November 1995

It had been a couple months since Tara started at Charming High and she was getting used to this newness. Her dad got hired on through one of his buddies he grew up with when he lived here as a child and teenager. Her dad, of course, was still out drinking whenever he wasn't working, but Tara was used to that. She had made one friend since coming, Brooke, and she was all the friend she needed. Brooke was Tara's opposite in so many ways yet they were alike in many others. Brooke was outgoing and friendly, was less conservative when it came to fashion sense, didn't really care about studying or school too much, and was well liked and admired by many. However, similar to Tara she didn't care to have a big circle of friends, despite much of the student body wanting to be around her. Tara understood as she observed quickly that many of the people at school were fake and superficial. Despite not caring about school, Brooke was intelligent and intellectually stimulating in conversation. She had a similar kind of humor as Tara so from the moment she sat next to Tara and started with her sarcastic mockery of the girls who thought they were the next "Cher", from the movie Clueless, Tara didn't miss a beat and they became good friends almost instantly. She and Brooke were walking to Tara's house since they'd have the house to themselves to smoke the fatty that Brooke sweet talked one of the stoners into giving to her.

"So what are you doing this weekend?" Brooke asked.

"Nothing special planned, probably just study, go pick up some groceries. Why?"

"Weeelllllllll..." Brooke dragged out in a sing song voice. "There's a huge party going on this weekend at TM and I could definitely use my favorite wing woman." She smiled brightly at Tara.

Tara scoffed, "Ha, I don't do parties. I could think of plenty ways to spend my weekend that don't consist of our classmates trying to impress each other by getting drunk and making fools of themselves." Tara replied.

"I know but this party isn't your typical lame high school party thrown by Charming's high society. This is a samcro party, and yea a lot of school will be there, but so will a lot of hot samcro members, which is the whole point of me wanting to make an appearance. "

Tara just gave her a look that said she still wasn't interested.

"Awww come on, let's do something different for once, get you out the house, and maybe even get you some action with a hot guy. Chris will be there. I've noticed him checking you out a couple times. He's hot and not your typical superficial guy. He's funny and he'll probably try to prospect for samcro once he gets out of school."

Tara knew who she was talking about but he just never stuck out on her radar to pay much attention. The only guy that stuck out in her mind was Jackson Teller. But she hardly saw him around and when she did he seemed to not see her at all. Which was probably best because she had heard of his reputation of being something of a man whore, definitely not a one woman kind of guy. Tara shook him from her mind and went off topic with Brooke, "What the hell is a samcro and what is TM?" She asked confused that Brooke referred to these things as if Tara knew what she was talking about.

"Girl, you got a lot to learn." She chuckled. "Samcro is a motorcycle club, short for Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original. They've been in Charming forever, they're the mother charter, I think. Anyways, they kind of act as Charming's enforcers to keep the hardcore drugs and other bad shit out. Some believe they're into some illegal shit but no one really knows. TM is their auto shop they own and also where their club house is where thy have crazy parties and etc."

Tara looked at her like she was crazy, "And you want me to go there?"

"Come on, it'll be fun." She was practically begging now.

Tara felt bad, Brooke had been her friend when she had none and she was a good friend so she felt she owed her one.

"Alriggghhttt alright. I'll go, you know begging doesn't really suit you." She smiled jokingly. "So when is it?"

"Yayy!" Brooke exclaimed excitedly "Its tomorrow night. I'm going to borrow my sister's car and pick you up around 9."

"Ok. Now let's get inside and get that thing lit so I can forget my lack of judgment in agreeing to this." She said to her friend. Brooke just laughed and they went inside.

The following night

Jax was at the club with Opie sipping some beers waiting for the party to pick up. He really didn't care about the party, he just couldn't wait to get his bike. But his mother insisted on the party being that he was 16 now. He already had his lay for the night ready. He told Jamie he wanted to spend his birthday with her and she knew exactly what he meant when he said it. So now it was time to just laugh at and watch the kids from school get stupid and the members of the club freak them out with their craziness until his mom made her speech and presented him with his bike.

