4-2-23: Chapter updated for grammar, mechanical, and continuity
Episode 1: Pilot
Eric stared intently at his friends, who leaned toward him from the seat on the couch. He glanced at Sophie for help, only to see she was stuck, seated between Hyde's legs on the floor. Hyde's left hand gripped tight on the back of her neck though she tried to shove him back to make room with very little success.
"Eric, it is time," Hyde stated. Eric glanced back to his two scheming friends, "Why don't you do it?" he stuttered.
"It's your house," Hyde reprimanded. Kelso leaned closer, "your house," he echoed. He moved in closer, his knee hitting Sophie upside the head, "ow, you spaz! watch it," she hissed as she smacked his leg to get him to move. Hyde quickly glared at Kelso, successfully making the boy shove over. Then, he turned his attention back to Eric and continued his lecture, "Listen to them up there. The party has reached critical mass. In 10 minutes, there will be no more beer opportunities."
"If my dad catches me copping beers, he'll kill me," Eric lamented. Hyde grinned, "I'm willin' to take that risk," he stated.
Kelso nodded in agreement, "don't worry about it! Just remain calm…keep moving."
Donna smirked as she realized they had successfully pressured Eric into agreeing, "And above all, don't get sucked into my dad's hair," she stated.
Eric flashed her a look of confusion. "What's wrong with your dad's hair?"
"Just don't look at it," Donna responded with a short nod.
Sophie laughed at the exchange and tried to move away from Eric as he jumped up with false bravado.
"And Eric!" Hyde called; Eric paused and leaned toward him. Hyde grabbed his head and stared at him directly in his eyes, " Cold! Definitely cold!"
Erice nodded and dramatically ran up the stairs.
Sophie shoved Steven back on the couch so that she could get up and move onto the ottoman next to him, "Five bucks says he gets caught and brutally murdered," she predicted.
"I'll take that bet," Donna stated, "He's got more balls than he's aware of."
Kelso laughed, "You said balls!" Donna rolled her eyes and swiftly pinched Kelso under his arm.
"Oww! Stop it, you violent little crouton!"
Sophie rolled her eyes, "I think you mean cretin," she corrected.
Kelson looked at her confused, "what's a cretin?"
Sophie grinned and shrugged as she watched her boyfriend grab the swimsuit edition magazine from the side table. He began to look through it as Kelso played his air guitar, "you look like you're having a seizure, you spaz," Sophie informed him. He stopped and glared at her, but before he could retort, Hyde distracted him as he leaned over with the magazine in hand, "check it out."
Kelso's eyes widened as he stared at the photo. "We see those every day," Donna teased as she suddenly appeared between them, "of course, Sophie, yours are so much better than mine."
Steven glanced over to his girl with a smirk. She rolled her eyes, "as a woman with bigger breasts than yours, Donna, trust me, they're not worth it," she replied.
"I dunno," Hyde remarked as he glanced between them, "why don't you take off your shirts and let us boys decide?" Hyde grunted as Sophie smacked his arm.
"Wait. wait. wait." Kelso stuttered, "Hyde. Hyde. We have two girls. They've seen each other's boobs, man!" He swerved his head to and from Donna and Sophie, "girls, I mean Donna, Sophie, I think Hyde and I need to see them and feel them to make an educated decision on whose boobs are- ow," he yelped as Donna smacked him upside the head and moved back to her chair.
Sophie snorted with laughter and stood up; she shoved Steven's boots from the table and allowed him to pull her down onto the sofa between him and Kelso. "Kelso, don't you have a girlfriend?" she asked.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Go ask to see her boobs, you dillweed," she snarked.
Kelso opened his mouth to retort when Eric suddenly hopped down the stairs with five cans of beer in his hands, "he's alive," Kelso cried out.
Eric bowed and passed out the beers, "Good news," he said, " My dad is thinking of giving me the Vista Cruiser."
Kelso stared at him. "You're getting a car?" he asked in awe. Eric grinned and sat back down on the kitchen chair.
