The two teenagers laid there like they were twelve years old again. The turntable was squeaking from the Zeppelin record that finished playing. They hadn't spent the day together since, they estimated, 1973. Jackie, Eric, nor Cat was too pleased when Donna and Hyde had requested to spend a day alone. She had always felt comfortable and safe with Hyde. Ever since the spring of 1969, when she had kissed him behind the jungle gym at Franklin D. Roosevelt Elementary School, she had felt safe with him. After all, it was the Summer of Love. She would never ever tell Eric that Hyde was her first kiss rather than him. She had kissed Hyde four times before she had even held hands with the scrawny, little, neighbor boy. Midge and Bob hated Hyde simply because he was being raised by Bud and Edna. They were the black sheep of the neighborhood. Plus, Hyde was a rebel punk with curly hair. He had gotten their beautiful, only daughter into so much trouble the Pinciotti's couldn't even begin to comprehend. Hyde had introduced she, Eric, and Kelso to many different things. While Eric and Kelso were trying to get their first kiss, Hyde was talking about foreplay. Not that he had ever done it! He just heard his parents and naturally told the rest of the musketeers about it. He was wise beyond his years. It was even Edna's stash that Hyde had confiscated their first batch of...well...oregano. God bless Edna! Donna loved being with Hyde. He was easy to talk to when he actually talked and was, believe it or not, a great listener. Only this time, She was the one doing all the listening.
" So, you're in love with two girls. They both love you, and you can't decide between them. Am I getting this straight?" she asked laying her head on his chest once more. She let her hands rub his chest, underneath his t-shirt, down to his abdomen. She smiled.
" Yes, why are you smiling?" he exclaimed.
" No matter how much you eat. No matter how lazy you get. You still have this manly, hard chest with these rock-hard abs that just won't quit. Not to mention you have the arms of a Greek god. You have these t-shirts that stop in the right place showing them off. That's extremely sexy. No wonder you've got two girls fighting over you! Hell, if I wasn't engaged, I'd be right in there with them."
He smirked " You know you want me, Big D."
" I want you. I need you. Oh, baby. Oh, baby." she said sarcastically while lacking enthusiasm.
" Fine then. Be that way, but for your information, I do fifty sit-ups, a hundred crunches, and fifty push-ups every morning." he revealed.
" I knew it! I knew you couldn't get a body like yours by watching television and eating Mrs. Foreman's homemade mashed potatoes!"
" You've uncovered my secret, and If you tell Foreman, he'll be a widower." he threatened.
" Fine, but if you don't tell Cat about Jackie, I'll tell Eric your dirty, little secret." she countered.
" That's blackmail, Donna." he shouted.
" That's life."
" Screw you." he answered flatly.
*~*~*~*~*~*
" And the waitress is practicing politics as a business man slowly gets stoned. Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness. Well, it's better than drinkin' alone. Sing us a song you're the piano man. Sing us a song tonight. Well, we're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feelin' alright." sang Eric and Jackie karaoke style.
After Donna and Hyde decided to spend the day together, they only thought it was appropriate to spend the day with one another as well. They had gone to see a movie, eaten lunch, and now, were at a piano bar in Kenosha. They had argued for almost twenty minutes on what song to sing. Eric had wanted to sing 'Get Back', a classic Beatles' tune, while Jackie wanted to sing 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart', a duet between Elton John and Kiki Dee. Then, they thought it was only natural to sing a song about a piano bar at a piano bar. So, they chose 'Piano Man' by Billy Joel. They thought it was miraculous that they had a good time today and agreed on almost everything. It was like the apocalypse. The audience applauded their efforts on singing a song that changed octives eight times as they sat down.
" Eric."
" Jackie." he mocked her tone.
" Thanks for today."
" You're welcome."
" I know you've just been bursting to ask this question all day so ask. You start and then say 'never mind'. Just ask."
" Did you sleep with Hyde?" he inquired brusquely.
