Dead

Brooke shook with silent laughter at Jacob. Boy, he was cute when he was flustered. Her cheeks reddened slightly at the thought.

Olivia bit her lip as she looked around the room, her eyes roaming over each person as she tried to figure out who would be best to have and why. Her gaze stopped for barely a moment, so quickly that is was hardly noticeable, on one of the guys before she continued her search.

"Uh… I guess I'd have to say… Daniel," she finally replied, blushing. "Because he's strong and I know he has good survival instincts."

(Do you want to skip the rest of the game? Or at least to when one of them is asked again?)

(I'll skip.
And pardon the cheesy and cliché games I'm choosing. I have no creativity when it comes to things like this. Lol.)

Sam and Jessie called an end to the game after a while, and Brooke sighed in relief. Now she wouldn't have to awkwardly sit on Jake's lap anymore! But she was actually pretty comfortable there… Shaking her head, she stood and stretched her legs. She'd been sitting in the same position too long, and her toes had started to fall asleep.

"Now we're going to play Seven Minutes in Heaven! If anyone is too chicken to play, feel free to wait in the kitchen or something while we have our fun," Jessie declared, grinning from ear-to-ear. "I mean, it's not like you even have to do anything with the person you're locked in with. You could even just sit there in silence while the rest of us wait for your time to be up."

Seven Minutes in Heaven? What the heck, Jessie? What're you trying to do? Brooke wondered as her eyebrows scrunched together.

(Lol. I literally had to google instructions for this game…)

A few people left the room, and Jessie watched after them, an amused expression on her face. Sam pulled out two hats from the bookshelf, both filled with pieces of paper.

"To make it fair, we'll be pulling names out of hats. One girl and one guy," he explained as he handed one hat to Jessie, whose smile would not leave her face.

Brooke leaned over to Jake to whisper, "Do you want to play? 'Cause we can go to the kitchen if you want."

(Same!)

Sam and Jessie had already drawn the first pair of names. Neither of them was Brooke or Jacob.

"I suppose we could see what happens," Brooke suggested as she watched the couple walk into the small, dark closet together. Their seven minutes started.

(Sorry, I'm cleaning my kitchen. Lol.)

Brooke couldn't look at Jacob. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest, but she ignored it. Nothing was happening. Yet.

The seven minutes finally ended, and Sam went to open the closet door. He knocked, opened it, and the pair stepped out. Both were deep red, but the girl kept stealing glances at the guy. Brook almost wondered what had happened in there.

Jessie pulled another name out of her hat, and Sam pulled one out of his. They showed each other the names, and Jessie grinned so widely that Brooke became somewhat concerned about the people who would be going into the closet together.

"Brooke and Jacob!" Sam and Jessie exclaimed together.

Brooke flushed, blinked, and choked on air. "Wh– what?" she spluttered.

"Uh. Nope," Brooke said, shaking her head. She cleared her throat, returned Jake's smile, then gestured to the closet. "Shall we?"

Sam and Jessie followed Brooke and Jacob to the closet.

"Your seven minutes starts…" Sam pressed a button on his phone. "…now." The engaged couple shut them in the dark closet, and Brooke nervously crossed her arms over her chest. She rubbed them up and down with her hands, biting her lower lip.

They didn't even have to do anything while they were in there, Jessie herself had said so, so why was this so… awkward?

"Yeah. Wild," Brooke replied with a nervous laugh. "So.. Uh… What do you want to do?"

(Hey, you still up for this?)

(Lol. Np. Just making sure.)

A moment of silence passed before Brooke broke it with a groan.

"Why is this so awkward? We're best friends, this shouldn't be weird, right?" she blurted suddenly.

"Yeah, I guess…" Brooke breathed. She bit her lower lip, nervous and unsure of this whole situation.

Brooke blinked. In this stupid darkness, she couldn't see anything, so that was not helping with anything. At least this way, though, Jacob wouldn't be able to see the blush that was quickly rising to her cheeks.

"What do I think about what?" she asked quietly.

"I– I–" Brooke stuttered. Why was he asking her this? What was she supposed to say, 'Jake, I've secretly been in love with you for a while now'?

That was what he meant? No, that couldn't be it. Maybe… Maybe it was something else…

After a battle raging in her mind, Brooke finally managed to choke out in barely a whisper, "I really like you."