Little Forman//That '70s Show• Steven Hyde•

Symptom of the Universe

The first place I stopped was somewhere in Minnesota. I had gotten a motel room for the night. I know I was supposed to call Eric, but there was the chance that Kitty or Red would of answered, so I didn't.

*****

Point Place, Wisconsin
The Formans Basement
Tuesday, 4:30 pm

(Narrator-no ones pov)

Janie was in Minnesota, finding whatever she needed to find and hoping to find herself along the way. Her friends, and her brother were all in the basement.

"Where's Janie?" Fez asked Eric. Eric took it as his chance to tell them. "Hey, uhm, guys I have to tell you something." Eric said. Donna looked at him, she already knew. "What is it Forman?" Hyde questioned. "Listen um my sister ran away, and she seemed very adamant about not coming back." He said.

"Well that sounds like a Laurie thing to do."
Hyde said. " "Yeah accept it wasn't Laurie, it was Janie." Eric said. "Well do we know why or where?" Hyde asked confused, a small part of him worried. "She said that Point Place was her personal hell, that Point Place isn't exactly paradise for the burnouts or the weirdos." Eric said quoting his sister.

"There's another reason..." Donna said. "You spoke to her?" Eric asked. "Yeah I saw her leave last night. I was sitting outside because my parents were fighting. "It's not just Point Place that made her leave." She explained.

"Well then what else made her leave?" Fez asked. "She saw the guy she likes, kiss someone in the basement." She said, trying to not give to much information away. It was around the same time that Jackie caught Kelso with Laurie." She said staring at Hyde.

"Who is it?" Kelso asked. Donna looked at him. "Two friends of Janie's we don't really know." She told them. No one knew what to say, one of their best friends left and they didn't know if they'd see her again.

Eventually everyone went home. Hyde stayed in the basement, feeling like crap and trying to understand what the hell happened.

Eric was at the dinner table. "Where's Janie?" Kitty asked him. He shrugged. "I don't know Mom." He said. Red put down the newspaper and looked at Eric. "You're lying." He said. "Whaaaat, psh, no I'm not." Eric said. Kitty and Red stared at him. He cracked under the pressure.

"Alright fine! She ran away last night. She hopped on a greyhound bus and I don't know where she is." He blurted out. "What!" Kitty and Red asked with worried faces.

"Ah crap." Eric said.

*****

Somewhere in Minnesota
A motel
Tuesday, 10:20 pm

(Janie's pov)
I was in my motel room, laying on my bed in complete silence. I couldn't get the image of Steven and Jackie out of my head. I decided to go to sleep.

I know Hyde doesn't know that I like him, so It's not entirely his fault, but why Jackie? She was a self righteous bitch. Eventually, I fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning, it was 8 something.

I changed my clothes, grabbed my bags and left, walking to the nearest bus station and on to the next stop.

*****

Point Place, Wisconsin
School
8:25 am

(Hyde's pov)

I didn't know Janie liked me. She was gone, and none of us know if and when she's coming back. God, I shouldn't of let Jackie kiss me. Forman said that she wasn't coming back, I hoped that wasn't true. She was my best friend and understood the things I did. I was teaching her how to be a burnout.

We have to find Janie.

"Steven, where's Janie?" The teacher asked. I looked at her. "I don't know man." I answered. "I find that hard to believe you two are always with one another." She said. I sighed. "Listen lady, I don't know where Janie is, none of us do." I said.

"Well, what happened?" She asked. I hated that we had this class with Kelso. "Yeah, she ran away, man, like poof!" He said from the back of the room. I looked at him and shook my head. There'd be even more rumors about Janie now.

Later after school, we went to the Formans basement, figuring out what we were going to do.

*****

Des Moines, Iowa
A motel
12:40 pm

The bus took me to Iowa. I checked into another motel. I'd be gone again to somewhere new in the morning. I reached my room and decided to take a shower.

I was only gone two days, but I missed Eric, I missed Donna, I missed Fez, I missed Kelso, I even missed Kitty and Red. But who I missed now more than any of them, Hyde. He was half of the reason I ran away, but Point Place, Jesus that place was hell.

After my shower, I changed my clothes and grabbed my bag. I should see what this place has to offer. I've only ever known Point Place, and I needed something different, I needed something better.

I explored the streets, the town, the city until it got dark out. It looked like Point Place and I was disappointed. I grabbed something to eat and then went back to the motel.

I left Point Place April 29th at 1 something in the morning and it was now May 1st at 6:30 at night. I did and I didn't want to go back, but at some point, I'd have to, they'll think I died or something.

One more month. June 1st, I'll go back, that should be enough time. I knew it wasn't, but I hoped that this time away from Point Place, Hyde, and all the rumors, I'd loose interest in Hyde and the people in town and at school, would lose interest in me.

It was stupid, but hey, there's a lot of symptoms of the universe, and this whole ordeal sure as hell better be one of them, because if it's not, I might as well not go back to Point Place at all.