It had been a solid three and a half weeks since Red and Kitty put Laurie in a rehab facility, and Red's hours at the plant were being cut even further, and Kitty was picking up the slack.
Jackie's days on the cheerleading squad dwindled when November hit, and Point Place (surprise surprise) didn't make the playoffs. With all this new free time, she found herself succumbing to boredom more often than not. That is, until he walked in. At first, she had a crush on him, until he sat down to talk to her.
His name was Jason, and he looked like your typical, run of the mill small town boy. He was in her grade, and he played football, and he was rich. Like she used to be. But for whatever reason, he wanted to talk to the poor cheerleader, who didn't have her actual parents. She knew that he knew this. Everyone knew "Jackie, right?" He caught her as she was grabbing things out of her locker, and she jumped in surprise. "Jackie Burkhart?"
"Foreman. It's hyphenated, but nobody uses that name." She smiled lightly, and looked up at his face to see who was talking to her. She had seen him around a few times, and knew he was new this year, and yet he still made varsity. She was silent, before opening her mouth, but he answered her unasked question for her. "Jason Merengue."
"Oh, like pie." She spoke, and instantaneously wanted to put her foot in her mouth, until he laughed. God was he cute. He was tall, and muscular, and had beautiful pearly whites. But there was something about him... She ignored it, until for some sinking reason she felt they would just be friends. Then she realized it one day at lunch when she caught him staring at Fez, who was in the hall.
"Oh my God." She mumbled, shaking her head. "That's what it is." He raised an eyebrow, and she saw him shift nervously. "Huh?"
"I found it odd that you wanted to be friends. Usually guys just try to get in my pants, and when they realize they can't they leave." She chewed thoughtfully on the sandwich she made this morning, waiting for him to spot it out. "Listen, I keep it on the down low because I'd loose my spot as a football player, and my parents would disown me." He whispered. And she nodded, putting her hand over his. "Okay, I won't tell." She smiled warmly. And she meant it. She was friends with Buddy Morgan for a while too, until he vanished off the face of the Earth, when someone outed him. She didn't blame him for leaving either. Point Place wasn't exactly the place to be for people like that. "Next lunch time, I think you should come sit with me and my actual friends. They're much better company than all these squares." She laughed, nudging him with her knee.
"Sounds cool, kid." He laughed before offering to take her tray, to which she gratefully obliged. She caught Steven and Eric eyeing her suspiciously, and then saw Donna whisper in their ear. Michael looked like his head was ready to pop off. Good, maybe then he won't sleep with a bunch of skanks behind my back. She thought to herself, and got up to leave with the two.
"So, I was thinking since there's nothing to do, you could come by and meet my friends." She offered, pushing her chair in as they went to walk out of the cafeteria. "We hang out at my house usually."
"Yeah, that's cool." He flashed her his million dollar smile, and this time, it didn't give her butterflies. "I'll meet you at your locker and we can walk together."
"Oh, no. Eric has the Cruiser." She nodded. "We don't have to walk."
The day was pretty uneventful, and the clock ticked on, as she felt herself start to zone out as Mr French drawled on about their English assignment. The phone ringing snapped her out of her trance, and then he said "Ms Burkhart-Foreman for dismissal." She furrowed her brows, and waved at Jason, who looked at her confused, when she slipped out the door, only to find Donna, and the crew, huddled around the office phone.
"The principal is gone, and Ms Macabee the office woman is sick today. I already signed us all out!" She smiled, and Jackie bit her lip. "Can ya sign Jason out too?" She asked sheepishly, and got four "Who is Jason?"'s out of all four boys, as Donna called Jason out of class.
She rolled her eyes, and popped a hip. "He's just a friend, and he's important, and we had plans today." She huffed. "Why do you guys always do that."
"Because you have horrible taste in men." Donna threw back, and she snorted, but then realized nobody else would get the joke but her. "Well, I won't be dating this one. He's um-"
His stance gave it away for Steven and Donna, and they both raised eyebrows. "Oh." Donna nodded. "Okay."
"So, you're the dude that's been hanging around my chick?" Kelso spat, and Jackie huffed, smiling. "Ignore him, he's just being an idiot. This is Donna Pinciotti, Steven Hyde, my brother Eric, Michael Kelso, and Fez." She introduced them, before turning. "This is Jason Merengue." Steven was the first to stick his hand out, and she smiled. "You can call me Hyde man." They all walked out the door. "Hey Jacks, this kid ain't no square right?" Jackie and Jason had already been there, when Jackie stole some of Hyde's stash, and got him high.
