Chapter Twelve: The Night And Day Before.
It was the day before the wedding and everybody was rushing around the Forman household except Kelso as he and Jackie agreed not to see each other until the ceremony. Kitty was on the phone making sure all the cars were ready to pick up the bride and groom. Red was busy talking to the chief making sure the menu was correct. Donna was making sure the tuxes and dresses will be ready to pick up by the afternoon. And in the mist of all this was Jackie who was getting more anxious by the minute. As everyone else was so busy helping her with the wedding nobody saw her leave.
She walked straight out of the kitchen past Mrs Forman, and through the living room past Mr Forman. She grabbed her coat and opened the front door and left. She found herself walking towards the Hub. She sat at the same table Steven and her had when they were still together. She ordered a plate of fries and a coke. She sat there thinking is she really ready to get married and is it for the right reasons. Yes she did love Kelso but more as a friend than anything else he hurt her too much for it to be anything more. But she couldn't be with Steven he too had hurt her too many times except she did still love him She thought back to all the things that were going on at the Forman's. All the preparations everybody will be disappointed if she called it off. And she couldn't do that to Michael.
The Hub door opened and Hyde walked in he saw Jackie at the table and walked over. She was picking at her fries when he tapped her shoulder. The moment Hyde touched Jackie the world stopped, such slight contact made her feel on fire. She turned around to face him. He didn't say anything he just grabbed a chair from the next table and sat down.
Hyde coughed slightly. He put both hands on the table and took a fry off of Jackie's plate. She looked at him and he looked down.
"O.k. Jackie I really need to talk to you." Hyde said. He ran his fingers through his hair.
Jackie watched trying to determine what he wanted. "Steven if your wishing Michael and I good like I've already heard it!" She said bitterly.
"No I've been meaning to tell you something and I've tried to say it but every time I tried I then tried to convince myself that I didn't and...." Hyde said quickly before Jackie cut him off.
"Steven what are you trying to say cos right now I don't think I want to hear it." Jackie said. She was afraid he'd give her another hundred reasons why he would never be with her. She got up to leave when Hyde grabbed her arm and she sat back down.
"Look Jackie you think this is easy for me, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Hyde said.
"Steven I don't know what you are talking about." As she said this a tear trailed down her cheek. Hyde instinctively lifted his hand and wiped it away. Jackie leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. She opened them again and when she realised what she was doing she dropped his hand.
"Jackie you are the most amazing person I have ever met. You talk about stupid hair care stuff but I find my self-wanting to listen. You are really annoying but it's cute. Little things you do like the way you smile when I say something nice or the way you slip your arms around me when your cold. I never thought I miss them but when we broke up I realised I did....I missed you. Jackie I have never felt what I feel you and it scares me. But I do know that I can't live with out you. I am willing to do anything for you. Jackie I love you." Hyde said. In his throat they we're a jumble of words but they managed to flow freely.
Jackie stared at him and didn't know what to think. She was deeply touched and she wanted so much to believe him. But the hurt he had caused her took over her mind. The thought of him only saying all this because he wanted to sleep with her again popped into her mind. She felt angry and hurt.
Jackie stood up.
"How can you tell me that? How dare you. I want to believe you Steven but I can't. I just can't." She ran towards the door. Hyde just sat at the table. He had no idea what had just happened. Everyone had given him advice to tell Jackie how he feels and now he did he was getting screwed. He watched as Jackie ran to the door. Just before she left he walked up to her. He could hear her ragged breathes.
"Jackie I'm leaving tomorrow at three thirty. I'm getting on a plane and I'm leaving Point Place. I figure why stay around if theirs nothing here for me." Inside Hyde's heart was breaking. Jackie just looked at him and left. He just stood near the door and watched as Jackie ran across the road without turning back.
Jackie ran she ran as far as her legs could carry her. She finally stopped running when she rounded the corner of High street. She stopped to catch her breath. She couldn't believe that Hyde was really leaving. So if I had said I loved him he would have stayed. So he's not even going to fight for me. What am I supposed to do? He lied to me, he cheated on me. What am I to do?
