In The Beginning
Chapter Seven: Jackie's First Time
"I don't know, Michael..." Jackie started, for the millionth time that day.
"Come on, Jackie, it'll be fun!" He wrapped his arms around her, "Do it for me?"
Jackie nodded her head in defeat, and watched her boyfriend disappear into the basement. She stood on the cement steps, almost frozen. She hadn't been down there since...god knows how long. It's not like she hated hanging out with Michael and his friends, she sort of learned to love it. Eric's a nice kid, Donna's slowly becoming one of Jackie's better friends, and well, Michael's her boyfriend...but Hyde. He was always the problem. She'd usually make up excuses if Michael asked her to come to the basement, because she knew he'd be there.
At first, it was easy.
She'd just tell Michael she wasn't ready to hang out with high school kids, since last year; she was still in 8th grade, at Junior High, while the rest of them were lowly freshman at Point Place High. But now she was the freshman, and they were sophomores, so that excuse didn't fly over Michael's head so easily.
Michael knew she couldn't stand Hyde. She could spend hours complaining about him. She hated him even more then she hated Pam Macy, and she hated Pam quite a lot.
The other excuse she always used wasn't so valid anymore ...
In the old days, when Michael invited her for some basement hang out time...Jackie would simply say that she had promised Stacey or Lacey that she'd go to the mall. But, over time, those friendships faded, and Jackie realized that the only real friend she had left... was Donna.
Donna.
Jackie snapped out of her train of thought to see Donna standing next to her, flipping her long red hair behind her as she muttered about how cold it was outside and then asked why Jackie was just standing here like this...
Before Jackie could reply, Michael popped his head back outside, shouting excitedly, "There's someone you just have to meet!"
Jackie and Donna exchanged glances and went on inside.
Jackie took off her puffy jacket, throwing it on the coat rack and took a seat on the couch. Hyde was sitting in his chair, his face buried in an issue of Rolling Stone. Eric was standing by the deep freeze, unwrapping a Popsicle as Donna strode over to him, taking a Popsicle out for herself as well. Jackie watched as Michael sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"Jackie, I want you to meet," Michael began, and slowly Jackie realized that there was someone else in the room.
"Hello!" The stranger boomed, taking Jackie's hand and kissing it. "I have never seen such beautiful hands in my life!"
Jackie blushed gently, not sure whether she should be disgusted or complimented.
"Jackie, this is Fez." Michael continued.
"Fez, what kind of name is Fez?" Jackie asked, scrunching her nose up at him.
"Well, my real name is..."
"Eric!" A voice boomed as footsteps stomped down the staircase. "Dad wants you!" Laurie gave the basement a once over, rolled her eyes, and went back upstairs.
Eric groaned and ran up the stairs, as Donna took a seat next to Jackie on the couch.
"So, Fez, where are you from?" Donna asked, giving him a warm, friendly smile.
"Well," Fez began, clearing his throat, "My people come from the island of..."
"Hyde!" Eric's voice screamed from upstairs. "Get up here."
Hyde lowered his magazine and Jackie noticed his sunglasses were on his eyes and his expression just looked...hurt. He quickly tossed his magazine aside and ran upstairs.
"What's that about?" Donna whispered to Jackie, who just shrugged as she took the magazine Hyde had placed on the table.
"So, Jackie, may I kiss you?" Fez asked.
"Ew!" Jackie screeched. "I don't kiss foreigners." She said this slow and steady, to make sure he understood her.
"Jackie's kind of my girlfriend, Fez." Michael laughed.
"Kind of?" Jackie asked, with an annoyed glare.
"Donna, do you have a boyfriend as well?" Fez asked sadly.
"She's in love with Eric." Jackie said matter of factly, throwing the magazine aside.
"Jackie!" Donna smacked Jackie's arm.
"That hurt you lumberjack!" Jackie screeched, hitting Donna back.
"You know how we can settle this, girls?" Kelso said, jumping up quickly. "Cat fight....no, NAKED cat fight!"
"Grow up, Kelso." Donna muttered.
"Seriously, Donna, let's go." Jackie waved her arm for Donna to follow her upstairs, which she did.
