Fake Skating

Alec is the primary male point-of-view character. Dani remembers him as “a hilarious ray of sunshine with the uncanny ability to make everything better” (8), a boy who once carried warmth and laughter wherever he went. When Dani returns to Southview, she is shocked to find that her loyal best friend has completely changed. The boy she once knew is now “Zeus,” the hockey star of Southview, and this nickname says everything about how others see him but nothing about who he really is. Alec’s new identity as a local celebrity feels larger than life, having been built on his athletic success and the expectations of an entire town that treats hockey like a religion. This version of Alec feels like a stranger to Dani, and she fears that their friendship is over.

Yet beneath the surface, Alec’s life isn’t as glamorous as it seems. The weight of his father’s accident, his family’s financial struggles, and the pressure to live up to his reputation have forced him to shoulder adult responsibilities. Becoming “Zeus” has been a way to survive and protect his family, but it has also robbed him of his teenage years.