Hey. Just wanted to say LMFAO and thanks to the anon who left a review that said I was easing the pain of Danny M. ruining Hyde for her (I can barely watch his new show promos, so I totally get it!). I laugh every time I read your comment.
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CHAPTER 9
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Jackie skips down the basement stairs wearing a very short, red velvet wrap dress with ornate, embroidered stitching around the entire border of the hemline. With it, she wears a pair of knee-high crocodile-print tan boots.
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"Damn Jackie! That is a hot dress" Kelso hollers with enthusiasm.
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Hyde looks up from his game of cards for a second and then quickly back down again for his own safety. With her looking that hot, he's likely to burn his retinas if he continues to stare.
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"Ya think?" she asks coquettishly as she twirls for Kelso to get a good look. "It's my Christmas 'look'".
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"Nothing says Christmas like alligator boots, I always say" jokes Eric.
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"It is a really pretty dress, Jackie. Where'd you get it?" Donna asks as she gives Eric a neck massage.
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"Oh, thank you. It's one of mine, actually. I made it" she says casually as she digs through her handbag for a hair comb.
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"You made that? Like, with your own two hands?" Eric questions in disbelief.
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"Yes Eric. Believe it or not, these hands are good for other things besides..." distracted by her search, she leaves the sentence unfinished, which only sends Hyde's brain into overload thinking of all of the things that Jackie's hands are good for.
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"Found it!" she yells, pulling out an ornate hair comb encrusted with crystals from her cavernous bag. She pulls back the side of her hair, slides it in perfectly and strikes a pose. "You like?"
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"You made that too?" Donna wonders.
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"Duh!" she affirms. "It was part of an assignment at school to create an outfit for a modern day princess. Since tiaras are sadly a bit much for daily use, I thought this made a good alternative. Now I can feel like a princess every day" she says with delight as she runs her fingers along the gems.
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"Wait-I didn't know you were going to school. Or that you designed clothes, for that matter," Donna mentions, perplexed. "You've been busy".
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"I didn't realize how many hours I wasted in a day until I stopped coming to the basement. In the amount of time I spent here in a week I learned how to use a sewing machine " she beams. "The whole Christine St. George experience kind of put me off T.V.".
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"Where are you going to school?" Donna asks.
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"I've been going to the community college for about a year now and I just found out last week that I got into University of Chicago's design program, so I'll be transferring there in the Spring or Fall, I haven't decided which yet" she says.
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At the mention of Chicago, Hyde's ears perk up.
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Donna is incredibly impressed with Jackie and a little embarrassed at how little shows about her ex-best friend. How could she have not known anything about her talent at design-or her desire to go to college, for that matter? Jackie talks non-stop, so the only logical answer is that Donna never bothered to listen. In fact, thinking back, she realizes that she hasn't had one meaningful conversation with her friend since Jackie left for Chicago the first time.
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"Wow Jackie that's such a big move" she says. "I mean, you don't know anybody there besides Kelso and Brooke, right?"
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"Yeah, well, it's not like I have anything keeping me me here either though." she explains. "Sometimes I think it was fate that things didn't work out with Chicago the first time. Maybe I wouldn't have gone to college and discovered what I truly wanted to do otherwise," she says.
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"Maybe. Who knew you had all of this talent?" Donna comments.
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"I knew" Fez says while shuffling the cards. "Every Sunday night she'd help me pick out my clothes for the week".
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"I miss that, Fezzy!" she pouts.
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Her foreign friend looks up and gives her a knowing smile. "Me too".
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Jackie saunters over to the card table and leans over Hyde, checking out his cards.
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He notices her in his peripheral vision. "Do you mind?" he grumbles.
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"You've been pretty quiet since I got here, Steven. Aren't you happy I finally changed out of those dirty punk clothes that were getting you so hot and bothered?" she taunts.
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"Um, yeah, because what you're wearing now is just not sexy at all, so—thanks" he deadpans into his hand of cards, still unable to look at her.
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Jackie sits down on the chair in-between Fez and Hyde and slams her hand on the table. "Deal me in" she demands.
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"You don't even know what we're playing" he retorts.
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"I'm good at everything" she insists. "Come on, I'm bored".
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"I'll deal you in, Jackie" Kelso offers.
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"Thank you Michael!" she blows him a kiss.
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Hyde shoots him a look "We're right in the middle of a game, Kelso" he carps.
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"Oh, I get it. You're chicken" Jackie nods her head solemnly.
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Hyde winces with irritation. "That shit isn't going to work on me doll, so take it somewhere else" he gripes, waving his hand in the air like he's shooing a fly.
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Jackie leans over and looks at Hyde's cards. "Don't know why you're so eager to stay in this game when you're only holding a pair of two's".
