Chapter Eleven - Secrets, Lies & Alibis

"Alright... Let's play a different game. How abouuut... seven minutes in heaven?"

The circle of differently dressed-up characters erupted in cheers as the current game of truth or dare came to a close and a new suggestion lit up the room—courtesy of birthday girl Camille. Her eyes sparkled as she spotted her favorite childhood friend walking past the living room after using the bathroom. Standing up swiftly, Camille grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her toward the group with a wide grin.

"Harper! Just the girl I wanted! Come play with us—we're doing seven minutes in heaven. A party game classic. Come and sit!"

Harper didn't even have time to answer. Camille's hand on her shoulder gave a firm push, forcing her down into the empty space between two guys. Harper crossed her legs slowly, taking in the unfamiliar circle of partygoers, all dressed in wild costumes. She watched as the holographic alien—Camille—settled back into her spot on the carpet, her smile wide with anticipation.

"Wait— is there room for one more player?"

All heads turned toward the unfamiliar voice. Even Harper looked. Camille's grin widened at the sight of the girl standing by the door in a police uniform.

Josie.

"Josie! Of course! Always room for you! Come sit by me!" Camille called out, opening her arms.

Josie smirked and made her way over. Camille pulled her down beside her, both now sitting cross-legged. Without skipping a beat, Camille scribbled Josie's and Harper's names onto pieces of paper, folding them and tossing them into the bowl of names already being mixed around.

"Okay... since it's MY birthday, I'm going first."

Everyone quieted as Camille reached into the bowl, her fingers swirling dramatically before she pulled out a slip and opened it. Her face lit up.

"Jeff Ramsdale."

Cheers and giggles filled the room as Camille and Jeff stood, grinning at each other before disappearing into the downstairs closet. One girl started a timer on her phone: exactly seven minutes.

The rest of the group leaned in, listening intently for any signs—moaning, groaning—it was well-known that seven minutes in heaven often ended with some form of hookup. Harper had never played before, but Vivienne had told her about it. Apparently, it was a party staple.

Soon, Camille and Jeff returned, flushed and grinning ear-to-ear. They slid back into their seats like nothing had happened. Camille licked her lips playfully and passed the bowl to her left, placing it on Josie's lap with a wink.

"Josie, I'm manifesting that you pick a girl. You little lezza..." Camille teased.

Josie laughed and dug her hand into the bowl, pulling out a piece of paper. She unraveled it and smirked instantly. She held it up, and the group erupted in snickers and gasps. Her eyes slowly moved from the paper to the witch sitting across from her.

"Harper Baldwin."

Harper froze. Every head turned toward her. Her stomach twisted into a knot as Camille cheered, shaking Josie's shoulders with excitement. Harper hated being the center of attention—especially when it came to anything romantic or involving girls. Slowly, she stood and followed Josie toward the closet. Camille held up her phone to show the timer.

"Seven minutes, guys! No more than that!" she laughed.

The closet door closed. Inside, Harper looked around anxiously, fingers fidgeting with her tie as she stood just inches from Josie—the same girl who had rescued her from a perv not long ago.

"Hi again."

"Hi."

Harper avoided eye contact. Every time she looked at Josie, her knees went weak. Josie glanced around and laughed softly, brushing some dust from the air with a wave of her hand.

"It stinks in here."

"Yeah... So... how do you know Camille?"

"We go to school together. You?"

"Our parents are really close friends. We used to have playdates when we were younger—me and my siblings."

"Oh, that's cute. Yeah, Camille's cool. A really good friend to have."

Harper nodded. If she could keep the conversation going, maybe seven minutes would pass without anything happening. She studied Josie quietly—her demeanor, her ease, her confidence.

"So... Camille said she was manifesting you'd pick a girl. Are you...?"

"Into girls?" Josie raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I am. What about you?"

"Oh—no. No, I like boys."

Josie watched her closely. Something about that answer didn't sit right. She wasn't going to press it—she'd been outed before and knew too well what fear and secrecy felt like. Still, Harper's body language practically screamed curiosity.

"Have you kissed a girl before?" Josie asked.

"No. But I've always wondered what it's like."

"I mean... if you want to try it on me, I won't say anything. A lot of girls use me as their 'experiment,' I guess. No hard feelings—I'm used to it."

"I mean—just a peck. No tongue or anything."

"Sure."

Harper stared at Josie, her stomach churning with nerves and butterflies. This could be the moment—the one where she'd finally know. Taking a shaky breath, she reached up and cupped Josie's cheeks with both hands, closing the gap between them.

Their lips met in a soft kiss that lasted longer than expected. When Josie finally pulled back, both girls stood there in silence, dazed. Harper's expression shifted—relief, clarity, something like confirmation. Her hands remained on Josie's cheeks.

"Why did you stop...?"

"I was just—do you still wanna kiss?"

Harper nodded silently, her gaze locked on Josie's lips. Josie pulled her in again, this time with more certainty. Their mouths moved together in sync, lips parting, tongues brushing. Josie's hands gripped Harper's waist, the space between them practically disappearing.

Time seemed to vanish.

Until the closet door rattled loudly, jolting them apart.

Camille's voice followed: "That's seven minutes, girls! Out you come!"

Harper looked down at herself in a panic, brushing her fingers across her lips—her lip gloss now smudged and on Josie. She gently wiped Josie's lips too, giving a small, awkward smile as they both let out quiet, nervous laughs.

"Look... I still like boys, okay? But... just don't tell anyone. Please?"

Josie raised an eyebrow and gently pulled Harper closer by her Gryffindor tie. With careful fingers, she fixed the tie and tucked it back into Harper's jumper. Then, she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Harper's cheek before opening the closet door and walking out without a word.

Harper stood there, stunned. Her heart was pounding, her lips tingling—but for the first time in a long while, she felt... okay. Maybe even a little happy.

She liked girls too.