Author's notes -- This story takes place in 1976 at a boarding school in Connecticut. It is completely AU. I hope you like it.
-bunnyslopes

"Oh my god!" squealed Jackie Burkhart frantically. She ran into her best friend Donna Pinciotti's dorm room, closing the door excitedly behind her. "Guess. What!" she exclaimed.

Donna looked up from her schoolwork. She had a paper due on Susan B. Anthony the following day, so she wasn't sure how much she appreciated Jackie barging in. On the other hand, Jackie was her best friend and she did need a break. She had been working for the past two hours. "What?" she humored her friend.

"Chrome is coming to Hartford next week! They're giving a special concert at the"-

Jackie's words were immediately cut off by Donna's ever-brightening expression. Donna leapt up off her bed and grabbed Jackie's hands. "Are you joking? Please tell me you're not joking?"

"Donna, I'm not. Let go of me," she shook her off and barrelled on. "So I was listening to the radio and 'You Make Me Real' came on. You know, their new single"-

"Yeah Jackie, I know," Donna said, "and it's called 'You Make Me Feel'."

"Whatever," Jackie moved on, "after it was over, the DJ said the guys will be here next week. And tickets go on sale tomorrow."

"Awesome! What time?" Donna asked hopefully.

"Nine AM," Jackie informed her.

"Nine AM?" Donna sunk down dejectedly onto her bed. "Oh my god, Jackie. I'm going to be in class. I have to present my paper on Susan B. Anthony."

Jackie screwed up her face thoughtfully. "Oh yeah. I kinda forgot about school. Hmm."

"Damn it, what are we going to do?" Donna asked. She leapt back up and started pacing around the room. Chrome was her favorite band in the world. When she had first heard the news that her parents were sending her away to boarding school so they could have more "alone time" together (whatever that meant), Chrome's music had gotten her through the transition. And now, two years later, she was sixteen and was still as big a Chrome fan as ever.

Jackie looked down at her worriedly. Jackie couldn't see what the big problem was. "Donna, I don't understand. Can't we just hang out at the club after and get their autographs? I mean, the concert is going to be kind of boring anyway."

"Boring?" Donna demanded. "Boring? Jackie, they're my favorite band. I love their music. I would kill to see them in concert."

"Alright, alright," Jackie said, backing off. "But don't come crying to me when you fall asleep watching that ten minute keyboard solo that Fez is famous for."

"That keyboard solo happens to be one of my favorite things on this earth," Donna said under bated breath. She was doing everything she could not to blow up at Jackie. They were best friends, but sometimes she got on her nerves. It was all a part of Jackie's charm -- she could say the most insensitive things with the most heartfelt intentions. Donna couldn't get too upset about it. After all, Jackie had made her life at school a lot happier, and a lot more fun.

Jackie sat down on the bed. "So you really want those tickets, huh?"

"Yes," Donna admitted, sitting beside her. "But it seems impossible. They're going to sell out in minutes, probably. Chrome is the hottest band in the country right now." She thought this over. "Come to think of it, the tickets will probably be a fortune. I don't know if I can pay that kind of money."

Jackie shrugged. "I have a ton of money left over from the last check my dad sent me. I can pay for it."

"Jackie..." Donna started. "I'm not going to take your money."

"Why? I'm giving it to you, aren't I? My dad will just send me more money in a week or so. It's no loss to me."

Donna should have realized this. Jackie was never hard-up for cash. Her dad was a wealthy politican in Wisconsin, and her mother made a pretty penny herself in real estate. The Burkharts had been able to pay for Jackie's tuition without help from scholarships. Donna, on the other hand, had been forced by her parents to apply for every single one she could find. Donna was from Wisconsin, like Jackie, but they had never known each other before Jackie came to La Pierre her freshman year of high school, Donna's sophomore year. Jackie had been introduced to Donna by the hall advisor because of their shared home state. Donna had been put off by Jackie's abrasive nature at first, but eventually she had come to find it endearing. Now she wasn't sure what she'd do without Jackie. It was nice having a best friend. She had never really had that, growing up in Wisconsin.

"So," Jackie said, happy that her friend had given in to her offer. "All we need to do is find someone to get the tickets for us."

"Yeah, but who's going to do that? Everyone has class." Donna thought this over.

"Oh!" Jackie squealed, shaking her bangle bracelets excitedly as she bounced up and down. "I've got the perfect solution. We pay someone off!"

"But who?" Donna inquired.

"Believe me," Jackie said with a curl of her dark eyebrows. "I know just the person."

A few minutes later, they found themselves outside of a door on the opposite side of the dorm hall. Donna kept looking down at Jackie. "You ring it," she urged her.

"You do it!" Jackie retorted, hands on hips.

"It was your idea," Donna pointed out.

"Fine, I'll do it, you big goon," Jackie snapped. She knocked on the door.

A moment passed. The two girls could hear music coming from inside the room. It sounded like Barry White, which made Jackie snicker into her manicured hands and Donna just roll her eyes. Of course she'd be listening to Barry White. Obviously.

