ERIC'S BURGER JOB
SE01:E05

The friend group sat in the basement, listening to a loud guitar solo. They had all overcome their differences from the past couple of days and were now relaxing. Well figuratively, because they had been listening to the solo for about 15 minutes and they all wanted to shut it down except Jackie.

"I just want to hear the guitar solo one more time." Jackie insisted. 

"Not again. Use the headphones." Hyde pleaded. Jackie sneered as she plugged in the headphones and placed them on her head. "Good. Now, wrap the cord around your neck," Hyde muttered.

Babe bit her lip to not let out a chuckle and Hyde smiled at her, she got up from the couch and sat on his lap staring at him.

"Well this is new, but I'm definitely not complaining." He told her, she widened her eyes and hit his chest before smiling and shoving a lollipop, she was hiding, into his mouth.

"You look prettier when you're quiet." She told him making him childishly pull a face at her. When she went to stand up and walk away, Hyde grabbed her waist and sat her back down on his lap.

"You look prettier here." He mocked her, she rolled her eyes and leaned back against his chest.

"Hey would you guys respect me if I worked in the town dump?" Eric asked as he flipped through a newspaper.

"The town dump? No. Now the state dump..." Donna voiced. "Why are you looking for a job?" 

"Everything costs money. Gas, clothes, fun." Eric responded.

"Dates. Dates cost money," Kelso added. 

"No, Kelso, that is prostitution." Fez wrongly corrected Kelso.

"Dating is prostitution, man. Only you don't always get what you pay for." Hyde explain making Babe scoff.

"Said the man who's never had a girlfriend." Donna reminded him. 

"Boy." Babe coughed into her fist earning a pinch to the thigh by Hyde. She winced and hit his leg.

"What, you guys don't remember Esther, the biker chick?" He asked the group.

"Whatever happened to her?" Donna questioned.

"She's dating my uncle." Hyde responded, Babe let out a giggle receiving another pinch in return. She glared at Hyde as he looked ahead ignoring her glare.

"Well, I'm going home for dinner." Donna stated standing up. "Oh by the way, Mom and Dad are going to the Playboy Club at Lake Geneva this weekend. Do you guys want souvenirs?" Donna asked them.

"Ooh! Ashtrays!" Hyde answered excitedly as he wrapped his arms around Babe to make the gesture for ashtrays. 

"A woman!" Fez spoke in awe.

"A lingerie set." Babe told her sending her a playful wink, she could feel the eyes of the boys on her but she didn't care. Donna laughed at this.

"Oh nice!" Jackie exclaimed, as she had taken the headphones off. "Your parents are going to be out of town? Really?" Jackie asked discreetly staring at Eric.

"Yeah. I mean, I'll be babysitting my sister Tina
all weekend. Just me. Alone. Watching TV. I might order a pizza." Donna spoke looking at Eric, who was way too focused on the paper in his hands. Babe shook her head with a 'tsk,tsk,tsk' sound as Hyde rubbed her thigh in support.

"I got an idea! We'll have a party at Donna's. A toga party!" Kelso jumped off the couch and exclaimed.

"Michael. Michael!" Jackie exclaimed hitting his shoulder. " Maybe Donna doesn't want to throw a party. Maybe she wants to be alone."

"Yeah, just me, alone. If someone happens to stop by, that'd be pretty cool." Donna rocked on the balls of her feet as she dramatically spoke.

"So we're on. I'll bring the beer!" Kelso said enthusiastically.

"Donna, I have never been to an American party. May I come?" Fez asked. 

"Uh yeah, I don't care." She waved away the question, looking down to Eric. "Uh so uh Eric, are you going to be there?" 

"What? Yeah. Sounds fun." Eric said briefly looking away from the paper and going back to it. 

"Cool. Catch you guys later." Donna spoke as she walked out the basement. 

"Wu-hu-hu!Party at Donna's!" Kelso cheered. 

"You are both so stupid!" Jackie stood behind Kelso and Eric and smacked them upside the head as Babe shook her head disappointed.

"Ow! Why?" Eric asked as Jackie stormed out of the basement.

"Well, this is a first. I actually agree with Jackie," Hyde said. Babe made a faux gasp and stared at him. Hyde rolled his eyes and pinched her again.

