But You're Supposed To Be A Boy

NOAH'S POINT OF VIEW.

"And I have decided, the team that will represent this school on the national rink will be...." We stared at the boys' team, biting back our smiles because we knew what the coach would say. "The wild cats!!"

Our smiles dropped the moment those words registered; the sound of loud cheers from the boys' team hit the arena like a bullet. I stared at the Coach, my father, with widened eyes.

"What?" I gasped and stepped closer to him. "That makes no sense, Coach."

"I've made my decision, Noah."

"That decision is stupid." Everyone gasped, and he glanced up at me. "The girls' team just won regionals; we've beaten every single team that played against us for the past six months. We deserve this, not them."

"Noah, first, I'm the coach here; I make the decision. Second, the school has decided to cut funding to the girls' hockey team.

You guys can find something else to do.....you know, normal girl things."

"What are normal girl things, Dad?" My left eye twitched. I knew why he did this.

"Yeah, princess.....go play with some dolls or something." One of the guys from the boys' team hooted, but I ignored him.

"Noah..." Coach released a breath, pinching the edge of his nose. "Come on, don't be difficult."

"Difficult?" I scoffed. "The girls and I have worked our asses to be not only good but better than the boys at this. We have a much better record than the boys, and we pull crowds too."

"First, girls will never be better than boys. It's just science, sweet cheeks."

"Cal me sweet cheeks again, River, and I'll knee you so hard, your grand kids will feel it."

"Look, Noah; I know you're disappointed... so let's do this," Coach finally faced me. "How about you girls wait a year?"

"A year?" We scoffed.

"Yes, let the boys go now, and next year I'll see if I can get you guys in. But you must work really hard."

How much harder do we have to work, Dad?"

Before he could speak, my boyfriend, the captain of the boys' team, stepped out from behind. Nursing a bottle of water, he approached us.

"Finally, Thank God, Justin." I finally smiled and walked closer to him.

"What's going on?"

"Dad says your team is going to represent the school..."

"Oh, sweet!" He clapped a guy nearby.

"No, not sweet, Justin. The girls should be the ones doing this, and you know it."

"What?"

"Yes, now tell Coach that's what should happen; tell him we have a better record and presence, and we should get this chance. It'll be the first time girls will ever get that opportunity in the history of this school.

Our team deserves this."

"Why would I do that, Noah?" He asked with a bemused smile. I stared at him, my heart slamming against my ribs.

"Justin..." I let out a shaky chuckle. "Stop this; why are you acting like this?"

"I'm sorry, Noah, but we know that's not practical. The scouts there will be searching for professional players....not a bunch of pretenders."

"Pretenders?"

"Yeah, the only reason this school even lets girls play is so they seem inclusive. We know who really owns the show here."

"Justin!" I scoffed, glancing from the girls' team to the coach and my boyfriend of three years. "How could you....? Just yesterday, you said I played better than more than half the guys on your team."

"Uhh.... I.." He flustered; the guys grabbed his shoulder.

"You said that, captain?" They asked at the same time, with amused smiles.

"Come on, Noah.....let's not make things up cause we're angry."

"I am not lying!" It was my turn to pinch my nose. "Come on, the coach will listen to you if you just tell him to let the girls play"

"I'm not doing that." He sipped on his water. When he realized I wasn't joking, or that the hurt in my eyes was real, he straightened. "Come on, Noah....girls don't belong on ice. We can find a special cheer team for you guys instead."

"Justin..." I licked my lower lip. "If you don't tell the truth right now, it's over between us."

"Fine, I'll tell the truth." He shook his head, glanced at the guys and the coach. Silence filled the rink as everyone waited.

His team formed a line behind him. Coach stared at him. He glanced at the guys, lifted his arms, and hollered;

"I guess we're going to Nationals!!!!" They rushed to him, lifting him in the air with loud cheers and roars. Air knocked out of my lungs as Justin winked at me, pulled his index and last finger to his ears in a 'call me' fashion.

