When they hang out, they don't even just fool around anymore. They maul each other like it's going out of style as soon as they're alone together but now she sticks around even when they're done. They don't do anything in particular. Watch TV, drive around town, think of ways to make Foreman more miserable over Donna. Or even just talk. It's nuts but Hyde is actually starting to enjoy talking to Jackie.
Yeah she's shallow and girly and her taste in music is awful but she's actually really smart. She listens to his rants about the government and asks him questions. Good questions. Questions that make him think. She tells him about her parents and to his surprise, they actually kind of suck. Not in the drunken, borderline abusive way his parents had. In a more detached, unobservant way. He's realizing they might actually have more in common than he thought and that scares the shit out of him.
Because he thinks he might actually like her. He loves kissing her and touching her but he also likes the way she twirls her hair around her finger when she talks. And how her nose scrunches up when she's confused. Her laugh has become something he looks forward to, instead of cringing when he hears it. And when she leaves the room, he actually kind of misses her.
But he can't like Jackie. Because she's Jackie and he's Hyde and more importantly she's his best friend's ex-girlfriend. Kelso being gone has allowed him to push any guilt he feels way, way back in his brain but once he gets back it won't be so easy. If he and Jackie are even still fooling around by then.
He's surprised by how relaxed she's been about the completely undefined nature of their fooling around. He had mentally prepared to fight off questions about monogamy and pestering about his feelings but they never came. She was almost as zen about the whole thing as he was. That was kind of a problem as it just made him like her even more.
"Hyde, get out here. We want a circle!" he hears Fez call from outside his room so he sighs, standing up from bed and making his way out into the basement.
"What were you doing back there?" Eric asks, looking over at him as he takes a seat on his chair.
"Nothing, just enjoying some peace and quiet," he responds, feeling slightly nervous as though Foreman could read his thoughts.
"Well come on. My host parents said I have to be home by 10 for bible study. It is the summer there should be no studying," Fez whines, taking a bite of licorice.
Hyde pulls out his stash, carefully rolling a joint and bringing it to his lips
"Ahh," he exhales, smoke drifting in between them.
He passes it over to Fez who does the same, smiling as he passes it along to Eric.
Fez glances at the empty seat next to him, frowning.
"Ai, I miss Kelso."
"I miss Donna," Eric remarks, sighing as he passes the joint to Hyde. Hyde rolls his eyes.
"Quit it with the girl talk. They'll be back in a couple of weeks," he snaps, hoping to avoid discussing Kelso.
"Where's Jackie?" Eric asks, glancing around as if he just realized she isn't here.
"How should I know?" Hyde mutters, a little too quickly. Truthfully, he knows she had a mandatory cheerleading squad tryout before the school year started. Not a chance in hell he's letting Fez or Eric know he has that information.