"The stuff here is exotic compared to what they have back in New Hampshire." He laughed, as they all climbed into the cruiser.
"So, Jason. You've been hanging out with my sister?" Eric eyed him in the rearview mirror. "She drive you absolutely banana koo-koo yet?" He smirked, and Jackie elbowed him in the ribs from in the middle of him and Donna. "She's okay. A great friend."
"Better be all she is." Jackie heard Kelso mumble, to which Steven and Donna snickered, and Jason turned red. "We're all cool right?" He shifted in his seat. Steven piped up first. "Hey man, she's a tough code to crack. If she likes you, then you must be pretty cool."
Everyone was shocked into silence by his statement, except Jackie, who smiled, and turned around. "Aw, thanks Steven." He turned red, but gave a small smile back. "Whatever."
"Whatever, doll." She corrected, to which Eric giggled, and Kelso grunted. The ride to the Foremans was quiet, and they walked into the basement undetected. Red was at the doctor, and Kitty was at work, so nobody would be home until later, and therefore they went undetected.
They were mid-circle, and everyone was getting along, until it happened. One of the other cheerleaders walked into her basement, scaring the shit out of everyone, and grabbing Michael by the collar, screaming at him about how he missed their date. The whole crew looked between Jackie and Jane Jenson, the cheerleader who was staring her up and down, and clinging on to Michael, who laughed sheepishly. "Who are you?"
"Date?" Jackie questioned. She already knew. But this was blatant in front of her. And it was a date, not just a fuck. And for whatever reason, it hurt more. "It's not really a date-" She cut him off, with her hand, which shook. "Save it Michael. This was long overdue." He tried to grab her, "Jackie-"
"No Michael, I ignored it long enough. It's like we aren't even dating anymore anyways." She spat, crossing her arms and jumping out of reach. "Are you breaking up with me?" He asked, shocked, and she heard Steven scoff. Donna placed a hand on her from the couch, and Jackie swallowed thickly, and a single tear ran down her rosy cheeks. "Yea. I am." She trudged up the stairs, and Donna followed, only to return after she asked weakly to be alone for a few minutes.
A few minutes turned into an hour, but when Jackie flounced back down the stairs, Michael was gone, but Jason was still there. Her face was plain, and her now wet hair was in a braid. Instead of a skirt she wore blue jeans with roses embroidered on them, and a green sweater that made her mismatch eyes seem brighter. Her clogs clicked against the stairs, and she huffed. Everyone just stared. Fez, oblivious, and munching on Milk Duds, looked at Jackie and said, "So, Jackie, when were you going to tell us that our new friend Jason likes the men?" He smiled, chewing on his candy. Jackie raised an eyebrow, and giggled at Jason, who sighed, and flashed his pearly whites.
"To be honest with you, I didn't think anybody in this town was going to be the least bit supportive, and i already found five, and Kelso, but I kind of don't like him right now." He spoke, his deep voice thrumming through the room. "We all don't like Kelso sometimes, but he's like our weird cousin." Eric piped up from his seat on the couch. "You okay, sis?"
It was rare that Jackie and Eric dropped their playful banter, but he knew that Jackie was having a rough day. She smiled, and put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm better now that I cried it out. It's been over for a while now." She sat on the other side of the couch closest to Steven, who pulled out a joint.
"Someone needs another circle." He sing-songed, mockingly, and she grabbed it greedily, pulling a lighter out, and taking a huge pull, before holding, and exhaling slowly. Two puffs and then pass was the rule, and minimal saliva left on the end was just proper etiquette. "Woah there, Buela, down girl." She just looked at him, passing the joint to Eric, who nodded.
"I heard Mom and Dad talking about a yard sale." Eric piped up, putting the joint in Donna's hands, who was cuddled into his side. "It sounds like it could be kind of fun, getting rid of all the junk we have."
Hyde looked on thoughtfully. "I don't have any contributions." He murmured, taking the joint when it was passed in his direction, before his eyes lit up. "Brownies." Was all he said, before Eric shot him a look.
"No."
"Aw, come on Foreman!" He whined, and Jason laughed, taking the joint, and puffing away. "No, Hyde, remember what happened last time?"
A brief flash of Kelso running naked down the street with Jackie's undies on his head ran through his mind, and he shook it off. "C'mon Foreman, we were thirteen, and I stole them from Edna. Those puppies were strong."
