Jackie & Hyde

Part 3

Point Place, Wisconsin

Next day.

4:12am.

   Hyde sleeps soundly until he hears a persistent knock, a loud, annoying persistent knock. His eyes snap open. What the hell. He shuffles out toward the edge of his bed, sitting up, groaning. He rubs his hand across his face until the knocking abruptly stops. Hyde feels a rush of adrenaline, rising to his feet, bracing himself for impact. The knocking begins, this time on his own door.

He's feeling fear building inside of him, "Who's there!"

"H-Hyde!"

And.

    He knows the voice too well, and his chest feels like it's concaving from how hard he's breathing. Hyde ruhes to the door, opening it to find wide hazel brown eyes staring at him.

Hyde exhales, "..Jackie?" He's in shock, trying to piece his thoughts together. Her small features are twisted in an almost panic he notices, "What's wrong? That son of a bitch- did he hurt you?" he blurts remembering that Fez had wanted to do it with her, his face feels hot with fear.

She barges in, shaking her head, her heart racing, her breathing uneven and her movements erratic.

"No! Why the hell would you talk to Fez about us!"

"What?" Hyde's fist unclenches, running his hands through his hair impatiently. "That's what this is about? It's four in the morning! What the hell-"

"What did you say to him? Why the hell do you think you have some right to tell him anything!" Jackie yells.

"Shh! People are sleeping." Hyde says hushedly.

"No! Damn it Steven!" She's exclaiming, a surprising pain ripping through her chest. Her eyes are glistening with emotion.

   Hyde's heart throbs, eyes widening. There's a gut-wrenching pain spreading all over him. Steven. The sound of his name echoing in his mind. He hadn't heard her say it with purpose in so long, it's deafening. Anger swiftly begins replacing his pain.

"Shut up!" Hyde shouts in a whisper. He begins pacing across the small area of his room. "Jackie, you better have a good reason for being here other than that stupid crap!"

   He grits his teeth, his fists clenching. It hurts, he won't admit but his heavy breathing gives him away.

"Why did you-" Jackie's fighting her quivering lips, "Why? I thought you didn't care.. then you give me a ride? And you say something sweet to me and you tell Fez things about me? It doesn't make sense.Why!"

    His eyes are so blue without his shades, Jackie notices. She hasn't been to the ocean but she imagines it would look something like his eyes. She feels her cheeks warming at the sight of him. So sleepy, so dreamy..she thinks. She doesn't want to notice but she does anyway. The words register in her mind.

Jackie inhales, her heart darting away. "Nevermind, I'll just-"

"I- um" Hyde's jaw clenches, "I told you to not pull your stupid crap." Suddenly his gaze is full of vulnerability. "This is stupid! This is crap! Fez is a good guy Jackie, and that means you shouldn't be here."

   A memory flickers through his thoughts. A memory back to the night he found out Jackie and Fez were officially together. The group had gotten so drunk that night but stepped out for a moment leaving Jackie and Hyde, unsuspectingly alone. He remembers her drunken stare, the smell of alcohol on her breath, and the way her words slurred.