NUUUUUUUUW CHAPTER GUYS! You're welcome (:
Chapter 16: Hiccup
"Are you alright, Hiccs? You're so… I don't even know what I should call it." Elsa's company by the entrance to the school's rink is surprisingly comfortable. It was one of those rare situations where I was alone with Elsa. I rarely see her without Jack or… her.
Great. I can't even speak her name now. Thank yooou, conscience.
"Huh? Oh… y-yeah. I'm fine. Practice's just hard right now."
"Hans treating you like his personal minions?" I look her directly her in the eye, as the next words spill from my fingers, without me even knowing it.
"You have no Idea, what he's making us do. No idea at all." Her eyebrows knit up under her thin bangs.
"Make you do? Hiccup, are you sure that nothing's going on? Astrid's been telling me…"
"What?" My shoulders tense immediately. What did she know? Had she figured out what was going on? Oh no, please don't let it be so…
"She's just told me that Hans is working really hard on you guys. And Jack can prove it. He's smashed every day, when I pick him up from training. He's so tired, that I have to drive him home. Is that the same for you? I can drive you home too, if you need." I smile gently at her, switching position.
"Yeah, that would actually be pretty nice."
"Great! We'll go after Jack comes out. Then we just need to pick up Astrid from the…"
"Wait, Astrid?" Oh no… I… I can't be in the same car as her! She'll ask questions, and make me feel stuff I don't want to feel right now.
"Oh Eh…" I check my cell phone, pretending a message got in from my dad. Like that would ever happen.
"Sorry, my dad Just texted me. My dog Toothless, needs to go for a walk."
"Great. We'll hurry up and…"
"Nooo, no. I'll go right away. It would take the same time for me to walk home, and to wait for the others and then be driven home. I'll just… See ya tomorrow?" I look carefully at her, while starting to walk away. I really don't want to bump into…
"Watch where you're going, Hiccup!" I turn around, look down, and see Snotlout taking a step back. Phew. It's wasn't her…
"Oh, Sorry Snot. I'll see ya tomorrow." I look at Elsa while I said it, but Snotlout grunts anyway.
I almost run for the school entrance, not wanting another clash with a certain other remaining student… Gods, I'm such a coward…
Jack
"You wanted to see me, Hans? Is it about my moves across the ice? I know I was sloppy today, if that's what you wanted to talk about." Hans' face is expressionless, as I skate over to him by the team's bleachers.
"No, it is not that, Jack. Actually I wanted to take a look at your hands."
"My hands…? What about them?" My grip tightens slightly on my hockey stick, as I lock my skates to a halt on the ice.
"I want to see them move. The way they do in the lockers after practice, and when I catch you walking with the girl… Elsa was her name? Show me." There is no anger in his voice, but the command is still attacking in its nature, forcing me to obey, if I don't want to start anything. I sigh deeply, pretty much knowing where this'll go. My hockey stick and gloves hits the ice with a pluck.
"What do you want me to say, Hans?" My fingers tag along to please his orders. "That I hate Elsa? That she's the worst that could ever happen to me because she's deaf and practically nobody? That I think lowly of her? That I'm secretly relieved that I can't take her to any of your parties, afraid of embarrassing myself and my reputation?" Hans smirk viciously at me, only crossing his arms and leans against the side of the bleachers.
"Because I don't, and I'm not!" My fingers clash together, not signing it fully, but Hans only needs to hear.
"I love her, Okay?" My hands stop tagging along, but my voice rings nice and clear along the ice for anyone near to hear. Well except for Elsa, who I know is waiting for me outside. But even if she somehow heard it, I hope she just could understand that I love her, and that I would do anything for her, no matter what happened to me.
"I see it clearly, Jack. You do very much indeed love her. But do you think she loves you? Really loves you? Do you think she thinks herself worthy of someone like you? The top of the school. He could have any girl he wanted, and yet. He chose her. Out of pity. I mean, who could genuinely love someone like her? The Deaf Girl?" My hands ball into fists, and if I was holding my hockey sick, I would be afraid of breaking it to pieces.
"Watch your tongue, Westerguaard. That's my girlfriend, you're talking about." Hans only laughs, leaning his head back up against the bleachers.
"Oh, Jack. Oh, Jack. After today, I don't think you have a girlfriend anymore." He only says, and walks off, leaving me stunned on the ice, eyes wide open, jaw dropped.
"What the frack are you TALKING ABOUT?!"
Elsa
Hiccup bumps into his tiny cousin in the hallway, clearly getting pulled out of a stupor. He only briefly looks at him, before turning his gaze back to me.
"I'll see ya tomorrow." Only his lips move, but it is clearly targeted to me. He storms off, leaving his cousin, Snotlout I think, back in the hallway with me. He takes a good look at me with his ice blue eyes, and I don't particularly like it.
