Chapter 109: Autofestival (3) [Hyde POV] "We're already out of the shirts," Megan said excitedly as I returned to the goodies stall. Jackie was checking out some stuff as we got there, picking up a pair of "Rev It Up" underwear. She noticed what it was and shuddered with disgust. "Everything is almost gone," Megan added. "Nice," I said with satisfaction. "Although the tie-dye shirt sold out two hours ago." I teased. Megan grumbled in annoyance and rolled her eyes. "They have less inventory than us." I laughed and said, "Oh. All the cars are sold out." "Nice!" Megan pumped her fist excitedly. "Why are you excited? It's not like you're getting any bonuses," I said playfully again. She laughed and said, "Well, that means the autoshop can survive a little longer." "It's not like you need it anymore. You're earning six figures with the documentary royalties." She grinned as I mentioned it and said coyly, "I still need it." "You love bossing people around, huh?" I teased. She giggled slightly. Jackie narrowed her eyes at us and said, "Hey. I'm buying this." Megan's face dropped immediately as she heard Jackie's voice. "It's you again." While the two girls were being catty, I checked out the cheesecake stall. "That's sold out too." I had ordered 300 Japanese cheesecakes, and I cut each into four, selling every piece for five dollars. Since I got the cakes for $2.10 apiece and sold a whole cake for $20, the margin was pretty nice even after paying the stall employee there. Cheesetarts, madeleines, and a lot of other pastries were sold at the store too. The instant noodle stalls were sold out. The international candies were sold out too. "It's only three… This is troubling," I grumbled. "I need to have enough food for tonight, though." My walkie-talkie crackled again as I thought about it. "Mr. Hyde, there's a person from Channel 5 News here. They want to interview you," Jeff said carefully. "Oh. I'm going to the race. They can come there if they want." I didn't really mind the public interview. Part of me was already expecting it. Jackie grumbled and said, "Really? You're going away again?" "Hey, I'm pretty busy here. Why don't you go meet up with Forman and Donna?" "Why can't I join the interview?" Jackie complained. "Because they weren't asking for you." "I don't care. I'm going with you!" She locked her hands with me, adamant about her inclusion in the interview. "Fine," I sighed. The station also interviewed the locals, not just the organizers. This is good. If I mention we're going to do this again next month, the attendance will be just as high. The camera light flickered on as the local news crew adjusted themselves near the auto show entrance. Behind me, the festival grounds buzzed with life. Kids waved at the camera, along with a few teens and a couple adults. Music echoed from the distant stage while crowds moved between food stalls, and the revving of classic Mustangs flooded the footage. The beautiful reporter smiled professionally and greeted me before the interview started. "You must be Mr. Steven Hyde. I love your TV show and the documentary." With blonde hair, a mole on her upper lip, and prominent red lipstick, she checked me out with her blue eyes. "I'm Loni Anderson, Metro 5 News." "Oh, I thought you were from Channel 5," I said, confused. "Didn't you hear? Channel 5 was bought by NBC. We're now an NBC affiliate in the region," she explained happily. I nodded slightly and said, "Congrats. Now the channel has truly broken free from regional broadcasting." "Thank you!" She gasped, feeling touched by my words. Jackie rolled her eyes and said, "Enough flirting. Why don't you do the interview already?" Loni narrowed her eyes at Jackie and said, "We just want to interview him, if that's fine?" "Um…" Jackie was quite embarrassed. I chuckled and said, "She can stand by my side—" "No, Steven. I'm just going to watch it with—Oh, there's Donna. I'm going to go watch it with her." Jackie hurried away. Loni bit her lower lip and giggled. "Should we start now?" she asked. "Sure." I shrugged and opened ChatGPT on my browser. "Hi, I'm Loni Anderson from Metro 5 News." She stepped slightly to the side as the camera panned toward the festival behind her. "What started as a local auto show has quickly turned into one of the biggest events in the region. Thousands of visitors from across Wisconsin arrived in Point Place today for the first annual Auto Festival." The cameraman slowly zoomed toward the rows of cars and packed walkways. She sounded excited as she said, "The festival features