Disclaimer: That '70s Show copyright The Carsey-Werner Company, LLC and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC.

CHAPTER NINETEEN
STAYING APART

Jackie chose a middle seat in Michael's Volkswagen Microbus. She slid her suitcase, makeup case, and rolled-up sleeping bag beneath it. Leslie Cannon promised to share her two-person tent with her, so buying a luxury tent for herself hadn't been necessary. But the next few days in Quartz Falls were going to be tricky, especially if her first thirty seconds in the Microbus was any indication.

Donna, Fez, and even Eric had greeted her warmly. They showed concern for how she was feeling, and Donna offered to help with Jackie's luggage. Then Michael's sister, Kim, asked if Jackie was sick.

"Of course she's sick," Michael said just a moment ago. "She thinks she's over me."

"Mikey," Kim said. She was sitting in the front, across from Michael. Jackie saw only the back of her head, but Kim's tone was one of exasperation. She'd graduated college last year and often acted like Michael's second mom. She must have come along to drive the Microbus home to the Kelsos'. He couldn't keep it parked in the school lot for five days. It would get vandalized.

"Give it a rest," she continued. "Haven't you put Jackie through enough?"

"Too damn much," Steven said from the back seat, and Jackie's stomach curled in on itself. He wasn't supposed to defend her. He was supposed to act aloof, like he had the last fifty seconds. She'd barely looked at him when she got into the Microbus, but she'd caught a glimpse. He'd shaved off his beard, like he said he would.

In her bedroom yesterday, she'd asked him to kiss her again. Not just on her temple but on the lips. "Can't kiss you with this," was his answer, and he indicated his beard.

"But I love how scruffy you are," she'd said. His hair was still too long. His curls were thick, spiraled clumps, but they added to his appeal. She brushed them from his face and ran her thumb over his lips. "Beards are so manly, Steven. You don't look like a boy anymore."

"I'll grow you another one, okay? Gotta shave this one off."

He didn't explain further, but she could guess. Memories of Julie and Valerie were in his beard, just like Valerie's grassy perfume infested the Microbus. Michael must have fooled around with her yesterday, after bringing Jackie to the school nurse.

But at least he'd picked up Jackie on time this morning. She had no one to drive her Lincoln home from school, and taking the bus with her luggage would've been a hassle.

"Jackie fainted at school," Fez said at a red light. He moved up the aisle and sat behind Kim. "But we'll be watching over her this week, to make sure she doesn't have a concussion."

Jackie bit the inside of her cheek. She despised being spoken about as if she were an invalid, but Fez was obviously trying to flirt.

Kim turned in her seat and faced him. "That's really sweet of you, Fez. That's sweet of all of you." She lifted her chin, and her gaze landed on Jackie. Kim was nearly as tall as Michael. She resembled him, too. Same cheekbones, same eyes and lips. They could've been identical twins if not for their different genders and Kim's body type. She was built like Donna but more hippy.

"Jackie, take it easy this week," she said. "Don't let anyone push you past what feels safe for you to do."

"I'll be eighteen in a month," Fez said before Jackie could respond. "I'm also a virgin."

"No!" Kelso stuck out his arm toward Kim. His fingers splayed, like he was trying to hide her from Fez's view, and the Microbus swerved.

"Pay attention, you moron!" Steven shouted. He was out of his seat and charging up the aisle.

Michael gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "I am paying attention! To Fez trying to get my sister to deflower him."

Steven sat in the seat across from Jackie, but he seemed ready to jump at any moment and take control of the Microbus. "Just drive, man."

"I think you should do it, Kim," Eric said from the seat behind Steven. Donna was sitting beside him, her eyes closed and head leaning on his shoulder. "It'll do us all a world of good."

"Okay, can we stop talking about who I might or might not have sex with?" Kim said. "It's too damn early in the morning. I've had one cup of coffee. The sun isn't even completely up yet."

"You know what is up?" Fez said, and the Microbus swerved again.

"Do not finish that sentence!" Kelso shouted.

Steven got to his feet and grabbed Fez by his shirt collar. He dragged Fez to the rear-most seat, and Jackie's chest ached. She wanted to sit with Steven, to lean her head on his shoulder and take a ten-minute nap. But she couldn't, not with Michael present. He'd report to Valerie, and that was the problem.

Valerie had accused Steven on Monday of being in love with Jackie.

"And that's trouble," he'd told Jackie yesterday, "If she sees us enjoying ourselves together on the camping trip, she might try to hurt you. That chick's an aggressive psycho, man. She forced herself on me in plain freakin' sight at school. In the woods too much can go wrong."

