Point Place, Wisconsin, summer of 1978 -

The intense rays of the sun shone very brightly through the window and hit directly into his eyes, waking him up. Frustrated, he turned on his back, grabbed his blanket, pushed it over his head, and closed his eyes once more. Just what I needed, he thought. In the midst of all the craziness that went down the last few days, all he ever did was come home and head straight to bed, skipping the oh-so-delicious dinners his mom made every day to try to lure him out and get him to talk. He didn't want to talk to or even see anyone. They would ask too many questions he wasn't in the mood to answer.

After spending a good half hour tossing and turning, he gave up. Going back to sleep after being woken up wasn't a gift he had been given, so he just pushed his blanket out of the way and decided to do something productive. Something that would take his mind off of the mess that was his life right now.

So he stared at the ceiling.

Who am I kidding? He told himself. He was never getting out of his bed. Not in his current state. He was a human-sized mess. He could tell his eyes were still red and puffy from all the crying. If he did get out of bed, it would only be a matter of time before his parents -particularly his mom- harassed him and threw question after question at him. It had been a couple of days now, but his situation hadn't changed. He still wasn't ready for that. Will I ever be ready?

Things took a turn for the way worse a couple of days back. She had bailed on him. The woman he thought would be his one-and-only. She didn't even consider his feelings or the consequences of her actions. She did just what she said she'd never do, and more. So much more. Not only did she hurt him really bad, but she also moved to another state while at it. She went to freaking California just to get away from me.

Eric knew that train of thought wasn't good for him, but he couldn't help it. He had his life all planned out since he could remember, and now it had this Donna-sized hole in it. What am I supposed to do now?

And that's when it dawned on him. Donna was a huge part of not only his present and past but also his future. Their lives had always been intertwined, linked in one way or another. She had always been the girl next door. His best friend. His everything.

And now his everything was miles away from him. Away from what they had built over the years. From what they had become. "This blows, man. What would Obi-Wan Kenobi do?" he said out loud.

"I don't know who the hell you're talking about, but I'm pretty sure he would put on some freaking pants." came a familiar voice.

Eric's eyes widened and he immediately looked down. He was missing his pants, just as the voice had suggested. "What the hell?" he yelled. "Where are my pants? Wait, what are you doing in my room? Were you watching me sleep?" he asked incredulously. That's creepy."

"Forman, you're not that interesting. The door was opened and I didn't want to miss this opportunity." was Hyde's reply.

"Opportunity to what?" Eric asked, confused.

"To take a picture of you like this, man." In one sudden and quick movement, Hyde took his camera out, pointed it at Eric and hit the shoot button. Eric didn't even have time to react or cover himself up. The camera flashed and Hyde looked down at the embarrassing picture of Eric. "This is glorious, Forman. You look like a whore."

"What the hell, Hyde? Give that back!" Eric, fueled by the potential to ruin his life that picture had, completely forgot about his missing pants and chased after Hyde, who took off almost instantly after calling Eric a whore.

After stepping down the stairs, he saw Hyde enter the kitchen and went after him, jumping above the couch in the process to speed things up. That's when he saw him. Oh, for the love of...

"For God's sake, don't tell me Mr. Nude is back!" yelled Red Forman, standing up from the sofa. "What's this about, dumbass? Your mother wouldn't stop going on about how you have skipped dinner for a while now!"

Eric had to think fast. "It's nothing you haven't figured out already. And I'm only half-naked so don't call me that."

"You know what? You may be half-naked but you're one complete dumbass!" Red said while covering his face with his hands. Exasperated, he went on, "I don't care about any stupid problem you might have gotten yourself into, but Kitty won't stop smothering me until I get something out of you, so you better start talking if you what's in your best interest."

Eric thought about it for a few seconds. He didn't want to say anything just yet, so he tried coming up with a pretty convincing lie that would make his parents leave him be, at least for a few more days. He really wasn't looking forward to breaking the news just yet. Bob sure wasn't when he told him.

I got nothing, he thought. Seeing his dad begin to grow impatient, he resolved it was best to just spill the beans right there and then. "Donna left," were the first things to come out of his mouth. Red said nothing but looked at him intently, as if inviting him to continue, so he did. "She moved to California with Midge. Permanently. She's not coming back. And even if she did, what we had is completely over. There's no chance of us getting back together." he finished.

Red had his arms crossed as he listened carefully. Once Eric was done, he just had one question to ask. "How do you know all that?"

This took Eric by surprise. He wasn't expecting his father to be even remotely interested in his love life. "Because she went there to get away from me. If only I hadn't said those things…" Eric trailed off. Not wanting to get so caught up in those painful memories, he continued. "Kelso's gone, too. He's the one who drove her there."