live music, food vendors, street races, and one of the largest Mustang showcases in the Midwest." A loud cheer erupted nearby as another car accelerated down the street. "And surprisingly, much of this event was organized by local filmmaker, TV host, and businessman Steven Hyde." She turned toward me with a practiced smile. "So, Steven Hyde. A lot of people around Wisconsin are seeing this festival and wondering the same thing." She gestured toward the crowd. "Why did you pick Point Place for the festival?" I smiled and feigned confusion. "Because I live here?" A few nearby people laughed softly. Loni hesitated before adding, "This town's been struggling economically for years. Some people might say spending this much money on concerts and festivals sounds… risky." "Everything's risky," I replied immediately, but my face was calm. "Factories are risky too. Doing nothing's risky. At least this gives people something." "That's a pretty big 'something,'" she said as the camera panned toward the massive stage in the distance. "How many people are you expecting tonight?" "About fifteen thousand." Her eyebrows jumped. "Fifteen thousand?" She laughed slightly before continuing. "But seriously, Steven. What made you think a festival like this could help a small town?" I pointed toward the food stalls. "You see all those vendors? They buy supplies locally. The workers here spend money at diners, gas stations, and stores. The visitors rent motel rooms. The money keeps moving around instead of leaving town." "So what does that do?" she asked curiously. I explained, "Most dying towns have holes in the bucket. Money comes in, then immediately leaves. Big stores, outside companies, commuting out of town. Nothing stays here." I pointed toward the crowd walking through the festival. "But if local people work local jobs and spend money locally, it keeps circulating. That's how small towns used to survive before everything centralized." The reporter blinked, clearly not expecting that answer. "That's a surprisingly thoughtful answer." "I read books," I replied dryly. A few nearby people laughed again. The reporter smiled wider. "There are people saying you're acting more like a mayor than a filmmaker these days." "God, no," I immediately said. "I sleep way too much for politics." The crew laughed. "But you are investing heavily in the town," she pressed on. "Yeah, because I live here," I replied simply. "People act like small towns are supposed to die automatically. I think that's stupid." The reporter tilted her head. "You really think a festival can change things?" "Not alone," I admitted. "But people need reasons to go outside again. To meet people. To spend money. To actually feel like there's a future here." "You can't rebuild a town if everybody's depressed. People need something to be proud of again." "You say that, but aren't you making money from this event?" she followed up quickly. I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not trying to make money with this festival. In fact, I'm barely breaking even. I just want the townspeople to have something they can be proud of. And if I can do that with this festival, then I don't mind taking some risks myself." Loni nodded in satisfaction and ended the segment. "That's all from Steven Hyde, organizer of the Point Place Auto Festival. Reporting from Point Place, Wisconsin, I'm Loni Anderson. Back to you, Ron." The cameraman lowered the camera. "Oh, is this live?" I asked. "No." Loni shook her head. "But I already know Ron Burgundy will be the anchor today." I nodded and waved her off. "Okay then. Enjoy the festival." "Wait, Mr. Hyde. I want to apologize for the sudden questions—if I made you uncomfortable or anything." I shrugged and said, "Nah. I'm fine with it. Do what you have to do." She held my arm before I could leave. "Then, since I have your permission, can I take a few shots of the festival from the stage?" "Sure." I pulled out my walkie-talkie and called Leslie. After explaining the situation, I told the TV crew to go wait by the stage. Leslie would bring them onstage later. "You know, you react much better than the other guy we interviewed," Loni told me. "The other guy? A carnival crowd?" I asked, confused. "No, the town councilman who called us here. Mr. Burkhart, do you know him? He got all sweaty when I pressed him about what kind of help he actually did here." Loni laughed. While I was talking with Loni, Chad stared intently at me from afar with hatred in his eyes and clenched his fist again. … "Oh my god, we finally