[Hyde POV]
Jackie's party started around 8. At 8.30, I went there– uninvited by Jackie, but asked to come by Kelso.
Around her house, there were already a lot of students Kelso invited without Jackie's permission.
"Hey Chuck." I greeted the varsity-jacket-wearing footballer.
"Sup Hyde." He jutted his chin at me and asked, "Did you bring any stuff?"
"Jackie's dad has a lot of booze. But I did bring some with me."
"Great." Chuck grinned.
Fez rang the doorbell, wearing a tuxedo t-shirt. I leaned on the wall slightly, hands on my belt buckle. Jackie opened it and shuddered in shock.
She wore a white dress with a pink flower on, and silk pants to match. Her hair was done neatly, with a couple strands being curled over her forehead. She wore dark pink lipstick and some makeup.
"Hyde! Fez!" She called our name with horror. "MICHAEL!!" She shouted, already realizing who's to blame.
Kelso said relaxedly, "Oh good, it's Hyde, Fez, and Michael."
I entered the house with Fez, passing Jackie.
"Hello fellas, what's to eat?" I asked as I grabbed the bucket of chex mix on the table.
"Are these melon balls for anyone?" Fez grabbed the bowl next to me, but Jackie snatched it away from him.
"Why are they here?" Jackie asked Kelso with exasperation.
Her boyfriend replied, " I invited them because you're always discussing manners and I wanted to be mannerly."
I laughed and said, "Oh here Jackie."
"What?" She turned to me angrily.
"Party gift." I gave her a bottle of champagne.
She widened her eyes slightly, accepted it and grumbled. "Fine. They can stay–"
People started streaming into Jackie's house.
"Oh Hey Chuck." Kelso greeted Chuck. He realized that he'd probably need to take out the booze and was slightly worried. He leaned in to Jackie and said, "Oh No. Chuck's here."
"Why? Why Michael? Why would you invite all these people? How could you do this?" She balled her fist in frustration, gritting her teeth angrily.
"Well, I was thinking that if a party with 10 people was fun, then a party with 30 people would be twice as much fun." Kelso grinned dumbly.
Jackie whined pitifully, "Michael, I didn't want twice as much fun, I wanted a small, classy party."
"Jackie, just because there's a couple more people doesn't mean it can't still be classy." Kelso argued.
One of the weirder kids in our school, named Timmy, unbuttoned his jeans and shouted, "Hey everybody, I'm taking off my pants!!"
He twirled his jeans around and danced in his boxer. I laughed a little while Jackie became even more exasperated.
Kelso put on some rock songs and took out the booze. People started dancing and talking. The party vibes finally kicked in.
"Micheal! Go control them! Don't let them trash my house!" Jackie ordered Kelso.
"Alright!" Kelso turned and shouted to the crowd. "You can do whatever you want! Just don't trash the house!"
"MICHEAL!" Jackie exclaimed with exasperation and then decided to just continue to host.
"I'm going to need more melon balls." She said before leaving to go to the kitchen.
"Fez, let's grab some beers." I said while grabbing the melon bowl simultaneously.
Fez followed me, "We should grab some girls too."
"My girls are coming in soon." I said casually as I pulled a six pack from the stash. Chuck brought all of my booze into the house on my behalf.
"Damn Hyde. Don't leave me alone." Fez whined.
"Alright." I agreed with him casually.
On the other side of the party, Donna placed her glass on the piano as she took some sips of brandy.
Eric went to her frantically and said, "Hey, hey, would it kill you to use a coaster?" He turned around and added, " Bunch of wild hooligans here." He looked at the party goers disdainfully.
Donna chortled and teased him, "Oh, sorry Red."
Embarrassed, Eric changed his words, " Well, you know, it was gonna leave a ring."
"That's so true Kitty." Donna insulted again. "Eric, look, this isn't your house. You aren't going to get in trouble for any of this so loosen up."
"Yeah, I guess I could do that." He moved the glass from the coaster directly on top of the piano.
"Oh my god, it's like I'm seeing colors I've never seen before!" he exclaimed playfully and Donna laughed.
Kat finally entered the house with her friends.
I called her, "Hey Kat."
"Aren't you going to offer me a beer?" She asked, blinking slowly as she was questioning my attitude.
"You got hands, go get it yourself." I said gruffly.
She froze in shock once more.
Her friends all followed her as she went to grab the booze on her own. Fez slapped my arm and said, "Ay! That's no way to treat a lady."
"Fez, let me teach you something about women." I held his shoulder. "If there's 11 men in the room, and all of them swoon over a beautiful woman, do you know who she's going to pick?"
"What men?" Fez asked.
"The 11th man who's been ignoring her all night long." I added.
Kat came back to me and said with a clingy tone, "Steven. I grabbed beers for you too. And some wine. Also scotch. I didn't know what you like, so I grabbed it all."