Red considered Eric's word for a second, taking a look at the ceiling, as if searching for the right words. Lowering his gaze, he took a step towards Eric, put his hand on his shoulder, and muttered, "I don't know how you managed to screw things up so bad, or if you'll even be able to fix them from here, but you better get a hold of yourself before my foot leaves the floor and moves up to your ass."

"Now that's the Red Forman I know and love... From time to time."

Red walked towards the sofa and sat down again. After grabbing the remote, he gave Eric a serious, stern look. "I'm serious, son. I know what Donna meant to you. Hell, she was a fine gal, but sulking won't get you anywhere. Do you think she left for California to be sad and miserable?" Red asked. After Eric said nothing, he continued. "Let me give you a hint: No! I'll take care of things around here. Make sure Bob doesn't blurt out anything to Kitty, but that's it. Us Formans don't go crying because of girls." Red knew this wasn't exactly what Eric wanted to hear, but he was doing his best. "Also, you'll have to tell your mom yourself. She's been dying to know what happened."

Eric was caught off-guard by his father once more. He didn't expect this kind of pep-talk from his old man. If that can even be considered as one, said the voice in his head. And truth is, it was. It was a pep-talk with some Red Forman magic sprinkled all over it, and for that, Eric was truly grateful.

"Thanks, dad. I really don't want to deal with mom and listen to her go on about how Donna is the worst person ever to exist just to try and cheer me up." Eric let out a small laugh at his own joke. "I'll be fine. Just watch me."

"I know you will." was his answer. And to Eric, judging by the tone of his voice and the look on his face, it seemed sincere. It was a breath of fresh air. "Now, go take a shower and for the love of God put on some pants. It's past noon. You're starting to remind me of all the poor bastard commies I killed during the war." Red said, finally returning his eyes to the TV.

"Sure thing. Just don't do to me what you did to them." With that said, Eric went upstairs to do just what he had been ordered to.

In his room, while picking out the clothes he'd wear to the day, he looked in the mirror and what he saw disturbed him deeply. He detailed his face. His eyes were still red, his nose was still runny and he had enormous eye bags. Even his hair was a mess. "Is this all I am without Donna?" he whispered to himself, hoping nobody would respond with something he didn't want to hear.

XxXxX

Beep, beep, beep

Great. I'm not ready for today yet, she thought as she opened his eyes and reached for the clock to turn the annoying sound off. She took one quick look at the damned piece of machinery. 10:00 AM, it read. Right on the dot. Today was her favorite day of the week. Truth be told, every summer vacation day was her favorite day of the week. There was no school, no studying, no responsibilities. Just her and a bunch of endless possibilities in the town of Point Place. She could do whatever she wanted.

"Time to go shopping," she told herself while getting out of bed. "These black and white sandals will finally be mine." She opened her wardrobe and looked around, unsure of what to wear. After a few seconds of going back and forth between clothes, she decided on a simple yet fashionable purple sundress that covered her up all the way to just above her knees. "Time to take advantage of the season. This will totally make Michael go nuts!"

And then it hit her.

The talk she had with Mrs. Kelso over the phone.

Michael was gone.

He wasn't there to drool over her anymore. To tell her how beautiful she looked. To drive her around whenever she pleased. He wasn't there for her to act bossy on. To give her a goodnight kiss at her command. To make fun of ugly people with her at the mall. To smack Fez in the head whenever he tried to cop a feel at her.

In other words, he wasn't there to make her day better.

Suddenly, she wasn't so eager to get on with her day. With her chosen outfit in hand, she sat down on her bed and put her clothes on her lap. A huge feeling of sadness and sorrow began to take over her, and Kelso's last words to her filled her mind.

"You wanna get married?"

She remembered just how over the moon she was when he 'proposed' to her. Right now, the feeling in her gut resembled the one she had when she found out that Michael had cheated on her time and time again with different 'skanks', as she liked to call them. Only this time, it was way worse.

She thought she had seen and got through it all after finding out he cheated on her. In some strange way, she didn't blame Michael to a certain degree. He was handsome, she knew that, and more importantly, she knew the risks that came along with a face as pleasant-looking as his. He was older than her, which made it even more likely for things like that to happen. Jackie knew what she was getting into from the start, but she thought it'd be worth it. She was convinced Michael would leave his old self behind and change for her. For them. How could I believe such a stupid thing? Was the question that kept popping up in her head.

