Response to review

gwendalyn: That's a great idea that Fishlegs could end up with Heather from Riders of Berk! If you don't mind me using it, it might appear in a later chapter :)

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and here's the next chapter! I really enoyed writing this one - Hiccup is one of my favourite characters to write about. Hope you enjoy and please review!

Ginger xx

Chapter Three

Hiccup Haddock hated his name. Why his parents had even called him that, he would never know, but what should have been a nickname of sorts was his actual, legal name. It was the kind of name that made people snigger whenever they heard it, and this was only made worse by the fact that people tended to only talk to him if they wanted him to do their homework for them. School was pretty hard for a smart guy like Hiccup.

Hiccup slid into his seat in class, pretty much unnoticed by everyone. He was satisfied at that. The only reason he would ever want to be popular…

Hiccup glanced over at the girl who sat a few desks away. Astrid… Astrid Hofferson was possibly the prettiest girl Hiccup had ever seen. At that moment, she had her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, with her fringe brushing her blue eyes. Her gorgeous blue eyes, Hiccup corrected himself. She was tall, sporty, and, Hiccup sighed, popular. She was the only reason Hiccup would ever want to be popular, although the friends were good too.

The teacher walked in then and red-haired Merida immediately groaned. Hiccup knew why. Everyone did. Mrs DunBroch was Merida's mother, and she hated the fact that her mom worked at the same high school she went to, let alone taught her. Mrs DunBroch was a fairly strict teacher, but Hiccup didn't mind the teachers so much. It was the popular kids that didn't like him.

That particular day, Hiccup just couldn't concentrate. He remembered the conversation he'd had with his father before he'd left the house for school. It was more of an argument really.

*FLASHBACK*

"Why can't you do something more useful with your time, son?"

"What, so studying isn't useful now, dad?"

"Why don't you try and join a club or something?"

"What - like sports? Dad, you know I don't like sports. Only the popular kids play them."

"You could be popular."

"Oh yes, I remember. You never wanted a son like me."

"Hiccup-"

"Excuse me, barmaid! I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring! I ordered an extra-large boy with beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side. This here, this is a talking fish-bone!"

"Hiccup, you can go to Gobber's after school."

"Thanks, dad, just thanks."

*END OF FLASHBACK*

Hiccup sighed. He got out his exercise book and started the work Mrs DunBroch had set for them on the whiteboard. Perhaps his dad had been right. There was nothing actually stopping him from joining a sports team. Well, other than the title of Nerd that got shoved in his face every single day. Maybe, if he did join maybe the baseball team, Astrid might finally notice him. Ah, who was he kidding? He could never join the baseball team. He just wasn't good enough.

Hiccup looked down at his work and saw the dragon he had sketched on the page. It was large, black and scaly, with long wings. It was surrounded in fire and was shooting a blast of it. Hiccup smiled. It looked like his pet lizard Toothless. Toothless was a rare species of lizard whose teeth could retract back into his gums, with black scales and green eyes. Hiccup sometimes felt like Toothless was his only friend.

"Mr Haddock, why don't we try the work on the board?" said Mrs DunBroch.

Hiccup looked up guiltily. "Yes, Mrs DunBroch," he said, turning the page over.

After class, Hiccup picked up his books and headed out of the room before the popular kids could bombard him with, "Hey, nerd, do my homework and I'll pay you two dollars." The year before, back in sophomore year, Hiccup had done about six or seven people's homework in one night, for three dollars each. Around twenty dollars hadn't been a bad earning, he thought. He wasn't going to do it that year though. He was too busy with his own work to worry about doing anyone else's.

A large blond-haired boy was running down the corridor, clutching his books to his chest. He nearly ran into hiccup, but stopped just in time. Hiccup was glad. If a boy that size had ran into him, he would probably be flat on the floor by now.

"Please help me!" the boy begged. "Snotlout Jorgenson's out to get me!"

"You're the new kid, right?" Hiccup asked.

"Fishlegs Ingerman, yes," the boy replied. "I joined for eleventh and twelfth grade."

