Three days, three chapters. Unfortunately, it won't always be this fast!
Sorry about all the technology and science stuff in here, I am a bit of a science geek!
As always, please read and review, and I don't own any of the HTTYD characters. The only one I own is Thorn.
Enjoy!
Inventions
The technology workshop had eight tables. Seven of them were square tables for four people. The final table, right in front of the teacher's desk (and so predictably empty), was designed for two people. Since they were so late, Thorn and Hiccup had to take the last two seats. The walls of the workshop were lined with projects. Some of the younger students had created clocks from acrylic, or jewellery by casting metal into moulds. Older students created radios, speakers, and there was even a go kart in one corner, helmet perched on top, just begging to be driven. Wood and metal shavings littered most of the surfaces and machines. There were machines everywhere. They lined every wall, and there were more along the workbenches- soldering irons, laser cutters, lathes, drills. This room was Hiccup's dream room. He wished that all the classes could be like this one.
"Right, class. This year we will be making desk tidies." Everybody groaned, including Hiccup. He thought that he would have been able to make something more exciting than a simple desk tidy. Mr Woods started handing out sheets of paper, rulers and set squares.
"First of all, I want you to sketch out a few simple ideas onto paper. Then, use the set square and ruler to create a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to include measurements and materials you will be using!" The sound of pencil cases being unzipped filled the room; next a clattering of pencils as everybody dug around for the right pencil; finally, scratching and scraping as people wearily began to sketch ideas, or shifted their stool around on the floor. Hiccup's hand moved quickly, more than once jogging Thorn, who shot him evil looks.
"Why do you have to be left- handed?" she asked, evidently annoyed. In her mind a little voice said, get rid of this guy before you're in too deep. You can't go on being friends with him for long.
"It's not my fault. My parents are left handed, and they obviously gave it to me. Besides, left handed people are said to be more creative and better at art." Hiccup replied huffily, then returned to his sketches, drawing even more vigorously than before.
Ten minutes later, Hiccup put down his pencil and looked over his designs. Thorn, who was still trying to think up a half- decent idea, stopped and glanced at his designs. Well, glanced at first, because the next time she looked it was a full on stare, gazing almost in wonder at Hiccup's drawings. The first idea looked impossibly complex, with hinges and boxes and tens of tiny sections for different items of stationery. The second had levers, lights and buttons, and some sort of locking mechanism. The third idea looked a bit like a long snake with compartments sticking out at every angle. Each sketch was brilliantly drawn, and annotated to a ridiculous level of detail.
"You know, we do have to make these, not just draw them." She said, a frown on her face.
"Oh, yeah," Hiccup said breezily, "They shouldn't be too hard to make." Turning back to his work, he picked up the set square and asked Mr Woods for another sheet of paper. A hushed silence fell over the room. Somebody had finished that quickly? Suddenly the room was filled with the frenzied scribbling and sketching of the other students as they too tried to finish their designs. Thorn just sat there and continued to stare at the drawings. They looked so hard to make, and Hiccup was saying it would be like taking candy from a baby. Mr Woods came over to their desk carrying another sheet of paper, and stood behind the pair admiring their work.
"Well, those designs certainly look… interesting. Remember, you will have to make these before Christmas, so you might want to think about… simplifying your designs. Rose, you might want to think less and draw more."
"I'll be fine, Mr Woods. These designs are fairly simple, I should be able to finish them in plenty of time for Christmas." Looking unconvinced, Mr Woods left Hiccup to it and walked back over to his desk.
By the end of the lesson Hiccup had finished all his sketches and completed one of his final technical drawings, even labelling it and writing down the equipment and materials he would need in order to make it. As the teacher called the class to the front of the room, a ball of paper landed on Thorn's desk. She unwrapped it. It read, stop looking at him and get on with your work, lover girl. And tell your boyfriend to work slower, none of us can keep up. Thorn looked up angrily to see who had put the paper on her desk. Unfortunately, whoever it was had already blended into the scrum gathering behind her desk, but it wasn't too hard to narrow the class of thirty down to about five names. Top of the list was Snotlout and his cronies of course. She gave Snotlout a long hard stare, which was greeted with a quizzical look- not one of his usual smirks or scowls. Quickly looking around, she searched for other culprits, but Mr Woods had already finished talking and was dismissing the class. Her attempts were foiled as everyone rushed for the door. Getting to her feet, Thorn followed the crowd out. She found Hiccup and asked him what Mr Woods had said.