"Stop it!" She scolded, hitting his knee again.

"What? You're saying that I'm stupid?" Eric asked. 

"No shit, Sherlock." Babe told him.

"Donna just put on the full court press, man, and you dropped the ball."

"What are you talking about?

"All she said was that she'd be alone Saturday night with a pizza. Oh God, I'm so stupid." Eric said in realization.

—

Babe sat on her bed as she waited for Jackie to pick up the phone. In the last couple of weeks the two had gotten closer and now told each other gossip and Babe was there when Jackie needed to rant about Michael.

He definitely wasn't Babe's favorite topic but she was a good listener and would always be there for her friends and that now included Jackie.

As she stared at her royal blue colored nails, she looked around her room and saw her bookshelves. A particular book standing out, she stood up rapidly and grabbed it. Sitting back down on the bed. "Adventures in Forman's House" read the title.

It was her diary from when she was little, she named it that after befriending Eric. It was filled with all the memories from her childhood she shared at Eric's house. She began to read through them, a melancholic smile on her face. That was soon wiped off when Jackie's voice was heard through the phone.

"Hey Everly."Jackie greeted her.

"Hey Jackie. How are you?"

"Honey, you wouldn't believe what Michael did to me!" Jackie exclaimed in anger.

Babe got ready for the rant by leaning back on her bed an elbow propping her up and the diary opened on her pillow as she read and listened. Occasionally she interjected and voiced her opinion and support for her.

"I can't believe he would do that. Actually I can, I've told you a thousand times before."

"Yeah, yeah whatever. What about Hyde, how's that going?" Jackie asked intrigued, Babe frowned confused.

"What about Hyde?" Babe repeated confused.

"You like totally have a crush on him. Right?" Jackie asked, which made Babe erupt in laughter. "Don't laugh! I'm being serious."

"Jackie, sweetie. There's nothing between me and Hyde. We're just friends."

"No, you and Eric are just friends. You and Hyde are a whole different thing." Jackie argued.

"Not really, I'm into Brett Dunphy, remember? I told you about him like six hundred times." Babe reminded her, making Jackie sigh.

"Well then, what about Brett?" Babe didn't need to see her to know she was smirking.

"We have gone out on two dates. Oh my, Jackie! He's incredible." Babe gushed about Brett.

"Well duh! He's the captain of the baseball team and he's like insanely hot and popular." Jackie responded as if it were the most obvious thing on the planet.

"I just don't know what he sees in me. I mean, I'm a bitch! Like a giant one at that! I could be crowned "The Biggest Bitch after Pam Macy and Jackie Burkhart." Babe  babbled making Jackie scream into the phone to stop her.

"I am a bitch." Jackie laughed before going back into serious mode. "You could definitely clique hop if you wanted to, you're like super smart and pretty. Not as much as me but definitely before Pam Macy."

"Thanks Jackie."

"That's what girlfriends are for, now I gotta go. I'm gonna talk to Michael." Jackie said not giving Babe a chance to say goodbye as she instantly shut down the call.

—

The group walked into Fatso Burger a few days later to see Eric at work. Well more precisely to make fun of him.

"Here, here, my minimum wage friend. I demand service." Hyde enthusiastically sarcastically spoke to Eric as he went up to the counter with Fez and Babe. 

"Welcome to Fatso Burger. How may I serve you?" Eric asked. 

"That is so sad, burger boy." Hyde shook his head in amusement. Babe went to speak up and order but Hyde placed his hand on her mouth. "She'll have a strawberry lemonade." He told Eric, as she smiled in contempt. She went to ask him but he shut her off before she could. "I know what you like Babe."

When her lemonade was done Fez, Hyde and her went over to sit at a table away from Kelso and Jackie.

"Color me curious. Why did you apply for a job here?" Babe asked Hyde. "You hate "The Establishment"." She air quoted the words.

"I needed money for something." He shrugged. "Plus I got to presence Kelso make a fool of himself that was fun."

"When doesn't Kelso make a fool of himself. Am I right?" Fez asked excitedly. Babe pinched his cheek.

"You're adorable." She spoke in a baby voice, Fez smiled and Hyde swatted her hands away from Fez.

