"Hey, Birthday Girl!" Her eyes shot open and he continued to hum the Birthday Song.
"Chibs." she groaned.
"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!" He sat the plate and juice on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed. "Come on, lassie, we got a big excitin' day."
"I am not going." she said digging her head into the pillows.
"Now, wait a hot second-"
"No, Chibs, I am not going." she heard him sigh.
"Where is this coming from, girl. Shit, we've been planning for weeks. We told you, invite who ever you want, this is your day."
"Is your head really that thick?" she spat back. "First of all its graduation, so if you think these kids parent would let their kids come to SAMCRO club for a party you are stupid. Second, if you this these kids want to come to a party for me, you are a fucking-"
"Watch it missy!" he barked.
"Chibs, just leave me and let me just wallow."
"Christ, women!" he sighed and left.
Reyna sat up in bed and ate the bacon. Still after 10 years he still forgets that she hated eggs. The time on the clock read 7:24 am. Her graduation would be starting at 3 pm. She sat there feeling for bad giving Chibs the business, but he never understood how to raise girls. She place her headphones on and continued to work on her Valedictorian speech.
After a little while, the speech was done, she was still in bed listening to music. When she looked up and saw Gemma standing in her doorway she pulled off her headphones.
"What's up, Gem?" she said.
"Well, Darling, I am wondering why you stood me and everyone else up, this morning?" Gemma asked.
"What do you mean?" she asked confused.
"Chibs was supposed to drop you, we had something for you at the club. And you, young lady, left us all hanging." Gemma threw down her purse and sat on the bed.
"I just couldn't today Gemma."
"What's your deal, darling?" she said curtly, "That man, this club, all we want is to take care of you."
"Well, I am 18 now."
"Oh, okay. I see. I forgot that on the morning of your 18th birthday, you no longer need anyone. Is that it?" Reyna stayed quiet. "You need to get your shitty 18 year-old-self dressed. You have 10 minutes."
Gemma and Reyna drove to T.M. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." She finally broke the silence.
"I know darling, birthdays have always been hard on you."
"Gemma…" Reyna paused to pull out a cigarette, "I need you to tell me."
Gemma pulled the cigarette from her mouth and put it in hers. Reyna pulled out another and lit Gemma's, then her own.
"When did you start this habit?" Gemma asked.
"Don't. You are going to tell me, today."
Her mother died on her 8th Birthday, drug overdose. Happened during the time the Sons were still fighting to keep drugs out of Charming. She had come to discover that her mom was a "sweetbutt" for the club, unfortunately. Jax and Ope, when they were younger, would say that Reyna would follow in her mother's footsteps. They were little shits to Reyna, but growing up together also meant they protected her, following in their father's footsteps.
"I need you to tell me who is my father and why Chibs won't tell me." Gemma took a long drag, "You're the gatekeeper." Reyna said
"I am going to tell you. I am going to tell you and that will be the end. Got it!" Reyna nodded. "Before your mom moved here she lived in East LA, you know this" She started.
"I go to East LA every summer to stay with my Nina, is he still alive?" Reyna interrupted.
"Do you want me to tell you this god damn story or not?" She spat.
"Sorry." Reyna crossed her arms and sunk into the seat.
"He was a gangster. He sold drugs, he promised your mother the world, but bailed when she told him you were coming." Gemma pause for another drag, Reyna did the same. "He was a coward. He wanted to pull you out of your mother, she fought for you. She packed up all she had and she found us." They pulled into the garage, and she parked. Took off her sunglasses. "You asked if he was still alive? He isn't. He is where he belongs... in hell."
"How does Chibs fall into this?"
"He loved your mama, darling. He met you when you were still a kid, you remember."
"Yes I remember that. I also remember her mom not being around very much once she met him,but the night of her birthday he came to our apartment picked me up and that was the last time I was there."
"Chibs was the one who found your mom." She said, "Listen, the rest of the story has to come from him. He loves you."
