Sitting on the floor in her room, Izzy tore up pieces of the envelope she was holding and covered them in glue. She was in the middle of a paper mache self portrait, and she just had to finish the nose before Red called her down for breakfast.

"Isabelle!" Red said loudly, rapping on her door with his knuckles.

She sighed, setting the half-torn envelope aside and making a neat pile from the remains of the letter it was holding. "Coming!" She called out in response.

Ever since Red and Kitty had found out about Eric and Donna's engagement, Izzy had done her best to stay out of the way. She did what she was told as much as she could. Whether that included getting her all homework done before dinner, putting on a top that actually covered her midriff, or not having her hands all over Steven at the breakfast table. Whatever she could do to keep Red and Kitty's frustrations away from her, she did.

So, she tugged a cardigan on over her dress, made sure her braids were secure, and headed for her door.

"Hi, Daddy." She said timidly.

He sighed. "Grab some breakfast, your weird friends are outside."

-

"Eric, what are you doing eating?" Red asked, pushing the kitchen door open.

Eric sighed, stirring his cereal. "Well, it's mainly for survival. But I also enjoy the fruity taste."

Izzy perked up, having followed Red into the kitchen. "Is there any more?"

"Mhm, over on the counter," Kitty said, focusing on her crossword puzzle but pointing with her pencil to the cereal. "Oh, and Isabelle, you got a letter from some college, it's over there too."

Izzy nodded and grabbed the envelope, stuffing it into her cardigan pocket without another word. As she poured herself a bowl of cereal, she listened in on what Red had to say to Eric.

"I told you to replace the hubcap on the Vista Cruiser! So, what is it? You're mature enough to get married, but not mature enough to replace a hubcap?"

Eric set down his spoon. "Well, let's see: you took away my keys, so I can't drive, you took away my job, so I can't afford a new hubcap, you also took away my self esteem, so I have no pride in my job or my possessions..."

"For gosh sake, you've been arguing for two weeks, now stop it!" Kitty said. She looked back down at her crossword puzzle. "Now, what's a four-letter word for disappointment."

Without missing a beat, Izzy and Red both said, "Eric."

Kitty paused, then gasped. "It fits." She laughed nervously. "Well, now, that can't be right!"

-

As the gang was hanging out in the driveway later that day, Eric was trimming the hedges and retelling the story of breakfast to Donna.

"So, he's like, 'Replace the hubcap,' and I'm like, 'Hey, why don't you replace the hubcap?!' And that... is why I'm trimming the hedges."

Izzy leaned over to Jackie, who was sitting next to her on the hood of the Cruiser. "That's not what happened."

"Let me guess, he was being a smartass?"

"Mhm."

Kelso stood up, stretching his arms. "Yep, that's why I only mess with Red when I really need the discipline! Total hardass."

"Hardass?" Fez asked. "Take another look, my friend! It jiggles when he wiggles."

"Man, I don't know what the hell the deal is with Leo," Hyde said, coming out of the kitchen. "He told me to take a week off from the PhotoHut two weeks ago, and I haven't heard from him since."

Kelso's eyes widened. "Oh, we need to find him! Cause we're all out of film, if you know what I mean."

"I need film. Then I can take pictures of Nina and me doing it." Fez said proudly.

Izzy raised her eyebrows. "Wait, you and Nina finally slept together?"

"Indeed, my fine feathered-curled friend!" He nodded excitedly. "And I need film for it."

Jackie laughed. "Fez, film doesn't really mean film."

"Who cares? Cause for the first time in my life, doing it really means doing it!"

Izzy turned to Kelso. "I'm guessing he's not gonna shut up about this?"

"You know it, Forwoman."

Hyde took Izzy's wrist and pulled her hand out of her cardigan pocket, enlacing his fingers with hers. He spotted the envelope that was half-hanging out of her pocket and was about to say something, but quickly caught himself when he saw Red coming through the kitchen door.

"So!" Red said, walking towards Eric. "This is the way an immature, engaged, high school dumbass, with no car, no job, and no money trims the hedges!"

"That was like eight burns in one sentence." Hyde said, his mouth agape.

"An octo-burn." Izzy mumbled, her face pale.

Donna shuddered. "Let's get the hell out of here!"

