Honestly, I'm not entirely sure whose idea it was to name the game Seven Minutes in Heaven because, at that moment, it felt like Seven Minutes in Hell. As soon as the door shut, it was impossible to make out any shape in the cupboard, and I wasn't even really sure how much room we had to move about in. I could feel Thomas' presence, though-he lingered in front of me, his breath warm in the air before my face.

It was uncomfortably silent for a long while before either of us spoke. Then, we both began talking at once, which only added to the awkwardness. It went something like this...

Sophie: "Shall we sit down, or..."

Thomas (at the same time): "I'm kind of glad the bottle landed... Sorry, you talk first. What was that you were saying?"

Sophie: "No, really. You speak first."

Thomas: "Oh, it doesn't matter anyway. I was just trying to make conversation."

Sophie: "Okay... Well, shall we sit down? I don't really want to stand for the whole seven minutes."

Thomas: "Yeah, okay." (We sat down on the floor at this point, and Thomas' knee knocked against mine. He didn't move it.)

Sophie: "So... Seven Minutes In Heaven, hmm?"

Thomas: (pause) "Yeah..."

Sophie: (pause) "Seems more like seven minutes of torture to me." (I let out an awkward laugh here and it came out too loud-damn, it really was quiet in this small cupboard.)

Thomas: (mumbling) "'S not...bad."

Sophie: "What?"

Thomas: "Um... It's not that bad."

Sophie: "Well, no... Okay, it's not."

Thomas: "It could be worse."

Sophie: "You mean, you could be with Ben?" (I laughed again here. Thomas didn't join in.)

Thomas: "Yeah. Or I could be with Lizzie."

Sophie: (swallowing hard) "I thought you liked Lizzie."

At this point, about one minute of our time was already up. It was impossible to hear anything happening outside of the cupboard. The atmosphere was close, and I could feel my palms beginning to turn clammy with nerves.

Thomas: "I like her, but... I just feel like she'd be too pushy in this sort of situation."

Sophie: "Well, the aim of the game is to kiss." (Great way to make yourself sound eager, Sophie. You prat.)

Thomas: "Yeah, kiss. Not land myself in a situation where I have to give up my virginity."

If it wasn't pitch black in the cupboard at that moment, Thomas would've been able to see the blush on my cheeks as he spoke. Fortunately, the both of us were still temporarily blind, so I took the opportunity to speak as normal. Which, roughly translated, means I took the opportunity to embarrass myself.

Sophie: "Hey, who says I'm not capable of making you give up your virginity, too? For all you know, I could be horny as hell. And now you're locked in a cupboard with me for seven minutes."

Thomas: (laughing) "Oh, man. You are hilarious, Sophie Allen."

Sophie: "No, seriously. I could be preparing myself to pounce and you'd never know."

Thomas: (still laughing) "This is why I'm glad you're in here with me, and not her."

Sophie: (blushing and grinning like a maniac) "So, you're not ready to potentially give up your virginity to Lizzie just yet?"

Thomas: "I doubt I'll ever want to give up my virginity to her. She's not my type. Besides...I've never even kissed a girl."

Sophie: "I've never kissed a boy."

Thomas: "Have you kissed a girl?"

Sophie: (laughing) "Have you kissed a boy?"

Thomas laughed. There was silence for a moment. I ducked my head, my cheeks still red-not that he could see them, of course, but I found that I acted coy around Thomas no matter what.

Sophie: "Okay, you definitely left that answer too long. You have kissed a boy, haven't you?"

Thomas: "No!" (laughing) "No, I haven't! I just... You make me smile, Sophie."

Sophie: "Well, that's good, because you have to kiss me within the next...what? Three minutes?"

Thomas: "You're making it sound like you don't want me to."

Sophie: "I'm sorry. I'm just nervous."

Thomas: "Why?"

Sophie: "Because it's you."

Thomas: "Why would it be any different if it were anybody else?"

Sophie: "Because... I don't know, because I'm more comfortable around other people, maybe? Like you said earlier, we haven't spoken properly since year seven."

Thomas: "And why's that, Sophie?"