"Waiting for Jack, are you?" I don't say a thing, and I don't think my body language is capable of cooperating at the moment.
"Come on, it's easy. You've driven him home every day last week. You're here to pick him up." Again, I don't respond, but only looks down briefly. As I look back up, I manage to catch Snotlout saying something again.
"You should just go in and wait for him in there. He is changed and everything, he's just talking with Hans. Wait for him in there." He repeats, almost wanting me to go in there. I shrug it off, turning towards the entrance to the rink.
Once inside, I see Jack standing on the ice, still fully geared up for practice, and he's talking with Hans, who's standing by the teams' bleachers. No, not talking… Signing.
"That I hate Elsa? That she's the worst that could ever happen to me because she's deaf and practically nobody? That I think lowly of her? That I'm secretly relieved that I can't take her to any of your parties, afraid of embarrassing myself and my reputation?" I take a weak step backwards, eyes widening. Tiny drops threats to leave my eyes, but I won't let them. He doesn't mean any of it! …does he?
"Because I do and I am!" The last signs are rushed and clashed together, but I clearly understand them. He… really felt like this? I was… an embarrassment to him? How… when…
Jack… you… you should have told me…
I rush out of the rink, leaving the school before the tears drips off my chin. I would not cry in public. I don't want people to see me like this…
I don't want to see people in general… not for a long time…
3 days later: Astrid
"Girl, come on. Talk to me, please? You haven't been in school since Monday. It's Thursday, and the school's empty without you. Please? The guys, they… They don't talk to me. They don't sign anymore… Not even with each other. And I could really use someone right now. So, please?" The Face cam call had been pretty one sided since she picked up, but my plea seems to have woken Elsa up a bit.
"Of course, Astrid. I'll be over in 5?" I smirk at her, hovering my thumb over the red button.
"The back door is open!" And with that and a smile from her, I end the call. I have some serious talking to do with her.
Once Elsa is securely placed upon my bed, comfortably between blankets and fluffy pillows, I break the ice.
"Elsa, have you had any problems as of late? You really don't look so good." She really doesn't. Her hair is tangled and greasy in an attempted bun and her face and collar bones are shrunken, like she hasn't eaten much.
"To be honest, life has been a mess since Monday." And so, she tells me of everything she saw in the school's rink Monday afternoon. The fact that Jack would even think of saying something like that, let alone sign it, infuriates me. How could he?! How dared he? To my best friend? To his own freaking girlfriend?!
"I don't think I am his girlfriend anymore. Nevertheless, I don't want to be. Not anymore… not after… what he said." I wrap my arms tightly around her in a warm embrace on my bed, before continuing.
"He doesn't deserve you, Elsa. No jerk like him. I mean, he didn't even confront you about it. He spoke lowly of you behind your back. Such a coward. But… What happened then? Has he tried to contact you since?" She nods slightly, her gaze fading away into a memory, while signing…
Monday evening: Elsa
I just slammed the door behind me, not bothering to announce my arrival to the rest of the residence. I storm up the stairs, slam my door, and lean against it. My backpack slowly slides off my shoulder, but I don't pay much attention to it. My mind and heart are a whole other place right now. They keep forcing me back to the rink where… he said those things about me… I mean, how could he? After everything we've been through, how come he said it? And why now?
So many questions, that only he could answer, but I'm not going to talk to him any time soon.
As luck would have it, my cell phone goes off with an intense vibrator from my pocket and I answer it, without even looking at the dialer. And also as luck would have it, his face pops up on my screen.
"Hey Elsa, what are you…"
"I'm not talking to you. You… you jerk!" I slam my cell phone across the room, where my bed luckily catches it, before it crashes against my wall. I slide down onto my knees, still in front of my bedroom door, and now I let the tears flow freely, now that I'm locked away from society. At least for a while.
How could he? He has the guts to call me after what he said? And then in such a loving tone?! I bet he did the same with his previous girlfriend. And the one before that, and the one before that… all of them!
But Jack only had Tooth… before he gave his heart to you…
I don't care! I don't want his heart! I don't want any of him or anything to do with him. He broke my heart, even though he promised to keep it safe, once. And I don't tolerate liars.
I hope he's dragged down into his personal hell and rots there. Alone.
Aren't we a wee bit rash now?
NO! I don't ever want to see him again, no matter the costs. He deserves this!
I hunch over, hugging my bodice tight, while trying to get a hold of my sobs, but no matter how hard I try, my breath hitches uncontrollably, and black dots stains my knees. Great. Mascara on my favorite jeans… Could this day get any worse?
Present day: Astrid
"Wow. Ballsy move he did there." Elsa had finished her retelling, and I did my best not to interfere. But I must admit, she did have a few times where she crossed the line. I mean, dragging him to hell is just beyond crazy. Especially for someone like Elsa. Now, I could understand it coming from someone like my cousins Ruff and Tuff, but… Elsa's too gentle to mean something like that. She's just going through the grieving process of a broken heart.
