Chapter 5
Jackie and Donna are at the public library. Donna is encouraging Jackie to date again.
"Donna, would you stop?" Jackie sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just not ready yet. We just broke up two weeks ago."
"Well, I know plenty of single guys."
"Oh really? I am not going out with Fez."
"Well Kelso's free too."
"Donna!" Donna laughed and Jackie finally joined in at the joke.
* * *
Eric and Hyde were walking down the street. "I must admit Hyde, you're very healthy."
"Whatever man."
"So have you talked to her since the break- "
"Nope. And I don't plan on either." Hyde looked at the hot dog stand and bought one. "You know a funny thing? I actually thought she was living by herself in an apartment but it turns out she's with a guy. Another guy Foreman!"
"Alright, maybe not so healthy."
"I just need to be alone right now." Hyde walked up the stairs to a library. Hyde had never been in a library before and so he thought he would just wander through and he couldn't stand talking about his ex-wife any longer.
* * *
"What about him?"
"Donna please. I'll die before I get desperate enough to date him." Jackie laughed at the fat, old man Donna had picked out for her to talk to. "What about him?"
"Nice." Donna looked in Jackie's direction. There was a tall blonde guy reading a novel. "Go for it."
"Okay. Here I go." Jackie walked off and started talking and laughing with the guy. Donna then looked away and saw Hyde. She wondered how he was doing since his break up. Wait a minute, she thought, Jackie just broke up with her boyfriend... this meant-
"Hey Donna." Hyde said interrupting her train of thought.
"Hey Hyde." Donna said quickly grabbing a book off a bookshelf. "I have to get going but I'll see you around. Bye Hyde." Donna rushed off and hoped that Jackie and Hyde would meet there. Hyde watched Donna leave and then saw Jackie talking to some guy. Jackie's "friend" soon walked off and Jackie glared at him as he left. She turned around and saw Hyde from a distance. The two just stared at each other for a moment and finally Jackie walked over to him.
"Hi there."
"Hi. How are you?"
"Good. Look you can barely see the scar." She lifted her chin and he nodded his head in a agreement. "So, how's married life?"
"I wouldn't know."
"What?"
"Sharon left last week."
"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry."
"Yeah. So how's... Earl was it?"
"Carl."
"Carl... he's doing good?"
"I wouldn't know. We just broke up last week."
"Oh."
"yeah." Jackie sighed and couldn't handle the silence. "Well I'm going to go but I'll see you around."
"It's funny how we keep on bumping into each other. Don't you think?"
"Hilarious." Jackie walked off. Hyde wondered what he had done wrong. He decided not to think about it because he was doing fine without any girl in his life. Who needs them anyway?
* * *
Donna and Eric are sitting in the living room.
"Eric, what do you think of Jackie and Hyde getting back together?"
"They're getting back together?"
"No, I'm just asking what would you think?"
"Déjà vu."
"Oh. In a good way?"
"I don't know. If they were both happy and they didn't interfere with us then sure, why not?"
"Okay good. I've just chose you to help."
"Me? Donna I'm weak..."
"Eric, we're doing this. Take one for the team."
"Yes ma'am."
* * *
"I can't believe you're dragging me out to a stupid date. Do I look okay?"
"Yes Jackie. You look great."
"I know." They sat down at a table and soon Eric and Hyde walked in.
"Steven?"
"Jackie?" They looked at each other for a moment. "Foreman, what the hell!"
"Just sit down. You two can talk."
"No. I have nothing to say to him."
"Are you still mad at me?"
"Steven you cheated on me and broke my heart."
"Jackie, that happened years ago." Hyde sat down and looked her straight in the eyes. "I've changed, have you changed?"
"Let's just eat and get this stupid thing over and done with." Jackie sputtered. Donna and Eric were scared at first that this wasn't going to work but then Jackie and Hyde started to talk about old times and started laughing with each other.
"I still have your t-shirt. It's so comfy, I sleep in it all the time."
"Really?" Hyde laughed.
