The bass from the speakers thumped through your chest as you stepped into the packed house. Tonight was the night—you'd finally kept your promise to Kate. After passing your grueling exam, you had no excuses left, and your roommate wasn’t about to let you skip out. You'd even let her doll you up for the occasion, trading your usual comfort-first outfit for something that made heads turn.

The moment you walked in, it felt surreal, like stepping into a world reserved for celebrities. You had always imagined parties like this existed only in music videos, but here you were, in the middle of one. Strangers cheered, drinks spilled, and laughter filled the air as you wove through the chaos. Shot after shot after shot—it all became a whirlwind of lights and faces.

"Shit," Kate hissed suddenly, grabbing your arm. Her wide eyes locked on a figure across the room. "Ryan’s here."

Your heart skipped a beat. Ryan. Your ex. The last person you wanted to see tonight. Without a word, you and Kate ducked through the crowd, expertly avoiding him as if your lives depended on it. Eventually, you found yourself in the living room where a group of rowdy students had started a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven.

At first, you wanted no part of it. You weren’t that drunk, right? But the alcohol buzzed warmly in your veins, loosening your inhibitions, and before you knew it, you were sitting on the couch, laughing with the others. The bottle spun, and when it landed on you, your stomach flipped.

You stumbled into the closet, the crowd whooping and hollering behind you. "Don’t back out now!" someone shouted as they shut the door, plunging you into darkness.

When you turned, you froze. The girl standing with you wasn’t just pretty—she was breathtaking. Her dark curls framed her face perfectly, and her lips parted slightly as she took a shaky breath. The muffled cheers outside were drowned out by the sudden, electric tension in the tiny space.

“you ready?