurt him.

"What do you care if Dale chooses to sit beside me and not you?" I shot back, lifting my chin high. "Dale knows you are obsessed with him. That is exactly why he doesn't want to be near you."

Bea turned bright red with shame, especially when the class laughed louder at her expense. Everyone knew she had chased Dale for years, but he never spared her a single glance. He kept his distance not just from girls but from everyone. He built walls no one could climb.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Bea hissed, glaring at me. "Just wait. I will make you pay for this humiliation."

She stormed off to a seat far away, her head held high but her posture defeated.

A small, triumphant smile touched my lips. I felt a strange warmth knowing that I was the only girl allowed this close to him, although he doesn't know I am a girl. But things were changing between us. He was no longer the distant captain who only nodded or gave short answers to me. I held onto a quiet hope that I was slowly breaking through his walls.

"Why are you smiling like an i***t?" Dale whispered softly, leaning in.

I turned toward him quickly, and suddenly our lips almost bumped. Our faces were only inches apart. I had no idea he was leaning in so close to speak to me. His nearness stole the breath from my lungs, sending a wave of fluttering panic and excitement through my veins.

Dale seemed just as startled by how close we were. He held my gaze, his eyes searching mine before slowly drifting down to my slightly parted lips. He lingered there for what felt like an eternity, studying me with a look I could not quite understand.

My mind went blank. Should I pull away? Or should I let this moment last a little longer?

"You really do look like a woman, Alex," Dale murmured, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Even your voice sounds softer than it should."

A cold spike of fear pierced through my happiness. It was not just fluttering in my chest anymore. It was pure dread. Did he suspect the truth? Was my secret written all over my face?

I forced a loud, easy laugh and playfully slapped his shoulder, hiding my trembling hands. "What are you saying? There are men with softer features and voices. It does not make them any less of a guy. But do not worry, I am one hundred percent male. In fact, I have a crush on Jessa. I am even courting her."

Jessa was my best friend and classmate. She was the only soul in the school who knew the truth about me.

Dale’s expression darkened instantly at my words, as if he had swallowed something sour. A heavy silence settled between us until the teacher walked in and the lesson began.

The afternoon brought relief. Classes ended early for a teachers' meeting, giving my team plenty of time for hockey practice. We were the champions of the Interhigh School Hockey Challenge, so we were qualified for the upcoming National Hockey Competition. We needed to practice hard. My muscles burned with effort, but I felt strong and determined.

After our hard practice, I took my time in the hot shower. The locker room was nearly empty, so I had the privacy I needed.

Since I was heading home and no one else was around, I made a risky choice. I took off my chest binder. It had been suffocating me all day, digging into my ribs and making my chest ache. The moment I removed it, the pressure vanished. I felt lighter, freer, and able to breathe again. I finished taking a shower and headed to the locker room.

I was just finishing packing my bag when the heavy door creaked open, and Dale walked in.

"Let us leave together, Alex," he said simply when he saw me.

"I am sorry, Dale. I have to meet Jessa. We're having a date today," I replied with a practiced smile. I needed him to believe I was interested in girls. It was the only way to keep him from questioning my true self.

Dale did not say a word. He just frowned, a deep line appearing between his brows.

"Our little prince is growing up," Jake teased from the side. "He knows how to woo girls now." The rest of the team joined in, laughing and poking fun at me.

Dale grabbed his bag and walked out without a single word of goodbye. I watched him go, my heart aching as I followed his every step. If seeing me as a boy was the only way to stay by his side, then that was a price I was willing to pay.

I walked out of the locker room and headed toward the swimming complex to see my friend, who was training for the school team.

But when I arrived, Jessa was nowhere to be found. Instead, standing near the pool was Bea, flanked by three of her minions. Jessa’s swimming practice must have been canceled. I turned to leave immediately, but Bea’s group blocked the exit.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to sound calm and unbothered.

"You may look like a boy, but you have the face of a woman," Bea spat out with anger. "I am afraid Dale will turn out wrong if he keeps hanging around you."

"So? What is your point?"

"I want you to stay away from him, Alex. Or else..." She paused, a cruel smile twisting her lips. Without warning, she shoved me hard. I lost my balance and fell with a loud splash into the cold water. "That is just the beginning. I do not want to hear any bad rumors about Dale just because of you. Stay away from him."

They laughed loudly as they turned their backs and walked away. If only I had been wearing my binder, I would have fought back. But terror froze me in place. My thin white t-shirt clung to my body, heavy and see-through, showing the shape of my chest clearly beneath. If I climbed out now, everything would be exposed.

I stayed in the water and waited for them to be gone. I was about to climb up the pool when the heavy door burst open. Dale rushed inside, his face pale with panic.

"Alex! Are you okay?" He sprinted toward the pool edge, his voice shaking with worry.

My eyes widened in pure horror as he came closer.