The door finally opened. She opened it just a crack, so she could stick only her head out to see who was bothering her. Her hair was perfectly hot rollered as usual, bouncing around her face as she peered around the door. "Yes?" she asked in a false sweet voice.

"Hi," Donna greeted her.

"Laurie Forman," Jackie replied, her bitchy tone in tact. "How nice to see you."

Laurie snapped her hot pink bubble gum and tore her glance from Jackie to Donna. "What do you want?" she asked, dropping her sweet act.

Jackie turned on her charm instantly. "Well, Laurie, as you might have heard, Chrome is coming to Hartford next week." She paused for dramatic effect.

"Yes, I've heard," Laurie droned. "Continue."

"Alright, so Chrome is coming," Jackie said, smiling as she turned her palms up. "And we were wondering if you were interested in going."

"With you two?" Laurie asked, frowning. She let the door swing open a little more, revealing the fact that she was dressed in nothing but a rainbow striped tube top and short shorts. Jackie wrinkled her nose at this display, but Laurie went on, pretending not to notice. "No. I really wouldn't. Because here's the thing: I don't like either of you. Donna, I don't like you because you study too much. That's boring. Jackie, I don't like you because you think you're so perfect." She imitated Jackie, sashaying her hips and talking in a perky falsetto, "Oh my goodness, I am just so rich and so popular and pretty. Oh my god!" Her face grew dark again. "And quite frankly, I don't see any reason to grace either of you with my presence. Anything else?" She eyed them, looking bored.

"Okay," Donna said, annoyed. "Let's just cut to the chase. We need tickets for the Chrome concert. And they go on sale at 9am tomorrow. We'll both be in class."

"So will I," Laurie pointed out, her eyes narrowed to tiny slits as she glared at them.

"We know that," Jackie said. "And I would totally bitch you out right now if I didn't need your help."

Donna cut off her friend. "But, we do need your help. We'd be willing to pay you to get the tickets for us."

Laurie cracked her gum. "How much?"

"Twenty dollars," Jackie blurted out.

Laurie burst out laughing. "Nice try, cupcake. See, I'm learning French. What is it the French say? Au revoir? Au revoir, lame-o's." She began to shut the door but Donna wedged her foot in between the door and the frame.

"I don't think so," Donna said boldly. "We'll match your price. Just tell us what you want."

Jackie gave Donna an indignant glare but Donna didn't back down. Laurie was a year older than Donna -- a senior. She had been around the block, so to speak. She had quite the reputation. But Donna wasn't scared of her. Donna wasn't scared of anyone. She was pretty tough herself. Laurie studied Donna curiously before opening the door again. "Alright. Fifty dollars."

"Fine," Jackie said snobbily. "So I'll give you the money for the tickets and you'll get your pay off when you deliver them to us."

"I don't think so, honey," Laurie said, offering her hand. "Money comes to mama, then tickets go to baby." She smiled meanly at Jackie.

Jackie rolled her eyes and pulled a giant wad of cash out of her tight pink pants. She counted out the money for the tickets and for Laurie's pay and slapped it down in the blonde's waiting hand.

"Thanks, darlings," Laurie said, smiling sweetly. "Now if you don't mind, I have to get back to my boy toy. Bye bye." She closed the door in their faces.

"Oh my god, I can't believe we're entrusting all my money to that... whore!" Jackie yelled.

Donna began to steer her away from Laurie's door. "Just think, Jackie. At this time tomorrow, we'll have our Chrome tickets. And Laurie will be out of our hair for good."

"Yeah right," Jackie said, rolling her eyes. "She's probably spending my Daddy's hard earned money on cigarettes and hairspray. I mean, I can understand the hairspray, but cigarettes?"

"Come on, Jackie," Donna urged her. "Just think about Chrome. Think about Fez."

"Fez?" Jackie wrinkled her nose for the fortieth time that day. "I know he's your favorite, Donna, but ew. Honestly, ew!"

"Alright, fine, fine," Donna said. "Think of Eric then."

Jackie smiled warmly. "Okay!" She seemed to get lost in a dream world. "He's just so... hunky!" She giggled. "The way he plays guitar... and sings. It's like I can get lost in his eyes." She sighed happily.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Well, just keep thinking. Eric. Eric. Eric."

"All I can think about is whorey Laurie taking my money and taking my dreams of Eric away from me," Jackie sighed.

"I'll kick her ass, trust me," Donna ensured her friend. "Now let's go to dinner."

"Okay," Jackie exclaimed. "We can discuss what we're wearing to the concert!"

Donna groaned. "Do we have to?"

"Of course, I'm not letting you go as a lumberjack, Donna!" Jackie exclaimed, hitting her friend on the shoulder as they exited the dorm hall.

Neither of them saw Laurie Forman standing in the window upstairs, smirking at them as they made their way towards the dining hall. "Suckers," she said with a laugh, before she slid the curtains shut.