Chapter Text
“I've been walkin' the streets at night (Yeah). Just tryin' to get it right (A little patience). It's hard to see with so many around (Yeah). You know I don't like bein' stuck in the crowd (Could use some patience). An' the streets don't change, but maybe the names (Yeah). I ain't got time for the game 'cause I need you.”
1994
Jax entered the clubhouse and headed to the table that Opie and Donna were sitting at. “Where’s Tara? I need to talk to her.” Opie was pissed and stood up. “She left with Lowell. What did she see that upset her, Jax? She came out of that hallway upset and flustered. I swear that if you upset her, I’ll kill you.” Jax looked at Opie and knew he was dead serious. “I need to talk to her.”
Wendy chimed in. “Cinderella saw us in our skivvies. You’d think Anne of Green Gables was all innocent and shit.” Before Jax could say anything, Donna cut her off, “Just because you’re a skank, doesn’t mean everyone else is a prude. Take your trifling ass on down the road, ho.”
Wendy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Are you going you let her talk to me like that, Jax?!” He smirked and had to stop himself from falling out right then and there. “If the shoe fits, darlin’ then you need to go with the prospect before you end up walking home.” Just then, the prospect, Tig walked up. “You ready to go home sweet butt?” Wendy paled but followed.
Jax looked at Opie, “I’m not looking to hurt her. I just need to talk to her.” Donna interrupted, “You barely know her. Just because she went from the tomboy to Princess doesn’t make her some new distraction for you.” She left with Lowell; heads up she likes him. She deserves a good guy. A real good guy.”
Jax took that hint and headed to the lot and got on his bike. All he could think about was that image of her gently touching his dad’s bike with her gloved hand. He needed to talk to her, and see her outside of the clubhouse. She had brought some kind of lightness by just being present. As if her touch somehow had the ability to transform all of the bad parts of SAMCRO, and him by extension, and take it right back to where it started from.
He saw Lowell’s dad’s car from a distance and watched as he walked her to the door. He could see her silhouette and her hand holding Lowell’s. When she brought her lips to his cheek, a shot of jealousy spiked in him. He had never been jealous before regarding any girl. They were just distractions from the boredom his life seemed to encompass, especially since his dad had died. He parked his bike and walked down towards Piney’s house. He knew where her bedroom window was from years of hanging out with Opie.
He saw her shadow enter the room and after the door shut, but before she started undressing, he lightly tapped on her window. He had never cared about any girl’s modesty but for some reason he cared specifically about hers. She was different and he just needed to talk to her to figure out why he cared so much.
As Tara entered her room, she thought about how wonderful tonight had been. The fact that she won the scholarship had brought her so much joy. The hope becoming a reality that she could one day actually leave Charming and build a happy life away from the neglect she dealt with from the one person who should love her the most. Then she felt guilty like she wasn’t grateful for everything Piney, Mary, and Opie had done for her. How horrible would her life be if she didn’t have them?
She knew Piney wanted her to go to college. Mary wanted more for her too. Then there was the dance tonight. She had never been big on socializing, and barely had any friends. The closest thing she could call a friend was Donna. Since she had been with Opie they had become closer, but she didn’t have anyone she could call a best friend. She distrusted too much after all the times she’d been made fun of, excluded, and ostracized because of her dad being the town drunk.
Lowell was the best date she could imagine, even though she had nothing to compare it to. He was handsome, down to Earth, and an absolute gentleman. Then there was Jax. She didn’t know him very well because every time he hung out with Opie, Piney sent her off with Mary. She knew he didn’t want her around SAMCRO but everyone was so nice tonight.
She couldn’t stop thinking about how handsome he was when they were dancing. He was funny and nice too. When he told her she was the prettiest girl there, she imagined, just briefly, kissing him. Then she saw him with Wendy at the clubhouse. When Wendy stood at the door smirking, in her lingerie, she knew she didn’t have a chance against that kind of willingness and appeal.
The way Jax looked at her when he helped up after she tripped made her think he might be a good guy though. He was even more ridiculously good looking in just boxers. His muscles made her want to run her hand across his abdomen to see if they felt as good as they looked. A strange sensation like electricity shot from her brain to the warm center below her stomach.
As she started to take her hair down, she heard a tapping at her window. She walked slowly to it and moved the curtain. The face she saw was Jax’s and her mind went blank.
“What on Earth are you doing here?!”
Jax smiled and as cliche as it sounded, her heart skipped a beat. She was still wearing her dress and she had only removed a few hairpins. She still had her gloves on and felt like she was Olivia Hussey in Romeo and Juliet leaning over the balcony waxing romantic over Romeo.
She was glad he at least couldn’t read her thoughts about him. He was wearing his prospect kutte with some baggy jeans and a white T-shirt. All she could think of though was seeing Wendy in his doorway and a twinge of jealousy shot through her again. She didn’t understand it at all. Tonight was the first time she had spoken more than a few words to him and now suddenly she had the generic Charming High School crush on Jax Teller.
She saw him around school flirting with random girls in the hallways. In gym class two girls got into a catfight when they realized they were both seeing him at the same time. The guy was a player and she really didn’t want anything to do with that.
She was happy to get through high school as inconspicuously as possible; being ignored was better than being a target. Wendy alone had her own clique, and she was really keen on staying off their radar for the next few years after the way Wendy acted towards her tonight.
The day after graduation she was going wherever she could get the most scholarships and as faraway from her dad as possible without leaving Piney and Mary behind though.
“Tara?” She came out of her thoughts and realized again the weirdness of him being there. “Jax, what are you doing here? Weren’t you just with Wendy?” She was embarrassed at how she must sound to him acknowledging that awkward moment.
“Tara, I wanted to apologize for what happened in the hallway at the clubhouse. I’m sorry you saw that.” Tara was taken aback at how sincere he sounded. “You have nothing to apologize for, Jax. I didn’t mean to interrupt you and your girlfriend.”
Jax tried to stop her, but she went on. “I have watched Piney and Opie work on bikes for years and just wanted to see your dad’s bike. Piney was telling me all about how you, Clay, and he rebuilt it after that awful accident. It’s just so beautiful.”
All Jax could think was that Tara was the prettiest girl he had ever met. It wasn’t just her transformation either. She was genuinely innocent and part of him found it total turn on and another part just wanted to get to know her.
He had never met a girl without an ulterior motive. His own mom was the Queen Mother of Ulterior Motives and by extension all of the girls he hooked up with were just younger versions of Gemma. Hell, Wendy was obviously angling to be an old lady and they were only sixteen years old.
This girl though seemed to actually care about things that mattered to him beyond getting his dick sucked. He wanted to kiss her while she wore that gown and feel the silk of her gloves touch his face. She wasn’t just a hookup and that was both thrilling and terrifying.
“Wendy’s not my girlfriend. We just, well, umm. Anyways, I really liked dancing with you tonight and wanted to ask and see if you want to hang out sometime.”