Jackie sat at the empty table trying desperately to keep her tears from falling. She got up, took a deep breath and smiled brightly at her mother. Pam looked at her with pity as they together mingled with the rest of the guests. Even after her father had gone to jail, the connections that he had was still beneficial to Jackie. She could tell with the way their eyes looked at her with such pity and fake smiles that they were doing this just for the appearance. She walked around making small talk, hating herself more and more as she got gifts of money for her college fund. As if she was a charity case that these rich snobs would talk about to make themselves look good at tea parties and country club.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. In fact, it was just supposed to be her friends and family. She got good catering and set the entire living room beautifully, she had even got out the special plates that she had to stored after her mother left her alone and her father got into prison

She had invited the Formans, but they had something to do and declined. She was sure that her gang would come, complain as much, and with booze and food she'll tell them the good news. She got into NYU. It was supposed to be a goodbye party.

Sure, there was a possibility that Steven would be mad at her for not telling him, everyone might be upset. But they would get over it, she was sure of it. She just wanted to have a good time with her friends and her boyfriend, was that too much to ask?

Instead, she found herself sitting alone for half an hour until the guests that her mother had invited arrived. Jackie didn't know about this, but she was so thankful that at least someone was there that she couldn't be that mad at her mother. So here was she, putting up phony smiles and fake laughs as she socialized with the rich and powerful.

If this had been two years, Jackie would have been over the moon because of the attention she was getting. But she felt cheap and dirty as she heard her mom giggle at the older man.

She hated her life. She really hated it right now.

"What's going on?" Jackie asks as she takes in everyone in their places with beers in their hands.

Seeing their guilty faces and awkward stares, she couldn't help but scoff. "You guys were too busy to come to my party and here you are, having a party," she said, letting her eyes roam around the room before settling on her boyfriend. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for the explanation.

"For you," Hyde said nervously. "To Jackie."

"To Jackie." The rest of the gang mumbled and suddenly she couldn't keep the tears in. She rolled her eyes and made her sure to keep her eyes on her boyfriend. She will not be humiliated anymore.

"Yeah well, enjoy the party," Jackie responded disappointedly, not waiting to hear any more excuses. She rushes out of the basement, barely listening to the gang before walking up to her car. She doesn't stop when she can hear Steven calling her name and lets her tears out silently as she rode to her home.

She really hated them sometimes.

It was unusually quiet at the breakfast for Hyde. He preferred it and knows that Red loves it, but this time there is some sort of tension that Hyde can't get understand. He took a sip of his water, ignoring the guilt that had settled in his chest since the evening. He chose to ignore the disappointed look on Jackie's face when she had come to the basement and the hurt in her eyes when he basically lied to her about their party. He hasn't received any phone calls from his girlfriend, and he couldn't help but be bothered by it. He was brought into reality when Kitty asked him a question.

"Steven, how was Jackie's graduation party?" Kitty asked with a smile.

The guilt in his chest doubled when he couldn't come up with an answer. "We couldn't go to the party," Eric mumbled, keeping his eyes on his plate.

"But you were at the basement all evening yesterday," Kitty said with a confused frown. Judging by the way Red sighed annoyedly, he guessed what happened.

"It was a dumb idea anyway," Hyde replied, and Kitty looked at him disappointedly. Somehow the guilt in his chest dropped to his stomach, and suddenly he wasn't hungry.

"None of you went to the party? Steven how could you, she's your girlfriend!" Kitty reprimanded angrily, and being so annoyed she left the kitchen. Red sighed at his wife's antics and looked at his surrogate son. Steven was pretty secretive and cool, but Red could see that he felt shitty about the situation.

"Apologize and fix it dumbass," Red said before continuing to his breakfast. Steven sat there for a moment before getting up and heading out.

It was going to be a long day as usual.

Jackie was bundled up in her bed when the doorbell rang. She waited for a moment, thinking that her mother would get it before realizing that she had left with some guy last night. She groaned out loud, missing her maids more now, as she got out of her safe cocoon and lazily walked to the door. She opened to find Hyde standing, his aviator glasses surprisingly hanging on his shirt. He looked at her, the guilt intensifying at her red and puffy eyes and sunken face.
"What do you want Steven?" Jackie mumbled, looking down at her feet.

"Jackie about last night-"

"You know what Steven, I am not in the mood. So please just leave," Jackie interrupted and tried to close the door. Hyde stopped her and pushed past her to get into the house.

"Where's your mom?"

"She had invited a bunch of people without letting me know last night, but thank god because at least the food didn't go to waste. So she went home with some guy last night," Jackie bitterly said. Throwing Hyde out was going to be difficult now.

"Jackie I am sorry about last night okay?"

