[Hyde POV]
"We're in the same class, right?" I asked the redhead. Instead of ginger, she has actual red hair. Maroon color like a troll doll. But, she still looked quite cute with it.
"Yeah, we have Spanish together." Patty (Lindsay Sloane) replied happily. "And I already know who you are, Steven Hyde."
"Who wouldn't? He's pretty famous." Fez interjected before turning to the blonde and asking, "You go to the same church as my host parents?"
I monitored Fez and Mary (Melissa Joan Hart, lead actress of Sabrina the Teenage Witch in 1996), the hot blonde's conversation, while talking with Patty.
The blonde peeked at me, asking Fez in a whisper, "How is he famous?"
"Oh, he has his own TV show." Fez replied casually. "So you're a natural blonde?"
Caught off guard by Fez's question, Mary giggled and touched her hair.
"Yes. Yes I am. So, what does Steven do?" Mary asked Fez with a whisper.
"So, Patty, what do you like to do in your free time?" I asked casually. I wasn't interested in the blind date, but it would be rude if I just stayed there.
We talked for a bit.
I overheard Fez asking Mary, "So, are all of your hairs blonde–"
I faked a cough to make him change the topic.
He was startled and immediately asked another question, "Do you go to church a lot?"
I nodded in satisfaction. Patty replied to me, "I like to listen to music, read the newspaper, and get in touch with current events. Something like that."
"Oh, what have you read so far that you feel is interesting?" I was intrigued.
"Um." She wasn't expecting the question. "The discrepancies of history being taught in different states."
"That's interesting. Tell me more."
Patty giggled and began talking. I chimed in here and there with my own observations, which made her even more absorbed in the conversation.
"Yeah, I mean, these teachers think they deserve our respect, but they don't. I mean, who are they to teach us about history and math?"
"Oh, this is where we have a disagreement." I interjected.
Patty blinked, frowning slightly. "You don't think teachers are demanding too much respect even though they didn't deserve it?"
"Well, some teachers should be respected. But I agree partly with you that maybe the lessons they teach weren't really that great." I chuckled slightly.
"So?" Patty was annoyed. "Why are you backing them up?"
"Because the fault isn't with the teacher. It's the entire education system."
I leaned closer and whispered, "See, school started as a way to create more workers while their parents worked in the factories. It allowed the capitalist to prepare for their workers reaching retirement while the new ones enter the working age."
My conspiracy brain was in full swing. Patty was greatly taken aback by it.
"So, the system was flawed in the first place. They weren't created to teach the students their attributes, but instead, they wanted loyal workers that didn't ask too many questions."
She furrowed her eyebrow while I finished.
"Teachers wanted to teach. But it's not their fault that the system that allows them to teach sucks."
"Oh." Patty exclaimed slightly. "That's… actually in line with what I want to do."
"And that is?"
"To fix the system."
I laughed slightly, which pissed her off. "That's ambitious."
"You don't think I can do it?" She asked with visible irritation.
I shrugged and said, "No one can do it. Not even fifty years from now. The way our system is set up, unless the entire system is uprooted and changed, the education system will always get screwed."
"Ugh. You're so condescending. You're pissing me off."
"Patty, don't say piss. Oh!" Mary was taken aback as she said those curse words herself.
Patty got angry and stopped talking to me. Fez was also bothering Mary since she was highly conservative, and he was quite… eager.
"So can I see your tongue?" Fez asked.
I coughed.
"Have you kissed a lot of boys?"
I coughed again.
"What TV show do you like to watch?"
That question was fine, but I really choked this time, and coughed a lot.
"Oh come on! That's a fine question!" Fez complained begrudgingly.
I waved my hand at him and said with a sore throat, "Sorry. The water went down the wrong pipe."
Fez turned to me and said, "Hyde. Can we talk on the side?"
"Sure."
We stood up and left the girls. Fez told me, "I don't think I'm ready to get with the blondes. And I don't think she's going to put out. She said she's waiting for marriage."
I sighed and said, "Told you."
"So, you want to change? Patty is pissed off with me, so you just need to agree with her, and you're golden."
"Really?" He got excited. "Okay, we will change our whores."
"Don't say that out loud, Fez. That's why you screwed it up with the blonde." I scolded him, which made him lower his head and avoid my eyes.
As we changed, Patty and Fez got to talking. He took my advice and kept agreeing with her on everything.
When I sat next to Mary, I flirted slightly. "So, did it hurt?"
"What hurt?" Mary was confused. "Do you mean Fez picking another girl–"
"No, when you… fell …from heaven?" I looked at her lips slightly. She blushed and giggled. "Oh wow. A line straight from the bat, huh?"
As I stared at her, she lowered her gaze and bit the edge of her hair slightly, fully embarrassed.
"You went to Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow, right? So, do you wear a Catholic schoolgirl uniform?"
