=Astrid's POV=
(Tuesday, December 28, 2021-2:15 pm}
(Archian Preparatory; Dragon Training)
Working at Archia Burger was interesting, but at least I knew what I was doing for the most part. I've been training as corner, fries, and front-runner. I still don't have it down entirely, but I'm getting there. Hiccup said that after the New Year began if I'm doing okay with those first three positions; he'd start showing me register, then once I felt comfortable with that, drive-thru. I'm in no rush to get there, though. Hiccup said we might attempt sandwiches and grill, but not for a while as he wanted to make sure I had the easier jobs down first. I worked the Saturday and Sunday with Hiccup, then Monday and Tuesday too. I had Wednesday off and worked Thursday. I didn't work Christmas Eve, which was the Friday, or Christmas Day because it was closed. And according to Hiccup, Archia Burger closes at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alone at the shelter. I would have liked to believe that my things would get better, as Hiccup assured that it would at some point. However…One other thing is becoming a concern of mine.
I was due for my period on Christmas Day, and I didn't get it. And here we are three days later on the 28th, and still nothing. I want to chalk it up to stress of everything going on. I lost my parents, my home, the money, the people I thought were my friends and the man I believed loved me. I wanted to hope that maybe because I'm seventeen, my body is still changing, and that might be why I haven't gotten it yet. But I couldn't. The Friday and Saturday before Eret admitted to cheating on me for like four months, and the other six abandoned me…Eret and I had been having sex. As soon as I realized my period was late, I took out my IUD. It's not like I needed it; with my situation, I wouldn't be getting laid any time soon. Also, if I was pregnant…I didn't want the birth control to hurt the baby. I plan on finding out as soon as I get paid, which Hiccup said would be on the 31st, New Year's Eve. If I'm pregnant; I know it's Eret's. And that I would have been four weeks along on the 25th. It's only been three days since then, so on the 31st, I'll likely be five weeks.
Being pregnant right now would be awful because of everything going on. I don't have any health insurance, and Odin knows that I probably won't be able to afford it. I doubt Eret would help me out. The kindest thing I could do for the baby would be to give it up for adoption, though; it would break my heart to do. However, I can't bring a child into this world and raise it with how things are. I just needed to wait a few more days, then I could know for sure, and get things going as far as how to take care of myself while pregnant. Work-wise; I have tonight off, but I had shifts for tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday. All from 4 pm to 8 pm. In school, I sat at lunch alone and didn't eat because the lunch account I had is empty finally. I didn't have much of an appetite anyway; the smell made me want to puke, which is another reason I think I might be pregnant. I get sick at random; I don't always throw up, but nausea seems constant. Yesterday, the 27th; we returned to school and as expected; everything is preparing for Midterms next Monday.
I really wasn't feeling well, and could barely focus on Hiccup going over things we'd need to know for the exam. I really just wanted to lay down for a bit, maybe get something to deal with my headache. I heard a loud roar as I shook my head and snapped out of my daze to see Hiccup lowering his hands from his mouth.
"Well, that got your attention," Hiccup stated. "I called your name like five times, Astrid,"
"I-I'm sorry…I guess I'm just out of it," I muttered. Seconds after saying it, Toothless jumped out of the trees and instantly as Hiccup's side.
"Hi, bud," Hiccup rubbed his head. Toothless crooned, looking around for trouble. "No, I'm okay. No danger. I was just trying to get Astrid to come back down to class," Hiccup told him. Toothless huffed at Hiccup, then laid down with his head on his front paws, then using his tail to cover his eyes and relax. "You're not usually one to fade out of lessons, especially with it being a week until Midterms," Hiccup said to me.
"Tired…And not feeling well Hiccup…" I sighed.
"Why don't you go to the doctors, Astrid?" Nadia said.
"Oh, wait…You probably can't because you don't have insurance anymore," Camicazi snickered.
"Or the money to pay off an uninsured visit…" Gruffnut added. I looked down a little.
"Lay off," Dagur told them. Hiccup checked his watch.
"Astrid, why don't you head inside to see Mala. Maybe he has something that could help," Hiccup suggested.
"B-But the review," I mentioned.
"I think you'll be alright to miss it; you do well in this class. Go to the nurse," Hiccup handed me an orange pass. All the passes were different. White was office, green was the bathroom, orange was the nurse, student services with counselors for us to talk to was blue and yellow was guidance office.
"Okay," I stated getting up and moving off the field towards the school.
. . .
{Friday, December 31, 2021-3:40 pm}
{Homeless Shelter}
I had work today in about twenty minutes; I'm at the shelter now to get my work clothes and shoes. I left the school at 3:05 pm, walked fifteen minutes. As soon as I got here; I grabbed one of the ham and cheese sandwiches left over from lunch, then a water bottle. I took ten minutes to eat that, and by the time I finished, it was 3:30. I got the things I needed for work and prepared to leave. At least I'd get paid today; that was the highlight of it being New Year's Eve for me. Who knows, maybe 2022 would offer me a fresh start? I suppose I needed one thing to hold on to.
