FIVE.
Walking into the School Hallway the next morning, Astrid was still on alert, expecting things to return to how they had been previously. But as she walked in, dropped off once more by Finn, though round the corner at Astrid's request she saw Heather look up and smile-and then Atali and Mindy nod as well. Ruff gave a wave and feeling slightly less apprehensive, Astrid walked to join the group.
"Morning, Asti," Heather grinned and saw her friend smile back. "How's Mom?" The blonde gave a relieved sigh.
"Improving," she admitted. "She may be able to come out of the ICU tomorrow if she carries on like this." Heather hugged her.
"I am so happy for you," she said genuinely as the others nodded.
"So are we," Atali added. "That is good news!" Ruff winked.
"Did everyone manage that Health homework?" she asked as Mindy rolled her eyes.
"Raquel Thorston-you are going to have to do your own homework this time!" she said tartly. Ruff turned her eyes on Astrid.
"Awww...Astrid? Please?" she whined but the other girl rolled her eyes.
"Nope," she said briskly. The female twin whined again.
"So mean..." she protested as Astrid scowled.
"Not really," she reminded the other girl. "The purpose of homework is for you to consolidate the learning you have acquired in the lesson. My doing the work for you would obviate that purpose. Do your own homework and learn the things you're supposed to."
"Harsh," Ruff huffed, eyeing Astrid suspiciously.
"Not really," the girl said firmly. "I'm not helping you cheat." The others shared a look and then Heather nodded.
"You're absolutely right," she said, casting Ruff a stern look. "You need to remember that, Ruff."
"And now it's 'get at Ruff' day," the girl moaned."Okay-I'll do the stupid homework. Loki! It's just a short explanation of the importance and application of vaccination in modern healthcare..." Everyone stared at her.
"And you didn't do it last night?" Mindy asked her dryly. Ruff shrugged, grabbing her braids and tugging.
"I was helping Tuff with something," she shrugged. "Took up most of my evening." Atali smirked.
"That was your mistake-helping that idiot with anything," she commented and suddenly, Ruff straightened up, her grey-blue eyes narrowing and expression twisting into anger.
"Listen here, you spoilt brat," she hissed. "Remember what happens when you diss my brother? Hmm?" Atali's clear green eyes widened and the red-haired girl backed up a pace, her composure suddenly lost. Her mouth worked soundlessly.
"And...we're all friends, aren't we?" Heather suggested, smiling and patting Ruff on the shoulder. There was an awkward pause as Atali rolled her eyes.
"Of course," she said tightly. "Sorry, Ruff. He's your brother, your business. Okay?" Taking a heavy breath, Ruff gave a small nod.
"Accepted," she said and then gave a huge grin. "Friends?" There was a collective sigh of relief as everyone pretended the last minute hadn't happened. As they headed off for their classes, Astrid leaned close to Heather so no one else could hear.
"What was that?" she asked as the girl sighed.
"Ruff has a twin brother, Tyler," she explained. Astrid nodded.
"AKA Tuffnut," she added. "I know." Then she frowned. "They don't get on?" Frowning, Heather flicked her braid off her shoulder.
"Actually, they do," she explained as they rounded the corner and headed along D corridor towards English, the more junior students swirling around the Seniors like a human tide. "Ruff is incredibly fond of her brother and will do anything for him. They've always been together...but when Atali became Queen Bee, Ruff was given the chance to join the Popular girls." Breathing hard to suppress her instinctive reaction to the tale that occurred because Astrid had lost her Dad, the blonde nodded.
"And she took it, I guess," she murmured. Heather nodded.
"Without hesitation," she explained. "I mean, the twins had done everything together until then-they were literally inseparable-so we were all astonished when Ruff joined us and left Tyler behind."
"So why did she?" Astrid asked thoughtfully. They walked along in silence for a few yards.
"It was the right time," Heather began slowly. "They were growing up and they both wanted something that was theirs alone, rather than shared. I mean, they are different genders so they would have some differences, at least! And from what Ruff said, Tuff gave her his blessing. He wanted her to be happy so she could make the friends she wanted, without feeling she had to stay at his side."
"Wow."