Jackie didn't know what to do. But she decided to ignore her heart and her mind. She started to walk again and headed for Donna's.
She walked for about twenty minutes until she reached Donna's. She knocked on the door. It took a while for Donna to answer the door but when she did her hair was all messed up and her lipstick was smeared. Jackie poked her head in and found Eric on the trying to regain a seating position from lying on the table.
"Look your busy I'll come back later." Jackie said.
Donna said while seeming distracted. "Yeah that be cool. I'll talk to you in an hour."
"Sure." Jackie said.
"Jackie are you alright. You look like you've been crying." Donna asked concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine. I'll talk to you later." And with that Jackie walked next door.
Eric was in Hyde's bedroom sorting out the wedding gifts they had got for Jackie and Kelso when he noticed Hyde's suitcase underneath his bed. Being the nosy person that Eric is he bent down and tried to reach for the suitcase. When he hit his hand on the bed he cursed loudly but he tried to reach it again. He finally did and pulled the suitcase from under the bed. He pulled it onto the bed and opened it up. He was shocked at what he saw as all of Hyde belongings were placed inside the red suitcase. As Eric looked around the room more closely he saw the bareness of the walls. He looked down at the contents and never really realised what little Hyde actually had. Eric heard someone coming towards the room but before he could put the suitcase back the figure entered the room.
"What the hell are you doing Forman snooping through my things?" Hyde angrily asked as he came towards Eric.
"Man all I wanna know is why is your case packed. Are you going some where?" Eric asked. He watched as Hyde sat on his bed and began packing some more clothes.
"Yeah. And It's your fault Forman. If you hadn't told me to talk to Jackie then I wouldn't feel the need ton leave."
"Wait you spoke to Jackie. What did she say?" Eric eagerly asked.
"Not what I wanted to hear. And she's gonna go off and marry Kelso and man..I can't watch. So tomorrow I'm leaving." Hyde replied. "Your just gonna leave. I thought only your dad did that? I didn't think you inherited that." Eric said.
"Yeah well what can I do it's genetic." Hyde replied. He now firmly had his Zen mask intact.
" Man I'm gonna miss you and so is Donna." Eric said.
"Don't worry I'm gonna say goodbye to everyone, and I'm gonna miss you too man. You and your family have been a family to me and it has meant a lot to me." Hyde said.
"Umm, where are you going to go?"
"I don't know haven't really thought about. Somewhere far away." Hyde guessed.
"You know you won't be able to run a way from her." Eric deadpanned.
"We'll see." Hyde said as he left his bedroom. This time tomorrow he'd me on a plane and away from Point Place and away from Jackie. Hyde popped his head back round.
"Don't tell Donna yet man, cos she'll tell Mrs Forman I don't want to deal with the crying." Hyde said.
Eric wiped a fake tear away from his cheek and said in mock sadness. " We'll all be crying for you!"
"Get bent!" Hyde shouted.
Mrs Forman walked into Donna's kitchen and saw Jackie moping at the kitchen table. She walked to the table and sat down.
"Jackie what's wrong?" Kitty asked with her motherly tone set on overload.
"I'm fine. Really I've never felt better." Jackie said as she dissolved into tears. She let her head lay on kitty's shoulder. Kitty tried to comfort Jackie by giving her clues as to what her wedding gift is.
"Mrs Forman have you ever done or said something that you regret?" Jackie asked while wiping her tear soaked eyes with tissue Kitty gave her.
"What's this about, is this about Michael.....or is this about Steven?" Kitty wondered. When she had said Steven's name Jackie's head bolted upright.
"Well Jackie you need to sort out your feelings for either Michael or Steven before you make a decision. But follow your heart because that will always come through for you in the end."
What Kitty was saying made sense to Jackie it was just that she didn't know what her heart was saying. She leaned back and groaned. Jackie's stomach rumbled.
"Excuse me." Jackie said trying to hide her embarrassment as Kitty heard.
"Jackie let me make you a pot of tea and a sandwich. You must be starving. Come on." Kitty said as she took Jackie by the hand and led her to the Forman's.
As she walked with Kitty she saw everyone laughing, they were all dressed in their wedding attire. Donna walked up to Jackie with a huge grin.
