I kind of left the last word/paragraph in the last chapter kind of hanging there. I started writing this part, but then thought differently... I wanted to keep the cuteness going on that! But still keep you wanting more.
I struggled horribly with this. I could of had this go a completely different way, but thought differently. I literally rewrote this chapter about six times. I am having some writers block on this one, so if anyone else can give me some suggestions as to what they want to see next (I am open to ideas) I'd love some. I am going to hold off on the "hurt" stuff, though. I think the poor kid's been through enough the last week, don't you?
Also, someone (and forgive me, I cannot remember the name of the reviewer) made me stop and think about this story a little bit. I LOVED the review they gave as it made me stop and realize something-sometimes I do write my stories as though some of the characters have no flaws in them. I loved this, as years ago I was writing about a young high school girl getting pregnant by her boyfriend. This girl could do NO wrong, outside of becoming pregnant in high school. I literally wrote her as though she was flawless, right now to her skin, her body, etc. Since then, and this review, I have tried to take a step back a little and think about Hiccup's character.
With Hiccup, his flaws I see are as follows: 1) Lack of self-confidence, 2) He does make mistakes as he went drinking when he argued with his dad, and 3) He is having an inner struggle with his own body, and is worried Astrid views him as weak, as Snotlout views him...because that is the bottom line...Hiccup is easy target for Snotlout...
Without further ado, here is the next chapter.
...
"Tripod!"
Hiccup felt the breath catch in his chest when he heard Snotlout scream his name-from directly behind him. He had just shut the trunk of the car and was about to head back to the driver's side. Why did he have to show up? His leg had been throbbing since they had been halfway up the hill. He chose to ignore it since he was excited to show his favorite place to Astrid. She didn't seem to notice the limp he had on the way down the hill, which he was thankful for.
Turning around, Hiccup came almost face to face with Snotlout. Only about six feet of pavement at their feet separated them from each other. He heard Astrid's door opened behind him. Why couldn't she have stayed in the car?! He was worried she'd get hurt.
She approached somewhat cautiously once she and Snotlout made eye contact with each other. She stood about three feet from Hiccup's left side. He held his arm up towards her, just in case he needed to grab her for any reason or shield her. His adrenaline was kicking in worse, which in turn was causing his leg to throb worse.
"Snotlout-go away-" Astrid said calmly, wrapping her arms around herself.
"There's lover girl," Snotlout said. He had an annoying crack when he laughed.
Hiccup noticed Snotlout's foot was starting to move towards them. He slipped a little closer to Astrid when he noticed this. His leg suddenly let out a pulsating throb. "Not again-" he said under his breath, clenching his teeth, trying not to scream.
Astrid wrapped her arms tighter around herself. Snotlout was making her nervous. Hiccup didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do. Again, too much was going on around him. His mind was getting dizzy from the stress. He took in a deep breath and exhaled to try to calm his anxiety with the situation.
When Hiccup took another step back, his leg screamed in pain. His hip felt like it was on fire. Hiccup bit the inside of his mouth trying not to scream. He let out a deep breath to try to relax himself. He had to remain standing just in case-for Astrid. His pills were in his bag. He'd neglected to take one because he was driving the car. Knowing he needed to stay on his feet to protect Astrid, he willed the pain away.
Snotlout, we don't want any trouble," said Hiccup. He registered his voice was becoming weak.
"We need to talk," said Snotlout. His tone changed. It was very direct.
"There is nothing we need to discuss," Hiccup said to him. His hip was beginning to rage, and he felt himself sway slightly. He shifted his hips a little, repositioning his leg on its prosthetic. That helped a little bit.
"You guys have to convince your dad to call off the hearing," Snotlout said to Astrid directly.
"He can do that!" she said to him. "The judge ordered the trial-"
Hiccup felt another twinge in pain. He couldn't stifle the groan that escaped his mouth.
"Hiccup-"
Leaning back against the trunk, he kept himself standing. He took a few deep breaths. Astrid was now between himself and Snotlout. Not only did her face read concern, but Snotlout's face showed pure confusion.
"I didn't put a hand on him!" Snotlout said suddenly.
"Would you shut up!?" Astrid yelled at him. "Hiccup-"
"I-I need to sit down," he said. He felt himself begin to sweat. The pain suddenly went from a six to an eight. He called out again suddenly.
