His Game

Chapter 22: Jack

Elsa smiles bashfully. "Actually, it was my idea."

"In the woods, Jack? Really?" Hiccup cries.

"You seemed fine about it on the phone," I tell him, smirking.

"That was before I had to march through weeds and stinging nettle, idiot." He snaps. I grin at him.

Astrid opens a black leather bag and pulls out a piercing gun and a small case full of earrings. "Which one do you want, girlfriend?"

Elsa says, "Probably the smallest size. Plain."

"Darn, I was hoping you would go for the skulls or maybe gauges." Astrid says, "Well, since your going for just the white diamonds - fake, obviously - maybe you should get two normal piercings, in your earlobe, and one in the cartilage?"

Elsa looks doubtful. "I do want to stand up to P-- to my dad, but I don't want to go too overboard."

"Do it." Hiccup says, "You and your boyfriend can be matching." He tugs playfully on one of the rings in my upper ear.

Elsa and I both blush. Even though Hiccup's statement was meant as a joke, he has no idea how real it is. 

"Fine." Elsa sighs, "Just do it quickly."

Astrid takes a purple sharpie and makes three dots on Elsa's ears, where the earrings will go.

"Okay, it doesn't hurt. Like, at all." Astrid says. "Here goes."

"Ear  goes." Hiccup snickers.

"Shut up, Hiccup."

Ka-Chunk!

Elsa's eyes go wide. "That was weird."

"Two more."

Ka-Chunk!

Elsa smiles at me. I give her a thumbs up. "How about we dye your hair next time?"

"Not a chance."

"Okay, both ears are pierced, time for the cartilage-" Astrid says.

Ka-Chunk!

"Goodness." Elsa giggles uncertainly. "No going back now."

"Here is some disinfectant to keep them clean, just wash them out twice a day for the first six months. Don't take them out, or the holes will fill back in. You can these for free- " Astrid gives her the skull earrings and a black stud. " -For when six months are up. Ta-Daa!"

Elsa pockets the earrings and beams.

Then her face goes white as milk.

"Papa won't be able to handle this. It's gonna kill him. I'm supposed to be perfect. I can barely manage to hide my ice skating, and if he sees these, what else will come out? He'll kill me." She murmurs. "If I take them out, will the holes will in right away?"

"In three days, yes, but there's a big chance of infection if you do that." Astrid says.

"Don't worry about it. Papa Bear will get used to it." Hiccup shrugs.

"You'll be fine, Elsa." I tell her. "Chances are he won't even notice right away. Besides, you're sixteen! He needs to let loose a little. Give you some breathing room."

"But-"

"Listen, people are gonna try to control you your whole life. They judge your friends, your music, your lifestyle, your piercings, everything. They try to be in charge and take things from you that you never knew you had. Don't let that happen. You'll be fine, you're gonna walk in there, and you're gonna kick some ass." I say firmly.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Let's go show Agnarr what we did." I say, then whisper, "And, while we're at it, let's tell him about us."

Elsa's lips graze my ear. "Good idea." She breathes.

"Awww, lovebirds!" Astrid taunts.

"Oh, as if you guys aren't dating. This is probably the first time Hiccup's been able to talk to you without peeing himself." Elsa fires back.

Hiccup goes red, but Astrid shrugs. "True that. How about it, Hic? Wanna be my boyfriend?"

Hic looks frantic. "I thought the guy was supposed to ask."

"Well?"

"Uh, yes. Yes. Definitely. Okay, I'm gonna go jump off a cliff now-"

"Shut up." Astrid kisses him.

Elsa grins at me. "Look what I did. I made them a thing. I made a thing."

I laugh, because that is probably the funniest thing she has ever said. "Let's go."