CHAPTER SEVEN
~~~~~~~~~~~*Later that night at the Thunderbird*~~~~~~~~~~
The band had just finished for the night and they were all exhausted. The four of them, Jimmy, Robert, John and Paul crossed the bar and climbed into the red vinyl booth where Hyde was already sitting with a pitcher of beer.
"Hey man," Jimmy said as poured himself a glass, "what's with you tonight?"
"Yea man," Robert said, "This is, like, the biggest gig we've ever had and your all, like..."
"Grumpy," John offered.
"Yea, grumpy," Robert agreed. "What's with the grumpiness man?"
"Whatever man, I'm not grumpy," Hyde snapped. "This was a big night. I'm just stressed."
"Yea, stressed" Paul said, rolling his eyes. "Whatever dude."
"Just drink your beer," Hyde said, annoyed.
"Oh..." Jimmy said suddenly. "I know what this is about, 'Jackie troubles,' right?"
"It's not 'Jackie troubles' dill hole," Hyde said, imitating the girlie way Jimmy said 'Jackie troubles.'
They all stared at him. They had never seen him this edgy.
"Hey man," Robert said as he raised his eyebrows, "I know what you need..."
Two minutes later they were out in the parking lot, behind the bar, in Jimmy's van. They were sitting in a circle on the orange shag carpet.
"Zeppelin or Fog Hat?" Paul called from the front seat as he turned on the stereo.
"Whatever man," John said.
Hyde settled into his usual spot in the corner. He liked Jimmy's van. It reminded him of Foreman's basement, except it didn't smell quite as bad.
In no time, the van was filled with smoke.
"Man, tonight was pretty bad ass," Paul said, smiling contently.
"Yeaaa," Robert agreed. "That crowd was huge!"
"Man, did you see that girl flashing us in the front row?" John asked.
"Yea," Jimmy said, "That was sweet!"
They all looked at Hyde, waiting for him to comment, but he just continued to stare into space.
"Hyde, man, your really bringing down the van. What's with you tonight?" Paul asked.
"Yea man," Jimmy said, "Happened with Jackie? You're still getting married, aren't you?"
"No," Hyde replied flatly.
"I'm sorry man," John sighed. "You really loved her, huh?"
"I never said that!" Hyde snapped.
'It's true,' he thought to himself. Never, in the two years they had been dating, had he ever said that to her. Not even when he proposed.
"Well, then, I guess it's all for the best, man," Jimmy muttered. "I mean if you don't love her and you're not getting married, then there's nothing left to do but move on, right?"
Hyde just stared at him.
"Yea man," Robert said. "Don't worry Jackie, I'm sure she'll get over it."
"Yea, she'll be fine." John said. "She's hot. She'll probably find some pre- med/pre-law senior, get married, squeeze out a couple of his kids, and forget all about you."
Hyde glared at him, but no one noticed.
"I'm having lady troubles too, man," Paul said. "Madeline broke up with me. She said I'm not 'marriage material,' can you believe that? Since when does a relationship have to be 'going' somewhere?"
"That's why Madeline dumped you? You loser!" John teased.
They all laughed as Paul sulked off into the front seat to change the music.
No one even noticed that Hyde had crawled out of the back of the van and up onto the roof.
He didn't really feel like hanging out, but he didn't want to go back to his dorm either.
He laid down on the roof of the van and looked up at the stars. He tried to find the big dipper or Orion's belt, but he wasn't really sure what they looked like, so his eyes just wandered among the various constellations.
He was feeling very reflective, an unfortunate side effect he sometimes experienced when mixing smoking and drinking.
He thought back about everything that had happened in the last week. He started to wonder why everyone automatically assumed that he was the one that broke things off with Jackie. First Eric, then Jimmy, John, and Robert.
Everyone assumed that he wasn't going to marry Jackie, now that she wasn't pregnant. He thought about it some more and realized that even Jackie didn't think he wanted to marry her. Donna had basically told him that was why she gave the ring back.
Why was that?
He saw something fly over his head. At first he thought it might be a shooting star. He watched it for a few seconds before he realized it was just an airplane.
His thoughts drifted back to what he said earlier to John about loving Jackie.
Did he love her? If so, then why hadn't he ever told her?
If not, then why had he stayed with her for almost two years?
