This is my first fanfic so please let me know what you think!

I don't own anything.

March 29, 1977

Hyde was sitting in Chrissy's friends' apartment bored out of his mind. He had been here a week already. He liked living in the city, though they were on the way outskirts in a somewhat seedy area. What he didn't like was Chrissy or her friends. He knew it had been a mistake to leave before they had even arrived in New York

He had thought that Chrissy was cool back in Point Place but the more time he spent with her the more he realized how fake she was. Sure she acted the part well enough, dressing and behaving like someone who had trust issues but she didn't really. She just went along with whatever the majority was doing, which apparently was acting rebellious. Therefore she pretended to be a badass.

This really annoyed Hyde. He had up and left everything he had known for her only to realize that she was worse than Jackie Burkhart. At least Jackie truly believed in what she did. She didn't pretend to be someone she wasn't.

Knowing he had screwed up Hyde refused to call the Formans. As soon as Kitty asked him to go home he knew he would. Then when he got back Red would call him a dumbass. Eric would just give him that pitying look and ask if he wanted to talk about it. He wouldn't so they wouldn't. He appreciated everything the Formans had done for him but he needed to prove to himself that he could do it.

That being said Hyde decided to pull himself together and go get a job. He pulled on a clean pair of pants and one of his nicer shirts, one with buttons. He did what he could with his hair to look a little bit better. Once he was ready he left.

Hyde walked all around the area looking for a job. He went into hotels, restaurants, stores, everywhere. Nowhere seemed to be hiring.

Exhausted he decided to stop into a deli to grab a bite to eat. He ordered a sandwich which he paid for with the last of his money. Yeah he would definitely need a job if he wanted to survive. He needed to get away from Chrissy as soon as possible. The sooner he found a job the sooner he could leave her friends' place and get one of his own.

Hyde took his sandwich over to a table in the corner and ate it slowly. If he didn't find a job today it would be a while before he had money to eat again. Chrissy's friends didn't have food at their place so it was only whatever you bought for yourself.

He ate half the sandwich and put the rest away for later. He reasoned with himself to try to make it last. If he found a job today then he'd eat it tonight. If not then he'd save it for tomorrow.

Hyde shoved the sandwich into his pocket of his jacket before walking out of the deli.

Halfway down the block he saw yet another hotel. He stepped inside and went to the front desk. There was a guy maybe five years older than Hyde himself.

"Hey man. Are you guys hiring?"

"The restaurant is hiring. You should go talk to the restaurant manager Gregory. If you just walk through those doors he should be around there somewhere.

Hyde walked towards where the guy at the front desk had directed him and found two couples sitting in the restaurant. A guy around fifty was going between the two tables checking on them. Hyde instantly recognized the guy as one of his many 'uncles'.

"Hey Greg," Hyde greeted.

"Hi. Do I know you?"

"You lived with me and my mom once. Name's Hyde."

"Hey. I remember you now. Your mom's name was Edith?"

"Close enough."

"Ethel?"

"Edna," Hyde told him.

"Edna," he repeated with a nod. "So what can I do for you son?"

"I need a job."

"I can take care of that for you," Greg agreed. "As long as you don't tell your mom where I am."

"My mom doesn't know where I am so you're safe."

"Oh good. Well, we're looking for a cook. You know how to cook?"

"No but I can use a microwave," he lied. Hyde had never used a microwave before in his life. But if that was what got him this job then screw it.

"That's close enough to cooking. Why don't know just follow me back to the kitchen and I'll get you started."

"That's cool. Do you pay in cash or check?"

"Cash man. It's easier for me to sneak some money to myself," he whispered.

"Cool."

Hyde followed Greg back to the kitchen. There was a burnout looking guy in front of the sink who reminded Hyde a little bit of Leo, Hyde's dealer. He nodded at the guy who just stared back.

"Alright, so that's the fridge, that's the freezer, that's the dry storage. This is where you cook. This is how you cook everything on the menu. Alright, I think you're ready."

"Sweet. Thanks man."

"Yup. You get paid every Friday."

"That's cool. How much do I make?"

"Full time?" Hyde nodded. "I'll pay you $250 a week."

"Deal."

With that Hyde started his first day of work. It was an easy job. He worked 40 hours a week but really was only working maybe ten of those hours, and that was a high guess. The other 30 hours were spent in the circle or pretending to work when the hotel manager, who was Greg's boss, was in the kitchen.