Whirlwind
Two
The air was hot and thick, nothing like Wyoming.
I must have spent weeks on end staring out the window, wishing and praying that I would magically be transported back to the little mountain town I used to live in. I had no idea why my mother decided to move us all the way to California, especially to a place like Charming. It was a small town with large egos and absolutely nothing to do. The closest shopping mall was almost an hour away and the only decent place to eat was a little café in the middle of town. Apparently, my mother had lived her when she was a teenager and wanted to come back and reconnect with her friends before it was too late. I can't say that I blame her since she wasn't very liked in Wyoming, but she didn't have to drag me with her.
"Maggie, sweetheart-" My mom's voice sounded from behind the wooden door. "Are you almost ready?" We were scheduled to have dinner with my mom's friend, Gemma Morrow and her husband. I had spent the whole afternoon trying to come up with an excuse as to why I couldn't go but I knew my mother would have been disappointed. The only thing I could do was shut my mouth and go along. "Just a second." I finally responded as I walked away from the window and faced the full-length mirror. My mother had decided that it would be best for me to wear a dress since I had never met the Morrows before. She told me that it would be best if I looked my best instead of wearing my everyday outfit of jeans and t-shirts. I always hated dressing up, even for formal events. I hated the whole idea of wearing nice clothes and putting on makeup just to make yourself look better to others. I wasn't what you would call a first-class beauty. I had naturally curly hair that I could barely maintain, murky green eyes, and the body of a teenage boy. You would figure that by the time a girl is 19 she would have developed into the woman she is supposed to be; I guess that wasn't the case for me! I took one last look in the mirror before giving up and making my way out of the room….
It took us almost 30 minutes to make it to the Morrow household. It was a pretty nice house, filled with dark furniture and religious relicts. Gemma and Clay seemed nice seeing as they both looked hard as nails. I was a little taken back seeing as my mother was friends with these people. Denise Carrington wasn't the type of woman to hang out with people who had tattoos and rode around on motorcycles. I just figured that Gemma was like my mom back in the day and Denise accepted her for who she had become.
While my mother talked to the couple, I couldn't help but walk along the walls and look at all the photographs that adorned them. Childhood photos of Gemma as a young girl with pigtails and photos of Clay as a boy. As I made my way further into the hallway, the wall became filled with photos of two boys and then just to one boy. Each photo showed the boy during different stages of his life, leading up to today I would guess. He wasn't a bad looking guy. Maybe a little rough around the edges but still nice to look at. Just by looking at him in the pictures you could tell that he had an attitude. His smug smile showed that he knew he looked good and would probably get any girl who looked his way. "Maggie?"
I moved away from the wall and walked back towards the living room. My mother and the Morrows were now sitting down, looking right at me as I took a seat as well. "I can't believe how much she looks like you, Denise." Gemma spoke as she looked me over. "It's as if I'm looking at a teenage version of you again." I just gave her a small smile as I looked toward the ground. I hated when people compared me to my mother. I had been hearing it all my life but I could never see the resemblance. I knew I looked like her a bit but it's not like we were twins. "So how do you like Charming so far?" Clay spoke up. "I bet it's a real change from where you came from." I just nodded my head. "It's a nice town." I cracked out.
Before anyone else could speak up, the front door flew open and the sound of multiple male voices filled the air. I watched as Gemma stood up and smoothed down her clothes before walking towards the noise. Whoever they were, they were very loud. It was as if the place had turned into a frat house. A few seconds later the group of men walked into the living room, the leader being the guy that adorned the home's wall. "You having a party without us, Clay?" A man with black curls and large nose laughed out. My eyes cut to where Clay was no standing, seeing that he was a bit more serious now. "The girl's a bit young to be here if he is." Another man spoke out. I couldn't help but move my gaze back to the blonde as he stood there stoically.
"Denise, do you mind if I speak to you in the kitchen?" Gemma appeared from behind the tall blonde. I watched as my mother removed herself from the couch and made her way towards Gemma. At this point I was left with Clay and the group of guys that looked as if they had been road hard and put up wet. I was so uncomfortable. "So, what's your name?" The curly haired man asked as he took the seat that my mother just inhabited. He was awfully close and I could smell the stench of beer as he opened his mouth. "Maggie." I hesitated. "Maggie Carrington." He continued to smile as I tried my best to move away from him. "Trager, leave the girl alone." A heavy-set man finally spoke up. "Can't you see she isn't here for you." The guy, Trager, gave me one last smile before getting up and rejoining the group.
