༻✿༺
Not unexpectedly to Sabrina, upon her coming back, Kelso had disappeared, taking Fez along with him. When she notes that the rest of the boys are nowhere to be found as well, she concludes that they've started up the circle and are currently high off their asses. She doesn't bother to scold him right away, getting started instead on painting the van.
About half an hour or so passes before Donna and Jackie join her to keep her company, settling themselves at the end of the cargo area, their legs dangling off the edge. Most of the time, it had been them making most of the conversation, while Sabrina throws in occasional comments due to being too distracted focusing. Even so, she's glad she has them to listen to, for it's what keeps her entertained, aside from the faint melody flowing around from the radio.
"So," Donna starts when Sabrina decides to take a break, watching her make her way to the front and over to them, having a sip of some water, "I think this van could be pretty nice after this work you're doing, Sab."
"You know what, I'm glad he got it," Jackie admits. "At least it's a step towards responsibility. Maybe Michael's maturing."
Donna isn't confident about the possibility. "Yeah, hang onto that dream, Jackie."
Sabrina fiddles with her paint roller, tentatively adding, "Honestly, he's kinda growing up, Donna. I mean, yeah, there's quite a way to go, but he's starting to get there. You should be proud of him, like we are."
The redhead ponders over this shortly, and then smirks, deciding to take the blonde's word for it. "Alright. Maybe I'm a little proud."
"I'm so proud of him that, if I weren't already sleeping with him, I'd sleep with him," Jackie expresses with a grin.
Sabrina purses her lips awkwardly, figuring Jackie's words would encourage her into a conversation about their relationship, or something related to that, so she opts to change the subject. "Hey, so, before I drag Michael out here by his ear for ditching me to get high so soon, what do you guys say about helping out for a little bit? It'll definitely speed up the process."
Donna shrugs, barely thinking twice about it. "Sure." She stands up, a playful smile appearing on her lips. "Could be pretty fun, too."
"No way!" Jackie protests, giving the somewhat loose-fitting attire Sabrina's wearing a repelled once-over. "I do not want my clothes all dirty like yours!"
Sabrina tilts her head at her, though not surprised by her remarks at this point. "They aren't dirty. It's just paint, and I wear these specifically for when I'll inevitably get paint on me, so . . . I'll let you borrow another set and your clothes won't suffer, princess."
She shakes her head fervently. "Uh-uh. People cannot see me in baggy. Too much baggy is not my style."
Sabrina produces a sugary sweet smile. "Good thing the neighbourhood is completely clear of neighbours, then."
Donna nods, grabbing onto her arm to tug her up on her feet. "Come on, get your ass up and join in the fun for once. Plus, this benefits you as well, you know?"
Jackie hums, thinking it over. "That's true." The girls await her answer, and she swings her arms in agreement at long last. "Eh, fine, I'll do it. Let's get our dirty clothes on!"
As the girl merrily trods towards the kitchen, Sabrina steps forward to correct her for a second time. "Jackie, they—"
"Just let it go," Donna soothes, placing an arm around her shoulder, which prompts her to let out a deep breath. "It'll only go in one ear and out the other."
✰
Having done enough for the day, Sabrina showers late that evening, and finds her way down to the kitchen table, joining Hyde, Eric, and Fez who, due to boredom, had taken to playing cards. Not long after her arrival, the phone begins ringing, and Kitty runs over to it, listening to somebody on the other end of the line.
"Thank you for calling, Amy. Yeah, bye." She puts down the handle to end the call, making her way back to the laundry basket. "Eric, Sabrina, either or both of you have to go pick your father up at Charlie's Bar."
The siblings exchange an amused look, one Eric also directs to his mother as he asks, "Oh, is he drunk?"
Kitty visibly freezes in place for a second, but regardless of the fact that she knows her children aren't that clueless, she goes on to lie. "No. He's not drunk. He's — He's not feeling well."
This time Hyde glances up with an unconvinced look. "Red's drunk," he concludes.
He abandons his set of cards on the table, as do Sabrina and Eric, deciding to join them in case Red's inebriated state allows him to be lenient with them drinking alcohol along with him.
"He is not. He is just — he's not feeling well," Kitty reiterates stubbornly.
