Rabbit Hole Carnival: Found Family

“ Hey” Cel said. “So you called again?”

“You don’t need to rub it in.” Joshua replied.

“I’m not trying to.” Cel replied, as she sat next to him. “I’m sorry about how it sounded… I’m glad you called.” 

“Really?” Joshua asked. “Even after everything I did?”

“It was never anything you did, Jojo.” Cel replied. “It was stuff that our families did. We just made the best of bad situations.”

“You were a bit slower than that given our numbers.” Susie added. “And yes I already know that’s what you’re worried about, but that was never why you were given the number 2.”

“I said not to bring them here.” Joshua replied.

“I know.” Cel said. “But you need them, so I brought them anyway.”

“You always do this.” Joshua said.

“Yeah but has she ever been wrong?” Cody asked.

“Well, it’s not like she’s gonna come.” Joshua replied.

“Sure of that, are you?” Renee asked. “I named this group, Jojo, so if Starchart says to come? It means I need to come, Especially if she says I need to be here, specifically if it mentions you, and I suspect I know why.”

 “I was horrible.” Joshua replied. “And I don’t deserve you coming here.”

“Half right” Renee said.

“What?” Joshua asked. “I hated you! I rejected you at every turn, and only now am I finding out that you were right! That you should have left and lived with your uncle a long time ago no matter the price!”

 “Let. him. Finish.” Cel replied. “Renee has gestured to do so multiple times!”

“I hated this group and abandoned it! I made every effort to push you away!” Jojo continued. “Just because I hated that you could embrace this, and I couldn’t.”

“And why was that Jojo?” Renee asked, with a bit of smirk.

“Because there is no way that I get welcome unless I assert it, anymore. Because I'm some random black sheep with cash and I… I figured you hate that.”

“Jojo…” Susie said. “We didn’t abandon when Renee she stopped having funds. We worried for years about where she was.”

“We search every. single. Day.” Cel said, as she stared at Renee.

“And I’m sorry,” Renee replied. “But maybe now you at least understand why I—”

“No!” Cody said. “We were here for you! We were here for each other!. That's what you said. That was the rule!

“That was the thing that you sold us on.” Cel added.

“Because that’s what made her feel at home!” Susie said. “No matter how much of a lie it was. So stop yelling at her cause we all know she hates that, and why.”

“I hate getting yelled at when I don’t know what I did wrong, but they're right.” Renee replied. “I made a pack. I made up a whole thing, and this just abandoned it.”

“Alchemy is in the right here actually.” Cel replied.

“What?” Renee asked.

“You made the group, yeah. And yes you left it, that is true.” Cel said. “But you kept it close to you. You came here, and talked to Jojo. You kept us in your mind, and decided that me being number 1 meant I was number 1. And Jojo next to did the same despite his thoughts you weren’t coming. Sure you both backslid, but you both regret it.”

“And you both made a statement.” Susie said.

“If I had a choice.” Joshua replied.

“Then I know who my family would be.” Renee answered back.

“Whatever the cost may be. I chose the found family.” Both said in sync.