Ezekiel's laughed coursed throughout the house. Hyde was too numb to even
turn around and glare at the angel.
"Holy fuck!"
The angel stopped for a beat. Then began laughing again. His belly bouncing to each gasp and roar.
"Did I-did I . . . . . . . . . is that mine?" Hyde stammered. He licked his lips nervously, and his right ring finger twitched.
The angel finally stopped and wheezed out an "Oh hell no!" and then snickered. "That's not yours. Oh man, this was so great. The look on your face was a telegram from hell. No, no, no!" He waved his hand assuringly, and placed the other on his shoulder and walked him closer to the fatherly scene. " That girl you laid back on 'hook-up-with-Jackie' Day was Regina. She was already two and a half months pregnant. Apparently, you became a softie even without Jackie's whinings and tricks."
Hyde was standing there, gazing at himself singing to a week year old babe of brown hair and green eyes. "She didn't look pregnant."
"Yeah, you really don't show in a peasant top or in the dark."
Past Hyde stood up and started walking around with the baby on his shoulder, trying to burp it. While up, he walked over to the radio and tuned it to a station, leaving in the volume on low. An Eagle's song came on, and gently lulled the baby to sleep and past Hyde himself as they both sank into the rich velvety cushion next to the grand piano.
The angel went over to the radio, and picked up the stack of records next to it while his visitor sat on the piano bench watching himself falling asleep.
"What am I doing here?" He asked.
The angel didn't turn around to reply, "You felt sorry for her. She reminded you of your broken family. Father never being there, mother trying to take care of a baby by herself." He chose a Pink Floyd album, and started looking over the printed lyrics. Hyde recognized it as Dark Side of the Moon, one of his favorite albums. The angel was humming "Us and Them".
"This is nice, raising the babe on rock n'roll." The angel commented. "You've also got Jimi, Joplin, and Doors."
The Hyde on the piano grunted a yes, and then asked, "She's hella rich. Why doesn't she just go get a nanny or something?"
"Nothing can replace a daddy."
"But I'm not its fucking daddy!"
The angel calmly picked up another album, Woodstock recording and looked at the album cover. "No, you're not."
"Hey, don't be all Zen on me! I'm Zen! You're a stupid angel who misses his former life in Hell on Earth!"
Ezekiel bit his tongue, he may have been an angel for a few years now-but he still retained some human qualities that were frowned upon in Heaven.
"If you think that you're better off exploring this universe on your own, then I'll give you this." Ezekiel walked out of the room, and returned with a pocket watch he had found on a table. "To go to the next year, wind the big hand to the next hour. I'm only going to let you go forwards in time though." He handed Hyde the watch.
"Ezekiel man, I'm sorry. Don't leave me here. I don't know what the fuck to do!"
"No shit." The angel replied. "Then again, it's time that you learn to. Listen now, you are like a ghost in this universe. You are a tourist. They cannot see or hear you. When I'm in a better mood, I'll come back." The angel walked into the coat closet and shut the door.
Hyde sat on the piano bench for a while, listening to the crooning of a new singer. Some time ago, the radio switched over to Marvin Gaye singing a soft tune to the sleeping duo on the couch. Hyde pocketed the watch and decided to go back to the school dance.
After figuring out he was on the opposite side of town, he was able to make it to gym in the middle of the dance. Nobody noticed him. He picked his way through the drunken kids, and found Jackie sitting on the Wallet Boy's lap, and the rest of the gang sitting at the table.
"Oh my god!!! They're playing Olivia!!!" Jackie squealed, she grabbed her date's hand the rushed to the dance floor. Her hair bouncing, and the smiling boy following her.
"There goes Fez #2!" Eric commented.
"Fez #2? How original Forman." Hyde thought, and decided to sit in the empty seat next to the original Fez who was busily entertaining himself with olives.
"Kelso, stop that!" Donna grabbed the pixie stick from him, and threw it somewhere behind her. "We all know that sugar sparkles!"
"Geez Donna, don't be so pissed at me because I'm easily amused." Everybody even Annette stared at him wondering if he even knew he just insulted himself.
"Eric, you need to stop calling Fez #2, Fez #2. His name is Jong."
"But he's like Fez. I mean, he comes from another foreign unknown country, he wants Jackie, and he's obsessed with candy!"
"Yeah, but he doesn't have an accent, and he's cool."
"HEY!" Fez perked up. "I am too cool! I am chocolaty mass of goodness quivering just to please a good whore."
