Hyde glanced up from the sweaty mug of ale that he was babying, toning out the idle conversation with the dull (but easy on the eyes) blonde beside him at the counter when he noticed a familiar shock of ginger hair step through the door of the dingy tavern.
He abandoned the easy girl he had been sucking face with in the bathroom stall earlier in the night, not caring if his behavior was rude and offensive and instead made his way over to greet his friend.
'Hey! Where are you going?' Called the blonde after his retreating figure, to which he did not bother granting her a response.
'Hey, I thought you and Foreman were hanging out tonight?' Greeted curiously Hyde, coming to stand beside Donna who was perched atop a bar stool wearing her catholic school girl uniform that drove every man in the vincinity wild. spurring intrusive, perverse thoughts in the front of their intoxicated minds.
'Yeah, well, don't tell him you saw me here, alright?' She dryly pleaded, biting her lower lip in guilt. 'I sort of lied to him and said that I had to study so I could go out with my friends tonight.' She explained.
'Hey guys,' Donna spoke up over the music so that the gaggle of college preps offered their undivided attention to the pair as the lively conversation they were immersed in suddenly ceased as they paused to listen.
'This is my friend, Steven Hyde. Mind if he joins us for a drink?' Asked Pinciotti.
'Not at all!' Smirked Donna's girl friend, Judy, eyeing the scruffy rebel up and down seductively and casting him a flirtatious, daring wink.
'Don't get any ideas, he's taken.' Donna scolded the female opposite from her, tone laidback and an easy smirk on her lips.
'Pity.' pouted Judy.
'Don't listen to this one,' Said Hyde in objection, gesturing to the redhead. 'I am most definitely single and ready to mingle.' He winked back at her with a cheeky, boyish grin and toasted their glasses together with an audible clink, celebrating the weekend.
Donna nudged Hyde roughly in the arm, casting him a serious look as she hissed beneath her breathe. 'Where's Wake?' She Inquired, looking over his broad shoulder in search of her best girl friend.
'Why would she be here with me?' Snipped Steven with a scowl.
'Hm, I dunno, maybe because the two of you are living together?' Donna teased him playfully.
He didn't look amused.
'Yeah, well, she isn't here. She took off. We got into a fight of sorts, I guess.' Hyde supplied.
It was half past one when Donna drove a very drunk Hyde back home and helped him as he staggered up to Jan's doorstep.
The groggy brunette appeared, eyes puffy and shadowed with rings of exhaustion. Her hair was disheveled and she wore a pair of plaid, flannel pajama pants with an oversized Led Zeppelin tee shirt that hung off her bony shoulder.
She looked miserable, more so than was to be expected considering she was a miserly, pessimistic Capricorn, thought Donna. She was fortunate to be a lively Aries. She didn't let much get her down, except her parents dysfunctional marriage, that was her Achilles heel.
'I've returned your stupid boyfriend.' Smiled the ginger, sliding Hyde's arm from off her shoulders and passing him along to her.
Jan caught him instinctively as he stumbled and rolled her eyes as she huffed out in irritation, looking displeased with the entire situation.
'You reak of booze and cheap perfume.' Jan informed him with a scowl of disgust, pushing him away from her and watching as he staggered deeper into the living room, knocking over her father's bamboo plant on his way down to the cushions on the floor where he crashed.
He was sprawled out dramatically and closed his eyes, succumbing almost instantly to deep state of slumber. It didn't take long for him to let out a rattling snore.
'Is that lipstick?' Jan noted, looking upon the corner of his lip in jealousy.
'I didn't see him with a girl, but he arrived before me. So who knows what he was up to.' Frowned Donna, gazing down at the pathetic sight of him passed out upon the floor like a proper alcoholic. Hyde was the King of self-destruction.
'Why were you there anyway?' Jan wondered, ushering her friend inside to talk with her for a minute.
Donna frowned, guilt written clearly across her freckled face.
She told Jan everything. How she had lied to Eric and went out for a night out on the town with her cool, new college friends. Chatting away and following Jan into the kitchen, watching as she prepared a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of cold water for Steven, taking care of him despite how aggravated she was with her burdensome room mate.
