Disclaimer: I own nothing from That 70's Show.
"Hey, Jackie," Claire said walking up with Julie and Sara flanking her on both sides. Like Jackie, the cheerleaders were wearing their cheerleading outfit. They had bags slung over their shoulder and their arms folded over their chest.
Jackie turned around from the conversation she was having with Donna. She has hanging out with the gang before she left for the football game and they left for their usual basement circle and hangout.
"Hey guys," Jackie said hesitant that they sought her out especially when she was with the gang.
"Hi ladies," Kelso said pushing himself off the Vista Cruiser that he had been leaning on.
"Hi Kelso," Sara said flipping her hair.
"You look pretty good in that uniform, Sara," Kelso said.
Sara smiled and Jackie rolled her eyes.
"Hi Hyde," Julie said biting her lip and looking nervous.
Jackie narrowed her eyes, but she was satisfied when Hyde just nodded and Jackie let a small smile unto her face. Then she noticed Claire watching her and she dropped the smile.
"What are you guys doing here?" Jackie asked.
"We're going to go stretch before the game," Julie said looking at Hyde.
"Thought you might want to join," Claire said.
"Of course!" Jackie said. "I was just killing time before the game anyway."
"Are you all going to the game?" Claire asked with a smug smile already knowing their answer.
They all looked at her blankly. None of them had ever even thought about going to a Point Place Football game. Well none of them except one, and it wasn't for the football.
"Could be kind of fun," Kelso said still looking at Sara.
"Your school spirit really compelling you?" Donna asked sarcastically.
"Yeah," Kelso said. "Come one man it could be fun."
"No it couldn't be," Eric said.
"I don't know American football seems to be a big part of the American high school experience," Fez pointed out.
"What else would we do with this Friday night?" Kelso rightfully pointed out.
Jackie and the rest of the cheerleaders watched the scene unfold. Jackie snuck a brief look at Hyde he hadn't added to the conversation at all and he seemed totally unfazed behind his sunglasses. Jackie wasn't sure if she even wanted them all to go. It would be nice for them to see her cheer to see how amazing she was, but she knew Claire was already suspicious of her friendship with the gang especially Hyde. She purposefully avoided them for most of school choosing rather to hang out with the gang in Eric's dingy basement.
"I guess you're right," Donna said then hesitantly added. "It could be fun."
"Okay, well if you want to go," Eric said immediately jumping on board when Donna showed an interest.
"Yeah!" Kelso said.
"My first American football game how exciting," Fez said happily.
Jackie had noticed Hyde had stayed silent. They hung out, but she still knew that if Hyde were to ever go to a football game he would have to be dragged there.
"What about you Hyde?" Julie asked batting her eyes up at him.
Hyde could feel everyone's eyes on him. Jackie and Claire seemed especially interested in his response. He had no interest in going to the football game. Normally, he would have immediately dismissed the idea, but his only plans were to hang with his friends and they were all going to the game now. Plus, it would be really good ammunition to use against Jackie later to see her cheering for their moronic football team. He also wouldn't mind seeing her dance around in the cheer uniform. He could already barely keep his eyes off her just with her skipping around in it all day for classes.
"No," Hyde said. In the end, his pride got the best of him. He wasn't going to be caught dead at a football game.
Jackie knew she shouldn't be, but she was a bit disappointed by Hyde's answer. With Mr. Forman's comment and Hyde's slip up from a few days prior on her mind, Jackie was convinced that Hyde had more than friendly feelings for her. She just needed to get him to admit it. She took solace only in the fact that his direct rejection had been to Julie not her, but she still would have liked to have him at the game to see her cheer. She had to tell herself this was for the best or else Claire would think something was going on even more than she already did.
Hyde had noticed Jackie's face fall at his answer. She was silent, but he couldn't ignore the pout on her lips. He wondered if she even knew she was doing it.
"Come on, man," Eric said.
Hyde glared at him, but then out of the corner of his eye he saw Jackie perk up a bit. Her eyes got big and her pout deepened. They locked eyes and without fully thinking he was agreeing to go.
What Hyde didn't notice, but it didn't escape Jackie's notice, was Claire looking between them. She finally let her glare settle on Jackie.
"Let's go," Claire said.
Jackie knew she should try to hid the smile, but she couldn't be bothered. She was so excited Hyde was going to watch her cheer. She could deal with the cheerleaders later.
"See you at the game later," Jackie said to the group but made eye contact and smiled at Hyde.
Hyde watched Jackie's back as she retreated with the other cheerleaders. He couldn't believe he had agreed to go to a football game. He knew it was because of Jackie. He had been noticing that more and more she was getting under his skin. She got him to do things he would have beat other guys up for doing just a few weeks ago.
When the cheerleaders finally turned towards the football field and out of vision, Hyde refocused his attention on his friends around him.
The stadium was packed Hyde couldn't believe the turnout. It seemed like everyone in Point Place was crammed into the school's tiny stadium. The game was going to start in about ten minutes and people were still filtering in. Hyde walked along with his friends up the stairs looking for seats. He already regretted agreeing to go to the football game. It was just a bunch of squares there to drool and fawn over the cheerleaders and football players.
At the thought Hyde's eyes drifted out to the field. The players weren't out yet but the cheerleaders were doing some warmups and arranging themselves in a dirt area in front of the field. Jackie was stretching out her arms with another girl. They seemed to be talking because Jackie was smiling and she let out a laugh. Hyde was too far away to hear it, but he could tell by the way she threw her head back.
"I'm tired of this," Hyde said getting annoyed of wandering around and looking for seats. He stomped over to a group of nerdy looking freshman. "Move."
"B-b-but we're sitting here," one of the boys said looking nervous.
