I live. I also don't know anything about cars and honestly hate them. I felt like I should include a special somebody else in this mishmash universe.

When she had invited Merida to walk home with them, she forgot that Hiccup was standing next to her. Mer didn't respond immediately, but then walked beside Astrid, and they started on their way. That feud had to have begun to bore her too, Astrid thought. It was baseless, only burning on because somebody always threw more kindling on a tiny spark. At the very least, Merida knew that staying behind to avoid somebody that lived on the same street as her was petty to the point of lunacy and didn't opt to stand around in the parking lot for 20 minutes. Thus, she walked on Astrid's right, opposite of him.

"I might not see you tomorrow morning," Merida told her as they crossed a street. "I think I'll skip gym."

"What for? You're only going to get yourself into more trouble." Merida's lack of obedience skills bothered her, but she knew it would be no use trying to talk her out of it. She'd tried enough.

"To spare some suffering. I want this awful volleyball unit to be over already. I'd rather just be running the whole hour."

"It's not that bad. Volleyball is one of the better sports we get to play in class."

"It's the worst."

"You only think so because you haven't learned how to serve."

"I can't serve!" Merida's hands clenched into fists at the very mention of the word. "It's damn near impossible if you're under five-six, I swear."

"I'm five foot five!"

"Good on you," Merida gestured to the left, "I'm barely taller than him."

Hiccup almost laughed. "You are not taller than me."

"I think I am."

He peered around Astrid at her. "Your hair doesn't count."

Astrid prepared for another pointless argument.

A discordant horn blared behind them, causing Hiccup to flinch and Merida to curse. Astrid turned around with tensed shoulders, ready to shout, but instead smiled when she saw who was at the wheel. It was Heather that had startled them with a troublesome smirk.

Astrid stepped over to her, too excited to conceal it. "Oh my god! What are you doing here?"

"Cruising around," she answered, "We moved close to the falls, and I thought I might run into you here."

Hiccup followed on her left. "Is this car yours?" he asked. It was silver, not extravagant, but well worth a second glance. Its simple yet streamlined frame said fast, and Heather at its wheel said faster.

"You should have seen it before I got my hands on it. Practically junk. But I had it done by the time I got my license."

Astrid realized Merida was still behind them, and tried not to show that she had forgotten. She pulled her closer by the arm and told her, "Merida, this is our old friend Heather."

Merida didn't say anything. Before acknowledging her, Heather chided Astrid, "Have I really been gone long enough to be an 'old friend'?"

It really had only been a few months, and they kept in touch at that. Introducing Merida to someone so familiar felt odd and unreal without thinking of them as somebody of the past, but Merida countered without a beat, "Old enough that I've never heard of you."

A beat of silence passed before Astrid made herself laugh, mainly to tell everybody that wasn't a threat, but also out of secondhand embarrassment as her new friend put her foot into her mouth, yet again. Not an hour went by that she didn't. When Heather's surprised expression fell back into a smile, the situation was in the clear. "I like you."

Hiccup mumbled, "Who doesn't?" to himself, just faintly enough that the others wouldn't hear, but accidentally clear enough for Astrid. Merida, though, smiled back when asked for her name again.

Once Heather parked and left her car to walk with them, there was a second, blessed buffer between Astrid's equally tall, yet inharmonious friends. She explained how long she'd been waiting to finish moving and see them. "I have my own dragon now, you know," she mentioned, "And I think Stormfly and Windshear would get along well." When she started on how they had met, the group reached Astrid's home.

"I think Stormfly will be excited to see just you," Astrid said.

On their way up the walk, followed and asked, "Is it cool if I come with?"

He was going to keep talking, but Astrid answered with hardly a thought,"Yeah, sure."

She waved to Merida, who simply looked back before continuing on her way home. Astrid shut the door behind her and was immediately paid an apology by Hiccup.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to invite myself, but I just can't walk alone with her."

Astrid groaned, "God, Hiccup, are you serious? It wouldn't kill you." She had to remember how sensitive he was, though, or else this would be downright childish behavior in her eyes. "Look, I would've invited you in anyways, but you have to get over this thing." He nodded, knowing she was right, but she still couldn't expect any big change soon.

"There's a 'thing'?" Heather smirked in interest. "A thing for Merida?"

"A thing against her," he corrected, looking disturbed.

"A fear of her, really," Astrid concluded.

"I'm not scared of her. I'm... cautious."

"The guy that lost his foot climbing up a burning tree to save his dragon would be cautious of a girl," Heather said, laughing.

"Toothless was my friend," Hiccup affirmed. He pointed toward the street. "She is not. She isn't just some girl either, she's…" He grimaced. "Her."

Heather could tell now that he was serious."Huh, you really hate her. What did she do?"

"She missed," Astrid curtly answered for him.

"Missed what?"

"My head," he mumbled.

Astrid took her answer back. "Her shot. She was practicing archery, missed a shot, and the arrow scared him."

"You weren't there. Only she and I were. Therefore, my word is as good as hers, therefore, I have every right to say it landed right at my feet." He shook his head, unsure."Foot?"

"That's it?" Heather asked.

"That," he dramaticized, "was only the beginning."

Just as she felt she couldn't stand hearing any more about it, Astrid noticed the amused look in Heather's eye and let him go on into his story. It was every bit as inaccurate as she was sure Merida's version was as well, though they both probably believed she had picked the other's side. Weeks after the fact, none of it seemed of the least importance anymore.

"Why start an argument in the first place?" Heather asked.

"You can't bring a machete into a library. You can't whip out throwing stars in math class." He enunciated his final point, "You cannot fire an arrow in unmarked woods."

"And everything since, up to and including refusing to walk next to her for 200 feet, is result of an argument over bow control," Astrid summarized in annoyance.

"More importantly," she continued, focusing on Heather again, "Tell me more about this dragon."

Photos showed that Windshear was just as fierce as her own, well trained dragon. Her scales appeared like glimmering silver steel ("That may or may not be why I chose that color for the car," Heather said), her eyes glowed green, and she was said to be as playful as she was skilled. Secretly, they both knew that Sharp class dragons were superior. Mentioning that to any of their friends could incite a riot.

Every time she was with Heather, Astrid felt she had become more fascinating and felt a bit jealous of the people that got to see her every day, not whenever a visit was convenient. Often she wondered if or when their paths would cross again. It would be enough, she conceded, to at least stay distant friends with her. It just never felt like enough. Soon, though, Stormfly would meet a new friend.