"Yeah. I guess it was just a reminder of you. I don't know. It sounds stupid now."
"Yeah." Hyde laughed. The dinner went by smoothly and they even caught a cab together. Donna and Eric were proud with their work.
* * *
Donna and Eric decide to renew their vows. They agree that Hyde and Jackie should be the best man and the maid of honor. Jackie revealed to Donna that Hyde had left right after he came over. Hyde revealed to Eric that he felt bad when he was at Jackie's and so he left. Jackie and Hyde were over at Donna and Eric's debating which furniture they should keep and which they should get rid of.
"I think this couch is the ugliest thing I've ever seen." Jackie spat out.
"Jackie, we uh already decided to keep it."
"Oh." Jackie looked embarrassed. She and Hyde were still talking but realized that it was very awkward with their history to just be friends but they tried, really hard.
"Well what do you think of this picture frame?" Donna pointed to a neon green frame. "I mean, does it go with anything in the room?" She mouthed no to Jackie.
"Donna, puh-lease. That is nastier than that couch!" Everyone laughed but Eric.
"Honey, I love it. Do we have to get rid of everything I like?" Eric asked. Donna nodded and so he just sat back and took a sip of beer.
"That's what wives do. They take everything from you. In a few months you will be fighting over this ugly picture frame which is probably worth eight dollars now, after all the hours of talking to your lawyers back and fourth, it will cost you fifty bucks!" Hyde yelled and stormed out of the house. Jackie followed after him.
"Steven! I know you're upset but you can't keep these things inside and then one day just burst!"
"So every time I have a problem I should whine and sniffle about it until somebody buys me something to make me happy. Like what you do?"
"What?"
"You heard me Jackie. Money solves every problem you ever had. That's why we didn't last, you thought it was because I cheated on you but I bet if I bought you something soft and pink you would love me again." Hyde walked away.
"Steven! It wasn't like that with you. You made me different, you made me better." Jackie started to cry, and Hyde just held her. This was the first time they actually bonded since their relationship years before.
Jackie and Donna are at the public library. Donna is encouraging Jackie to date again.
"Donna, would you stop?" Jackie sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just not ready yet. We just broke up two weeks ago."
"Well, I know plenty of single guys."
"Oh really? I am not going out with Fez."
"Well Kelso's free too."
"Donna!" Donna laughed and Jackie finally joined in at the joke.
* * *
Eric and Hyde were walking down the street. "I must admit Hyde, you're very healthy."
"Whatever man."
"So have you talked to her since the break- "
"Nope. And I don't plan on either." Hyde looked at the hot dog stand and bought one. "You know a funny thing? I actually thought she was living by herself in an apartment but it turns out she's with a guy. Another guy Foreman!"
"Alright, maybe not so healthy."
"I just need to be alone right now." Hyde walked up the stairs to a library. Hyde had never been in a library before and so he thought he would just wander through and he couldn't stand talking about his ex-wife any longer.
* * *
"What about him?"
"Donna please. I'll die before I get desperate enough to date him." Jackie laughed at the fat, old man Donna had picked out for her to talk to. "What about him?"
"Nice." Donna looked in Jackie's direction. There was a tall blonde guy reading a novel. "Go for it."
"Okay. Here I go." Jackie walked off and started talking and laughing with the guy. Donna then looked away and saw Hyde. She wondered how he was doing since his break up. Wait a minute, she thought, Jackie just broke up with her boyfriend... this meant-
"Hey Donna." Hyde said interrupting her train of thought.
"Hey Hyde." Donna said quickly grabbing a book off a bookshelf. "I have to get going but I'll see you around. Bye Hyde." Donna rushed off and hoped that Jackie and Hyde would meet there. Hyde watched Donna leave and then saw Jackie talking to some guy. Jackie's "friend" soon walked off and Jackie glared at him as he left. She turned around and saw Hyde from a distance. The two just stared at each other for a moment and finally Jackie walked over to him.
"Hi there."
"Hi. How are you?"