get to meet the Blue Öyster Cult guys," Donna was excited as I brought some of my friends backstage. "Just for five minutes, alright? The concert is going to start soon, so I don't want to bother these guys for long," I reminded everyone. First up, we met the Van Halen band members. The lead singer, David Lee Roth, checked out Donna and Jackie as he signed their albums. "Both of you girls are really fine~" He flirted with them. "Oh. Thank you," Jackie said and grabbed my arm. "But we're taken." "Yeah!" Eric held Donna's arm and said, "So just calm down there." David just laughed and left with two girls wearing skimpy outfits. "They already have a lot of groupies. They still want more." Eric grimaced and said, "I'm so jealous." "You're what?" Donna turned to him angrily. "Noth—Nothing. Pfft—That's not … my entire life dream or whatever." He pretended to be indifferent, but Donna was still suspicious. "Let's go meet the headliner." The band's agent smiled as he saw me. "Mr. Hyde. It's nice to finally meet you." He shook my hand excitedly. I smiled and said, "I won't take too much of your time." "Oh no, no. Take as much time as you want." He laughed and opened the door. Eric instantly closed Donna's eyes as he saw what was inside. But he was too late, and the girl was already traumatized. I closed Jackie's eyes with my hand, even quicker than Eric. "What—What is it?" Jackie asked, flabbergasted. The agent quickly closed the door again. He cleared his throat and said, "Maybe give them five minutes?" "What—What are they doing?" Jackie asked me with disbelief. "The thing rockstars do with their groupies. I'm not going to explain it further," I said, shuddering slightly. The band members laughed awkwardly, and they signed our records a few minutes later. "In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have given them the chocolates." I had prepared a welcome bag for the artists as they arrived in Wisconsin. It had the aphrodisiac chocolate inside, along with cigars, whiskeys, and even some shirts. "Why are they—Like…" Donna tried to figure it out with her hands. "I think that's called the Eiffel Tower," I told her. "What?" Donna was confused, and Eric caught it instantly. "Oh, because two of them were standing—" "Eric! Shut up!" Donna stopped him immediately. "What's the Eiffel Tower!?" Jackie was annoyed. "Include me in this!" "Believe me, Jackie, this is one instance where you do not want to be included!" Donna said with a pale face. "Poor girl. She's traumatized," I said pitifully. "Shut up, HYDE!" … Finally, the concert started. I walked onto the stage, holding a microphone as fifteen thousand people stared toward the massive wall of lights and speakers towering behind me. "Point Place!" I shouted into the microphone. The crowd exploded immediately. I grinned despite myself as thousands of hands shot upward. "You guys having a good time today?" I asked, cupping my left ear. Another deafening roar answered me. Behind me, the stage crew hurried around instruments worth more than some houses in town. The starter band—Journey's lead vocalist—gave me a thumbs-up. "Well, I know you're not here for me. Let's stop wasting time. Mind your actions and your surroundings. Be safe and enjoy the concert. Please welcome… Journey!" The crowd erupted in cheers. The stage lights instantly dimmed before exploding into streaks of blue and white as the opening notes rang across the grounds. The stage lights followed the band members—still clear even though the sun hadn't gone down yet. The giant speaker towers thundered with unbelievable clarity, causing people near the front barricade to scream in shock. Even the older concertgoers looked stunned by the sound quality. "This is worth my investment." I smiled in satisfaction as I looked at the speakers. Journey walked onto the stage. The audience sang almost immediately as the guitars echoed through the warm summer evening. Journey sang the song "Spacemen." I went to my friends, who were standing at the forefront of the crowd. "Hyde, you're not going back up there?" Eric asked with confusion. "No. I'm going to let Leslie do it." I smiled and said, "I just want to enjoy the concert." "Thank goodness." Jackie hugged my arm tightly. "I thought I'd have to watch the show by myself." Donna threw her hands up and said, "Jackie. We are all here." Not long after Journey finished, the atmosphere changed completely. Van Halen practically stormed the stage. The lights flashed violently as Eddie's guitar screamed through the speakers. The energy instantly