[Hyde POV]
In the basement. Fez was pacing by the shower. Donna bit her nails and shook her leg on the couch. I sat on my green chair, stewing quietly as I held back my anger.
After touching Donna's boob, the realization that my dad wanted to rejoin my life was looming on my mind. It made me really annoyed.
Kelso walked in with his dumb grin and said, "Guess who just hooked up with Pam Macy after the concert?"
"I don't know. Everyone?" I said sarcastically.
"No. Me!" Kelso was excited. "Yeah, we did it in the van, in her living room, and on her parent's bed."
"She doesn't have her own bed?" Donna scoffed slightly.
"God, why is everyone so prickly tonight? This is a great night!" Kelso was taken aback by the responses.
"Maybe for you, you son of a bitch." Fez cursed at him.
"You know what you all need? To relax." Kelso said firmly.
A minute later, all of us sat together in a circle and passed around the blunt. The living room was smoky, and all of us were smiling.
Fez picked up the Playpen magazine and began reading it again. He scowled slightly and said, "Jackie didn't give me the time of the day. I hate this stupid magazine."
He was taken aback by his own words and hugged the magazine, "Oh, no, I didn't mean it. I love you."
I read another magazine and snickered, "Hey, Fez. Check this out." I read the article out loud.
"Tight pants turn a man's derriere into a lady's dream. And an open shirt shows a sexy chest and an irresistible joie de vivre."
"Really?" Fez grabbed the magazine from me and smiled. "I always thought my joie de vivre was in my pants."
Donna looked at us with disgust and said, "Okay, I can't believe I'm asking you guys this, but if any of you losers had a girlfriend, would you still look at those magazines?"
Kelso said confidently, "Hey, I had two girlfriends and a little action on the side and I still looked at those magazines."
"You had action on the side? Who?" I asked.
He snickered, "You don't know her. She went to Sacred Heart."
Donna looked at Kelso with disdain and turned to us, "Okay. Anybody here have an opinion, who's not a skeevy pig?"
"I'm glad you asked, Donna." Fez replied. "If I had Jackie, I would never look at those magazines."
He paused and thought about it, "Unless she's on the phone… or went shopping or took a short nap."
I looked at Fez with disbelief before turning to the girl. "Look, Donna. This is just the way guys are, okay?"
I glanced at my magazine and added, "I mean, if Forman was actually dating the "Naughty Campus Co-eds", he'd be locked in a bathroom, looking at naked pictures of you."
Donna looked revolted.
Kelso grinned and said, "He's right, so…" He leaned forward and asked, "Are there naked pictures of you?"
Donna pushed him off the couch and began pounding him.
"My leg!" Kelso screamed in pain.
I laughed and said, "Hey, knee him in the groin!"
She swung her leg and kneed Kelso in his crotch immediately.
"Oh, my God! She did it!" I laughed in satisfaction and returned to the magazine. Kelso stood up and ran away hurriedly.
Eric came down the basement and saw Donna. "Oh god."
Donna saw him and froze. Then, she left hurriedly. Eric came to the couch and sat on Donna's previous seat.
I burst out laughing at Eric and said, "You dumbass."
"Okay! So I'm a collector. So what?" Eric complained. "She should've… expected this."
He lowered his head in defeat. Fez laughed again and said, "Don't worry Eric. When Donna dumps you, you'll have the naughty campus co-eds to keep you company."
"Shut up Fez!" Eric stood up and stomped away angrily.
Fez and I burst out laughing.
Suddenly, Jackie entered the basement through the side door.
"Steven~" She called to me affectionately.
"Oh no. She's here to get your joie de vivre." Fez whimpered slightly.
I stood up and ran away to my bedroom.
"STEVEN!" Jackie called me angrily. "I'm just here to talk!"
…
I slept really well that night and woke up around noon.
When I came out of the room and got to the kitchen to get some coffee, Mrs Forman interjected and said, "We ran out of coffee. Why don't I make you some cocoa instead."
"I can make it myself Mrs Forman–"
"Nonsense. Just sit down over there."
She made the cocoa and put it in front of me. I drank and read the newspaper.
The front page headline read, [FESTIVAL DRAWS RECORD CROWDS TO POINT PLACE]
There was a picture of me singing on stage, taken by a shaky camera that showed almost nothing except for my bandages on my arm and my sunglasses.
"There's a mention of you singing at the concert last night. Now why didn't you tell me that? I would've stayed for the concert." Mrs Forman said supportively.