The horrible image of Kelso and Jackie kissing in his van flashed into his mind. Had he pushed Jackie into the arms of that idiot? He never told her how he felt, so why shouldn't she assume he didn't feel anything? SHE never had any problem telling him how she felt. Damn! Why did he always have to be so...
He drifted off, lost in thought, cursing himself to sleep.
~~~~~~~~*The next morning in the parking lot of the Thunderbird*~~~~~~~~
"I thought you said you were getting me a jelly donut!" Robert snapped.
"I did..." Paul said, "but Jimmy ate it."
Hyde peered over the edge of the van and saw Robert glaring at Jimmy.
He realized he must have passed out on the roof of the van last night.
He looked at his watch. 7a.m. Jackie MIGHT be awake by now.
He jumped down on the ground and grabbed a powdered donut out of the box Paul was holding.
"Hyde, man, where did you come from? I thought you took off last night..." Jimmy said, attempting to use Hyde's sudden appearance to distract Robert from the jelly donut situation.
"Na, I just passed out of the roof," Hyde answered.
"Again?" John asked as he climbed out of the passenger's seat.
"What can I say? It's comfortable up there," Hyde said as he wiped the powdered sugar on his fingers off onto his jeans.
"Let's head back to the dorm," John said, "I gotta get some sleep."
~~~~~~~~~~*Meanwhile, In Donna and Jackie's room*~~~~~~~~
Jackie hung up the phone. There was still no answer at Hyde and Fez's room.
"Donna!" she cried. "I've looked everywhere for Steven! I've called his room a hundred times! I don't even think he came home last night. Where could he be????"
Donna bit her lip. She didn't like seeing Jackie so upset, especially after everything she had been through lately.
Just then someone knocked on the door. Donna looked through the peephole in the door. "Mystery solved," she said as she opened the door.
She walked out, past Hyde, into the hallway. "I'm going over to Eric's." she mumbled as she shut the door behind her.
"Steven! I have been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?"
"I was with the band."
"We need to talk." They said in unison.
"Jackie, I know about you and Kelso."
"Steven!" she started, but he cut her off.
"Look, I don't care what happened between you two."
"You don't?"
"No. I don't care about Kelso and I don't care if you're pregnant or not." He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "I love you and I want to be with you. I don't care about anything else."
She was shocked. He had never said anything like that to her before.
"Steven, I love you too," she said breathlessly. She leaned over and kissed him deeply.
When they finally broke apart she said, "Nothing happened between me and Michael."
"What?"
"Nothing happened."
"But, I saw you kissing."
"No, you saw that idiot TRY to kiss me and you missed me pushing him away and slapping him."
"You slapped him?"
"Yea. It left a mark too."
"That's what that was. I thought he just ran into the door again."
"You saw Kelso last night?"
"Yea, as a matter of fact. He came into the bar to apologize for making out with you."
"What?!?" Jackie screamed. She was livid.
"After all this time," he said, shaking his head. "He's STILL trying to break us up."
"What is wrong with him, seriously? How many times can I say we are NEVER getting back together before he believes me?"
"Well, I guess I can't blame him really. I mean, I can, and I'm gonna to beat his ass tomorrow, but if we broke up I think it would take me a long time to get over you."
"Steven! That is so sweet!" She could hardly believe this was the same guy who she had been dating for almost two years. He never acted like this.
It seemed she wasn't the only one that had been affected by the trauma of the last few weeks.
She held her breath for a second, gathering her nerve.
"Steven," she said as she stared up at him. "Will you marry me?"
"Jackie, your asking me to marry you?" He was completely caught off guard.
She looked up at him, obviously nervous. "Yes," she squeaked.
He smiled. Was this the same girl that he had been dating for the past two years? She seemed so much stronger and independent than he remembered.
"Steven!" she said, anxiously.
"If I say yes, can I wear jeans to the ceremony, instead of that stupid suit?"
"You can wear anything you want!" she said seriously.
"O.k. then."
"Oh Steven!" she cried as she jumped into his arms. She kissed him all over his face.
He laughed for a minute and then started tickling her so she'd stop. It worked.
She leaned back and stared at him for a second, her head cocked to the side. "Can I have my ring back?" she asked smiling.