Fez was stunned, and I smirked slightly.
"See?" I whispered to Fez.
"Ay." Fez exclaimed with disappointment.
I talked to Kat on the side of the party while keeping an eye on Kelso and Fez, who were talking by the piano. I guess the recording wasn't going on right now since we were doing our own thing.
"So, Steven. Why are you not… I mean, are you not interested in me anymore?" Kat asked, batting her eyes nervously.
"I was." I replied.
She widened her eyes in shock. "Then, why– what changes? Is it because I didn't put out? I told you we're going to the hotel this weekend."
I snorted derisively and said, "I actually don't care if you put out or not."
"So? Why didn't you– Why aren't you interested in me anymore?" She was slightly teary.
"You want the truth?" I asked. She nodded.
"Your friends are hitting on me, and I know I can get them too."
She gasped in shock. "Really?"
"They also told me the truth." I continued. "That you're only dating me for the status. Also to get me to buy stuff for you."
"I mean– Is that bad? All girls do it." She asked, embarrassed as her secret was exposed.
I nodded and smirked. "They do. But I'm not like other guys. I don't have to jump through hoops to keep a girl who's just using me."
She froze in shock.
Kat finally realized the cruel truth in our relationship.
She wasn't the prize. I am.
I waved at Jody and Tara slightly before leaving Kat alone.
"That bitches." Kat cursed.
…
Some time passed, and I was already on my third drink.
Jackie entered the party again and bumped into Kelso, Fez and I who were smoking her dad's cigar.
Kelso led us to Mr Burkhart's stash and we took the brandies too.
I didn't feel bad at all doing this, since the man was a pain in my ass. The basketball court was done, but I couldn't open it because of all the red tape.
"Michael, are they drinking out of my parent's crystal?" Jackie asked with a shaky voice, flabbergasted and annoyed.
"Yeah Jackie, they were trying to drink straight from the bottle and I said 'No, no, use the crystal, cause it's classy.'" Kelso chortled and we snickered behind him.
Jackie gasped slightly, holding her chest in pain, "Michael I'm going to go upstairs and feel sorry for myself and you, you are gonna fix this."
Kelso was taken aback, "Fix it? Jackie, you're having the party of the year here–
Jackie stomped on his foot violently and left.
Kelso screamed in pain and huffed, "Damn, I do not get women!"
"Hyde do. So just listen to him, Kelso." Fez said and I smiled at him.
The recording paused again as Kelso processed what was happening.
Jody and Tara came towards me, asking, "Hey. Did you tell Kat what happened? She's pretty pissed at us."
"Yup." I replied.
"Why– why did you do that?" Tara asked, not angry, but nervous.
I placed my drink on the table and held the cheeks of both girls softly. "Because. I think I want to get you both too."
"Both–" Jody stammered.
"Both." I replied decisively.
Jody and Tara exchanged glances slightly.
I added, "This isn't a bad deal. We'll have a lot of fun together. Go to an expensive restaurant, buy some expensive clothes. So, what do you think?"
"I'm in." Jody agreed instantly and squealed slightly. Tara hesitated before saying, "So we're not… anything. We're just having fun with each other?"
"Yeah." I replied.
"Um… I think I can live with that." Tara replied begrudgingly before smirking playfully.
Kat stormed towards us and interjected, "Hey. I heard everything. Are you seriously stealing him away from me?"
Tara and Jody turned to Kat with a confrontational attitude. Tara said, "Like you stole Isiah from Jody?"
"Or how you stole Brady from Tara?" Jody added.
"Or the fact that Madelyn has a crush on Steven first, but you swapped in before she could ask him out. She even has pictures of him. Now, she's heartbroken." Tara said angrily.
I didn't want to point out that the both of them also made a move on me despite knowing Madelyn has a crush on me, so I kept quiet.
"Well… if she really wants him, she could've just said so." Kat argued with a stammer, clearly flabbergasted. The Queen Bee couldn't control her little minions anymore.
"Forget it Kat. You only like what other people like." Jody snapped. "Now, we're finally managed to snatch what you have."
"You– You bitches!" Kat attacked Jody and pulled her hair. Tara entered the fight and the three of them fought together while everyone cheered.
Donna rushed towards us and said, "What the hell– Stop that, now!" She pushed everyone away.
Kat huffed angrily, her red hair was dishevelled. Jody has red strands on her fingers.
They didn't talk, and just went in opposite directions.
Fez approached me and said, "Did they just fight over you? Oh my god, you really are a master!"
I shrugged and said, "Unfortunately, I couldn't teach this Fez. It's innate."
"Ayy." He exclaimed with disappointment once more.
…
A lot of time had passed.
Kelso sat on the chair, smoking cigars and stewed in anger after Jackie kicked him.
