TWENTY SIX:

The Prom Committee had been busy for the Main Hallway of Berk High was decorated with posters, flyers and streamers for the Senior Prom, all in the Red and Gold colours that were the theme for the year. Of course, they were colours that suited Atali best but no one would be uncharitable enough to comment-except Ruff, who said the words at the top of her voice as soon as she entered the school. Even Heather had elbowed her for that, since it wasn't a great idea to antagonise Atali's new clique on day one of Prom ticket sales. They all wanted to go to Prom and everyone knew that the redhead would be as petty and spiteful as she could-while trying to appear the wronged party.

""They've done a good job," Astrid murmured as she and Hiccup headed for English. He nodded.

"She's worked hard," he said blandly, his emerald eyes flicking over her thoughtful face. "And she deserved plaudits for her work. I just wish she didn't want to deny you your Prom." She gave a slight smile.

"If I have to clamber in through the Gym windows, I will be there for Prom," she promised and he chuckled.

"And I would never dare argue with you, Milady," he said hastily. "I mean, social media has gone insane after your interview and BerkBook now has an 'Astrid Hofferson Fan Page'." She stared at him and he nodded.

"Show me," she muttered and he led her into the classroom and pulled it up as the others assembled. Her eyes flicked down the images, comments, clips, 'likes'…and then she groaned. "Oh Thor," she mumbled. "I cannot believe…" But his hand found hers gently and he lifted her hand to his lips, gently pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles.

"Astrid-they're proud of you," he told her gently. "Berk is a tiny pile of wet rocks in the middle of nowhere. The people here…well, if you called us Vikings, that's about as complimentary as you could manage. Most of the time, the phrase 'muttonheads' would be more accurate. But a very few people of note have come from our town…and you are the latest. And you're a Berk High student. Allow them to share in your celebrity." She flicked her unamused azure gaze at him and he sighed. "I know you intend this to be a one time thing. So treat it as that. In life, you cannot tell what paths you will end up on. For now, you are treading this one, a journey that no one could have predicted or imagined. So enjoy it for what it is. Remember it. Embrace it. Because in twenty years, this will be a story to tell your children."

"Just remain true to who you are," she murmured. "What Dad always said." Then she smiled. "I'll try, Babe," she sighed as Mr Throk swept in and the others all faced front. Hiccup couldn't help noticing that Mindy was sitting next to Snotlout in the front row and that Heather and Fishlegs were huddled over a copy of 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'. Atali was staring at Astrid with unsettling intensity but that was nothing new…though the slight smirk lifting her lips had a shiver of anxiety running down Hiccup's spine. He pulled himself together: he had endured worse and he would do so again as long as Astrid got her Prom.

They didn't try to buy tickets until lunchtime when the line was ridiculously long…but it was not surprising when Helga Helgaborg, who was manning the desk, announced they were out of tickets for the day the moment Hiccup and Astrid reached the desk. Not wanting to push the issue on the first day, the auburn-haired teen politely asked when they would be selling again and Helga, who wouldn't meet his eyes, admitted that it would be at recess the following morning. Smiling pleasantly, they walked away.

"Lies?" Astrid murmured.

"Totally bogus," Hiccup confirmed, glancing back and watching the girl sell two tickets to the two Seniors standing behind them in the line. "But we have a plan."

"We do?" Astrid asked. Hiccup nodded.

"Yes," he said. "Winning is the plan."

oOo

The afternoon was taken up with the school's occasional and intense desire to suddenly have an athletic student body. The weather had turned warm so all the Seniors were ushered out onto the athletics track and sports field for an afternoon of what felt like ritual humiliation. Hiccup had brought his running prosthetic though he felt completely self-conscious in the Berk High green singlet and shorts. Fishlegs was looking even more embarrassed, for his husky shape was in no way designed for sprinting in the tight shorts while the twins looked so similar that even Heather was rubbing her eyes. Dagur was warming up professionally as Astrid emerged, her lissome figure flattered by the outfit. She punched Hiccup's should gently.