Sabrina fetches the keys from the counter, motioning with her head to the boy who's still sitting down, unsure if they'd like him to go with them. She reaches out her hand. "Fez, let's go. Dad's drunk."
A contented grin forms on his face as he takes it, and Sabrina pulls him through the sliding glass door of the kitchen, trailing behind Eric and Hyde.
"He is not drunk. He is not feeling well!" Kitty insists, even though her words clearly don't sway them in the slightest.
The drive to Charlie's Bar is short, seeing as it's not far from their house. Upon entering, the group is greeted with a gloomy atmosphere, and dimmed lights. Ahead of them, they spot Red sat at the bar with a few of his colleagues, chatting away merrily. Unlike usual, where he'd grumble and do his best to avoid everyone. Eric and Sabrina share a look. Yep, he's definitely drunk.
"Hey." Hyde's casual greeting as they approach has Red turning sluggishly to find the source.
"Hey, hey!" He slurs. "The gang's all here." Everyone crowds around him, taking a seat. Fez ends up next to him, and Red squeezes his shoulder with a joyous smile plastered on his face. "How you doin', Fez?
Fez's eyes light up. "Oh, my God. He knows my name."
Sabrina chuckles from beside him, leaning into his shoulder to speak to him in a hushed tone. "He knows a lot about you guys, he just pretends he doesn't so you don't think that he cares about you."
A look of comprehension overtakes him, though he also seems rather satisfied with the information. "Ah, that sounds like Red, but it is amazing news!"
"Hey, are those sideburns?" His colleague, Amy, gestures to Hyde's hair. It's evident she's intoxicated, too, but not as much as Red is.
"Since eighth grade," he replies nonchalantly, snacking on some peanuts ahead of him.
Red waves an arm in the air loosely. "Hey, bring these guys a beer."
"No, Dad," Eric refuses swiftly, wedging himself between his father and Fez. "Sab and I are supposed to take you home. Mom said so."
It takes Red a moment to swivel and face them. When he does, Sabrina suppresses a laugh at his slow state, enjoying seeing this loose side of him, and merely waves at him. Unexpectedly, he waves back, and this time she can't help the laugh that bubbles out of her.
He smiles along with her, but soon gets back to addressing her brother's statement. "Normally, you two do what your mother says." Red speaks with each word elongated drunkenly, his arm clutching the nape of Eric's neck securely. "Sometimes, you know . . . Eric's a dumbass."
Eric stares at him blankly, though he's evidently offended. "Just me?"
Red doesn't miss a single beat before answering. "Just you, son. But mostly, you're a good kid. Both of you are."
He nods. "Thank you, sir."
Red leans to the side to meet Sabrina's gaze, adding, "You're great, sweetheart."
She smiles affectionately. "Thanks, Dad."
A frown overtakes him seconds after. "But this is my last day of work . . . and I didn't get a party. I didn't get a gold watch, and I didn't get crap. So . . ." He pokes Eric's chest with a smirk. "Let's drink!"
And drink they do. Heaps, in fact. It comes as no surprise that a bunch of empty beer mugs later, Red isn't the only one exhibiting sluggish movements, a slow speech, and uncharacteristic behaviour.
Eric and Sabrina decide they should ring their mother. After all, they're no longer in a stable enough position to be bringing anyone back home, as they themselves need to be picked up. Quite possibly dragged out of here as well, in Sabrina's case, as she fears that if she attempts to stand up, the already swirling room will continue to swirl, and she'll barely be able to keep herself standing, resulting in another drunken bruise added to the many she'd received before.
While Eric and Sabrina are busy fighting over who gets to hold the phone handle, trying to snatch it from each other, Kitty's voice sounds from the other end. "Hello?"
"Hello, mother," they respond in unison with a sophisticated tone, having decided to grip the handle each in between them.
"Hello, mother!" The remainder of the company choruses.
Eric goes on. "This is your son, Eric."
The blonde is fast to follow along. "And your daughter, Sabrina."
Her brother hums in confirmation. "We are not feeling well."
"I'm afraid the majority of us may be on the verge of a blackout," Sabrina informs her further, and Eric dips his head fervently, but soon realises it's a bad idea, trying to blink the room back into focus.