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"Ah burn!" Fez blurts out.
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Hyde shoots her an ominous look and slams down his cards.
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"What? Now you're no longer in the middle of a game, so I can play" she preens.
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"I'm gonna go hit the circle" Hyde says before standing up to get his stash from the bedroom.
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Fez looks at Jackie and shakes his head. "You have no idea why you do the things you do, do you?"
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She shifts in her chair sheepishly.
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Kelso giggles. "That rhymed, man".
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Jackie looks like she just bit into a bad nut. "No it didn't Michael".
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Smoke slowly trails out from under Hyde's closed door. Feeling guilty, Jackie shoots Fez a glance, then stands up and walks towards Hyde's bedroom.
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She hesitates for a moment before bringing her hand up to rap softly on the door.
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"What?" Hyde barks from behind the barrier.
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"Can I, um, come in?" she asks timidly.
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"Jackie, I need a break" he declines.
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"But I need to talk to you" she pleads.
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"Get a clue" he barks.
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"Open the door" she argues.
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"Go away!" he yells.
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"I'm coming in!" she insists.
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"For Christ's sake, Jackie!" he bangs the door open so hard it almost falls off the hinges.
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She smiles. "Thank you" she says sweetly as she calmly glides into his room. "That wasn't too hard, was it?"
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Hyde makes eye contact with Forman, who shakes his head at the mess Hyde has gotten himself into, then shuts the door quietly behind himself.
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Eric looks at Donna. "Awkward!" he sings as he continues rubbing her feet.
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"Do you think one of us should go in and make sure they're both alive in 30 minutes?" she asks seriously.
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"Well, in 30 minutes we're either going to have a 'crash and burn' incident or a 'drunken rabbit' situation and I'm not sure my psyche can handle walking in on either of those" he estimates. "For the record, I'd bet 20 bucks on him limping out of there by the time we have to go upstairs to open gifts".
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"I'll put $20 on 'drunken rabbit'!" Kelso screams.
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"I accept your wager, good sir" Eric says.
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"No way. Jackie would kill him before she'd do it with him again" Fez predicts. "I'm in for $20 on 'crash and burn'".
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Eric looks at Donna. "Your guess?"
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"Well, I saw her consume an entire platter of mince pies earlier today because he got her all hot and bothered, so I'm going with the 'rabbit' for $20."
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Eric twiddles his thumbs deviously. "...and now, we wait..."
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Jackie stands hesitantly against the closed bedroom door.
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Hyde angrily turns around to face his ex. "You really know how to counter-attack the effects of good weed" he sighs as he collapses into his chair and signals for her to sit on his bed.
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"Sorry" she says bashfully. "That's why I wanted talk. I just wanted to say sorry. I know I was annoying in there".
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Hyde is pleasantly surprised by her apology and passes her the joint. "If you're staying, you're smoking. If anybody needs to calm the fuck down, it's you" he decides.
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Jackie nods and delicately takes a drag off of the joint before passing it back to him.
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"I don't know what came over me. I think I'm just really unsure of how to act around you now, because we've always been either burning each other or sleeping together, and I'm not exactly sure what the middle ground is," she explains.
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"Yeah, that would be called friendship" he says as he exhales.
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"What is this 'friendship' you speak of?" she asks, taking another drag. "See, I used to be a cheerleader, so my native language is 'bitch', even with my closest friends-not that I have too many of those around anymore" she says, thinking of Donna. Her brow furrows as she looks at the floor. "I'm not sure I know how to 'do' nice."
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"Well, it's lucky you're asking me, since nice is what I am known for" he says facetiously.
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Hyde pulls a bottle of whiskey down from his shelf and two shot glasses. He fills them both and hands one to Jackie.
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Jackie scoots further back on his mattress and leans against the bare wall. "So what I'm getting from this is that you are I are both assholes and our friendship is doomed" she presses her lips into a hard line.
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"Pretty much" he shrugs. "To being doomed" he raises his glass for a toast.
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She raises hers to meet his and they both do theirs shots. He lines up the glasses and refills them.
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"Did I just drink moonshine?" she asks, taking another drag off of the joint. "My tongue feels furry" she complains as she moves it around her mouth.
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Hyde looks at her carefully to diagnose. "Lemme see. Stick it out" he beckons.
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She sticks her tongue out and he puts a clothes pin on it.
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"Ow!" She grimaces and takes it off. "You suck!" she yells, chucking the clothespin at him.
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He cowers as it bounces off of his 'fro. "Just being a friend the only way I know how," he smirks.
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"That's something you'd do to Kelso" she glowers.
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"You are my friend as Kelso is my friend" he says equitably as he takes the last drag off the roach and stubs it out.
