public static List<Integer> closest(String s, List<Integer> queries) {
    // Write your code here
        List<Integer> result = new ArrayList<Integer>();
        if (queries.size() == 0) {
            return result;
        }

        char[] strToChar = s.toCharArray();

        for(int i = 0; i < queries.size(); i++) {
            int currIndx = queries.get(i); // target character index
            if (currIndx < 0 || currIndx >= strToChar.length) { // invalid index from query
                result.add(-1);
                continue;
            }

            char c = strToChar[queries.get(i)];

            int checkAway = 1;

            boolean found = false;
            
            // check left and right from current index and find closest index of same character
            while(currIndx - checkAway >= 0 || currIndx + checkAway < strToChar.length) {
                int moveLeft = currIndx - checkAway;
                int moveRight = currIndx + checkAway;
                
                if(moveLeft >=0 && c == strToChar[moveLeft]){
                    result.add(moveLeft);
                    found = true;

                    break;
                } else if(moveRight < strToChar.length && strToChar[moveRight] == c){
                    result.add(moveRight);
                    found = true;

                    break;
                }
                
                checkAway++;
            }

            if(!found){
                result.add(-1);
            }
        }

        return result;
    }