"Jackie you had to have seen Kelso, Fez and I were walking to his house when we heard him practising his vows. And he kept saying the wrong thing it was so funny."
Jackie looked at Mrs Forman. "He wrote vows for our wedding. But I didn't know..."
"Jackie don't worry it doesn't matter to Kelso. All he cares about is that he is marrying you. Even though it should be me." Fez pointed out.
Jackie smiled and with that Jackie decided that Kelso did deserve a chance at making her happy.
"Donna lets have a look at my dress." And Mrs Forman smiled.
Donna, Kelso, Eric, Fez, Red and Mrs Forman were all sitting in the kitchen when the door slide open and Hyde walked in. None of them except Eric knew why Hyde had called them in to the Forman kitchen. Hyde walked towards the fridge and turned around to address the entire group. He took a breath and opened his mouth to speak but before he could Kelso asked where Jackie was.
Donna answered. "Duh Kelso she can't be here because you're here."
Hyde looked at Donna and added. "And I don't think I could take anymore of her stupid comments about marriage." Hyde said that more is own benefit to convince himself that he could leave. Hyde opened his mouth and this time he was able to speak as all the eyes of the room where focused on him. He felt like he was on display.
"O.k. over the past few days I've been thinking. Eric and Donna are gonna go away to college together, Fez is gonna event a new type of candy, Mrs Forman, you and Red are gonna want the house to your selves now and I am 18 so I figured I might as well leave and try and find my own life. Kelso and Jackie are growing up and getting married and think I should do the same. I mean you and Red have been great and I will never forget what you have done for me but I need time to think." Hyde said. He looked around the room and found only opened mouth stares.
Mrs Forman walked up to Hyde teary eyed. "Steven honey you can't leave you'll miss the ceremony and what am I going to do with out my babies." Hyde hissed at the thought of Jackie getting married but instead he focused on Mrs Forman.
By now Red had joined Kitty. "Now look Kitty if Steven wants to go it's his choice." Red tried to reason.
Kitty now was shouting. "Are you saying he can leave Red Forman? What am I supposed to do with no one to take care of."
Eric jumped in. "Hey mom I haven't left yet."
"But you will. No one loves me!" Kitty over dramatically said. She threw her arms in the air and walked out of the kitchen.
"Steven if your going to go I am going to miss you." And with that Red walked off after Kitty. The door swung on its hinges and no one said anything. Eric took initiative and asked Hyde where he was going.
"Man I think I might go to California Kelso told me nice things about the chicks so what the hell."
Kelso had now joined in. "Yeah but the girls aren't as good as Jackie."
Hyde just stayed silent. This whole thing was so he could get away from Jackie and everything that was said had something to do with Jackie.
"Ai, Hyde I can't believe your gonna leave us. How will I score with chicks now! And you're my ride to the candy store!" Fez whined. Hyde laughed at his foreign friend. It'll be times like this I miss the most.
"Well don't worry buddy cos I will visit you. Cos California chicks are hot and heads up Hyde they most defiantly know how to do stuff." Kelso winked. He walked towards Hyde and gave him a tap on the back.
Hyde walked over to the table and sat down next to Donna she had been unusually quiet during the news. Eric joined Hyde and Donna at the table and sat in his usual spot. Donna was now in the middle of Hyde and Eric. Kelso was sat on the counter busy watching Fez play with something he had found in the fridge. Hyde looked at Donna.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Hyde asked her.
"Yeah I do. I think you are making the worst mistake of your life." She replied.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
Donna lowered her voice so Kelso couldn't hear them. He was now with Fez near the stove.
"Your leaving Jackie without even fighting for her."
Hyde looked at Eric who just smiled. "Didn't this idiot tell you?" He said while pointing to Eric.
"Tell me what?" She said while leaning towards Eric glowering at him.
"Well I spoke to Jackie like everyone told me to and she basically blew me off." Hyde said while trying to remain calm.
"I don't get it. She loves you I know she does." She said while looking at Eric. He threw her back a look indicating he already tried to tell him that.
Hyde got up. "I guess we're all wrong!" He said as he left.
