"Eric, it's time," Hyde said, looking frustrated at Eric.

"Why don't you do it," Eric answered back.

"It's your house. Listen to them up there, the party has reached critical mass. In ten minutes there will be no more beer opportunities," Hyde explained to the nervous boy in front of him.

"Lottie lives here too, why can't you go up and get them," Eric said looking to the girl sitting next to Kelso on the couch not paying attention to them.

Charlotte had been reluctant to hang out with Eric and his friends. She never assumed that just because they were cousins and she lived with Red and Kitty that he and his friends wanted to hang out with her. However with the party upstairs she had no choice but to hide out in the basement.

"Hey, I'm just the niece living here. I can't be caught stealing any of Red's beers or I'm out," she said, barely looking up from the magazine she had been flipping through.

"But if my dad catches me copping beers, he'll kill me," Eric said, finding no allies among him.

Hyde slapped his hand down on Eric's knee, "I'm willing to take that risk."

"Don't worry about it. Just remain calm, keep moving and-"

"Above all, don't get sucked into my dad's hair," Donna interrupted Kelso. Charlotte looked up at her from her magazine laughing. She had been outside sweeping the garage when she saw Bob's new hair. It was horrific.

"What's wrong with your dad's hair," Eric asked.

"Just…don't look at it," Donna explained.

"You might get caught and never found again if you do," Charlotte said laughing.

"And Eric, cold. Definitely cold," Hyde said, now holding Eric's face aggressively.

Eric got up and ran up the stairs, determined to get approval from his friends.

Now that he was gone Charlotte got up from her space between the two boys on the couch and moved to sit on the separate chair.

"Oh come on," Kelso said, grabbing her hand and pulling her back down on the couch with them. "We don't have cooties."

Charlotte looked over at him, "you both are probably on a first name basis with the free clinic. I'm not taking those chances." She got up again, more quickly this time, and moved over to the chair.

"Why don't you hang out with us more," Donna asked. "It's good to have another girl around to keep these losers down."

"Hey, there's Jackie," Kelso looked offended at Donna.

"Okay, another girl that's not Satan," Hyde said, hitting Kelso in the arm.

Charlotte just shrugged back.

Truthfully, she wasn't entirely sure why she avoided Eric and his friends so often. She never assumed Eric wanted her around but there had been plenty of times where he had invited her and she declined.

Charlotte had been living with her Uncle Red and Aunt Kitty for a few years now. She moved in when she was 13 after her mom became unstable and decided she couldn't take care of Charlotte anymore. Her father died when she was 5, so Red was her closest relative. Her father, Dave, was Red's brother and Red always made sure Charlotte and her mother were taken care of after his death.

They had taken her in without complaint, though Charlotte knew it hurt them financially. She tried to give them her checks from her father's life insurance but they refused each time. Recently, she would cash the monthly check and stick the cash randomly around the house for them to find. She didn't want the money and figured this was the best use for it anyways.

For years, Red and Kitty tried to force Charlotte to hangout with Eric and his friends. They were the same age and Eric always seemed interested but she always resisted or would only hangout when it was just him around.

They got along well, listened to the same music, had the same humor, and his friends were always nice to her. Still, she kept her distance and ran with a different crowd at school. Sometimes at parties their groups would intermingle but mostly kept separate.

"Why don't you come to the Todd Rundgren concert with us," Donna asked, interrupting Charlotte's thoughts. "All of us are going, it'll be fun."

Charlotte looked up from her magazine again. She had wanted to go to that and none of her friends were going. She nodded her head, smiling timidly. "If Eric's cool with it, yeah. That'll be cool."

"Alright, we finally get to hangout with the cool Forman," Hyde said excitedly.

"I know, you all should feel honored," she said laughing.

She went back to her magazine but couldn't focus. She knew Eric would be cool with it, he was always encouraging her to hangout in the basement with his friends. She was actually excited to go with them too. Donna was cool and the boys were abit goofy but still fun.

She also knew they smoked in the basement all the time even though Eric never talked about it with her. They kept what they did separately from each other, giving each other plausible deniability when it came to Red.

"Check it out," Hyde said after she had gone back to her magazine. He was showing a nudie magazine to Kelso, looking impressed with whatever was on the page.

Donna knelt by them, taking a look. "We see that everyday," she motioned back and forth to her and Charlotte. Charlotte smirked as both the boys looked like they were trying to imagine whatever was on the page on the two girls in front of them.

Eric just then jumped out of nowhere, holding up his bounty: five beers.

"He's alive!" They all cheered him on as he passed them out.

"Good news. My dad is thinking of giving me the Vista Cruiser," Eric said as Charlotte opened and sipped her beer.

