Blended

Chapter 3- Turnt Up

"Your mom did what?" Joseph asked in disbelief.

"She shut the door in Jax's face." Steven told him again. Steven has just picked up Joseph and they were on their way to school.

"I don't know why I am shocked…after all it is your mom we are talking about." Joseph told Steven.

"True."

They both laughed as Steven plugged his IPod in and they jammed to My Chemical Romance on the way to school. Joseph and Steven had all classes together except two. They even had lunch together. You did not see one without the other.

"Yo Steven! Joseph!" Chase yelled down the hall to them. Chase was both Steven and Joseph's friend. Whenever the three were together they were inseparable. Steven was so glad he had such good friends in his life. High school was so much fun with his two friends by his side.

"We still on for this weekend?" Chase asked after giving his two friends daps.

"Yeah. We will just meet you at my house after we leave the garage. We should be at my house about 6." Steven told Chase.

"Alright cool. I'll see yall then!"

"Charles. Where's Steven?" Jax asked heading into the garage. Hearing his name Steven rolled out from under the Toyota Corolla he was working on.

"What's up?" he asked looking up at Jax.

"You still alive? I just wanted to make sure."

Steven laughed as he got up. He knew exactly what Jax was talking about.

"I'm all good. She is more bark than bite. I'm sorry about the way she acted.

"It's cool. I'm use to it."

Steven shook his head. It was not cool what his mom did and he told Jax that. Jax patted his back and reassured him again it was all good.

"I'll catch you later." Jax patted his back again and disappeared in the clubhouse.

"Hurry up and roll that Steven before your mom gets back." Chase told Steven as he tried to patiently wait for Steven to roll a blunt.

"She won't be back until later. She went out on a date." Steven said licking the cigarillo paper.

"Who is she seeing?" Chase asked.

"Some nerdy lawyer." Steven rolled his eyes. He wasn't too fond of his mom's boyfriend. Actually, he never really liked any of the guys she has dated since his parents' divorce. Steven finish rolling and lit the blunt, took a hit and passed to Joseph. Steven exhaled and sat back on the lounge chair. They were all in the backyard sitting by the pool. As they relaxed by the pool and finished off the blunt Steven began to wonder what time his mom would show back up. They would have to make sure they were upstairs in their room so she won't see how high they were.

"So what's it like hanging around the Sons of Anarchy?" Chase asked taking another hit of a new blunt.

"We don't hang around them. We're too busy working on cars." Joseph answered.

"That sucks. I bet they would be cool as hell to hang out with."

Steven smiled yeah it would be cool to hang with the Sons but they never really saw the guys. It kind of suck as he was hoping they would teach him and Joseph how to work on Harleys. Steven knew how important the bikes were to the guys and he knew they would not let some high school kids work on the their bikes but he was hoping to one day shadow Dave and Charles whenever they worked on any of the members bikes.

Weeks passed by and Steven and Joseph were busting their asses at the garage. As usual the Sons were always in and out and Steven never got a chance to talk to Jax or tell him he got an A on his paper. Both boys spent a lot of time with Wayne Unser who lived in a little trailer on the property. He always made an effort to come and see Steven and Joseph in the garage. Steven really liked Wayne and enjoyed his stories of the time he was the sheriff of Charming.

One evening as Steven and Joseph were working late, the parking lot started to fill up with people. Steven figured there was a party about to happen. Finally done with the last car for the day Steven and Joseph was walking toward Steven's car to head home when they saw Jax and a few guys pull in.

"Steven you leaving?" Jax called out to Steven as he got off his bike.

"Yeah."

"Why don't you guys stay? Its Friday night I know you two aren't just going to go home."

"What's going on?" Joseph asked.

"It's Tig's birthday party. You haven't lived until you been to one of our parties. Come hang out for awhile."

"Alright." Steven agreed as they followed behind Jax in the bar. The place was packed. Jax looked back at Steven and Joseph and chuckled as the boys stood wide-eyed looking around. As with most teenage boys their attention went straight to the girls on the stripper pole.