It was the day before the wedding and everybody was rushing around the Forman household except Kelso as he and Jackie agreed not to see each other until the ceremony. Kitty was on the phone making sure all the cars were ready to pick up the bride and groom. Red was busy talking to the chief making sure the menu was correct. Donna was making sure the tuxes and dresses will be ready to pick up by the afternoon. And in the mist of all this was Jackie who was getting more anxious by the minute. As everyone else was so busy helping her with the wedding nobody saw her leave.
She walked straight out of the kitchen past Mrs Forman, and through the living room past Mr Forman. She grabbed her coat and opened the front door and left. She found herself walking towards the Hub. She sat at the same table Steven and her had when they were still together. She ordered a plate of fries and a coke. She sat there thinking is she really ready to get married and is it for the right reasons. Yes she did love Kelso but more as a friend than anything else he hurt her too much for it to be anything more. But she couldn't be with Steven he too had hurt her too many times except she did still love him She thought back to all the things that were going on at the Forman's. All the preparations everybody will be disappointed if she called it off. And she couldn't do that to Michael.
The Hub door opened and Hyde walked in he saw Jackie at the table and walked over. She was picking at her fries when he tapped her shoulder. The moment Hyde touched Jackie the world stopped, such slight contact made her feel on fire. She turned around to face him. He didn't say anything he just grabbed a chair from the next table and sat down.
Hyde coughed slightly. He put both hands on the table and took a fry off of Jackie's plate. She looked at him and he looked down.
"O.k. Jackie I really need to talk to you." Hyde said. He ran his fingers through his hair.
Jackie watched trying to determine what he wanted. "Steven if your wishing Michael and I good like I've already heard it!" She said bitterly.
"No I've been meaning to tell you something and I've tried to say it but every time I tried I then tried to convince myself that I didn't and...." Hyde said quickly before Jackie cut him off.
"Steven what are you trying to say cos right now I don't think I want to hear it." Jackie said. She was afraid he'd give her another hundred reasons why he would never be with her. She got up to leave when Hyde grabbed her arm and she sat back down.
"Look Jackie you think this is easy for me, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Hyde said.
"Steven I don't know what you are talking about." As she said this a tear trailed down her cheek. Hyde instinctively lifted his hand and wiped it away. Jackie leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. She opened them again and when she realised what she was doing she dropped his hand.
"Jackie you are the most amazing person I have ever met. You talk about stupid hair care stuff but I find my self-wanting to listen. You are really annoying but it's cute. Little things you do like the way you smile when I say something nice or the way you slip your arms around me when your cold. I never thought I miss them but when we broke up I realised I did....I missed you. Jackie I have never felt what I feel you and it scares me. But I do know that I can't live with out you. I am willing to do anything for you. Jackie I love you." Hyde said. In his throat they we're a jumble of words but they managed to flow freely.
Jackie stared at him and didn't know what to think. She was deeply touched and she wanted so much to believe him. But the hurt he had caused her took over her mind. The thought of him only saying all this because he wanted to sleep with her again popped into her mind. She felt angry and hurt.
Jackie stood up.
"How can you tell me that? How dare you. I want to believe you Steven but I can't. I just can't." She ran towards the door. Hyde just sat at the table. He had no idea what had just happened. Everyone had given him advice to tell Jackie how he feels and now he did he was getting screwed. He watched as Jackie ran to the door. Just before she left he walked up to her. He could hear her ragged breathes.
"Jackie I'm leaving tomorrow at three thirty. I'm getting on a plane and I'm leaving Point Place. I figure why stay around if theirs nothing here for me." Inside Hyde's heart was breaking. Jackie just looked at him and left. He just stood near the door and watched as Jackie ran across the road without turning back.
Jackie ran she ran as far as her legs could carry her. She finally stopped running when she rounded the corner of High street. She stopped to catch her breath. She couldn't believe that Hyde was really leaving. So if I had said I loved him he would have stayed. So he's not even going to fight for me. What am I supposed to do? He lied to me, he cheated on me. What am I to do?
Jackie didn't know what to do. But she decided to ignore her heart and her mind. She started to walk again and headed for Donna's.
She walked for about twenty minutes until she reached Donna's. She knocked on the door. It took a while for Donna to answer the door but when she did her hair was all messed up and her lipstick was smeared. Jackie poked her head in and found Eric on the trying to regain a seating position from lying on the table.
"Look your busy I'll come back later." Jackie said.
Donna said while seeming distracted. "Yeah that be cool. I'll talk to you in an hour."
"Sure." Jackie said.
"Jackie are you alright. You look like you've been crying." Donna asked concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine. I'll talk to you later." And with that Jackie walked next door.
Eric was in Hyde's bedroom sorting out the wedding gifts they had got for Jackie and Kelso when he noticed Hyde's suitcase underneath his bed. Being the nosy person that Eric is he bent down and tried to reach for the suitcase. When he hit his hand on the bed he cursed loudly but he tried to reach it again. He finally did and pulled the suitcase from under the bed. He pulled it onto the bed and opened it up. He was shocked at what he saw as all of Hyde belongings were placed inside the red suitcase. As Eric looked around the room more closely he saw the bareness of the walls. He looked down at the contents and never really realised what little Hyde actually had. Eric heard someone coming towards the room but before he could put the suitcase back the figure entered the room.
"What the hell are you doing Forman snooping through my things?" Hyde angrily asked as he came towards Eric.
"Man all I wanna know is why is your case packed. Are you going some where?" Eric asked. He watched as Hyde sat on his bed and began packing some more clothes.
"Yeah. And It's your fault Forman. If you hadn't told me to talk to Jackie then I wouldn't feel the need ton leave."
"Wait you spoke to Jackie. What did she say?" Eric eagerly asked.
"Not what I wanted to hear. And she's gonna go off and marry Kelso and man..I can't watch. So tomorrow I'm leaving." Hyde replied. "Your just gonna leave. I thought only your dad did that? I didn't think you inherited that." Eric said.
"Yeah well what can I do it's genetic." Hyde replied. He now firmly had his Zen mask intact.
" Man I'm gonna miss you and so is Donna." Eric said.
"Don't worry I'm gonna say goodbye to everyone, and I'm gonna miss you too man. You and your family have been a family to me and it has meant a lot to me." Hyde said.
"Umm, where are you going to go?"
"I don't know haven't really thought about. Somewhere far away." Hyde guessed.
"You know you won't be able to run a way from her." Eric deadpanned.
"We'll see." Hyde said as he left his bedroom. This time tomorrow he'd me on a plane and away from Point Place and away from Jackie. Hyde popped his head back round.
"Don't tell Donna yet man, cos she'll tell Mrs Forman I don't want to deal with the crying." Hyde said.
Eric wiped a fake tear away from his cheek and said in mock sadness. " We'll all be crying for you!"
"Get bent!" Hyde shouted.
Mrs Forman walked into Donna's kitchen and saw Jackie moping at the kitchen table. She walked to the table and sat down.
"Jackie what's wrong?" Kitty asked with her motherly tone set on overload.
"I'm fine. Really I've never felt better." Jackie said as she dissolved into tears. She let her head lay on kitty's shoulder. Kitty tried to comfort Jackie by giving her clues as to what her wedding gift is.
"Mrs Forman have you ever done or said something that you regret?" Jackie asked while wiping her tear soaked eyes with tissue Kitty gave her.
"What's this about, is this about Michael.....or is this about Steven?" Kitty wondered. When she had said Steven's name Jackie's head bolted upright.
"Well Jackie you need to sort out your feelings for either Michael or Steven before you make a decision. But follow your heart because that will always come through for you in the end."
What Kitty was saying made sense to Jackie it was just that she didn't know what her heart was saying. She leaned back and groaned. Jackie's stomach rumbled.
"Excuse me." Jackie said trying to hide her embarrassment as Kitty heard.
"Jackie let me make you a pot of tea and a sandwich. You must be starving. Come on." Kitty said as she took Jackie by the hand and led her to the Forman's.
As she walked with Kitty she saw everyone laughing, they were all dressed in their wedding attire. Donna walked up to Jackie with a huge grin.