"Astrid," one of the shelter workers stopped me.
"Yes?" I replied.
"I did tell you when you came to us that we run drug testing on the first of every month, right?" the man asked.
I shook my head. "No, I don't believe so," I said.
"Oh, well…Would you be willing to do yours now? We're just trying to cut back on the number of people we line up to do it tomorrow," he inquired.
"Um, sure. Yeah," I responded. There was no reason not to, I still had twenty minutes before my shift, and it would only take me ten minutes to get there.
"Great. You just have to pee in this cup for me," the man held it out. I took the cup and moved to the bathroom. A minute later, I finished, then came out and handed it to him. "Thank you," he smiled and walked off after setting it on a black tray. I left the shelter and began my walk to work.
. . .
{Friday, January 7, 2022-9:10 pm}
(Streets of Archia Isle)
Well, Midterms are over. I took my last one, Dragon Training, today at school. I feel like I did alright on all of them. There was one every day, so Monday, I took Algebra. Tuesday was Language Arts. On Wednesday, I actually made two; History and Health. Thursday was Science. And, as I said, today was Dragon Training. Hiccup's was probably the hardest because there were questions regarding all seven dragon classifications. Every exam was two hours long, and then the rest of the courses for the day would be slightly shortened to accommodate that. The way they did it was that on Monday, I took Algebra first as it's my first-period class. On Tuesday, though I typically start my day with Algebra, I began with Language Arts. Wednesday was History and Health back to back. It was a pattern, and I guess the easiest way to do things according to the school.
I loved getting my paycheck last Friday. It was a decent amount even after taxes were taken out. I used Saturday morning to go to the bank and get it deposited. However, money or not; I was going to be smart with it this time. I would only use it if I really needed to. So also on Saturday, I got myself a cheap pregnancy test. Sure enough; it was positive. I'm pregnant. And by my guess, I'm about to be six weeks along. A month and a half. It took me some time to settle with the news, and now I'm debating on telling Eret or not. I know he won't help me, and he won't care either, so why should I bother? I'd be giving the baby up for adoption anyway. Even being that I have a job, and making money; it's barely enough for me to care for myself. I'd never be able to take care of this child and me. The baby deserved a better life than I could provide.
I just got paid again because its Friday. Hiccup says I'm doing a great job at Archia burger, and we'll move into doing register work sometime next week. Things, I guess, are looking a little more up for me. Right now, I'm on my way back to the shelter to get some sleep. Tomorrow, I'd go to the bank again. I needed to remember to take $100 and give it back to Hiccup for when he loaned me the money to turn my phone on and get the work shoes. I took a deep breath of the cold January night air; I was almost to the shelter now. Another five or so minutes to go. Suddenly, my arm was grabbed, and I got dragged into an alleyway. Before I could scream, a hand went around my mouth. I panicked and struggled to get free. I got slammed into the wall hard, then kneed in the side. It was dark, I couldn't see my attacker. I hit the ground and instantly curled myself to protect my stomach. I began crying, and then I heard voices.
"Hey! Hey!" a voice called, and my attacker bolted away quickly. A few people came into the alleyway, using their phones as flashlights to see me on the ground, whimpering in pain. I'd been hit in the face, the back of the head, my back, legs, sides. I was sore, but I knew I couldn't go to the hospital.
"Oh, you poor dear…Are you alright?" a woman asked as two males tried to help me up.
"I-I'm okay," I said still a bit shaken.
"Someone phone the authorities," a man stated.
"N-No…No, I'm alright. Please? I just want to get home," I remarked, moving away from those trying to help make sure I was okay. "Thank you…F-For coming to help me…" I moved as quickly as I could away from the group of concerned citizens, then out of sight. I reached the shelter by 9:35 pm, and got to my assigned cot. I got on the bed and silently cried.
. . .
{Tuesday, January 11, 2022-12:15 pm}
(Archian Preparatory Cafeteria)
Something was wrong, and I knew it. I woke up this morning feeling…Weird. I felt faint, nauseated, and a lot cramping as if my period is coming. I got myself ready for school regardless. Once there; I showered up in the locker room, got dressed, and used the bathroom. I noticed a little blood but thought nothing of it. Spotting was normal in pregnancy, wasn't it? I went about my day anyway. I had a lot of bruises from the attack last Friday, thankfully, my clothes hid them. Now, it's lunchtime. I'd just gotten into the room, and began making my way to the lunch line to get something to eat when I heard snickering behind me.
"How embarrassing," Ragna chuckled.
"It's like she doesn't even care anymore," Thuggory said.
Ignore it… I told myself silently.
"So poor she can't even buy tampons or pads…" Camicazi laughed with the others.