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"But you haven't seen Kelso naked a million times" she counters.
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"As a matter of fact, I have" he grins.
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"Okay. You win" she throws her hands in the air. "Treat me like your bro!" she yells as she collapses backwards onto his bed.
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A lump forms in Hyde's throat as he observes Jackie sprawled out across his bed, the hem of her dress riding up her smooth thighs. He's had many fantasies like this over the past year, but none of them included a damn friendship pact.
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He tries to keep his breathing steady, but the bow on that wrap dress she's wearing is already half undone, and all it would take is a sharp pull or a sudden jolt for it to untie, causing the fabric to fall open completely. He could easily provide that jolt—and then about 50 more once the dress comes off. Shit. She's turning him into Fez again.
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Hyde clears his throat and picks up his next shot of whiskey. "Come on, Burkhart, you're falling behind." he teases. Maybe if she sits up instead of lounging on her back his urge to bang her will lessen? Yeah, probably not.
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She turns over on her side and takes the glass between her slender fingers and taps it gently on the side table while she thinks of a toast.
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Crap. This position is so much worse. Hyde curses gravity as his eyes are drawn to one of her breasts which now threatens to break free from from the confines of her garment. He can feel his palms start to sweat.
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"To the middle ground" she announces, holding her shot glass aloft.
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Hyde quickly clinks his glass against hers and downs his drink. He's going to need about 20 more of these if he's going to survive this night. Relief hits once he realizes he still has a list of questions she needs to answer. Yeah, he'll get her talking. That never fails to ruin the mood.
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Jackie dips her finger into her shot glass, swishes it around and sticks it into her mouth. She sucks the liquor off her finger and makes a face. "I really do think this is moonshine".
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Hyde laughs. "It's whiskey and you're leaving me hanging here" he admonishes her.
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"Bottoms up". She shrugs her shoulders lazily, tips her head back and lets the moonshine-grade whiskey flow down the back of her throat. Once done, she flops back onto her back and does a cat stretch.
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As if responding to a Pavlovian prompt, Hyde's jeans begin to tighten as she writhes her lean body in front of him on his bed.
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He buries his face in his hands and rubs hard. "Can I ask you some more questions?" he suggests from the safe haven of his closed hands.
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She points her finger like a gun at him and says "Bang!" then blows on her finger. "That means shoot".
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Hyde scoots over and sits facing her on the bed. "Sit up" he orders, which she does with a groan. "#9 – What's your most embarrassing moment?" he asks.
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Jackie laughs heartily. "Where the hell do I start?"
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"Maybe just pick the first one that comes to your head" he suggests.
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She taps one finger against her chin and thinks. "Nearly 20 years of bad judgment and blind enthusiasm really has provided me with a wealth of material" she smiles secretly to herself.
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Hyde wonders if there really is a God and if he's testing him in some way by sending her there in that fucking red dress, eyes gleaming with mischief and wanton energy.
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"Oh wait a minute. Do you remember that one Halloween where I went dressed as a sexy cat?" she asks.
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"Don't remember." he lies. Of course he remembers, she wore a skin-tight leotard all night. An image like that is sort of burned into the brain.
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"Well that was the year we went to that party at Buddy Morgan's house. My costume had this long cat tail that I would wiggle around like this" she says, demonstrating the wiggle.
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"Uh-huh" Hyde answers, crossing his legs.
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"And stupid oaf Michael got really drunk and ended up stepping on my tail and it tore clean off, but I didn't notice, because I was also really drunk," she continues. "Well, it wasn't until about ten minutes before we left when I went to the bathroom to freshen up that I noticed it."
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Hyde rests his chin on his hands to listen.
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"There was a giant hole the size of Kenosha in the back of my leotard and you could see straight through" she shudders, covering her head in embarrassment.
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"So?" Hyde asks, not sure what the big deal was.
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"I wasn't wearing any underwear" she shrieks from under her arms.
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Hyde starts laughing his ass off. He doesn't know whether he's more amused or turned on. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad" he says unconvincingly. Now he has another reason to be pissed off he left the party early that night with Kat Peterson. The first reason being that she turned out to be too drunk to fool around. Looks like the whole night was a bust.
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"Oh Steven it was. They used some of the photos from that night in the yearbook and you can see my butt crack on page 15" she sighs miserably.
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"Ha. That's good". He continues chuckling at her embarrassment. He makes a mental note to check page 15 in the 1977 volume of his yearbook.
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"The worst part is that I had finally gotten Michael to agree to dance with me and they were playing one of my favorite songs, but once I found out about the hole I had to leave" she pouts.
