Penpals - Chapter Nine
Author's Notes: I'm back with another update~ I actually finished the next chapter first, so maybe a double-update today will get you guys to forgive me?
Chapter Nine - Staying Up
Pairing: Hijack
Word Count: 2196
Warnings: Some Language
I do not own any rights to the characters from How to Train Your Dragon, Rise of the Guardians, or the Guardians of Childhood series.
Jack's POV
"Ughhh," Jack groaned into his hands, slouching back into the uncomfortable chair in the computer lab. He'd been re-reading Hiccup's most recent e-mail for the past half-hour, but he still couldn't think of anything to say back to him. Should he say thank you for the compliments? Should he try to think of a way to compliment him back? But what would he compliment him about? He didn't know what Hiccup even looked like… Maybe he could look around on Google to see if there was a photo of him somewhere? Would it be creepy if he did that?
He let his hands slide off his face and smack against the keyboard.
Of course it would be creepy. Who would do that? Not a friend...well, at least, he didn't think so. There had to be something he could say...
"Having trouble, Jack?"
He looked up as Tooth stepped around him, looking concerned.
"I just can't figure out what to say back to Hiccup," he told her honestly.
Tooth pulled out the chair from the computer desk next to him and took a seat.
"I thought you two were doing well?" she questioned, still seeming concerned.
Jack frowned in return.
"Wha-we ARE!" Jack cringed as his voice cracked, and he turned back to the screen in front of him. "I'm just stuck right now."
He sighed. Yes, he and Hiccup were 'doing well' in terms of being pen pals that actually wrote to each other like they were supposed to, but there still hadn't been a breakthrough between them. Tooth had gone on and on about how Jack was going to make great friends with his pen pal, and yet...it'd been weeks now, and they'd only finally stopped talking about stupid, boring, mundane garbage and started getting to know each other. Jack needed more, and preferably soon. He needed Hiccup to like him back. As a friend. Because he needed friends. Yeah.
Tooth leaned over and took a peek at the screen, saying,
"Why don't you let me take a look at it?"
Jack sat back and pushed the screen away from her view. She sat up and eyed him with suspicion.
"What?" she asked.
He glanced over at the screen and then back at her quickly, replying,
"Uhh, it's nothing!"
He continued to hold the computer monitor as Tooth's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him. Did she know about the whole 'Hiccup writing in English' thing? Would she tell on him? Who would she tell, anyway? Isn't she the one in charge of this project? What would she do if she found out?
He swallowed. Suddenly, not knowing seemed even more terrifying than the question.
She flashed a quick smile before reaching over to pull the screen back.
"Jack, just let me see-"
"NO!" Jack shouted, pulling it away even further, turning it around and nearly pushing it off the desk. Tooth sat up straight, surprised by his sudden outburst.
Jack gulped, trying to keep the monitor-and himself-from falling as he continued,
"I can handle it, Tooth. Really. It's fine."
Tooth pulled her hands back into her lap, giving Jack a look he wasn't sure he'd ever seen before.
"...okay," she finally replied, standing up slowly.
"I'm just gonna...do it at home," Jack told her, pushing the screen back in its place and closing out of everything.
Tooth sighed in frustration.
"Again?"
"Yeah."
Jack logged off the computer and pushed his seat back to stand up with her.
"You know," Tooth began to lecture, "the other students don't have the luxury of doing this project at home whenever they want, Jack. You shouldn't be taking advantage like that."
Jack stepped over and pushed his chair in, ducking his head solemnly, responding,
"Right. Sorry."
Tooth eyed him suspiciously again before shaking her hand and walking back around the computer lab. Jack exhaled loudly and briskly walked back out into the media center, happy to have gotten clear of that whole situation.
After finishing his chores, sitting at the dinner table restlessly for forty whole minutes, and finally receiving permission to borrow North's laptop, Jack tucked the computer and its charger cord under his arm and rushed upstairs, ready to finally write that reply to Hiccup.
He pushed open the door to his room and quickly hooked up the charger to the outlet next to his nightstand before setting up shop on top of his bed. He logged in, opened the email, hit Reply, and took a deep breath.
"Alright, time to do this… Time to…" Jack breathed, his hands hovering over the keyboard. "Come on, Jack. You can do it."
He stared at the blank message window with a determined scowl. He could do this. He just had to get started, and then it would flow and he'd be done in no time at all.
He let his hands rest on the keyboard, but they didn't move. His mind just couldn't think of anything to say.
Maybe he needed some inspiration? He scooted back, leaving the laptop on the bed and standing up. He walked to the door, skipped down the spiral staircase and made a beeline down the next two floors and into the kitchen. He stepped up to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of soda, twisting the cap open before walking back into the sitting room. As he passed the adults watching TV, he glanced down at the soda in his hand and stopped before turning around to go grab five more sodas.
Jack snuck back upstairs to his room and dropped the bottles on his bed, sitting back down and staring at the laptop screen again.
He took a sip of the soda in his hand and finally pulled the laptop onto his lap, getting to work.
He figured he should just start off simple. Don't act too surprised about getting such a compliment. Maybe he should act confident? Didn't he read somewhere that people liked being friends with confident people? That could work.
One bottle down, he cracked open another and kept going.
Maybe he should ask about how Hiccup learned English? That wasn't too boring a subject, right? But it was a "we're just penpals" question, not a "we should start totally being best buds" kind of question.
