???????? ??? ??? ????? ? s. hyde ?

?THIRTY-SIX?

"Hyde, don't think you're fooling me. You don't get caught."

"Look, I don't want to talk about it, okay?" he grunts.

"Steven-"

"I said I don't want to talk about it. I'm going to the Hub."

♜

"God, this sucks!" Eric groans as Hyde folds some clothes on the couch. "I can't believe Red's kicking you out. I mean, I'm sorry, but where are you supposed to go?"

"Steven, if you want to stay at my place I really don't mind. I have extra rooms-"

"No, thanks," he says quietly.

I lower my voice. "I know that things are awkward between us, but I don't care. You need a place to stay."

"Princess, it's fine. Red said he doesn't want it near him, anyway. I'll just go to the FotoHut. I'll sleep on the floor, we've got a hose out back. Mrs. Forman made me a sandwich."

Fez timidly hands a half-eaten sandwich back to him.

"Man, this is so wrong!" Eric rambles. "Look, I'm not going to let you get kicked out for something that we all do."

"Hey, don't go dragging me into this," Kelso pipes up.

"I'm going to tell Red that I do it, too."

"No!" we chorus.

"Have you suddenly become the stupidest man ever?" Donna scolds. "I mean, is Kelso no longer the reigning king?"

"Oh, I'm the king," the brunette says proudly.

"No, this can work!" Eric explains. "If I tell Red, then he's going to be a hypocrite for kicking you out and not making me go with him! Because he can't kick me out, 'cause, you know, deep down, he loves me!"

I raise my eyebrows. "Eric, he's been looking for reasons to kick you out."

"Look, Forman," Hyde sighs, "I appreciate what you're trying to do, you know, but you getting in trouble is not going to help me get out of trouble, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay. Everybody just stop worrying, alright? I'll be fine."

"Yes, it will be good for you in the FotoHut," Fez jokes. "Maybe it will help you develop some character. Get it? Develop?"

"Not now, Fezzie," I say when no one laughs.

♜

Donna and I share a look as we sit on the front steps of the Formans' home, watching Jackie hum and doodle on a notepad.

"Okay, what are you writing?" my redheaded friend says, snatching the pad from her.

I peer over and wrinkle my nose. "Jackie and Steven Hyde. Mrs. Jackie Hyde. Okay, Dr. and Mrs. Steven Hyde?"

"What's going on?"

"Okay," she grins. "Steven and I are in love."

"You do know that he once compared you to a tick, right?"

"Oh, really? Well, if he thinks I'm such a tick, why did he tell the cops the bag was his when it was actually mine?"

I immediately tense and clench my fists. "Are you telling me that bag was yours?" I hiss.

"Yeah!" she beams. "He went to jail for it! Isn't that fabulous?"

"No, Jackie, it's not!"

"You're the reason this whole mess happened!" Donna snaps.