Hyde popped open his beer and laid an arm over Sophie's shoulders as she sipped her beer.
Donna smirked, "Have I told you how incredibly attractive you are, Eric?" she asked flirtatiously.
Eric grinned, "No."
Kelso stopped what he was doing and looked up, confused, "You told me he was cute." Sophie choked on her beer as her eyes grew wide; she stared in disbelief as Kelso remained oblivious to the awkwardness he was creating.
Donna blushed, "No, I didn't, " she denied.
Kelso nodded vehemently, "I remember because you started to say not to say anything in front of Eric….OWWW, what's with the pinching!?" He yowled with a glare at Sophie. He shoved her back, annoyed, only for her to kick at his leg in retaliation. Hyde interrupted the fight by shoving Kelso hard back onto his spot on the couch, "Let's focus on what's important here, people, " he said, " Forman stole something. To Forman."
The five cheered "to Forman" and took a sip of beer.
"You know what's sad?" Eric stated, "This is the proudest day of my life," and pretended to cry.
Sophie giggled as Hyde wrapped her further into his arms and kissed her neck as they walked back from the party to her house. Her dad had left the party early since it was a Monday night, and he needed to open the auto garage early the next day, so Steven had agreed to walk her home.
"Can you believe it's been almost two years, and none of them has even suggested that they know we are in a relationship?" Sophie asked with a laugh.
Steven grunted a little with a frown, "Maybe they do? What if they're betting on when we'll talk?" he suggested. Sophie thought about it and laughed, "christ, that would be amazing, funny even, but I don't think Kelso would have been able to keep that quiet for this long," she shook her head, "I still can't believe that Donna thought it would be smart to confide in him about her attraction to Eric," she said with another laugh. He snorted in agreement.
She turned her head to look at him, "So, shall we revise our bet?" she inquired with a glint in her eye. A glint that made him pray he would win or maybe even lose. That might prove even better; he didn't know, "sounds good," he agreed, "What are the stakes up to now? Twenty bucks, five favors, and two bowls, right?" He listed as he wiggled his eyebrows at her.
She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck as he forced her to walk backward, "I was actually thinking of adding some...um...fantasies," she nervously admitted, her cheeks dusted with a faint blush.
He stopped walking, and his eyes widened, "as in dirty fantasies?" he asked breathlessly. She giggled and nodded, "I mean, we have been together for a while, and I might not be ready to, yeah, know..." she faltered, her blush deepened.
He nodded sagely, "you mean 'shaking of the sheets,' 'doing the devil's dance,' a bit of the old 'in an out,' 'aggressive cuddling'?" he asked. Sophie laughed and shoved him away, "I just, I'm not ready for that yet, but maybe we could experiment a little?" she mumbled, the blush on he face spread to her ears.
Steven grinned and pulled her close to him so he could nip at his favorite part of her neck, "doll, I would love to experiment with you," he mumbled into her ear.
Sophie felt the air leave her as she gasped. Her blush seemed to run down to all her extremities, and the feeling of a coil tightened within her. Steven smirked, and she knew he was aware of exactly how he made her feel.
What a dill hole!
"So we were thinking," Eric began as he sat on one of the school library tables and watched Sophie collect left-behind books. She glanced at him with an amused grin, "you think?"
Eric stared at her, "no...I mean, yes. Look, Hyde and I saw that Tod Rundgren is playing in Milwaukee, and we were wondering...hoping...possibly thinking of begging for you to chip in for the tickets so we can all go?" he asked hurriedly.
Sophie grinned, "I knew it! You men only want me for my money! Well, man, I'm no one's sugar mama." Eric's eyes widened, and he shook his head vigorously, "that's not what I...that's not," he paused as she cackled loudly. "Oh, very funny," he rolled his eyes, "well?"
"Yeah, sure, I can help. Who's going? How many tickets are we getting? And how are we getting there? I mean, I know Red promised you the cruiser, but are you actually going to get it?"
