The Edge
Pairing; Toothless X Hiccup
Setting; Modern AU
Rating; M for Mature
Disclaimer; I do not own the HTTYD or any of the music that is used. Everything belongs to its original creator/artist!
1: Place To Start
[Saturday, June 19th, 2010]
"PARENTS, SIBLINGS, GUARDIANS, GUESTS, I PRESENT TO YOU THE BERKIAN HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2010!" yelled the principle, Flynn Hofferson. The crowd of new graduates cheered loud as the removed their graduation tassels and threw their caps into the air while guests clapped their hands in applause. Today marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, the life beyond High School. Eighteen long years prepared them for this moment when they would break off from their parents and lead their own lives according to their choices. "Congratulations graduates," the man smiled wide. There were hugs, kisses, and the flashes of cameras going off. "Alright settle down a minute," it got quieter, but smiles were seen from all everyone. "Now, just like to remind everyone there is a massive graduation party being held outside on the field, hope to see everyone there!" he called out before stepping away from the microphone and then getting off the stage.
"So, should we go?" asked a seventeen-year-old male with dark brown hair and blue eyes.
"What, to the big party?" came the voice from a black haired and green eyed female.
"Yeah?" replied the first male.
"No, it's going to be way too crowded. We're better off doing what we planned last week," spoke a young man with short blond hair and green eyes next.
"What? All of us going out to dinner together?" replied a girl with long, pale blonde hair and blue eyes.
"I'm down," replied the female's twin brother.
"Well, let's grab Harvey and Ashley then," stated the man who initially started the conversation. The group of five friends made their way over to an auburn haired male with green eyes, and then beside him was a female with blond hair and sky blue eyes. "Hey you two, come on," the male said.
"Relax, Seth. We got time. Besides, it's going to be a mad house getting out of here," stated the male with a calm smile.
"Harvey is right. And it's only 3:45 pm," the female added afterward.
"Thank you, Ashley," Harvey replied as she gave a warm smile in return.
"Heather, don't you have to go home with your brother, Daniel, first?" said the male with blond hair and green eyes.
"Oh, shoot! That's right, thanks for reminding me, Ford! I'll catch up with you all for dinner. Send me the details?" the female with black hair and green eyes asked quickly.
"You know we will," Ashley said. Heather nodded and rushed to locate her older brother. "I think we all have to leave with our parents first, then we can meet up?" she informed.
"Sounds good. See you guys and girls later! We'll text the details for where to go," Harvey told them as he waved and hurried to find his parents and he was sure to find them by the car so they could get out before things got backed up with people trying to leave school grounds.
=Harvey's POV=
I could not believe that I was a high school graduate! It was amazing to know that the last years in this school district and now I was done, never to walk these halls again. Well, except for maybe the reunion whenever that would be. Oh, right! I should probably tell you who I am. My name is Harvey Haddock; I'm eighteen-years-old, and a male with auburn hair and green eyes. I born February 29th, 1992, yes, I'm a leap year baby. I'm an only child to Victoria and Sullivan Haddock. My father is the mayor of our island, Archia Isle, which is off the coast of Providence, Rhode Island in the United States of America. In truth, from RI to here is an hour ferry ride, so the state we're close to is what we consider our mainland, and we don't go there too often; we honestly keep to ourselves and dad runs the island. Oh, and Dad's personal assistant happens to be my unofficial uncle, Garrett Smithy; he is my father's best friend and I've known the guy since I was born. My mother owns her own business, Berk Animal Hospital and is lead veterinarian there, she took up that profession after finding a wounded purebred pitbull four years ago, his name is Thornado and our family pet. I bet you want to know a little more about Archia Isle and how it works.
So we run much as a state does. While Archia Isle is the state in this sense, Arc is the central city and its surrounded by towns. Berk is one of them; we're about forty-five minutes from Arc. The rest of the towns vary from ten minutes to thirty-five from either the city or one another. The rest of the Archia Isle towns are Murderous, Meathead, Bog-Burglar, Shivering Shores, Visithug, Hysteria, Berserker, Outcast, Uglithug, and Bashem. Interesting names, right? Well, that's because most, if not all of us derive from Viking Ancestry. So, you know about my home and my family, I guess I should tell you about my best friends that I've known since Kindergarten. Well, one of them happens to be my cousin, but we treat one another as friends. I suppose that's a plus in my eyes!
My cousin is Seth Jorgenson; he's eighteen with dark brown hair and blue eyes. My aunt Jamie and uncle Samuel, who is my father's brother, are Seth's parents, and the family is pretty close. My next friend is Ford Ingerman; he's a husky fellow but wicked smart with blond hair and green eyes. Also, Ford is dating Heather Lanvik, another one of my friends. Heather has black hair with bright green eyes, she and Ford have been together since Junior Prom. Oh, Heather has an older brother, Daniel Lanvik. Now, Daniel didn't attend our school because he's three years older than Heather and her legal guardian since their parents were killed in a car accident two years ago. Daniel, as far as I know, works a full-time job as a mechanic and holds down a two bedroom apartment for Heather and himself.