"I do. With knee-high socks too." She flirted back.
I wondered why Fez was failing with Mary.
She looked conservative, but she was quite… bold. I could sense her inner sluttiness by the way she spoke, gestures, and how she was rubbing her foot on my thigh.
"Oh. That's a nice mental image. Thank you very much."
"Oh shut it, you." She pushed my arm slightly. She grabbed my arm and whispered, "To be honest, you caught my eyes the second I came in here."
Now I understood why Fez was failing. It was me. I was the one who's cockblocking him.
"I heard the nuns there spank people when they are naughty. Did you get spanked a lot?" I flirted.
"Sometimes." Mary batted her eyes at me.
I leaned in closer, stared into her eyes, and said, "Oh. What kind of naughty things do you usually do?"
Her entire face was red. "A lot of stuff. Do you want me to show you?"
"Sure." I agreed instantly.
Fez asked Patty to go out with him, which was too early in their conversation. I was distracted, so I couldn't help him.
"Oh. I have a test tomorrow to study for. I'm leaving now. It was nice meeting you, though, Mary?" Patty turned to the blonde.
"Oh, no. Go ahead without me." Mary placed her right hand on top of her left and said to me, "So, Steven, um, my parents aren't home. Wanna come back to my house? I have a hot tub."
I turned to Fez, who had a face full of regret.
I smiled and said, "I'd be honored. Let's go."
"AYY!" Fez whined.
"Sorry Fez. A man's got to do what a man got to do." I told him.
He sighed and said, "That's fine. Have a good day."
"But Fez."
"I said good day!" He stood up abruptly and left.
…
As Mary entered my Chevelle, she saw the wine bottles in my backseat and popped one open after asking me.
She chugged it straight from the bottle and kissed me before the car even started.
"You really are naughty." I told her and kissed her neck. She rubbed my jeans, and unbuckled my belt.
She giggled and said, "Have you ever had a girl sucked on your thing before?"
"Yes, but no one actually managed to make me cum."
Her eyes glinted, feeling quite challenged. "Then, I'll become the first one."
It was honestly a line. But it worked. She sucked on my dick while I drove her back to her house.
I touched her butt and slid my fingers into her pussy with my left hand.
"Oh Steven." she moaned.
Her house was not far away. She lived in a big house, in a rich neighborhood with a pool house and a hot tub.
"So you're a rich girl." I said teasingly as I parked in front of her house, on the street.
"Let's go to the hot tub." She pulled me giddily.
Our tongues intermingled, and the wet, warm kiss turned into full-on groping of each other's bodies.
"I got a feeling now that maybe not all Catholic schoolgirls are good girls. You're so naughty." I said as we broke for air.
She giggled again and pulled me to her bedroom. "I'm going to change into a bathing suit. You can wear this spare one."
"Or, I can wear nothing at all."
Ignoring me, Mary undressed in front of me, unclipping her bra and removing her underwear like putting on a show. Then, she wore the bathing suit again, a one-piece suit with an open back.
She definitely peeked while I undressed.
We entered the hot tub together and began making out. She grinded on me, which made me almost explode.
It was hot and heavy, and I teased at her for a bit.
Suddenly, she separated from me and said, "Steven. I know that… we made out in my bed and the tub seemed romantic."
"Is there a but coming?" I asked, confused. I smirked, "I'm hoping it'll be your butt."
"I have a boyfriend." She said suddenly, with a slightly awkward face.
"What?" I pushed her away slightly.
She went to the side and leaned on the hot tub wall. "He's in college. And we're still faithful to each other." She showed me her promise ring.
"We can keep making out if you want." She said casually. "But not… going all the way."
I froze, and realized that the scene was recorded for the episode. "No. It's fine. I'm going to leave."
"Are you sure?" She was greatly taken aback. "We can still have a lot of fun while remaining faithful!"
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but no." I said, with a facial expression that showed I was really conflicted. "I promised myself I'm not going to do that."
"Oh… Okay." She was greatly disappointed.
If I wanted to care about my tv image, I shouldn't show that I cheated on someone or was used to cheating with. Otherwise, it would age really badly.
I left without saying much and realized the episode had wrapped up.
[Eric got suspended: Original rating: 7.5
New rating: 7.4
Negative rating: -0.1 owed.
The user will be banned from the internet system for a day.]
I was shocked. "Wait, can't you just make it up with the points I have now?"
The system was unresponsive.
"Damn it. How do I live for 24 hours without the internet?"
As I drove back home, I saw Kelso running after his own van. Jackie was leaving him behind for some reason.
"Jackie! That's my van!" he shouted.
"What are those idiots doing?" I was confused and slightly disgusted.
"JACKIEE!"
…
The next day arrived quickly. It was a Saturday, so I spent all morning at Red's auto shop, selling the cars I'd fixed from the California haul.
