Page 96 of The Bro-code

So I don’t let how close they’re dancing bother me. I’m not jealous. I just wish she stopped shooting verbal barbs at me long enough to let me get that close to her.

My mind is made up that I’m gonna ask Bay to dance. As soon as this song is over, I’ll just ask her and hopefully she’s not going to want to make a scene in front of practically half our senior class.

To my surprise, Topher of all people comes to my aid.

“Let’s play a game of musical partners!” The Gamma president yells, getting the freshman who’s DJing from his laptop to cut the music.

“The rules are simple. Every time the music comes to a stop, you have to change partners. If when the music starts again for a few seconds, our DJ has also changed the song, you have to kiss your partner for one minute. You’ll switch partners with the couple on your right. You better not cheat, it has to be a proper kiss, I want to see tongues at work here. I appointed a panel of three judges here,” he says pointing to three guys I don’t know. “They will pick the best and worst kisses. The best kissers will receive a mystery prize, the worst kissers will have to jump into the pool… naked. Anyone who wants to join the game, this is your time to do so. People already on the dance floor, I’m sorry but you’re playing. If you don’t, you automatically lose and will have to jump into the pool naked with the worst kissers. The challenge will last about ten minutes. Good luck everyone.”

I have the feeling that Topher had ulterior motives in choosing a kissing game. If the way he tried to get Bay to kiss him at the fair is anything to judge by, I think he might have told the DJ to stop the music at a certain point; I bet my fucking trust fund and my signing bonus with Hartford that he also knows when the song is gonna change.

I grab the first girl I see and march onto the dance floor with a plan in my head.

Not only am I going to kiss Bay tonight, I’m also gonna make sure she knows I saved her from kissing her ex.

I don’t know what I’m gonna do after that, but I’m confident that when I’m done with her, she’ll want to kiss me again.

I guide my dance partner toward the spot where Bay and Cole are still dancing and I know my hunch was right when Topher grabs Bianca and dances his way toward his ex.

I’m gonna watch him like a hawk and sweep in when?—

“I’m so happy you asked me to dance,” the girl in my arms beams at me. “I think you’re the best center we’ve ever had, better than Topher. I’ve been wanting to talk to you since classes started. My name is Kylie, I?—”

“I just want to play this game,” I interrupt her. “I’m not interested in dating or hooking up or whatever you’re thinking is gonna happen between us. Can you please be quiet so I can hear the music?”

I know I was rude, but I don’t believe in unnecessary social platitudes.

She opens and closes her mouth a few times, obviously trying to decide if she wants to keep dancing with me or tell me to go to hell.

I don’t care much about what she decides because I was right about Topher.

He’s inching closer to Bay and Cole and he’s trying to spin his partner around so that they’re gonna be on the right side of his ex in exactly three, two, one…

“Hey, watch where the fuck you’re going!” Topher yells as I hip check him out of the way just as Kiss Me by the Sixpence None The Richer stops. “You’re in my fucking way, Moore. Move.”

He’s glaring at me and I think I know why.

The music starts and stops again for a few seconds and I nailed the asshole’s intentions, because the song has changed into Kiss And Make Up by Dua Lipa and Blackpink.

I stifle the smile that’s itching to break free from my lips because I’m right where Topher wanted to be.

On the right side of Bay and Cole.

I brace myself for the fight I know is about to erupt when Topher demonstrates that he never learned that in life you win some and you lose some.

“You took my fucking spot, asshole.” He snarls.

Ok, fuck it. I’m laughing now. The poor guy is so obvious, it isn’t even funny.

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” I shrug, turning to look at Cole. “I believe you and I should swap partners.”

Cole nods but as I already knew, Topher is a sore loser. “No, you checked me out of the way. I’m supposed to dance with Bay.”

Ah, Mumford.

That was the wrong thing to say. Especially since you were dancing with the girl who was in your bed when you were caught cheating. If I have to believe all the gossip around campus, Bianca thinks she’s Topher’s new girlfriend.

Her reaction confirms the rumors I’ve heard.

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