𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀 𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑬 - Steven Hyde

forty six

46|END OF SUMMER

Marigold stretched her limps above her head, bathing in the hot sun of California as she glanced at the ginger girl hiding in the shade beside her.

"So, did you manage to speak to Eric?" She questioned, pushing her sunglasses down her nose as she propped herself up on her arms. "Or are you frowning beside me because he had a new girl?"

"I sat beside the phone for three hours and he didn't phone back." Donna grumbled, folding her arms over her chest in frustration. "I thought he would want to talk to me?"

"He is probably busy." Goldie suggested, trying to calm down the upset girl. "Did you speak to Steven? Is he okay? What has he been up to?"

"I only spoke to Kitty." The ginger girl glanced at Goldie sympathetically, knowing the girl was still madly in love with Hyde.

"Where's Kelso and Annette?" She tried to change the conversation for both of them, wanting to cheer them both up.

"Spending their time with their tongues down each others throats." Donna cringed as she remembered what she had witnessed. "We won't see them for awhile."

The pair spent the next few hours on the beach, Marigold sunbathing with occasional breaks from the sun while Donna hid under a large umbrella, trying not to burn.

"Goldie!" Kelso cheered as he and Annette approached the pair. "Wow, you look hot."

"He's right." Annette agreed, admiring the girls tanned skin and revealing black bikini. "You look good, girl!"

"So do you." Goldie winked back at the blonde girl before lying back down on her towel. "I don't want to go back to Wisconsin."

"Stay here forever." Donna suggested, knowing that Goldie would return for her family. "You can find yourself a hot surfer boy."

"I know a few I can introduce you to." Annette offered, smiling over to the girl as her and Kelso sat beside the pair.

"Look, Annette, you're way more important to me than Jackie ever was." Kelso suddenly blurted out, begging the blonde girl to forgive him. "I mean, you're blonde, you're beautiful, you practically never wear a whole shirt."

"I'm sorry." Annette apologised to the boy with a flirtatious smile. "It's just the thought of you with somebody else got me really upset. I'm really upset."

"Which is why I propose we do something special and romantic." The boy suggested enthusiastically. "Let's do it!"

"Michael, I don't do that." She stopped him calmly. "I'm a virgin."

"What a coincidence!" Kelso saved himself from being a fool in front of the blonde girl. "Me too! So let's do it. Be first-timers, yeah."

"You know what, I'm going to go cool off." Annette smiled before standing up, grabbing Goldie and dragging her to the sea. "Is Kelso always like this?"

"You get used to him." Goldie reassured her, enjoying the cool water on her hot skin. "I promise he can be a sweetheart. Hell, he came all the to California so Donna wouldn't be by herself. I was a last minute addition."

"You're a sweet girl, Goldie." The blonde girl said gratefully, squeezing Goldie's arm. "Who is Donna running towards?"

Marigold spun around, spotting Donna run towards a figure that looked similar to Eric. It took her eyes a moment to focus, realising it was her cousin in California.

"Holy shit, that's my cousin." She left Annette and ran towards her cousin, pushing Donna out the way to hug him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's good to see you too, Goldie." Eric chuckled, embracing his cousin tightly as he missed her back home. "How is the sun?"

"Hot." Goldie grinned, pulling back before waving Kelso and Annette over. "Let's go get some cool drinks and get out of the sun."

"And then after Michael threw up, I told him, "you're not supposed to eat the plastic wrapping"." Annette explained the story of how her and Kelso met as everyone sat around the small café. "And that's how we met."

"Wow, that's like 'Love Story'." Eric said politely, quickly realising how dull Annette could be how and perfectly she fit with Kelso.

"Wow. I wish there was more to talk about." She smiled widely at them all before standing up to leave. "Bye."

"Would you look at her?" Kelso stared at Annette as she left with a hungry look. "She's so hot she could be a robot."

"A robot?" Donna questioned his word choice. "Whatever. Look, you have the van, and we want to go home."

"No, nuh-uh." He quickly shot her down. "I can't leave Annette. I love her."

"You don't love her." Eric shot his friend down, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You love parts of her." Goldie defended the boy.

"I mean, unlike Jackie, she believes in me." Kelso explained passionately causing Goldie to snort at his response. "Okay, I told Annette I want to be an astronaut and she said that she thought I could."

"To be fair, she said she wants to be a lady astronaut." Donna mumbled to Eric causing him and Goldie to snicker quietly.

"I mean, come on guys, give me a few hours." Kelso begged them. "Look, this girl is beautiful, and she believes in me. And if I can get her to put out, she'll be three out of three. But right now, she's only a two out of three. And I'm sorry but 50% just isn't going to cut it."