Her questions went unanswered when Hyde suddenly strolled into the room, followed by his new tail, the foreign exchange student, and Kelso, "Soph, we finally figured out a nickname for this guy," he declared with a grin as he pointed to the boy behind him, "and not something stupid like 'Captain Poo Face.'"
"Hey," Kelso crowed, "Captain Poo Face is a great nickname!"
"Yeah, for an eight-year-old who forgets his pants," deadpanned Eric.
Sophie rolled her eyes and placed the pile of books on the return cart before she turned back to the boys, "so? What's his new nickname?"
Hyde smiled, "Fez. It stands for 'foreign exchange student,' only with a z sound 'cause of his accent."
"I am proud that you have bestowed a nickname on me," Fez beamed.
Sophie smiled back, "congrats on your new nickname." She glanced back at Eric, "so who is planning on going, and how much do I need to chip in?" she inquired.
Hyde leaned against the library counter, "for the concert? Well, obviously, the four of us, and Donna, so five. And we have enough money for like three and a half tickets."
Sophie nodded, "sure, no problem. But how are we going? I mean, Eric doesn't have the car yet," she wondered.
Hyde smirked, "no worries, we'll get there even if Forman doesn't get his car."
Thursday was a rare day that Sophie didn't have to work at the school library, and with volleyball over, she had more time to spend with Steven and their friends. So she hurried out of class and spotted Steven and Fez down the hallway as they waited for her.
"Hey!" she called out. Both boys smiled and waited until she reached them; Hyde instantly wrapped his arm around her waist as Fez began to babble about the odd customs he was experiencing at the school.
"So we're all thinking of taking Fez to the Hub this afternoon, you know, let him experience real teenage misery instead of what dill holes like Mark the Quarterback tries to spread. I know you have today off, so are you interested in joining?" Hyde asked.
She nodded enthusiastically, "yes, and for the record, the only thing Mark the Quarterback is able to spread is Pam Macy, and everyone spreads her, so I don't think that counts for anything."
Hyde nodded, "touche," he looked at Fez, "the doll only speaks the truth."
"Are we walking with everyone or meeting them at The Hub?"
Hyde opened the door for them as they exited the school, "We need to walk Fez home first and ask permission from his host family," he rolled his eyes at the idea, "so I told Forman we'd meet him there in an hour or two."
"Okay," she glanced at Fez, "so, Mr. exchange student, lead the way home," she gestured to the road.
Fez smiled, "A proposal? I would be glad to take you home where we can worship our-oof!" he grunted a little at the shock of Hyde shoving him and moved a little away from the couple as they all walked to his host parents' home."
The Hub was, as always, filled with loud, bored teenagers. It was pure luck that a table near a pinball machine was even available, "Why don't you guys grab the pinball machine, and I snag the table," she suggested.
"Sounds good, " Hyde grabbed Fez and ushered him to the available pinball machine, "so, do you have anything like this in your home country?" he asked. Fez stared at the machine in wonder, "nothing with the lights and the sounds!" he exclaimed.
Sophie snorted with amusement and watched with little interest as Hyde explained the game's rules to Fez. He paused in his lecture when he heard Sophie groan in annoyance. He followed her gaze and spotted Jackie as she entered with Kelso, Donna, and Eric walked in reluctantly behind them. Donna spotted the three of them, waved, and shoved her way through the crowd toward them as the other three waited in line for refreshments. "I was not expecting to deal with Jackie today, " Sophie lamented.
Hyde gave her a knowing look and shrugged, "Well, as long as Kelso gets any action, we'll be stuck with her. She's like a tick, man."
"Hey guys," Donna greeted as she grabbed a seat next to Sophie, "so, great news. Jackie's now going to the concert."
Sophie nodded, "that doesn't surprise me at all. So who's getting her ticket because I refuse to pay for the girl who seems to have a majo-" she stopped what she was saying, "oh, hey Kelso, Jackie. Unfortunately, there's only two seats free. You'll have to sit in Kelso's lap, Jackie."
