Can you believe it? Just two reviews away from 400! I have not had any stories reach this milestone yet! I'm so glad that everyone enjoys reading this story, so here's another chapter for you!
Review Replies:
bloody dragon fang: Thanks!
alejg: De nada.
guest (anonymous): There will be some romance shortly. It's progressing toward the romance and that will be, I think, in a couple chapters. (I don't have the timeline in front of me when answering since I have to use my email app instead of my notepad app).
Electronic Ink 0: Yes! So very close! Thanks! Happy New Year to you as well!
waveringshadow: Yeah. Originally, I was not going to give the therapist a name, but then I thought about "what if Astrid decides to continue going to the therapy sessions?" Then, the therapist would be more of major character and it just made sense to place Valka into that role. Nice catch. No mistake here, though. I tend to make Valka and Spitelout to be siblings in my stories. It just feels logical to me since Hiccup and Snotlout have different last names, so I don't think Stoick and Spitelout are brothers. I guess it wasn't too hard. I wrote it in several different sittings. I can barely write 1,000 words at a time…but I usually write up multiple chapters (of several different stories) at one time, so I just bounce back and forth between them. Happy New Year! Hopefully, yours is going splendidly so far!
Red-Knight (anonymous): Yes, she should go again, huh? Well, we might check in again with that storyline again. For now, though, it's back to Heather.
MrAndersIversen: Thanks! Oh yes, I love cliffhangers! Happy New Year to you as well.
Pegueng: I'm hoping the action will pick up soon. I knew last chapter was going to be a slow one, but this one is going to set up for a future event. That was vague, but I don't want to give it away. Happy New Year to you as well!
secret love writer: My goal was actually to have that last chapter out for Christmas, but…that didn't happen. At least I was able to get it posted before the final moments of 2015 came to their close. Happy New Year to you as well!
HiccupHaddockIII: I hope so too! That would help Astrid out a little, I'm sure. Happy New Years to you as well!
tjjenkins: I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Here's the next chapter!
Guest (anonymous): Good guess! We'll see the answer again soon. Here's the next chapter.
Sarnakh the Sunderer: Great observation. I agree with what you said. Mrs. Haddock is definitely better at this than Mrs. Hofferson. I'm glad to hear that I accurately portrayed the therapy. I was a little nervous about writing that chapter since I've never actually been to that type of therapy. (If it were physical therapy, then I'd have a little personal experience). Still, I felt that the therapy was a semi-major plot point and needed to be addressed with at least one chapter (maybe more). Thanks for reading!
Noctus Fury (anonymous): I'm glad that you liked the conversation. I wasn't quite sure if it was good enough, but most readers said they enjoyed it, so I guess it was fine.
Chapter 35: Matchmaker
Heather lay on her bed in her private bedroom of her dorm in Borg Hall. In her hands, Heather had the Post-It note on which she had copied the phone number of this mysterious caller. Astrid. The one that Hiccup was so nervous to discuss.
As Heather looked over the numbers again, she felt that curiosity peak again. There had to be a way to figure out her roommate Astrid's phone number. It would not be easy, but Heather was determined. Someday. Somehow. She would figure it out.
Having attended her one class of the day earlier that morning, Heather was free for the rest of the afternoon. She had started to work on some of her out-of-class readings, but found she could not concentrate when her eyes had shifted to the Post-It note sitting on the corner of her desk. That is how she had found herself laying on the bed and staring again at the sequence that she was starting to memorize. How can I figure out? I could call the number and see if Astrid picks up. Maybe some time when she's out in the kitchen, I could play it off as if I'm sending a text message. If it's casual enough, she would never suspect. At least then I would know if the number belongs to my roommate or not.
Heather was patient. She would wait for just the perfect moment. For now, she added the phone number into her contacts lists, titling it simply as "Astrid" just like it had been on Hiccup's Post-It note. Satisfied, Heather ripped up her own Post-It note into many small pieces, unrecognizable, and tossed every scrap into the trashcan beside her desk.
Tucking her phone into one of her jeans' pockets, Heather left her bedroom to go make herself some lunch. Heather was not sure what she wanted to eat this afternoon, so she made her way to her set of cabinets to see what food she had stored. Passing by the counter, something shiny caught Heather's attention. Stepping closer to the counter, Heather found that the shiny object was her roommate's iPhone, glinting in the afternoon sunlight. It's a trick! Astrid never leaves her iPhone behind when she leaves here. She's onto me!
