SURRENDER TO NO ONE
BY
XOXOJackieXOXO
CHAPTER 2: The Friendly Ones"What do you want for your future, Mr. Hyde?" Ms. Nugent, Hyde's guidance counselor asked, clasping her hands together on her desk. Hyde hid behind his dark glasses. He shrugged. "Why am I not surprised?" she sighed. She pulled out a folder that was bible thick and opened it up. "This is your record. Misdemeanors. No felonies…so far. How ever there is vandalism, but you were excused from that. Now I have to add possession into your file? Steven, you are better than this," she coaxed. Hyde rolled his eyes behind his glasses.
No I'm not.
"What do I have to do to get you on task? You are a senior. You only have a few more months to go."
"I'm thinking about just dropping out." Hyde finally suggested coolly. "I mean, no one in my family made it past high school and they turned out all right." Ms. Nugent's face sobered.
"Really, Mr. Hyde? Let me ask you something, where are you living?"
"I'm living with the Eric Forman."
"That's Red and Kitty's son, correct?" she asked. Hyde nodded. "And why are you living with them?"
"My mom ran out with some trucker."
"And your father?" Hyde shrugged to that too. "Steven, you deserve better than that. What do you want to be after high school?"
"I haven't thought about that."
"Well, you should think about that. Whether you like it or not, it's time to grow up. I see you're wearing a Led Zeppelin shirt, you must like music. So, say you went to college and got funded to make your own record store?" Hyde smirked a little; he would like that. "You see?" Hyde's smile diminished.
"Yeah. Right. And say I don't drop out and I try to get into college. What college is going to accept me with a folder that weighs fifty pounds? C'mon. It's just not what us Hyde's do. We rough it out."
"Fine. Then you can rough out a few more months of school, if it's what you Hyde's do. But, if you stay and you make an honest attempt to bring your grades up, I can make this fifty pound folder disappear," she said tauntingly. Hyde was now interested.
"Y-you can do that?"
"Well, not supposed to. But if your folder was um, misplaced………I guess there's not much anyone can do about it, is there?" she smiled. "What do you say?"
"Uh, are you going to call Red about the possession?" he asked worriedly. The last thing he needed on top of failing grades was no place to live. She looked as though she was contemplating this, then she shook her head.
"I'm sure it wasn't yours. Right?" she smiled again. "Well, a deal's a deal. You'd better be off to go study. Oh! Here. This is a list of student tutors and their phone numbers. It's in alphabetical order. If you need it you have it," she said, handing him a piece of paper. He groaned. Alphabetical order, so the very top of the list? Jackie Burkhart.
He was hoping to get through the day without thinking about her, but he guessed that getting caught with pot at school and having this little heart to heart with his counselor was just meant to happen. He didn't need a tutor, especially not Jackie. Jackie may be smart, but she was the last person he would ask for help from.
"Steven!" he heard behind him as he left the counselor's office. He sighed. No such luck of not seeing Jackie today. She scampered over to him, her black and white cheerleading outfit swishing towards him. He turned to face her, his arms crossed.
"What?" he said flatly.
"I just, I wanted to say thanks, for last night and all. It's been really hard going through this whole break up thing and I really needed you," she admitted sincerely.
"Great. Cool. See ya." Hyde was very short with her. He turned on his heel and made his way away from her quickly, leaving her dumbfounded. She finally found it in her to follow after him.
"Why were you at the guidance counselor's office?" she asked, trying to keep him in a conversation. He wasn't in the mood to talk to her.
"Well. Break it down. I need guidance. I needed a counselor. Seems to just fit, doesn't it?" he asked sarcastically. She stopped again. He didn't want to look back at her expression, but he stopped anyways and looked back. "What?" She looked sad and angry, but not the same way she looked when Kelso cheated on her. Hyde asked again, "What??"
"I was so stupid," she said simply. She laughed a little and looked away, then back at him with her eyes paralyzing him again. He swallowed. "I thought that maybe, just maybe, that last night was the start of a friendship between you and me. But it looks like your opinion of me is still the same. Thanks anyways." She walked the opposite way back down the hall.
Hyde tried to let it roll off of him. He kept walking. He had to get to class before it was over.
"Have you guys seen Hyde?" Eric asked. Donna and Fez shook their heads.
"No, I haven't seen him since yesterday." Donna said, flipping through a magazine. "Why?" Eric took his usual seat on the back of the couch, feet on the cushions.
"I don't know. He was acting weird yesterday, and I just wanted to make sure he was okay. I didn't even find him at school today. Usually he skips biology and meets me at the car, but he didn't." Donna shrugged.
"He doesn't seem different to me," she said. "Well, not more than usual. Hyde's always been weird."
"Yeah, but yesterday he was making weird comments about Jackie, and then he turned into a jerk." Then it clicked. "Omigod! Hyde likes Jackie!"
"Yeah, but, who doesn't?" Fez asked. No one paid attention to his comment. Donna set her magazine down and faced Eric.
"I don't think so. Hyde HATES Jackie, and Jackie HATES Hyde. It wouldn't happen. Trust me." Eric nodded, although he wasn't totally convinced.
"I guess. Yeah, you're right. Plus, girlfriends just aren't very big with Hyde."
"Maybe he's gay." That came from Fez. Donna and Eric waited for him to explain. He paused, and then he said, "What? He's always staring at me through his glasses. It makes me feel flattered but it's really creepy." Fez concluded. Continuing the conversation, Eric decided to add in.
"You know what? Hyde could be gay." Eric agreed, pointing to Fez. Kelso walked into the basement.