If he thought I would call or even look at him after that, he had another thing coming. I walked back to my team, their saddened, disappointed gazes felt like arrows straight to my heart, especially as their captain.

"What are we going to do, Noah?" Cassie, one of the girls, asked.

"Yeah, we worked our asses off this past few weeks, barely getting any rest so we could win every game, but they get to play the big rink?"

"It's not fair." Their protests shot into the air.

I glanced back at Coach, my father walking off into his office, phone pressed to his ear.

"I think we should just leave it." Tina, another one of the girls, said suddenly. We glanced at her, brows furrowed.

"How could you say that?"

"What? I'm being honest. Coach prefers the boys' team over us; nothing we do would make him change his mind. Plus, the school is on his side... maybe we wait a year as he said?"

"Tina, the previous team waited a year; last year was supposed to be their year, but they got cut. The same thing happened to more than five teams before that.

The only reason the school acknowledged us is that we won every game, and the crowd loves us.

Waiting for Coach is not an option; history will be repeated." Another countered.

"So what do we do then?"

They shrugged, looking from the ice to me. They wanted answers... and I had none.

"Maybe I should try talking to him again?"

"What's that going to do? You heard him earlier, didn't you?" Hailey, the newest member, slapped her hand over her face.

"What's the harm in trying ?" I clapped and ran off towards his office without a second glance. It doesn't take me long to find it.

Pushing the door open, I find my dad pacing, his phone pressed to his ear.

"Dad, what the hell was that out there?"

"I'll call you later." He said into the phone before dropping into his chair. "Nice to see you again, Noah."

"Dad, you know we're good. Why won't you let us make it to nationals?"

"You know why." His grey eyes shone with one thing; it made me square my shoulders.

"You agreed not to be like that anymore."

He let out a sigh, grabbed a mug of what smelled like coffee, and spoke again.

"Noah, you know the history of this family. Every single one of my brothers has produced a hockey prodigy; your cousins are killing it in the big leagues."

"And I will if you just let me play. We discussed this, Dad.....you promised."

"Noah.." he stood and walked over to me. "Your cousins playing in the big leagues are all men; all wonderful, talented men. Imagine how it'll look if I met my daughter playing instead of my son at the national level."

"But I'm better than Owen."

"We both know you are, but hockey isn't something girls play, Noah. Go enlist in the debutante thing your mother spoke about at dinner. Forget this; this is Owen's shot.

Let him take it."

I swallowed, pain bleeding into my heart. "When, Dad?" He sighed. "When are you going to finally choose me instead of Owen? When will you accept that I can be good at this, too?"

"You'll understand why I'm doing this soon enough, Noah. But I'm sorry; you can't play, nor can your team.

Go home now; I'll see you at dinner tonight."

I pressed my lips together, my eyelids stinging as I pushed back tears. He moved in for a hug, but I pulled back and walked out the door.

A man dressed in a dark suit nearly crashed into me just as I stepped out. "Sorry, sir."

"It's alright.....wait....Noah Brooks?" He did a double-take.

"Yes."

"Wonderful!" He grabbed my hand and shook it. "I'm glad to finally meet the hockey prodigy." I was just about to ask who he was when my dad's office door opened

"Scott!" He gasped upon seeing him. "I've been expecting you. Come on in."

He rushed out, grabbing his shoulder to pull Scott in. "Wait, Brooks, I just met Noah..."

"I know." He slammed the door on me. I blinked, ready to storm out of there to beg my mother to speak to her husband.

But as I took one step away, I heard their hushed voices behind the closed door.

"Is that your daughter? I'm super excited to take her team to nationals. Have you sent the proposal to the dean?"

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. He wants to take us? Really?

I stepped closer untill my ear pressed against the wood.

"No," Dad said, tone snippy.

"No? What do you mean, no?"

"I mean, you're not taking the girls to Nationals. You're taking the boys."

"What are you saying, Coach Brooks? This wasn't the plan!" An unfamiliar voice yells.

"Look, I understand your frustration, but trust me. The boys' team is much stronger, much better than the girls."

"Mo, Coach. I watched those girls play, and the decision stands; we want the female team to play at nationals."

