*Author's Note*
Thank you for the follows, favs, and reviews.
Thank the quarantine for this getting edited and up so fast. I swear, social distancing=lots of writing.
Red, White, & SAMCRO!
Austi POV:
It was the 4th of July and the Teller-Morrow lot was packed. So many people were at the clubhouse for the big party Gemma was throwing. The inside of the club's main room was decorated to the hilt with red, white, and blue streamers. Food was being cooked and served and everyone was mingling.
Clay was manning a grill, making steaks, burgers, and hot dogs. Gemma had a large pot of chili cooking in the kitchen of the clubhouse. Some croweaters and sweetbutts were fixing up salads and other simple platters of food. Bobby had brought a bunch of baked goods to the party. God, I swear that man was the best baker in the entire goddamned world.
Man, there was so much food. I've never seen so much for a party in my life. Okay, well I wasn't raised around party people. I mean my dad and step-mother didn't throw me and my step-sister real birthday parties. Being allowed some friends over for a sleepover and homemade tacos doesn't count as a birthday party. Not like we had that many friends to even invite to a birthday party anyways.
Anywho…the SAMCRO 4th party was going great. I was dressed for the occasion in a teal and pink bikini top with white shorts and flip-flops. I had started the party wearing a tie-dyed tank top that matched the bikini, but ended up taking it off due to the heat.
It had to be like 94 degrees out plus a heat index, so it really felt like 110 or something. Being from Ohio I wasn't used to the heat yet. I can't understand how some women are all dressed up in pants and leggings cause I'm dying from the heat, but like I said I was raised in Ohio so the dry heat of California is something I need to get used too. God, if I ever get used to it that is.
At least water cools you down when you're hot. That's why I was at the slip and slide helping the little kids slide on the water slide. To help the kids that were too little to run and get traction themselves meant that I had to run with them and push them down the slip and slip, causing the sprinkler set up in the slide to spray me.
The little kids seemed to like me and their mothers were happy I was watching them so that they could go try to bag themselves a Son. Let's face it a lot of these cute kids have croweaters as mommies. Some of the kids have old ladies as mommies, true, but most have croweaters and even sweetbutts as their mommies. More or less every one of the single mommies at this event was in the market to become an old lady. It was the main goal of croweaters and sweetbutts.
And then there was me, born into the Morrow family and automatically a part of the club.
Speaking of kids and mommies, one mommy with kids I didn't see at the party so far was Donna. Donna said she would think about bringing Kenny and Ellie, I thought she would too, but so far she hasn't come. Oh, well, there's still plenty of time left to stop by. Hopefully she'll stop by. Jax really wanted them to come too.
I had just finished helping a little red haired girl in a Little Mermaid bathing-suit go down the slip and slide whenever I spotted Jax. He was standing nearby talking to some guys. He spotted me and smirked before continuing his conversation with the group of guys he was drinking beers with. A small group of kids ran up to the slip and slide. I had to help a couple of them down the slide. When I looked over my shoulder I noticed that Jax had finished his beer and was walking away from the group of guys.
Whatever, I got better things to do then worry about what Jax is doing. Things like helping the tiny-tots down the slip and slide.
"My turn, my turn!" I heard Jax shout.
I turned my head to see Jax barreling towards me. Was he going to go down the slip and slide fully dressed in his jeans, black reaper shirt, white sneakers, and cut? I stepped aside so that Jax could use the slip and slide. I thought he would run by me, but I was wrong. He grabbed me as he continued to run towards the slip and slide.
"No, Jax, no you put me down!" I smacked him with one hand while holding onto his neck with the other so that I wouldn't fall out of his grasp.
"Live a little, Darlin', and have some fun." Jax told me as he reached the slip and slide and flung us onto it.
"Oh my god!" I half screamed half laughed as we went down the slip and slide while Jax just laughed and shouted.
We went down the slip and slide pretty fast since the water slide was coated in dawn dish soap, a trick used to make it extra slippery.
"That was fun, wasn't it?" Jax asked me as we sat at the end of the slip and slide.
"Yea, it was." I admitted to Jax as I tried to get up. Unfortunately water and soap doesn't mix well with flip-flops so I ended up slipping and falling right on Jax, who was trying to get up as well.
"Shit." Jax laughed as we continued to bust our asses while trying to get up and off of the end of the slip and slide. "Whose bright idea was it to put soap on this damn thing?"
"Gemma's." I deadpanned.
"Hey, you two all slippery and wet over there and didn't invite me. I'm offended!" Tig shouted at us from across the lot.
"Shut the fuck up Tig!" Jax shouted at Tig as he finally managed to stand without sliding and falling.
"Oh, be nice to poor Tigger. It's not his fault he's demented." I told Jax as he helped me up. "You hear that Tigger, it's not your fault you're a demented fucker!" I shouted at Tig, trying not to laugh.
