It's Over
Eric Forman accidentally fell asleep with his watch on. When he woke up in the morning he looked at his wrist with one eye open. Six thirty in the morning. Groan. He looked at the woman sleeping next to him in bed; she was a quite a little powerhouse! It was only then that his young brain realized that maybe breaking up with Donna was for the best. He went to California to declare his love for her and when she didn't run to him on the beach and when the first words out of her mouth when they got face to face were, "Eric, we need to talk." He knew maybe he shouldn't have come for her after all. He rested his head back on the pillow and looked at his new girlfriend. She was hurt by her relationships, too. He'll never forget what Donna said to him one month ago.
~Eric's flashback~
~California~
At that moment she was still beautiful to Eric with her long red hair blowing in the wind. She wore blue shorts over her simple black tank bathing suit. If they needed to talk how come she wasn't saying a word?
"Donna, you said we NEEDED to talk?" he
decided to sit on the warm sand
"Yeah," she ignored the sounds of the people around them, and sat down next to him, but kept a safe distance, as so they wouldn't be touching. "Eric, I hope after what I'm about to tell you, that we can still be friends. I still love you, you know, but not in that way."
"Is there somebody else?"
"Yes—" She let out a drawn out sigh, "But he doesn't know how I feel yet."
Well, it couldn't be Casey. Anyone but Casey. Then his mind clicked. 'No, please, no.'
"For the sake of my dignity, Donna, can you tell me who this person is?"
"I don't think that's fair, Eric, considering I haven't spoken to him yet."
"Like we both don't know who it is. Come on,"
Eric stood up; this was not what he expected. He expected them to be running to each other as soon as their eyes met and to lock their lips in a warm embrace. But instead it was she only loves him as a FRIEND but loves someone else, but can't say who it is. Even though, he knew who it was. After all they've been through she has to THROW that in his face like that?
"Still it isn't fair to say it to you and not tell him first." She too stood up, hoping that they could take this conversation elsewhere.
"Isn't fair? I've loved you FOREVER. I wanted to be married and for us to have children together, and you're going to tell me it isn't FAIR to tell me who he is, because you didn't tell him first? Goodbye, Donna, I'm going to the airport."
"Eric, don't be like this."
"Oh and by the way, if you think for a second that you will be allowed IN MY BASEMENT, you are sorely mistaken."
He turned and walked away, not crying until the cab dropped him off at LAX. Where he cried for five minutes in the restroom. He knew he was going to be grounded by Red and Kitty for his little trek, and it was supposed to be worth it, but now it was just going to suck. He hoped that he didn't have to LOOK at THEM kiss. He slept during the whole flight back to Wisconsin, his mind betraying him by STILL dreaming of her and what might have been.
~End flashback~
Eric kissed his girlfriend on the cheek. Red and Kitty thought he was helping Kelso with math again. What idiots his parents could be, not that he would ever say that out loud. He was having a nice Saturday; he was too energetic to sleep in so he got dressed in jeans and a striped polo shirt. And decided to sit on the porch and look at the morning sky. He meant it when he said she wasn't allowed in the basement or his house anymore and they must have all been growing up because they didn't run to Red or Kitty and decided to face this like mature young adults. Eric picked at a piece of grass that was on the arm of the porch swing and flung on it on the ground with his skinny index finger letting his thoughts flow.
~Eric's flashback~
~2 Days After Returning Home From CA~
Eric drudged down the stairs afraid of what he might find but only Kelso and Fez were sitting on the old couch watching a rerun of Gilligan's Island. He was carrying the laundry basket because part of his being grounded was to do the clothes and Red told him if he put in bleach with the red's again making his t-shirts, socks, and underwear turn pink, he was going to be wearing Red's shoe up his dumb ass.
"Look at Eric, doing Mommy's laundry!" Kelso exclaimed
"Shut up."
"Yes, can't you see Eric is in pain by getting rejected by Donna?" Fez put forth.
"Okay, we're SO not having this conversation." Eric didn't look at his friends as he sorted the laundry.
"I miss Hyde." Fez said sadly
"Then go to The Hub—and Kelso if you open up your mouth, you will have my fist in it."
"Ooh—look at Forman Ali." Kelso stood up to get a popsicle out of the freezer.
Jackie came down the stairs.
"Eric, someone needs to tell you Mother this is unacceptable!"
She came downstairs in her famous smirky face holding the smaller laundry basket that contained about a dozen white bath towels. He smiled as he took it from her.
"Hi, Jackie."
"Michael."
Once she found out about Annette she did not want Kelso back. She thought someone else loved her during that summer. But he kept sending her mixed signals and he never talked to her except only to insult her.
She didn't know why she was still hanging out in this basement. There had to be a reason. She sat on the sofa and Fez smiled.
"Jackie, if you are lonely, you need to come to Fez."
"In your dreams!" she playfully hit him in the arm.
"Fez, you know if you go after Jackie, I'll kick your ass." Kelso threatened
"No you won't, Michael. We are NO longer boyfriend and girlfriend, so I don't need you to defend me."
"OH! Come on Fez, let's go to the Hub after all and spend some time with our real friends."
