The Bro Code

by Elizabeth A. Seibert

  “Nah.” I searched for some new, germ-free cups. “We are playing with H2O. If you want a drink, hold one in your hand. Don’t want anyone getting arrested like last time.”

  “I always did love a man who took charge,” Austin called back.

  “Aaaaand Austin owes us pizza,” I said.

  Some freshman handed us drinks to hold while playing with the water. Eliza handed hers to me, unopened.

  “What’s this?” said Madison. “Little Miss Perfect isn’t going to play the game?”

  “It’s fine, Madison,” said Austin. “We’re here for fun.”

  “No. I want to know why she won’t play the way you’re supposed to.”

  Austin and I lined up the cups to start the game, the goal of which was to throw the ping-pong balls into the cups, each team taking turns, until the first team to hit all the cups won. Before I could shoot my ball to start, Eliza pulled it from my hand.

  “Nope. Ladies first. Let’s go, Madison. Me and you.”

  My lips hung apart. Austin jumped with excitement. Madison took the white ball from Austin. Neither girl said anything as they took their shots. Eliza sunk hers easily in a red cup in front of Austin. Madison’s bounced off a rim from our stack, and Eliza jumped to catch it before Madison could take it back.

  Madison drank from the can in her hand. Eliza, since she’d recovered Madison’s ball, got another shot. She lined it up and it splashed in.

  “What?!” I shouted. “I thought you said you’d never played this before!”

  “I said I didn’t want to drink.”

  It took every ounce of my self-restraint to not kiss her.

  Eliza and I missed a few shots through the game, though not nearly as many as Austin or Madison. I hadn’t been kidding when I said they were a good team to play against, because they were terrible.

  When Eliza and I had beat them by several cups, Austin let out a low whistle. “Good game. Don’t think I’ve been creamed that bad in this game . . . ever. Those O’Connor genes, dude.” He shook his head.

  “You might want to eat some food, drink some water, or sit down somewhere,” I teased them.

  “That rocked,” said Eliza.

  “You, uh, get a little competitive there?” I grinned. “Austin and Madison never saw that coming.”

  Eliza wrinkled her nose.

  We stepped to the wall to let the next group play. Eliza grabbed a soda can, and I slowly drank from my, um, not soda.

  “There something going on between you and Madison I don’t know about?” I asked. We leaned against the basement wall, half watching the next game at the ping-pong table.

  “Not really.”

  “That’s fine,” I said, “Madison has trouble getting along with other girls.”

  “Can’t imagine why,” said Eliza.

  I didn’t take the bait. True, Madison could be awfully overbearing, dramatic, and rude. She was hot, though, and a lot of guys liked her. But Eliza was so much more. In every department.

  The thing people didn’t really get about Madison was that she was exactly like Austin and I were, or at least I was before Eliza, kind of. She didn’t want a boyfriend, just boyfriends. Lots of them. North Cassidy could forgive bros for that lifestyle, but not Madison. Especially when she rubbed her will to do whatever she wanted in the world’s face like she was starring in a soap opera.

  “She’s hard to compete with,” said Eliza.

  “She’s not competition,” I murmured. Our shoulders brushed and God, did I want to pull her close to me.

  We were still surrounded in a crowd, with some people trying to get closer to the game table and some people trying to join a different game. A large circle on the other side of the room formed where Carter and Hannah were sitting. I took a step towards that, but Eliza grabbed my finger.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, “you probably think that’s crazy clingy. The Nick Maguire I know hates clinginess. I do too,” she spoke quickly, like she couldn’t get the words out fast enough, like she was afraid I would interrupt her. It was more babbling that I’d ever heard from her before. And I loved it.

  “The thing about Madison is I can’t stand thinking about her being with you. I can’t stand thinking about me not being with you. I care about you and this way too much, and I don’t want her to ruin it.” She looked everywhere except for me, and I heard it in her voice. It.

  “None of that seems crazy. I feel like that too,” I said.

  I’m falling in love with you.