"Don't touch Fez, you know what happens when he gets excited." Hyde reminded her as she shuddered at the thought. The mention boy frown at him.

"It's not my fault I have needs."

"Fez! Don't talk about it! While I'm here."

"Oh Fez, man!"

—

Hyde, Babe and Donna sat in Donna's backyard as people arrived at the party. Donna sat on the armchair of a couch while Babe sat on the armrest of the chair Hyde sat at. Suddenly Kelso's scream broke the silence as he ran in wearing a toga and carrying beers. Jackie behind him with a bottle of white wine in her hands.

"Toga! Toga! Toga!" Kelso chanted as he ran to his friends. Staring around confused he stopped.

"Hey, man, nice dress." Hyde joked.

"Here Everly, I know you hate beer so I managed to sneak into my dad's liquor cabinet. Consider it a gift. For you know..." Jackie told the girl handing her the bottle knowingly, Babe's cheeks turned red and she nodded. Hyde looked between the two confused.

"Thanks Jackie." She told the girl, flustered. Hyde wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her down to his lap.

"You brought three beers, meathead?"

"We'll share."

"Here's to our wasted youth, huh."Hyde said as Kelso passed him a beer. Donna stood up grabbing hers, they popped them open and began drinking.

"I'm going to go get a corkscrew." Babe said walking into the house.

Once she was in the kitchen she began looking around for the corkscrew. She opened a few cabinets and drawers until she finally found one. She was to engrossed in opening the bottle that she didn't notice the boy standing behind her. Until hands snaked around her waist making her jump and turn around.

Instantly coming face to face with Brett Dunphy. He smiled at her, as she widened her eyes surprised. As she was trapped in between his arms and the kitchen counter. She knew he was coming to the part after all she had invited him which was why Jackie had given her the bottle, but she wasn't expecting the current situation they were in.

"Hey." He spoke, his voice a little raspy. Their faces were inches apart from one another. Which made her extremely self-conscious.

"Hey."

"It's a good party, the only downside is there is no alcohol." He commented, which made her smile and move a little so he could see the wine bottle.

He smirked and leaned back, retracting his arms. She popped the cork off and took a swig of the bottle passing it to him. He did the same thing as they smiled at one another forming conversation between them and passing the bottle from time to time.

—

The remaining of the group sat around on the patio furniture. Everyone at the party outside of their friend group had left, except Brett. Who sat on a chair with. Babe on his lap. Hyde took his empty beer can and crushed it in his hands, throwing it into the garbage can. 

"Nice." Brett praised, Hyde falsely offered him a smile. Only the girls noticed it was fake.

The group watched as Fez attempted to crush his can before screaming and dropping it. Making Jackie and Babe laugh.

"Well what do you know, Kelso? We're out of beer." Hyde complained.

"And wine." Babe pointed out.

"You know what? Forman's old man's got a fridge in the garage and I know he's got beer in it." Hyde said standing up with Kelso and Fez. But before he left he glanced back at Babe and Brett who were making out on the chair.

—

Babe laid on her bed with Brett. The two in a deep make out session. He was on top of her. He moved his lips against her jawline, brushing it lightly. Sending shivers down her spine making her body tremble. She felt like her body would go numb at any moment.

"If you want me to stop, tell me." He whispered against her jaw, as he left a trail of kisses down her jaw to her neck and then to her chest.

"I want to." She replied out of breath. He moved his lips back to hers and  kissed her gently.

"Everly, I know you're..." He spoke, separating their lips so he could stare at her. "I'm not going to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do or will regret." She brought her hand up and ran her fingertips on his jaw a small smile on her swollen lips.

"You're not pressuring me, I'm okay with it. I've never really given any care about "losing my virginity". That's not really important to me." She replied as she kissed his jaw, but he stopped her. Pining her arms to the bed before smiling.

"Well it does to me. Everly Cassandra Ruth, would you do me the honors of being my girlfriend?" He asked, she laughed and kissed him deeply. "So is that a yes?" He questioned in between kisses.

"Yes" She pulled him flush against her managing to free her arms from his grasp, she knotted her fists in his shirt, pulling him harder against her. Which made him groan softly.

The rest of the night was the beginning of a new chapter in Everly Ruth's life.