"Hey guys, what's up?" he asked. Fez answered for them.
"Hyde's gay."
"No he's not." Donna defended Hyde. "C'mon. It's just as unlikely as Hyde liking Jackie. He's all about getting with girls."
"Hyde likes Jackie?" Kelso asked, once again finding it appropriate to fold up his sleeves.
"No! Hyde doesn't like Jackie, and he's NOT gay!" Donna shouted and stood.
"Wow. Good to know my friends talk about me when I'm not here." Hyde's voice rang. Everyone looked to the bottom of the stairs where Hyde stood, arms full of books. Fez stood in a fury.
"I thought I knew you!" he shouted and stomped out of the room. Hyde watched him leave with curiosity and looked back to his friends.
"What's his problem?" Hyde asked.
"Oh nothing. You're gay." Eric said.
"I'M NOT GAY." Hyde shouted after a long pause.
"You like Jackie!" Kelso accused.
"I DO NOT!" Hyde yelled again. "If anything I hate her!" Kelso sat now that he didn't feel like he had to kick Hyde's ass. "Come on, you guys! What's your problem? Suddenly I'm gay or I like Jackie? First off, I don't feel anything towards Jackie. I mean, she's hot, but that's IT. And how the hell did you come up with the lame idea that I'm gay?! I'm all about getting with girls!"
"SEE!" Donna shouted at Eric.
"Yeah, but, I heard that some guys go and be with a bunch of girls to convince themselves and others that they're not gay. Maybe that's what you're doing. How do we know?" Kelso said, nodding and pointing at Hyde.
"Get out." Hyde said. "I need to study." They all gasped.
"Hyde, we need to take you to the emergency room. SOMETHING is NOT RIGHT!" Eric said dramatically. Hyde didn't flinch. "Okay, you're not laughing. Don't worry. We're out of here."
The room emptied in a few seconds and once the last creak on the stairs was done, Hyde let out a sigh of relief. He cracked open his math book and tired to read the assignments that he had to make up, although he knew it would take forever. He began reading the first story problem.
All right. Concentrate, Hyde. J4kE…Hey…that math problem looks like is says, 'Jackie.' Jackie. Jackie. Jackie's got pretty eyes…STOP IT HYDE! Get it together. What's your problem? She's nothing. NOTHING.
"You know, I took that class two trimesters ago. I could help you if you're having trouble………." Hyde froze. There she was leaning over him. WHY did she have to wear that shirt? It was so low……Hyde swallowed.
"I don't need any help." Hyde said after a brief pause. Jackie sighed. "I thought I made myself clear today."
"Oh right. I forgot. You're back to 'jackass' mode," she snapped. Hyde slammed his pencil down.
"How the hell am I supposed to concentrate with your big mouth in the same room as me?" Hyde asked as he stood. Jackie just stared at him, her eyebrows low.
"What is with you?" she asked quietly. "You were totally cool to me last night. You even said you didn't hate me, and now you're being a complete jerk. Did I piss you off?"
"No, you didn't-"
"Then tell me what I can do so I can fix it! I liked you last night. You were normal," she finished. There was a long, awkward silence.
"Like me?" Hyde said quietly. Jackie corrected herself quickly.
"Don't be so full of yourself. I liked you as much as I could like a scruffy punk like you." Hyde smiled a bit. Jackie did too.
"Fine. I'll play nice from now on. But don't expect an apology, I don't do that." Hyde said shortly.
"That's better." Jackie beamed. "You'll never guess what Rachel told Holly today!" she began to rant. Hyde stopped her.
"HOLD IT." Hyde said holding his hand up to her mouth. "Let's not push it, shall we?" Jackie shut up and Hyde tried to get back to his math. Jackie just watched him. She liked the way he looked right now. Hyde had one hand supporting his head and an attentive stare at his book. He drummed his pencil against the coffee table. Once in a while, he'd look up and catch her staring at him, and she'd look away. He'd smile a little, but it would diminish before she ever got a chance to see it.
"Oh, H-Hyde. Those are negative fractions. When you multiply negative fractions-" Hyde sat back as she pulled the book closer to her and began to ramble about numbers and crap. Hyde stared at her, as she got even closer to him, their legs touching. Her hair brushed against his hand and it made him flinch. No girl had ever made him feel this nervous and confused at the same time. She looked up at him with her big eyes and long lashes. She smiled. "Did you hear one word I just said?" she asked. Hyde gulped and shook his head.
"Jackie, I can't stand you," he whispered. Jackie closed the book and got closer to him.
"Good." She slammed the book down without taking her eyes off of his. "Because I hate you………" she said slowly and quietly, her lips gradually getting closer to his.
"Hyde! You dumbass! Get up her pronto!" Red's voice boomed. Hyde jumped up.
"Yes sir, coming sir!" Hyde yelled back. Jackie stood.
"I should get going anyway," she began, eyeing the list of make up work Hyde had and the closed math book. Hyde nodded.
"See you later," he said out of breath. Red must have found out about the possession. He gave her one last glance before running up the creaky stairs, leaving Jackie alone. Jackie rubbed her arms, she was a little cold. She couldn't like Hyde. He was so grubby and rebellious…and yet, it made her get this fluffy feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was so wrong for her to like him. She kept imagining them together, kept imagining Kelso's face as they announced that they were dating. That made her even more interested.
But the thing that interested her the most was that Hyde had absolutely NO interest in her… She liked the way she made him nervous, she liked the way he swallowed hard when he was trying to resist her. She liked the way he tried to at least pretend he had no interest in her. The thrill of the chase turned her on.
XOXOJackieXOXO
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