"You can do your homework out here or in the back. I'll be in the back." Bones says as Sweets and her walk through the front door of the bookstore. She points over to two armchairs in the corner by the front window.
The boy nods, walking over to them as his sister leaves.
"Hey Sweets. How was your first day?" Angela asks from her counter. She walks out from behind it, towards him.
"Well, at least I didn't get called a freak today." He sighs slumping into the chair before reaching down to his bag.
"Stop right there. I know Bones told you to do your homework but why don't we go get a snack? The cafe is right next door. We can call it brain food." She says.
"But what about the store?" He asks looking around.
"Eh." She shrugs. "Do you see anyone here? Our "regulars" aren't here yet plus I do it all the time I even have a sign for it." She says walking back to the register and grabbing a "At the café! BRB!" sign, holding it up.
He shrugs and stands up. "Cool, just let me tell Bones and we can head over." She walks to the back of the store and into the office. "Hey hun, we're just gonna head to the café for some brain food. We'll be back soon." She says popping her head into the door.
"Okay, Ange." Bones says looking up before turning back to her work. "Oh and please let Cam know that the latest book in the series she's reading is available."
Angela rushes back to the front, hanging the sign and walking out the door. She locks it behind them before taking literally 6 steps and turning into the warm-smelling store. She walks up to the counter smiling at the excitable girl finishing up an order.
"Good afternoon Daisy. Just starting your shift?" Angela asks.
"Oh hi, Angela. Yep, how can I help you today?" The girl smiles widely.
"I'll just have my regular. What do you want Sweets?" Angela asks turning around.
The boy steps to the side to look at the menu and the food in the display.
A gasp is heard from behind the counter. "You're the new boy at school, right? You're in my psychology class. Oh my god, how do you know Angela? I just-"
"Daisy! Let the boy breathe. I'm so sorry for her." A lady with a short bob says walking out.
Angela chuckles placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I should have guessed you two would go to the same school. Sweets this is Cam and I guess you sort of know Daisy. Cam, Daisy this is Lance Sweets. He's apparently Bones' younger brother." Angela explains.
"Y-younger brother?" Cam asks.
He clears his throat. "Yes. I'm staying with her for a few days until I have a place to stay. And yeah, I'm in psychology." He says awkwardly.
"That's so cool. I wish I had siblings. You're so lucky to have Brennan as your big sister. She's really smart and cool." Daisy says smiling at him.
He smiles a slight blush across his cheeks. "Y-yeah."
Angela watches them with raised eyebrows before turning back to Cam. "I'll fill you in later. First, we're here for some brain food." She turns back to Sweets. "You decided yet?"
"Oh, right! Uh, I'll just have a muffin and a hot chocolate please." He says to Daisy more blush rising to his cheeks.
"Coming right up. You two can sit down. I'll bring them to you." She says with her trademark smile.
Angela nods paying and goes to walk away. "Oh, Cam! Your next book has come in. Just pop by whenever to pick it up." She says before following the boy to a seat. "So what was going on between you and Daisy?" She smirks.
"What?! N-nothing. Just... I don't know. Leave me alone." He says crossing his arms.
Angela chuckles at him. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone. And I'll drop it... For now." She says as she sees two preteen boys run up to her.
One of them calling to her in his thick country accent despite being born and raised in town. "Angela, Angela!" He's out of breath. "Why aren't you at work?" He asks as his shy friend follows.
"Because Finn, I'm treating my guest to some food." She says smiling at them. "Boys this is Sweets. He'll be in the bookstore after school for the next couple of days."
"Hiya!" Finn says waving with a big smile.
His friend smiles slightly. "Hi." His British voice soft.
"Look we'll be back in like 30 minutes. I think Michelle might be here. You guys can chat with her until we're ready to go okay?" She says looking around. Her eyes land on the little girl sitting near the front counter doing her homework.
Finn follows her eyesight and runs over to the girl. The young British boy rolls his eyes and slowly walks over to them.
"That was Finn and Vincent. They're ten and eleven respectively. Part of the genius collection. Our "regulars". They come in every day. Finn loves graphic novels and Vincent has probably read every fact book in our store. They never buy anything, but that's fine. I don't mind the company, they're always quiet and respectful. And the girl is Michelle, Cam's daughter, well, adopted daughter but still. She's 8, a little younger than them and definitely doesn't understand everything they're saying, their accents aside, that is. But she comes over sometimes too." Angela rambles
Daisy stops at their table dropping off their drinks and food from her tray. "Enjoy." She says before hearing the bell ring at the register. She hurries off.
"I think that was the shortest sentence I've ever heard her say." Angela jokes.
Sweets just nods taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "You really like this town, huh?" He says looking around.
"Hmm? Yeah, I guess I do. It's a small town, we all know each other. Help each other out. Sure some people can be a bit annoying but you get over it." She says taking a sip of her coffee.
They sit and finish up in a comfortable silence. With one final sip, Angela places her cup on the table and smiles. "Alright, ready to do your homework mister?" She says lightheartedly.
He softly groans. "I guess." He says standing up.
She chuckles standing and walking back to the counter. They walk past the two young boys who notice and start to follow them. She waves goodbye to Cam and Daisy.
"See ya guys. Gotta take my ducklings and leave." She jokes. They wave goodbye.
The small group walk out and over to the locked door of the bookstore. As soon as the door clicks open the boys rush in and disappear behind the shelves.
"I guess they couldn't wait." Sweets says surprised.
She laughs. "Oh don't worry they'll be back. You better grab a seat before they take it." She warns.
She places the sign back behind the register as the boy sits and begins to take out his homework. She walks back to announce they're back before taking her seat behind the register.
She pulls out her sketchpad and begins drawing aimlessly. She looks up slightly when she hears Finn pout before offering the last chair to his darker-haired friend, taking a seat on the floor and opening his book. She smiles softly at them as they begin to read quietly.
-------------------
I don't know why I made Vincent the shy one. I guess out of the two he would be. Finn is very much an extravert while Vincent tries to be.
Also, I based everyone's age off the wiki and aged them down to what their age would be in the year 2000. This fic isn't set in the year 2000 I just wanted the age down to be even across everyone and it just happened to be that year.
When I aged down Vincent I got so scared I messed up the math because you're telling me he's that young? And because I had just tried to watch Microsoap which came out in 98 and Ryan Cartwright (Vincent) played a 17-year-old. There is no way he could have played 11-year-old Vincent.
Anyway, I'm loving this story so far.
Bye
Drew X
YOU ARE READING
Plot Twist
FanfictionA young woman in her mid-20s, Temperance Brennan, also known as Bones, receives a visit from a social worker who informs her that she is believed to be the closest blood relative without a criminal record to a 16-year-old boy named Lance Sweets. Up...