"You look like you're about to run for the hills," she commented with a big grin. Jumping a couple of inches in the air, he pressed a hand to his chest and exhaled.

"Nope-I hate mountain running," he commented. "I can do tracks because they're flat…" Then he shrugged. "Not actually designed for throwing things though…" His gaze trailed over to Fishlegs. "Though I know someone who might be…" The husky boy groaned.

"Everyone looks at me and immediately imagines heavy throws," he complained.

"And you are the reigning Junior Year shot putt champion," Tuff reminded him. "I mean, you could try high jump but that may be a waste of effort. And the shot circle is waaaaaaay over there at the far side of the field so if you want a quiet life, you just throw a shot whenever someone looks like they may be paying attention…"

"Is that why you're volunteering for the long jump?" Heather asked. "I mean it's literally the furthest point from the track…" Tuff winked and pulled out a cheap plastic bucket and spade.

"Not only am I going to build the biggest sand castle in the long jump pit but my sister is going to find some sort of weapon to use on anyone who tries to actually do some jumping!" he announced happily.

"You do know that the discus and javelin are ancient Greek weapons?" Astrid checked. Ruff threw an arm around her shoulders.

"Wanna join me in protecting Tuff's castle?" she asked with a huge grin. Astrid chuckled, torn between the desire to do some actual sport and spend time with her friends. She had been running regularly and part of her wanted to see what her times were like but the greater part preferred to support her friends. Fortunately Heather came to her rescue.

"Ruff and I will set up the javelin range while you go run with Hiccup,' she suggested. "By the time you finish, you can join us in impaling any unwary trespassers!" Watching Ruff high-five the raven-haired girl, Astrid grinned and ran to Hiccup's side as he trotted to the track. Mr Bludvist was lining the students up for an 800m and Eret, Dagur and Thuggory were already trading insults. Hiccup sighed and took his place in an outer lane, with Astrid in the lane outside his.

"You okay?" he checked and she nodded.

"You know we only have a few weeks left of school and this is typically Berkian?" she asked him as the teacher went round, making sure everyone was on his or her mark. "We should be finishing our courses and preparing for Graduation but here we are, suddenly all doing athletics…"

"You remember before Snoggletog when it snowed and suddenly we all had to go cross country skiing?" he reminded her with a grin. "That was fun. Boy, I thought every single remaining limb I had would fall off. I am not designed for hill climbing. Or sprinting…"

"Well, there was a ski jumping option which the twins went on," Astrid sniggered. "They ended up in a tree. This is Berk. Rationality and common sense don't usually apply…" Then she looked into his face. "What?"

"I used to be…well, I ran 800m before the fire," he murmured. "It's the first time I've really tried since I lost my leg." Instantly, she walked out of her lane and took his hand.

"It's okay," she murmured softly. "Look-you're amazing. No one will think any less of you because you've got a prosthesis. The fact you're here is amazing…" He chewed his lip.

"I just know that Thug and Eret will make fun of me and highlight the fact I'm a cripple," he mumbled but she pulled him round to face her.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!" she scolded him. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Those guys are assholes of the highest order. You have more tenacity and bravery in your little finger than they do in their entire bodies. Look at you! Just over a year since you lost your leg and you're lining up against them on the track. And I am here." His hands slid into hers and he squeezed, pulling her close.

"Thanks," he murmured, his eyes filling with gratitude. She could appreciate the sudden stab of reality, of horrible past memories rearing their heads and cutting away what self-esteem you had managed to painstakingly garner for yourself. And even though he had friends, Astrid and was in a much better place than he had been, he had also been on a pretty unpleasant journey.

"Now listen to me," Astrid whispered, leaning close to his ear. "Those idiots are full of testosterone and imagine they can just turn up and win. But I know you were good. You know how to run one of these races. And you may not be as quick but you are still as smart. And they…aren't…" She pecked a kiss on his cheek and then retreated to her lane as Mr Bludvist walked up alongside Hiccup.