"What can I do?" Astrid asked him. "Let's get you to the car-"
"What' going on?" Snotlout demanded. Hiccup saw him approaching them. He pushed himself forward, pulling Astrid behind him and put his hand out towards Snotlout. Surprisingly the boy stopped just a few inches short of where is hand was. "You stay back." It took all he had keep standing.
"Hiccup-" Astrid was trying to get his attention.
Snotlout's shoulder's softened. He dropped his hands to his side. He waited a few seconds. He was studying Hiccup closely, and Hiccup could feel his eyes wondering. Then, Snotlout asked, "What is wrong with you?"
"What?" Hiccup asked.
"Hiccup-" Astrid whispered to him. He felt her grab his arm. "C'mon-"
Hiccup debated. If he turned away from Snotlout, he was afraid he would charge. If he continued to stand there practically having a staring contest, he knew he'd pass out. Just as the pain sheered up him again, he shifted backwards and fell partially into Astrid and the hood of the trunk. Astrid had to steady him.
"I'm fine-" Hiccup said to her, regaining his balance. He took in a deep breath, and willed the throbbing away. He turned back to Snotlout. "I don't have the strength to deal with you right now-"
"Hiccup-seriously, what is wrong with you?" Snotlout asked. Suddenly, Hiccup realized he was being very sincere. Suddenly, he took a knee down onto the pavement. "I'll back off-"
Hiccup stared at him in shock. "What?"
Both Astrid and Hiccup were surprised by his actions. Astrid turned and looked at Hiccup.
"You need your meds, don't you?" she asked him.
He nodded. "There are in my back-pack, but you'll have to drive the car home-" Just then, his pain sheered again, this time the pain was not subsiding like it would. He realized he was standing on his leg, and when he went to lift it up off the ground, that hurt even worse.
"Hiccup-"
"Astrid-open the trunk," Hiccup said to her. He was trying to catch his breath. The sweat started pouring from his forehead. He was beginning to feel very weak and he swayed again. Just before he fell, Snotlout stepped forward and caught him. He heard Astrid scream suddenly, and he felt himself being laid on the ground.
"Get away-"
"I'm not going to hurt him-" Hiccup heard Astrid slap Snotlout upside the face. "Get the bloody pills out of the trunk!"
"Astrid-" Hiccup said. He had to sit up. He couldn't just lay on the ground. Blurry-eyed he pushed himself up, using his hands to support himself. He heard the trunk open, heard her shifting through the bag. "Side pocket-" She found them and she opened them, trying to shake a pill out for him.
"Here-" she breathed, handing him the pill. He popped it into his mouth and swallowed it whole again. Feeling a hand rest against his shoulder, he knew it was her. "I need to get him home-"
Hiccup shook his head at her. "No-we have to wait for this to go away-" He winced again as the pain in his hip ran down to his nub. "Give me a few minutes-"
He felt both of their eyes staring at him. Astrid was rubbing her hand along his back, but he could barely feel it through his jacket. When the pain sheered again, he pushed her away. He didn't want touched. He growled at the pain, saying a prayer for it to vanish. "C'mon-" he breathed.
"What is going on?" Snotlout asked quietly. Hiccup almost forgot he was there before he spoke.
"It's a-phantom pain-" he breathed. "Astrid-can you get me water out of my bag?"
As she shoved through the bag, she spoke to Snotlout. "Scary, aren't they?"
Snotlout looked at her. "What is a phantom pain?"
"It's a pain he gets when his leg bothers him too much," she replied. Opening the bottle, they all could hear the plastic seal break. She placed the bottle into Hiccup's hands and let him take a few sips. "I think we over did it on the hill-"
Hiccup shook his head at her. "This will pass-" He rubbed his knee. Sweat continued to pour from his head. He wished the pain would let up. His stomach was beginning to bother him. Wait, he he eaten anything yet today?
"Hiccup-I can help you to the car-"
"No, Snotlout-" Hiccup's voice was raised. He kept his eyes closed. He could tell the light was beginning to bother him. Suddenly, his leg let out another sheer of pain at the nub, and he leaned forward onto it, trying to apply a different kind of pressure. A large moan escaped his body, and he was hunched over. He willed the tears away. It was bad enough that the tears were forming involuntarily. If he was at home, it would have been a different story. But, he was with Astrid, his crush...And Snotlout, the enemy. At this point Hiccup wished he was surrounded by fifty strangers. He thought that would be more comfortable than sitting here with both of them discussing his handicap.