Two more of my friends are the Thorston twins; Roslyn and Travis. Both of them have long, pale blonde hair and light blue eyes. Roslyn keeps her hair in three braids, two on the side and one down her back. I swear it's just about the only way we can tell them apart since they just about wear the same clothing. The last friend I have is Ashley Hofferson; she's beautiful with golden blond hair in one braid going down her back and sky blue eyes. Oh, and the name Hofferson you might recall from earlier, yes, Ashley is related to the High School principal. Flynn Hofferson is Ashley's uncle; you can bet she never got into trouble at school. So yeah, that's everybody.
"Harvey, let's get a move on before we're stuck in this traffic," I heard my father call and wave me over.
"Coming, Dad!" I replied as I reached the car and got a giant hug from my mother, but that was expected; I'm her baby boy regardless of how old actually am. Mom and Dad had a lot of trouble conceiving and carrying a child to term. I heard the stories that even though I was born two months early, I was their miracle baby. Mom had me when she was twenty-years-old, and Dad was thirty during that time. Yes, my parents are ten years apart in age and married as soon as Mom turned eighteen and had graduated High School. I got conceived two years later after many conception and pregnancy failures. I guess they were happy with one child because, after me, they didn't try again.
"Oh, son! I'm so proud of you!" Victoria exclaimed. I laughed a little and rubbed the back of my head.
"Heh, thanks, Mom," I replied. "So, you two are cool with me going to dinner with the gang right?"
"Yes, Harvey, we are. You can celebrate with them tonight but tomorrow is the family party with your grandparents on both sides, aunt, uncle, and cousin," Sullivan responded with a smile as he hugged me next. Me graduating today wasn't a huge deal, everyone knew that I would because I was a straight A, honor roll student from seventh grade to twelfth. Grades before that were A and B. On top of school; I also worked a part time job five days a week, sometimes six if I did a cover shift for someone.
I started working for Drake Soul Café when I was fifteen-years-old. It was a nice little joint that served, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It opened at 8 am, then at 12 would switch to lunch, and supper began at 5 pm. The closing was 9:30 pm with staff leaving around 10 pm. As long as I was home before 11 pm, then I wasn't breaking any laws. However, at fifteen, I was working four-hour shifts and had to be home by 8 pm due to labor laws or whatever so I usually worked 5 pm to 9 pm and that was only Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Weeks days, I had to be done by 8 pm so I'd work 4 to 8 to abide by that. When I turned sixteen, I could start working until 9:30 pm and at seventeen was when I was able to work until later as long as I was in my house by the time the clock hit 11 pm. I turned eighteen four months ago, so that's why I work five days or six days, but never more than twenty-two hours because I still had school to focus on.
With school over, I know I'll have to find a full-time job to work now. That was fine with me, I liked working, and Odin knows that I have a lot of money saved up from the last three years plus the allowance my parents give me for doing household work. All I had to do was keep my room clean, dishes, set the table, laundry, take the trash out, etc. I started getting an allowance when I eight-years-old, Mom and Dad would give me $5 a week, then at ten, it was $10 a week, then when I turned thirteen, they raised it to $15. Yeah, I made a lot of money and saved it all. When I started working for Dreki Soul Café, I was just a busboy. I made $8.10 per hour. I ended up getting promoted to waiter/server making $11.25 an hour. Right now, I'm still making that, so my checks look fantastic, plus I get tips. I use tips for gas in my car and something to eat on my breaks at work. Everything else goes in the bank, and the only payment I have is my cell phone and car insurance.
I decided to get my own phone when I was seventeen; I only pay $35 a month for unlimited talk, text, and web. I do have a car; it's a black 2006 Hyundai Elantra, I pay $120 a month for that and have since I turned eighteen, before that my parents had me on their insurance and I'd give them $30 a week. I took Drivers Education in November 2007, when I was fifteen, and I passed that and had my permit until March 2008, which is when I was considered sixteen and took the road test. I got my license, and then my start of Sophomore Year in September 2008, Mom and Dad gave me Mom's old car, which is the Elantra I drive now. So, yeah, things are great for me, and now that I'm a High School graduate, I needed to figure out what I was going to do with my life. I couldn't wait for tonight, just hanging out with my best friends, a little graduation party for us. Mom and Dad got in the car; then I got in the back seat after removing my cap and gown. I buckled up and placed the items beside me but still held my diploma. Dad started the vehicle, and we were headed off school ground, I couldn't help but look back at the school got farther away from sight.
'So long, Berkian High,' I thought before turned around and relaxed with my eyes closed.
