Tangerine

baked bread

Saturday morning

8:05. 

The smell of coffee infiltrates my room, and the sweet smell of fresh bread wakes me up from my sleep. Rubbing my eyes, I pull the covers over my eyes snuggly, not wanting to leave this abode of warm blankets. Wait...I HAVE NO ROOMMATES. SO WHY THE HELL IS BREAD BAKING AND COFFEE BREWING HERE. I jolt up from the mattress like a zombie awakened from the dead as I  snoop outside of my bedroom and peer behind the wall separating the bedroom and the kitchen and see the most gorgeous person ever, and also the most unwelcome. Sia?! Suddenly, I'm taken back to 12 years ago when someone crashed into my life not unlike this. A hazy fog covers my eyes as 7-year-old me wakes from a long summer nap. The heat is sweltering, and my skin is shining with sweat. My mouth feels parched as I hear low murmurs in the kitchen. I'm not surprised to see my mom and her best friend chatting, but I am surprised to see a little boy, my age, washing the dishes in the sink. I squint against the bright light coming from the sinks window. 

"mam? whose thatt~" my little voice quivers, my throat raw. 

"Alina? Your up already? Did you have a good nap? " My mom says smiling, completely ignoring my question.

I stomp my foot in frustration. 

"MOM, who's that little boy?" I say, pouting.

"Alina, that's Jay, Jay, this is Alina," My mom gestures between us. Jay stops washing the dishes for a moment and glances at me. And gives younger Alina the most breathtaking smile she's ever seen. So breathtaking, she never had another crush in the next 12 years. 

I shake my head at the intrusive flashback, and creep around the heavy bookcase. 

"Uhm. . . Sia? what are you doing here?"

"Alina! I'm so sorry if I woke you up. Jay let me in here since I wanted to get ready with you for our double date! I've never had a sister or friend to do this with me, so I hope you don't mind," Sia says, smiling. 

I'm not going to lie; my thoughts get a bit unhinged at the fact the Jay betrayed me like this. He knows I don't like strangers in my dorm...so why did he tell Sia? Why did he let her in? To his heart and to my dorms!?!?

"Oh...uhm it's totally fine, did you happen to make some coffee? I definitely need it this morning, ahaha-"

Yup. Definitely you're not the reason I feel the need to drink 2 cups of coffee in the early morning! 

"Oh! That's great, I just brewed some coffee for you since I figured I owed it to you for being so accepting about this whole fiasco and everything." She says handing me a freshly brewed coffee with milk art swirled in, making a cute heart.

"SERIOUSLY, Why do you have to be so nice?!? HM. Now I can't even hate you." I think, annoyance coloring my thoughts.

I take a sip. 

"Oh, OH"

I take another sip of this beautiful heavenly aroma. The coffee has a deep rich flavor that has notes of caramel, and the cream is perfectly whipped and adds that tang of acidity to the warmness of the coffee. 

"Crap, this is the type of coffee I brew in my dreams! It's so good!" I sigh wistfully, not even trying to hide the fact that I drank the whole cup already.