Anarchy Is Our Only Hope

We rode back to my place in silence.
We let the wind speak for us.

We were dirty, sticky and most of all muddy.

I laid my head against his back, the leather of his cut cool on my face.

I let my mind wander off.

What would I have actually done if we kissed, would I kiss back?
Yeah probably.

I mean, Jax is many things but unattractive he is not.

Did the bad boy biker from Redwood really want too?

Or was he just messing around?

So many unanswered questions, maybe ones which could have been answered with a simple kiss.

Besides the evident bother to me, I did actually have a good time.

I felt alive.

I didn't feel like a beaten and scared child, just a girl enjoying her time with a boy.

"You smell like the backside of a pig."

I poked Jax's side as we pulled up at a red light.

He turned to face me.

"What do you think you smell like, A bunch of roses?

He grinned and stated sarcastically.

"No, but you're not the one who has to sit back here."

I laughed.

"Well, if you hadn't dragged me down into your mud pit, piglet.."

The light turned green, and he sped off.

Ten minutes passed and we arrived.

He pulled into the sidewalk between two cars.
I felt the Harley engine go silent beneath us.

I took of my helmet, running my hand through my hair and shaking it out.

I lifted myself off the bike and placed the helmet on the seat.

As I turned to face the door of my home, Jax grabbed my hand turning me to him.

He leaned himself against his bike, as I stood against his knees.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer.

"So can I see you again tomorrow?" 

He said ever so sweetly.

"Hm..." 

I pretended to ponder the thought.

"You're gonna do me like that?" 
He grinned.

"Yes, you may see me again tomorrow." 

"Are you gonna play hooky again?"

I faked another cough.

"I'm not sure how I'll feel tomorrow."

"How about you meet me at the bakery on 52nd street?"

"I think I can do that." 
I smiled and kissed his cheek.

He tucked my hair behind my ear. 

"So tomorrow, around three?"
He asked as we pulled away.

"Yep." 

He straddled his motorcycle preparing to leave, he waited until I got inside.
He started his cycle and drove off.

I walked inside and went up to my room., I didn't bother with the locks.

Could it be this easy? 

I didn't know if it was realistic to be happy.

Jax's was creating a happy distraction for me, one that allowed me to temporarily forget about what lay behind the wooden door.

But what if he had an ulterior motive, what if there was something beyond the simplicity.

What if he wanted to put me in a sex trade gang?!

No, no. Even that was too paranoid of a thought.

I began gathering my clothes to shower, this mud was creating a wretched smell.

After my shower,I heard my door open just a creak, my mom's head popping in.

"Nelly, who's that boy?"

"He's just a friend.".

"It seems like more than that to me."

"How so?"

"Well you practically floated up the stairs."

"Psh, no."

"Psh, yes. I'm your mother and you're a terrible liar."

I patted my bed and began to dish out what I knew of Jax Teller.

"He's so ugh, he likes to challenge me! And it's frustrating but in a way I kind of like that."

I tossed myself back in bed, hitting my head against the backboard.

"Ouch!" 

I burst into a set of giggles.

"Oh mom, I don't know how to explain it."

"So let me get this straight, he's been stalking you?"
She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh not like that mother!"

"Well kind of, see he's just been getting to know me. While also taking care of some business."

"Oh.."
She looked slightly confused.

I hopped off bed grabbing a make up wipe.

"He's really nice, mom."

"He's determined, I'll give him that."

I removed my last bit of concealer and sat back down in bed.

My mom looked mortified, I had forgotten all about the bruise that ate my face.

"Oh mom, don't look at me like that."

I buried the left side of my face in my pillow. 

My mother laid down next to me, stroking the right side.

"I'm sorry darling, this is all my fault."

"Mom, you didn't know this was how life was gonna be."

"No, but I am not doing my job. I haven't protected you."

Her words choked upon her rising tears.

"Oh mom.."

I couldn't lie to her, no she hadn't protected me.

She was a weak woman, she could barely hold a pot of water up.

How was she to defend herself against a two hundred pound man?

"I can take care of myself, you don't worry about me okay?"

I kissed her forehead.

She moved on from this conversation.
She instead began telling me of some Brad Pitt movie she had seen recently.

Her and I spent the rest of the night this way.
It was so peaceful, I wondered if one day maybe we could get away.

By the time I woke up the next morning, it was already way to late to go into school.

"I'll try again tomorrow."

I fell back into another state of snooze.

