Chapter 2: The Beautiful Princess's Statement

I wanted to strangle him.

Ring! Ding! Ring! Ding! Ring!

I sat across the table facing him and started to wonder. How can he simply just stay put and just be mindless of the deafening noise bouncing off the walls, not smell the stink of dope and hot cooking oil from the kitchen, eat the disgusting slop in his plate he calls food, and not be completely bothered by this…this toxic hole of annoyance called "The Hub" under a roof?

Ring! Ding! Ring! Ding! Ring!

Now that I think about it, he is annoyance himself.

Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!

"Yes! I won!" I heard Michael cry from the pinball machine.

"Whoopee. Alert the media," he said sarcastically.

And it's not my Michael who is the annoying one.

It was him. Steven Hyde.

Ugh. Even the thought of that evil afroman's name made my eyes narrow. It was already drawn to slits by the time he looked up and noticed me glaring at him.

"What the hell are you staring at, midget?" he demanded, dropping his sandwich on his plate.

"Now, if you could just look at your face and see what a monstrous mess you are," I retorted.

Hyde's eyes were also narrowed to match mine behind those dark glasses. "Why don't you try minding your own business?" he snapped.

"Boy, I don't think so--"

"Enough!" Fez broke off, frustrated. "You know the rules here. Do it outside. You two are both bringing me down."

"Sorry Fez," Hyde said ruefully, dodging evil looks from me. "If this midget would shut up every once in a while…"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You're apologizing to him?"

"Well, if you would just leave me alone I wouldn't, wouldn't I?" Hyde said sharply.

Fez finally stood up. "God, I couldn't take this anymore! I'm gonna go play with Kelso."

"You can't just leave, Fez," I ordered, feeling offended.

"Of course I can, Jackie. Just watch me do it," And with that being said, his foreign self turned around and walked casually towards the game machines.

I frowned and crossed my arms, waking up to the reality of being left alone in a table with the conspiracy theorist mind of Steven Hyde. Just what I need.

"I can't believe Fez just did that," was all I said.

Hyde shook his head, a cynical smile on his face. "You just don't stop talking, do you?"

"Donna is obviously taking very long," I said impatiently, ignoring his statement.

He leaned against his seat. "Come on, Jackie. Donna and Forman are always late. And it's nighttime. You know how lovestruck lovebirds go. So while we're waiting, keep the volume on the down low, would you please?"

My eyes began to narrow again. "You are in no place to tell me to shut up, Steven Hyde."

"Whatever makes you happy, midget…"

I threw a crumpled piece of tissue at him. "Stop calling me that! You know what? I don't even know why I bother being here. Look at this place! Me and The Hub. It doesn't even match! Much less I don't even know why I bother hanging out with pigheaded burnouts like you."

Hyde gave me a fake applause. "Said the cheerleader…"

I was mad as hell. How does he keep doing this to me and I would still not completely hate him? Suddenly my heart was pounding, not because I'm angry, but it was pounding like the time I first laid my eyes on him…

Before I'd totally lose myself, I stood up from the table and walked towards the game machines where Fez and Michael, leaving Hyde very pleased with himself. I approached Michael and tapped his back, the tall lughead still very concentrated with the pinballs.

"Michael, I wanna go home," I said, using my best begging voice.

The least I expected was Michael not turning around. "Just a sec,"

"Those are just a bunch of balls you're poking around," I told him edgily.

"Yeah. A bunch of small shiny balls," Fez said distractedly. "I love those ringing sounds it makes."

"Oh, that's mature. Come on, Michael…" I began grabbing him by the arm.

Then he jerked it off, his back still turned. "I said, just a sec."

I drew a step back. Not giving me much attention the whole day was one, and stressing his answers in an exasperated manner to my questions or orders was another. He's been like that since I pulled his ear out of the Forman's basement a few days ago. I tried to be patient as much as possible.

But no, Jackie Berkhart will not take this kind of toleration any longer. Especially from Michael.

"Fine!" I ended, leaving him and going back to the table, feeling doubly annoyed that Michael didn't even try to turn around and stop me. I sat there and tried to relax, trying to get everything that's messed up in the back of my head.

"Give up, Jackie. He will not leave," I heard Hyde say, scooting a little closer.

I was a little surprised, almost forgetting he was still here. "And now I'm left with you again. Now everything makes sense."

This gave him an opening too good to pass up. "Look, I suggest… I don't know, you leave, I guess? With you doing that, you just made all our lives a lot easier."

"Whatever, Hyde," I answered, giving up an attempt of a rude comeback. I was ready to stand up and just get far away from him.

Then what happened next made me want to get out of the place more than ever. Hyde propped his elbows in our seat, his muscled arm sliding against my naked shoulder, making me realize how close we were seated together. The feel of his skin gave me a sudden flushed, tingling feeling that would make me keep quiet for days. My face felt too frozen to make a certain expression, and I made sure he wasn't in my peripheral vision.

Not that I was disgusted with him so near me, anyway. The feeling it gave me was… warm, the kind of warmth that would visibly stain my cheeks. Something I would never feel whenever Michael touches me. And it felt good. It wasn't supposed to feel good.

Was it?

I felt him noticing my sudden hush. "Hey, what shut you up?"

And when I turned to look at him, I wasn't bothered by his messy curls, his stupid sideburns, or his usual cold expression. Something about the way he looks or the way he talks, especially when he does to me…I feel like melting…

Now I'm gladder for the poor lighting this place gives.

"Hey guys! Sorry we're late," Eric's voice called out, breaking my hypnosis. Donna was at his side, looking smilier than ever.

"No worries, man," Hyde said unflappably. "Good thing Jackie was here to keep me amused. Right, Jackie?"