Hiccup raised his eyebrows. If there was a name even more ridiculous than Hiccup or Snotlout, it was Fishlegs. "Caretaker's cupboard," he said quickly. "No-one goes in there."

"Thank you," said Fishlegs gratefully, before running off again.

Snotlout and Tuffnut Thorston came down the corridor just as Fishlegs had left. Black-haired Snotlout, though shorter than Hiccup, had a fiery temper, and was possibly the most popular boy in eleventh grade.

"Oh, nerd," he said. "Have you seen the fat boy run down here? Fishy-something?"

Hiccup frowned. It wasn't fair of Snotlout to call Fishlegs fat. "Uh, no, I'm afraid I haven't," he replied.

Snotlout scowled at him and held him up against a locker by his shirt. "Are you sure, little Hiccup?" he said threateningly, saying Hiccup's name mockingly.

"One hundred percent," said Hiccup drily. There was no point getting scared. This thing happened way too often.

"Alright then," said Snotlout, dropping him to the ground. He sauntered down the corridor, followed by Tuffnut.

Hiccup sighed. He was pretty sure Fishlegs Ingerman wasn't going to make it to twelfth grade.

Hiccup picked up his books and headed on down the corridor. From somewhere behind him, he heard Merida DunBroch yell, "Astrid Hofferson! Give those back!"

Hiccup turned around to see Astrid running down the corridor, waving what looked to be a pair of socks above her head. "Unicorns, Merida?" Astrid laughed.

"My gran made those, Hofferson!" Merida yelled, coming into view. "They're my Just In Case Socks!"

Astrid turned around, waving the socks at her tauntingly. But as soon as she turned back and continued running, she smacked straight into Hiccup. Sent sprawling, Hiccup knocked his head on the hard floor, and his books went flying. Feeling slightly dazed, Hiccup was only half-aware of Astrid saying, "Oh, Gods, I'm so sorry."

Hiccup regained his bearings and his eyes widened as he realised that Astrid was picking herself up. Because she had fallen on him. Hiccup could feel his face reddening, especially his ears, as he crouched over to pick up his books. He couldn't even speak, he was so startled. Astrid helped pick up some of his books and handed them to him.

"Here," she said. She took a closer look at his head. "Is your head bleeding?" she asked. "Do you need to go to the nurse or something?"

"I-I'll be… um, fine," Hiccup stammered, though his legs felt like water beneath him.

"You don't look so good," said Astrid. "Come on, I suppose I'll take you to the nurse."

Merida snatched her socks off the floor. "Thanks a lot, Hofferson," she said, giving Astrid a friendly punch.

"Um, can you tell Mr North I'll be late for his class?" Astrid asked her curly-haired friend.

"Sure, why?" Merida asked.

"I'm taking, um…"

"H-Hiccup," Hiccup muttered, hardly able to say his stupid name.

"I'm taking Hiccup to the nurse," Astrid replied.

"Really?" Merida asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, he's kind of a…" Merida trailed off, "Never mind. I'll tell Mr North you'll be late."

"Thanks," said Astrid. "Here, I'll carry your books," she told Hiccup.

Hiccup handed her his books, blinking his eyes. Everything seemed hazy… almost like a dream. He suddenly pinched his arm, giving a small yelp. Astrid gave him a strange look. "Nothing," said Hiccup quickly.

The two walked down the corridors to the nurse, not saying much between them. Eventually, Hiccup plucked up the courage to ask, "Why, um, would you even bother, um, helping someone like me?"

Astrid shrugged. "I don't really know," she admitted. "It just felt right at the time."

'Us' feels right… Shut up, Hiccup, Hiccup told himself. "Oh, right," he said.

"You're in my English class, right?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah," said Hiccup, "and, um, your woodwork class."

"Oh," said Astrid. "Sorry, I suppose I never really noticed you before."

Hiccup felt himself blushing again. "I guess not," he said. "I mean, I am a… a…"

"A nerd?" Astrid finished. "I suppose that's how some people see you."

