she sips allowing the tart lemon to cover her tongue. pomegranate asserts itself as she breaths in making its presence known. she blinks & she is back to June 1985. She can smell the crisp grass, she can feel the morning dew that hasn’t quite dried, her shoulders bare to the sun that threatens to send her home crispy. her eyes open and she is back at her desk. sip two; the full flavor strikes the back of her tongue this time causing her to gasp a little as she swallows, again blinking. It’s October 1992, her first homecoming dance. the smell of grass from the football field wafts into the gym. she looks around and they lock eyes, she can feel her palms get clammy as he asks her to dance. sip three; this time the flavor is the same, but now she can feel the sugar zipping through her veins. this is better than coffee she thinks. no acidic after taste, no cotton tongue that needs brushing, no crushing blow when the caffeine wears off. She looks at her friend, the bottle of water with the sugary mix, she smiles.