I shrugged and smiled. "I don't plan it. It just happened."
She smiled slightly, her expression turned slightly cautious. She asked, "So how's your cocoa?"
I replied casually, "Chocolatey good, thanks."
She said quickly. "That's good, 'cause I think your father has really changed. He is not the same man I used to know, and the marshmallows make it extra good."
I sighed and said, "Well, at least you knew him, Mrs. Forman, 'cause I never did."
"Okay, well, here's your chance. Maybe now you can make some new, happy memories. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"No." I replied instantly. "He made his choice, Mrs Forman. I'm not going to foolishly hold out hope that he really has changed."
I sipped my cocoa and said, "I'm almost an adult. He wasn't there when I needed him the most. But you did. You, Mr Forman, and even Eric. You are my family. Not him."
"Aww." Mrs Forman melted slightly, her voice turned teary. "If that's what you really want, I'm not going to bring it up again…" She paused and whispered, "Today."
I threw my hands up in disbelief.
Laurie came to the kitchen, with crazy hair and makeup that wasn't fully removed from her face.
She groaned and said, "Mom. I need coffee."
"We're out of coffee honey. How about some juice?" Mrs Forman asked her carefully. "And also a shower."
"Ugh. What is that fishy smell?" I scowled instantly.
"Shut up! I was eating fish last night!" Laurie was embarrassed and she stomped away angrily.
Mrs Forman laughed awkwardly and said, "So Steven. What do you have planned for today?"
"Well. I'm going to meet with Leslie at the office. I'll stay there till late tonight, so you don't have to wait for me."
…
When I arrived at the office, I realized Leslie had seriously undersold the situation. No wonder she was calling me, asking when I would get there.
I was only expecting her, but the lobby was packed with people waiting for me.
Two people from the town government—Mr. Burkhart and the mayor himself.
More than ten local business owners were gathered around the couches, all talking loudly amongst themselves.
Bruce was there too, along with Jonathan Price, the head of the distribution company.
Megan and Tyrell stood near the back wall. Amy and Linda were almost hidden behind everyone else, though I still spotted them immediately.
Meanwhile, Max was running around the office carrying coffee cups like his life depended on it.
The moment I walked inside, every pair of eyes landed on me.
"…Um. What's going on?" I asked cautiously.
Leslie approached me immediately.
"They all want to meet with you." She lowered her voice slightly. "Come to your office first before they corner you out here."
"Good idea." I nodded quickly before looking at my own people. "Amy, Linda, Megan, Tyrell. Come with me."
My tiny office immediately became crowded after everyone entered. Even Linda was there despite yesterday technically being her last day.
Linda nervously handed me a report sheet.
"Um… I'm just here to report the photobooth earnings." She adjusted her glasses anxiously. "I already deposited everything into the company account. The booth made $8,800 over the two days."
"Nice." I nodded approvingly. "You already took your cut, right?"
"What?" Linda blinked rapidly. "No. I get a cut too? I already took the salary."
"You worked ten hours a day for twenty bucks an hour." I shrugged casually. "That's a four hundred dollars salary. Then you get five percent of the booth profit."
I grabbed the calculator beside Leslie's desk and pressed a few buttons.
"There's around thirty-four hundred dollars in profit there." I tore a check out casually. "So your cut is four hundred forty dollars."
Linda stared at the check with disbelief. I gave her six hundred dollars instead of only four-forty.
"I added a little bonus too." I handed it to her with a grin. "So remember us when you become some big-shot accountant working in Chicago."
Her eyes became slightly teary. "Thank you, Steven."
From cursing out her fate in the rain, now she has a steady job, repaired her relationship with her friends, and even bought a new car. Linda's eyes had truly changed since the day I met her.
Megan suddenly remembered something and told Linda, "Oh right. Once our Chicago office opens, you should come visit us there."
Linda's eyes widened instantly. "You're opening an office in Chicago?"
Amy looked at me nervously. "Are you moving, Steven?"
"No." I shook my head. "I'm staying here. The Chicago office is just a branch."
Amy visibly relaxed after hearing that. I turned toward her.
"So how much did you make?"
"Um…" She tried to stay humble and immediately failed. "Not as much as you, obviously. But I sold almost all my necklaces." She excitedly took out a bundle of cash. "I made around two thousand dollars!"
Linda was surprised by the numbers. Amy had made more than Linda since she owned her own business.
"And this," Amy continued proudly, "is the lotion and sunscreen money. There's another thousand dollars here."
