Chapter 4: High St.

Two days after seeing the movie with Eric, Donna, and Hyde, Jackie finally got up the courage to go to the basement, Michael there or not. If anything she knew Hyde would stick up for her if push came to shove. Their newly bonded friendship made getting over Michael a little easier for Jackie. At least someone was there to listen to her when she was down.

It did slightly confuse her however, why Hyde was suddenly being so nice to her about the whole situation. Last time Michael had cheated on her, he let her cry for about an hour until Donna came out there and forced him to comfort her. But two nights ago he willingly, without anybody's encouragement, pulled her out of the movie theater and held her until her tears stopped. Maybe he was tired of fighting with her all the time? Maybe Kelso's actions really pissed him off this time? Maybe he was actually beginning to like her and accept her as part of the gang?

Jackie would never admit it, but she secretly hoped that maybe the reason was that Hyde had feelings for her, more than just friends. The kind of feelings he used to have for Donna only a couple of months before. Not like Jackie would return those feelings, no Hyde was way too scruffy of a guy for her. Even though he is really, really hot. Besides, she wasn't even over Michael yet, liking any guy at the moment was just not possible. Just the thought of someone finding her attractive made some of her insecurities disappear for a while.

But that hope was a long range hope, in Jackie's opinion. Hyde didn't think of girls that way. No, the only girl that Hyde ever considered girlfriend material was Donna, and no one was really sure of his intentions then. Hyde didn't have girlfriends. He had girls… lots and lots of girls. But none of them he saw more than once. Hyde's reputation was the guy girls would go to if they wanted the job to get done, so to speak. When Jackie first met Hyde she formed a tiny crush on him remembering some of the stories in the girls locker room she over heard about him. But that crush was long and forgotten about after the first time Michael had cheated on her. She knew then that she had to get serious about things with Michael if she wanted to keep him around.

So Jackie Burkhardt walked to the Foreman's, looking like a million bucks, hoping that if Michael did show up, he'd get an eye full of what he gave up on.

When Jackie opened up the basement door, the only person there was Hyde, sitting in his chair staring at the television. He only briefly looked up at her to see who it was, and then turned his attention back on the TV as he said, "So you decided not to puss out anymore about coming down here?"

"I wasn't "pussing out" Steven. I just didn't want to be around that doofus ex-boyfriend of mine, oh what's his face." Jackie sat down in the middle of the couch, throwing her nose up in the air.

"You mean Kelso." Hyde only briefly broke his focus from the nature program on TV.

"Yeah, Kelso… that's his name." He noticed Jackie was trying way too hard to be completely nonchalant about the situation. He figured she must be nervous.

"Well you don't have to worry because What's His Face is trying to pick up girls at the Hub with Fez."

"Oh… well … good for him then. I don't care." Jackie's heart sank. This was not the information she wanted. Michael was supposed to be sulking over her. His whole world was supposed to be upside down due to his loss of her.

Jackie and Hyde sat in silence both pretending to watch the program on TV. Jackie was too busy trying not to get upset at the thought of Kelso moving on so quickly, while Hyde was trying not to notice Jackie's smooth, exposed legs, swinging away.

Their thoughts were suddenly interrupted by someone entering the basement, who unfortunately turned out to be Kelso and Laurie.

"Kelso, next time we do it in the bathroom at the Hub, make sure you don't let Fez watch in the next stall."

"Damn Laurie, how was I supposed to know he was in there? He's a sneaky little guy." Kelso turned his head and noticed Jackie sitting on the couch, lips pursed, giving both of them her worst evil eye ever.

"Oh, Hi Jackie."

"Hello Michael."

"Haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, I've been busy."

"Yeah, well, so have I!"

Laurie watched the back and forth and frowned at the display. Her face suddenly changed from annoyance to mischievousness as she looked at Jackie while she spoke. "You know Kelso; we should go up to my room and try that thing we did in the van again, considering no one else would ever do it for you." She then skipped off, up the stairs, and out of sight.

Jackie didn't care about the pain anymore. All she wanted to do was kill Laurie.

"Well uh, you heard the lady so…" and with that Kelso took off up the stairs after her.

Jackie sat back and folded her arms across her chest. She had gone way past her crying and moping stage.

"Laurie's a bitch you know that!" she said, her voice slightly cracking with rage.

"Yep."

"I mean, who the hell does she think she is?" Now Jackie was standing, beginning to pace back and forth behind the couch. "Michael is only interested in her because she's a stupid skank who'll do it with anybody."

"Pretty much."

"I mean just because I wouldn't, I wouldn't… do that with Michael doesn't mean anything."

"The man has a libido the size of Jupiter."

"Exactly! There was nothing I could do to please that. He's just an insensitive jerk, who only cares about one thing."

