The four boys sat in silence. The empty gray room had one bench where they all sat, frozen. Eric still couldn't believe what had just happened. Apparently, the car that Kelso's cousin had loaned them was, in fact, stolen. And, now, the teenagers sat in the county jail, not sure what would happen next.
"Alright, this is great. I'm dead," Eric blurted out fiercely. "You know, when we were in my car, and I was running the show, I don't remember one single time we all got arrested."
"That's true," confirmed Hyde. The curly-haired boy seemed calm.
"Eric," Kelso began, "Will you just relax? We're all in trouble here."
"Oh, no, no, no. No-no-no. We're not all in trouble here. Your parents," Eric pointed at Kelso, "have seven kids. They won't even notice you're gone."
Then turning to Fez, a foreign exchange student, "And your parents don't even live in this country."
Turning back to Hyde, he gestured, "And your mom, probably one cell over. So that just leaves me. I'm the only one who is really in trouble here."
Hyde, who was unfazed by the insult to his mom, looked serious. "Forman, I'll be in just as much trouble as you are as soon as Edna sobers up."
A deputy opened the cell door and entered. "Ok, who's the ringleader here?"
Without hesitation, all the boys pointed at Eric and said in unison, "He is."
"You get one phone call."
"To anywhere?" asked Fez.
"One local phone call," the man corrected, shutting the door firmly as he left.
"So, who should we call?" asked Hyde.
"I'd call Red, but I feel safer in jail," confided Eric.
"I, um, don't know my phone number," declared Fez, though no one believed him.
Hyde crossed his arms and said, "I can't call Edna, man. It's poker night." Eric knew that his friend also didn't want to face his mom. She expressed her displeasure with a belt or switch and didn't care who was around to witness the lesson.
"No offense, but isn't every night poker night for Edna?" Kelso joked salaciously. Hyde punched him ferociously in the arm.
Still rubbing his arm, Kelso jumped up, "No, no, no! I got it! I'll call Jackie. Her dad's a lawyer, and she's got a checkbook."
The tall teen dialed the phone and waited. "Jackie! Thank god you're home. I was driving a stolen car and got arrested."
The boys watched Kelso animatedly talk to his girlfriend. After a few exchanges, Kelso exuberantly exclaimed, "Alright!" and slammed the phone down.
Eric stared at him in disgust. "Did you two have a nice little talk?"
"Oh, yeah!"
"You know what's funny?" asked Eric.
"What?" wondered Keslo.
"Nothing!" Eric yelled, "Because you forgot to ask her for help, you moron!"
Hyde punched Kelso in the arm again as his stunned friend moaned, "My god, you're right. Give me another dime."
Hyde looked as though he might jump the boy. Through gritted teeth he snarled, "We only had one dime. We only got one call."
"Eric, man, you gotta do something!"
"Me? What about you, Kelso? Or Hyde?"
"I can't talk to the cops, man. I go insane with rage," Hyde claimed.
"Oh," said Kelso. "Me, too. …Nuts."
"Eric, you gotta help us," Hyde begged.
"Oh man. This is so typical. So now I'm back in charge? Okay, you know what? Fine. Once, again, I'll suck it up, be the man and save all your sorry asses." The teen stood up and walked to the door. He knocked and waited.
When it opened, Eric said calmly, "Officer, I need to talk with you please." Once the door closed behind him, he began pleading.
"You gotta let me go! Please, my dad is going to kill me."
"Are you Eric Forman?" the policeman asked.
"Yes, sir?" the boy replied, feeling uncertain.
"Is your dad Red Forman?"
"Um…yes?" Eric said, now full of dread.
"Sorry, kid, but the Chief already called your dad. Apparently they fought in Korea together. Your dad should be here soon."
"You gotta lock me up!" Eric yelped.
The cop chuckled. "Don't worry. He promised not to kill you. The Chief is big on avoiding child murder. Go back in and tell your friends. All their parents are on the way."