"Like Snotlout," Hiccup muttered under his breath. He wasn't quite quiet enough for Astrid not to hear him.

"Snotlout? Yeah, he's really annoying," Astrid agreed.

Hiccup sighed. Snotlout was trying to win Astrid over, and failing terribly. In a result, Astrid hated his guts. Hiccup started to felt dizzy again, and nearly stumbled slightly.

"Um, here," said Astrid, taking his hand and putting it on her shoulder. She sounded kind of awkward about it.

Hiccup would've said, "Thanks," but he couldn't speak at that moment. Astrid Hofferson had just touched his hand. Pull yourself together, Hiccup, he told himself, she's just a girl.

They had nearly reached the nurse when Astrid saw a chance to promote her girls football team. "Hey, my football team has a game next week. You should come and watch," she said.

"Sure," said Hiccup. Then he turned and knocked on the nurse's door.

Astrid hesitated. "Well, I guess I might see you in woodwork then," she said, before walking back down the corridor.

Once the nurse had wrapped a bandage around his head and deemed him well, with no more concussion, Hiccup went back to class. He took his seat and rested his head in his hands. He wasn't quite listening to Mr North as he talked about the design and construction of cabinets, but replaying his walk to the nurse with Astrid Hofferson again and again in his head, starting from the part when she had run into him. It didn't seem to be real, but when Astrid looked at him from across the class and mouthed are you okay? He replied with a thumbs up.

He wished he had been cooler whilst in her presence: said cooler things, looked cooler, and less dorky, and just generally been cooler. But at least she knew who he was. And she had actually spoken to him. That was a first.

Snotlout stopped picking on Fishlegs Ingerman for a moment, just to whisper, "Glad you're back in class, babe," in Astrid's ear.

"Well I'mnot," Astrid hissed back, elbowing Snotlout in the ribs.

Hiccup felt a flicker of joy. So Astrid would rather be out in the corridors with him now? But then he realised that she probably just meant anywhere away from Snotlout. And Hiccup could agree with that. Anywhere away from Snotlout was good.

During the lunch hour, Hiccup felt a lot better. There had been a few moments of confusion and dizziness in woodwork, but now he felt alright. He finished up his lunch and walked down to his locker. Hiccup had never eaten in the cafeteria. It was a place of terror for nerds and socially awkward people, a place for the popular kids to beat them up if they so wished. Hiccup always either brought lunch from home, or bought it from the corner shop on the way to school. He would never risk eating in the cafeteria.

He had nearly reached the safety of his locker when a certain Jorgenson walked up to him. Hiccup sighed. "What do you want, Snotlout?" he asked.

"That woodwork assignment," said Snotlout, "I need you to do it for me, Hiccup." He sneered when he said Hiccup's name.

"As much as I'd love to help you, Snotlout," said Hiccup, going to unlock his locker, "I have to say no."

"I don't think you quite understand what I'm saying, Hiccup," said Snotlout. "You see, I wasn't asking."

"Still," Hiccup replied, "I wasn't agreeing."

"I don't want to have to beat you up, nerd, but you are going to do that assignment," said Snotlout threateningly.

"Oh great," said Hiccup, rolling his eyes, "Pain - love it!"

Snotlout drew back his fist to hit him, but Tuffnut interrupted. "Whoa, man," he said, "You're actually going to hit the nerd?"

"Yeah," Snotlout replied like it was obvious - probably because it was - "What did you think I meant when I said 'beat up'?"

"Well, I thought it was, like, a metaphor, or something," said Tuffnut.

Snotlout gave him a look. "Anyway, are you going to keep talking, or let me hit the nerd?"

"Oh, right, sure," said Tuffnut. "I'll shut up now."

Snotlout drew back his fist again. "Are you going to do my assignment, Hiccup?" he asked again.

"You can hit me, Snotlout," Hiccup replied, "but I'm not doing that assignment."

"Fine," said Snotlout, and his fist collided with Hiccup's nose.

Left crumped on the floor, Hiccup stood up and wiped the blood off his nose with the corner of his sleeve. At least Astrid had spoken to him that day.