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

Chapter 16

Astrid's P.O.V.

I scrub frantically at the carpet, trying to get the blood stain out. I look at the clock to see that it's already passed 10:00. I run to grab my beanie, stumbling a little due to dizziness. I pull my hat over my head and start my walk to school. I was so late. I walk into the building before signing in at the office and having the principal call me into his. I sit in front of his desk nervously, afraid that Hiccup had told him I painted the dragons.

"What do you think I should do when I find who did the lockers?" he asks. I knew this trick. I've been the victim of it many times and have used it more.

"I'd say expel," I tell him, my voice firm, "Yes, they are very cool and well painted, but they defaced school property." I was just repeating what I heard others say, adding the 'defaced' stuff. He nods before telling me to get to class. I walk through the door to have the class stop and stare at me as I go to my seat. I glare at the teacher, challenging him to say something. He breaks eye contact first as he turns back to the board and continues the lesson. I smirk to myself as I pull out my notes. I always win student VS teacher glare-offs. They get so intimidated because they don't expect a student to glare for so long; they never know what to do.

After class

I was packing my stuff as Hiccup walked up to me, a worried look in his eye. "Hey, why were you late this morning?" he asks, leaning on my desk.

"Slept in," I tell him curtly.

"Does it have something to do with the fact that you're so pale right now?" he asks.

"Commons," I order as I slam a book shut and he jogs out of the room. I stop at my locker and exchange my stuff before going to the lunch room, finding Hiccup leaning against one of the pillars casually. 

"Answers. Now, please," he says as I walk up to him.

"Depends on the questions," I tell him.

"Why do you look like a dead vampire?" he asks.

"I might be a little sick," I lie.

"Whats the real reason you were late?" he asks.

"I told you. Slept in. I worked a double shift last night because a coworker was on maternity leave," I tell him only to have him narrow his eyes at me in suspicion. 

"If you're lying to me, right now...you'll regret it come tomorrow," he tells me, stepping closer so that he towered over me. 

"It's my word against yours," I tell him and he smirks.

"You know I can contact all your bosses and see if that's true. My dad I can ask when he comes home tonight, I can ask Gobber after school, and as for The Dragon Wing, owner's friends with my dad," he says with a shrug and I stand straight. I shift from foot to foot before looking Hiccup in the eye.

"Go ahead," I order. He looks at me before snapping a kiss onto my cheek and running down the hall. Once he's out of sight, I slump against the pillar and puff out a heavy breath that I didn't know I was holding. Great, just great! Once he finds out that I didn't work a double yesterday, he's gonna nag me about why I lied and what I'm hiding from him. I don't get it! Lying always worked for my dad! He could weasel his way out of any interrogation, why can't I?! Oh, right. For all I know, my birth father never had anything work out in his favor. For all I know, he could be the exact opposite of the rules I've been raised to follow. For all I know, he and my birth mother are both healthy as horses, with great jobs and motives. For all I know, I have siblings all over the country. Might even be in Berk; in my school; at my places of work! I might even be an actual Hollerkey. My hand slowly balls into a fist. Before today, I thought I could breeze through Saturday. Now, it's gonna take about 10 years to end, unless I convince one of my employers to tell him that I was working late. Just not his dad. Don't think I'd be able to finish a sentence. 

After school

I ran into The Dragon Wing and jogged to my bosses office. "Crimson! Has Hiccup been here?!" I ask, panting as I leaned against her desk.

"Uh...no? Was he supposed to be here?" she asks.

"He's going to be, any minute I just need you to-" I break off as the door opens to reveal a smirking Hiccup.

"What did you need me to do, Astrid?" Crimson asks after greeting Hiccup as I stare at him. 

"Uh...nothing," I say before slipping passed Hiccup and closing the door. I run to the garage and go to Gobbers office after grabbing my apron. "Gobber has Hiccup been by today?" I ask and he nods.

"Why?" he asks as I almost collapse.

"Taking a personal day," I say, not answering his question, as I leave again. I look up and down the street for Hiccup before running to my apartment building and locking my door. I didn't want tomorrow to come. I didn't want to see Hiccup. I didn't want to see how he'd react. I don't want to know his consequence.

Time skip

I woke up to a knock sounding at the door. I get up and drag my self to the door and look through the peep hole to see my mom, looking hung over and like crap. I open the door and let her in for her to murmur a tired greeting as she went to her room. "Uh...mom?" I whisper as she lays on her bed.

"Hm? What is it honey?" she asks quietly. She was sometimes her nicest when she was hung over like this...only sometimes.

"Um, I'm gonna be out for most of the day. I also have a date tonight, and not sure when I'll be back. Okay?" I say.

"Okay. Be careful and have fun," she says as she turns away from me. I go to my room and get dressed before going to the front of the building and  walking to the school. I've had my fun. It's time to clean up my mess. I walk into the building and grab some cleaning supplies from the janitors closet before going to the Nightfury's Way, as people had come to call it. I starts scrubbing and about half an hour passes before I finish a locker that was fully painted. Other lockers took different times, depending on how much of the locker was used for the dragon. After about 4 hours, it's almost 10:25 and I'm on my way to the Nadder's Tail. 

5 hours later

3:25. Wiping down the last locker and putting the cleaning things away with sore fingers and hands. I wash my hands in warm, relaxing water, before starting down the street for The Dragon Wing. I walk into the cafe and dawn my apron before going to take some orders. After what feels like ten minutes, I look at the clock and see that it's 6:55. I ignore the time and continue to wipe down the counter until I feel a hand grab my shoulder. I turn around to see Mark looking at me with hard eyes.

"Yup?" I ask before pressing my lips together.

"Didn't your shift end ten minutes ago?" he asks and I sigh.

"I don't wanna go home," I groan as I put my apron into his waiting hand.

"Just-" I cut him off as I walk toward the door.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. 'Just relax'. The thing is my idea of relaxation, isn't the same as most peoples'," I tell him as I walk out and start down the street.