I sold 4 Corollas, 2 Pontiacs, 1 Firebird, 1 GTO, and 1 Honda. The bank had someone at the shop helping customers process their car loans.
They would pay me the amount for the car, while the customers would owe the bank instead of using in-house financing.
This arrangement benefited both parties. The bank collected interest, and I sold cars faster.
The risk was also quite low since the banks took on the risk with the financing. If the people didn't meet their payment, it would be the bank's problems, not mine.
By the afternoon, I had cleared $22,000 after taxes. That's when someone approached me.
"Hello. I'm Leslie from the Park and Rec department."
I turned to her and saw her holding out her hand for a handshake.
The woman, in her twenties, wore a blazer and skirt and looked very professional.
And, more importantly, she looked like the actress Rebecca Hall, which made me do a double take.
"Oh. Are you here to give me the permit?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Red watched me from a distance.
She shook her head slowly. "No. The permit isn't out yet."
"Then why are you here?" I asked, irritation creeping into my voice.
"Because," she said carefully, "someone has to explain why it's being delayed."
Leslie took out a brown envelope from her purse and handed it to me.
"They won't explain," she continued, "Inside the packet is the guideline on how you can do this properly."
"What did I do wrong with the submission?" I asked curiously.
"They need attendance projections to know whether the park can even host something like this. The insurance documentation is incomplete. They want crowd-control estimates."
She paused, watching my face.
"The town has never had a show like this before. Not even a festival. This is all very new to them. I think it can help the town, but some people are short-sighted to see that."
"So," I said, unimpressed, "they're just incompetent?"
She shook her head. "They want credit, too. In a week or two, after you're more… frustrated, and the auto show date gets closer, they'll send a representative. Someone who wants to 'collaborate' between Parks and Rec and your show."
I nodded slowly. "So they want to take over."
A bitter smile crossed her face. "For the record, I never said that."
"You didn't say I was wrong," I replied.
She looked away.
"Just hold on," she said. "They'll cave first. The town government needs this more than you need them."
The town government was going bankrupt afterall.
I crossed my arms, resting my chin lightly on my hand. "Leslie. Are you satisfied working in Parks and Rec?"
She hesitated. "It's a stable job," she said carefully. "Although… the pay is low."
"I see," I said. "Do you want a job?"
"I'm sorry?" She looked genuinely startled.
I smiled. "I like ambitious people. And you know how to align yourself on the right side. Your assistant administrator job isn't giving you much, is it?"
Her smile faded.
"Work for me," I continued. "I need an organizer for the auto show. And don't worry, I'm not the type to discard people once the job's done. I'll find you a place in my company afterward."
She was quiet for a long moment. Then she asked, softly, "Did you know I'm Dustin's mother?"
My eyes widened. "You're Dustin's mother?" I was shocked.
It was truly a small town.
She studied my expression, then exhaled in relief. "You didn't know. Alright. I'll take the job."
Only then did it click for me. She hadn't come because she was ambitious. She came because I helped her son, and this was her way of returning it.
Still… the ambition was there. Otherwise she wouldn't take the job offer.
She left riding a worn-out bicycle without a helmet. I was quite surprised by it. She noticed it and said, "I sold my cars months ago for bail money."
"I can see that." I laughed slightly.
"I'll come to the autoshop today and give you my answer."
She rode the bicycle away to go back to the Park and Rec's department.
Red approached me and said, "Head-hunting again?"
"She's quite competent. Check it out." I gave Red the packet I had read.
Red was quite taken aback when he saw it.
It has copies of the town's book, the proper way to submit the permit application written by hand in great detail.
It even has the information of the people in the Park and Rec's department I could use to gain leverage.
"She's a scary girl." Red muttered with disbelief.
I nodded and said, "I know. I'm really excited to be working with her."
Bob suddenly approached us with a jelly donut in his hand. "What are you talking about? Who is the woman?"
"Geez Bob! Stop coming here every Saturday and eat all the donuts! That's for the actual paying customers!" Red grimaced with annoyance.
Bob was taken aback. "Hey, I'm helping you out too by being here. They see me, Bargain Bob, in the store. So they know they are getting a bargain."
"Unless you're coming here to buy a car, don't come here anymore." Red took the donut from Bob.
Bob widened his eyes and sulked. "Fine Forman! Maybe I am buying a car!"
I interjected, "Bob. If you bought one, I'll set aside a box of donuts for you. You can eat that all on your own when you come here again."
He blinked. "Really?" A smile crept up on his face.
I wrapped my arm around him and led him to the cars, "A man of your stature, you can't just buy a normal car from here."
Unfortunately for Bob, I know exactly how much he was earning.
"You should buy a car that shows your class. May I recommend you something imported? Like a Jaguar?" I guided him to the more expensive cars.
Red shook his head in disbelief as he saw me entrapping Bob with my words.
