Eric's Buddy
After school, Izzy stood by her locker with Donna. "Are you excited for the science project?" Izzy asked.
"I'm excited that we're partners. The project itself? Not so much."
"Don't worry, it'll be a piece of cake, I love this unit and all the stuff we've learned this week, it's just, like, so fun."
"'It's just, like, so fun!'" Hyde mocked walking up to the two girls with Kelso. "Izzy, I think you're the only person on the planet who thinks chemistry is fun."
Izzy shrugged. "It's like one big puzzle, and everything fits in perfectly!"
"Puzzles are not perfect." Kelso said. "I've never finished a puzzle, the pieces just don't fit together!"
"That's just 'cause you're an idiot." Hyde said.
"Okay, well we gotta get going, Eric'll be waiting." Izzy said, closing her locker.
"Hey, weren't you wearing a jacket earlier?" Donna asked.
Izzy stopped. "Oh, damn it! I must have left in fifth period."
"Don't like chem as much now, huh, Izzy Bee? Holding your jacket hostage like that..."
"Shut up, or I won't let you copy my homework anymore." She said with a laugh.
Izzy and the two boys bid Donna farewell as she headed out to her dad's car. As Izzy walked outside, she immediately regretted not going back for her jacket. She started shivering as soon as they left the building, so Hyde opened his arms and she practically ran to the warmth that was his arms and his coat.
"Hey, where's Eric?" Kelso asked, seeing there wasn't anyone around the parked Vista Cruiser.
"I don't know, he should be out here." Izzy said as they all walked over. "Let's just wait a little, maybe he's got to finish up some work."
-
"Okay, here the hell's Forman, man? This isn't like him." Hyde said.
Kelso's eyes were wide as he said, "I'm really starting to get worried. What if something happened to him?"
"Nothing happened to him." Hyde said gruffly.
"No, seriously, what if he's lost? Or hurt somewhere?" Izzy wondered.
"Calm down, Lassie. I'm sure Timmy's just fine." Hyde said, resting his chin on top of Izzy's head.
Kelso nodded. "Yeah, maybe we should check the school morgue."
Hyde scowled. "Kelso, the school doesn't have a morgue."
"Then what do we pay all those taxes for?!"
"You know what kills me, Kelso? You do better in school than I do."
"Hyde, everyone does better in school than you." Izzy giggled.
"I'm worried, man." Kelso said.
Hyde huffed, clearly resisting being the voice of reason, but finally giving in. "Ok, fine, now let's just be logical, right? I mean, Forman's not gonna just ditch us. The Cruiser's battery's probably dead or something."
Kelso walked over and tried to open one of the doors, but to no avail. "You know what, it's starting to get late. Maybe we should just start walking." He said.
"No no no, I am not walking! It's way too cold, and--no offense Steven--but I don't want to walk home packed like sardines in your coat."
Hyde just sighed and let go of Izzy, who regretted her words right away. As she opened her mouth to say something, Hyde took off his coat and wrapped it around Izzy, saying, "If God wanted us to walk, he wouldn't have given us Forman."
The three of them trudged back to Izzy's house. Izzy walked a little ahead of the boys so she could watch for Eric as the two boys talked.
Hyde's attention wasn't on the mindless conversation he was having with Kelso, though. He couldn't care less about what shirt Jackie bought him. He wasn't even focused on the cold that was biting at his skin with every step he took. All he was paying attention to was the way his coat hung off Izzy's small frame.
-
When they finally got back to the basement, Izzy opened the door, visibly shaking from the cold. "Eric!" She yelled. Kelso and Hyde stumbled in after her.
"Hey, where have you been?" Eric asked, completely oblivious.
"Where have we...where have you been?! We've been worried sick about you!" Kelso said, sounding like Kitty.
"We had to walk all the way here, man. I'm freezing and my feet are killing me!"
"Well you wouldn't be freezing if you didn't give Izzy your coat." Eric snickered. Izzy took off Hyde's coat and threw it back to him, who caught it and quickly put it on.
"Are your fingers broken? You can't use a phone?" Kelso asked.
"Eric, it's freezing outside." Izzy said.
"And I'm wearing my uncle's boots so now I have a blister!" Hyde whined.
"Shaggy, Scooby, Daphne, we got company." Donna said, pointing to the guy who was sitting in Hyde's chair.
"Huh." Hyde said, crossing his arms. "Buddy Morgan. Yeah, I know you."
Buddy smiled, completely oblivious to the harsh tone of the room. "Yeah, um, I guess it's my fault. I gave Eric a ride home, so uh..."
"Get outta my chair!" Hyde barked.
"Ok!" Buddy jumped up. "I really had to be going anyway, so... oh, hey! Your car's still at school, huh?"
"Yeah, it is." Izzy said, sitting on Hyde's lap.
"Well, Eric, I could drop you off." Buddy offered.
Izzy shot Eric a cautious look, who just said, "Oh, yeah! Sure! And, hey guys, I'm real sorry I forgot about you. Izzy, please don't tell Dad, 'kay?"
"Hey, did you wanna drive?"