By the time I had woken up again, it was three fifteen.

"Why am I always late?!" 

I shouted aloud.
By the lack of response I figured I was alone.

I rushed to put on some clothes and threw my hair into a bun.

I darted out of my house and ran to the 52nd street bakery.

I saw Jax's motorcycle parked in the front.

Some part of me fought back a smile.

I then noticed another bike parked beside his, two helmets swung back in forth in the wind.
One of them was purple! 

What the hell is going on?

I crossed the street, avoiding cars like a game of frogger.

Jax sat with his back against the window so he hadn't seen me yet.

A girl sat at the head of the table, her highlighted hair split down the middle and her fingers adorned with rings.

She pointed in my direction.

Jax turned around and smiled warmly.

I made my way into the the door and the smell of sweets and dough engulfed my lungs.

"Hey." 

I waved at the small group as I crossed over the bakery.

"Nelly, these are my friends. Opie and Stevie."

An extremely tall man stood from the table extending his hand.

"Opie, hi." 

The girl, Stevie just stared at my face.

I guess she realized and she shook it off.

"Hi, I'm Stevie. Boys name I know, but it's the only one I got."

She smiled gingerly.

"Here take a cupcake, we ordered it not that long ago." 
She pushed a green frosted cupcake my way.

Opie and Stevie had been dating since the very start of high school.

"High school sweethearts" 

Stevie smiled, she looked at Opie with love in her eyes.

Opie kissed the side of her forehead.

"She's been my old lady since day one."

"Awe, that's really sweet." 

I genuinely thought it was the sweetest thing.

"So what about you and Jax?"

Opie asked, as he wrapped his arm Stevie.

"What about us?" I sheepishly looked away.

Though it would help none as the reflection in the window showed me I had blushed regardless.

It also revealed that in my rush, I failed to conceal my bruise.

No wonder Stevie stared at me, I must have looked like a monster.

"How did you get that bruise anyway?"
Stevie piped up.

"Oh I was running upstairs with socks on and on the last step I jut kind of ate floor."

I laughed and waved it off as if it was nothing.

Jaxs placed his arm against the back of my chair, he'd pass his fingertips across my shoulders gently.

"So I don't really have an answer to your question, Opie."

He chuckled, Opie reminded me of a Teddy bear.

Even though he bore a tough exterior, his eyes rung sweet.

"What do you mean you can't answer my question?"

"I mean can you really define a stalker - stalky relationship?"

"People are gonna start believing you, if you keep saying that!"
Jax interjected.

I burst into laughter.

"But it's true!"

Stevie and Opie just joined in, our afternoon spent this way.

It was light and fun.

It felt like normalcy was being injected into my life.

We started heading out the door, racked their brains on a new place to go.

I felt a tug on my elbow.

 "I know you didn't get that from falling on a staircase."

Stevie pulled me aside from the guys.

"You weren't there.."

"I've been there." 

She pulled up the side of her shirt revealing a scar across her ribcage.

"Oh god."

It was all I could say. 

I looked down at her exposed ribcage.

"How did that happen?"

She pulled down her shirt.

"My mom, she was a crack head."

"She did that to you?"

She nodded.

"She was tweaking, I tried to save her. I was just an obstacle she could take down."

"Oh god, that's awful."

"She's out of my life, it doesn't matter anymore."

She shrugged.

"Now, who did this to your face?"

"My stepdad.."

"Drunk or drugs?"

"Drunk."

"Black out kind, right?"

I nodded.

"Typical."

"Please don't tell Jax."

She embraced me in a hug.

"I won't."

We exited the bakery, arms interlinked.

"Oh look, they are best friends now."

Jaxs elbowed Opie in the ribs.

"Don't be jealous cause she considers me a friend, and you a stalker."

"Nah, she doesn't." 

He grabbed my arm and pulled me into him.

"Tell 'em Nelly. You like me."

He pressed into my shoulders, rubbing them in his palms.

"I like him, okay."

I said with in eye roll and a smile.

He wrapped his arms around me.

Opie interrupted.

"Jaxs, we gotta get back to the clubhouse."

Stevie looked surprised.

"Wasn't all that shit going down tomorrow?"

"What are you guys talking about?"

Stevie looked at me dumbfounded.

"Jax! You didn't tell her?"

She placed her hands on her hip.

"Tell me what?"

"Now is not the time Stevie."

"What are you talking about?" 

"I'll tell you at the clubhouse."

I knew it was all too good to be true...