Her eyes widened and she looked like a deer caught in headlights. I'm gonna kill Steven or Donna one, she thought.
" Did Steven tell you?"
" Yeah. So, it's the truth?
" He's your best friend. Do you think he lied to you?"
" No. It's just Hyde has never been one to kiss and tell."
" Has he told Cat, yet?"
" I don't know, but if I know Donna, and I do, She's probably black mailing him into telling her as we speak."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
" And remember the time when Eric wrote that stuff about you on the bathroom wall. 'Call Hot Donna for a good time. 542-5027.'It was hilarious!" Hyde reminisced.
" Yeah and then Kelso called! He had no idea it was me. He just wanted a good time!"
" I almost called myself." he admitted.
She lightly smacked his chest. They laughed. Then, Cat marched in as if she was ready to kill. She was like Charles Manson looking for her next victim. Cat was on the prowl.
" Slow down, Helter Skelter before you kill somebody." Donna exclaimed.
" Babes, what's up?" Hyde asked.
" I can't believe you have the nerve to ask me that you lying, cheating bastard!" Cat shouted.
" Calm down. It's just Donna."
" Donna my ass! I was talking about Jackie!" Cat yelled.
" Nothing happened." he lied.
" Whatever. I saw you kiss her."
He leaned up and got up off the bed. He felt his knees start to tremble and go weak. Is this starting to become a trend, he thought. He didn't know what to do, or what to tell her. The guilt he was feeling had become too much to bear. After eighteen years of experience, he had never said the right thing at the right time. It was just a personality flair. He couldn't help this, but he, out of the blue, knew exactly what to say. It might not be the truth, but anything is better than the truth, he thought.
" Yeah, I kissed her, but the thing is that I needed to. Our relationship ended so messy. Most relationships end with 'I hate you' or 'I never want to see you again', but ours ended with saying 'I love you'. Yeah, I love her. A small part of me always will because she was my first love. We had so many vent up feelings that we had hoarded up all summer. We needed to release some of those feelings, and I think kissing her was the only way to express them. I'm sorry I hurt you when I kissed her, but it was the only way. Five percent of me will always love her, but the other ninety-five percent is totally and completely in love with you."
Where the hell did that come from, he thought. Donna's eyes broadened. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. That was the most un-Hyde thing he could ever say. Actually, she thought, it sounded a lot like something Jackie would say. It figures.
" So, all you did was kiss her for that reason?"
" Yes." he replied.
" And you didn't sleep with her."
he gulped " No. Do you forgive me?"
He opened up his arms in preparation to envelope her in them.
" I suppose so." she said in pursuit of his arms.
He cupped her cheeks and kissed her softly on the mouth. He was hesitant at first. Cat opened her mouth and attempted to grope him, but he refused.
" I hate to say that was cold, but if you opened your mouth, the little light might come on." she quipped.
" Sorry. I'll see you later. I'll pick you up for dinner. Say around 8'?"
" Perfect. I love you." Cat replied.
" Ditto," he answered as she left Donna's room.
Donna just sat there shaking her head and smirking at him. I never knew he was such a good liar, she thought.
" I feel so bad right now." he stated
" I think I can do something about that, old buddy,"
She then slid off her bed and kneeled on the ground. She grabbed a full bottle of scotch from under her bed. Then, she went to her dresser. Rummaging through her sock drawer, she pulled out a turquoise-colored caboodle. Inside it she kept her private stash. She tossed the bottle of scotch and brown, paper bag to her friend sitting on the bed. She sat down next to him, reached across to her night stand drawer, and pulled out an ashtray. Hyde just smirked.
" Did I mention that Dad and Joanne were still in the mountains?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
" Been dazed and confused for so long it's not true. One little woman never bargained for you. Lots of people talkin'. Few of them know. The soul of a woman was created below." moaned Robert Plant. His shrilling voice and Jimmy Page's melodic, guitar riffs filled Eric Foreman's Vista Cruiser. After arguing, again, over the music, Eric's pick of Zeppelin's 'Dazed and Confused' won over Jackie's pick of Steven Still's 'Love The One You're With'. They were driving home from Kenosha. Eric, who had sobered up, still had to deal with a still slightly tipsy Jackie.