"Yeah," Heather sighed. "And Ruff loves him dearly for it. I mean, who wouldn't? So she won't hear a word against him-even when the girls are being bitchy, they normally remember not to speak against Tuff. Mindy forgot once and Ruff kicked her ass! And angry Ruff is completely without boundaries-and will probably dye your hair fluorescent green, blow up your car and melt your homework before you even get a chance to apologise..." Eyebrows shooting up, Astrid shook her head.
"Note to self-never say anything against Tuff," the blonde commented dryly. Heather slipped her arm through Astrid's and her smile was genuine.
"I'm so glad to have you back," she said, nudging Astrid. "You were my bestie until we got here..." And Astrid stiffened but forced herself to carry on walking.
"Yeah," she said, not trusting herself to follow through on her words. "If the others are so bitchy about Ruff's brother-who she can't avoid since he lives in the same house-how did you cope?" She stopped. "Did they know?" Heather chewed her lip and nodded.
"They knew," she admitted, "and there were some bitchy comments, especially in the beginning." She paused again. "And I kind of joined in...because I was shallow and cowardly. But I was determined to still be your friend...so I kept on in secret. And not as well as I should have-and I wasn't as supportive as you deserved. But they knew-and they knew I had to do it." Her green eyes were shadowed. "I'm sorry, Ast. I should have been a better friend." The blonde squeezed her hand and smiled.
"So as long as they don't know about it, you can be friends with unpopular people," she murmured. Heather chuckled.
"Maybe-but I wouldn't try it this soon after being welcomed back into the fold," she murmured as they arrived in the English classroom. Swiftly, they settled towards the back and by the window, saving seats as Ruff, Atali and Mindy swung in. The jocks were occupying the far side of the back row and hunkered down in his usual seat was Hiccup, his head down and a scarf wound tightly around his neck. Snotlout leaned over towards Astrid and grinned.
"Hey, Hoff-looking good," he said pointedly. Astrid rolled her eyes.
"Good morning, Snotlout," she said brightly. "Why are you looking so cheerful?" The black-haired jock gave a smug smile, his pale blue eyes glittering.
"We did what you asked," he said clearly. "We put the person who came up with the idea of putting you in a dumpster...in a dumpster." Astrid smiled sweetly.
"And did you enjoy it?" she asked pointedly. Snotlout shrugged.
"Not me, man," he said smugly as Thuggory chuckled unkindly.
"Yeah-why would you think that fathead would ever come up with any sort of original idea?" he scoffed as Snotlout scowled at him.
"Hey-I came up with the answer to this one!" he protested.
"You did?" Thuggory sneered. "Eret and I..."
"Ahem...much as I hate to interrupt your vital discussion, I would prefer you paid attention to the poems of Keats," Mr Throk announced sharply and the boys turned round abruptly, shutting up as the teacher swept his cool light hazel gave over the class. "Now I hope you all have your homework assignments ready to hand in..." There was a pause and a movement behind them. "Yes, Mister Haddock?"
Everyone turned to look at the often-disregarded shape of Hiccup and saw him hunched in his seat, looking exhausted and wrapped in his scarf. He gave a hacking cough and sniffed.
"Sorry, Mr Throk," he rapsed, his voice hoarse. "Something happened last night and I wasn't able to finish mine." He coughed again and then sneezed. Astrid frowned and her gaze slid treacherously over towards the smug Snotlout. The teacher frowned and inspected the lean auburn shape, obviously unwell and struggling and he nodded.
"You have never handed in a piece of work late before, Hiccup," he said thoughtfully. "And your diligence is recognised by all the other staff. I am prepared to give you another day to finish your assignment-but I will deduct ten percent from your mark for tardiness." Feverish emerald eyes flicking up, the young man nodded in resignation.
"Thank you, Mr Throk," he coughed, covering his mouth. "I am very grateful."
But his tone struck Astrid as never before: she knew Hiccup was as dedicated to his grades as she was to hers and she knew she would be devastated if she was marked down for something that wasn't her fault. And she imagined her look would be exactly the one that Hiccup was trying to conceal now. She could see the jocks sniggering and with a sinking feeling in her middle, she realised what must have happened.
Fury boiling in her chest, she turned back to her work and worked her ire out on the innocent words of Keats before she heard the bell ring. The noises of the class were intermittently disrupted by Hiccup's horrible hacking cough and as the class ended, she walked up and handed in her critique, then glanced back at the lean shape as Hiccup achingly levered himself up. She glanced over at the jocks and paused with her bag as she exited the class.