  Those words shocked me as I thought them.

  What, Nick? Every voice in my head swarmed, confused, trying to figure out what that meant. It was too soon. Too fast. Too much.

  You’re not in love, Nick, my brain protested, You’re just happy.

  But this wasn’t about me. It was about her, and how I always hoped to make her feel special. And safe. Especially safe.

  “I couldn’t stand not being with you either,” I said. I love you. “I—”

  I almost told her how I felt. I probably would have, if Carter and Hannah hadn’t called us over.

  Eliza headed towards her friends, who were apparently all waiting for us.

  I would have told Eliza if I hadn’t let her walk away from me and into the circle with Carter, Hannah, Robert (obviously), Austin, Madison, Jeff, and a few juniors.

  The words unsaid left a strange taste in my mouth. Like soy sauce mixed with Diet Coke.

  “Lezzgo, Nick,” Jeff called. “We’re playing spin the bottle.”

  Eliza took a little stutter step, but Hannah already tugged her hand, making space (by inching closer to Carter) for Eliza to sit next to her. Carter sighed when he saw that Eliza would be playing the game and looked at Austin and me as if to communicate that as far as she was concerned, we weren’t there.

  If I’d ever asked for proof that the universe hates me . . . well, there it was.

  “Come on, Nick,” said Jeff, “We’re waiting.”

  “This isn’t really my game,” I answered. Let’s go, I tried to signal to Eliza.

  “That’s a lie,” said Carter.

  I debated leaving Eliza there. She was a big girl, and I had other people to talk to. We didn’t have to be everywhere together.

  “Mags, you know we can’t play without you,” said Austin, “Everyone wants to kiss Nick Maguire.”

  “Aaaaand Austin owes us pizza,” said Carter.

  Austin just laughed.

  “Two pizzas,” I corrected. “One from earlier.” I took the space between Jeff and one of the girls I’d seen around but didn’t really know. Though I should have, since she might have been at our soccer game? I forget.

  There was no way this would end well.

  First, the group itself had some really weird mojo, where Carter was with Hannah, even though he swore it wasn’t going to happen. Madison kept staring at them, looking like she was going to have a panic attack. Austin kept staring at her and looking like he might panic himself.

  Also, spin the bottle is a stupid game for sixth graders. It’s basically a recipe for mono. Like, freaking go ask the girl out that you want to kiss. It’s not that hard.

  Jeff clapped so loudly and enthusiastically, it was clear that having us here meant a lot to him. This better not ruin my life, Karvotsky.

  A guy can dream, right?

  We started out with just the cheek. Jeff went first, it being his party and all, and landed on some junior girl I didn’t really know. I think. I wasn’t really paying attention.

  Then Austin’s bottle landed towards some other girl and Madison didn’t even flinch. A second, sinking feeling added to my mix of wary emotions. The voodoo in the room was palpable.

  Pretty soon, Madison gave a dramatic yawn. “Boring. Let’s kick it up a notch PLEASE. Lips, three seconds.”

  I actually scoo
ched back, trying to sneak away, when Robert Maxin grabbed onto my ankle. “If I have to be here, you have to be here,” he said.

  “Boooo,” I said.

  Jeff went first again. He spun the glass bottle, and everyone did this whole drum roll to play it up and make it even more suspenseful. It landed on me.

  Laughter erupted from the group and spectators, and I got that sneaky feeling that takes over my every impulse whenever a big group gives me its undivided attention. I looked at Jeff and puckered my lips. “Ready when you are.”

  Austin got on his knees. “Nick has to buy pizza now!”

  “Why you gotta assume I was joking, Austin? I think that’s back to you buying pizza.”

  Austin started to protest, but the group shut him down. Through the commotion, I almost forgot to feel nervous, and Jeff backed away, grinning. Then it was Hannah’s turn, and she definitely rigged it. Because it landed on Carter, and he was sitting next to her, and it’s really hard to get the bottle to land on someone next to you.

