It was easier before this. To talk... To smile.To be happy.But now it's different... Now I can hardly hear my own thoughts. They're drowned out by the devil's thoughts, by bad thoughts.

"Hickey!" A shout rang through the hallway, and into Hiccup's ears. He looked behind him to see a tall figure striding towards him. "I wanna talk to you."

Oh brother, not Eret...

Eret shoved the smaller boy against the lockers that lined the hallways. "What did I tell you about Astrid, huh?"

"I didn't approach her first. I didn't say anything to her." Hiccup stated the facts, and nothing more.

All he got in return for his honesty was a sock in the jaw. He made no sound at the impact.

"Next time you talk to her you'll be getting more than that." Eret growled, and was on his way down the hall again.

Hiccup groaned and felt his jaw, wincing when he touched the already sore area.

"Hicc?" A girl with long, braided blonde hair walked to his side. "What happened?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and started walking in the other direction. "Go away Astrid."

She ran back up to him.

Damn she's persistant.

"No Hiccup, don't push me away..." She stood in front of him, bringing her hands to his shoulders and squeezing to keep him there. "Please, just let me help?"

He shook his head and looked into her pleading blue eyes. "It's better for both of us if you just leave me be." Hiccup looked at the floor below, his green eyes empty and sad. "Trust me." He pushed past her and walked outside.

Astrid, being the persistant girl she was, decided to walk home with the boy. "Hiccup! Wait up, please?"

"Go away! Leave me alone!" Hiccup sped up his pace. "Leave me here and go hang out with your boyfriend!"

Astrid shook her head as she caught up with him. "Who, Eret? Eret isn't my boyfriend. He's a jerk who I wouldn't want to be in a relationship with if my life depended on it."

"Well, maybe you should tell him that so he'll stop beating me up for being around you." Hiccup touched his bruised face.

"Is that what this is?" Astrid took her backpack off her shoulder and rummaged around inside of it. "Here," She took out some kind of ointment from the pack and slung it back in place. "This will help with the swelling."

Hiccup turned away. "No. I don't need your hel-"

Astrid grabbed Hiccup by the shoulders and shoved him against a nearby tree, quickly squeezing some liquidy substance out of the bottle onto her finger. "Don't argue with me Haddock." She touched her finger to his face, gently rubbing the stuff on his jaw.

Hiccup couldn't help but smile, he hadn't smiled in forever, and it felt weird as his eyes sparkled and his cheeks lifted a little.

"Is that..." Astrid grinned. "I don't think I'vr ever seen you smile!" She giggled. "You look cute."

Hiccup blushed and pushed her away. "No, I do not." He resumed the walk towards his home, slowly enough for Astrid to follow comfortably.

"So, where do you live anyways?" She asked.

Hiccup looked at her. "About four miles yet, small pale blue house with dragon scales painted on the shutters. My mom has a thing with dragons 'cause my dad is part viking or whatever."

Astrid's eyes widened. "You live five miles away from school... and you walk every day?"

Hiccup nodded. "Helps me think. Plus, mom is always working and dad is almost never home anyway so they couldn't drive me. And mom is scared of me being on a bus 'cause I'd probably just end up getting beat up even more than I already am at ho-" Hiccup hurriedly corrected his words. "At school, I mean. Not at home..."

Astrid frowned. She'd heard about abusive parents but never met a kid that had one. And Hiccup already had so much to be in despair about.

Nothing else was said on the walk to his house, and Astrid saw Hiccup's description of the house all too soon.

"Well, this is my house so I'll uh, see you around 'Strid."

'Strid... I kinda like that nickname for me... I've never heard that one before...

"Oh! Yeah... But, one more thing?"

"What's up?" Hiccup paused.

"Come here." Astrid motioned towards her.

"Okay?" Hiccup moved to her desired spot, and waited there with a confused look. "What now?"

Astrid smiled, and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Just that!"

She walked away quickly, not letting another word pass between the two.

Yet another story started... What am I supposed to do? I've got all these ideas and all of them come to me at the same time!!

Welp, I hope ya'll are having a good start off to your year so far.

And if ya aren't, I hope my writing can make you smile ;)

See ya'll soon!

-Patrick Bailey