Heir and Pride

Chapter Nine

He had almost dried out by the time he arrived at the arena, though Snotlout made a point of slapping him cheerily across the back several times. He winced at each hard swat and backed away, his welts stinging.

"Can't bring yourself to be sociable, Useless?" he sneered, gripping the boy's butt hard and causing him to yip painfully.

"Get off..." Hiccup said through gritted teeth, earning himself a smack across the rear, then a harder slap across his bruised face. The blow echoed round the arena and Hiccup staggered back, his hand clutched to his cheek. His green eyes were resigned but still afraid.

"Don't you dare to order me what to do, Useless!" Snotlout hissed, his fist clenched tightly. The boy whimpered and backed away. Hiccup shook his head.

"Please, 'Lout," he pleaded. His green eyes flicked up, begging his classmates for any sort of help. Astrid met his gaze and looked uncomfortable, her grasp tightening on her axe-but she said nothing. Hiccup felt his throat tighten but another voice spoke up.

"You can mess around on yer own time!" Gobber announced dryly. "Hiccup, stand up properly: Snotlout, get out of there! This exercise is all about teamwork. All of you, get a bucket of water. You will be performing this exercise in pairs!" Wincing, Hiccup glanced up at Gobber and swallowed. He was grateful for his boss's intervention though shamed that he had needed it. And saddened that no one had stepped in to help him. But all he was thinking, right now was please not Snotlout, please not Snotlout...

"Astrid-you're with Ruffnut!" The girls nodded. "Snotlout-you are with Tuffnut." Figured: both of Hiccup's bullies together. That left..."Fishlegs, Hiccup-you're together." Hiccup gave a sigh and thanked Thor that Gobber had a heart. He had been put with the best possible option: Fishlegs who never really bullied him and awkwardly tried to avoid any involvement in Hiccup-baiting. Hiccup moved timidly towards his partner and grabbed two heavy buckets, handing one to Fishlegs.

"Hi," he murmured. Fishlegs gave him a little nod. The two had been good friends when they were younger, for both were clever and nerdy but as Hiccup's bullying had worsened and Fishlegs had hit his amazing growth spurt, the two had drifted apart. Fishlegs had gone from a skinny, uncoordinated nerd to a huge, husky blonde boy, the tallest and largest of their peer group. He was still rather gentle, nerdy and quiet but his size won him respect and as he had been accepted, he had left Hiccup behind. The smaller boy had watched his friend abandon him for the cool kids and had tried not to feel resentment because he could understand Fishlegs' desire to be accepted and popular. But all the same, he missed having anyone and the day that Fishlegs had shouted at the smaller boy to stop following him around or pestering him had been one Hiccup didn't like remembering. It had been another day another chunk of his heart had been ripped out, a day he had run home and sobbed himself to sleep, knowing no one would come looking for him. After that day, he really had no friends.

"Today is all about Teamwork!" Gobber repeated from the stands, opening a cage and watching as the arena began to fill with smoke. "A wet dragon head cannot ignite its flames. The Hideous Zippleback is tricky: one head releases an explosive gas and the other ignites it!"

The three teams lost sight of each other in the fog. Hiccup stuck close to Fishlegs. "Two heads, venom for pre-digestion..." the larger boy was muttering. Hiccup lost his cool.