"You're getting a car," Kelso asked.

"No more walking to school! Nice Eric," Charlotte said, holding her beer up to him.

"Ooh. Have I told you how incredibly attractive you are, Eric," Donna said giving him a flirty look.

"No," he said trying to look cool. She knew he was probably screaming on the inside. He had a crush on the neighbor girl for years but never had the guts to do anything about it. Maybe this would give him the confidence to help him along.

"You told me he was cute."

"No I didn't."

"I remember cause you said not to say anything in front of Eric."

"Maybe you should listen to her more carefully next time, Kelso," Charlotte said into her beer.

Hyde broke the love bird's tension by holding out his beer to everyone. "Let's focus on what's important here people. Forman stole something. To Forman!"

They held their beers up in cheers, even Charlotte. She wouldn't dare steal from Red, so this truly was an accomplishment.

"You know what's sad? This is the proudest day of my life," Eric said.

They each drank their beer and eventually the night petered out. After Kelso left to hangout with his girlfriend, Eric got up to walk Donna home even though she lived next door.

"Night guys," Donna said as she was leaving. "For real, Lottie, hangout with us more often. And I'm not letting you out of the Rundgren concert, you won't leave me with just Jackie."

"Alright, I get it. You're slowly replacing Eric with me," Charlotte said as they left.

"Why is it you've lived here nearly four years and never hung out with us," Hyde asked.

She shrugged, "I don't know. I didn't want Eric to think he had to hang out with me since I live here…It's hard enough being Red and Kitty's favorite, I didn't want to take away his friends too."

Hyde laughed, "come hangout with us the next time we smoke down here."

She must have had a surprised look on her face because he leaned forward on the couch and pointed at her.

"Oh come on, I know you do it. You hang out with James Lates and that crew, I know you smoke with them."

"I really haven't, Hyde. I don't trust them all that much," she shook her head.

"You have to smoke with us now, come on Lottie."

"What makes you think I trust you more than James, who I actually hang out with," she said laughing. She had wanted to try smoking for awhile but was cautious about who she'd be with the first time.

"You trust Eric, don't you? What would we do anyways, you're Eric's cousin. You're off limits." That surprised her. If he meant what she thought, she didn't even know she was wanted to begin with.

"Alright, fine. Next time you smoke down here and I'm home, come get me." She got up and started walking upstairs, hoping she could bypass all the partygoers on her way to her room.

"Hey," Hyde called after her. "We're way cooler than James and his crew, anyways."

She laughed and kept walking, "yeah, yeah. I'll hangout more."

"Hey guys," Charlotte said to Red and Kitty as she walked into the kitchen from being dropped off from her friends after school.

"Oh good, sweetie" Kitty said, getting up from the table. "We were just about to call Eric up to talk to him about the car! You should be here for that too." She came over to give Charlotte a hug. Charlotte stood just barely taller than Kitty but she was the only one.

Charlotte was always very small and petite, standing at barely 5'2" barefoot. She wore platforms and heels nearly everyday to keep herself from looking too small. She was proud of her small frame, though, the way it curved nicely in the right spots and she ran everyday to maintain it. She even ran on the track and cross country teams each semester and won most of her races, though she never talked about it with her friends and family.

"Cool, where is he? I'll go get him for you," Charlotte offered. When Red said he was in the basement she wondered if they were smoking. Not because she wanted to join but because she knew Eric would be so much more paranoid for this talk.

Walking down the smell of the skunky weed hit her.

"Eric, Kitty and Red wanna talk to us," she said kneeling just barely so she could see Eric, Kelso, Hyde, and the foreign kid, Fez, sitting around the table.

"About what," Eric said, already looking paranoid.

Shrugging her shoulders, she played ignorant to make him more paranoid. "I don't know, just come on."

She walked back up and grabbed two chairs for her and Eric. "He's coming," she told her aunt and uncle.

"Your mother and I have been talking," Red started once Eric was sitting. "Since I've been cut back to part-time at the plant and the hospital is so close, I can take the Toyota to work and your mom can take the bus."

"Honey, really, I'd rather walk. When I ride the bus in my nurse's uniform, people always show me their scars."

Charlotte took a peak at Eric as Kitty and Red were talking and could tell he was having a hard time keeping it together.

"He's a teenager. He doesn't want to drop off-"

"Well, if he cant drop his own mother off at work then I'll be damned if he's getting a car."

Charlotte poked Eric in his rib urging him to start talking so he didn't lose the car.

Taking the hint Eric sat straighter in the chair. "Excuse me. Am I getting the car?"

She knew Red wouldn't let him off that easy as he stuck his hand out to stop Eric. "We didn't say that. Things don't just drop into your lap, Eric. Not in this life."

