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

Chapter 25

Astrid's P.O.V.

"My mom started drinking when I was four. She started hitting me when I was 5. Then I had to teach myself how to do things around the house because my dad was always at work and my mom was at bars. I was 6 or 7 when Dad started lying to me. Mom was in a coma and they were about to pull her plug when she woke up. He told me she'd wake up. They told me she was fine. They thought I couldn't handle it if she died. I'd prefer if she'd died. I was 13 when they tried to keep their divorce away from me. My dad got us out of town and we moved to Outcast City before they were even done in court. He started dealing drugs when I was 15 and started abusing me on my birthday. When I forgot something at the store, he flipped a table with a knife on it and the blade ended up in my calf. Since I could remember, I was in charge of shopping, cleaning, cooking, and convincing the police he wasn't home," The image of their guns still burned my eyes at the mere thought of having to cover my father's tracks.

"All he did was make 10-20 bucks a week for the food so my diet was usually a fourth amount of our cheep junk food and exercise. He would threaten me if I told the police about him, and he'd rarely care if I was in a bar or somewhere I could loose my virginity. Of course I never went to places like those but I was out with my friends a lot. They started to put me down and lye to me with pranks on the side. On my first day of school, they welcomed me by dumping a bucket of water on me, followed by a bag of flower. They told me, once, that we were going star-gazing, but it turned out they just wanted to hear me scream during a game of Chicken...with a train. But they were the only ones in school who would hang out with me so I let it slide. I thought that was what friends did with each other. Turns out, when I wasn't around, they'd do normal stuff like milkshakes and ice cream or coffee. I couldn't get out of anything because they'd guilt trip me," I paused, awful memories tugging at the edge of my brain, begging for entrance.

"Since I moved to Berk, I've tried not to let anyone guilt trip me and it's worked out alright. I just wish I could do that when I hung out with them. And all the while, I'm been called weak, *****, wimp, cheap-skate, whiner, ugly, liar, jerk, slow-poke...they might not seem insulting but they hurt when you're going 50 in a 25 and yelling at a police officer. My dad shot my ear when I was 16, a week before I moved to Berk. Found out I was left on my parents doorstep when I was 3. Mom shot my other ear the night before our date. So, now, 17 years old, and I am everything my friends and family have ever called me. I was only 5, and I had to grow up. I was doing chores for neighbors to help my dad pay for food. I was only 5, and I had to mature over night. I was only 5, and I learned the harsh reality of life. I was only 5 when I made my life rules that I've lived by..." I finish my autobiography and look at Hiccup through my eye brows, due to my head being tilted toward my knees which were pulled to my chest. Hiccup just stared at me, his eyes giving nothing away while his facial features were hard.

"So-" he starts but I cut him off.

"If you're about to say something about how I never had a real childhood, stop while you're ahead," I order.

"I wasn't," he tells me after a pause, "But I was going to ask you to dinner. So, will you allow me to take you to dinner?"

"A-Again?" I ask. He nods slowly, looking at me with slight hope in his eyes. 

"Come on, I don't have anything to use against you this time, so please say yes," he begs.

"When?" I question.

"I was hopping tonight," he says, sounding flexible.

"I-" I break off before clenching my jaw, not wanting to risk him loosing his temper if I protested.

"What?" he asks. I shake my head before he sighs. "Astrid, what were you going to say?" he asks.

"Nothing. T-tonight's fine," I tell him.

"Are you sure?" he asks, "You don't work tonight?"

"N-No," I look at my lap, not wanting to meet his eye.

"Okay. Then tonight it is. Pleasure doin' business with ya," he says jokingly and extending his hand. When I don't shake it, he takes it back awkwardly before rubbing the back of his neck as he leaves the room. Today was Saturday? I thought it was Wednesday. I pick up my phone to see it filled with messages from Criss.

C: Hey, what's up?
C: Hey, what's up?
C: Hey, what's up?
C: Hey, what's up?
C: Hey, where the heck are you?
C: Hey, did I do something?
C: Hey, Emo, we're all meeting at the dragon wing, come take our orders.

C: Hey, you just missed out on a big tip.

A: Sorry, had to deal with some one.

C: Who?

A: Derek.

C: *Gasp* He didn't put it in you, did he?!

A: NO!!!!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU???!!!!!!!

C: I'm just sayin' teenage boys aren't exactly in control of their actions.

A: Ugh. Ew. Good bye.

I slam my phone down and run out the house before Hiccup can see or notice me. I get outside and jog down the street. I then speed into the forest and start punching a random tree. I couldn't believe I told him! What was he gonna do now? Was he gonna do anything at all? My fists finally start bleeding and I feel the anger and fear slowly leak from my veins in a soft trickle of red as the blood dripped from my finger tips. I walk through the woods and come to town before going to the Dragon Wing. I go to Crimsons office to find her in her desk. She looks at me in confusion as I sit in front of her.

"Hi, Crimson. I'm sorry, but I can't close tonight," I tell her.

"One, you don't work to night, you work Saturday. Two, aren't you supposed to be in school?" she asks.

"I thought today was Saturday..." I trail off in confusion before she laughs.

"How drunk did you get last night?! Today's Wednesday!" she laughs.

"Oh, he is dead," I growl after a pause before running out of the cafe and heading to school. I sign myself in and have the nurse patch my knuckles before going to class.