7 am rolled around too quickly after spending half the night riding around looking for a McDonalds, Hardee's or anything fast food. There is nothing in this tiny little town. Absolutely nothing. He's not sure why he didn't notice it before but this town is like the town on Plesantville the movie, with the exception of the Sons. That's the strange part. Why is there a huge MC in this small town and why did he have to run the background check on himself? Just these thoughts were enough to make him a bit queasy. I mean sure he'd robbed a store real quick but that didn't really make him a bad guy. Were these MC dudes bad guys? Guess time would tell. Shrugging he got up off the bed to shower and put on clean clothes. Once that was over with it was time to head back to the diner and grab a coffee and maybe a donut. There wasn't much time for anything else.
Locking the door behind him Juice looked up toward the front office where he'd hoped to see Stevie. No such luck. Shrugging again he swung his leg over the bike and and cranked her over starting it with a rumble. Damn, maybe he should have pushed it out front a ways. He'd forgotten how loud the bike sounded when the rest of the world is still sleeping. Tomorrow he'd remember to be more courteous.
After grabbing a coffee (yes he can take it on his bike. He's a computer geek but also likes to make things so he'd attached a made by him cup holder on his bike hidden by the fairing on the front) and a donut which he'd inhaled in 2.3 seconds. He made his way through the still quiet Charming streets to Teller-Morrow. He see's someone opening the gates and slows down realizing it's Tig. Without a word the goateed man motions him through in front of him. Slowing, Juice looks around, unsure of where he should park. Tig points to a spot that's pretty far from the building.
"Park there. The club parks here and you'll be the last bike in the row."
Juice nods and does what he's told. Shutting his bike off he heads for the garage where some of the guys are. Walking into the bay he notices that Bobby and Opie are already getting tools out to start their day. Wondering what it is he should do he just stands there looking lost. Bobby motions for him to check out the bike he's working on. The carb on this things fucked up man. You know much about carbs? Juice smiles.
"Yea I do actually. I was the carb guy where I came from. Mind if I take a look?"
Bobby shakes his head and mutters something about going to get a muffin and leaves Juice there with the bike. Figuring there is no time like the present Juice rolls up his sleeves and gets to work. Within a half an hour he's got the carb off and cleaned up ready to put back on. As he's finishing up with the last bolt someone walks up behind him. Turning he realizes it's Clay.
"Sorry, uh sorry. I didn't know what to do when I got here and Bobby asked me to check this out. Figured there was no time like the present. But if I shoulda waited for you i'm sorry."
Clay laughs.
"It's alright. Think you got her fixed?"
Juice nods.
"Give her a turn then Juice. Lets see if she fires up for ya. See if I made the right decision by hiring ya"
Juice nods and leans over to turn the key. Pressing the start button he's praying that the bike starts. After a few seconds she fires right up. Grinning Juice pulls back the throttle a few times making sure it stays running. Clay slaps him on the back.
"Good job kid."
With that Clay walks out headed across the parking lot to the clubhouse. Now that Juice is done with this motorcycle he's not sure what to do so he puts the tools away that he used and glances around. Bobby must still be getting his "muffin" and who knows where Chibs is. Juice walks over to Opie.
"Hey man can I ask you a question?"
Opie looks up from what he's doing.
"Ya."
Does everyone who is in the club work at Teller-Morrow?
"Why you want to know that?"
Juice shrugs.
"Just a question. Seems like so far all I've seen work here are people that have patches. Just trying to figure things out is all."
Opie goes back to wrenching for a little bit before he speaks again.
"You ever been around a club before Juice?"
Juice shakes his head no and again Opie is silent for a few seconds.
"An MC is like a family. Sometimes it even comes before your blood family. The people in this club will do anything for another member. We do all work here. It's not manditory to do so it just seems to work out that way. Sometimes we need to go on runs during what would be normal business hours so its just easier if Clay pays us all to work here so if he needs us he doesn't have to chase us down."
Juice nods and before he can say anything back Chibs comes in whistling a tune.
"Aye boy-o. Glad ta see ya made it in. I myself am runnin a bit late lad, had a crow eater that didn't want ta leave jus yet so I had ta take advantage."
Juice laughs.
"I'm guess a crow eater is a girl? Or lady or whatever?"
