Chapter 2
A Friend… Like Me?
Hiccup thumbed through the book on his desk, absentmindedly petting the black cat curled up in his lap. His roommate was supposed to show up yesterday, settle in, and attend the opening ceremonies later on tonight. He was a little disappointed to have spent the night alone, and wondered if he'd be alone all semester. The cat pirruped, sensing his thoughts.
"Well, not completely alone," he smiled at the curious creature. The cat looked up and seemed to smile, his snaggletooth sticking out of one side of his mouth. His green eyes became overcome with black as his pupils dilated, his ears, then his head, turning toward the door. A moment later Hiccup heard a soft rapping.
"It's open!" he shouted, and the door creaked softly.
"Hey, you're Hiccup, right?"
The voice belonged to Flynn Rider, RA for their floor. He was a junior this year, and his natural leadership abilities led him to the role of caregiver for the new group of specialists starting their careers at Red Fountain. He was brave and valiant, sure, but he had a soft spot for the newbies. Though if anyone asked, he was doing it strictly for the free room and board.
"I got your message and reached out to your roommate, he just had a bit of trouble getting to the school but has assured me he'll be here in a couple of hours." Hiccup glanced over at the man standing in the doorway, a triumphant smile on his face.
"Awesome, thanks!" Things were starting to look up. Hiccup came from a small land, where everyone sort of felt like family. It was a strange feeling to be alone, and he did not enjoy it. He looked around at the room and smiled, knowing that soon it would be full of laughter, unpacking, and the joyous sound of meeting someone new!
~.~.~.
Rapunzel dragged Merida by the hand through the club fair. Billowing white tents and booths littered Alfea's grounds, and the blonde fairy was determined to look at every single one. Merida wanted to protest, but the next booth caught her eye and she grabbed a pamphlet and two applications before Rapunzel could say anything.
"Ah think et would be fun!" she smiled, handing her new friend the brochure.
"Alfea Archery Club," Rapunzel read aloud, "hmm…it does sound interesting…"
Merida did her best "puppy dog eyes" expression and Rapunzel caved. "Alright, alright, I'll sign up with you!" She grabbed a pen from the booth and began filling out the application. "But that means you gotta join a club with me," she said.
"Aye, and which one were ya thinking about?"
Rapunzel looked around the club fair once more, weighing her options. There were a couple of choral groups, but their practice time clashed with the archery club, and she didn't want to drag Merida to choir practice if she wasn't comfortable singing in front of a bunch of people. There was a star gazer group, the Star Gazelles, that was primarily filled with astrology/astronomy majors but open to anyone who loved to observe the stars, collect stardust, and even create a few stars themselves. She grabbed a pamphlet as they walked by and tucked it away in her bag. The very last booth came into view and she knew it was the one!
"Art Club?" Merida asked, "Won't that be a wee bit expensive?"
"Why, the supplies are given to you free of charge!" the fairy manning the booth answered. Her skin was green and her hair was a brilliant array of colorful plumage running down her back. She smiled and handed the girls each a pen in the shape of a paintbrush. "Our funding comes from a wealthy anonymous contributor who believes strongly that every fairy should be able to express themselves and explore themselves through art!"
Rapunzel was practically glowing, so Merida started filling out the app. "Sounds like fun!" she said, and they were each handed a burlap sack with some starter supplies. The girls hurried back to their dorm, excited to start planning for the semester!
~.~.~.
Jack gave a nervous sigh. He shifted his backpack uncomfortably across his shoulders. Can't chicken out now, he thought to himself, and he picked up his suitcase and walked across campus to the freshman dorms.
"Hey bud, you must be Jack!"
Jack almost walked past the man, but stopped just in time. "Uh, yeah, that's me," he said.
"I'm Flynn, I'll be your RA this year. Your roommate is just upstairs, he's excited to meet you! Need any help with your bags?"
Jack felt the tension ease out of his body a bit. Flynn was warm and welcoming, and he must have been able to read Jack's unease from a mile away. He shrugged his backpack off his shoulders wordlessly and Flynn took it off of his hands.
"Thanks," Jack said with a smile.
"So, you excited to start school?" Flynn asked, trying to strike up some conversation.
"I'm a little worried about adjusting to college life," Jack admitted. "The classwork isn't too scary, but I haven't shared a room with someone since- well, in a while," he said.
Flynn could sense it was a sore subject. "Not to worry," he reassured the young specialist, "I've met your roommate and he seems really easy to get along with. In any case, if you need anything, my number is listed on the back of your door. Just give me a shout any time of day! If I don't respond right away I'm either in class or in the shower," he said with a chuckle.
Jack smiled a bit more, allowing himself to feel welcome and pushing away all the anxious thoughts and "what ifs" from his mind. After all, he had a roommate to meet!
~.~.~.
The black cat walked across the balcony railing, tail high in the air, eyes scanning the people below. His tail lowered and swished back and forth, suddenly distracted by some sort of flying bug that hopped along the wall beside him. Hiccup glanced over just in time to see him hunker down, a sight he was all too familiar with.