The place started filling up quickly, he was shooting a game of pool when Jamie came up to him to let him know she was ready be taken to the back whenever he was, right when he looked up at her to tell her something clever, he stopped to look at the entrance to the club house because he caught in the corner of his eye, Tara Knowles coming in with a friend. Awestruck by how hot Tara was looking, he completely ignored Jamie. She got annoyed and walked off but he didn't even notice. Tara had on some ripped up jean shorts, a fitted nirvana t shirt that had slits going across the back that showed her black bra and some black all-star low top converse. She looked different, a little edgy, and sexy. She didn't look skanky like the majority of the girls that were showing up but definitely not her conservative self he usually saw when he rarely spotted her at school. Seeing her like this made it painfully hard not to go up to her and turn on his Teller charm. At school, when he did spot her he had to force himself to not look her way to keep his distance.

Opie came and stood next to him to see who Jax was checking out, that was that hot it interrupted their game. "That the new girl?" Opie asked seeing exactly where Jax was focused. She definitely wasn't hard to miss.

Jax was startled and embarrassed that he had got that caught up in her and was caught red handed. He tried to play it off casual, "Yea, I think so."

"You thinking about trading Jamie out for that? Wouldn't be a bad choice?" Opie said.

Jax felt uncomfortable the way he talked about her as if she was a thing, like a steak he ordered in place of steak he sent back for not tasting good enough. Jax turned around so she was out of sight, his thoughts were making him feel like a bitch. "Nah, man she's not my type." Jax said dully.

"Hot is not your type? Since when?" Opie joked

Jax suppressed the annoyance that rose up in him at hearing his best friend talk about how the girl from his dreams was attractive. Ever since he showed her to her class, he had been having the reoccurring dreams that he always had except much more often. He was dreaming about her at least once a week now, sometimes more. But his dreams had become more vivid, he dreamt about grabbing her thighs, picking her up and wrapping her around him, throwing her on a bed as he leaned over her devoured her mouth. He would wake up before anything more could happen but waking up with morning wood that was so solid he had to release the pressure most times and continue his dream in his mind. Jax answered Opie blandly, "Nah not that, she just doesn't seem like the kind of girl who wants what I have to offer which is nothing but a fun time. She seems like the type who would want more before she even would even take it there, so I figure no point in wasting her or my time."

Opie replied casually, "Doesn't look like that's stopping Chris from trying."

Jax spun back around and looked to see what Opie was referring to. He saw Chris, Tara, and Brooke chatting away while each of them sipping on beers except for Tara. Chris clearly had eyes for Tara, and it looked like Tara was enjoying their conversation too. Jax felt jealousy carousing through him. It felt weird. In his mind he told himself, "Fuck it, it won't kill me to indulge in her company a little bit as long as I keep it contained." He didn't have a say in who she hung out with or did whatever with but that didn't mean he had to witness it either. He set his beer down and walked over to them. Opie laughed, knowing Jax loved a challenge and would easily take the bait.

Tara was laughing at something Chris said right when he interrupted them, "Christopher, where's your manners? You're talking to a pretty girl and you don't offer to grab her a drink? Shame on you." he said in a mock lecturing tone. "What can I get you darlin'?"

Tara was shocked and then nervous, she was blushing involuntarily. But didn't want to give herself away completely so she joked back, "How about a new line?" She said giggling quickly.

Jax scoffed at her response, he should have known she wouldn't fall for that. "You caught me. I just couldn't help myself, it's not every day a prodigy comes through here." He said giving her his best smirk.

Tara laughed, "Ok, I'll have a coke."

"You sure you don't want some Jack with that?"

She laughed lightly again, "I'm sure."

Brooke watched their little exchange go on, in shock. It was obvious Jax had a thing for Tara and she couldn't believe she was just learning about this. And by the looks of it Tara was into him too, the way they were looking at each other like they didn't see anyone else, was intense. Brooke knew Jax had a rep and she didn't want her friend to get led on by a guy notorious to have taste for the kind of relations that were not committed, but she also knows he's never looked at a girl the way he was looking at Tara. She wanted to see how this would go, so she decided to help them both out.

