My silly stepbrother

The electric bulb above cast flickering shadows on the walls of the architectural study room. The air was thick with the smell of old books and freshly brewed coffee. And students from various departments filled the room, their chatter and laughter creating a lively atmosphere. My eyes scanned the crowd, landing on James, who was seated opposite me. He was surrounded by a group of admirers, but his eyes locked onto mine as if sensing my gaze. A flush spread across my cheek as I looked away, but my gaze drifted back to him. He was no longer staring at me, and I exhaled slowly, my shoulders easing. I sipped from my coffee, my eyes never leaving his face. The air was heavy with unspoken words. The door creaked open, and silver light from the hallway spilled in. I turned my head to see Linda walking in with a bottle in her hand, her bright smile illuminating the room. “Okay guys, I'm back…” she announced with a smile, standing in front of the long table. “As I've told you earlier, it's a truth or dare game…” She quickly briefed everyone on the rules guiding the game and how it would be played. “So can we start?” She asked, her eyes scanning each faces. “Yes!” “Okay.” She spun the bottle on the round table, retracting her hand to avoid blocking it's movement. The bottle stopped. Between us—James. My breath caught. I froze. James faced the bottle's bottom. His eyes locked onto mine. I looked away. “Truth or dare?” He asked, voice low. After a moment of hesitation, I answered. “Truth.” “Have you had your first kiss?” Jis voice was soft, almost too casual for the chaos it caused. “Woo!” the crowd erupted, then fell into a hush, eyes turned to me. My heart stuttered. My gaze snapped to James-the boy across the circles with a smirk stitched into those annoyingly perfect lips. What kind of guy asks questions like that at a party meant to celebrate my award? From the very moment he signed up to be in my group, I knew I had accepted trouble. And ever since his presence, I had bade bye bye to peace. Especially today that my exclusive hotel building design had won an award at the Architectural design contest, which was why my best friend had insisted on celebrating it. But instead of having a few member, crowd of girls gathered, pleading to celebrate with us. When in reality, they just wanted to be closer to James. I shot Linda a warning gaze, my eyes burning with annoyance. I had declined celebrating, but she had insisted, with the intention of hooking me up with some guy- especially James. “What's the punishment for not answering the questions?” I asked the MC, Linda. Linda c****d her head, staring at me for am uncomfortable few seconds. “Well..” she dragged out her word. My breath caught. “You'd have to sweep the campus for a week..” she whispered softly. My skin prickled with unease. Sweep the campus? For five good days? I rolled my eyes, picking up my backpack. “I'm done here..” I muttered, standing up. But Linda rushed to my side, pressing my shoulders down with a pleading smile. “Aurora, don't be like this. Remember, you’re the leader here..” she whispered. With a twisted mouth, my gaze shifted back to James, who still had that playful smirk on his lips. “I haven't had my first kiss..” I said through gritted teeth. Everyone exclaimed, their hands flying to their open mouth. Except my best friend, Linda who knew about it already, and had organized this party because of it. The boys’ intense gazes made my face flushed in embarrassment. After everyone had settled down, the game continued with each student taking turns answering truth or completely a dare. Until the bottle landed on Linda and James, that everyone held its collective breath. The fan's gentle hum ceased, and everyone leaned in, their faces aglow with anticipation. It was Linda- notorious for her sly demands. Linda leaned in her chair, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Truth or Dare?” she asked. “Dare.” As I was contemplating on what her demand was going to be, her next word spread like shockwave throughout the room. Linda’s smile sliced through the room, her eyes locking onto mine with a dare. “I dare you to kiss a girl in this room..” she spat, her voice low and husky. The crowd erupted in another cheers—mostly from the girls. Meanwhile, the boys exchanged sly grins and discreet thumps-up, clearly impressed by Linda's daring demand. A sharp gasp escaped my lungs. This was supposed to be my celebration not a match-making circus. My gaze flickered to the girls sitting beside James, their face reddened to their necks and their hands lying on their knees like an obedient puppy. They were definitely waiting for a kiss from him. But my my mind was all on the need to endure for few more minutes, and I'd escape this chaotic place without Linda noticing. He rose slowly, I didn't look at him. Couldn't. Then—warmth. A soft pressure on my forehead. Not lips brushing but pressing—like he meant it. His breath danced across my skin, and for a second….. everything else stopped. I picked my bag and fled, my eyes fixed on the floor. The room erupted in whispers and snickers. I felt the weight of the girl's stares, their whispers following me out like claws.