"Yeah Fez," Annette said. "You're a pimp of color."
"Aren't all pimps of color?"
"No Michael, I'm talking about their skin-not their clothes."
Hyde was lost; this group was stupider than the real ones. So instead, he went to the sea of couples, looking for Jackie and Wallet boy.
"Did you like the flowers?"
"Yes, they were so beautiful. I've never seen flowers like that. Where do they come from?"
"Oh, they come from my homeland of-"
"OH! Excuse me!" Another couple bumped into them.
Jackie turned back to Jong, "What were you saying again?"
Jong shrugged. "Something not important. I also want you to know how you beautiful you are, it's so painful. I've never seen anyone as beautiful as the way you looked when you stomped out of the back covered in lima beans."
"JONG!" Jackie exclaimed as he laughed out loud.
"I'm serious. It takes a lot of courage to pull off that look." He held her closer and Hyde growled. "You know, I've never dated a woman for more than a week."
"Well, maybe it's just because they weren't as fashionable, or had a great upbeat personality like me!"
Jong simply smiled and gave her a soft kiss on the lips, pulled her closer and started whispering in her ear that Hyde couldn't catch, but made Jackie smile delightfully.
Hyde felt incredibly sad. This was a decent guy. The kind that would not cheat, lie or use her to his advantage. Here he was, thinking about taking away something that was making her happy. Something he used to do.
Broken-hearted, Hyde left the gym and sat on the Vista Cruiser. He didn't want to think about Jackie, how to get home, or where Ezekiel had run off to. He just wanted to think about nothing for a long, long time. Then again, long times do not exist in an alternative world.
The last song played, and the kids were milling around the parking lot, looking for their cars and trying to exit. Some waited until traffic died down, the Basement Gang plus Jong and Jackie came outside laughing and pushing around. Then Jong stopped dead in his tracks.
"What is it?" Jackie asked. He didn't answer, they looked across the parking lot and saw his red Trans-Am, covered in shaving cream and mud, scrawled across it was "CHINK! GOOK!" Hyde sat up as they walked closer and closer to the vandalized vehicle.
"What the hell?" Donna asked.
Jong took out a napkin and started wiping the shaving cream from the windshield. "Just some fucked up people, Jackie-go with Donna. I don't think you should ride with me tonight."
"Hey-hey," Fez clapped a hand on his shoulder. "There are just some screwheads up and around, I've gotten some too. Except, they use the wrong insults all the time."
"Yeah man." Kelso came up too. "I think you should ride with us tonight. You can crash at Forman's place."
"Well just come in the morning, and clean it up." Eric flicked off some of the dried mud.
"No."
"Please Jong. I'm scared for you."
Jong sighed, "What makes you think I'll be safe if I go with you all? They'll target you guys too."
"Hey, at least there'll be seven of us when they come."
"Seven?"
"Yeah, Hyde too. He's also not into the whole racist thing either. He's a friend of a friend. We all got you now, okay buddy?" Kelso said.
"Me too." Said Annette.
Hyde saw all of them surrounding the trashed car-bonding, as he watched from the Vista Cruiser. "Now I feel guilty. Stupid bastards." He looked towards the night sky. "What the hell Ezekiel?"
He took out the pocket watch and wound it one hour. When he looked up again, he saw that he was in his room.
Well, it was his room-except stacked with boxes, and the whole basement gang. "Seattle eh?"
Hyde was taking down his posters, and trying to stuff his socks into the boxes marked "peanuts" and "toys" at the same time. Ghost Hyde stood in the corner holding the watch, taking in the scene.
"Yeah, It's only five states over."
"But Hyde," Donna whined. "That's like, 400 miles away! Do you know how far 400 miles away is? How are we all going to hang out on weekends?"
"Yeah man," Eric added. "I thought you were going to UW with us?"
Than Ghost Hyde realized why he was going to the west coast. Jackie wasn't with him to persuade him to stay and attend college here. He probably didn't even take the S.A.T's!
"With my habits, and my stash." Hyde scoffed. "Like hell they'd take me in."
"Man, that's like half of our basement gang going over there." Kelso said while sucking on a popsicle. "First Jong is going to Seattle to run one of his dad's warehouses, and Jackie going to L.A. to model, now Hyde's running off too."
"I mean, we have cheese man!" Eric pleaded. "Think about the lack of cheese over there!!!!"
"Oh I love cheese." Hyde threw a record into a box marked "kewpie". "Don't get me wrong, cheese is good. Then again, I also like places without cheese too. Like . . . anywhere else but here."