Sophie: "You tell me, Thomas."

Thomas: "I wish I had a good enough answer, Sophie."

Sophie: "I wish I did too, Thom-uhmmf..."

Suddenly, Thomas' face was right there before mine, and I felt a rush of hot breath as his lips touched against me, bumping my nose first but then finding my mouth fast. His lips were warm and full and wet, and the movement of them parted mine slightly. I felt my body tensing but my insides were loosening at the same time; it was a surreal feeling, and the only instinct I had, at first, was to pull back.

"What's wrong?" Thomas asked, and I felt him move back slightly, too. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

I shook my head, though I knew he couldn't see, and leaned forwards again. This time, I tilted my head slightly to the side, and our noses pressed together as I locked lips with him. I tried sliding my hand up to Thomas' neck and pushing my head forwards ever so slightly, locking our lips together properly, but that didn't go quite as anticipated. As I moved, there was a loud, clacking sound, and a sharp pain ripped through my gum. Thomas flinched and I felt him pull back, and I realised that my teeth had knocked into his, trapping his upper lip between them and cutting it in the process.

"I am so sorry!" I gasped, swiftly removing my hand from his neck and placing it onto his shoulder instead. "Are you okay?"

Thomas laughed. "Honestly, Sophie, I'm fine. I'm just a crap kisser."

"That was my fault," I said, feeling myself blushing like mad. Why did I have to ruin everything?

"We could try again," Thomas suggested, and I felt movement beneath my hand as he shifted forwards again.

"I'd like that," I began, but then all of a sudden the door was thrown open and there stood Ben, eyes on both of us, a surprised expression on his face.

"Oh! Looks like you guys really did follow the rules of the game," he said. He turned back to the others. "Check it out! Thomas and Sophie kissed in the cupboard!"

As quick as anything, Thomas was on his feet again and was walking out of the cupboard, leaving me to prise myself up off the floor and follow behind. "We didn't really kiss," he was saying. "It was nothing. It's a game."

"Whatever you say," Ben said, and he nudged Thomas' arm with a wink. I caught his gaze, though, and it changed suddenly.

"Look," Lizzie said, "can we just carry on with the game? So, they kissed. It's no big deal. That's the point in playing. And there are more of us here than just Sophie and Thomas. I want to have a go!" Lizzie waved her arms about as she spoke, beckoning for us to join her in the circle on the floor.

"Actually," Thomas said, and he grabbed his torch from the floor. "I think I'm going to head back upstairs. I don't feel too well. Like I'm going to be sick."

I watched Lizzie's face change as she registered this information. "But...you only just got here!" she said, mouth dropping open as her eyebrows creased together.

"Yeah." Thomas shrugged. "Sorry. I'm just not feeling up for it tonight."

"Are you going, too, Sophie?" Ben asked, and I felt his hand touching my arm again.

I looked at Thomas. He shook his head. "It's okay. I won't ruin the fun for everyone. I just want to go to sleep. Sophie can feel free to stay, if she wants to."

I frowned. What was with the sudden change in him? Just a few seconds ago, he'd been absolutely fine...

"Please stay!" Ben said, tugging at my arm. I wish he'd leave me alone. But I didn't want to seem like I was clinging to Thomas, either, so I agreed to stay.

Thomas smiled and I watched him walk out of the room, his torch shining down on the carpet like a little yellow spotlight. Then it was gone, and I was left in the circle with Lizzie, Ben and the other two I didn't know yet.

I stayed there for two whole hours. We continued playing Seven Minutes in Heaven for a while-at least, we did until Lizzie hadn't been selected three times in a row, at which point I assumed she'd just gotten bored because the attention wasn't on her. We drank and ate the snacks Lizzie had supplied, and we spoke about different things. I learned the names of the other two: there was a guy with ginger hair called Max, and a girl with black hair and a quiet voice named Cassie. They were nice enough people, but I couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable the whole time we were there. These people were strangers to me; they weren't my real friends, and I was the type of person who only felt properly comfortable around people I'd known for a long time.

