Chapter Two

Disclaimer in Part One

A.N. Sorry for the long wait.

Hyde grinned as Jackie left. She never used to be so fiesty. Or did she? Maybe it only seemed that way because he never used to find that quality endearing. Actually, Hyde reflected, he never used to find ANY quality in her endearing. It was amazing how much his attitude toward Jackie had changed since her breakup with Kelso. The breakup had really been the best thing for both of them. Jackie and Kelso were just not good for each other. Plus, they really annoyed him. The very memory of how they used to be fighting one minute and making out the next was enough to wipe the smile off of his face. Especially the last part.

Now, though, Jackie was much easier to get along with. Oh, she was still unbelievably conceited. Not to mention materialistic and predisposed to believe that life was a fairy tale in which she was destined to play the beautiful princess. Hmm… funny how the qualities that had once annoyed the hell out of him now just mad him smile fondly. But he wasn't prepared to think about that right now. Instead, he picked up his latest letter from Eric. Hyde had already read it once before, but now he felt slightly desperate to get Jackie off of his mind, and the letter was the nearest available distraction.

Dear Hyde,

How are things at home? Is my mom still trying to get Red to paint

the house pink? Oh, yeah. Pink walls. I'm not at all glad to be living in a

very cool dorm room. With very masculine WHITE walls, may I add.

Yesterday Kelso declared his major. He wants to study psychology Apparently he has always been interested in the supernatural. Get it? Psychology… Psychic… Yeah.

Fez is dating a girl named Candy. The moment he heard her name

he knew that it was fate. I have news for you, Hyde. Our little Fezzie has

become a man!

As for me and Donna, we're doing great. We have almost all of

our classes together, so, even though we are both busy doing our own things

(her with the Debate Team and school newspaper, and me with trying

desperately not to flunk all of my classes) we still see each other all the time.

And that's good.

Until summer (One more month! Yeah!),

Eric

P.S. Give Jackie a BIG kiss for me!

Hyde had to laugh, even as he planned to kick Forman's ass the next time he saw him. Eric seemed to be convinced that he had a thing for Jackie. Where the hell would he get that idea? Jackie was his friend. She had been ever since Kelso and she had split and she had, for some bizarre reason, turned to him for comfort. And, yeah, maybe the two of them had become a lot closer since the rest of the gang had taken of for Wisconsin State. Big deal. All they'd had to hang out with were each other. It was inevitable that their friendship would get more serious. And, yeah, maybe every now and then Hyde had trouble taking his eyes off of her. And maybe he enjoyed her tendency to hug him or kiss his cheek when she was happy a bit more than was strictly friendly. And maybe he hadn't been on a date in months because he couldn't work up any desire to be with another girl. And maybe Jackie's seemingly endless string of idiot boyfriends pissed him of to no end. And… hell, that was a lot of maybes. But it didn't mean anything.

Frustrated, Hude went into his room and got into bed. He might as well sleep; he couldn't think of anything better to do. Surprisingly, sleep claimed him not long after laying down.

And maybe he dreamed about Jackie.

But so what?