While the guys talked around me, I just sat there and stared off into space. I felt as if my mom had put me in an awkward situation and I wasn't very happy about it. She just left me with people that I didn't know and she knows how uncomfortable I get about that kind of things. 15 minutes later, she finally emerged from the kitchen with Gemma in toe. I could tell by her facial expression that something was wrong. "Boys, I need to speak to my son in private." Gemma announced as she rubbed one of the guy's shoulder. A look of confusion crossed the blonde's face as his friends began to pile out of the room. I'm guessing they went out the front door since I heard it open and close in a matter of a minute. "What's going on, mom?"
I looked over towards my own mom and saw that she still had a worried expression of her face. I was also wondering why we weren't asked to leave and the others were. Clay stood in the corner with a serious look on his face as Gemma began to speak. "I guess I should first introduce the two of you." She chuckled slightly. "Jackson, I would like you to meet Maggie Carrington." She pointed in my direction as Jackson slowly turned to look at me. He just looked me up and down before turning back to his mom. "What the hell is going on?" He sounded mad. "What's this all about, Gemma." I was a bit shocked that he called his mother by her name. I was always told that it was disrespectful to do that but I guess he goes by different rules.
Before Gemma could reply to her son's questions, my mom quickly stepped in. "Maggie, Jackson, what I'm about to say may be a little hard and confusing to understand at first. You may not even like what you're about to hear but Gemma, John, Neil, and I thought that this was the best choice for the both of you. We only wanted the best for our children and that includes finding a significant other that will love and cherish them for the rest of their lives." I was growing more confused by the second. My mother was practically rambling right in front of me about finding significant others and loving them for the rest of their lives. I could tell that Jackson was equally confused by what she was saying.
"I guess what I'm trying to say and what Gemma was trying to say is that from the day the two of you were born, you were both promised to each other. Even though Jax was born first, your mother decided that my first-born daughter would be promised to you." Everything was happening in slow-motion. It was as if my mother's words were slowly entering my ears and I was becoming slow to react. Jax on the other hand looked as if he could fly off the wall any second now. I could see as his hands balled up into fist and his face turning red with anger.
"What the fuck are you talking about, lady!" He quickly exploded. "Are you out of your damn mind?" I was just as mad as he was but he had no right to speak to my mother like that. I immediately stood up, "Don't talk to my mother like that!" I screamed. "You have no right to talk to her like that." He quickly turned to face me, "Shut the fuck up little girl!" He yelled back. "I can talk to her however I want." I was livid at that point. He had no right to speak to my mother like that and he definitely had no right to speak to me in that manner. "I'm not marrying some little twit who looks like she should be studying for a 7th grade vocabulary test!" He directed his anger back towards our mothers. "You're both fucking nuts if you think I'm going to marry this girl."
In a flash, the sound of a hand hitting flesh sounded throughout the room as Gemma stood in front of her son, heaving as if she was a wild animal on the attack. Jax's head was tilted to the side as his hair hung in his face. I had never seen anyone slap their child before but. Jax deserved it. "You will never speak to me that way again, Jackson Nathaniel. Do you understand me?" Jax stayed silent as he glared at his mother. "You will also never speak to Maggie or Denise like that ever again. I've had enough of your attitude and backtalk! You will be marrying Maggie whether you like it or not and you will cherish her like a good husband should. If you don't marry her, you can kiss SAMCRO goodbye, do you understand?" I could tell that Jax wanted to fight back but I guess he knew better than to go against his mother for the second time.
"As for you-" Gemma pointed in my direction. "You will also marry my son whether you like it or not. You will cherish him like a loving wife cherishes their husband. I won't tolerate the two of you acting this way, especially you." She looked back towards Jax. "The reason we placed the two of you together was because we knew that you would protect one another. We knew that you were right for one another. Jackson needs someone that is stern and direct and Maggie needs someone that will protect her and keep her safe from harm. If we didn't think you two were right for each other, then we would have never decided this." I glanced over at my mom and then to Jax. He wouldn't look up from the floor, his eyes wide open as he tried to process everything.
"So when is all of this happening?" He finally spoke out. I couldn't tell if he just gave up or was putting on a show for his mother. My mother decided to speak up this time, "Tomorrow at 4:30." I whipped my head towards my mom as my eyes budged out of my head. "Fuck that!" Jax yelled out as he stormed out of the living room and out of the house for good. "Tomorrow!" I started to yell. "I can't marry a man I don't even know tomorrow! Jax is right, you're both fucking crazy!" I picked up my coat and ran towards the door, pushing past my mom in the process. I almost fell down the stairs as I ran down the driveway and into car. I quickly started the engine and tore out of there, not even knowing where I was going. As I drove along the highway, tears flooded down my face. I felt so betrayed that my mom would pull something like that. I was angry that my parents would keep such a secret from me and force me to marry a guy like Jackson Teller. He made my skin crawl with anger and disgust. All I wanted to do was punch him in the face repeatedly until he was unconscious and bloody! There was no way I was showing up tomorrow to marry that waste of chromosomes!