"Mr Haddock…" he began and then paused. "Hiccup."

"Sir?"

"I am proud you," he said gruffly. "It would be easy to hide away and just throw a few discuses but you are here, doing what you did best. That shows courage and character. Lessons some of your fellow students still need to learn." And then he winked. "I know who my money would be on…if wagering were permitted…" And then he backed away and walked to the side of the track.

"ON YOUR MARKS-GET SET-GO!" he yelled and they started.

As expected, Thuggory, Eret and Dagur sped ahead, all racing hard for dominance. Dagur had a smile on his face, goading the other two and pushing them hard as they pulled ahead…but Hiccup and Astrid ran a much steadier race, with Hiccup consciously controlling his pace. The other three pulled almost a hundred metres ahead by the time they reached the bell. Astrid was tracking her boyfriend but as they began the second and final lap, he strode out a little more and began to pull away. For once, she saw a Hiccup she hadn't seen yet, his face taut with concentration and arms pumping as he reached the back straight. The three up ahead were now bright red and were all running raggedly, having gone far too fast to begin with. It was almost as if they were wading through treacle as they staggered along the back straight and Hiccup closed them down-along with Astrid who was shocked. And then, as they reached the final bend, the auburn-haired Senior swept past the three exhausted jocks and pulled away, running freely. A smile lit Astrid's face as she caught up with the three jocks and overtook them as well just as they hit the final straight.

But Hiccup was away, pulling further ahead with every stride and winning the race easily and by a huge margin. Astrid felt her legs heavy and her chest tight as she closed on the finish but she managed to make the line before Eret, who rallied to come third. Dagur and Thuggory staggered over the line in a heap as the last couple of participants finally finished.

Lying on his back, breathing heavily and bright red, Hiccup glanced up at the shape looking down on him, fair hair backlit by the sun. He smiled tiredly.

"That's it-I've died and they've sent a Valkyrie to fetch me to Valhalla," he gasped as she grabbed his hand and dragged him back to his feet.

"No such luck," she panted. "I was hoping you'd give me a lift to Valhalla. I think my flying horse is on its day off…" She straightened up with effort. "You do know you won?" she checked and he nodded.

"Yeah," he acknowledged, his face weary. The pair glanced over at Eret and Thuggory who were lying flat on their backs. Dagur winked and gave a double thumb's-up to the watching couple. Astrid winked back.

"I wonder how those two muttonheads will deal with that?" she murmured. "Because you beat them. At a sport. With one leg. The same sport you did before your accident." She straightened up as his eyes widened. "You've just proven them wrong." He gave a small smile.

"I guess I did," he admitted, taking her hand. "And you beat them as well, let's not forget!" She smirked.

"So could we go and throw some javelins and watch Tuff build a sandcastle?" she suggested.

"It would be my pleasure," he said.

Though it wasn't that simple. Mr Bludvist insisted on informing Hiccup that he had improved on his previous best times (for Sophomore Year before the fire) and that was almost certainly a Berk record for an amputee student. Fishlegs threw a new Senior record for shot and Snotlout of all people was moving from discipline to discipline on his crutches, offering tips to the students while the teachers were busy elsewhere. In fact, as Hiccup watched, his cousin demonstrated how to throw the discus by hefting the thing fifty metres from a standing start before correcting the student he was coaching and seeing his performance improve by about twenty metres. And Snotlout didn't crow or boast but instead congratulated the other student on his performance and moved on. Smiling, the watching Hiccup nudged Heather.

"Though he's a muttonhead of the highest order, he does have a talent for coaching," he told her in a low voice. "Though of course I'm not telling him, in case his head swells so much he can't get back into the school."

"But it does mean that maybe…he does have some options for the future," she realised, her cool green gaze sweeping over the stocky boy, still hopping around on his crutches. Hiccup sighed.