"Move," Hyde growled. "Or I will move you."
The guys clamored away and all the people sitting nearby scooted away. Hyde felt a little guilty scaring the underclassman, but he was already on edge being at the game, so he dismissed the thought. The rest of the gang filled the empty seats trying to hold make their laughs.
"How long is this stupid thing going to take?" Hyde asked.
"Probably an hour or two," Eric said.
"Why did you come if you're so grumpy about it?" Fez asked.
Hyde's eyes flicked to Jackie. He was grateful for the sunglasses that covered up the mistake. With a shrug he said, "Nothin' else to do."
"Sure," Donna said with a sly smile. "It had nothing to do with the way Jackie was pouting when you rejected the first time."
Hyde glared at her, but realizing she couldn't see it behind the glasses he said, "Since when have I carried what she thinks?"
Hyde was asking himself the same question. He shouldn't have come to the game. She shouldn't have been able to persuade him to and especially not by just pouting, but there he was sitting on a cold bench waiting for a high school football game to start.
"Seems like you've been caring a lot more lately, Hyde," Kelso grumbled.
"Whatever," Hyde said folding his arms across his chest.
"You might as well stop wasting your time," Kelso continued. "She's going to come running back to me any minute."
Hyde acted on instinct punching Kelso in the arm. Kelso let out a complaint and Hyde kept his face neutral. By this point, Hyde knew Jackie was not going to go running back to Kelso, but it couldn't hurt to physically remind Kelso of that fact.
Hyde was stopped from responding by movement below the stands. The cheerleaders were gathering on the right side of the field. A few of them were pulling out a banner. Jackie was standing and talking to another girl. Jackie was laughing and looked happy. Hyde realized he had never seen her like that. She looked so different from the girl that hung out with him in the basement. She looked like the girl that was homecoming queen. This was the perfect person everyone saw. This was the girl that gave Jackie her confidence and attitude, but not her witty come backs or the vulnerability that caused him to stay on prom night.
Jackie was the girl who would be voted most likely to succeed and he was the type that would be voted most likely to end up in prison, but looking at Jackie he wondered if either was true. He couldn't see how both could be true at the same time. They got along too well for both fates to unfold. The college bound cheerleader didn't get along with the pothead burnout, but they did. They were friends, there was no point in denying it and, even though he would never admit it to anyone, he had never cared about anyone as much as her. He really hoped her superlative was true, but he couldn't figure out what that meant for him.
Hyde's mind was distracted when the girl next to Jackie bent down and Jackie jumped unto her shoulders. The other girl's hands went to Jackie's thighs that were locked around her neck. Another girl handed Jackie the banner. The banner was stretched from Jackie to another cheerleader who held the other end while on another pair of shoulders.
"I didn't know football would have so much lady on lady action," Fez said gleefully.
"It's not sexual," Donna said rolling her eyes. "It would be no different than if she was on any of our shoulders."
Hyde's fingers twitched at Donna's comment. He wondered how soft her thighs would be remembering the kiss from over two months earlier.
"Donna, if Jackie's womanhood was that close to my face it would be sexual," Fez said seriously.
"Ew," Eric said. "It's Jackie and don't say womanhood it's creepy."
"Why is that creepy?" Donna asked Eric.
Sensing a dangerous conversation, everyone but Eric backed off. As Eric responded to Donna, Hyde watched the football players run through the banner and start taking their spots. The cheerleaders did the same.
Jackie's eyes kept flicking up to the curly haired boy sulking on the bleachers. She kept her shoulders back and her megawatt simile on, but she was so self-conscious. Hyde had his glasses on, but she could tell by the direction of his head that he was staring at her through the whole game. He had clearly only come to the game for her and the thought put a smile on her face.
Over the past two months they had gotten a lot closer even if he wouldn't admit it out loud. Still, whenever they hung out it was with the gang or in private. While they weren't hanging out at the game, he went out of his way to be somewhere he hated for her.
Jackie had to pull her eyes away from Hyde as the team started leaving the field for halftime. She moved into formation with the rest of the cheerleaders to get ready for their short routine they performed during the break. Claire, as the head cheerleader and captain had been pushing them to do more than the traditional dance moves and to start practicing some of the stunts that the college cheer teams were doing. Because Jackie was one of the smallest and most flexible girls on the team she was the one they chose to lift up at the end. At first it scared her, but after a bit of practice she started to love the thrill of it and she got to be center of attention, which she always enjoyed.
As music started from the speakers Jackie felt her body move in the familiar beat. She ignored the fans on the bleachers and focused on her moves. As the music started coming to the crescendo. Jackie took her spot in the back. On her mark she took a large jump pushing her legs out and she felt the familiar hands of Sara and Krista, another cheerleader, grabbing her calves. She had a second to let her body relax into the splits and then they were moving her up and the rest of the cheerleaders were taking their final pose. The music stopped and they all held their position as the crowd cheered.
Jackie's eye finally went up to where she knew the gang was sitting. Donna and Fez were cheering loudly, Eric looked bored, and Hyde and Kelso looked shocked. Jackie looked towards Hyde trying to make eye contact behind his dark glasses and winked. When Hyde's mouth opened slightly in response she knew he had seen it.
Jackie's smile was bigger when she came down from the move then when she was holding the pose. That exact moment was why she had wanted to gang to come to the game. For them to see her as someone who was impressive and capable of doing something, even if it was only dancing.
The football team was about to come out again, so she followed the rest of the cheerleaders to get some water and set back up. She kept her eyes off the bleachers, but her smile never faded.
AN: I'm so sorry this update took so long. I got completely distracted by life, but I should be back to my regular update schedule!