A.N. Sorry its been awhile, but looky a new chapter!
Anyway hope ya like it, please please, please review and I'll try to have the next one up sooner. Thanx and have a rockin day :)



Ch 4. Torn Up

...


Still in the basement...

"Well then what are you doing talking to the guy?" Kelso said to Hyde.

He shrugged, "I dunno... he just came in to get Jackie's bag and he started talking to me."

"You could've just ignored him."

"Kelso, I'm not immature like you are." Hyde said, "Besides I had to check out his deal."

"Man, I still can't believe Jackie chose that guy over us. Or at least me..." Kelso muttered.

Hyde just rolled his eyes.

"So, what do ya think of you & me calling a truce and team up to bring this new loser down?" Kelso suggested.

Hyde thought about it for a second, then shook his head, "I don't think so..."

Kelso looked surprised, "Why not?"

"But I as much as I hate this new guy being with Jackie..." Hyde hesitated, "...he seems like a good guy."

"So?" Kelso said, bluntly.

"So, Jackie deserves to with a good guy, one who isn't a cheater. I can tell he genuinely likes her and I think he can make her happy..." Hyde sighed, "... and I'm not going to ruin that."

Kelso paused, "Wow Hyde, that's really noble of you... so what should we do first? I was thinking we could put some panties in his.."

"No Kelso, did you even hear what I just said?" Hyde stopped him, "I'm not going to help you!"

"Well, why not!"

"I just told you why not!"

"What you just said doesn't make any sense. How can you hate the guy and like him at the same time?" Kelso questioned.

"I didn't say that I liked him."

"I think you do, and you know what else I think you're in love with him!"

Hyde just looked at him like he was crazy, "Kelso, you're an idiot."

"Okay, well I may be an idiot but I least I'm an idiot who knows that this guy isn't right for Jackie."

"How do you know that? I mean have you even met the guy? As a matter a fact, have you even talked to Jackie since she's been back?" Hyde said, exasperated.

"Uh.. no."

"Well then who are you to say they aren't right for each other?"

"I'm Michael Kelso!" he kinda just stopped there.

"Okay?"

"I'm the guy that Jackie's been in love since she was in training bras, okay? I've been there since the beginning..." Kelso said, and Hyde just looked at him. "… and you were there too. The point is that you and me have put in too much time for some new guy to come along and take her away from us."

Hyde didn't really know what to say, he just scratched his head.
"Okay…" he finally said, "…lets just say hypothetically we do team up to get rid of this guy, and we end up succeeding. What are gonna do then? Are just gonna share her or something? Like you get her weekdays and I get her weekends?" he said sarcastically.

"Yeah. That could work." Kelso nodded, and Hyde stood up and hit the back of his head. "Just forget about it. I'm not going to help you." he said, then he left.

"Fine! I don't need you anyway!" Kelso yelled at the door.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that day. Kelso was still in the basement, when Donna & Jackie walked in.

He looked up, "Jackie!"

She smiled at him, "Hey Kelso, how've you been…" she began to say, until he rushed her with a big hug and lifted her up then dropped back down.

"You're back."

"Yeah, just got few days ago. So how are you?"

"I'm good. But what I wanna know is this nonsense about you having a new boyfriend? I mean I saw the guy, and there is no way that guy is better looking than me."

"C'mon Michael, lets not start off like this…"

"You know I'm taking him down, right?" Kelso said, and Jackie just gave him a funny look. "Cuz I know what best for you and I don't like this guy, Shane. "

"You don't even know hi--"

"I know that he's not me or Hyde, and if I remember correctly, those were your two choices. I mean you can' t just come back with a new guy and expect everything to be all peaches and cream…"

Jackie opened her bag and began going through it. "Would a souvenir get you to stop talking?"

"Ooh! What is it?" Kelso instantly forgot about what he was saying.

"Here it's a pocket… pen? Um it's a pocketpen." she handed it to him. "See I was gonna getcha a pocketknife, but then I thought you and sharp objects… not a good idea."