"Come on, Scott; who's going to watch a bunch of girls play hockey? They might change their minds when they see the size of the crowd. Let's go with the guys instead."

My heart thundered against my ribs as my father's voice slammed into my ears. They wanted us... but he was the one who said no?

A moment of silence passed between them until Scott spoke. "Tell me, Brooks, what's the deal?"

"Deal?"

"Why do you seem so against these girls playing, huh? We've sent the deal more than five times already; some were for teams that came before these.

There is serious potential here. Why are you wasting it?"

For a moment, no one says anything. Just when I thought they wouldn't, Dad breaks the silence. "My son, Owen, I want him to play at nationals level. We've never gotten this chance before; I want Owen to take it."

I swallowed hard; the memories of my childhood flashed before my eyes. As always, Dad... it'll be Owen over me.

"Was he on the ice earlier? Which one was he?"

I could see dad wince before he replied.....and we knew why; "number ten."

"Number ten?! What? Who should be the water boy instead? He barely knows how to hold the...." The Scott guy sighed. "Please tell me you're joking."

"No.....my family has produced a male hockey prodigy for generations now. Owen is my only son; he needs this more than his sister."

"The boy has a bad leg! He's wobbly on the ice."

"That's because of a terrible accident, but it doesn't change the fact that he can be better with time."

Dad's tone became lower; as did my heart fall. It's because of me that Owen is like that. It happened when we were thirteen. I wanted to play so bad, but I was grounded. Owen decided to sneak me out of the house and take me to the local rink.

On the way, he was hit by a truck. His leg wasn't badly damaged....but it wouldn't be anything like before ever again.

"They look quite alike, too; are you sure you don't want us to put Noah in a wig and make her Owen instead? No one needs to know."

"No." Dad shut it down.

"There's barely six weeks to nationals, so you understand the risk we are taking?"

"Yes."

"Okay, but at least tell me the other guys are better than what I saw out there; if they go ahead with Nationals, they'll be playing against the Wolves....do you know who just transferred into that academy, and their hockey team?"

"It can't be.."

"Jace Donovan. If we are going against a team he is on, you'd better bring your A-game."

Jace Donovan?! The hockey King? Even I knew that name. Every hockey player in the country did. The guy was already being called the future of Canadian hockey. And if the Wild Cats went to Nationals, they'd have to face him.

It was him, Jace Donovan! Owen's former best friend and my one-time crush. The arrogant jerk who broke my heart on my eighteenth birthday after I confessed my feelings, the last person on earth I wanted to see was Jace Donovan. My first crush, my first heartbreak, my first guy I swore I'd stay away from forever.

And if I do this thing on my mind, I have to be with him in the same school for at least six weeks?

Apparently, the universe has a twisted sense of humor.

I've always wanted to play against him, not only for bragging rights, but so I could kick his ass, and I have the chance, but Dad doesn't want me to take it?!

My hands clenched at my side as my heart rate spiked. I swallowed hard; if Dad doesn't want me to play because I'm a girl, I'll become a boy.

NOAH'S POINT OF VIEW.

"You want me to do what?" My best friend, Tara, blinks rapidly at me.

"Make me a boy, specifically Owen. And you need to do it today."

"You want me to turn you into your brother?"

"Yes, I'm going to Blackridge Academy as Owen, join their boys team there, and in six weeks, I'll beat Justin's team. Then, Dad will see that a girl can be a hockey prodigy."

"That's just crazy, Noah."

"Come on, Tara. You know I need this." I groaned. "The scouts came for the girls, they loved our performance! If dad doesn't want to see how good we can be, maybe showing him how good I am would finally make him snap out of it."

She drops her glass of wine on the table before releasing a sigh. "Do you understand how insane this is? What if someone finds out? You'd get expelled, and you won't be able to play anymore. The rules clearly state..."

"I know what they state, and I'm ready to take the risk."

"How are we even going to make this work?" She chuckled before grabbing the wine to take a sip. "How do we hide all those goods?" She wiggled her brows

"What goods?"

