When a 14-day dating challenge erupts between skeptical Blossom and her secretly smitten best friend Hunter in the waning days of 1999, their easy friendship is plunged into a maelstrom of teenage angst, unrequited affection, and the terrifying poss...
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~ ~ ~ 1996
Hunter was in love with Blossom from a very young age. Or at least child him thought he was, as time went on, the feelings lessened, love turned into friendship as the two best friends grew up together.
Sure he loved her, but as a friend and nothing else. Some time in his middle school years Hunter experienced real attraction with a girl his age, Blossom too met a boy and hit it off just as quickly as he and his girlfriend did.
They never let the relationships they had run their life completely, still finding time in their busy schedules to meet up and hang out whenever possible. However Hunter's life was soon about to change as dramatically as it can, he..was about to fall in love. But not with the girl he had been seeing for almost on 2 years. But with his best friend.
The air crackled that fateful night with the electric energy of the annual Halloween fair, the scent of caramel apples and popcorn mingling with the crisp autumn air. For Hunter, however, the usual excitement felt muted. His baseball jersey costume, a last-minute effort, felt oddly out of place, especially since Aisha, his girlfriend, had canceled on him just hours before. A wave of disappointment washed over him as he shuffled through the crowd, the colorful chaos around him doing little to lift his spirits.
That's when he saw her. Standing near the entrance, a burst of vibrant blue and red against the backdrop of the setting sun, was Blossom. Her Supergirl costume, complete with a cape that fluttered in the breeze, made her stand out like a beacon. Her family was gathered around her, an animated cluster of chatter and laughter. Hunter immediately felt a tug of something akin to happiness, a feeling that had been scarce lately. He didn't even think before he was walking towards her, a grin spreading across his face.
"Blossom!" he called out, his voice a little louder than he intended.
Blossom turned, her eyes widening in surprise, and her face lit up when she saw him. "Hunter! Hey!" She gave him a bright smile as he reached her and her family. Introductions were exchanged, families mingling easy. It wasn't long before Hunter's parents, sensing his lack of enthusiasm earlier, told him that he could go have some fun with Blossom. He thanked them happily, his heart already lighter than it had been all day. They started to walk away, ready to take on all the fair had to offer, when Blossom stopped abruptly.
"Wait, Evan's coming back with my cotton candy," she explained, tilting her head toward a nearby food stall. Her boyfriend. Hunter felt a pang of disappointment, a subtle tightening in his chest he couldn't quite understand. He brushed it off quickly. It wasn't a big deal. If Aisha was here he wouldn't be spending time with Blossom anyways. These were the cards they were dealt. Evan soon appeared, cotton candy in hand, a look of mild annoyance on his face as he took in Hunter's presence. Hunter could see the annoyance, he had seen the look tons of times before.
"Hey, Evan," Blossom said, taking her cotton candy. "You remember Hunter right? Well he's going to hang out with us tonight ok?"
Evan's annoyance didn't fade at the reintroduction but he gave a short nod, his lips pursed tightly. "Whatever," he mumbled before taking a bite of his own cotton candy.