"TOOTHLESS!" he shouted, rushing over to grab the senseless animal before his curiosity drove him into the street. Toothless gave out a surprised mewl and reached his front paws out, trying and failing to swat the mysterious intruder. "No sir! We do NOT leap from two story windows!"
Toothless let out an exasperated sigh and wiggled out of Hiccup's arms and onto the floor, sulking off to the other side of the room. He eyed Hiccup warily for a moment before turning around and ignoring him completely, focusing instead on grooming his fur. Hiccup rolled his eyes- that cat could be so dramatic sometimes!
Two swift and loud knocks sounded from the door, and Hiccup opened it with a hopeful grin.
"Heya kiddo, guess who just arrived!"
A tall, lanky, white-haired boy peeked out from behind Flynn's shoulder. Hiccup gave him what he hoped was a warm smile and shook his hand.
"Hey, nice to meet you! I'm Hiccup."
"Jack," the other boy said, and Hiccup sensed a bit of nervousness in his tone.
"Can I, uh, help you with your bags?"
Flynn set Jack's backpack on the bed opposite Hiccup's. "We got it buddy, why don't you show Jack around campus a bit? Don't forget to swing by the arena tonight!"
Jack gave his new roommate a quizzical look as Flynn left the room. Hiccup pointed to the flier taped to the front of their door. "Opening ceremonies," he explained, "every year the different groups and clubs get together and put on a show displaying the 'mighty specialists of Red Fountain'," he quoted from the flier.
"Huh, sounds a little showy… but fun," Jack said. He looked around the spacious dorm room, taking it all in.
"So what brings you to Red Fountain?" Hiccup asked, trying to get to know Jack a little more.
"I've always wanted to come here, ever since I was a kid. It's a great academy, lots of opportunity for adventure. One day I'm going to travel from one end of the universe to the other, and visit every kind of planet there is," he explained with a sheepish grin.
"That's awesome! I've always wanted to study flight design," Hiccup replied, "I want to build a starship of my own- fast, sleek, and powerful." Jack noticed the engineering books that littered his roommate's desk, and the design sheets for different parts pinned into the wall above.
"You're pretty serious, huh?"
"Serious is my middle name."
"I thought the assignment sheet said 'Horrendous'?" Jack shot an eyebrow up.
Hiccup brought his hand to his face. "That is a, uh. Family name."
"Uh huh," Jack replied with a playful grin. Before he could say anything else a black cat hopped up onto Jack's unmade bed, sniffing at his backpack.
"Hey!" Hiccup tried to scoop Toothless up again, but this time the cat was ready and he shimmied out of his reach and hopped onto Jack's shoulders. Jack looked to his left to be met with the intense green gaze of the snaggletoothed cat.
"And who might this be?" he asked.
"That's my cat Toothless, don't let him bother you." Hiccup replied. "Come on boy, down. It's not nice to jump on strangers."
Toothless ignored him in favor of the chin scratches his newfound companion was giving him, purring loudly. If Hiccup didn't know any better, he'd think that the little shit was trying to drown out his voice.
"He's not a bother," Jack laughed. "I have a few kitties myself back home. It's nice to see a familiar face."
The boys talked on about the classes they were taking as Jack got his side of the room set up. Hiccup talked about the engineer and design clubs he was in during high school, and the different machines he had invented to help out his family back home. Jack told Hiccup about the time he had snuck into the library and "borrowed" some of the restricted star maps, earning him a watchful eye all throughout school.
"I was going to give them back, just after making a few copies…" he grinned.
"How were you even going to visit those planets?" Hiccup asked, incredulous but impressed. "After all, certain planets are restricted for a reason you know."
"Well, there was a ship or two I had in mind…"
"To 'borrow', you mean?"
"Hey, borrowing means returning! Besides, I never got the chance, by the time I finally had the coordinates I was out of school and busy trying to get in here."
"Wait, so you actually have the maps with you?" Hiccups eyes were wide, his tone hushed.
Jack just smiled and opened up a pocket of his backpack, revealing a handful of data drives. His new roommate raised his eyebrows, impressed.
"So, uh, let me know when you make that starship," he said jokingly. Hiccup shook his head, taking a look at Jack's neat but under-decorated side of the room.
"You pack light, huh?" He asked, changing the subject.
"Gotta carry it all myself," Jack shrugged.
"Your parents didn't want to help you move in?"
"My parents didn't really approve of my school choice," he shrugged again. He was trying to pass it off as nonchalantly as possible, but Hiccup could tell it bothered him.
"Why? Red Fountain is one of the best schools out there!"
Jack took a look at the clock. "We should start heading down, there ceremony will be starting soon. I can't wait to see these dorks make fools of themselves. Just to get more dorks to sign up for their clubs…" Hiccup nodded and grabbed his jacket, following his new friend down to the arena.
~.~.~.
Hiccup waited till they got back to the dorm later that night to slap down a couple of applications on Jack's bed.
"Welcome to the club, dork."