Jackie knew the answer, but she wouldn't say it out loud. Never, not to a single soul. Truth is, she loved the idea of being in love with Michael Kelso. She loved that he'd give her compliments on her looks more often than not, that he'd give her gifts every now and then, even if she had bought more than half of those. She loved to be known as 'his chick'. The idea of simply belonging with someone was something that Jackie felt addicted to. Having someone to rely on, someone she could count on. While she knew that kind of attachment wasn't healthy, she couldn't help it. Absentee parents, no real friends, nobody to talk to… It's a miracle she turned out as good as she did.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of something wet on her face. Rising her hands, she realized these were tears. She had started crying without even noticing.

"Serves me right for wanting to marry a Kelso." She bit out, trying to wipe her tears away to no avail. They just kept coming. More and more with each passing second, until she couldn't help it anymore. She was crying rivers, so she just gave in to her impulses. Tossing her clothes aside, she lied down on her bed, resting her head on her pillows and hugging her teddy in a desperate attempt to find some comfort. In times like these, it was the best thing she could do. According to Cosmo, at least.

"They know better than anyone when it comes to tough breakups." She said after closing her eyes. "Even Jackie Burkhart needs time to mourn a former love. I'll be fabulous tomorrow." Those were the last words that left her mouth before finally crying herself to sleep.

XxXxX

"Mmm… Bacon." Eric felt like he was in heaven after taking a bite of his mom's famous bacon. "This is delicious, mom."

"Thanks, honey." Kitty replied earnestly while taking a moment to analyze her son in detail. She could tell he put on a great effort to look like he was doing fine. He would've fooled just about anyone else, but not her. Kitty Forman knew her baby all too well for her to be a victim of his deceivings. Even if he had a smile on his face, it was lacking the usual spark she had become used to seeing. His eyes seemed lost, like looking for something. Or someone. She thought.

Deciding she didn't want to press on the matter just yet, she played along as if everything was just fine. Eric would talk to her about the other night when he was ready. "Come here, I made you some scrambled eggs to go with that. And there's bread, too. I made a smiley face, just like you love it!" She said with a somewhat faked enthusiasm.

Eric took a seat at the table and gazed at the breakfast plate his mom had fixed for him. He almost felt bad for avoiding her these past few days, but he knew it was the right thing to do. Seeing him devastated as he had been, or still was, would have made his mother go berserk on Donna's head. The last thing he needed was to have an angry, blood-lusted woman around his house.

"Thanks, mom. You're the best." He said before stuffing a little bit of everything into his mouth. "This is the best way to start a Sunday."

Red, who was also having breakfast, decided to chime in. "I hear you. I hope it doesn't get ruined by some half-naked idiocy," he said while staring dead into Eric's eyes.

"What?" Was the only thing Kitty managed to say before Eric jumped to interrupt her.

"Nothing!" he yelled quickly. "Dad's just referring to some half-naked prank Kelso pulled on me a few weeks ago. Right, dad?"

Red just grunted in response.

"Oh, his mother told me what he did. Who does he think he is? Running off to California and leaving his family to worry about him! He went days and days without calling! Not to mention that poor little Jackie must be truly devastated!" Kitty began to rant, her voice full of disappointment. She took a seat at the table and poured some orange juice to begin eating the delicious meal she put so much effort into.

"I don't think she's that devastated. It was bound to happen. I'm surprised that kettlehead didn't do something this stupid way sooner." Red replied, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Is this a joke to you? How would you feel if Eric left us and went to California?" Kitty asked. Then, panicking, she turned to face Eric. "You wouldn't do that, would you honey?" She made use of the always-effective puppy dog eyes, hoping they'd have an effect and push away any 'escapist' urges Eric might have.

"I hope it isn't! If it's a joke then I'll be the one who ends up heartbroken!" came Red's reply. "And as for Eric… It would be a dream come true! He'd finally be getting out of the house!" Red emphasized his statement by throwing his hands up in the air as a sign of protest. He let out a little smile at the thought of Eric getting his own place. "Just imagine that…"

"Oh, don't worry mom. You guys aren't getting rid of me that easily." Eric responded, giving his mother a smile that turned into a devious smirk as he faced his father. "I'm in no rush to leave you alone."

"You just had to say it, didn't you?" Red said. "Turns out you didn't have to be half-naked to ruin my day!" He took a bite of his breakfast before realizing what he had done.

Kitty gave them both a stern look. "Eric? Half-naked? What's this about? Oh, don't tell me Mr. Nude is back..."

Crap, was the word that echoed on both men at the same time.

XxXxX

Beep, beep, beep

The alarm clock went off just like any other day. She set it a little bit later this time, considering it was a Sunday and she really didn't feel like facing reality just yet. But she had to. She really did, so with all the willpower she could gather, she opened her eyes and sat on her bed.

"Hello, Wisconsin. It's Jackie's day once more."

