Author Note: …moving the story along….
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Chapter 04 - Electricity
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Jackie was rolling the hair on her mannequin head for the third time. She had to get the hang of these perm curlers! Every time she got one side rolled up the rubber popped off the end of the roller and the tissue paper would fling itself everywhere. "ARG!" She groaned loudly.
Kitty was entering the kitchen and smiled at the pile of hair rollers and perm papers scattered all over the table. "Having trouble dear?"
Jackie dropped her head on the table, her dark hair pooling around her head. "This is a ridiculous assignment." Kitty walked over and lifted Jackie's hair so she could see her face. "Honey, this is just practice. When it comes time to do the real thing, you'll be able to do it with your eyes closed. Why when I was a young girl, we all used to put pin curls in our hair without looking! It's just something your fingers learn to do."
Kitty sat down and looked at the mannequin head. "Look at this sad lady. She wants a permanent like Bob Pinciotti. Now how would you roll her hair?"
The thought of Bob Pinciotti sitting in perm rollers made Jackie laugh. She looked up; I would start at the crown and start rolling backwards." Kitty encouraged her to go on. "Then I would use the smaller rollers and do the sides…."
"Now, that you have a focus, let's take your Barbie head here and start rolling." Kitty took one of the combs and parted the dolls hair. "Jackie, you do the left side and I'll do the right. Let's get this gal rolled up."
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Red came into the kitchen for a drink of water and saw white squares of tissue all over the floor and a rolled up doll head spiked on the paper towel roll. Kitty looked at Red and dared him to say anything. Jackie smiled and said, "We gave Barbie a Bob Pinciotti perm."
Red tried not to laugh but it was just funny and Kitty caught the laughing bug. That was how Eric found his family when he opened the slider. Everyone was having a good time and a Barbie head was impaled on the paper towel rack.
Kitty grabbed her camera and took a picture of Jackie and her "work of art". "Honey, just keep practicing and you'll pass this test."
She smiled, "Thanks for the help Mrs. Forman. Actually, I was going to ask you to be my model for the exam."
Kitty's eyes got bigger than Eric had ever seen. "No….I can't…I have a doctor's appointment that day…."
The corners of Jackie's mouth turned up in a slight smile and she had a mischievous look in her eyes. "What day Mrs. Forman?"
"Oh…um….what day is your exam honey?" Kitty was backpedaling now. Red started laughing, "C'mon Kitty, it's a day in the beauty parlor. Jackie gave me a professional shave…"
"Red…No! We're talking about MY hair!" Kitty was aghast. Jackie leaned sideways and hugged the old woman. "Mrs. Forman, it's a water perm. No chemicals are used. They just want to see if I can roll the perm."
Kitty breathed a sigh of relief. Eric laughed, "Mom, you're not afraid of a little water are you?"
She closed her eyes and thought about all the scary things that young people put adults through and this had to be the worst. But Kitty Forman was a brave woman. "I'll do it honey, but then you have to make me a Bloody Mary when I get home."
"Sure thing Mrs. Forman," Jackie laughed. "Let me clean up my mess and get out of the kitchen." She saw Eric looking at her and smiled his way. "You're mom was helping me with homework."
"Good, because I was afraid that was going to be dinner!"
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Kitty made her famous baked chicken and was pleased to find Eric helping cook. Jackie was making a salad and it was just a nice domestic moment. "Eric, honey…I need that bag of frozen peas from the freezer downstairs, would you get that for me?"
Jackie put the salad on the table and went to the fridge for the salad dressing. "Oh it's in the pantry downstairs. Would you mind getting it?"
Jackie skipped down the basement stairs as Eric was coming up. "Oh, hey…your mom needs the salad dressing from the pantry. Can you get it and I'll take up the peas?"
Eric shrugged, "Sure." He handed her the bag of frozen veggies and their fingers brushed lightly and Jackie felt a jolt rush though her body. She looked at Eric and saw that he felt it too. "Um, I have to go upstairs!" She was already walking back up the steps before turning and running up the few remaining steps.
Eric didn't understand it. This was like someone turned on a switch and he was suddenly and strangely attracted to Jackie Burkhart.
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Jackie spent the evening in the living room with Red. Eric thought that was a safe zone because he really didn't want to spend the evening with his dad. Still, Jackie was his friend and he wanted to talk to her about how Donna was behaving and if he wasn't overreacting.