"Which one of you went into the dumpster?" she demanded as they all shared a glance.
"Hiccup," Dagur explained quietly. "He was the one who first floated the idea of the prank." She stared at him.
"But he didn't have any part in doing it, did he?" she asked. Snotlout shrugged.
"Hey Babe-chill!" he urged her. "We only did what you asked..." They all paused as Hiccup limped by, coughing quietly. His breaths were rasping and harsh and the girl glared at the boys as he slowly vanished round the corner. Then she snorted and wheeled away, heading after the girls. Snotlout gave a puzzled shrug and looked over at the others.
"Girls!" he said.
oOo
Last period was Study and Astrid headed for the Library. As a pariah, she had always chosen to do her assignments in the Library rather than in the Study Hall where she could still feel the eyes on her and hear the comments and she knew that she wasn't the only one who felt the same. So she quietly walked through the stacks until she heard coughing-and pausing to steel herself, she headed determinedly round the corner. As expected, Hiccup was sitting at a small table in the furthest corner of the Library, his books spread out in front of him, his English text book open on top of the pile. As she stopped, his emerald eyes flicked up to inspect her face and he sighed.
"Mind if I sit here?" she asked him and he sighed.
"It's a free Library," he admitted, his rasping voice rough. She nodded and sat opposite him, inspecting him. He frowned.
"Have a grown a second head?" he asked hoarsely and she shook her head.
"Are you okay?" she asked him and he sighed.
"Where has this come from?" he asked in a resigned voice.
"Look, I never dreamed they would target you," she said urgently, "I never ever wanted anything to happen to you." He coughed and for a long moment, struggled to breathe. Then he looked up.
"Well, you did ask for the person who came up with the idea to put you in a dumpster to be put in a dumpster," he commented sarcastically. Her eyes widened.
"But I thought Snot or Eret..." she replied, her voice shocked. He shrugged.
"I may have mentioned it as a throwaway remark and then those muttonheads decided to go ahead with it-even though I told them it was a really awful idea..." Hiccup sighed, coughing again. She shook her head.
"I-I can't believe that you of all people..." she began angrily but he sighed, realising he had blown his one tiny chance.
"Certified asshole, remember?" he rasped, then struggled through another coughing fit. He kept his head down because he didn't want to watch her get up and leave-because he knew that she had clung onto her anger about the dumpster incident for years. But as she looked at him, clearly ill and genuinely apologetic and she found her compassion damped down her anger.
"What happened?" she asked gently, pulling a bottle of water from her bag and handing it to him. Gratefully, he sipped the water and looked at her.
"If I give this back, you'll probably get the same," he admitted and she smiled. "Or worse. Double bubonic plague at least..."
"Keep it!" she said hurriedly. He nodded, smothering another cough.
"Thanks," he said in relief and sipped the water once more. "Snot, Eret and Thug grabbed me as I was leaving school yesterday and threw me into a dumpster. And then they locked it so I couldn't get out." Her blue eyes widened in shock and then narrowed with anger.
"I never asked for that," she muttered. "I just wanted them to get in and realise how horrible it was. I knew they would get straight out again but I just hoped they would realise what they had done to another innocent person. Instead..." She shook herself. "They locked it?" He nodded.
"I couldn't get out, yelled until I was hoarse and was freezing," he admitted. "If my phone had less than the 3% it had, I couldn't have got hold of Tuff and I would probably have died in the trash." His head dropped. "All I deserve, I guess..."
"NO!" Her voice was sharper than she had intended and instinctively, she grasped his hand and squeezed. His skin was hot and she reckoned he had quite a high fever but he managed a goofy smile.
"I think the general consensus would disagree with you," he rasped. "I mean, since I lost my leg, I seem to have lost everything else. My friends, my original career plans, my value to anyone..." He shrugged.
"You have friends," she reminded him and he sighed.
"Yeah," he admitted. "Don't get me wrong-they're loyal and great fun...but they weren't the friends I had..."
"At least they were friends," she pointed out reasonably. He coughed again and sighed.
"Yeah," he mumbled. "And I'm sorry as well. I mean...you didn't deserve any of it. Your friends should've been there when you needed them-and they weren't. I didn't make it easier...but the truth is, I was stupid. And I really admired how brave and determined you were, no matter how people sneered." She sighed.
