As I step into the cool, inviting atmosphere of my sanctuary, there are three thoughts occupying my jumbled mind:

I want boba.

Do straws have two holes or just one?

What will happen to boba shops when plastic straws are banned?

All around the United States, the threatening morsels of plastic are being pushed out of restaurants and shops to eliminate their danger to the ocean. But what about these local safe havens for all the bubble tea lovers in America? Seattle, Miami Beach, and Berkeley have already placed bans on plastic straws. San Francisco unanimously voted to ban the straws, which will affect the city in July 2019.

After placing an order, my mouth and stomach squirm eagerly, reaching for the lavender slush twirled over the brownish soft marbles of tapioca. I’m looking forward to the cool drink offering some relief from the 90 degree heat wave outside. The $4.50 I paid had better be worth the wait, because both my mouth and stomach are dueling for the first taste, even though my mouth always wins.

And in the future? I could be paying anything from 19 cents to 10 dollars more. Boba shops have one year to find an alternative for plastic straws, and if they can’t, a violation fee can cost as much as $500. The alternative to plastic straws – metal or paper straws – have a catch, though. They aren’t made with the pointed edge needed to pierce the protective covering of bubble tea cups. Boba shops will have to go the extra mile to cut these straws themselves, and because of that? We boba lovers get the short straw of the deal, literally.

If these refuges from a hot day begin closing down in just one area in the U.S., I cannot bear to even think of the consequences. It’ll be a chain reaction. A domino effect. What happens when one vital system in your body fails to keep you going? Small but airy, aesthetic shops like these are what I live for. The glowing neon sign on the wall that reads “simple as boba” really makes all my troubles run and hide for awhile. It really doesn’t seem possible that one sip of cooling liquid and a squishy little ball of joy can occupy your thoughts for hours after you finish the drink, but today I know I’ll be craving this dessert days later.

The barista slides a cup, filled to the brim, across the counter; maybe thousands have made the transformation from a lovely creation to a customer’s greatest treasure. Now, it’s my turn to receive that delight.

“Taro slush with boba!”

For a second or two, my eyes are superglued to the tantalizing swirl of sweet and chewy. Normally, I don’t have a sweet tooth. But today? All that inhabits my mind is boba, boba, and boba!

Did I mention boba?

I don’t hesitate any longer. With a daggar-like straw in hand, I take the violet refreshment and pierce the straw right through. Despite the pointed edges, it takes a lot more force than you think, and a squirt of thick, slushy liquid erupts from the aperture. Not wanting to waste any drop that might be worth even more in the future, I slurp up everything I can, feeling pops of chewy goodness exploding into every corner of my mouth. With bans on straws spreading into McDonalds and Starbucks already, I can’t imagine how many more chores I would have to do if I wanted to purchase a reusable straw (which I’m sure I would lose a multitude of times) or other biodegradable types of material.

However, as I chug down my favorite dessert – one I’d choose over any meal any day – I hang onto the rusted metal prongs of a slowly sinking anchor of hope. Already are there masterminds at work, creating Loliware’s seaweed-based cups and edible, hypercompostable straws. Please, brilliant minds of the world – please come up with an invention that will save boba lovers just like me!