"Good. Look you can barely see the scar." She lifted her chin and he nodded his head in a agreement. "So, how's married life?"
"I wouldn't know."
"What?"
"Sharon left last week."
"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry."
"Yeah. So how's... Earl was it?"
"Carl."
"Carl... he's doing good?"
"I wouldn't know. We just broke up last week."
"Oh."
"yeah." Jackie sighed and couldn't handle the silence. "Well I'm going to go but I'll see you around."
"It's funny how we keep on bumping into each other. Don't you think?"
"Hilarious." Jackie walked off. Hyde wondered what he had done wrong. He decided not to think about it because he was doing fine without any girl in his life. Who needs them anyway?
* * *
Donna and Eric are sitting in the living room.
"Eric, what do you think of Jackie and Hyde getting back together?"
"They're getting back together?"
"No, I'm just asking what would you think?"
"Déjà vu."
"Oh. In a good way?"
"I don't know. If they were both happy and they didn't interfere with us then sure, why not?"
"Okay good. I've just chose you to help."
"Me? Donna I'm weak..."
"Eric, we're doing this. Take one for the team."
"Yes ma'am."
* * *
"I can't believe you're dragging me out to a stupid date. Do I look okay?"
"Yes Jackie. You look great."
"I know." They sat down at a table and soon Eric and Hyde walked in.
"Steven?"
"Jackie?" They looked at each other for a moment. "Foreman, what the hell!"
"Just sit down. You two can talk."
"No. I have nothing to say to him."
"Are you still mad at me?"
"Steven you cheated on me and broke my heart."
"Jackie, that happened years ago." Hyde sat down and looked her straight in the eyes. "I've changed, have you changed?"
"Let's just eat and get this stupid thing over and done with." Jackie sputtered. Donna and Eric were scared at first that this wasn't going to work but then Jackie and Hyde started to talk about old times and started laughing with each other.
"I still have your t-shirt. It's so comfy, I sleep in it all the time."
"Really?" Hyde laughed.
"Yeah. I guess it was just a reminder of you. I don't know. It sounds stupid now."
"Yeah." Hyde laughed. The dinner went by smoothly and they even caught a cab together. Donna and Eric were proud with their work.
* * *
Donna and Eric decide to renew their vows. They agree that Hyde and Jackie should be the best man and the maid of honor. Jackie revealed to Donna that Hyde had left right after he came over. Hyde revealed to Eric that he felt bad when he was at Jackie's and so he left. Jackie and Hyde were over at Donna and Eric's debating which furniture they should keep and which they should get rid of.
"I think this couch is the ugliest thing I've ever seen." Jackie spat out.
"Jackie, we uh already decided to keep it."
"Oh." Jackie looked embarrassed. She and Hyde were still talking but realized that it was very awkward with their history to just be friends but they tried, really hard.
"Well what do you think of this picture frame?" Donna pointed to a neon green frame. "I mean, does it go with anything in the room?" She mouthed no to Jackie.
"Donna, puh-lease. That is nastier than that couch!" Everyone laughed but Eric.
"Honey, I love it. Do we have to get rid of everything I like?" Eric asked. Donna nodded and so he just sat back and took a sip of beer.
"That's what wives do. They take everything from you. In a few months you will be fighting over this ugly picture frame which is probably worth eight dollars now, after all the hours of talking to your lawyers back and fourth, it will cost you fifty bucks!" Hyde yelled and stormed out of the house. Jackie followed after him.
"Steven! I know you're upset but you can't keep these things inside and then one day just burst!"
"So every time I have a problem I should whine and sniffle about it until somebody buys me something to make me happy. Like what you do?"
"What?"
"You heard me Jackie. Money solves every problem you ever had. That's why we didn't last, you thought it was because I cheated on you but I bet if I bought you something soft and pink you would love me again." Hyde walked away.
"Steven! It wasn't like that with you. You made me different, you made me better." Jackie started to cry, and Hyde just held her. This was the first time they actually bonded since their relationship years before.