Chapter 2

Confessions in the Bus Terminal

January 1, 1980

7:10 a.m.

How did this happen?

Jackie used to be motivated, she did her homework on Saturday's, she was the type who wore her nice clothes

(and lorded her superiority over everyone), went to private schools, before Donna lobbed a basketball at the

back of her head and Hyde officially welcomed her to public school. And she wouldn't have even been in that

group if it weren't for Kelso staying to watch the cheerleader practice one sunny afternoon in 1976. Jackie would

always love Michael as her friend he was her first love. That proposal during the Forman's anniversary party was

such a slap in the face to Steven. What was Kelso thinking? Jackie hoped that Michael didn't see a future with

her, he had a baby with Brooke, a nice-paying job in Chicago, and god knows how many legal of age girls he

was corrupting at the Playboy Club. She had no choice, but to pack a small suitcase, leave a few letters behind,

and was able to leave the apartment her and Fez briefly shared. She couldn't deny the temptation of going to

the Forman house and to see Steven one last time before leaving on her journey. How grateful she was that

Red and Kitty decided against selling the house. It would always be there. But would Steven? Surely, he

wouldn't want to stay there forever. How did she lose her motivation? She wanted to have Michael's children;

she wanted Steven to marry her .instant. Jackie always had to be the boss who had to have her way. Why did it

matter? She had some money saved up and she would come into her big money soon enough, her father told

her where he hid some emergency cash. It seemed perfect to have this knowledge now and not back then

when she would have done god only knows what with it. Buy Steven's love, like she bought him new boots. If

she knew about this secret stash of funds, her and Steven might not have happened, because she was fully

aware that she would have bought Michael's loyalty with it. Lord knows she bought oodles of things for Michael

with her parents money and her allowance that was put her own personal checking account. Jackie did what

she was afraid or thought she was too above the rest of the population to do and that was to take the first bus

out of town wherever it was going, that's where she was going to set up shop. Her eyes almost fell out of her

socket when she saw who was in line in front of her. Jackie had to say something. She tapped the broad

shoulder.

"Donna?"

Donna turned around, it could've been worse; it could've been Eric. But she wanted to officially get out of Point

Place; before any scrawny (well, not really anymore), Star Wars obsessed, defected model building, former

boyfriend, released that she like Elvis "left the building".

"Jackie, what are you doing here?"

"Going wherever the next bus is going…"

Donna could've been smug and threw it back in Jackie's face that she knew it wasn't

going to work out between Jackie and Fez.

"Since you are undecided why don't you come to Madison with me?"

"Did you break up with Eric…again?"

"We were already broken up…..I just couldn't deal with an emotional goodbye scene.

I'm going to school like I should've done in the first place…"

"He was doing this to give you a better life…."

"I don't need Eric to give me a better life!"

It was Donna's turn at the counter, Jackie didn't know if she wanted to go with Madison with Donna and after

she purchased her ticket it was going to be her time. Would Eric be tracking her down, would Steven come with

him because he was bored and needed something to do? Donna needed to go on her own trip by herself. What

if that first bus was to Madison and not somewhere else? Then she could buy a ticket at the Madison terminal

for the first bus out of there. She didn't need her life defined in such shallow terms.

"Where to, Miss?" the lady, with the pointy glasses asked her when it was her time to make a decision.

"Where is the first bus going to? That's where I want to go." Yet, she half-expected Steven to show up, out of

breath, to rescue her from the bus station, demanding that she not go on her trip, and pulled an engagement

ring box out of his jean jacket pocket. He'd pick her up, shower her with kisses, and carry her out of there.

Like she always hoped he would do in some form or another.

Save her.

Where they would what? Live in the Forman basement for eternity?

Where the future he saw with her was when they were old (well, that would happen much to Jackie's chagrin)

and fat. (never as long as she stayed in shape and ate right, plus she came from good genes on the maternal

side).

Jackie needed to make some choices that Steven couldn't make for her, no one could

she had to do some much needed soul-searching for herself.

"Miss? I said…..Madison…."

She noticed Donna fumbling for change in her pocket to get something to snack on for the ride. Great she was

going to have to leave with Donna.

"Fine," She could hear her voice crack over the uncertainty of it all, I'll take it."

Donna kicked the vending machine when it wouldn't give her the candy bar.

"Here," Jackie gave her some change out of her pocket, "It might just be stuck…."

"Thanks. So, you're going to Madison?"

"Just to get the next bus…did you talk to Steven last night? Is he all right?"

"After the party after you and Fez left, we were going to go to the water tower, but I was tired…and I wanted

to spend time with my Dad before he left for the airport." Donna pulled the lever and two chocolate bars came

down the chute. She offered Jackie one. Breakfast couldn't always be Kitty Forman's homemade famous waffles.

"Oh," Jackie took the candy bar; she hadn't eaten anything in what felt like years. She got more change out of

her pocket to buy them soda, "Okay…."

"For what it is worth, and, just my opinion, I do think Hyde loves you…you two just hurt each other constantly. It

doesn't matter who started it first. It just had to stop. He lost the will to fight for you."

Jackie handed Donna, the red can of soda, she kept the silver diet one for herself.

"It just became one big game…I hope Fez can forgive me for breaking his heart…did he realize I was lying to

him? How I was lying to myself about everything? I mean who has to plan a first kiss with someone they love

with all of their heart? That's certifiably insane and I admit it." Jackie could feel the tears form in the back of her

eyes, and this was exactly why she needed to get out of here. If her and Steven had a future, they both

needed to grow up.

Hyde like Donna always had to be right, the one in charge, it always took two to tango in the dance of love, and

Jackie wasn't about to tell Donna her opinions about her and Eric. After she got off the bus in Madison, she

didn't know if she'd ever see her giant lumberjack friend again.

"I pushed you towards Fez, when I always championed you and Hyde…I even dragged you to my therapist."

Donna took a drink of her soda.

"You were miserable…." Jackie decided to sit down on the connected blue plastic chairs.

It was such an UnBurkhart like way to travel. "Besides, I'm getting out of Point Place, I need to do this…I don't

know if there's a future with me and Steven, but it won't happen if I return to him now. Ironic, isn't it?"

Donna sighed, "That's pretty mature of you, Jackie."

"The sooner you realize that I'm the genius of the group the better off you'll be." Jackie laughed in spite of the

uncertainty of her future. — Their future. Did they have one?

She looked at her ticket – it seemed so cold.

Ticket to Madison, Wisconsin (one way trip)

Unreserved seating.

What if she never saw those vulnerable blue eyes hiding behind those wall-of-Zen sunglasses ever again?

"You'll be okay…." Donna put her hand on Jackie's knee.

"Yeah," she sighed, putting the ticket in the front compartment of her purse, waiting for the static-filled

announcement that it was time to board the bus, "I'll be okay…"

Would Steven?