I must have spent weeks on end staring out the window, wishing and praying that I would magically be transported back to the little mountain town I used to live in. I had no idea why my mother decided to move us all the way to California, especially to a place like Charming. It was a small town with large egos and absolutely nothing to do. The closest shopping mall was almost an hour away and the only decent place to eat was a little café in the middle of town. Apparently, my mother had lived her when she was a teenager and wanted to come back and reconnect with her friends before it was too late. I can't say that I blame her since she wasn't very liked in Wyoming, but she didn't have to drag me with her.
"Maggie, sweetheart-" My mom's voice sounded from behind the wooden door. "Are you almost ready?" We were scheduled to have dinner with my mom's friend, Gemma Morrow and her husband. I had spent the whole afternoon trying to come up with an excuse as to why I couldn't go but I knew my mother would have been disappointed. The only thing I could do was shut my mouth and go along. "Just a second." I finally responded as I walked away from the window and faced the full-length mirror. My mother had decided that it would be best for me to wear a dress since I had never met the Morrows before. She told me that it would be best if I looked my best instead of wearing my everyday outfit of jeans and t-shirts. I always hated dressing up, even for formal events. I hated the whole idea of wearing nice clothes and putting on makeup just to make yourself look better to others. I wasn't what you would call a first-class beauty. I had naturally curly hair that I could barely maintain, murky green eyes, and the body of a teenage boy. You would figure that by the time a girl is 19 she would have developed into the woman she is supposed to be; I guess that wasn't the case for me! I took one last look in the mirror before giving up and making my way out of the room….
It took us almost 30 minutes to make it to the Morrow household. It was a pretty nice house, filled with dark furniture and religious relicts. Gemma and Clay seemed nice seeing as they both looked hard as nails. I was a little taken back seeing as my mother was friends with these people. Denise Carrington wasn't the type of woman to hang out with people who had tattoos and rode around on motorcycles. I just figured that Gemma was like my mom back in the day and Denise accepted her for who she had become.
While my mother talked to the couple, I couldn't help but walk along the walls and look at all the photographs that adorned them. Childhood photos of Gemma as a young girl with pigtails and photos of Clay as a boy. As I made my way further into the hallway, the wall became filled with photos of two boys and then just to one boy. Each photo showed the boy during different stages of his life, leading up to today I would guess. He wasn't a bad looking guy. Maybe a little rough around the edges but still nice to look at. Just by looking at him in the pictures you could tell that he had an attitude. His smug smile showed that he knew he looked good and would probably get any girl who looked his way. "Maggie?"
I moved away from the wall and walked back towards the living room. My mother and the Morrows were now sitting down, looking right at me as I took a seat as well. "I can't believe how much she looks like you, Denise." Gemma spoke as she looked me over. "It's as if I'm looking at a teenage version of you again." I just gave her a small smile as I looked toward the ground. I hated when people compared me to my mother. I had been hearing it all my life but I could never see the resemblance. I knew I looked like her a bit but it's not like we were twins. "So how do you like Charming so far?" Clay spoke up. "I bet it's a real change from where you came from." I just nodded my head. "It's a nice town." I cracked out.
Before anyone else could speak up, the front door flew open and the sound of multiple male voices filled the air. I watched as Gemma stood up and smoothed down her clothes before walking towards the noise. Whoever they were, they were very loud. It was as if the place had turned into a frat house. A few seconds later the group of men walked into the living room, the leader being the guy that adorned the home's wall. "You having a party without us, Clay?" A man with black curls and large nose laughed out. My eyes cut to where Clay was no standing, seeing that he was a bit more serious now. "The girl's a bit young to be here if he is." Another man spoke out. I couldn't help but move my gaze back to the blonde as he stood there stoically.
"Denise, do you mind if I speak to you in the kitchen?" Gemma appeared from behind the tall blonde. I watched as my mother removed herself from the couch and made her way towards Gemma. At this point I was left with Clay and the group of guys that looked as if they had been road hard and put up wet. I was so uncomfortable. "So, what's your name?" The curly haired man asked as he took the seat that my mother just inhabited. He was awfully close and I could smell the stench of beer as he opened his mouth. "Maggie." I hesitated. "Maggie Carrington." He continued to smile as I tried my best to move away from him. "Trager, leave the girl alone." A heavy-set man finally spoke up. "Can't you see she isn't here for you." The guy, Trager, gave me one last smile before getting up and rejoining the group.
