Like sands through the hourglass, these are the days of our lives. This oh too familiar line had seemed to map out Jackie's entire summer, and she didn't need anyone plotting the points for her either. Like Hope and Lucky from her favorite soap, the burlesque show that was her life had become more than just parallel lines on a four- quadrant graph fitting together to create the exact slope of her childhood. The equation had always been the same, but as soon as she let herself have a slope of zero or one that was undefined, chaos took over. That chaos, more appropriately named Steven Hyde, caused her to change and change for the better. She liked the new Jackie, but again like Hope and Lucky, the z factor got in the way causing the usual to become unusual. Now, as she returned to her old ways after removing herself from the horridness that was her life in Point Place, she didn't like it. The only factor keeping her from returning to that certain chaos that she loved so much was that she had yet to forgive him and was going to try anything and everything in her power to trick herself into believing that she had forgiven him once and for all.
The sun shown brightly through the windows of the old, antebellum home in northwest New Jersey. Jackie Burkhardt sat on the window seat with coffee in hand looking out onto the beautiful ocean. After an upsetting month of may, she decided to retreat to New England with a long time country club member and friend. It was now June, and the tourists were flocking to the historical site of Sea Side Heights. Victoria's parents were in the Swiss Alps for their summer ski trip, and she invited Jackie to stay in their vacation house for the summer. She eagerly accepted the offer, and left almost immediately after Red was safe on an IV in the hospital. She left her faithful admirers to their own accord, and the only one who was told of her leaving was Donna through a note left in the red-head's bedroom. Now as the sun rose over the clouds, Jackie realized it was time to come home because she missed it too much.
" What are you doing up?" asked the puzzled blonde walking down the stairs.
" I didn't mean to wake you. I was just thinking." Jackie replied pulling her body into a fetal position on the couch.
" About Wisconsin?" Victoria answered, pulling the pink curlers from her head.
" Yeah. I miss my friends, Vic," Jackie whined, taking a sip of her cappuccino.
The blonde then preceded to collapse on the sofa next to her friend and pull her leg Indian-style and flopped the curlers on the coffee table.
" I know you miss them. So, why don't you invite them to come and visit?" Victoria suggested, flipping the dial on the radio that rested on the end table next to the recliner. It landed on a station playing Simon and Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence."
" Seriously?" Jackie's big, doe eyes lit up with excitement.
" Yeah. Seems like I'll like these people anyway," she picked up the umber-colored phone and put it in Jackie's lap, " call them."
Jackie then picked up the ear piece and began to dial the Foreman's number she knew by heart.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The five, restless teenagers sat in the basement bored almost to death. Fez was whining because his 'wife' had told him that she was a one time deal. Kelso was playing with a yo-yo that every time he would do Jacop's ladder it would tie in a knot. Eric and Donna were watching a Humphrey Bogart movie which they soon figured out to be Casablanca, and Hyde was trying to watch the movie with them but was distracted by something else. A five foot five, brunette with pink toenails something else.
" A franc for your thoughts." she asked him, flipping a coin.
" In America they'd bring only a penny. I guess that's about all they're worth."
" I'm willing to be overcharged. Tell me."
" And I was wondering."
" Yes?"
" Why I'm so lucky. Why I should find you waiting for me to come along."
" Why there is no other man in my life?"
" Uh huh."
" That's easy. There was. He's dead."
" I'm sorry for asking. I forgot we said 'no questions.'"
" Well only one answer can take care of all our questions."
The five card-carrying members of the basement watched Rick and Ilsa kiss on the screen. Donna brought the tissue up to her eyes as the tears of joy drifted down her skin. Fez and Kelso had stopped their imbecilic behavior and watched the movie. They were crying too. Hyde just watched the movie in a stoic facade along with his best friend.
" I love this movie!" Donna exclaimed still bawling into Eric's shirt sleeve.
" Romance sucks." Hyde replied without reverting his eyes from the television and of Humphrey Bogart and Ingred Bergman kissing.
" Hyde, you're just saying that because Jackie ran off to New England without telling you. You've been sulking all freaking summer, man. You gotta get out. Do something bad. You something Hyde-like." Eric suggested.
" Foreman, you think I'm depressing? How about last summer? You wouldn't even take a shower for God's sakes! Nothing like the mixture of body odor and whiskey to make the perfect cologne, eh Foreman?"
" Shut-up." Eric replied defeated.
Then, Kitty Foreman wandered down the basement stairs to inform Donna that she had a phone call.
" Oh, Casablanca! I love this movie. When Humphrey Bogart told Ingred Bergman, 'Here's looking at you, kid' I just completely melted. Red and I went to see it in the theater in 1946. It was almost like yesterday. Anyway, Donna, sweetheart, someone is on the phone for you. I didn't ask who it was, but the voice sound really familiar. Kinda squeaky."
Hyde bolted up from his reverie at the thought of that.
" Thanks, Mrs. Foreman. I really appreciate it."
The red-head got up from the sofa and followed the bouncy blonde up the staircase and into the kitchen. She picked up the green earpiece from the wall and answered.
" Hello?"
" Donna!" Jackie exclaimed.