"I appreciate you trying to help," Hiccup said to him after a moment. He had finally caught his breath. He hadn't realized he probably hadn't taken a breath in a minute. "This isn't easy-"
"Is it like a migraine?" Snotlout asked him.
"Ehhhh-not exactly," Hiccup said to him. His energy was leaving him. "Just something amputees get on the occasion. Sadly, this is my second this week."
"How often do you get these?" Snotlout asked him.
"Maybe once a month. But-my leg also hasn't gone through the cold weather until now-" He winced again as another wave went through his hip and down to his nub, but this time it wasn't quite as bad. "Astrid-is there a granola bar in my bag-"
Astrid went through each and every pocket, coming up short handed.
"Wait-" Snotlout stood up and went to his car.
"What can I do?" Astrid asked him.
"Just sit with me," Hiccup said to her. "I'll let you know when I'm ready to get in the car." Then, he paused. "Wait-Astrid, you've got to be freezing-"
"I'm fine," she said to him. She kissed him on his forehead gently, and rubbed his shoulder.
Snotlout returned back a moment later, placing an open bag of crackers in front of Hiccup. "You aren't allergic to peanut butter, are you?"
"No," Hiccup breathed. He was still applying pressure to his leg.
"Here, then," said Snotlout. He allowed Hiccup to reach into the bag and pull out the cracker sandwich. Slowly, Hiccup began to chew on it.
"Wait-you aren't trying to poison me, are you?" Hiccup asked him.
"Do you really think I carry a bag of poisoned peanut butter and crackers around?" Snotlout asked him.
Hiccup laughed at the response and took another bite. "Sorry-but-"
"Why are you helping us?" Astrid asked him suddenly. "You hate him-you are upset with me-" Astrid was coming right to the point.
Snotlout looked at her, and his expression sounded a little hurt. He replied. "I'm not that bad of a person. I do have a heart."
"Then why don't we ever see it?" Astrid asked him. "You pick on everyone that comes past you. You don't have ANY real good friends-"
Hiccup watched the expression on Snotlout's face change. He seemed a little hurt. Snotlout turned away, and sighed. He wouldn't look at them.
"I'm not the best person, I know," he said. "I make stupid decisions on a daily basis. I know that. I try to get everyone's attention by being the class clown-and I know sometimes I take it a little too far-"
"Like when you knocked me down in Mr. Brice's room?" Hiccup asked him. "You do realize I had to get more stitches after just getting my cast off after that, don't you?
Snotlout winced slightly. "I am sorry about that. I didn't know that would happen-"
"It still wasn't nice," Astrid said to Snotlout.
"I know," he said to her. Suddenly, his expression on his face changed. His tone changed. "Look-I'm sorry! I am a mutten-head! I know!" He looked away, and his voice became sincere again, and his expression changed. "My dad finally caught me drinking. When he told me to leave, that I was no longer welcome-I left. He didn't realize I'd get in the car and go. I know it was dumb of me-but I wanted out of that house as much as possible. Of course I was basically dead meat when I was handcuffed and my dad had to come get me from jail. I've been really nervous about this whole hearing. I'm afraid my dad is going to kick me out of the house again-"
"Snotlout, you deserve a lot of things coming to you," Hiccup said to him. He rubbed his nub gently again, then pushed himself to lean back against the trunk of the car. "But-you don't deserve to be kicked out of the house. We all make mistakes. I drinking two weekends ago. That's why I was grounded. That was why I was home when the accident happened-" He turned to look at Astrid. Her nose was bright red from the cold. She looked cute with her nose that red, with her freckles. Oh, he was loosing track of his mind. "Meds are working."
"Good," said Astrid.
"Thank you for the crackers," Hiccup said to Snotlout. He turned to look at Astrid. "Is there anyway he could talk to your dad?"
Astrid's jaw dropped. "Hiccup-after all the grief his actions have given you this week-you want to try to HELP him out?!"
