Boba Tea

The Girl With The Red Ribbon

"One strawberry Boba Tea, and a slice of your Lemon Loaf please," I look up from the register to see a young woman with a red ribbon in her hair look down on me. I am confused at first, but then realize that I fell asleep at work. Aw crap, I think as I stand up awkwardly from my sleeping position on the counter, but I do so just a little too quickly and my arm bumps the coffee machine just a little too hard. I grasp my arm in pain.

I let out a moan, and the girl looks flustered. "Oh, are you alright?" She sounds worried, but I give her a reassuring nod that I am okay. Only then did I look into her eyes and see how they sparkled in the Café light. They were like two blue crystals of diamond reflecting from the stars. And her hair, short and wavy tied back with a red silk ribbon. Her lips were soft and fragile, just like her body. She looked too delicate, like someone would brake her in half if they dropped her. I blinked my eyes in astonishment and then cleared my throat.

"Um, sorry about that," I say, blushing. "Would you mind repeating your order?" She smiles at me and repeats what she said as I was drifted away into my own world, huddling my head in the warm sleeves of my sweater. I feel embarrassed, to have fallen asleep as I was supposed to be working. "I-I'll have it right out," I cringe at myself I as I walk back to the kitchen. I stuttered again. What was I, seven?

I make her Boba Tea and Lemon Loaf and as I hand it to her. Our hands clasp overtop of each others. I blush and see her too, red. We both frantically apologize to each other, only to laugh at saying the same thing. She gets her tea and loaf and walks to an empty table. She takes out a book and as she is sipping tea, flips through the pages. I glance at the cover. The Little Prince. I had never read it before, but in that moment I wanted to go to the nearest bookstore possible and buy the same copy.

She looks up from her book to look at me. She looks behind her, and realizing there is no one there, looks back and waves awkwardly at me. I think she's blushing. I blink and notice that I am staring at her. I quickly wave at her and then dart back to the kitchen. My brother, Jonas, sees my face and walkes over to me. "What's wrong?" He questions. But he is smirking, almost like he knew my answer before even I did.

I pull at my sleeve. "Nothing," I say, avoiding eye contact from him. She doesn't look satisfied. "I just bumped my arm, it's nothing. See?" I pull up my sweater sleeve to show him where I hit it. "Not even a bruise-"

"No I mean you have that dumb expression on your face," He crosses his arms at me. "Let me guess: Some hottie walked in?" My face gets red and without thinking I quickly-and loudly-blurt out, "No!"

"Oh, so yes?" He just knows me too well. If there is one thing I have learned about Jonas, it's that he knows me even better than I know myself possibly. That, and the fact that he is basically like a human lie machine and nothing can get past him. I don't know why, but my eyes begin to water. I collapes on his shoulder and he rubs my back. "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were actually serious," Of course he didn't. Everything is just one big joke to him. Even my depressing love life.

He rubs my back and pats me on the head. "Shh, it's okay, calm down Mel," I hate it when he uses his old nickname for me! But his voice his so calm and gentle, I would never want another brother in the whole world. I don't even mind anymore that he calls me Mel. 

"Listen, we've got a bunch of customers out there who need to have there orders taken," Oh yeah. I'm still at work. Only then do I hear the hateful speech of the people at the counter demanding to have their orders taken. "But, I'll let you take off early. If Mom asks why you're home so late, tell her you weren't feeling well. I'll take you're shift." Yep. He really is the best brother in the whole wide world.

I give him a bear hug. "Thank you Jonas!" He hugs me back and rolls his eyes at me. "Yeah, thank me by doing my chores for the next six monthes," I giggle. Even in the most devestating condiction I'm in, Jonas always knows how to make me laugh. I take off my apron and hang it up on a hook as I head to the door. I wave goodbye to Jonas. 

As I step out of the Cafe I can't help but notice the girl with the red ribbon walking out of the Cafe, her book clasped under her arm and her Boba Tea in the other hand. She takes sips of her tea and as she walks I happen to notice she looks a lot less bubbily as she was at the Cafe. I am confused by her sudden mood change but leave her be. She already caught me staring at her in the Cafe, and I don't want her to see me follwing her like some creep. The last thing I want to look like is some sort of stalker.

I begin my journey home but then stop. I simply couldn't head back home with all these bottled up feelings inside of my head. I could tell Mom, but she probably wouldn't understand. That, and the fact she still doesn't know I like girls yet. The only person I've ever told is Jonas, which is fine because he too is gay. Mom flipped out when she found out about him, and I don't want the same thing to happen to me. So to her, I was still straight. And that was fine by me.

My father, on the other hand, was probably drunk again and I didn't want him to throw a beer bottle at me. He was instantly crossed off of my list. He also didn't know I liked girls just like he doesn't know about Jonas being gay. My father is a strict homophobic man and I don't want to get disowned. My mother was sworn to secrecy by my brother. She knows the consquences he would face if Dad ever found out.

That just leaves the one only person I actually trusted, other than my one friend, Annie. But she flew to France for the week.

I headed to BerryBrooke High School to see Mrs. Milina.

Hope you like it! Also if you see any spelling, grammer, or other mistakes, please comment! But please be nice! I will delete any negitive comments immidietly.

Hugs,

Honey_Comb-