ＢＲＩＤＧＥ ＯＶＥＲ ＴＲＯＵＢＬＥＤ ＷＡＴＥＲ

𝔰𝔦𝔪𝔬𝔫 & 𝔤𝔞𝔯𝔣𝔲𝔫𝔨𝔢𝔩

♜

Eric rubs his hands together as he takes in the room. "Alright, Hyde! Your dad's apartment is the perfect place for a party. It's already trashed."

In all honesty, I haven't been looking forward to the night at Hyde's dad's place, especially with the events of the Veterans Day party, but I'm not missing out on a party with my friends just because of some drama.

"This party's going to rock!" Michael gushes. "Even if only half of the people we invited show up."

"Did you find the cups?" Jackie questions.

"Nope. Even better, a plastic tube and a funnel."

It's strange to me, how all of that drama happened and he still finds a way to be his usual giddy self, seemingly without trying. Hyde, on the other hand, hasn't said anything concerning Veterans Day. I don't know if I particularly like the silence.

"All this and a dirty funnel?" Fez chimes. "Merry Christmas to me."

"Yeah, and we don't even have to worry about germs, because even though our spit backs up in the tube," Mike grins, "the alcohol kills 'em."

"We're leaving," Donna sighs.

"So leaving," Jackie echoes.

"Wait, Donna, come on," Eric pleads.

"Sorry, Eric. See, when I was a little girl, I made a promise to myself. 'Self,' I said, 'if you're ever about to suck beer out of a funnel that might give you mono, don't. So, bye-bye."

I start to follow them.

"Aw, you too?" Eric whines.

"Yeah. I'll probably go home or something."

"But it's Christmas!"

"Which I don't celebrate."

"We need to have at least one girl here," Fez says. "We can't know for sure how many are going to come."

I sigh. "Fine. But only because it's you guys."

"Yes!" Eric cheers. "I'm going to nix the funnel on account of I think it repels women."

"Hey," the brunette snaps. "Any woman who doesn't appreciate a nice funnel isn't much of a woman."

"Kelso, that's not a nice funnel," I point out.

"What- Yes it is!"

"No it's-"

"Hey, guys," Bud interrupts, striding into the room. "What's with the keg?"

"Throwin' a little party," Hyde answers nonchalantly. "You know, 'tis the season to get sloppy."

"Well..."

"You're cool with this, right?"

"Sure. Yeah. Cool dad, that's me. Totally cool dad." He starts to exit. "Hey, listen, uh... have a nice keg party."

"Thanks, Mr. Hyde, you're the best!" Kelso beams.

I shift to the oven as they boys fix up the keg, taking a tray of the requested cookies out of the oven and setting them down to cool.

"Man, those smell great!"

I slap Michael's hand away as he eagerly reaches for one. "Stop it, they're not cooled."

"Yes, do not touch them unless you want to get burned," Fez chuckles.

"Ana, are you going to be partying in that?" Eric frowns, looking over my tanktop and sweatpants.

I raise my eyebrows at him sarcastically. "Yes, Eric. I, Anastasia Volkov, am attending a party in pajamas. Hold on, I'll go change."

I grab a small tote bag that I brought and, a few minutes later when I'm all dolled up, emerge from the bathroom in a black skirt and platform boots as well as my red turtleneck.

I sport Hyde's old ring on my right middle finger.

The boys scan me appreciatively as I finish the braid in my long dark hair.

"Damn, Princess," Hyde chuckles. "You clean up nicely."

"It's not like you didn't know that already," I shrug, definitely confused by his friendliness.

As the sound of a knock comes from the door, I calmly place the cookies on a plate.

"Guess who?" Kitty's shrill voice chimes from outside.

"Shit, it's your mom!" Kelso hisses, tossing a planet over the keg.

She barges in and they immediately line up, singing, "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la!"

I do my best not to laugh at their sad attempt at a cover as she beams. "Oh, you're caroling! That is so... odd."

She shuts the door behind her. "Well, happy holidays. Look what I brought. Mistletoe! Uh-oh!"

She gives a kiss on the cheek to each of us.

"I also brought some ornaments to put on your-" she stops herself, "...antenna."

"Mrs. Forman, you're not checking up on me, are you?" Hyde sighs.

"No, I'm just spreading a bit of holiday cheer." She swipes her finger along  the top of the TV. "Ooh. Dusty. Oh, and this blanket needs a nice Christmas washing."

I rush over and block her from picking it up. "I'll do it, Mrs. Forman, you don't have to worry."

"Oh, thank you, honey." She puts her hands on her hips. "So, Bud left the boys here unattended?"

"I mean, I'm here to keep them in check."

