Knock knock.
Drew stepped out of the stall slowly, the oversized shirt swaying around his narrow thighs like a dress. His bare feet slapped softly on the cold tile, his knees knocking a little, still not used to how light he was. He blinked as the harsh locker room lights caught the white-blond strands of hair falling into his eyes.
And then he saw him.
A tall, gangly teenage boy—maybe fifteen—stood near the benches, fidgeting awkwardly in a loose button-down shirt and a pair of old jeans that clearly didn’t belong to him. His sleeves were rolled up messily, his dark hair was tousled, and his expression was half-embarrassed, half-amused. But the moment his eyes landed on Drew, they widened.
“God,” the boy said in a voice that belong to him—a deeper, cracking teen voice that still somehow carried her rhythm, her inflection. “I thought I change a lot. But you... you turned into Tommy? The Tommy?”
Drew blinked, confused. “T-Tommy...?”
Kate—because it was unmistakably her in there—grinned and shook her head in disbelief.
“Yeah. Tommy. The ace from that club that rents the rink on Thursdays? The one who does those spins that defy gravity? That viral clip of the quad-axel at regionals? That’s you now. You’re... wow. You’re perfect.” Her—his—eyes scanned Drew’s tiny frame again, and then burst into laughter. “God, you’re even cuter in real life. That shirt’s like a tent on you!”
Drew felt his cheeks burn. “C-Can you not... stare so much?” he said, his voice cracking into a soft, musical child pitch that made Kate laugh even harder.
“Oh my god,” Kate wheezed, “you even sound cute now!”
Drew turned crimson. His voice had slipped into this gentle, bell-like register—breathy and small, and unmistakably young. He tugged at the hem of the shirt, trying to keep it down, now very aware that his legs were completely bare. “I didn’t... I didn’t think I’d be this... this little.”
Kate shrugged, walking over with a slight swagger that came more from his now-longer legs than confidence. “Well, I didn’t think I’d be a fifteen-year-old boy, either. But at least I’ve got some clothes. I found this stuff near the lost-and-found. Had to go commando though.” He winced. “Got a real good look at my new equipment trying to put these jeans on.”
Drew coughed and looked away, mortified.
Kate chuckled again. “Hey, relax. It’s just anatomy. Speaking of—which—” He turned and strode with exaggerated long steps to the lost-and-found bin. “I think I saw something that might actually fit your dainty new self.”
Drew followed behind, dragging his feet, head down, still half-hiding behind the long shirt. He couldn’t explain why, but something about Kate now towering over him made his stomach flutter in a weird, uncomfortable way. This wasn’t the cute girl he liked anymore—it was a lanky, slightly awkward teenage boy who had a completely different presence.
Kate rummaged in the bin for a moment, then pulled out a blue latex skating costume speckled with silver stars. It shimmered in the light like ice under moonlight.
“Here,” Kate said with a lopsided grin. “Pretty sure this is one of Tommy’s spares. And judging by how you look right now, it’ll fit perfectly.”
Drew stared at it, mouth slightly open.
“Oh come on,” Kate said, holding it out. “You’re not gonna freeze in just that shirt. Unless you like the air down there.”
Drew gulped. “Ugh... fine,” he mumbled, snatching the costume with hands that now felt delicate and smooth. “But... turn around, okay?”
Kate smirked and made an exaggerated show of spinning on his heel. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you some dignity, little guy.”
Drew clenched the costume in his hands. It was slippery and cool, and far too form-fitting for his current comfort level. But he knew better than to argue. Shivering slightly, and trying not to think too hard about how he looked, he padded back toward the locker room, the stars on the costume catching the light