became chaotic. Even backstage crew members stopped working to watch. Girls screamed themselves hoarse every time David Lee Roth jumped across the stage like a man possessed. "DAVID!" Laurie shouted and threw her bra onstage. "Ew." I shuddered. The festival no longer felt like a local event. It felt enormous. Then came Blue Öyster Cult. "Finally, the headliners," I smirked. The stage darkened almost completely except for deep blue floodlights cutting through the haze. The sun had gone down by now. "Thank you so much to Mr. Steven Hyde for inviting us to the festival. It's honestly the best thing I've experienced this year," the lead vocalist said with a chuckle. "So for that, we will sing an extra song for today's performance." The crowd cheered instantly. They first played "Don't Fear the Reaper." The instruments sounded incredible through the new speakers. "You know, compared to the last time we went to a concert, the acoustics here are amazing," Donna muttered. "Yeah, I can feel the bass in my chest." Fez added, holding his chest. "Be still, my dancing heart. It's not time yet," he whispered. "♫♪ All our times have come ♫♪" "♫♪ Here, but now they're gone ♫♪" "♫♪ Seasons don't fear the Reaper ♫♪" "♫♪ Nor do the wind, the sun, or the rain ♫♪" Thousands of cigarette lighters flickered across the crowd like stars as the guitars echoed over the festival grounds. The music blended with the smoke machines and cool night air until the entire place felt dreamlike. People swayed together silently. "Ah. This is nice," Jackie said, holding a lighter. She turned to me and gave me a cute look. "Damn it," I cursed. "Don't give me those eyes." "What eyes?" She pretended not to know what she was doing. "You know, the fuck-me eyes." "Ew." She shuddered. "Don't be so crass. Say it's… a sexy look instead." "Fine. That, then," I grimaced. She laughed and pulled me close before kissing me. Leslie commanded the stage after the headliner's performance was over. "Finally, a special treat for tonight. She's a Point Place native, someone who made it big yet didn't forget her hometown. Please welcome, Miss Gloria Gaynor!" I heard some boos, but they were mostly drowned out by the cheers. "You know, this is what happens when you try to mix genres," Donna told me. "Rock and disco don't get along." "It's fine. If they don't like it, they can leave early," I shrugged. My words became prophecy as around two hundred people left when Gloria took the stage. "♫♪ At first I was afraid, I was petrified! Thinking I could live without you by my side ♫♪" Even some of the rock fans who'd been booing a minute ago stayed rooted exactly where they were, because Gloria Gaynor's voice sounded unbelievable through the massive speaker towers. "♫♪ And after spending nights thinking how you did me wrong ♫♪" "Finally. I can let it all out!" Fez began dancing disco style as he heard the song. ♫♪ I grew strooooong! And I learned how to get along!! ♫♪ ♫♪ Now you're back! From outer space! ♫♪ ♫♪ And I find you here with that sad look upon your face! ♫♪ I bobbed my head to the music. Eric saw it and laughed. "Hyde, you're dancing. You're basically a disco-er now." "It's fine since it's Miss Gaynor," I said casually and kept bobbing my head. Kelso and Donna also joined in. "Yeah, this is fine," Kelso said, also dancing. Donna laughed and said, "She has a really strong voice. Her song makes me feel empower—" "Hush, Donna. Don't bring your feminist crap over here," Jackie interjected quickly. ♫♪ I should've changed that stupid lock! Or made you leave your key! ♫♪ ♫♪ If I'd've known for a second you'd be back to bother me! ♫♪ ♫♪ Go on, go, walk out the door! Turn around now! ♫♪ We danced slightly. Suddenly, the fireworks went off. The entire field was illuminated with pretty light. Despite that, the vocals weren't drowned out by the explosions. ♫♪ You're not welcome anymore! ♫♪ ♫♪ You're the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye! Think I'd crumble?! ♫♪ Miss Gaynor saw it and smiled in satisfaction, feeling extremely touched. She gave it her absolute best. ♫♪ You think I'd lay down and die?! ♫♪ ♫♪ No, not I, I will surviveEEEE! ♫♪ The song resonated greatly with me. Even though it was disco music. 'Now that I think about it, I don't really remember where all of the disco hatred started.' It was as if it was my default setting. 