THE BOY WHO KNEW ME FIRST

Where ice meets court, and hearts collide

Sophia and Ethan were childhood best friends, torn apart by distance and hockey dreams. Eight years later, they reunite in Winnipeg—but he's the star hockey captain with a girlfriend, and she's the new badminton player trying to find where she belongs. As old feelings resurface and new complications arise, they must navigate the thin line between friendship and something more, all while the pressure of senior year, scouts, and everyone's expectations threaten to tear them apart again.

Start Reading on Wattpad
10 Episodes Season 1 Complete YA Sports Romance

Meet the Characters

Season 1 Episodes

Episode 1

Returning to Center Ice

Sophia Chen moves to Winnipeg and reunites with her childhood best friend Ethan Price. But he's not the 9-year-old she remembers—he's the school's hockey star with a perfect life. When they reconnect, neither can deny that some things never really change.

16,113 words ~65 pages 65 min read

Episode 2

New Lines

Sophia becomes part of the Friday night ritual—hockey games and post-game celebrations. She bonds with Maya through badminton while Ethan starts calling her his "good luck charm." But when they keep ending up alone together, everyone starts to notice.

19,911 words ~80 pages 80 min read

Episode 3

Defensive Zone

The Halloween party brings everything to a head. On Jordan's roof in the cold October night, Sophia and Ethan almost cross the line. Almost. But "almost" is enough to scare them both, and they agree to distance—if only they could actually stay away.

26,161 words ~105 pages 105 min read

Episode 4

Matchup

New Year's Eve brings their first kiss, but his father's ultimatum threatens everything. Robert Price offers MIT tuition—if Ethan never sees Sophia again. The choice between love and future shouldn't be this hard, but when your father controls everything, it is.

22,821 words ~91 pages 91 min read

Episode 5

Storm Warning ⚡

A blizzard strands them in Grand Forks, and in a motel room with nowhere to hide, Ethan confesses: "I love you." The midseason climax changes everything. No more pretending, no more distance. Just them against the world—and his father's escalating control.

19,261 words ~77 pages 77 min read

Episode 6

The Weight

Valentine's reunion turns to legal warfare. Robert gets a restraining order; Ethan's mother Caroline chooses sides—the wrong one. The weight of fighting his own family while maintaining grades and hockey threatens to crush Ethan, but Sophia refuses to let him fall.

20,500 words ~82 pages 82 min read

Episode 7

Spring Training

Spring break together. Emancipation petition filed. MIT acceptances arrive—both got in, both got scholarships. For the first time, the future feels possible. But Robert isn't finished, and the legal battle is only beginning to heat up.

17,654 words ~71 pages 71 min read

Episode 8

Recruiting Season

National championships—Sophia wins gold in badminton, proving she belongs among the best. But Robert escalates with criminal charges, threatening Ethan's MIT acceptance. The question: Can they survive this final assault before emancipation court date?

14,047 words ~56 pages 56 min read

Episode 9

Championship Weekend 💋

Emancipation granted. Criminal charges dropped. Ethan is finally free. On Jordan's art studio roof, after 8 episodes of longing, THE KISS finally happens—and it's worth every page of waiting. No more obstacles. Just them, finally together.

22,650 words ~91 pages 91 min read

Episode 10

Commence (Season Finale)

NHL offers a $4M contract. Ethan chooses MIT—and Sophia—instead. Graduation, prom, and "I love you" at The Forks complete the circle. They fought to be together. Now they arrive at MIT ready to face whatever comes next. Season 1 complete. Season 2 awaits.

36,360 words ~145 pages 145 min read

About the Series

The Boy Who Knew Me First is a 10-episode YA sports romance series that explores identity, pressure, and the complicated beauty of first love. Set against the backdrop of competitive hockey and badminton in Winnipeg, this is a story about finding yourself while everyone else tells you who you should be.

Sophia Chen is brilliant—on the badminton court and in the physics classroom. But when she returns to Winnipeg for senior year, she's the new girl trying to figure out where she belongs. Ethan Price is the star hockey captain everyone expects to go pro, but secretly dreams of studying engineering at MIT. Their childhood friendship was pure and simple. Their reunion is anything but.

Through 10 binge-worthy episodes, watch as they navigate the impossible: maintaining a friendship when it feels like more, pursuing dreams when everyone's watching, and choosing authenticity in a world that rewards performance. This is a slow-burn romance with authentic teen voices, real stakes, and the kind of emotional honesty that makes you feel every moment.

10

Episodes

~160k

Total Words

5

Main Characters

Free

To Read

Also by Lilac Thorne

The Boy Who Melted The Ice

Christmas Romance

The Boy Who Melted The Ice

Mia Davis returns to her hometown for the holidays to find Jace Mitchell—the boy who broke her heart with a math equation—is back too. Working together to renovate their childhood ice rink, they must face four years of unspoken truths before the Christmas deadline.

Second Chance Romance Holiday Romance Small Town Ice Skating
Read Now arrow_forward