The next day Donna could see that Maggie was totally thinking about Peter O'Neil. During their small group discussion in second period, their English teacher Mrs. Kaminsky embarrassingly called on her while she was distracted. Ever since the first grade when her family moved to Point Place, Donna and Maggie were best friends. If Donnie Burk messed around with her best friend's feelings, she would knock the freckles off his face.
Throughout the morning, her classes were boring. Most of her classes were dedicated to preparing for final exams in the next three weeks. Donna wasn't concerned, she has been a very good student all her life. Her father had made sure that all his daughters strived for good grades. The Pinciotti family was a little kooky but they had standards.
The school bell rang for lunch and she left with the rest of her biology class after gathering her things. The Pinciotti name left her locker farther down the hall. The lunch food was not so good here at Point Place but it had its moments. Today for example, the menu consisted of a grilled cheese and tomato soup. The soup was a little watery for her taste but it was adequate for school food. She was putting her book away at her locker when Hyde joined her.
They headed towards the lunch room together navigating through the crowded eastern hall. There were time schedules for final study sessions and end of the year events. There were a lot of graduation parties already planned and Hyde was determined to crash at least ten senior parties.
"So, Donna man, Todd Rundgren concert on Friday," Hyde said as they made their way through the crowd.
"Yeah, I know! It's going to be so cool!" Donna beamed. "I just hope we can have the cruiser instead of taking the stupid bus,"
"Nothing says public transportation than a pissant drunk guy who smells like old cheese and the papermill sitting next to you on an empty bus to get 5 miles," Hyde sighed and they laughed together as they took their watery soup and grilled cheese.
Hyde and Donna paid for their lunches and made their way to their usual table by the water bubblers. None of the others were there yet so they had the table to themselves. The table had a view of the comings and goings of students. It was probably one of the best freshmen sitting spots.
"I can't believe freshman year is almost done with." She said as they sat down. "It feels like just yesterday we're sitting in the auditorium on the first day of freshman year, listening to Principle Pridwell warning us about what shenanigans will do to your life."
"No, shenanigans, darnit!" Hyde and Donna laughed together as Hyde mocked their nervous, squeaky principal.
"God…summer is going to go so quick," Donna groaned and she swirled her soup around with her spoon. "We better do something kick-ass, this summer,"
"Yeah, the funniest thing that happened last year was when Eric accidently hit that cow," Hyde smiled and she laughed. It was so easy to talk to Hyde. They talked quietly together for a while, as the cafeteria filled up with kids. The air was stuffy with the noticeable overpowering mixture of food.
"Hello, American ladies," Fez smiled gleefully as the rest of the group joined them at the table. Maggie joined he and sat down next to her on the bench. Donna had hoped Eric would sit with her today but he had joined Hyde and the boys across the table at the end.
Donna glanced at the newest made member of the group. Fez was the new foreign exchange student who was not very good at English yet. Matthew and Rebecca Erdman were Fez's host parents who lived on the other side of town. They only lived a few blocks away from her street.
"Hey," Donna smiled. Fez was kind of cute in a puppy dog sort of way.
"Michael, who is this guy?" Jackie questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"I am Fez, the new foreign exchange z-tudent," Fez laughed at his pun.
Jackie blinked and didn't say anything instead she stood up.
"I have to go to the bathroom. Donna! Maggie! Come on," Jackie barked at them in her shrill, whinny voice. Donna almost wanted to make her stand there instead of going with her. Ever since Kelso and Jackie started dating, Jackie had been an annoying nuisance to the group. She was messing with the "chi" of the group, as Hyde would say. Instead, both Maggie and Donna got up and joined her. The whole façade of putting up with Jackie was more of a kindness to Kelso than Jackie.
The three girls crossed the lunchroom over to where the bathrooms were. Along the way Jackie was describing yesterday's cheer practice in great detail. When they entered the bathroom, they waited for her while they cleaned up.
Jackie Burkhart was the definition of self-absorbed, rich girl. Her father Jack Burkhart was a very successful lawyer and a prominent member of the Public Relations and Planning Commission for the city. Jackie's mother's face could be seen on nearly every house for sale sign on the market for Dodge and Washington county.
Jackie herself only a freshman was the newly made member of the cheer squad, bottom row of the pyramid third from the left. She could not stop talking about it. Point Place wasn't most "clique-est" school in the country but there was definitely a hierarchy that Jackie Burkhart was determined to climb.
"Kat Peterson is an amazing captain. I'm learning so much from her," Jackie went on from inside one of the stalls. Donna and Maggie were fixing their hair in the mirror's reflection.
"Like what? There's no "I" in team?" Maggie mocked as she rolled her eyes. Jackie opened her stall and thought for a moment before joining them.
"More like…without cheerleading, it's just a game..." Jackie said dreamily as she stared up into space.
"Wow…so wise," Donna said unimpressed. The pair of them giggled to themselves. Jackie washed her hands and they left the bathroom together. Another pair of girls entered the bathroom as they were leaving. They were in the midst of a hushed conversation. When they saw Jackie, they suddenly stopped talking and hurried off in the the other direction.