"Hell yes!" Eric grabbed Buddy's keys and raced up the stairs, followed closely by Buddy.
Fez ran after Buddy, yelling, "I call back seat!"
"See that? He just ditched us again." Kelso said.
"Do you even know how difficult it is to clique jump?" Jackie asked, her voice shrill. "Eric has achieved something very special and you three are ruining it for him!"
"Who cares. I'm tired, and I never wanna walk anywhere again!"
"Michael, walk me home."
"Okay."
The two walked out, and Donna turned to Hyde. "Okay, what's your problem with Buddy? I mean, he seems nice enough."
Hyde scowled. "Screw him, man. I mean, he's got the money, the car, the family, the teachers like him, the counselors like him, everybody likes him! I hate him."
"Steven, don't you think you're overreacting just a little bit?" Izzy asked.
"Okay, let me tell you something. When high school's over, Buddy Morgan's going to a great college. You know where I'm gonna be? Sitting right here in my uncle's boots."
"Well, at least you got great friends." Donna offered.
"And I'll always be here for ya." Izzy smiled.
Hyde said nothing and just pulled Izzy closer to him.
-
A few days later, in the basement, everything felt back to normal. Hyde was in his chair, Kelso was sitting on the couch with Jackie massaging his shoulders, and Donna and Fez were standing behind the couch, reading magazines. Izzy had been upstairs since she got home from school, making chocolate chip cookies for her friends.
"I miss Eric." Kelso whined.
Jackie smiled sweetly. "Well, you still have me!"
"It's not the same Jackie! I can talk to Eric about things that... that I can't talk about with you."
"Okay, well like what?"
"Well, for instance, the annoying things that you do."
"Michael!" Jackie yelled, pushing him and standing up.
"See! I can't talk to you!"
Right after that, Eric walked down the stairs, followed by Izzy, carrying a plateful of cookies fresh out of the oven and quickly placing them on the coffee table.
"Hey, Eric, how's it-" Donna couldn't even finish her sentence, for Eric had gone up to her and pulled her in for a kiss in front of everyone, making them all stare.
"So what's everyone looking at?" He pulled Donna closer to him, and Donna just stood there confused.
"What are we looking at?" Hyde asked as Izzy sat on his lap, handing him a cookie. "Man, we haven't seen you in days!"
"Oh, what, Hyde, you had to walk all the way home from school again?" Eric replied.
Izzy raised her eyebrows. "Well, that's not the only reason we're upset with you."
Hyde looked at Izzy. "That's my only reason."
"I thought you had another reason."
"No, that's pretty much it."
"Oh."
"Where's Buddy?" Donna asked.
Eric's face got bright red. "Oh, Buddy! Um... Well, Buddy got... busy, so..."
"Yeah, I mean, I'm sure he has a lot to do. He is 'popular.'" Jackie said.
Fez nodded. "Yes, and so obviously gay."
Jackie scoffed. "Buddy is not gay!"
"It's really none of your business, guys." Izzy said quietly.
"If Buddy was gay he would have been all over me!" Everyone just stared at Kelso. "Well, he would've!"
"Eric, is he?" Donna asked.
Eric just grabbed a cookie and shoved it in his mouth. "Mmm, these are super, Izzy. Can really taste the, uh... chocolate. So what are you guys watching?" He asked, sitting on the couch..
"Uh... I Love Lucy rerun." Izzy said slowly.
"Really? Hyde, you're watching Lucy?"
Hyde scoffed. "Izzy's watching Lucy. I'm-"
"Hyde is watching Izzy." Fez said, a wide grin on his face.
"What?! No! Am not! I'm just watching how the, uh... the bald dude-"
"Fred." Izzy whispered.
"Fred, is uh... arguing with the, uh, government-brainwashed housewife-"
"Ethel."
"Yeah. Ethel." He paused. "Fascinating, right?"
Everyone just stared at Hyde, not believing him for one second.
-
Later on, outside of Eric's house, the gang had been playing basketball until one by one, they went home, leaving Eric, Donna, Izzy, and Hyde.
"So, Forman?" Hyde said, catching the ball and holding it under his arm. "Uh, now that the scary kids are gone, is Buddy gay?"
"Well, I don't think it's really my place to..."
Donna and Hyde looked at each other and both said, "He's gay."
"Okay, stop! It's not nice to assume these things." Izzy said.
"Yeah!" Eric agreed. "Oh, uh. Hypothetical situation. Crazy scenario, wouldn't happen, in, like, a million years, let's just, let's say, ok, that Buddy made a move on me."
"Eric, he's not gonna make a move on you if he knows you're straight." Donna said.
Hyde grinned. "I dunno, I mean, Forman is pretty irresistible."
"No, wrong twin." Izzy said.
Hyde rolled his eyes. "Don't make me agree with you."
"I don't think he'll make a move on me again." Eric said, thinking aloud.
"Again?!" The three others said in unison.
"Or for the first time! You know? I gotta go." Eric ran off into the house. The three of them were left standing there, staring at each other, before they all broke into laughter and continued to play basketball until late in the night.