We're All Alright

Pilot

Point Place Wisconsin

May 17th, 1976

8:47 PM

The Forman's Basement

"Eric. It is time." Hyde said trying to get Eric to go along with his stupid plan. We were all gathered around the basement trying to get Eric to steal some beers for us. I was sitting next to Kelso on a couch that was much too small for all of us.

"Why don't you do it?" Eric asked terrified.

"It's your house." Hyde defended.

"Your house." Kelso repeated trying to encourage Eric.

"It's Teddy's house too!" Eric said trying to get me to do it.

"Eric, if I did this, then I would have to take your man card, but you see, you have to have a man card for me to be able to take it. This is how you earn that man card." I said while holding intense eye contact to let him know I was serious.

"BURN!" Kelso yelled and Hyde and Donna laughed, but Eric was still scared.

"Listen to them up there. The party has reached critical mass. In 10 minutes, there will be no more beer opportunities." Hyde said pointing upstairs referring to my parent's party with all the adults in the neighborhood. I rolled my eyes. Yeah, I wanted beer, but Eric was not the person to do it.

"If my dad catches me copping beers, he'll kill me." Eric said knowing our dad.

"I'm willing to take that risk." Hyde said slapping Eric on the knee.

"Don't worry about it. Just remain calm, keep moving." Kelso advised.

"And above all, don't get sucked into my dad's hair." Donna warned. Bob's new hair was an absolute nightmare. I saw it when I was hanging out with Donna last weekend and I couldn't stop staring at it.

"What's wrong with your dad's hair?" Eric asked confused.

"Eric, trust me, don't look at it." I said confirming Donna's earlier statement. 

"And, Eric, cold. Definitely cold." Hyde said getting up and grabbing Eric's face to let him know the importance of the statement. Eric nodded and headed upstairs to fulfill his mission.

"Do you think he'll be able to do it?" Kelso asked.

"I give him a fifty percent chance of getting caught by Red and having a foot up his ass." I said thinking about the consequences. Everyone nodded.

"Yeah, Forman doesn't have a chance. We should've sent you." Hyde said gesturing to me.

"If I did that, Eric would look to me to solve all his problems and I'm not up for a lifetime of Eric asking me to do stuff he's too scared to do because it would be everything." I said knowing his many many fears. We all sat in silence for a little bit waiting for Eric to return.

"Check it out." Hyde said showing Kelso a center fold playboy bunny.

"Teddy and I see that every day." Donna said looking at it over their shoulders. They both looked at us in awe. Then Eric jumped down the stairs holding a beer for each of us.

"He's alive!" Hyde yelled enthusiastically. 

"Good news. My dad is thinking of giving me the Vista Cruiser." Eric said handing out the beers.

"Dad said I would get the Cruiser when I was old enough." I said completely jealous.

"What? How is that possible? You're a year younger than me." Eric said confused.

"Yeah, but I'm also a year smarter than you, so." I said knowing that I'm a year younger and in their classes.

"You're getting a car?" Kelso asked putting a pull tab to our chain we started a while ago.