CHAPTER 2: SHADOWS ON THE WALL

The locker room snapped with a sharp, heavy sound—a metal door slamming shut. Maya froze, clutching the thick sleeves of Julian’s black hoodie. The ice under her sneakers suddenly felt like a trap, just waiting to swallow her whole. Julian’s body radiated heat, but his muscles were stiff as stone. He pulled her closer, eyes darting over the dark rows of seats and into the black tunnels leading to the changing rooms.

“Don’t move,” Julian whispered. His voice was so low it almost growled.

“Julian, someone’s in here,” Maya breathed, barely louder than the hum in the arena. Her voice trembled. “We need to go. We should call the police or the guards.”

“The guards are on the other side of the school, and the doors are locked from the inside,” Julian said. He didn’t sound scared. Actually, he sounded like he was hunting something. “Stay behind me, Maya.”

He eased her toward the thick glass wall at the edge of the rink. Her legs felt useless, wobbly as jelly. Every step reminded her of her busted ankle, the dull pain pulsing from her last crash. She glanced toward the dark equipment room. A shadow moved—tall, skinny. It slipped behind a rack of hockey sticks.

“Who’s there?” Julian shouted. His voice shot through the empty arena, echoing off the high ceiling.

No answer. Just the machines humming, keeping the ice cold.

Then—a heavy bag of hockey pucks crashed to the floor. The thud bounced across the rink.

Maya jumped, a tiny sob slipping out. She felt small, weak. If anyone came after them, she couldn’t even run. She was just a girl on one good leg, clinging to a boy she barely knew.

“Wait here,” Julian said. He started to move away, toward the gate.

“No! Don’t leave me!” Maya grabbed his hand, her palm sweaty, heart pounding so hard it almost hurt.

Julian stopped. He looked at her hand, then at her face. The moonlight from the high windows caught his jaw, sharp as a knife. For a second, the anger in his eyes faded. He saw her—really saw her. Just a girl who’d lost her confidence, her sport, her safety, all in one night.

“I’m not leaving you, Princess,” he said, softer this time. “I’m just going to check. Nobody touches you while I’m here. Got it?”

Maya nodded, slow. She let go of his hand, watched him head off. Julian didn’t walk—he slipped along the ice like a tiger, fast and dangerous, even without skates. He snatched up a hockey stick from the bench and disappeared into the tunnel.

Now she stood alone on the ice. The silence pressed in. She caught her own reflection in the black glass—pale, ghostly. Her mother’s voice rang in her head, sharp as ever.

“You are a failure, Maya. If you lose this scholarship, don’t come home. I didn’t spend fifteen years on a loser.”

Everything pressed down on her. It wasn’t just the skating. If she didn’t get better, she’d lose her education, her escape. She’d be stuck in that tiny town with a broken body and a mother who only loved her when she won.

And now Julian said her fall wasn’t an accident. Someone wanted her to get hurt. Someone was watching her fail.

Suddenly, a metal crash exploded from the tunnel.

“Julian!” Maya screamed.

She forgot her fear, forgot the pain. She moved as fast as she could for the gate. Her sneakers slipped. She scrambled to the concrete floor and limped into the darkness where Julian vanished.

She turned the corner and stopped short.

Julian stood there, gripping a skinny boy by the collar. The kid wore a school jacket. It was Toby, the equipment guy. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.

“I—I was just cleaning up!” Toby stammered, his voice shaking. “I forgot my keys! I didn’t mean to scare anyone!”

Julian shoved him against the lockers. “At midnight? In the dark? Try again, Toby. Why were you hiding?”

“I wasn’t! I heard voices and got scared! I thought it was burglars!” Toby’s eyes flicked to Maya, face gone white. “I swear, Julian! Let me go!”

Julian looked down at Toby’s trembling hands, then at the small toolbox on the floor. He let go of Toby’s shirt, slow and cold. “Get out of here. If I see you near the rink after hours again, you’re in big trouble.”

