Spiraled ⚪⭐⚪⭐ (A Brollins Novel)✔

EPISODE THIRTEEN

Joe's Mechanical Shop. Los Angeles, California.

"Uncle Colby!!"

Jojo comes bouncing out of her father's shop in a short yellow dress, wasting no time to throw her arms around his waist after he got off his bike. Colby laughs as he takes off his helmet, setting it on top of his bike and throwing his arms around the little girl. He lifts her up in the air, twirling her around for a good minute before setting her on his shoulder. "How is my beautiful niece doing and why didn't she go to school today?" He asks, giving her a stern look as she begins untying the band in his man–bun.

She pouts and ignores him, pulling the band free all the same. She runs her petite hand through his long curls of hair giddily, playing with it like she'd play with the hair of a doll. "I have anemia so Daddy told me to stay at home."

Colby looks up at her closely, "You don't look like you have anaemia."

Jojo doesn't look too happy with that, "But I have anaemia," she repeats, pulling on his hair in retaliation. "If you don't believe me, ask Daddy. Daddy says when you can't eat, it means you have anaemia."

Colby shakes his head with a laugh "What did your principal say? She mustn't be happy about you skipping school for the fifth time in a month."

"The principal had nothing to say."

Colby makes a face, "Why is that? Shouldn't she be making sure you come to school everyday?"

Jojo bobbles her head up and down cutely, "Yes, but she likes Daddy so she just smiled and said it was alright. She even asked Daddy out to lunch. But Daddy always says it's the man that propose, not the woman."

"She didn't propose. She just asked your father out to lunch," Colby laughs as he enters the shop, finding it devoid of workers. It's still quite early in the morning, the sun barely peeking out through the thick, white clouds floating across the sky. He hadn't called Joe before coming to the shop as he was certain his friend will already be there. Joe has always been an early worker although his employees usually report late to work. As the master of the shop, Joe often preach about how he should be the first person to arrive as a way of ensuring there aren't any mistakes with his clients cars. As expected, Colby finds his friend under a car, already in his work clothes. Joe smirks when he sees him, making a gesture of two fingers as a single for him to wait for two minutes.

Colby nods and sets a reluctant Jojo down, finding a clean chair to sit on in the rather messy and dusty shop. By afternoon, the entire shop will be filled with clients and workers, creating a chaotic and disorganized atmosphere. Colby can't wrap his head around how his friend has managed to keep track of everything in the shop for almost seven years with all the different clients that comes to the shop with very different kinds of problems each day.  "Can I have chocolates," Jojo asks, gaining his attention.

Colby frowns and taps her on the nose. Jojo giggles at the traditional gesture she has grown used to receiving from him. "You're sick. Eating chocolates when one is sick isn't healthy Jojo. You should eat vegetables and fruits, not chocolates."

"Tell her," Joe chirps in as he slides out from under the car to stand tall and muscular. "She's been requesting chocolates since yesterday but I always tell her a sick person should never eat chocolates but she never listens to me."

"A sick person should eat chocolates," Jojo says defensively, "Especially the mint ones. They're delicious. My teacher says chocolates are a cure, second only to good coffee."

While Colby looks away in disgust at the mint chocolates which he has never understood the hype around, and amusement at how Jojo animatedly gestures around, Joe sets his tools on a table before fixing his six year old daughter with a reprimanding scowl that does little to make Jojo squirm. Colby can now see why Jojo never fears her father. Joe doesn't look near as threatening and strict as he should be right now. "Jojo, your teacher is wrong."