"Jax, stop fucking around with my niece and come over here! I need help with the grill!" Clay shouted at Jax, pointing a pair of grilling tongs at the blonde biker from across the lot where the grill was set up at.
"Duty calls." Jax told me with a smirk, shoving his hands in his jean pockets.
"Yea, go help the Prez with that grill V.P." I told Jax with a smile before he took off to go help Clay.
It was maybe 5 in the evening and the party was still going strong. I reckon this SAMCRO 4th party is going to be an all day and night thing. Whatever, that's cool with me. I don't mind. It's nice to be doing stuff and having fun on a holiday.
The club house was a bit packed, probably because all the food was set up on the counters in the kitchen. People were constantly coming and going in and out of the clubhouse because of the food set up in the kitchen. I was sitting at a table whenever my phone started to ring. I grabbed it from my back pocket and flipped it open.
"Hello?" I answered the phone.
"Hey, kid, Happy 4th of July." I heard my dad tell me over the phone. He sounded sober, so either he just got home from a shift at the garage or he ran out of his Crown stash to drink.
"Thanks, dad, you too." I told my dad as I spotted Jax walking out of the kitchen holding some Pepsi cans and some bowls of chili. Ah, so he was able to brave the crowd and get us some chili after all.
"What'cha been up to?" My dad asked me. Nice of him to ask since the last time I talked to him he was in denial about being a reason why I'm out here in California.
"Nothing much, just at a 4th of July party." I shrugged even tho I was talking on the phone. Guess it was just a natural impulse.
"Town of Charming thing or SAMCRO thing?" My dad asked as I heard him unscrewing the top of his Crown bottle in the background. Ah, so my first thought of he just got home was right. Hell, I knew he couldn't actually be sober for long.
"SAMCRO party." I honestly answered my dad right as Jax sat down next to me, placing the bowls of chili and the soda cans on the table. I silently thanked him by mouthing 'thank you' to which he just replied by nodding his head at me.
"Augusta…" My dad sighed heavily.
"What?" I asked my dad as I shoved a spoonful of chili in my mouth. Oh my god, Gemma's chili was amazing. Seriously it's the best chili I've had in my entire life.
"I don't think you should be at that SAMCRO party." Of course he would have the nerve to tell me that.
"Dad, did you forget that I live with SAMCRO's president and he's my uncle? I'd be crazy if I didn't go to the SAMCRO 4th of July Party." I told my dad a bit sharply. Jax looked at me with a raised brow as he ate his chili.
"Augusta, you can't be partying with SAMCRO all of the time. Think about your schooling." He reprimanded me.
"I'm going to go to college and I don't party all the time. Don't worry, I'm fine." I told my dad while eating my chili.
"Augusta…" My dad sighed. Oh boy, this was a lecture type conversation today. "I don't want you to become one of those girls that hangs around the clubhouse and parties with the Sons. Once you become a croweater you can't take it back."
What the fuck? He thinks I'm stupid or desperate enough to become a croweater. Really?
"You seriously think that I'm going to turn into a croweater?!" I semi-shouted at my dad. I'm shocked that he would even think that about me.
Before I could even hear my dad's reply Jax, who I guess didn't like what he heard me semi-shout at my dad, snatched the phone away from me.
"You're a dumb fuck calling your daughter a croweater." Jax barked into my phone before hanging up and slamming it onto the table between our soda cans.
With wide eyes I looked at Jax and asked him, "Jax, why the hell did you do that?"
"I got bored of listening to your conversation." Jax shrugged before going back to eating his chili.
"You can't just snatch my phone and yell at my dad." I told Jax, hoping that he'd see how rude he was to my dad. It didn't matter if he didn't like what he was overhearing, it was rude and wasn't his place to hang up on my dad.
"He was disrespecting you." Jax grabbed his can of Pepsi and took a drink before continuing to tell me, "He told you that you're on your way to become a croweater when you're nothing close to that." He placed his can back on the table.
He seriously thought that his white knight in shining armor act was needed or wanted. Newsflash, I don't need some white knight in shining armor act bullshit to help me or defend me. I can take care of myself, been doing it long enough. I can handle my dad, don't need any help.
I cut my eyes at Jax. "It wasn't your place to hang up on him, Jax."
"You weren't going to do it, so I did." Jax told me, his voice edgy, before going back to eating Gemma's famous chili.
"Hey, Jackie Boy, Austi, how're ye doing?" The heavily accented voice of Chibs asked us as he walked up to our table.
"Fine." Both me and Jax told Chibs at the same time.
Chibs just looked between me and Jax, obviously figuring out that something had taken place between us, as he sat down next to Jax. Chibs had a plate of food and a beer with him. Thank god for Chibs, now me and Jax won't be fighting over my dad's phone call anymore.