The recording began again, but at this time, I was already in my third cup of brandy that I didn't even care.
Eric came to me and Fez, clearly already loosened up. He laughed, "Hyde! Fez! What is this a funeral? Why aren't you guys getting down?"
Fez turned to Eric. I smoked the cigar and drank the brandies Fez stole. Eric and Fez also drank the same thing, holding the crystal glass in their hands.
"Well my friend, we just saw some girls get down. They are fighting to get Hyde. It's a huge problem for him." Fez replied to Eric.
I shrugged and said, "I don't have a problem. They do."
Eric quipped, "Hyde, I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV." He started laughing at his own joke and couldn't continue his sentence.
He added, " But seriously Hyde, this is a party, so loosen up…" he flailed his hand around, and spilled most of his drink into the trashcan in front of Kelso. "Whoopsie."
Kelso said with irritation, "Man, I wish Jackie would loosen up. She's throwing a great party down here and she's missing it."
Fez said softly, "Kelso you don't get it, huh? This party meant the world to Jackie and you crrrrrapped on it." He rolled his R as he talked.
Kelso was taken aback. I interjected, "Alright, ease up on Kelso, huh?"
Kelso pointed at me, feeling validated, "Thanks Hyde."
"Yeah, so you did something horrible, but it's Jackie, so who cares? You clearly don't." I added with a smirk.
He was frazzled and asked, "No wait, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying you burned her man, royally. Nice job." I grinned playfully. Eric also laughed as he hates Jackie too.
Kelso was taken off guard, "But– no–, Man! I didn't want to burn her. I invited all these people to her party so it would be fun. To make it good!"
Fez scolded him, "She didn't want a good party, she wanted her party."
Kelso stood up and agreed with Fez. " You know what? You're right Fez." He shouted, Alright, this party's over. Everybody out!" He pointed at the door.
Eric was flabbergastead, "No, Kelso, what are you saying man? Think!"
Kelso nodded slightly, "You know what guys? For the first time in my life, I think I am thinking." He threw his cigar into the trashcan.
The same trashcan Eric's brandy falls into.
Kelso added as the fire sparked inside the trashcan. "You know I'm in danger of ruining the greatest thing that's ever happened to me and I am not going to let that happen!"
We were all looking at the trashcan erupting into flames.
"Kelso." I called him to tell him.
"DO NOT INTERRUPT ME! This is important!" He snapped and continued his speech. I blew the cigar smoke to the side as I focused on the fire.
"From now on, I'm going to put Jackie's needs first and she's going to be so proud of me!" Kelso finally finished.
He sensed the heat and I pointed at the fire. He turned and yelled frantically. "Whoa!"
He grabbed the drink from Eric's hand and threw it into the fire to put it down. Only he was pouring brandies.
The fire roared as he threw his alcohol in.
"WHOA MAN, THIS IS A RAGER! Give me your brandies!" He took Eric's, poured it to the fire and exclaimed as the fire raged again.
"WHOA!" He screamed.
"Give me all your brandies!" He grabbed mine and Fez's glasses too.
He kept dumping alcohol on the flames, yelping as the fire rages.
"WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!!!!"
Jackie and Donna walked down the hallway, toward the party.
"God, how dare you say that about me and Michael!?" Jackie yelled at Donna.
"Jackie, you wanted my honest opinion." Donna was in disbelief.
"Your honest opinion that we're great together. Look, you were wrong about Michael. He knows he made a mistake and he's going to make it up to me. You wait and see." Jackie said confidently.
As Jackie opened the door, she saw the fiery scene. Kelso hit the fire with a pillow, making feathers fly everywhere. The fires had licked part of the chair and the table.
Disco Inferno was playing in the background. Smoke filled the room.
Jackie gasped and placed her hand on her chest again. She felt betrayed and it was shown on her face.
"Uh Jackie, where's the fire extinguisher?" Kelso asked, he kept hitting the fire with the pillow and tried to snuff it by blowing on it.
Jackie grabbed Donna slightly as she almost lost it. Her legs almost gave out.
"I'm on it!" Donna ran to the garage to get the fire extinguisher.
"Kelso, you can also pee on it." I told him.
"You're right–" Kelso tried to unbuckle his pants, but Donna rushed in and shoved him away. "MOVE!" She yelled.
She came back and sprayed it all over the trashcan, putting out the fire.
The people left one by one after the fire was gone.
…
Eric was still excited about the whole thing. He and Timmy got together to sing a song to Donna.
Eric lies on the piano, his shirt all unbuttoned, holding a trophy to use as a microphone. Timmy was providing background music for him.
"Hey, hey Donna, I wanna sing to you, hey hey hey Donna, no one else will ever do, I've waited so long for…" His voice cracked, " school to be through,"
Then, he crooned, " Donna, Donna, I love you." His voice turned high pitched, "Hey Hey hey Donna!!"
