Wow, thanks everyone for the veiws and reveiws! This is my first fanfic, so I was quite nervous about it...
This chapter is longer than the other one, I'm still trying to find the right length, so tell me what you prefer: Longer or shorter?
We sat there in awkward silence for a while, with his hand still on me. What should I do, peel it off, only close friends would do something like that, right? But then again, who actually puts their hand on a strangers shoulder anyway, and for this long too? As if he read my mind Jack's hand slowly left my shoulder when he turned back around into his seat again. I bet my face gave away my discomfort. I heard him breathe heavily through his nose, I pondered whether he was going to sleep as he tilted his head slightly.
"Well, it's a snow day might as well enjoy it!" He suddenly announced as he leapt from the car door that he swung open with a violent glee.
I watched as he ran around in the snow before collapsing and making a snow angel, lying there for a second before he raised just his head to look at me.
"You coming or what?"
He had to be kidding. I have just woken from being unconscious after slamming my head into the merciless concrete and he wants me to run around in the snow with him. The look on my face must have been priceless because Jack was in hysterics.
"Oh right I forgot, concussion and all," he chuckled as he walked back to the open car door.
"Yeah, because something like that is so easy to forget," he stopped chuckling, "Anyway, I don't want to go out there."
He walked round to my side and opened the door in a dramatic motion, "You're just a bundle of fun, aren't you, Hic?" He began to pick me up bridal style and my eyes grew to the size of the sun.
"Um, what are you doing?"
"Well if you're not going to walk around, I'll just carry you."
"Right, because just sitting in the car with me makes no sense at all."
"You're really sarcastic, y'know that, Hic?"
"Hmph"
He continued to carry me to a bench in the roadside field where he put me down gently. As soon as he let go of me a small pathetic whine escaped my lips.
"Aww, miss me already?"
It's not because I liked it, he was just warming me up, or at least that's what I tried to tell myself.
"So you've dragged me out to this bench in the
middle of a frozen field, what now?"
"Well, we can't go anywhere because I'm too lazy and you're just too clumsy, so how about we get to know each other?"
This was not how I pictured my day going, but I suppose it wasn't the worst thing that could happen to me either.
"Ok fine, but you go first."
"Well then, the names Jack, I'm seventeen years old, I like video games, driving, eating and sleeping, I don't like summer, maths or salamanders."
Okay that last one got my attention, salamanders, really?
"Um let's see, ooh, I'm an only child, my parents live far away so I have a flat nearby, and hmm I'm a virgin."
I sputtered on my own spit and nearly fell off the bench at that last comment.
"Whoa there, too much information don't you think?"
"Well I couldn't think of anything else, so now it's your turn."
I sighed and looked up in thought and away from this shameless boy.
"Fine, my names Hiccup," another giggle from him, earning him a smack on the arm "I like animals, my dream job is to be a zoo keeper, I don't really get along with my Dad or anybody else in the village-"
"Why?" he interrupted.
"It's a private matter."
"Well it can't be that private if they all know about it, come on I saved your life, tell me!"
God, he is even more like a child than I thought, it makes me wonder why I ever questioned his age when he first spoke to me.
"If you must know it's.. it's because... I'm-"
"A hippo, a secretly blue Martian, the Easter Bunny? Come on, it can't be that bad!"
"Oh for the love of God, I'm Gay!"
He had a look of shock on his face before he started laughing, great another person to add to the never ending list.
"Was that it? It took you that long to tell me that? I thought it was gonna be something really bad!"
"Wait, what, you don't care?" Wow, out of everyone, this is by far the best reaction, not the ideal one, but still the best.
"No, of course I don't, be a bit hypocritical if I did!" He didn't seem to know what he was saying as the words came flowing from his mouth in between laughs. Wait, so does that mean he's gay too? I decided not to pry, or at least to obviously anyway.
"So why do you live so far from your parents, have you had an argument?" yeah, real subtle Hiccup, way to go.
"No way, I love my parents no matter what! They just have very inflexible jobs, and this was the only school that accepted me, so I moved alone. It's not a problem, I mean, I'm old enough to live by myself.
We sat there talking about trivial things for a while longer, like how he had a temperamental Rabbit named Bunnymund and why I was wearing an oversized coat. It was nice to have someone not look at me like trash, and who was potentially like me to boot.
Jack stretched his arms above his head and spoke, "Hey, you gotta phone on you? I can call someone to come and help us out here."
"Yeah, it's in my school bag."
