Saturday, April 27 – Evening / Midtown Apartment – Jay's Rooftop
Doors Open, Lights Flicker
The rooftop was dressed in soft amber lights strung overhead, glowing against the darkening sky. A gentle breeze stirred the edges of the banners Tyler insisted on taping to the railing—most of which read things like:
"Final Exams Didn't Kill Us!"
"Barely Survived But Make It Aesthetic"
"Welcome to Jay's Mystery Penthouse Party"
Jay hadn't approved that last one.
Too late now.
The door swung open again.
"Delivery from the Hart-Hart-Hart Party Agency!" Sofia called, carrying two large totes—one with drinks, the other clinking suspiciously.
Noah followed behind her in a velvet purple blazer and sunglasses… at dusk. "I'm here to raise the fashion bar."
"You're two hours late," Emma said from where she was setting up paper cups by the drink table.
"I was meditating," he replied. "And choosing a bowtie."
Jay stood near the grill, setting out trays of Amaya's handmade snacks—mini croissants, soft melon buns, and something shaped like a bunny. "Please tell me no one brought explosives."
"Depends," Sofia said. "Do sparklers count?"
"Technically? No."
"Then yes."
By 6:45, the rooftop was alive.
Tyler had taken over the playlist—currently blasting a nostalgic pop mix that had Noah lip-syncing dramatically into a plastic fork.
Yuki sat near the edge of the rooftop with Luna, watching the skyline. Every so often she'd pull out a notepad, write something, then fold it up and tuck it into her pocket.
Sofia danced between people like she owned the place. She grabbed selfies, passed out soda cans, and gave live commentary on everyone's outfits.
"You wore that on purpose, right?" she asked Miles, who looked extremely done in a gray hoodie and sweatpants.
"It's a vibe," he replied. "It's called: I didn't care then, and I still don't."
Emma, standing beside Jay with a bottle of sparkling lemonade, nudged his elbow. "Still nervous about this?"
"Not nervous," he said, watching the string lights sway above them. "Just… surprised they all showed up."
Emma looked at him sideways. "You're the glue, Jay. You just never realize it."
That earned her a glance.
Something almost passed between them again.
But then—
Round Circle, Center Stage
"Okay!" Tyler declared, dragging a patio chair into the middle of the rooftop. "It's time."
"Time for what?" Luna asked, half-curled beside Yuki on a throw blanket.
"Truth or Dare, obviously," Sofia said, already grinning like a gremlin. "Circle up, people."
"Do I get a veto?" Jay asked.
"No," half the group replied in unison.
Chairs scraped. Cushions were grabbed. Soon, the whole crew was seated in a wide circle:
Jay, Emma, Tyler, Sofia, Amaya, Noah, Yuki, Miles, Luna.
Tyler held up a deck of handmade cards. "One stack for truth, one for dare. If you skip a turn, you have to eat one of Noah's mystery jellybeans."
Noah pulled out a black bag. "Some taste like cinnamon. Others like raw anchovies. Life is suffering."
Jay sighed. "Fine. I'll go first."
Jay's Turn
He drew a truth card:
"Who's the best liar in this group?"
Jay didn't hesitate. "Emma."
Emma blinked. "Rude."
"It's a compliment," Jay said. "You lie with your face and no one notices."
Emma arched a brow. "I'll remember that."
Sofia leaned in. "You two are already spicy and we're only one round in."
Sofia's Turn
Sofia pulled a dare card, eyes already gleaming.
"Pair up two people and make them act like a couple."
She gasped dramatically. "Oh, this is gold. Tyler and Amaya. Go."
Tyler choked on his drink. "Wait—what?!"
Amaya blinked, clearly startled. "Me?"
"Too late," Sofia said, clapping like she just announced a royal engagement. "You're now emotionally entangled. Congratulations. Live your truth."
Tyler rubbed the back of his neck, already sweating. "I have a girlfriend, you know."
"Exactly why this is fun," Sofia replied, unbothered.
Amaya gave a small sigh, then stood and walked over with surprising calm. She sat beside Tyler, slipped her arm through his, and rested her chin lightly on his shoulder.
"I'm only doing this because I want to win," she said in her softest, most sugar-sweet voice.
Tyler glanced sideways, panicked. "It's good Iris isn't here."
Amaya's Turn
She shyly picked a truth card.
"Have you ever had a crush on someone in this group?"
The group leaned forward like hungry wolves.
Amaya's cheeks flushed. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes."
Dead silence.
Tyler choked on his soda. "WAIT WHO?"
Amaya calmly popped a cookie into her mouth and said nothing.
Emma looked at her curiously.
Tyler's Turn
He yanked a dare card without hesitation.
"Do your best dramatic monologue confessing your love to a chair."
Tyler stood, picked the nearest patio chair, dropped to one knee, and grabbed its armrest. "Oh, you beautiful piece of architecture, how your plastic curves hold me in ways no human ever could—"
Sofia was already crying laughing.
Yuki deadpanned, "He's more committed to the chair than he is to any of his group projects."
Yuki's Turn
Yuki calmly drew a truth card.
"What is one thing no one here knows about you?"
She stared at the card for three seconds. Then said, "I once hacked the school's lunch account system because they raised the price of pudding by three penne."
Everyone stared.
"Wait, what?" Miles asked.
"I fixed it after," she added. "Justice was served."
Jay blinked. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"You already are," she said, then smiled faintly.
Noah's Turn
He drew a dare card and groaned.
"Give everyone nicknames based on fruit."
Noah stood, cleared his throat. "Alright. Here we go. Jay is Citrus Fox. Emma is Ice berry. Tyler is Watermelon Head. Sofia is Sour Cherry. Amaya is Honeydew. Miles is Salted Lime. Luna is Cloud Grape. Yuki is… Frozen Plum."
Sofia raised a hand. "Wait, why sour cherry?"
"Because you look sweet and then ruin lives."
She beamed. "That's fair."
Miles' Turn
Miles picked truth.
"If you had to room with one person here for a month, who would it be?"
He looked around the circle. Paused.
Then pointed at Yuki. "She'd leave me alone and probably automate the chores."
Yuki nodded. "Correct."
Luna's Turn
Luna picked dare.
"Read a line from your favourite book like it's a confession."
Luna cleared her throat, held up an imaginary book, and said in her soft voice, "And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."
Silence.
Tyler sniffled. "That got me. I felt that."
The circle started stirring again as another round approached.
Tyler clapped. "Alright people—we're just getting started."
The rooftop was warm now—not just from the lights overhead, but from the way everyone had settled into each other's presence. The laughter, the teasing, the closeness. It was starting to feel like something more than a game.
Jay sat back, hands resting on his knees, watching the lights reflect off everyone's faces.
The next card was already in Emma's hand.
She looked up. "Ready?"
Jay nodded.