"Yeah. And now I don't know what to do. I mean… He has written several times, but I've just ignored every single one of his messages. Here." She hands me her phone, and I unlock it swiftly. According to her notifications, she has 10 new messages, all from Jack.
Elsa? Plz talk to me…
Why weren't you in school today? I missed you at lunch.
Elsa? You're worrying me. Should I come over?
Elsa please… You haven't contacted me for two days… Is everything alright?
Snow… Please tell me what's going on, you're killing me! );
Snow… You worry me sick…
I'm coming over.
You're not answering, and you mother says you're ill. Please, explain to me what's going on!
Fine… if you need time to recover, I'll give it to you. Just know that I'm right here if you need me.
I love you, Snowflake
"Wow. He even sounds sincere. You know what, Elsa? I'd give 'till the game is over. Time to build up the guts to confront him, for let's be honest, you don't have them right now. Then, you can go talk to him, and roast him hard for the player he is." I lay my arms around her shoulders, placing her head on my collar bone.
"Yeah." She signs, looking straight forward. "I might just do that. Just… keep me updated on school alright? I don't want to lag behind this close to the finals."
"Finals? Girl, it's mid-march! Finals aren't in another two months!" She giggles slightly, the vibrations echoing against my throat.
"You know me, Astrid. Always the overachiever."
We sit like that for a while, not anyone of us saying anything. Elsa's breathing becomes more controlled and stable over time.
"So…" She asks, writhing her way out of my embrace. "What's going on with you and Hiccup? He seemed pretty…tense all of a sudden, Monday afternoon." My eyes widen instantly at her description.
"Oh? How so, tense?"
"Well, I asked him if he wanted a ride home with me and Jack, and he said yes. Then I mentioned you coming along and he…"
"Came up with some lame excuse for not coming anyway?"
"It seemed like that. He pulled out his phone, stating that his father wanted him to go for a walk with Toothless. But… Aren't he and his father… very distant?" I nod, taking a deep breath.
Liar. You do not lie to my best friend like that. Straight in her face, using her disability against her.
"It was a trick. Stoick would never send him a message to walk Toothless. Heck, Stoick doesn't even like Toothless that much. I don't think he all of a sudden he changed his mind. Then he would've taken Toothless himself. No, Hiccup's a liar and a cheater."
"Cheater? What the frack has happened between you two?" And so I tell her of Monday lunch break, and how he very suddenly just got up and left. Only looking back once.
"And you haven't talked to him since?"
"Oh, I tried. I tried very hard the following day…"
Tuesday: Astrid
The school bell just rang on my vibrating cell phone. I run as fast as my legs can carry me to first period, finding the seat beside mine empty. Weird. Elsa's never not in school. Has something happened to her? I must check up on her in recess. The first couple of classes pass by in a blur. Either I'm thinking of Elsa, or trying not to think of… him. I hope what happened yesterday, was just a onetime order from Hans. I would still see him today, right? He had promised me the lunch breaks, no matter what. He even sealed the deal with his sincere, goofy, toothy smile he knows that I love.
Lunch break rolls in, and I've learned that Elsa's not feeling well, but would return within the week. Great. No girl time this week, but hey. What can you do?
I stroll out to the tree, waiting for Hiccup to show up. But as the minutes turn into the entire break, I can't help but wonder what's going on? Hiccup would never go back on a promise. He would never cancel without telling me. And without a good reason, at that. So what's going on? If it's hockey… then I guess it's okay. I just need to find him. We have to talk about this. He's not a deal breaker, and I don't want him to be. So if he really needs the lunch breaks, then let him have them. We still have secret glances and stolen kisses by the lockers, right?
On my way to the next class, one I share with Hiccup as luck would have it, I find him going in my opposite direction with Jack at his side.
"Oh, hey guys. Ready for class, Hiccup?" Jack gives me a weak smile before he leaves us, off to his own class. But Hiccup, he… Only just looks at me. Not any expression across his face. It's as if he didn't understand what I said to him.
"We need to talk after class." I continue, but still, he just stares at me, before going into the class room, not even acknowledging me. I shake my head as I go in after him, padding his shoulder. He doesn't turn so I have to force him to turn around. His eyes suddenly carry something dark. An emotion I've seen on him before.
Sorrow. Regret. Sadness.
What's going on?!
"Hiccup, we. Need. To. Talk. Come on." I drag on his upper arm, but he stands firm, avoiding eye contact.
"Come on, Hiccup!" Around us, people are staring and a couple of hockey guys starts talking, or whispering, or moving their lips close to each other's faces. Hiccup forces his arm from my grip, startling me a bit. I step back and stumble over the leg of a chair, falling on my behind.
Great. Humiliation is just what I need right now.