"Great." I took the cash and handed her two hundred-dollar bills back. "Congratulations. After me, you're probably the highest earning highschooler in the town. Well, after me of course."
Amy immediately pretended to look smug. "I knew it. One day, I'm going to surpass you, so don't get too comfortable up on your throne."
I snorted in amusement.
Then Leslie calmly decided to destroy her confidence. "The company made approximately four hundred fifty thousand dollars during the festival."
The room instantly went silent. Amy slowly lowered the cash in her hands.
Linda looked like she stopped breathing. Leslie continued speaking professionally.
"That includes food sales, merchandise, clothing, alcohol, ticket revenue, and vendor percentages."
"What?" Amy looked completely shaken.
Megan crossed her arms proudly.
"We also sold every car we brought to the festival. Fifty-two there, and another twenty at the dealership afterward." She smirked slightly. "People who lost the Mustang auction apparently didn't want to leave empty-handed."
Tyrell jumped into the conversation and slid the report to my table.
"Four hundred twenty thousand after deductions and the dealership profit alone was around three hundred fifty grand this weekend." Tyrell said proudly. "We can survive three months instead of the two months we predicted."
Megan narrowed her eyes at him instantly. "I want to say that." She mumbled to herself. Then she turned toward Leslie with a fake innocent smile. "So what was the festival cost again?"
Leslie became quiet for a moment before answering. "Approximately four hundred forty thousand dollars."
Megan immediately smirked like she had just won an argument. "So Steven only has ten grand in profit?"
"That's pure profit." Leslie said confidently. "We now own the stage systems, porta-potties, prefab cabins, tents, generators, speaker arrays, lighting equipment, and most of the infrastructure needed for future events."
She adjusted her glasses slightly. "If we remove the one-time infrastructure purchases, projected profit increases by over two hundred fifty thousand dollars in this summer alone. We already got two clients waiting outside."
Amy's soul almost visibly left her body as she heard all of the discussions.
I leaned back in my chair and grinned at her.
"So… you're still planning to surpass me?"
Amy regained consciousness just long enough to answer. "No. I kinda want to marry you now." She paused thoughtfully. "So… wanna get married?"
I smirked. "You're too late. I'm already engaged…To my work."
Amy looked devastated for half a second. "Ah." She groaned dramatically.
Then we both chuckled together.
Meanwhile, Leslie, Megan, and Tyrell were subtly glaring at one another like rival generals fighting over territory.
It honestly looked like they'd quietly developed some kind of unspoken competition while I wasn't paying attention.
Linda kept quiet as she was self-conscious of being the only one who would leave the company while everyone else was working hard to build it.
Then Leslie suddenly turned toward Amy.
"You." She pointed directly at her. "Do you want to become my assistant?"
Amy blinked rapidly. "Excuse me?"
My eyes lit up immediately. "Oh, Amy. You should absolutely take the offer."
"What?!" Amy panicked slightly. "I'm still in high school!"
"It's summer." Leslie shut her down instantly. "And I see potential in you." She crossed her arms.
Leslie added, "If you truly want to become Steven's rival someday, you should start learning now."
Amy thought about it with complete seriousness. Then she nodded firmly. "I want to become your assistant."
"Great." I smirked slightly.
Then reality suddenly hit me.
"Wait. Doesn't that mean your hut has no employees left now? Damn… except for Leo."
…
The mayor cleared his throat loudly after the conference room finally settled down.
Since everyone wanted answers at once, I ended up gathering them all together in the conference room instead of talking individually.
"Steven…" the mayor began warmly as he stood up. "On behalf of Point Place, I'd like to thank you for everything you've done for this town over the weekend."
I immediately raised an eyebrow. A few people laughed softly.
He added, "You brought thousands of visitors into town, generated business growth, and gave this community one of the most successful weekends we've had in years."
Bruce leaned closer to me and muttered under his breath. "He's buttering you up."
"I know." I whispered back.
The mayor continued without missing a beat. "The town council is currently discussing ways we can support future events. Potential tax incentives, permit accommodations, tourism partnerships—"
"In exchange for what?" Bruce interrupted casually.
The room became quieter immediately.
Bruce's status in this room was much higher than the mayor's, and everybody knew it.
The mayor forced out a diplomatic smile.
"Well… naturally, we'd like Mr. Hyde to continue investing in Point Place."
One businessman immediately added, "And we'd like him to continue making us money."
