Page 50 of The Bro-code

I bite my tongue.

This is so unfair. I feel like I did back in high school, when teachers used to allocate your seat on the first day and you were stuck with their choice for the entire year.

But this isn’t about sitting in the front row during calculus, or having someone useless as a lab partner. There’s no way I can live with Topher.

What happened earlier, when he tried to force me to kiss him, is proof that he’s gonna make my life hell; which is ironic, considering I’m the one who was wronged.

“But sir, I?—”

“Miss Woods,” the Dean’s tone brooks no argument. “I am under no obligation to explain the process we followed to relocate you and your sisters, but I’ll make an exception on the account of last night’s traumatic events.”

His words might sound sympathetic, but his tone is simply annoyed.

“The dorm allocations are non negotiable, unless you’re a part of one of our women's sports teams and that’s escaped my attention?”

I shake my head. “I’m not, sir.”

“Then you aren’t eligible for a room in the athletic dorms. Regardless, the latest allocations put them at capacity, so the point is moot. As for the rest of the pairings, the choice wasn’t mine. When we reached out to all the fraternities and sororities on Greek Row, we gave them a list of the Zetas upper classmen who needed shelter. We let each house choose who they were prepared to take in.”

There’s an edge to his tone. Is he implying that no one wanted me?

The sad thing is that it isn’t hard to believe it. I might be popular on campus and within the Greek Council, but Zeta Theta Beta’s prestige comes at a price. A few other sororities have expressed jealousy over our popularity and our affiliation with Gamma Delta Tau and the hockey team by default.

I guess I’m the prime target for all that jealousy, but I’m surprised that it translates into this much animosity from the other sororities.

One thing is certain. “I—I’m sorry, sir. I appreciate your help in this emergency situation, but I can’t move into the Gamma house. I used to date the Gamma president and things didn’t end on the best of terms between us.”

It costs me a great deal to admit all that in front of the Dean and my sisters. It’s one thing to show my anger toward my ex, but I don’t want anyone to know how heartbroken I really am. The only people who have an inkling of how much Topher’s betrayal hurt are Lake and Cole.

If I thought the Dean would feel any sympathy for me however, his next words prove me wrong.

“Miss Woods,” he says with a paternal tone that sounds faker than Bianca’s Louboutin pumps. “It pains me to hear that your love life isn’t as perfect as you hoped. However, life doesn’t always work out the way we want. Sometimes we have to make compromises and very often we’ll find ourselves stuck in uncomfortable situations. Our modern society, at least in our part of the world, tends to protect our young from disappointment and defeat. But this coddling, this trend of getting a participation trophy, has to come to an end at some point. You’re going to graduate this year and after college, that kind of coddling is going to be well and truly over. It’s a dog eat dog world out there, Miss Woods. As an educator and as a father, I think that learning to face uncomfortable situations is an excellent skill to take out with you in the real world.”

“Well said, Daddy.” Bianca’s smile is full of cruel satisfaction.

The words that ‘another thing our society seems to excel at is hypocrisy’ are on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow them down. Bianca is one of the most spoiled, entitled people I’ve ever met and she wouldn’t have been allowed to pledge Zeta Theta Beta without her father’s influence.

I suspect that isn’t the only form of “coddling” the Dean offered his offspring, but pointing it out now would do more harm than good. At the end of the day, the Dean could make our life easier or very hard when it comes to rebuilding the Zeta house and if I want to salvage my legacy as president, I’ll have to stay on his good side as much as I can.

“Very well,” Dean Williams says with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Since everyone is properly sheltered, I can go back to my Sunday putt game at the Country Club. I trust there won’t be any more fires to put out until Monday morning. You’re all dismissed.”

CHAPTER 10

THE FRAT HOUSE

COLE

Bay and her Zeta sisters file out of the administration building in silence.

She might not be saying anything, but I can feel the tension radiating from her perfect body and I hate that there’s nothing I can do to make things better for her.

Or maybe I’m wrong. I can make sure that her stay in the Gamma house is as pleasant as possible, given the circumstances. Ideally I’d lock Topher in the basement until graduation, but short of that, there are some things I can do. Topher might be Gamma president, but as the Cove Knights team captain, I have a lot of influence on most of the brothers.

“Hey,” I say, taking her hand and pulling her closer. “Things won’t be as bad as they look right now, I promise.”

She’s still tense, her eyes downcast. “But they will be, Cole. Unless the part where I have to move into the Gamma house was a bad dream. Or maybe Topher has decided to join an expedition to Antarctica and the Dean forgot to tell us?”

I wrap my arms around her. Her soft body feels so perfect against my hard one, as if she was made for my arms. But I can’t indulge in these kinds of feelings. Bay has never seen me like dating material and indulging in my stupid fantasies will only hurt me and our friendship in the long run.

---