" Eric, you are so cute," she giggled " if I wasn't in love with Steven, I would go down on you right now."
He rolled his eyes. " You're still drunk."
" What does that matter? One-night-stands are the finest form of flattery." Jackie spouted.
" Yeah, and 'The Brady Bunch Variety Hour' is the greatest hour on television."
" The Knack were on there the other night. They sang 'My Sharona'. Steven predicted that that song was going to single-handedly destroy disco. Destroying disco? That's like saying Michael Jackson, you know the cute, young one of the Jackson 5? That's like saying he'll be one of the biggest stars of the eighties! Puh-lease,"
Eric rolled his yes and turned to the road once more.
" oooh," she squealed with delight " ABC, it's easy as 123. How easy is Do-Re-Me? ABC? 123? Baby, you and me girl! Oooh and Oh baby, give me one more chance now! Won't you let me back in your heart!"
" Jackie, if you wanted to sing Jackson 5 Karaoke, you could have done it back at the bar."
She flipped to another radio station. Unfortunately for Eric, it was playing Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain'. Jackie started to sing, again.
" You walked into the party like you were walking unto a yacht. You're hands strategically dipped below one eye. Your scarf; it was apricot. You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself go by. And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner. They'd be your partner. And you're so vain. You probably think this song is about you. You're so vain. I betcha think think this song is about you. Don't you? Don't you?" she sang with her speech slurring of alcohol.
Eric tried to swipe the stench away when she opened her mouth. She was definitely reeking of liquor. " Oooookay!"
" You know Eric, I think I'm gonna tell Cat about me and Steven because I feel so guilty, and not just about having sex. But I'm having sex with a guy who's been having sex with another woman! I don't know if I'm the slut or the girlfriend?"
" Where the hell did that come from?" Eric asked her.
" The music makers. Zeppelin, the Jackson Bros., Carly and her horse teeth! She should really get them fixed. The music told me, man!"
" Uh, you're really drunk and are starting to sound like Hyde which is scaring me. By the way, you're the girlfriend."
" Thanks Eric. That was like the sweetest thing you've ever said to me!"
" You're welcome.
" We should go shopping tomorrow."
" Ain't nothing getting between you and your Calvin's is it?"
" Nope."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The two sat on the bed joking and talking with each other. Both being drunk and high as kites, would probably not remember anything that was said. The Doors' 'Light My Fire' was the mood music so they were talking about the three- letter word.
" Weirdest place?" Donna asked
" Pam Macy. Last year at the prom. Jackie's Dad's Lincoln Continental."
" Ewww! Weirdest person?"
" Chrissy. The punk chick? She took sex as being this huge protest. It was awesome! You?"
" Eric," she answered dryly.
They both busted out laughing.
" while we're on this subject, when are you going to tell Cat about Jackie?"
Without knowing them knowing it, the clock had struck eight. Cat wandered up to Donna's bedroom where the two friends had been before. She was ready for the date Hyde had promised her. She leaned against the doorframe. She inhaled the deep scents of alcohol and marijuana. She rolled her eyes at the sight.
" I don't know," Hyde answered Donna while scratching his head " I guess I'll tell Cat I slept with Jackie..oh maybe..1986!"
Cat ran out of the room for the second time. Screw forgiveness, she thought angrily while tromping down the stairs.
*~*~*~*~*~*
I'm sorry it took sooo long to get this one written. I had a slight case of writer's block. Although Zeppelin's 'Dazed and Confused' pushed me along. It gave me the idea to have Hyde blurt out his little encounter with Jackie while high of course. I know I promised you a few more things this chapter, but I couldn't fit them in. I promise them to be fit in next chapter which I should get out much faster than this one. You guys are all the coolest! Peace Out-moi!