-

As the others all headed inside Donna's house, Hyde tugged on Izzy's hand, stopping her just outside the front door. He let it close in front of them and sat down on the porch steps.

She laughed, confused. "What's up?" She plopped down next to him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Just needed one more minute of alone time with your beloved?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, that's it." He nodded towards her pocket. "What's the envelope for? Looks important."

She sighed and pulled it out, smoothing it out against her leg. "College letter."

"Oh." He reached over and took it from her, looking it over. "It's from NYU. Is this your acceptance letter?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it's the last letter I've been waiting for."

"What? You got all your other letters already?" She nodded again. "Where are they? Did you get in?"

She took the letter back from him and ran her thumb under the seal, opening it. "Yeah, I- I got in almost everywhere I applied." She took out the letter and scanned it. "Looks like I got in here, too."

He raised his eyebrows. "Shit! That- That's great, Izzy Bee! Where..." He paused, watching her continue to read the letter. "Where do you think you're gonna go?"

Without missing a beat, she stuffed the letter back into the envelope, and the envelope back into her pocket. "University of Wisconsin." She said quietly.

"Wh- What?"

She took his hand in hers. "I didn't get any scholarships. So... I can't afford to go anywhere except here."

He sighed. "Izzy Bee, why didn't you tell me before?"

"I didn't want to get your hopes up for me." She ran her thumb against the back of his hand. "I know you'd be happy for me, even if I was going all the way to goddamn... Germany. Or France. O- Or England!" She said, laughing slightly. "I just wanted to tell you my final decision, no frills, no worrying, no... no New York."

He just swallowed thickly and nodded, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him. She rested her head on his chest and the two of them sat there, on the Pinciottis' porch, watching the cars go by on the street until Jackie came and dragged them inside.

-

"Man, no wonder Leo hasn't told me to come into work," Hyde said, walking into the PhotoHut later that same say. "There's no work to come to."

It was true; the PhotoHut had been completely cleaned out. Nothing was left on the walls, the shelves were all empty, the counters had even been dusted. It was almost eerie, given how much character the place used to have.

"Damn. Did Leo leave a note or anything?" Izzy asked, looking around

"Nope," Fez said. "Just this." He picked up a framed photo of Leo, with a piece of paper taped onto it that said 'Employee of the Month, man' in messy handwriting. "You know, he looked dirty, but he always smelled like clean sheets."

Hyde took the photo from Fez and set it on the counter. "You know, you're talkin' about him like he's gone, man. He woulda told me if he was leaving town."

"Maybe," Kelso said, holding up his hands. "A UFO appeared. And it shot down a beam. And it made everyone and everything inside the PhotoHut vanish! Yeah, like an apparition!"

Jackie scowled. "Michael, you don't even know what an apparition is."

"Hey. If I can't use words I don't understand, this is gonna be one quiet afternoon!"

-

While Donna was at some father-son competition Kitty had signed Eric and Red up for, the rest of the group searched the town for Leo. The very last place they looked was, what they assumed to be, his apartment.

Hyde stood there, leaning against the door and knocking—for what felt like way too long—before he gave up with a huff. "Man, we checked everywhere." He said disappointedly. "The Hub, the alley behind the Hub, Fatso Burger... even the alley behind Fatso Burger!"

"Hyde, when are you gonna accept the fact that Leo just bailed?" Kelso asked.

Hyde glared at him. "Man, he would not leave without saying goodbye, okay? I know him better than I know my own father." Izzy sighed and took his hand in hers, pressing her lips to his knuckles, trying to calm him down. She could tell, though, that he was beginning to agree with Kelso.

"How are we gonna break into Leo's apartment?" Fez wondered quietly.

Right away, Kelso threw himself at the door in a (failed) attempt to knock it down. He jumped back, groaning. "You need a credit card to slip through the door. Ponch used one on CHiPs once, and the lady he rescued was so grateful that they did it."

"Kelso," Hyde said frustratedly. "If we had a credit card, we could buy a sledgehammer and break down the door."

"If we had a credit card, I'd be butt-deep in Jordash right now." Jackie mumbled, leaning against the opposite wall.

Izzy sighed. "Let me try something." She pulled two hairpins out of her braids, letting a few strands loose in the process. Kneeling down in front of the door, she bent the pins to her liking and started fiddling with the lock. The others watched as the lock clicked and she pushed the door open.

