=Astrid's POV=
{Friday, October 1, 2021-4:10 pm}
(Berk; Haddock Manor)
I couldn't believe that Hiccup Haddock lived here at Berkian Estates! Sure, I've seen everything that I have from his parents to his home, but it's still surreal to me. Haddock Manor as Hiccup calls the house is massive, and I'm almost jealous to admit that his place is a lot more substantial in size than mine. Even that of my friend's homes too. I just couldn't wrap my head about the fact that Hiccup's family was loaded, and learning he had a Deadly Nadder named Stormfly as his dragon. For Odin's sake; Hiccup has been bonded for three years! And this property has been in Hiccup's family for centuries! It was unbelievable, and I wouldn't if someone just told me. However, I was standing here in the flesh having seen it all with my own two eyes. Hell, during the tour of his house, Hiccup also revealed that there was a full basketball court half a level down. When going down the stairs, to the basement, if you went through the left door, and went down about eight steps, you were in the court, and it had boys and girls locker rooms! It was incredible!
Right now, we were still downstairs admiring the recreation area. I mean, come on; it had everything, including a home theater. I was just in shock, and Hiccup was so calm about everything too. How had we never known that Hiccup was one of us; a rich guy.
"This is insane. How come you never told us?" Ragna broke the sullen silence of the Gamer's Paradise that we were standing in.
"About what?" Hiccup replied while going into the mini-kitchen off to the right.
"That you're one of us," Thuggory said.
"I fail to see how I am," Hiccup returned with a water bottle, then taking a drink from it and leaning against the wall, leg slightly crossed over the other one, toe of the shoe touching the ground but not the rest.
"Dude! You're friggin' loaded," Gruffnut pointed.
Hiccup shrugged casually. "So?"
"You're one of us!" Camicazi stated.
"No, I'm Hiccup Haddock," Hiccup responded.
"You know what I mean! You're rich, so you're one of us," Camicazi mumbled.
"Oh, I see now. You think I'm one of you just because you realized that I'm not a third class citizen? Sorry to disappoint, but I'm gonna be that guy. I'm not one of you because I don't let money decide where I stand in life," Hiccup informed calmly. "Having all this doesn't change who I am. I could be living in a run-down trailer park and still be content as long as I have good friends and my family in my life,"
"Ugh…" Eret stuck his tongue out. "All this and he still talks like a loser,"
"Least I'm happy," Hiccup shrugged again. "If money is how you decide where people rate in your life, then you have a problem because what happens the day wealth isn't on your side? What if you ended up broke tomorrow? Would your friends still want to hang with you knowing you have nothing?" Hiccup asked as Eret didn't have a remark.
"Of course," Eret finally said.
"You had an awfully long pause for someone who seems so sure of himself," Hiccup remarked. "You're all friends because you share a common aspect of life; being rich and spoiled rotten making you think you have the right to control those around you. Newsflash, when the money is gone; you got nothing. You'll be thrown aside, regarded a loser just like me,"
"That's not true," I stated.
"Isn't it? Do you know why I don't tell people about all this, Astrid?" Hiccup inquired as the seven nodded. "Because I get to see who my real friends are if they think I'm just an average teenager with a regular, third-class life. Ruff, Tuff, Minden, Snot, Fishlegs, Heather…All of them didn't know I had all this when we met, and they still wanted to be friends. Once I revealed what I had; the relationships didn't change. Which means I know that if I ended up broke tomorrow morning; they'd still have my back and want to be around me. "You all, on the other hand; you'd throw a friend in need to the side in a heartbeat to save your images of being popular and not wanting to be seen with someone who isn't like you. This can be proven by the fact you decided to call me one of you when you learned I have all I do. You didn't like me before knowing, so I know that you aren't real friends," Hiccup took another drink. None of them had anything to say.
"Yeah, well…Who needs you," Thuggory huffed.
"Not about need. It's want. And apparently, you wanted me to join your little crew after learning the truth about me. Sorry. Rich or not; I'm not a spoiled brat like all of you, and I can say that confidently because you got pissed when I wouldn't agree. Friends like you come and go, just like money can do the same. My friendships don't revolve around money. I know my friends won't betray me no matter my position in life; I can turn my back and not worry that one of them will stab me in it. At the end of the day; I know who my real friends are…" Hiccup smirked a little. "Do you?" the seven tensed a bit, glancing at one another, then back at Hiccup. "And that's game, boys, and girls. Better luck next time," he winked.
"That was brilliantly played, Hiccup," Minden laughed.
"You've always had our backs, and we'll have yours," Snotlout put a hand on his shoulder.
"How long until dinner?" Tuffnut wondered.
"4:15 now, dinner at 6 pm, plus the cook-time…About an hour and a half," Hiccup replied.
"So can we do what we always do Friday nights?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup set his water bottle down then opened a panel where he scanned his hand. Seconds after the lights went from red to green; the four pictures on the wall moved out, then flipped around revealing fifty-inch flat screen televisions that pushed back into the wall. Hiccup flipped a light switch as all of then turned on. Hiccup walked to the left side of each TV, pushing the wall a little bit as a rectangular section would pop out. Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Snotlout helped pull each out, which appeared to be on tracks. On the pieces were shelves of controllers, chargers, and games.
"Dude! What the fuck?!" Thuggory, Eret, and Gruffnut said in shock. Hiccup pushed the spaces under each TV, pulling the trays out to reveal game systems. The three male's mouths dropped open, motioning with their hands.
"What?" Hiccup asked. "Every gamer should have an extensive collection," he chuckled.
"How many systems do you have?" Gruffnut asked.