"Sorry, Eric, but I'm in the mood for a hot fudge sundae." Fez said
"Just go," Eric was glad when they left, "You don't have to stay Jackie, if you don't want to. Haven't you spoken to Donna yet, since she's come back from California?"
"I don't mind staying. My soap is coming on in an hour. And Donna's been too busy to talk to me lately."
"Speaking of soap, I hope I didn't add too much laundry detergent!"
"I think you are supposed to use a measuring cup. At least that's what OUR maid does."
"Well, I'm not allowed to have any fun for the month that I'm grounded, after I put the clothes in the washer, Red wants me to trim the hedges."
"And you can't take a break, Eric? Sit down and relax."
They were the four most beautiful words ever.
"Okay, but do I have to watch a soap opera?" He groaned again.
"You know if you did your hair differently and wore nicer clothes, you'd be quite handsome."
Jackie didn't know where it was coming from, but she let the words fly out of her mouth.
"Uh, okay," Eric got up, "I don't think this is a good idea. You're hurting from Kelso and I'm hurting from Donna—and since when do we like each other?"
Jackie stood up too as Eric walked backwards so she could 'trap' him into a corner.
"Can I kiss you?"
"WHY? Jackie, don't think I don't understand what you're going through. Kelso broke your heart and Donna and HIM trampled over mine."
"Mine too."
"What do you mean?" He gently put his hands on her shoulders to push her back a little, so he could have some breathing room.
"I thought Steven wanted me, but all he did was stare at me and didn't do anything, we just watched The Price Is Right and other shows on TV but, I feel so UGLY right now---" She started to cry.
"Jackie, you are NOT ugly," He didn't know if he should hug her or not, "And I thought I was beneath you being the A-V club treasurer secretary geek and all that?"
"Shut up, if I want to kiss you, I will." She put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer to her.
'Oh, F***, I'm about to kiss Jackie Burkhart'
'Hmm, that wasn't so bad, wasn't so bad at all.'
~End flashback~
Eric couldn't believe that he was with Jackie. Jackie Burkhart of all people! She was popular and wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. (She would have given many men naughty dreams in that tight little get up, he thought.) But it was different than with Donna, although they tried keeping their relationship a secret for as long as they could. There was less angst. More fun. Eric didn't have to worry about being a "sexist pig". He did something though he NEVER thought he would do, but then he got confidence from Donna, so maybe she did serve a purpose after all, when she wasn't being a lying, skank of a traitor. He signed up for the Point Place High School bowling team. It was on Jackie's suggestion. And he didn't need the basement anymore. He still didn't want Donna and Hyde down there, but Hyde lived there, and he KNEW that he waited for after ten o'clock to sneak her into his room. Jackie came out dressed in her long light blue nightgown and flowing matching robe. She sat next to Eric and nestled her head in his chest as he put his arm around her. She couldn't believe that she didn't notice Eric in THAT WAY before. He wasn't Hank Williams, he didn't have a cheatin' heart. Jackie didn't want a man-pretty doofus on her arm anymore, and it hurt her to know that Steven Hyde didn't want her. Eric was here all this time, sure he was a little on the geeky side, but that was nothing that a trip to her beauty salon couldn't fix.
"Morning, Eric." She kissed his chest
"Good morning, Jackie." He smelled her hair, it smelled like wildflowers.
If he were with Donna, he'd have asked, "Did you make breakfast yet?" and that would have led to a huge ass fight about women's rights. He figured they could drive down the hill in her Dad's Lincoln that she borrowed for the weekend and they could drive into town and go to the IHOP off the exit for pancakes.
"Do you hear a car coming up the road?" she didn't want to lift her head off his chest.
"Yeah, maybe if we ignore it, it'll go away."
He still couldn't believe he was with Point Place's resident 'shallow' beauty teen queen, Jackie Burkhart!
~Eric's flashback~
~Two weeks into it~
Red and Kitty were out for the evening and Eric decided to try and cook Jackie a candlelit dinner. Especially when Hyde mumbled something about going out with Donna at the breakfast table. The parents, not even Kitty, brought the subject up. Mainly because when Eric got back from California he explained whom she loved and that he didn't want to talk about it. Kitty tried to get him to have a heart to heart with some milk and cookies, but Eric said he "wasn't five anymore" and he "didn't want to talk about it", but he did take the milk and cookies and accepted his Mother's hug and kiss. He told Jackie to come by the front way, he sent Kelso and Fez to the Hub an hour ago, he gave them twenty bucks, heart earned from Pricemart, to ensure them staying gone. She had her hair up and wore a beautiful Earth toned strapless dress that showed off her assets. He kissed her on the lips, with each kiss, forgetting about the wasted time spent with Donna.
"Jackie, wow! You look beautiful."
"Thank you, Eric, so do you."
"Men are not beautiful, we're handsome."
"I smell something burning!"
"Oh no!"
Eric ran to the kitchen as Jackie followed him. He put on the oven mitts and took out the burning roasting pan.
"I think you forgot to set the timer."
She laughed
"I'm sorry, I really wanted to cook you dinner," He put the pan on the countertop to cool, "Let's go to the Vineyard."
