But all that's dead and gone and past

The next day Hiccup was impatient for school to end. His thoughts continuously went back to Jack and the look on his face before leaving. What was he up to? The poor boy was so impatient that he was practically bouncing in his seat the whole day.

The twins threw paper balls at the back of his head when the teacher wasn't looking and at lunch one of them even managed to fling mashed potatoes into his face. It seemed that they were already back to their old antics, but how long would it be before Snotlout did the same? The thought scared the boy for a minute before he remembered that he had Jack around. But he couldn't just hid behind the older boy and let him to the fighting forever. Snotlout would wait till he is alone, if he was actually smart enough to think. The boy had brawn on his side for sure but brains were very slim.

When the final school bell rang Hiccup grabbed his book-bag and made a mad dash for the entrance of the school. Today he had beaten the older boy, leaving him there shuffling from foot to foot. Finally after what seemed like forever Jack came striding over to the auburn boy, an excited look on his face.

"You beat me today!" He exclaimed as he stopped in front of the other. Hiccup nodded his head, the corners his mouth turning up into a grin. "Yeah".

"I need you to close your eyes for a moment." Jack said gave him a puzzled look, fearful that something bad was about to happen. "It's something good, I promise!" His smiled was contagious and made the boy relax and slowly close his eyes.

Immediately the sound of the others book-bag being opened rang through Hiccups ears. Jack shuffled through his bag, going all the way down to the bottom to grab what he was searching for. By this time Hiccup was becoming anxious and let out a tiny groan of unsatisfactory. "Alright, look!"

Hiccups eyes snapped opened and his green eyes focused to the outstretched hand of the older boy. A Pokemon card, nothing shiny or foil, but a simple Pokemon card with a Vulpix on it sat in the pale hand. Hiccups eyes dilated, jaw dropped as he looked up at Jack then back down at the card.

"Go on take it. It's yours." Hiccup felt like it was Christmas, or his birthday, or both just by the simple gift. Without thinking the boy hugged Jack tightly before taking the card and jumping up and down. "Thank you!"

"Wow. If that's how you act with just one card then what about all these?" Hiccup had not noticed that Jack's other hand was still inside his bag. The boy pulled out a stack of Pokemon cards, all wrapped up in a rubber band. "I had some extras and thought that you and I could you know, battle sometime." Jack said smiling.

He couldn't believe it, a whole stack of Pokemon cards from a boy he had only met a few days ago. Hiccup shakily took the cards, he felt like he had gone into shock. Jack was really giving him these? Just for him? The boy hugged them tightly and squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to stop the tears that were threatening to spill over. "Thank you so much Jack... I've never gotten something like this from anyone", besides presents from his family, Hiccup really never had received a present from anyone else.

Jack didn't know what to say. He was doing a simple act of kindness to his new found friend, he never would have guessed that the boy would act so elated. After a moment Jack placed his hand on Hiccups shoulder and smiled. "What are friends for? Come on, lets head out."

Hiccup looked up at the brunette and nodded his head and clutched the cards in his hands, never letting go one second till he got home.

Tonight

That night at dinner Hiccup showed his grandmother at the small table that sat in the kitchen. His father, Stoick, would not be home till late that night so he would have to wait till the weekend to show him.

Hiccups father was a businessman, he didn't know what kind. His schedule kept him busy through out most of the week, but on the weekends Hiccup knew without a doubt that he and his father would have time to spend with one another.

His grandmother smiled and listened as they ate and Hiccup showed her each of the cards. The little woman had sat and watched Pokemon with her grandson many times, finding the cartoon interesting. She would always tease Hiccup and say that his favorite should be Pikachu, like her. She could never get over how cute the little yellow mouse was on the show.

For Jack however, when he got home his father was out and about, fuming over something. The brunette could hear the grumbles coming from the kitchen as he moved about.

The man was tall, almost six foot, black hair and blue eyes. Stubble coated the lower part of his face from where he had not shaved in a few days, dark rings were under his eyes, and his clothes were dis-shelved. Ever since his father lost his job a few months back he had sank into a depression and with their cheap little computer he found gambling as his way to cope. Poker, horse races, almost any kind of gambling. After that he just stopped caring about trying to find a job and just cared about gambling.

Jack slowly slipped into the kitchen, finding his father grabbing yet another beer from the fridge. "Uh, hey dad.." The man idly glanced at his son and gave a grunt as a hello before opening the beer and taking a gulp. By the way he was acting it meant that he lost a gamble, again. "Did you loose...?" He asked as he moved around him to get a juice packet.

Again the man grunted before making a coherent sentence. "Five hundred dollars, gone..." Now for some families five hundred dollars may mean nothing, but for Jack's family who was slowly slipping into poverty, it meant everything.

"You could just stop you know, it's just a stupid game." Jack spoke before thinking. The man whirled and looked at Jack, outraged that his son had spoke out on him. Seconds later the sound of skin against skin reverberated through the small room. Juice now in the floor Jack looked at his father appalled. For the first time ever his father had hit him. Even when he got in trouble for his pranks he never got a spanking, his parents didn't believe in it, now here he was with a red mark and his head split in pain.

"Don't you talk back to me boy. Clean that up then get to your room." his father seethed before stomping out of the room.

Jack didn't move, not till he heard the sound of the game room door slam shut. Shaky hands picked up the plastic and threw it away, then he grabbed a dish towel and got on his hands and knees to wipe up the spilled juice. It was then that he felt the tears roll down his burning face as the incident replayed over and over in his head. Once cleaned up Jack stood, placing the rag on the counter and devastatingly walked to his room, not coming out until the next morning.