"Each TV is hooked up to something different. Sony with PlayStation. Microsoft with X-Box. Nintendo, which speaks for itself. Even one TV for all the older things," Hiccup informed. "I like variety. Alright boys and girls, what are we playing?" Hiccup wondered.
"Shouldn't we be doing our assignment for history?" Nadia informed.
"My dad has the file on the history of this place in his office. I'm sure it won't be too difficult," Hiccup said.
"Well, see there's a problem…Mr. Fishers thinks that we're all…going to do the same place and expects one report from all fourteen of us, each person doing a different part…" Camicazi mentioned. Hiccup froze, facing her quickly.
"And why would he think such a thing?" Hiccup asked.
"Cami asked about doing a group project during the last block before Dragon Training. Mr. Fishers thought it was weird for her to ask when someone ten minutes before had done the same thing so…" I started.
"So she said we all picked the same place and that's why you followed me because you heard we were coming here for research…" Hiccup sighed, looking up and not seeming all that surprised. "God damn it…"
"No big deal, we just all work together," Ragna remarked.
"Yeah, except that you stole our idea and because Cami lied; Mr. Fishers expects a piece of work from all of us that we didn't agree to!" Heather muttered.
"Ugh," Hiccup groaned. "We'll work on it later after I figure out how the heck this is gonna go. Fourteen people working on one research paper. How ridiculous," he mumbled. "And all because you couldn't find your own idea, then lied to the teacher about your intentions and got us all locked down for a group project. And I wouldn't say anything else on this matter as I have all the history of Haddock Manor, and without me; you get nothing," he added when he saw them about to argue. "Now, you can either grab a controller and start playing, or you can sit down, watch, and keep your mouths closed until dinner," he remarked.
After that, Hiccup joined in the Nintendo Switch game of Smash Brothers as the fourth player. Hiccup chose his character and started playing against the others. Not sure what they should do, the others just found a spot and sat down to watch Hiccup spend time with his friends. There wasn't much of a smile of his face anymore, and I could tell that we probably ticked him off with all the information. I guess we were being a little unfair; Hiccup chose a place that has a great deal of history behind it because it's part of his family, and we barged in like jerks. I guess I can't blame Hiccup for being upset, and we thought for once that it was best not to aggravate him further; he was being kind enough to let us in his home, stay for dinner, and get the research we needed. Hiccup didn't have to do any of that, but he chose too regardless of how we treat him and his friends in school. Strangely; Hiccup's words were racing through my mind; the ones about if the people I have are really my friends, or would we turn on one another the minute something changed. Was our friendship only because of money? No. It wasn't; we'd always be friends. Nothing would ever change that.
. . .
(6 pm)
{Formal Dining Room}
So I'm shockingly surprised that Hiccup can cook. At 5:45 pm; we all returned upstairs and sat in the kitchen as Hiccup and Hagen were cooking the family dinner together, though, most of it was Hiccup and Hagen getting him what he asked for. I watched kitchen staff set up the table for eighteen people while Hiccup cooked everything with Hagen, then plated it up when finished as the staff served it.
"Oh, ya outdid yerself, laddie," Gobber clapped.
"My veteran Godfather deserves the finest of my culinary abilities," Hiccup smiled.
"Awe, yer gonna make me cry," Gobber sniffled. "Am I allowed to ask for one more thing?"
"Name it," Hiccup nodded.
"Sing one of your songs for me? In honor of my retirement?" Gobber inquired.
"Gonna have to be specific, Uncle Gobber. And they aren't mine; I just sing my own cover of it," Hiccup reminded. "You think about what you want to hear, and we'll do it after dinner," he said.
"Done deal," Gobber nodded. "Let's chow," he added with a smile. Everyone began eating, though, seven of them were hesitant to Hiccup's cooking. Finally, he sighed.
"For Thor's sake…Just eat it," Hiccup muttered.
"How do we know you aren't trying to poison us!?" Gruffnut accused. Stoick, Valka, Gobber, and Hiccup's friends looked at one another, confused. However, then Snotlout, Minden, Fishlegs, Heather, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut started laughing hysterically.
"What's so funny?" Eret demanded.
"That you think I'd poison you. Seriously? First off, if I wanted you dead and was that kind of messed up in the head to actually do it; I would do something along the lines of making it look like a wild animal attack where they would devour your bodies and leave no trace back to me. Just seven lost teenagers in the woods, how tragic…" Hiccup acted sad about it. "Secondly…What could I possibly gain from having you gone? Sure, maybe less of a headache, but otherwise…Sorry to burst your bubbles, but, uh…Nothing you do really bothers me," Hiccup stated. You might all be heartless, inconsiderate, snobby, stuck-up, assholes-,"
"HICCUP HADDOCK!" Stoick warned.
"Sorry, Dad. We'll go with jerks instead, but that doesn't mean I wish ill-will. So relax. You live your lives the way you do, and that's fine. However, those are your decisions, and I will respect it. On the killing you thing; it's pointless because I don't get anything out of that because there is nothing you have that I don't already possess. Now, shut up and eat. Food in this house does not go to waste," Hiccup informed while closing his eyes and taking a bite of his meal.
I really could not believe he just said that to us! And here I was beginning to believe he was a decent guy, but he outright called us all those names in front of his parents, uncle, friends. Ugh! He was infuriating sometimes, and by the Gods…I hated how sarcastic he was and never bothered by anything. I suppose the only thing I can give him points on is that's he's a good dragon trainer, and he's wise. I took a bite of the food, and it was delicious! I did not know Hiccup could cook this good! Seriously, what could this guy not do? One thing was for sure; of all the wealthy people I know; Hiccup is definitely different than the rest.
