A/N: I got 2 reviews for the last chapter, is anyone still reading this? I write for myself but I post here for you guys...no sense posting if no one is reading it. Let me know! =)
1 to 2 more chapters after this.
I do not own Last Kiss by Taylor Swift but I do recommend you listen to it while reading this chapter.
A/N #2: I am aware that Taylor Swift wasn't around/alive in the 80s which is when this chapter took place...its called fiction for a reason people...
Next Morning, Foreman's Kitchen 10:55 AM
"Jackie, dear you haven't touched your breakfast," Kitty says disapprovingly. The poor girl was already too thin, if she didn't start eating she was going to disappear. "Did something happen last night?"
She ran into Steven for starters, which she knew was going to happen she just hadn't expected it to be 2 o'clock in the morning on the top of the water tower. They had argued, said things they probably shouldn't have and then she lied. She had no boyfriend, hadn't had one in years and in fact Brad was a co-worker…a gay co-worker who no interest in her or any other woman. She didn't even know why she lied, though that wasn't exactly true. He asked her about New York and it just sort of came out. Then she asked about Sam and he asked about that night and all of sudden she was kind of glad she lied. She wanted to hurt him but of course she couldn't tell Kitty that.
She shakes her head no. "Of course not…it's just," Jackie looks down at her plate and knows she's not going to be able to eat any of it and pushes it away. "I'm not hungry."
Kitty stands and wraps her arms around the small brunette. "Honey you know you can tell me anything, right?"
"I know," she says. "I'm just not ready yet but soon okay." It felt good to have a mother again, even if Mrs. Foreman wasn't really her Mom. She had always been more of a Mom to Eric's friends then any their own parents.
"Okay sweetie just come and find me when you are. I'll listen as long as you want me too."
She smiles, "Thanks Mrs. Foreman."
Kitty claps her hands together, ready to start her fun filled day with her grandkids. "When do the kids get here?" she asks.
"I think Donna said about 11:15," last night, they had decided to spend the day at the beach.
"Goody! So who's all going?"
She was fishing to see if Steven was going but she honestly didn't know. She didn't think to ask him last night. "I don't know if he's going Mrs. Foreman."
"Really dear, I don't who you're talking about," she says. "Just making conversation."
"Sure you were."
"So did Steven ever show up last night?" she asks, a few minutes later, as if she didn't already know.
"Was he supposed to?" she asks neutrally. Jackie had gone downstairs before the party was even over, if anyone was to know whether or not he had been there it would have been Mrs. Forman.
"Well I invited him."
Of course she had, it was Steven. "I know Mrs. Forman but obviously he didn't care enough to show up…" her voice trails off. She takes her uneaten plate to the trash and empties it. "Can we please talk about something else?"
Kitty sighs, "Jackie I'm worry about you both. Neither of you have really dealt with what happened 10 years ago, don't you think it's time you did?"
What was there to deal with? He married someone else, she moved away. It was over with, they were over with. "Mrs. Forman I know you mean well but Steven and I, we're fine. There's nothing to worry about," she says, while turning to face the older woman. "Everything is fine."
"Jackie," she grabs her hands and does her best to find the right words. "Everything is not okay, I know about New York Jackie. I know what you've been doing."
She opens her mouth but nothing comes out. The only person she had come close to telling had been Fez and even then she hadn't told him the entire truth just parts of it. Donna knew very little about what she did and Kitty even less...or so she had thought. None of them could know, especially Steven. He would think her pathetic and probably get a good a laugh out of it. "Mrs. Forman I don't know…"
"Don't worry I'm not going to say anything Jackie but secrets always have a way of coming out," she interrupts. "Maybe you should think about just being honest with him. I think he might surprise you."
Steven surprise her? More like disappoint her. "You have a lot of faith in him," she remarks, avoiding eye contact and removing her hands from the other woman's hold. "But I don't, not anymore."
"He never stopped loving you," she says. A mother knows these things and Kitty was no different.
"Yea well he has a funny way of showing it," she says, laughing bitterly. "Please just drop it."
"But sweetie don't you think it's time you forgive him."
Jackie drops the now bare plate in the sink, making a loud bang. "I have forgiven him!" she shouts, doubting the words but wanting to believe they were true. "Dammit he married someone else! He didn't just have sex with another girl, he married her. She was his wife! Am I not allowed to be upset about that?"
"Of course you are Jackie but would you whether be mad about it for another 10 years or let it go?"
Hell.
She thought she had let it go. She was over Steven Hyde wasn't she?
She looks at Kitty and sees the truth in older woman's caring eyes. Oh God. She still loved him, had never stopped and her secret was more than enough proof.
"Nana!" they hear from the living room, both women look towards the swinging door expecting to see a hyper 5 year old running through any minute.
"Sounds like Matthew is here," Jackie comments. She heads towards the door, grateful for the interruption. Just get this trip over, she tells herself. Then head back to New York and pretend like none of it ever happened because Steven would only hurt you if he ever found out.
