The End of Innocence: Book 3 of the Kinstone series

I hop down the stairs and walk over to the bike racks. Riley and Ash were going to meet me at the coffee shop, after heading to their bikes. They lived on the other side of town next to my old elementary school. So it took them about thirty minutes to ride home from the shop.

I often would be the first to arrive anyways. I never thought about joining any of afterschool clubs, none had ever piqued my interest since the start of the year.

I kneel down and unchain my bike from the rack, looping it around the frame. The coffee shop was just a short ten minute ride from the school and on the way home afterwards.

I did pull out my phone and text Marron to see if she wants anything. She declines and saying that she’d be home around 6:30. My turn to make dinner I guess. I mount my bike and push off, passing through the parking lot and out onto the street.

The sky above looks meaner and darker than it did during fifth period. A soft chilled breeze blows past me, catching the ends of my jacket. The smell of rain now fills the air, stronger than in the morning.

The sound of thunder echoes over the valley, but still a fair ways off. I prefer dark and cloudy days over clear and sunny ones. It made wanting to curl up and fall asleep a hard thing to ignore. But that can wait, coffee and sweets first.

I ride once more through town. A few cars drive around the square with some of the shops filled with customers. Funnily enough, the coffee shop lies on the opposite side of the square from the boutique. So my offer to bring Marron something really isn’t that big of a deal.

I hop up onto the curb in front of the shop and lock up my bike. I pan over to the boutique, which was about fifty or so yards away. A smile rose on my face seeing my sister muddling through the store, dress in hand as she dealt with a customer.

I give her a small wave, hoping she’d see me. Her head peers up and returns the wave. I giggle softly and point to the shop once more. Again she shakes her head. I sigh and head in.

The coffee shop is a freestanding a building with small patio to the side. It often drew a big crowd from high school students and had undergone a minor expansion back in the summer to accommodate about five more tables for customers. The interior gave of a rustic vibe with wood paneling, couches, tables, and chairs.

One of the best things about this town is that we have no hipster-related shops or major chains, apart from a Texaco station and a couple Chevrons. Starbucks tried to set up shop here, but was declined after the expansion of our little shop.

Marron took me to one when she and made a trip to Chattanooga for a show. We both agreed that it was way too expensive for something we could make at home for pennies. Plus I didn’t care for the hustle of its customers.

The sound of lite jazz plays over the speakers, giving the shop a nice soothing atmosphere. I walk up the counter and order some whole-leaf tea, selecting their house blend of earl grey. I also pick up a small strawberry torte to have with it.

I then pile onto a chair and pull out my geometry book and begin my homework. A few minutes later I was joined by my friends, after making their orders. They each find a spot opposite of me and pull out their textbooks.

“Hey, forgot to ask,” perks up Ash, “did you hear about that weird animal sighted near Cleveland this morning?”

I nod, but didn’t take my eyes off of my work, “I did. The details were vague and the people who saw it only did around midnight.” Given how long the day had been, I nearly forgot about the report on the sighting.

“Yeah, but I got a newsflash during fourth period that gave out more details. Apparently it’s some new species of fox, and it's fast…really fast.”

I shrug, finishing up another problem, “Well if someone catches it, it’ll give the folks up at UT something to study.”

She look up at me, “Figured it be interesting to you, given your liking of foxes.”

Again I shrug, “It might if I see it, but until then...do not care.” She nods, returning to her work.

The music then inexpiably cuts out for a moment, causing the manager to run into the back to look at the sound system. The shop wasn’t all that busy, with at most fifteen or so patrons. It is a Wednesday after all.

Most of their traffic tends to be on Saturday mornings when folks head to Chattanooga for whatever reason or Sundays right before church. Apart from coffee and cakes, they also made the best donuts in the county, so they often supplied the four churches in the area.

A quiet stillness settled over the shop, with only the sounds of quiet whispers and cups skirting across tables filling the void. One of the workers decided to turn on one of the TVs to fill in the noise.

The station they picked started to show the 4:30 news of Chattanooga. The first story was a minor accident off of Lee Highway near Shallowford Road. Nothing serious, only that it diverted traffic for an hour. The next story was on the start of spring training for UTC. Again, didn’t pay much attention to it.

“We just received an update coming from Rivenfeld. Sources speak of a new development in the case of political intrigue in the mayor’s office. More on it after the break.”

My ears perk up at hearing the name “Rivenfeld”. I lean back from my chair and stared at the television. Something about the name sounded…familiar. But why?

“Hey…did something on the news catch your attention?” asked Riley.

I look back at her, “Dunno. Does the name ‘Rivenfeld’ mean anything to you?”

She leans forward, taking a sip of her coffee, “Well…not really, just know that it’s a town north of here,” looking to me, “why, planning to go on a trip up there? It’d be a waste of time if you did. It’s smaller than ours.”

I turn back to the TV, “No…just…just curious.”

She nods, scribbling more in her notebook. When the story didn’t come back on, I return to my homework, but a lingering feeling of familiarity remained. I push the thoughts out of my head.

I pop on my phone to see that it was now 4:53. I sigh, but am grateful to have finished my geometry homework. That leaves the rest of the night open. I start packing up my bag, “Well guys I should head home. It’s my turn to make dinner tonight and Marron’s gonna be home around 6:30.”

They nod, doing the same. We rise and pay our tab. The three of us then walk to the door and say goodbye to each other, heading off in opposite directions.

I make another glance at the boutique, smiling as I see my sister helping another customer. Her shop closes at 6:00, but tends to spend another half hour working on Wednesdays for bookkeeping. So that gives me a little time to get home before she does.