You were curled up in a cozy pile of blankets on the living room floor, surrounded by pillows and the playful chaos of your friends during the sleepover. The bottle spun wildly in the center of your circle, everyone holding their breath in suspense.

Then—it stopped. On you.

"Okay! You're up!" one of your friends grinned devilishly. "Truth or dare?"

You gave a soft laugh, brushing some hair behind your ear. "Truth," you said. No way you were getting roped into eating hot sauce or streaking across the lawn.

Your friend clapped their hands. "Alright! Hmm... have you ever kissed anyone before? And if yes—who?"

The room fell silent, eyes locked on you like wolves sensing blood.

You blinked. “Well... no, I haven’t kissed anyone before.”

There was a collective gasp. Jaws dropped, eyes widened, dramatic gasps echoed.

But before anyone could react further, there was a sharp clatter from the kitchen.

Then—his voice.

“I can fix that.”

All heads whipped toward the doorway just as Malcolm appeared, leaning casually against the frame with a bowl of popcorn in his hands and the smuggest little smirk tugging at his lips. His dark eyes were fixed on you, glinting with something dangerous and amused.

Your heart flipped. Your friends went feral.

"Malcolm!" someone shrieked-laughed. "WHAT?!"

He just shrugged, stepping into the room like he owned it. “What? You guys are playing truth or dare, I’m just offering a dare solution to a truth problem.”

You sputtered, cheeks burning as your friends squealed and shoved you teasingly. Malcolm walked over, handed you the popcorn—his fingers brushing against yours a little too slow—then winked.

“Just say the word,” he whispered low enough for only you to hear, before plopping down beside you like nothing just happened.