Jackie huffed, "that's fine," she conceded. She glanced back at Micheal, "Micheal, sit, please." Kelso obeyed the dark brunette and allowed her to sit on his lap.
Sophie sighed in exasperation. Her eyes widened as she spotted a tall blond at an old jukebox machine, "oh, shit, there's Lucy. I almost forgot I have to let her know that Mr. McBride changed her schedule. She's working tomorrow," she glanced at Hyde and rolled her eyes, "I just couldn't find her today at all to let her know." Hyde hummed, "I thought I saw her under the bleachers with Jackson Myers."
"I'm sure you did. She's been under there just as much as Pam Macy," Donna snarked, causing Sophie to snort with contempt, "She's a bitch," she admitted, "but I don't want to be told I have to work her shift. I'll be right back, alright?"
Hyde nodded and watched as she sauntered to the girl in question and returned to his pinball game. Fez stared at Sophie and glanced at Hyde, "I may not say this right because I am new to English," he stuttered, "But she has tremendous breasts, yes?" Hyde followed his gaze to Sophie and Lucy. His eyes trailed over both girls' bodies as he made a quick comparison. Lucy barely had any size on Soph. He smirked proudly.
Jackie, however, was appalled at Fez's observation, "Michael, who is this guy?"
"That's Fez. He's a foreign exchange student," Kelso replied.
" Who did we exchange for him?" Jackie asked as Sophie walked back over with a grin, "alright, that's done. I officially do not have to cover anyone's shift." Jackie shook her head in disgust, "I just can't imagine needing a job. You're just so poor and pathetic, Sophia."
"Sophie," both she and Hyde corrected.
Jackie shrugged, "whatever," and stood from the table, "Donna, I have to go to the ladies' room, "Jackie hinted. She stomped her foot a little when Donna ignored her.
"Donna!"
Donna rolled her eyes and begrudgingly followed the Sophomore into the restroom. Hyde grabbed Donna's seat and pulled Sophie onto his lap, allowing Eric his turn on the pinball machine.
Following Jackie's example, Fez announced, "I, too, must use the bathroom. Eric?"
Sophie and Hyde shared a grin as Eric spun around, confused and slightly embarrassed, "Uh, Fez, it doesn't work that way with guys," he stuttered. Fez frowned, disappointed, and shrugged before leaving for the restroom.
Hyde glanced at Kelso, "man, how long are we gonna have to put up with the Jackie experience?" he complained.
"Don't worry," Kelso stated as Eric sat at the table, "I'm breaking up with her." The boys snickered. "Never gonna happen," Hyde crowed.
"It's over!" Kelso insisted, "she's cutting into my free time."
Hyde, Sophie, and Eric just looked at each other in disbelief. "Soph?" Eric suddenly asked, "exactly why doesn't Jackie like you, and how can I make sure to do the same so she stays away?"
"Shut up!" Sophie cried out and gave him a shove. She shrugged, "I honestly don't know. I mean, it might be because she is a spoiled stuck-up bitch. Because as far as I am aware, the only possible thing I could have offended her with was my lack of money and having a job."
"Well, that and I told her about the hot librarian joke and how one of my goals is to get you to act out that story in the playboy magazine," Kelso admitted obliviously.
Hyde punched him in the arm hard. "Ow, man! What the hell!" Kelso cried out.
"Kelso, I wouldn't act out a playboy fantasy with you if you were the last boy on earth," Sophie snapped viscously as Donna and Jackie rejoined the table. Jackie beamed at Sophie.'s response. Sophie groaned, knowing she was now in Jackie's good graces.
Hyde stroked her hair in a sarcastically conforming manner.
She elbowed him in response.
"What's wrong with the car, man?" asked a panicked Kelso. "I'm not sure; we just...died," Eric mumbled.
Hyde rolled his eyes and glanced at Sophie, who was still feeling some of the effects of partaking in his stash while they had waited for Eric to pick them up. "Look, man, I saw an auto shop a couple of blocks back; me an' Soph will go there and get them to tow the car and check it out," Hyde suggested.