  Crap, I thought, why hadn’t I sat next to Eliza? The one person I didn’t want my spin to land on.

  Carter leaned to meet Hannah halfway. Robert watched them in total suspense, as if he were frozen in time. I looked over at Madison and saw that she did too.

  Damn it. Poor Austin.

  Carter and Hannah legit had the steamiest three seconds ever. I had to join in when everyone was calling out and hollering about the kiss. Get it, Carter, I thought, kind of glad for him. Especially when they sat back, and he had this stupid smile like the luckiest guy in the Milky Way (no, not the candy bar).

  Madison and Robert were the only two who didn’t join in the hype.

  The next few rounds were less exciting, except when a few girls got each other and decided to go for it. When it was my turn to spin, everyone did the same thing with the drum rolls and the cheering. A bunch of the girls in the circle perked up, and I honestly couldn’t think of a best-case scenario. Maybe it would have been landing on Madison, since people would get over that pretty quickly. I had a 1/16 chance of landing on the worst possible person.

  The bottle slowed down, inching its way towards Eliza, and as it was about to go to the next person, it swung back to her. Like a magnet—which hadn’t happened to anyone else, and I had to wonder if someone sabotaged it that way. Or maybe it was fate.

  Eliza went white. Carter shrugged, like it was a nonissue. Like he knew, of course, I wasn’t going to kiss his sister. But I had to act “normal” around her. The way Carter was expecting.

  “It’s your lucky day, sweetheart,” I grinned.

  “What? Oh. Ha, you wish.” She backed away.

  Carter pushed me the bottle. “Spin again.”

  “No no,” Madison called. “That’s not how the game works.” Madison had remained mostly silent after the Carter/Hannah thing, but now she had something juicy to live for again.

  I pointed to Jeff, who could clearly see Carter’s reaction. “House rules,” I said, “What’s the move here, Karvotsky?”

  Carter relaxed, as if he knew that obviously Jeff would take his side.

  Madison ruffled her hair, in total control of the situation. It seemed like she wasn’t vindictive enough to out my secret by shouting it. Not yet. She was waiting for something. And I had no doubt in my mind that she would make me pay for Carter being with Hannah and not her, even though that wasn’t my fault.

  “I’ll sub in,” she said.

  Austin took a long swig of his drink.

  “Sure,” said Jeff, relieved that he was no longer in charge of this game that he obviously rarely played. Bless his heart. “That’s a good rule. First person to call in for a sub gets to do it. Perfect.”

  Madison went on her knees. Eliza picked at the carpet, determined not to watch this. We had a deal that we would tell Carter tomorrow.

  Which, apparently, right now, meant this.

  Madison shuffled closer to me, brushing into Carter on her way.

  She looked over her shoulder at Eliza. “Last chance.”

  Eliza shrugged like the entire thing was ridiculous. Which it was until Madison sat in my lap and put her arms around my neck.

  Our circle, and the excited high schoolers watching behind us, erupted.

  Madison shoved her body in my face.

  “Wait,” said Eliza.

  Madison froze, but since her lips were a few inches from mine, only I could see the big, annoying, smile on her face. She had wanted this all along.

  The group stared at Eliza, especially Carter, and she glanced purposefully between Austin and Madison. She was trying to pretend she was doing it for Austin, who did genuinely seem upset at Madison’s behavior.

  Madison moved aside and Eliza crawled over. I tried to Jedi mind read her that she really didn’t have to do this, but whatever I did wouldn’t have mattered. This was a game between the girls.

  “It’s fine,” Eliza whispered as she leaned in. All she did was press her lips against mine, as awkwardly as she could. No opening, no starting to make out. Three seconds and done. That’s what she was going for. Easy. We could do that.

  When the three, totally unpassionate seconds were up, Eliza started to pull away, and I—

  Yup.

  It was all me.

  I take full responsibility for it.

  It was a stupid reflex.

  It.

  I had to reach for her chin, as if to keep her there. The second my fingers brushed her skin, I realized what I was doing, and brought my hand quickly down.