"Come on. Let's get you boys a beer." Jax slapped Steven's shoulder. Without hesitation Joseph and Steven followed behind Jax to the bar. Steven noticed they did get a few glances as they were obviously under aged but no one said anything. I mean who would actually say something. Steven knew his mom would have a straight heart attack if she could see him now. He wasn't too worried as he was a good kid and never gave his mom a hard time. He never got into trouble and was an honor student. She couldn't ask for a better kid he mused as he tooted his own horn. The only thing he did that would cause her to be upset was smoke weed….but what kid his age didn't. Jax ordered two beers for them and disappeared in the crowd of people. So Joseph and Steven stood at the bar trying not to stand out like sore thumbs and drunk their beers. After a few more beers Steven and Joseph were feeling pretty good.

"Steven! Joseph! Jax wants you." Rat Boy yelled to them as he waded through the crowd towards them. The boys tried to steady themselves as they followed Rat Boy to a back room. Steven started to grin to himself as he smelled the familiar smell of his favorite plant in the world. Rat Boy opened the door to a room and smoked filled the hallway. They found Jax and a few people in the room smoking weed. Jax looked up from rolling a new joint when the boys walked in.

"You guys smoke?" Jax asked with a stupid grin on his face. Steven could tell he was turnt up. Jax offered Steven a joint.

"Sweet!" Steven said as he took the joint that was offered.

Jax watched as Joseph and Steven took a few hits. As he looked at the boys laugh and talk to each other he thought of Opie. He missed his best friend. Steven and Joseph reminded Jax of his friendship with Opie. They were lucky to have one another.

"Steven, how is your mom doing?" Jax asked as he thought back to when he met her. He still remembered how beautiful she was even though he met her only once a few weeks ago.

"Aww shit!" Steven cursed as he remembered he didn't touch base with his mom. He pulled out his phone and sure enough he had three missed calls from her. Steven knew he was going to be in deep shit. It was past eleven and his curfew was midnight. Steven quickly stood up and then stumbled back down on the couch. Yeah he was high.

"Where you going?" Jax asked as Steven slowly stood back up.

"I gotta get home." He told him digging in his pockets for his keys.

Jax got up and snatched the keys out his hands.

"You aren't driving. I'll take you home."

"You can't drive either." Steven told him.

"Trust me I can drive."

Steven knew it would be better for Jax to take him as he was right he was in no condition to drive.

"We taking your bike?" Steven asked.

"Yeah. You can ride bitch." Jax told him.

"Yes!" Steven didn't care that he was riding bitch. He was just happy to be on a Harley. It has been awhile since he got to ride.

"Happy can you take Joseph home."

Happy looked over at Joseph and groaned.

"Why I got to take the grunt home?"

Joseph eyes widen as he looked over at Happy.

"Ummm….that's ok. I would rather walk." Happy freaked Joseph out and he did not want to ride home with him.

"Quit acting like a scared little bitch," Happy grunted to Joseph. "I'll get you home in one piece."

"Shit." Joseph mumbled.

"It'll be alright. Happy will make sure you get home safely." Jax told Joseph to comfort him. He knew Happy was scary to most people…well to all people but Jax trusted Happy and knew he would get Joseph home.

"Alright Steven now I need you to concentrate and hold on tight." Jax told him just before starting up his bike. Steven shook his head to try to focus his foggy brain.

"You ready?" Jax shouted over the bike.

"Yeah!"

'A'right"

Jax pulled out the parking lot and headed towards Steven's home.

They pulled up in front of Steven's house about fifteen after twelve. Steven got off the bike and lost his balance on the curb and fell in his front yard. Jax busted out laughing as he got off the bike. Steven started laughing and could not get up so he just laid sprawled out on the ground. Jax extended his hand to him.

"Get up."