"Noah, do you even own a mirror? You have Beyoncé-level curves! Any guy can spot that."

I plopped back in her chair with a heavy sigh. She's right.

It's hard enough to play hockey like this; if I have to hide under layers of clothing in the heat, I'll probably pass out.

"You're right.... " It's pointless," I whispered, then grabbed the big bag of chips. Stuffing my face, I tried to stuff my emotions too, but all I could hear was Scott's voice.

'Noah Brooks.... It's lovely to meet you!' I could still see the joy and wonder in his gaze the moment our eyes met.

I had a chance; one chance, and it would slip by. There was nothing I could do about it......unless.....an idea struck me.

"Wait!" I snapped my fingers.

"What?" She coughed, choking on her wine.

"How about Ernesto? He could make me up."

She sits up and nods slowly. "You're right.....Wrnesto is an amazing makeup artist. And he could pick out your clothes too."

"So call him already!" I pushed her softly towards her phone. Her heels clicked against the marble tiles as she rushed to grab it. But in the background, I heard the low ringing before she spoke.

My phone suddenly vibrated, and the sight of my brother's name bold on the screen hit me like a ton of bricks.

I groaned but slid to answer.

"What?"

"Noah! You gotta help me!" He rushed out, breathing heavy like he'd run a marathon. I pushed up instantly, my eyes wide as I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Wait, what is it?

"Dad just called; he said hw blocked a spot in Black Ridge Academy in Canada. He wants me to go play with the team for nationals."

"You must be so happy." My voice dropped with a sarcastic ring

"No! I'm the opposite of happy."

I frowned immediately. "You are?"

"Of course I am. You know how I really feel about hockey; I don't want to do this."

"You haven't acted like you hate hockey in the last three years, Owen. You don't have to lie to make me feel better, you know? I know you want to take it."

"I lied, Noah.....dad got into my head with the whole family honor thing. Plus, he put me in one of the most expensive training academies last summer. I paid someone else to pretend to be me while I went off to Paris to learn ballet."

"No way! No wonder you never did a video chat that time." I gasped, smacking my hand against my thigh.

"Yeah! I came to America so he wouldn't suspect anything. I need to be back in Paris tomorrow, we have an important competition soon."

I swallowed, my brain tingling with a weird idea as I watched Tara give me a thumbs up. "He's on his way!" She whispered before disappearing into the kitchen.

"What are you doing now?" Please say what I want you to say.....I crossed my fingers and shut my eyes tight.

"You know... everyone says we look alike." I leaned forward until I almost slithered off the silk-sheet-covered bed.

"Yeah..." Please go on.... Please.... I'd need his passport at the airport, and I need him to know so I don't get caught early.

"What if... You go in my place?" I leapt off the bed with a squeal. "Please don't cry.....I'll give you whatever you want, I promise. Just do this one for me, please."

"Uh....of course I will. What are siblings for?" I chuckled, eyes widening as Ernesto walked in, dragging a huge suitcase along.

"Great! I'll give you my passport as soon as you're home. The plane leaves for Canada in an hour and thirty minutes. You need to be ready before then."

"Wait... that soon?! I haven't even changed my appearance yet."

"What's happening?"

"Owen says the plane leaves in ninety minutes. We won't have time to change me into Owen." I rushed out, heart slamming hard as I tried not to panic.

"Wait, is that Tara?"

"Not important, Owen....what are we going to do? I still need to pack."

"I'm, give me a list of all you want packed, and u can pack it for you. I can meet you at Tara's or the airport with my passport, too. You can focus on the rest."

I released a sigh of relief. "That would be perfect. Thank you so much, Owen." I hung up.

Ernesto stared at me like I'd grown two heads. He glanced at Tara, then shook his head slowly.

"What?" She and I asked at the same time.

"Where is the girl you want me to turn into a boy? Because I know it can't be this one in front of me."

"It's... her." Tara pointed, but he burst into laughter.

"Please, say something else." He said between fits of chaotic laughter. "You expect me to turn her into the picture you sent?"