He slid it on and then gave her a little kiss on her ring finger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
~~~~~~~~~~~*Later that night at the Thunderbird*~~~~~~~~~~
The band had just finished for the night and they were all exhausted. The four of them, Jimmy, Robert, John and Paul crossed the bar and climbed into the red vinyl booth where Hyde was already sitting with a pitcher of beer.
"Hey man," Jimmy said as poured himself a glass, "what's with you tonight?"
"Yea man," Robert said, "This is, like, the biggest gig we've ever had and your all, like..."
"Grumpy," John offered.
"Yea, grumpy," Robert agreed. "What's with the grumpiness man?"
"Whatever man, I'm not grumpy," Hyde snapped. "This was a big night. I'm just stressed."
"Yea, stressed" Paul said, rolling his eyes. "Whatever dude."
"Just drink your beer," Hyde said, annoyed.
"Oh..." Jimmy said suddenly. "I know what this is about, 'Jackie troubles,' right?"
"It's not 'Jackie troubles' dill hole," Hyde said, imitating the girlie way Jimmy said 'Jackie troubles.'
They all stared at him. They had never seen him this edgy.
"Hey man," Robert said as he raised his eyebrows, "I know what you need..."
Two minutes later they were out in the parking lot, behind the bar, in Jimmy's van. They were sitting in a circle on the orange shag carpet.
"Zeppelin or Fog Hat?" Paul called from the front seat as he turned on the stereo.
"Whatever man," John said.
Hyde settled into his usual spot in the corner. He liked Jimmy's van. It reminded him of Foreman's basement, except it didn't smell quite as bad.
In no time, the van was filled with smoke.
"Man, tonight was pretty bad ass," Paul said, smiling contently.
"Yeaaa," Robert agreed. "That crowd was huge!"
"Man, did you see that girl flashing us in the front row?" John asked.
"Yea," Jimmy said, "That was sweet!"
They all looked at Hyde, waiting for him to comment, but he just continued to stare into space.
"Hyde, man, your really bringing down the van. What's with you tonight?" Paul asked.
"Yea man," Jimmy said, "Happened with Jackie? You're still getting married, aren't you?"
"No," Hyde replied flatly.
"I'm sorry man," John sighed. "You really loved her, huh?"
"I never said that!" Hyde snapped.
'It's true,' he thought to himself. Never, in the two years they had been dating, had he ever said that to her. Not even when he proposed.
"Well, then, I guess it's all for the best, man," Jimmy muttered. "I mean if you don't love her and you're not getting married, then there's nothing left to do but move on, right?"
Hyde just stared at him.
"Yea man," Robert said. "Don't worry Jackie, I'm sure she'll get over it."
"Yea, she'll be fine." John said. "She's hot. She'll probably find some pre- med/pre-law senior, get married, squeeze out a couple of his kids, and forget all about you."
Hyde glared at him, but no one noticed.
"I'm having lady troubles too, man," Paul said. "Madeline broke up with me. She said I'm not 'marriage material,' can you believe that? Since when does a relationship have to be 'going' somewhere?"
"That's why Madeline dumped you? You loser!" John teased.
They all laughed as Paul sulked off into the front seat to change the music.
No one even noticed that Hyde had crawled out of the back of the van and up onto the roof.
He didn't really feel like hanging out, but he didn't want to go back to his dorm either.
He laid down on the roof of the van and looked up at the stars. He tried to find the big dipper or Orion's belt, but he wasn't really sure what they looked like, so his eyes just wandered among the various constellations.
He was feeling very reflective, an unfortunate side effect he sometimes experienced when mixing smoking and drinking.
He thought back about everything that had happened in the last week. He started to wonder why everyone automatically assumed that he was the one that broke things off with Jackie. First Eric, then Jimmy, John, and Robert.
Everyone assumed that he wasn't going to marry Jackie, now that she wasn't pregnant. He thought about it some more and realized that even Jackie didn't think he wanted to marry her. Donna had basically told him that was why she gave the ring back.
Why was that?
He saw something fly over his head. At first he thought it might be a shooting star. He watched it for a few seconds before he realized it was just an airplane.
His thoughts drifted back to what he said earlier to John about loving Jackie.
Did he love her? If so, then why hadn't he ever told her?
If not, then why had he stayed with her for almost two years?