'I just needed space, you know?' Lamented Donna. 'I needed a night out alone without him. Don't get me wrong, I love Eric, but I'm eighteen and I have so much living left to do yet before I settle down into the marriage life and sometimes we spend so much time together that it starts to feel like we are married and I feel like I'm being smothered and I just need to get away for a little while, on my own.'
'I think you should just be honest with him. I think he would understand your need for freedom. It would spare you this guilt, at the very least.' Jan wisely reasoned.
'You're right. I will be honest with him next time I want to hang out with my new friends from school. Tonight sucked honestly. All I could think of was Eric and how bummed out he must be sitting at home all alone.' She admitted.
'My night sucked also. Hyde's been talking behind my back to the guys about his progress in claiming my virginity as his own personal trophy.' Jan informed her bitterly, looking openly wounded. She had cried and crying did not come easy for her.
'Don't you just hate that? How they all talk about us behind our backs like we are objects and not people, let alone their friends!' Donna agreed, becoming riled up, sharing in her anger.
'It's sickening.' Jan nodded, moving back into the scarce living room and setting down the food and drink nearby before she crouched down beside the drunkard upon her floor and attempted to rouse him awake.
'So... have the two of you, you know, done much?' Donna wondered in a hushed, conspiring tone a moment after they had persecuted the men for gossiping much the same.
Jan shook her head negative. 'I'm glad I held out now though.'
'What's it like... your first time doing it?' Jan mustered the courage to ask the more sexually experienced of the two females. She looked sheepish.
'It hurts at first but then it's alright. The first few times for me were sort of blah.' Donna shrugged. 'But once we both got into the groove and past the awkward stage it was a lot of fun and well, it felt nice.'
Jan knew that Donna was not speaking of her experiences with Eric, but of a boy with whom she lost her virginity with during her vacation to Florida two summers prior. Jan was the only one amid the gang who knew of Donna's secret, that she was not a virgin and had not been for quite some time now.
'Why are you holding out on Eric?' Jan could not help but wonder out loud, doing her best to be mindful to keep the tone of judgement from being detected in her words. She didn't think it was right, considering how patient and understanding Eric had been with Donna taking things slow over the past year. He deserved for Donna to let him get to know her fully.
'Honestly? I'm scared and insecure. I love Eric but I'm afraid he will notice I'm not as pure as he believes me to be and will be turned off by me, and feel betrayed. I'm afraid he won't love me if he finds out about my sexual history. He doesn't like loose girls...' Said Donna quietly, feeling deeply ashamed.
'You are not a loose girl, Donna.' Jan reassured her softly, casting her a serious, stern look to convey her sincerity. 'And for what it's worth, I don't think he will fall out of love with you...'
Steven groaned, mumbling as he stirred and his eyes fluttered open, looking up at her in contentment.
'Is this just a naughty dream or have I died and gone to heaven? Either way I'm excited and willing.' He joked, waggling his sandy brows half heartedly as he looked between the two beautiful women crouched above him, hinting at a threesome.
Pinciotti slapped him lightly in the chest while Wake rolled her stormy, blue eyes at him, not amused by his crude implication even though she knew he were only kidding around.
'Eat this and sober up.' She bossed him.
Donna excused herself soon after as it was getting really late.
Jan nursed her drunk room mate for a while longer, ensuring that he got some food in him and water before allowing him to rest it off.
She was looking forward to witnessing his unpleasant hangover later that day, considering his suffering as just retribution for the emotional turmoil he had put her through tonight.
The blond puked first thing upon rising at a quarter past noon, retching the last of the toxicity from his system and recalled the events of the previous day.
'Do you want to talk?' He greeted Jan once he had cleaned himself up and showered, meeting her in the living room where she was lounging around that Saturday afternoon, feeling lazy and watching daytime television with a bowl of soggy cereal in her lap.
He noted that she was still in her pajamas and her dark hair looked like a rat's nest. Still, she was beautiful in that low key sort of way of hers.
