Leave the pieces

You're not sure that you love me
But you're not sure enough to let me go
Baby it ain't fair you know
To just keep me hangin' 'round

"You're really leavin, forman?" Hyde looked over his sunglasses trying to figure out what Eric was really thinking. The basement was empty except for Eric and himself. Normally they would be sitting together on the old couch but for some reason that just didn't seem right anymore.

He was the last person to know that Eric was going to Africa. He should of been the first one. Somehow things were just getting more and more messed up. How had they gotten to this place. How is it that his best friend in the whole world had delibertly planned this whole move without mentioning it once.

You say you don't wanna hurt me
Don't wanna to see my tears
So why are you still standing here
Just watching me drown

How was it that Eric Forman could explain his way out of this one? He could of mentioned it anytime. Who was the one that was always there for him and understood. Who was the one that picked up the pieces when Donna left him for college and the wild frat guys?

They had been getting so close. It was bordering on a relationship which he was sure Eric was not ready for and was probably why he decided to move to another freakin' country but Hyde was going to make him say it before he left. He was not going to let Eric leave without knowing the real reason for this spur of the moment change of plans.

And it's alright, yeah I'll be fine
Don't worry 'bout this heart of mine
Just take your love and hit the road
There's nothing you can do or say
You're gonna break my heart anyway
So just leave the pieces when you go

"Hyde, it has to be this way." Eric refused to look at anything but the floor. If he looked at Hyde, he probably wouldn't of gone through with it. He knew that Kitty and Red would never understand. He knew that in this world, at this point in time, no one was going to understand. Same sex relationships were not done. He frowned. He could of killed Donna for telling Hyde. It would of been just easier for everyone if Hyde went to work and came home to find the letter from Eric. Life never was easy for Eric Forman or Steven Hyde though. "I can't do this. I'm leaving for the airport in a few minutes and I would rather not have this conversation at all." Eric pulled out the letter he had wrote Hyde and threw it in Hyde's lap and then walked out of the basement. Eric shut the basement door leaning on it to see if Hyde would come after him. Part of him wanted him to but the other part knew that if he did, he wouldn't leave. More than anything he did not want the last thing Hyde said to him to be "your really leaving Forman?" but maybe that was for the best. The letter was Eric's way of saying what needed to be said. It was the best he could do. Hyde was a man of few words, he would just have to understand besides it took Eric a week to write that letter and it said everything he couldn't. Now Eric just wished he had given Hyde a chance to say something back.

Hyde didn't follow him so Eric grabbed his bag and left the house. Africa was the only solution he kept telling himself.

Now you can drag out the heartache
Baby you can make it quick
Really get it over with
And just let me move on
Don't concern yourself
With this mess you've left for me
I can clean it up, you see
Just as long as you're gone

Hyde stared at the letter for what seemed like forever before getting up and putting it in his room. He couldn't read it. There was no point. It was all said and done. The entire friendship they had was over as far as he was concerned. He was not about to let himself get hurt over this. He wrote it off as if he didn't care and called Jackie. Jackie was sure to take his mind off of what could of been.