"Okay..." She migrates to the kitchenette. "Oh! Okay, you boys hang up the angels, and Eric, help me with the holiday floor wax! At least you've got cookies."

"They'll never be as good as yours, Mrs. Forman," I smile.

"Oh, you flatter me," she waves it off, clearly pleased.

Eric gives us a look. "Mom, seriously, we're fine."

"Alright," she says reluctantly before backing out.

I uncover the keg just as the first few guests begin to arrive. The room slowly fills until I'm sitting around the keg with the boys, a joint being passed around the Circle.

"I miss my funnel," Kelso sulks before lighting up as the quarter he tosses ends up in the desired spot. "Eric, drink."

"If I was Tattoo and I lived on Fantasy Island," Hyde rambles. "My fantasy would be to not be a midget." He throws a quarter down. "Eenie, meenie, minie, Forman."

"You know, Hyde, I thought your dad was a real dirtbag," Eric giggles. "But I've come to realize that there's a fine line between dirtbag and Father of the Year!"

"Fellows, I have to be honest," Fez, who has let me hang ornaments on his ears, smiles. "I've never played Quarters before, so I probably stink.... Oh. Happy day. Eric."

"Man, this is the worst game in the world," Kelso frowns. "I'm so thirsty! Damn it! Eric, drink!"

"Guys, slow down a bit. We don't need him passing out," I warn.

Hyde tightly wraps an arm around my shoulders. "Have a hit, Princess, it's fine."

"I'll pass. And no, it's not fine. He's swaying. And I'm driving you all home. Red likes me, but not that much."

Eric coughs. "Does anyone feel woozy?"

"Okay, let's go home, Eric."

"Man, don't leave, we were having a good time," Hyde complains.

"You can have a good time in Forman's basement without getting him shitfaced."

"You're no fun," he pouts.

"And you're taking advantage of your dad's vulnerability," I mutter quietly enough that he doesn't hear.

"What?"

"Nothing."

♜

An hour later, Kelso and I are helping a stumbling Eric into the house while Hyde and Fez keep the party going.

"Guys, it's fine, I'm not that drunk," he protests. "I just... I can't walk or see. Man, that was a great party! You know who doesn't like parties? Red."

"Eric, be quiet," I say softly.

"I am being quiet!" he yells.

"Holy shit," I groan.

"Man, you shouldn't have gotten so drunk," Kelso sighs.

I would hit him if Eric didn't need to be supported. "You idiots were the ones who got him drunk!"

"We were high, we didn't know any better!"

"I told you to go easy on him! You know he's a lightweight. And now Red is-"

"I'm what?" Red's voice barks from behind us.

Eric turns to face his father and his face immediately drops. "Uh-oh."

I leap backwards as he retches at Red's feet.

"Son of a bitch!" the man curses.

"Mr. Forman, I'm so sorry-" I start.

"Just get inside, Anastasia."

♜

"And now he's all strict," Hyde rants to me as Eric sleeps soundly on the basement couch. "I've got to do my homework and he keeps talking about nutrition."

"So what I'm hearing is," I smirk, "Steven loves his daddy."

"Shut up," he laughs. "I do not."

"Yes you do!" I chime.

He rolls his eyes and a few moments pass.

"Uh, Hyde?" I call timidly.

"What?"

"Are we going to talk about Veterans Day?"

He hesitates, then opens his mouth to say something. He's interrupted by Mrs. Forman cautiously stepping down the stairs.

"Anastasia, there's someone here to see you," she whispers so as not to wake Eric.

"Huh," I frown as she retreats back to the kitchen. "I wonder who needs me at this hour."

"Let's go check it out," Hyde stands, offering a hand. 

"You're going, too?"

"It's not like I have anything to do down here."

I accept his hand and let go of it as I climb the staircase with him in tow.

I approach the door, listening to Kitty's attempts at small talk that are apparently met with silence.

That's rude, I think. Even my parents wouldn't be that mean unless they were upset or something.

As I push on the wood of the door, it creaks and I wince at the sound that pierces through the chilling quiet.

When I peer around the corner, I almost walk backwards into Hyde.

Standing there, by the doorway to the Formans' home, are the people I have not been expecting to see at all.

"Zdrastvuyte, Anastasia."

♜

"Mama? Papa?" I smile weakly. "What are you doing here?"

"I think the better question is, what are you doing here?" my mother spits. I can't tell if it's a good or a bad thing that she's for once addressing me directly.

Steven seems to notice my apprehension, because he reaches for my waist, but I smack his arm away when my father's eyes flit to him.

"Answer me, Anastasia," Morana snarls.

"I think you know that I don't have a good answer to that question, Mama."

"I do," she scoffs. "You are disobeying the wishes of your father and I. You are weak and you can't handle the real world."

