Popular – Heather
By Jordyn Potter
Astrid and Heather sat peacefully in their small hut on the edge of Berk's campus where they boarded together, the two of them resting after the long and fun party in the Great Hall they'd just returned from. Astrid was kind of tired and ready for sleep, but Heather was bouncing on her bed on her side of the room, still in her party dress, fully awake.
"Your very first party ever?!" the raven-haired girl had said with a gasp.
Thinking for a second, Astrid adjusted her glasses and asked, "Do funerals count?"
Heather broke into a wide smile, practically trembling with joy. "Your very first party!" she squealed, looking like she wanted to hug her. Astrid was thankful that she didn't.
Then she clapped her manicured hands and exclaimed, "Oh, I know! Let's tell each other something we've never told anyone – I'll go first." She hopped off her bed and sat down beside Astrid on hers without preamble.
Letting her slight invasion of personal space go, Astrid waited as Heather cleared her throat. The usually confident and outgoing raven-haired girl was hesitating, and Astrid was somewhat curious to know why. Then Heather finally got up to courage to speak. "Hiccup and I… are going to be married."
There was a pause, then, to Astrid's bewilderment, Heather suddenly dove back over to her bed, landing flat on the mattress, and screamed loudly into her pillow.
Astrid raised an eyebrow at her in mild surprise. "He's asked you already?"
Heather reemerged from her pillow, sitting up, once more composed, and sighed, "Oh, he doesn't know yet."
To her surprise, Astrid found herself actually laughing. It was short and faint, but the sound still bubbled up from inside her. It was a bit of a marvel to her. When one's life was filled with so much misery, she didn't expect something so simple as Heather's one-sided plans for the future to bring a smile to her face. It was… nice.
"Now you tell me a secret," Heather said, bouncing back over to Astrid's bed, and secretly proud of herself for making 'Fearless Astrid Hofferson' genuinely laugh.
Astrid cast her mind around for anything interesting but came up with nothing. Still smiling, she shrugged. "Like what?"
"Like…" Heather smirked, her hand stealthily sliding under Astrid's pillow. Her fingers curled around what she was looking for. "… why do you sleep with this funny little green bottle under your pillow?" she teased, waving the bottle in the air.
Astrid's smile immediately disappeared, and her eyes went wide. She stopped laughing, but poor Heather didn't notice her new friend's serious change. Astrid dove for the bottle, but Heather was too quick. She squealed with laughter as Astrid chased her around the room. Heather's delight only grew, but Astrid's mood was spiraling into downright panic.
"Give it back!" she cried, chasing the girl holding it just out of her reach. Then her patience finally snapped, and her panic peaked. "GIVE IT BACK!" she shouted venomously.
Heather froze in fear, allowing Astrid to snatch it roughly from her hand. Without a word, Astrid retreated back to her bed, clutching the bottle tightly to herself. Heather still stood frozen in her corner of the room, watching her new friend carefully.
Was Astrid… scared?
Catching Heather's gaze, Astrid replied curtly, "It was my mother's, that's all…"
Heather blinked, slowly coming out of her stupor. "But… But that's not fair! I told you a really good one!" she suddenly whined and then collapsed face-first on her bed, her cries muffled by her pillow, obviously pretending to be upset so Astrid would talk.
But Astrid bit her lip. Why couldn't she talk about it? It wasn't much of a secret that her dad didn't like her. He publicly humiliated her on more than one occasion; shouting at her, calling her names – once even slapping her across the face. He did so on her first day of orientation.
But Heather wouldn't have known that...
"My father hates me. And, no, that's not the secret," Astrid started to speak as Heather reemerged once more. Now she was listening intently and Astrid continued, "The secret is… he has a good reason… It's… my fault."
"What?" Heather gently asked as she approached, slowly sitting on the bed beside her again, all her bouncy energy gone. "What is?"
Astrid took a deep breath and sighed. "That my brother is… the way he is," she replied. She slowly turned and faced her body toward Heather, but her eyes didn't want to look up at her. Instead, she gazed down at the bottle in her hands. "You see… when our mother was carrying Magnus… our father began to worry that the new baby might… once again be a…"
"A girl?" Heather offered gently.
Astrid gave a faint laugh, but the effort it took hurt her chest and stung her eyes.
