Light fell on the dark speeding car. Hyde was still half fuming, half in shock. He kept his eyes on the road, not wanting to crash another car. He sped along the familiar path to whom he called his third father. The guy who told him that if he had a son, he'd want him to be like him, the guy who gave him his car, the guy who was probably too stoned to ask questions or too drunk on saki to even bother: Leo.
He was one of the only people who hadn't questioned him about his life, and who trusted him enough to let him lock up the FotoHut every night after work. He was his third father because, after Bud at first place, only because of his genetic side, and Red's second place, the one guy that actually cared for him, even thought he'd never admit it, Leo was the one guy that didn't get emotional on him and who accepted him as he was, simply Hyde.
"Simply, simply my ass!" Hyde muttered under his breath.
He kept seeing Edna and Bud, his biological parents, the ones who had hurt him the most, in the back of his mind, and he decided there was nothing else that could make him stop thinking of how they abandoned him the third time but some good old rock n' roll. He leaned over and switched on the radio. Loud rock blared in the car. The music made everything disappear for a while, but after Aerosmith's "Walk this Way", another song came on, "Love Hurts" by Nazareth. The lyrics made his heart swell with pain.
"Love hurts,
Love scars,
Love wounds and mars
Any heart,
Not tough
Or strong enough.
To take a lot of pain,
Take a lot of..."
Hyde switched off the radio as fast as he could. He kept driving for a while, but the images of Bud and Edna flashing before his eyes were more than he could endure. His hand reached over, and began sorting through cassettes. He finally found one he liked: Zep's "Good Times, Bad Times". Rock blared through the speakers. This was definitely a bad time for him, but the good times came back to his mind, like hanging out in Forman's basement, the circle and Red kicking Forman's ass.
"He he he, good times man!" he said out loud, chuckling at the memories they had made down there.
He let himself drift, but he got his attention back to the road, as he almost passed Leo's house. He braked and put the car in park, he shut the engine and got out, closing and locking the door. Once more, his reflection on the car's window was one of him alone.
'Sad little orphan boy.'
He dismissed the thought, and walked up Leo's driveway. He knocked on the door, forgetting about the bell. Leo opened the door, wearing one of his pimpish bathrobes.
"Hey Hyde man! Whatcha doing here man? Are you wanted by the police man?" Leo said looking around.
Hyde smiled. Crashing at Leo's for a few days would definitely make him feel better.
"No Leo man, I was just wondering if I could crash at your place for a few days man."
"Sure man. Whoa, it's like having my son over man! This is awesome!"
At the mention of the word "son", Hyde remembered his pain, and his stupid bastards of parents. Once again, he swallowed it.
"Leo man, I thought you said you didn't have kids." Hyde replied, getting inside.
"Yeah, I don't. But you're like the son, I never had, like I didn't have so it's the same thing man. Welcome home man!"
Those words stung him, and he repressed the feelings again.
"Thanks man. I'll take the couch, alright Leo?"
"Sure man, goodnight son." Leo said, going to his own room.
Hyde took off his boots and laid down, putting one arm under his head, looking at the ceiling. The day's events seemed to float above him, like a cloud of memories filling his hollow heart with pain.
He was one of the only people who hadn't questioned him about his life, and who trusted him enough to let him lock up the FotoHut every night after work. He was his third father because, after Bud at first place, only because of his genetic side, and Red's second place, the one guy that actually cared for him, even thought he'd never admit it, Leo was the one guy that didn't get emotional on him and who accepted him as he was, simply Hyde.
"Simply, simply my ass!" Hyde muttered under his breath.
He kept seeing Edna and Bud, his biological parents, the ones who had hurt him the most, in the back of his mind, and he decided there was nothing else that could make him stop thinking of how they abandoned him the third time but some good old rock n' roll. He leaned over and switched on the radio. Loud rock blared in the car. The music made everything disappear for a while, but after Aerosmith's "Walk this Way", another song came on, "Love Hurts" by Nazareth. The lyrics made his heart swell with pain.
"Love hurts,
Love scars,
Love wounds and mars
Any heart,
Not tough
Or strong enough.
To take a lot of pain,
Take a lot of..."
Hyde switched off the radio as fast as he could. He kept driving for a while, but the images of Bud and Edna flashing before his eyes were more than he could endure. His hand reached over, and began sorting through cassettes. He finally found one he liked: Zep's "Good Times, Bad Times". Rock blared through the speakers. This was definitely a bad time for him, but the good times came back to his mind, like hanging out in Forman's basement, the circle and Red kicking Forman's ass.
"He he he, good times man!" he said out loud, chuckling at the memories they had made down there.
He let himself drift, but he got his attention back to the road, as he almost passed Leo's house. He braked and put the car in park, he shut the engine and got out, closing and locking the door. Once more, his reflection on the car's window was one of him alone.
'Sad little orphan boy.'
He dismissed the thought, and walked up Leo's driveway. He knocked on the door, forgetting about the bell. Leo opened the door, wearing one of his pimpish bathrobes.
"Hey Hyde man! Whatcha doing here man? Are you wanted by the police man?" Leo said looking around.
Hyde smiled. Crashing at Leo's for a few days would definitely make him feel better.
"No Leo man, I was just wondering if I could crash at your place for a few days man."
"Sure man. Whoa, it's like having my son over man! This is awesome!"
At the mention of the word "son", Hyde remembered his pain, and his stupid bastards of parents. Once again, he swallowed it.
"Leo man, I thought you said you didn't have kids." Hyde replied, getting inside.
"Yeah, I don't. But you're like the son, I never had, like I didn't have so it's the same thing man. Welcome home man!"
Those words stung him, and he repressed the feelings again.
"Thanks man. I'll take the couch, alright Leo?"
"Sure man, goodnight son." Leo said, going to his own room.
Hyde took off his boots and laid down, putting one arm under his head, looking at the ceiling. The day's events seemed to float above him, like a cloud of memories filling his hollow heart with pain.