The lot wasn’t to busy for a weekday afternoon. Gemma had said she was of to run errands but she knew one of them would be the meeting with Jax’s principal for the fight he’d gotten in earlier at school. Either way, Harley was left in charge so she had the music blasting while she did some homework with Donna in the office. Gemma wouldn’t mind, she’d just be happy that Harley was actually paying some attention to class. The men were in church, something had been up the last few days. From what she heard from Jax, there was trouble with the Niners. Apparently they were getting their gun supply from someplace else and that was not okay with the Sons. Otto and Clay weren’t happy about this at all. She could see the stress in their faces with every passing day.
She heard Donna sigh and looked up to see her staring out the window to the clubhouse. Donna couldn’t understand why Opie was choosing to do this. To be apart of the club. Opie was open with her too. Told her everything that went on but Donna wasn’t nearly as understanding. Loyal, yes, but she didn’t want to understand it. Why they would chose a life of crime. She’d heard them talking about it for years but went Jax and Opie finally got their prospect cuts, it took her by surprise. She thought it was just a phase. Just something teenage boys dream about, but it was far from that. This was real and she needed to get on board and fast.
“What’s on your mind?” Harley spoke up, putting her pen down and leaning back in the office chair.
“What do you think they’re talking about in there?”
“All this shit with the Niners. Otto hasn’t been able to sleep in days.”
“I just don’t get how they take this so seriously.”
Harley lowered her eyebrows, her eyes narrowing at the brunette. “You think this is a joke?”
“No – it’s… It’s – ” Donna’s eyes shifted nervously. Harley’s bad side wasn’t somewhere anyone wanted to be.
“These men’s lives are in danger everyday. They’ve lost brothers. Shed a lot of blood. Everything they do is for the club. If you think this is a fucking joke, you need to take your shit and go because once Opie sews in that patch, he’s one of them.”
“No!” She shook her head quickly. “No that’s not what I want. I just..”
“You just nothing Donna. Either you’re with it or against it. You love Ope, you learn to love this club.”
Donna went silent. She knew that was harsh but there was no room for doubt in this life. Being an old lady meant being as strong as those men. Sometimes even tougher. Being their backbone when the life got to them. Being their support when they needed it most. A man was only as strong as the old lady that stood behind him. Any weakness could cost them their life. Donna was a great girl but she needed to make up her mind.
Gemma entered the room, a smug look of pride in her face. She’d overheard the encounter. Harley was a fast learner. She loved this club. When Jax and her took over, the club would be in good hands. Without a word, she placed her purse on her desk and leaned her arm on it, her other hand resting on her hip she stared down at Harley and Donna. The two young women looked at each other, confused at the stare down before Harley spoke up.
“Everything ok, Gem?”
She huffed out an irritated breath, moving her bangs out of her face with hands. “What do you know about Jax getting suspended from school?”
“Oh..” Harley bit her lip, looking down.
“Oh? Oh? You didn’t feel the need to tell me?”
The younger woman laughed a little, though it only pissed Gemma off more, she really couldn’t help it. “Come on Gem. You know me better than anyone, I don’t talk.”
Gemma’s face twisted in anger but she couldn’t be to upset. Harley was taking after her and if It was one thing she instilled in her was the importance of secrets. She came around from the other side of the desk and crossed her arm.
“I forgot how much attention you actually pay. Tell me why he got suspended.”
“Now, that’s a conversation between you and Jax. But I can promise you he won’t be suspended for long.”
The older woman cocked her eyebrows and Donna turned to look at her. “Why?” Gemma asked.
“I’ll talk to him. It’s just unreasonable to suspend someone a month from graduating.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Gemma’s eyes shot to the lot to see the men coming out and the girls watched her storm out there to get to Jax. The smirk on Harley’s face scared Donna. She could see the wheels turning in her head. After a few minutes, her attention turned back to Donna and she smiled.
“Hey, Don – will you do me a favor and finish this paper for me? ”
“Uh, sure but why?”
“Something just came up.”
Harley patted Donna’s shoulder before she walked across the lot. Though the guys had dispersed, her eyes caught sight of the crazy haired man by the picnic tables.
“Tig,” she yelled across, putting her hands in her back pockets, as he ran up to her. “You guys got anything going on tonight?”
“Nah, doll. Why? What’s up?”
“I need a favor.”
“How’d your mom take the news?”
“Ripped me a new one.”
Jax shrugged his shoulders as they lay on a blanket on the rooftop. His fingers twirled her long blonde hair as they watched the stars become more and more visible with the night sky. He pulled her closer, her head laying on his chest while she ran her fingertips up and down his toned stomach. He felt her shrug against him before hearing her voice again.
“Least she didn’t do it in front of the guys.”
“You ain’t gotta tell me.” He chuckled lowly before sighing. “He said I’d be lucky if they let me graduate. You know the deal. Without that diploma they won’t patch me in.”
“I know babe, but don’t worry. I know he’ll come to his senses soon enough. This suspension is bullshit.”
“I don’t even know why I have to get a diploma in the first place. It ain’t like I’m going to go to college. Half the men in the club never even went to high school.”
Harley laughed acknowledging the truth in that statement. “Yeah well none of the men in that club are the president’s kid.”
He smirked and lowered his head closer to hers. The sweet smell of her shampoo calming him down again. He kissed her forehead and laid his head back. He needed this. After a day of working at the shop and listening in at church with no say in what was happening, he was more than irritated. He had ideas. He knew what they could do next, but just because he was a prospect, he wasn’t allowed to speak up. Clay was no help either when he pulled him aside. Just told him to worry about dealing with Gemma. It was the most frustrating thing in the world. Now on top of all this he had to figure out if he was even going to graduate.
