Blogging for Soup (AJ's Picks)

Here are the three picks that AJ selected from last month's blogathon.  Enjoy:

1.  Scald

  It all happened in one second.  I was getting my strainer ready to drain the pasta when the pot slipped and I got a good splash of near-boiling water on my left hand.  Funny thing is that it took me a few seconds to realize what had just happened, but once my mind wrapped itself around the pain, I immediately ran my hand under cold water.  
  Once I had dinner ready for Helene, I put my hand in a bowl of cool water (after reading that it was not good to ice the hand as it hinders the flow of blood).  The burn was not too bad as long as I kept it in water, but the moment I pulled it out of the water the pain kicked in.
  Helene looked up from her dinner and asked, "daddy, are you going to lose your hand?"
  "No, love, it'll hurt for a few days then heal up," I replied.
  "Oh, if you had lost it, you could have gotten a hook like Captain Hook."
  "True." 

2.  Bacio Vacio

 (This was something I have been meaning to write ages ago.  There is an actual "kissing play" out there...I've spent years trying to find it...to no avail...)

Scene:  Minimalism Studio Apartment.  Black futon sofa center.  Lamp to immediate left.  Fridge and sink to far right.

Cast:

    Boy:  White crew shirt.  Blue Jeans.  early 20's

    Girl:   Flowery summer dress.  early 20's

[Scene opens with Girl on futon reading.  Knock on door.]

Girl:  Thanks for coming over.
 
Boy:  Sure thing.  So what's up?

G:  I have have to practice a play for Drama I tomorrow...[she leans in and smells the air around the boy] are you drunk?

B:  only slightly...So what is the play?

G:  It's called The Kissing Play.

B:  Ok...and what's it about...besides kissing

G:  It's about two theatre students practicing a kissing scene for class.

B:  So we have it half right [B smirks]

G:  [G tilts head and glares at him a bit.  She hands him a photocopy of the play.  Both sit on futon.]

B:  [Boy flips through the pages] So you basically called to use me again.

G:  Don't be so dramatic.  I thought it'd be nice to see you, and I needed someone to practice.

B:  You're too sweet.  [Flips through more pages.]  So what's my "motivation"

G:  Your character secretly wants my character, but wants to hide it.

B:  That might be a stretch for me, might need to work on that.

G:   I doubt that.   I'll start.  [She leans in and kisses him.]

B:  Whoa...you want to stick to the script.

G:  I am. [She points at the script.]

B:  Oh,...[reads...finger runs across page]  guess we should start again.

G:  [Giving him a glance, she leans in and gives him another kiss]

(to be continued)

3.  Ice

  She didn't expect to see her old boss here.  But that was the way of these things...weddings and funerals, we only come together at weddings and funerals.  The boss commented on how amazing she looked, how the little one was so big, how it was great to meet her husband (whom the boss had already met twice before).  Before the end of the night, the old boss asked her, "so, what are you doing now?" Maybe it was the open bar, maybe the blue hue of the banquet room,  but whatever it was, all she could say was, "I'm saving the fucking world.  You're welcome." 


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