"I would rather have had friends," she admitted and he nodded.
"I mean, the guys are good," he admitted. "Just a bit crazy..."
"I always think of you as the Three Musketeers," she told him with a smirk. His eyes widened and he coughed painfully and then smiled.
"Oh. Oh! You wound me!" he rasped dramatically. "Which one am I?" She tried not to smile and pressed a finger to her lips as she thought.
"Well, Fishlegs is obviously Porthos," she told him.
"Low hanging fruit," he replied, though he was smiling. "He really is very smart and kind as well..."
"Dumas never said Porthos wasn't smart," Astrid pointed out. "Just..." And she gestured to her middle. Hiccup snorted with laughter.
"And Tuff?" he asked. She pursed her lips.
"Aramis," she said decidedly.
"Tuff as the would-be priest and later traitor?" he asked her. "I mean, I know Tuff is an unusual guy but I don't think he'd ever be a traitor..." She chuckled.
"I always found Aramis as the more unsatisfactory musketeer," she pointed out. "And anyway, Tuff would have to be Aramis because you are definitely Athos."
Oh! Low blow!" Hiccup chuckled. "So you think all this one-legged auburn fishboneness bears a resemblance to the shamed Compte de la Fere and former husband of the treacherous spy, Milady De Winter?" Her eyes widened.
"You are definitely suited to be the broody, dark secret and mysterious past kind of guy," she told him with a smile.
"Well, I do have a secret and very fluffy dog and I lost my leg in a house fire but...not sure that matches to finding your wife is a convicted traitor and having to execute her," he replied, coughing a couple of times during the playful sentence.
"And wow. You really know your musketeers," she noted in admiration and he chuckled again, bending forward as a hacking cough wracked him.
"Not much use if I didn't," he wheezed. "Dad loved the tale and read it to me as a kid. And I've read it several times since." She smiled.
"It was my Dad's favourite as well," she told him, the soft inflection in her voice reminding him that she was still mourning his loss. He took a quick sip of water.
"You know...I should have said it before but I am sorry," he said, the words tumbling out in his hurry. "I lost Mom when I was small-well, she left us. Bailed. And Dad is away most of the time so I can really sympathise...um...yeah..."
She squeezed his hand and he felt his heart flutter.
"Thanks," she said and stared into his eyes. The emerald depths were kind and hopeful and she felt a flicker of something in her own chest. Instantly, she felt her cheeks heat and she squeezed his hand once more. "You know you're an okay guy, Hiccup?"
"Nope-still an asshole," he told her candidly. "Trying to be better but I am sarcastic and snarky." Her eyebrows shot up. "And those are my good qualities..."
"You're smart and you forgave me and you have quick wits and a sense of humour," she corrected him.
"I'm auburn and one-legged," he pointed out. "A sense of humour is mandatory." She chuckled and shook her head. "And you didn't yell and storm off when you found I was the asshole who suggested the dumpster thing..."
"But you didn't take part in it...and you did find out what it was like in a dumpster," she replied and he coughed.
"Freezing and very smelly," he croaked and she frowned.
"Now I gotta find a way to make those other idiots understand that what they did isn't alright," she said. He gave a small smile.
"Shallow assholes find it very hard to cope with losing the things they value most," he rasped. Astrid clasped her hands together.
"That's going to be a challenge," she murmured, looking thoughtful. "But not impossible." Then she scrawled a number on the top of his page. "This is my cell, Hiccup. If you're not well, text me and I can collect your homework, okay?" He nodded gratefully.
"I'm sure I'll be feeling better tomorrow," he coughed. "But thanks, Astrid. That means a lot." She shrugged.
"I wasn't very nice to you when I didn't have anyone-and that wasn't how I was brought up," she explained. "I would like to make it up." He gave a smile.
"Maybe...stay?" he asked gruffly. "Would be nice to have company for once..." She nodded, giving him a brilliant smile.
"Right back at you," she replied and pulled out her books. Coughing gently, Hiccup didn't mind that his throat was on fire, that he was shivering and aching all over. Sure, he may actually be hallucinating but for now, Astrid was sitting with him, talking to him like a real person and he wouldn't have swapped it for anything in the world.