Day 1
Hyde
9 AM: Point Place, Wisconsin
Out of nowhere, Forman rushes down into the basement like it isn't early. I'm still barely awake, and not especially excited to see him at this hour.
"Man, what am I gonna do?"
"What's it now?" I ask, giving him a passive aggressive yawn.
"I'm not going to Madison anymore!"
"Huh?" Did I hear him right? All he's been talking about for months is getting out of here with Donna.
"My dad's coming home from the hospital in twelve days, and he can't drive or do anything! I was still gonna go, but then my mom got that sad look on her face and I just felt so guilty...I need to stay and help out..."
Damn. Poor Forman. "You're a good man, Forman", I say, nodding. "Must be why we're nothing alike".
He nods. "Too good. But I just feel like my life is over! At the ripe old age of seventeen!"
Suddenly I'm hit with an idea. "No, man, your life is over in twelve days. See, you're forgetting about those twelve days. We're going to California".
He stares at me, wideyed. 'But...but...we can't possibly afford place tickets!"
I shrug. "So we'll drive".
Before we can protest more, Jackie bursts in. I feel my stomach turn. God, why can't I get her off my mind? I shouldn't have cheated on her. But why does she have to be so exasperating, acting like Kelso's still an option and all? Does she even want to get back with me, despite the fact I feel like she's trying to seduce me half the time I see her?
"Hey, Jackie, your Easy Bake oven head any closer to making that incredibly hard decision?"
"Steven, I told you, I'm almost at my most delicious shade of cocoa brown and that's when you'll know. Trust me, you don't want me to rush!"
I groan. "Well, it might speed things along cause we're all driving to California for twelve days. Starting today".
She squeals. "Perfect! Rachel from the cheer team has a beach house we can stay at!" Then, another second later, "Ew, as long as I don't have to take the night driving shift". Great, she's both thrilled about this and she has connections for us to make this trip cheaper, just like I thought.
"Oh, you're taking the night shift" I reassure, patting her on the arm, although we both know she isn't if it's up to me.
Forman watches us, confused. "How are you guys just so...ready for this? Well, I think I'm finally starting to understand how you two worked out, even for a little while".
"Poor people and I don't work out, Eric" Jackie claims, glaring at me, but I fight back a smile. Jackie puts down poor people when she's trying to hide something.
"Let me go pack!"
"Alright, but hurry up, cause we're leaving in an hour" I instruct her. She runs out the door happily, and I have to force myself not to watch her leave. God, she's never gonna make up her mind, why can't I just forget her?
Forman turns back to me. "Hyde, I fully support a burn on Jackie, but Donna's never gonna say yes to this".
I sigh. "No, man, we're really going. Of course Donna'll want to be there for the last few days before her boyfriend turns into a complete drag. Just tell her she can see Midge, alright?"
He stares at me, like the immense favor I'm doing him is finally setting in. "Alright, I'll go tell her" he says, eagerly running off.
Great. Now the only challenge (I plan on driving down to Jackie's and blasting Zeppelin outside her window until she hurries up her packing because that girl could take hours) is making sure Kelso and Fez are awake. Probably recruit the two of them to help me steal some food from the hotel kitchen for the trip. Which can easily be accomplished.
11 AM: Point Place, Wisconsin
We all pile into the Vista Cruiser, She's Not There by Santana playing from the radio as we head toward Iowa. Eric, Donna and me sit in the front, Jackie, Fez and Kelso in the back. I think you can guess who chose the seating arrangements, but it's not gonna last, thanks to the meticulous driving duty chart Donna made. Unfortunately, my shift is the last before we plan on calling it a night, the infamous 11-2. Guess I jinxed it when I told Jackie she'd have to do it. Should've made the damn list myself.
Jackie taps me on the shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Steven".
"What?"
"Will you put my jacket in the front? I just feel so...constricted"
"Alright" I tell her, but when I turn around again she's in a tiny strapless top that doesn't even reach her belly button, smirking at me.
