𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀 𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑬 - Steven Hyde

twenty two

22|PENNY

Marigold lay bored across the sofa, her head resting on Fez's legs while the pair were watching Kelso state at himself in the mirror.

"Hey, guys, I'm thinking about getting a perm." Kelso stated as Hyde walked into the room. "Hyde, can I get the number of your guy."

"I don't have a "guy", dumb ass." Hyde snapped back while grabbing a magazine and sitting down in his usual chair. "This righteous moss is a gift from God."

"God gave me a perm, too, but he hit me below the belt." Fez smiled to himself.

"I'm just going to sit up now that you gestured to your crouch." Goldie said slowly, sitting up and shooting her boyfriend a glare as he grinned at her.

"What are you doing, Forman?" The frizzy haired boy questioned as Eric walked down the stairs with bright blue cleaning gloves and a bucket of cleaning supplies.

"My stupid cousin Penny from Florida is coming this weekend, so my mom's making me clean the basement." Eric explained to them all before spraying some air freshener and dumping it back into the bucket. "And I'm done."

"I hate Penny. She is such a whinny little bitch." Marigold spat, standing up to sit on the stool so her cousin could sit on the sofa.

"God, she was always such a tattletale. "Eric's stealing cookies", "Eric's playing with fire", "Eric's touching himself"." He impersonated while waving his hands dramatically. "You are so lucky you're not related to her."

"I know." She chuckled, leaning her body against Hyde's legs.

"Yeah, but Eric got her back." Kelso added, sitting down with the rest of them. "He hit her with the old Bengay on the toothbrush. And the over the shoulder wedgie. And the butt face gas attack."

"Butt face gas attack?" Fez asked, becoming intrigued by all these comebacks.

"I'll show you later."

"Thank you."

"Oh, Forman. My favourite was when you trapped her in the revolving door at the library and kept spinning her." Hyde laughed to himself.

"Yeah, she ralphed, and then she had to keep walking through the puddle." Kelso input while laughing. "Cause it's a revolving door. It spins in circles. That's it's nature. It just..."

"Damn, and I thought I was mean to her." Marigold shook her head with a grin. "I put printer ink in her shampoo when we were ten, I gave her bangs when we were five. Oh, and I told her boyfriend she got Chlamydia from his brother."

~•~

"Penny!" Kitty cheered excitedly as the blonde girl got out the car.

"Aunt Kitty." Penny happily accepted her aunt's embrace. "It's so good to see you."

"Oh, my gosh, you have grown so...things have....good for you." The older woman stammered as she tried to find the right words to say.

"And good for us." Hyde commented causing his girlfriend to throw her hand back into his stomach.

"Oh, jeez." Red groaned when he saw the four teenage boys and Marigold watching Penny.

"Penny." Eric greeted his cousin with surprise. "You're so shiny."

"I am just so excited you're here." Kitty turned the attention back to her as she beamed at her niece. "I have lots of free time these days, so I've gathered up some local foliage. And I thought we could have a long talk while we make our own potpourri!"

"Well, thanks, Aunt Kitty, but right now I'd just like to catch up with Eric." Penny smiled fakely at her aunt causing Goldie to roll her eyes and lean her back against Hyde's chest. "Find out how he got so foxy."

"Okay, you boys be nice. But not too nice." Red warned as he walked inside with Penny's bag and his wife.

"Look, Penny, I know your last trip here, I was kind of a jerk, and-" Eric tried to apologise but the girl cut him off.

"Oh, God, Eric, that was so long ago." She stopped him and waved it off. "Plus, I can't stay mad at you. You're too cute."

"Thank fuck!" Goldie cheered to herself as she saw Donna and Jackie arrive.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" Donna announced their arrival.

"Oh, hey, you remember my cousin Penny." Eric gestured to the blonde beside him.

"Hey, Penny. I didn't recognise you without Eric's butt in your face." The ginger laughed, earning an approving nudge from Jackie and Marigold.

"So, you guys ready for the movies? You can come, too." Jackie reminded the boys and sent a bored offer to Penny. "I guess."

"Thanks, but this Wisconsin air is so dry, I really should go inside and moisturise before I lose my tan." Penny replied politely.

"I have lotion." Fez stepped closer with a creepy smile and pulled a bottle of baby lotion from his pocket.

"I think the best plan is for all of us to go to the movies, except for me and Penny, who will stay here and moisturise each other." Hyde pushed forwards and stood beside the blonde, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Do that and I'll show you why the doctors call me unstable and murderous." Marigold narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend, the aura around her going dark as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Now take your hand off the blonde bimbo before I remove it myself."

"Sorry." He slowly moved away from Penny and back to his girlfriend, trying to get her to look at him.

"What? Screw that. I'm gonna moisturise, too." Kelso added causing his girlfriend to also glare at her boyfriend.

"Michael!"

"I'll just do, like, a leg or something." He stuttered but Jackie sent him another warning look. "Fine!"

"Come on. Let me show you to your room." Eric broke the strange silence and led his cousin away from the group of friends.

"You know I find it sexy when you're murderous." Hyde's eyes darkened as he grabbed his girlfriend's hand and led her to the basement.