As I look up, Hiccup seems to have some sort of internal fight. Should he help his girlfriend, his one true love¸ as he'd put it himself? Or shouldn't he in front the rest the class, his team mates? Because what would that do to his reputation? As he stands there frozen, I manage to get up myself, scoffing him off silently. I take a seat across the room from him, and I don't get a single glance the entire time.
"Hiccup! I said we needed to talk!" I follow him out of the class room, and hastily keep up with his legs, very much longer than mine, unfortunately.
"Hiccup, listen!" I hiss, actually using my voice on school grounds. His stubbornness makes me confused and uncomfortable, unluckily, a lot of people are around and a couple of cheerleader girls are looking straight at us. I shut my mouth, but I finally caught his attention.
"Why do follow me?" He asks, not signs, and my jaw drops.
"What do you mean, 'why am I following you'? I'm your girlfriend, and we really need to talk! You skipped on me today. Now I understand if you need time with the team, you should have just told me instead of pulling that dick move of making me wait like a complete fool. If you just…"
"Could… you please stop doing that with your hands? It's making me uncomfortable. I don't have a clue on what you're saying. So please. If you have anything to say then… then…" He paused, the dark emotion washing in over his features again.
"Then say it." He whispered. I fully understand what he said, but… but his request stuns me completely and I don't move.
"I guess you can't…" his lips moves faintly as he turns to leave, but I grab his arm, forcing him to look straight at me. I drag his hoodie down to my level, seeing him eye to eye.
"You listen, Haddock. Why are you acting like this? Why are you such a jerk?!" My voice rings out across the hall, bringing everyone's attention on us. On me. On my words. On my voice.
Gods, what have I done?
A storm of teenagers wash around me, forcing my grip from Hiccup, and he disappears between the many faces and moving bodies. I don't hear a thing that any one says, but they're wearing a mocking or laughing face. I try not to cry in panic, but they're everywhere. In the corner of my eye, I catch Hiccup looking at me. I reach out for him, but he doesn't react. The last thing I see of him, is the same dark emotion in his eyes. And then he's gone.
"HICCUP!"
Present day: Elsa
"No way. He just left you in that crowd? Forget about Jack, Hiccup's the jerk!" Now it is my turn to wrap my arms around her more and more shivering shoulders, as she tries not to burst out crying. But I know she's too stubborn for that.
"He doesn't deserve you, Astrid. You just need to forget him, that's all." She takes a deep sigh, before signing.
"But you see, I can't. I can't forget… what happened yesterday."
"Yesterday?" I look at her carefully, slightly shifting in the bed.
"Yeah." She stares out into the nothingness in front of her, while continuing. "I saw him kiss with another girl." The words whisper their way from her lips, as my gasp rumbles the entire bed.
"NO! Really? Where? How?!" I hug her again, an attempt to stop her from hyperventilating.
"I don't know.. he just… h-h-he ju-u-ust-st ki-ss-ssed her right then and there I… I-I-I… I can't believe he would do that! Let alone l-l-leave me like h-h-he did, but for another g-g-girl? Tell me why, Elsa! Tell me why!" I rock her slowly on the bed hiding her face away in the crook of my neck. That's what she meant by him being a cheater. My hands let go of each other, but my arms are still around her.
"I don't know why, Astrid. I really don't know why. But I swear to you, I'm going to find out. No best friend of mine will suffer like you. Trust me on that. I will seek out Hiccup when I know he's alone and talk some sense into him. This is so unlike him." She nods, her face expressionless as the tears fall from her face, down onto her pillows.
"And I sure will find Jack and kick him hard in the nuts for what he said about you." I smile faintly at her threat. She wriggles herself upright, taking a sharp, deep breath.
"Girls before jerks?" She asks, giving me a hopeful look. My smile only widens at that.
"Girls before jerks."
Maaaaaan was I mad at myself for doing this to my ships.
But, it has to happen, for the story to go on. Sadly. I'd never really anticipated that much drama on the verge to being angsty in this story. But, plot ideas and revisions has taken me this far, and we're going further down the hill. We're soon at the bottom though. The game's in two days (Saturday), and who knows what will happen? Anything is possible, really.
Anywho, I really hope you enjoy this story, this chapter being one of my personal favorites for drama-reasons. Updates may come fast, some may come slow, but I have the ENTIRE thing planned out now, so I just need the time to do it right.
Please spill your heart and thoughts, thanks! :D
Cass (:
PS: FOR HTTYD-DIE HARDS
Anyone pumped for this Friday?! I can barely contain myself and all the clips and pictures makes me hyperventilating a bit xD But what can you do when the next season's gonna be more epic than the previous? I MEAN HICCSTRID YOU GUYS. HICC. STRID. IS. GONNA. HAPPEN. I CAN FEEL IT.
Ramble over, you may proceed with your life (: