Chapter 4- New Beginnings
"That's weird," Jackie said reaching for her key.
"What?"
"The doors locked. Eric said Donna was here." She opened the house and the two of them walked in with Eric following cautiously behind.
"I'll be right back," Jackie threw over her shoulder as she walked towards her bedroom.
"Uh Joey, let's go to the kitchen," Eric told his son nervously.
"Why? I'm not hungry."
"WHAT THE FUCK????!!!!!" Jackie screamed as Joey jumped.
"That's why," Eric responded.
"Steven! I come home from a shitty night, find you playing doctor with this whore and you're seriously telling me you're not doing anything?!" she yelled.
"Jackie, I'm sorry-"
"And you!" she exclaimed turning to Donna. "You're supposed to be my best friend. Best friends don't sleep with each others husbands!"
"What was I supposed to do?" Hyde broke in angrily.
"Excuse me?" she asked with wide eyes. "Are you really asking me that? You have a wife Steven!! Remember me, the one you pledged your life to? You're supposed to make love to me, not my best friend!!"
"Jackie..." Donna started.
"Get out."
"Come on!"
"Get. Out."
Donna stood uncertainly and made her way out of the room.
"Oh by the way, Eric's out there with his son," she spat out before she slammed the door in her face.
"Joey, let's go," Donna said moving briskly through the living room, not even giving Eric a glance.
"But Mom-"
"NOW!!!" she yelled and they both jumped.
"I can take-" Eric started.
"Why the hell are you even here? Did I tell you could see him?"
"I came here with Jackie because hey, she actually had the decency to tell me about my son. How about that??" he asked sarcastically.
"Joey-"
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"I said no. I'm staying here with my dad," the twelve year old defiantly told his mother.
"You think he's your father? This is just a piss poor loser with no life. Don't feel bad for him."
"I don't. And I'm still staying."
"Eric, don't you dare-"
"Teach him what we used to do? I'm not stupid Donna. I deserve a chance too."
"Well?" Jackie demanded.
"What?"
"Do you have anything you'd like to say?"
"Nope," he answered looking not the least bit concerned. She stalked over to him and gave him a fiery slap across his face.
"Jackie!" he yelled as he tried to say something before walking out. Hyde just sat down on the bed, rubbing his cheek. He had been wrong, he knew that from the start about six months ago, but for some reason he just kept going back.
"Jackie?" Eric said as she stormed out.
"Should we follow?"
"In a little bit." They looked around the room, shrugged and sat down.
"So...I guess tell me what you're like," Eric finally said.
"Well, I hate broccoli, I love rock music, and..." he trailed off lowering his blue eyes to the floor.
"What?"
"I love Star Wars. But nobody knows except for Jackie."
"Yep, you're mine," Eric stated laughing.
"Foreman where'd she go?" Hyde asked running into the kitchen.
"No clue, but she's pissed. What happened to your-"
"Don't ask."
"Ok."
With that, he grabbed his keys and went off to find his wife.
I'm a whore Donna thought to herself. I just screwed my best friends husband. What kind of a person am I? But then again, Jackie had no right to tell Eric about Joey. He didn't need to know. He still doesn't. Twelve years without a father and he's a good kid. Why mess things up?
"Go away," she cried.
He took off his glasses as he kept walking over to her.
"I'm sorry," he began as he stooped to her eye level.
"How could you do this? Donna's my best friend Steven! Did you do this when we were dating too?" she hurled bitterly at him.
"No! Listen, I don't know what happened. She was there, and I was there. You were off doing something and I was lonely," he said as way of explanation.
"You can't wait? You used to be able to," she said softly.
"I don't know what came over me."
She just snorted in response.
"I love you Jackie, I really do. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you." Jackie stood up tears streaming down her face and faced her husband. She went into his arms and just sobbed until she finally kissed him. He kissed her back with all his might, thankful that she forgave him, but then she pushed him away.
"Goodbye Steven. Have a great life," she finally said looking into his eyes and broke away and saw the confusion reigning in his eyes.
"What? We were just kissing!" he exclaimed incredulously.
"I just wanted to do that one last time. I love you, I always have, I always will. But I deserve better than this, than you. Just now I felt like I didn't even know you...I felt like I was kissing a stranger rather than my husband. A real husband wouldn't do this."
"What are you saying?" Hyde asked cautiously.
"I want a divorce."
"What?" She had stunned him. He expected her to spend the week with someone, but not seriously leave him!
"I'll go get some things together," she said as she walked away.
"Where are you gonna stay?" he asked softly.
"Where I always do."
"Donna's?"
"Fuck no. Eric's," she replied as she drove off leaving him standing there in disbelief. She had been staying with Foreman? I'll kill him!! he thought to himself. But then slowly uncurled his fists and sank down to the ground. She was gone. The only girl he had ever loved, was gone. All because he got lonely and couldn't wait for her to be home. Deep down he knew it was more than that, much more. She was right though; he did treat her like shit didn't he? All this came at him at the same time as he leaned his head back against his old school and cried.