"Oh, just that there wasn't any homework, and that we should enjoy the rest of our day. Nothing too important really. I was wondering... Are we allowed in the workshop at lunchtimes?" Thorn silently sighing, they walked out into some rare sunshine, picked up their bags and walked to their next lesson.
At the end of the day Thorn and Hiccup walked to the school gates together.
"So, um, see you tomorrow?" asked Hiccup.
"Yeah, sure" replied Thorn. They walked off their separate ways, Thorn to the left, Hiccup to the right. And, just once, Thorn tried to sneak a quick glance at Hiccup's departing back. She was denied her chance.
And so it went on. Day after day of lessons, Hiccup finding his only enjoyment in Technology, Thorn in Chemistry. As the days wants by, the pair became inseparable. Hiccup would help Thorn with her desk tidy, and Thorn would help Hiccup balance equations. The desk tidy was finished in a month, and Mr Woods let Hiccup build much more advanced machines. Most lunchtimes he had free Hiccup would spend tinkering in the workshop.
The end of year exams arrived in April. The exam timetables handed out were greeted with groans of disappointment.
"Oh, this is terrible!" Hiccup exclaimed. "There's no Technology exam!"
"Well of course not, you wazzock," replied Thorn, punching him playfully on the arm.
"Ow! Why would you do that?" There was a moment when their eyes met, Thorn's mismatched eyes gazing deeply into Hiccup's green ones. With the arrival of a paper ball in Hiccup's face, the contact was broken.
"Hey, lover boy. You guys look cute together. The tech geek and the scientist." Hiccup tried his most evil, piercing stare, but it must have come out wrong because Snotlout and Tuffnut laughed in his face before turning away. And so, they became an item. People were always making fun of them. Thorn and Hiccup didn't even pretend to love each other. They were just friends. Unfortunately, everybody misinterpreted everything. 'Geek lovers', they were nicknamed. That was the most complimentary. The rest were a lot worse.
The holidays before the exams had just started. While Hiccup was sitting at his desk, the phone rang.
"Hiccup, it's for you!" his dad yelled, a slight note of surprise in his voice. Hiccup walked out onto the landing and into his parents' bedroom, then picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey." It was Thorn (to be honest, he didn't have any other friends).
"I, um, just wanted to ask... Would you like to come round tomorrow to revise?" The words all came out in a rush, as if she had to pluck up the courage to say them.
"Sure," replied Hiccup. "Is one thirty okay for you? I can probably sleep over too, if you want me to?"
"I'm not too bothered. You'll have to bring your own sleeping bag, and it won't be a comfortable night, but you can sleep over if you like. See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah, bye." Hiccup ended the call. He then started packing bags, before remembering he hadn't even told his dad about his plans. Rushing downstairs, he told his dad. Luckily he was pretty relaxed about Hiccup going out, he even seemed pleased he had made a friend.
"I'm sure it will be great. Would you like some candy to take with you?"
The next day, Hiccup quickly ate his lunch, then restlessly paced about the house. He'd never been to another person's house before. Not for revision, or anything like that. At last, one o'clock arrived. His dad had offered to take him round, so they set off. Hiccup was a bundle of nerves. He hadn't been out of the house (apart from to go to school) since his mum died in a car crash last summer.
"Calm down, son. It'll be fine," Stoick said as the car pulled up outside Thorn's house.
"Just give me a call tomorrow and I'll come and collect you. All set?"
"Yep. See you tomorrow, Dad." With this, Hiccup got out of the car, collected his bags from the boot, and walked up to the door of Thorn's house. It was modern and large, much bigger than his own small semi-detached one. It was painted pale green, not that there was much wall to be painted. Large portions of the house were glass, giving impressive views from all sides. Gulping, Hiccup stepped up to the door and rang the doorbell. Soon after, the door opened.
"Hi," said Thorn, and invited him in.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
About the use of wazzock in this chapter- it's my favourite uncomplimentary word, so I just had to put it in my story somewhere!