HTTYD: You Don't Know the Meaning of "Nice"? (Hiccstrid)

Chapter 5

Astrid's P.O.V.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm and practically danced as I got ready for school. It was Friday!  In less than 30 minutes, I'm out the door and listening to my music as I walked to school. My blue beanie was keeping my head cool in the glare of the early morning sun. I was half way to the school when the black car from yesterday shows up again, driving at my side slowly before driving away. I take a deep breath to clear my head before walking into the school and turning my music down, tucking one of my ear buds into my shirt. I then go to the office and wait for the principal. When he comes in, I stare at him blankly.

"Music, please," he says, holding his hand out. I pause before sighing and taking my earbud out and handing him my phone. "Why do you do this? Don't you know this is a distraction?" he asks, putting it in his desk.

"It helps me keep my mind from wondering," I say quietly.

"What do you mean it keep your mind from wondering?" he asks.

"I mean my mind races all day every day and the music makes it stop so I can focus on a specific thing!" I say impatiently, trying not to shout.

"That's very unlikely," he says.

"How so?" I ask.

"If you are listening to music, you're not paying attention to the class, you're paying attention to the lyrics," he tells me.

"How do you keep your mind from racing? How do you make yourself pay attention to something?" I ask him.

"I drum my fingers on the nearest surface to keep my mind focused," he tells me.

"That's very unlikely," I repeat him.

"Excuse me?" he asks.

"If you drum your fingers, you're not paying attention to what's going on, you're paying attention to the rythm," I say.

"Stop just repeating what I say. It's completely different," he says.

"Yeah, but see, it's not. Everyone has a different way to keep their mind in a line, but they aren't that different," I argue.

"Just try one day without your music, come back here and talk to me at the end of the day," he says and my shoulders slump.

"Can it be Monday? I have an interview today," I tell him and he sighs.

"How many jobs do you have?" he asks.

"One, hopefully two after today," I say and his eyes soften slightly.

"Is there something I should know?" he asks.

"Something you should know, no," I say.

"Need to know?" he asks and I shake my head. "Can know?" I shake my head again and he sighs. "Get to class," he orders and I leave his office before going to my locker and getting my bag.

"Well, late again," the teacher says as I walk in.

"Sorry for having to talk to the principle!" I snap and the class ''ooo''s as I go to my seat, next to the boy from yesterday. He lifted his head for me to see it was Hiccup. I groan as I sit down and he smirks.

"Well, nice to see you too Ms. Snappy," he says. During class my mind was anywhere but the teacher. It frog hopped from my interview, to my apartment, to food, to my parents, both biological and adoptive, to my ear, to Hiccup's notebook when I realized he was drawing something. I look over his shoulder to see he was drawing a portrait of....me?! In the picture, I was leaning over my notes, listening to my music. How did he see the ear piece yesterday?! I ignore him and rest my chin on my palm as I look out the window. My mind goes so far away, I don't even notice the bell rang until I'm the only one left int he room. I sigh and hit my head on the desk. This was gonna be a long day.

After school

After the interview at City Hall

I sigh as thunder booms in my ears. It'd been raining for the past half hour, all during my interview. I was now standing just inside the door to City Hall, watching the rain hit the ground as I tried to calm my mind. I closed my eyes and listened to the heavy pattering of the raindrops. I was almost to my safe place when another thunder scream broke me out of it. I pull my beanie farther over my ears before walking down the steps of the building and walking up the street. By the end of the block, I had stepped in about 50 puddles and was drenched. I look at the sky as lightning flashes, lighting up my face. I walk a few more blocks until a familiar black car pulls up next to me. The driver rolls down their window and I bent down to see who they were.

"Need a ride somewhere, sweetheart?" Hiccup's voice asks before I even see his face.

"Hiccup?!" I ask in shock.

"The one and only!" he says in mock arrogance. "So, need the ride?" he asks again.

"Uh, no thank you," I say and start down the street again until he gets out of the car and blocks my path.

"Surely you can't be enjoying this walk," he says with a smirk.

"I am actually," I tell him and try to push passed him but he puts an arm across my chest and spins me around before walking me to his car. He opens the door and forces me to get in before closing it again and going to his side. "One: I want to walk. Two: I'm gonna get your car wet," I tell him, crossing my arms.

"One: You were shivering. Two: Everything dries," he says, looking at me with a look in his eyes that said "Don't try to fight it, you know I'm right," referring to the shivering. I look away and bite my lip to keep my teeth from chattering as he drove to our apartment building. I take out my phone and text Joe before putting it in the cup holder. I then close my eyes and lean my head on the window as we stop at a red light. There's that color again. First it was green, then yellow, now red. When it was green, it meant it was safe to go. When it was yellow, it meant stop if you're scared you won't make it. Now it's red, and it means stop because it'll do no good. I had went with red. It wouldn't have done any good.

"Well, here we are," Hiccup's voice breaks me from my thoughts as he parks in front of our building.

"Thanks for the ride," I say as I get out and walk inside, forgetting he lived here as well for a split second.

"Astrid! How'd the interview go?!" Ms. Beaya asks excitedly.

"Got it," I say with dry enthusiasm, "Not sure I'll be able to keep it though."

"Oh, don't even say that! You'll be fine. Oh, hello, Hiccup, how was your day?" I look behind me to see said boy walk through the door. I then go up the stairs to my apartment.

"At least one of us has faith in me," I mutter under my breath as I walk in and go to my living room. I look at my bed mattress, against the wall. I then grab it and pull it to the corner of the room, laying it down an tucking it into the crease of the corner. I then put my sleeping bag on it and lay down. I was about to go to sleep but I was interrupted by a sound at the window...