THE RIGHT WAY AROUND.
Chapter 3 – My Life.
A/N: I cannot thank you all enough for your reviews because they are keeping me motivated to write and to make this as good as possible. I've no ending planned in the near future but I will try to keep chapters fairly long so that may change. For now, just stick with me. Thanks.
FORMAN KITCHEN
"Oh, my god! Oh, my god!" Kitty rambled running through the sliding door and collapsing onto the counter, breathless. Red and Hyde looked up from their breakfast to glance at each other, before sighing and turning around to show that Kitty had their full attention. Red's anyway, since Hyde was having trouble thinking past the throbbing pain on his nose caused by his favourite little pixie.
"Kitty, what's going on? If this is because Bob has the same Shirley Temple figurines as you, then you can save your breath… or lack of it. I already made him cry because of it."
"No, this is about the fact that I just saw Jack Burkhart talking to Jackie and he said that he got parole so h- wait, Bob freakin Pinciotti has the same Shirley figurines as me? That bastard salesman said they were one of a kind!" With this Kitty stormed out of the kitchen, then came back in to grab her emergency wine before rushing out again.
"Damn woman, now I have to make Bob cry again. Wait, why am I complaining about that?" Red chuckled as he left the kitchen. However a menopausal woman and an overly-sensitive neighbour were not plaguing Hyde's thoughts. As soon as he heard the words "Jack" and "Burkhart" in the same sentence his whole stomach lurched and he had been in the same state of utter confusion ever since. Finally breaking his trance, Hyde nearly overturned the kitchen table in a mad dash to see what was going on in his driveway. Stopping at the path connecting the two houses, Hyde could just about make out the silhouettes of a man he had quite often considered doing bodily harm to and a woman who had grown on him quite a bit. "Sure, she has just grown on you. Just admit it, you looooov-" Hyde shook his head to stop the booming voice that had been invading his every thought ever since Jackie had stormed out of the Hub, leaving him with nothing except a bruised ego. "Yeah, and a broken heart, dumbass."
"Oh, screw this," Hyde muttered and turned around to go back inside the Formans' house. It wasn't like Jackie was his concern any more and if by some chance she wanted to talk to him, not that he wanted her to, then so be it. He was done being her knight in shimmering armour. "Oh yeah? If that's so, then how come you won't stop whining about her? Zen left you a long time ago buddy."
"Shut the hell up! If I have really lost my Zen, then how about you and I go looking for it? What's that? You've got nothing else you wanna say? No more pre-school taunts?" Hyde was quiet for a moment before finishing, "Didn't think so." With that he stalked down to the basement determined to get more wasted than he had in his entire life. It's not like he has a job to go to…
"Crap! Leo!
PINCIOTTI BACK YARD
(Jackie and her dad haven't spoken since they sat down)
The two of them had moved to sit on the steps, knees barely touching but their bodies facing straight ahead. Jack nervously turned his gaze to his daughter, silently taking in the beautiful woman that sat next to him. She had always been his princess but the haggered expression and sullen gaze made him feel so guilty for not being around for her over the last year.
Jackie, meanwhile had less complex thoughts circling her brain.
He's back. He's here. My daddy is with me.
It was what she had been longing for since the day Red had driven her home to a media circus of a house where she saw her "mother" calmly talking to an investigator. To a stranger it could have passed at talking but Jackie had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing it as flirting. After all, it was hardly the first time. Thinking back, Jackie remembered the state of dread that was filling the empty pit in her stomach as she advanced towards her mother but before she could get a chance to hazard a guess as to what was going on, a reporter literally shoved a microphone and camera into her face asking how it felt to be the daughter of a mayor-turned-convict.
And that was how Jackie Burkhart found out that her daddy was being taken away from her. And now he was back. No warning, no phone call, no nothing. Just showing up after spending 12 months locked away while his daughter had to sleep on a military cot in her best friend's bedroom and get her heart heartbroken not once, not twice, not three times, or four times, but five times by the same man. And that just made her mad…
"Get away from me," she croaked out, her voice dry from being so quiet for so long. But her father heard her and simply stared at her in a daze.
"Wha-"
"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!" Jackie screamed before running into the house and locking the door behind her. Jackie slid to the floor causing a concerned Donna to sit beside her and pull her friend into a fierce hug. Tears coursed down Jackie's face while Donna struggled to sooth her. Bob, who had grown to love Jackie as his own, was in no mood to sympathise with Jack and saw to it that he left them alone until Jackie was ready to face him. After putting up some resistance, Jack agreed to give her some space and left to try to track down any remaining allies in Point Place.
Hours later, after many tears, Jackie had fallen asleep on Donna's bed leaving a very concerned "circle" of friends trying to find a way, any way, of cheering her up.
