Eric

What a whirlwind year…After the New Year, to save money, I got into the Point Place Community College to burn off my general education classes, though the plan is to transfer for UW to get my degree in Education so I can be teacher. While four years were paid for, it was just tuition, not room and board. Living at home would cut costs in the meantime. I was also back working part-time at Pricemart to pay for room and board and help out Mom and Red if I can. Red retired not long before I got back, and Mom was working part-time at the hospital, so they were grateful for the help, even if they didn't say it (Red). It was just the four of us as Laurie was still in Canada, not that Jackie or I complained about that.

The Gang fractured after the holiday. The mysterious Randy moved with Donna, who was now in college, without so much as word to me, which stung-even before we dated, we were friends. Kelso returned to Chicago to be with Brooke and Betsy, but said he'd be around on occasion (he wasn't). In the aftermath of the screaming match of the Fez/Jackie breakup that left us wondering if Fez's you-know-whats had dropped, Jackie moved into Laurie's room for a few weeks while Hyde, not wanting to be around his ex and his newly-returned-still-married-stripper wife, moved into Jackie's old room. That must have been like Christmas for Fez-living with a stripper. I wondered how long that that would last. Somehow, me and Jackie living in the same house didn't result in the end of the world. I had been sleeping on the Living Room couch because my room was now Mom's sewing room. Jackie now had Laurie's room, which, of course, wasn't an option. I didn't think Mom and Red would approve of us sharing a bed. And, then there's the Basement… I don't wanna even think about what Hyde and that woman did down there.

Due to proximity, and maybe loneliness on both our parts, Jackie and me started hanging out more, not that the rest of the Gang knew. It wasn't as much as you'd think though-between my classes and work and Jackie's job and Jackie being away when Hyde and his, eww, wife, were around, maybe a few hours a week. Even with just two people, and ignoring the source of our, ahem, film, cough, Hyde, cough, Circles were still fun.

And then things went sideways…

I was getting back from Pricemart one day when I heard screaming as I was parking the Cruiser in the garage. This was followed shortly by Samantha running out behind a visibly bruised Hyde, who was following her at a brisk walking pace.

Curious, I said, "Hyde?"

They ignored me, and got into the El Camino and drove off.

Oh, what now?! I thought. Fortunately, classes were over for the semester, but the Pricemart seemed to fit the entire town, with the resulting shouting and shoving. It was not a good day.

I walked into the kitchen and saw no one, so I continued into the Living Room, where I found Red making drinks at the bar and Mom and Jackie talking on the couch. Jackie looked…unkempt? Frazzled? Is it strange that she looks cute? Nope, nope, not going there…well, maybe, why not? We're both single now, and she's certainly attractive.

"Hi," I said to the room, quizzically looking between everybody, noticing some sort of tension.

Mom turned to me, and said, "Hi, honey."

To Red, I asked, "Drinks, in the afternoon?"

"Yes, dumbass, Jackie had…an incident."

"Tell him," Mom said to Jackie.

"Tell me what?" I asked.

"I'm moving out. Wanna come with me?" asked Jackie with hope in her voice.

After a glare from Red that was somehow both stern and proud at the same time, she continued, "Can we talk?" and she motioned over to the empty Den.

"Yeah, sure," I replied, before following her into the Den.

We both sat down, and after forcing down a sarcastic comment, I asked, "What did Hyde do this time?"

Here we go yet again - playing therapist. Yes, it's a little exasperating at times, but I'm glad that I'm still able to help her be someone she confides in.

"Samantha."

Oh, boy. Here we go again. I'd heard about Sam months before I'd had to meet her, not long after New Years. Mom's recordings about her were scathing, and, when I finally met Sam, I had to agree with her-she's trashy and that's putting it mildly. Yeah, the idea of having a stripper girlfriend is cool, but actually having one…ewww. Technically, due to some paperwork screw-up in Vegas, Sam and her other husband weren't technically married, so when she came back just after New Year's, she and Hyde resumed their…marriage? Ultimately, what really upsets me is that my old friend, my best friend has become a different person seemingly because of her-he and Sam have become Bud and Edna.

I visibly sighed, "What did she do now?"

"So, Fez likes having them there…"

I laughed. "I can imagine…"

"I mean, he really likes having them there…"

"So, more hiding in closets?"

"Yeah, just to start. But, it turns out that the stripper likes privacy. Who knew?"

I nodded sympathetically.

"She's caught him, repeatedly, and she's not happy."

"Be still my beating heart."

"Exactly. She wants to move out, and wanna guess where?"

"Oh crap."

"Yeah. I wasn't happy either."

We then heard the phone ring. I was about to get the phone when Mom called, "Hello?"

"They came over about a half hour ago, " Jackie began.

"And, I know you weren't exactly enthusiastic," I started, noticing her glare, before continuing, "but how did Mom and Red respond?"

"You know how your Mom is…"

"Never met a kid she didn't want to mother…"

"Exactly. And I could tell she was winning over your dad."

I sighed. "When are they going to cut the cord already? Is there nothing he can do that gets them to actually parent him?"

"I know, I know." She paused before continuing, "I tried to tell them that I was uncomfortable with Steven and his skank moving back in, but then…"

"Who stupidly opened their mouth?"

