The Ace of Spades

Chapter 14

When Mea was in her first year of kindergarten, still so young and fresh faced, her teacher - an older woman with short grey hair and an affinity for wild printed baggy shirts - read the class a book. Of course in kindergarten every book is a picture book. And of course every picture book has some sort of lesson (eat your vegetables, stay in school, don't talk to strangers, so on and so forth) to be learned. All of these lessons were taught to Mea throughout her entire time in school and likely will be taught still in her last two years.

Mea prides herself in saying that she's actually listened to these lessons. If she's ever feeling down she reminds herself she's obeyed picture books and though not much ease comes with that, every accomplishment should count. She still brushes her teeth in the morning and at night, she eats her vegetables, she never plays with her food, she's stayed in school despite having thoughts of burning it down with everyone (including herself) inside. Suffice to say, she's remembered and stuck to these lessons.

One lesson, on the contrary, a picture book had taught never really stuck with Mea. The one about blood being thicker than water. Family before anything else. Love your family! Protect your family! Mea's never had any real desire to do so, though. Toto being the exception as per usual, of course.

It's just that Toto is still so young and naive and untainted. It's almost an art to be so pure. Jojo is older and never really needed protection, and Mea's always thought of love as something that can't be seen. You know you love your siblings, they know you love them, and you know that you are loved. It's always seemed like enough. (Mimi is an entire different story in this matter. She's Mea's mother after all, which of course counts for something, but is motherhood really something you are just handed? Shouldn't you have to earn the title of mother? Mea's got developing thoughts and opinions on Mimi and her inability to properly nurture her children after spending a summer with a woman who cares endlessly for children who aren't even her own.)

All this being said, Mea suddenly understands the importance of that picture book's little lesson. Family are like these people you are handed, for free, who are there. Friends have to be earned, you have to work to have them in your life. Once these friends are in your life you have to build up to trust and respect and helping each other. It all seems to be a mundane task when thought like this. Family, nonetheless, are there. They are the people who you automatically trust, respect, and help. These people are in your life and you didn't have to work or it because you deserve good people in your life regardless of who you are or what you've done.

So this is why Mea is adamant to help Jojo. So far in Jojo's pregnancy, she's just throwing up and that's it. It's only been a day and not much has changed. Mea knows soon things will change in numerous ways. Physically Jojo will change, mentally and emotionally Jojo will also change, she'll have to tell Mimi, Viv, and Toto - and Elliot the Goddamn Idiot.

Mea has decided she is upgrading Elliot from Idiot to Goddamn Idiot. Of course, she still has yet to meet him, but in the way Jojo is so panicked about telling him, she's sure she's doing the right thing.

Jojo hasn't said she's scared, but Mea just knows sometimes - which might be another side effect of this whole family business. Jojo is almost as pale as yesterday, she bounces her leg up and down, and chews her lip furiously. Mea knows Jojo's nervous habits after the Harley Henderson incident, and she detects all of them in everything Jojo does, right down to moving slow when she brushes her teeth.

It's a shame, too, because Jojo is so clearly in love. They've been together a little over a month and she's already framed a photo of him. In Mea's honest opinion, she thinks it's devastating and pathetic, but keeps her mean mouth shut. Jojo doesn't need to be reminded of how much she fucked this one up. (Not that Jojo was the one to blame in any past relationships, of course, and also not that she should solely take the blame for this either.)