"Which means Michael can't know we're we're together," she said.

"Bingo. Look..." His fingertips had skimmed her waist then. They eased up and down her back, and she thought of her bed. It was only a few steps away, but if he wouldn't kiss her with his beard, he wouldn't do more. "I'm gonna stick by someone the whole time we're up in Quartz Falls. Wanna avoid having to defend myself if she tries anything."

He meant shoving Valerie off if she assaulted him again. Getting rough with girls wasn't his way, even to protect himself. Jackie had experienced that herself. Over a year ago, she'd forced him to hold her hand, tackled him with unwanted hugs, and generally invaded his personal space. But the most forceful he'd gotten was to yank back his hand or pry her fingers off him and walk away.

"Hey, Hyde," Eric said now, "Donna and I are gonna need Donna's tent. Hers is a double, and I want plenty of room to be with my lady."

With both hands Steven patted the top of the seat in front of him, the one between himself and Jackie, in a syncopated rhythm. The sound was loud enough to rouse Donna from Eric's shoulder, and Steven said, "Since I'm the one who gave Donna the idea how to sneak onto the camping trip, I'm gonna use her tent. Consider it your way of thankin' me."

Jackie turned around in her seat. He'd provided the perfect opening to look at him, to talk to him. "Excuse me?" she said. "I'm the one who told Donna to join the camping trip in the first place. Therefore," she covered her heart and smiled, "I get all the credit. And if Leslie and I weren't going to share a tent that practically set itself up, I'd take Donna's tent."

"Leslie Cannon has a self-erecting tent?" Eric said, and everyone but Michael stared at him. "What?"

Steven shook his head and laughed. "Man, you've got to work on your word choice when you talk about tents."

A giggle tickled Jackie's throat, but she had to keep up appearances. "And you've got to work on giving credit where credit is due, Steven."

"Right," he said. "Your plan was for Donna to drive up to Quartz Falls by herself. Six hours of interstate hopping. And when your car broke down on her, then what? Super thinking."

"The Lincoln is a top-of-the-line luxury car! Unlike your beat-up El Camino—"

"Hey, the Camino's cherry, man. She's got it all under the hood—"

"As much as I enjoy your bickering," Eric said over them, "I'm taking Donna's tent. Mine might be in pristine condition, but it'll be too tight a fit with me and Donna together."

"Burn!" Michael shouted from the driver's seat, and Eric glared at the back of his head. "You basically called your girlfriend Gigantor."

"He did not!" Donna said.

"Yeah," Eric said. "If anyone's Gigantor, Kelso, it's your sister—"

The Microbus stopped abruptly, pushing Jackie into the seat in front of her. Michael raced down the aisle, but Kim chased him. "Michael, it's fine. It's fine!"

She grabbed at his arm, but Michael pulled free. He stood before Eric, face revealing the kind of pain and anger Jackie had witnessed in him only once. "Get out of my van," he said, and when Eric stayed seated, Kelso flung open the Microbus's side doors. "Get out!"

"Kelso, I'm sorry—" Eric said.

Donna slapped his arm. "Don't apologize to him. Apologize to her!"

"Oh, right. Kim, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I just don't like Kelso calling my girlfriend names."

"So you take your anger out on his beautiful sister?" Fez said. "Shame on you, Eric."

"Yeah, man," Steven said. "Not cool."

Jackie peered through the side doors. The Microbus was parked on Birch Lane, three blocks from school. She could leave and walk the rest of the distance, but the truth clung to her like a bad smell. Before the summer, she would've defended Eric and called Kim fat. But after weeks of believing Steven saw a warped version of her—after years of experiencing people judging her based on misperceptions—she couldn't judge Kim for her weight. Kim had always been kind to her, and that did make her beautiful.

"Oh, God," she whispered as the trees outside became hazy. She cupped her forehead and shut her eyes. Maybe she did have a concussion after all. Her thoughts seemed to belong to someone else, but she said, "Eric, everyone is Gigantor next to you."

"She's not wrong," Steven said. He slung his backpack over his shoulders and grabbed a rolled-up sleeping bag from under his seat. His duffel bag was on the seat across from him. It was lumpy and worn but practical. He put its strap over his right shoulder and headed for the open doors. "Forman, clean up your mess. I'm outta here."

"So am I." Jackie gathered her suitcase, makeup case, and rolled-up sleeping bag. They weren't easy to carry, but she managed and followed Steven outside to Birch Lane. He didn't glance back at her or the Microbus as the fight among Michael, Eric, and Donna continued.