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"THAT was the worst part? Worse than everybody in Point Place getting a good look at your ass?" he asks with amazement.
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"I was doing everybody a favor by letting them glimpse this ass. Like a public service" she explains, pointing to her butt. "You've seen it—it's fantastic. But I always wanted to dance to that song and he screwed that up too. Clumsy Michael" she frowns.
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"Which song? Waterloo?" he asks mockingly.
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"No, it was Alison,'" she answers wistfully. "I always loved that song".
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Elvis Costello? Maybe she had better taste in music than he gave her credit for.
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"What's next?" she asks.
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"#10—same question you asked me" he treads nervously.
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Jackie pauses for a moment then shakes her head. "My daddy's Lincoln, of course".
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"Come on" he prods.
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"I just told you" she says insistently.
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"Jackie..." he says with disapproval. "Why won't you answer the question?"
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"Why do you want to know so badly?" she counters.
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Hyde meets her gaze. "You know".
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"If you have to ask, then you never knew me at all." Jackie stares back without flinching. "Besides, whatever I answer isn't going to change anything".
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"It could" he suggests hopefully.
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Jackie shakes her head. "What's question #11?"
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Hyde's heart sinks when she refuses to answer the question. Maybe she met somebody over the last year and she's trying to spare his feelings? Maybe the answer is Michael Fucking Kelso? He had been sure she still loved Michael throughout their own relationship, so maybe she really did love him a little more as he always suspected?
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"It's not Michael" Jackie says as if reading his mind. "In case you were worried that was my answer".
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Hyde acknowledges her clue with a nod on the outside and a party on the inside. For the last few years, Kelso was like their relationship's own personal grim reaper, always waiting in the wings ready to kill. Knowing for sure that Kelso wasn't her one great love only confirms that all of their problems were imaginary and self-made, driven by fear and insecurity, pretty un-zen and incredibly stupid.
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"I liked this game better when you were answering the questions" she says as she reaches for the whiskey and takes a swig from the bottle. Her face scrunches up adorably when the aftershock hits.
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"That's because you're a control freak" he informs her.
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Offended, she yells "I am not!"
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"Prove it" he dares as he pulls their old silk scarf out of his bottom dresser drawer.
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She gives him a sly look. "Is this some sort of sex thing?" she wonders suspiciously.
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"See? Always gotta be in control" he throws it at her to put on.
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She blanches as she watches it fall into her lap "I don't want to put something on my face that dozens of other girls have touched".
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Hyde's chest burns with shame over his past behavior. "I wouldn't do that, Jackie. You're the only one who has used this" he assures her.
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Her brow furrows quizzically. "But, we broke up so long ago. Why do you still have it if you don't use it anymore?"
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He shrugs. "Guess I forgot I had it." he utters. "Are we doing this or what?" he asks, changing the subject.
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Jackie brings the scarf to her eyes and ties it firmly. "Go on".
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He stands up to grab his guitar from the wall hook then sits back on the bed and leans it on his knee. "If you ever tell anybody what I'm about to do I will kill us both" he warns.
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He clears his throat and begins to strum the opening chords to the song "Alison" by Elvis Costello. At first, he sings it almost in a whisper, but after a few seconds it's loud enough for her to hear clearly.
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Oh it's so funny to be seeing you after so long, girl.
And with the way you look I understand that you were not impressed.
But I heard you let that little friend of mine
Take off your party dress.
I'm not gonna to get too sentimental
Like those other sticky valentines,
'Cause I don't know if you are loving somebody.
I only know it isn't mine.
Alison, I know this world is killing you.
Oh, Alison, my aim is true.
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Well I see you've got a husband now.
Did he leave your pretty fingers lying in the wedding cake?
You used to hold him right in your hand.
I bet he took all he could take.
Sometimes I wish that I could stop you from talking
When I hear the silly things that you say.
I think somebody better put out the big light,
'Cause I can't stand to see you this way.
Alison, I know this world is killing you.
Oh, Alison, my aim is true. My aim is true.
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He finishes playing the song and waits tensely for her reaction. She barely moves, frozen in place by shock.
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"I know you still didn't get to dance to it, but I figured this might be okay too." he says softly. "What did you think?" he asks anxiously, his stomach tightening into a ball.
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Her bottom lip quivers for a moment until she bites it, unable to speak.
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Too impatient to wait for her response, he reaches over and unties the scarf, letting it fall to her lap. Silent tears stream down her face as she continues bearing down on her lip, still unable to utter a sound.
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"Say something, Jackie" he begs. "Was it...okay?"
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A/N- I know the chapter is a bit uneven, but hopefully ended on a high note. I may keep going tonight if I have the energy. How am I doing? Are you still enjoying this? Let me know in the review section.