"The damn kid couldn't stop himself from selling. He'll be very very rich one day." Red sighed.
…
I went to a real estate office after the lot sales. As usual, it ended before noon again.
Some people even pre-ordered the car for next week's sales and had the bank staff preapproved their loans.
I loved it a lot since the sales were booming. I took pictures with a lot of people too, and they bought a lot of the merchandise.
The real estate office has someone I know on their bill board.
"Pam? What are you doing here?"
It was Pam from the Office. More accurately, the actress who played Pam– Jenna Fisher. Here, her name was Stacy Wanamaker.
And for high school students? It was Stacy I-Do-Want-To-Make-Her… Moan.
Her red hair was curled, and she wore a push up bra while wearing a tight dress on the billboard.
I didn't see the billboard girl, only an old receptionist as I entered the real estate office.
"Yes?" She approached me while smoking.
"I saw the For Sale sign on Oak street, house 22. The condemned house."
The office lady turned and shouted, "LARRY! SOMEONE'S HERE TO SEE YOU!"
"COMING!"
A big fat man rushed to the lobby. "Please, come with me." He said hurriedly, with a soft smile on his face.
I went to his part of the office, where there were towering papers, and mess everywhere.
"So. What kind of house are you looking for?" He asked, putting his hand on the thick stack of paper.
"You're not Stacy Wanamaker's husband, are you?" I asked.
"Oh. No no. I'm just a realtor who works here. Henry is the boss of the firm. Do… Do you want to see him?"
"I don't care. I just want to see the asking price for house 2209 on Oak street."
"Oh. That one. It's a shame what happened there. Two people, mother and son. Taken by the Slenderman and is nowhere to be found." he said pitifully and wore half-moon glasses before he began reading.
I opened my mouth, wanting to rebuke it, but then realized that the rumors were helping me. It was driving the house price way down.
"No one wants that property. The landlord sold it to the town and left to go to New York." Larry kept talking as I listened intently.
"It's only 730 square feet. It has an unfinished basement. To be honest, it'll be much better if you find another property. I have several others here that you might be interested in?"
He tapped on the stack of papers on his side. After the factory closed, there were a lot of houses for sale in the town. People couldn't afford their mortgages anymore.
"I'm fine. Thanks. I'll buy this one."
He was slightly taken aback. "Are you sure? The bank won't really care about a loan this size, and you might need to wait over 8 months to get it."
"I'll pay in cash. You can close it in a week, right?"
Larry was baffled. "Cas–Cash? Oh, are you a drug dealer? Oh no. I shouldn't have said that. Now you're going to kill me."
I grimaced with disbelief. "Calm down Larry. I'm an auto dealer. I'm lush with cash. You can check my details with the bank if you want. So, can you handle the property for me or not?"
"Oh." He laughed nervously. "Alri-Alright. I'll do it for you. Since it's a cash payment, it will be pretty easy. Just make an offer, and I'll close it in a week. The asking price is 3100."
"3000."
"Great. I'll bring you the related documents soon for you to sign. To be clear, you are over 18 years old, right?"
"No. I'm 17."
"Oh." Larry exclaimed flatly. "It's– You can't buy it unless you're 18–"
"I have a guy who will sign it for me. Don't worry about that. It will be put into a trust and I'll get it once I'm 18."
Larry smiled in relief and said, "Alright. That sounds much better."
"Can I take a look at the other things the town offers?"
"Sure. Here." He placed a tall, 10 inch stack of paper in front of me.
For some, it didn't have any pictures, only details of the properties.
There's also properties in Sheboygan and Kenosha too, not just in Point Place.
"Hmm?" I was curious as I read something and asked Larry. "Is this address the one with the basketball court on it?"
"Let's see. Land for sale. Oh, that's right. It is." Larry laughed. "They closed down the basketball court…"
"A year ago." I interjected.
This was a place where Eric, Kelso, Donna, Fez and I played basketball together. We snuck through a dog hole in the fence, scared some hippies with a bottle rocket and played there for years.
Larry shrugged, "It's a liability for the town. So they are selling it."
"Let me buy that too. I'll give 5000 for it."
Larry clicked his tongue and showed his head slightly, looking to make sure no one saw it. "Lower," he whispered.
"Four–"
"Lower."
"Three–"
"Lower."
"Two?"
"Lower."
"One??" I was quite shocked by the price.
"Add half."
"Fifteen hundred dollars. That's my offer."
Larry nodded and said, "Good. I'll see you on Monday with all of the documents needed for you to sign."
I left and went to the basement for now and checked up on the Fotohut once I realized no one was around the house.
"I'm so bored…" I said, sipping my orange soda at the Hub. Suddenly, a woman walked into the restaurant.
"Brooke?"
"Hey Steven." She widened her eyes slightly, not expecting me there.