Sounds like you want the heat higher on the warmest spot. 88 degrees is usually the lower recommended temp for belly heat with BPs. They can and often do prefer the cooler side, but the key point is that it is available for them at all times.

Most BPs do not drink right from their water dish, especially if the humidity is at the right point, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to give them fresh water two-three times a week. Occasionally I will refresh the water after having left it for a week and the snakes will be so excited and drink as soon as i put it down... Even if they hadn't cared for it the last time i refreshed it doesn't mean they won't need it the next day, or the next. This can also help explain why I, and some others don't house their snakes together. We can't read their minds and know what they like best but we can rely on accurate info about how they live in the wild and get their needs met.

Two snakes may do fine 364 days out of the year, but if one of those days they have an incident, or get sick, I'd rather have them separated. They don't really seem to benefit from being together unless you are having them mate. And mating has its own risks, which every keeper needs to keep in mind. I've taken care of many animals and most domestic pets do seem to like having company of some kind. Most of the reptiles I've known, snakes especially, seem to be most content and less at risk for health problems and competition, alone.

I'm posting the last few paragraphs more for anyone reading this thread, rather than the OP, since you seem to get why most people keep their BPs separate. But I don't mind repeating and backing up what others say if it gets the point across to other people who might be reading. There are definitely individuals that will be different. I know a bearded dragon who prefers his small cage with lots of social interaction over his huge, secluded cage. So it isn't impossible that some reptiles like company, but I've never met a ball that didn't seem to prefer its own small, dark, well hid cages over an open, specious cage.