Happy Birthday
Sam looked at himself in the mirror, his first cut. He was officially starting his life a member. Of course he needed to pass the probation but that wouldn't be a problem because Sam had always wanted this. He wanted to follow in his fathers, step fathers and brothers footsteps. He would do whatever it took to become a son.
Sam had pictured this moment since he was old enough to walk and he had pictured this day many times. But something was missing. She was missing.
"You ok baby?"
Sam looked over to his shoulder at his mother who was standing in the doorway, he wondered how long she had been there.
"Yeah i'm good ma." With a cock of her brow Gemma moved to stand in front of her son, her hands resting on the fresh cut leather.
"This looks good on you." That gained her a smile from her son. "Clay is proud of you, I'm proud of you."
"Mom." Gemma smiled to herself sensing her sons embarrassment as he moved away from her and grabbed his backpack off his bed. "I'm going to be late for school."
School. Gemma looked at the change on her sons face. It had returned to the face that she had been staring at for months. This morning when the whole club had come round for breakfast and to present Sam with his Prospect Cut was the first time she saw him smile a genuine smile. An Gemma was pretty sure she knew the reason why.
"So tonight. Will we be seeing a certain blonde?"
"CC will be there I have already told you that Mom." Sam sighed as he walked towards his door.
"Wrong blonde." She watched Sam slightly hesitate before he continued down the hall. Gemma hot on his heels "Haven't seen Haley around for a while."
"We've both been busy." Sam grabbed his back pack off the floor.
"She still coming to your party tonight?" Sam sighed.
"I guess. Look im late."
"Sam..."
"MOM!" Seeing the raised brown on his mothers face Sam knew that he was out of order. But instead of apologising he stormed out the house.
Haley found herself staring at the scene before her. The fire pit was going, the music echoed and peoples laughter was carrying across the parking lot. Even a blind person could tell that a party was taking place.
They hadn't spoken for 8 weeks. They had seen each other in the hall ways and spared a glance and smile but they hadn't spoken and for people who spoke everyday Haley had found it really hard, to the point that she had shad basically hid from him at school today. She couldn't see him celebrate his birthday with his new friends as that made it more obvious that their friendship had really changed. They had spoken about this day so many times. Of course Sam being the lucky guy that he was, his birthday fell on a Friday which meant a party was always on the cards and the fact that he would become a Prospect on his 18th birthday a full Samcro party would be held.
Haley always knew her father wouldn't bee keen on her attending and she thought he would be the reason she didn't attend Sam's 18th birthday party, but she neverr imagined that she wouldn't be attending because her and her best friend were no longer speaking and that she had no real reason as to why.
"You going to stand here all night?"
For the first time in a long time a true smile spread across her lips as she turned to face in the direction the voice had come from.
"Hey Jax."
"Hales."
Jax had been on the roof when he saw Haley pull into the lot on her push bike. He was surprised to see her given the distance that had formed between herself and his brother. Sam wasn't really talking about it and the last time he saw Haley at the theatre she to0 hadn't been for speaking about it either.
It was good to see her, but as he watched her just stand there Jax remembered there was a party going on and there were a lot of visiting brothers and hangarounds attending. Although Samcro brothers knew who she was but others didn't. And he could see her uneasiness. Discarding his beer he headed down from the roof and came up behind her.
"What did you get him?" Jax pointed to the gift in her arms.
Haley looked down almost forgetting she was holding the gift.
"Um just a Harley magazine. It has the column in that your Dad wrote."
With that Haley had his full attention. He remembered hearing about a segment that his dad wrote. It was the smallest of paragraphs but he remembered his dad telling him about. They had never saved a copy though and then they couldn't find it aware. Of course Haley would be able to locate it.
"Hales you never stop surprising me." He smirked as she faced him fully. The fire from the bonfire showing the blush on her cheeks. "You know Gemma has been searching for that for years."
"Well lets say I have my contacts." Haley's smile faded slightly. Even though Jax was smiling she could just tell something wasn't right with him. "You okay Jax?"
"Yeah...no..." He watched her concern deepen.
Truth was Jax wasn't okay. Tara had drunk dialled him last night. It was the first time he had heard from her in months. And he didn't know what to think. She hadn't made much sense and when he tried to call her back she ignored his calls. But Haley didn't need to worry about him.
"Don't worry about me Hales. Now come on lets give that brother of mine his present." He said as he draped his arm over her shoulder dropping a kiss upon her blonde locks.
Sam hadn't been in the mood for his party but he knew that it wasn't just a celebration for turning 18 but a celebration of his cut. He had celebrated with Samcro, or rather everyone he considered as an uncle, at the breakfast this morning but he still hadn't seen the one person he had expected to spend his birthday with. Haley.
He had missed her at school today and this would be the first birthday they had spent apart and he had no one to blame but himself.
But he couldn't wallow in his own self pity, not around his brothers. So he took the beers that he was offered and par took in the conversations with his new brothers and his surrogate uncles.
The current conversation was about his girl. They were all watching Chrissie as she she walked away with her hips swaying as she went to get them more beers. They were impressed so Sam was feeling pretty smug, and he was lapping up the praise when he heard a small voice from behind him.
As Haley and Jax approached the party she felt Jax grip her tighter as they moved into the crowds. She was grateful for it as she was finding the crowds slightly intimidating. There were so many people that she didn't know and there were scantily clad women everywhere. Haley wasn't judging she just wasn't used to this and she finally understood why her Dad didn't want her attending these parties.