"This is sad. Who will help Fez look for a nice voluptuous whore?" Fez pouted and asked Hyde.
Hyde sighed, "You're cool sexy, suave Fez. You gotta be smooth. Then, you cannot fail." He grabbed the deflated basketball, and tossed it between his hands as he sat on the ground since the rest of the group was begging him to stay had captured his cot.
"Hey, we're all moving. Think of it as growing up . . . yeah, growing up." Hyde shot the basketball into the box marked "pots" and raised his arms in victory.
"Yeah, Eric will have some old boring job, Donna will get tired of him and travel, Michael's going to give Fez tickets as he's cruising for a whore, Jong is going to be rich, and I will be famous! Oh, and Steven will be our national supplier."
"Jackie!" Donna gasped. "What the hell? I'm engaged."
"So you don't want to travel?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot about the travel thing. Yeah, I like that."
"Donna!" Eric whined.
"But Eric, it sounds really good."
"Okay, out of here!!!!" Hyde ordered and pointed to the door.
Ghost Hyde was bored too. So he took out the pocket watch again, and wound it five hours and found himself in an apartment in the greater Madison area, it was snowing and a Christmas tree was in the corner. A fireplace was next to it, and the mantel had pictures of the entire gang. He could hear a voice and felt the presence of many people. He walked into the living room and saw Donna in a beautiful white flowing dress with a bouquet of pink flowers in her hands. Eric stood across from her, holding her hand and his eyes very warm and soft. They both were smiling and gazing at each while Pastor Dave with less hair was reciting the wedding speech.
He saw behind Donna, Jackie still gorgeous-holding a small bouquet version of Donna's flowers. She was wearing a red silk Chinese dress, her hair tied up with pins. Behind Eric, he saw himself throwing looks to Jackie who didn't notice him. He had cleaned up noticed Ghost Hyde. His long curls were back, he had grown a goatee and mustache, but looked neat and refined in a tuxedo. Kelso and Fez were behind him too, both dressed in tuxedos. All of them had a pink flower in their suits as they watched the oldest ceremony in the world take place for two young souls.
Red, Kitty, Midge, Bob, Joanne, and Laurie sat in chairs watching it all take place. Ghost Hyde watched as Eric and Donna murmured their vows to one another, and they leaned forward to kiss at the command of the pastor. A flash went over behind Ghost Hyde, and turned to see Jong with a camera.
"You're still here aren't you?" Ghost Hyde commented.
The entire room was filled with happiness as Donna and Eric turned to the entire party beaming.
"Donna! Get the hell out of here and make me babies!!!" Kitty shrilled and bounced, tears in her eyes as Red kept a hand on her, trying his best not to look too excited.
Happy to comply, Eric and Donna ran down to the front of the apartment and into the car as the entire party followed and waved their goodbyes. Their car disappeared down the snow-covered street, while the rest of them filed back inside to start the reception.
The parents talked excitedly in the kitchen as Fez, Kelso, and Jong went to watch t.v. in the den. Hyde and Jackie started putting away the chairs and stacking them neatly on the east wall.
"So Steven, when do you have to get back to Seattle?" Jackie asked.
"Oh, about two weeks. I'm only visiting for the holidays and so." He finished with the chairs and started rolling up the mats. Jackie sat on the windowsill watching him and sipping eggnog.
"Don't you have a shoot or something?" Hyde asked her.
"Nope, Mademoiselle already has a ton of my pictures."
"Hey, do you have that autograph copy so I can give it to Brad. He's a big fan of yours, him and Regina."
"Oh yeah!" Jackie took out a manila folder out of her bag and handed it to him. He took out two photos of Jackie posing in a field of wildflowers.
"When did you do this?" He asked.
"Oh, these are old file photos from the agency."
"Hey, you don't suppose I could have a picture too?" Hyde asked. He glanced nervously at her.
Jackie looked at him in surprise. "Why?"
"You know, so I can brag to my co-workers that I used to date a model and stuff."
"It was only one date, and I wasn't discovered then."
"They wouldn't know that."
Jackie smirked. "I never got around to asking what you and Jong have been up to in Seattle."
"Oh you know, hang out, work, he misses you a lot and goes ranting in some language at times. I feel sorry that he has to worship a midget."
"HEY!" Jackie took 4 tiny strides across the room and pinched his cheeks. "You pig!"
A look of surprise and pain appeared on his face, and with a quick recovery- he was set on getting his revenge.