"Ye going to help Tig with the fireworks so he doesn't blow his bloody balls off?"
The blonde biker just shook his head. "No, somebody else can help him."
"But, Jackie, ye always he-" Chibs started to tell Jax until Jax snapped at him with a loud, "I said no Chibs."
Chibs just nodded his head, his eyes looked a bit sad or worried. "A'ight then, ye won't help Tig. I'll help the bastard." Chibs told Jax, who seemed to be paying more attention to his bowl of chili then to Chibs.
"Who put Tig in charge or fireworks for tonight?" I asked before taking a drink of my Pepsi.
"No one did. He volunteered, lass." Chibs told me as he ate some chicken wings.
Of course oddball Tig would volunteer to play with minor explosives that could blow off his fingers, hand, or balls.
The night sky was dark blueish black and the stars were shinny dots of light shimmering in the sky. I was sitting on a picnic table, alone, watching the fireworks o off and cause bright bursts of neon colors to fill the sky. I was smoking and didn't notice that somebody had sat next to me. Well not until I heard a southern drawl ask, "Mind if I keep you company?"
I turned my head to the side and gave Jax a half smile. "I don't mind."
A loud boom sounded off, followed by bright green and purple fireworks lighting up the sky. Jax took a swig from his bottle of Jack and sighed, "I wish Opie was here. He always liked to do the fireworks."
Of course Opie liked to do the fireworks, he was locked up for arson. Arson involves fire. Shit, is Opie a pyro? Wait a minute, why is Jax telling me this?
Jax offered me his bottle of Jack and I took it from him. "Yea, how long did he do the fireworks for?" I asked before taking a swig of the amber liquid. It burned slightly going down my throat, making me feel a bit warm like NyQuil does when I take that for a cold.
I know I probably shouldn't be sharing a bottle of whiskey with Jax, considering my dad's a functioning alcoholic that has been in a love affair with Crown Royal ever since I could remember, but whatever. I handed him back the bottle, watching the dark sky erupt in bright red and pink fireworks.
"Since we were like 13 or 14." Jax answered me, taking a swig from the bottle.
Ah, yepper-roo, Opie was a little firecracker loving pyro even as a teen. I still wish that I knew exactly why he's in Chino for arson, but obviously finding out the answer to that ain't happening.
I offered Jax my half-smoked cigarette as I told him, "That sucks, no wonder the fireworks don't feel the same this year."
"Yea." Jax sighed, taking my cig. He took a drag from it while offering me the bottle of whiskey. I took the bottle while Jax sighed, "Donna never came with the kids. It's not right, she took a fun time away from them."
"Yea, they should've came." I said after swallowing a shot of whiskey from the Jack bottle.
"I thought she would bring them, you know." Jax told me as we traded the booze bottle and half-smoked cig with each other.
I took a drag from the cig as he took a swig from the Jack bottle. "I know, but I guess she just hates the club more then she wanted to give her kids a fun afternoon."
"Things were different before Opie got sent to Chino." Jax told me as he gave me the cig and I gave him the whiskey bottle. "Donna actually liked the club, but when Opie got locked up Mary started talking shit to Donna." Jax took a large swig from the glass liquor bottle. "The club just wants to help her out while Ope does his time for SAMCRO, but Donna keeps turning it away." Jax sighed, offering me the bottle.
Once again we traded for the cig and the bottle. "If she doesn't want help or to come to SAMCRO things there's nothing that we can really do to change her mind." I told him before taking a drink from the bottle while he finished up the cigarette I had given him.
Jax tossed the used up cig to the side and took the bottle that I offered him. "Yea…" He sighed before taking a swig of the whiskey.
"You know, I'm surprised that Tig hasn't blown up yet." I told Jax as I took the bottle from him.
Jax took his pack of cigarettes out of his cut while telling me, "Give him time and he'll blow himself up." Jax stuck a cig in his mouth, lit it, and took a drag from it. He handed it to me and took the bottle from me.
"Yay, firework Tigger. Colored red and a shade of fucked up to sparkle in the sky." I joked with Jax as I smoked.
Jax just shook his head, laughed a bit, and took a swig from our bottle of Jack Daniels.
I never watched fireworks while sharing a smoke and whiskey with a biker before, but so far it was a pretty damn good way to watch the shiny neon fireballs light up the sky.
AN:
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I was hoping to show a lighter carefree/jokester side of Jax in the beginning, but then the heavy-hearted side of him at the end while getting nostalgic about Opie and the fireworks. I imagine having his bff in jail for like 5-years would be hard on him. And of course, I had to dig a little more into the messed-up daddy-daughter dynamic of Case and Austi. Yep, I can't help it, I HAVE to put angst in almost everything I write. LOL!
Next up will be a heart to heart bonding moment for Ja and Austi, btw.
