What is and What Should Never Be

The highway mile marker rattled as the black El Camino sped by. Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving you" blaring out the windows, disturbing the peaceful night. The young man driving wore a scowl on his face, his aviator sunglasses only partly hiding his discomfort. A cigarette rested between his fingers, gripping the steering wheel so tightly all color had drained from his knuckles. He didn't seem to notice though, as he only gripped tighter while the song played on, his scowl twisting into a look of sorrow.

Working from seven to eleven every night,
It really makes life a drag, I don't think that's right.
I've really, really been the best of fools, I did what I could.
'Cause I love you, baby, How I love you, darling, How I love you, baby,
How I love you, girl, little girl.
But baby, Since I've Been Loving You. I'm about to lose my worried mind, oh, yeah.

Not able to take any more Hyde reached out and with much more force then necessary yanked the volume knob on his car stereo to the left, pulling it off in the process.

"Shit!"

He tossed the plastic piece to the empty passenger seat, yelling out another obscenity. He stared out at the empty highway ahead of him, not for the first time he asked himself how he got here. This was not how it was supposed to happen! This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out damn it. He went after her didn't he? Why wasn't she waiting? Why wasn't she sitting in the dark crying over their love and then rushing into his arms when he arrived? Didn't she love him? Isn't that what she was always telling him? Instead she was sitting in that hotel room in that barely there robe, Kelso was there in his damn towel and Hyde was left feeling like a damn fool all over again. He should have known better.

There was a reason he kept his walls up, there was a reason he didn't let people in. This was why. In the end the only person you can trust is yourself but rather then listen to that little voice of reason he let her in, he let her trick him into believing he meant something to someone and that maybe, just maybe, he could have a happy life like the Forman's. Now he was stuck in this silent vehicle on this empty highway going God knew where but knowing it wouldn't be far enough.

He left out a frustrated sigh and said what he'd been thinking since he left that hotel room, "I'm such a dumbass."

"Yeah, you really are."

Hyde's first reaction was to slam on his breaks, lurching himself forward and sending the car into the other lane. He was thankful for the first time that he was on an empty highway, preventing any kind of accident. Still gripping the steering wheel Hyde tried to even his breathing.

When was the last time he smoked? He couldn't be that high could he? Or maybe it was sleep. He tried remembering the last time he'd slept. No, he'd gone longer without sleep and he'd MUCH more stoned in his life and never before had he heard voices. Holy shit, maybe Zeppelin was right, maybe he was losing his mind.

"No, you aren't hearing things. I'm really here."

Hyde licked his lips and tried to swallow, his mouth suddenly very dry. Slowly, ever so slowly he turned his head to the right where not a moment before the seat next to him had been empty. Now though, in the darkness of the car, he could see the silhouette of a person leaned forward and fiddling with his stereo, attempting to put the knob back in place. He watched as the person grunted with frustration and finally leaned back, giving up.

"You should really work on your temper Hyde."

It was a girl, that much he could tell by the voice but Hyde's brain was still trying to work out in his mind how she, whoever the hell she was, managed to get herself into a car going 85 down a deserted highway. He blinked a few times just to make sure he was really seeing what he thought he was and when each time he opened his eyes she was still sitting next to him in the darkness his mind went back to its first thought. He'd lost it.

"Chill man, like I said, I'm really here. Just, ya know, breathe and whatever."

Her voice was calming, but there was something about the way she spoke that seemed off to him. Still, he found himself relaxing at the thought she wasn't just some phantom from his own mind here to haunt him. His breath began to even out but he could feel adrenaline begin to pump through his system. Who the hell was this chick and why the hell was she sitting in his damn car trying to fix his stereo and telling him to be cool? In the darkness he couldn't see her face but as if she could read his mind he watched her shadowed hand reach up and flip the over head light on.

Bright light suddenly surrounded them and for a moment Hyde was blinded, already so used to the dark roads he'd been driving on for hours. Blinking rapidly he waited for his eyes to adjust before looking once again toward the passenger side. Yup, she was still there, but at least now in the light he could see her.

If he thought something seemed off about the way she spoke it was nothing compared to the way she was dressed. The first thing he noticed was little rhinestone on her nose before his eyes traveled to the matching one on the left side of her smiling lips. 'What the hell?' he thought before his eyes continued their mission of soaking in this mystery women. She was dressed in the strangest way, a hot pink t-shit with a picture of the Beatles on the front, a pair of faded tight blue jeans that were bunched above her puffy black and neon green shoes. Her skin was of an olive, mocha color and her hair was jet black with two strands of hot pink resting within the thickness. When he finally looked back to her face he saw she was still smiling, a kind gentle smile that her deep and dark eyes matched.

She let him take her in, knowing that you couldn't just pop into someone's car the way she did and not give them a moment to adjust. She kept smiling, kind of getting a kick out of his confused look. While he sat there sizing her up, she did the same. She'd been watching him for years, he was one of their ideals for the perfect man and her smile widened in approval at how right they'd been. He WAS even hotter in the flesh. This thought brought her back to the present though and her reason for being here. There wasn't much time left.

"Alright man, as fun as this silent staring is we got some things to do so uh, you might wanna turn the car around and head back the way you came."

Her words too snapped Hyde back to the present, where he was and why he was there. He suddenly felt a surge of hurt meshed with anger. Damn chick, telling him to go back to that? He didn't even know who she was, or what she was doing in his car, or where the hell she'd come from and she was sitting here telling him what to do? Hell no.

"Who the hell are you?" Hyde finally voiced.

"Oh shit man, yeah sorry. I smoked a little before coming here man, I'm sorry. Pullin' a Leo bein' all forgetful," she laughed at her self before extending her hand and saying, "I'm Lucy and I'm here to save you from the biggest mistake you'll ever make in your whole life."