AN: Thank you for the friendly comments! :) And yes, it's just a short story. 11 chapters total + one epilogue.

. o O o .

Astrid lay curled up into a ball on her bed, wrapped in at least three blankets and surrounded by an endless sea of used tissues. In the background, the playlist with her favourite music was playing on her stereo, but she wasn't really paying it any mind. Usually, music always served to make her feel better, but today, not even that worked.

How had this happened? How had this day, a day that had been supposed to be her lucky day, the best day ever, turned into this… complete failure? And why did that had to happen on her birthday, for Odin's sake? It wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair!

A new wave of sobs shook her body at that thought, even as she fought to keep any noises to a minimum. Uncle Finn hadn't checked on her in a while, obviously unused to and uncomfortable with dealing with crying girls, but any too loud sobs could summon him back, and Astrid could definitely forego that. He couldn't help her anyway except bringing her a new box of tissues every now and then.

She couldn't say for how long she lay there. She had lost all sense of time after crying through half of the night and then sleeping nearly until noon. At that moment, she'd been grateful to not live with her mother anymore. Not that she had a problem with her mum, but Brenna Hofferson surely would have first made a scene for her to ditch college for no good reason, and then wouldn't have left her in peace until she knew what upset her daughter so much. Living with Uncle Finn was much easier. Not just because he lived so much closer to her dream college, but also because he gave her the space she needed when she asked for it.

Except for right now…

There was a knock on her door first, before his head poked through the opening. "Astrid, lass? How are you doing?"

What a stupid question. What did he think how she was doing? "I'm fine," she grumbled, then sighed. He was only worried for her, she reminded herself. "Thanks."

"Good." Finn sounded a little sheepish. "Because, well, there's someone here for you."

Astrid paused, then sat up, bewildered. Someone was here for her? Who? All her friends would be busy getting ready for the dance by now. Unless it was Hiccup who came to pick her up? That… would be a really cute gesture, except that she didn't want to see him and might scratch out his eyes if he were to see her like this. She didn't want to be his pity-date when he wanted to be with someone else. But, luckily, it wasn't Hiccup.

"Oh Gods, Astrid!" Heather exclaimed the moment she pushed past Finn into her room and saw her. "What in Freya's name happened?"

"I'll leave you to it then," Finn muttered, and pulled the door closed behind him. Astrid grimaced; she wished her uncle would have taken her friend with him.

"Nothing happened," Astrid sighed, turning tired eyes away from Heather. "I just realised what an enormous idiot I've been."

With a snort, Heather pushed aside some of the tissues to make space for herself to sit. "You really are an idiot, no argument there. You should have seen Hiccup today when he realised you wouldn't show up for lunch. He was so sad, like a kicked puppy. And all just because you don't have the nerves to–"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure he was devastated!" Astrid interrupted her bitterly. "The poor boy. But don't worry, I'm sure he will quickly find comfort; Cami will see to that." Once again, the image of Hiccup and Cami entangled in a tight embrace rose in her mind's eye. It made her squeeze her eyes shut in the pointless hope that would make the picture go away.

"Cami?" Heather inquired, disbelievingly. "You think he's with Cami? Oh, honestly, Astrid, that's the lamest excuse I've ever heard. You know perfectly well that they're just friends. I mean–"

"But I've seen them!" Astrid cried, and her outburst had Heather shut up in an instant.

There was a moment or three of utter silence before the words seemed to have sunk in and Heather frowned. "You… what?! No, that can't be true, Cami's not… I mean, they're just friends. Have been since nursery. They aren't interested in each other romantically; why would they keep it a secret if it were otherwise?" She shook her head, bewilderment written all over her face. "Tell me what you've seen."

Exhaling a deep and tired breath, Astrid looked at her friend again. "I saw them last night," she began her explanation. "They stood in front of her house and were just bidding their farewell. I saw how they embraced each other, and I heard how he said something about how happy she makes him and how he can't imagine living without her. And then they kissed… Gods, Heather, I've been so stupid to think…" She trailed off as a new wave of tears welled up in her eyes, and reached for the tissue box. Why, oh why had she ever deluded herself into believing he could be interested in her?

But she would get over him. She was Astrid Hofferson, after all. She wouldn't drown in sorrow for the rest of her life just because some stupid guy she'd had a crush on didn't return her feelings. She would give herself this one day of crying her heart out, and tomorrow she would be back on top. She would forget him, would ignore him. She would focus on her education and her sports. There was this archery tournament in two weeks, after all. Just the right thing to keep her occupied enough to not think about… about those stupid green eyes, that stupid crooked smile, and those stupid sassy comments. About that stupid face with its freckles and the chiselled jaw, those stupid deft hands that so easily worked on all kinds of mechanisms, and… and…

Another sob tore itself from her throat. Just this one day…

"I can't believe that," Heather stated, finally rising from her stupor.

Under different circumstances, Astrid would have gladly taken the challenge her friend offered by indirectly accusing her of lying, would have debated and argued. But today, she didn't have the energy for that, so she simply gazed at her with tired empty eyes.

"No!" Heather insisted. "You can ask every single one of our friends; if you told them this story, they'd only laugh about it, without exception. Okay, maybe Scott would cry at the idea of his cousin having had a girlfriend for all this time, but that's not the point." She scooted closer to Astrid and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come with me to the dance. Let's ask them. I'm absolutely certain that he only has eyes for you. And… and even if it were otherwise, he certainly wouldn't be with Cami of all people. Believe me, I'm pretty sure that, whatever you've seen, it wasn't what you thought."

Grimacing, Astrid shrugged Heather's hand off her shoulder. "No. I'm not going there. I'm certainly not embarrassing myself by being that annoying girl that can't take a hint. Do what you want, but leave me out of this." She sat down on her bed and, reaching for her trusted guitar to channel her emotions, turned her back on her friend. "See you tomorrow."

Heather didn't leave right away. Astrid could hear her shuffle and fidget. But in the end, she thankfully left without another word.

. o O o .

Well... that didn't go so well now did it? :|