"What do you think those two girls were looking at…" Jackie questioned before turning around and stopping dead. Across the room, Michael had eaten holes for his eyes and mouth through a piece of turkey meat and had stuck it to his face. The guys were laughing and a few girls watched on from a nearby table. She couldn't help but laugh along with Maggie.
Jackie watched on in horror for a few moments in shocked silence. There was only so much Jackie Burkhart could do for her popularity that Kelso seemed to squander with his antics. It's a wonder why she stays with him…
"Michael!" Jackie shouted in a shrill high squeaky voice. Most of the tables in the vicinity had stopped their conversations and Michael dropped his turkey meat. Donna and Maggie thought to themselves about the possibility of Jackie coming to the concert.
Later that night…
Maggie was hiding out in the sanctuary of her basement with her friends conspiring to score some beer from the party happening upstairs. The Forman residence was buzzing with neighbors upstairs and music was audible from the basement stairs to the kitchen. Maggie smiled as her friends tried to convince her scrawny slightly older brother to grow a pair. Unlikely…
Eric sat facing her with Steven Hyde sitting intently next to her. Michael was sitting next to Donna who was sitting across the old wooden spool they used as a table, opposite of Eric. The basement was her and her brother's hideout ever since they were little. Where other kids might have a tree house, they had their unfinished basement. The basement was made of concrete and dirt but they had made it their own.
Fez had to miss the party on a count of his host parents the Erdman's. They are very religious and preferred a strict sleeping schedule and curfew of 9pm. Jackie and her family didn't make it either. It was fortunate for all of them, the gang hasn't exactly warmed up to Jackie yet.
"Margaret, could you come up here please!" Her mother brought her out of her thoughts. Maggie stood up from where she sitting on the arm of the worn-out couch.
"Ok now look, I will run interference if I can," Maggie laughed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "But you got to step up! It's like your initiation as a man!" She stood and bopped Eric on the arm encouragingly. She bounded up the stairs to where it led to the kitchen.
"Eric man, she's right. It's time," she heard Hyde say behind her. It seemed to be Hyde's sole mission to buck up her brother by the end up the summer. It seemed like tonight was a huge step in the direction of beer and mischief. Even though they all grew up together since childhood, Steven Hyde was the first one they met. Ever since then Steven has been a huge contributor to their rebellious shenanigans.
Captain and Tennille was blasting throughout the crowded house, Maggie found her mother in the kitchen once she was up the basement stairs. She was singing along to the music and pulling out trays of hot appetizers and setting them down on the stovetop. The kitchen was hot and the green counter-tops was littered with dirty dishes and empty drink glasses.
"Good, good Maggie here, you can take these two," Kitty said as she handed her another pair of oven mitt's.
"You sure can cook Mom," Maggie smirked. As always, Kitty Forman knew how to host a party on the rare occasion, they did throw a party.
"Well, thank you honey. Did you and your friends get enough to eat?" Kitty asked while she started to scrape pizza rolls from sticking on the pan. Tonight, her mother wore a pretty red blouse and a golden flower skirt; she had a kind round face and nose with wavy blonde hair.
"No, no, we're good. I'm pretty sure Michael ate that first tray of pizza rolls," Maggie said as she picked up a tray of food in each mitt. Kitty picked up her trays and potholders and headed towards the hallway to the dining room and nearly collided into Eric as he scrambled up the stairs and flew open the basement door.
"Watch it, Eric! Hot pizza rolls!"
Maggie internally rolled her eyes. Her brother was a scrawny guy but he could be quick when he needed to. Her brother decided to follow their mother, probably hoping to remain unnoticed by the adults.
Maggie decided to take a different route and left the kitchen through the swing door and into the living room. The place was littered with buzzed neighbors, the party was in full swing. Much of the neighborhood attended the party. Donna's parents were chatting together, sitting on their yellow sofa. She saw an empty space on the coffee table for the appetizers in front of the Pinciotti couple.
"Hey, there, Maggie!" Mr. Pinciotti chuckled as he and his wife Midge stood up to greet her. Maggie's eyes widened. Bob Pinciotti had always been a unique man but this would take the cake. Bob was average height with a stocky body type with dark brown, almost black hair. The new perm hairdo made him look like a cue-tip and she couldn't help but stare. The red leisure suit he wore made it even worse.
"What's shakin' Mr. Pinciotti? She said trying to keep a straight face as she sat down the appetizers and potholders on the table. They are such a fascinating couple.
"So, Maggie do you like Bob's new hair?" Midge asked. Donna's mother was already buzzed, holding on to Bob. Midge could be a cool Mom sometimes; she sure did dress the part. Midge was wearing a cute purple and blue top that she tied to show her midriff. Although in that same breath, Donna had to punch Kelso and Hyde for gawking over her mother's top.