"oh boy-o do ye ever have a lot ta learn."
With that Chibs turns and motions around
"Ya had a tour yet?"
Juice says no and Chibs starts motioning around talking a mile a minute pointing out the offices and other things. Juice didn't understand half of what Chibs was saying and was just nodding like he did. When he was done Chibs asked if he got it all. Nodding slowly Juice says yes but everyone could tell he really didn't he was sure. When Chibs started walking away Juice followed.
"so umm what should I do?"
Chibs looks at him and laughs
"Get ta work ya rat bastard. What else do ya think ya should do? Got a cage over there that needs a tune up. You think you can handle tha?"
Juice nods
"What tools should I use?"
Chibs looks around and spots Jax working on a car next to the one Juice will be.
"Use Jax's. Tell im that I said so."
And just like that Chibs was gone. Juice turns and heads over to where Jax is.
Motioning towards Jax's tools Juice says
"hey man, Chibs told me to use your tools for a tune up on this cage right here. You cool with that?"
Jax tells him to go ahead and goes back to work.
Juice thinks people around here must not be morning people and gets down to business.
It seems the whole day went that way. When he was finished with one car, it was on to the next. About two o'clock Clay came in and told all the guys that they were needed in the Chaple whatever that meant and he was left there with some guy named Kyle that had a prospect patch on his vest. Taking a break he walked over to him sitting down on a bucket near where Kyle was working.
"Dude, can I ask you a question man?"
Kyle nodded and said sure.
"Explain this whole club thing to me. How does one join and what exactly is a prospect and all that."
Kyle sat down his wrench and wiped his hands off on the rag from his back pocket.
"First off this club isn't just your average MC. We run this town Juice. Nothing happens in it that we don't know about or approve. You notice how there are no big chain stores around? That's because the club doesn't want them around. This is Charming. We want Charming to stay Charming. You don't just join. The club picks you. You start as a hang around and once they deem you as someone they'd trust they take a vote and you become a prospect. Hang arounds and prospects aren't no joke dude. If any of the guys say jump you'd better do it. Clay wants a beer you'd best go get him one. They tell you to
go to Floyds and get them food, you go. My point is you ever tell them no and your out. You understand?"
Juice nods his head and Kyle continues to talk.
"Once your a prospect you have to earn your colors bro. Same as being a hang around only stepped up a notch. They let you in a little bit more, not all the way though. You tend bar at the parties, you clean up afterward. Pretty much you take care of all the stuff they don't want to do. The toilet gets clogged its the prospects job to unclog it. See what i'm sayin? You earn their respect and trust and that's when they vote you in and give you your colors."
Juice nods.
"I don't think any of this applies to me. Clay just needed a mechanic man. Short staffed and all. I just happened to be here."
Kyle laughed.
"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret Juice. No one and I mean no one ends up here by chance. Trust me, one day you'll see what i'm talking about. Clay must have seen something in you he liked. Play your cards right and you'll be wearing a patch one of these days too. If it's not something you want you'd better figure that out real quick because once your in, the only way out is dead."
With that Kyle turned back to what he was working on. Juice decided to grab a quick drink and get back at it himself. What Kyle told him was a lot to think about. Shit, just the other day he wasn't even sure if he wanted to stay even one night here and now Kyle was telling him he'd been "picked" whatever the hell that meant. Juice tried to get back into the swing of things but he kept hearing Kyle say the only way out is dead. Did he want to be a part of whatever this is? Hell he didn't know. Does he even like this town enough to live here? Another unknown. He was so lost in thought he didn't even realize when Chibs and the guys came back out until Chibs started talking.
"Something came up Juice. We gotta take off. Go ahead and finish up what your working on and head out. Will see ya back here in the morning ya?"
And with that the guys started their bikes and rode out. To Juice the fact that they all had some where to go in the middle of the day just struck him as odd. Not for the first time the question of who are these people ran through his mind. Shrugging off his thought he finished his work, put up his tools and told Kyle he'd see him later. He jumped on his bike and headed to the hotel wondering if Stevie was working. That might help take his mind off things. Maybe he could ask her out on a date. Ya that's what he'd do. Right after he took a shower. See things weren't as complicated as they seemed. Tomorrow is just another ordinary day.