At a quarter past twelve, I decided to head back to the room. Ben offered to walk me up there, claiming I might lose my way. I wanted to point out the fact that he'd only been here as long as I had, and that he'd not even ventured as far as the attic rooms yet, but instead I accepted because that was just the easiest thing to do.

"Have you had fun tonight?" he asked, as we landed outside mine and Thomas' bedroom door on the staff corridor.

I nodded my head. "It's been fun," I lied. "Thanks for asking us to join you."

Ben shook his head and placed his hand on my arm again. "That's okay, Sophie. I really like you. It's no problem."

I smiled awkwardly. "Well," I said, pulling my arm out of his grip, "thanks for walking me up here. I guess I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow."

Ben nodded, his eyes still on me. "It's a shame you and I didn't get called into that cupboard, isn't it?" he said.

"It is?" I asked. Then, "I mean... Yeah. I guess it is." I shrugged my shoulders, wanting desperately for him to just leave and let me walk into the room.

"But I guess we don't have to be in a cupboard to-"

"Okay, goodnight Ben! Thanks for walking me up here!" I grabbed for the door handle urgently and dashed into the room. I didn't listen to his reply as I closed the door on his face, and it was only when my pulse had settled down properly that I realised just who I was sharing the room with.

There were side tables either side of the bed, and each one held a lamp. Thomas had left the lamp on my side of the bed switched on, and it let out a dim, orange glow. Caught in the glow was the mound lying beneath the duvet, facing away from me. It was moving up and down slowly, and I watched in silence as Thomas slept on, his breathing heavy.

I was going to be sleeping in that bed with him tonight.

A mixture of nerves and excitement filled my stomach in one big rush as I crept across the room towards my suitcase. I rummaged around for my pyjamas before stepping into the en-suite bathroom to put them on. It was cramped in there, but I managed to keep quiet successfully and, once I'd brushed my teeth (which didn't go so quietly-the second I turned the tap on, the boiler began a horrible moaning noise which broke the silence and likely woke up the whole corridor), I made my way back into the bedroom and over to the bed.

I stood as still as a statue for minutes, trying to work up the courage to lift the covers and climb into bed beside Thomas. This was going to be a challenge. He lay there, a sleeping lion, and I, the mouse, had to figure out a way of sneaking into his lair without disturbing him. My pyjamas, for the record, were pink with buttons down the front and spotty dogs all over the fabric, and I really didn't want Thomas to see me in them.

I reached down and lifted the duvet carefully, so that it wouldn't pull against Thomas as he slept. I knew how creaky the bed was, but, as I placed my knee onto it and edged down onto the mattress, I didn't expect the noise it made to be quite so loud. I flinched and allowed myself to fall down clumsily, just so that the noise would stop. The rickety bed groaned beneath me, and the whole headboard seemed to come away from the mattress for a moment. I lay still as ever, barely breathing, so that I could see if Thomas stirred.

Several seconds passed. Thomas didn't move once. His breathing continued on normally, and, realising that I was safe and hadn't woken him, I turned around slightly to take a look. His blonde curls fell across his forehead like an actual lion's mane, and I smiled at seeing how peaceful Thomas looked with his eyes closed and his features relaxed. His lips were parted just a little, all red and plump, and I thought back to how, just a couple of hours ago, I'd been kissing them.

But he'd said it meant nothing. What had that been about? Surely he wouldn't have kissed me if there wasn't something between us? Then again, like he'd pointed out, it was only a game...

I thought upon this for a while as I watched him some more, and I found myself beginning to feel a little sad. Eventually, though, I turned right around and curled my knees up to my chest, hugging them with my arms and allowing myself to grow all lazy and content.

And it worked for a while. Until, about five minutes later, there was movement on Thomas' side of the bed, and I stayed there with my eyes shut tight, not making a sound, as he leaned across me to turn the light out.

"Goodnight, Sophie," he whispered-so quiet that he might not have said anything at all-and I felt pressure on my back as he pressed himself up close to me. With a final sigh that brushed the hair on my shoulders and tickled my neck, he placed his head down onto the pillow, and within minutes, his heavy breathing had returned.

He was asleep again.