The room erupted into small laughs and nods of agreement.
The mayor quickly took a plaque from beside the table.
"And furthermore, the town council would like to present you with an Outstanding Citizen Award for your contributions to Point Place."
I stared at the plaque silently for several seconds.
"…Seriously?"
Jack Burkhart sighed tiredly and rubbed his forehead.
"He's not twelve." He glanced at the mayor. "You're making him uncomfortable."
The mayor awkwardly coughed into his fist.
Bruce immediately jumped in again. "Well, Kenosha is prepared to offer him a two-year residential tax exemption if he relocates operations there."
Burkhart was shocked. The mayor answered almost instantly.
"We're prepared to offer three."
The room suddenly became very interested. I laughed awkwardly and raised both hands.
"Gentlemen, please. I only allow beautiful women to fight over me."
The room burst into laughter. Even the mayor chuckled weakly.
"We'll talk later." I told both of them. I pointed toward the crowd afterward.
"Alright. What does everybody else want?"
A petite woman wearing an overly conservative Victorian-style dress immediately stood up.
"I would like to know if events like this are going to continue happening in our town."
"Yes." I answered instantly.
She looked genuinely horrified by the response. "That festival brought drug addicts into Point Place! I saw a lot of people smoking the devil's grass in the field."
"And customers!" a diner owner immediately snapped back. "My store was completely filled in the past two days. I sold more plates during the festival weekend than I did the last 6 months combined."
"People were drinking in public!" an older man barked.
"So was half this town." a bar owner shot back instantly.
The room exploded into overlapping arguments.
One older woman pointed at me accusingly. "My daughter came home dressed like a hussy after attending your concert!"
I threw my hands up in disbelief.
"And my clothing store sold out for the first time in two years because of that concert!" a younger businesswoman argued back. "Why are you blaming him for the way your daughter was dressing? Maybe she's a whore!"
"What did you say?!"
Another woman crossed her arms tightly. "What about safety? Thousands of strangers came into town!"
"The Red Cross reported less injuries than in the football season," Leslie calmly interjected.
"That's not the point!" the prudish woman snapped again. "What if rapists start coming here because of these concerts?!" She gasped and whispered, "Or the Negros…"
That was the point where my patience finally died. "Alright, shut the fuck up."
The room instantly fell silent. Everyone stared at me in complete shock.
I pointed toward the crowd irritably. "This isn't a town council meeting." I snapped. "I'm not a politician. If you want to complain about morality and teenagers dancing, go yell at city hall."
The silence somehow became even more awkward.
"If you have actual concerns about logistics, security, traffic, or planning, then fine. We can discuss that." I gestured toward the door.
"But if you're here just to whine about girls wearing skirts and people drinking beer at a concert, then get the hell out."
"Steven." Leslie grabbed my arm before I escalated further.
Then she immediately stepped forward and addressed the room professionally.
"He's rude, but he's not entirely wrong." She adjusted her glasses calmly. "Concerns regarding public safety and municipal planning can absolutely be discussed with us and the town council later."
She looked around the room carefully.
"But if you're here purely to argue about morality, this meeting is over for you."
A surprising number of people actually looked embarrassed after that.
Leslie crossed her arms and continued speaking before anyone could interrupt her.
"Six months ago, this town lost one of its biggest factories." Her voice remained calm, but noticeably sharper now. "People were losing jobs. Businesses were struggling. Some shops on Main Street were weeks away from shutting down completely."
The room became quieter.
"And this weekend?" She gestured toward everyone in the conference room. "Hotels were full. Restaurants were overflowing. Local stores sold out inventory. Teenagers earned money. Small businesses made profits again."
Even some of the conservative people avoided eye contact after hearing that.
"You don't have to like rock music." Leslie continued firmly. "You don't have to like how teenagers dress. You don't even have to attend the festival."
"But a lot of families in this town benefited from it."
"The diner owners benefited. The gas stations benefited. The motels benefited. The bars benefited. The local vendors benefited." She glanced toward Amy and Linda. "Even high school students made more money in two days than they normally would in months."
Leslie adjusted her glasses again and delivered the final blow calmly.
"So unless someone here has a better plan to bring twenty thousand people and hundreds of thousands of dollars into Point Place…" She looked directly at the prudish woman.
"I suggest showing at least a little appreciation before criticizing the people trying to help this town."
The room went completely silent after that.
Even Bruce looked impressed. "Hoo. Hyde. Give her to me."
"No." I rejected him immediately.
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