--- CIRCLE ---
Fez(sobbing): Why, oh why does my beautiful goddess get pooped on by every man that passes her by? WHY, I ask you! (cries)
CUT TO KELSO
Kelso: All I know, is that I offered Jackie my hot bod the last time her dad caused trouble, but she turned me down cold man. Instead she went straight for Hyde and you both remember what happened then.
SPIN AROUND THE CIRCLE
Fez & Donna: Yeah…
CUT BACK TO KELSO
Kelso: Thank God, 'cos I've forgotten.
CUT TO DONNA
Donna just shook her head and looked to Fez for help but then realised what she was doing. "Great, my best friend's life is falling apart, and I'm sitting here asking Scooby and Shaggy for help.
DONNA GETS UP AND LEAVES. CUT TO KELSO
Kelso: Man, I'd make a great Scooby. Velma totally has the hots for him.
CUT TO FEZ
Fez: Kelso, you idiot. Velma wants Shaggy! That's why she's so pissy all the time at Scooby, because he gets to spend the whole time trailing that handsome devil.
CUT TO KELSO
Kelso: (shrieks) Yeah… well… my Scooby impersonation is way better than yours.
CUT TO FEZ
Fez: (gasps) Take that back!
CUT TO KELSO
Kelso: Or what?
CUT TO FEZ
Fez: Oh, I really didn't want to do this but you have left me no choice. Now stand up so we can do this right! (Fez raises his eyes indicating that Kelso has stood. Fez is suddenly nervous) Wow, you are really tall. (narrows his eyes) But are you man enough to handle this?
CUT TO KELSO
Kelso: (smirks) Oh, I so am.
CUT TO FEZ
Fez: Then on 3. 1, 2, 3!
(They both begin howling like dogs)
GROOVES
Donna walks in and sees Hyde chasing a bunch of hippies out of his office with a broom. After they have run out like little girls, Donna turns back to face Hyde and suddenly sees the dishevelled mess that was once a record shop.
"Hyde, what the hell happened?" Donna asked, stunned.
"What the hell happened? Why don't you tell me Donna since I told you to look after the store while I was gone."
"No, you told Leo." She answered back like it was the most obvious answer. Upon Hyde's pressing look, Donna finally understood the reality of what she had said. "Oh, you told Leo. Yeah I guess we should have checked up on him once in a while, huh?
Hyde just chuckled and picked up the cash register which was filled with cigarette butts and showed it to her. "Gee, ya think?" he said sarcastically. Angered, Hyde walked away and started stuffing things into garbage bags, making it clear that he was in no mood for a chat. However Donna had come here on a mission and if necessary, she would make out with the new guy to get Hyde to agree with her. Sandy, was it? The new guy's name is something girly like that, Donna thought.
"Look, I have spent the better part of the day trying to help a certain girl who if I'm correct, left that nasty looking gash on your nose?" Donna pointed at the swollen mark on Hyde's face where his sunglasses had been ripped from the previous night. Hyde just rolled his eyes and continued stuffing garbage. "Don't try that Zen crap on me. I knew you long before "whatever" started being you every other word."
"Please, you've got nothing on me."
"Oh really?" Donna taunted, making Hyde suddenly feel very nervous. "Hey, you," she stopped a young guy who looked like an Andy Gibb wannabe. Hyde must have been high when he hired this guy. "Sandy, is it?"
"Randy." The young guy replied, checking Donna out in a not-so-subtle manner.
"Right, Randy, whatever. Do you look up to this guy here?" She pointed towards Hyde. Randy nodded so she continued, "You think he's cool and one of the guys?" Randy nodded again. "And you're not just saying this because he's your boss, right?"
Randy shook his head. "No, Hyde said being a suck-up is a dead giveaway that you're not getting any." Hyde smirked, proud of his little gem of wisdom. But the smirk was soon fading from his face.
"Well, how would you feel if you knew he had let his ex-cheerleader girlfriend call him a pet name?" Donna asked, barely controlling her laughter. Hyde made a step towards Donna, warning her.
"Watch it Donna." he said menacingly.
"Uh oh, Hyde's mad. I better not do anything to make him madder because that's never fun. Isn't that right PUDDI- MGOPY!!" Donna was cut off by a giant hand covering her mouth.
"Donna, it's been a delight seeing you but Randy and I have a lot of work to do so what so you say I walk you to your car, hmm?" Hyde asked, in the sweetest voice he could muster. Dragging Donna outside he let her go and glared at her. "This had better be good."
Donna rolled her eyes. "Like I was saying before we were interrupted by Mandy-"
"RANDY!" came hollering from inside Grooves.
Donna groaned. "Like I was saying before we were interrupted by Randy, Jackie needs help." Hyde stared blankly. "Her dad is out of prison so…" she ended, hoping Hyde realised what she was asking. He did, but that didn't mean he was going to be any less of a dick.