Kelso looked at the pen.
"It has an ocean wave on it." she said. "And look, when you click it the waves goes up and down."

"Aw, cool!" he said, as he began playing with the pen.

Jackie sat down on the couch by Donna. "So Donna, you know I really want to check out your new apartment. When can I go see it?" Jackie asked.

Click.

"Well actually, its…" she stopped herself and turned around to glare at Kelso, who kept making clicking with the pen, "Kelso, could you stop that? It really annoying."

"Oh. Sorry." he said, and quickly stopped.

Donna turned back to Jackie, "Um like I was saying its…" she stopped again, on account of Kelso beginning to click the pen again, but then decided to ignore him and continue, "…its still kinda empty…"

Click, click.

"…we just sleep there…"

Click, click, click.

"…but we still eat and hang out here most of the time." she finally finished.

Click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click.

"Kelso!" Donna yelled.

"What?" he stopped. She just groaned.

"Michael, didn't Donna just now ask you to stop? God, I shouldn't have given you that pen in the first place, you getting very irritating with it!" Jackie exclaimed.

"Well. Looks like somebody came back from Acapulco a little bitchier than usual…"

Jackie rolled her eyes.

"… or maybe it just than your new boyfriend Shane, is becoming a bad influence."

"Ugh, Michael, we just got finished discussing this." she sighed.

"Well I'm sorry Jackie, but you coming back with a new boyfriend really bothers me. I mean I spent the summer waiting for you." he said.

"Michael please, Donna told me you started dating some new blonde."

Kelso was left flabbergasted. He pretended to be shocked, "Did not!"
He turned and whispered to Donna, "Big mouth!"

"Look Michael, I don't really care, okay? I'm with Shane now, and you've been free to date any skank you want since I left."

"Yeah that's another thing. You just ran off to Acapulco without saying anything."

"Kinda like you ran of to California without saying anything last summer?" she shot back.
Kelso was left speechless again, "Well… uh, but I didn't bring anyone back anyone with me to flaunt around."

"What about Annette?"

"Hey, she followed me. Besides, all the guys liked her and nobody likes Shane."

"They liked he because she was a skank." Jackie sighed, "Michael, do we have to do this? I had really hoped we be civil and maybe even friends like we used to."

"Well I… " Kelso started, but Donna interrupted him, "Kelso, just stop it, okay? And since this is my live-in boyfriend's old place, I think that's gives me the right to kick you out."

Kelso didn't really challenge her logic, just pouted, "Fine! But this isn't over." He said and left.

Donna turned back to Jackie, "Don't listen to Kelso, he's a doof."

"Yeah." she paused, "You guys do like Shane, right?" Jackie asks apprehensively, "I mean, you would tell me if ya didn't…"

"Of course we like Shane, Jackie. Fez practically adores him." Donna said.

"What about Eric?"

"Don't worry, Eric likes him. I mean he pretends not to, especially around Hyde, but I know he does."

"And you?"

Donna paused, "I think… that Shane is a great guy. And I'm very happy that you found someone new that you like a lot."

"A lot? Well yeah, I uh… I do like him alot ." Jackie said, apathetically.

"Okay now this time say it like you mean it."

"No really I do." she said quickly, "He's smart and funny. And sweet, too. Ya know, our last night in Acapulco, he planned this picnic dinner on the beach under the stars. It was really romantic."

"That is really sweet."

"And unlike Michael, he can me feel like a princess without having to buy me lots of things. And unlike Steven, he's affectionate and romantic… and he trusts me."

"Sounds like he's perfect."

"Yeah, perfect..." Jackie hesitated, "...so why aren't I falling for him already?"

Donna looked at her friend. "I don't know, I mean isn't it still kinda early in your relationship?"

Jackie thought about it, "That's true."

"And you know, sometimes love takes time to develop."

"You know what, your right. Your absolutely right!" Jackie perked up, "It is still early. I mean we've only been together a little over a month, that's still pretty early, right?"

"Yeah, totally." Donna nodded along.

"Yeah." she smiled, "I feel so much better. Oh thank you, Donna." she hugged her.