If he says my name again, I won't take it no longer.

"Donna, let's go," I blurted out, standing up and abruptly grabbing the big redhead by the hand, leaving the two men confused. I didn't let her go until we're outside of The Hub. When I let her go she rubbed her wrist, giving me a pained look.

"For a tiny girl, you sure are strong," she commented.

"Forget that. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"About what?"

As soon as I heard the lumberjack's question, I realized that I myself did not know what I was saying. The real excuse of my sudden actions was just to use a front to get away from him and this…this thing that he's doing to me. I racked my brain for an answer, until I saw Michael hovered over the pinball machine behind the huge window.

"Michael," I replied, knowing one word is enough.

"Again? Okay, what did the dillhole do now?"

"I just noticed, ever since that day I pulled him out of the basement, he's been acting really strange."

Donna looked baffled. "How strange? The guy was born strange."

"Strange as in not paying attention," I said, tired of her comments. "I feel like he's just drifting away. Like this new dress I'm wearing today. He didn't even give it or me a time of the day."

"Well, it's a stupid dress. Of course he won't give attention."

"I meant attention to me. Would you be direct and tell me if I'm doing something wrong in making this relationship work?"

The redhead paused for a while. "No, no, you are doing too much to make your relationship work. You worship the guy, in fact."

I looked at her as if she was crazy. "Why wouldn't I? He's my boyfriend. And I love him!"

Donna held both of my hands. "Look Jackie, trust me on this: there is always someone in a relationship who loves more. Just…don't make that happen to you."

After hearing that I was already willing to shake the thought off, but what the Sasquatch said actually made sense. A part of me said that she's just worried. Yet, a bigger part of me said that something about the way she said it made me feel that there's something else behind it.

"I…I'll keep that in mind, Donna," I got out.

Donna nodded, satisfied, but she kept biting her lip, something she does when she's worried. And now we both started staring out into empty space, both in our separate thoughts. I suddenly remembered the incident with Hyde a while ago, where a small brush of his skin on my skin sent me in a flurry of wild and confused feelings…

"Donna?"

"Yeah?"

"Why does Hyde hate me so much?"

"Huh? Uh… why do you ask?"

"Because there was never a time where we never fought or argued about something. He doesn't like talking to me, he calls me a midget all the time…" I trailed off.

"He doesn't hate you, Jackie. He's just being his tact, critical self. You just both have different point of views. You're just two different people, that's all."

"Different," I echoed. The word saddened me a little. "Right."

"Well, look, it's not as if he treats all his friends like that. It could be worse. Why don't you try being nice to him?" Donna said, seeing my expression.

I rolled my eyes. "That's easy for you to say."

Donna knew what I meant, chuckling afterwards. "Whoa, let's not go there."

Before I could open my mouth, loud music blasted from the inside, interrupting the silence from where Donna and I stood.

"Looks like they're turning The Hub into a discohouse," Donna observed, peering through the window. "I'm going inside to check it out. You wanna come?"

"I'll be right there. But go ahead. I'm just…gonna stay here for a while," I said, trying on a smile, enough not to make her ask.

"Okay. Later Jackie,"

I watched Donna surreptitiously opened the door to The Hub, momentarily letting out loud Bowie tunes until she went inside and closed the door, silencing the night again.

I thought about what Donna advised me and all the other past events. I couldn't help but think that I've noticed the guys teasing Michael to Laurie all the time. And I'm not a fool. I simply couldn't imagine my Michael even trying to hit on her. That skank is just so far out of anyone's league. I'm obviously smarter and prettier than anyone in this backwater town. And I know with those qualities I'm able to keep Michael from hitting on anyone else.

I walked towards the huge pane and squinted through the dimness. I tried to look for Michael, but I found myself looking for somebody else. And I saw him, detached from the crowd, standing apart from everybody else like he always did his whole life. I looked away before I did anything else.

Why, why, why did I let him take me to the prom? It's just like I…I let him into my life.

It was the biggest mistake of my life, hanging out in that basement. Seeing him all the time sent different words running through my head. Mocking, sarcastic, sardonic, cynical, standoffish, aloof…and ruggedly handsome. Time to time my female urges took over, staring at his face when he's not looking, staring at his back, probably more than his back…

I shook the thoughts off my head. Another mistake was him taking me to the prom. Despite him still being his old self, I knew he was definitely something else, something I would like to see more. When I kissed him on the cheek that night, I was already falling. Even the simplest touches, like bumping him on the shoulder or anything else, just made want to throw myself at him and feel the entire heat of his body. And that just made him the best mistake of my life.

And that made me so infuriated, infuriated in a way that there's nothing I can do about it, and it made me channel all my rage into hurling insulting and hurtful words at him whenever he argues with me, just to hide this feeling inside me. Anything to keep him away. It's tearing me inside, but I had no other choice. So the whole "being nice" thing is definitely out of the question.

But this is the reality: I do have a boyfriend. And the rules of men? You can never go out with your guy's best friend. That's no difference when you're trying to hit on your girlfriend's ex. I'm way too loyal for Michael Kelso to just start having this thing, whatever that means, for a guy like him. I know I'm not his type, and I don't deserve him.

Only one thing is true. I have a thing for Steven Hyde. Denying this is just plain useless.

Sighing, I turned my heel and started to walk unthinkingly, heading for home. Donna will figure it out.

……

OMG! I'm so glad many reviewed! I hope you'd be able to cope with me, because I only started watching the reruns and I just ended season 2. This might take a while.

But anyways, thanks for those reviews! I hope you'll find this chap better than the first. distributing chocolates

More reviews please! Thanks so much again:p