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

Chapter 20

Hiccup's P.O.V.

Well, wish I knew what I did. But oh, well. Let her be anxious over the weekend. If my side plan worked out, then I will be in an all out make out session with her come Monday. If it didn't work out...then, I'll have no choice but to continue on my main plot. Fear seemed to flash through her eyes when she looked at mine. At first, I thought it was just me, but then, she saw the bracelet and it flashed again. Did green mean something to her? When did she find out she was adopted? How did her dad treat her? When did she have drugs in her system? I still had so many questions that I couldn't ask her. I bring out my phone and look at the pictures I took of her painting the lockers. She was so calm as her hands moved across the walls, positive of the movements required to make the images. I looked at the one that showed her face and pause as I notice something. Her eyes were blank and expressionless. Tonight, even when she tried to hid her fear, I could still see a small spark of it. That made me want to try something. I see movement out of the corner of my eye and look up to see Astrid walking down the street, holding her arms. She was wearing shorts and a tank top, looking as if she was freezing. All the same, she paused near a lamp post and leaned against it. I could just detect a hint of thought, in her eyes, due to the distance between us. She looked around, and I swear her eyes scanned over me before moving on. After a minute she goes inside and I start my car before driving home.

Astrid's P.O.V.

I sneak into my apartment and breathe a sigh of relief when I hear my moms soft snores coming from her room. I wasn't leaving my apartment tomorrow, and I did not want to go to school on Monday. You're probably wondering why I'm already worried about rent, when I haven't been here for more than a month. Turns out, my dad rented this place a month before he showed it to me, so he paid for rent, before I lived here. Which basically means he didn't help me at all. Why did I ever open the door? Why did I give my mom a room? Why am I not making her pay me rent? Why is she not helping me pay the rent? Why am I the one supporting the family on a string, and not getting a single thank you? What am I doing wrong? What have I ever done wrong? Well, for one thing, I'm incapable of showing gratitude. I guess I picked it up from the people I've called my parents for the past 13 years...14. Oh, man my birthday's on Tuesday! Oh, Thor, please don't let T-day come to me! I laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling, Stormfly curled up at my side.

Next day

I stood at the front desk, waiting for Ms. Beaya. "Oh, hello, Astrid. How are you?" she asks as she goes behind the desk.

"I'm not so good, to be honest. I'm afraid I can't pay my rent for this month, today, and was hoping you wouldn't mind pushing the deadline back about a week?" I ask, wanting to shrink under my skin as I see the look in her eye.

"Did he not tell you?" she asks.

"Oh, no, am I evicted?! I'm so sorry, I'll pay double next time-" she grabs my hand, reassuringly, and shushes me, making me quiet down before she smiles.

"No, no, no, you're not evicted!" she says, laughing softly, "No, no, Hiccup delivered your rent yesterday." I bury my face in my hands, propping my elbows on the counter.

"Oh...my goodness. O...kay! Great, I'm gonna owe him for the rest of my life," I say in relief. 

"Ooh, where did you get that?" Ms. Beaya asks, looking at the bracelet I still had on my wrist. I knew she was trying to get my mind off my recent scare but the new topic wasn't much better. Oh, well.

Time skip

"Well, seems like he really likes you," Ms. Beaya chuckles as I finish my story of last night.

"Yeah, a guy that stalks and black mails me is crushing on me, flawless theory," I say sarcastically.

"Listen, I have known that boy since he was 6 years old. When he has a friend that doesn't want to ask him for help, he digs, and digs until he finds what they need help with, and then he helps. And let me tell you, he does not care what he has to do to get the information," she pauses with a chuckle, "He has blackmailed, threatened, stalked, and asked around. One time when Heather tried to hide her slight blindness, Hiccup told me about seeing her ram into things in the halls and then he contacted her eye doctor, her parents, and anyone else who would know. And then he helped her learn how to use her disability to her advantage. Trust me, he's only trying to help you."

"Heather is blind?" I ask in shock.

"Only partly. She still has most of her vision, it's just starting to fade earlier than most people," she tells me. Wow, Heather really hid it well with our every encounter. I go upstairs and pick my phone up from the counter as it starts ringing. Oh, boy. It was Hiccup. I click the answer button and put the phone to my ear.

A: Okay, what do I need to do to pay you back?
H: What?
A: You paid my rent right? What do you want in return?

H: Oh, that. How 'bout nothing?

A: Hiccup, you're making it very hard for me to live by my life rules.

H: Okay. Well, I think it's about time you learn that some stuff in life, you don't need to pay for.

A: You do know that nothing in life is free right?

H: Yo-

A: And another thing, you should know that you're not the only one who can be obnoxious. I won't leave you alone until you tell me what you want.

H: Really?

Was he seriously considering it?

A: Not entirely.
H: Okay, I'll think about it, and let you know tomorrow. Now, I think it's about time we talked about last night.

A: Can't right now, gotta do stuff. Bye!

H: Astrid, wai-

I hang up before he can continue. I get shoved against the fridge as my mom goes to the wine cabinet, grabbing a bottle before chugging.

"You should really go to the store more often. We're out of food," she says.

"Maybe if you didn't take all the rent money to bars, I would be able to. But you have to be too focused on your drunken liver to even get a job," I sneer, crossing my arms. She finishes the bottle before facing me.

"What?" she growls, holding the bottle by it's neck.

"You heard me. You say I'm a burden when I'm the one doing all the work, paying for all of your alcohol, trying to put food on the table! What are you doing? Going out to bars every night, on credit cards, picking up a new guy only for him to leave you in the morning and then you blame me when I went no where near them. I utter no sound to make them leave, and you blame me for your imperfections. It doesn't even occur to you that they might have seen the real you, and they don't like the sight," she stares at me before smashing the bottle on the edge of the counter and storming towards me with the sharp glass.