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garbinge · 2 years ago

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Graduation Day

Jax Teller & OC Joanne ‘Jo’ Teller / Opie Winston x OC Joanne Teller

Fic also includes: Gemma Teller, Clay Morrow, Bobby Munson, and Tig Trager

Summary: The eldest Teller sibling, Joanne Teller, graduates from college with some of the SOA boys and Teller-Morrow family in the audience to cheer her on.

Warnings: Light angst, but fluffy. All my fics are 18+ regardless of content.

Word Count: 2.8k words

A/N: A little slice of life fic for my girl Jo. A little prequel to Charming Life in a way but will still use that taglist!

Charming Life Taglist: @drabbles-mc @livingdeadblondequeen @justreblogginfics

Jo knocked on Jax’s bedroom door, a small tote bag in her hand.

“Can I bother you?” Her voice wasn’t loud but neither a whisper either.

“Yea, come in.” Jax called out, clearly not eager to greet his older sister at his door. He clocked the bag in her hand immediately as she entered. “I thought I was supposed to be getting you something for graduation.” His smile was one that could earn him a punch to the face easily, and definitely has in the past.

Jo threw the tote onto his bed before leaning against his desk. “It’s just some things to keep you occupied during the ceremony tomorrow.”

Jax leaned over and grabbed the bag and looked through it. Mad libs, activity books, cards. His eyes looked up at Joanne. “I know I’m younger than you, but I’m not 5.”

Jo laughed before pushing off the desk she was leaning on and moved back towards the door. “Trust me, you’ll thank me tomorrow.” She went to close the door before peaking back in. “And I’m still expecting a graduation gift.”

_____________

Jax rolled over, his hand searching for something on his nightstand to tell him the time. 9:01.

“Fuuuuck.” He groaned before jumping out of bed and opening his bedroom door. His voice was calling out quickly. “Mom!” Silence. No one was home. He could have assumed that. The graduation started at 9, Gemma and Clay had probably left at 8, easily.

“Fuck.” Jax cursed again, thinking through what he was going to do. His bike was at Teller-Morrow, he was in the process of adjusting the suspension. Gemma and Clay probably took the escalade which left no way for him to get there.

His hands were quick to dial Opie, praying that he’d pick up this early. They were freshly 21 after all, so waking up before 1 in the afternoon was a rarity. But even though Jax might have started off his morning unlucky, things started to turn.

“Yea?” Opie answered, his voice groggy, probably just waking up.

“You wanna see Jo graduate?” Jax was multi-tasking as he spoke to Opie, moving around his room, picking up clothes from the ground looking for something presentable to wear to the graduation.

“What?” Opie perked up at that sentence, he might have been with Donna, loved her even, but a part of him would always be connected to Joanne Teller.

“I overslept, everyone’s gone, I got no ride and need to be at the Stockton Arena within the hour.” Jax threw his phone on the bed on speaker as he threw a flannel on.

“Alright, I’ll be at your place in 10.” Opie was doing the same thing as Jax now, scrambling to get ready.

“Aim for 5.” Jax said before hanging up and finishing getting ready. Throwing on cologne to cover whatever non-showered, stale cigarette smell he was giving off and then grabbing the black leather box that held the gift he had gotten his sister.

_______

Gemma looked over at the 5 empty seats to her right and then down at her watch. 9:35.

“They couldn’t be on time just this once.” She said under her breath to Clay.

“First, you drag me to this thing and now I gotta hear the complaints too.” Clay said, looking through the program booklet to occupy himself.

Gemma’s eyes rolled and before she could respond back to him, Bobby and Tig were making their way over to them, asking people to let them squeeze through as politely as possible for the two bikers.

“Hi, ‘scuse me, sorry, I love ya, congrats, ‘scuse me.” Tig said as he climbed over the last few people until he reached Clay who was at the end of the row.

“You’re late.” Clay gritted his teeth and spoke under his breath.

“Yea, Tig was indisposed.” Bobby spoke from behind Tig.

Gemma looked up and gave them both dirty looks before moving her legs over so they could take the seats next to them.

“She’s the one, Gem, tall, I’m talkin’ 5’11, easy, biiiiiiig rack.” Tig motioned to his chest to imitate breasts.

It earned a few dirty looks from the surrounding crowd who was trying to pay attention to the graduation.

“Just sit down.” Gemma waved them past. Bobby plopped down next to Gemma and then Tig next to him.

“Did we miss it?” Tig asked, standing back up now looking at the group of graduates below him looking for Joanne. “Where is she? She decorate her cap with anything?” He pointed to his head as he looked through the rows for Joanne.

“Yea, she’s wearing red.” Clay sarcastically spoke.

Tig looked out and saw the sea full of graduates all in red caps and gowns and nodded before sitting down.

