07/08/2020, 20:42
Fandom: That '70s Show
Summary: Eric Forman/Steven Hyde; in which Eric is making plans for the future, and Hyde isn't sure where that leaves him [post-S8].
Words: 3028
It wasn’t that Donna and Hyde weren’t around at all. They were around occasionally. Hyde still hung out with his parents on the regular, and Donna came to the basement every now and then when she was visiting her parents. It just wasn’t the same. Donna wasn’t his girlfriend, and Hyde didn’t live with him. They had their own lives now. Donna went to college and Hyde had his work. If his mother’s reports from the last couple of months were anything to go by, neither of them was exactly flourishing, but at least they were doing something. And he? He had nothing. No job, no degree, and not even his friends to hang out with. He had sent out his college applications, but his SATs had not been great, and he wasn’t sure if any of them would accept him – he knew less about the application process than he probably should, but he knew he had very little to show for. So, it was just him and his parents at the breakfast table. Probably for the foreseeable future.
“Eric,” Red said, closing his newspaper in one swift motion, “you’re getting on my nerves.”
“I’m always getting on your nerves.”
Red sighed. “Your mother and I have suffered your moping for long enough–”
“I’m not moping,” Eric said, realizing his lie as soon as he heard his own voice go up in pitch.
“You’re moping a little, sweetheart,” his mother said.
Eric shrugged, making sure not to meet his mother’s eyes, and took another bite from his piece of toast. If someone was able to catch him in a lie, it was his mother. “I’m fine. I sent out my college applications yesterday,” he said, schooling his expression and voice into something that he hoped could almost be mistaken for neutral.
“Good,” Kitty said, a little too quickly. “That’s good.”
“Tell me again why you’re choosing to major in history, of all things. I can tell you a thing or two about history, and–”
“Now, Red, don’t start this again,” Kitty said, an unmistakably strict warning in her voice. “We’re very proud that you’re going to college, Eric.”
A lie, Eric knew. If his mother had her way, he would never leave the house. If his father had his way, he would leave the house today, college or not. “Thanks, mom.”
“I hope you’re not looking forward to leaving us too much.” Kitty laughed and moved to pinch his cheek.
Eric narrowly avoided her hand and forced a smile on his face. Red gave him a dubious look, but returned his attention to the newspaper. “Don’t worry, mom. I’ll always miss Point Place.”
“Don’t miss it too much,” Red said.
“Yeah, I love you too, dad.” Eric smirked as his mother laughed again. Nope, he was definitely not ready to admit just how much he would miss this town, this house. And he was even less ready to admit how much he already missed what it had been.
“Nothing,” Eric said, which was just about right. He hadn’t heard back from any of the colleges, but it was not as if Hyde cared about any of that. “What about you? How’s work?”
“Just peachy.”
Eric wondered if he was supposed to respond to that. He had heard from his mother that the store hadn’t been doing too well – many of the smaller businesses in Point Place had been forced to close, and it was likely that Hyde’s would be one of the next to cave. “I haven’t seen you around for a while,” Eric said, if only to coax some more conversation out of this friend. To say he missed him, he supposed. There was no way he was outright confessing that. Hyde would punch him.
Hyde seemed to frown, but it was hard to tell. “In case you’d forgotten, I have to work for a living. Since, you know, I don’t live here anymore.”
Eric gestured at the beer in Hyde’s hand. “You sure act like you do.”
Hyde gulped down the remainder of the beer all at once and pushed himself up from the couch. “I should get back.”
“Wait,” Eric said, holding his hands up in the air, as if that was going to stop Hyde from moving. “That’s not what I meant. You’re always welcome here. I mean, you know my parents like you more than they like me.”
Hyde stilled, but didn’t sit back down. Instead, he threw the can in the trash and moved away from Eric, leaning against the washing machine. Something was [i]off[/i], but Eric couldn’t quite tell what.
“Have you seen any of–”
“No,” Hyde said, his voice clipped. His thumb was drumming on the edge of the washing machine, and if Eric didn’t know any better, he’d say that his friend was nervous. “What about you and Pinciotti?”
Eric huffed. “Lost cause. I’ve hardly spoken to her since I left, and she’s at college now, so, well… That’s that, I guess.”
“Your mom mentioned that you applied for college too.”
