A Hiccstrid story || Unlovably hers

The Guessing Game

Ally trudged through the school halls the next day, wearing a large hoodie and a pair of slightly baggy jeans. Her hood was practically covering her face, her hands tucked into her pocket. Heather could barely recognize her.

"Al? Are you okay?" The girls had a free period so were on their way to the clubhouse.

"I'm fine."

Heather was not convinced. They sat themselves in the clubhouse. Heather shuffled closer.

"Al?" She whispered, gently pulling the blonde's hood down to see her face, thin and pale, eyes were red and swollen. Alyssa refused to make eye contact. "You've been crying? Did you get ANY sleep last night?" The girl shook her head. "And when was the last time you ate anything?" Ally just tucked her knees in close.

Heather reached into her bag and pulled out a box of snacks. She always came prepared in case she didn't like the food on the school menu.

"Here." Heather placed the box in front of her.

"I'm not hungry." She fibbed.

"Ally, you're thin as a rake." Heather insisted. "You need to eat something!"

"You don't think I know that!" Ally snapped.

"Then what's the problem?!" Heather scowled.

"Look, I promise you I have been eating. Can we please just change the subject?" Ally pleaded.

"Okay." Heather sighed hesitantly. "How's Andy?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't talk to me this morning." Ally told her. "Last night was a little..."

"A little what?" Heather wondered. "What happened?"

"I had a bit of a breakdown and...he saw it." She began to explain.

"He's seen you cry before, hasn't he?"

Ally pulled her smashed-up phone from her pocket.

"Not that kind of breakdown."

"Oh." Was all heather could say.

"I left the room for two minutes and he took my phone and called Hiccup." She continued.

"He probably just misses him. They were kinda close. He must miss having another boy around." Heather mentioned.

"I know he does. But, Hiccup decided to show up, mid breakdown." She told her.

"Did you talk to him?!" Heather perked up.

"I spoke to him. For Andy's sake. But, that's it. I'm just not ready to talk to him yet." She explained. "I think Andy's just mad at me. And I don't blame him. I just wish he would talk to me."

"Ally, your brother loves you. More than anything. He wants you to be happy like you were with Hiccup. And he's a smart kid. I don't think he's mad at you. He's trying to fix it. I think he's just trying to teach you a lesson." Heather thought. "He's ignoring you like you're ignoring Hayden. He's trying to make you feel what you're putting Hiccup through. And I think it's working, isn't it?" She asked.

***

When the others made their way into the clubhouse for lunch, Ally was fast asleep in Heather's arms.

"Shh." She warned. Hayden halted in his tracks at the sheer shade of Alyssa's face.

"She's not been sleeping again, huh?" Justin wondered as he carefully sat beside his girlfriend. She gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Wow, she's looking scrawnier than Hiccup," Tyler interjected. "And that's saying something."

"Heather, have you seen her eat anything in the past two weeks?" Hayden worried, still stood where he had stopped.

"A little." She admitted. "She sorta picks at her lunch. She promised me she's been eating and I want to believe her. She's never broken a promise but..." She paused, glancing down at the skinny blonde, sleeping soundly.

"Maybe she has been eating." Justin thought. The others all stared at him blankly waiting for a deeper explanation. "What if she's bulimic?"

"Ally wouldn't do that..." Heather thought. "Would she?"

"It would explain a few things," Justin mentioned. "Her weird behavior, her drastic weight loss. Maybe that's why she's been avoiding Hiccup. She knows that he knows her well enough to figure it out and would stop her."

"I guess it adds up." Heather sighed.

***

Alyssa returned home that afternoon alone as Andy was staying at a friend's house for the night, giving Ally a break. She halted in the hall as she noticed a box outside her door. She carried it into the kitchen and set down her things before opening it. Inside was several smaller boxes. She opened the first to find it filled with her favorite snacks. The second contained bath bombs and candles and a tiny lavender-scented pillow. The third and smallest box contained a brand new phone. At this point, she knew exactly who this little care package was from. And when she moved the boxes, she found a small note confirming her suspicions.

I couldn't bare to see you in that state. I know you're not ready to talk to me, and that's okay. I'm gonna be right here when you are. But, nothing is going to stop me from caring about you. Please take care of yourself.
Hiccup x

***

Heather awoke to the buzzing of her phone.

"Ally?" She rasped out, drowsily. "It's 3am. This better be important." She grumbled.

"I..." Alyssa hesitated.

"Al?" Heather worried as she finally glanced up at the screen to see Alyssa somehow in a worse state than before. "What's wrong?"

"I...I just..." She sniffled nervously.

"Okay, okay. I'm on my way."

***

Heather arrived a few minutes later. Luckily only living a few blocks away. She let herself in, to avoid waking Andy, who , of course, wasn't there.

"Ally?" She called quietly. The blonde was nowhere to be seen. "Al?"

A small high pitched cry was heard from the bathroom. Heather raced to Alyssa's side as her head fell into her arm, which was draped across the toilet. The blonde's hand flew out to the side to grasp Heather's.

"Hey, it's okay. You're okay."

Astrid shook her head gently, to avoid making herself more lightheaded than she already was.

She started to cough lightly, prompting Heather to grab her free flowing hair and tie it up. Astrid soon started to empty her guts, though it appeared they were already as empty as could be. Heather sat beside her and began tracing gentle circles on her back.

***