The horrible image of Kelso and Jackie kissing in his van flashed into his mind. Had he pushed Jackie into the arms of that idiot? He never told her how he felt, so why shouldn't she assume he didn't feel anything? SHE never had any problem telling him how she felt. Damn! Why did he always have to be so...
He drifted off, lost in thought, cursing himself to sleep.
~~~~~~~~*The next morning in the parking lot of the Thunderbird*~~~~~~~~
"I thought you said you were getting me a jelly donut!" Robert snapped.
"I did..." Paul said, "but Jimmy ate it."
Hyde peered over the edge of the van and saw Robert glaring at Jimmy.
He realized he must have passed out on the roof of the van last night.
He looked at his watch. 7a.m. Jackie MIGHT be awake by now.
He jumped down on the ground and grabbed a powdered donut out of the box Paul was holding.
"Hyde, man, where did you come from? I thought you took off last night..." Jimmy said, attempting to use Hyde's sudden appearance to distract Robert from the jelly donut situation.
"Na, I just passed out of the roof," Hyde answered.
"Again?" John asked as he climbed out of the passenger's seat.
"What can I say? It's comfortable up there," Hyde said as he wiped the powdered sugar on his fingers off onto his jeans.
"Let's head back to the dorm," John said, "I gotta get some sleep."
~~~~~~~~~~*Meanwhile, In Donna and Jackie's room*~~~~~~~~
Jackie hung up the phone. There was still no answer at Hyde and Fez's room.
"Donna!" she cried. "I've looked everywhere for Steven! I've called his room a hundred times! I don't even think he came home last night. Where could he be????"
Donna bit her lip. She didn't like seeing Jackie so upset, especially after everything she had been through lately.
Just then someone knocked on the door. Donna looked through the peephole in the door. "Mystery solved," she said as she opened the door.
She walked out, past Hyde, into the hallway. "I'm going over to Eric's." she mumbled as she shut the door behind her.
"Steven! I have been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?"
"I was with the band."
"We need to talk." They said in unison.
"Jackie, I know about you and Kelso."
"Steven!" she started, but he cut her off.
"Look, I don't care what happened between you two."
"You don't?"
"No. I don't care about Kelso and I don't care if you're pregnant or not." He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "I love you and I want to be with you. I don't care about anything else."
She was shocked. He had never said anything like that to her before.
"Steven, I love you too," she said breathlessly. She leaned over and kissed him deeply.
When they finally broke apart she said, "Nothing happened between me and Michael."
"What?"
"Nothing happened."
"But, I saw you kissing."
"No, you saw that idiot TRY to kiss me and you missed me pushing him away and slapping him."
"You slapped him?"
"Yea. It left a mark too."
"That's what that was. I thought he just ran into the door again."
"You saw Kelso last night?"
"Yea, as a matter of fact. He came into the bar to apologize for making out with you."
"What?!?" Jackie screamed. She was livid.
"After all this time," he said, shaking his head. "He's STILL trying to break us up."
"What is wrong with him, seriously? How many times can I say we are NEVER getting back together before he believes me?"
"Well, I guess I can't blame him really. I mean, I can, and I'm gonna to beat his ass tomorrow, but if we broke up I think it would take me a long time to get over you."
"Steven! That is so sweet!" She could hardly believe this was the same guy who she had been dating for almost two years. He never acted like this.
It seemed she wasn't the only one that had been affected by the trauma of the last few weeks.
She held her breath for a second, gathering her nerve.
"Steven," she said as she stared up at him. "Will you marry me?"
"Jackie, your asking me to marry you?" He was completely caught off guard.
She looked up at him, obviously nervous. "Yes," she squeaked.
He smiled. Was this the same girl that he had been dating for the past two years? She seemed so much stronger and independent than he remembered.
"Steven!" she said, anxiously.
"If I say yes, can I wear jeans to the ceremony, instead of that stupid suit?"
"You can wear anything you want!" she said seriously.
"O.k. then."
"Oh Steven!" she cried as she jumped into his arms. She kissed him all over his face.
He laughed for a minute and then started tickling her so she'd stop. It worked.
She leaned back and stared at him for a second, her head cocked to the side. "Can I have my ring back?" she asked smiling.
He slid it on and then gave her a little kiss on her ring finger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*