Hiccup nodded gently. "I know we can't cancel the hearing-but is there something-" He paused and rubbed his leg again. He bit the inside of his lip. "This thing needs to come off-"
"What?!" Snotlout cried. "Don't take that thing off-"
"Oh, shut it!" Astrid told him. "You better watch it or I'll slap you upside your head again-"
Hiccup laughed slightly as he saw Snotlout cower. He tried to undo the straps himself, but Astrid beat him to it. She was much quicker than he was currently. She undid the straps and slid the leg out of Hiccup's pant leg. Almost immediatly, his leg started to feel soothed.
"That's gross!" Snotlout said.
"No worse than you sitting in class picking your nose!" Hiccup said to him. Then he gave a weak laugh. Snotlout laughed slightly too. "It's getting much better."
"Good," Astrid said again. "Now, where were we?"
Snotlout let a large sigh escape him. "I know I deserve everything I get," he said after a moment. "But-I really need a deal here. If I get convicted I think I'll end up in juvey. If I go to juvey-I know I won't be able to come back home-"
"How about I talk to my dad this evening?" Astrid asked Snotlout. "Let me ask him if there is anything that can be done. I won't promise anything, but maybe there's something you can do besides going to juvey-"
Snotlout nodded to her. "Thanks."
Hiccup sighed. His tension was disappearing. Was he finally feeling better with the whole situation with Snotlout?...No. His medicine was beginning to make him very sleepy.
"I need to get home," he said to them. "Astrid-again, you will have to drive-"
"Okay," she replied.
"I'll help you up," Snotlout replied.
...
Instead of a nice dinner with Astrid's family, Hiccup had won the rest of the day at home in his bed. His medicine was making him sleep. When he woke up and looked out the window, it was dark outside. He growled at himself. Again, he was angry he didn't get to go to Astrid's house and enjoy the company of her family and her.
Grabbing his crutch at the side of the bed, Hiccup stood up and steadied himself. His hip ached still, but it was not too bad. He knew he'd have to do some stretches later to see if he could loosen it up.
Gimping out to the kitchen, he stopped short when he looked into the living room on his way. Astrid was sitting on the couch with the old black cat, rubbing his ears as he purred on her lap. She was reading a book. The only light in the room that was on sat on the table beside her.
"I wasn't expecting you to be here," he said to her. He remained standing in the threshold. He could tell he startled her when he spoke. Her smile was slightly delayed. But, she was smiling at him.
"Glad to see you are up," she said to him, closing her book. She reached both hands towards the cat and began rubbing him gently.
"Sorry I wasted half the day sleeping," he said to her quietly.
She shook her head at him. "You can't help it."
"I know, but it still sucks," he said to her. "I figured you'd be at home with your family eating dinner."
She patted the spot beside her on the couch. "No, I thought I was needed here more."
Hiccup looked at her questionably.
"Your dad wasn't home when you went to bed. After I called him, he said he was over at Katherine's."
"Did he ask why you were calling him?" Hiccup asked.
"He did. I told him your pain had eased up and not to worry so much. To enjoy his time with her. I guess they had gone to an art museum south of here."
Hiccup nodded. "I know where he's at. He will be a while, I'd say. " He chuckled. "He and my mom used to go there once a month, walk around the museum and then go out to this mom-and-pop restaurant for dinner." He laughed slightly. "I'd forgotten that they used to do that until now."
Astrid sighed. "How are you feeling, anyways?"
"I'm-okay," Hiccup said to her. "Those pills always make me feel funny the rest of the day. Nothing unusual."
"You think if I make something to eat, you'd be able to stomach it?" she asked.
He nodded. "I've kept you from your family most of the day-but do you think you could stay and watch a movie? I can understand if not-"
"No, I told my parents I'd stay until your dad came home at least-"
Hiccup sighed. "You are babysitting me."
"Babysitting-?"
"You feed me, put me to bed, sit with me when I don't feel good-"
"Hiccup-I wouldn't call it babysitting-" Astrid said to him. She could see the look in his eye again. "Your lack of self-confidence is showing-"
Hiccup sighed. "I'm really tired of feeling like everyone has to babysit me, is all. You and Snotlout both had to help me earlier-"
"It's okay," Astrid said to him. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Let me make us something to eat, and then a movie, okay?"
He smiled at her slightly, avoiding eye contact. She was right, his lack of confidence was showing. "Okay."
...
I am sooo sorry for the horrible ending! I hope the next chapter gets better!