The sun was rising steadily behind the clouds as rain pelted down on the streets. Merchants stayed in their homes instead of coming out to sell sunglasses, tie-dyed tee shirts, coffee mugs, and a variety of delicacies. The tourists bowed up in their condominiums rather than taking bus tours, shopping, or going to the beach. The only people outdoors were the surfers. Rain or shine, these beach bums were out catching the next big wave. The streets seemed to be deserted.
Donna had talked to Jackie on a pay phone somewhere in West Virginia and informed her that they were on their way. After hours in the car with a needy, candy-loving foreigner, a scruffy burn out, a pretty, horny player, and a wiry, sarcastic fool whom she called her fiance, she thought she was going crazy. Sure, they were her friends, Best friends in fact, but somewhere along the line these five teens got on each other's nerves. And for Donna, that was a truck-stop, fourteen road sides, and twenty-three radio stations ago. Finally, they arrived in Sea Side Heights, and now, were trying to follow Jackie's directions she had dictated over the phone to the house.
" Pass the bicycle shop and turn left at Sam's Fish Market." Eric read aloud to Hyde who was driving.
" Now what?" he asked as they passed the market with a pink salmon on the sign.
" Make a right at the fruit stand by the corner. The street is Lilac Avenue," Eric continued.
" When you're on Lilac, the street will make a sharp curve. After the curve, they'll be a stop sign in front of a small movie theater. It's boarded up with advertisements, but make another right on Pacific Street. By then, you'll be on the ocean side. We're the fourth house down. It's Victorian with white columns. The mailbox will have the flag up. Hope you had a good trip. I love you guys. Love you lots, Jackie."
The Vista Cruiser finally pulled up into the driveway of a beautiful white home with big columns. The flag on the mailbox was up as Jackie had directed. Inside, Jackie heard the familiar sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Simple Man' coming from the driveway. She automatically knew who it was, and ran outside swiftly with Vicky at her heels.
" Donna!" she squealed, jumping into her best friend's arms.
" Jackie, this place is gorgeous!" the redhead exclaimed, escaping from her grasp.
" Thanks. I'm Victoria Phillips. Call me Vicky." the blonde responded.
" Hey, I'm Donna Pinciotti. Your house is incredible."
" Thanks. It's nice to meet you. Nice to meet all of you."
" Vic, this is . . . well you know Donna. This is her fiancé Eric Foreman, that's Michael; you can call him Kelso, and that's Fez. He's foreign so don't ask. And this is . . ."
Her brown eyes locked with Hyde's big, blue ones. She was fortunate that he couldn't drive with his sunglasses due to the heavy rain and had them clipped to the neck of his shirt. Jackie was silently praying that she wasn't going to cry. She was in the midst of an emotional crisis, and who did she go to for support during a breakdown? Who else, but Steven Hyde? Normally, this would be the moment where she would wrap her arms around his neck for a bear hug, he would place his hands on her cheeks, kiss her, and tell her everything was going to be fine. Due to the tension, anger, hurt, and a somewhat unrequited love on Hyde's part, the others knew it wouldn't happen this time. He padded near her thin form, and like the television in the basement, never took his eyes off her. She tried to escape by backing away, but couldn't.
" Is it just me or am I sensing some tension here?" Vicky asked slightly confused.
" . . . . And this is . . . uh . . . Steven. Yeah, Steven. That's it." Jackie said still lost in Hyde's eyes.
" Let's go inside, Jackie." Eric stipulated, dragging her away.
The five followed them inside the huge coastal home. The ocean breeze was blowing, the sea gulls were squawking, and the waves made a soothing sound as they broke near the shore. This was the perfect vacation spot and an absolute wonderful place for the biggest beach party this town had ever saw and was about to be in the works.
" This house screams par-tay!" Kelso exclaimed.
" Kelso, do you remember what happened the last time you tried to throw a party?" Eric asked him.
" How was I supposed to know that Brandy was flammable?" he exclaimed letting out his infamous squeal.
" Brandy is still alcohol, man." Hyde added.
" Your point being?"
The six rolled their eyes. Eric grumbled something about why he was friends with him, and Jackie whined inwardly about her mother's long lost drapes that were burned up by Mrs. O'Leary's Cow.