Kitty nods. "I guess we'll talk later," she says to the younger woman's retreating form.
Everyone was crammed into Michael's van, he and Fez were sitting up front and Steven and her were sitting across from one another. Donna and Eric were to her left and Brooke on the other side of Steven. Why Brooke was in the back and Fez upfront was unknown to her but apparently Fez was in charge of the radio and couldn't do that unless in the front seat. Brooke didn't seem to mind, she almost seemed used to it.
"So Jackie," Donna lends into her old friend, "Tell me more about New York?" she says with a smile.
She shrugs. New York was the last very thing on her mind, "Well…umm its home," she says.
"Any boyfriends?" Fez calls out from the front.
"Umm…" she says, uncomfortable. She already lied to Steven and didn't feel good about lying to the rest of them.
"Tell us more about Brad," Steven pipes in with a smirk.
Asshole. He did that on purpose.
"Brad," Donna repeats. "The gay guy?" she asks, clearly confused. They didn't talk often but Jackie definitely would have told her about her boyfriend.
Steven laughs, "Gay?" So she had been lying last night.
"It's a different Brad," she says, embarrassed. "I don't like to talk about him Donna." She looks towards the red head. "I met him at a bar a few months ago."
"Oh," Donna says puzzled. Jackie didn't do bars said so herself, numerous times. Ever since she gave a peep show to the entire bar back when Steven first came home with his wife, she didn't step in them.
"What bar Jackie?" Steven asks, clearly not believing her.
She says the first thing that pops into her mind, "The Blue Disco."
"Hmm I've never heard of it," Fez says turning around facing her. "I know every Disco bar," he says proudly.
Brooke giggles, "Fez you know that's not something to be proud of right?"
"Disco is sexy woman," he says with a pout, "And besides no such thing as the Blue Disco."
Dammit she forgot about Fez's love for bars and disco. "Its new Fez, just opened its' doors last week," she explains.
"But Jackie I thought you said you met him at a bar a few months ago," Steven says with a grin.
She laughs it off, "Must have gotten confused. I meant a few weeks ago."
"Little Devil sounds like your lying," Eric comments, which earns him a slap on the arm from his wife. "What?" he asks, looking towards the tall red head.
"No, no, no Donna," Steven jumps in. "For once I think Forman might be right. I think Jackie's lying about Brad, about having a boyfriend all together."
"Burnnnnn!" Kelso laughs from the driver's seat. "Jackie if you have any urges just let me know and I'll take care of them for you."
Brooke reaches up and flogs him in his right upper arm. "Damn Brooke I was just kidding!"
Everyone laughs except Steven who looks pissed off. What does he have to be pissed about, Jackie thinks. She's the one who should be pissed he outed her in front of everyone.
Their eyes meet and he smirks and she has never wanted to hit him more.
"Oh what the hell would you know Hyde," deliberately referring to him by his last name. "We can't all run away at the first sign of trouble and marry a stripper, now can we? Some of us actually have to work at our relationships." One had nothing to do with the other but damned if she cared.
"It's Steven, Jackie," he says between clenched teeth, holding his anger in check. "And when the fuck are you gonna let that shit go? It's been ten years already. GET. OVER. IT."
"Maybe when you actually apologize for it asshole I will," she bites back, giving as good as she gets.
"Why would I do that Jackie? You should be apologizing to me for going all psycho on me the night you ran away," he fries back.
"Fuck you Hyde!"
"No thanks doll but thanks for the offer."
"Come on guys," Donna breaks in, knowing this was bound to happen but hoping it wouldn't be in confined corners. "Don't do this now."
Jackie looks towards Donna and back at Steven and smiles, "You're right Donna, he's not worth it."
Steven shrugs, "Whatever."
"Ohhh Jackie," Fez says from the front seat, "Your lady is on the radio."
"What?" Jackie asks confused. "My lady?"
He nods, "Yea the one you told me about, Taylor Swoft."
She rolls his eyes. "Fez you mean Taylor Swift," she points out, "And she isn't my lady, I just work with her."
"That's what I said and she's here in Wisconsin," he points to the radio embedded in the dashboard, "She's on the air. Listen." He turns the volume up, loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Welcome back my faithful listeners," the man in the radio says, "This is Mack Moore here in studio with the up and coming Taylor Swift and her newest hit single, Last Kiss."
Oh shit. "Fez change the station!"
"Sshh Jackie I'm trying to listen."
"So Taylor tell us about your new single is it based off an old boyfriend."
The young singer laughs, "No nothing like that. Actually I didn't even write it, a friend of mine did."
Please don't say it, please don't say it.
"Jackie Burkhart."
Oh My God.
"You write songs." Steven says looking at her, surprised.
"WOW! Jackie they just said your name on the radio so cool!" Michael hollers.
Goodness this wasn't good, so not good. She knew she shouldn't have come to Point Place.
"Well what can you tell us about the song?"