Stepping even closer to the counter, Heather looked down upon the silent iPhone. What if it isn't a trick? What if Astrid did actually forget to take her iPhone when she left today? Heather did not know when Astrid would be back, but it would only take a second to make the call and see if the number rang through to this iPhone upon the counter. What if Astrid turned off her phone before she'd left? That would complicate things a little, but it would bring Heather closer to learning if this number, the one she'd saved into her contact's list just this morning, was actually her roommate's phone number.
Pulling her phone out of her jeans' pocket, Heather opened her contacts list and scrolled down a few names until she found "Astrid". With her roommate's phone in clear view, Heather tapped once on the "Astrid" contact and waited a few brief seconds for the phone application to open and initiate the call.
The call on Heather's phone began to show a count-up timer of the seconds since the call had connected. A second later, Astrid's iPhone lit up, signaling an incoming call. Looking down upon the screen, Heather noted that the number that appeared on the screen was her own. Ending the call, Heather waited to see the missed call notification appear on Astrid's screen. That number! The one Hiccup had written down…it does belong to my roommate! Hiccup knows Astrid!
Heather pocketed her iPhone and stepped back from the counter just as the door to her dorm unlocked and opened. As Astrid walked into the room, Heather turned back to the cabinet and pulled out a box of pasta. Astrid, like always, was silent as she snatched her iPhone from the countertop and left to shut herself in her bedroom.
Setting a pan of water on the stove to boil, Heather pulled her own phone from her pocket and stared down at it. Now that she knew that Hiccup knew Astrid and vice versa, Heather thought back to the way Hiccup had reacted when she had asked him why he'd circled Astrid's phone number on that Post-It note. Hiccup had acted nervous and shifty. Was it just because Astrid was obviously someone who had called the hotline for advice? One that he seemed to have taken a particular interest in or was there a deeper motivation to his reaction? Oh Gods…does Hiccup like…like Astrid? Even though he's never met her?
The pot of water was starting to steam but Heather ignored it. It wasn't quite boiling yet. Instead, Heather thought back to her nerdy co-Angel. Heather could not deny that she felt some attraction to Hiccup. She'd felt it as far back as when they'd attended orientation together. At the time, Heather was sure Hiccup had felt it too. That was before Astrid, though. At the time, Astrid had not been Heather's roommate and Heather was certain that Hiccup had not known Astrid then either.
It hurt Heather a bit to know that Hiccup no longer felt that little spark of attraction that he once had, back then. Still, Heather wanted Hiccup to be happy and if that was with Astrid, then Heather wouldn't stand in the way. As the water began to boil, Heather added some pasta and an idea began to form in her mind.
Valentine's Day is coming up quickly and, knowing Hiccup, even if he does like Astrid that way, he'd never initiate anything. Pulling her phone back out of her pocket, Heather looked down at the blank screen. A plan started to work itself into Heather's mind. Could it possibly work? Opening her text messaging app, Heather added "Astrid" to the contacts line. As she waited for the pasta to boil, Heather typed out a text message to her roommate.
Hello! I'm an Angel with the Heavenly Hopes Hotline. Recently, I heard that you have gotten to know my co-Angel Hiccup. Hiccup wanted to invite you to a dinner, but he hasn't talked to you recently to ask you. He asked me to try getting in touch with you. Will you do Hiccup the honor of meeting him for dinner?
Sending the text message, Heather pocketed her phone and strained the pasta. Returning the strained pasta to the pan on the stove, Heather added Alfredo sauce and seasonings before dumping a spoonful onto one of her clean plates.
As Heather ate the Alfredo pasta, she pulled her phone back out to check if there was a response from her roommate. There was a reply, sent only a few minutes before Heather checked.
Hiccup clearly knows my number. Why wouldn't he just ask me himself?
Heather frowned. A typical response. Astrid. Always overcritical and analyzing everything. In the reply box, Heather quickly typed another reply.
Okay, you got me. Hiccup didn't ask me to mention this to you. You see, he can become quite nervous when talking to girls that he likes. However, I know he's been planning this outing. He even has a restaurant and a day picked out. You wouldn't want to disappoint him, would you?
Heather sent the text message and placed her phone, face up, on the table beside her. Sure that text had been a bit of a stretch, but if Astrid agreed, Heather could easily determine a location and place. Hiccup wouldn't be picky. The phone lit up, announcing a new text message. As expected, it was again from Astrid.
Fine… This better not be a trick or sick joke. Where and when does he have all this planned?