"Come on, how hard could it be?"

"Terribly hard, especially when she has curves celebrities in this country would kill or die or do both for."

"Come on, it can't be that hard...please." Tara and I clapped our hands together and pled. For a moment, all he did was stare at me. Untill he rolled his eyes and placed his suitcase flat on the floor.

"Even the greatest artists have challenges. Take a seat in my chair, princess......time to make you a boy."

About thirty minutes later, I stared at myself in the large mirror. My once full, long blonde hair now hid under a wig, my curves hidden under the big hoodie and jeans Ernesto put me in.

I looked exactly like Owen without facial hair. I gasped, turning to a proud Ernesto and a shocked Tara.

"Don't sing my praises yet, sweetheart. I already know." I giggled, and in the process, I glanced at the clock.

"Fuck! We have less than forty minutes!" Tara and I scrambled immediately, packing whatever I would need before she pushed me to the door. I rushed into my car, waved goodbye, and sped off.

"Good luck!!!" They yelled from behind.

I sped through the normally busy road, dashing into short cuts untill I stopped in front of the airport.

I jumped out of the car, phone pressed to my ear as I called Owen. He picked on the fourth ring;

"Where are you?!" He hissed

"I'm at the airport now; please tell me you're here too."

"Yeah, I'm by the departures gate; hurry; mom and dad are here too." My heart pounded as I pushed my legs fast enough.

The airport was huge; too huge. I bumped into children, pets, and couples, uttering apologies untill finally, I stood a few feet away from my brother. My mother brushed her hands through his hair, while Dad probably rambled on about hockey.

Owen looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. He discreetly searched around until finally, his eyes landed on mine.

"I'm here!" I mouthed. Subtly, he moved his head towards the airport bathroom. I dashed in there, my fingers tapping against my pants as I waited for him.

Luckily, the bathroom was empty when I walked in. The door pushed open to reveal a frantic, breathless Owen.

"Finally! What took you so long ......wow that make over is insane!"

"Who cares about that?!" I said through gritted teeth. "Did you bring it and pack what I said you should?"

"Yeah, here it is." He pushed it into my hands. "Remember to act naturally in front of mom and dad."

"I know." I headed for the door when he grabbed my wrist. "WHAT IS IT?" There was no time left.

"Good luck, Noah...try not to get caught." He pulled me in a hug, pressed his lips to my forehead, and sent me off. I gave him a last look before walking out of the bathroom.

"Owen!" Dad yelled, and for a moment, I stood there, waiting for Owen to show up. "What are you doing standing there?! They're counting the members already!"

I gasped, relaxing, it was me....kn Owen now. I rushed there in a few strides. Oh, my baby is going to make us proud." Mom whispered, going in for a hug. My eyes widened, but luckily, before I had to do something, Dad held her back.

"That's enough, Violet. He needs to go now." He glanced at me. "Hurry now, the teams are waiting."

I swallowed and walked past them, barely letting my mother hug me.

"Owen Brooks?" The attendant glanced at my passport.

"Yes, that's me." I nodded, sweat suddenly coated my forehead and hands as he stared at the passport for a moment too long. His lips pulled into a thin line.

"Hey, come help me check this." He called for another person. My heart jumped to my throat.

This was it.....they would know.....I'm done!

"Hey, sir....um..." Dad appeared at my side, his hand slung around my shoulder. "This is my son; he needs to be on the plane now so he can be part of his hockey team."

"Wait... are you Brooks? Coach Brooks?"

"Yes, I am." Dad smiled proudly.

"Oh, I'm a big fan of you! Why don't you say so?" He stamped the passport before placing it in my sweaty hands. "You may go along now, young sir. I love you so much, sir." He gushed, making way for one to whisk away while dad went on about his achievements.

I sped untill I boarded the plane. The moment I dropped into my seat, I released a breath.

"Thank God." I looked around me in the business class cabin, staring out the window. The pilot's voice came through the speakers just as someone else dropped beside me.