"What are you going to do?" I seethe. "Make me move back to New York?"

"Don't give me an attitude. I told you to stay away from these people and you did not. You have failed."

I bite back a quip, but I don't want to. I want to yell at her, to tell her everything that I've ever felt about her. 

I glue my mouth shut, but she knows that I'm just dying to let it out.

Her cold eyes have a hint of amusement, the only thing close to a positive emotion I've ever seen on her perfect face. But the way it sits in her features doesn't remind me of laughter. It reminds me of mockery, of spite and malice.

"Anastasia," she sings with her lips curled, "speak."

I snap.

I'm livid.

"Don't talk to me that way." She looks taken aback, surprised that I would really fight back.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm some dog."

"Anast-"

"No, mother. I'm sick of this. I'm allowed to care about people. I'm allowed to feel. You don't dictate that because you aren't me, and you don't have a say in my emotions." I rub the ring on my finger anxiously, but I won't back down.

My father steps forward. "Kukla-"

"Stop!" I yell, raising my voice. "Don't call me that! Don't pretend that you care about me, because you don't! These are the people who care about me. Not you."

"We do this because we care about you."

"You mean you care about your business?"

"What?" I almost trace a hint of hurt in his tone, but I don't trust him enough to believe that he isn't faking it.

"You're both liars," I growl. "You're conceited liars. You don't care about anyone but yourselves-"

"Enough," my mother barks.

"-and I'm never going to be good enough for you, anyway." I make eye contact with her, my chin up even though she's taller than me. "I hope you're happy with your fucking business-"

"Anastasia, enough!"

"-because I wish that I never met you!"

Kitty squeaks. Red steps towards us. Hyde rushes forward, but not quickly enough. In a split second, I'm gently touching my left cheek, glaring madly at my "mother".

"You are not my daughter," she spits. "You are a disgrace."

I churn out a barely convincing smirk through the strong-willed persona that threatens to break at any moment. "I'll take it."

Before either of them can come any closer, Red shifts to stand in front of me. "You need to go."

As soon as the door clicks shut, I rush down to the basement, which Eric has luckily moved out of.

I shut myself in Hyde's old room, plopping onto the empty cot. I urge myself not to cry, but I can't help it. I just... I don't even know what happened.

I can't remember when the last time I cried was. Maybe it was over James?

"Talk to her, Steven," Kitty whispers outside the door.

"She just wants to be left alone."

"Nobody wants to be alone. She wants someone, and that someone is you."

A beat passes. "She doesn't want me."

"Yes, she does, and I know you want to talk to her. Stop being stubborn."

"Mrs. Forman-"

"At least give her the icepack."

"Fine."

"Okay, I'll be upstairs."

He waits until her footsteps patter away before knocking on the door.

"No," I croak.

"Princess, let me in," he sighs.

"My makeup isn't waterproof."

"I don't care."

"Hyde, not right now."

He takes it upon himself to come in and I turn my head away.

"You couldn't have at least locked the door?" he tries to tease, but I'm not in the mood for joking.

Clearing his throat, he sits on the cot next to me and offers the bag of ice.

"I don't need it."

"Take it."

I do so and hold it to my cheek. It's unnecessary, but I have to admit that Kitty may be right in saying that I want him now.

"You know I'm not good at the whole 'comforting' thing, right?" he mumbles.

"I know."

He gently presses on my arm to pull me into him, but I don't move. I don't know if I want him to see me so weak.

He presses a little harder and I bury my face into his chest. I keep my crying to a minimum of sniffles and silent tears, but I know that he can feel the waterworks through his weed, cigarette, and pine-scented shirt.

"Sorry," I chuckle sheepishly.

"Don't be. You didn't do anything wrong."

I pull back and gain the courage to look him in the eye. "What if I stayed quiet? This wouldn't have happened." I gasp quietly. "Is Nikolai in trouble, too? Oh, shit, I have to call Nikolai!"

Steven holds me down as I attempt to scramble for the exit to find a phone.

"Hey. Hey! Ana, doll, slow down." He pulls me into his lap and rests his back against the wall, encouraging me to relax.

He combs his hand through my hair. 

"You've been through a lot tonight, Princess. Take a break."

"But-"

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "Please."

I scan his features and recall my recent words. These are the people who care about me.

I nod and snuggle into him.

He tightens his grip on my waist and kisses my forehead.

"Steven?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

♛

OH MY GOD I HAVENT WRITTEN THAT MUCH SINCE THE LAST TIME I WROTE A CHAPTER AND A QUARTER

(haha quarters)

but like... woah. back-to-back drama :0

Lmk what you think! Feedback, comments, and votes are always appreciated.

Love you guys,

Lissy