"Do whatever you want, but I'm not responsible for the fallout." He put his feet up, and Jackie laid her head on his shoulder. "I wanna see how it goes, Hyde getting the whole town high." She mumbled, smirking, before lolling her head towards the notorious bad boy, who snorted, puffing away, before handing it back to her. "It'll be excellent." He smiled, as she puffed on the joint herself. It was reaching the end, and Eric pinched out the roach with his fingers, and everyone started waving their arms around, while Fez lit the incense on the table, and Hyde opened the door.
"You guys have this down to a science." Jason nodded, and Hyde laughed. "It's a routine." Donna was giggling, and Eric had a goofy look on his face. Jackie shifted in her seat, before looking at Hyde. "Ya know what sounds really good right now?"
"Sex?" He questioned with a smirk, ignoring Eric's cries of hey from the couch, and Jackie laughed. "That's always second on the list." She rolled her eyes. "I know doll, something shiny." He spoke, grabbing Eric's keys. "Let's go, Princess Buela."
"Ugh!" She moaned, before asking the others to come, which they declined, but asked for food anyways. The drive was silent, except for the radio, which played the all too familiar Zepplin song. Stairway to Heaven.
"This song makes me think of my birth mother." She mumbled, putting her socked feet on the dash. "She was the complete opposite of Ma now."
"I know, doll." He soothed her, and she sighed, looking at him. "Why does this hurt?"
"Your ma?"
"No, Michael." She huffed, biting her lip, choking back the well of tears. "I knew. I ignored it, because I didn't care. But hearing that he was going on dates, that messed with me."
"I have no experience with this." He took off his shades, and nudged her with his hand. She just looked at him. "I don't even wanna eat, but the munchies are strong."
"I'm sorry doll." He pulled into the lot, into the drive thru line, and turned to face her. "You have a ton of people around you that love you. Kelso too, even though he sucks at showing it." She smiled, her eyes half closed, and grabbed his hand. "You're my best friend. I love you Steven."
"Yea, doll. I-" He was cut off by a horn honking, and he coughed, pulling up to order. You're my best friend. He didn't like those words, even though they probably meant a lot to her. And they meant a lot to him too. But they stung. And not in the same way it had stung when Donna rejected him.
The ride hone was quiet, her socked feet on the dash tapping her foot. Her eyes looked on out the window, enjoying the quiet that Steven brought. The silence was never awkward with him. All too quickly, the Cruiser pulled up in the driveway, and they trudged into the basement.
The deed was done, and she had no more to worry about. Cheer was over. Donna had the School Paper. Jason started basketball next week. Eric was searching for ways to make money. Michael refused to hang out with her, choosing instead to get his dick wet. Steven was too busy swinging wildly between being uncharacteristically soft, and then being an absolute asshole to her the next day. And Fez had whatever stupid shit the Erdmans had going on. Jackie was stuck by herself for the next few months, so she had to enjoy her friends while she could.
The food was ate, as they talked and laughed. Jackie didn't participate in Winter Cheer, as it didn't look as good as Fall Cheer on her college resume. She also couldn't afford it. But, that was her own business.
Her mother was working long hours, and her father was finding things to do more often now that he was working half days at the plant.
The day had passed, and Steven had set up the army cot in Eric's room, and Jackie sat on her bed brushing her hair. It was a Friday today, and the next day would be filled with getting ready for Sunday's garage sale. A knock sounded on her door, and she called a quick "come in", assuming it was either Steven or Eric. She was surprised when her mother flounced through the door, and closed it softly behind her. "Hi Jackie."
"Hey Ma," She put her brush down, slowly weaving her hair into a braid. "What's up?" She asked, quirking a brow. Kitty's arms fell to her sides, and she huffed. "Am I that obvious?"
"No, but you usually never come in here anymore." She pointed, and patted for Kitty to sit with her under the covers, which she did. "Now I understand why you and Steven do this. It's vulnerability." Silence overtook the room, until Kitty looked over at her adopted daughter, and Jackie's eyes met hers. She looked older, her unmade face showed the wrinkles around her eyes and some lines forming near her mouth. "Coming in here makes me think of Laurie. Her nurse called, and she's coming home tomorrow. Your father and I are going to get her." She finally said, and Jackie nodded. "Okay, thanks for letting me know, Ma."