They entered the kitchen, where Eric, Laurie, Hyde, Kitty, and Red were all red faced and sad looking. Well, except Red, because he always looked angry.
Donna and Jackie immediately left the group, and went towards the living room, but soon Laurie and Eric ended up in there too, claiming they were kicked out of the kitchen.
"Let's try the front steps?" Jackie offered.
Donna and Jackie sat outside the front door, staring off at the street, and the seldom cars that would pass by every once in awhile. Inside, they could hear muffled screams, but couldn't really make them out.
Jackie insisted they should eavesdrop, to see what the hell was going on, but Donna said that would be rude, and that she'll just find out from Eric.
Jackie and Donna began to talk about random things; Donna mostly about Eric and Jackie mostly about her hair - until the front door opened and Hyde stared at them.
"Why are you sitting out here?"
"Why not?" Donna asked, poking out a smile as she stood up.
Jackie didn't bother to stand, she just stared at her shiny new shoes that her mother bought her to make up for her last vacation.
Hyde shut the door behind him and shoved his hands in his pockets, before running out to the street, walking briskly.
"God, he's been more angry and bitter then usual." Donna muttered. "I'm going to go get the scoop from Eric."
"And then report back to me?" Jackie asked, in a distracted tone.
"Of course." Donna disappeared inside, and Jackie couldn't find the will to sit still any longer. She jumped up and did the only thing she could think of; she ran after Hyde.
"Hyde, wait up." She called, catching her breath as she caught up to him.
"Not tonight, Jackie."
"Huh?" Jackie looked up at him with confusion, trying to see past his sunglasses, to see what was going on in that head of his.
"I can't deal with you tonight, ok?"
"Hey!" She pulled on his arm, and he stopped walking. "What happened?"
"Nothing." He started to walk again, leaving Jackie to stand alone in the middle of the street.
He disappeared into the dark, as Jackie stood underneath one of the spotlights being formed by the street lights. She reached down into her pocket, pulling out a single sheet of paper she had kept for a situation just like this and ran after Hyde. She held out her arms, holding his shoulders as she stood in front of him, blocking his way.
"Get out of my way, Jackie." Hyde muttered, pushing her arms off of his.
"No." She opened up the folded piece of paper and directed him underneath one of the street lights so he could see. "You owe me, remember?"
"Jackie, I'm not kidding." Hyde shoved his hands back into his pockets.
"Hyde," He pushed past her, as she called from behind him. "Trust me."
These two words had been such a big part of their...friendship? Relationship? Whatever?... that they could not be ignored.
He turned around, paced slightly as he shifted his feet and then suddenly sat on the curb, taking out a pack of cigarettes. He offered one to Jackie, but her eyes went instantly wide and he laughed, sliding the pack back into his jacket.
"Since when do you smoke?" She asked.
"I do a lot of things you probably wouldn't approve of."
The smirk on his face was undeniable, and Jackie didn't even want to know what he was talking about...
"What happened back there?" She asked timidly as she sat down next to him, making sure her skirt wasn't too wrinkled underneath her.
"Kitty and Red found out that I've been sleeping in the basement at night."
"Oh." Jackie looked slightly flustered. "Why would you sleep down there?"
"Well," He wasn't sure how to say what came next without making her upset, and she recognized it, and gave him a reassuring smile, "I can't go home."
"Why not?" A look of concern and worry spread across her face.
"Because, well," He slipped his sunglasses off, folding them carefully and Jackie looked up into his eyes, gasping in shock.
"Oh my god, Hyde." She cried out, wincing at the sight of his right eye, which was blackish red and swollen. "Who did that to you?"
Hyde slipped his sunglasses back on and muttered, "Just my dad."
"Does it hurt?" She realized how dumb this question was, but he nodded slowly, making her feel slightly better. "So, now what?"
"Well, um," Hyde rolled his eyes, but winced slightly because of it, "Eric told his parents everything and so Kitty wants me to move in...but, well, Red doesn't seem too happy about it."
"What about your mom?" Jackie asked instantly.
"I don't really know where she is."
Jackie didn't mean to laugh, and it certainly wasn't a 'ha that's funny!' laugh, but more of a 'I know how that is' laugh.
"You know what would really make us feel better?" Hyde asked her, watching her carefully.