'Maybe a character setting? But why?' It was just a fleeting thought since I was enjoying the concert right now. Jackie wrapped her arms around me. I held her waist and danced with her. I sighed and said, "Why is it you? I'd much rather dance with any other girls." "Too bad! You're stuck with me!" She replied, fully offended by my words. She grabbed my arm and forced me to touch her all over. I shuddered and pulled my hand back, but she insisted on it. Chapter 110: Dogfight (Trigger Warning: Violence, homophobic slurs) [Hyde POV] "This is a really great festival," Donna laughed as we walked back to the cars. "Yeah, Hyde. It's really strange that you're the one who did all this," Eric looked at me suspiciously. Jackie held my hand and said, "Eric, don't bother Steven. Like, don't even talk to him. In fact, stop hanging out with him, since you're going to lower his popularity with every word you utter." Eric threw his hands up in disbelief. "I'm not that unpopular." Fez laughed and said, "Yeah, Eric. You should really learn to stay in your place." Kelso snickered and said, "Yeah. The only one who can speak to Hyde now is me. And maybe Donna." "Why maybe?" Donna shot a glare at Kelso. Suddenly, I heard yelling from behind me. "You're dead meat, Hyde!" Chad, furious and drunk, swung a tire iron at me. I pushed Jackie to the side, where she crashed into Eric and both of them fell to the ground. I swerved backward to avoid the tire iron, and my body reacted instinctively. The stuntman's knowledge helped me figure out the best way to counterattack. Kicking his legs after he missed the swing, he staggered and fell flat on the gravel ground. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I swung my leg and kicked him in the stomach. He winced in pain and groaned pitifully. "Oi! You Hollywood boy." Some other drunken guys shouted at me. "You disco faggot." My blood rushed to my brain. "What the fuck did you call me?" I walked toward him angrily, but Kelso and Fez grabbed my shirt quickly. "Hyde! Calm down." Kelso pointed at the gang of people there: dangerous-looking guys in leather jackets, carrying knives and beer bottles. A group of bikers stood near the edge of the parking lot beside a pickup truck. Leather jackets. Long hair. Half-drunk and loud enough that nearby people were already backing away from them. One of them spat on the ground. "Ruined a perfectly good rock show with that disco crap." Another laughed. "Festival's getting soft." I exhaled slowly. Donna grabbed my sleeve immediately. "Hyde. Ignore them." One of them, a tall, 6′4″ guy with muscular arms and a beer belly, threw a beer can at me. Someone whispered, "You fucking faggot. Calling a nigger up there to ruin the mood." "You got something to say?" I asked flatly. "Or you're too pussy and have to hide behind your girl squad? No balls to say it in front of my face?" I taunted them. "What the fuck—" Donna mouthed. The CCTV near the area caught the altercation. A group of thirty staff members, all mechanics and blue-collar guys, rushed to the area. The biker spread his arms dramatically, laughing and mocking me with his friends. "If you have a problem with the festival," I said calmly, "come say it properly." The biker laughed. "Oh? Or what?" I stared at him for a second before shrugging. "Or stop bitching forever." "Boss!" Jeff called me urgently. "No. Stay there." I pointed at Jeff. "I can handle these pussies myself." The biker's smile vanished instantly. "Watch your mouth, pretty boy." "No. I'm the pretty boy," Kelso interjected. Everyone turned to him in confusion. "What? I just need to make that clear." Kelso shrank back quickly. "Or what?" I repeated, taunting the man. "Come on. I'm feeling generous today. If you want to fight, then let's fight. Don't just talk like a bunch of Jackies at cheerleading camp." "Hey!" Jackie yelped, offended. "Who the fuck do you think you are, you queer faggot?!" The biker shoved me hard in the chest. The second his hand touched me, the crowd exploded. Not only the staff members, but drunk concertgoers also came to watch the show. I slipped underneath the punch and drove my fist straight into his ribs, hard enough to make the air leave his lungs in one ugly choking noise. The crowd screamed. The biker stumbled backward against a parked car. Then another guy rushed me from the side. This one was worse: older, stockier, with a military haircut. He didn't swing wildly. He grabbed my shirt, trying to tackle me onto the gravel road. I took a few steps back to stabilize myself. We slammed into the side of a truck hard enough to shake it violently. Pain shot through my shoulder, but it excited me instead. The guy immediately drove his forearm toward my throat while trying to pin me