"Midget, midget, midget!!" Hyde teased. Jackie leaned in for another pinch attack.
"You know, you should audition for one of the MIDGETS in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!" Hyde crowed as he avoided the vicious pinch attacks from the model.
"Take it back you pig!!!"
"Or the Wizard of Oz!!!"
"STEVEN!!!!"
Hyde laughed. "Okay okay, I'm done."
"You giving up that easily?"
"I gave up when Eric forced me to be the best man. I gave up when I had to pick up the flowers at the florist. I even gave up when a slutty choir girl wanted to do me in the back of the church. So I might as well give up on everything."
"Oh . . . . . this isn't fun anymore." Jackie huffed. Then quickly tugged on his earring, earning a shriek of "OW!" from him. Finally, she sat back on the window sill, satisfied with a day's work.
"You uh, date anybody?"
Hyde picked up his beer and sat on a table next to Jackie. "Not really, see a girl in a bar, Wham, bam-we're done."
"Oh."
"I was never a guy for girlfriends and such."
"And yet, you are supporting a child that isn't yours."
"Oh, and what is your daily good deed?"
Jackie blew a raspberry his way. "Steven's a softie!"
"Shut your pie hole woman."
Jackie mocked gasp. "JONG! Steven's being mean to me. AGAIN!"
"Stop being mean to Jackie, Hyde!" A muffled voice came from the other room, then a series of cheers for the lucky winning team.
Hyde blew a raspberry at her. They both laughed.
"I missed you Jackie."
"Yeah, I missed all of you guys too."
"That's it?"
"What do you want me to say?"
Hyde sighed. "Nothing. Just messing with you." Ghost Hyde just stared in disbelief. He had just been flirting shamelessly, and enjoyed it. Now he was going all awkward and annoying. What the hell did he turn into?
"Actually-I want you to say "I missed you too Steven.." "
Jackie looked confused. "I missed you too Steven." She said hesitantly and shakily. "That all?"
"Um . . . .I . . . . here." He grabbed a dry board and pen and started scribbling on it, when he was finished he flashed it to her.
Jackie mouthed the words silently. Looked even more lost. Then her eyes widened with realization.
"Okay-that's it." Ghost Hyde swiped at the board, but his hand went right through it. "FUCK!" he screamed. But nobody heard it.
"You live with my boyfriend in Seattle, Steven. You-"
"Don't think I don't know what's going on between you two. You're both drifting away from each other." Hyde whispered.
Jackie's eyes widened. "Is there somebody else?"
Hyde shook his head. "What about you?"
"I'm too busy, besides-I'm not a cheater. No! Wait!! I shouldn't even have to answer that! What kind of girl do you think I am?"
"Tell that to cheese boy."
"God!" Jackie pushed him away, her expression screamed annoyed. "You still remember that."
"Jackie." Hyde took a step towards her. Then he leaned forward, his lips bridging the gap between them, but she pulled away quickly.
"I'm sorry Steven, but this isn't good for us."
"Why not?"
"Because we're not in love." Jackie protested knowingly.
"I don't care."
"What's wrong with you?! We barely communicated over five years and you're sprouting love for me!! Your best friend's girl? I am not something to chase, then throw away."
"I-"
"What!? That I'm so cheap and slutty like the girls you fuck?"
"NO!"
"Why do you want to destroy us, Hyde? What have we done to you? Is this some elaborate burn for you to sit back and laugh at?"
"NO!"
"WHY!?" Jackie hissed viciously.
"You think this is easy for me!?"
Ghost Hyde watched the scene from the doorway. "What the hell happened to you man?" He asked himself.
"How dare you! How dare you, how dare you! What the hell do you think is going to come of this huh? That'll break up with Jong and come for you? That'll leave six years of him in the trash to go to some hock head?" Jackie whispered violently. "Yes, I'll confess I wanted you. I waited for you. I flaunted, and did everything I could to get you interested. I looked at you that day in the basement, and you didn't do anything. You didn't want me. Why act now?"
Hyde just stared down at his black boots. Saying nothing, indicating something.
"Just leave me alone."
"Jackie."
"You changed a lot Hyde. Now you're getting passionate and emotional, and I don't like it."
Ghost Hyde watched her walk past her into the next room as his other self stared at the window in shock. "Neither do I." He murmured. He was going to follow Jackie, and then decided against it. He was too angry with his alternate self, acting like some desperate shithead. He took three steps and slammed his fist into the curly mop.
