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 scent of shampoo and wet dog fur still clung to Blossom's coat and his own clothes as Hunter pulled up to her driveway. The afternoon sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in the most beautiful kind of way. He watched as Blossom unbuckled her seatbelt, a small smile playing on her lips. Today at the animal shelter had been a resounding success, if he did say so himself. They'd spent the afternoon playing with puppies, cuddling kittens, and even walked a rather stubborn bulldog named Brutus, who seemed to take a special liking to Blossom. It was these little moments, these shared laughs and genuine smiles, that he truly cherished, and they made the ever-present butterflies in his stomach go wild.
"Thank you," she said softly, looking at him.
"For what?" he asked, a little confused.
"For everything...the coffee, the shelter, for always going out of your way to plan these incredible dates. You make me feel special. Always," Blossom said, a soft smile gracing her features.
Hunter loved everything about this girl and had no problem showing it on his face, it was the words that always seemed to trip him up. Never being able to say how he really felt always bothered him if only he could just be poetic like his friend Nick and write his feelings in a poem or confident like his other friend Tyler and just tell her outright. He'd even take being overly flirtatious like Blossom's neighbor and friend Eli Anderson, then maybe he could charm Blossom into loving him back.
But alas. As per usual all he could muster up was
"Of course, Blossom, I'm just glad I can be here for you."
Blossom laughed happily, and it was a sound Hunter could never get tired of hearing.
He watched as she disappeared into her house, a sense of satisfaction washing over him. The bet was going even better than he'd anticipated, and he had a little over a week left to solidify how he truly felt for her. With only 4:30 on the clock, and a rumbling stomach, he decided to make a stop at the local diner, a place he knew his friends Tyler and Nick frequented.
The bell above the door jingled as he entered, the familiar aroma of frying food and coffee filling the air. He scanned the room, spotting Tyler and Nick at their usual corner booth. They waved him over, already engaged in a hushed conversation about the latest video game release.
"Hey dude," Tyler greeted him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Where you been?"
Hunter slid into the booth across from them. "Animal shelter. With Blossom."
Nick raised an eyebrow, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. "Ah, glad to hear the 'mission' is still in effect. Elena hasn't been too keen on telling me anything as of late. She keeps saying it's "y'all's business" but really it includes us too since we are the ones helping behind the scenes."