That’s when Eric realized just exactly what had been off – Hyde hadn’t looked at him once during their conversation. “Uh, yeah. I’ve applied for a couple. I doubt I’ll get in, though. My SATs were kind of bad.”
“You’ll get in,” Hyde said, his tone still unnervingly even.
Eric grabbed a candy wrapper from the table, and moved closer to the washing machine to throw it in the bin, missing spectacularly. “It’s odd to be here without everyone around, isn’t it?”
“You get used to it.”
“Hyde,” Eric said, “is something wrong?”
Hyde looked at him now, and Eric almost wished he hadn’t.
“Okay, so something is clearly wrong,” Eric said, crossing his arms in front of him in a not at all defensive gesture. “Are you going to tell me or are you going to leave me guessing? You know I’m a terrible guesser.”
For a moment Eric thought Hyde was going to storm out after all, but he seemed to grind his teeth together and mumble something.
“What?”
“You left, man,” Hyde said. “You were gone for like a year. And now you’re back, and you’re leaving again. That’s kind of crap.”
“Well, what did you think was going to happen after high school? I mean, you’ve got a job, don’t you? Fez has a job, Jackie has a job. Hell, even Kelso seems to have found something to do.”
“Kind of my point, Forman. Everyone’s always leaving.”
Eric narrowed his eyes. Hyde’s voice sounded almost… small? Eric moved closer to Hyde, sitting down on top of the dryer and trying to get a good look at Hyde’s eyes behind the glasses. “Are you high?”
“Whatever,” Hyde said, again in that clipped voice. “And I don’t, by the way.”
“You don’t what?”
“Have a job.”
“What?” Eric said. “What happened?”
“Store’s closing.” Hyde’s hands were balled into fists, and Eric had to stop himself from backing away slightly.
“What will you do?”
“Like I fucking know.” Hyde’s voice gained in volume. He reminded Eric of some of the snarling animals he’d sometimes see on National Geographic. “Get another job, I guess. I can’t lose the apartment.”
“Hyde, if you need help – I mean, I’m pretty sure we still have that spare bed.”
“I’m not asking your parents for help, Forman.”
“They’d–”
“No.”
“Jackie?”
“I won’t. She doesn’t deserve that.”
“Okay,” Eric said, studying the floor. He’d seen Hyde upset before, but those times were few and far between. And never like this. It seemed like he was angry at Eric, too, and he’d never been angry at him before. Never seriously, and never long. “They might not even take me, you know.”
“Don’t worry,” Hyde said. “Knowing my luck, they definitely will. They’ll accept you, just like they’ve accepted Donna, and I’ll just be stuck here.”
“You could come with me,” Eric said.
“Yeah, right.”
“I mean, what’s stopping you from applying? Your SATs weren’t terrible. If you think they’ll take me, they might as well take you too. I was told River Falls isn’t too picky.”
Hyde scoffed. “I’m a loser with no job and a criminal record. I’m not kidding myself, Forman. What would I even major in? And no, I’m not holding your hand through classes on the French revolution.”
Eric smiled. “And here I thought you had a soft spot for anarchy. You could go into politics. Corrupt the system from the inside.”
“A corrupt system is incorruptible.”
Eric wondered if he should put his hand on Hyde’s shoulder. In solidarity, of course. He kind of wanted to.
“I suppose I could get into chemistry. Make some class A psychedelics.”
Eric grinned. “You could. It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”
“Don’t have the money.”
“You could borrow some. I didn’t exactly get rich over the last year, but I have enough. I could help you out with the first semester, and we’ll figure it out from there.”
“Forman, you–”
“I miss it too, you know. All of us, here. And as much as that makes me want to get away from this place, I would also kind of prefer not to be alone.” Eric held his breath for a moment, waiting for a response that didn’t come. “Just think about it, okay? Didn’t you always want to get away from this place?”
“I did. I do. Especially now – I screwed up a lot last year, you know.”
“I–” He had heard, of course, but Hyde must know that. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
Hyde shook his head. “Don’t be mushy.”
“We’re growing soft in our old age,” Eric said, and he placed his hand on Hyde’s shoulder, making sure his touch was light and easy to swat away. Hyde left it there.
“You’ve always been soft.”
Eric smiled. “Just think about it, okay? It could be good.”
