Girl Posing As A Boy

The acceptance letter lay on Laura Nicole Thompson's bed, crisp and official. Her name wasn't on it. Instead, it was addressed to 'Nicholas Thompson,' granting him admission to Kensingburg Sports University's prestigious Hockey Department. A mix of disbelief and a wild, impulsive idea surged through her.

She'd worked for years for this. Kensingburg was her dream. The women's team had rejected her, but this… this was an unexpected, impossible door opening. Laura Thompson, a girl, would become Nicholas Thompson, a boy, and seize her chance.

The drive to the university dorms felt surreal. She'd packed her clothes, her books, her entire identity into a few suitcases, leaving Laura behind. Her new dorm room, number 13 on the third floor, felt both lucky and foreboding. As she unlocked the door, a wave of apprehension hit her. This was real. This was happening.

Inside, half the room was already claimed, a clear sign her roommate had arrived. A bunk bed, a desk by the window, half a closet – her side. The other, filled with a regular bed, books, and snacks, belonged to William Johnston. A boy. Her roommate was a boy.

Just as the full weight of her decision settled, the door opened. And he stepped in. Tall, dark-haired, with striking blue eyes. William Johnston. Her heart hammered, not just from fear, but something else entirely. This was going to be a long six months.