She ignored his presence purposefully, conveying that she was intent upon holding a grudge.
Hyde stood in the threshold, observing her and becoming increasingly restless the longer that she continued to pretend that he did not exist.
'You're being childish. I thought you were more mature than this, January.' He gently scolded, using her birth name as a weak jab at getting back at her for ignoring him. He hated being ignored, due to his abusive childhood and knew that Jan hated her birth name because it reminded her of her mother and ripped open old wounds. It was equal payment.
He eventually moved to sit down nearby her, still waiting for her to acknowledge him.
She remained stoic and held her vow of silence, feigning full interest in the television set before her and zero interest in him.
'Are you going to ignore me all day or are we going to talk like a pair of actual adults?' He snipped, his impatience wearing thin.
She continued to look straight ahead of her, expression blank and demeanor chilling as she gave him the most impressive cold shoulder that he had ever witnessed.
Damn, this girl was good at being mean.
Finally he had enough of her games and took matters into his own hands, literally, scooping her up from the oriental cushions on the floor and causing her cereal to spill down the front of her pajamas and onto the linoleum.
She cried out in alarm and cursed a string of unladylike profanities at him as she flailed angrily against him, scratching and thrashing as he threw her gently over his shoulder and carried her off briskly towards her bedroom, slapping her bum in a few times in the process just to ruffle her feathers even more.
'Put me down, you asshole! I'm going to murder you!' Growled the controlling prude, still cursing and struggling against him in vain. Jan bit his shoulder blade through his tee shirt leaving a bite mark, which only served to turn him on rather than detour him.
'Do that again, doll.' He hissed, kissing her thigh before throwing her down playfully upon the bed in a tangled heap of fuming woman.
She recomposed herself, mustering the last traces of her dignity as she sat up regally and glared at him, breathless and disheveled and he thought to himself that she had never looked hotter looking like the unraveled, unhinged queen that she was, manic and magnificent. He liked his woman dark and deep.
'We need to talk.' He tried again, sobering up and becoming more serious as he pushed aside his arousal and stared down at her intently in an effort to gauge her response.
'Go on.' She permitted curtly and so he continued.
'Look, men brag to one another about sex. It's something all men talk about. It's a very common daily discussion, with little more hidden meaning or consideration than discussing the weather.' Hyde attempted to convince her, pleading his case of innocence.
'So, I was stupid to assume you were less shallow than the rest of your kind?' Snapped Jan pointedly. She was too clever for his tricks. He might have been capable of fooling other women with his charisma but she saw past the bullshit.
'Just be honest with me.' She pressed. 'Even if it's hurtful. You know I would appreciate the hard truth more than gentle lies. I hate being lied to.' Jan gave him that no nonsense look which made her features appear stone-like.
'Fine.' He huffed, bracing himself for her wrath. He gave it a shot regardless. If she thought she could handle the truth he'd give her what she wanted.
'We talk about all of you.' Hyde admitted bluntly. 'We can't help ourselves, we are men and men are pigs. We have three foxy friends. It's impossible to be just friends with a girl and not be attracted to that person on some level, at least for guys it's like that, and I think it's sort of crazy for you to persecute me over being a man and behaving like a man.' He told her matter of fact, looking smug, like he was the champion of this debate.
Jan was quick to retort, not giving up the fight that easily.
'I'm not blaming you for your manly urges. I'm blaming you for being a sneak and talking about me behind my back in such a distasteful way. You are my best friend. I feel betrayed. You embarasssd me in front of our other friends.' She calmly stated her case.
'That wasn't my intention. I didn't think of it like that. It was just stupid guy talk. I think you're making this a much bigger deal than it needs to be, doll.' He rationalized.
'It isn't your place to determine how I should feel. I know you aren't used to being around a strong female figure, with your deadbeat mother and the trash you're used to screwing around with but I'm not easy and I'm not dumb and you will never disrespect me like that again or else this friendship is over. I will not be treated like those other girls you're used to using. You can't steam roll over me and mistreat me and expect that I'll keep coming back for more like a fool. Forgiveness isn't my forte. Don't make my shit list.' She warned him fiercely, exuding an admirable level of self-assurance and dignity with the pride and prowess of a lioness.
