PenPals

PenPals - Chapter Nine

Penpals - Chapter Nine

--Jack's POV

--

“Ughhh,” Jack groaned into his hands, slouching back into the uncomfortable chair in the computer lab. He’d been re-reading Hiccup’s most recent e-mail for the past half-hour, but he still couldn’t think of anything to say back to him. Should he say thank you for the compliments? Should he try to think of a way to compliment him back? But what would he compliment him about? He didn’t know what Hiccup even looked like… Maybe he could look around on Google to see if there was a photo of him somewhere? Would it be creepy if he did that?

He let his hands slide off his face and smack against the keyboard.

Of course it would be creepy. Who would do that? Not a friend...well, at least, he didn’t think so. There had to be something he could say...

“Having trouble, Jack?”

He looked up as Tooth stepped around him, looking concerned.

“I just can’t figure out what to say back to Hiccup,” he told her honestly.

Tooth pulled out the chair from the computer desk next to him and took a seat.

“I thought you two were doing well?” she questioned, still seeming concerned.

Jack frowned in return.

“Wha--we ARE!” Jack cringed as his voice cracked, and he turned back to the screen in front of him. “I’m just stuck right now.”

He sighed. Yes, he and Hiccup were ‘doing well’ in terms of being pen pals that actually wrote to each other like they were supposed to, but there still hadn’t been a breakthrough between them. Tooth had gone on and on about how Jack was going to make great friends with his pen pal, and yet...it’d been weeks now, and they’d only finally stopped talking about stupid, boring, mundane garbage and started getting to know each other. Jack needed more, and preferably soon. He needed Hiccup to like him back. As a friend. Because he needed friends. Yeah.

Tooth leaned over and took a peek at the screen, saying,

“Why don’t you let me take a look at it?”

Jack sat back and pushed the screen away from her view. She sat up and eyed him with suspicion.

“What?” she asked.

He glanced over at the screen and then back at her quickly, replying,

“Uhh, it’s nothing!”

He continued to hold the computer monitor as Tooth’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him. Did she know about the whole ‘Hiccup writing in English’ thing? Would she tell on him? Who would she tell, anyway? Isn’t she the one in charge of this project? What would she do if she found out?

He swallowed. Suddenly, not knowing seemed even more terrifying than the question.

She flashed a quick smile before reaching over to pull the screen back.

“Jack, just let me see--”

“NO!” Jack shouted, pulling it away even further, turning it around and nearly pushing it off the desk. Tooth sat up straight, surprised by his sudden outburst.

Jack gulped, trying to keep the monitor--and himself--from falling as he continued,

“I can handle it, Tooth. Really. It’s fine.”

Tooth pulled her hands back into her lap, giving Jack a look he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen before.

“...okay,” she finally replied, standing up slowly.