“I will, Forman. I will.”
Red looked up from the hood of the car, cleaning his hands on a rag. “Hey there, Steven. Want to lend a hand?”
“Sure.”
Red handed him a screwdriver and ducked back under the hood.
“What’s her issue? Engine being a bitch?”
Red nodded. “I’m changing the ignition coil.”
They worked in silence for a while, labeling the ignition cables and carefully disconnecting each cable from the coil.
“So,” Red eventually said, knowing that Kitty would have his hide if he didn’t at least try to put in some effort to make conversation. Eric had told him that Steven was freshly out of a job, and he would never admit it, but he worried about the kid. He knew what this kind of uncertainty was like. “How are things?”
Steven shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” He released the clip on the plug running into the side of the coil, using the screwdriver to pry the release up. “You got a wrench?”
“Sure.” He watched as the kid unscrewed the bolts and removed the coil from the engine bay. “Well, you could always become a car mechanic,” he said, thinking out loud.
Steven chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “Too many of those already in this country, aren’t there?”
“Too many of everything, if you ask me. It’s all big corporations these days.”
Steven hummed, and then returned his attention to the coil in his hand. “Where’s the new one?”
“Here you go,” Red said, taking the new coil out of the box. “Make sure to check the connectors.”
The kid held up the coils to catch better light. “Look the same to me.”
Red watched as Steven put the coil in place, getting it right on the first try. He had taught him well. He’d occasionally had his doubts about Steven over the years, which had fueled some arguments between him and Kitty, but he’d turned out all right. He was a good kid.
“Hey, Red?”
“Yeah?”
“If you had to go to college now, what major would you choose?”
Red frowned, thinking about his own high school period. He’d never gone to college – he’d gotten a job, and then there’d been a war to fight. That was how things went back then. It wasn’t so easy now, he knew that. “Not history, that’s for sure. Kitty is talking of Eric being a teacher, can you imagine that?”
“He might be,” Steven said. “At least he knows what he likes.”
“History, though.”
Steven shrugged. “It’s his money.”
“Can’t argue with that. He’s throwing it away, though.”
The kid didn’t respond, but instead clicked the ignition coil into place and plugged in the cables. “You should reconnect the battery, but then it’ll be good as new.”
“Thank you,” Red said. “If you’re thinking about going to college, you could choose something mechanical? Engineering, maybe?”
“I’m not,” Steven said.
“You’re an awful liar, Steven. And I’m not an idiot, no matter what Eric thinks. You could be good at engineering.”
“I don’t think I got the grades for that, Red,” Steven said.
“You’re a smart kid. If it’s advice you want, you know I’m not the one you should be asking.”
Steven smiled slightly at that. “Thank you, Red.”
“You’re welcome, Steven.”
“Did you have a good day, honey?” his mom asked, and she pushed a pan in his direction. “Potatoes need peeling.”
Eric took a potato from the pan and sighed. He’d been looking at job postings – just in case college wouldn’t work out – but hadn’t had much success. “It was okay.”
“Steven came by earlier today, you just missed him.”
“Oh?” Eric involuntarily sat up a bit straighter.
“He told me he applied for college.”
Eric dropped the potato. “What college?”
“River Falls,” Kitty said, barely concealing a smile.
“I – what major?”
“Oh,” Kitty said, “something with mechanics? Engineering? Maybe you’ll have to ask him yourself.”
“I will,” Eric said, dropping the potato back into the pan. “I – sorry, mom, uh–” He pointed his finger at the door.
“Oh, just go,” Kitty said. “Be back for dinner.”
“Yep.”
“Good,” Eric said. “That’s good. I’m glad.”
Hyde continued mopping the floor. “At least if this doesn’t work out, I can blame you.”
Eric laughed. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Red waved her concerns away. “Come on, Kitty. As if they’re going to cook here.”
“Dad’s got a point,” Eric said, inspecting the slightly greasy-looking couch before throwing himself on it.
“You’ve got to cook, honey,” his mother said. “You can’t live of junk food, it’s bad for you and then you’ll get get sick and–”
“I can cook, Mrs Forman,” Hyde said.
Eric raised his eyebrows. Not once in his life had he seen Hyde cook something. He’d baked brownies once. After that Eric had been diligent in keeping his friend as far away from the oven as possible, especially when his parents were around.