Toby snatched his keys and bolted out the side door.

Maya leaned back against the cold lockers, gasping. “Was it him? Did he break my skates?”

Julian turned to her, frustration all over his face. “No. Toby’s too clumsy. Whoever loosened your blades knew exactly what they were doing. They wanted you to fall, fast. They wanted to end your career for good.”

A tear slipped down Maya’s cheek. “Why? I never hurt anyone,” she said, her voice shaky.

Julian shook his head. He moved closer, not touching her, but somehow, just by being there, he made her feel safer. “In this school, being the best is enough to make enemies,” he said. “You’re the Ice Princess. Everyone thinks you’ve got it all—fame, a perfect life. Or you did, anyway.”

Maya stared at the floor. “My life isn’t perfect,” she whispered. “My mom doesn’t care about me. She only cares about winning. If I don’t get back on the ice, I lose everything. I won’t have a home. I won’t have a future.”

Julian was quiet for a while. Then he gently tipped her chin up, making her meet his eyes. “Is that what scares you? Not the pain, but her?”

She nodded. “Both,” she said. “I’m scared I’m weak.”

Julian’s eyes went dark, serious. “Let me tell you something,” he said, his voice low. “I’m not just some guy who likes to fight. My dad’s in prison. My little brother depends on me. If I don’t get a hockey contract, if I don’t graduate and get into college, my brother ends up in foster care. That’s why I’m here at midnight. That’s why I’m with you.”

Sadness washed over Maya. She could see how much he carried. He wasn’t just the “bad boy” people whispered about. He was a big brother, fighting for his family. Just like she was fighting, too.

“So we both have a lot to lose,” she said softly.

“Everything,” Julian said. “Which is exactly why we’re going back out there. Now.”

He led her toward the ice, ignoring the crutches. Instead, he slid an arm around her waist and helped her onto the slick surface. The fear was still there, but it felt smaller. She wasn’t alone.

“I can’t jump, Julian,” she said as they moved, inch by inch. “I can’t even spin.”

“We’re not starting with jumps,” he said. “We’re starting with trust. Close your eyes.”

She shook her head. “What? No way.”

“Close them, Maya. I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall. Promise.”

She hesitated, then slowly closed her eyes. Darkness. The cold air brushed her face. She felt Julian’s hands steady on her waist. He skated backwards, pulling her forward. For a few seconds, she felt it—the magic of the ice. No judges, no pressure. Just movement. Just freedom.

“See?” Julian whispered. “You’re skating.”

Maya opened her eyes and, for the first time in weeks, she smiled. Really smiled.

Then—the arena lights blazed on with a loud snap.

Maya winced at the harsh light. By the wall, she saw Bianca, her rival, holding her phone up, filming. Next to her stood Maya’s mom, her face twisted with fury.

“Maya Rossi!” her mom’s voice boomed across the rink. “Why aren’t you in bed? Why are you with this... this criminal?”

Maya’s heart dropped. She glanced at Julian, then back at her mom. The secret was out.

“Mom, I can explain—” Maya started.

“There’s nothing to explain,” her mother cut her off, striding forward. “The school board meets tomorrow. They’ve seen pictures of you and Julian in the halls. They think you’re a bad influence.”

Bianca stepped closer, grinning. “And wait till they see this video. Doesn’t look like training to me. Looks like a date.”

Julian stepped in front of Maya. “She was training. I was helping her.”

“Helping her ruin her life?” Maya’s mother snapped. “Maya, get off the ice. Now. Or I’ll tell the Principal the deal’s off.”

She looked at Julian’s face, full of worry. If her mom ended the deal, Julian would be kicked out. His brother would be lost. Maya would be trapped, just like always.

But then something caught her eye. Bianca was holding something—a small silver screw. It looked just like the screws from a figure skate.

Why did Bianca have the screw that caused the accident? And was she planning to blame Julian for it all?