Return To Point Place

The Call

November 10th, 1985
No one was ready for the news they would receive. Kitty called each member of the gang individually. She frankly wasn't sure who ended up with whom, so it was safer to call every single kid rather than depend on one telling the rest.

Red's heart condition was worsening. Kitty wasn't sure if he was able to overcome it. She missed her kids. Red's health continued to deplete, and she needed them now by her side more than ever.
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"Hyde, someone wants to talk to you!"

"Well tell em' I'm not home!"

"It's some woman named Kitty Forman!"

Steven sat in silence for a moment. Well I'll be damned he thought to himself. He hadn't heard any mention of the Formans since 1980. In February of the turn of the decade, his father decided Hyde was too good for the last Grooves he allowed his son to operate. After selling his chain of record stores, Mr. Barnett decided to dive into music production. He built his own studio up in New York and asked Hyde to be his right-hand man. At first, the thought of leaving Point Place was unimaginable. It was his home. The Formans were his home. But the moment Red heard the news, he packed up Steven's bags and told him to scram. During his moving process, Red remained his cold, proud self, but when it was time to say goodbye, he saw tears forming in Red's eyes.

Now Steven was here, in New York, sleeping with some broad whose name he can't seem to put his finger on. He picked the chick up the other night at a bar. She was easy enough at the time, only now she didn't seem to get that she had overstayed her welcome. On the contrary, she seemed pretty comfy, even answered his home phone without blinking.

He got up and out of bed and headed to the phone. The light shining in from the windows hurt his eyes. It was about 9:00 am in New York, which meant it was 8:00 am in Wisconsin. Inside he was a little nervous, but then again it was Mrs. Forman on the phone, probably just missed him. Then why hadn't she called in the past five years?

The girl handed him the phone and skipped to the bedroom. Now seeing her up close in his sobriety, he realized she was much less enchanting and a bit on the fatter side.

"Hey, Mrs. Forman, this is Hyde."

"Oh Steven! Haha! It is so nice to hear your voice!"

"So why'd you call, Mrs. Forman?"

"Well aren't you blunt. You haven't changed a bit."

"I'm still me, Mrs. Forman." He began to smile. Kitty's voice made him feel at home. Why haven't I called her before?

"Well, dear... I don't know how to put this... but Red isn't doing too well." Her voice fell a bit.

As Kitty explained, his heart dropped.

"So, it would mean a lot to Red and I if you'd come home for a bit. Maybe..." her voice faltered "maybe say goodbye."

His chest felt heavy. "Yeah Mrs. Forman, of course. I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Steven." She hung up. He couldn't believe that conversation.

"Hyde!" She called in a sing-song voice "You know, I don't believe your first name is Hyde. Nobody's first name is Hyde-"