Hyde let his bag fall on the ground and sat down on the armrest of the couch, taking in the space.
“It’s not very – it’s not clean here,” Kitty said, visibly nearing distress.
“I’ve seen worse,” Hyde said.
“It’s college accommodation, mom, it was never going to be clean.”
Red put arm around his wife’s shoulder. “Kitty, they’ll be fine. They can clean, can’t you, boys?”
“Yes, sir,” Eric and Hyde said simultaneously.
“They’re not seventeen anymore. They’re men now. I mean, barely. But they’ll live.”
“I’m not worried they’ll die. I just want them to be healthy.”
“We’ll be fine, mom,” Eric said.
“All right, all right,” Kitty said, and she held out her arm. “Come on then, hug your mother goodbye.”
Eric pushed himself up from the couch and embraced his mother, who dragged Red into their family moment.
“That means you too, Steven,” Kitty said, still holding out her hand.
Hyde seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then stood up to join them, removing his glasses. Kitty gave his shoulder a tight squeeze, and Hyde put his arms around Eric and Kitty.
“I’ll miss you boys,” she said.
Eric looked at Hyde, whose eyes were closed and whose curls were tickling his neck. “We’ll miss you guys too.”
Hyde smiled and punched his arm. “Shut up, Forman.”
Summary: Eric Forman/Steven Hyde; in which Eric is making plans for the future, and Hyde isn't sure where that leaves him [post-S8].
Words: 3028
Good Times Bad Times
Things had been odd. No, things had been flat out weird. Ever since Eric had returned to Wisconsin, it seemed as if nothing was ever going to be the same again. While of course these things had started changing long before he left, the changes were somehow more evident now. Over the years, there had been two constants in his life: Donna and Hyde. Donna had been his girlfriend ever since he could imagine – he had imagined being with her since they started high school, just as he had imagined their wedding and their happily ever after. Now, he had never imagined marrying Hyde, but he had been pretty much around his entire life too. They’d met in kindergarten and had been friends long before he moved in with him. Hell, at some point they had even shared a bedroom. Naturally, he had also had Kelso, Fez, and perhaps even Jackie – but none had been so constant as Donna and Hyde. And now, it seemed, he had neither.It wasn’t that Donna and Hyde weren’t around at all. They were around occasionally. Hyde still hung out with his parents on the regular, and Donna came to the basement every now and then when she was visiting her parents. It just wasn’t the same. Donna wasn’t his girlfriend, and Hyde didn’t live with him. They had their own lives now. Donna went to college and Hyde had his work. If his mother’s reports from the last couple of months were anything to go by, neither of them was exactly flourishing, but at least they were doing something. And he? He had nothing. No job, no degree, and not even his friends to hang out with. He had sent out his college applications, but his SATs had not been great, and he wasn’t sure if any of them would accept him – he knew less about the application process than he probably should, but he knew he had very little to show for. So, it was just him and his parents at the breakfast table. Probably for the foreseeable future.
“Eric,” Red said, closing his newspaper in one swift motion, “you’re getting on my nerves.”
“I’m always getting on your nerves.”
Red sighed. “Your mother and I have suffered your moping for long enough–”
“I’m not moping,” Eric said, realizing his lie as soon as he heard his own voice go up in pitch.
“You’re moping a little, sweetheart,” his mother said.
Eric shrugged, making sure not to meet his mother’s eyes, and took another bite from his piece of toast. If someone was able to catch him in a lie, it was his mother. “I’m fine. I sent out my college applications yesterday,” he said, schooling his expression and voice into something that he hoped could almost be mistaken for neutral.
“Good,” Kitty said, a little too quickly. “That’s good.”
“Tell me again why you’re choosing to major in history, of all things. I can tell you a thing or two about history, and–”
“Now, Red, don’t start this again,” Kitty said, an unmistakably strict warning in her voice. “We’re very proud that you’re going to college, Eric.”
A lie, Eric knew. If his mother had her way, he would never leave the house. If his father had his way, he would leave the house today, college or not. “Thanks, mom.”
“I hope you’re not looking forward to leaving us too much.” Kitty laughed and moved to pinch his cheek.
