Archive of Our Own ^beta

“This is annoying,” Hyde huffed at Donna. He wanted to be anywhere but the Point Place High School Homecoming Game. He had zero intention of attending. Especially since he had fucking graduated. He never came to the games. He always watched Jackie cheer from the parking lot. He hated the Point Place football team. He hated everything the damn jocks stood for. It was this one area Jackie couldn’t get him to bend. Sure, it would help if she knew he watched from the parking lot, but that was his secret. Yet, here he was, against his will. Hyde knew he was being an ass, but it killed him, little by little he was willing to bend his hardest stances for Jackie. He was about to grouse some more, when Donna stopped his bitching.

“Get over it Hyde. This is important to Jackie. This is the biggest game of the year to the cheerleaders. They do their special routines. They get introduced and walk across the field. Jackie is doing her hardest tumbling tonight. She has been practicing for weeks.”

Hyde started to interrupt, when Donna turned to him and put the nail in his coffin. 

“Hyde, if she can forgive you for cheating, you can sit here, shut up, and support her. If you ruin this for her, I am going to kick your ass. Besides…”

Hyde was nearly lost in his guilt from cheating on Jackie. He still wanted to crawl in a hole and die when he thought about how badly he had fucked up. When he thought about how much he had hurt his doll, the shame nearly killed him. It was a low blow on Donna’s part, but it was hard to dispute. In an effort to focus on anything but his crimes, he honed in on Donna trailing off.

“Besides what? Finished your damn thought.”

Donna bit her lip. She was unsure of her unease, but if it would get Hyde to shut the help up, she would throw it out there. “Besides, she is being weird about it.”

Hyde turned to study Donna. Her voice was worried. He could see she was on edge. He quickly examined why Donna would be nervous about Jackie at a football game. Cheerleading was practically Jackie’s religion. He was positive Jackie hadn’t shared any issues with cheer. If there was, he would have heard about it in nauseating detail. In fact, Jackie had been relatively low key about cheer lately. In fact, she hadn’t even mentioned the homecoming game. He just assumed she knew he wouldn’t want to come and didn’t want to fight about. Still, Donna’s expression made his stomach knot up.

“What do you mean weird? 

“Hyde, Jackie is winning an award tonight. Senior Cheerleaders get recognized. It’s a big deal in Jackie’s world. She hasn’t said a word about it. I wouldn’t even known about it, but I ran into Lesile Cannon at the Hub. Hyde, Jackie loves being worshiped and the center of attention, but she didn’t say a word. If that isn’t a sign  something is wrong, than I don’t know what is.”

Whatever annoyance he had evaporated into disquiet. Donna was right. Jackie loved attention. It was her drug of choice. A chance for all of them to look at her, Lord it over them how popular and amazing she was, was not something his doll would pass up. Hyde leaned away from his dumbass friends, and whispered under his breath,

“Something isn’t right.”

Donna rolled her eyes, “no shit Sherlock.”

Hyde started to bite back that Donna should have said something earlier, when the announcer made it perfectly clear why Jackie hadn’t say a word. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, before we start the game, we will recognize our Senior Cheerleaders, and give out the top cheer award. We will get started with calling each cheerleader and her parents out onto the field, while we give a short biography.”

Donna and Hyde looked at each other in horror. Jackie didn’t have anyone to walk with her. She didn’t have anyone to be proud of her and show her off. Hyde, was confident Jackie wouldn’t want anyone feeling bad for her. He knew  that was why she had been silent on the subject. Hyde was sure Jackie would dig deep and pretend she didn’t care in front of the crowd. He could hear her clearly in his head,

 “I don’t need parents to walk with me. I’m the star of the show. I should be the center of attention.”

In front of her friends, it would kill her. When Donna had offered Jackie to live with her, she had been livid. She would die on the spot if she knew they were all there. He was about to tell them they were all leaving now, but Donna interrupted him,

“We can’t let her walk out there alone. I bet we could get the Formans here real quick. They would walk with her.”

“No! She would hate that. It would make it even more obvious her parents bailed on her. We have to leave Donna. She wouldn’t want us to see this.”

Donna’s mouth dropped open. “The hell I will. I’m not leaving her.”

Hyde started to growl back when, much to his horror, Jackie’s name was called. His eyes flew across the field. He was shocked to see his doll faltering. He could pick out a mile away, her eyes were filling. Her whole body vibrated with pain. This couldn’t happen. He wouldn’t allow it. He closed his eyes, and tried to think what could save the day. Donna’s words about being the center of attention flew into his mind. He grinned, elbowed Donna, and muttered follow my lead. Hyde cupped his hands, and started chanting,

“Jackie, Jackie, Jackie,”

Donna caught on immediately and joined in. She elbowed Eric, who rolled his eyes, but did it. Kelso and Fez caught on right away. Hyde glared with fury at all those around him. The chant started to spread. All over the stadium, the crowd shouted her name. He could see her confidence come back. Her steps went from hesitant to a sassy strut. He started willing her to be who he knew she could be,

“Come on baby, show them who you are.”

Almost as if he heard his silent demand, Jackie went into a dead run, jumped into an impressive no handed cartwheel, followed up with a backhand spring and finished up with a backflip. The crowd went wild. Everyone was cheering and screaming her name. Hyde vaulted over the railing, and went to the end of the field, where she would walk off. He leaned on the fence, made himself look indifferent, and waited for her to notice him. Hyde could tell she was pumped, but he could still see the regret of having shitty parents woven in her gaze. He hoped seeing him would wipe that away. He watched her weave through the waiting crowd. She gave several cocky nods, flips of her hair, and arrogant returns “of course I planned it”. Finally, she broke through her adoring fans,and her eyes fell on him. He gave her his best smirk. He got the privilege of watching her face go pink, her eyes light up, and joy spark across her body. He couldn’t help but grin at her. She darted at him, and before he knew it, she launched herself into his arms.

“You came.”

The surprise in her voice made him feel like shit, but he was going to fix it. 

“You looked bad ass out there.”

He didn’t think her smile could get bigger, but it exploded like a firework at his statement. She slid down him, and giggled,

“That’s cool”

Hyde gave a loud laugh, “You’re such a smart ass.”

Without hesitation, she quipped back, “True, but you love me.”

Hyde felt his heart clutch at her easy banter, especially since the last time him loving her came up, was when he was a fucking moron. He grabbed her close, and whispered for only her to hear,

“I do.”