“You ever just sit there and think about all you have going against you?”
“Yeah.” She nodded, her eyes lifting to meet his. “But it’s not good to dwell on it.”
“Why? All this stuff with the Niners. They’re starting another war and I have no say.” He looked down and she leaned up on her elbow.
“Because then you sit around and feel sorry for yourself and only the weak do that. You, Jackson Teller, are not weak. You have more ability to make change than any of those men. You want to be heard. You open your mouth and bring it to that table. You’re John Teller’s son, that alone comes with power and respect. Patch or no patch.”
Jax looked up into her eyes and he could see the fire behind them. They were full of determination and belief. Harley believed in him and hearing her say the words out loud made him believe it to. His word did hold weight. His father made this club what it was today and he’d keep it going strong. They’d listen to him at that table tomorrow. He’d make sure of it.
Harley laid back down on him when she saw that she’d gotten through to him. He closed his eyes and felt the rhythm of her steady heartbeat against him. She was so good at motivating him and moving on like it was nothing. He kissed her forehead and laid back to look at the stars again. JT would be proud of his old lady and that brought a smile to his face.
She got up after a few minutes and kissed his lips. “I gotta head out babe. Otto wants to have a family dinner tonight so mom and I need to get shit ready.”
He laughed as he kissed her back. ” Want me to come?”
“Yeah, you’ll be on the table roasted with an apple in your mouth by the time he’s done with you.”
He laughed but deep down he knew she wasn’t lying. He was getting closer and closer to getting patched in and Otto would have to find out sooner or later but he was dreading it. Big Otto was one scary mother fucker and Jax was terrified, but watching his girl walk out of the room, he knew he wouldn’t have it any other way. If Otto did kill him for this, he wouldn’t regret his actions at all. Just knowing she was his, even for a short period of time, made it worth it.
“Alright, you ready?”
Tig whispered quietly after they searched the perimeter of Principle Myers house. At 11:52pm, they could see him sitting peacefully watching TV while his kids and his wife were upstairs in their bedrooms. Harley and Tig had been scoping out the place for over 3 hours to find the perfect time to get him alone. Once they saw that last bedroom light flicker off, it was go time. Harley nodded at tig, straightening out her clothes before placing an innocent smile on her face and knocking on the door while Tig waited off to the side of it.
“Harley? What’re you doing here? It’s almost midnight.”
Myers said as he opened the door. The man was in his silk pj’s with a half wrapped robe around him. Clearly working at this school wasn’t a paying him to bad. The confused look on his face was only going to make this more meaningful. Harley smiled, batting her eyelashes.
“Sorry Principle Myers, I really needed to talk to you and I wasn’t able to get off my shift until now. Mind if I come in?”
The old man adjusted his robe and looked behind him for a moment before turning back to her. “This can’t wait till tomorrow?”
“I’m afraid not.”
She shook her head innocently. When he opened the door further, Tig stepped in and punched the man in his nose, hard enough to momentarily knock him out. Harley caught the large man to make sure there wasn’t any unnecessary noise and the two dragged him to the garage where they tied him to a chair and waited for him to wake up. Tig crossed his arms as Harley slapped him awake.
“Wha – what’s going on?!”
“Shh” She began.
“What’s this about?!” He interrupted again and Harley smirked.
“I think you know what this is about, George. Jax. Jax Teller? I think you know him pretty well.”
“Wha – What? What about him?”
“You see George, I think you were being quite unreasonable with that suspension. In fact the threat to keep him from graduating was quite bullshit.”
“Jax Teller got a fitting punishment for talking to a teacher the way he did..”
Harley pulled out the knife she had in her pocket as she came up behind him and placed it at his neck. She could feel him trembling under her as his breathing quickened. Tig looked on with a sick satisfied smirk as she continued.
“No no. What I think is that you had a very bad day at work and you decided to take it out on Teller for the wrong reasons. What you’re going to do, is call him and his mother in tomorrow and explain to her that you made an irrational decision based on a stressful day and that he’ll be fine for graduation.”
“You can’t do this!”
“I’d keep my voice down if I were you. Wouldn’t want to wake your wife and kids.” His eyes widened with fear and she smirked down at him, pressing the knife harder into his neck, just enough to draw blood. “You see, I’m pretty good at doing my homework Mr. Myers. I know where your wife works, where the girls go to school, where they have ballet practice. Now you wouldn’t want my friend here.” She motioned at Tig with the knife before returning it to his neck, “to pay them a visit would you?”
“Why are you doing this Harley? This has nothing to do with you. You don’t want this on your record.” He pleaded.
“It’s not about me George. We’re a loyal breed. You messed with Teller, you messed with all of us. You see, Jax, has a bright future in this club. You not letting him graduate would severely put a damper on those plans. I’m not letting that happen. As for my record, there won’t be anything on it. You won’t call the cops we got every cop in town working for the MC and if you do try to call, they’ll just let us know and then some very angry bikers would pay a visit to Susan at the diner and to Emma and Lily at the ballet studio on Main. None of us would want that right?”
He shook his head vigorously, wincing from the pain of the knife and Harley smiled down at him. She cut the tape holding him down and nodded her head over to Tig to leave. “I think it’s best you think long and hard on how you want to move forward.”
The two left the house, running back to Tig’s bike before driving off. “Jesus Christ Harls. You sounded worse than Gemma back there. All this for Jax?”
“Jax is my best friend Tig. Nobody fucks with that. Besides, this guys a douche.”
“Hate to say it.” He chuckled as he pulled over in front of her house. “But I’m proud of you kiddo.”
“Thanks Tig. And remember – this stays between us.”
“Lips are sealed dollface.”