Confessions of a Third Wheel

Wayward Daughters


Merida Dunbroch's monday morning was not a happy one.

She was a morning person; however, the effects of the party last night deemed her incapable of waking up early. That and she could feel the sun's ray of light scorching her face. She didn't remember opening the window, did she? The moment she opened her eyes at 11:07 am and was surprise to see her mother sitting in her chair, looking at her. It was a truly horrifying moment than any of the scary movies she'd watched.

"What are you doin' here?" Squinting her eyes, checking if she's really awake. Her mother would pop up in her dreams and now, in her bedroom. Great.

"You didn't call yesterday or the other day. Your first semester has finally ended and you didn't come home. Should you be waking up early?" Her mum's ever the strict voice rung around her room.

"This is why I don't come home." She muttered under her breath.

"A proper lady does not—"

"Mutter. I know, I know."

She could sense her mother's eyes on her. Merida grunted and the sleepiness has runaway. She stands up and walked past her mother and into the bathroom.

"You reek of alcohol."

Merida rolled her eyes. Her mother would always notice the bad things about her. She decided to ignore her mother's complain about the mess that was her room and her dilly dallying. Merida looked at herself in the mirror, I am too old for this shite. She would always be a rebellious mess in her eyes.

"Your room is a pigsty and this apartment is lacking in hygiene. Why do you live in this kind of shambles?" Her mother added when she got out of the bathroom.

Merida's lips twitched, stopping herself from saying "Because I like it in here, a place where I can get dirty without you patronizing me." and instead said, "Because this is all I could afford."

"You could always come home, you know." Her mother tenderly smiles at her, "And if you do, I'll open your account again." She tucked a stray hair out of Merida's face.

"You don't understand. This is my home now." Merida said, pulling back the stray hair to where it was. "I can do whatever I want." She added.

After that situation with her mother, Merida was feeling rather annoyed. Elinor had made a little speech about being mature enough to handle situations such as buying tons of Domex and cleaning chemicals, and Merida had effortlessly shrugged her words off. Yet the thought of her mother's unending rant about her lifestyle seems to put her on edge. Elinor Dunbroch will not stop pestering her. Under her roof or not, as long as Merida still breathes air.

The vibrate and sound of a new text shook her from her irksome thoughts about a certain mom. She read the text;

From:(Hiccup)

I woke up with a nice hangover.

To:(Hiccup)

nc? shud u be cursin da world nd ur typing shud b at lest messy.

From:(Hiccup)

A little tidbit, my redhead friend... I'm, forevermore, would prepare myself in case of party and booze.

To:(Hiccup)

boo u weres da fun in dat?

From:(Hiccup)

The next morning when you won't get any incoming headache and not feel bad about yourself. That's the fun.

To:(Hiccup)

touche.

From:(Hiccup)

Wanna get coffee?

To:(Hiccup)

Hmm i like choc macchiato your treat! thnx in advance!


"I'm going to my dad's next weekend." Hiccup said, before sipping on his caramel flavored coffee.

Merida licked the whip cream on her straw, "Eh? Why?"

"I usually go there during semester breaks."

"So you're going away for a few miles?"

"Country."

Merida blinked. Her goal of licking all of the cream was terminated as she kept her gaze at the guy in front of her. "Country? As in goodbye America and hello God-knows-where?"

Hiccup lightly laughed then gesturing to her, "You got something on that... wait," He leaned in closer to her. Merida could smell his perfume. Was it Jean Paul Gaultier? Calvin Klein? Definitely Giorgio Armani... She did not move a muscle, she was stiff and her eyes quickly shut. The moment Hiccup leaned in closer, closer and... She felt something smooth on the side of her lips, Oh my god.

"You got some cream there." He said before throwing the tissue away, "Anyway, kinda like 'Goodbye Amurica and Hello Sweden!' Yehey." He then notices the sudden wide eyes of Merida. "What?"

"Sweden! That's so far! Are you a descendant of–"she flicks her fingers knowingly, "Vikings!"

"Still am." He shrugged. Something in his voice has a little flinch in it and Merida wondered why. Hiccup seemed to think about other places as he stare at his half-gone coffee, he didn't even blink! Merida stopped drinking hers and thought about a certain heritage...

"My mum told me I was named after my great-great-great and more great grand aunt, Merida the Brave. She was a highlander Princess who's the first to break tradition on marriage." She said, voice brimming in pride.

His eyes found hers and the light have now appeared, "Wow. It's like something you would do."

Merida stuck her tongue out at him, "Well, she's a warrior herself. Just like me."

Hiccup hummed then squints his eyes at her, "Highlander huh? We're practically enemies."

"Indeed we are, ruffian."

"I am but a viking who's offering a treaty of peace."

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrow, playfully, "And what it is that you want to offer about?"

"Marriage."

Merida, wide eyed and shock written all over her face, was hiding the fact she's feeling a little bit jittery. Until Hiccup laughed in hysterics, she too followed but the weird feeling in her gut stayed.

Merida returned to her apartment from her meeting with Hiccup. She found the comfort of her bed as she fixes her gaze on the ceiling. It could use some new paint. She later grimaces when she thought she'd heard her own mother's voice. She decided that paint is no longer needed. Nor Domex.

She will live just fine. Even in her own. She'd wanted to taste independence, and independent she will be. It may be hard that she's far from her real home and miles away, she said it was for the best, than be cooped up by her own mother's choking love and rules. She's meant to be something greater...

When Merida closes her eyes, she dreams of a princess with a bow and arrow, targeting the bulls-eye. Her hair was as fiery red as hers and when she finally looked at her eyes, she then knew who she was.