Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: This is yet another AU fic. This takes place during the summer when Kelso and Donna ran off to California.

Chapter 1: Three Weeks

I don't know why I bother setting the alarm. I won't get up anyway. I'll just lay here for a couple of hours until I get hungry or have to go to the bathroom. After I get some food, I'd crawl back into bed, mope some more, and slowly drift off to sleep. Occasionally, I would go down to the basement to visit Hyde, but Jackie was always down there, yapping about Kelso. That was my signal to leave.

I felt sorry for Hyde. He has to hear that cheerleader talk for hours, every freaking day. Even Fez isn't in a good mood. He misses Kelso and a lot of the hot girls are away for vacation. I guess everyone is having a crappy summer.

"Eric?" I could hear my mom's voice coming from the other side of the door. I rolled my eyes. She's coming up to check on me again, a daily routine.

"Mom, I'm fine," I lied. "Really, I am."

She came in anyway. "Eric, honey," she began, "you need to come downstairs. This isn't healthy."

"Mom, I just need some time."

"It's been a month."

"Three weeks," I corrected her. "Just give me one more month." I pulled the covers over my head.

"Sweetie," she pulled the covers down, "I know you're upset because Donna left you and all, but you need to move on… or start showering regularly." She let out a laugh.

"I can't…" I tried to pull the covers back over my head, but she stopped me.

"Honey, you need to stop acting like a troll under there and come downstairs." She gasped. "We can make brownies. That used to cheer you up, remember?"

"Mom, I was seven." I shook my head. Baking was my mother's solution to every problem.

"C'mon, it'll make you feel better, just like it did then."

"First off, Hyde breaking my G.I Joe and losing the one person you truly love, are not the same thing. So, brownies won't help me. Second of all…" I quickly threw the covers over my head.

"All right, mister. I give up," she replied, walking over to the door. "I know someone who can get you to leave this room."

Hold on. Who's she going to get? Oh, crap. She's going to get Red. The guy will just haul my ass downstairs and threaten to put his foot in it.

I pondered over the idea of just getting up and saving myself from an ass kicking, but I decided not to. I laid back down and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Ten minutes later, I heard someone knocking on my door. Great, it's Red.

"I'm not coming down!" I yelled from under the covers.

"Eric?"

Wait, that's not Red. I know that voice, though. "Jackie?"

She opened the door and let herself in. She shook her finger at me. "You need to come downstairs, now."

"My mom sent you, didn't she?" Hmm, I guess Red was busy.

"Yeah, but that's not the only reason why I'm here," she told me as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Then why else are you here? It's not like you care," I replied, sitting up.

"As a matter of fact," she walked across the room and plopped down right next to me on the bed. "I do."

I chuckled. "Jackie," I placed my hand on her shoulder. "Go away!"

"No, I won't," she answered firmly. "Look, I know what you're going through. I lost Michael too, you know."

"Yeah, but Donna and I could have worked things out. You and Kelso would have broken up anyway, like you always do."

I expected her to hit me or call me a scrawny nerd, but instead, she smiled. "At other times, I would have been mad that you said that. Now, I know it's the truth. Michael and I are over, for good. I don't care anymore."

I was completely shocked. Who was this girl? No way did Jackie Burkhart just say that. "Are you getting high with Hyde in the basement?"

"No, Eric," she laughed. "For once, I'm thinking clearly."

"Wow, what changed your mind?"

She blushed. "I'm trying some new things at the moment," she giggled, "very fun things."

"Like what?" I cocked an eyebrow. I tried to giver her my 'sexy look'.

She shook her head. "Nothing, never mind. It's not important."

"Yeah… sure," I rolled my eyes. Why can't I stop smiling at her?

"Shut up!" she shoved me playfully. "C'mon, you should go downstairs."

I sighed. "Fine, I'll go, but for a little while." We got up from my bed and walked over to the door. "Hey, Jackie?"

"Yeah?"

"Was Red too busy or what?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Didn't my mom ask Red to get me?"

"No, she wanted me to do it." She made her way downstairs. I stood there for a moment trying to figure out how my mom knew that Jackie could get me to leave my room.

I shrugged my shoulders. I'm too hungry to think. With tousled hair and pajamas, I made my way to the kitchen.