"Jackie you had to have seen Kelso, Fez and I were walking to his house when we heard him practising his vows. And he kept saying the wrong thing it was so funny."
Jackie looked at Mrs Forman. "He wrote vows for our wedding. But I didn't know..."
"Jackie don't worry it doesn't matter to Kelso. All he cares about is that he is marrying you. Even though it should be me." Fez pointed out.
Jackie smiled and with that Jackie decided that Kelso did deserve a chance at making her happy.
"Donna lets have a look at my dress." And Mrs Forman smiled.
Donna, Kelso, Eric, Fez, Red and Mrs Forman were all sitting in the kitchen when the door slide open and Hyde walked in. None of them except Eric knew why Hyde had called them in to the Forman kitchen. Hyde walked towards the fridge and turned around to address the entire group. He took a breath and opened his mouth to speak but before he could Kelso asked where Jackie was.
Donna answered. "Duh Kelso she can't be here because you're here."
Hyde looked at Donna and added. "And I don't think I could take anymore of her stupid comments about marriage." Hyde said that more is own benefit to convince himself that he could leave. Hyde opened his mouth and this time he was able to speak as all the eyes of the room where focused on him. He felt like he was on display.
"O.k. over the past few days I've been thinking. Eric and Donna are gonna go away to college together, Fez is gonna event a new type of candy, Mrs Forman, you and Red are gonna want the house to your selves now and I am 18 so I figured I might as well leave and try and find my own life. Kelso and Jackie are growing up and getting married and think I should do the same. I mean you and Red have been great and I will never forget what you have done for me but I need time to think." Hyde said. He looked around the room and found only opened mouth stares.
Mrs Forman walked up to Hyde teary eyed. "Steven honey you can't leave you'll miss the ceremony and what am I going to do with out my babies." Hyde hissed at the thought of Jackie getting married but instead he focused on Mrs Forman.
By now Red had joined Kitty. "Now look Kitty if Steven wants to go it's his choice." Red tried to reason.
Kitty now was shouting. "Are you saying he can leave Red Forman? What am I supposed to do with no one to take care of."
Eric jumped in. "Hey mom I haven't left yet."
"But you will. No one loves me!" Kitty over dramatically said. She threw her arms in the air and walked out of the kitchen.
"Steven if your going to go I am going to miss you." And with that Red walked off after Kitty. The door swung on its hinges and no one said anything. Eric took initiative and asked Hyde where he was going.
"Man I think I might go to California Kelso told me nice things about the chicks so what the hell."
Kelso had now joined in. "Yeah but the girls aren't as good as Jackie."
Hyde just stayed silent. This whole thing was so he could get away from Jackie and everything that was said had something to do with Jackie.
"Ai, Hyde I can't believe your gonna leave us. How will I score with chicks now! And you're my ride to the candy store!" Fez whined. Hyde laughed at his foreign friend. It'll be times like this I miss the most.
"Well don't worry buddy cos I will visit you. Cos California chicks are hot and heads up Hyde they most defiantly know how to do stuff." Kelso winked. He walked towards Hyde and gave him a tap on the back.
Hyde walked over to the table and sat down next to Donna she had been unusually quiet during the news. Eric joined Hyde and Donna at the table and sat in his usual spot. Donna was now in the middle of Hyde and Eric. Kelso was sat on the counter busy watching Fez play with something he had found in the fridge. Hyde looked at Donna.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Hyde asked her.
"Yeah I do. I think you are making the worst mistake of your life." She replied.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
Donna lowered her voice so Kelso couldn't hear them. He was now with Fez near the stove.
"Your leaving Jackie without even fighting for her."
Hyde looked at Eric who just smiled. "Didn't this idiot tell you?" He said while pointing to Eric.
"Tell me what?" She said while leaning towards Eric glowering at him.
"Well I spoke to Jackie like everyone told me to and she basically blew me off." Hyde said while trying to remain calm.
"I don't get it. She loves you I know she does." She said while looking at Eric. He threw her back a look indicating he already tried to tell him that.
Hyde got up. "I guess we're all wrong!" He said as he left.