Chapter 150: The Switch

Aveline's POV

I kicked my skates into the ice and took off across the blue line. The noise from the Crestwood bleachers was loud, but I did not listen to it. I kept my head down, my eyes locked on the black rubber puck. I passed Landon with a sharp cut, handled the puck between my blades, and took a shot that hit the back of the net before the goalie could even drop his pads.

It was our first home game of the semester, and I was dominating the ice. I skated faster, handled the puck better, and hit the rival players harder than almost every guy on the rink.

Across the ice, Kieran was having a very hard time. He missed a clean pass from Milo, and his skating was slow; I guess it was his official game back since last season. He was favoring his left side, his posture stiff every time he tried to turn hard against the boards.

Coach Hale slammed his clipboard against the boards during a timeout, staring right into Kieran's face. "Wake up, Hampton. Fix your positioning, or I'm pulling you off the line. You're playing as you've never held a stick before."

Kieran did not talk back. He just leaned his head down, breathing hard under his helmet. His face was pale from the Anxiety, sweat dripping down his jaw. He took a slow breath, tightened his grip on his stick, and pushed himself back onto the ice when the whistle blew again.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, the locker room corridor was already a mess.

Three men in gray athletic jackets had walked out onto the path near the player entrance tunnel during the final minutes of the match, carrying heavy black medical cases and plastic clipboards. My heart stopped. The drug test team had arrived.

A cold sweat broke out across my back, soaking into my pads. I knew exactly what this meant. A standard urine and blood test would instantly expose my female biology to the team doctors. There was no way to fake a medical file on the spot. If I walked into that testing room right now, the entire lie would die.

Kieran and Theo were already standing near the water rack, their faces serious. One look at the gray jackets was enough. They knew exactly what was happening.

For the first time all semester, we had to rely on Kieran and Theo working together to save my skin.

"They're starting with the first line," Theo muttered, his voice very low as he leaned against the wall. "You're first, Asher."

The lead official in the gray jacket walked up to our bench, checking his clipboard. He looked straight at me and handed me an official, sealed collection container with my name and roster number printed on the label. "Asher Carter. Roster line one. Go straight to the locker room and provide your sample immediately."

"I can't go in there," I whispered to Kieran, my throat feeling dry as I held the labeled plastic cup. "If they take the sample, it's over."

Kieran looked from me to the officials, his jaw locked tight. He didn't hesitate. "I'll handle the staff. Theo, get her down the locker corridor right now."

As the testing doctors started calling out the next names, Kieran doubled over, clutching his ribs as if the pain had suddenly become unbearable. Coach Hale immediately sprinted over, shouting for the trainer.

As Theo hurried past the equipment racks, one of the stacked gear crates tipped over. Water bottles and equipment cases crashed across the concrete floor, blocking the corridor and sending players and staff rushing toward the noise.

"Move. Now," Theo hissed, grabbing the fabric of my jersey.

We ran down the narrow tunnel while everyone was crowded around Kieran and the spilled crates. The locker room was empty and quiet. Theo slammed the door shut and spun toward me, his breathing uneven.

Then we heard footsteps outside in the hallway.

"Asher Carter!" a voice shouted from down the hall. "Report back with your sample immediately!"

"We need a cup," Theo barked. He ripped through the trainer's cabinet until he found two unused specimen containers tucked behind the first-aid supplies.

"They're coming. Keep watch."

My phone buzzed violently in my pocket. I pulled it out with trembling fingers. It was a text from Kieran.

Hurry.

"Theo, someone is trying the locker room door," I whispered, my voice cracking as the handle rattled from the outside.

"Lock it!" Theo yelled, turning his back to me. "I'll fill this one. Get your official jar ready."

My hands were shaking so badly I dropped the plastic lid of my official, labeled jar onto the wet tile floor. It rolled under the bench. I scrambled down on my knees, struggling to breathe as I reached under the bench, scraping against the grime to pull the lid back out.

Outside, the knocking got louder. "Open up in there! We need the first line samples before the staff leaves."

Theo turned around, his face pale as he handed me the spare plastic container he had just filled. "Pour it in. Do it now."

I held my breath as I poured the sample into the official, labeled container. My hands shook so badly I nearly spilled it. The moment the switch was finished, I shoved the extra, spare cup deep into the bottom of the dirty laundry bin, covering it with wet jerseys.

Two minutes later, I unlocked the door and threw it open. The team doctor was standing there, looking annoyed.

I forced my voice deep, handing him the labeled jar with a flat face. "Here it is, sir."

The doctor nodded, checked my name off his clipboard, took the sample, and walked away.

My knees nearly gave out. Two people had just risked everything to protect my secret. If anyone had found out, it wouldn't just destroy me. It would destroy all of us.

Gear was being packed away by the time the arena finally cleared out. Kieran had already left to see the trainer about his ribs, leaving just Theo and me in the back locker room. Theo was sitting on a bench, slowly unwrapping the white bandage from his hand. He looked up at me. His eyes were calm.

"Did you find them?" Theo asked. "We need to talk about Asher's drug files."

"I got them," I said, pulling a folded stack of pharmacy pages out of my bag. I handed the papers to him.

Theo scanned the pages in silence, flipping carefully through each prescription. His thumb stopped on one of the entries. But as I watched his face, I remembered something weird I had noticed on the sheet.

"Theo... this medication isn't listed anywhere on Asher's official prescription history."

Theo frowned. "What medication?"

I pointed at the label.

Theo's fingers froze.

"A muscle relaxant," I whispered. I stared at the prescription again. "What was Asher doing with a muscle relaxant?"