* * *

"Hey! Eric finally left his room!" Fez exclaimed, pointing at me as Jackie and I walked down to the basement.

"That's right, Fez," I patted him on the back, "I just needed some time to think, that's all."

"Please, you moped and cried for a month straight," Hyde spat at me. "Sometimes, I'm ashamed to know you, man."

"Hey, I didn't cry!" I corrected him. "And for your information, it was three weeks." I held up three fingers.

"Look, who cares? The important thing is that Eric is out of his room," Jackie pointed out.

"Thank you, Jackie," I put my arm around her, casually. It felt like I did it all the time. I gave her a smile and glanced around the room. My gaze stopped on Hyde.

Why was he glaring at me?

"Let's get something to eat," Fez suggested. "I'm so hungry."

"Sure," Hyde replied, never taking his eyes off of me and Jackie.

"Okay, let me just changed." I took my arm off her shoulders.

"We'll wait for you," Jackie told me, smiling at me sweetly.

I returned the favor. She can be really nice… when she wants to be.

* * *

"What have you been doing lately?" I asked Hyde, dipping my French fry in the ketchup.

"Nothing much. It's been pretty boring," he answered.

"You guys haven't done anything?" I couldn't believe that they were wasting their whole summer.

"It's not the same without them," Fez complained. "Oh, I miss Kelso and Donna. I miss Kelso because he's just too funny. I miss Donna because she's my friend and she's nice to look at."

I punched his arm. "Shut up, man."

"What? It's true, you whore," he told me, rubbing his arm.

"You haven't missed much, Eric," Jackie said dully, taking a sip of her coke.

"Yeah, all we do is watch TV. The only thing that actually fun is…" he stopped right there.

"What so fun, Hyde?" I asked him.

"Nothing, man," he replied nonchalantly, glancing at Jackie. "Look, we got to do something this summer."

"Hyde's right," Fez nodded. "We can't let Kelso and Donna have all the fun. They're probably out there in California, doing it like rabbits."

"Hey!" Jackie and I said at the same time.

"What? They clearly ran away together. What the hell do you thing they're doing?"

"Let's just not mention them, okay?" she suggested. "The Fourth of July is coming up. We can do something then."

"No way," Hyde argued. "Another one of the governments many tactics to get us to waste our money and time on stupid decorations and…"

"Steven, this will be fun, all right!" she yelled at him. "Besides, we'll all have a good time," she said this almost flirtatiously, putting her hand on his thigh.

Hyde looked like he was about to smile, but quickly hid it away. What the hell is going on? I looked over at Fez, just to see if he noticed anything funny. Unfortunately, he was too busy looking down a girl's shirt. "Fine, we can do something," he finally answered her.

"Yay!" Jackie clapped her hands together. "We can go to a party."

"Wait, my dad has a barbecue every Fourth of July," I reminded them.

"We can go afterwards," Hyde said. "Wait, who's having the party?"

"One of my friends on the squad," she answered. We groaned. "Guys, there's going to be girls, free food, and a keg."

"Well, if you put it that way," Fez smiled, "I'm there!"

"All right, so we have something to look forward to," I said. Finally, something to take my mind off of Donna. It's funny that Jackie was the one that helped accomplish this.

* * *

That night, I went down to the basement to watch some TV with Hyde. He didn't seem to be there. I was about to leave, but I heard noises coming from his room.

I crept a little closer, trying to make them out. I could hear a girl giggling. I could also hear some kissing noises, followed by some moaning. It became very clear to me at what was going on behind that door. Well, at least he's getting some. I'm guessing it's Pam Macy. I shook my head. Oh, typical Hyde.

* * *

I slept in the next morning. I walked into the kitchen, still groggy, searching for something to eat. Where the hell is everybody? Then I remembered; it was Saturday. My parents probably went grocery shopping.

I wonder what Jackie's doing? Don't get the wrong idea here. I don't like her. It's just nice to talk to her about certain things. Maybe I can take her somewhere?

Then it hit me. I am starting to like her… a little. Now there's something I thought would never happen. This made me laugh.

I looked out through the glass doors, at the driveway. My eyes widened.

Why is Hyde kissing Jackie?

* * * * * * *

I hope this isn't confusing anybody. I'll be switching POVs in the upcoming chapters. Please review and tell me what you thought of it.