AN: Reviews went down a little bit. I hope I'm not losing some of you. The ones I did get were amazing as always. Keep them coming guys.
Chapter 3: Scream of the Butterfly
"It went really bad Hyde." Donna stated as she talked with her life long friend on the phone shortly after hanging up with Jackie. "She is a lot worse off then we thought. I'm pretty sure she is a prostitute even though she claims she still works at one of the casinos. She didn't even want to see Zach. Not really. She pretended like she was happy to see him, but she practically shooed us away as soon as we walked through the door."
Hyde rubbed his eyes and leaned against the headboard on his bed. "That bitch."
"I know." Donna responded.
"Well, how did Zach react? Was he really upset?
Donna sighed on the other line. "You know how he is Hyde. He clammed up every time I tried to ask him something. I think he was really disappointed."
"Fuck." Rage boiled in the pit of Hyde's stomach. "I knew this would happen. I should have never let him go to Vegas."
"There was no way you were going to stop him." She assured. "He had to find out for himself."
"I know. I just really wish he didn't have to."
"I'm sure everything will be okay soon."
"I don't know. He pretty much hates me as of right now."
"Yeah, and Cindy hated me for weeks when I told her she had to wait a few more years to date that one boy. They're teenagers Hyde. They get over these things easily."
"Maybe you're right." But Hyde had a feeling that she wasn't right. "I'll talk to you later."
"Wait!" Donna stopped him as if remembering something important.
"What?"
"You'll never guess who called me today?"
Hyde pondered it. "Laurie asking you guys for more money again?"
"No…"
He thought about it some more. "Mrs. Forman?"
"No…"
"Well who damnit!"
Hyde listened as Donna giggled a little bit at his anger. "Okay, are you ready for this?"
Hyde rolled his eyes. "Yeah."
"Jackie."
His heart stopped and his jaw dropped. Jackie? How could it be?
"Jackie?"
"Yep."
"Jackie, as in loud, bratty girl who ran away twenty years ago?"
"Yep, the one you were madly in love with." Donna giggled again.
"Whatever. So what did she want?"
"Well," Donna began. "Apparently she left her husband and ran back here. She called me just a little bit ago from a hotel in Madison."
Hyde's heart pounded in his chest. She's back.
"I'm going to get her tomorrow."
She's going to be here tomorrow! "That's cool."
Donna rolled her eyes on the other line. "Are you going to say anything else other than 'that's cool'?"
"Nope."
"Whatever, I'm going to bring her to my house tomorrow and we're going to all get together for dinner."
"That's cool."
Donna gritted her teeth. Hyde was still stubborn as hell. "Well I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright see ya."
As Hyde hung up the phone, he felt dazed and confused. He hadn't seen Jackie in so long. When she left all those years ago, he was upset, but more with himself than anybody. He knew that he was the one who drove her away. It was his intention, just not so far. It wasn't until she left for good that he realized just how important she was to him, even if they weren't together. He died that night that he found Kelso in her hotel room, but a part of him that still had an ounce of hope was completely obliterated when she left in '81. Self-loathing was a mere understatement.
He figured that when and if she ever came back, he would be angry at her. But he didn't feel that burning sensation that filled hate in his heart. Instead, he felt rejuvenated, and even one could go as far to say excited. His mind began wondering of all the things that would be different about her, and all the things that stayed the same.
Of all the women he had been with, none had ever even come even within a fraction to being as important to him as Jackie was. Back when they were dating, he always tried to deny to himself just how much he loved her. When she left for Chicago, it really made him think about how his insecurities and doubts that could possibly ruin his life. But when he saw Kelso in that towel, every ounce of hope left him. He spent weeks wallowing in the idea that Jackie and Kelso had hooked up as soon as she thought he had thrown her to the curbside. When he came back and Jackie told him that nothing happened at all, he felt like this would be their last chance to make things right.
Sam walking through the door ruined everything. Hyde blew his last chance, and he just wouldn't admit to himself that things could ever go back to normal. Everything had snowballed into one big mess, just to be completely obliterated with his so called "wife". Hyde never let that hope into his heart ever again. He just let the loneliness and hate that he had for himself keep him in a dark place.
After Jackie left for good, Hyde just jumped around from girl to girl, all of them nameless and faceless. Even when Sam came back, she meant nothing at all. The only thing that saved him was Zach. Zach made him feel again.