While the guys talked around me, I just sat there and stared off into space. I felt as if my mom had put me in an awkward situation and I wasn't very happy about it. She just left me with people that I didn't know and she knows how uncomfortable I get about that kind of things. 15 minutes later, she finally emerged from the kitchen with Gemma in toe. I could tell by her facial expression that something was wrong. "Boys, I need to speak to my son in private." Gemma announced as she rubbed one of the guy's shoulder. A look of confusion crossed the blonde's face as his friends began to pile out of the room. I'm guessing they went out the front door since I heard it open and close in a matter of a minute. "What's going on, mom?"
I looked over towards my own mom and saw that she still had a worried expression of her face. I was also wondering why we weren't asked to leave and the others were. Clay stood in the corner with a serious look on his face as Gemma began to speak. "I guess I should first introduce the two of you." She chuckled slightly. "Jackson, I would like you to meet Maggie Carrington." She pointed in my direction as Jackson slowly turned to look at me. He just looked me up and down before turning back to his mom. "What the hell is going on?" He sounded mad. "What's this all about, Gemma." I was a bit shocked that he called his mother by her name. I was always told that it was disrespectful to do that but I guess he goes by different rules.
Before Gemma could reply to her son's questions, my mom quickly stepped in. "Maggie, Jackson, what I'm about to say may be a little hard and confusing to understand at first. You may not even like what you're about to hear but Gemma, John, Neil, and I thought that this was the best choice for the both of you. We only wanted the best for our children and that includes finding a significant other that will love and cherish them for the rest of their lives." I was growing more confused by the second. My mother was practically rambling right in front of me about finding significant others and loving them for the rest of their lives. I could tell that Jackson was equally confused by what she was saying.
"I guess what I'm trying to say and what Gemma was trying to say is that from the day the two of you were born, you were both promised to each other. Even though Jax was born first, your mother decided that my first-born daughter would be promised to you." Everything was happening in slow-motion. It was as if my mother's words were slowly entering my ears and I was becoming slow to react. Jax on the other hand looked as if he could fly off the wall any second now. I could see as his hands balled up into fist and his face turning red with anger.
"What the fuck are you talking about, lady!" He quickly exploded. "Are you out of your damn mind?" I was just as mad as he was but he had no right to speak to my mother like that. I immediately stood up, "Don't talk to my mother like that!" I screamed. "You have no right to talk to her like that." He quickly turned to face me, "Shut the fuck up little girl!" He yelled back. "I can talk to her however I want." I was livid at that point. He had no right to speak to my mother like that and he definitely had no right to speak to me in that manner. "I'm not marrying some little twit who looks like she should be studying for a 7th grade vocabulary test!" He directed his anger back towards our mothers. "You're both fucking nuts if you think I'm going to marry this girl."
In a flash, the sound of a hand hitting flesh sounded throughout the room as Gemma stood in front of her son, heaving as if she was a wild animal on the attack. Jax's head was tilted to the side as his hair hung in his face. I had never seen anyone slap their child before but. Jax deserved it. "You will never speak to me that way again, Jackson Nathaniel. Do you understand me?" Jax stayed silent as he glared at his mother. "You will also never speak to Maggie or Denise like that ever again. I've had enough of your attitude and backtalk! You will be marrying Maggie whether you like it or not and you will cherish her like a good husband should. If you don't marry her, you can kiss SAMCRO goodbye, do you understand?" I could tell that Jax wanted to fight back but I guess he knew better than to go against his mother for the second time.
"As for you-" Gemma pointed in my direction. "You will also marry my son whether you like it or not. You will cherish him like a loving wife cherishes their husband. I won't tolerate the two of you acting this way, especially you." She looked back towards Jax. "The reason we placed the two of you together was because we knew that you would protect one another. We knew that you were right for one another. Jackson needs someone that is stern and direct and Maggie needs someone that will protect her and keep her safe from harm. If we didn't think you two were right for each other, then we would have never decided this." I glanced over at my mom and then to Jax. He wouldn't look up from the floor, his eyes wide open as he tried to process everything.
"So when is all of this happening?" He finally spoke out. I couldn't tell if he just gave up or was putting on a show for his mother. My mother decided to speak up this time, "Tomorrow at 4:30." I whipped my head towards my mom as my eyes budged out of my head. "Fuck that!" Jax yelled out as he stormed out of the living room and out of the house for good. "Tomorrow!" I started to yell. "I can't marry a man I don't even know tomorrow! Jax is right, you're both fucking crazy!" I picked up my coat and ran towards the door, pushing past my mom in the process. I almost fell down the stairs as I ran down the driveway and into car. I quickly started the engine and tore out of there, not even knowing where I was going. As I drove along the highway, tears flooded down my face. I felt so betrayed that my mom would pull something like that. I was angry that my parents would keep such a secret from me and force me to marry a guy like Jackson Teller. He made my skin crawl with anger and disgust. All I wanted to do was punch him in the face repeatedly until he was unconscious and bloody! There was no way I was showing up tomorrow to marry that waste of chromosomes!