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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
~ ~ ~ 1999
The rhythmic hum of the city bus was a dull counterpoint to the storm brewing inside Blossom's head. The fourth date with Hunter had started with such promise – laughter echoing in the dimly lit rec-it room, the shared thrill of adrenaline after smashing the cars tinted windows, the surprisingly fun feeling of being sprayed with washable spray paint. But then came the argument, a petty squabble that had somehow morphed into something uglier, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth and a knot of unease in her stomach. Now, as she walked the two blocks from the bus stop to her house, the streetlights casting long, distorted shadows around her, she replayed the fight in her mind.
It had been about Evan. Her ex boyfriend. Her friend. Hunter was jealous for absolutely no reason, they weren't dating and she can talk to whomever she pleases regardless. Their voices had risen, cutting through the crisp sunset air like a jagged knife. The whole thing was stupid, she knew, but it had stung nonetheless. Now, in the relative quiet of the descending evening, Blossom's thoughts circled back to the bet. Fourteen days. Could she really do this? Could she endure more of these rocky emotional rollercoasters all for the chance to win Hunter's coca-cola themed jacket, the one he treasured more than anything? She had agreed to it for that reason and also to prove to him that, love did not exist, but now she was starting to question both her reasons for participating in this bet.
The familiar facade of her suburban home came into view, and she braced herself, expecting the usual symphony of happy chatter and the comforting aroma of her mother's cooking. Usually the house was a warm hug after a long day of school, a safe haven from the world. But today, as she pushed open the front door, silence greeted her. An unsettling, heavy silence that hung in the air like a damp blanket. The house was usually filled with her family, her mother humming in the kitchen, her younger sister, Elena, chattering on the phone, and her younger brother, Ethan, always up to something. But tonight, it was still. Blossom could practically hear the tension crackling in the air.
Her mother, her expression strained, met her in the hallway. "Hey sweetie," she offered, the usual warmth absent from her smile. "How was your day?"
Blossom, already on edge thanks to the argument with Hunter, and feeling the weight of the house's strained atmosphere, didn't have the patience for pleasantries. "Fine," she mumbled, her tone sharper than she intended. She brushed passed her mother, heading straight for the stairs. She was still frustrated and she did not want to deal with whatever was going on with her family.
Her German father, a usually jovial and easygoing man, was already in the living room. His face was set in a grim line, his eyes darting back and forth between Elena, who sat stiffly on the couch, and Ethan, who was staring intently at the floor. Blossom's heart sank. This was not good.
"Blossom, guten Abend," her father greeted her, his voice clipped. "Ve are having a family meeting. Please sit down."
Blossom sighed, the last dregs of her patience evaporating. She didn't want to talk – not about Hunter, and definitely not about whatever was going on in the house. She slumped onto the armchair, her body rigid with resistance.