Jackie's eyes lit up, "Okay," she put her hands on his waist, "Do you want to have a quickie first?"
"But won't you have to redo your hair and make up? And doesn't that take LIKE HOURS?"
"I don't care," she kissed him hard as their hands stroked each other's backs and that's when Hyde and Donna walked into the kitchen.
Jackie could feel that someone else was in the room, so she pulled out of the kiss, even though she didn't want to. Her cheeks turned all red at the sight of Donna and Hyde.
Eric didn't want to look at them. They weren't worth his time.
"I have to get my wallet, I'll meet you outside, Jackie."
"You and Forman?" Hyde questioned.
"What do you care? You two are made for each other." Jackie ran to the door to make her graceful exit.
She went into the Vista Cruiser and tried not to think that they shouldn't be taking this piece of junk to a fancy restaurant such as the Vineyard. It wouldn't have been good with Hyde, he had no redeeming qualities, and he probably would have tossed her out like the garbage after the summer was over. She didn't need to get involved with him, only to have that happen. Eric took the front way out of the house and sprinted to the car.
"I'm sorry about that, Jackie, I didn't know that they were---"
"Ssh, Eric, drive this car into the garage, we didn't get to have our quickie."
She wanted sex a lot! Which Eric wasn't going to complain about one bit. Donna always seemed to be in permanent, "I have a headache" mode. And he didn't want to think about her and Hyde making love. Ick. They meant nothing to him anymore.
~End flashback~
The mystery car was Hyde's El Camino. Neither one of them moved from their relaxed positions, why make it easy for them? Donna walked ahead, was she wearing one of his rock t-shirts?
"We want to talk to the both of you," Donna said matter of factly.
"Maybe, we DON'T want to talk to you." Eric replied
"Eric" Jackie sat up, keeping her hand on his chest.
"Forman"
Jackie and Hyde both said. Except her
tone was softer than his.
"This is getting ridiculous," Donna said, "Why can't we all be friends like we used to be?"
"Man, you don't get it, Donna, do you?"
"Enlighten me, Eric."
Hyde really had nothing to say to either one of them. It was Donna who had the idea to come up here after they made love this morning.
"You want it to be all neat and tidy, well, it's not, okay? You chose Hyde. Are you happy?"
She held Hyde's hand. "Yes."
"Then leave it at that, because you dicked me over for a very long time, so maybe I DON'T want to be your friend anymore. And Hyde, don't get me started on YOUR backstabbing ways."
Eric went back into the cabin.
"You weren't a very good friend to me, Donna, you weren't there for me, when I needed someone to talk to. And STEVEN, I had a crush on you, but you didn't recipicate those feelings, you treated me like I didn't even exist. All the while sending me mixed signals. Well, although he might be cute in a nerdy sort of way. Eric is a wonderful boyfriend. There are absolutely NO mixed signals with him. And that's refreshing for this girl. He doesn't cheat like Michael. And I have no more to say to you guys. You spoke your mind, at least YOU did, Donna."
Jackie too went back inside leaving them on the porch.
"You again? I thought YOU left?" Eric said to Donna as she found him hiding in the back of the cabin.
"Eric, I'm sorry that I hurt you. I led you on and teased you in many ways. Don't you think I know that? I made you think we had a real future together when we did not. I do love you as your friend. Can we at least TRY to be friends again? I've even missed your Star Wars ramblings." She laughed.
"No, you don't."
"Maybe, just a little. You know Hyde isn't going to have a heart to heart with you, but he does want to be your friend and it's not right to have Kelso and Fez to decide which friends to hang out with. When we all should hang out together."
"I guess."
"Jackie, huh? I didn't see that coming. But, I think you two make a cute couple."
"Thanks, it's going to take some time to accept you and Hyde as a couple AND as my friends, is that okay?"
"Sure." She kissed him on the cheek.
"How about a hug?"
"Okay."
It felt good, but it didn't feel sensual or soft like Jackie's embraces.
"We were going to go the IHOP for breakfast. Do you and Hyde want to join us?"
"Sure. Are you paying?"
"Only for Jackie and myself, that's only fair, right Donna?"
She bit her lip, she wasn't going to miss that smart mouth one bit, well Hyde had a smart mouth too but he used it to rant about the government NOT her.
"Fine."
They walked in through the back door. It looked like Jackie and Hyde resolved some of their issues as they sat on the sofa looking like they were done having a small conversation.
Hyde got up and kissed Donna, Eric forced himself to watch. It was a small kiss on the lips, but it was full of passion. Jackie got up and kissed Eric on the lips as well, not because Hyde and Donna were in the room, but in spite of them. She whispered in his ear,
"Are you okay, Eric?"
"Yeah." He whispered back.
It didn't matter. He and Donna were over.
Author's note-This is going to be part of my new history of '70s stories coming up. (Murderous Eric was for Kiki's fan fiction challenge on the '70s fan fiction archive site, so that was a separate one off piece.) I'm intrigued by a D/H; J/E pairing and fan fiction allows us to do that. I hope you guys like the first chapter. And don't you worry, I plan on finishing all the rest of the stories that I have going. Thanks for your support!
Carol