"Maybe," he murmured. "His Dad wanted a sports star for a son, to fulfil his own dreams through Snot. But the legacy of how he raised Snot meant that he threw that away. I just hope he realises for himself…and chooses for himself…what he wants to do, rather than being tied to Spitelout's wishes forever."

"Ultimately, it's his choice," Heather reminded him as he raised his hands in surrender. Snotlout glanced over at him and gave a nod, then began to limp over, just as Astrid threw the javelin. There was a pause as everyone watched it soar almost to the end of the sector.

"Now there's a Valkyrie!" Hiccup gulped. "She can use an axe. And a sword. And can throw a spear like that. Oh Thor…I should start running now, shouldn't I?"

"You may well be completely doomed," Heather agreed as Snotlout reached them. He offered his hand.

"I saw your race," he said without preamble. "Great work. Good pacing, great tactics and great speed. I was wrong. I'm sorry."

Hiccup stared at him.

"Okay, now I know you're an alien imposter," he commented. "Where's my poor cousin Simon?" Scowling briefly, Snotlout folded his arms across his chest.

"Very funny," he grumped. "Hahaha." Hiccup sighed as Snotlout suddenly grinned. "Gotcha!" he exploded, his face smug. "Okay. I get it. And I get we were wrong. Totally. We saw the leg…or not-leg…and didn't think of what was attached. Because that's the important bit."

"You're horrible at motivational speaking-just in case you get any ideas," Hiccup told him as Astrid walked up to slip her arm through Hiccup's.

"Yadda yadda…my point is that you aren't a cripple. You beat those guys fair and square and showed them that it didn't matter that you lost your leg because you're still better than them. And not just in grades and looks and the fact you're generous and kind and decent…you beat them at what they value most. You proved them wrong in the best way possible. And I am proud you're my cousin…but if you tell anyone I'll deny it and say I was delirious with Eel Pox."

The gang-who were slowly drifting up-stared at him-even Tuff who walked up and pointedly deposited a small sandcastle by his feet before folding his arms across his chest. But Hiccup felt something shift inside him and saw in the clear blue eyes the spark of someone he hadn't seen for years and years…his cousin Snot who had played with him when he was very little. When they had both gone out looking for dragons and trolls and Snot had protected his smaller cousin.

"Accepted," he found himself saying dryly. "And in fairness, I have to say that I was also proud to see you helping others when I know you'd rather be out there showing off for yourself." There was a pause and Snotlout looked shifty.

"I did do an awesome discus throw for the record," he mumbled as Hiccup began to laugh. Astrid was smiling as well and Heather was bent double with amusement.

"Knew you couldn't resist," Hiccup choked but then shook his head. "You know-what you did and how you helped the others was pretty awesome. And maybe…even if you can't be a sports star, you could help others make it. And maybe…teach them not to make the mistakes you did."

Nodding, Snotlout winked and then limped away while Astrid stared after him.

"Did that really happen?" Ruff asked. Her brother shrugged.

"My dear sister, it is entirely possible that even Snotlout could grow and mature…" he began.

"Though unlikely," Heather added.

"Don't reject the evidence of your own eyes," Fishlegs commented honestly. "Now can we please go inside? I'm sunburnt and have got a rash from the grass and I think I may have been bitten by eight separate insects…"

"Fish…there aren't that many insects in Berk!" Hiccup told him as they headed back to the school. "They all freeze to death in the winter…"

"Not all of them," Fishlegs protested, scratching his arm.

"Will you cut that out," Astrid muttered. "Now I'm feeling itchy…" Absently, Hiccup scratched the back of his neck and sighed.

"We all are," he grumbled and checked his watch. "Let's hit the showers and then I think a trip to Phlegma's Viking Ice Cream and Milkshake Emporium is in order." The twins wrapped him in a double hug.

"Shakes are on Hiccy," Tuff announced and ran off. Hiccup sighed.

