friend-zoned

chapter one

"hyde those boots look really nice on you." jackie beamed as she entered the car.

"y'know jackie, you buyin' me boots is just wrong." the curly headed boy turned to look at her. "shoulda let me shoplift 'em." he smiled.

"no hyde, i want you to have them." she insisted. "besides, i'm saving a fortune now that i don't have to feed and clothe michael." she added, rolling her eyes at the thought of her ex boyfriend.

hyde shrugged. "well, if you insist."

"i do." she replied. "so, i was thinking tomorrow night, we should—" hyde abruptly cut her off.

"woah, okay." he chuckled, patting her arm. "come on now jackie, this was a one time only thing, alright?" hyde said matter-of-factly. "if you're tryin' to bribe me with these boots, man, you can just take 'em back." he gestured to the boots on his feet as he spoke.

"i see," the brunette's eyes began to fill at the waterline with tears.

"oh, what're you gonna do now? cry?" hyde responded with a hint of a smile on his face, though it quickly faded as he saw a tear trickle down jackie's cheek. "awe, man, you're crying. hey, jackie, come on man." he put his arm over her shoulders as his chest filled with panic. he hated seeing girls cry, jackie was no exception. he patted her arm in attempt to comfort her. "i was just messin' around, alright? we can hang out tomorrow night or something, okay?" hyde spoke in a soft tone, one he never used.

without thinking, jackie let out a happy squeal and threw her arms around hyde's neck. she bit her lip and pulled away, wiping the tears from her cheeks with her sleeve. "i promise you'll have fun! i was thinking, we could go see that new romantic comedy, the world's greatest lover." she proposed, smiling.

hyde made a face at her suggestion. "we are not goin' to see a romantic comedy."

"what would you want to see then?" she asked.

"that new horror the incredible melting man sounds cooler to me." hyde shrugged.

"fine. the next time we hang out we're seeing a movie with romance, no gross and ugly monsters." she stated and hyde didn't feel like arguing.

"anything for you, doll." he smirked, shaking his head as they left the parking lot.

                        ___________

jackie sighed as she stared at the two idiots in front of her, fez on his knees at her feet and kelso gripping his guitar after his terrible attempt at serenading her.

"hey, what's goin' on?" came hyde's voice as he passed her a pop before situating himself in his chair.

"nothing, nothing at all." jackie replied. "thank you hyde for tonight, it was very special. i'll see you tomorrow, okay?" she bent down and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, slipping out the door with a sly smile before anything could be said.

sadly, jackie had left before kelso let out a horrid scream. "isn't she nice?" hyde played along, smirking. "hey, fellas, like my new boots?" a chuckle escaped the curly headed boy's throat as he propped his feet up on the wooden table, raising the bottle of coke to his lips.

                        ___________

just as promised, jackie arrived at the forman household later that day. she wore a yellow striped spaghetti strap tank top, light blue high waisted bell bottoms, and a pair of wedge heels. scanning the room, jackie noticed the entire gang was there. she propped herself up on the deepfreeze, swinging her legs back and fourth.