You Have to Choose... (Hiccstrid) (On hold)

Chapter 6

Astrid's P.O.V.

I found a pathway and ran inland, not even feeling when I stubbed my toe. My feet were frozen, my legs were numb, my hair was cold. Who was that guy? How did he blow oxygen into my lungs? ...Where was I going? I looked around to find that I was still on the sand pathway. I paused before running into the tall grass and back to the beach. I put my jeans back on and continue down the beach until I felt a tug from my necklace. I looked to the ocean to see a tube tumbling toward me. Suddenly, I see an outline of a guy behind the curtain of water. He was bending over so as to not disturb the flow of the wave. He must have seen me because he waved in my direction when he emerged. Next thing I knew, I was watching as he turned his board and rode the now baby wave to the shore. When he drew nearer, I could make out a mask that I had grown all too used to.

"Howdy, your majesty," Hayden says, jumping off his board when he was waist-deep.

"Hey. Missed you at night surfing," I say as he picks up his board and joins me on the sand.

"I was there you just didn't see me," he says as we walk down the beach, "So, was I right about riding a tube in the moonlight?"

"It was a spite wave. I wasn't able to enjoy it," I tell him with a disappointed shrug.

"Wanna borrow my board?" he asks after a pause.

"What makes you think there's gonna be another?" I ask as I see one forming on the distance. He doesn't answer,  just holds his board out to me, as if sensing the wave himself. "Love to, but I'm afraid I only surf with my board," I tell him. He shrugs as we keep walking.

"So, you left in a hurry. Something happen?" he asks.

"Uh..." I paused, debating whether to tell him about the guy who tried to drown me. "I uh, just realized how late it was. My grandparents are real morning people and I have to be back before they wake up," I tell him and he nods.

"Your grandparents? What happened to your parents, if you don't mind my asking?" he asks.

"Um, well... That's kinda sensitive, but if I knew, I'd tell you," I say.

"You don't know?"

"Nope. My grandparents won't tell me and they're the only ones who know," I say. After a few minutes of walking in comfortable silence, we come to the beach house. "Welp. Here we are," I sigh, putting my hands in my pockets.

"You don't seem too happy about it," Hayden says.

"Well, I guess I'm just more of a night owl than some realize," I say as I sit on the sand and look out over the ocean.

"I feel ya," he grunts as he sits next to me.

"That's a first. So tell me about your parents," I say.

"Well, my dad is...how you say an important person to my...neighborhood," he says uncertainly. 

"So...like, mayor?" I ask.

"Uh, sure let's call it that," he says. I turn my head to look at him.

"I wasn't gonna ask, but do you ever take that mask off?" I ask.

"Yes," he answers.

"...Can you take it off now?"

"I'd really rather not," he says.

"How come?" I ask.

"Because, I'm worried that if you see my face, you might see me differently than you do now," he says.

"A good kind to different, or bad?" I ask.

"Well," he sighs, "Truth be told, I know why you left the beach in such a rush. The real reason."

"You do?" 

"Yeah. So, it'd be the bad kind of different," he tells me.

"Hayden, who are you?" my voice was quiet and almost on the verge of cracking.

"It's not who I am. It's what I am..." he says, not meeting my eye as he looked ahead. I moved over a few inches. 

"Are you an alien?" I asked.

"No!" he laughed, "Aliens don't exist!"

"Then what are you?" He turned his head toward me and I got a glimpse of forest green eyes through the holes of his mask. He gave me a look that willed me to understand something. Suddenly, his eye softened and realization struck me. I stood up and slowly backed away. "Do you have something against me?" I ask.

"No," he says.

"Then why would you try to drown me, twice in one day?" I ask.

"What?" his voice was filled with confusion.

"You're the guy that tipped my board back there, aren't you?"

"Oh, Thor, no! Someone tried to drown you?!" he shouts, shooting to his feet and stepping toward me.

"Uh, you know what, never mind!" I said hurriedly and ran inside before locking the door.

One hour later

I snapped my notebook closed as my bedroom door opened to show Nana standing in the doorway. "Breakfast?" she asked.

"Not hungry," I say after a pause, with a shake of my head, before opening my notebook back up.

"Whatcha doin'?" she asks as she walks toward me.

"Oh, just writing about something that happened last night," I say as I jotted my memories down.

"Did you have fun?" she asks.

"It's not that kind of something," I tell her.

"I mean the surfing," she says before I look at her.

"I can't really say I did," I say and she rubs my knee.

"Since when do you not have fun when it comes to surfing?" she asks. I paused before turning my notebook toward her. Her eyes widen upon reading it. "Are you alright?" she asks, patting my arm.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Wondering what would have happened, but fine," I say.

"What do you mean wondering what would have happened?"

"He blew air into my lungs; as if he was planning to keep me alive. When he was pulling me deeper...it was like he wanted to show me or make me realize something. And then, after the competition, when I was doing my cool-down surf, there was a toothless black shark, and it didn't attack me! Almost as if it was trying to tell me that it was harmless, or something!" I held my head as my thoughts raced.

"Why don't you go for a few waves and get to work in the shop? Get your mind off this. It was an illusion, nothing more, okay?" she says and I nod before she leaves me to get dressed. Once I'm in my swimsuit, I go to my window to see Heather and Snotlout waiting outside. I go out and Heather hands me my board before we run to the ocean. When we're out far enough, I sit on my board as Snotlout and Heather go after the same wave. I was too busy watching the water around me. Was I always gonna be this cautious? Too nervous to focus on my love?