Eric narrowly avoided her hand and forced a smile on his face. Red gave him a dubious look, but returned his attention to the newspaper. “Don’t worry, mom. I’ll always miss Point Place.”
“Don’t miss it too much,” Red said.
“Yeah, I love you too, dad.” Eric smirked as his mother laughed again. Nope, he was definitely not ready to admit just how much he would miss this town, this house. And he was even less ready to admit how much he already missed what it had been.
---
“What’s up?” Hyde asked, barely looking at him as he flopped down on the couch in Eric’s basement, cracking open a beer that may or may not have come from Red’s fridge. His hands had black smudges all over them, which meant he’d probably been helping Red in the garage.“Nothing,” Eric said, which was just about right. He hadn’t heard back from any of the colleges, but it was not as if Hyde cared about any of that. “What about you? How’s work?”
“Just peachy.”
Eric wondered if he was supposed to respond to that. He had heard from his mother that the store hadn’t been doing too well – many of the smaller businesses in Point Place had been forced to close, and it was likely that Hyde’s would be one of the next to cave. “I haven’t seen you around for a while,” Eric said, if only to coax some more conversation out of this friend. To say he missed him, he supposed. There was no way he was outright confessing that. Hyde would punch him.
Hyde seemed to frown, but it was hard to tell. “In case you’d forgotten, I have to work for a living. Since, you know, I don’t live here anymore.”
Eric gestured at the beer in Hyde’s hand. “You sure act like you do.”
Hyde gulped down the remainder of the beer all at once and pushed himself up from the couch. “I should get back.”
“Wait,” Eric said, holding his hands up in the air, as if that was going to stop Hyde from moving. “That’s not what I meant. You’re always welcome here. I mean, you know my parents like you more than they like me.”
Hyde stilled, but didn’t sit back down. Instead, he threw the can in the trash and moved away from Eric, leaning against the washing machine. Something was [i]off[/i], but Eric couldn’t quite tell what.
“Have you seen any of–”
“No,” Hyde said, his voice clipped. His thumb was drumming on the edge of the washing machine, and if Eric didn’t know any better, he’d say that his friend was nervous. “What about you and Pinciotti?”
Eric huffed. “Lost cause. I’ve hardly spoken to her since I left, and she’s at college now, so, well… That’s that, I guess.”
“Your mom mentioned that you applied for college too.”
That’s when Eric realized just exactly what had been off – Hyde hadn’t looked at him once during their conversation. “Uh, yeah. I’ve applied for a couple. I doubt I’ll get in, though. My SATs were kind of bad.”
“You’ll get in,” Hyde said, his tone still unnervingly even.
Eric grabbed a candy wrapper from the table, and moved closer to the washing machine to throw it in the bin, missing spectacularly. “It’s odd to be here without everyone around, isn’t it?”
“You get used to it.”
“Hyde,” Eric said, “is something wrong?”
Hyde looked at him now, and Eric almost wished he hadn’t.
“Okay, so something is clearly wrong,” Eric said, crossing his arms in front of him in a not at all defensive gesture. “Are you going to tell me or are you going to leave me guessing? You know I’m a terrible guesser.”
For a moment Eric thought Hyde was going to storm out after all, but he seemed to grind his teeth together and mumble something.
“What?”
“You left, man,” Hyde said. “You were gone for like a year. And now you’re back, and you’re leaving again. That’s kind of crap.”
“Well, what did you think was going to happen after high school? I mean, you’ve got a job, don’t you? Fez has a job, Jackie has a job. Hell, even Kelso seems to have found something to do.”
“Kind of my point, Forman. Everyone’s always leaving.”
Eric narrowed his eyes. Hyde’s voice sounded almost… small? Eric moved closer to Hyde, sitting down on top of the dryer and trying to get a good look at Hyde’s eyes behind the glasses. “Are you high?”
“Whatever,” Hyde said, again in that clipped voice. “And I don’t, by the way.”
“You don’t what?”
“Have a job.”
“What?” Eric said. “What happened?”
“Store’s closing.” Hyde’s hands were balled into fists, and Eric had to stop himself from backing away slightly.
“What will you do?”
“Like I fucking know.” Hyde’s voice gained in volume. He reminded Eric of some of the snarling animals he’d sometimes see on National Geographic. “Get another job, I guess. I can’t lose the apartment.”
