Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 20

“We should decide who’ll be first speaker,” Lucy, our debate president, says, tapping her pen on the desk. “Boston wiped our asses last time, and I will not be happy if that happens again.”

“That was only because Katy was sick and didn’t show up with us,” Jackson mutters, leaning back in his chair, and looking bored. “We never lose when she’s with us.’

I bite back a smile. Honestly, I’m not usually one to soak up compliments and I think constantly boasting about yourself is lame but sometimes… sometimes it feels good to be acknowledged.

And let’s be real: I haven’t lost a single debate since freshman year. That’s a lot of victories to my name.

Lucy clears her throat. “Okay, let’s do this. Ngozi also wants first speaker, so we’ll do a quick three–minute roundoff between them.”

I nod and glance at Ngozi. She’s sitting there, all calm and perfectly put together like she’s stepping onto a TED Talk stage instead of a cramped debate room.

Ugh. Typical. I already know she’s going to give it her all, even if it’s just three minutes, and probably make it look effortless.

Lucy flips through her book for debate topics, muttering under her breath, and then perks up.

“Pro–choice vs. Pro–life: should abortion be a woman’s choice or morally impermissible?” she reads, loud enough for the whole room to groan or cheer. “Now, let’s pick papers.”

Ngozi stands immediately, polished as ever, and I follow, dragging my chair back. Lucy scribbles on two slips of paper and folds them.

My stomach does a little flip and I whisper please, please let me get Pro–choice, I mean, duh. It’s not just about winning; it’s about principle. A woman should get to make her own decisions about her body, and if I can sneak in a killer argument to back that up, I will.

After folding the papers, Lucy gestures for us to pick. Ngozi grabs one first and I follow.

I unfold mine, and immediately a groan escapes me. Pro–life. Great. Just what I needed.

Ngozi shoots me a victorious look, her eyebrows raising slightly. Of course she’s thrilled.

In debate, the topic itself is a weapon, and she’s already scoring points before we even speak. For a female dominated society, I’ve lost aura already by going against Pro–choice.

“You both have five minutes to prep,” Lucy announces. I immediately pull up my laptop and start digging online, scribbling notes, scanning every argument I can find. Five minutes fly by faster than I expected, and before I know it, it’s time.

Ngozi steps up first, confidently planting herself in front of the crowd. Normally, we have about forty people in the debate society, but even during practice, other students love to hang back and watch. They’re all murmuring and leaning forward, curious to see how this will go.

She begins speaking, and naturally, she’s good. Her points are great, and her delivery is better. I watch her, second–guessing if I’m even ready to be first speaker this time. When her three minutes are up, she concludes with a confident smile and steps away.

Now it’s my turn. I stand tall, moving to the center of the room.

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