Broken souls

- Chapter 9 -

Having put everything back into my bag, I wave goodbye to Caden and head to my shift at the coffee shop.

Ben is already standing behind the counter, putting a fresh batch of cookies on display, when I arrive.
They are shaped like leaves and decorated with red frosting.
A couple of people are sitting on the benches and sip on their drinks.
I greet Ben before washing my hands and putting my apron on.

The first hour goes by slowly, but then a large group of elderly women comes in and I keep rushing for the next half an hour between the tables and the coffee machine.

With the help of Ben, I get a hold of my new job pretty fast and I actually start enjoying it.

I like to have a task and be kept occupied the whole time. Like that my mind can't wander to darker places.

Halfway through my shift, Caden suddenly walks in.
He's wearing headphones and looks at his phone.
That gives me a moment, to take him in.
He's wearing a dark green hoodie with black cargo pants and converse. His black hair is sticking up in some places, as if he ran his hand through it too many times.

When he catches sight of me, he stops in his tracks, eyebrows shooting up on his forehead.

"What are you doing here?" He slowly asks, seeming oddly confused.
"I work here" I reply.
He opens his mouth to say something, but Ben exists the kitchen.
"Welcome back Kingston. The usual?"
Now it's my turn to be confused.
Caden must sense my questions because he replies without waiting for me to ask.
"I usually study here. It's quiet and people from our school prefer the coffee shops at town square"

I would have never expected to see him here, but I'm happy to do. It's a little bit more information about Caden, that I gladly tuck away in my head.
What I'm even more surprised to find out is, that Caden likes his coffee with a lot of milk and vanilla syrup.
I nearly smile at the thought of him having a sweet tooth.