"But I need to know why he feels responsible. Everytime I ask he grows distant and then will go out and wont see him for a while."
"There she is!" Chibs said banging on the hood."
"Watch it!"Gemma jumped out of her black car.
"Apologies love, I am just excited is all." Chibs apologized.
Reyna got out of the car, and went up to Chibs with her arms crossed. "Still mad,lass?"
She shrugged her shoulders and smirked. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I have a gift for ya." he pulled Reyna over to Jax and Ope, "Happy Birthday, lil sis." Jax hugged Reyna. Ope put a bandana over her eyes.
"Okay prospect push it out." Chibs yelled out.
She heard the metal garage door open and then honking. Reyna ripped the bandana off and saw what was being pushed out for her. "A '64 Dodge Dart?" she yelped jumping up and down. It was the car she always wanted, in the color she asked for, white.
Chibs laughed, "Now don't get too excited, love." He pulled her over to the front of the car. "Pop the hood, Juicy." Reynas eyebrows furrowed and pulled his arm to come closer to her, "Juicy?" she asked. Chibs just laughed and went to what he wanted to show her, "So the engine, it needs some fixing. You'll have a summer project."
"Chibs, I love it." Reyna wrapped her arms around him. As they were all looking at the car, Clay and Tig came rolling in.
"Table, now!" Clay yelled.
The boys all ran to the clubhouse. Reyna turned back to take a look at the engine in her new car.
"You a mechanic or is this a project your old man will be doing?"
Standing next to Reyna was the prospect. She gave him a look over, he had scalp tattoos and a cocky grin.
"Shouldn't you be running along? Clay doesn't sound happy." She said waving him away.
"I'm Juice by the way." he said walking backwards.
"I didn't ask." She said leaning on the car looking at the engine.
He just looked back and gave her another cocky smile. She turned and watched as he ran to the clubhouse. Gemma came next to her.
"He's cute, but too sweet, right?" Reyna asked.
"Jax wanted him, I guess he is really computer savvy, thinks it'll be good for the club."
"I'm computer savvy, why don't I become a prospect?"
"We aren't having this conversation again are we?" Gemma said sternly.
"No, ma'am." Reyna walked over to the lockers pulled on her gray coveralls, but couldn't find her boots. "Gem, where are my boots?"
"I am not your fucking keeper!" She yelled from the office. Reyna looked down at her feet in flip flops. Clay would banish her, again, if she wasn't wearing proper shoes. It was hot in the garage, she pulled her hair up. She was trying to remember where she had the boots last. She hadn't been to the shop in a couple weeks because of finals. She remembered that she was studying in Chibs' dorm one night after working on the cars. She ran over to the club and tried to be quiet, meetings were never to be disturb. She tiptoed around the bar to get to the dorms. "Where are you going?" a voice came from behind her, she let out a little yelp. "Are you even allowed to be in here right now?"
"Yes, I am just trying to get to Chibs' dorm."
"You his old lady?" Reyna's eyes widened. She was 18 years old, and this guy thought she was bound to Chibs.
"Ew. Just, ew." was all she could say as she turned to walk away.
"Oh I get it, so you're just a sweet butt?" This. This right here is where Reyna saw red. She walked over to the Juice and punched him right in the jaw. He fell back knocking over some of the barstools, making a ton of noise. Before she knew it all the guys came out to see what was the cause of the rukus.
"Dammit prospect, what the fuck did you say to her?" Chibs yelled, knowing that Reyna's temper had gotten the best of her.
"He called me a 'sweetbutt.'" she mumbled, but Chibs was close enough to hear.
"A 'sweetbutt!'" Chibs yelled, the fear of God flashed in Juices eyes.
"Jesus Christ, prospect!" Jax said taking a drag of his cigarette.
"Enough! Get back in here, Prospect you too." Clay yelled. The Juice got up and scurried over, Chibs, who grabbed the back of his neck and whispered something to him. "You!" Clay pointed to Reyna.
