Alex's P.O.V

Shit I'm late, coach is going to kill me. Practice starts at 4 and it's 3:52. I still have to get to locker room and change and make it to the gym. Fuck, I'm dead.

After finally hitting the locker room I quickly change into my basketball shorts and under armor. I'm going to burn later but the fresh bruises on my shoulders and arms will raise a lot of questions I don't want to answer. Oh well, checking my phone one last time before I make my way to the gym I notice a text from my best friend, Lauren.

LoLo: Where are you? Sharing the gym with the cheer team today

Shit. That means Harper is going to be there. How am I going to focus on practice with the one girl I have been crushing on for the last 3 years in the same room? Harper Adams is end game material. She's sweet, funny, amazing, beautiful, everything, I could go on forever. Finally stepping into the gym I see Lo with a smirk planted on her face while looking from me to Harper. I'm so screwed.

"JACKSON! Nice of you to join us." I hear coach yell across the gym.

"Sorry coach, got held up in class."

"Well don't let it happen again. Start the warmup drills Captain."

"Aye Aye coach."

As the team gathers around I chance a glance to the cheer leaders and catch Harper's best friend, Michelle, looking at me and whispering something to Harper causing her to blush and look up at me. Before I can think too much about it, I shake it off and start to warm up my team.

After an hour coach whistles for us to take a break. Just as I am about to take a swig of water a hand connects with my back causing me to wince at the pain from the new bruises.

"Sorry Lex. Did you see your girlfriend watching you shoot?"

I don't have a girlfriend Lo" I say rolling my eyes.

"But you could if you would stop being a pussy and ask her out."

"Whatever Lo you know I can't" I say looking up at her. Her smile falters for a moment and I see anger and concern flash across her eyes.

I hear her mumble something I can't quite make out under her breath as she walks away. Lo is the only one who knows about the abuse. She tries her best to keep me away from my house as much as possible but I have to go back sometime. It's better to be there than for him to have to find me. Over the years I learned my lesson about staying away too long.

Before I can think about it anymore coach whistles for us to start practice again. Soon another 2 hours have gone by and practice is over. This time I hang back in the gym shooting around for a while so that the locker room can clear out. I'm not ashamed of or shy about my body but I'm intersex meaning I have a penis. A chick with a dick.

If it was just my team I wouldn't care because they all know and accept it. Some even joke that I am bigger than their boyfriends. But today, the cheer leaders finished the same time we did so they are there as well. I just don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. Another 20 mins go by and I make my way to the locker room. After checking to make sure it was cleared out I open my locker and start grabbing the things i need to take a quick shower. Right after I take my shirt off and turn to stuff it in my locker, leaving my bruises on full display, the locker room door opens and I hear a gasp. Fuck my life.