“You hear from Jax?” Bobby asked when he realized there were still empty seats.

“Yea, this morning when he was snoring.” Gemma said, staring at the Jumbotron waiting to see if her daughter popped up on the screen. Bobby snorted at Gemma’s answer.

“Who makes a graduation this early anyways.” Clay leaned over to Gemma.

Just as she was about to speak, Jax and Opie were right at the end of the row.

Opie was there, hair back in a bun, sporting a simple t-shirt and jeans, one hand had a graduation teddy bear in it and the other had a big bouquet of flowers.

Gemma was shocked not only to see Opie, but to see what he brought with him. Opie must have clocked it and spoke up. “Didn’t want to show up uninvited and empty handed, got some things at the stands outside.”

Gemma smiled, she was one of the few that could see Opie’s love for Jo over the years. “You can take Unser’s saved seat, don’t think the Chief woke up in time either.” Gemma moved her stare over to Jax. His hands moved up in innocence and his smile was growing.

“I need my beauty rest, what can I say.”

“Yea, save some for the rest of us you pretty motherfucker.” Tig smirked and greeted Jax as he made his way to the last two empty seats in the row.

Clay stared up at Opie, his brows furrowing, a little angry. The small bouquet of 10 flowers sat in his lap, his eyes moved to Opie’s bouquet, which held easily double the amount of flowers. Opie simply nodded and moved past him, making his way to the very last seat in the row.

“Did we miss it?” Jax asked leaning over to talk to his mom.

“No, apparently these things last hours. Not enough that they charge thousands in tuition but now they have to bore us to death for 4 hours.” She mumbled to her son who was taking out the handful of items Jo gifted him last night.

Bobby looked over at him with his face frowning in confusion until he realized what he was doing. He leaned over to whisper to Gemma. “Enjoy it while you can, not like your other kid is going to college.” He teased.

“You’re going outside the lines.” Tig leaned over and whispered to Jax.

“You’re crossing one.” Jax snapped backwards and pushed Tig away.

“Play nice children.” Bobby called down to them.

Time passed slowly, Clay managed to fall asleep, sunglasses on so no one really noticed. Gemma had contemplated moving to another seat in the arena while the other boys went back and forth but she powered through it.

“Bachelor of Arts? That’s Jo right? Business?” Jax leaned over and called out to Gemma.

“Yea, this is her.” Gemma stood up now, eager to see her daughter. There weren’t many moments in Jo’s life that she could count on her mom, she leaned more on her father and when he passed that void was never filled. Jax might have been the closest person Jo had from her family in her life but nothing could replace JT. But in this moment, Gemma was actually excited, and maybe one would even say proud. Jo knew it was probably more for Gemma than her but she’d accept it.

“Joanne Teller.” The announcer said over the microphone.

The whole row of them stood up and cheered.

Jax was practically frat boy howling, his voice was so loud that it would be a shock if half the arena didn’t hear him. Opie stood the most relaxed out of all of them, clapping but keeping his voice way lower than the rest of the crew.

Clay had clapped and whistled and Bobby matched him with his own whistle while Gemma clapped above her head.

“That’s it baby!!!!!” Tig yelled out as Joanne walked down the ramp and back to the hallway where the graduates all entered from.

Joanne looked up at her family and smiled, she was surprised to see everyone that came. She pointed towards the exit and mouthed a few words that no one really understood except Gemma.

“C’mon.” Gemma said, waving everyone back out on the other side of the row.

“Don’t we have to wait for them to throw up their hats and shit?” Jax frowned.

“You wanna wait for the 200 more kids that have to be announced?” Clay leaned over and asked Jax who turned to look at the large group of graduates that were left.

“Alright, yea.” He stepped out of the row behind Tig.

“Jo’s the one that mentioned it, she’s gonna meet us outside now.” Gemma said as the group of them trekked up the bleachers.

_________________

The Charming crew stood in front of the event center, near a fountain waiting for Jo to arrive except Opie, who had gone off to a kiosk close by to order a cup of coffee.

“They don’t make Irish coffees at graduation ceremonies, Winston.” Jo’s voice caused Opie to turn around quickly, coffee in one hand and graduation gifts in the other.

His smile grew as he saw her in her cap and gown, her one hand resting on her cap to balance it as she stood in front of him looking up.

“And I unfortunately didn’t sneak in any.” He stepped out of line so he was closer to the girl.

“I did.” She reached into her gown and into her dress pocket and pulled out a flask and poured it into his coffee cup before he could say another word.

“Well, uh, I’m driving so…” Opie extended his hand out, now offering the coffee to Jo who was getting red in embarrassment.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry I didn’t…” She began apologizing before Opie cut her off.

