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Fifteen: New Friends

Fifteen: New Friends

Astrid had been remarkably forgiving the next morning and had actually smiled at Hiccup as she walked by on her way to her locker-which had made a pleasant change from the sneers of the gang. It still hurt and there was more than once that he turned to make a comment to Tuff or Cami before he recalled they had dropped him and now treated him like an outcast.

So he had walked slowly to Civics and Society, thinking hard. He had spent most of the evening and the previous weekend catching up the project work he should have been doing with Cameron and though he would almost certainly have done almost all of the work anyway, it hurt that she had dumped him as a partner in class because she had done nothing at all. His only consolation was that Snotlout was stupid as a yak and Ruff never bothered so the threesome would get far worse marks than he would have gifted her.

He sat quietly in his usual seat, staring at his phone and scrolling down pictures of him and Cameron. He had documented every step of their relationship and it hurt badly as he flicked through image after image, seeing her laughing and happy, her eyes filled with affection. Or what he had thought was affection: now he wasn't sure. He was certain that he had loved her-the pain he felt was a definite proof of that-but he wondered now how much she had felt for him if at all.

His thumb hovered over the image for another second and then deliberately pressed DELETE. There was a fraction of a second where he regretted the action-and then it was gone.

He was jerked from his reverie as someone sat next to him and as he looked up warily, his emerald eyes widened in shock. Astrid flicked her braid over her shoulder pointedly.

"Have I grown a second head?" she asked him sharply and he smiled self-consciously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Um not that I can see," he admitted. "You realise sitting this close to me is like catching some disease? I really do seem to have social leprosy." She smiled at his sarcastic tone and gave a small snort of amusement.

"I already have that," she reminded him and his face fell, shame burning in his chest and on his cheeks. "Look-we're both unpartnered in a partners project and though you are an ass..."

"Gee, thanks!" he shot back with maximum sarcasm. She smiled.

"...you're welcome. But though you are an ass, Hiccup, I don't see why we should both be penalised by being on our own when we can work together." She paused. "I'm giving you a chance," she added in a low intense voice. "Don't make me regret it." He nodded then realised what he was doing and shook his head urgently.

"You won't," he replied, feeling more grateful than he could possibly say. "Um...I did catch up with where we're supposed to be so I shouldn't be a complete dead weight..." She eyed him calculatingly and nodded.

"You're smart," she said quietly. "You just have the worst taste in friends..." He shrugged.

"I'll work on it," he replied with a lopsided smile. "So..."

"I would ask what you're doing but I doubt I'd get a respectful answer," Miss Bennett said, glaring at the pair and Hiccup stiffened, his eyes widening before anger flooded the emerald depths.

"Miss Bennett, I was proposing that I try partnering with Hiccup since neither of us have a partner and this is a partner project," Astrid offered politely before he could open his mouth. "I..."

"I think I will determine the pairings in this class, Miss Hofferson!" the teacher snapped, as Astrid stiffened in shock and blushed.

"I-I'm sorry," she managed. "I just thought..."