𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀 𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑬 - Steven Hyde

six

6|THE STORY

Marigold followed the two boys in The Hub, spotting Fez and Eric sat at a table.

"Well, if it isn't Playboy reading, panty loving, cat killing Derek." Hyde greeted the pair, putting down the school newspaper.

"I know. How could Donna write this?" Eric questioned, staring at the paper with disdain.

"Why are you upset? It's this Derek guy who really gets the shaft." Fez gestured to the newspaper.

"Fez, I am Derek." Eric informed the clueless boy.

"Everything always has to be about you." The foreign boy complained, sending Eric a sassy look.

"Well I like it and hope she continues writing." Marigold smiled to her cousin. "She really captured your egotistical attitude perfectly."

"Fez, man, think about it." Hyde interrupted Eric before he could snap back at his cousin. "Eric killed Donna's cat. Derek killed Wanda's cat. Donna found panties in Eric's Vista Cruiser. Wanda found a chastity belt in Derek's Vista Carriage."

"Hey, you guys, you know what goes really good with a bad short story?" Kelso ran over from the pinball machine. "Pinball!"

"No. I hate pinball." Eric shook his head at the boy.

"Hate it or love it?" Kelso quizzed him with a grin.

"Hate it." The boy answered truthfully with a straight face causing Kelso to continue with a "or love it?". Goldie leaned back in her chair, getting annoyed with the tall boys constant controlling nature.

"I'm going to go get some fries." She stood up suddenly before anyone could say anything else.

"Here." Hyde passed her a dollar bill and watched her walk away. Marigold waited by the food area, staring at the boys with pursed lips. She missed being a shut in and was questioning if she wanted to go back to hiding in her room.

"Here." The boy behind the counter passed her the tray of fries and a piece of paper. "Call me, maybe we can go on a date or something."

"That's really sweet but I have a boyfriend." She awkwardly grabbed her fries and tried to walk away but he stopped her.

"Who?"

"The one with the frizzy hair." She nodded and quickly paced back to the boys. "Hyde, kiss me."

"What?" All four boys and Jackie who had appeared asked together, staring at the girl with shock.

"The guy at the counter want to go on a date with me and I don't think he believes me when I said I had a boyfriend." Goldie rambled quickly, putting her fries down as she sat down. "So kiss me."

"Happily."

"Don't kiss my cousin, man." Eric snapped but his words fell short as Hyde cupped the girls face and passionately kissed her in front of everyone.

"I owe you one." She laughed as they pulled away, a grin playing on her lips.

"I can think of a way." His hand grabbed her thigh suggestively.

"Stop it." Eric grabbed his cousins wrist and pulled her to sit beside him.

"Prude." Marigold mumbled before digging into her fries, slapping Hydes hand everytime he tried to steal one.

"Wait a minute." Fez suddenly spoke up after Kelso and Jackie had walked away. "Eric, Derek. Panties, chastity belt. Dead cat, dead cat. Ohhh! I still got nothing."

"Donna wrote the story about her relationship with Eric but changed the time period and names." Goldie spelled out to the boy, shovelling the rest of the fries into her mouth.

"Nope, nothing." The foreign boy shook his head.

"How about we go kiss again?" Hyde suggested, winking at the blushing girl. "Or maybe piss off your cousin even more?"

"I'd love to but I can see steam coming out his ears so maybe later." She winked back as Eric grabbed her upper arm to stop her from leaving.

"No later. Never a later." Eric stated with annoyance, glaring at his best friend.

"Then how about we go back to the basement so you can get all emotional and talk to Donna about her story." Marigold suggested, standing up with his keys wrapped around her finger.

Marigold rushed down the basement stairs to join the others after going to the toilet, already hearing Donna and Eric arguing over the story. She sat down cross legged on her favourite stool beside Hyde to watch their conversation.

"Oh, my God! Great story!" Jackie burst through the door and complimented the ginger girl.

"See! Dumb high school girls." Goldie said loudly and gestured to the grinning brunette.