"She didn't tell me much just that she based it off an old boyfriend."
Okay she could work with that; she had a lot of old boyfriends.
"They broke up while she was in high school and then he went off and married someone else."
With that not so much.
The DJ laughs, "Well there you have it…" he voice trails of.
Jackie once again tries to get him to turn it off. "Fez shut it off dammit!" she shouts getting desperate. If Steven heard the song, he would know. They all would.
"Damn Hyde, Jackie wrote a song about you!" Kelso says.
"Just remember where you heard it first!" the DJ says. "Last kiss, enjoy."
"Please," Jackie begs. She reaches around Donna and tries to grab the knob but knows it was impossible, it was too far away. "Turn it off!" she pleads again. She frantic tries to inch her way to the front but strong arms wrap around her from behind.
"Don't even think about it Doll," he whispers in her ear. He intended on hearing the song.
She looks back at Steven, "Please."
Fez moves to change the station but is stopped. "Don't do it," Steven barks.
"Hyde," Donna says, "Let him turn it off."
He just looks at her, "No."
"Yea Donna I wanna hear it," Kelso says. "I bet its one of those 'I hate you' songs," he laughs, hopeful for some burn material.
Jackie pulls her knees to her chest and folds her head into her lap, letting the familiar words wash over her.
I still remember the look on your face
Lit through the darkness at 1:58
The words that you whispered
For just us to know
Told me you loved me
So why did you go away?
I do recall now the smell of the rain
Fresh on the pavement
I ran off the plane
That July 9th
The beat of your heart
It jumps through your shirt
I can still feel your arms
But now I'll go sit on the floor
Wearing your clothes
All that I know is that
I don't know how to be something you miss
I never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name, forever the name on my lips.
She had written it a year ago, it was her finally goodbye to him and what could have been. She knew the minute her agent told her Taylor wanted the song she should have said no, she just never imagined it would be a hit or that anyone from home would ever have the opportunity to hear it. Her friends didn't exactly follow the norm.
But it didn't matter now because now they all knew.
I do remember
The swing of your step
The life of the party, you're showing off again
And I roll my eyes and then
You pull me in
I'm not much for dancing
But for you I did
Because I love your handshake, meeting my father
I love how you walk with your hands in your pockets
How you kissed me when I was in the middle of saying something
There's not a day when I don't miss those rude interruptions
But now I'll go sit on the floor
Wearing your clothes
All that I know is that
I don't know how to be something you miss
Never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name, forever the name on my lips
Her tears are soaking through her jeans but she doesn't dare look up. Steven must think her pathetic, they probably all did. Kitty was right, she thinks – secrets always have a way of coming out. She just never thought it would be like this….on the radio, in a van with all her friends to hear.
So I'll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep
And I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe
And I keep up with our old friends just to ask them how you are
Hope it's nice where you are
And I hope the sun shines
And it's a beautiful day
And something reminds you
You wish you had stayed
You can plan for a change in weather and time
But I never planned on you changing your mind
So I'll go sit on the floor
Wearing your clothes
All that I know is that
I don't know how to be something you miss
Never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name, forever the name on my lips
Just like our last kiss
Forever the name on my lips
Forever the name on my lips
Just like our last…
It was true.
All of it was true.
She never stopped thinking about him, loving him. He was it for her but that didn't mean he deserved it, not after what he did.
She lifts her head up and wipes her eyes and just like expected, everyone is looking at her with pity in their eyes and she hates it.
She looks to Steven, silently begging him to say something, to look at her but he's staring at his feet. The all too familiar disappointment runs through her and she wonders why she's surprised. He was never going to be what she needed.
"Stop the car!" she yells.
"Jackie…" Donna starts. "Stop the fucking car Michael!"
He pulls off to the side of the road and Jackie is out the door before anyone can stop her. She'll walk all the way back to New York if she has to but not fucking way is she getting back in that car. They can all go to hell and take their pity with them.
She's Jackie fucking Burkhart she doesn't need anyone, especially that burnout loser.
She hates him, she tells herself. But even she can't deny the gut wrenching heartbreak or the tears gushing down her checks.
"Someone should go after her," Eric says. They were miles away from the house; it would take her all afternoon to make it back by foot.
"Hyde I've stayed out your life because it's not my business but for whatever reason Jackie loves you and judging by that song of hers she always has so the way I see it you have two options," Donna says, streaming. "One, get off your ass, apologize, and make it up to her or two, sit here like a douche and lose her forever."
Steven looks at her, " Donna…."
"Oh yea if you go with number two I'm gonna kick your ass because frankly I'm sick of seeing her cry over you."
"FUCK!" Steven screams, running his hands through his hair. What the hell was he supposed to do? He was still trying to process the song she obviously written for him. Why did they have to be so damn difficult? Nothing with them could ever just be easy.
"You know what Hyde just forget it," Donna barks, getting out of the van. "I'll go after her and try to fix what you broke."
tbc...