Wait a minute…What? I became confused. I was pregnant, why would I need those?
"Look how much blood there is…She must have just started today for it to be that heavy," Nadia giggled. My eyes widened a little.
Blood? I'm…Bleeding, down there? Without wasting another moment, I got out of line and hurried from the cafeteria; hearing laughter erupt from behind me after Ragna announced to everyone that I was so poor I couldn't buy pads or tampons. I went to the bathroom and saw how much blood was in my underwear and pants. Why was I bleeding this much? The cramps were awful too. Cleaning up a little, and changing my underwear and skirt because thank God I carried spare clothes in my bag; I quickly went to Nurse Mala's office.
. . .
{12:25 pm}
(Nurse's Office)
I dragged myself to Mala's office, whimpering in pain to see the short blond haired, tall woman sitting at her desk.
"Hello, Astrid. What can I do for you, sweetie?" Mala asked, looking over at me.
"I, uh…I'm cramping and bleeding a lot; it really hurts," I told her, unsure of how to word it.
"Well, I can provide painkillers for the discomfort, and pads or tampons for the menstrual bleeding," Mala stated.
I shook my head a little. "I-I can't be having my period…I-I'm pregnant,"
Mala's eye widened a little at the confession. "How far along are you, dear?"
"I-I don't know…I-I just found out on the 1st with a home test…I missed my period on the 25 of December…" I admitted, a little ashamed and still in pain. Mala rose from her desk, helping me to one of the beds.
"Here, now sit down, and we can figure out what's going on. If you missed your period at the end of December, on that day, then you would be about seven and a half weeks pregnant. And you did confirm the pregnancy with a home test just nine days ago…How much bleeding is there?" Mala asked.
"I had to change my underwear, and skirt…I-I had bled through at lunch…" I informed. Mala gave me a grave, somewhat sympathetic look; this was something I recognized from the night I learned my parents had passed away from Spitelout. I began to feel sick at what I was going to get told about why I'm bleeding. Mala sat down beside me, a hand around my shoulders.
"Astrid, sweetie…You're having a miscarriage," Mala stated softly. My eyes widened.
"What…?" I said, shocked.
"It's…Very common in early pregnancies for miscarriages to occur; improper implantation, stress, not enough nutrients…" Mala listed off. I mean; I wasn't ready for a baby, but I didn't want it to die. I guess this was just…Odin's plan. That's what Mom would have said about the situation.
"D-Do I have to do anything for it?" I asked.
"No, dear. It should only take a few days for everything to pass. Just wear some pads to prevent another bleed through. Oh, I'm so sorry, honey," Mala comforted as I wiped away a few tears.
"Will my cycle go back to normal?" I wondered.
"Within four to six weeks, yes. Would you like a painkiller to help with the cramps?" Mala inquired. I nodded as she got up to get me something to take. I guess I spoke too soon about things getting better for me.
. . .
{3:20 pm}
(Homeless Shelter)
I was in so much pain walking to the shelter, but I was sure it was because of the miscarriage happening. What more could I do? I couldn't afford the hospital. I just had to let things run their course. I did pick up some pads to get through this, and finally, I was in a place I could lay down for a bit. However, arriving at the shelter; I was met with the head of it.
"Astrid, I've heard a few rumors about you that have forced us to make the decision that you're not as helpless as you claim to be," the woman informed.
"I-I'm sorry?" I said, slightly taken aback.
"Your drug test came back clean, but a positive pregnancy came up as well. This is not a mother and child shelter," the woman said.
"I-I was pregnant…I'm currently in the middle of having a miscarriage…" I said quickly. "I-It was a past relationship that caused it…My ex-boyfriend and I broke up. And I lost my friends…That's how I ended up homeless because they all ditched me and left me no place to go," I explained.
"Yet, you still keep your clothes clean, have a phone, and a job?" the woman stated; I stilled instantly. "That's what I thought. You know the rules, Astrid. These shelters are for the homeless; those who have nowhere to go, unable to find work, no resources to rely on. You manage to get showers at school and wash your clothes. You have a working cell phone, and you have employment at Archia Burger; you've been spotted there in uniform. Bearing all this in mind, Astrid; it seems you are well able to care for yourself and no longer need the services provided here, so I'm afraid we have to ask you to leave and give up your space to someone in more need than you," she added firmly.
I didn't even know what to say as I felt tears brimming my eyes. Regardless, I tried to remain strong. I packed up my one suitcase, which has everything from the two because I decided to condense everything into one. A few tears slipped as I exited the shelter with my bag in tow behind. It's official; I've lost everything, and I have nowhere to go. I didn't have enough for a motel room, and I didn't have friends I could rely on. This was the bottom of the hole for me. Leaving the shelter with a heavy sigh, and tears falling; I set out into the crisp January afternoon to find where I'd be tonight. However, I knew there wouldn't be anything, and it was painfully clear to me that I'm now living on the streets.