“Hyde, if you need help – I mean, I’m pretty sure we still have that spare bed.”
“I’m not asking your parents for help, Forman.”
“They’d–”
“No.”
“Jackie?”
“I won’t. She doesn’t deserve that.”
“Okay,” Eric said, studying the floor. He’d seen Hyde upset before, but those times were few and far between. And never like this. It seemed like he was angry at Eric, too, and he’d never been angry at him before. Never seriously, and never long. “They might not even take me, you know.”
“Don’t worry,” Hyde said. “Knowing my luck, they definitely will. They’ll accept you, just like they’ve accepted Donna, and I’ll just be stuck here.”
“You could come with me,” Eric said.
“Yeah, right.”
“I mean, what’s stopping you from applying? Your SATs weren’t terrible. If you think they’ll take me, they might as well take you too. I was told River Falls isn’t too picky.”
Hyde scoffed. “I’m a loser with no job and a criminal record. I’m not kidding myself, Forman. What would I even major in? And no, I’m not holding your hand through classes on the French revolution.”
Eric smiled. “And here I thought you had a soft spot for anarchy. You could go into politics. Corrupt the system from the inside.”
“A corrupt system is incorruptible.”
Eric wondered if he should put his hand on Hyde’s shoulder. In solidarity, of course. He kind of wanted to.
“I suppose I could get into chemistry. Make some class A psychedelics.”
Eric grinned. “You could. It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”
“Don’t have the money.”
“You could borrow some. I didn’t exactly get rich over the last year, but I have enough. I could help you out with the first semester, and we’ll figure it out from there.”
“Forman, you–”
“I miss it too, you know. All of us, here. And as much as that makes me want to get away from this place, I would also kind of prefer not to be alone.” Eric held his breath for a moment, waiting for a response that didn’t come. “Just think about it, okay? Didn’t you always want to get away from this place?”
“I did. I do. Especially now – I screwed up a lot last year, you know.”
“I–” He had heard, of course, but Hyde must know that. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
Hyde shook his head. “Don’t be mushy.”
“We’re growing soft in our old age,” Eric said, and he placed his hand on Hyde’s shoulder, making sure his touch was light and easy to swat away. Hyde left it there.
“You’ve always been soft.”
Eric smiled. “Just think about it, okay? It could be good.”
“I will, Forman. I will.”
---
“Hey, Red.”Red looked up from the hood of the car, cleaning his hands on a rag. “Hey there, Steven. Want to lend a hand?”
“Sure.”
Red handed him a screwdriver and ducked back under the hood.
“What’s her issue? Engine being a bitch?”
Red nodded. “I’m changing the ignition coil.”
They worked in silence for a while, labeling the ignition cables and carefully disconnecting each cable from the coil.
“So,” Red eventually said, knowing that Kitty would have his hide if he didn’t at least try to put in some effort to make conversation. Eric had told him that Steven was freshly out of a job, and he would never admit it, but he worried about the kid. He knew what this kind of uncertainty was like. “How are things?”
Steven shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” He released the clip on the plug running into the side of the coil, using the screwdriver to pry the release up. “You got a wrench?”
“Sure.” He watched as the kid unscrewed the bolts and removed the coil from the engine bay. “Well, you could always become a car mechanic,” he said, thinking out loud.
Steven chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “Too many of those already in this country, aren’t there?”
“Too many of everything, if you ask me. It’s all big corporations these days.”
Steven hummed, and then returned his attention to the coil in his hand. “Where’s the new one?”
“Here you go,” Red said, taking the new coil out of the box. “Make sure to check the connectors.”
The kid held up the coils to catch better light. “Look the same to me.”
Red watched as Steven put the coil in place, getting it right on the first try. He had taught him well. He’d occasionally had his doubts about Steven over the years, which had fueled some arguments between him and Kitty, but he’d turned out all right. He was a good kid.
“Hey, Red?”
“Yeah?”
“If you had to go to college now, what major would you choose?”
Red frowned, thinking about his own high school period. He’d never gone to college – he’d gotten a job, and then there’d been a war to fight. That was how things went back then. It wasn’t so easy now, he knew that. “Not history, that’s for sure. Kitty is talking of Eric being a teacher, can you imagine that?”
“He might be,” Steven said. “At least he knows what he likes.”