Opening the text message, Heather looked down at the blinking vertical line in the reply box. Okay, time to think like Hiccup. If I was Hiccup and was going to take a girl out on a date, what type of restaurant would I choose? Would I start off fancy on a first date? After just another moment's thought, Heather knew just the place.
Hiccup has a table for two reserved for next Thursday at the Viking Crown. 6PM. Make sure to arrive at least 5 minutes early. Hiccup gets pretty nervous about being stood up.
Another exaggeration, but Heather was certain that Hiccup would thank her later for this setup. The Viking Crown was a popular lounge-style restaurant in Berk, a popular hangout for some of the university students. Now, Heather just needed to talk with Hiccup…and reserve that table at Viking Crown.
Normally, Heather would call for the reservation, but she did not want to chance having Astrid hearing her making the exact reservation from the text message. Finishing her lunch, Heather quickly washed her plate and set it back amongst her other dishes in the cabinet. She had about an hour until she had to be at the Hotline Headquarters. Plenty of time to drive down to Viking Crown and make the reservation and then she would arrive early and talk with Hiccup. There was no way this plan could fail!
888
"No."
The answer was short and firm, uncharacteristic of the nerdy Angel that Heather had gotten to know.
"No?" Heather was dumbfounded. After she had gotten Astrid to agree and then Heather had successfully made the reservation for Viking Crown. It made no sense. All she had done was suggest to Hiccup that he eat dinner at the Viking Crown next Thursday at 6PM.
Hiccup did not look up. He had not looked up from his computer since Heather had walked over to his little section of the hotline headquarters. "I don't want to sound mean or anything, but I don't want to eat dinner with you, Heather. I would rather work here and help callers find peace."
Is that why? He thinks that the dinner will be just me and him? Now that made a little more sense. Sure, Heather would like that, but she already knew that Hiccup would've rejected such an idea. "Oh, no, it's not me who'd be eating dinner with you, Hiccup," Heather laughed a little, taking in Hiccup's confused face.
"Well, a blind date set up by you doesn't sound much more appealing," Hiccup mumbled, his eyes still fixed upon the phone numbers on his computer screen.
"Won't you just give it a chance? I can assure you that you will like this one. She's just your type!" Heather knew that she was just throwing out excuses, but what more could she do to convince Hiccup?
Hiccup finally broke eye contact with his computer and turned to look at Heather. An eyebrow raised in confusion, he asked her, "And how exactly do you know what 'my type' is?"
Heather shrugged. "Lucky guess? How about this…if you go on this 'blind date', as you call it, I won't bother you again? Simple enough, right? Just do this one little thing and then I'll stay over there at my station and I won't talk to you again while you're working. Deal?" Knowing that Hiccup tended to feel bothered by her presence, Heather hoped this promise was strong enough to convince Hiccup.
Sighing, Hiccup finally consented. "Fine."
"Great!" Heather replied, pleased that Hiccup actually agreed. "You'll meet her at Viking Crown. 6PM. There is a reserved table with your name…well, nickname. All expenses are paid in advance so you can both just enjoy yourselves."
"Wait," Hiccup spoke up, suddenly. "The Viking Crown let you make a reservation under the name 'Hiccup'?"
"Yeah," Heather answered. "They did look at me a little funny, though."
"Why did you use my nickname? Why didn't you just make the reservation in your name?"
"This isn't my dinner," Heather reply, in a tone that implied that the answer was all too obvious. "And I don't remember your real name. It's been awhile since you've used it here. Did you ever go by anything other than 'Hiccup'?"
Ignoring Heather's question, Hiccup turned back to his computer screen. "I'm actually going to do some work now. You know…since I'm getting paid to help people and all."
Rolling her eyes at Hiccup's bluntness, Heather walked slowly back to her desk. That worked out better than I'd expected. Well, if this whole political science major doesn't work out, I may have a promising career as a matchmaker.
Another 2,000 word chapter for your enjoyment! Those who were asking for long chapters, I heard you loud and clear. Hope these chapters have been to your liking.
So…the restaurant name was actually taken from a lounge aboard a cruise ship that I vacationed on about three years ago. It was actually the premiere lounge on the ship, so imagine how amazing this restaurant must be! (Disclaimer: I take no credit for the Viking Crown Lounge. That name is trademarked to the Royal Caribbean cruise line.)
Finally, I had not previously thought about what Heather's major would be, but I figured she'd make a good politician. She's very strategic and cunning. What do you guys think?
Thank you all for reading and supporting Your Own Personal Savior!
Posted: January 17, 2016