"So…?" He drawled, the smartass that he was. "OW!" followed after Donna flicked his nose, her tolerance for men running low.
"Shall I continue?" she asked sweetly, cocking her head. Sighing, and dying for an aspirin, Hyde decided to quit his antics and leave before he ended up looking like Pinocchio.
"Fine. I'll talk to her."
"That's all I ask." Donna replied, smiling. Turning around, he walked away from her not realising how close he was standing to the door and walked into it, face first.
"OW! My nose!"
Chuckling to herself, Donna strode to her Dad's car and said to herself, "Man, Kelso is gonna be jealous."
HALLWAY OUTSIDE DONNA'S BEDROOM
For as long as he could remember, Steven Hyde had been coming to the Formans' or the Pinciotti's and they had always felt safe and comfortable. Hell, they were probably the only two places on Earth that he hadn't stolen something from because he had a feeling that he didn't show to many others: respect. The people he cared about lived here and he could never justify taking advantage of what they had given him, regardless of what he said. So why was it that he felt like an intruder, standing a few metres away from a girl he had practically grown up with. While they may have rarely seen eye to eye, to put it lightly, they were always comfortable around each other be it in the basement or in the driveway or in the Hub. And since Hyde was not one to be affected by relationships, he could not grasp why it was so difficult for him to simply knock the door, even if he had spend a bit more time with this girl than anyone else. Like he said, they were just comfortable around each other. Or at least they used to be before… what was it that made us uncomfortable around each other?
---
Hyde: Jackie. You wanna talk?
Jackie: What would I have to say to you?
Hyde: I don't know, how 'bout, um . . . . I'm a crazy, spoiled, whack job and I'm sorry.
---
Hyde: I mean we both know how this will play out. Your pathetic wish for true love and my need for a good fuck will get in the way of common sense. Things will be fun and easy for a while but when life gets in the way we'll give up. 'Cos that's what we do. We give up and I'm done with it.
---
SLAP!
---
Oh yeah, Hyde thought, that's what made us uncomfortable around each other. Deciding enough is enough, Hyde slapped his cheeks to waken himself up, and without giving himself time tot hink about it, he knocked the door which was keeping him away from Jackie Burkhart.
"Steven, go away. I'm not in the mood to be burned right now." Jackie mumbled, barely audible under the duvets that covered her.
Hyde was confused. How had she known it was him?
"You do that same stupid knock every time so that's how I knew it was you."
Holy shit, she was reading his mind now! Actually, this worked for him because they didn't do well in face-to-face situations as history, and his nose showed.
"Look Jackie, I won't come in but I am not leaving either so you will have to compromise with me. OK?" Silence. "You know this would be one of those rare cases where I wouldn't mind hearing what you have to say?" He was hoping for a giggle from her but instead he got the door nearly torn off its hinges by a 95lb girl, with eyes saying she was in no laughing mod. Forgetting that they had had no direct contact in a day, Jackie wasted no time in venting herself at the nearest available body. And since that body was Hyde's, he was simply screwed.
"You know what? You're a freak! That's right, I, Jackie Burkhart, called Steven J. Hyde a freak and considering who you are and how you are regarded, I don't think that will alter public opinion of you all that much. You parade around this careless, stoic attitude and claim that nothing is worth anything and nobody is worth your time. Yet here you are: a 19 year old stoner living in a stranger's basement thinking that it is cool to get high everyday and that it is acceptable for a supposedly "grown man" to wear sunglasses because he is a scared little boy that is so terrified of dealing with his own issues and is so bitter with his own life, that he seizes every pathetic worthless opportunity to point out what is wrong with his parents, his friends, his job, the government and anybody else who has ever tried to help him out. So you would think that after witnessing all of that that I would see sense and not pin my entire future on a dumbass with the maturity of a frickin croissant but instead I do and what do I get? This. You, showing up at my door, offering a few charming words and believing that after everything you have put me through that I would somehow feeling like pouring my heart out to you just so I could hear you destroy me with it the next time you have a panic attack. Or the next time you see me sitting with Michael. Or the next time I ask you for some space. Or the next time I tell you that I have to move on with my life. Or the next FRICKIN TIME I SMASH YOUR DISGUSTING, CHEAP, GYPSY-LIKE SUNGLASSES THAT BELONG ON SESAME STREET!!!" Physically spent, Jackie moved back across into Donna's room and before she slammed the door in Hyde's bewildered face said:
"There, now you have heard what I have to say."
SLAM!
A/N: Wow, I have a real buzz after writing that lol. Some of my own frustrations came out so forgive me if I was out of character but I really needed it. I'd still love a review, pretty please.
Stay safe.