The next day I sit down at my dressing table and start getting ready to go out with Casey. It's almost midday and Mum and Mitchell have gone to the supermarket to do a mega-shop as there's hardly any food in the house. Everything around me is still the same as to when I left it. Everything except for me.
As hiccup's song plays in the background, I look at my reflection in the dressing-table mirror. On the surface I'm the same person. The same sprinkling of freckles on my nose and the same blonde hair. But how I see myself is totally different. It's a bit like when you watch a movie with a killer twist at the end and you discover that the goodie is actually the baddie.
But in this case, the twist is that I've discovered that I'm not embarrassing and ugly after all. I've discovered that the things I thought were ugly actually make me look like me. I don't need to conceal my freckles with a layer of foundation anymore. I don't need to tie my hair back to hide its blondeness. I can leave it down and show it off.
Seeing myself through Hiccup's eyes has helped me to see the truth. I look at the photo of Hiccup pinned to the top of my mirror. I printed it out as soon as I woke up this morning so that I'm still able to see him whenever I want. "Thank you," I whisper to his smiling face.
I was just about to brush my hair when I hear the doorbell ring downstairs. Casey's not supposed to be calling till one. I feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe she's come round early to apologise and we can go back to being regular best friends.
I run downstairs and open the door. Snotlout.
"Snotlout!"
"Hi Astrid," he shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot and runs his hand through his tousled dark hair. "I hope you don't mind me coming round like this."
"Oh." I stare at him for a moment, not having a clue what to say. Why is he here, in my house? He looks so awkward and embarrassed too, like he isn't sure why he's here either. "Come up to my room".
We go into my room and I sit on my bed. I gesture to the armchair. Snotlout comes in and stands by the chair. He really does look embarrassed. He's holding a flat package wrapped in Christmas paper. He sees me looking at it and holds it out. "I - er - I got you a gift."
"Really?" I'm barely able to conceal my shock. I take the present from him and put it on the bed. "Sit down - if you want?"
Snotlout sits down.
"You look really different," he says, "really great. Not that you didn't look great before of course."
Ok what is happening here? Then I get a horrible sick feeling. Has Holly sent him here? Is this all part of some elaborate trick?
"Look, I- the reason I-I wanted to see you before we go back to school is to say that - that I like you Astrid."
I became aware that my mouth is now actually hanging open in shock.
Snotlout looks up at my dresser. "Please don't tell me you have a crush on him too," he says, nodding towards the picture of Hiccup.
"What?"
"Hiccup Haddock. Holly won't stop going on about him and all that. I keep telling her he's madly in love with another singer called Heather I think?"
Just like the moment before the car crash, everything starts happening in a weird slow motion. I hold on to my bed to steady myself.
"What did you say?"
Snotlout looks at the picture again.
"The singer Hiccup Haddock. Have you got a crush on him too?"
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OOOH PLOT TWIST!
Sorry guys I had to. If not the story would've finished wayyyy to early again.
And sorry I haven't been posting lately, I've been caught up with all the studying and homework I barely have any time to read any hiccstrid 😭😭 and when I do have time, it's like at 1 am and I have to go to sleep. So I apologise.
Until next time,
PEACE ✌️