"Do I have to?" Astrid groaned as Hiccup pulled up to the Haddock house.
"Astrid, we've been over this a dozen times." Hiccup sighed. "Ethan said bed rest today and if you're feeling better tomorrow, you can return to your normal activities."
"I feel fine, now!" Astrid scowled.
"Good." Hiccup smiled. "But, you're still on bed rest."
"Fine!" She huffed, folding her arms and pouting adorably.
***
The rays of the morning sun shined through the window, waking most of the group from their sleep.
"Astrid?" Hiccup gently shook her by the shoulder.
"What?!" She shot up from the sofa, ready to attack.
"Hiccup, I have one rule!" Astrid chuckled sleepily.
"Never wake a sleeping Hofferson. I know. But, we're gonna be late for class, and I made pancakes, so you might wanna get some before-"
Astrid stopped listening at 'pancakes' and darted into the kitchen.
"I take it you're feeling better?" Heather chuckled as her roommate devoured her second pancake.
"Mmmhmm." Was her response.
***
"Okay, Class." Their art teacher greeted. "I hear you guys have had a pretty stressful weekend, so I'm gonna give you guys until next week to finish your homework assignment, okay?" He explained. "Today, I'm gonna keep it simple. I want you to paint the first thing that comes to mind. Anything you want. If you have something to say, I wanna see it. This is your chance to show your true potential."
The teens quickly got to work. All except one. Astrid was taking her time. She just didn't know what she wanted to paint.
After a few minutes, her brush finally met the canvas in front of her.
"How it going?" Hiccup asked.
"It's not." Astrid pouted at the scribbles of paint she had created.
"Why? What's the matter?" He wondered.
"Nothing. I guess I just...don't have anything to say." She shrugged.
"Astrid, you always have something to say," Heather stated from across the room.
"Apparently not." She gestured to her work.
Zac came over to check on her work, a few splotches of red and blue, with just a mess of color filling the spaces.
"Well, it's certainly different than your usual work." Zac examined the piece. "But, just because you're having an off day, doesn't necessarily mean you're losing your voice. So to speak."
"What are you talking about?" Astrid wondered. "It's a mess."
"I want you to paint me another picture. This time, I want you to paint a house, the house you grew up in. It can be from any angle you like, any room, even the garden. Okay?" Zac handed her a blank canvas and headed back to his desk to examine her first piece more closely.
***
"Okay, let's see what we've got." The art teacher made his way over to the blonde to check her latest masterpiece.
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"Interesting."
"What's interesting?" Astrid wondered.
"It seems very specific for someone who has nothing to say. Don't you think?" Zac explained.
"What do you mean?"
"Heather come over here for me a moment," Zac called the raven-haired teen over. "We have a painting of a house, yes. But, we're looking for specifics?"
"It's night." Heather pointed out.
"So?" Astrid thought.
"Why did you paint it at night?" Zac asked.
"I don't know." Astrid shrugged. "The last time I saw it, was night."
"Anything else Heather?" Zac gestured.
"There's a light on."
"Care to explain that?"
"It's just a light," Astrid explained. "Sometimes a light is just a light."
"But it's your light." Hiccup reminded. "Your light was always on."
"Why's that?" Zac wondered.
"I thought you were an art teacher, not a therapist." Astrid rolled her eyes. Zac glared at the blonde teen. She let out a sigh. "I like being able to see what's going on around me."
"Wait? Are you saying that the fearless Astrid Hofferson is afraid of the dark?!" Snotlout snorted.
"Darkness is all you're gonna see in a minute!" Astrid jumped out of her seat. Hiccup wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her into a bear hug.
"Astrid, relax." He spoke softly. "No stress remember." He reminded her of her doctor's orders.
"Then keep Jorgenson away from me!" She scowled as she sat back down.
"Is there anything else you notice Heather?" Mr. Chase wondered.
"I'm not sure." She studied the canvas intently. "It sorta looks like it could have been raining, those little dark patches on the ground look like puddles."
"That does sound very specific. But, I do have one more question." Zac pulled up a stool and sat beside the blonde teen. "Astrid, why is the door closed?" He whispered.
Astrid let out a sigh.
"The door's always closed."
"See." He gestured.
"I don't get what you're trying to prove," Astrid stated with a look of sheer confusion across her face.
Zac went to retrieve her first painting of the day from his desk and placed it in front of her.
"Take a look."
"At what? It's just a bunch of scribbles." Astrid thought.
"That's what I thought too." Zac agreed. "But if we flip it over, and back up a few paces." He flipped the canvas upside down. He and Astrid both scooted their stools back, while Hiccup and Heather took three steps back, to finally see an abstract image hidden by the mess of swirls.
"That's us." Hiccup gazed in awe.
"It appears so." Zac agreed. Astrid could do nothing but stare. Mr. Chase pointed to the very center of the canvas. "And that must be the little one that Justin mentioned on the phone. With what appears to be, Dragons?"
"It's Toothless and Stormfly." Hiccup explained. "It's a long story."
"How could I paint something like that without even knowing it?" Astrid asked.
"Abstract art is usually a sign of confusion and self-conflict. You clearly had something to say, but didn't know how to say it." Zac told her. "You haven't lost your voice, Astrid... You're screaming."