'Alright.' Was all that he could say in response to her bold declaration. He saw her point and respected her grit.
'Alright.' She parroted softly with an air of finality, signifying that this discussion was over. They had talked and it was no longer up for debate.
Jan needed some space so she gathered her things and got cleaned up and presentable before they left together in silence to meet up with the gang over at Jackie's place across town.
Hyde decided to keep his mouth shut and give her some time to cool off and forgive him. He had made progress, the air between them wasn't as thick. The silence that clung to them was comfortable on the way over to Jackie's for her fancy, intimate get together.
'You know what would make this party even better?' Eric hissed in Donna's ear. 'Sweet death.' He declared flatly.
Kelso was banging away on the piano keys until Jackie commanded him to stop playing and behave himself.
'Thank goodness,' Said Fez coming in through the back door. 'I thought my ears might bleed from that awful music.'
'Fez!' Gasped Jackie in horror, having made clear that he wasn't invited.
Jan came next through the front door, bearing a gift of cheap champagne in a paper bag that she picked up at the gas station on the way there.
She wore one of the few dresses that she owned, a velvet, maroon number with long, bell sleeves and a waistline that clung to her hips, paired with snagged pantyhose and a pair of tall, suede boots.
'Hyde!' Jackie gasped in horror yet again as the unpolished blond stepped inside behind her. She had made equally as clear that he too was not welcome.
Jackie shot an irked look at her boyfriend as he began to obnoxiously bang upon the ivory keys of her parent's sleek, grand piano yet again in defiance, heart set upon performing a show for them all.
'Michael!' She shouted, on the verge of unraveling.
'Michael, Hyde, Fez.' He mimicked his distressed girlfriend, putting her words to the tune of a primitive song. 'The gang's all here!' He announced merrily, oblivious to Jackie's blatant displeasure.
'He followed me here like a stray dog.' Jan told Jackie, referring to Steven beside her with an apologetic shrug. She glanced at him momentarily and he caught the twinkle of amusement in her eye indicating she was only joking. Wake was finally beginning to warm up to him again, little by little, the ice was thawing.
'I had nothing else to do and since you made it clear not to come, I thought I'd grace you with my presence just to burn you. I must say, I'm not disappointed. The look in your face is priceless.' Declared Hyde to Jackie in a chipper tone before he returned a sly smirk in Jan's direction before brushing smoothly' past the brunettes and deeper into the lame party.
'Excuse me fellas, where's the food?' Inquired Hyde, his stomach rumbling. Him and Fez each reached out a hand to pluck up a handful of bizarre little spheres of what looked to be some sort of moist fruit.
'Are these melon balls for everyone?' Fez wondered, happily plopping the dessert ball into his mouth to taste the foreign, upper-class, American delicacy.
Hyde shrugged, figuring what the hell, he'd try it.
'Cantaloupe! Disgusting!' He retched, spitting it back out into the palm of his hand and returning it to the bowl, to Jackie's horror.
Jackie looked upon the savages with an exasperated expression, her ruby lips pursed tightly in a scowl.
'Who invited them?' She demanded to know.
'I did.' Answered Michael, before greeting Chuck behind her, and then Timmy, and then a few others as more and more people began to arrive.
'Why would you invite all these people, Michael?' Asked Jackie, tone anxious and demeanor tense, opposite of the flowing, sheer jumpsuit she wore which was elegant and fluttered attractively in the breeze created by her strides whenever she moved about the party.
'Well, I figured if a party of ten people was fun, then a party of thirty people would be twice as fun!'
Jan smirked in amusement at his miscalculation but did feel bad for Jackie, who was on the verge of tears and perhaps even a mental breakdown.
'I wanted a small, classy party!' Jackie reminded him angrily.
'Relax,' Jan stepped in and tried to pacify her before she threw a tantrum. 'This is the classiest party I've ever been to. I'm sure you'll be the talk of the town after this.'
'Oh, Janet' The narcissist gushed. 'You really mean it? You really think so?'
