Plot Twist

4

Sweets looked at the boy amused before shaking his head and walking off. He walks into the café taking a deep breath and walking up to the counter.

Cam greets him with a smile. "What can I get you today Sweets?"

"Could I have a chocolate frappé please?" He asks.

"Of course, anything else?" She taps in his order.

"Nope, thank you." He smiles. He pays quickly deciding to wait by the counter and look around the small café.

For a place so small it was quite packed. There were six tables inside and two out. Only two inside were free, he could see Daisy wiping one down with her tray on the seat next to her. He smiles watching her ponytail swish as she scrubs at a dried-up spill.

"Here you go, Sweets." Cam says pulling him out of his thoughts. He smiles at her politely, taking his drink.

He passes by a customer who walks in, hearing him order. "Hello, Camille. I'll have my regular, thank you." He says confidently.

"Of course Clark, one moment." She replies hurrying off.

"You! Wait one moment."

Was this man talking to him? He turns to get a proper look at him. Fairly young, probably a college student, confident, demanding even. "Y-yes?" Sweets answers.

"You're new, right? A high school student?" He says looking Sweets up and down with a serious look on his face.

Sweets nods. "Yeah, I'm new. Why?" He asks scared.

The man lights up. "Well, then you probably would need to know where the library is. I work there. Clark Edison, by the way. It's just the next street over. Left out those doors and then two more at the corners you can't miss it." He smiles.

"Oh!" Sweets sighs in relief. "Thank you. I'll have to check it out." He says trying to not laugh awkwardly.

"Clack are you scaring the boy?" Cam asks, the man's drink in her hand.

"Just trying to get kids interested in reading." He says turning to her.

"His sister owns the bookstore next door. I'm sure he can't get away from books long enough." She says shaking her head.

"Oh, you're Brennan's brother? I didn't know she had a younger brother." The man tilts his head.

"Nether did she until Monday night." Sweets responds. This time the boy did laugh awkwardly.

A gasp behind him before someone latched onto his back. "Sweets! You're back!" The young girl says sweetly.

Sweets cringes but smiles. "Hi, Daisy. I just saw you at school." He says as she lets go and walks around him.

"I'll just go!" Clark says pointing to the door, walking off not bothering to wait for a response.

"I know but tomorrow might be the last day we get to see each other." She says sadly.

"Oh? You're leaving already?" Cam asks from where she was watching them.

Sweets rubs his neck. "Yeah, well maybe. I could stay with Bones if she wants me to. But I'll probably go to live with some strangers somewhere. Not that I really want to. We should find out soon." He says shrugging.

"You should tell her you want to stay." Cam says confused.

"Yeah and then you won't have to leave." Daisy says smiling.

"Uh... But she already has a lot on her shoulders. I mean like I said, a week ago she didn't even know I existed. I should just let her resume her life. Two more years and I'll be out of the system." He says sadly.

"If you don't tell her I will. I'll go over there right now." Cam threatens.

"But what if she doesn't want me? I just show up and she's gotta change her whole life." He says.

Cam goes to speak but she's beaten by another customer. "Sorry to eavesdrop but you're what, 16? You're practically old enough to take care of yourself. You seem polite, and if you're in Daisy's class you're smart. Bones is probably over there reading every parenting book in her store right now. If she hasn't stated that she wants you gone then she's probably thinking the same thing. Just tell her, talk it through." Another young man says, looking up from his laptop.

"That's very profound Arastoo but you shouldn't be butting in on my customer's drama. Don't you have some college work to do?" Cam says giving him a knowing look.

"You're right ma'am. But I do love to help." He says with a smile turning back to his work.

She shakes her head at him. "Anyway he's right. Bones isn't known for her subtlety. She's very open about when she doesn't like someone. Although she's not one to talk about her feelings."

"Right. I'll think about it." Sweets says unsure.

"Don't think, do!" Daisy says before dragging him towards the door. "Come on let's go."

"Daisy!" Cam says warning her. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Ah! Work, right! Sorry." She says stopping.

Cam sighs. "Just be right back. Make sure she comes back." She says seriously.

Sweets nods in a daze. The hyper girl pulling him along. As they walk through the door Angela looks at them confused. Sweets goes to say something but closes his mouth walking past into the back.

"Tell her!" Daisy says loudly startling Bones.

The woman sighs. "This is an employee-only area, Daisy."

"Right sorry. I'll just be out here." She says giving sweets a thumbs up and leaving.

"What do you need to tell me?" She asks.

"Uh, um... I want to stay with you. Like, live with you properly. Not just for temporary placement." He says rambling, clutching his coffee.

"Yes, I got that Sweets. I think that would be a good idea too. You already seem settled here and I wouldn't want you to be in a place that stresses you out. Not after everything you've already been through." She says calmly, a soft smile slowly forming across her face.

"Oh! So you're going to... Adopt me?" He asks scared still.

"Preferably. I believe children need a stable family to thrive. I've already spoken to Miranda about my thoughts. We have a meeting on Saturday to discuss everything. Of course, it is the government that has the final say." She says noticing his worry. "If I had known about you sooner I would have wanted to be in your life."

Sweets relaxes. "Me too." He smiles.

"Is that all you wanted to speak about?"

He nods.

"Very well. You need not worry. You can take Miss Daisy back to work now." She says moving back to her work.

He nods and heads out. Daisy practically jump-scares him as he walks back out onto the store floor. "How'd it go?" She asks excitedly.

"Yeah, good." He says walking towards the front of the store. The bouncing girl behind him, gaining weird looks from everyone in the store. "Let's go back to the café." He says finally taking a sip of his frappé.

He quickly waves to Angela who is giggling softly and winks at him. He knows he's gonna have to explain himself later.