Chapter Two: Meeting Again
Astrid and Hiccup had gone to the same school for as long as he remembered. They'd had most of the same classes and even went to eachothers birthday parties; but that was because of Hiccup's family not because Astrid liked him. No one had really cared for Hiccup when he'd been younger, and he still didn't have any friends now, except Toothless. Granted Hiccup had always liked Astrid, well like wasn't a strong enough word; Hiccup had always loved her.
Hiccup had been infatuated with Astrid since grade school. The way she took charge and handle things had always impressed him. "I said why isn't he on his leash?" Astrid said waving a hand in front of my face. "Guess you haven't changed much Hiccup, just as easily lost as you were when we were younger." She said and gave Hiccup one of her rare smiles.
Hiccup was in shock, Astrid knew his name and even remembered him from school. "Yeah I guess I haven't. I mean I have but I haven't, I've got a job and getting through college but I'm still me." I said in a surprised tone of voice. Astrid nodded and walked over to the bech near the dogs and sat down. The dogs were now rolling around playing with eachother so I went and sat next to her. "Life has changed for me too, I live near here without my family." She said looking off into the distance.
"Are you in school?" he asked pulling out a sketch book and working a sketch as ha watched the dogs. "Yeah for business, a little deal my parents want to make but I've got to get some…..footwork done first. You?" She asked softly. He didn't notice as she turned to watch him draw. He was intently focused on what he was doing, trying to capture the dogs playfulness. Astrid smiled as she watched him, she'd missed this part of seeing him.
Astrid would never tell Hiccup, she'd never tell anyone, but she'd always admired him in school. Things seemed to come so easy to him, he had always been the top student, the teacher's favorite. He had always been the winner at the science fair, Astrid had always felt she had to work five times harder just to compete with him academically. Granted she'd been the most rounded student so she'd been favored over him for everything.
She'd been captain on the volleyball team and the baseball team. She'd been valedictorian and prom queen, plus shed been voted most likely to succeed. When she'd been in school, while she felt Hiccup was miles ahead of her in school, she'd look behind her and he always seemed to be in her shadow. She'd gone to all his birthday parties, more because her family made her than anything, and had watched as the party was thrown around him; almost as though the party wasn't for him but that he was simply there.
She'd tried to be a friend to him, keep bullies off and not let others play nasty pranks on him; but it didn't seem it had helped. When they'd gotten to their Jr. year something really bad had happened, Astrid remembered it well.
The footplayers had been drinking after winning a champion game, and everyone had met up near the gorge and were celebrating. Astrid was there as a DD for her friend Ruffnut and Heather. Heather was the head cheerleader and Ruffnut…well she was an important member of the sports team…..and a slut. She was sitting back against ad tree reading over some college information when Snotlout and Tuffnut came over and started trying to show off.
Snotlout was captain of the football team, the quarter back; and one of the dumbest people Astrid had ever had the misfortune of knowing. Tuffnut was Ruffnut's twin brother, and while he took the cake for stupidity, he wasn't the worst person in the world. Fishlegs was nearby flirting with Ruff who was leaning into him and nibbling his ear affectionately.
Astrid looked around the crowd and rolled her eyes, it was mostly idiots being idiots; there were a few of her other class mates just hanging out and acting as DD but they weren't many. And then there was Hiccup, he was drawing something some distance away from the crowd; he was sketching the tree and the moon. Astrid smiled and watched him, she was careful to make sure no one noticed who she was looking at; but not careful enough.
"Hey look its Hiccup the screwup!" Snotlout called dragging Hiccup over to the crowd of footplayers as everyone laughed. Astrid stood up to try and put a stop to this but she couldn't get through the crowd that was now circling Snotlout and Hiccup. Hiccup let out a yelp and Astrid knew that this wasn't going to end well for anyone. She tried to shove her way forward but people weren't letting her through.
Pretty soon she could see Hiccup, they tied him to a tall log and lifted it into the air. He looked terrified and was squirming, everyone was laughing and jeering. Then they started to shake and kick the log, at first it wasn't to bad and then Astrid felt the world tilt as it began to fall. Hiccup got himself untied before he hit the ground but it wasn't soon enough, his leg was crushed by the log falling on it. His scream seemed to wake everyone up out of the haze they'd been in and everyone began to scatter away, leaving Astrid and Hiccup alone.
"It's okay its okay I'm going to get some help." She said running forward feeling her heart pounding in her ears. She grabbed her phone and dialed 911 before calling Hiccup's parents, then she set to the task of moving the log. By the time ambulance got there Astrid had the log moved and was holding Hiccups head in her lap as he breathed shallowly. "Then if hit the button the spring uncoils and release the fin." Hiccup muttered as Astrid did her best to keep him coherent.
She stroked his hair back from his face and smiled encouragingly at him. "And how does that help?" She asked softly as he cringed in pain. "Changes the way the air moves, helps to better control the direction in which one flies." He muttered as his breathing became even more shallow. Hiccups parents showed up at about the same time as the ambulance and Valka instantly started to coo to Hiccup and got into the emergency vehicle before it began to move.
Stoick remained and looked at Astrid who had blood on her hands and was quiet pale. "Thank you Miss Hofferson, my boy would be dead if it weren't for you. Can you tell me who did this?" He asked in that commanding voice Astrid knew he meant business. She looked at the ground and Stoick put a hand on her shoulder "That's what I thought, I can't punish every kid in the school so I'll move on. Thank you again." He said and turned to leave. Astrid watched and then stepped forward "Will you contact me with news of how he is?" She asked quickly, she really did care about him. Stiock turned and gave her a sad smile, "I'll make sure you know when I know." And with that he turned and left.
Astrid looked at Hiccup's left leg and frowned. "How is your leg feeling these days?" Ashe asked without thought as she looked at him. Hiccup looked at her surprised then a sad shadow passed over his face "Never been the same since that night." Hiccup said and lifted up the hem of his pant leg to reveal the prosthetic leg beneath. Astrid sucked in a breath as she looked at it. Every time she saw his injury she felt like it was that night again and she was reminded of how she hadn't been able to get to him.
Hiccup looked at her face and smiled as he covered his leg. "It's not your fault Astrid, I remember how you helped me, I even remember seeing you trying to get through the crowd. And then you stayed with me till the ambulance and my parents came." Astrid looked at him surprised, she didn't think he'd been in a state to remember much of anything. "You remember all that?" She asked surprised.
He stood up and nodded making a hand signal to Toothless who came right over to him and sat down. "Yeah I do, I gotta go I've got classes in the morning. Maybe we'll run into eachother again." He said as Astrid's dog came over and sat next to Toothless and nuzzled his neck. Hiccup laughed a little. "I think your dog like Toothless." He said looking at Astrid with a smile that made her heart shudder. "Yeah Stormfly does seem to like him." Astrid said stroking her dogs ears.
"Maybe we could meet here in the park again soon? I mean so the dogs can play more!" Hiccup said his ears turning a light shade of pink. Astrid smiled and nodded, she liked the idea of seeing Hiccup again; she liked the idea of getting to know him again. "What about tomorrow around this time?" Astrid asked hooking Stormfly's leash on her. Hiccup nodded excitedly as Toothless began to drag him off. "Yeah sounds good!" He called back to her. "No Toothless not that way!" Astrid smiled and laughed as she watched him go….tomorrow might prove to be interesting to say the least.