" Jackie? Where are you?" she replied slightly shocked at the voice at the end of the other line.
" I'm in New Jersey. It' s beautiful here, but I miss you and the guys and Steven. I love Vicky, but I'm lonely. I want you guys to come up for a week or two, and I might go home with you if everything goes according to plan."the brunette explained.
" According to plan? What are you cooking up, Jackie? I know you, and you aren't exactly known for your straight forwardness. You do have the propensity to be very sneaky."
" Donna, how could you think such a thing? I just miss you! Is it a crime to miss my very best friends whom I've been away from for almost the entire summer?" Jackie was feigning innocense.
" It's only June, and you and Eric hate each other, Kelso is a lying, cheating dog; your words not mine, Fez tries to feel you up every chance he gets, and Hyde, well, you're in love with Hyde. You've got some sort of ridiculous plan to win Hyde back. I just know it." the red-head reasoned, twirling the spiral phone cord around her finger.
" Fine. Whatever, Donna. Still, I want you guys to come up to New Jersey and visit. One week of unsupervised, naughty, bad fun. The guys will love it. Especially Steven. What do you say?" Jackie pleaded.
" I say, Road Trip!" Donna exclaimed.
*~*~*~*~*
Jackie hung up the phone with her friend and looked at her other friend who was sitting across from her. She began to twirl a piece of her curly locks around her finger. Victoria gave her a look. A look that said 'I know you're up to something.'
" Don't look at me with that tone of voice." Jackie stipulated.
" I'm just curious as to what sort of Jackie logic I'm dealing with here because the wheels are turning, and when that happens, God only knows what the consequences will be!"
" Vicky, we've known each other for how long? Daycare? Therefore, how could I, Jackie Burkhardt, be cooking up some outlandish plan when innocence is my middle name?"
" Right. When Jackie's pink and purpled wheels sprinkled with gold glitter start turning, the world should beware what is to come. Unicorns, Donny Osmond, rainbows, Calvin Klein and all things Jackie-like."
" I've matured, Vic. My room no longer looks like a bottle of Pepto Bismal threw up, and further more, I haven't read Tiger Beat in months. The only reason why I know Donny Osmond puts whipped cream and raspberries on his waffles is because Heather told me at cheerleader practice. Plus, I threw out Fluffy Cakes."
" How 'bout those new Calvin Klein jeans that just stocked the shelves? I hear they're the best yet!"
" I wouldn't know. My jeans are Jordache." Jackie responded.
" Figures. So, are the Wisconsin crew coming to Jersey?"
" Donna said she'd call me and fill me in on the details, but yeah, they're coming if Red and Kitty give them a thumbs up."
" Red and Kitty?" Victoria asked with a curious look.
" Eric's Parents. His dad is real strict so we don't know for sure."
" Sounds like we've got ourselves a major party!"
" If my friends come, everything breakable or perhaps flammable needs to be put away for safe keeping."
" Really?" she sounded surprised.
" Michael Kelso almost burned down my house and broke half of my dad's tumbler collection if that gives you any indication."
" Gotcha." she replied raising her eyebrows and giving her the Siskel and Ebert two thumbs up.
*~*~*~*~*~*
" I think that's all of it." Eric replied putting in the last sleeping bag and closing the trunk of the Vista Cruiser.
" This is gonna be the best trip ever, and when I get Jackie back, Hyde don't be jealous." Kelso exclaimed.
Hyde frogged him in the arm once again. You would think he'd be ready for it by now?
" What did you do that for, Hyde?!" he cried rubbing the sore spot on his arm that would soon become a bruise.
" You are still the King of the Idiots, Man." Hyde told him.
" And my reign will be long and prosperous." he replied.
" That's a bad thing, man." Fez piped in.
Kelso scratched his head think as to why being the King of anything could be bad.
" Long live the King." Donna said as everyone got the image of the smoke detector that was once in the basement.
" Eric, now don't do anything stupid, and if you call me from jail, Western Union is not a possibility!" Red informed as he and Kitty came out to the driveway to wish the gang farewell.
" Right, Dad." Eric agreed, fearing what might come if he didn't.
" Red, I'm sure everything will be fine," Kitty assured rubbing Eric's mop of hair, but then began to cry, " my baby's going on his first long, road trip!"
" Don't worry, Mom." Eric reassured.
" Yeah, Mrs. F. everything will be just peachy." Hyde answered.
" I'm ready to go to New Jersey. I wonder what the Yankee women look like?" Fez said drifting off into his reverie about bikinis.
" Let's go you guys." Eric said as the five friends all piled up in the Vista Cruiser.
" Jersey here we come!" Donna cried as they back out of the drive way and headed out of the neighborhood.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Okay- This is the first chapter of my new story! I think I like it, and I hope you like it too! As you can see, the plot will ensue from this. Yes, Jackie has some crazy plan, Kelso still plans on getting Jackie back, Hyde's depressed and is pining, and a major party will take place! If you're wondering about the title of my story, it has nothing to do with the book or the movie. New Jersey is the Garden State so I decided to call it that simply because a lot of lies and secrets will be spread. I hope you like it. Please r/r! And as always . . . Peace Out!