[Dreki Soul Café-5:30 pm]
So, we ended up deciding to grab dinner at the place where I work. Why? Because there was a corner booth in the back that fit all seven of us perfectly and the food was not only cheap but good too.
"Harvey!" called my boss, Conner Gray as I walked in with my friends.
"Hey, boss," I greeted.
"Congratulations on graduating, my friend," Conner smiled as we shook hands. "I didn't think I'd see you tonight, isn't there a party going on at the High School for the graduates?" he inquired.
"Yeah, but we decided that just us seven would come out for dinner and celebrate," I replied with a smile.
"Fine with me, I'm glad I get to see ya. I take it you're putting your two weeks in?" Conner wondered.
"I told you that I would still work here until I found a full-time job," I reminded.
"Ah, yes. Sorry, I forgot. Well, your back booth is open if you want to grab that and then I'll send Fayth over to get you some drinks and take your order," Conner said. I nodded and led the others towards our table, we filed in and sat down to relax. A girl with bleach blond hair and sea-green eyes came over with a smile.
"Hey, Harv," she said happily.
"Hey, Fayth. Filling in for Nikki?" I wondered since Saturdays were usually Nicole Fury's night to work and Fayth Knight worked Sundays.
"Yeah, she needed tonight off for a family thing, so we switched. So, what can I get you and your gang to drink?" Fayth smiled broadly. "Or do you know what you want to eat?" she added.
"Uh, I'll do cola please with my usual. What do the rest of you want?" I asked. The other six put in their orders and Fayth headed off to the kitchen to give the ticket to the cooks.
"This is great, I'm glad we decided to do this," Heather said first to the group.
"Right? What's it gonna be like now where we don't see each other a lot?" Roslyn mentioned.
"You guys are acting like this is the last time we'll see one another," Seth chuckled. "We still got all sum-Oh, that's right. We're graduates now, we won't be going back to school in September," he added after he realized it.
"Exactly," Ford pointed out. "Where are we all going from here?" he questioned.
"Well, I'll be attending Arc State University to study for elementary school teacher," Ashley informed with a smile. "I got my acceptance letter three weeks ago,"
"I'll be at Arc State too!" Heather replied, "I'll be dorming there, and Daniel said something about moving to be closer to me," she enlightened afterward.
"I haven't decided if I'm dorming or not. Might be easier to avoid the forty-five-minute drive," Ashley shrugged. "What is your plan, Roz, Trav? How about you, Seth?" she inquired.
"I'm going to Arc Community College for Psychologist," Ford said.
"Nice, you won't be far from us then. The community college is what, twenty minutes from the university?" Ashely giggled a bit.
"I'm likely gonna be working with Mom and Dad at their pizzeria; Slice of Valhalla," Seth shrugged.
"We're undecided, probably get jobs. Not sure if we want to go back to school so soon, ya know? Maybe hold it off for a while," Roslyn stated as Travis nodded in agreement. "What about you, Harvey?" she turned the question to me.
"Me?" I asked as they nodded. "I don't know,"
"Really?" Heather and Ford said together, looking shocked at my response.
"You honestly don't know what you want to do now that High School is over?" Ashley questioned.
"Nope. I mean, Dad wants me to work in his office and run for mayor at some point, but that's…not me. Speeches, running the island, that's his thing," I told them as they looked at me softly. "I know I'm not like my mother or my father, so where does that leave me? I don't know where to go next," I admitted.
"Well, you got time, Harvey," Seth said.
"Yeah, don't stress about it. You'll find something you like to do," Ford added.
"For right now, Harv, you have a good job here. Take the summer to think about things, they do enrollments for college and what not up until the second week in August and the community college has night courses and has classes in fall and spring semesters," Ashley put her hand on my shoulder.
"Thanks, I think," I said as the drinks were delivered to our table. "Yeah, I guess I'll just weigh my options for now. College sounds nice and all, but I guess the problem is that I have no idea what I'd go for," I shrugged. It was true; I didn't know what I'd go to college to study. Odin knew how many choices I had to pick from, but did I want to go back to school after I just graduated? No. I wouldn't work with my mom, and I firmly told my father that I wouldn't work in his office with him. We'd gotten into a few arguments over it; I put my food down when I turned eighteen and told him to stop trying to plan my life for me, and since then, he's backed off a lot about and constantly reminds me that the offer is there if I change my mind. I wouldn't but told him okay because it was easier than fighting again.
The rest of the group continued to talk about their plans or maybe what to do over the summer before college started. I would be working, for now. I needed to figure out what to do and where to go next in my life. I suppose the first thing I needed to do was put more money away. I had a lot, plus the money my parents stored away for me to go to college if I chose to do that. I didn't know where I was going from this night forward, but finding a job I could work thirty or more hours at seemed like a good place to start.