"And that one thing is…"

"I mean it's not like he was so hot in bed either. I don't call him the one minute man for nothing you know!"

Hyde sat back in his chair and stared at the sight in front of him. Jackie's face was steadily getting redder as she ranted on about Kelso. She was so angry he could tell she was having a hard time trying not to drop f bombs left and right or rip her hair out or something along those lines. Yes, she was completely sexy, especially when she was mad.

"You know what you need Jackie."

"A time machine so I can go back 2 minutes ago and kick Laurie's ass!"

"No."

"Well then enlighten me Steven, because other than that I really doubt there is anything else in this world that would make me feel better."

Hyde didn't say a word. He just grinned and walked back to his room, leaving Jackie confused. When he came out he was carrying a circular tin and presented it to her as if it were the answer to all the problems in the world.

"What is that suppose to be?"

He just smiled again as he opened the lid. Once Jackie looked inside she gasped.

"Wha-wha… I thought girls weren't allowed in the circle?"

"Who said that?"

"Michael."

"Well Kelso's stupid. Anybody is allowed in the circle as long as I say they are."

They both sat down on the couch and Hyde began rolling a joint. Jackie began nervously rubbing her hands together. She had never smoked pot before. She was always slightly curious what the hype was about, but never really got the courage to ask anybody, mostly because no one ever offered before. Not even Donna had offered her to join. "The circle is sacred," she said to her, "I don't make up the rules." Now, Jackie had stumbled upon the rule maker and he was hunched over the table, grinning to himself from the thought of getting her high.

"Steven," she really didn't want to say it. "I've never done this before."

Hyde laughed to himself. "Do you not want to do it?"

"No, I want to, it's just..." she hesitated, unsure of what to say.

"Look Jackie, everyone has to have their first time sometime. I'm not going to laugh at you, well, okay that's a lie, I am going to laugh at you," she pouted. "But it's okay. You'll be too stoned to care."

Jackie scooted in closer to Hyde as he took the first hit. How does he always seem to know how to make me forget about Michael?

Hyde passed the joint to Jackie, her hand slightly shaking as she went to reach for it. She looked up at Hyde and he gave her an encouraging nod. Once the smoke filled her lungs, they felt as though they were on fire. She immediately started coughing and Hyde took the joint away from her and laughed.

"The first hit always sucks."

"That would have been beneficial to know before." She said through a red face and a raspy voice.

A few somewhat more successful hits later, and Hyde finishing the rest, Jackie really started to feel the stuff kick in. She completely forgot about being mad, or that there even was a Kelso and a Laurie. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, only the back and forth smiles that her and Hyde shared and their mindless ramblings never to be remembered again.

A few hours later, Jackie's high had worn off and she and Hyde were in the middle of watching the evening news.

Hyde reflected on the hours he had just spent with Jackie. He wasn't very high but Jackie was completely blown. It was nice to see her loosen up about things. There were way too many times that she let her head lean back on the couch as she looked up at him with a smile and eyes that made his chest send tingling messages to his limbs. A few times she leaned into him while telling him a story or an observation she had made in the past and her body against his started an electric domino effect that only stopped when she sat up again.

And damn it if he didn't want to kiss her.

But once again Hyde found himself in a terrible predicament. Jackie was Kelso's girl. Even though they were broken up, and he pretty much seemed to have forgotten he had a girlfriend, by guy standards, hooking up with another guy's previous girlfriend was an ultimate betrayal. He had learned once before the price you pay for attempting to swim those waters and it left him no where but in the middle of a sea of loneliness and guilt.

He decided that the best he could do was be her friend and nothing more.

Hyde had offered to walk her home but she told him she needed some things to think about.

As Jackie walked down the cemented sidewalks of the suburban neighborhood, her clogs making a slightly knocking sound with each step, she felt nothing but apathy for Michael Kelso. He had finally managed today to make her see him in a different light, reality.

She would always love Michael, probably. They had really, really good times in their relationship, but those times were mostly spent hanging out with each other, being friends. Kelso's complete lack of decency and respect for their breakup tore a new wound needed to be stitched up again. She never really came to terms with Michael's cheating until today, when she saw getting some ass was more important to him than the boundaries never to be crossed amongst former lovers.

That's when an epiphany came over Jackie. Michael Kelso was just not mature enough for her. She might not had been the most grown up of the group, she might not have been the smartest, or the one to take responsibilities for things, but she was the one who wanted a man to love her, stand by her, and make sure she always felt good about herself, at all cost. Michael was never able to fill those needs for her; she just tried to morph him into something that did.

So Jackie silently cried, but they were more tears of relief than tears of sorrow. No longer did she feel empty inside, lost, or alone. She cried for a love now lost, and a new her beginning to emerge.