"I was just coming to grab my boots, sir." she quickly responded.
"Happy Birthday, girly. I'm proud of you." He said putting his cigar back in his mouth and shutting the door. Reyna ran to the dorm grabbed the boots and went to get started on her car.
An hour had passed and the guys were coming out of the clubhouse to start their "straight" jobs. Dog was looking in while Reyna was underneath replacing a clamp.
"Yo, Dog. That girl leave you to fix this?" she heard his voice. "What's her deal? She is like the meanest woman I have ever met, she punched me in the face!" he whined. Reyna scooted out from underneath the car. "Shit!" he yelped. Reyna popped up wiping her hands with the rag.
"Thanks, Dog. I got it secure." she said, as she continued to stare down the Juice. She kept quiet and kept her stare, making him more and more uncomfortable. He looked down and saw the name on the cover all.
"So, you Rey's old lady then?" she shook her head not breaking eye contact and raising an eyebrow. "Well… he's…. He's going to be pissed when he sees you wearing his coveralls."
"I am Rey. These are my coveralls. This is my project. And this is my last nerve you are riding on."
"Why they call you "Rey'?" he asked.
"Because she's a ray of fucking sunshine." Gemma said, "Here I have some repos for you to pick up." she said handing him over the slips. He graciously took them and ran over to the tow truck.
"Who is this guy?" Reyna asking no one in particular.
"You don't like my prospect, darlin?" Jax said pulling his arm around her.
"Not particularly." she said curtly.
"Well, we'll see how he plays. Clay just gave him his first club assignment." he said. "Now, tell me about why you have no one coming to our party for you?" Reyna kept her arms crossed as he squared her shoulders to face him.
"Jax, you know why." she sighed, "No parents want their kids partying with the town outlaws, and not to mention the little incident that happened two months ago." Jax laughed.
Two months ago, Reyna Melana Uribe, went to her very first high school party. Charming High was a small enough school to know everyone in your graduating was known as the quiet bookish type with the outlaw family, not many were brave enough to say that she was a friend. However, a boy, whom Reyna found to be hot, asked if she would be attending and he wanted her to know that he would be there. Reyna felt her cheeks become heated. She knew she couldn't tell Chibs, he'd flip his fucking lid. So, Reyna lied, telling him she was going to be at her friend Angies.
It was the existential high school party there were jello shots, kegs, jungle juice, and teenage hormones, her classmates were draping all over each other. There he was, Kyle Trainor, he saw Reyna and brought her over a red cup of drink. Reyna was in high school bliss, a cute boy was talking to her, the cute boy was laughing at her jokes, the cute boy made sure her cup was always filled, the cute boy began kissing her.
She'll always remember the way it felt as his hands pushed her hips to the wall, all she heard was the rock song playing for the party. She paused and thought to herself, she was going to give in to this cute boy, Kyle. However, the universe had other plans, all of a sudden it changed. The cute boy was being ripped off of her.
"That's enough of that, boyo." Chibs was the one who pulled the boy off. She saw all of the Sons roaming around the party, pulling kids off of each other and drinks from their hands. "You!" he pointed at Reyna, "You're coming home now." She looked around and saw all of the kids staring at her, thinking that she was a bitch for her "daddies" breaking up their party "Who even invited her?" She heard as she left the house. Monday, was torturous.
"Someone drew a fucking turd on her locker and called me a party pooper!" she yelled.
Jax just laughed and pulled out a cigarette and then offered Reyna one. "No smoking in the garage!" she nagged.
"What time do you have to be at graduation?"
"It starts at 3 pm, I have to be there at 2."
"You know that it is almost one, right?"
"Fuck me! Hey, Gemma, I need a ride home!" Reyna yelled. Gemma came out and gave Clay a kiss. "Chibs, you driving me over to Graduation still?"
"You got it, darling!" he called back.