Chaos In The Flesh

Chapter 10 (Part 2)

Jonathan sighed and sat back down on the couch. As he placed his backpack back onto the ground, Cassie came back with a large milk jug filled with a honey golden liquid and two glasses.

She sat down on the opposite side of the couch and set the glasses on the table and carefully poured the glasses a quarter of the way. The liquid sparkled like it had glitter in it and looked like expensive whiskey. When she closed the milk jug, she grabbed a glass for herself and handed him the other one.

He sniffed the glass as she explained, "If I ever feel like I need healing, physical, mental, or emotional, I take a drink of this. In all honesty, I don't know what it is. It's some Greek juice my mom orders to be shipped over every few weeks. No matter where we live, it's always the same juice in the same containers."

She closed her eyes and took a sip. A big smile blossomed across her face. "It tastes like heaven in a cup."

She shifted and criss-crossed on the couch, her back against the armrest and facing him. When she indicated to take a sip, Jonathan hesitated for a moment before tipping the glass back for a slight second, just enough to taste the liquid.

It wasn't heaven in a cup, it was nostalgia. When Jonathan was little, his dad made him chocolate milk for breakfast because he couldn't stand the taste of regular milk. And no matter how many times he tried to recreate the taste, no chocolate milk he ever made was as good as the chocolate milk his dad would make for him.

This drink was the exact same taste he remembered, down to the ideal temperature. Tears welled in his eyes and he pulled the drink back and looked over at Cassie, who was beaming.

"Good right?" She asked. "What does it taste like to you?"

Jonathan must have looked confused at the question, because Cassie explained, "It tastes different for everyone. Apparently there's something in the drink that makes the chemicals on your tongue connect to your brain and remember what your favorite flavor of drink is. It replicates the sensation and therefore, everyone tastes the drink differently."

Jonathan nodded, but that hard hit feeling of nostalgia definitely messed up whatever he was going to say. Tears began overflowing and running down his cheeks.

Cassie's smile crumpled as she put her glass on the table and leaned forward. "Jon..."

If she didn't say anything, maybe he would've been ok. But hearing the concern in her voice, that killed him. She quickly pulled the glass out of his hand before he could spill it and pulled him in for a hug.

He had only known her for a month and barely knew her enough to break down in front of her. And yet he still leaned into her touch and cried on her shoulder. He trembled and let himself relax in her embrace.

She didn't say anything about it and just let him get it out of his system. No questions, no pushing for answers, just silence and a hug.

They stayed in that position for a little while. Even after Jonathan stopped crying, Cassie held him.

"I'm sorry about that." Jonathan croaked. His words were muffled a bit so he pulled away from the embrace and wiped his eyes. "I don't know what came over me."

Cassie walked into the kitchen, grabbed a few paper towels and a plastic bag. She handed the paper towels to Jonathan and hung the plastic bag on the corner of the coffee table. She waited until he finished blowing his nose and wiping his tears before speaking.

"Feel more relaxed now?" When Jonathan nodded, Cassie continued. "Sometimes I think you keep things pent up for too long that the second you do feel relaxed, the flood gates open and you can't put them back up."