“History, though.”
Steven shrugged. “It’s his money.”
“Can’t argue with that. He’s throwing it away, though.”
The kid didn’t respond, but instead clicked the ignition coil into place and plugged in the cables. “You should reconnect the battery, but then it’ll be good as new.”
“Thank you,” Red said. “If you’re thinking about going to college, you could choose something mechanical? Engineering, maybe?”
“I’m not,” Steven said.
“You’re an awful liar, Steven. And I’m not an idiot, no matter what Eric thinks. You could be good at engineering.”
“I don’t think I got the grades for that, Red,” Steven said.
“You’re a smart kid. If it’s advice you want, you know I’m not the one you should be asking.”
Steven smiled slightly at that. “Thank you, Red.”
“You’re welcome, Steven.”
---
It had been a week since their conversation in the basement. They hadn’t talked about it. Eric had looked up Hyde in the shop two days ago, and Hyde had come by yesterday – helping out with Red’s car, apparently, and helping Kitty out in the garden. Hyde hadn’t even greeted him. Eric wondered if he was still mad at him – he had seemed mad, during their conversation, and upset. With Hyde it was hard to tell. He had definitely been high too.“Did you have a good day, honey?” his mom asked, and she pushed a pan in his direction. “Potatoes need peeling.”
Eric took a potato from the pan and sighed. He’d been looking at job postings – just in case college wouldn’t work out – but hadn’t had much success. “It was okay.”
“Steven came by earlier today, you just missed him.”
“Oh?” Eric involuntarily sat up a bit straighter.
“He told me he applied for college.”
Eric dropped the potato. “What college?”
“River Falls,” Kitty said, barely concealing a smile.
“I – what major?”
“Oh,” Kitty said, “something with mechanics? Engineering? Maybe you’ll have to ask him yourself.”
“I will,” Eric said, dropping the potato back into the pan. “I – sorry, mom, uh–” He pointed his finger at the door.
“Oh, just go,” Kitty said. “Be back for dinner.”
---
“Mom said you applied.”“Yep.”
“Good,” Eric said. “That’s good. I’m glad.”
Hyde continued mopping the floor. “At least if this doesn’t work out, I can blame you.”
Eric laughed. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
---
“This doesn’t look safe,” Kitty said, inspecting the small stove. “Red, come take a look at this.”Red waved her concerns away. “Come on, Kitty. As if they’re going to cook here.”
“Dad’s got a point,” Eric said, inspecting the slightly greasy-looking couch before throwing himself on it.
“You’ve got to cook, honey,” his mother said. “You can’t live of junk food, it’s bad for you and then you’ll get get sick and–”
“I can cook, Mrs Forman,” Hyde said.
Eric raised his eyebrows. Not once in his life had he seen Hyde cook something. He’d baked brownies once. After that Eric had been diligent in keeping his friend as far away from the oven as possible, especially when his parents were around.
Hyde let his bag fall on the ground and sat down on the armrest of the couch, taking in the space.
“It’s not very – it’s not clean here,” Kitty said, visibly nearing distress.
“I’ve seen worse,” Hyde said.
“It’s college accommodation, mom, it was never going to be clean.”
Red put arm around his wife’s shoulder. “Kitty, they’ll be fine. They can clean, can’t you, boys?”
“Yes, sir,” Eric and Hyde said simultaneously.
“They’re not seventeen anymore. They’re men now. I mean, barely. But they’ll live.”
“I’m not worried they’ll die. I just want them to be healthy.”
“We’ll be fine, mom,” Eric said.
“All right, all right,” Kitty said, and she held out her arm. “Come on then, hug your mother goodbye.”
Eric pushed himself up from the couch and embraced his mother, who dragged Red into their family moment.
“That means you too, Steven,” Kitty said, still holding out her hand.
Hyde seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then stood up to join them, removing his glasses. Kitty gave his shoulder a tight squeeze, and Hyde put his arms around Eric and Kitty.
“I’ll miss you boys,” she said.
Eric looked at Hyde, whose eyes were closed and whose curls were tickling his neck. “We’ll miss you guys too.”
---
“So,” Eric said, once they were sitting on their slightly fungus-infested couch, “I told you things would work out.Hyde smiled and punched his arm. “Shut up, Forman.”
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