against the vehicle. Army guy. Or at least trained. I pushed his elbow deeper, causing him to lose balance. Then I headbutted his nose. My forehead bled, but the guy's nose broke. CRACK. The guy recoiled instantly. Blood exploded across his mustache. "Come on. Who's the pussy now?" I punched him and kicked him in the stomach. He slammed down to the ground. Then boots hit my ribs. Hard. A third biker. He grabbed my shirt and literally hauled me upward before punching me directly across the mouth. My vision flashed white. The crowd roared. I tasted blood immediately. The giant biker grinned through yellow teeth. "There we go!" He swung again. I ducked under it barely and hammered two quick punches into his stomach before driving my shoulder directly into his chest. The guy didn't fall. "Jesus Christ," Eric shouted. He wanted to intervene, but Tyrell and Jeff stopped him. My workers also blocked Fez and Donna—who had picked up a rock from the ground. But Kelso managed to squirrel past the blockade. "Hyde!" Kelso joined in and tackled the guy from the side. The guy slammed his elbow on Kelso's back and threw him aside. "Kelso, don't get in," I warned him, wiped my bloodied mouth, and waited for the guy to swing at me. I got into his range and avoided his punch, counterattacking with a clean hit to his jaw. He stumbled, just barely. I turned into a spinning kick and kicked him right in the face. His eyes rolled back and he dropped to the ground. Someone thrust a knife at me. I managed to catch it before it reached my abdomen. "You want to kill me? You fucker?!" I gritted my teeth and dislocated his shoulder. "AHH!" He shouted in pain. I kicked him right in the balls, adding to his misery. "NO WAY!" I looked up briefly as I heard the familiar voice. David Lee Roth was standing on top of a van, shouting, "KICK HIS ASS, Mr. Hyde!!" He made a rock sign, also sticking out his tongue. Even the rock fans were confused by it. "What the fuck?" Their identity crisis hit them like a truck when their own idols disowned them. Even Eddie Van Halen looked horrified beside him while the road crew desperately tried dragging them backward. The giant biker charged me again. I slipped sideways this time and drove him directly into the side mirror of a truck. The mirror snapped clean off. He hit me anyway. A brutal hook directly across my face. Blood poured instantly down my mouth. The crowd collectively winced. I smiled anyway with my bloody teeth. The biker stared at me strangely after that, like maybe he expected me to stay down. Instead I spat blood onto the pavement and stepped forward again. "Come on. I don't think you all have had enough, right?" I walked toward them, and they took a step back instinctively. "So let's fight till the end." I opened my hands wide to welcome the challenger. "This motherfucker is really crazy." Eddie Van Halen looked at me with disbelief. David Lee Roth threw his fist to support me. "Yeah! This is what I'm talking about!" That's when the sirens finally arrived. Police lights flooded the parking lot in red and blue as officers stormed through the crowd screaming for everyone to get on the ground. "Cops! Run!" Kelso shouted. The crowd dispersed quickly. The fight finally broke apart slowly. "Ah, damn." I crouched down. "My head is spinning." Breathing heavily, I wiped blood from my mouth while people around us shouted over each other. Jackie quickly rushed toward me. "Steven! What the hell were you thinking?" She scolded me. "You're really hurt." "Yeah, Hyde. You need to go to the hospital, right now," Donna said urgently. "I'm fine," I waved off their concerns. "I just need some aspirin." "You need to get your head X-rayed, that's what. See if there's still some brain in there," Eric said, his tone really angry. Timmy, the weird kid, suddenly shouted from afar. "HYDE WHOOPED THEIR ASSES!" People began joining him. "That dude's crazy!" "Holy shit!" "Hyde stood up for the disco people." "So Hyde is pro-queer people?" I heard the muttering and was really confused by it. "Let's get you home," Jackie said as she propped me up, slinging my hand on her shoulder. "And get you all cleaned up." "You are still trying to take advantage of me in this situation? You're relentless," I teased, covering my body. Jackie got mad and kicked my shin. "Ow—" I yelped. "Jackie! Don't do that to a patient!" Donna scolded her and took over. "He's the one who got on my nerves," Jackie whined. "I wasn't thinking when I kicked him." The police came by and saw Chad on the ground. They asked me, "Sir, is