Chapter 3
"My friends, I think it is time we faced the fact there is a disturbance in the force," Eric Foreman said solemnly, or as solemnly as one can get in the circle.
"Not Star Wars again," Hyde groaned. "This has got to stop. Foreman, from now on I'm frogging you for every Star Wars reference. It'll be like negative reinforcement therapy for your own good. Here's the first payment."
"Ow," Eric cried. "Right here, this is what I mean. During the last month, all your anger and burns have been re-routed to us instead of to their rightful target – Jackie."
"That's great, Foreman, you had to use the "J" word," Hyde said, looking uneasily at Fez and Kelso whose expressions both instantly drooped.
"Ah, Jackie my goddess," Fez pined. "How I miss the days when I could worship her from a-close instead of afar. Now I must content myself with watching her bounce at the football games in her little short skirt going up… and down… and up…"
"I still don't get why she doesn't come round anymore," Kelso said sadly. "She was still coming around just after we broke up so I don't think it's because of that. Even when I started going out with Laurie, she was here. Unless it like hit her, all of a sudden, that she had lost me and it sent her into a downward spiral. Do you think that was it?"
"You're not the one that drove her away, is he, Hyde," Eric said with a pointed look at his best friend. "Kelso's not the one who was mean to his best friend's girlfriend causing said girlfriend to have no-one else but said best friend to drag to sappy girl movies and ask opinions on whether her butt looks too big in her red skirt causing said best friend to of course say the wrong thing and be denied sexual favours for the rest of the week all because the mean friend of the best friend got rid of the girlfriend's best friend because… he's mean."
"Foreman, I'm cutting you off, you're rambling. I was no meaner to Jackie than I usually am – well, not much more. Besides, you've been the spokesperson for the "Get Jackie Out of Our Lives" movement since the first day she infested this basement. So what if she hasn't been here in a month – it's not so bad."
Right on cue, Laurie Foreman strode into the basement, snatched the packet of moon pies from the midst of the dazed youths and then reclined on the couch, turning the channel to 'Days of our Lives'.
"Hey, reefer addicts," she snarled. "Get out of my basement or I'll yell for Dad to come down here because I just found Eric and his friends doing something illegal."
"Laurie, what the hell are you doing here?" Eric said in horror. Laurie had not been seen in the basement since the 'cat fight'.
"Why shouldn't I be here? It's my basement too, you know, and that's my boyfriend over there. Michael, come over here and hold my toes apart while I paint them."
"Yeah, well," Eric thought frantically, "you'd better get going cause Jackie will be here any moment and you remember what happened last time."
"You think I haven't noticed little miss sugar and spice has stopped coming around here? Nice try, Eric, but your puny brain is no match for me. Ha ha ha!" she finished with a touch of maniacal laughter.
The four boys looked at each other, then looked at the empty space where their moon pies had been, then looked at each other again. With one voice they said, "We have to get Jackie back!"
"Hyde, you have to find Jackie and apologise to her," Fez demanded.
"What? Why me?"
"Because you're the one that hurt her feelings, according to Donna," Eric declared. "Just explain to her how everything is all out of balance around here without her. Say to her 'Help us, Jackie, you're our only hope!' Ow! Hyde!"
"I warned you, Man," Hyde said, rubbing his knuckles.
…………………………….
Jackie found it difficult to focus on the sines and cosines in her math homework as her mind kept wandering to tomorrow night, when the band would have their first real gig. They had been practising together in Trevor's garage for the past month, learning how to play to each other's strengths, arguing over which popular songs to cover and just generally having a great time making music. Jackie had found it easier to be less self-conscious about her appearance around the new guys, Chip and Dave, as they did not go to her school and only knew her by Trevor's nickname for her. Jackie found a surprising freedom in being unleashed from the expectations people had of Jackie Burkhart, Town Councilman's daughter. Still, being anonymous to two boys was not as major as creating a whole new persona for a club full of strangers. The thought was as terrifying as it was thrilling.
The main drawback to her secret life was that rehearsals were a major source of free time suckage, which had curtailed her usual basement visits and had even set back her exemplary homework habits so that she found herself skipping lunch and using her recess time to catch up. Aside from the occasional phone call to Donna, she had not seen the five teenagers who had somehow become her best friends. She was not sure whether it was lack of time or reluctance to face Steven Hyde that kept her away. It was bad enough to hang around her ex-boyfriend, Michael, and the skank he had cheated on her with. To also have to deal with the boy who had flat out told her he disliked her company was a burn that scorched even her thick skin. Especially when that boy kept wandering into her romantic day dreams in spite of her resolve to cast him from her thoughts.
Jackie was frowning over this problem which she found harder to nut out than the cosine of an isosceles triangle when the very source of her frustration was suddenly before her.
"There you are," he said in exasperation. "I've been looking all over the school for you."
Jackie stared at him in surprise that (a) Hyde had wanted to find her and (b) that he even knew the school had a library.
"Why were you looking for me?" she asked.
"No reason," he replied, as though aware his opening statement gave too much of a damn.
"You searched the school for me for no reason? Isn't it a bit early in the day to be tripping, Steven?"
"Fine, there's a reason." Hyde looked very uncomfortable. "Donna, Kelso, Fez and Eric want you to come back."
Jackie noticed Hyde's nervous body language and her love powers radar went on high alert. This was not the usual cool and indifferent Hyde she was accustomed to.
"And how about you?"
"Yeah well," Hyde muttered, not meeting her eyes, "I don't mind – whatever."
"But I thought you said I wasn't cool enough to hang out with you," Jackie needled, enjoying a little revenge. "Being a square and all."
"So long as it's not in public, I can stand it," Hyde admitted.
"Oh Steven, I can't believe you missed me!" Jackie cried, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly.
"Aw man," Hyde groaned, trying to suppress the reaction Jackie's close pressed body was prompting from his own. "Jackie, what did I just say about public places?"
"It's the library at lunch hour, you can't get more deserted," Jackie replied.
"Look, I don't want you thinking my asking you back means I missed you." Jackie's face fell ludicrously at his words making him feel like he had just kicked a puppy. "I mean, missed you in a sappy romantic way," he amended. "We've been through this before, Jackie. You're a good kid but you're not my type."
"Because I'm a square?" Jackie asked sadly.
"Among other things," Hyde replied.
"What if I wasn't as square as you think, Steven? Would you like me then?" Jackie held her breath at his answer.
"Jackie, you are what you are. Don't go getting any Olivia Newton John fantasies of changing into some kind of bad ass to try and impress me. I'll tell you one of the few things I like about you – you're one of the handful of people I know who isn't a phony."
"What do you mean?"
"You always tell it like it is, no apologies. You're not one of those people putting on an act, pretending to be something you're not. I've always dug that about you."
"Oh," Jackie said flatly, her dream of revealing her secret identity to Steven popping like a soap bubble.
"So, will you come back so things can go back to the way they used to be?" Hyde asked hopefully.
"Yeees," she said slowly, "when I can. I haven't had a lot of free time lately, what with cheerleading and… um… dating."
"You're dating again?" Hyde asked in surprise, feeling an inexplicable pang of disappointment at the news.
"Well, that's to be expected when a hot commodity like Jackie Burkhart is thrown back into the market," Jackie bluffed. "But I'm free Saturday afternoon – how about I hang with you guys then."
"That's cool," Hyde agreed.
"Whatever," Jackie retorted with an understanding smirk.
Hyde chuckled in appreciation. "Very nice, grasshopper."