"Say, Jackie. Do you have a few minutes to talk before I go?"
Think of an excuse! Crap, I don't have an excuse! "Sure…just a few minutes okay? I want to see Charlie's Angels with your dad. It's a new episode."
Latent teenage hormones rose from nether regions and flooded his 20 year old brain. Jaclyn Smith? Cheryl Ladd? Tanya Roberts? "I don't have to go home right away after all!" Eric sat on the sofa next to his mom and got comfortable. No single guy he knew ever missed an Angel episode!
The episode sped by and Eric got his Angel fix. Sometime during the show, Kitty made some Chex Mix and Red even shared it with his son. As the credits rolled, Red stood up and stretched. "I'm going to hit the sack. Jackie, you lock up and son, I'll see you later."
Jackie jumped to her feet and brushed a quick kiss on Red's cheek and he made a little fuss about it, but Eric could tell he liked it. Kitty smiled and hugged her son. "Now, just because you work in the evening, doesn't mean you can't come over for lunch!"
Eric hugged his mother. "I'll try to swing by later in the week mom. Thanks for dinner."
Jackie locked the front door and headed for the kitchen, bringing the Chex bowl with her. While Eric said his goodbyes, she rinsed the bowl and put it away.
"Hey, talk with me for a minute."
Jackie turned around – she didn't hear Eric come into the kitchen. She quickly dropped into a chair by the table. "What's up?"
Eric sat down and didn't know exactly how to start. "Umm…I went to see Donna today."
"Okay." Jackie replied. That was good; he went to see his girlfriend.
"I kind of surprised her and I got surprised as well." Eric started sliding the salt and pepper shakers around the table top. "She had a couple of guys and her roommate there…she said they were studying."
What wasn't he saying? Jackie could see something in his eyes that was troubling him. "Don't you believe her?"
Eric looked up. "Oh, I believe she started studying….but along the way they had a "circle time" for four. When I got there, Donna had the munchies. I shouldn't have gone. I feel stupid."
"Was she glad to see you? I mean it's been like five months since you guys have seen each right?"
Eric leaned back in the chair. "I was glad to see her. She looks great, she seems happy…she's really busy with clubs and oh, she's working on the school newspaper."
Jackie smiled, "She's a great writer. You must be proud."
Eric smiled ruefully, "Yeah…she could have been doing this a year ago if she hadn't waited for me."
"But she wanted to. I mean even when you went to Africa…she could have gone and took a couple of classes but she wanted to wait for you."
"I feel like I'm holding her back. We promised to wait for each other but I feel like I'm the one waiting."
"Oh Eric, you are not and stop thinking like that! You are living your life just like you should be doing. If Donna thought you were just hanging around being a bum, she'd come down here and kick your ass."
He laughed, "I don't know if she'd come down here…there's not much back and forth communication between us. But still, you are right. I need to live my life the best I can until she graduates and see what happens then."
"There's nothing stopping you from sending a post card now and then." Jackie reminded him.
He smiled, "You are a good friend Jackie. I'm glad I talked to you."
Jackie stood up. "Good. Now will you go home so I can go to bed?"
Eric laughed. "Sure, I know you have school. Maybe you can give me one of those shaves like you gave dad a while ago."
Jackie opened the slider. "If you're lucky…maybe I will. People are going to line up to have me shave them one day." She predicted. "I can be a professional female barber….that would look cool on a sign."
Eric smiled at her dream. There were plenty of male stylists but not too many female barbers. She might have something there… He stepped just outside the door, "About last night…."
Jackie swallowed hard, "It was the beer." She offered quickly. He smiled. "You must be a light drinker."
"I don't like the taste unless it's really cold. Plus I had a great time yesterday so all that sunshine combined with the beer….I felt…reckless."
Eric touched her soft cheek and murmured, "I guess I felt reckless too. I didn't mean to send you the wrong message." She had closed her eyes when his warm fingers touched her skin. She wasn't drinking now but she still felt that electricity.
With a tremulous breath she whispered, "Good night Eric." The door was slid shut and locked. Eric watched as she waved and the light was extinguished. She had the softest skin and he had the urge to kiss her again just to see if he still felt reckless.
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