"Um...ice cream?"
"No," He held his hand out for her as he stood up, "Come on."
Michael had always told Jackie stories of the circle, and even though she was a good girl, she always wanted to know what it was like..
So when Hyde sat down in front of her in the basement, opening up a brown paper bag, and instructing her on what to do with it....well curiosity killed the cat.
Actually, in this case, it made the cat high.
"You want to hear something funny?" Jackie asked, laughing horrendously. "I didn't meet my mom until I was in first grade!"
"Lucky." Hyde said with a smirk.
The basement was pretty empty, since it turned out the rest of the gang ventured off to the Hub.
"And then...she goes to Mexico every few months, without even telling me. I just come home and POOF, she's gone." Jackie stopped laughing. "I used to cry when that happened."
Hyde just nodded in understanding, amused by Jackie's antics. He was more immune to this then she was of course, seeing as how she was a virgin to it...
"When did your mom go to Mexico?" Jackie asked, snorting with laughter.
"About a month ago." Hyde said, recalling that day.
"Did you cryyyyy?" Jackie sang slightly and began to laugh again.
"No." He said sternly, pushing his sunglasses further up his nose.
"You want to hear something crazy?" Jackie said, completely forgetting what they had been talking about before.
Hyde didn't say a word, but she continued anyway.
"You know how I pretend to hate you and all that?"
He nodded, slowly, as if he knew what was coming.
"I don't hate you at all." She whispered. "Not one bit."
He nodded again, sitting back in his seat.
"And when I get really upset and I feel like crying, do you know what I do?"
"What?" Hyde asked softly.
"I wear your jacket." She laughed loudly. "That's why I wanted to keep it." She nodded her head slowly, starting to feel suddenly sad, "It doesn't work anymore, though."
"Why not?" Hyde interjected.
"It's not enough..." Her voice was drowned out by the sound of kids stomping down the cement stairs.
Hyde quickly jerked upright and whispered, "Jackie, why isn't it enough?"
She looked into his eyes, hard and straight, feeling herself coming off of her high, and whispered faintly, "Because it's not you."
Chapter Seven: Jackie's First Time
"I don't know, Michael..." Jackie started, for the millionth time that day.
"Come on, Jackie, it'll be fun!" He wrapped his arms around her, "Do it for me?"
Jackie nodded her head in defeat, and watched her boyfriend disappear into the basement. She stood on the cement steps, almost frozen. She hadn't been down there since...god knows how long. It's not like she hated hanging out with Michael and his friends, she sort of learned to love it. Eric's a nice kid, Donna's slowly becoming one of Jackie's better friends, and well, Michael's her boyfriend...but Hyde. He was always the problem. She'd usually make up excuses if Michael asked her to come to the basement, because she knew he'd be there.
At first, it was easy.
She'd just tell Michael she wasn't ready to hang out with high school kids, since last year; she was still in 8th grade, at Junior High, while the rest of them were lowly freshman at Point Place High. But now she was the freshman, and they were sophomores, so that excuse didn't fly over Michael's head so easily.
Michael knew she couldn't stand Hyde. She could spend hours complaining about him. She hated him even more then she hated Pam Macy, and she hated Pam quite a lot.
The other excuse she always used wasn't so valid anymore ...
In the old days, when Michael invited her for some basement hang out time...Jackie would simply say that she had promised Stacey or Lacey that she'd go to the mall. But, over time, those friendships faded, and Jackie realized that the only real friend she had left... was Donna.
Donna.
Jackie snapped out of her train of thought to see Donna standing next to her, flipping her long red hair behind her as she muttered about how cold it was outside and then asked why Jackie was just standing here like this...
Before Jackie could reply, Michael popped his head back outside, shouting excitedly, "There's someone you just have to meet!"
Jackie and Donna exchanged glances and went on inside.
Jackie took off her puffy jacket, throwing it on the coat rack and took a seat on the couch. Hyde was sitting in his chair, his face buried in an issue of Rolling Stone. Eric was standing by the deep freeze, unwrapping a Popsicle as Donna strode over to him, taking a Popsicle out for herself as well. Jackie watched as Michael sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"Jackie, I want you to meet," Michael began, and slowly Jackie realized that there was someone else in the room.
