Tuesday's Gone - Steven Hyde

{17} The Good Son

The Forman family sat around the kitchen table in their usual seats with the addition of Hyde while Kitty happily danced around the kitchen, making everyone waffles for breakfast. Their mother momentarily stopped her dancing to place a plate of waffles in front of Hyde with a smile.

"Wow, thanks Mrs. Forman! You know, we never had waffles at my house. My mom always said that a waffle was a luxury, like pillow cases or not getting hit. Man, this is so cool!" Hyde thanked their mother with an excited smile, Bethany looking to her mother with concern at the curly haired boy's statement.

"Well, you're welcome Steven. See Eric, I told you I was cool!" Kitty replied, returning to the oven with a dance.

"Well, I think you're really cool, Mama. Don't listen to Eric." Bethany told her mother with a smile as she took a bite of her perfectly done waffles.

"Eric, did you tell your mother that she's not cool?" Red asked his son with his usual unimpressed expression.

Eric looked to his father with panic, quickly trying to think of an excuse "What? Well..."

"Well stop telling your mother that she's not cool!" Red quickly interrupted Eric, scolding him.

"Fine mom. You're super fly!" Eric told their mother, nodding slightly with an amused expression.

"Well, thanks kids... Steven would you like maple syrup or blueberry syrup?" Kitty asked the curly haired boy, holding up two bottles of syrup to offer him.

"You have syrup? Man, I love it here!" Hyde smiled at the Formans, taking a bite of his waffles as a satisfied look came across his face.

"Well, we love having you here, Steven. I'm so used to my brother's smart-ass comments, it's great to have someone that doesn't complain about every little thing!" Bethany told Hyde with amusement in her voice before turning to Eric, giving him a slight glare that both twins knew was in jest.

"Yeah, you're like the brother I never had. I mean, I have two sisters, but I hate one of them and the other is like really annoying so this is great!" Eric added, glaring back at his twin with an amused expression.

"I am not annoying! You take that back right now or I swear to God..." Bethany began, forever unable to just brush off her twins snarky comments.

"Alright you two, knock it off! Eric, after breakfast, I want you to rake the yard." Red interrupted his daughter, shaking his head at their petty argument.

"Rake? But Dad, I was gonna..." Eric began to make excuses for himself in an attempt to get out of his chores, something that clearly never worked but it wasn't for his lack of trying.

"I'll do it!" Hyde interjected with a smile, eager to show his appreciation.

Red nodded in satisfaction, a proud look across his face "Okay Steven!"

"Oh my God! I love my new brother!" Eric smiled in disbelief, taking a bite of his waffles.

~~~

Bethany and Hyde were sat alone at the kitchen table in comfortable silence, the girl was reading one of her favourite books, Carrie, for what felt like the hundredth time and yet, she never got bored of Stephen King's writing.

Kitty walked into the kitchen with a disappointed look across her face, holding Hyde's report card. Bethany and Hyde looked up as the girl put her book down, making eye contact with concern across both of their faces, knowing that the curly haired boy had failed his most recent Spanish test.

After a quick scolding from Kitty, mentioning that she was disappointed in Steven at least ten times, Bethany had somehow gotten roped into helping the curly haired boy study for the class. Spanish definitely wasn't Bethany's best subject but an A minus on her report card was enough for Kitty to believe that her daughter could help Hyde get his grades up.