Surprisingly, he connected and watched himself slump to the ground.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Holy fuck!"
The angel stopped for a beat. Then began laughing again. His belly bouncing to each gasp and roar.
"Did I-did I . . . . . . . . . is that mine?" Hyde stammered. He licked his lips nervously, and his right ring finger twitched.
The angel finally stopped and wheezed out an "Oh hell no!" and then snickered. "That's not yours. Oh man, this was so great. The look on your face was a telegram from hell. No, no, no!" He waved his hand assuringly, and placed the other on his shoulder and walked him closer to the fatherly scene. " That girl you laid back on 'hook-up-with-Jackie' Day was Regina. She was already two and a half months pregnant. Apparently, you became a softie even without Jackie's whinings and tricks."
Hyde was standing there, gazing at himself singing to a week year old babe of brown hair and green eyes. "She didn't look pregnant."
"Yeah, you really don't show in a peasant top or in the dark."
Past Hyde stood up and started walking around with the baby on his shoulder, trying to burp it. While up, he walked over to the radio and tuned it to a station, leaving in the volume on low. An Eagle's song came on, and gently lulled the baby to sleep and past Hyde himself as they both sank into the rich velvety cushion next to the grand piano.
The angel went over to the radio, and picked up the stack of records next to it while his visitor sat on the piano bench watching himself falling asleep.
"What am I doing here?" He asked.
The angel didn't turn around to reply, "You felt sorry for her. She reminded you of your broken family. Father never being there, mother trying to take care of a baby by herself." He chose a Pink Floyd album, and started looking over the printed lyrics. Hyde recognized it as Dark Side of the Moon, one of his favorite albums. The angel was humming "Us and Them".
"This is nice, raising the babe on rock n'roll." The angel commented. "You've also got Jimi, Joplin, and Doors."
The Hyde on the piano grunted a yes, and then asked, "She's hella rich. Why doesn't she just go get a nanny or something?"
"Nothing can replace a daddy."
"But I'm not its fucking daddy!"
The angel calmly picked up another album, Woodstock recording and looked at the album cover. "No, you're not."
"Hey, don't be all Zen on me! I'm Zen! You're a stupid angel who misses his former life in Hell on Earth!"
Ezekiel bit his tongue, he may have been an angel for a few years now-but he still retained some human qualities that were frowned upon in Heaven.
"If you think that you're better off exploring this universe on your own, then I'll give you this." Ezekiel walked out of the room, and returned with a pocket watch he had found on a table. "To go to the next year, wind the big hand to the next hour. I'm only going to let you go forwards in time though." He handed Hyde the watch.
"Ezekiel man, I'm sorry. Don't leave me here. I don't know what the fuck to do!"
"No shit." The angel replied. "Then again, it's time that you learn to. Listen now, you are like a ghost in this universe. You are a tourist. They cannot see or hear you. When I'm in a better mood, I'll come back." The angel walked into the coat closet and shut the door.
Hyde sat on the piano bench for a while, listening to the crooning of a new singer. Some time ago, the radio switched over to Marvin Gaye singing a soft tune to the sleeping duo on the couch. Hyde pocketed the watch and decided to go back to the school dance.
After figuring out he was on the opposite side of town, he was able to make it to gym in the middle of the dance. Nobody noticed him. He picked his way through the drunken kids, and found Jackie sitting on the Wallet Boy's lap, and the rest of the gang sitting at the table.
"Oh my god!!! They're playing Olivia!!!" Jackie squealed, she grabbed her date's hand the rushed to the dance floor. Her hair bouncing, and the smiling boy following her.
"There goes Fez #2!" Eric commented.
"Fez #2? How original Forman." Hyde thought, and decided to sit in the empty seat next to the original Fez who was busily entertaining himself with olives.
"Kelso, stop that!" Donna grabbed the pixie stick from him, and threw it somewhere behind her. "We all know that sugar sparkles!"
"Geez Donna, don't be so pissed at me because I'm easily amused." Everybody even Annette stared at him wondering if he even knew he just insulted himself.
"Eric, you need to stop calling Fez #2, Fez #2. His name is Jong."
"But he's like Fez. I mean, he comes from another foreign unknown country, he wants Jackie, and he's obsessed with candy!"
"Yeah, but he doesn't have an accent, and he's cool."
"HEY!" Fez perked up. "I am too cool! I am chocolaty mass of goodness quivering just to please a good whore."
"Yeah Fez," Annette said. "You're a pimp of color."
"Aren't all pimps of color?"
