35 ᴍᴍ ꜰɪʟᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴄᴏꜰꜰᴇᴇ I 🎀 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒸𝒾𝑒 𝒜𝒷𝓇𝒶𝓂𝓈 [𝑔𝓍𝑔] 🎀

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎: 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐭

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 10

The party inside Jake's house had reached a new level of playful chaos as the night wore on. The boys and girls from the volleyball teams, along with their assorted friends, had gathered in the spacious living room, their drinks in hand, laughter echoing through the room. The mix of alcohol, weed, and excitement gave everything a hazy, carefree energy that made even the wildest ideas seem fun.

Charlie-Wren had been standing with Jackson and a couple of his teammates near the doorway, still feeling the pleasant buzz from the joint they'd smoked earlier. Across the room, she saw Rachel and Gracie talking, laughing at some inside joke she couldn't hear. She was about to make her way over to them when Corey, one of Jackson's teammates, stood up with a mischievous grin on his face.

Charlie-Wren felt a little more relaxed after the drinks and the joint she had shared with the guys outside, her mind pleasantly hazy, though she was still very aware of Gracie across the room. Every time their eyes met, there was an undeniable spark between them—something charged and unfinished.

Jackson, ever the instigator, had noticed the tension too. He leaned in towards Rachel, who was standing beside him, and whispered with a mischievous grin, "I think it's time we help these two out a little. What do you think?"

Rachel raised an eyebrow, her smirk mirroring his. "I'm all for it. What's your plan?"

Jackson glanced over at the group gathered in the living room—a mix of the boys and girls from the volleyball teams, along with Charlie and Gracie, who were now standing near each other, though neither had made the move yet. 

He went to whisper into Rachel's ear. Rachel snorted, trying to suppress a laugh. "You're evil."

Jackson shrugged, not at all bothered by the juvenile nature of the suggestion. "Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. And I guarantee they'll go along with it if we get the whole group in on it." Rachel shook her head, amused, but she was already on board. "Alright. Let's do it." In which Jackson went to secretly tell one of his teammates about the plan. 

"Alright, people!" Corey called out, his voice loud enough to cut through the noise. "I think it's time we play a little game. Who's down for Seven Minutes in Heaven?"

The room erupted into laughter and groans, a few people already catching onto Corey's intention. Charlie rolled her eyes, stifling a laugh as Jackson clapped Corey on the back with a smug smile on his face.

"Are you serious?" one of the girls from the volleyball team asked, grinning. "Is this a secondary school sleepover or something?"

"Seven Minutes in Heaven? Dude, are we still twelve?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow as she took another sip of her whisky.

Jackson shrugged, feigning innocence but failing to hide his grin. "Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it again. You never know what might happen in seven minutes." He winked at Charlie, clearly trying to stir the pot. Corey smirked, unbothered. "Hey, I didn't say it wasn't childish, but it's a classic for a reason. Plus," he added with a sly grin, "it's the best way to get certain people some much-needed alone time."

Charlie knew exactly what Corey was hinting at and groaned inwardly, glancing over at Gracie, who had clearly heard the suggestion. Rachel nudged her playfully, and Gracie blushed, trying to hide the small smile tugging at her lips.

"I mean, if you guys are scared..." Corey teased, his voice dripping with challenge as he looked around the room, trying to rile everyone up. "Don't tell me you're scared of a little game now, Montgomery."