Kitty butted in then, "a car is a responsibility."

"You'll need insurance. Do you have any idea how much insurance is? And you have to drive Charlotte wherever she wants." She perked up at that. She knew Eric would drive her anywhere if she asked but it's always nice to have Red's final word on it.

"A car is a privilege," Kitty went on.

Poor, Eric Charlotte thought. This conversation is weird sober she couldn't imagine how Eric was feeling.

"And no doughnuts either... ants," Kitty finally ended the conversation looking at Red.

"So, do I get the car?" Eric asked again. He probably hadn't followed any bit of that but surprisingly caught the keys that Red threw.

"Bitching," he exclaimed.

Charlotte put her head in her hand. He made it this far without looking dumb but couldn't make it all the way apparently.

Luckily, Red and Kitty were none the wiser. "Eric, not in front of your mother or cousin."

"Thank you pop…sir," Eric said awkwardly.

"Yeah, well…clean the attic," Red said.

Charlotte had already gotten up and put her chair away, so she gave Red a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Red," she said.

"Yeah, you make sure he takes care of it and you," he said smiling at her.

After they left she gave Eric a quick pop on the shoulder. "Congratulations, cousin! You got a car!"

"Yeah, did it look like the wall was moving behind them the whole time." He looked as though he was still processing what happened.

"Nope, now let's go tell the guys in the basement," she said, racing him down.

It was the night of the concert and she was feeling a bit nervous to hangout with Eric and his friends for so long. Jackie was coming now so it felt more coupley than she'd care to admit.

She was wearing her tight, high-waisted bell bottoms that always made her feel taller, a tight black v-neck, and platforms. She let her long brown hair fall in its normal loose, tamed waves and kept her makeup to a simple, natural look.

She was standing out with Kelso and Donna as Eric did over-the-top safety checks. As she was about to get in after watching Kelso and Donna fight over shotgun she stopped when she saw Red come out of the garage.

"Taking her out for a spin, eh?"

"Yes sir."

"See you later, Red," she said as she walked over to give Red a small kiss on the cheek. She and Red always had a special relationship. He had taken it upon himself to be the fatherly figure in her life after her father died and was always sweet to her. She returned the kindness and always tried to help him out around the house and yard which he greatly respected her for.

"Have a good time, Charlotte. Eric, take care of your cousin," he said as he patted her arm. Charlotte got into the back seat, listening to Red still. "Oh, one more thing. Very important about the car. She's old so no trips out of town. Ever. Understood? Well, good. Have fun." Red walked away, smiling.

"Well, I guess that's that. We're not going," Eric said defeated after Red was back in the house.

"Eric, do you want to go?"

"He said no trips out of town." Eric could be such a goody-good.

"It's your car. Do you want to go," Donna said.

"He's god," Eric said.

"No, he's not. He'll never know, Eric. Come on, let's go," Charlotte said putting her hands on his shoulders and giving him a shake.

"Yeah, I think god would want us to go to Milwaukee," Kelso reasoned.

"Eric, you are a 17 year old man. I'm gonna go with whatever you say. It's your decision."

Of course Donna would be the one to convince Eric to go. He would do anything for a shot with her, Charlotte thought.

Sure enough, it worked. "It is my decision. And my decision is…we're going to the concert."

They all cheered and settled into their seats as Eric started the car.

They needed to pick up the rest of the group and Charlotte had already decided that she'd sit in the back once they picked everyone else up. Jackie was last to be picked up and Charlotte moved to the back before she was even out of her house. She was surprised, however, when Hyde moved back with her.

After giving him a confused look he just shrugged and said he didn't want her to not hangout because of this.

They sat in the back mostly quiet the others talking and wrestling loudly up front. She was sitting against the trunk door with her legs stretched out and Hyde to her right sitting up against the car.

They talked a few times, him asking her if this was her first concert-it wasn't- and then talking about both of their first concerts.

Hers was when she was 4, her dad took her to see The Beatles. He sat her on his shoulders and let her stay there the whole time. She was young at the time but she still remembered every moment of it.

"They're still my favorite band. I listen to them every time I want to feel close to him," Charlotte said surprising herself. She never talked about her dad to anyone, not even her mom. It was rare if she even let herself remember him.

"That's cool. They're a little fruity for me but they're good," Hyde said. They sat in quiet for awhile after that.

Eric stopped at a convenient store so they could all get some drinks before the concert. Charlotte got out but didn't get anything so she stood around waiting for everyone else to get in. However, once Eric went to start the car it wouldn't switch over.

"What's wrong," Eric asked fear dripping from his voice. "Why won't it start?" He was cranking the key but the engine wouldn't start.