"I'm letting you know because she'll be in here, but you need to corall the boys so that they get stuff done for tomorrow's yard sale. Everything in the attic is going, so you guys need to get it out. We shouldn't be gone too long, but it needs to be out by Sunday morning so everything can get done." She smiled at Jackie, who giggled. "Of course. Just make sure she doesn't do coke on my nightstand."
Truth be told, Jackie had known all along. Not just because of the rumors, but because it was a traditional cheerleader thing to do. And she purposely avoided it. Because ladies don't put things up their nose. Not to mention she had watched her mother unravel from it, and alcohol. She remembered more than she let on about her parents. Kitty's laugh brought her out of her thoughts, and her stomach bubbled with joy when her Ma grabbed her hand and told her how much she loved her. She would never get over that. And she would never understand how Laurie hated how much Kitty loved her. Kitty made no room to move, and ended up falling asleep in her bed, but she had no complaints.
And soon enough, she fell asleep as well.
It was around three o'clock when she woke up, and her mother was still sound asleep on the other side of her bed. As quietly as she could, she moved to slip out of the room, and trotted down the stairs to get a drink of water. She sat barefoot at the table, and jumped almost a mile when Steven came in the kitchen in his pajama pants and a black tshirt. He was void of his shades, and the light from the moon fluttered through the sliding door illuminating his cerulean blues.
"Jesus, Doll. You okay?" He asked, his voice signaling he had just woken up.
"Yeah, just can't sleep. Tried to be quiet for Ma so I didn't wake her up. She fell asleep in my room last night." She sipped her glass, before moving over to look out the window. The leaves were changing, and falling. It was chilly outside, but not too cold for her yet. She sighed, looking through the window. "Laurie's coming home tomorrow. Or today. This afternoon, they're going to pick her up, so we have to get all the stuff out of the attic and sort through it. And go through our stuff downstairs, and everything." She looked up at him, as he now stood beside her, watching the stillness of the night.
"Circle time?" He asked, smiling, and she laughed, following him down the stairs, and turning on the record player on softly, as not to wake anybody. They smoked in silence, and Steven sat on the couch as opposed to on his old, beat up chair. The joint was passed back and forth, and she felt deliciously loopy. Moments like these with Steven were becoming more frequent, and the more frequent they became, the more she craved his presence when he wasn't there. There was a stronger bond now that they lived together.
"I told Red that I was going to take you out driving soon, and he gave us the green light." He looked over at her with a lopsided grin, as smoke flittered up towards the beams on the low ceiling. She hummed lowly, and smiled, before scooting over to him and grabbing the sweater on the back of the couch, pulling it over her small frame, and laying back, draping her legs over his lap. "This really helped me get sleepy again." She giggled, when he threw her a grin of his own. They sat like that for hours after, and she sleepily mumbled how pretty his eyes were without the shades that he had started wearing when Edna started to get more handsy. He put a hand on her calf, eyes half closed and told her how good she was.
Too good for the world.
But she was already asleep, and soon enough so was he.
The two of them awoke to a smirking Eric, and a bubbly Kitty with a camera in her hands. Jackie shifted to laying with her head in the crook of his shoulder and chest, and Hyde had his head swung back over the back of the couch, with his feet on the wagon wheel table.
He was the first one to wake up, grumbling about how these pictures were gonna come back to bite him in the ass, as Red sprayed him with a spray bottle. "Let's go, dumbass. Jackie wake up." He spoke, and looked at Eric. "Shut up."
Eric rolled his eyes, and helped Jackie off the couch, and walking with her and Hyde up the stairs, speaking about how everyone was already in the living room. "It's nine in the morning." She grumbled, moving her hair, and scooting up the stairs, Donna following her.
"I need to brush my teeth." She told Donna, who followed her up the stairs with a funny look on her face. "Why do you look like that, you lumberjack?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"'Cos you and Hyde were all cuddled cute in the basement when Eric and I got in this morning!" She giggled, running a hand through her hair. "It's funny."
"You could have woken us up. Now there's picture proof of Steven Hyde and I getting along." She rolled her eyes. "That ass." She grumbled, shoving her toothbrush in her mouth, and scrubbing, while simultaneously pulling her hair back with a scrunchy.
"That ass is my friend and lives in your house. Because you were worried about him!" She laughed, taking a seat on the edge of the tub, and pointing. "I think our resident midget has a crush." The red head spoke, making Jackie choke on her tooth paste. "I do not!" She spoke when she recovered, ducking to wash her face, but really it was to hide her red face.
