The Valkyrie and the Valedictorian

Part 5

5.

Graduation Day.

Snotlout had sent him the picture he had snapped just as Astrid fled-and he confided in his cousin that he had videoed the entire dressing down he gave the year and posted it on BerkBook. Apparently Snotlout had over a thousand hits and counting and was thanking his cousin for the amazing footage. But Hiccup stared at the image of himself just as Astrid fled, desolate and abandoned.

Astrid had ghosted him and wasn't responding to texts or calls. He had gone round to her mother's house as soon as he could flag down a taxi but she had already gone out on her bike and Ingrid had no idea when she would be back. In fact, she was seriously hostile to Hiccup when he arrived, frantic and looking for her, assuming he had hurt her-so he had sat down and explained everything that had happened. She had looked shocked, furious and saddened in turn when she finally learned what her daughter had dealt with-and how Hiccup had supported her. Everything became clear and in the end, she hugged him.

"Thank you," she whispered. "You have been the best friend. And boyfriend. I will tell Astrid when she returns-but I can't make her call you. She's been terribly humiliated-twice-and it will take her time to get over it." He swallowed and he felt his heart break. She had promised that she would never leave him and always be there...but she had left him. And it sounded like she may remain missing as well.

"Could you please tell her...I'll be waiting for her. Whenever she's ready, I'll be there," he said as he rose. "But my graduation is in four days and I would love her to be there. Only if she wants to. Because I would never make her come if she wasn't comfortable."

"You came to hers," Ingrid reminded him.

"I'm her boyfriend and I love her," he said simply. "I would do anything for her." And then he walked out of the door and started the long walk home.

He sighed and finally stood, idly smoothing out a wrinkle on his deep red shirt then reached for his deep copper graduation robes. He had half-expected to be called by Principal Grimborn and stripped of his honour as Valedictorian but nothing had been said so he tucked his speech into his pocket and straightened his tie. He would arrive as if he was delivering the speech and if they relieved him of the honour, then he would collect his Diploma and leave. But in his heart of hearts, he knew no one would want to relieve him of the duty: neither the Class President nor the Football Captain-who was in fact, Snotlout and who couldn't manage a speech to save his life.

He clambered into his car-a black SUV that his father had insisted he accept because it was extremely safe-and drove to Astrid's home, hoping to catch her before he had to be at the School. He pulled up at the familiar address-but when he arrived, he couldn't see Ingrid's car or Astrid's bike. He walked up to the door and rang the bell just in case-but there was no sign of anyone. Despair washed over him and he sighed before he walked back to his car. If things had gone how he planned, he would be picking up his beautiful girlfriend to go to the Graduation with him to support him on his final day of school. But instead, he was standing by an empty house, his girlfriend ghosting him since she had been humiliated by her ex-sham boyfriend.

And he knew there wasn't anything he could do. It hadn't been her fault-or his, he reminded himself-and he had defended her to the hilt, castigating every damned person at the Prom for the selfishness, hypocrisy and cruelty they had all shown him and her but in the end, it hadn't been enough. Hiccup was there for Astrid...but she had left him. And now, when he needed her more than anything, she was gone.

He almost didn't start the car but the stubborn core of him that had driven him on through four horrible years was still there and demanded he finish the game. This was his Graduation. He had earned it, worked for it and he wasn't giving it up for anyone. They had ruined everything else: they were not getting this. So he turned the key, shifted into DRIVE and set off for the final time to Berk High.