The I Love You Challenge

Jamie never liked cities very much and all throughout her childhood she told everyone that there was no way she would ever live in a city, but when Boston University offered her a full scholarship to their softball program Jamie just couldn’t refuse. Grudgingly, she moved into Boston ready to complete four years and get out.

The good thing about living in Boston is the hockey, plus it was a good distraction from her past, something she couldn’t escape in her small town. Although she was hesitant to watch the Bruins because of her life long dedication to the Detroit Red Wings, she eventually had to because of her new friends. Although she didn’t like to admit it, she liked the Bruins, a lot actually. As long as they didn’t beat the Red Wings, she didn’t mind calling the Bruins one of her favorite teams.

A week after she went back to Boston to start school she got a call from her old friend Lizzie, something she never expected to get. After three years of not talking to her old best friend, getting an out of the blue phone call definitely took her by surprise. Lizzie was tired of not talking to her old friends and was inviting them all over for a weekend in the beginning of November, to try to get back their old friendship.

At first, Jamie was unsure if she really wanted to go back. She had said several things that tore the friendship apart and there was a lot left unsaid. She did not want to go back and have some type of confrontation. When Lizzie called the second time to tell Jamie that she was the only who hadn’t agreed to come Jamie finally agreed to go. Although she hadn’t spoken to most of them for a long time, she really did miss her friends, and their close relationship.

Nov. 2nd, 2012

Jamie walked out of her front door 15 minutes later than she promised to be at Lizzie’s house. She was probably the one expected to be on time seeing that she lived next door to Lizzie’s childhood home. It took her all 15 minutes to gather the strength to leave the house.

She rang the doorbell and held her breath before the door was opened by Lizzie’s brother Joey.
“Jamie!” Joey exclaimed. “I’m so glad to see you!” he said pulling her into a hug. She awkwardly hugged him back. “How have you been?” he asked her in a more serious tone.

“I’ve been good. School’s kept me busy,” she told him sighing.

“I watched some of your softball games last spring. You’ve gotten really good.”

“Thanks. I’ve put a lot of time into training,”

“I could tell. I’m assuming you’re here to see the girls. They’re in the kitchen.”

“Thanks Joey, it was great to see you. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” He replied before she walked into the kitchen. Jamie saw her friends sitting at the kitchen table, each with a glass of wine or beer in front of them. No one was talking until she walked into the room. Lizzie and Chelsea got up from their seats and hurried over to give Jamie a hug while Melissa stayed seated and stared at her fingers. Jamie went back to the table and took a seat next to Lizzie.

“Want something to drink?” Lizzie asked her.

“Oh I don’t drink,” Jamie replied glancing over a Melissa who was staring at her judgmentally.

“Right, sorry. I thought that you might have changed your mind after you were legally allowed too,” Lizzie explained. Jamie shook her head.

“So how is your dad?” Chelsea asked Jamie.

“He’s good. My cousin just moved to Detroit so I’m having her check in on him every once in a while.” Jamie replied.

“That’s good! We were just about to talk about Melissa’s family right Liss?” Chelsea said glaring at Melissa. Jamie froze; Melissa’s family was the last family on the face of the planet that she would ever want to hear about.

“Right. Morgan just got engaged,” Melissa said halfheartedly.

“Really that’s great! To who?” Lizzie asked excitedly.

“Some guy she met in law school during our senior year,” Melissa explained.

“Aren’t you happy for her?” Chelsea asked.

“Overjoyed.” Melissa said sarcastically. They all looked at her confused. “My parents are just going to get into a bunch of arguments over it. And we haven’t actually had a big family gathering since, you know the thing, and I just know Morgan is going to make it a huge deal.” Jamie shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the use of the term ‘the thing’. It was more than just a thing to her. They kept talking about family for a while before the conversation was shifted. After an hour, they were all more comfortable with each other and it felt like they were back in high school. Everyone but Jamie was pretty drunk too, which helped ease the tension.

“I think that if anything we should all agree that our cities have some damn good looking hockey players,” Lizzie said taking another sip out of her drink when the girls started talking about hockey like old times.

“Oh yeah, I would be the first to tell you that the Penguins are one fine looking team,” Chelsea said.

“Even I can admit that the Hurricanes have some hotties,” Melissa agreed.

“I mean any hockey team is bound to have hot guys it’s like a hockey rule or something,” Lizzie said.

“I’ve never taken the time to notice.” Jamie told them. They all looked at her as if she was crazy.

“Don’t you watch the games?” Chelsea asked confused.

“Yes, but I don’t look at their faces, I watch them play,” Jamie explained.

“That’s just weird,” Lizzie told her. Jamie shrugged.

“You guys know how they all go out sometimes?” Chelsea asked and the other girls all nodded. That was common knowledge for practically any hockey fan. “I was at this club with my friends in Pittsburgh and I saw some of the Penguins there,” she told us.

“Did you go up to them? Did you go home with one of them?” Lizzie asked eagerly.

“No, I didn’t even go near them, I had a boyfriend at the time so I wasn’t really interested,” she replied.

“Is there a point to this story?” Melissa asked. She was always the bitchiest out of the four of them.

“Well, I don’t have a boyfriend anymore and neither do the three of you right?” Chelsea asked. Jamie got a sinking feeling in her stomach that this was going nowhere good, fast.

“Guys suck,” Melissa said.

“I’ve just been really busy with school and work,” was Lizzie’s excuse.

“I’m not really interested,” Jamie said quietly assuming the girls would know why.

“We could all get one of these players. We’re young, attractive, and available how hard could it be?” Lizzie said catching on to what Chelsea was trying to say.

“Let’s make it a competition,” Chelsea suggested. She was always looking for a way to compete. Jamie really didn’t like where this was going.

“How?” Melissa asked skeptically.

“The first person to get a NHL star from their city’s team to be with them wins something,” Chelsea stated.

“Well that’s a shitty plan. You know how easy that would be?” Melissa said scoffing and crossing her arms. “The first person to get a NHL star to say ‘I love you’ wins something.”

“Oh I am so in!” Chelsea said grinning.

“What’s the prize?” Lizzie asked.

“500 bucks,” Melissa said.

“Are you stupid? Just because your parents give you loads of cash doesn't mean the rest of us can afford that. I can barely afford to buy myself a coffee every morning let alone pay someone 500 bucks,” Lizzie complained.

“What do you suggest?” Melissa replied bitterly.

“150 dollars, that’s 50 dollars each and eternal praise from the rest of us. Plus, hearing a NHL star tell you they love you should be satisfactory enough,” Liz said.

“I’m in.” Chelsea said. You could see the drive to win already in her eyes and expression.

“Me too,” Melissa agreed.

“Obviously I agree. What about you Jamie? You have been awfully silent,” Lizzie said turning to Jamie. She froze. Jamie was a shy, socially awkward, twenty one year old who had never learned the art of successful flirting. There was no way she would ever win the competition so why even bother? She looked at all of her old friends who looked like they were having so much fun just thinking about the competition and felt pressured into joining in the fun. Jamie missed spending time with them and this competition could be the very thing that brought them back together. She might as well try right? Jamie took a deep breath before replying,

“Sure, I’m in too.”