" Note to self, keep Kelso away from matches, lighters, and lighter fluid." Vicky muttered loudly so the rest could hear her.
" That would be a smart thing to do, yes. Anyway, the party sounds like a good plan, and this looks like the perfect setting." Donna informed.
" As long as nothing gets burned, I'm game," Victoria looked at her shorter friend, " How 'bout you Jackie?"
" Sounds great. At any rate, let's hit the beach for now. We'll plan the party later on tonight at dinner."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Everything was perfection. The sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the sea gulls called as the friends settled on the white sand. They had their sunglasses, plenty of tanning oil, lawn chairs, towels, and a cooler full of iced down beer. The guys were in a game of babe watching with a pair of binoculars as Jackie, Donna, and Vicky watched a volleyball game or more specifically the guys spiking the volleyball.
" So, Jackie what exactly is this "brilliant" plan of yours?" the redhead asked her.
" Oh contraire, a good magician never reveals her secrets." she replied lowering her shades to the tip of her nose and raising her eyebrows.
" Don't look at me like that you're scaring me. Now," Donna looked over to the umbrella inhabited by their male friends and noticed Hyde looking at Jackie who had been doing it all afternoon, " Hyde has been looking at you all day. He wants you so go get him."
" Are sure he's been looking at me and not my beautiful red bikini? It is the color of passion after all." Jackie asked eyeing her bright red bathing suit and tanned torso.
" Oh no, don't be so modest. He's most definitely checking out the body inside the glorified underwear along with those guys playing volleyball and every man that walks down the beach."
" I'm agreeing with Donna, Jackie. You are in fact the Playboy Centerfold of the Jersey shore." Victoria reported.
The brunette squealed.
" Good, my plan is working out just as I suspected." the brunette said sinking down into her chair as if in deep thought.
Her two friends just gawked for they knew what could only come from Jackie's cheerleader brain. Something that would be inevitably bad.
*~*~*~*~*~*
" Check it out!" Fez said, looking through the eyepiece.
Kelso took them from him and stared at his ex sitting in the umbrella opposite of them sipping a beer.
" She looks hot doesn't she. I miss her. I wish there was some way I could get her back." the boy hoped.
" Too bad she was kissing Hyde last year instead of you huh, man." Eric joked.
He gave his friends a frigid glare as they laughed at Eric's jab. Fez then took a couple a pieces of ice from their cooler.
" Need some ice for that burn!" the foreigner exclaimed throwing the frozen chunks at him.
Hyde pulled his nose up from his Rolling Stone article about the Steve Miller Band's new album and tour.
Kelso, man, you've got about a snowball's chance in hell of getting Jackie back. No pun intended." Hyde replied, taking a sip of his beer.
" Sorry you guys, but looks like neither of you have a very good chance with Jackie compared to what I'm seeing." Eric said pointing to the homemade volleyball court in the sand.
Jackie was talking, giggling, and obviously flirting with the muscular athlete who seemed to be telling her a corny joke. Before they knew, she had given him an invite to dinner out on the town with the seven. She twirled her perfectly coifed curls with her pinky. The teen was drinking in every move the pixie made. He took his finger and lightly grazed her chin with his knuckle. Hyde's eyes were glazed over with jealousy. He knew that this guy wanted Jackie for one thing and one thing only. The thespian muttered something about picking her up at eight, and Jackie skipped off to her chair sitting shaded under the umbrella beside Donna and Victoria.
" See, I told you I had a plan!" Jackie replied smugly letting her sunglasses once again fall to her perfectly constructed nose.
" I have seen the light." Donna replied warily.
She was concerned about how much damage her pint-sized friend could actually do. Exactly how much chaos can come from such a little body? Too much, the redhead thought to herself, way too much.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
So? That was the second chapter. Let me know if you like it. Thank you for all your kind reviews. It gives me so much encouragement when you do so. In the next chapter, I plan to give you Kelso's never-ending charm, de-ja-vu of Dine and Dash, Fez's dating finesse, A cat fight, a call from home, Hyde's introduction to Jackie's volleyball, mystery man, and the reveal of Jackie's plan! Find out next time on . . . . Just read the damn thing! I'll see you next time. Same time, same bad channel. Peace Out!