"What if we have a daughter who's overweight?" Donna shouted. "Are you going to be an asshole about it?"

Jackie sped up her pace, but her sleeping bag slipped from her grasp. She knelt to pick it up, and her makeup case fell to the sidewalk. Her clumsiness was embarrassing, especially for the best cheerleader in the state, but no one from school was nearby but Steven.

She reached for the makeup case, but Steven snatched it up first. A silver chain was woven between his fingers. He opened the makeup case and dropped the chain inside before passing the case to her.

He slid her sleeping bag straps over her left arm a moment later. The sleeping bag felt more stable in her grip like that. She had little experience carrying her own luggage, especially so much at once. Usually Fez, Michael, or the housekeeper carried it for her, but Steven had just taught her how to take care of it herself.

Her thanks remained in her throat as he continued along the sidewalk, leaving her like their interaction had never happened.

She rushed in front of him and kept walking as joy surged in her chest. They'd be apart the next six hours, riding different buses to Quartz Falls, but he'd still be with her. He'd put the shooting star pendant in her makeup case, an affirmation of his love.

Two motor coach buses were parked outside Point Place High. Students packed their gear into compartments at the bottom, and Hyde did the same, but his backpack stayed with him. He'd brought entertainment and snacks for himself. Six hours stuck on a bus with no TV and no place to smoke his stash would be a highway through Hell.

He peered up the street, but too many cars blocked his view. Parents were dropping off their kids. If his friends were smart, they'd abandon Kelso's van and walk their asses to the school. But fighting had the side effect of eradicating one's sense of time.

A smile lifted his lips. He should start a fight during the drive to Quartz Falls. It would make the time go faster, but getting suspended wasn't worth it.

He shifted his focus to the other end of the street. Jackie had to be by the juniors' bus. Over three dozen students crowded it, wearing colorful jackets. Mt. Humphrey Sports had put out a new line of garish fall outerwear, and the junior class must have collectively decided that was its uniform.

Freakin' trends. Spotting Jackie would be tough among those walking rainbows.

His skin froze beneath his wool jacket. He shouldn't have known Mt. Humphrey Sports had put out a new line of outwear. Hell, he shouldn't know Mt. Humphrey Sports existed, but Jackie had told him about it over a month ago. She'd shown him the catalog, and he'd actually paid attention while she pointed out clothes on its pages.

Damn, was he in deep, and he scrubbed a hand over his face. His cheeks were smooth, cold, and a little sensitive, and his body jerked at the sensations. He'd grown accustomed to having a beard, but bad memories were attached to it. Bad decisions, and his relationship with Jackie needed to begin with better ones.

He kept searching for her among the juniors, but two hard taps to his shoulder stole his focus. Forman was standing beside him, red-faced.

"Would you talk some sense into her?" Forman said and hiked his thumb at Donna. She was a few feet away, clutching her sleeping bag to her chest. "She's refusing to go on the trip."

"Crap." Hyde gripped the straps of his backpack. Revealing that he and Jackie played negotiator between Forman and Donna had been a mistake. "If she doesn't wanna go, man, she doesn't wanna go."

"Come on, Hyde. I'll set up Donna's tent for you, okay?"

Hyde quirked up an eyebrow. He'd need more than that.

"And I'll pack it up at the end of the trip," Forman said, but he could give even more. Hyde didn't budge, and after five seconds Forman added, "And you can have the donnakitty cookies Mom baked me."

Hyde slapped Forman's shoulder and grinned. "Nice doin' business with ya."

Straggling seniors moved toward the bus, and Hyde maneuvered among them carefully, avoiding their gear as he approached Donna. She had to take her opportunities while she could. Hide in plain sight so teachers wouldn't think twice about her presence.

"Donna," he said, and she acknowledged him with a flick of her eyes. "You need a break from Forman? Sneak onto the junior bus instead. It'll give you a chance to cool off," and Jackie some decent company. "Six hours apart should just about do it."

She said nothing, but her face was more flushed than Forman's, and her temples twitched.

"Look, I'm not into senior-year sentimentality, but you don't wanna miss out on this trip. You and Forman are probably gonna get hitched someday and have kids. You'll wanna share this shit with them."

"Right?" Forman said by Hyde's ear and squeezed in next to him. "If we're going to get married and have those kids, then we better talk things out. And what better place to talk than trapped on a bus full of teenagers?"

Donna shook her head but laughed. "Fine." She shoved her gear at Forman. "Put this on the bus."

"Yes, m'lady."