Donna paused and looked at him with a raised eyebrow; Hyde sounded logical, which was almost never the case when he came down from a high. She looked around and noticed that no one else seemed to think his suggestion was odd, the only other person who would have caught the oddness would have been Soph, but she obviously had been Hyde's partner when partaking in the stash.
Donna glanced at Eric, who had quickly agreed to Hyde's suggestion, and watched as Hyde helped Soph out of the cruiser and began to walk back in the direction they traveled from. "Did no one else find that odd?" she mumbled. Sometimes she thought that Soph and Hyde might be in a more intimate relationship; other times, it seemed their relationship had not changed since she first met them. On top of that, no one else seemed to find anything about those two suspicious.
She pulled her mind away from those thoughts as Jackie complained about their situation. She sighed, wishing she had trekked to the auto shop with Sophie and Hyde. Luckily she did not have to wait that long; a few minutes later, bright light glared off the rearview mirror, and the tow truck arrived to take the car back to get fixed.
When the group reached the auto shop, Donna could see Hyde and Sophie sharing a coke. She strolled up to them as Eric talked to the mechanic. "So exactly how did you pay for the mechanic?" she wondered aloud to her best friend. Sophie grinned, still a little high, "I have about five bucks on me. It was an easy buy," she replied.
Hyde frowned and pulled her back to him a little before he handed the soda back to her, "take another sip Soph," he commanded. Sophie looked at him a bit hazed and nodded in agreement before following his order. Hyde watched with a bit of concern; he noticed Donna's look and shrugged, "the last batch was strong, and if it is too strong, sometimes Soph gets sick," he explained nonchalantly. Donna nodded and leaned next to him in silence.
"Well, it's the battery," the mechanic told Eric and Kelso, "it's six years old and shot to hell."
Jackie got out of the car, exasperated, "I know what. I'll just call my dad."
"You can't!" Eric stated firmly, "Kelso tell her." Kelso sighed, "he can't take the car out of town."
Jackie rolled her eyes, "I'm not telling his dad."
"It doesn't matter," Hyde chimed in, "see parents talk to each other, to tell each other how we screw up."
"Why would they talk about that?" she asked impatiently.
"They can't help it," Eric explained, "look, say there's a party, your dad shows up, they're having a great time, and he mentions how great of friends we all are. Then as an amusing story, they bring up the 'time when the kids went out of town and had to call AAA to save us. Therefore informing my dad, who will proceed to put his foot up my ass."
Jackie rolled her eyes again, "look, we are in the middle of nowhere, and I have to go to the ladies' room," she grabbed her purse out of the bag and then toward Donna and Sophie, "guys?" she called. Donna sighed and grabbed Sophie's arm to follow them to the bathroom.
Jackie glanced at the two of them with a front, "is she alright?" she asked. Sophie gave a small smile, " awe you concerned. I'm okay. I'm just a lightweight. Everything's still a bit fuzzy."
"If you're sure," Donna looked over her to confirm she was okay, "yeah, promise," Sophie said with a short laugh. The girls hurried with their business and met the boys back at the car to find out that Eric successfully made a deal with the mechanic; a new battery for Jack and Kelso's ticket.
Sophie leaned into Hyde's side as they listened to the music vibrate through the arena. She finally could focus, much to his relief, and joined Donna in jamming to the sounds.
Fez leaned over, "guys, the mechanic's date is a man." "I'm okay with it," Donna replied, "we are so cool to be okay with it," Eric exclaimed.
Sophie rolled her eyes and shrugged, not bothered by their observation and too busy to enjoy the music to care to comment. Hyde leaned over, she tilted her head toward him, and smiled, "thanks for a great night Steven" she mumbled softly. He grinned, "wait 'til you see what I have planned for the rest of the weekend, doll," he replied with a wicked grin.
Sophie only responded with a blush as she forced herself to continue to focus on the music and not the man at her side.