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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~ ~ ~ 1999
The bright, cold lights of Westmount High hummed, a discordant soundtrack to Blossom's already jangled nerves. Sunday had been a surprisingly pleasant blur of forced smiles and nervous laughter, all wrapped up in the peculiar package of a "bet date" with her best friend, Hunter. Now, Monday morning loomed, a concrete wall between her and any semblance of normalcy.
The memory of their date, or rather their "bet date," was a bizarre concoction of comfortable silences and surprisingly genuine moments. Hunter had taken her to their local diner to chat and probably to see everyone else there with their special someone as a way to get her to see how good love could be. Blossom had played along, half-amused, half-mortified, and a tiny sliver of her, she hated to admit, also curious.
She made her way to her locker, her usual rhythm disrupted by the buzz of whispers that seemed to follow her like a persistent shadow. She should have expected it. Word travelled fast in the concrete jungle that was Westmount High. The "bet date" between Blossom and Hunter, with its awkward premise and the sheer audacity of it all, had become the hot topic of the week. There was a strange mix of amusement, disbelief, and outright gossiping that swirled around her as she battled with the combination lock.
"So, how was it?"
The voice made her jump. It was Lily, her other best friend, leaning against the lockers with that knowing grin of hers.
Blossom sighed. "It was...a date. Sort of. A bet date, to be precise, which makes it less...datey, and more...weird."
Lily chuckled. "I heard it involved a picnic. Did he bring out the checkered blanket and a wicker basket?"
"No it was in a booth at Kitties diner. Man the rumor mill is really working today" Blossom grumbled, yanking her locker open with a little too much force. "And the food wasn't even that good. I'm pretty sure my brother spit in his and I told Hunter that but he didn't believe me."
Lily's laughter rang through the hallway. "Oh, this is going to be epic. 14 dates, babe? You're a glutton for punishment."
"Tell me about it," Blossom muttered. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. Some-what getting back into the dating game was making her navigate the emotional wreckage of her last relationship, a messy, heart-shattering affair she'd much rather forget about than deal with. Hunter, bless his well-meaning heart, seemed determined to drag her out of the emotional pit she had resigned herself to call home. She couldn't understand why he would put himself through this.
Just as the bell rang, a small group of girls shrieked. Blossom groaned and turned around, seeing Hunter's smiling face waving hello to them, friendly. Looked like the news was doing wonders for him, Hunter was sure to be one popular man after the 14 days were over. Perhaps that's the reason he was doing this? Her eyes catching his as he approached, a sheepish grin spread across his face. Hunter was wearing the same faded band t-shirt he had on Sunday, which only seemed to contribute to his relaxed, 'cool guy' persona. He winked and walked towards her, but instead of greeting Blossom he continued to his locker a few feet down the hall.