"Very nice, very…cool," Maggie faked smiled as she nodded. Just as Bob and Midge smiled and were about to turn around when Eric appeared around the corner scooping up two abandoned beers on the partial brick wall behind the couch. Crap!
"Hey now that I have you two!" She put her hands out quickly to stop them from turning around and catching Eric red handed. "Ahh…I-I was meaning to ask if… I could come over for a sleepover tomorrow night?"
"It's fine with us! Just don't stay up too late on a school night, capisce?" Bob smiled. Maggie nodded and blew a sigh of relief as she passed them. I guess I'm going to Donna's over tomorrow night. Eric was over by the bar talking to their Father. Unbelievable… Sometimes it was like he wanted to get caught. Maggie reluctantly walked over to join them.
"Eric, don't use the "ass" word. You're still in high school," Her Father scolded. Red Forman was standing behind the bar making drinks for a moment of relief from annoying neighbors.
"Yeah Eric, don't use the "ass" word," Maggie smirked. Red looked up from making cocktail drinks.
"Watch it," Her father warned as he ducked under the bar.
"Yes sir," Maggie nodded as she carefully took two beers from the ice bowl that was sitting on the bar.
"Pigs in a blanket! Hot! Hot!" Kitty exclaimed as she sat another tray on the coffee table behind them.
"Kitty, is that your Toyota in the drive?" Midge started to talk with Kitty as she took one of the pigs in the blanket.
"Red, a Toyota?" Bob raised his eyebrows as he came over to the bar behind them. She was careful to hide the beers away from Bob's view by blocking them with her leg.
"Yeah, it's mine." Red sighed as he poured a drink. "I'll tell you, the last time I was that close to a Japanese machine it was shooting at me," Her Dad fought in two wars and came out of it with both of his feet. Red Forman was the toughest man she knew.
"Honey, it is the gas crisis. What can you do?" Kitty reasoned as she was tidying up the coffee table behind them. She wasn't wrong, the gas crisis sucked. Her parents had spoken and thought a lot about getting a new car. Their father was still sulking over the final choice, too not to.
"And you know, Bob, those SOB's at the dealership offered me a lousy four-hundred-dollar trade-in on the Vista Cruiser," The twins eyes widened as they made eye contact. Sometimes the stars aligned and the twins could read each other's minds.
"Yeah, whatcha gonna do?" Bob said as he took a sip of his drink and walked away.
"It'll rust in the driveway before I trade it in." Red frowned as placed an umbrella in the drink he made.
"Honey, it is rusting in the driveway," Kitty pointed out, she turned to leave for the dining room.
"Hey Dad, why don't you let us take the car off your hands?" She asked carefully.
"If you got any place to be you can take the Toyota, even if it is a foreign car," Red sighed.
"What about me Pop?" Eric pointed to himself with the beers in his hands by mistake.
"What do you got there, Eric?" We are so dead.
"Beer," Eric blurted out. "I found it, just sitting…you know…around,"
"Well put them away, son," Their father said as he walked away. The twins looked at each other in shock.
"Oh, I intend to sir," Her brother quipped. Maggie bolted for the kitchen with on Eric her heels.
"Honey! On your way to the basement, could you pop these in the fridge?" Kitty came up behind them. Eric slowly turned around and Kitty placed another two beers in Eric's hands. "They're warm!"
Without a second thought they bolted to the kitchen and down the basement with Eric on her heels. They practically skipped down the stairs.
"They're alive!" Hyde belted as Eric and Maggie posed with beers in hand at the bottom of the steps.
"I can't believe it," Maggie laughed as she sat her beers on the table and taking one for herself. "We were so dead,"
"What are you talking about? I was sly as a fox, quick as a cat!" Eric beamed trying to show off as he sat down. Maggie rolled her eyes and smirked. She'd let her brother have this one. She decided to sit on the arm of the couch next to Donna.
"Anyway, good news! Our dad is thinking about giving us the Vista Cruiser," Eric said as he sat down.
"You're getting a car?" Kelso gawked as he added a beer tab to the chain ornament they hung up. The chain mostly consisted of soda-pop tabs but the chain was at least a couple of feet long.
"Have I told you how incredibly attractive you are Eric?" Donna ogled at the beer as she grabbed one.
"No," Eric raised his eyebrow and smirked as he began to open his beer.
"You told me he was cute," Kelso quipped as he sat down on the couch next to her.
"No, I didn't," Donna said quickly, looking down and embarrassed.
"I remember, cause you said…" Kelso started but Maggie pinched him. "Ow!"
"Let's focus on what's important here, people. We got beer." Hyde quickly interjected as he raised his beer. "All thanks to you two dorks. To Eric, who finally stole something."
We all raised our beer to a toast with cheers.
"You know what's sad? This is the proudest day of my life." Eric started to fake cry and he leaned into Hyde for a hug.
"It is sad Eric," She smirked and took a drink.
"Hey wait there's an extra beer," Kelso pointed out. Eric, Hyde and Kelso turned to each other in an instant, locked in a stare down. In a moment they were gulping down their beers while the girls watched on laughing.