She nodded. "Yeah… He was so worried. He made our mother drink bottles of this oleander tonic day and night. Only… it made Magnus come too soon, with his little legs… all tangled. And our mother…"
She had to stop and forced herself to swallow the hot lump burning in the back of her throat. She shrugged casually, trying to sound normal. "She, uh, never woke up… None of which would've happened if not for me. So…"
Heather gapped at this and furiously shook her head. "But that was the tonic's fault, not yours! Why would you even keep an empty bottle if it's so painful?"
"Because it helps," Astrid said, almost snapping, but reined in her anger at the last second. "It just… reminds me of who I am before he can tell me again. It makes it easier."
Heather stared at her. This was hard for her to understand. She'd always been a 'Daddy's little girl'. Even if her father was absent a lot, (pillaging and such) he was always happy to come home to Heather. To think that any parent would hate their child – especially for something that they couldn't help but be…
Astrid sure didn't deserve it.
Heather pursed her lips and squeezed Astrid's hand. "That may be your secret, Astrid, but that doesn't make it true."
Astrid looked up at her and smiled thinly, the light not quite reaching her eyes.
When Heather had first met Astrid, they absolutely loathed each other. They were just so different. And the horrible misunderstanding, which led to them rooming together had seemed like a torture sentence. It wasn't until tonight, when Heather found out Astrid had asked Gobber to let Heather be in the advanced class along with her, that Heather started to appreciate the crude, stubborn, unladylike blonde she was stuck with.
If only there was a way to get her out of that negative way of thinking…
Then Heather blinked. That's it!
"Say, Astrid, now that we're friends, I've decided to make you my new project!" she suddenly announced, the excitement on her face undeniable.
Astrid stiffened on the spot, instantly remembering who she was sitting next to. Trying her best not to cringe, she countered politely, "You really don't have to do that."
She could not have stressed her point more clearly, but Heather wasn't going to take no for an answer. She just nodded. "I know, that's what makes me so nice."
And in that moment, however brief it was, Astrid was admittedly a tiny bit nervous of the mischievous glint in her new friend's eyes. 'Oh gods, what in Midgard could she possibly be planning?' And to her dismay, Heather suddenly broke into song:
Whenever I see someone less fortunate than I…
And let's face it, who isn't, less fortunate than I?
Astrid silently rolled her eyes behind Heather's back, but the raven-haired girl never noticed.
My tender heart tends to start to bleed
And when someone needs a makeover,
I simply have to take over
"Ooo! I know, I know…" Heather said, cutting herself off and snapping her fingers as if Thor had hit her with a thunderbolt of eureka. She took a step back and steadily scanned Astrid's face. "Exactly… what they need…"
And even in your case…
She stepped forward and took off Astrid's glasses, pausing for a moment – to which Astrid could only guess what Heather thought about her bare face, since she remained absolutely expressionless – before gently setting them back where they were before, on her nose.
Though it's the toughest case I've yet to face…
Astrid frowned and huffed a piece of her bangs from her face, slumping her posture. But Heather smiled warmly and patted her arm comfortingly.
Don't worry, I'm determined to succeed
Follow my lead
And yes, indeed
Heather walked over to her dresser and came back holding a hand mirror for the both of them to look into. Astrid didn't know what Heather wanted her to see, but the girl snapped her fingers insistently until she complied. She gazed at both of their faces, side by side, still not sure what Heather was implying.
You. Will. Be…
Popular.
Astrid blinked. Heather grinned.
You're gonna be popular
I'll teach you the proper poise
When you talk to boys,
Little ways to flirt and flounce
Ooh!
Heather hooked her arm under Astrid's and swung her around to sit on the foot of Heather's bed. Astrid watched as Heather reached around and, wincing slightly, started untying her braid, spreading her messy blonde locks over her shoulders. All the while, Heather bounced on her toes and happily sang:
I'll show you what boots to wear!
How to fix your hair!
Everything that really counts to be
Popular
I'll help you be popular
You'll hang with the right cohorts,
You'll be good at sports,
Know the slang you've got to know!
Then Heather stood up and clapped her hands excitedly, even more convinced her plan was going to work.