  Eliza pulled away, trying to look shocked. It didn’t matter. Because Carter wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at me.

  All I could feel for her, even though it was the least interesting kiss ever, was total awe, and wanting to protect her, and all the l-o-v-e crap. And I couldn’t keep my feelings off my face.

  “Aww,” Madison cooed. I braced. She turned towards Austin, who lounged like everything was totally normal, and said in a loud whisper, “That was cute. Do you think it was the first time they’ve done that? I think they look adorable together.”

  At which point the more excited players of our game started hollering and whooping at me.

  “Shut up, Madison,” said Eliza.

  But I was the one who’d seen Carter’s first reaction, before he sat back, expressionless. No matter how we tried to play it, how Madison tried to play it, how Eliza tried to play it, the game was over.

  I never thought it would be because of me.

  RULE NUMBER 19

  A bro shalt not punch another bro in his face. Anywhere else is okay. Just not the moneymaker.

  The glare on Carter’s face could cut a person down to nothing.

  For a second, I almost believed he’d let it go and all my anxiety had been a waste. Except that he stood up and stomped over, pushing my shoulder so hard I fell back against the scratchy carpet.

  “Outside,” he said.

  Jeff gasped. Our teammates closed their mouths, and I tensed.

  “Carter,” said Eliza.

  He thudded up the stairs.

  “Nick,” said Eliza. I was already bouncing after him.

  He waited on the Karvotskys’ deck. Rain splattered on his face.

  The chilly night gave me quick goosebumps, exacerbated by the rain. We were lucky it wasn’t snowing, a real possibility this time of year. I slowly slid the screen door closed.

  Carter was on the edge of the deck, facing me. “How long has this been going on?”

  “Carter—”

  “You got a lot of nerve,” he said.

  This was it, the moment I’d been deliberately avoiding for weeks.

  Carter wasn’t born yesterday, and intelligence definitely runs in the O’Connor family. He knew what I was doing with his sister. He saw it. He’d caught us right in the
middle of everything, of maybe, possibly, falling hard for each other, and there wasn’t much else I could say.

  “You lied to me.”

  Only by omission.

  “Didn’t.”

  “How long?!” he shouted. “You selfish prick.”

  My hands began to tremble. “About a month.”

  Carter didn’t reply. I continued, “I didn’t follow your directions, Carter. That’s not. A. Lie.” I stepped to the side, creating some more distance between us.

  It didn’t work.

  He lunged at me. I dodged his right hook in time for it to miss my eye, and instead it sent a searing pain into my jaw. The momentum threw me against the deck’s railing and knocked out my breath.

  “Carter, stop!” Eliza ran behind us, while Austin held Carter back.

  Carter shook him off. “Did you know about this?”

  When Austin didn’t say anything, Carter scoffed. “Don’t know why I asked.”

  Carter stepped back from the three of us, catching his balance on one of the stairs leading to Jeff’s backyard.

  “This isn’t worth it.” Eliza’s voice cracked. “Carter, you’re being a dick.”

  “Oh, I’m being a dick?” He looked at me, folded against Jeff’s house. “That is rich.”

  My jaw throbbed, the pain building as Carter kept going. “Why couldn’t you tell me?” He asked. “Why’d you lie to my fucking face?”

  Crickets coughed, waiting for me to answer. Because of this. “I’m sorry.”

  The porch lights made Carter’s glare even more powerful. “The real irony, Nick? You’re the one who always brings up the Bro Code. A real bro wouldn’t pick a girl, my sister, or otherwise, over eighteen years of friendship.”

  “No, Carter,” I said. “A real bro wouldn’t make me choose.”

  Tears rolled off Eliza’s chin. “Please stop,” she said. “I can’t do this, you guys.”

  “Have fun failing bio. I’m done,” said Carter. He turned to walk off the deck. Then out into the driveway. Then off to who knows where.

  “Carter.” Eliza jumped after him.

  He held out his arm. “I said I’m done.”