Zach stumbled into his bedroom. The alcohol flowing through his system seemed obsolete once adrenaline replaced it. He violently knocked over the chair sitting at his desk. The sting on his hand felt good. He flopped onto his bed trying to drown out remembering what had just happened that night.
The music, loud and empowering, soothed his mind. He and Josh stood at the front of the stage swaying and headbanging along to the beat. They all decided to see some bands play at a local show in Kenosha. They had become pretty good friends with some of the members, so they drank the night away. As the last song came to an end, the band bid farewell to everyone and threatened them to stick around for the next act. Zach wasn't going to miss it for the world.
He and Josh stepped outside to find Kat talking to some guys nearby. Jealousy burned Zach's heart, but he shook it away with another chug of the drink in his hand. He wasn't completely wasted yet, but he had a good buzz.
"These fuckers need to get their asses inside for the next band." Josh stated as he looked around at all the people just standing outside. "I swear, Wisconsin crowds suck ass."
Zach nodded as he took another sip of his beer. "Yeah, well, that'll all change once we get our band playing around here. It'll be revolutionary."
Josh grinned at his friend. "Yep. Well make them appreciate good music."
Zach looked over at Kat again and noticed she seemed uncomfortable. Her arms lay folded in front of her chest and she had a weary look to her. Just when she turned around to walk away, one of the guys grabbed her ass. Zach made a fist to his side but chose to do nothing. Kat was a big girl. She could take care of herself. She seemed to be doing just that as Zach watched her chew the guy out that touched her.
What happened next sent Zach into overdrive. The guy grabbed Kat by the arms and pinned her to the truck parked beside them. He leaned in close and Zach saw a look of pain wince across her face.
Before he knew what he was doing, he dropped his beer to the ground and marched over to the group with Josh not to far behind. The other guys who seemed to be friends with the perpetrator, backed away as Zach made his way directly behind him. He didn't see Kat peer at him with relief in her eyes. All he remembered was tapping the guy on the shoulder and as soon as he turned around, he punched him. Kat moved out of the way just in time as the guy fell to the ground like a ton of bricks. He was out cold.
Josh stood by and made sure the asshole's friends didn't want to start something, but they just backed away, showing their indifference. "Come on man." He said to Zach once they both noticed a fight wouldn't happen that night. "Let's go."
Zach could feel his blood boiling. All of his hair stood on end and his heart raced like he had just run a marathon. Adrenaline still circulated through his body and he just needed to hit something else.
A tiny hand touched his forearm and Kat's watery green eyes bored into his heart. He felt his body slowly coming down.
"Thank you." She whispered. Zach studied her face. She had the giddiest 'my hero look' on it. Zach realized right away that he had made a mistake. He tore his arm from her grasp and began walking in the other direction.
Seconds later, Kat's angry voice whipped through the air. "I can't fucking believe you! You are the most confusing person who has ever lived."
Zach turned around. "What are you talking about?"
"One minute you're wailing on some guy for touching me and the next you look at me like I'm repulsive! God, what's the matter with you?" Her voice shattered the air around them. She was shaking all over, and Josh came up and put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't touch me!" She screamed.
Zach felt horrible. All of his instincts told him to hold the crying girl that stood before him, but he knew that this was the only way. "I just don't think its right for a guy to treat girls that way, okay? It has nothing to do with my feelings for you."
"Bullshit!" She spat back. She ran passed him towards the car in the parking lot.
The car ride home was spent in silence.
Zach buried his face in the pillow. He hated turning her away like that, but he just had to do it. He wanted to spare her the torment of being with someone like him.
He felt so sick and confused. Part of him just wished that there was someone who he could talk to about this, someone out there who could understand. He knew no such person existed. He would just have to become cold and hollow.
He wondered how his dad did it. Ever since Zach could remember, he had never had a girlfriend. For years his Aunt Donna tried to set him up with women because "your son needs a mother". His dad tried, but there was just something in him that wouldn't let any of those women in. He didn't trust any of them to be a mother to his son. Zach didn't mind. Donna was as good of a mother as he was ever going to get.
AN2: The comment about Wisconsin crowds is not intended to offend anyone here that does live in Wisconsin. It actually mirrors more of the city I live in. The next update should be up by Wednesday or Thursday. Remember, reviewing is good for the soul. : )