Forman rushed toward the bus, and Donna caught up with him. They packed her gear into the luggage compartment together, and a few minutes later everyone boarded the bus.

Mrs. Fletcher began to do roll call once students were seated. Hyde hadn't seen Kelso get on the bus, but Kelso acknowledged Mrs. Fletcher when she called his name. He had to be sitting near the front with Valerie.

Mrs. Fletcher eventually got to the Ps. After calling Janet Parker, Darren Peterson, and Vincent Picket, she said, "Pinciotti, Donna?"

Donna reached across the aisle and slapped Hyde's arm. She mouthed, "No way!" at him before shouting, "Here!"

A few students stared at her. She, Forman, Hyde, and Fez had chosen seats toward the rear of the bus. Not too close to the bathroom, though. Otherwise, they'd be smelling shit the whole ride.

Mrs. Fletcher finished roll call without disruption, and Coach Ferguson didn't check over the student roster himself. He gestured to the bus driver, who revved the engine. The bus lurched forward, and Coach Ferguson lost his balance. He grabbed onto a seat back and remained standing, but a few students laughed anyway.

"All right, you wise guys, listen up!" Coach Ferguson shouted. He went into a spiel on bus safety, but at the end he started a chant of, "Go, Vikings, go!"

Hyde shared a look with Forman and Donna, but Fez joined the chant, as did the jocks and cheerleaders. It fractured into hoots and whistles, and Coach Ferguson said, "You feel that? It's called school spirit, and I expect each and every one of you to hold onto that feeling the next five days. You'll be representing Point Place High, the Vikings, and me."

The cheerleaders and jocks applauded along with Fez, and Coach Ferguson gestured for the bus to quiet down.

"Holding onto that spirit will be especially important," he said, "because we'll be sharing the park with about fifty Fort Anderson kids."

Questions flew through the bus like a flock of confused pigeons, but deep-voiced boos broke through them. Some people restarted the "Go, Vikings, go!" chant, and Coach Ferguson blew on the whistle around his neck.

"I know, I know," he said. "They've been there since Monday. They're leaving on Friday. Ft. Anderson's Coach Saunders phoned me this weekend. She did me that courtesy out of respect, so you need to give Ft. Anderson the same kind of respect and be on your best behavior."

Groans rose from the jocks, and Donna whispered, "Do you think Coach Ferguson and the Ft. Anderson coach are having an affair?"

"Could be," Forman said. "No secret his wife's cheating on him—"

Coach Ferguson blasted on his whistle again, and the bus grew silent. "They're just freshmen, so don't treat them like they're Varsity Snapping Turtles."

"The opposing coaches are definitely sleeping together," Donna said, and Hyde nodded. No better explanation for Ferguson's intel.

Students griped about the news as the bus drove onto the interstate. Autumn trees sped by the windows. Hyde watched them for a while, but Jackie plunged into his skull. Acting cold around her sucked, even though they'd both agreed on it. That was why he'd chucked the shooting star pendant into her makeup case. His feelings for her hadn't changed over night, and he'd needed to tell her that.

A theatrical gesture probably would've gone over better. Him on one knee, declaring his undying love while returning the pendant. But their situation was too dicey.

He also didn't do theatrical gestures.

She'd have to accept that about him. She'd have to accept a whole lot she wouldn't like, but he owed her the respect of being honest. She'd never have to question what he felt for her again, even if it wasn't always good. He'd let her know, one way or the other.

"Hey," Donna said and pointed toward the front of the bus, "you think Kelso's pissed enough to stay away from us the whole trip?"

"I don't know," Forman said. "I haven't seen him that angry since Jackie told him she kissed the tiny cheese guy."

Fez rose from the seat, probably trying to get a better look at Kelso and Valerie. "He's an abomination to most women," he said, "but he loves his sister..." He sat back down. "So do I."

"You've had, like, three conversations with her in three years," Donna said.

"Three of the best conversations of my life."A dreamy smile glided over Fez's lips. "I will win this woman. I just need to come up with with the perfect pun..."

"Yeah, puns worked out for you real well at the DMV," Hyde said, but he wasn't interested in this conversation or Kelso. The only cool part about the morning was Jackie defending Kim. He hadn't expected it, but deep in his guts—since that night she'd offered to meet his ma—he'd sensed who she was at her core. No other answer for why he'd fallen for her.

And she'd clearly sensed a better guy than he'd shown her. They'd both taken missteps since the get-go, but they had to play this trip carefully. Roaming in plain sight was dangerous. For now, the truth they'd revealed to each other was safe between them and them alone.