Tara wasn't sure why the went to the cemetery, she just assumed it was what Jax wanted. Opie didn't seem to care. As soon as he realized Donna's parents car was in her driveway, he ran up to drag her with them. Tara liked Donna. Well, as much as she liked anyone she supposed. Like Tara, Donna kept to herself. She and Tara shared the pleasantries and the occasional snicker over something dumb in class. As she expected, as soon as they got to the cemetery, Jax led the way to the oak tree.
Opie looks directly at Tara. "Well?"
Tara reaches into her purse. "I'm starting to think you brought the food as a ruse."
"A what?" Opie laughs and Donna smacks him.
"A ruse." Jax smiles, directly at Tara. She tries to remember how often she has seen a true smile from him. Sure, he gives that cocky grin like it's going out of style, all the time. But a true smile? Tara doesn't think he gives those too often. And she likes it. It lights his whole face up and makes those baby blues sparkle. "A trick or act to fool someone. Like you just wanted her pot supply." He clarifies for Opie.
"What the hell ever." Opie grins as Tara pulls out a dime bag and papers. She tosses them to him and he catches them easily. He opens the bag and gets a wiff of the weed. "Hey, this is good shit. Where'd you get it?"
Tara laughs and throws her head back. Jax can't help but wonder if he's ever heard her laugh before? Sure he's heard her snicker and an occasional giggle. But a full out laugh? Nah, he doesn't think so. And he's known Tara a long ass time. She has a beautiful laugh and it lights up her whole face. He finds himself wondering if her eyes are green or brown? "I'm not telling." Tara answers Opie.
"Fine." Opie finishes rolling the joint and lights it. "But I get first hit."
Tara snickers when Donna takes a hit. She never pegged her for a pot smoker. But then again, Jax seemed surprised that she was a pot smoker too. Soon the foursome finishes the joint and Donna pulls Opie up and away.
"Where are they going?" Tara asks.
"Probably somewhere to be alone." Jax smirks.
"Oh." She sighs. He likes the way her eyebrows crinkle. "Out here?"
He laughs. "Those two don't care where they are. They probably found a secluded spot and are going at it like rabbits."
She clears her throat before asking, "Why aren't you with any of your crow eaters?"
"Crow eaters?" Jax laughs, nervously, she thinks. "How do you know about crow eaters?"
"Oh, please." She groans. "All the girls know about Jax Teller and his infamous crow eaters. Both the ones that frequent the SAMCRO clubhouse and the school girl ones."
He can hear the condescending tone in her voice and it irks him for some reason. But instead of calling her on it, he asks, "So you gossip about me with your friends?"
"Wait, what?" She asks, leaning up from the oak tree. "I don't have friends. And I don't gossip." She clarifies. "I hear gossip. It's a different thing all together."
"If you don't have friends, how do you hear gossip?" He retorts, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
"When you are invisible, people don't care what they say around you." She admits and it breaks his heart. It's the words, not her tone. Her tone holds no self-pity or sadness, just honesty. But the words put an ache in his chest unlike any pain he's ever known. It feels completely different than the heartache of losing a sibling or parent.
He clears his throat, "You're not invisible Tara." She refuses to meet his gaze and he reaches for her chin to force her to. "You're not invisible." He repeats softly.
She gives him a sad smile. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?" She asks, effectively changing the subject.
He wants to press. He wants to dig deeper and figure this young girl out. He wants to ask her how many of the rumors around town are true. Is her daddy a mean drunk? Does he take care of her? "What makes you think something is bothering me?" He asks instead.
She shrugs, "Your eyes."
"My eyes?" He questions, but doesn't wait for her response. "Clay tried to sit at my father's seat for dinner."
"I can get why that upsets you." She lays on her stomach on the grass, resting on her elbows. "But he probably didn't mean anything by it."
He lays down next to her on his side, also resting on his elbow. "Yea, maybe. But it's everything I guess…My dad has been dead two weeks and Clay took over the gavel, he's got something weird going on with my mom, and now my dad's seat? In his own house?"
"Took over the gavel?" Tara asks.
Jax smirks, gossip must not have explained the gavel to her. "My dad was president of the Sons. When the club votes, he'd sit at the head of the table and start and end the meeting with the gavel."
"Like a judge?" Tara grins.
"Yea." Jax laughs. "It probably sounds stupid. I don't know."
"It's not stupid." She replies firmly. "You have a right to feel anyway you want."
"You're pretty smart for fourteen." He teases. He's not sure why her age bothers him. Maybe because he feels like it is wrong for him to notice things about her?
"Fifteen." She retorts. "I had a birthday last week."
"Happy Belated Birthday." He smiles.
"Thanks." She grins. "So, why does it bother you that Clay took the gavel?"
She doesn't like to talk about herself he notes, "Because even though Clay was a First 9, he wasn't VP."
"First 9?" She asks in true interest. She loves the way Jax lights up when he discusses Sons of Anarchy.
"Yea, the first 9 original members." Jax relaxes and rolls over so his back is laying in the grass now. "Clay was my dad's Sergeant at Arms. Piney, Opie's dad, was VP."
"So why didn't Piney step up at President?" Tara wonders.
"Exactly!" He exclaims. "They are saying some bullshit about Piney's health. Which I guess, might not be bullshit, but there is bad blood between Piney and Clay under the surface. Something just seems off to me."
"So who's VP now?" Tara reaches for Jax's cigarettes. When he realizes her intention he moves to pass them to her and their fingers brush. It's the smallest of contact but both feel it to the core. And it shocks the hell out of Jax. He's had less of a reaction when getting a blowjob from a crow eater. What the hell is up with this?
"Piney still is." Jax lights the cigarette she put in her mouth and for the first time wonders what her lips would feel like against his. "Says he's holding the spot for me."
"For you, not Opie?" She asks.
"Weird, right?" He looks to her for confirmation.
"Yes, to me." She admits. "How does Opie feel?"
"Doesn't seem to bother him." He shrugs. "I don't know. Guess I'm just confused."
"The first holiday without your dad must be hard." She murmurs. "I remember, right after my mom died was Easter. It sucked."
He waits for her to continue but isn't surprised that she doesn't. He decides to push. "Did your dad cook?"
"God, no." She laughs bitterly. "We didn't do anything. Mr. Winston…Piney, brought us plates over from your house. It was the first time I was embarrassed by it. But he's done it every holiday ever since."
"I never noticed before today." Jax admits. "Do you want me to get him to stop?" He hates the idea of her being embarrassed or uncomfortable.
"I don't think he would." Tara smiles, "Even for you." They both sit on that thought for awhile. Then she pipes up, "Your dad once paid for our groceries. It was about a year and a half ago. I didn't have enough to cover the bill and was trying to decide what to put back. Your dad covered what I couldn't pay for."
He knew that must have been hard for her. Hell, her whole life must have been hard. The MC provided very comfortably for the Teller family. "If he was around more, he probably would have helped out more….in his own way. He wouldn't have wanted to embarrass you."
"JT was always nice to me when he'd see me around town." She whispered. "He was a good man. I'm so sorry Jackson." She grabs his hand and laces her fingers through his.
Jax secretly loves that she refers to his dad as JT. Most friends did and it just feels right for her too as well. "I wish he wasn't traveling so much recently." He confides in her. "He was always handling MC business in Ireland. I missed him. He wasn't the same after Thomas died."
"Understandable, I guess." She removes her hand from his and misses the warmth immediately. What the hell is happening to him? Is he turning into a chick? "But he should have held onto the important people that were left." And Jax knows she's talking about her own dad as well as his.
"Come on." Jax hops up and holds his hand out for Tara. "Let me get you home."