The Upside of Heartbreak

Friday Night

Hey all! Triumphant Fury here! Decided to try my hand at a modern Hiccstrid story, since I am having so much fun writing the 'Dance of Power' Trilogy. For fans of that series, don't worry, I'm not taking a break from it. Updates on TWoB will still be timely. This is more of a side project that has been nagging at me for a few weeks. I got the idea for this story from the song 'Kiss Kiss by Madeline Merlo' and that idea just started growing on its own. So, here you go...

*Story is rated M for strong language, and later lemons* ;)

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Astrid Hofferson's life was perfect. If you asked pretty much anyone else, they would say the same thing. Astrid had it all. Looks, brains, and money. A huge group of supportive friends from the 'right' crowd and a steady boyfriend. Her parents were upper middle-class. Not rich by any means, but definitely more than just comfortable. With a mother that was a nurse and a father that was a dentist, she certainly never went without. Living the dream life of every teenager.

Astrid had been head cheerleader and homecoming queen of Berk High. Dating the quarterback and following all the rules. The good girl with her priorities sorted and her life on track. Graduating with honours, Astrid had been accepted at Berk University straight out of school. Her boyfriend, Scott (Snotlout) Jorgenson, even receiving a football scholarship to the same University. Her best friends Heather Berserker and Rachel (Ruffnut) Thorston had also managed to wrangle spots at Berk U, and Heather's rich parents had even helped the three girls to rent their own apartment just off campus rather than condemning them to the crowded dorms. What more could a girl ever want?

Astrid's life sounded perfect, didn't it. Well, it had been. For the last 4 years that is. During freshman and sophomore year, she had maintained that perfect image carried over from high school and everything fit exactly where it should. Unfortunately, life actually sucks. Just when you think you have everything all figured out, the world comes along and throws mud in your face.

It was the last week of summer holidays before junior year. She should be out enjoying the final weekend of freedom before term started back up on Monday. She should not be holed up in her room at the apartment watching sappy rom-coms and eating cookie dough ice cream by the tub. Burning through boxes of Kleenex like it was going out of style as the waste bin beside her desk gradually overflowed with used snot-rags. That was where she was though, and it was where she had been since Tuesday night. Now it was Friday, and the most productive thing that she had done all week was to clean her parakeet Stormfly's cage once.

Thinking back to Tuesday evening, Astrid felt a rush of anger flood through her. Everything had seemed fine. Scott had picked her up and taken her out for a quiet dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in town. That should have tipped her off right there! Scott never took her out to nice places, and they rarely ever went out anywhere as just the two of them. It was usually pizza with the gang, or take-out Chinese food grabbed on the way to his and Tyler (Tuffnut) Thorston's tiny apartment on the opposite side of campus. Still, Astrid had fooled herself into believing that he was simply being romantic for once. Boy, had she been wrong.

It wasn't a romantic dinner. It was an apology dinner. A goodbye dinner. When Scott had walked her back to the door of her apartment, she had thought they might spend the night together. Instead, Scott had taken her by the hands and sat her down on the couch with him. Looking impressively somber and remorseful, and Astrid immediately felt her heart leap into her throat. When he had told her that he wanted to take a break, she hadn't been sure what he meant.

"I just really need to focus on football this year," he had claimed. "After Derrick left, you know, the team needs a new captain now. Coach has been hinting that it might be me, and that's going to take a lot of extra effort on my part. You know that I care about you Astrid, but you deserve a boyfriend that can devote his time to you. I just can't be that guy right now." As she had continued to stare at him blankly, he had brought one hand up to cup her cheek as he added, "it's not forever Astrid. We can pick up right where we left off next summer. Think of it as a chance to focus on your own studies as well."