“Nah, don’t worry about it, truthfully it was just an excuse to get away from the group for a minute.” They both looked over to the group to see Tig staring at a statue of a woman very intently, Clay and Gemma arguing about something, Bobby downing a muffin from the other kiosk near them and Jax on the phone.

“Wait, driving? You drove here?” Jo said as she took in Opie’s words and her head snapped back to look at him.

“Uh,” Opie felt caught and didn’t know exactly what to say based on Jo’s tone.

“He overslept didn’t he?” She shook her head and looked back over at her younger brother. After a couple seconds she looked back at Opie, she wasn’t going to make him explain, he was a good friend not only to her brother but to her also.

“Those for me?” She grinned and nodded to the flowers and bear.

“Huh?” Opie fumbled, still a little nervous as a whole before looking down and coming to it. “Oh yea,” His hands extended forward and now the flowers and the bear were nestled in her arms. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks Ope,” Jo moved against his torso forcing an embrace on him that he was gladly willing to accept. “Glad you were here.”

The two of them walked over to everyone, Jo was showered with flowers and hugs and congratulations from everyone, even her mother who showed a rare act of appreciation towards her daughter.

“Got this for you.” Jax handed Joanne a black leather box.

She opened the box immediately and she felt her breath hitch.

“Took a piece of dad’s bike to get repurposed into a necklace. It’s not like expensive or anything but–”

“It’s perfect.” Jo cut him off, running a finger over the necklace.

The center of the necklace was the same teal blue as the bike, probably taken from a piece of the old gas tank, and what Jo assumed to be part of the old engine framed the outside of it. There were small metal work details in it that framed the inside blue piece so perfectly. It was truly a piece of her dad with her on this special day.

“Jax this is,” Jo’s eyes widened as she shook her head. “I don’t know how I’ll ever top this.” She let out a laugh and looked at her younger brother.

“Well good thing I ain’t graduating college anytime soon.” He teased her. “Plus, everything you’ve done for me,” he shrugged, “I kinda owed you.”

Before either of them could continue their conversation, Gemma was interrupting them. It was divine timing and ironic how she knew the perfect time to interrupt.

“Alright, we’ll meet you back at the clubhouse, Bobby put together a little thing for you.” Gemma called out as she walked away with Clay, Bobby, and Tig.

Jax looked from Gemma back to Jo and changed the subject.

“Mom said you’re going home with Micky, so I’ll catch a ride back with them. Congrats!” He smiled at his sister and looked over at Opie, “and thanks, Ope!” Jax was talking as his legs sped up into a jog to catch up to the group, leaving Jo and Opie behind.

“I’ll, uh, let you ride back with Micky, see you back at the clubhouse.” Opie was about to walk away when Jo reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Micky actually,” Jo paused in her statement, embarrassed at what was about to come out of her mouth. “Micky isn’t here, we uh, broke up. But I didn’t tell anyone yet because well, you know how everyone gets.”

Opie wasn’t one to ask questions or pry, so he just simply nodded. “I parked around the corner, I’ll take you home so you can show up on your own, lessen the questions.” Opie said.

Jo let out a scoff, “That’ll never happen and you know it.”

Opie smiled to himself, because he knew it was true. Everyone at the clubhouse would ask questions no matter what. He went to say something to Jo, his head turning to look at her when he saw her holding out the teddy bear he had gotten her.

“This must’ve cost you a fortune, they always rip you off at these things.” She stared at the bear.

“I got a discount because of the lopsided eye.”

Jo laughed, “Gives him character. What should I name him?”

Opie looked at the bear and then at Jo and shrugged. No idea what to call the stuffed animal.

“Winnie. After the person who gifted him to me.” Jo beamed and held the bear out next to Opie.

“Not sure if I should be honored or offended.” Opie teased, pulling his one eye down to mimic the bear.

Jo pushed Opie, he might have towered over her, he always had and now that they were in their early 20’s nothing had changed, but she still was able to trip him up a bit which is when he let out a genuine laugh right before they approached the parking lot.

“$45 dollars for parking?!” Jo exclaimed looking at the sign at the entrance of the lot. “My graduation robbed you blind, I owe you.” Jo said to Opie. “Well Jax owes you more but I’ll collect for you and we can go out.” She teased.

He smiled and unlocked his truck for them both to get in, “Smart idea, look at that college degree paying off.”

“That was the first class I took, ‘how to ethically steal from your brother and reap the benefits with your friends.’”

Friends. It was one word but it gutted Opie. It shouldn’t have, he had Donna, but it did. Opie looked over at his passenger seat to see Jo, still in her gown but her cap now situated with the bear and assortment of flowers she received, her hand running over her hair to fix the flyaways and he thought that at least he got to be a part of her life. He’d take being her friend over nothing, especially if it meant getting to be a part of these big moments.

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