PenPals

PenPals - Chapter Two

PenPals -Chapter Two

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Hiccup's POV

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The first day of school had finally arrived. Hiccup shoved his hands in his coat pockets, head down as he stopped at the corner of the street for a truck to pass by. As the cloud of exhaust cleared, Hiccup sauntered across the road, his metallic foot scratching across the pavement with every other step. He reached the other sidewalk and only glanced down for a moment to make sure he didn't bump into the curb again. Stepping onto the sidewalk safely, he looked up with a grin. He started walking straight ahead, on a direct path for the old, square building only another block away.

Despite the lack of sun that morning, Hiccup was certain it was going to be a bright day. Today was the first day of his third year of secondary school, after all, and that meant he only had to stay in the dark, desolate, dreary village of Berk another year and a half until he was home-free. He had already set up a calendar at home to count down the exact number of days. There were only 354 left after today, if he remembered correctly…

Another stop at a street corner, a quick check to make sure no one was coming, and he crossed the road.

"Hey, Hiccup!" He heard someone shout from ahead, and he looked up to see his blonde-haired best friend walking down the sidewalk from the opposite direction. He grinned, but just as he pulled his hand out of his pocket to wave back, his prosthetic caught on the curb, and he flew forward, smacking right onto the cement ground below.

He grunted, pushing himself up enough to sit on his knees. He glanced back as he heard a roar of laughter from behind.

"Watch it, Hiccup!" Snotlout jeered, crossing the same street with ease and walking right past him. "Don't wanna lose your other leg, do you?"

He eyed the twins as they snorted and snickered, following behind Snotlout as he passed him.

Hiccup merely rolled his eyes as Astrid rushed to his side, offering a hand to help him up. Hiccup grimaced and stumbled to his feet, limping down the sidewalk enough to place a hand on the wall and straighten himself back out. He stared down at the metal prosthetic, mumbling,

"You lose one foot, and you never hear the end of it…"

Astrid shrugged, standing next to him.

"Forget about them," she told him. "He doesn't know how hardcore you really are."

Hiccup cracked a smile at that.

"Oh, is that what I am?" he smirked.

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The two walked from the frigid cold into the warm school building, the florescent lights flickering overhead as they made their way down the hall and into the first room on the right.

Astrid leaned over, flicking on the lights, and the classroom lit up. She grinned until she looked back at Hiccup, finally seeing him in the light.

"Whoa," she exclaimed, "you look like crap."

Hiccup gave her a playful glare.

"Why, thank you, Astrid," he replied, his every word laced in his typical sarcasm. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear this morning."

She shrugged in response, and pulled off her coat. The two of them walked to the back of the classroom, finding their old cubbies to put away their stuff. As Hiccup took off his coat, the twins and Snotlout walked into the room, as well, still laughing.