The Valkyrie and the Valedictorian

Part 4

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

4:

Graduation Day.

He smiled, thumbing up the picture of the pair of them on Valentine's Day a few months earlier at the Great Hall. Astrid had reserved them a table and they had enjoyed an intimate dinner by candlelight, serenaded with violins and surrounded by hearts of all shapes and sizes. They both looked happy and Hiccup had given her a little ring with an aquamarine on it. It wasn't an engagement ring but it was a promise that he would always be there for her and she had accepted it with complete delight.

He swiped the photo across the screen and his eyes accidentally fell on the images from his Senior Prom. His face fell and he stared at the desolate shape staring forlornly back at him. Somehow, from the high of Valentine's Day, things had managed to slide catastrophically. He blinked and sighed.

He had been right. Just when he began to imagine something good would happen to him, everything collapsed around him. How quickly his life had fallen apart-and none of it was his fault.

Senior Year.

Somehow, he had survived. He had passed all his exams and papers with flying colours, accrued more than enough points to earn his Diploma and ensure all those he had tutored passed as well. Cami had withdrawn from his tuition for a week but had then reluctantly resumed the sessions. Their friendship, though, hadn't survived the revelation and he found her bitter and angry towards him.

Cami had thrown herself at Snotlout, who had happily resumed his flirting and had been astonished to be invited out by Cami for Valentine's. She had ruthlessly flirted with Snotlout in front of Hiccup and the auburn-haired boy had felt sorry for his cousin, for he had known that she was using Snotlout to get at him. Yet, improbably, they had remained together and Snotlout had been very happy to win the girl. Hiccup had continued to tutor others in need, lead the engineering club and had won a scholarship to Archipelago University for the Engineering Programme. He had also participated in a fundraising effort by volunteering to be pelted with custard pies and had raised the most out of any of the students. Cami alone had paid for ten pies and he knew he would never want to see a custard pie again but he also knew the orphans the money would help were worth his efforts.

As Senior Prom closed, he had become worried. Cami had outed his relationship with Astrid on BerkBook and he had found himself and her fielding all sorts of hateful comments that he really couldn't understand. Many people harked back to Astrid's humiliation at her own Senior Prom and started to suggest that maybe it was because she was two-timing Erik with Hiccup rather than Erik's own decision to remain firmly in his closet. The comments that she must be desperate to consider going out with him were hurtful and some students had even suggested his mother had died rather than have such a disappointment as a son. His mood had spiralled down and though Stoick had tried to help, he had withdrawn so only Astrid could reach him. And she had needed to come round and blast vitriol and fury at the trolls via his account, knowing it wouldn't help but would make her feel better. And then she had blocked them, reported them for abuse and closed down his profile, refusing to let anyone hurt him any more. She had also launched a verbal attack on Cami, blasting the vengeful woman with reams of brutal truth that had also turned the tables in the battle.

But enough damage had been done that Hiccup found himself isolated except for the twins, Fishlegs and Heather, all of whom had many other things competing for their attentions. Ruff was now dating a Senior named Throk from the High School in neighbouring Wington. A tall, humourless and athletic guy, Throk was the opposite of Ruff but she seemingly adored him while Tuff grumbled and bitched but acted as chaperone on every date (sometimes very covertly). Fishlegs and Heather had decided to go to the same College and were already discussing whether or not to get married after High School or during College and at times, seemed completely oblivious to everyone around them. So despite everything he had done at the school, all the students he had helped and all the additional activities he had participated in, he had never felt more alone. He walked the hallways to whispers, eyes on him and when Thuggory and his friends had shoved him aside or tripped him, there had been a ripple of laughter or at least a murmur of approval.