"Oh"
"Jack, you did pick up my bag didn't you?" I rubbed my temple with my fingers, that bag had almost half a year's worth of work inside.
"Well I'm sorry, I was to busy trying to help you after you fainted, but no! I should've been more focused on the bag!" His face was red with irritation, making me feel slightly guilty, he did help me a lot, but then again, he also lost me half a year's work, so they cancel each other out.
"No who's the sarcastic one? Look, Jack, can't you please go and get it, we won't be able to go anywhere otherwise?"
"Why don't you go and get it?" he spat.
I gave him a dumbfounded look and pointed at my head, he seemed to relent a bit.
"Alright, wait here, it wasn't that far back, and the bag isn't going to have grown legs and walked off."
As he trudged off into the distance in search of my lost item, looking like a dejected puppy. As he went, I couldn't help but admire his butt. What? We may have just met but I'm still a guy, and we have needs!
I sat there for a few minutes until I heard crunching footsteps behind me.
"So did you find my bad then, Jack?" I asked turning around.
To my surprise it was not Jack, no it was that bitch Astrid, giggling like an idiot at the scarf wrapped around my head.
"So who's Jack then, Haddock, your imaginary friend? 'Cos you sure as hell can't have any real ones. Not a freak like you." She sneered at me. I don't care if she is a girl, I am so tempted to whack the pretty out of her right now.
I was about to argue with her when a voice suddenly spoke up behind me.
"Never knew I was imaginary, did you Hiccup?" Jack had come back, and with my bag too.
I gave him a small smile which he returned before he looked at Astrid angrily.
"Hey, what's your problem with Hic, just leave him alone if you don't like him."
Astrid did not seem to be listening, she just seemed shocked by the fact that I was actually out with another human being. Unfortunately this silence didn't last. Shifting her weight in the snow and placing one hand on her hips she looked Jack over as he sat next to me again.
"So then handsome, you his boyfriend or what?" Every word seethed from her mouth in annoyance.
"No! We only just met each other" I squeaked out, but she didn't even look at me.
"Aw, why lie baby?" Jack sighed as he out an arm around my shoulders, much to the surprise of both me and Astrid. What the hell is he doing?
"Yes, I'm his boyfriend, and don't call me handsome, doll face" his face seemed to darken as if that was a threat rather than a statement.
The sounds coming from my mouth were a mixture of embarrassment, strangulated noises and glee at the fact Astrid was getting irritated while Jack just smirked smugly at her.
Putting my hand over his cold ear, I whispered, "Don't I get a say in this, what the hell are you doing?"
"Just play along, if she wants to annoy you for being gay, then we may as well give her a run for her money!"
"What, no, I don't want to-"But I never got to finish my ramble of a sentence as Jack just looked at me and placed his hand lightly on mine, making me immediately shut up.
My eyes widened slightly at the contact, his skin was cool as ice from the chill in the air, yet smooth as a new born's cheek. I looked begrudgingly up at Astrid, seeing she had an expression of slight shock at our contact.
"Yes, he is my boyfriend, and his name's Jack. Only I get to call him handsome." I felt utterly ridiculous as I said the boy I have not known for more than a day was my partner. Jack looked at me with a sickly sweet smile, then turned back to the seething girl in front of us
"Believe me now then, doll face?" I can't believe he just called her that again, it aggravates me even though it's patronising, it's still flirting.
Astrid's expression seemed to worsen at being called that name again, opening her mouth, only for a jumble of unintelligent sounds to come cascading out.
"Hmph" She turned away and stormed off in a rage, kicking snow as she went. She looked like a six year old whose mum wouldn't buy them that toy they always wanted. Just before she was half way between the road and where we were sitting in the field, she turned and yelled in a horribly jarring voice, "dirty queers!"
Personally this didn't affect me at all, I was used to it after all the amount of times that it had happened around the village, but Jack on the other hand, no, Jack got angry. Really angry. He fell to the floor in a quick movement and began to gather together a big collection of snow and compacted it in to one perfect sphere, right before launching it directly at the back of Astrid's head. The ball hit with a most satisfying thwack as she tripped from the sheer impact, her arms flailing about as she tried to stop herself from falling. Landing face first into the deep snow, she laid there motionless for about a minute or two and I almost began to think that Jack had killed her. Unfortunately, it seems prayers really do fall on deaf ears as she quickly got up, dusted herself off, turned to flip us the birdie and walked away as if nothing had happened.