"No Michael, I'm talking about their skin-not their clothes."
Hyde was lost; this group was stupider than the real ones. So instead, he went to the sea of couples, looking for Jackie and Wallet boy.
"Did you like the flowers?"
"Yes, they were so beautiful. I've never seen flowers like that. Where do they come from?"
"Oh, they come from my homeland of-"
"OH! Excuse me!" Another couple bumped into them.
Jackie turned back to Jong, "What were you saying again?"
Jong shrugged. "Something not important. I also want you to know how you beautiful you are, it's so painful. I've never seen anyone as beautiful as the way you looked when you stomped out of the back covered in lima beans."
"JONG!" Jackie exclaimed as he laughed out loud.
"I'm serious. It takes a lot of courage to pull off that look." He held her closer and Hyde growled. "You know, I've never dated a woman for more than a week."
"Well, maybe it's just because they weren't as fashionable, or had a great upbeat personality like me!"
Jong simply smiled and gave her a soft kiss on the lips, pulled her closer and started whispering in her ear that Hyde couldn't catch, but made Jackie smile delightfully.
Hyde felt incredibly sad. This was a decent guy. The kind that would not cheat, lie or use her to his advantage. Here he was, thinking about taking away something that was making her happy. Something he used to do.
Broken-hearted, Hyde left the gym and sat on the Vista Cruiser. He didn't want to think about Jackie, how to get home, or where Ezekiel had run off to. He just wanted to think about nothing for a long, long time. Then again, long times do not exist in an alternative world.
The last song played, and the kids were milling around the parking lot, looking for their cars and trying to exit. Some waited until traffic died down, the Basement Gang plus Jong and Jackie came outside laughing and pushing around. Then Jong stopped dead in his tracks.
"What is it?" Jackie asked. He didn't answer, they looked across the parking lot and saw his red Trans-Am, covered in shaving cream and mud, scrawled across it was "CHINK! GOOK!" Hyde sat up as they walked closer and closer to the vandalized vehicle.
"What the hell?" Donna asked.
Jong took out a napkin and started wiping the shaving cream from the windshield. "Just some fucked up people, Jackie-go with Donna. I don't think you should ride with me tonight."
"Hey-hey," Fez clapped a hand on his shoulder. "There are just some screwheads up and around, I've gotten some too. Except, they use the wrong insults all the time."
"Yeah man." Kelso came up too. "I think you should ride with us tonight. You can crash at Forman's place."
"Well just come in the morning, and clean it up." Eric flicked off some of the dried mud.
"No."
"Please Jong. I'm scared for you."
Jong sighed, "What makes you think I'll be safe if I go with you all? They'll target you guys too."
"Hey, at least there'll be seven of us when they come."
"Seven?"
"Yeah, Hyde too. He's also not into the whole racist thing either. He's a friend of a friend. We all got you now, okay buddy?" Kelso said.
"Me too." Said Annette.
Hyde saw all of them surrounding the trashed car-bonding, as he watched from the Vista Cruiser. "Now I feel guilty. Stupid bastards." He looked towards the night sky. "What the hell Ezekiel?"
He took out the pocket watch and wound it one hour. When he looked up again, he saw that he was in his room.
Well, it was his room-except stacked with boxes, and the whole basement gang. "Seattle eh?"
Hyde was taking down his posters, and trying to stuff his socks into the boxes marked "peanuts" and "toys" at the same time. Ghost Hyde stood in the corner holding the watch, taking in the scene.
"Yeah, It's only five states over."
"But Hyde," Donna whined. "That's like, 400 miles away! Do you know how far 400 miles away is? How are we all going to hang out on weekends?"
"Yeah man," Eric added. "I thought you were going to UW with us?"
Than Ghost Hyde realized why he was going to the west coast. Jackie wasn't with him to persuade him to stay and attend college here. He probably didn't even take the S.A.T's!
"With my habits, and my stash." Hyde scoffed. "Like hell they'd take me in."
"Man, that's like half of our basement gang going over there." Kelso said while sucking on a popsicle. "First Jong is going to Seattle to run one of his dad's warehouses, and Jackie going to L.A. to model, now Hyde's running off too."
"I mean, we have cheese man!" Eric pleaded. "Think about the lack of cheese over there!!!!"
"Oh I love cheese." Hyde threw a record into a box marked "kewpie". "Don't get me wrong, cheese is good. Then again, I also like places without cheese too. Like . . . anywhere else but here."
