Shoutout to Disneyanimationfan for suggesting this chapter idea!
Entry 29
FORGET EVERYTHING I SAID IN THE LAST ENTRY! THINGS COULD NOT BE WORSE!
Oh, gods, Astrid knows. She knows how I feel about her… I'M AS GOOD AS DEAD!
Okay, okay… calm down… let's just look at what happened and try to think about this rationally…
So, it's a few days after Snoggletog, and I'm back in the forge working for Gobber. It's just a pretty quiet day, when Astrid shows up. I go to greet her, but she has this expression of collected anger on her face, and I stop in my tracks. She has her axe in her hands, and is meticulously dragging a stone over the edge of the blade, eyes focused on the weapon.
Cooly, she says to me, "So, Hiccup, I asked Fishlegs what he got from you for Snoggletog." My blood freezes, and I just wait for her to continue. All the while, her voice is so calm and steady, it's even more unnerving than if she was yelling. "He was pretty confused by that. I asked again, and showed him that hatchet you gave me… turns out, he didn't get anything from you. So, I asked the twins, and Snotlout, and it sounds like none of them got anything either. Want to tell me why?" Finally, she looks at me, and her eyes are just as unsettlingly calm. "Why did I get a gift when no one else did, and why did you tell me the opposite was true?"
I blinked, desperately trying to think of how to explain myself. But all I could get out was a strangled "I… I don't know…".
"You see, I think you do know…" Astrid replied, moving closer, still twirling her axe. "I think you believed if you gave me something nice for Snoggletog, you'd look better or something." By now, she was right up against the counter, so close I could see the light freckles on her face. "Well, I have something to tell you: you will NEVER be good enough for me. No one in this town is good enough for me. Especially you. Understand?" Her voice was as steady as before, but the underlying fury was clear. So, I just mumbled "I understand", and she backed off the counter. She sighed, standing there for a moment, before speaking again. "I'm keeping that hatchet, by the way. Not because I care, but because it's a good weapon. Just so we're clear." I nodded, wishing she would leave so I could go die in a hole. And thankfully, a moment later, she did.
Well, it's safe to say that particular dream is crushed. Not like it was ever realistic to begin with. But at least I don't have to hide anymore… I just wish that didn't come with such a big tradeoff. Astrid definitely despises me more than ever… I doubt I'll ever have a chance of getting back on her good side, even if I manage to do it with everyone else… Man, why do I have to be so stupid?
Oh well… there's nothing I can do about it now…
Until next time…
-H
Calm down, you overdramatic fishbone XD
