Stealing the Mona Lisa

Eleven: Lewis

Five days after I got initiation my scar has finally stopped bleeding and has become a tough scab. I can't stop looking at it in the mirror, I can't believe it's on my body.

Once we got home on the night of my birthday Ace gave me my jacket and we sat on my bed, he fixed my bandages and told me the about the day he got his scar.

It was the day after Independence Day 1965, the day after Bobby's fourteenth birthday. The pair of them were sitting in Lola's playing 31 and sipping on malts. They had been talking about forming a gang for a few months but didn't really know how to go about it, but then the idea of The Dealer's Choice popped into Ace's head as he dealt the cards. Both boys stopped what they were doing and started to scribble down the commandments, then Bobby sketched the design for the scar.

Bobby has always been artistically gifted, sometimes when we're in the cafeteria at lunch he'll lightly sketch the outline of Kathy's face and her nose that's turned up at an acute angle. But the design was basic and easy enough for Ace to carve it onto his chest. Ace is, well, an ace with cars but his artistic abilities leave something to be desired. The boy can't be good at everything.

Bobby and Ace waited for the sun to set before they ran out to the Woods. They set a fire, read the commandments, drank the Ballantine's that Bobby swiped from his dad's liquor cabinet, and then the carving commenced. Bobby carved into Ace first and my brother said he almost shattered his teeth his jaw was clenched so hard. Bobby then taped up Ace and then it was Ace's turn to slice up Bobby.

Ace told me that he drew the design on Bobby with a pen before he could cut into him, his hand was shaking so much that he could barely craft the lines. Ace swallowed his fear and started to cut into his best friend, it almost made him sick. Every time Bobby writhed in pain and whimpered agony, Ace has to blink back tears because he was causing the guy he considered a brother so more torment.

It was weird for me to think of my brother, this stupendous, tuff, gang leader being so emotionally wounded. Ace was almost in tears reliving it. I never pictured the great Ace of Hearts being vulnerable.

"Jesus." I mumble and lightly drag my fingers across the scab.

"Lewis!" My dad's voice breaks me from thoughts. "Allan is here!"

Allan's sister is going stir crazy not being able to go out after seven, Maureen finally convinced her parents to let her go out tonight but Allan had to go with her. Allan asked me to go with him because he's sure that his sister is going to ditch him to go with her boyfriend.

I pull on a t-shirt and grab my jacket off my bed as I head out of my room. I walk down the stairs, kiss my mom on the cheek, and walk out the front door.

I don't see Allan at first, I happen to glance to my left and see Ace and Mona. At that moment Allan was an after thought.

Ace is leaning against the side fender of his car and Mona is standing in front of him, the setting sun makes the crimson paint of the car glow. His Dealer's Choice jacket is draped over her shoulders which leaves Ace in his white t-shirt. Mona's hair is tied into a high ponytail with a couple flyaway hairs blowing in the cool autumn breeze.

They look like they're talking. Ace smiles and grabs the lapels of his jacket drawing Mona closer to him. Their lips attach and start to move against each other. Mona raises her hands to my brother's cheeks and seems to lean in closer.

Irritation pangs inside of me and I can feel my face sink into a scowl. I clench my fists and my muscles start to tremble.

"That must sting, huh?" Allan questions and claps a hand down on my shoulder, shaking me away from my vexed state. "Your brother with your dream girl?"