"God, your girlfriend's hot." Kelso breathed out, followed swiftly by a punch to his shoulder delivered by Hyde. "Ow!"

Izzy laughed and put the pins back into her hair, making sure everything was back in place. She followed the others inside, almost walking into Jackie when they all stopped abruptly. Craning her neck to see over Fez, Izzy saw someone laying in the middle of the empty living room.

"Leo, man!" Hyde said, shaking him gently. The guy's head shot up, and Hyde's shoulders fell when he realized it wasn't Leo.

"Ah!" The guy yelled, jumping up. "Off- Officer, I have a prescription for that!"

"No, relax man. We're just lookin' for Leo."

The guy nodded. "Oh. He left." Hyde froze. "I'm his cousin, Eli!"

"Really? He just... left? He didn't call or anything?"

Izzy sighed. "Steven, I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Kelso said. "Don't take it personal. You know Leo never liked phones; he said he could hear voices in 'em."

"By the way, he left a note." Eli said, reaching for the piece of paper that was half sticking out of his pocket. "Do any of you know a kid named Heidi?"

Hyde's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "He means Hyde. That's me, man! The note's for me!" He grabbed the note excitedly and then paused, clearing his throat and calming himself. "I mean... Note's for me." He opened the letter and began reading it aloud.

"Dear Hyde, man. One day I stopped in Point Place for some gas, before I knew it eight years had passed. Whoa, that rhymes. Anyway, I should get home to my wife. Take care. You're a good kid, man. You're a good kid, man." Hyde paused, reaching the end of the letter. He stared at it a second more, then folded it up and put it in his pocket.

"See?" He said. "Told you he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye."

Jackie smiled slightly. "Oh, Steven. You really do love that disgusting hippie."

"Ooh, and he left something else!" Eli said. "He said you like... film?"

Hyde grinned. "Alright. I was hopin' we could take a little something home. You know, put it in the shirt pocket- holy hell!"

Everyone's jaw dropped at the sight of an entire film reel case filled with, well, film.

-

"I can't close my mouth!" Hyde giggled uncontrollably, having set up a circle as soon as they got back into the basement. "Can you close your mouth, Izzy Bee? Really startin' to freak me out!"

Izzy laughed, peppering kisses all over Hyde's face. "If you're not gonna close your mouth, then kiss me, you fool!"

He just sat there, giggling at her. "Leo's the best, man!"

"Leo made me a grilled cheese once." Kelso said, grinning widely. "Used butter and made the crust all extra toasty. But he forgot the cheese! Aw, I miss that grilled-cheese-making son of a bitch!"

Jackie's eyes widened. "You know, one time, I heard Leo talking on the phone. And he was speaking Chinese! So I said, 'Leo, stop speaking Chinese!' so he turned around. And it wasn't Leo! It was a Chinese guy!" She smiled wistfully. "I'll never forget that."

Fez sat with his chin in his hand. "I'm just sad I'll never get to see his face when I tell him I did it with Nina." He paused. "Actually, I'd like to see my face when I do it with Nina. I bet I look like a stallion."

"So today, we sit in this circle in honor of Leo." Hyde held up his beer. "He was my boss, he was my friend, he was my connection.

Izzy laughed and raised her pop. "To Leo!"

Everyone joined in, lifting their beer, their sodas, even their popcorn, with a hearty, "To Leo!"

-

The next day, in the basement, the gang was all together again. Hyde was in his chair, Izzy in his lap, Jackie, Eric, and Kelso were on the couch, and Fez was in his chair. Red and Eric came in second place at the father-son bonding competition, and thankfully they weren't arguing as much anymore. Now, Eric could focus on what was happening the following day.

"So Hyde, Izzy," he said, "big job fair tomorrow! Oh, and you're in luck, because I read that corporate America is experiencing a severe shortage of paranoid conspiracy nuts and hippie-dippie, anti-war art freaks!"

Hyde scowled. "I am not a conspiracy nut, okay? My history, shop, and gym teacher just started that rumor to discredit me."

Izzy nodded. "Yeah! And I'm not a hippie-dippie, anti-war..." She trailed off. "What are you guys laughing at?"