"Oh shit, oh my god, Chris come with me I just realized I locked my keys in my car, my sister is going to kill me. Come help me get them out, please?" She grabbed his hand, and pulled him with her without giving him a chance to answer.

Tara looked at her friend wondering what the hell just happened. Jax was thankful Brooke was smarter than she looked.

He grabbed himself another beer and Tara her coke. He leaned against the bar, and she copied his position.

"So what brings a smart girl like you to a samcro party?" Jax asked playfully.

Tara narrowed her eyes on him while smiling, "Brooke forced me to come, said she needed her wing woman."

"Aww and here I thought it was because you wanted to wish me a happy birthday." Jax said playing hurt.

Her eyes widened, "This is your party?" She asked surprised.

"Yours truly." He said grinning. Jesus if he didn't stop grinning like an idiot someone was bound to notice and give him shit.

"Well happy birthday." she said genuinely.

"It is now." He said raising his eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes and laughed at him. God that smile is infectious, he thought. But he knew he needed to tone it down and stop the thoughts that were entering his mind.

"So, how's school been treating you? I see you managed to link up with one of the cooler chicks in school." He asked.

"Yea, Brooke grows on ya. But school has just been school not much different from my other one."

They continued the conversation easily for the rest of the night. Jax was presented his bike from an emotional Gemma. And the party continued while he and Tara continued their indulgence. They played a couple games of pool and Tara became more entranced by him and vice versa. She kept reminding herself of his rep, coaching herself to not to think of him as anything more than a friend/eye candy because it could never work between them. He was experienced and she wasn't, he was not a monogamous man and she had too much respect for herself to be anyone's play toy. When she was ready it would be with someone who loved her and valued what she was giving. She didn't think she would even find anything like that in high school. The confusing thing was talking to him, he didn't seem anything like what his rep made him seem to be. He was smart, witty, down to earth, and she even saw a glimmer of gentleness in him.

It was getting late and she needed to find Brooke and he helped her. She was in the middle of an intense make out session with Chris. She had seen the two of them together all night and was beyond interested to see how things would play out so she settled for Chris to keep him out of the way. She asked Jax if he minded giving Tara a lift because she didn't plan on leaving for a while. And Jax happily agreed.

Now the butterflies in her stomach were flapping eagerly. She had never been on a bike before. And now she was getting on the back of Jax's bike. He gave her his helmet once he sat on. After she fastened the helmet, he held out his hand to help her climb on behind him and when she grabbed it, their hearts simultaneously skipped a beat. She felt her face rush with heat from the flush and she was happy he couldn't see her face. He felt the heat rush below his belt. He placed her hand on his abdomen and then he grabbed her other hand to do the same. "Hold on tight." And she scooted forward and gripped him tighter. Jax held his breath trying to stamp down the lust that was building at her simple touches.

He started his bike and revved it, causing her to hold tighter. He loved the feeling. He took off and she directed him where to go.

Tara loved how this felt. She felt free and alive. She kept repeating in her mind that she needed to stop feeling like this. She didn't want to get wrapped up in a fantasy that would go nowhere. She told him the address and he pulled up sooner then she liked. She hopped off and took off the helmet, handing it to him.

She looked so good with her hair all wild. He felt like he was physically restraining himself from pulling her towards him and claiming her mouth and body.

"Thanks for the lift." She said softly.

"Anytime darlin'. So, was your first samcro party what you expected?"

Thinking back on all the raunchiness that had went on she laughed. "No, I think I'm scarred for life, but I somehow managed to still have a decent time, so thank you." she smiled.

"My pleasure."

"Well see ya around." She said backing toward her house.

Jax nodded and waited till she entered her house. Once she was in, he headed back to the party. Opie came up to him, "As fast as you came back I know you didn't hit that, all night with her and nothing to show for it. You feeling ok?" He asked half joking and half serious.

Jax just laughed, "I told you it's not like that, bro."

"Yea well, it's like something with you and her." Opie stated.

Jax just shrugged. He didn't know what to think after tonight.