Last Chapter: "Tomorrow's the day my dad's coming home." She squealed. I could feel my heart drop an inch.
Default: I don't own That 70's show or anything else said in this story.
One month ago was the day I overheard Jackie's phone call with her dad in her room. It was one month ago that she found out that he was going to be gone for four weeks. Four weeks was one month. It was one month ago that Jackie started living alone again. In the course of one month Jackie had been cheated on three times, got kicked off cheerleading, failed three classes and kissed me. It took one month for Jackie to realize Kelso was a moron and I was the obvious choice. In one month, I had found out that Jackie was captivatingly beautiful and very breakable. All girls are breakable, but when you're Jackie, and being abused, it's different.
I knew she was always trying to hide her emotions and keep up that happy façade she put on day after day, but I saw right through it. She was scared shitless that her father was coming home. I saw it in Jackie's eyes. Of course some part of her would be naturally happy. He was her father. It was my suspicion that he was the abuser, and I knew that's why she was scared. An old friend of mine living in the trailer park was abused by her parents and she lived to please them. Any slight praise or nice gesture had made her day. All the time I knew Jackie, she had loved pleasing people.
I could care less if people were pleased with my actions. I didn't bring notice to people who tried to please me either. Except with Jackie. With her I felt I should show that I appreciate what she does. Not just because of everything else, but because I like seeing her happy and smiling, especially if I was the one to bring the smile to her face. I remember when she had brought home a piece of pizza from The Hub after a date with Kelso. She was alone when she came in to the basement where I was watching TV. Jackie seemed nervous as she sat down next to me. "Hey," she said. "Hey," I replied. She grabbed my left hand, which was resting on my thigh and put the pizza inside it. "I got this for you from The Hub. Incase you were hungry." My fist tucked around the tiny slice and I unwrapped it from the napkin. She watched intently as I took a bite. It was disgusting. "It's good. Thanks Jacks." Her smile lit up the room.
Jacks is the nickname I gave her a few days after we met. It just came out when we were all sitting together. No one noticed and everything went on fine. She had asked me later what I had called her, so I repeated it.
" I called you Jacks."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Is it a nickname, like when I call you Steven?"
"No. Steven is my real name. You're real name is Jackie."
"I know that."
"So it doesn't count when you call me Steven."
"What about Hyde?"
"Hyde is my last name."
"So why did you call me Jacks?"
"I just made it up to quicken my sentence."
"Oh, okay."
"If you don't like it I'll stop."
"No, I like it. Jacks is a great name. Thanks."
I set the pizza on the table and said I'd eat it later. Jackie fell back into the couch and slightly leaned against my shoulder. I lifted my right arm up over her head and rested it on the back of the couch. Feeling my arm behind her, she shifted a bit closer and sighed. Other than earlier, she seemed calm and ok that I practically had my arm around her and she was resting against my shoulder. If Kelso or anyone else had been in the room at this moment I would have told her to get away from me. I was somewhat uncomfortable being in the same room with Jackie alone. She knew the real me and how soft I was around her. Jackie liked to please me and I liked to show her that I was grateful. It was the least I could do. The least I could do right now was to protect her.