"Doll," Hyde said, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you with all my heart, I do. But you are one hundred percent whatever the hell Eric said." She just rolled her eyes and messed up his hair, making him chuckle. "I do need a job, though." He mumbled. "Now that the PhotoHut's shut down."

"And I'm never gonna get my pictures back, which is a real shame!" Fez said, pouting in his seat. "Cause they never let me under the bleachers anymore."

Jackie hit Eric lightly on the leg. "You need a job too, Eric. Since you just got fired from your last job by your own daddy!"

Eric grinned. "At least my daddy's not in jail for bribery." He looked over at Izzy. "You lookin' for a job tomorrow, baby sister?"

She scrunched up her nose at the nickname, but answered his question anyway. "I was going to. Save up for college, y'know?" She shrugged. "But now I guess I don't have to."

A silence fell over the room, quiet enough to hear Fez's candy wrappers crunching in his pockets.

"You, Isabelle Forman, aren't going to college?" Jackie asked, aghast.

Izzy's eyes widened. "No! God, no! I mean, yes, I'm going!"

"Oh. Phew! For a second there, I thought you were letting your deadbeat boyfriend get to you."

Hyde scowled and threw the magazine he was holding at Jackie, making Izzy laugh. "No, I applied to a bunch of art schools, but I didn't get any scholarships. And Mom and Dad were very clear about only paying for college if it's a state school, so... no scholarship, hello University of Wisconsin. Woo."

"But hey, at least you're stayin' here, right?" Kelso asked, grinning his vapid, puppy-like grin. "A- And you'll be with us! That's good!"

Izzy paused, then nodded. "Yeah." She turned to Hyde, tracing his jawline with her finger. "That is good."

"Well, I cannot wait for tomorrow." Fez said excitedly. "Nina will be at the DMV booth which means that Fez will be making out during a school day!" He nodded, clearly very proud of himself. "How many of you suckers have made out during a school day?"

Everyone raised their hands.

"How many of you suckers have made out during a school day in the nude?"

No one raised their hands.

"Then I will be nude."

-

"Okay, everybody!" Kitty said excitedly, pulling out her camera. They had just arrived at the job fair, and everyone was dressed in their most professional-looking ensemble. Izzy had forced Hyde into a real tie, and Kitty had forced Izzy into stockings.

"Okay!" She repeated. "This is your last school field trip so smile!" Everyone grouped together awkwardly, and only Fez flashed a big smile for the camera. "Okay, now wave hello to your futures! Hello, futures!" She laughed loudly, taking more pictures. "Okay, now wave goodbye to your mothers who loved you and gave you the best years of their lives! Now what are they gonna do, what?! Tell me what I am supposed to do!"

She stormed away, leaving Eric laughing quietly. "You're supposed to take your little yellow pill, that's what you're supposed to do."

"Man, look at this place." Kelso said, grimacing. "Tons of butt-ugly people. One day I'm gonna be one of them."

Hyde tugged on his tie. "Man, I can't do this. Be around this many corporate stooges?" He started breathing heavily, tugging on his tie harder. "I can't breathe!"

"Steven!" Izzy said quietly, closing her hands around his wrists. "Calm down. If Jackie's taught me anything, it's that you can't pull on cotton like that. It won't rebound." She fixed his tie and kissed him on the cheek, holding back a smile when she saw a blush rise to his face.

Fez straightened his jacket. "Well, I'm off to find Nina for a little field trip makeout. How many of you suckers have made out during a field trip?"

Everyone raised their hands.

"What the hell? Was I the only one watching sausage get made?!"

Izzy giggled. "No, see, I definitely had sausage-"

"Ssh! No, Izzy Bee. He means actual sausage." Hyde said in a hushed tone, making Kelso laugh loudly and point between the two of them.

Eric made a face. "Really, guys?"

"Well! Lookie here!" Red said, strolling up to the group."You know, if America's employers are looking for a pretty-boy moron, an engaged hophead, and a mushmouth foreigner, they're gonna be jumping for joy!"

Kelso paused. "Wait a minute. Am I the pretty-boy moron?"

"Yes."

"Cool, cause that's the best one."

-

After far too long spent trying to look busy around the job fair, Izzy finally found Hyde again, who looked like he'd rather gouge his eyes out with a spork than be there any longer.

"Hey there, stranger." She said, tapping him on the shoulder.