'Yeah, totally. Now relax and enjoy your fancy party. ' The lankier brunette advised her.
'Look at me! I'm taking off my pants!' Hooted and Hollered Timmy from behind them.
Jan raised her brows in surprise as she beheld the sight of of the fearless man in his sheer underpants.
'He's well endowed. Who knew, being he's so short.' Appraised Jan in skeptical amusement, speaking to Jackie beside her.
Hyde glared at her, having overheard her crude remark and feeling jealous.
'The finest things come in small packages, take a diamond ring for example.' Mused Jackie, checking him out as well.
Jan removed her wool peacoat that was saturated with snow and hung it on a cherry-wood coat tree nearby before slipping past her girl friend and deeper into the party.
She found Eric and Donna gathered in the corner near the bookcase and joined the designated 'wallflower' section of the party.
'Look at these wild hooligans.' Eric was lamenting, looking with deep disapproval upon the sea of rowdy party-goers.
'Okay, Red.' Teased Donna.
'I mean, there's a coaster right here. Why not use it?' Scolded Foreman, placing a coaster beneath a sweating bottle of cheap beer that had been abandoned atop the grand piano. 'A minute longer and that would have surely left a mark.' He predicted.
'Okay, Kittie.' Chuckled Donna, teasing her boyfriend yet again.
The pair peered up as Jan joined them.
Eric met her gaze briefly, before immediately diverting his eyes as he looked away sheepishly, recalling the vivid fantasies he had explored last night staring her and him. He felt guilty, like what he had done was written upon his forehead and they might read it and know how perverted he was, at least that's how he felt, like a piece of filth lacking in self-control.
Jan noticed his awkward demeanor, how stiff he appeared and how he seemed to be purposely avoiding her, which was odd, but she didn't remark upon it, chatting with Donna instead to pass by the time.
The guys drank beer from crystal glasses.
Someone put on good music and people danced.
The atmosphere was alive and buzzing with chatter.
Everyone was having a good time.
Jackie's classy party wasn't as stagnant as many of her friends had predicted.
Still, the Burkhart princess was not happy. This was not how she had idealized the night and foresaw it playing out. Her party was a disaster! She decided, storming off to go sulk in her bedroom.
'We ought to go check on her, she looks upset.' Donna suggested.
'Yeah, I guess so. I got to pee anyway.' Jan decided, killing two birds with one stone.
'You okay?' Inquired Donna hesitantly as she entered Jackie's girly, pink bedroom.
'I don't want to talk about Michael!' Shouted Jackie in reply, eyes puffy from crying, clutching a frilly pillow to her chest for comfort.
'You're mascara is running.' Jan noted flatly, supplying her with a tissue to wipe clean her cheeks.
Jackie blew her nose loudly into it after she had made herself presentable.
'Okay, what is your honest opinion of Michael?' Jackie asked them.
'Honestly? I think you have high expectations for him which are unrealistic.' Donna began truthfully, mindful to keep her tone soft as she spoke. 'You expect him to be sophisticated and smart when in reality he's unsophisticated and unsmart.'
'He's a moron and you could do better, so much better.' Chimed in Jan bluntly, tone far less delicate.
'You're smart and sophisticated, and loyal, and giving, and you deserve someone who can match all of that.' Said Jan.
'How can you two say that crap? I thought you were my friends.' Sniffed Jackie, peering between her two gigantic, poor, less attractive friends in offense.
'You asked for our honest opinions...' Donna reminded her pointedly.
'Yeah for you to tell me honestly how perfect Michael is for me! Duh!' She elaborated.
'You're right though, I suppose.' Jackie admitted. 'But he's just such a fantastic lover!' She considered in anguish.
Jan wanted to gag, instantly feeling queasy at the thought of Michael Kelso's skill in the sheets.
Donna looked equally as nauseated at the mental image projected into her mind against her will.
Meanwhile downstairs amid the party, the guys were getting increasingly more intoxicated by the second.
'I don't understand women!' Kelso thundered in outrage after Jackie had stormed off.