So let's start, 'cause you've got an awfully long way to go…
Hopping up behind her on the bed, Heather gently gripping Astrid's arms and leaned over her shoulder.
Don't be offended by my frank analysis,
Think of it as personality dialysis
Astrid merely raised an eyebrow at her, but Heather either didn't notice or didn't care because her excitement didn't falter.
Now that I've chosen to become a Pal,
A sister
and advisor,
There's nobody wiser!
Not when it comes to
Popular.
I know about popular
And with an assist from me,
To be who you'll be,
Instead of dreary who you were…
Well, are
There's nothing that can stop you
From becoming popular…
She froze for a second, realizing her error in grammar, but for the first time, Astrid grinned and stifled a little chuckle.
Lar…
Shrugging off her mistake, Heather excitedly danced to her dresser (Astrid really had to hold back her laughter now) and, after riffling a little, found the perfect shade of lip-paint she was looking for.
La la! La la!
We're gonna make you
Pop-u-lar!
She zipped back over to the bed and – to Astrid's utter bewilderment – cupped a hand under Astrid's chin and started slathering on the natural-colored paint. Surprised, Astrid tried turning her head at the sudden assault to her face, but Heather was surprisingly strong and patient with her. Before Astrid knew it, Heather was already done applying.
When I see depressing creatures,
With unprepossessing features,
I remind them on their own
They have to think of
Celebrated heads of state
Or specially great communicators
Did they have brains or knowledge?
Heather covered her mouth in a snicker, waving her arm in front of her.
Don't make me laugh!
They were popular!
Please! It's all about popular!
It's not about aptitude,
It's the way you're viewed,
So it's very shrewd to be…
Very, very popular like me!
"This is never going to work," Astrid stated, shaking her head.
"Astrid, you mustn't think that way anymore!" Heather scolded her. "Your whole life is about to change! First lesson: hair. See, this is how you toss your hair." She stood up and, undoing her own braid, draped her long black curls over one shoulder. Then she tossed her head, waving her hair from side to side with a bubbly laugh, "Toss, toss!"
Astrid crossed her arms and scowled. "I am not doing that."
"Oh, come on! Just try it!" Heather insisted, then repeated the motion again. "Toss, toss!"
Seeing it was no use, Astrid pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. 'Just this once,' she thought to herself. Although, deep down she kind of hoped Heather was right.
So Astrid stood up from the bed beside Heather. She immediately felt stiff and awkward. "T-toss, toss…" she said, her arms tossing her hair in two quick jerks. Knowing she did horribly, she smiled sheepishly at Heather.
But Heather made no comment and did it again, adding an extra laugh for good measure. "Toss, toss!" she giggled and kicked up her heel. Then she waited for Astrid.
Biting her lip, Astrid tried again. "T-toss, toss." But her laugh came out like the neigh of a horse and she overemphasized the pop of her heel. Her cheeks immediately colored.
Heather just shrugged. "You'll practice. And now for the finishing touch," she said, reaching up to her head and taking off the flower in her hair.
Finally, Heather took a step back and admired her work. A grin spread across her face as she handed Astrid her hand mirror. "Why, Miss Astrid, look at you…. You're beautiful!"
Astrid made a face and scrunched her nose at her, thinking Heather was being sarcastic. But then she took the hand mirror from her and stared at her reflection. Her eyes went wide and every smart remark she thought she'd say fell silent on her lips.
Heather wasn't lying, or teasing, or being sarcastic. The face staring back at her was… beautiful. And the crazy part was how little Heather had changed. All she did was take off her glasses, undo her braid, and pin a pink flower behind her ear. The image was rather stunning.
"I…" Astrid truly didn't know what to say. She quickly handed back the mirror and stood from the bed. "I have to go," she said before swiftly turning away and retreating from the room.
But Heather took no offense and watched her go with a small smile on her lips. "You're welcome!" she called as she waved. Then her hand quietly dropped to her side.
And though you protest,
Your disinterest,
I know clandestinely…
Her small smile grew into a large grin and she couldn't help but bounce on her toes in a dance.
You're gonna grin and bear it!
Your newfound popularity!
Ha!
La la! La la!
She sang as she leapt back onto her bed, grabbing the mirror and admiring herself.
You'll be popular!
Just not quite as popular
AS ME!