"What, you don't care about the view out the window?" she asks as I can't help but eye her up and down. I force myself to look away, shooting her a dirty look. Who does she think she is? It shouldn't be legal for a girl to act like they don't want you but then try to make you go hard a second later. God. I need to stop giving her the time of day. Who cares about the look Fez is also giving her.
"Are we almost there?" he asks from the back.
"No, man, this is a huge country. I think it takes like, a whole hour to drive across!" Kelso replies.
"God, I'm sick of sitting next to you two idiots!" Jackie shouts.
I groan. This is gonna be a long drive.
1 PM: West Bend, Wisconsin
"Aii, I need to use the bathroom" Fez moans as we cruise by field after field. "Fez, you should've told us before! Can you wait until we go through Cedar Rapids?" Donna asks from behind the wheel.
"Ohhh...I don't know..."
"Just pee in a bottle, man" I tell him. He reluctantly picks up an old Coke can from the floor.
"Don't get that can anywhere near me!" Jackie says from in front of me, shrinking into herself.
I snicker at her. "Better sit tight or the little particles are gonna absorb into your pretty little skin".
She turns around, horrified. "Steven, that's not funny!" I roll my eyes, laughing and only then remembering I need to stop speaking to her.
5 PM: Iowa City, Iowa
"Okay, now I need to go to the bathroom too, and I can't exactly go in a bottle so we might as well stop and switch drivers. I think it's Kelso's turn" Donna declares, pulling off the highway. Thank god. Freedom. And as far as the eye can see, more of this damn Iowan suburbia and fresh air. It's almost too much for someone as paranoid as me. Am I having flashbacks? Wow, I need to get inside.
I'm eyeing the food line, thinking about getting a burger when I heard a familiar "Steven!"
"What?" I snap, a bit annoyed she's interrupting my ten seconds of alone time.
"I just want you to know that I've made my decision. I chose you". Well, about time, but I'm not just gonna let her have me now after all this. With that, she wraps her arms around me, pulling me into a kiss. She's still wearing that damn shirt (if you can even call it that) and before I can stop myself I kiss her back, relishing her taste. Honestly works out even better. I'll take the hot kiss, then teach her a lesson that I'm not just gonna wait around all summer for her. You know, have my cake and eat it too. I swipe around in her mouth, stealing her minty gum for extra measure.
"Wow" she says, giggling appreciatively.
"Yeah, I'm a good kisser".
"Mhmm".
"Here's your gum back".
She looks up at me frantically, going in for another kiss despite our very public location, but I stop her before she can meet my lips.
"Jackie, I'm not Fez. You really think I'm just gonna wait around all summer for you?". I ignore her hurt expression and get into the food line, but not before I realize Kelso has come out of the bathroom and watched the whole thing. Great.
6 PM: Iowa City, Iowa
"Hey, before we leave can we all toast Hyde? He's given me twelve more days of his youth, and without the orphan boy this trip would never be possible" Forman declares. He, Donna, Fez and Kelso raise their water cups from around the rest-stop table. I raise a finger.
"Aw, Forman, wouldn't have done it if I'd known it'd bring on this display of sentimentality" I reply, clapping him on the back to half offset my words.
"To Hyde" everyone but Jackie says. I give her a look. Man, could she put a damper on the start of the trip any more?
"Oh for God's sake, to HYDE". She wasn't letting this go.
1 AM: Ogallala, Nebraska
The highway is eerily quiet to every side of me, and I feel like I'm driving through nothingness with only the full moon for company. Everyone is asleep, their breaths blending together rhythmically, and I'm left alone with my own thoughts. Normally, I wouldn't mind, even without a joint, but stuff's a little different when you're in the proximity of your sleeping ex who can't make up her mind if she wants you or not. There's gonna be so many hot California chicks in my near future, but my stupid mind just won't let me stop thinking about her. Am I being an asshole? I mean, I did cheat on her, so I can understand why she broke up with me. But I owned up to it! Even forced myself to go against every inch of my being and admit I loved her! Of course I only cheated since I thought she was cheating with Kelso, and she wasn't so I felt like shit. But then she actually seemed to consider getting back with him over me? I mean, how messed up was that? A year with me and she was still ready to go back to that brainless loser who treated her like shit?
