Chapter Text
To say Hyde was not looking forward to Junior Prom was an understatement. How Jackie crying got him to say he’d take her he had no idea. But here he was standing on the porch in a stupid purple dress shirt with stupid flowers waiting for a stupid girl.
Well, she wasn’t that stupid. She was when it came to Kelso but otherwise, she wasn’t that dumb.
His mom made the night extra special by telling him they would all laugh at him. Like Carrie’s psycho mother, well that wasn’t far off.
Why the hell was he doing this?
Apparently, he was a sucker for crying girls. Damn her.
A fancy car pulled up in front of him and she got out.
His breath caught.
“Wow, you look beautiful.” Something had possessed him into admitting it but it was the truth.
Her cheeks turned a little pink, that was weird he thought since she was used to compliments and complimenting herself all the time. “Thank you so do you, handsome- I mean, you look very handsome.”
“I told you I can clean up.”
“Yeah, you do. Um, would you like to drive?”
“Sure,” he reached for the keys and remembered the box under his arm. “Oh, this is for you,” Hyde opened the box and offered her the flowers he’d picked up when he went with Forman to get Donna’s corsage.
“You got me a corsage? That’s so thoughtful,” she practically beamed.
“It is the prom.”
“Thank you Steven for taking me, I know it isn’t what you really wanted to do.”
“It might be alright,” he admitted.
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
“Okay let’s not do that.”
“Sorry,” she stepped back awkwardly, she didn’t know why she had done that.
“Your dad has insurance right? Wait I don’t care. Let’s go.” He placed a hand on the small of her back and led her to the car.
Hyde swung around to the passenger door and opened it for her closing it when she got her dress situated inside.
What the hell was he doing?
He got in and started up the Lincoln. “So should we swing by your house for your parents to take pictures or something?”
She stiffened, “No that won’t be necessary.”
He’d seen her do that with Kelso sometimes, he’d say something and she’d get a little more stuffy and formal.
“I get it,” he said. “Being me and all.
“No, Steven,” she said emphatically and put her hand on his arm. “No, no one has ever gone out of their way like this for me before. I mean not without wanting something in return.”
Realizing what she had done she pulled her hand back.
“There’s no one home yet, I don’t think the maid really wants to take our picture.”
That surprised him. “They do that often?”
“Enough,” she said sadly.
“I get it, my Ma takes off a lot too, comes back eventually.”
“Well don’t we have the best parts in common,” she said with a bitter laugh.
They drove for a few blocks when Hyde asked her, “Does Kelso know they do that?”
“I told him once, he was more interested in trying to make out.”
Feeling a bit uncomfortable with the intimacy she turned on the radio and searched for the rock station. Led Zeppelin, she grimaced, “your favorite.” She didn’t like Zeppelin, but he was going all out to take her to the prom.
“Kelso is a tool you know.”
“I’m starting to really get that.”
Once at the school, he pulled the Lincoln into a spot and again caught himself as he opened her door for her. He rationalized it was because she was in a dress and would need the help. Somehow he found her hand in his as he helped her out of the car.
Of course, it was because she was bossy, but she hadn’t actually asked him to do that.
Whatever he thought to himself.
Steven took her to get her picture taken and they posed, he wasn’t all that thrilled with that. Then they danced, the dancing wasn’t so bad.
Then Kelso walked in with Pam Macy.
“You ok?” he asked her.
“I am actually. I think I was much more upset about missing the prom than I was about Michael. You know you’re a really good dancer.”
“You want some punch?”
“Sure.”
Kelso walked over and smacked Hyde at the punch table. “You brought Jackie to the prom? You’re supposed to be my friend and you dogged me.”
“Hey, she cried Man.”
“She looks real pretty,” Kelso pouted.
“Look you big baby, she wants to be with you, you want to be with her, so why don’t you stop whining about it and just be with each other. Cuz the whole thing sickens me.”
“What am I going to do with Pam?” Kelso asked.
Hyde looked at Pam, “Don’t worry about it I’ll take care of Pam.”
As Kelso approached Jackie, Hyde looked at her one last time before she went off with another guy.
Jackie’s dress was so high cut and simple compared to what he’d expected her to wear, and the fingerless gloves were- he didn’t use words like cute, but it would apply here. There was something about her that told her status, it wasn’t just that she was rich, she was classy.
He sighed and waited for Kelso to go steal his date.
Hyde found that he really did mind.