Going to California Part 2

Jackpot

Day 2

Jackie

6 AM: Sterling, Colorado

"Jackie and Hyde!!! It's Jackie and Hyde!! Oh man, I am so turned on!"
"C'mon Fez, who cares if the most unnatural couple is back together, we gotta go"
"Hey, I could spray them with my squirt gun!"
"Kelso, no, Hyde's gonna take your eye out!"
"Man, we need to go..."
Ew. Who are all these gravelly voices disrupting my beauty sleep?

Instead of waking up to the beautiful sound of ABBA on my cot in Donna's bedroom with Chamomile the camel next to me, I wake up at an ungodly early hour in the middle of nowhere in Steven's sleeping bag. His arm is around me, and all our friends above us, yelling their ugly heads off at us. Am I dreaming? I don't know if this would be a good or bad one.
Wait. We went on this spontaneous road trip to California as a pity party for Eric but it's actually gonna be fun since we're going to the beach. Steven and I got back together. Steven and I got back together...

"Leave us alone, man!" Steven grumbles, pulling me tighter. I grin and snuggle into him. Thank god he came to his senses last night. I knew he'd understand why I couldn't choose him right away.
"Aw, look at the hot lovebirds" Fez teases.
"Guys! Come on, we're never gonna make it by evening if you two don't get up like...right this instant!" Eric pleads.
"Eric, why do you care?" I ask.
"Why are you two back together?" he counters.
"Oh, it's us after all. We were bound to get back together soon or later" I reply, shrugging. Michael looks surprisingly-is that-happy? Maybe we're talking about the wrong Michael Kelso, but I think he really is over me. Or as over me as he'll ever get, cause let's face it, no sane nineteen year old guy in the greater Oshkosh area is able to resist admiring me from a distance.
"Get up, guys" Donna says.
"No!" I grumble, hiding my vision in Steven's beautifully dirty Led Zeppelin shirt.
"Come on guys, help me drag them" Donna says. I feel my feet starting to be moved across the ground, but before I can protest Steven and I are sprayed all over with water. Michael giggles devilishly over us. What an idiot!
"MICHAEL! Watch it!" I scream, glaring at him. Steven finally gets out of the sleeping bag, chasing him until we hear the usual,
"Ow! My eye!". Serves him right.
I groan, attempting to brush my lucious brown locks back as I sit up. I'm going to have to pee in the bushes and do my makeup blind. Nature should be for prisoners only. Eric laughs at my expression, and I shoot him a nasty look.
"That worked out perfectly," Donna laughs, and she and Eric smile at each other. I huff and walk off, grabbing my nice clothes that'll probably get ruined.

10 AM: Grand Junction, Colorado
"Well, I guess it's your turn to drive, Fez. Anyone want any snacks?" I ask, pulling into Grand Junction Service Station.
"Geez, Jackie, I'm surprised you didn't you know, act like yourself and complain about having to drive??" Eric says.
"What? I like driving, Eric" I tell him. He snickers, and I fight back a bit of hurt. It's not like I have the Lincoln anymore. Driving reminds me of the family I used to have, when I had a huge house and a big family and money. Steven smiles from next to me, and I smile back gratefully. I'm so lucky to have someone that understands.

3 PM: Panguitch, Utah
"Ahh. I know I'm glowing and all, but how is that even humanly possible after sitting in your boyfriend's dirty car for so many hours?" I ask Donna, admiring myself in the rest stop mirror.
Between looking at beauty magazines with Fez, playing punch buggy with Michael and Donna, and sleeping on Steven's shoulder when I got tired (and Steven in general), this trip has not been as bad as I'd thought. And this is supposed to be the boring part. I just hope the rest of it lives up, especially where Steven is concerned.
"I don't know, Jackie. You're just...radiant" she mutters nonchalantly from next to me.
"I know!" I reply, ignoring the sarcasm.
"So you must be happy to be back with Hyde" she says. "Hopefully I won't have to listen to as many Captain and Tennille records now that you have a good influence back in your life".
"Aw, maybe I'll make you a deal twice a week" I tell her. "Anyway, the sarcasm's not a good thing coming from your man-like voice, Donna" I add, shuddering.
"Sorry. I'm just...kind of stressed. I feel like this is it, you know? College isn't gonna be the same without Eric". She looks at the ground glumly, despite the huge mirror in front of us, like she doesn't want to face it.
"No, it's perfect!" I reply. "You'll go to college, find a much cuter guy that can actually change a tire, and settle down and have beautiful babies!" Wait, that probably wasn't sensitive to just ignore her feminist crap, dumb as it is, at a time like this. "And...become a beautiful globe-trotting journalist" I add, patting her on the arm.
"Thanks, Jackie" she replies. "Whatever you think, I'd actually like to stay with the love of my life, you know, but I appreciate the journalist part".
"Of course. But you know I don't agree with it, Donna" I reply, but I pull her into a hug. I'm lucky to have a feminist goon like Donna for a best friend.