he one of the guys who attacked you?" "What—Oh. No." I lied casually. "He tried to help and got knocked out. Can you send him to the hospital for me?" "Oh. Okay." The officer accepted it casually. Eric whispered to me, "Why did you do that? He tried to beat you up with a tire iron." "I slept with his wife," I blurted out. Eric, Donna, Kelso, Fez, and Jackie froze. "You did what?!" Eric exclaimed, flabbergasted. … Mrs. Forman pressed a cold pack against my cheek. I winced immediately. "Oh, don't you 'ow' me, Steven Hyde," she snapped. "You were fighting grown men in a parking lot!" Her voice was high and frantic. She was still extremely anxious after hearing about the fight. She'd nearly dragged me to the hospital herself, but once she checked that nothing was broken, she calmed down a little. "I was winning," I muttered weakly. "You were being crazy!!" she shot back instantly. Eric pointed dramatically toward me from the couch. "He got hit by, like, twelve guys!" "It wasn't twelve," I corrected him. "Only like… five. Wait. Seven…" "There was a knife," Fez added casually. Mrs. Forman froze completely. "A KNIFE?!" I rubbed my face in frustration and groaned, "Fez. Why would you say that?" "He caught it!" Kelso added proudly. "Like a ninja!" "That is NOT helping, Michael!" Jackie yelled. Fez nodded enthusiastically. "It was honestly one of the coolest things I have ever seen." Mrs. Forman looked genuinely horrified now. "Why are you all acting like this was football?!" "Well…" Eric thought about it for a second. "There's a reason people watch boxing." Mrs. Forman grabbed my chin gently and turned my face toward the lamp. "Oh my God…" She sighed softly. "Your eye is swelling already." "Looks kinda cool," Kelso admitted. "Michael," Jackie warned him again. "Sorry." The room quieted a little. "I'm gonna—I'm going to go get you some aspirin." Mrs. Forman hurried upstairs. The second she disappeared, Eric leaned closer to me. "So…" He lowered his voice. "Are you going to tell us about the wife?" Everybody immediately moved closer. I sighed tiredly. "I didn't know she was Chad's wife. Also, I thought they had some open relationship thing going on." "Why would you think that?" Donna asked angrily. "Because she told me," I replied nonchalantly. "And Chad's apparently sleeping with her aunt, so their whole relationship is messed up." "If they're in an open relationship, why would he try to beat you up?" Eric asked, confused. Kelso grinned immediately. "I don't think he cares about his wife sleeping with someone else." He pointed at me. "He just cares that she slept with you." Sometimes Kelso could be terrifyingly accurate about this stuff. "What?" Donna looked confused. Kelso explained, "Just think about it. If Eric was sleeping with somebody, you wouldn't want him sleeping with a Playboy model. You'd want him sleeping with an uggo." "Someone non-threatening," Jackie nodded knowingly. "Someone you know you're better than." "Yeah," Kelso nodded. "You guys are sick," Donna groaned, slightly disgusted. "I don't want to talk about it anymore." I sighed tiredly. "I just want to sleep. And maybe put more ice on my face." I stood up and started walking toward the basement. Unfortunately, everybody followed me. "Hey, maybe this'll make the news tomorrow," Kelso chuckled. "Yes," Eric nodded seriously. "And then somebody'll make a movie about it." Donna snorted. "Why would he need someone else to do it? He can literally make the movie himself." "That's—" Eric paused. "…Oh my God. That's actually true." I rolled my eyes. "Can you idiots just go home already?" "It's only ten-thirty," Eric yawned suddenly. "The concert ended way too early." He paused. "Actually, never mind. I've been outside since this morning." "Yeah, I'm exhausted too." Jackie yawned before suddenly turning toward me. "Hyde, can I crash in your room tonight?" Kelso looked completely betrayed. "What?! Why do you want to sleep with him?!" "I'm not sleeping with him, Michael!" Jackie snapped. Donna suddenly spoke up. "I actually think Jackie should stay with Hyde tonight." Kelso looked horrified. "Why? What kind of plot is this?" "No plot." Donna rolled her eyes. "Somebody should keep an eye on him in case he has a concussion or passes out or something." "That's true," I admitted. "But Jackie doesn't need to do it. Forman can just sleep in my room." "Hyde, I am NOT sleeping in your room—" "My room has air conditioning." Eric immediately changed his tone. "…Okay. I'll watch over you tonight." I looked toward Jackie and smirked. "Nice try." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "This isn't over," she pointed at me. "One way or another, you're going to be mine." Donna yawned and said, "I'm just going to go back home now. Goodnight." She was the first to leave. Red came down the stairs, his face full of worry. "Steven, I heard what happened." "Don't worry, Red. He won the fight," Kelso laughed. Red glared at him, which made him shrink back. "Does this have anything to do with your father?" Red asked me. "No." I shook my head. "Just some guys messing around. I knew if I backed down, they might interfere with the festival tomorrow too. So I had to fight them." Red sighed heavily. "I'm beefing up security tomorrow so you don't have to do stupid crap like this again." "Red—" "No objections." He pointed at me. "Your face is swollen already." Then he turned toward Eric. "Eric, go get a large bowl. Fill it with water and ice." Eric nodded immediately and hurried upstairs. Red looked back at me. "Steven, you're going to dunk your face in it for at least ten minutes." Kelso laughed. "That actually sounds kinda fun." Red slowly turned toward everybody else. "All of you who aren't bruised up or living here, get out. Otherwise I'm making you wait in line to dunk your faces too." Kelso and Fez looked at each other in panic before immediately rushing toward the door. "Bye!" Jackie stayed behind stubbornly. "Mr. Forman, you have to save his face. He barely has any prettiness left already. We can't let it get ruined." "You too. Out." Red pointed toward the door without hesitation. Jackie threw her hands up dramatically and started walking away. Before she could leave completely, I grabbed her wrist gently. "Red, can you give her a ride home? It's already late," I asked calmly. "Or I'll have to do it." Red sighed in defeat. "Fine. Jackie, let's go." Then he pointed at me again. "Steven, keep dunking your face until I get back." "Okay," I agreed easily. Eric came back with a large bowl of ice water. I dunked my face in it for over twenty minutes just to get the swelling down. "I'm just going to go to sleep now." I yawned, feeling extremely tired. It didn't take me long before I passed out on my bed. … The second day of the festival. I still had cold patches on my cheek, and my body was sore. While I was walking around, I noticed the gazes people were giving me. It wasn't the same gaze as before. This was something more primal. More feral. I wonder why last night happened. I thought as I tried to find the answer. ChatGPT gave me a clue about the whole thing, but I found a more complete explanation through a YouTube video, mostly through a Saturday Night Fever analysis video. {"Disco started in underground clubs. Black artists. Latino communities. Gay clubs. Dance culture. Places where people who felt unwanted could go and just exist for a night." "Then it became massive. Too massive." "That created problems. Companies commercialized it. Radio stations spammed it endlessly. Suddenly disco was everywhere. Fashion. Movies. Clubs. Television." "Eventually, rock fans started treating it like an invasion."} I listened quietly while the YouTuber dissected the culture surrounding disco. {"Disco represented a completely different culture. Different people. Different values. Different identities." "Rock crowds started treating disco like the enemy. And beneath a lot of those 'disco sucks' chants, there was usually something uglier hiding underneath." "Racism. Homophobia. Misogyny. Macho insecurity."} Then she showed footage from a few years in the future: people burning disco records publicly. They chanted "Disco Is Dead" and reveled in the fact that the movement had gone awry. Honestly? That looked completely insane. "I guess shoving disco into a rock concert overnight wasn't exactly a peaceful idea," I muttered to myself. The video continued. {"When Saturday Night Fever came out, it changed everything." "The main character was a straight Italian-American guy who loved dancing. That made mainstream white male audiences relate to disco culture in a way they hadn't before." "The movie softened a lot of the hostility surrounding disco."} Then the YouTuber went on a ten-minute rant about white people. At that point, I got what I wanted and closed the video. "Hey, Hyde!" I turned and saw a few people with afros and snazzy clothes waving at me. I waved back awkwardly. 'Did I just become an icon or something here? What exactly happened after the fight last night?' All I knew was that the stares were making me really uncomfortable.
