How to Ask a Girl to Dance

CHAPTER 1: How To Pick Out Your Date

No, this can't be happening. Not like this, not now. It's too soon!

The Berk Ball was only two weeks away and I still didn't have a date. I couldn't believe that no one in all of Berk High would want to go to a dance with a small skinny short freckled guy like me. I could dance right? I was "good looking," right?

They next day in school, before the first bell rang for school to start; I recalled my little issue to my best friend Fishlegs in the cafeteria. He was nodding and blankly agreeing to everything I said. He was holding a "Dragon Weekly" magazine in his buff hands.

"Sure. Yes, I know what you mean. Of course you can dance. Yes, you're gorgeous."

I hit him on his chunky arm. "I'm serious! Would you listen?" He looked up from his article. "No one in this school likes me," I gloomily confessed.

"Sure they do," Fishlegs said, "What about that girl, what was her name," Fishlegs snapped his fingers, hoping that that would help him remember it, "Natasha?"

I waved him off. "No, Natasha is just a friend."

Fishlegs thought of another name. "Well, okay, what about Verona?"

This one I had to think about for a second. Yes, I did have a little crush on Verona. Okay, I had a big crush on Verona, since 5th grade. She was pretty and enjoyed being with me. But, sadly, she already had a boyfriend. "No," I said with a sigh, "She's with Tuffnut."

"Really?" Fish was surprised by this news. He never really pictured Tuffnut and Verona together. He actually never thought of Tuffnut being with any girl. It always seemed like dragons were more important to him than girls.

He shuffled through the other girl's names in his mind, sifting out the ones who already had Boyfriends or wouldn't be compatible with me. "Well," He started cautiously, "There's always Astrid."

My heart stopped. I felt like just hearing the name, picturing Astrid and I together dancing caused me to die for a second. "Astrid?" I managed to ask my friend. "You really think I should ask, a-a-a Astrid?" The thought sickened me.

Fish shot me a "get off it" look and said, "Come on, she can't be that bad, right?" I couldn't believe he was asking me this.

"Okay. Here's a little History lesson. Freshman year, she slammed into my locker every time she passed and claimed it was an accident. And don't forget her pants-ing me in front of the entire History class. Sophomore year, she punched me because I accidentally grabbed at her skirt, which left a hole in my hand. I was trying to catch my fall because Snotlout tripped me. AND," I added this just as Fishlegs thought I was done. Oh no, there was more. "It hasn't even been a week into this year before she pushed me into the lake outside of the school in the freezing cold. I caught a cold for a month."

Fishlegs waited patiently. "Okay," I said, "I'm done."

"Okay," Fishlegs said, "Have you ever considered that she was doing all of this stuff just to get your attention?"

I thought about it. It was crazy. Why would she torture me for two and half years just to get my attention? I mean, if she wanted my attention couldn't she just have walked up to me and say "Hi, I'm Astrid. Would you like to go flying sometime?"

"I don't see why a girl picking on me relentlessly means that she likes me," I said.

Fishlegs shrugged. "I don't know," he said, "But all I know is that Tuffnut told me that Ruffnut told him that Astrid might have a little thing for you."

My heart skipped a beat. Honestly? The girl who I have learned to hate in all of my High school life actually liked me when all the girls I loved didn't? It was bizarre! I didn't understand it!

"Okay so for real," I asked, just to make sure I heard him right, "Astrid, The Astrid Hofferson, likes me, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III?"

Fishlegs shrugged again, "That's just what I heard. I may be right. I may be wrong." With two weeks away from the Ball, I was desperate to try anything.

"Okay," I told him, "I will ask her, today, after school."

"Better be careful though," Fishlegs warned, "I saw Snotlout with her a couple of times now. I think he is going to ask her out."

Snotlout, the "I ride a Monstrous Nightmare," super jock ass whole every girl loved. I gritted my teeth at the thought of confronting him. His fist is bigger than my head. "Ahh… I don't like Snotlout."

Fishlegs returned to his magazine, "Me either."

The morning bell finally rang and Fish and I left to out separate classes. "Bye," We said to each other.