"Okay-but I am not paying for a Yaknog flavoured one," he declared.

oOo

The week went on and Hiccup was getting more and more frustrated. He went to every opportunity to buy tickets but every time, they 'ran out' or 'had to go' or 'needed to speak to Atali'. It was clear that he was being rejected so he took to videoing every interaction while wondering how he could persuade the other Seniors to do the correct thing even if it meant disobeying Atali's irrational orders.

The others had better luck and Dagur, Heather and Fishlegs and the twins all secured tickets without much problem. Snotlout and Mindy were obviously planning their Prom and the auburn-haired teen saw the flash of gold-embossed tickets as well. In fact, he was fairly certain that he and Astrid were the only two denied tickets, even though he had offered to accompany the sellers to their lockers to collect the tickets or come another time.

Of course, he knew that he had more than enough evidence to call out Atali and her ticket sellers but it was the last thing he wanted to do if he could help it. It would be a final declaration of war with the spoilt former Queen Bee and would cause dissension when all Hiccup wanted was a quiet last few weeks of High School with Astrid and his friends. So he texted the one person he knew had the inside line on the process and on Friday afternoon, he and Tuff met up at the very back of the Library, in the 'World Art and Design' section. Predictably, Tuff flopped down and lay across four chairs, his dreadlocks dangling on the floor. Hiccup peered up at the stacks and frowned.

"Tuff?" he asked. "Why are all the books upside down?" There was a pause as the male twin frowned.

"They're the right way up," he argued. "I turned them round last time I was here because I couldn't read them while I was lying here." Hiccup flopped onto the only unoccupied chair and sighed. He was rapidly developing a headache.

"And if you happened to be sitting the correct way up on a chair?" he checked. Tuff looked up.

"Why would you do that?" he checked. "But you would have to turn them all the other way up."

"I guess it's easier than dusting," the auburn-haired teen commented as Justin appeared around the stacks. Dressed relatively conservatively (for him) in a rainbow sweater, maroon skinny jeans and bright aqua blue Doc Martens, Justin hovered until Hiccup shoved Tuff and watched him fall onto the floor with a protest. The newcomer sighed and slid into a recently vacated seat as Tuff scrambled back to sit beside him.

"How are you, my man?" the male twin asked warmly. Justin massaged his temples.

"Atali is absolutely determined that you and Astrid aren't going to the Prom," he sighed. Hiccup felt his stomach drop to somewhere near the vicinity of his boot and groaned.

"That's hardly a surprise but it's horrible to hear it," he admitted. "She has absolutely no right to stop us having our Prom." Tuff nodded seriously and pulled out a packet of gum, handing it round to complete disinterest before lobbing three pieces into his mouth.

"You okay, man?" he asked Justin thickly, seeing the other teen looking unhappy.

"No," Justin sighed. "I have literally sweated blood to get this Prom organised and ready but all Atali does is take credit and act as if it's her personal party…" He chewed a lip and then dug in his messenger bag, dragging out two tickets and handing them over to Hiccup. The auburn-haired teen stared.

"I…" he said and then fumbled in his bag for the money. "I don't know what to say." Justin accepted it gravely.

"Astrid stepped up and saved me," he reminded Hiccup. "You and Tuff always say 'hi' even when Atali and her little nest of vipers were at their worst. And you both deserve to have a special night." He sighed. "I will deposit the money and…" He handed over a pre-written receipt. "And Atali will no doubt claim the tickets were stolen or that you didn't pay. But you have and these are real tickets." Hiccup smiled.

"I know…and I'm very grateful," he said. "But you don't have to worry. I have a way to settle Atali." Then he reached out and patted the anxious Justin on the shoulder as Tuff tried to speak but couldn't manage anything but a gurgle, his mouth full of gum. "And as a thank you, I think Astrid and I can sort something special out for you." He gave a smile. "Have you ever been to a Film Premiere?"