But she felt at ease having Jax with her. Even though everyone was greeting Jax with a mixture of hand shakes and half hugs, he never let go of her, even when it came to the Samcro members, the only difference being they acknowledged her as well with a smile. They continued making their way through the crowd until they bumped into Clay. Haley watched him nod at Jax before looking at her.
"Hey sweetheart. Your dad know your here?" Clay asked taking a puff on his cigar.
"Im not staying just dropping off a gift." Haley answered sheepishly. She knew that Clay knew her dads rules on these types of parties and now seeing one first hand she could understand why he didn't want his sixteen year old daughter attending one.
She watched Clay look over his shoulder and then back at her. "Go on then. Make it quick. Don't want to get in trouble with your old man."
"Thanks Clay." She went to continue, Jax following when she felt him stop causing her to stop also.
"Son, need a quick word."
Haley could tell Jax was debating with himself whether to stay with Clay or go with her. Although this party was new to Haley the club wasn't.
"It's ok I'll be fine." not giving him a choice Haley untangled herself from Jax and continued across the short distance to where Sam was.
"Hales...what are you doing here?" She registered his shock before a smile spread across his face.
"I just wanted to give you your gift." She looked around as she felt eyes on her. Noticing this Sam placed a hand on the small of her back and moved her away from everyone so it was just the two of them. Haley tried to ignore the comments and low whistles. She only smiled when she heard Chibs scold them.
"Look Hales..."
"Sammy we don't need to do this now. I just wanted you to have your present...You don't have to open it now."
"Don't be stupid." And with that Sam tore off the paper to reveal the gift. "Hales... this is ." He finally looked up from the magazine to look at her. He knew exactly what magazine this was. "Thank you."
"Your welcome." Hayles tucked her hands in her back pocket as she shifted her weight from one foot to another. "I know that you had never..."
"Here you go baby." Haley watched as Chrissie handed Sam a beer. She spared a look at Haley before turning back to Sam and kissing him on the mouth. Haley knew she was doing that for her benefit.
"Look I better..."
"Oh what's that?" Chrissie asked ignoring Haley as she pointed to the gift in Sams hand. Haley looked away shaking her head. Chrissie Charmichael was a bitch.
"Uh..it's just a magazine."
"Oh." Chrissie started to laugh. "That's cute."
Just a magazine, Chrissie laughing at her. Haley had spent months and months trying to locate the rare magazine that held a column written by his late father. Just a magazine. Haley was done.
Turning on her heels Haley started to storm away when she heard Sam call her name. She spun round to face him, anger clear on her face.
"Stay away from me Sam. Go back to your girlfriend you two deserve one another."
Continuing her exist from the party Haley tried to manoeuvre herself through the crowd but the tears forming in her eyes were making it hard to see where she was going and that was when she felt herself run into something hard, the sound of glass smashing soon followed.
"Fuck..."
"I'm sorry." Haley mumbled quickly wiping at her tears before they could fall.
"Thats ok sweetheart" Haley watched as the man in front of her who was dressed in a black wifebeater, tattoos covering most of his body and neck and slicked black hair, eyes roam over her body. Haley suddenly felt very exposed and wrapped her arms around her. "But you owe me a drink" .
Unable to speak, Haley just went to move around the man but she didn't get very far as hand wrapped around her upper arm.
"Happy for you to make it up to me another way baby. "
"Let go of me." Her voice was low and as calm as she could make it but her response caused the man to look at his friends and smirk at her before pulling her flush against him. "Please just let me go." Already upset Haley could hear her own voice break and she felt her tears fall
Jax shook out a smoke from the pack of cigarettes. Clay had filled him that the Nords were trying to deal again. Jax knew that this meant a war would start. Tomorrow they were sending a message to Darby and his crew which would cause a retaliation. But Jax tried not to think about that right now tonight was a celebration after all.
And thinking of that, Jax looked over to where he had watched Haley disappear to but he couldn't see her or his brother. Jax's attention shot over his shoulder though when he heard a smash of a glass, not an unusual sound at a Samcro party but it was the mass of blonde hair that caught his attention or rather the man grabbing her.
The man laughed at Haley's plead and he was about to open his mouth and respond when he heard a voice from behind.
"Let her go." Haleys attention moved to Jax as did the man's who still had hold of her.
"Sorry Jax. didn't know she was taken." The hang around apologised and let go of Haley. All Sons got the first pick of women.
Jax moved around the man giving him a stern look before turning his attention to Haley. She was crying and shaking and Jax felt his anger rage. He turned back to the man grabbing him just like he had grabbed Haley.
"What did you say to her?" Jax spat pulling the man closer to him
"Jax..." Jax ignored Haley.
"I didn't say anythin man I swear." Jax watched the guys eyes leave his.
"Don't look at her."
"Jax..." This time it was Jax who turned to look at Haley and he watched her eyes dart over to the crowd that was gathering round them. She was scared. He looked back at the guy he still had hold of.
"Leave." Jax threatened pushing the guy away.
He started to walk away that was when he the words. Little slut. That was it Jax lost it turning round he threw a a right hook.
The crowd erupted when Jax threw the punch and Haley suddenly found herself being pushed around as the crowd moved forward. It was scary, Haley was scared. Her eyes were fixated on the brawl unravelling before her. It wasn't just Jax and the guy any more there were more Sons involved and more people and more punches being thrown. And in her scared state Haley ran.
