Cinnamon Sticks and Lime Slices


Ingredients for Chai Punch:


2 32oz Chai Tea Concentrate

1 cups Cane Sugar

8 inch Cinnamon Sticks

1/2 cup Freshly Torn Basil Leaves

2 Medium Sliced Lemon

2 Medium Sliced Lime

2 Medium Sliced Orange

2 32oz Chilled Club Soda

Ice Cubes

(Serves 20)


Preparation:


Slice the lemons and the limes. Tear the basil leaves and measure out the cane sugar to just the right amount. Get the chai tea concentrate and pour into a large bowl or pitcher. Stir in the sugar and add the sliced limes and oranges.

The party of one was in full swing. That new hot Indie song was slicing through the surround sound speakers. Filling the house with the bright electric vibes of an underground night club. The tart and yet soothing underlying melody, and soft vocals, caused the girl to stop dancing when she heard the lead singer croon though out the house. “You know I'm here waiting for you. I'm just a crosshair. I'm just a shot away from you.. (Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand).” It was their song. The song that was playing when they had their first kiss, and it was playing when they danced for the first time at homecoming. It was theirs.

Immediately the girl tried to block all the memories of the two of them. One slipped through, suddenly she sitting on the front porch putting the cinnamon sticks into the pitcher and tearing the last of the basil leaves and adding them into the large glass bowl that they were going to be using at the block party tonight. It was always her mother job to provide the drinks for the 4th of July block party. Now it was her turn, to show everyone that just because her mother died a few months ago didn't mean that her and her father would miss the block party. Either way, she had big shoes to fill; after all, it was up to her to make sure that the traditional Chai Punch was made perfectly and everyone would get enough. The girl got so caught up in trying to think of a better way to slice lemons when she accidentally sliced her finger. Yelping and jumping backward she bumped into the one guy she had been crushing on all summer.

He was perfect in body and in spirit but it was his eyes that made her forget how to breathe. As the girl lost herself in his eyes that are the color of the ocean when a storm brews in its foamy currents. She looked into his eyes was stuck in an ocean of blue and felt the salty wind on her skin where she would wait in anticipation for the next salty breeze. The words that sat on the tip of her tongue froze for his dimpled grin has appeared and is making its way to her very soul. As the girl was trying to imagine what her name would sound like if it came out of his perfect lips followed by his lopsided dimpled grin she failed to notice that he was actually speaking to her..

“Helloooo? Anyone home?”

“Uhh.. Wait What!? Sorry I was uhh... You were saying something?”

“I came in to ask if y'all had any extra fireworks for tonight- Do you need a band-aid,” his forehead crinkled like the sand around footprints. Much like the footprints that melt into the sea the girls heart was turning violently inside of her chest like a current was still throwing her around. The once small butterflies in her stomach turned into the animal kingdom, she sharply inhaled as he picked up her hand from the counter.

“Band-aid? Oh right! I'd love you..ONE! I mean one! I don't love you. Well I might. Never mind! Band-aid! I would totally love a band-aid!!” It took her a minute to realize that he was staring at her waiting for her to go get one from inside the house. Sticking her bleeding finger in her mouth she tasted the coppery blood accompanied by the tangy lime the embarrassment rose face making her nutmeg skin have a cinnamon glow, shame burned inside her as she trudged into the house to get a band-aid. When the girl came back outside to the porch she saw the boy slicing the rest of the lemon and adding the last few cinnamon sticks to bowl...

Grimacing at the memory at the first time they kissed at the bonfire the night before the 4th of July. The girl tried to forget the fireworks that were shooting off behind her eyelids as she and the boy shared a chai flavored kiss. It was the night that she was really felt happy since her mom died, she felt calm and relaxed as they finished putting the saran wrap on the bowl and put it in the fridge to chill overnight. Ever since then the girl felt what he was feeling, heard what he was thinking and he was able to feel what she felt and hear her thoughts as well.

At the party of one, she put her pitcher of chai punch into the fridge to cool along with her temper. As she finished she heard the band sing through the house, “You leave me broken, shattered, I'm alive. I'm just a cross hair, I'm just a shot, then we can die.. (Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand).” A chill ran through just like that night at homecoming. Her and the boy had been a couple ever since that night on fourth of July. They were at the homecoming rally the day before the dance...

Cars are lined in the town park, and people’s car doors are open with music blasting into the night air. Its homecoming week in October and everyone came from the football game; we lost, but we had team spirit. The bonfire seems to be alive and free; almost as if the burning flames are as free as the rest of the teens who are dancing so wildly. Kids from school are dancing, some are talking, some are alone, and some are mingling, others were setting stuff on fire. The boy went to go get them drinks she looked over; he’s laughing, talking, mingling; the girl was watching, just simply watching. But she felt the warmth of the fire on his back and felt the joy of laughing over something with his friends.

The girl turned to talk to a few of her friends when suddenly she felt someone brush up against her. When she turned no one was there, looking at the boy she saw a pretty redhead talking to him. She was apologizing with a tangy fruity tone. The redhead was genuinely pretty the boy thought and she smelled of summertime. They talked casually about their summer and what they thought about being back at school, the girl calmed down and went back to talking to her friends. All of the teens lost track of the time and hours passed but they were having fun and they didn't care. The girl went looking for the boy when all of a sudden a cold spell shot up her spine. Then she felt what the boy was feeling, but this time is was different..

He felt her breath catch when he moved to press his lips against her neck. At her exhale, he decided to try again, going for her lips this time. He held his breath and aimed. Upon contact, he felt her thinking and could tell she liked it as she always did. He felt the sand melt from under them, and they began to fall into a black velvet curtain of stars sewn into the night sky. Then he saw something behind closed eyes. He saw himself kissing the redhead and felt the sharp shock. He was suddenly disgusted seeing them kissing. The urge to shove her away and into the bonfire was overwhelming. When the boy came to his senses and out of the shared vision he looked over to see the girl. She had lifted her chin to look at the full moon, arms dangling lifelessly at her sides.

Her breathing quickened and she started shaking, unsteady. Then at just the right moment a new song started playing and the lyrics screamed and the two of them. “I know I won't be leaving here with you. (Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand)” As the two of them made eye contact; one filled with a fiery hate that made the bonfire suddenly grow 3 times the size, and the other filled with no shame and no regret...

Back at home the girl had a terribly long nights, filled with the memories that were supposed to be gone, as she walked down stairs she remembered the chai from the night before and got the pitcher out. She strained the drink and discarded the solids, along with the memories that made her lose countless hours of sleep. Pulling out the club soda and adding it to the chai she remembered what it felt like going to school the next day with her head held high and her bubbly attitude to match. She wasn't going to let the boy and his flat emotions and no regret ruin her day. It was one boy, yeah it wasn't meant o be and it hurt but life's lessons are learned in pain and today was a new day. Reaching into the freezer she grabs the ice tray and puts them into glasses and drowns her frozen feelings for the boy in the chai. Walking onto the front porch softly singing to herself, “Don’t let the world, don't let the world beat you down (Whisper by The Dear Hunter).” She drinks her spiked chai. And dies.