Steven took his hand and Jax pulled him off the ground. Everything was spinning around Steven and he couldn't walk straight. Holding back another fit of laughter Jax put Steven's arm around his shoulder and helped him to the front door.

"You got your keys?"

"My what?"

"Your keys."

Steven looked at Jax as if he was speaking a foreign language.

"What?" Steven asked again truly confused. He and Jax busted out laughing again. Just then the front door open and Cortney stood at the door looking at them both. Jax didn't know if it was the weed or what but Cortney looked like her whole body was illuminating. She looked more beautiful than he remembered. She had on loose sweat pants and a tight fitting t-shirt. Jax found himself slowly taking in her form.

"Steven are you high?" she asked ignoring Jax and his intense gaze. Steven had to be high. His eyes were bloodshot and the scent of weed radiated off both of them.

"No." Steven lied as he straightens his stance. Jax swore he saw smoke come out of her ears…yet again it could be the weed.

"Get in the house!" she hissed at Steven. Steven looked at Jax with a hint of a smile on his face.

"I'll see you later." He told him as Jax shook his hand and pulled him into a quick hug.

"A'right Steven. I'll catch you later."

Steven shuffled past his mom into the house. Cortney stepped onto the porch with Jax and shut the door. She crossed her arms and looked at him.

"I'm trying really hard not to freak out…you and my teenage son smoked weed together?

"It won't happen again." What else was he going to say? He knew he been caught.

Cortney closed her eyes for a second as she tried to keep herself in check. She slowly opened them and looked at Jax up and down.

"Where is his car?" she asked as she tried to keep her mind on the issue at hand and not focus on his lips.

"It's at the garage."

"Thank you for bringing him home safely." She said a little too harshly.

"You're welcome. Please don't give him a hard time. He is really a good kid."

Did he just try to tell her how to raise her child? He gets her son high and he was standing here giving her fuckin parenting advice?

Jax could tell what he said pissed her off even more. Well he was O for two when it came to this woman.

"I'm sorry it's not my place to tell you how to discipline your child." Jax was scrambling. He did not want Steven to get into any trouble. Jax didn't think thoroughly as to what would happen if Steven and Joseph parents found out they were drinking and getting high at the party. Not every parent was as lenient as his mom was or as checked out as Opie parents were. Jax realized it was not one of his best decisions and he hoped his actions would not cause their parents to pull them out of their internship at the garage. Cortney was a little taken back by the look in Jax's eyes. Was that a look of concern? Did he care about Steven?

"I better go." Jax ran his fingers through his hair. For some reason he needed to remove himself from her presence. He stepped down off the porch and was heading toward his bike when he heard her call his name. He stopped in his tracks spell bound by the sound of her voice calling his name. Cortney walked up to him not caring she was barefoot and in her house clothes.

"Jax?"

Jax turned around and looked down at her. She was still illuminating and Jax still wondered if it was the weed or if she was really standing in front of him with a beautiful glow.

"He is my only child."

Jax nodded as he sensed how much she loved Steven.

"Can you promise me that this will not happen again?"

Looking into her light brown eyes Jax felt like he could promise her the world.

"I promise it won't happen again."

Jax felt his heartbeat increase when Cortney smiled a genuine, beautiful smile up at him. At that moment, she could have asked for the moon and Jax would have busted his ass to find a way to get it for her. As Jax got on his bike, he felt a deep desire for her approval. He really didn't know why as he was not the type of man to seek anyone's approval but he wanted hers. He figured it may be his connection to Steven. There was something about the boy that made Jax feel protective of him. Even though he did not see him often, he always asked Dave, Charles, and Unser how he was doing, and they gave him regular updates. Steven reminded Jax of himself at that age. Jax smiled to himself as he thought back to his younger years. Those were some good times. Jax watched Cortney walk back to her porch. After putting on his riding gloves and helmet he looked up and found Cortney still standing by the door looking at him. Jax could not get over how beautiful she looked. He waved to her and she waved back. As Jax pulled off to head back to Tig's party he was smiling from ear to ear.