"You're blushing!" Donna cried, laughing. "You totally like him." Jackie shushed her, patting her face dry, and glaring. "Everyone is downstairs, big mouth!" She scowled, and turned to move to her bedroom, the taller girl hot on her heels. "But you aren't denying it." She pointed out, and as soon as the door was closed, she rolled her eyes. "Listen, Steven and I have a weird and twisted friendship. And, yeah, I was worried because I cared. Not because I have a crush on him." She grumbled, as she ran her brush through her hair, before throwing it in a stylish ponytail, and heading to her closet.
"Whatever you say, midget." She laughed, sitting on her bed. "That Jason kid is pretty cool. Thanks for bringing him around." She nodded. "I heard Laurie's coming back." Jackie huffed, agreeing that all sleepovers would now be held in the basement. Jackie's outfit for the day consisted of practical black tennis shoes, bell bottoms, and a black turtleneck sweater. She paired it with a pair of silver earrings, before moving to her makeup vanity that she shared with Laurie, opening her set of drawers, and applying light makeup, before moving to go downstairs. Her perfectly manicured hand rested on the doorknob, and Donna followed again, as she flounced into the kitchen, to see Steven and Eric attempting to corall the help as Kitty and Red were leaving.
"Kids!" She called to her kids, who walked over, and hugged the mother, who kissed them on her forehead, before looking expectantly at Steven, who reluctantly did the same, making Eric smirk. The smirk was wiped of his face when Kitty pulled both of them in, and squeezed. "My boys!" She cooed, before letting go, and walking through the sliding door and past her husband. "Don't burn the house down, dumbasses. Keep 'em in check, girls." Red spoke, before closing the sliding door, and getting in the Toyota.
Steven, who was still in his pajamas, moved to trudge up the stairs, now knowing that the bathroom was open, and he could freely shower. All it took for him was twenty minutes as opposed to Jackie's hour, and still he looked good. His hair no longer had that stupid blonde at the end, because Kitty trimmed it. He still wore those stupid sunglasses, though. Adorned in jeans, and a Zepplin shirt, he shifted in his new boots that had been gifted to him by his new foster parents.
Every morning he expected to wake up in his bed, his Ma passed out on the couch, and for this to be a fever dream. And, while he missed his Ma, he knew it was okay. But somehow, for kids like him, stuff like this was too good to be true. Jackie jumped away from him like poison when he moved closer, his scent invading her nose. It was one thing when he didn't live here. Forbidden and sexy. But now, she knew that it was dangerous. As if playing with fire.
But the flame was the prettiest one she had ever seen.
After eating the breakfast that Kitty had left for them, the kids found themselves in a circle, going through boxes, separating pictures from sellable items. When the high finally wore off, they started bringing boxes into the garage as Kitty had instructed, and finished the attic by the afternoon, before moving downstairs to do the same with their own belongings in the basement.
"There's a whole other room down here?" Steven gasped, opening the door in the back. "Just for storage?" It was filled with mostly Laurie, Jackie and Eric's old toys. A few holiday decorations, and an old army cot. It was dark like he liked it. "Steven, you aren't moving into this hole." She lectured, folding her arms. "And who says I can't?" He defended, looking around. "Look, there's already a bed." She huffed, rolling her eyes, and saying nothing as they carried boxes out into the driveway, until the room was empty.
The sun was going down now, and as the kids all played basketball while Jackie kept score, they all stopped when they saw the lights of the Toyota. Jackie tensed, remembering the night that she came home. Remembering her mother's tears. It was sad. But her sister flounced out of the car and came rushing past her, watching as she didn't say a word except "Hyde, Eric, my shit's in the car." Jackie scowled, moving towards her brother to help with the one bag she had.
Kitty just laughed, and pulled Red into the house, and that was the last they saw of them until dinner time, when Kitty ordered pizza, despite the fact that everyone knew they were low on funds.
"Thank you kids, you were all a big help!" Kitty cried, as the kids were eating pizza in the driveway. "Thanks for the pizza, Mrs Foreman." She smiled warmly at all the kids, each with something wrong of their own.
"Hey Mrs Foreman, since that room in the basement is pretty much empty-" He was cut off, and she laughed. "I'm not letting one of my babies move into a hole." She pointed, and Jackie giggled, when he turned red.
"Told ya."