Second bottle gone, time for the third.
Jack ignored the clock at the bottom of the screen, trying not to notice how long this was taking him. It didn't matter how slow he went, as long as he got it done...right?
He clicked back to the message Hiccup had sent. He really needed to address the compliment. But, you know, in a cool way.
What was he supposed to say, though?
Oh, what harm really was there in shooting a compliment right back at him? Hell, if Hiccup was gonna mildly-flirt with him, he may as well return the favor. That's how friendship worked, after all.
Three bottles down.
He typed up the rest of the message, grinning widely. This just went from a serious return letter to the stupidest, cheesiest thing he'd ever written.
As he emptied the fourth bottle of soda and threw it across the room, he sat back, not even bothering to suppress his laughter as he read over the finished message, even his tacked-on P.S. note.
There was no way he was ever actually sending this to Hiccup, but, WOW, that was a heck of a trip. He wondered what Hiccup would do if he did just press Send right then. What would he think?
Jack shook his head. He'd think he was crazy, obviously. There was no doubt in his mind about that. But crazy could be a good thing sometimes, right? He was sure he could think of a time when it has been...
His stomach rumbled loudly for a second and he paused, looking down. Yikes, maybe downing all that soda wasn't the smartest move.
He bit his lip, wincing in pain as he realized he actually bit into it and the taste of blood spilled onto his tongue. Well, crap, now he's got two problems!
"Oh, shit-" He pushed the laptop off his lap and onto the bed, jumping up and running to the door in a flash. He clambered down the spiral steps and down the hall towards the bathroom. His sister stepped out of the bathroom just as he pushed his way inside.
"Ah!" She screeched, barely stepping into the hallway as Jack slammed the door behind him. "Jack! Watch where you're goin'!"
"Sorry!" Jack shot back quickly from the other side of the door. "Gotta pee!"
"Ew, gross!" She grimaced, "Don't tell me that!"
She giggled, running down the hall towards the staircase that led to Jack's room. She skipped up the steps and walked into the bedroom, sticking out her tongue in disgust when she noticed all the empty bottles lying around.
She stepped inside, spying her dad's laptop on Jack's bed and walking over to it.
"Huh?" She climbed up on the bed to look over the screen a moment before shaking her head with a smile. "Silly Jack; he forgot to push Send!"
She pushed the button to send the e-mail and sat up before clicking into a new tab.
Jack entered his bedroom again, frowning at the sight of all the bottle lying everywhere before looking over and realizing his sister was lying on her stomach on his bed, her face glowing from the laptop screen sitting close to her face.
"...Emma?" He eyed her, walking over. "What are you doing?"
"Playing School of Dragons," Emma replied happily, kicking her feet behind her.
"On North's laptop?" He questioned.
"Daddy said I could play after you were finished with it," she told him, looking up at him with her big smile.
Jack scrunched up his nose, reaching out to the computer, saying,
"But, I hadn't sent the-"
"I sent it for you!" Emma smiled earnestly before returning to her game.
Jack's face instantly fell. Or was that his stomach?
"You WHAT?!"
Emma eyed him oddly, replying matter-of-factly,
"You forgot, so I clicked the send button and closed out of it for you. Now I'm playing with my dragon!"
"Oh, my God. You actually sent that?" Jack felt his mouth just gape open. "To Hiccup? Hiccup's actually going to read that? Oh, God- OH, MY GOD-"
Did he just forget how to breathe? Because it felt like he just forgot how to breathe.
"Wh-Jack? What's the matter?" Emma questioned, looking up at him with concern.
Jack stepped back, bringing a hand up to his forehead.
"N-nothing. Absolutely nothing," he told her, his eyes darting around the room. "It's not like I totally just ruined my life or anything- Why did I even write that in the first place?! Oh, God, he's actually going to read that!"
He started pacing around his room and Emma sat up on the bed, frowning.
"Jack, I'm sorry!"
Jack stopped in his tracks and immediately turned on his heel, stepping right up to her and kneeling down to look her in the eye.
"No, no, no, no, it's not-" he sucked in a breath. "That wasn't your fault, Emma. Thank you...for sending that e-mail for me. I totally forgot about that."
"But you seem really upset that I did it…" Emma replied, gripping the sheets with her hands.
Jack shook his head.
"No, no, I'm not upset," he told her. "I just...said something really stupid in that letter and now Hiccup will probably laugh at me for it."
God, that was putting it lightly.
"That's not true!" Emma spoke up, scooting over to let her legs hang off the side of the bed. She bent down and looked Jack in the eye, mirroring him from before. "Hiccup is your friend."
"...well, maybe not so much anymore," Jack responded, frowning.
Emma kicked her feet a moment before offering,
"You wanna play a round of eel roasting? It'll make you feel better!"
Jack gave a weak smile before standing up and petting the top of his sister's head, ruffling her hair until it started to stick up.
"Thanks, but...I'm good. Why don't you take North's laptop and…" He leaned over and squinted at the screen, "uhh, Nightlight the dragon downstairs, okay?"
Emma reached up and flattened her hair.
"Okay…" she said, and sat back to pick up the laptop and take it with her as she jumped back down from the bed and walked out of the room, giving Jack a quick look of remorse before going out the door.
Jack didn't even wait for the door to close; he just plopped down face-first into his mattress, letting out a muffled, "Fuck."