His dark hair sat full on his head, and the tattoos that covered his neck and arms looked like they would never end. He glanced at me for a second, and it felt like the pores on my skin grew larger.

"Since when did you have this haircut?" He glanced at my hair...or the wig. My mouth fell open as I stared into his blue eyes. "What?" He smirked, "Forgotten your best friend so soon?"

I gasped, mouth falling open when I realized who it was. He didn't let me think or speak because before I knew it, he wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.

It was him, Jace Donovan! Owen's former best friend and my one-time crush.

NOAH'S POINT OF VIEW

Stealing my brother's identity to prove to my father that girls belonged on the I've sounded a lot easier a couple of hours ago. Back then, I'd imagined scoring goals, winning championships, watching my father's jaw hit the floor when I proved him wrong......I never imagined being wrapped in enough duct tape to survive a natural disaster.

Or wearing three layers of clothes just to hide the fact that God had been a little too generous when creating my body. The wig attached to my scalp felt like it'd been created from a cactus, the fake eyebrows Ernesto glued to my eyebrows itched so badly, I was one scratch away from exposing my entire identity before we even landed.

Don't get me started on the sideburns.

And somehow, that wasn't my biggest problem.

My biggest problem was sitting exactly eighteen inches away from me. Jace Donovan. I stole a glance at him before looking back out the airplane window.

Four years; four whole years since I'd last seen him, and time hadn't been kind to him. No, it had spoiled him.

His dark hair was slightly longer than I remembered, falling effortlessly over his forehead to frame his stupidly handsome face. A sleeve of tattoos disappeared beneath the rolled cuffs of his black hoodie, and an expensive silver watch was around his wrist. Somehow, even while sitting down, he carried himself like he owned every inch of the plane.

He looked like the star hockey player he was. It was unfair; he'd broken my heart and somehow gotten hotter.

"You're going to keep staring at that window?" He said lazily, I could feel his gaze running over my skin. I clenched my hands. "Or are you planning on saying hello?"

I nearly jumped out of my seat. "I.." my real voice peaked out. I cleared my throat, deepened it; "I'm just tired."

He studied me for a second while I forced myself to hold his gaze. "Tired?"

"It's a long flight."

"Owen Brooks...been a while since we were like this. Where are you headed?" He leaned over me; probably too close because I could smell his minty breath mixed with the expensive cologne that clung to his glistening skin.

I swallowed again. "Black Ridge Hockey Academy." I hated that my voice came out with a squeak and that his brows shot up.

"You? Why?"

"I want to try out for the star team," I replied, trying not to blink too fast or tremble from his piercing blue gaze.

"Since when do you like hockey?"

He chuckled, leaning further back. I nearly shuddered; his perfectly athletic, muscled build stretched over the seat, giving him an even hotter look than before.

"Since now."

"And your father has nothing to do with this? Last I checked, you hate the sport."

I managed to forget that he and Owen were best friends; of course, he thinks this. "I changed my mind."

"I can see that....seems your mind isn't the only thing that's changed about you."

I forced a laugh that sounded more like someone choking on ice cubes. "What do you mean?"

His blue eyes lingered on my face a second longer than I wanted to hate. Please stop looking at me....please.

"You smell different."

"What?" I froze.

"You used to drown yourself in that awful cedar musk." He gagged to that effect, and I nearly did too.

I hated it as much as he did....we both did. He wrinkled his nose dramatically, frowned slightly, and suddenly leaned closer.

"W-what are you d-doing?" I swallowed. He was so close...so close I could see my reflection in his eyes.

He leaned even closer, burying his nose in the crook of my neck. My mouth fell open as I gasped aloud, making everyone turn to stare at us. I cleared my throat, my nails digging into the seat as he sniffed.

"You smell like coconut.... you're allergic to coconut."

Owen is allergic to coconut; it's my favorite.

I cleared my throat yet again, shrugged my shoulders, and said with a forced casual tone. "I-I'm no longer allergic."

"Really?" He thankfully leaned back, finally giving me proper air to breathe. Although I still caught several notes of his cologne.

