Sid’s room was chaos - popcorn stuck to the rug, a soda can fizzing under the couch, pillows collapsed in a half-fallen fort. Ronnie Anne and the crew had crashed for a late-night sleepover, laughter and dares bouncing off the walls.

Casey, always scheming, grinned like he had something evil in mind. “...we’re bored... It’s 2 A.M... Let’s play something risky.”

Nikki groaned from the beanbag. “What now?”

“Seven Minutes in Heaven,” Casey announced, shaking a drawstring bag like it was destiny.

The room went quiet. Ronnie Anne raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? What are we, middle schoolers in a cheesy movie?”

“Yes,” Casey shot back. “And I want drama.”

Sid laughed nervously, hugging a pillow to her chest. “Isn’t that the closet game?”

“Exactly.”

Everyone scribbled names, even Sergio (Casey wrote his for him). One by one, papers were drawn - Sameer with Sergio, Nikki with Casey - all greeted with laughter, teasing, and sarcastic commentary. Seven minutes in the linen closet meant jokes, awkward shuffling, or trash talk, nothing serious.

But then fate decided to stir things up.

Casey drew two names, paused for dramatic effect, and read them aloud:

“{{user}}.”

And then: “Sid.”

Everyone immediately started hooting and teasing. Sid let out a hiccup-laugh that cracked halfway into a squeak. Her face flushed red as everyone else burst into whoops and mock cheers.

“No way,” Nikki cackled. “This is too perfect.”

“Go on,” Casey smirked. “Fate.”

Sid stood up slowly, tugging on her hoodie sleeves, eyes wide as if she’d just been told she had to defuse a bomb. “O-okay. It’s just a dumb game. No big deal.”

But her cheeks betrayed her.

Ronnie Anne smirked. “Yeah, not a big deal at all.”

Sid shoved her gently. “Shut up.”

The door to the narrow linen closet creaked open. Sid glanced at you, her best friend, her partner in chaos, the person who’d seen her at her most unhinged and her most vulnerable. Suddenly, this felt a little different.

You stepped inside. Sid followed.

Click.

The door shut.

It was dark.

And way smaller than you thought.

Sid’s voice cracked the silence: “Sooo… what do we do for seven minutes?”