"That's it I'm throwing another one, this time she won't walk away so cockily," Jack muttered angrily, crouching in front of me to gather much more snow.
Looking at his red face, it was clear he wasn't going to calm down on his own anytime soon, as much as I hated Astrid, I wasn't going to jail for assault. Had Jack really never been insulted before?
"Jack, stop. It doesn't matter, really," I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him; he instantly turned around and loomed over me. This was the first time I had noticed how much smaller than him I really was, he had a good foot one me, it made me feel even weaker than usual.
"Yes it does! How can you say that! She only said it once to me and look at me! How can you put up with that every single day?"
"You learn not to care."
"Well I care, and don't say it as if you don't matter, because you do!"
Ok, now he was sounding more like a lecturer than the cheerful teenage boy that I sort of knew.
We both said nothing for the next ten minutes, I decided it was best to let Jack calm himself down in his own time. I was never good at comforting people, it was always something I disliked about myself. Whereas most people would hug or give words of encouragement, I would be the one hovering my hands near the person, uttering out sections of sentences in a vain attempt to comfort them. So in the end I just stopped trying, it seemed like it was just hassle for the other person and made me feel stupid.
"Hey, are you gonna call for help or what?." Jack announced, throwing my bag lightly into my lap. He stood and picked me up bridal style yet again before walking to the car.
"Is this going to become a thing with you?" I joked. He didn't reply, maybe I should just keep quiet for a bit longer.
He placed me down in the passenger seat and I immediately called the emergency services. As the phone rang Jack got in the driver's seat and just stared at me for a while, then turned and looked out his window. I wish I knew what he was thinking about; did Astrid upset him that much, have I upset him? If so, how did I do that? By not reacting to Astrid's insult? Was he joking about want to be my boyfriend? As my thoughts got deeper a woman suddenly picked up the phone, her gruff voice booming in my ear canals.
"Emergency services, how may I help you?"
"Hello, our car is out of gas, we're stuck on-" I stopped, I have no idea where we are.
Turning to Jack I tried to grab his attention, "Jack, where are we?"
When he didn't answer I raised my voice, "Jack!" Well, that definitely worked, he jumped out of his skin and flung his head in my direction.
"What?"
"Where are we?"
"Um, in the car?"
"No snow-boy, what road are we on?"
"Hmm, four downs field."
"We're on four downs field," I told the woman, wondering if she was still there.
"Of course sir, I'll send out a rescue car, they should be there within fifteen minutes with some fuel, thank you for your patience."
She hung up immediately, making me think she was slightly annoyed at such a simple request.
"It'll be fifteen minutes before they get here, what do you want to do in the mean time?"
Yet again he ignored me, "Jack? Will you listen to me?"
"Huh, what yeah, I heard you?"
"Then reply or something."
"Yeah, sure whatever."
That was it, I've had enough, sighing heavily I turned to look towards the window. I would just walk home now and leave him here if there wasn't the risk of me falling again and giving myself a worse head wound.
Yet again we sat in silence until the men turned up. The man knocked heavily on my window, which seemed to greatly aggravate Jack. Well, even more than he already was. Looking up the first thing I saw was a long brown beard than encompassed my whole vision. If it wasn't for his think glasses I'm sure his whole face would disappear between his expanse of hair on his un-seeable head.
"So you kids need gas then do you?"
My initial instinct was to reply with a sarcastic remark, but then I remembered that if he left me here, I might not get home for quite a while.
"Yes, please, thanks for coming so quickly," putting on my best smile I tried to get this over with as quickly as possible.
As soon as the words left my lips, Jack laughed loudly, oh so he listens to me know?
Giving Jack a weird look, the man went to the back of the car and filled the engine with petrol.
Returning to the front of the car, this time Jack's window, he spoke somewhat heatedly, "That'll be a tenner, if you please."
Jack dug a hand into his wallet, his eyes widening after he did so, "Hiccup," he spoke calmly, at least he's talking to me again, "Do you have any money one you?"
That bastard.
The drive home was quiet, eerily quiet. I'm not going to say you could hear a pin drop because when can you ever actually hear a pin dropping? But the lack of any other noise apart from the wheels on the road was certainly unsettling.
When we got outside my house Jack offered to help me inside.
"No, I can walk now thanks." I opened the door and stood up, to my astonishment I didn't prove myself wrong and fall face first into the snow.
"Thanks again Jack, see you at school."
Suddenly looking disappointed he just smiled at me weakly started the car.