"Steven-he said that I wasn't a member of the family, my opinion didn't count, and I was lucky to be living here at at all."

I started to get up, "That does it, I'm SO kicking his ass!" It was weird feeling this way…Jackie's my friend now, admittedly my hot friend, but Hyde's my brother. Now, I want to help her, protect her…And him, he was supposed to be her boyfriend, and he ends their relationship in such a disgusting way,,,And here I am, wanting to take a step that could change the Gang even more…It's true-change is the only constant, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

"Eric, sit down," Jackie "suggested" in a tone that I'd only heard once before, during the Incident when she dumped Kelso for good. I sat back down.

"What happened next?" I asked, bracing myself for what else could come.

"And then Steven made remark about Sam…being better at se…"

It was only out of fear of her that I didn't get up, and get to Hyde, and end this.

"That finally got your parents to react, but not much, they basically just warned him, but it's not like he's actually faced any real consequences. I've just had it with them. I told them all that I would be moving out and I told Steven and the slut what I thought of them."

Much as I'd like to have seen you tell off my parents too after that, it's best you didn't, I thought. "Okay, spill. What did you say?"

"After I slapped him in the face, I told Steven that…"

Shocked, I could only stare at her, as I asked, "Wait, I noticed Hyde's face was a weird color-that was you?"

"Yep."

"Awesome!" I raised my hand for a high five that she didn't meet with an amused look that said soo lame, Eric.

"Anyway, if you'd like to start congratulating me on what I said instead of something that should've happened years ago…."

"Yes, please continue."

"I told Steven that he was ungrateful loser who'll never get anywhere in life because his sole ambition is to get high, despite the fact that he had me, me Jackie Burkhart to help improve himself…And I told her that she's nothing but a bleached-blonde whore, and if she wants to see her future, she just needs to find whatever rock Gross Edna is hiding under."

"Wow! Go Jackie!"

"Your mom said that that was unladylike."

"This from a woman who met her mooning husband while really drunk at a USO Dance and got high as a kite on Special Brownies."

"Exactly, and I didn't rise to the bait, I just walked away."

"So you did learn something from him."

"Yep."

It was then I heard the phone ring a couple times again before Mom answered it. "Jackie, phone!" Mom exclaimed irritatedly.

"Can we finish after your…" I asked as Jackie was getting up to walk to the kitchen.

"Yeah."

Jackie left, and before I could start thinking what a Jedi would do in this situation, Mom came in and sat down as I glared at her.

"I know you're mad at me and your father…"

"I can barely stand to look at you, but what did you need to tell me right now?"

"The first call was your Aunt Paula. She's going to Arizona to be with your grandmother for the holiday?"

"Why is she still out there?" I asked, exasperated.

"She actually likes the climate out there. Ha ha ha. But she's actually moving back to Wisconsin to be closer to us-it's just too lonely without your grandfather. She wanted one last winter out there."

"Uh huh." Secretly, I was glad-Grandma Bea was the only person who thought I could do better than Donna, and in my present mood, I wasn't feeling too generous towards my mother, going back to "Grandma Yells" wouldn't be the worst thing. "What about the second call?"

"Jackie's mother…I can see you don't want to talk about…"

"Nope," I replied as she got up and left. Jackie's mother….after thinking about that-particularly in her present mood, this oughta be good! I guessed that Red was either in the garage or fishing.

I sat back in the chair and tried to think of anything except what was going on-Africa, the Jedi, why are lightsabers different colors, how did Wookiees develop an advanced space-faring culture when their only verbal communication is grunting…for about fifteen minutes when Jackie walked back in and sat down.

"So that was my mother," started Jackie.

"Sill whoring around Mexico?" I asked sympathetically.

"Milwaukee, actually. Some money got unfrozen, but not enough for her to do that…and she might be getting back together with Daddy."

"I didn't think she was the ...uggh…prison romance type…"

"He's out, well, sort of. He's in a half-way house."

"How did that happen? And no one told you because?"

"He testified against some other people. There's some conspiracy-thingy in the Assembly. They just never got around to telling me until now-he's been out for a month…"

"I am so sorry, Jackie."

She sighed, "Thanks. Anyway, getting back to us, or, really me, do you wanna move out with me? "

"You mean, without you, I'd be stuck in this house with…them?" I asked in horror, cringing. "Plus, Mister-Foot-Up-Ass." And this may get through to them that my mother's baby boy is unhappy with them giving Hyde whatever he wants.

Jackie giggled and nodded..

"Save me, Princess Jackie!" I begged, in mock horror.

"What are the magic words, Luke?" Jackie asked, fluttering her eyes.

"Please, save me O Princess Jackie the most Gorgeous and Beautiful." I begged on my knees in an exaggerated way. With the exception of (fortunately) briefly having Hyde as a roommate, I'd never had one before. This is gonna be interesting, I thought. Rooming with someone I actually enjoy spending time with, who also happens to be a very attractive woman. What could go wrong?

"I guess you'll be an okay roommate," Jackie replied with a smile, before we started taking about nothing in particular.

AN: Eric found out about how his parents really met from Grandma Bea during a phone call-Kitty had told Paula, who in turn broadcast it to their parents during an argument. The Wisconsin Legislature is bicameral, with the upper house being the Senate and the lower being the Assembly.