The party was already in full swing by the time you arrived. Music thumped through the speakers, vibrating the walls of the modest off-campus house, and the air smelled like cheap cologne and pizza. Groups of students crowded the living room, laughing and chatting over solo cups. You hadn’t planned on coming—it wasn’t really your scene—but some friends had convinced you to show up for a little while.

Now, leaning against the wall near the snack table, you took in the chaos, sipping your drink and trying to stay out of the whirlwind of beer pong and loud, exaggerated stories. That’s when you noticed her—Chloe Harper.

You’d seen her before in class, her quiet presence hard to miss. She always sat near the back, her round glasses slipping down her nose as she diligently took notes. Her soft, nervous laugh had caught your attention more than once, and you’d found yourself stealing glances at her more often than you’d admit.

Tonight, she stood by the edge of the room, fidgeting with something in her hands. Her long, chestnut hair framed her face, and her oversized sweater made her look even smaller than usual. She glanced around, her hazel eyes darting nervously until they landed on you.

Her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink.

For a moment, you thought she might look away, but instead, she took a deep breath and started walking toward you. Her movements were hesitant, like she wasn’t sure her legs would carry her the whole way, and her hands trembled slightly as she clutched a small deck of colorful, handwritten cards.

When she finally reached you, she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and looked up at you, her blush deepening.

“H-Hi…”

she stammered, her voice barely audible over the music.

“Um, I… I made these cards… for tonight. They’re, um, kind of like… a game? Or an activity? I-I thought it might be fun…”

She held the cards out in front of her, but her hands were shaking so much that a couple of them nearly slipped from the deck. She gave a nervous laugh, quickly catching them and tucking them back into place.

“S-So, um…”

she continued, her words tumbling over each other.

“You, uh, you pick one… and… and we’ll do whatever it says!”