"Try stepping on the gas abit," Charlotte called from the back. That didn't work though.

"I think you're out of gas, Eric," Kelso said.

"No, Kelso. We were on half a tank," Eric retorted.

"Well, why won't it start," Kelso yelled back.

After trying a lot more and each person giving it a go, they decided to get the mechanic of the convenient store to look at the engine.

They stood quietly, all worried and upset that they might miss the concert and be stranded outside of Milwaukee.

"It's the battery," the mechanic said coming out from the engine. "It's six years old and shot to hell."

"I know what. I'll just call my dad," Jackie said as she came out of the car.

"Kelso, tell her."

"He can't take the car out of town," Kelso explained. Charlotte was standing on the other side of the car as everyone else thinking about how pissed she was going to be to miss the concert and be grounded with Eric after this.

"I'm not calling his dad."

"Jackie, parents talk to each other about how we screw up," Hyde said mockingly.

"Why would he talk about that?"

The rest of them went on to explain to Jackie how this would eventually end up back to Red if she called her dad. Charlotte stayed quiet, she didn't know Jackie but she was certain she wasn't stupid, even if she was annoying.

"Guys, we are in the middle of nowhere and I have to go to the ladies' room," Jackie said heading to the stores bathroom. Before she made her way there she turned back and called for Donna to follow her to the bathroom. Charlotte was glad that Jackie didn't like her enough to force her come with.

As the other girls went to the bathroom she made her way around to the other side of the car and stood in front of Hyde.

"So, where you going?" The mechanic looked her up and down, giving her a bit of the creeps.

Hyde stepped forward though placing himself in front of her. "Rundgren concert."

The mechanic must not have noticed Hyde's assertion as he just answered "cool. So, what, do you want a battery? Cause I can get you a battery."

"Are they cheap or possibly free," Eric asked. He must have been hoping for the best, because even Charlotte knew it wouldn't be cheap and she didn't know anything about cars.

"32 bucks. Minimum," the mechanic, Randy according to his name tag, answered.

"All right, I tell you what. We'll trade you our battery plus five bucks for one of your batteries."

"Kelso, come on," Charlotte said. He had a habit of being too dumb and driving up prices.

"Well, that 's a really sweet deal, my friend. But how about this? How about one battery for two concert tickets?"

"No, we can't give up two tickets," Kelso shook his head.

"Okay," Randy walked away.

"It's either that or none of us go," Eric said.

"So who's out?"

Charlotte stepped up and haded over her ticket to Eric, "here, he can have mine."

"What? No," Eric said, refusing the ticket she was offering. She went to argue with him but was cut off by Hyde.

"Yeah, no. Let's kick out the one no one wants here first," he said.

"Who's that," Kelso asked, looking around genuinely confused.

"Well, I don't know. Jackie," Hyde said.

"Oh, of course Jackie. I mean, Jackie's gone. But who else?"

"Oh I don't know, Jackie's date," Eric answered.

"No, Charlotte volunteered already," Kelso pointed at her.

She just shook her head, "sorry, there's no way I'm spending three hours with her in the car alone. Consider my offer rescinded."

"Come on, you know I'm breaking up with her. You guys are chopping me out!"

"I've had to listen to her for a good hour."

"A really long hour," Fez chimed in.

"God hates me," Kelso said handing over the tickets. They took the tickets from him and went over to do the deal with Randy.

On the way back home after the concert, Charlotte sat in the back with Hyde again. Her ears were ringing and she was exhausted but she was glad she went.

The ride back was much quieter and Charlotte kept dozing off, lulled by the soothing rocking of a car on the highway. She had trust issues with sleeping around other people though, so she kept shifting her body to keep herself up.

After her chin hit her chest for what felt like the sixth time, Hyde nudged her with his boot.
"Give it up, just go to sleep."

"No, I don't like falling asleep in cars," she said, shifting again so she was no longer against the back of the car but facing towards him.

"Just sleep, nothing is going to happen," he reasoned.

"I'm fine, just need something to distract me." She blinked her eyes, noticing how much harder it was to open them again.

"Talk to me then. How was your first time hanging out with us," he asked.

She nodded, thinking it over. "Fun, I guess you guys are cool enough."

"Cooler than James Lates at least."

Charlotte wasn't sure why she kept bringing him up. It wasn't like she hung out with him or his crew all the time. She didn't even have a group of close friends, she mostly drifted between groups, hanging out with lots of people but never getting to be super close.

"Sure, you're cooler than James Lates. But are you cooler than Lance Levine," she cheekily asked.

"That's right, I did hear you hang out with him. Nah, he's way cooler than us."

Charlotte laughed, feeling more at ease than she had in a while.