Donna pinched the bridge of her nose and snapped, "Eric, get down off there right now!"
Eric was taken aback, "What's the problem Donna?"
Timmy, the boy with no pants added, "Yeah, what's the problem Donna?"
Donna almost lunged at him, "Timmy, go get your pants on or I'll beat the crap out of you!"
Timmy ran for his life. Donna sighed and said with frustration, "Eric, remember when I told you to loosen up?"
Eric smiled dorkily, "Oh yeah baby."
She snatched the trophy away from him. "Well, tighten up baby. When the house is on fire, the party's over."
Eric argued, taken aback, "Well, hey, this was your idea."
"Eric, I told you to loosen up, not act like a dink." She said disdainfully.
"Well I'm new at this .So sue me!" He grabbed the trophy back with a serious face. Then, he laid down on his back on the piano. Then, he sang drunkenly again, " Sue, sue, sue me!! Sue me Donna!"
Donna snapped, "Eric!"
Kat Peterson and her friends walked down the hall while Fez and I were talking in the doorway.
Kat's friends leave first. Kat turned to me and said, "Steven. Last chance."
"For what?" I asked.
"For us." She stammered nervously.
"I'm fine, thanks." I smirked slightly.
She yelped in frustration and left the house.
Fez laughed at me and said, "Your technique doesn't work Hyde. Now, you're alone, like me."
I raised a finger and said, "Just wait for it."
Kat came back angrily and said, "Well. I'll let you make out with my friends too! Whatever you want!"
I smirked at Fez and finally took Kat's hand. "Okay." I agreed with her and went to my car.
Fez froze there as I left. "That technique won't work forever!" He yelled at me. "Ayy." He exclaimed with frustration and disappointment.
The episode ended quickly after that. Everything took place within an hour, without the build up scenes.
[Episode 16: Burning down the house.
Old Rating: 7.6
New rating: 7.6
Top favorability counter: (2/10)]
…
"Ugh. My head." I groaned as I woke up from the bed this morning.
I had sent Kat home last night and went back to the Formans' house to re-edit the film before letting Patty see it again.
Kat wanted to have sex last night, but I was drunk, so I rejected her. She was so baffled by it that it was quite funny.
I brought the new tape to the café, The Daily Grind, where Patty was waiting with a cup of coffee.
There was a small TV and a VCR behind the counter, so I could show it to her there.
"This place is really cute and cozy." Patty said, sipping her coffee. "And the coffee's actually good."
"Thanks." I replied with a smirk.
She looked around the café again, then raised an eyebrow. "Wait. This place is yours?"
"Yeah."
Patty laughed softly "No wonder you have the capital to make films. You've got a couple solid businesses going."
I shrugged.
"I'm not making films. Just some TV specials."
"Don't sell yourself short." Patty said casually. "You're already better than a lot of directors I know. If you ever come to Hollywood, I'll welcome you with open arms."
"That's cool." I replied noncommittally.
We watched the tape together. When it finished, Patty leaned back in her chair, slightly impressed.
"You work fast."
She glanced at the tape.
"What machine are you using to edit this?"
It was too fast for non-Hollywood editing. She was intrigued on how I managed to remove the narration and edited a few more footages into the scenes in just one night.
It would take at least a week for ordinary filmmakers.
"That's a secret." I said. "So? Is it fine now?"
"It's really good." Patty nodded. "I talked to a TV executive last night. ABC is interested in premiering it under their Americana banner."
I raised an eyebrow slightly. That was faster than I expected.
Patty took another sip of coffee before continuing. "I'll take three percent of the signing deals as my consultant fee."
Then she smirked. "Or you can list me as the executive producer."
I waited.
She clarified, "I only need my name on the project. No royalties."
That was a classic Hollywood move.
She didn't actually need the money. What she wanted was another credit on her résumé.
The executive producer meant her name would be attached to the project forever.
But it also could be beneficial. If anyone in the industry tried to mess with the project, they wouldn't just be stepping on some random kid from Wisconsin.
They'd be stepping on Patty's name too. Her name meant nothing at this moment, but she was a true WB showrunner.
And a showrunner from a major studio had far more weight than I did right now.
A Hollywood shield wasn't the worst thing to have. Patty needed this too, since if she has more diverse films on her resumes, it would be easier for her to convince other directors to take her projects.
"Fine." I said with a smirk. "But you owe me."
"As smart as usual." She sipped her coffee slightly and said, "Want to be my son?"
"Sorry, I like my current foster mom."
"That's a pity." She giggled slightly. "We could've taken over the entire tinseltown together as mother and son."
I just laughed at her joke. She checked her wristwatch and said, "Shouldn't you be in school right now?"
"Oh fuck–"