"Hello!" The stranger boomed, taking Jackie's hand and kissing it. "I have never seen such beautiful hands in my life!"
Jackie blushed gently, not sure whether she should be disgusted or complimented.
"Jackie, this is Fez." Michael continued.
"Fez, what kind of name is Fez?" Jackie asked, scrunching her nose up at him.
"Well, my real name is..."
"Eric!" A voice boomed as footsteps stomped down the staircase. "Dad wants you!" Laurie gave the basement a once over, rolled her eyes, and went back upstairs.
Eric groaned and ran up the stairs, as Donna took a seat next to Jackie on the couch.
"So, Fez, where are you from?" Donna asked, giving him a warm, friendly smile.
"Well," Fez began, clearing his throat, "My people come from the island of..."
"Hyde!" Eric's voice screamed from upstairs. "Get up here."
Hyde lowered his magazine and Jackie noticed his sunglasses were on his eyes and his expression just looked...hurt. He quickly tossed his magazine aside and ran upstairs.
"What's that about?" Donna whispered to Jackie, who just shrugged as she took the magazine Hyde had placed on the table.
"So, Jackie, may I kiss you?" Fez asked.
"Ew!" Jackie screeched. "I don't kiss foreigners." She said this slow and steady, to make sure he understood her.
"Jackie's kind of my girlfriend, Fez." Michael laughed.
"Kind of?" Jackie asked, with an annoyed glare.
"Donna, do you have a boyfriend as well?" Fez asked sadly.
"She's in love with Eric." Jackie said matter of factly, throwing the magazine aside.
"Jackie!" Donna smacked Jackie's arm.
"That hurt you lumberjack!" Jackie screeched, hitting Donna back.
"You know how we can settle this, girls?" Kelso said, jumping up quickly. "Cat fight....no, NAKED cat fight!"
"Grow up, Kelso." Donna muttered.
"Seriously, Donna, let's go." Jackie waved her arm for Donna to follow her upstairs, which she did.
They entered the kitchen, where Eric, Laurie, Hyde, Kitty, and Red were all red faced and sad looking. Well, except Red, because he always looked angry.
Donna and Jackie immediately left the group, and went towards the living room, but soon Laurie and Eric ended up in there too, claiming they were kicked out of the kitchen.
"Let's try the front steps?" Jackie offered.
Donna and Jackie sat outside the front door, staring off at the street, and the seldom cars that would pass by every once in awhile. Inside, they could hear muffled screams, but couldn't really make them out.
Jackie insisted they should eavesdrop, to see what the hell was going on, but Donna said that would be rude, and that she'll just find out from Eric.
Jackie and Donna began to talk about random things; Donna mostly about Eric and Jackie mostly about her hair - until the front door opened and Hyde stared at them.
"Why are you sitting out here?"
"Why not?" Donna asked, poking out a smile as she stood up.
Jackie didn't bother to stand, she just stared at her shiny new shoes that her mother bought her to make up for her last vacation.
Hyde shut the door behind him and shoved his hands in his pockets, before running out to the street, walking briskly.
"God, he's been more angry and bitter then usual." Donna muttered. "I'm going to go get the scoop from Eric."
"And then report back to me?" Jackie asked, in a distracted tone.
"Of course." Donna disappeared inside, and Jackie couldn't find the will to sit still any longer. She jumped up and did the only thing she could think of; she ran after Hyde.
"Hyde, wait up." She called, catching her breath as she caught up to him.
"Not tonight, Jackie."
"Huh?" Jackie looked up at him with confusion, trying to see past his sunglasses, to see what was going on in that head of his.
"I can't deal with you tonight, ok?"
"Hey!" She pulled on his arm, and he stopped walking. "What happened?"
"Nothing." He started to walk again, leaving Jackie to stand alone in the middle of the street.
He disappeared into the dark, as Jackie stood underneath one of the spotlights being formed by the street lights. She reached down into her pocket, pulling out a single sheet of paper she had kept for a situation just like this and ran after Hyde. She held out her arms, holding his shoulders as she stood in front of him, blocking his way.
"Get out of my way, Jackie." Hyde muttered, pushing her arms off of his.
