Page 20 of Pucking Bad Boys

The worst part is that I can’t even blame them because I’m in the same boat.

Gen wins the presidential election by a landslide. But that isn’t the only thing that doesn’t go my way.

The raffle is the last nail in the coffin of this terrible night. My name isn’t called, so I don’t get a room in the Zeta house.

Like the amazing friend she is, Sam, who was luckier than me, offers me to crash with her.

I’m grateful for the offer, but it doesn’t improve my living situation much. Sam has been given one of the smallest rooms in the house. Sharing a full bed for a whole year won’t be much better than sleeping on my parents’ lumpy couch. One thing is to do that on the occasional sleepover, but it’s far from ideal before exams.

I guess it’s the lesser of two evils though, so I thank my BFF. “I promise I’ll be a good roommate. You won’t even know I’m there. I promise.”

Before Sam can say anything, Gen’s catty smirk cuts into our conversation. “Aww, you two are so cute.” Her tone is sugary sweet, and my hackles immediately rise.

Gen is never nice unless she wants something from someone or she’s ready to strike.

“I don’t know if my best friends would be so nice to offer me to bunk with them in a teeny tiny room.” She looks between me and Sam. “You two must be extremely close. Unless, of course, you’re more than friends.”

I set the record straight. “Not that there would be anything wrong if there was more between me and Sam, Gen, but we’re just friends.”

Sam backs me up. “It isn’t any of your business, but Talia is right.”

“What a shame.” Gen giggles. “You two would be adorable together.”

Agreeing with Genevieve wasn’t on my bingo card for tonight, but she’s right. I wish I liked girls that way, but sadly when it comes to my sexuality, I’m straighter than an arrow. And so is Sam.

“Is there anything we can help you with, Gen? Or were you just wondering if Talia and I are dating?” Sam bites out.

Gen’s jaw ticks at Sam’s tone. “You know, being a sore loser doesn’t become you. If you had won, I would have congratulated you rather than giving you attitude.”

So this is why Gen was being nice. She came to gloat.

If her behavior didn’t piss me off so much, I would laugh at the ridiculous idea that she would have conceded politely if she hadn’t won the election. “Congratulations, Gen.” It sounds more like a “fuck off” than a real compliment, but tonight it’s the best I can do.

Thankfully, Gen is too self-absorbed to pick up on the nuances of my tone. “Talia, can I speak to you for a second? In private, if you don’t mind.”

I’d rather cuddle with a spitting cobra, but there’s no way to refuse without being rude. And since, for better or worse, Gen is our new president, I follow her to a quiet corner of the living room. Now that the rooms have been assigned, most of the sisters are either moving their things in or have left for the night.

“I couldn’t help but hear that your parents downsized their house, and you were counting on having a room in the house?”

Gen gloating about the shitty start of my senior year is the icing on the cake of the last few weeks. “Yeah. My options right now are living in their overcrowded apartment with my three noisy younger brothers or bunking with Sam in a single room. I have already paid my fee and I can’t afford anything else. Even with a heavily discounted rate.”

There’s a beat of silence before Gen smiles. She’s about to say something rude. I knew it.

“How about a room in the house?”

Wait, what? I shake my head a couple of times, sure I must have misheard her. “Come again? I thought you assigned every room in the house.”

“I did. But I spoke to Olivia and offered her an apartment in Daddy’s complex for a steal. You know she owns more shoes than anyone on the planet, and she jumped at the chance to rent a two bedroom for the price of one. So she can turn the second bedroom into her shoe closet.”

Olivia’s parents own a chain of banks, so I’m sure she didn’t even need the discounted rate.

“That frees up her room.” Gen says.

I blink, sure that the obvious conclusion that Gen is offering me the room can’t be true.

“Talia, the room is yours if you want it.”

Did someone spike my soda without me noticing? I must be drunk or high; there’s no other explanation for what I think Gen just said.