"This is sad. Who will help Fez look for a nice voluptuous whore?" Fez pouted and asked Hyde.
Hyde sighed, "You're cool sexy, suave Fez. You gotta be smooth. Then, you cannot fail." He grabbed the deflated basketball, and tossed it between his hands as he sat on the ground since the rest of the group was begging him to stay had captured his cot.
"Hey, we're all moving. Think of it as growing up . . . yeah, growing up." Hyde shot the basketball into the box marked "pots" and raised his arms in victory.
"Yeah, Eric will have some old boring job, Donna will get tired of him and travel, Michael's going to give Fez tickets as he's cruising for a whore, Jong is going to be rich, and I will be famous! Oh, and Steven will be our national supplier."
"Jackie!" Donna gasped. "What the hell? I'm engaged."
"So you don't want to travel?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot about the travel thing. Yeah, I like that."
"Donna!" Eric whined.
"But Eric, it sounds really good."
"Okay, out of here!!!!" Hyde ordered and pointed to the door.
Ghost Hyde was bored too. So he took out the pocket watch again, and wound it five hours and found himself in an apartment in the greater Madison area, it was snowing and a Christmas tree was in the corner. A fireplace was next to it, and the mantel had pictures of the entire gang. He could hear a voice and felt the presence of many people. He walked into the living room and saw Donna in a beautiful white flowing dress with a bouquet of pink flowers in her hands. Eric stood across from her, holding her hand and his eyes very warm and soft. They both were smiling and gazing at each while Pastor Dave with less hair was reciting the wedding speech.
He saw behind Donna, Jackie still gorgeous-holding a small bouquet version of Donna's flowers. She was wearing a red silk Chinese dress, her hair tied up with pins. Behind Eric, he saw himself throwing looks to Jackie who didn't notice him. He had cleaned up noticed Ghost Hyde. His long curls were back, he had grown a goatee and mustache, but looked neat and refined in a tuxedo. Kelso and Fez were behind him too, both dressed in tuxedos. All of them had a pink flower in their suits as they watched the oldest ceremony in the world take place for two young souls.
Red, Kitty, Midge, Bob, Joanne, and Laurie sat in chairs watching it all take place. Ghost Hyde watched as Eric and Donna murmured their vows to one another, and they leaned forward to kiss at the command of the pastor. A flash went over behind Ghost Hyde, and turned to see Jong with a camera.
"You're still here aren't you?" Ghost Hyde commented.
The entire room was filled with happiness as Donna and Eric turned to the entire party beaming.
"Donna! Get the hell out of here and make me babies!!!" Kitty shrilled and bounced, tears in her eyes as Red kept a hand on her, trying his best not to look too excited.
Happy to comply, Eric and Donna ran down to the front of the apartment and into the car as the entire party followed and waved their goodbyes. Their car disappeared down the snow-covered street, while the rest of them filed back inside to start the reception.
The parents talked excitedly in the kitchen as Fez, Kelso, and Jong went to watch t.v. in the den. Hyde and Jackie started putting away the chairs and stacking them neatly on the east wall.
"So Steven, when do you have to get back to Seattle?" Jackie asked.
"Oh, about two weeks. I'm only visiting for the holidays and so." He finished with the chairs and started rolling up the mats. Jackie sat on the windowsill watching him and sipping eggnog.
"Don't you have a shoot or something?" Hyde asked her.
"Nope, Mademoiselle already has a ton of my pictures."
"Hey, do you have that autograph copy so I can give it to Brad. He's a big fan of yours, him and Regina."
"Oh yeah!" Jackie took out a manila folder out of her bag and handed it to him. He took out two photos of Jackie posing in a field of wildflowers.
"When did you do this?" He asked.
"Oh, these are old file photos from the agency."
"Hey, you don't suppose I could have a picture too?" Hyde asked. He glanced nervously at her.
Jackie looked at him in surprise. "Why?"
"You know, so I can brag to my co-workers that I used to date a model and stuff."
"It was only one date, and I wasn't discovered then."
"They wouldn't know that."
Jackie smirked. "I never got around to asking what you and Jong have been up to in Seattle."
"Oh you know, hang out, work, he misses you a lot and goes ranting in some language at times. I feel sorry that he has to worship a midget."
"HEY!" Jackie took 4 tiny strides across the room and pinched his cheeks. "You pig!"
A look of surprise and pain appeared on his face, and with a quick recovery- he was set on getting his revenge.
"Midget, midget, midget!!" Hyde teased. Jackie leaned in for another pinch attack.
