Lie After Lie

Chapter 26

"Clementine is my step-mother, who hates me so so much. And she forced me to... kill hiccup. It's his life or mine." I sigh as they all gasp. I had lied to them again, and they just looked at me like I was a monster. 

"Hiccup is going to die?" Snotlout asked, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"I-" I hesitated. "I'm sorry I never said this before. I'm so sorry. I-" I say as they all stay quiet. "I swear- I can explain this! I-" 

"No!" Tuff stands up, yelling as I shut up. "How many times have you lied to us, asta? How many times? I don't even know who you are! You're not a dragon rider, we talk to each other and don't ruin things. It's not my problem that you aren't trustful and how badly you want to hurt us." I stare at him, shocked. I ruined everything. "We shouldn't have ever even thought about 'saving' you from viggo, or where you planning your next attack at us?" I gulped. 

"I can explain.." I sigh. "I know what I did-" 

"Then you would also know what you have caused!" Ruffnut also stands up. 

Snotlout stands up next to her. "We're not stupid, asta. We know you're going to have to kill hiccup, but he's one of us. And we don't do that to each other. And there were so many secrets we should have known about you. You're not a dragon rider, you're not us." 

"What about all the times we defeated villains?" I asked, blinking back tears. "I just want to give you answers to your questions." I felt my whole body crumble to pieces. "Look I know how messed up everything is with how I should have said this... everything." I stood up with them. 

"We don't want this, we don't want to keep on getting hurt because of you. You have backstabbed us so many times, how can we trust you? The answer is that we won't. We can't trust you and I won't make that mistake again." Snotlout crossed his arms. I let out a long, shaky breath, one I didn't know I was holding. "If you won't go, we will. I expect you to be gone in the morning. You can hitch a ride on one of the wild animals here—how about a gronckle? I'm sure it'll be a perfect match: slow, clumsy, and just as out of place as you. I hope you have a nice flight back to your island."

"You don't understand..." I mumbled at them. They all turn around as astrid stands up, watching everyone turn their backs to me. Astrid looks at me. "Please, just listen to me." I plead. "I will be gone in the morning, just hear what I need to say." I say as hiccup breathes in and out again, and turns around to me.

"What is it?" He asks as they all look at me. I gulp. 

"I never wanted to ruin your lives. I never meant for any of this to happen. But I was forced into it, you don't understand. My stepmother... she married my mother when I was only two." I swallow hard, seeing Hiccup cross his arms and narrow his eyes at me. "I don't like Viggo. I don't like Ryker. And I can't stand Clementine. She's hated me from the start, but my dad—he was always too blind to see it. To him, she's perfect, a genius. To me, she's nothing but cruel. We're not the same person. Clementine wants me to kill you, Hiccup. But that's not what I'll do. I don't think she'd ever have the guts to kill her husband's daughter. But I can't underestimate her. She's manipulative. A mastermind, but in the worst way. I'm sorry. I know that doesn't make anything right. But... I. Am. Sorry. I just need you to know that, whether you accept my apology or not."

"I didn't know that..." Hiccup says, shocked. 

"Ever since I was left in the island, they have tortured me in lots of ways," I sigh. "Hunger, they left me starving for days, they would abuse me until the whole bed was covered in blood, they would force me to hurt dragons and watch their pain, they would burn my skin with hot, boiling water, pouring on my skin if I ever tried to do anything. And they promised me that they would kill me if I tried to escape." 

"How do we even know this is true? This could be another one of your lies!" Snotlout threw his arms up in the air. 

"I have lied about other things," I say. "But please, this is the one time I really need you to trust me. I'm saying the truth! I wouldn't lie about this! You know when that guy nearly killed me when I came back the other time?!" They all nod. "Well it was Viggo's and Ryker's orders to nearly kill me!" 

"I trust you." Her gentle voice comforted me. I turned to look at astrid as I let out a deep breathe. 

"If astrid trusts her, I will too." Hiccup sighs. "I just hope she's not wrong about asta, this time. For all our sakes." I let out a smile as he returns it. 

"Are you serious? We have to trust her too now." The twins say at the same time as I giggle. A single tear sheds from my eyes as I smile. I look at snotlout as he looks at me as if he were checking if I could be trusted. 

"I guess it could work." He mumbles. 

"Thank you, for everything." I smiled