Bitter Summer

tarted giggling as she sips her lychee tea.

”What? You think I forgot? ” I said, feeling insulted

”Honestly, yeah. But I guess you
e not the kind of guy to forget small details. ” She said

”Small details? Being with you actually felt like I belonged here. ” I said with all sincerity

Aliyah then leaned her head to my shoulder and grabbed my left hand.

”You
e always so dramatic. ” She laughed at me

”Dramatic or not, I meant it. ”

We sat in silence for a few minutes, nothing to say, we just enjoyed the moment.

She then suddenly stands up, still holding my hand.

”Follow me. ”

”Okay. ”

We walked, I trusted her to lead me as we walk wherever. We walked slowly. On dates like these she would walk incredibly slow. Something about enjoying every single moment. I don really like walking too slowly. It kinda pisses me off. But Im with Aliyah, so its fine.

She took me to a place Ive never been before. Nor would I ever be interested to go in the first place. ”Endos Tea Store ”. A tea store. A **ing tea store. She took me to a tea store.

”Whyd you bring me hear? ” I said in defeat.

”What do you mean? You love tea don you? ”

”No. ”

”Too bad. I wanted to buy you some. ”

”Fine, go ahead. ”

The store was pretty huge, from outside you can tell there
e at least seven to eight long aisles. Wooden flooring, delicate wooden walls with combination of brown and olive. Clear pane glasses and a glass door. We entered the store. From the moment we open the door, a heavy scent of sweet and bitter overwhelm our noses. Of course Aliyah loves the smell, I on the other hand was annoyed by it. She walked immediately to an aisle, as if she knows whats where.

Specifically aisle 9. Racks filled with canned tea leaves, bashfully small to monumentally large boxes of tea bags. Some include teapots, tea cups, and so on. Caffeine and decaf tea. Lychee tea, green tea, jasmine tea, chrysanthemum tea, black tea, white tea of all sorts of tea with various brand.

She quickly grabbed a box of tea. I wonder what she took. I looked over the box and it said Mixed Box. Is it mixed as in flavors? aroma? Or is it just different flavors of tea in a single box?

”Im gifting this to you, since I know you don like tea. You won drink it. So itll last. ”

”Ill drink it. ”

”You will? ”

”Yeah. Maybe. Don count on it. ”

”Had me going for a second there. ”

I then thought itd be nice to humor her with a question: ”Whats in the box? ”

”Intrested are we? ”

”The least I could do is know what you
e buying me. ”

”A mixed box. Its a box filled with tea bags, 3 each of 18 different kinds. So a total of 54 tea bags are in it. They don list what kind are in here, thats the fun of it. Like the box of chocolate saying, except its tea. ”

Yeah, I was right. My third guess was right on the mark. Though I didn know they were randomized.

”This store also has subscription. ”

”Please do enlighten me. ”

”You do a survey of your choice of tea, and then they send you several boxes of tea, bag or leaves, every month. Then you can send them your review of every tea you drank. So they can suggest others to you. ”

”Tea aside, thats a pretty cool system. I would subscribe just for the hell of it actually. ”

”Really? I do. ”

”Yeah, I kinda figured youd already subscribed. ”

We arived at the check out and Aliyah put the box on the counter. The cashier typed in a certain code or something into the cash register. The prompt showed that the box cost 50 dollars. I jumped, 50 dollars for tea? Granted its a special kind but jeez.

Aliyah paid for it with her own money, and its not even for her. Fuck, Ill have to drink it now. Or Ill feel guilty.

The cashier placed the box into a big plastic bag and handed it to Aliyah. She grabbed it and handed it to me. I took it and grabbed it firmly.

I thought I was done for the day and wanted to go back home. But Ill try my best to take it very slow. All that and it was nearly four hours. Time really flies.

On the sidewalk, on our way to Aliyahs house—I was walking her home. From the store itd be a good 45 to an hour walk, really slow walk would be an hour to an hour an a half.

”Hey, Cal. ”

”Hmm? ”

”Have you told Terrance yet? ”

”About what? ”

”Moving away to New York? ”

”No, I haven . ”

”Hmm? Why haven you? ” She wondered

”Its a lot more difficult then I thought itd be. Like when we were at the beach. He nearly died and if I didn notice him he wouldve been. I realize that he needs me around. Hes just not independent. ” I explaines

”True or not, youll leave, right? ”

”Yeah, and I don know if I can tell him. Not yet at least. I need to have a heart to heart with him. ”

”Just take your time, I wasn rushing you. ”

”Yeah, I know. ”

————————————————————————————

What Aliyah looks like:

– She has long, straight but has a shy curl, dark brown hair

– Shes 5 foot 4 inches tall

– She has light skin

– Brown eyes

– Has an athletic body

– Either wears long pants or very short shorts (like thigh height)

– Always wears clothes that are breathable (baggy, oversized, etc.)