"No." She opened up the folded piece of paper and directed him underneath one of the street lights so he could see. "You owe me, remember?"
"Jackie, I'm not kidding." Hyde shoved his hands back into his pockets.
"Hyde," He pushed past her, as she called from behind him. "Trust me."
These two words had been such a big part of their...friendship? Relationship? Whatever?... that they could not be ignored.
He turned around, paced slightly as he shifted his feet and then suddenly sat on the curb, taking out a pack of cigarettes. He offered one to Jackie, but her eyes went instantly wide and he laughed, sliding the pack back into his jacket.
"Since when do you smoke?" She asked.
"I do a lot of things you probably wouldn't approve of."
The smirk on his face was undeniable, and Jackie didn't even want to know what he was talking about...
"What happened back there?" She asked timidly as she sat down next to him, making sure her skirt wasn't too wrinkled underneath her.
"Kitty and Red found out that I've been sleeping in the basement at night."
"Oh." Jackie looked slightly flustered. "Why would you sleep down there?"
"Well," He wasn't sure how to say what came next without making her upset, and she recognized it, and gave him a reassuring smile, "I can't go home."
"Why not?" A look of concern and worry spread across her face.
"Because, well," He slipped his sunglasses off, folding them carefully and Jackie looked up into his eyes, gasping in shock.
"Oh my god, Hyde." She cried out, wincing at the sight of his right eye, which was blackish red and swollen. "Who did that to you?"
Hyde slipped his sunglasses back on and muttered, "Just my dad."
"Does it hurt?" She realized how dumb this question was, but he nodded slowly, making her feel slightly better. "So, now what?"
"Well, um," Hyde rolled his eyes, but winced slightly because of it, "Eric told his parents everything and so Kitty wants me to move in...but, well, Red doesn't seem too happy about it."
"What about your mom?" Jackie asked instantly.
"I don't really know where she is."
Jackie didn't mean to laugh, and it certainly wasn't a 'ha that's funny!' laugh, but more of a 'I know how that is' laugh.
"You know what would really make us feel better?" Hyde asked her, watching her carefully.
"Um...ice cream?"
"No," He held his hand out for her as he stood up, "Come on."
Michael had always told Jackie stories of the circle, and even though she was a good girl, she always wanted to know what it was like..
So when Hyde sat down in front of her in the basement, opening up a brown paper bag, and instructing her on what to do with it....well curiosity killed the cat.
Actually, in this case, it made the cat high.
"You want to hear something funny?" Jackie asked, laughing horrendously. "I didn't meet my mom until I was in first grade!"
"Lucky." Hyde said with a smirk.
The basement was pretty empty, since it turned out the rest of the gang ventured off to the Hub.
"And then...she goes to Mexico every few months, without even telling me. I just come home and POOF, she's gone." Jackie stopped laughing. "I used to cry when that happened."
Hyde just nodded in understanding, amused by Jackie's antics. He was more immune to this then she was of course, seeing as how she was a virgin to it...
"When did your mom go to Mexico?" Jackie asked, snorting with laughter.
"About a month ago." Hyde said, recalling that day.
"Did you cryyyyy?" Jackie sang slightly and began to laugh again.
"No." He said sternly, pushing his sunglasses further up his nose.
"You want to hear something crazy?" Jackie said, completely forgetting what they had been talking about before.
Hyde didn't say a word, but she continued anyway.
"You know how I pretend to hate you and all that?"
He nodded, slowly, as if he knew what was coming.
"I don't hate you at all." She whispered. "Not one bit."
He nodded again, sitting back in his seat.
"And when I get really upset and I feel like crying, do you know what I do?"
"What?" Hyde asked softly.
"I wear your jacket." She laughed loudly. "That's why I wanted to keep it." She nodded her head slowly, starting to feel suddenly sad, "It doesn't work anymore, though."
"Why not?" Hyde interjected.
"It's not enough..." Her voice was drowned out by the sound of kids stomping down the cement stairs.
Hyde quickly jerked upright and whispered, "Jackie, why isn't it enough?"
She looked into his eyes, hard and straight, feeling herself coming off of her high, and whispered faintly, "Because it's not you."