'Neither does Hyde.' Chuckled Fez, nudging the player playfully in the shoulder.
'What is this, a funeral?' Announced Eric, joining the fellas with a lit cigar dangling from his lips. 'Come on, lets have some fun!' He suggested.
'Hyde is too lovesick to have any fun.' Fez pointed out.
'Lovesick? I'm not lovesick!' Objected the rebel. 'I don't love her, man! I just think we should be having sex is all, because we both would enjoy it.'
'If you keep treating her like garbage she's never going to give it up to you. She's classy. Like, classier than this party.' Eric pointed out.
'You sound like you're the one in love with her, man.' Hyde considered, casting him a dangerous look.
'No, man. Not at all.' The scrawny male held up his hands in surrender. 'I'm just saying, Jan is out of your league, like how Donna is way out of my league and Jackie is way out of Kelso's. You need to treat her better. Be grateful that she even bats an eyelash in your direction. You know?'Replied Foreman bluntly, gaining a set of balls suddenly just because he was holding a Cuban cigar, he felt like he was the bee's knees.
Kelso joined Foreman, taking one from the cedar cigar box in Mr. Burkharts desk drawer and everything went downhill from there.
The women returned to the party to find that Kelso had started a fire in Jackie's house and the party had cleared out.
Jackie considered breaking up with Michael that night. She had a lot to think about, she told him sternly.
'He loves you, Jackie.' Fez spoke up in his best friend's defense. 'He's just so, so stupid.' He reasoned in a pleading tone, casting Kelso a sympathetic glance. 'Have mercy, woman.'
Hyde and Wake left the party.
'I had a decent time.' Jan admitted, pleasantly surprised.
Hyde agreed.
'You know,' he spoke up a moment later, tone thoughtful as they walked up to her front porch.
Snow flurries fell, littering the barren earth like dandruff on a dry scalp.
The moonlight illuminated their path.
'You look amazing in that dress, with those boots... you're driving me wild.' He admitted, absorbing her full appearance with a hungry glint in his eyes that caused her stomach to churn with desire.
It made her weak, when he looked at her with such intensity. It drove her mad.
'You clean up well, also, Steven.' She coolly complimented him, brushing seductively past her roomate upon unlocking the front door and entering the lightless living room. She was intentionally toying with him as she sauntered down the hall towards her bedroom to undress.
'So cruel.' He sighed, staring after her retreating figure with a dazed expression and an amused shake of his head to express his disappointment. He wanted her so bad and he was bummed he couldn't have her.
Suddenly he heard a crash and a carnal scream piercing through the air.
As he rushed forward a dark silhouette emerged from the shadows and struck him hard in the temple with a blunt object. He staggered from the sheer force of the unexpected impact, seeing stars. He grunted in pain, clutching his throbbing skull and feeling blood coat his fingertips.
A struggle was taking place down the hall in the direction Jan had went.
Steven's heart raced with terror, worried more for her sake than for his. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he blocked out the pain as he regained his footing and braced himself for the impact as the intruder ran towards him again and descended upon him in the most violent brawl of his life.
Jan fought just as hard, but it was not an even match and the second intruder who had attacked her was able to quickly overpower his victim and assault her.
Hyde fought valiantly in a struggle for his life, the desperate instinct to protect her in the forefront of his mind. He fought with all his might, with all his rage and will to overcome the other male and save the one he loved.
He could hear her screams and it was agony, hearing her suffer and unable to help her.
A third intruder appeared from deeper within the home than the other two masked men, where he had been busy with the main objective of the robbery, ceasing the goods, gathering as much valuables and as much marijuana as he could carry away.
Steven was at a disadvantage as the brawl quickly became two against one and the pair of criminals overpowered him, eventually knocking him out cold with a second blow to the head with the baseball bat.
Jan was sexually assaulted and then beaten to the point of unconsciousness.
The newspaper article detailing the gruesome crime ended with 'Staff at the Medical Center expect a full recovery. Both teens are doing well and are looking forward to being released in the following days ahead. The suspects have not yet been apprehended.'
The traumatic home invasion opened a door for each of them, changing their perception forever.