𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀 𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑬 - Steven Hyde

thirty nine

39|LESLIE CANNON

Marigold sat exhaustedly by the backdoor with Eric and Fez, Hyde sat above her on a chair. She spread her legs out, leaning back against Hyde's legs as they discussed the girls in their year.

"Hey, guess who is dropping Jackie off here after cheerleading practice?" Kelso bound over to them, breathing heavy as he tried to calm down from running. "Leslie Cannon."

"Ah, Leslie Cannon." Fez sighed happily as he thought about the girl in subject. "Nickname: The Cannon. Why? Because she always shoots Eric down."

"Seriously?" Goldie laughed, rasing a brow at her cousin. "You kept asking after she said no."

"Man, you were so in love with her." Hyde chuckled to himself. "Remember in the seventh grade when she asked you your name and you got all panicky and said, "uh-bluh"?"

"Yeah, and then she called you "Uh-bluh" for, like, the next two years." Kelso added while Goldie was trying to catch her breath from laughing at her cousins misery. "That was awesome!"

"I still don't see why we have to spend the night." Red complained as he walked out the backdoor with bags in his hands, Kitty on his heels. "It only took me thirty minutes to get caught up with everyone at my high school reunion."

"Oh, well, standing in the corner muttering "dumbass" at everyone doesn't count as getting caught up." Kitty explained to him. "I can't wait to see some dear, old girlfriends. Like the Miller twins. God, I hope they're fat."

"They could never hold a candle to your beauty." Goldie yelled over to her aunt, sending the older woman finger guns as Kitty thanked her.

"Oh crap." Red cursed as he tried to close the boot of his car. "There's no way that all these bags are gonna fit in here. Oh, geez, I was really looking forward to taking this baby out on the highway. Well, we'll just have to take two cars."

"No, we'll take the Toyota." Kitty stopped him before gasping with excitement. "I can bring another dress. Shows a little more leg so Stuart McDaniel can see what he missed out on."

"A gorgeous woman with amazing cooking!" Marigold continued to yell her encouraging words.

"Oh, hey, you guys." Eric quickly rised up from his seat. "Here come Leslie. How's my hair?"

"It's a little messy." Hyde ruffled his friends hair.

"Kinda styled like a closeted gay." Goldie commented as she followed the boys down the driveway.

"Hey, it's Uh-bluh!" Leslie Cannon said with her squeaky voice.

"Yeah, um, I'm going by Eric now." Eric said awkwardly, flushing under the girls curious stare.

"She doesn't care what your name is, Eric." Jackie snapped at the boy. "She's a cheerleader."

"Wow, this car is so hot!" Leslie circled Reds car, admiring it.

"Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking." Hyde mumbled to Kelso as the two boys checked out the blonde.

"Really?" Kelso grinned to himself. "'Cause I was thinking she was hot."

"Careful." Goldie said, her voice icy and eyes narrow as she folded her arms over her chest. "I don't share."

"Sorry." Hyde guiltily wrapped his arm over his girlfriends shoulder, pulling her in close.

"Plus, I could totally bang that faster than you two combined." She smirked to herself, cuddling into his side.

"Hey, mama." Fez said creepily from behind the blonde girl, his flirtatious expression looking murderous.

"So, uh, whose car is this?" Leslie asked, ignoring Fez's ogling looks.

"Oh, uh, it's my dad's-" Eric began to inform her before cutting himself off as Kelso kicked his ankle with warning. "Tough luck that it's mine."

"So, what kind of engine is in this thing?"

"Oh, well, it's, uh, it's a multi-purpose, 200." He stumbled over his words making Hyde and Goldie laugh amongst themselves. "That's, uh, twice as powerful as the 100."

"You know what?" Leslie smiled at him flirtatiously. "I think you should take me for a drive tonight."

"Are you talking to me? Yeah, no." Eric said after a long pause. "Sure, yeah, no, shut up. Yes, it's my car. Sure."

"Pick me up at seven."

"Okay."

"Nice one!" Goldie raised her hand for a high five but Eric ignored her, in shock from what just happened. Fez happily slapped his hand against hers.

"Oh, my God." Eric stared blankly at where the girl just stood, watching her leave his driveway. "What have I done?"

"Well, you're using your dad's dream car to get with a totally hot chick who would otherwise never date you." Hyde explained to him simply.

"When you put it like that, it just sounds right." Eric rushed out, still thinking over everything.

"Hey, we still up for napping?" Goldie nudged Hyde, wanting to catch up on sleep after being kept up all night.

"Always." Hyde wrapped his arm around her waist, taking her down to the basement. He lay down on the sofa before she crawled on top, cuddling into his chest like a cat. "Have you always been this adorable?"

"You're only just noticing?" She giggled, twirling his hair with her fingers. "Shame on you."