When Two Paths Meet

Chapter 1

Hayden raced through the halls of the White House. Nosey reporters were everywhere today and he just wanted to hide in his room. Hayden opened and slammed his bedroom door, leaning against it and sighing in relief. But that relief was short-lived when he saw who was waiting in his room.

"Hiccy! What took you so long!" a boy called from his spot on Hayden's bed.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me Hiccy Damon," Hayden said, sitting down in the chair at his desk and opening his laptop, "And could you not smoke in my room."

"I thought I told you to stop calling me Hiccy," the red-haired boy mocked, puffing out smoke, "Bite me."

"Loosen up Hiccup," a raven-haired girl called from where she sat on a sofa. The girl sat upside down, reading a magazine.

"If you keep sitting like that all the blood's gonna rush to your head you idiot," Damon called.

"Shuddup," the girl called back.

"If you two insist on fighting then can you do it elsewhere?" Hayden cut in, focusing on the papers on his desk. "And for the last time, stop calling me Hiccup or Hiccy or whatever dumb nickname you come up with!"

"C'mon Hiccy, don't be like that," the girl giggled.

"Heather, did you listen to anything I just said?" Hayden turned around in his chair.

"Not really," Heather responded, flipping the page in her magazine.

Hayden sighed and massaged his temples.

"I still don't understand why you guys still call me Hiccup," Hayden said, going back to his laptop.

"Because it's so much fun! Thought you'd be used to it by now," Heather remarked.

"Wow I can really feel the love radiating from you," Hayden said sarcastically, "What are you guys doing here anyway?" he asked.

"What? We can't hang out with our favorite little runt?" Damon said.

Hayden glared at him.

"Fine, we ditched last period and needed somewhere to go with decent food that's not packed on a Friday afternoon," Damon said, rolling his eyes.

"You guys are gonna get kicked out of the academy if you keep doing this. I'm surprised they still let you enroll this year!" Hayden said, stifling a laugh at Heather's wonky expression.

"Daddy's got dough," Damon said, blowing out smoke.

"Lose the cigarette. Those things will kill you," Hayden said, rolling his eyes.

"You should be more worried about a reporter we passed on our way here. Said she was looking for anyone who knew anything about the picture of you with that girl last Saturday," Damon said.

"What?!" Hayden screamed.

"Tone it down would ya?" Heather chimed.

"But nothing even happened! She was drunk and latched onto me like a leech!" Hayden shouted.

"Well, someone posted pictures and now you're in the news... again!" Damon chuckled and Heather let out a giggle.

"You guys are really helpful," Hayden rolled his eyes and massaged his temples. "It's nothing new though I guess. I feel like I'm in the news every other week because I'm caught with some girl."

Damon laughed, "Some HOT girls might I add!"

Hayden rolled his eyes. He turned back to his laptop.

"Whatcha workin on?" Heather asked, sitting upright and setting her magazine on the coffee table.

"Nothing," Hayden responded.

Heather starred at his laptop screen, "It's that star stuff you're so into, isn't it?"

"What?! No!" Hayden said nervously.

Heather gasped sitting upright, "It is!"

"Fine, but it's not "star stuff" you moron," Hayden said, slightly irritated, "It's astronomy."

"You're such a nerd!" Heather giggled.

"At least I have something that interests me that's not smoking, or drinking, or sleeping with people," Hayden said.

"Watch your mouth," Damon said.

"I'm so scared," Hayden responded sarcastically.

"You better be Haddock," Damon said, lighting another cigarette.

Hayden rolled his eyes at Damon's empty threats. He went back to work.

Astronomy had become a big part of his life when he was young. As a little boy, he used to stargaze on his balcony every night. Living in such a big city like Washington D.C. made it hard to see the stars, so for his seventh birthday, his father got him a telescope. He treasured it dearly.

Now, Hayden still loved astronomy. Something about it relaxed him. Just the thought that there is something so much bigger than yourself makes your problems seem so small and almost disappear. It was calming. Looking up in the night sky was his only escape from reality.