She got out of bed and headed to the bathroom immediately. Going through her cabinet, she found her toothbrush and some Colgate, and began brushing her teeth while looking at herself in the mirror. She looked way better today. Granted, these past few days had been a disaster, even by Jackie's standards. She wouldn't go out. She wouldn't even phone Donna. After brushing her teeth and washing her face and hands, just when she was about to pick an outfit for the day, she remembered something she had read in Cosmo. Bashing your ex with your best friend was always helpful when trying to move on. With newfound enthusiasm, she tried to reach Donna by calling her house to get her all caught up.

"It's about time." Jackie said to herself. "She'll make me feel better. It's just what she does." Jackie kept repeating those words as the phone in her hand rang and rang. After a few seconds, someone finally picked up. "Donna? Oh, my God thanks for answering! I need you! Michael just -" she stopped talking after she heard someone sobbing. "Okay, this clearly isn't Donna. Boys never cry. Did I dial the wrong number?"

"No." It was Bob. It took all the strength he had inside to even articulate some coherent words. "Donna left." was all he could gather.

Jackie gasped and her jaw almost hit the floor after hearing those words. "What do you mean Donna left? When is she coming back? I need to talk to her!" she desperately told Bob, raising her voice as she talked.

Bob let out a broken laugh. It made a shiver run down Jackie's spine. "Then I hope she gave you Midge's number because she's staying with her in California and she's not coming back."

California.

Jackie put two and two together really quickly. She left with Michael, she thought. That had to be it. Donna had left with the man who broke her heart for a second time.

She was speechless. Her mind was a tornado of thoughts that was only interrupted when Bob decided to speak up. "If that's all you need, I should get going. I need a few days to myself." Jackie didn't say anything to that. Bob just sounded so… Broken. It was like he was just a shadow of his usual self. "Please, don't tell anyone. Eric's the only one who knows." That was the last thing she heard before the beep. Bob had hung up.

She slowly removed the phone from her ear, only to try and smash it against her mattress with everything she had. "I can't believe this!" she let out a cry. "Why does everyone bail on me!" She kept screaming at no one in particular. She secretly wished for someone to open her door and give her answers, but she knew perfectly well that such a thing was impossible. The two people she held most dearly both abandoned her to go to California with no prior notice, and her parents were away on business, as usual. She had no one.

"No one…" she whispered, her voice breaking a little bit. Her mind started racing once more. What if she had been a better friend? A better girlfriend? A better person, even. It couldn't be a coincidence that both Michael and Donna left without saying as much as a goodbye to her. This had to be her fault. The fact that she didn't have anyone else to turn to, proved it.

She couldn't help but remember all the times she had made snarky comments to Donna about her hair, her clothes, her boyfriend. Hell, even her father. she thought. At least he's around. The same could be said in regards to Michael. She had called him stupid one too many times. She had bossed him around one too many times. She had criticized his friends one too many times…

"What am I doing?" she asked herself while covering her face with both hands, as if trying to hide from all the embarrassment and regret she was feeling inside. "I can't keep acting like this."

She hadn't been the best person in the whole world. She knew that and she was fine with it. That's who she had to become. Being shoved into the elite at such a young age, surrounded by rich, mostly stuck-up people, she had no choice. She had to learn how to behave like that to fit in with the group. She did it for so long that it became a crucial part of who she was. She didn't know how to be someone else. Someone better. She never needed to. Until now.

She wasn't friends with rich, elitist assholes anymore, so she no longer need to act like them. They were all fake. She figured that's why she clung to Michael so hard. He gave her a taste of real. And boy, she wanted real. If not with Michael or Donna, with some other people. And she was determined to find it. Of course, in order to do it, she would have to make some adjustments along the way. For starters, she had some serious apologizing to do.

And she knew just where to begin.

XxXxX

Author's Note: Just finished watching this show and couldn't help but notice the relationship between Eric and Jackie is mostly overlooked. They never talk (besides throwing hateful remarks at each other, that is). Sorry if I missed some details or if some things just don't add up, this is a test drive. I have some many ideas, I just needed to sit and write some of them down. Think of this as a mash between S04E01 and S04E27. (For Eric at least). Also, I can see Bob telling both Eric and Jackie that Donna left since they were her boyfriend/best friend respectively while keeping everyone else in the dark. As for Eric, he just doesn't want to deal with the aftermath right now.

Was it too angsty? I personally think that, without Hyde, Jackie must have some sort of epiphany to want to change the way she is. This was it. That's always how I saw Jackie. She's a spoiled brat because she didn't have the chance to be anything else. Also! First FanFic ever posted so reviews are really appreciated (especially about characterization since I think this show's characters are kind of hard to get right).

Thanks a lot!