There's a pause on the other side. Before abruptly cutting the call, Kitty defeatedly mutters, "I'll be right there."
✰
"You know, that really hurt," Kelso complains, patting his slightly reddened ear.
It's early the next morning, and the two of them are sitting on the cargo area of the van by the door, conversing about his dismissive behaviour after a session of painting. Considering she was still nursing a hangover from the previous night, Sabrina had been particularly irritable. So, when she came outside to paint the van bright and early and realised Kelso isn't here to help her again but in the basement with the guys instead, her crankiness manifested into a physical reaction. She marched in there and dragged the boy all the way out here by his ear.
"Well, you deserved it." She shrugs, swinging her leg over the edge absentmindedly. "Ditched me the whole day yesterday. Even though I did get distracted for most of last night getting drunk."
At the remembrance of that, a smirk quickly replaces the frown on Kelso's face. "Red allowing you to get drunk. Now that I can't imagine."
Not amused, she smacks his arm lightly. "Seriously, you said you'd help me! This is your van."
"I'm helping you now, aren't I?" He replies, pretending to pat the spot she hit. Sabrina merely huffs, crossing her arms, and tilting herself away. Kelso notes her purposeful avoidance of his gaze. He nudges her. "Oh, come on. You can't stay mad at me forever."
She releases a scoff. "I totally can."
"Please, all I have to do is look at you with puppy eyes. Like this." He slants forward and blinks up at her.
She pushes his face away, trying to suppress a laugh. "That doesn't always work!"
"It worked right now," he states confidently. "You're smiling."
"Shut up!" She smears roller paint on his sleeve.
His eyes widen at the smear, and when they meet hers, they gleam dangerously. "Oh, you're so dead!"
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, a sudden yelp from nearby catches Red's attention, who had been helping Kitty with things she needed for cooking. He makes his way to the counter, watching his daughter being chased by Kelso until he manages to seize her by the front belt loop of her jeans, tugging her back. She lets out protests as he successfully drags the paint roller across her shirt, but she's laughing effulgently nonetheless.
A skeptic expression forms on his face. The scene in front of him brings him back to the day that she and Kelso met, back when they were little kids. Red had gone to pick her up from school, and witnessed how Kelso had accidentally knocked her into a puddle in front of her classmates, and then, embarrassed by being all dirtied, she seized him, wrestling him until he was engulfed in just as much mud as her. Ever since then, he figured they'd been more frenemies than anything else. Now, she's wasting her time painting his van for him. He's never noticed that their friendship seems to have blossomed over the years.
"Have these two always been this close?"
Kitty walks up behind him, following his line of sight. A fond grin graces her features when she sees them messing around. "Ah, yes. You know, I've always thought they'd be adorable together, but they always keep insisting they're just best friends."
"And they'll stay that way," Red declares strictly, a scowl on his face. "My daughter deserves better than that boy."
Kitty looks up at him in an unimpressed manner. "Red, in your eyes, no one is good enough for her."
He doesn't argue with that, proudly agreeing. "They're not. They can only come close, and Kelso doesn't."
Before she knows it, he's striding towards the sliding glass door. "Wait, no! Just leave them to their fun!" But he's already stepped outside. She sighs, shaking her head. "Oh, who do I think I'm talking to?"
As she returns to her baking, Red approaches them. Seeing the glare directed at him, Kelso stands upright, hiding the roller behind his back with a sheepish smile. Red rolls his eyes and turns to his daughter with a tender smile. "Hi, honey."
"Hi, Dad!" She utters breathlessly.
"You've done an excellent job here so far. As always." She beams at him in thanks at his compliment, and embraces him tightly. He pats her back, and she lets go. "Go on inside. Your mom needs help baking the cookies for you and the dumbass."
She nods and heads into the kitchen.
When Red's scathing eyes find Kelso, he chuckles nervously. "Hey, Red."
He steps closer, causing Kelso to go rigid, and he smirks. "You should be grateful to have someone like her doing things like this for you."
He swallows, stumbling over his words. "I always am, sir. Uh, I'd — I'd totally be nowhere without her."
"Damn right, you would." He spends a moment more glowering at him. "You watch your ass, Kelso."
With that, he walks away, and Kelso breathes out in relief.