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 late September sun, a bright, insistent presence, beat down on the small town, casting long shadows and painting the leaves in hues of gold and rust. But despite the vibrant display of autumn, Hunter's heart remained shrouded in grey. It had been a couple days since Monday, the day Blossom had declared their 14-day bet over, the day she had unknowingly shattered his carefully constructed plan, a plan designed to make her fall in love with him under the guise of proving love itself was real.
The fear chewed at him. The school year was still young, and the thought that this rift might solidify, that they would drift apart, was a prospect that filled him with a chilling dread. It wasn't just the loss of their game, it was the potential loss of their friendship, a friendship he treasured, a friendship that had somehow morphed into something more in his heart. He was losing his chance to tell her, to confess the fact that the bet was just a way to be with her.
His father, a man of few words but astute observation, had noticed the cloud that had settled over Hunter. So very early that morning, before the sun had dared to peek over the horizon, he'd woken Hunter up, a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. "Let's go fishing," he'd simply said.
Now, they were adrift on the lake, in the same small boat Hunter had often used to ferry him and his friends to their secret island hideaway. The boat rocked softly, the gentle motion almost lulling Hunter back to sleep. His fishing rod, held loosely in his hand, was more a prop than a tool. His father, however, was alert, his eyes sharp on the water and on his son.
"Stay awake, son," his father had said, his voice low. "You can sleep later."
Hunter straightened, forcing his eyes open.
His father sat in comfortable silence for a moment before speaking again, his words slow and deliberate, like the gentle rocking of the boat. "You're upset about this girl, aren't you?"
Hunter didn't answer immediately, knowing his father wasn't looking for a verbal confirmation.
"You can love someone with all your heart," his father continued, "but sometimes, you just can't make them see it, or feel it, right away. Sometimes, you have to let them come to you." He paused, picking up on Hunter's confusion. "It's like fishing, Hunter. You can cast your line, sure, and try to reel them in, but the harder you try to grab them, the less likely they are to bite. They need to come to your line on their own. And they will, in time."
Hunter frowned, staring out at the water, his reflection staring back, a young man clearly lost and confused. He was so used to chasing what he wanted and when he did, it would always be his.
His father continued calmly. "Blossom is upset because she feels like she's being selfish. All of what you've done, all this money you've been spending on her, it's not what she needs right now. Giving her any more kindness will only make her want to run further away. What she needs," his father paused for emphasis, "is to reflect. She needs to come to her own conclusions about her own feelings, Hunter. She'll come around once she realizes how much she needs you."
