Careful, the beverage you're about to enjoy is extremely hot

Over the weekend, Mariam and I decided to go to the library.  Yes, you read that right, the library.  Only one person stopped me to tell me, "You're not a library person, what are you doing here?"  

I wouldn't go without a small dose of caffeine so we stopped at the local Biggby Coffee (formerly known as Beaners until they figured out that slang was not very nice, even this far from the border).  I go to that location of Biggby coffee pretty often as they're coffee doesn't taste burnt and the barista once told me (when I wasn't wearing any makeup and hadn't brushed my hair), "Oh my God, you're so pretty. I'm jealous."  

I instantly liked her, and she subsequently put fancy latte art in my small vanilla bean to go.  The same barista was there this weekend when Mariam and I went in for some coffee.  I ordered my regular latte, and Mariam ordered some tea to sooth the pharyngitis given to her by the evil sick children in pediatrics.  The barista put a heart in my latte, and I bragged to Mariam about how I'm special while I went to get a lid.  

The barista said, "I only give hearts to my special customers" as she handed Mariam her tea too aggressively because it splashed onto Mariam's wrist.  The barista then exclaimed, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, let's get it under cold water!"  

Mariam still in shock said, "It's okay" as the barista dragged her behind the counter to the sink.  Then Mariam's wrist started to hurt as the shock wore off.  Mariam ran off to the bathroom to get a paper towel.  The barista apologetically said, "Oh no, I give you a heart, and I burn your friend," but she then went to the back.  She never reemerged, and Mariam and I were left on out own to tend to her burn as it started to blister.  We got a cup of ice and paper towels, and wrapped Mariam's arm like a carpal tunnel victim.  

Mariam frantically said, "Should we go to the ER?"

I replied, "No, we'll just go to the pharmacy and get some silvedene," impressing myself with my knowledge of burn care.  

We went to Walmart (ugh), Mariam's dad talked to the pharmacist, and we finally made it to school where Mariam told everybody what the incompetent staff of Biggby did to her wrist.  

This whole ordeal reminds me of burns I would get when I was a kid.  The worst episode happened when I was around 10 years old.  I was watching my brother light smoke balls in the driveway around the 4th of July.  He wouldn't let me play with the matches or the smoke balls.  He would just throw them himself and expect me to be pleased by watching the colorful plumes of smoke without the joy of playing with fire.  He went inside when all the fireworks in the package were gone.  I searched the whole driveway for any firework left unlit.  I finally found a black smoke ball that looked intact.  I grasped my tiny hand around it as I realized it had been lit before and hadn't gone off.  I dropped it, but not before it left a burning red circle in my palm.  I ran screaming inside to my mom to take me to the doctor, anything to make it feel better.  This is when my mom went to her trusty home remedy that never made sense to any of us - toothpaste.  She slathered sticky, minty Colgate all over my hand.  I didn't really feel better, but I just sat on the front steps wishing the burning would stop, feeling sorry for myself.  Eventually, the burn calmed down and I didn't have a lasting scar (maybe there's something to this toothpaste thing).  Hopefully the same will happen for Mariam.  

--By Farrah, who wonders if she can ever go back to that Biggby Coffee now that Mariam has contacted the corporate office with her complaints