"You know, you should audition for one of the MIDGETS in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!" Hyde crowed as he avoided the vicious pinch attacks from the model.
"Take it back you pig!!!"
"Or the Wizard of Oz!!!"
"STEVEN!!!!"
Hyde laughed. "Okay okay, I'm done."
"You giving up that easily?"
"I gave up when Eric forced me to be the best man. I gave up when I had to pick up the flowers at the florist. I even gave up when a slutty choir girl wanted to do me in the back of the church. So I might as well give up on everything."
"Oh . . . . . this isn't fun anymore." Jackie huffed. Then quickly tugged on his earring, earning a shriek of "OW!" from him. Finally, she sat back on the window sill, satisfied with a day's work.
"You uh, date anybody?"
Hyde picked up his beer and sat on a table next to Jackie. "Not really, see a girl in a bar, Wham, bam-we're done."
"Oh."
"I was never a guy for girlfriends and such."
"And yet, you are supporting a child that isn't yours."
"Oh, and what is your daily good deed?"
Jackie blew a raspberry his way. "Steven's a softie!"
"Shut your pie hole woman."
Jackie mocked gasp. "JONG! Steven's being mean to me. AGAIN!"
"Stop being mean to Jackie, Hyde!" A muffled voice came from the other room, then a series of cheers for the lucky winning team.
Hyde blew a raspberry at her. They both laughed.
"I missed you Jackie."
"Yeah, I missed all of you guys too."
"That's it?"
"What do you want me to say?"
Hyde sighed. "Nothing. Just messing with you." Ghost Hyde just stared in disbelief. He had just been flirting shamelessly, and enjoyed it. Now he was going all awkward and annoying. What the hell did he turn into?
"Actually-I want you to say "I missed you too Steven.." "
Jackie looked confused. "I missed you too Steven." She said hesitantly and shakily. "That all?"
"Um . . . .I . . . . here." He grabbed a dry board and pen and started scribbling on it, when he was finished he flashed it to her.
Jackie mouthed the words silently. Looked even more lost. Then her eyes widened with realization.
"Okay-that's it." Ghost Hyde swiped at the board, but his hand went right through it. "FUCK!" he screamed. But nobody heard it.
"You live with my boyfriend in Seattle, Steven. You-"
"Don't think I don't know what's going on between you two. You're both drifting away from each other." Hyde whispered.
Jackie's eyes widened. "Is there somebody else?"
Hyde shook his head. "What about you?"
"I'm too busy, besides-I'm not a cheater. No! Wait!! I shouldn't even have to answer that! What kind of girl do you think I am?"
"Tell that to cheese boy."
"God!" Jackie pushed him away, her expression screamed annoyed. "You still remember that."
"Jackie." Hyde took a step towards her. Then he leaned forward, his lips bridging the gap between them, but she pulled away quickly.
"I'm sorry Steven, but this isn't good for us."
"Why not?"
"Because we're not in love." Jackie protested knowingly.
"I don't care."
"What's wrong with you?! We barely communicated over five years and you're sprouting love for me!! Your best friend's girl? I am not something to chase, then throw away."
"I-"
"What!? That I'm so cheap and slutty like the girls you fuck?"
"NO!"
"Why do you want to destroy us, Hyde? What have we done to you? Is this some elaborate burn for you to sit back and laugh at?"
"NO!"
"WHY!?" Jackie hissed viciously.
"You think this is easy for me!?"
Ghost Hyde watched the scene from the doorway. "What the hell happened to you man?" He asked himself.
"How dare you! How dare you, how dare you! What the hell do you think is going to come of this huh? That'll break up with Jong and come for you? That'll leave six years of him in the trash to go to some hock head?" Jackie whispered violently. "Yes, I'll confess I wanted you. I waited for you. I flaunted, and did everything I could to get you interested. I looked at you that day in the basement, and you didn't do anything. You didn't want me. Why act now?"
Hyde just stared down at his black boots. Saying nothing, indicating something.
"Just leave me alone."
"Jackie."
"You changed a lot Hyde. Now you're getting passionate and emotional, and I don't like it."
Ghost Hyde watched her walk past her into the next room as his other self stared at the window in shock. "Neither do I." He murmured. He was going to follow Jackie, and then decided against it. He was too angry with his alternate self, acting like some desperate shithead. He took three steps and slammed his fist into the curly mop.
Surprisingly, he connected and watched himself slump to the ground.
"What the hell is going on?"