"Well, I am sorry that I expected my boyfriend to come to my party," Jackie said pushing past him and walking away. Hyde reached out and pulled her back, forcing her to face him. His blue eyes were open to her and she could see the guilt but it didn't stop the hurt spreading her heart and mind. She struggled a bit, but his grip just tightens more.

"Steven let me go."

"Not until you listen to me."

"Fine," Jackie gave up. Hyde was more stubborn if he could get his way, and even though she hated to let him win, it just moved things faster.

"I am sorry about the party Jackie, but you know I hate those stuff. I hated to even more when you gave me notecards for the speech. You know I hated it so what did you expect?"

"Oh I don't know Steven," Jackie spit out, her anger bleeding in her voice. "I expect my boyfriend to listen to me and spend one of the most important day of my life with me. I expect my boyfriend to realize that even if you hate the stuff I like you'll suck it up and get over it. I almost expected it from others to bail out but what I didn't expect was for my own boyfriend to not care about me!"

"Of course I care about you Jackie!" He yelled out, his face contorting to confusion and anger. He didn't understand what was going on. It felt like they were fighting about something more than the party. "I don't know what you expect from me!"

"If you can't be there for me now then what's going to happen in the future?"

"Ah this future talk again," Hyde groaned, rolling his eyes at the woman. The instant he did that, he knew it was the wrong to do. Jackie turned back and left him hanging there in the hallway. "Jackie," he called her and followed to the kitchen. Her back was to him as she got a glass a water and he made her turn to him, his heart breaking at the tears in her eyes.

"What are we doing then, Steven, if you won't talk about our future?" She whispered, her voice hitching at the end.

"God Jackie, why can't you just be happy with what we have right now?" Hyde asked, and they both were reminded of how they broke up last time. Jackie looked into him for a second before shifting away and heading to the living room. "Jackie? Jackie!" He called out, annoyed with how much the tiny brunette was walking away from him.

Not a second later she comes back and thrusts a letter towards him. He looks at it for a second before gingerly taking it. His eyes glance at the university logo and it doesn't take more than a second to realize what was going on.

An acceptance letter to NYU.

"I was going to tell you yesterday at the party. It would have been in front of everyone and I would be in the middle announcing it. Everyone would be shocked and surprised but they'll get over and pour compliments to me. You'll be mad a bit for not telling you before, but you'll kiss me to let me know everything would be fine. That's how I thought yesterday was going to end like. But what I thought last night was that we never talked about why we broke up. We just got horny and hooked up without really talking about why we broke up in the first place."

"Were you going to break up with me?" Hyde quietly asked, his face going back to zen that always hid behind. She hated that so much.

"No I don't want that," She replied, taking a step closer to him. "But I also don't know what you expect from me."

"I don't know Jackie," Hyde said, causing her to groan out loud. She really hated those words.

"God all I am asking you is what do you want Steven!" Jackie yelled, taking a step closer, looking straight into his eyes. She gasps lightly when he crashes his lips against hers, his hands grabbing her waist and tightly pulling her to his body. She doesn't waste a second to weave her fingers against his hair, kissing him back hungrily. He pulled back a minute later, lightly resting his forehead against hers as they both tried to catch their breaths.

"I want you Jackie," He whispered softly, her eyes snapping up to meet his. "If I didn't want you then I wouldn't be here apologizing for last night." She could see it in his eyes, the sincerity in his words and the love for her. But she still needed to hear those words.

"Do we have a future together?"

"Doll, I don't see a future that you're not in," He replies, and the honesty in his words brings a smile on her face. "I just don't like thinking about that kind of stuff because I don't know how it will be and that terrifies me."

"That's all I wanted to know you," she said. "I just needed to know if I was in your future. But you kept saying I don't know, and that frustrated me more. I hate when you do that."

"You know me. I don't like talking much."

"But you have to Steven. We both are terrible at communicating, with you not talking and me blurting out stupid comments. And as much as I would love to, I can't read your mind all the time," Jackie whispered softly against his lips.

"So what are we going to do?" Hyde asked her, his zen all gone and she could see the vulnerable side that he never lets anyone see. She doesn't think her heart can be that full of love, but here we are.

"We can do long distance. We'll call and I'll be here the minute I have any vacations. I'll get a small apartment after a semester and you can visit anytime. But we'll make this work. Right?"

She looks up to him and he realizes that this was all he wants. Her eyes shine with love and the small smile on her beautiful face and the way her fingers scratch his sideburns. She looks at him like he's the world and he feels like he can do anything with her by his side.

"We'll make this work," He promises, kissing her softly. Her words come to his mind and he breaks his kiss to look deeply into her eyes. "You know I love you right?"

Tears filled her eyes but she doesn't let them fall. "I love you too Puddin' Pop."

They'll work it out. They knew it in their hearts.