"Hyde". It's Kelso, from right behind me.
The sudden sound jerks me out of my thoughts, almost causing me to swerve.
"Jesus, I thought you were asleep! What?"
"You've gotta get back with Jackie, man!"
He's nuts. I take a gamble on the fact no one's gonna appear on the road around me for the next few seconds to turn around and give him a glare.
"Kelso, you're gonna wake her up!" I shout-whisper. The reality hits in. "YOU're telling me to get back with Jackie?"
"I've changed, Hyde. I release her to you. She wants to be with you and you're obviously not over her either, so come to your senses and get some!"
"I'm not just gonna sit around at her disposal"
"Well, you know what, Hyde, why don't you not be a jerk for once? YOU cheated on her. Even I know how mad chicks get when you cheat on them and I'm the king! You need to learn that if one of them's willing to take you back, you drop everything and do it!"
I groan. Am I trapped in dreamland? Kelso actually has a point. As much as I don't want to admit it, of course she couldn't just take me back right away. I'm an idiot for not thinking this through. She had to take the time to forgive me.
"Kelso, shut up and count yourself lucky you're not driving". Well, I guess I really am a jerk.
2 AM: Sterling, Colorado
Before we finally stop for the night, I take a deep breath. The car shudders to a stop, the outlines of trees everywhere around us. I quickly adjust the seat forward until I can barely fit for the morning shift driver tomorrow, a certain 95 pound brunette. "Alright, we're here".
"Ah, yes yes yesss" Fez mumbles dreamily from next to me. Ew. "Fez, man. Wake up". Fez and Kelso groan and roll over in their respective areas of the car, but Forman and Donna roll reluctantly out. Donna begins unrolling his double sleeping bag for the two of them, gesturing for Forman to help, but he just watches her, bleary eyed and mumbling something about not feeling good. I chuckle for a second until I remember what I have to do.
And there she is, getting out of the backseat of the car, gazing at the stars.
"Jackie".
"What?" she asks. From behind, Kelso winks at me and then immediately falls over with a light snore.
"Can we talk for a minute?"
"I don't know, didn't seem like you wanted to talk earlier" she replies. I begrudgingly give her my hand, closing the door behind her. "Fine".
"Privately" I add, nodding at Forman and Donna, who fortunately are too busy making out in the sleeping bag by now to notice.
We walk away a few steps, behind some trees. "Look, I was an idiot for not taking you back".
She nods. "Yeah".
"Just-give me another chance. I just didn't want to admit I wronged you. But what I did was un-freakin-believable, okay? And I see now why you couldn't just take me back right away"
Her face changes, and she watches me with big eyes under the stars. "Oh, Steven. I knew you'd understand". My face twists into a stupid smile.
"So are we cool?" I ask her.
"Yeah, because you love-" Well, even if I said it once I'm not just gonna say it to say it. I put a finger to her lips, shushing her and pulling her up into a kiss.
The last kiss was hot, but this one is something else, awakening nerve endings I forgot existed, nerve endings only Jackie annoyingly knows the signal to. We smile into the kiss, and I pick her up, wrapping her legs around the tree for leverage. I can think of nothing else, and it takes far too long for us to realize we have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow. Also, it's 2 AM and we're making out at the edge of the woods like a weird tree orgy.
"C'mon, I'll go get my sleeping bag for us" I tell her, carrying her in my arms the whole way to the car as she giggles softly, too caught up with my chick to care if any of our friends happen to be awake.
Well, this is a first, I guess I owe one to Kelso. Before, I saw this as Forman's trip, the rest of us along for the ride. But suddenly, it feels like this could be my trip now, and that's without all the chicks on the beach. I never would have known, but Jackie and I spent an eternity apart and we have all the catching up in the world to do.