"Yeah, the doctor says it's all right now. I can have as much coconut as I please." I held myself back from wiping the sweat from my brow.

He didn't look convinced. But thankfully, before he could ask another question, the slight attendant appeared beside us.

"Mr Donovan?"

He looked up with a polite smile. "Your family's driver has already arrived at Blackridge Academy, sir. He will be waiting outside the private terminal as soon as we land."

"Thanks."

She smiled before walking away. Of course, a private driver and terminal. I wouldn't expect anything less for one of the richest hockey players in North America, or from the heir to a massive estate his late grandfather left him.

Some things would never change; one of them was the fact that Jace Donovan was disgustingly rich.

He noticed me staring. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

I looked away; the sound of his soft laughter washed against my skin like smooth butter. I should hate it, but I want to keep hearing it. From the corner of my eye, I saw him massage his jaw with an index finger.

I glanced at his watch; we would land soon....and I could hide from him as much as possible. My breath caught in my throat when he asked the one thing I never thought he would;

"How is your sister?"

Every muscle in my body tensed, my ears both tingled and itched as I tried not to look at him.

He's asking after...me?

"Is she still crazy about hockey?" His voice was casual.

"Y-yes." Would it have been better to say no?

"I'm shocked she didn't tie you down back home, and come up with some grand scheme to take your place instead."

My head snapped to him immediately. "W-w-why w-w-would you s-say that?"

"Easy, tiger." He chuckled, slapping my chest. I gasped again, eyes wide just like his. "How come your chest is so soft?"

"I...I..." sweat dropped down my brow into my left eye as I tried to find something, anything. "Noah is quite well; she supports me in this."

"Huh? That's surprising." He nodded slowly before looking back out the window.

"Yeah."

Thank God....my fingers tapped rapidly against my skin as I counted from one to thirty backwards.

"She still hates me?"

He asked again, making me stare at his side profile. The teasing smile had disappeared. For the first time, he widened his eyes and looked almost disappointed.

"I..." My throat tightened as the memory of him rejecting me outright years ago flashed through my mind. I should tell him no and be done with it, but at the same time, I couldn't help but remember my broken heart, or the fact that I decided to be with Justin out of spite, only to learn he'd left the country shortly after. "Does she have any reason to hate you, Jace?"

My real voice peaked out. I watched him, the way his hands seemed to ball up slightly. He didn't reply, didn't even wiggle his brows, and somehow, that silence hurt more than I expected.

Before I could think of anything else to say, the captain's voice echoed through the cabin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing in Vancouver in approximately five minutes."

Relief washed over me. Finally, I would be as far from him as possible. Maybe I would survive being a boy after all.

The wheels touched the runway with a gentle thud, and after we'd stopped, passengers stood immediately, reaching for their luggage.

I grabbed my backpack, already imagining ten minutes of peace before whatever would come next.

Jace slung his duffel bag over one shoulder and grinned. "Don't look so relieved."

"Why?" I frowned.

"Why?"

"The fun starts now."

Before I could ask what he meant, the aircraft door opened. The moment we stepped into the terminal, a booming voice echoed through the arrivals hall.

"BLACKRIDGE RECRUITS!!!"

Every head snapped toward the man in the academy tracksuit standing beside a waiting bus. A whistle hung around his neck, a clipboard tucked under one arm, and a harsh expression sat on his strong face.

"Bus leaves in five minutes! No sightseeing! No laziness!! Tryouts begin the second we reach campus!"

My heart dropped straight into my stomach. I thought pretending to be a boy was going to be the hardest part. Apparently, I hadn't even started.

I moved toward the bus like the other guys when Jace grabbed my shoulder.

"W-what are you doing?" I blinked, my skin turned warm even though the heavy layers of clothing.

"You don't have to ride with them in the bus; you can ride with me instead."

The ride to the campus from here would take at least two hours; spending one more minute in proximity to Jace was a nightmare I couldn't afford right now.

"I-I don't think there is any need to.."

"Oh, let's go." He chuckled, grabbing my luggage before I could say anything, and he dragged me along.