This Is What I'm Good At {Adopted By @CommanderALFA}

Let Me Go

And neither did Jason...

"JASON!"

Snotlout's jocks dropped me as the three of them ran off. I got up from the ground and ignored the pain as I rushed up to Jason's laying, unmoving body. The bus driver had gotten off the bus and so had a few passengers, yet some remained inside, mostly mothers trying to stop their children from seeing what had just happened.

"Jason?" I called right as I got to him. He was limp. There was a gash on his forehead and blood flowing from it, staining his blonde hair. His arm was bent in such an angle that, up to now, I have no idea how to describe. "Jason?" I tried again. There was no response. His eyes remained closed.

"S-someone call an ambulance..." I started crying. "Call an ambulance!" I heard a few shuffling noises behind me and someone talking to an operator, before I heard a faint voice. "H-hen... Henry..." I looked down. It was Jason. His eyes were cracked open, but instead of seeing his familiar blue eyes, I saw dull, pale eyes that held no life in them. "Jason? Jason, you're gonna be alright, okay? You have to be alright!"

I saw his head shake, and I also saw him struggle to do so. "Protect my sister for me... Okay...?" I nodded. "Y-yes, yes, I'll protect her for you. B-but you have to live! Come on, Jason!"

He smiled faintly."You're the strongest person I know..." His head lolled to the side as he said that. "Protect her for me..." was the last thing he said before he completely stopped moving. And breathing.

Nothing.

Lifeless.

Dead.

He was dead.

The only person who stood up for me and protected me... is dead...

I couldn't believe what had happened. Everything was moving so slowly, and yet everything that moved was a blur. I couldn't hear any sound other than my ragged breathing. Time stopped, yet everything kept moving. I heard the faint sound of sirens echoing, and saw a blur of people put Jason on a stretcher and carry him into the back of an ambulance. I stood up and watched. Watched, as my friend, my first friend, my last friend, be taken away from me.

"Jason..."

Flashback ends
_____________________________________________

So, you see? I'm practically the main reason why he's dead. He died trying to protect me. Because I was weak... I was too weak to save myself! AND I COULDN'T SAVE HIM!

I felt something crack. I looked down. My hand was on top of a broken shot glass, and some shards were stuck to the palm of my hand. It bled a bit, but it was nothing compared to what I felt.

"Henry, are you alright?" Astrid asked. I'd forgotten she was here. She doesn't know that I was the reason Jason was dead. I don't know how she'll react, what she'll think of me if I told her. "I-I-I'm fine. I just..." I heard a throat being cleared and looked up to see Gobber peering his head out the employee's office. "Yer gonna have to pay for that, ya know," he said. I nodded and turned back to Astrid when he left. "You look... like you're about to cry," she told me. I blinked my eyes and rubbed them with my clean hand, sniffing and looking away from her. "N-no... No I'm not."

"Yeah, you are." She looked ready to punch me if I didn't say what was on my mind.

'How the hell could I possibly tell her the truth? This is the closest I've ever been to her, and this may very well ruin whatever progress I'd made!' I thought, refusing to look at her. "Henry... Tell me..." she pleaded

'Wait, is she... pleading...? I've never seen her plead before.'

"Uh... I-it's just that... I do-on't know how to tell you... what I want to..." I choked. "Try me," she said.

I took a deep breath and sighed, before looking straight into her eyes and speaking in a voice wherein only she could hear, and no one else. "You remember the day your brother died. You know how. But the thing is... you don't why, right?" She nodded. "You see... I was... there, when he died. I saw how. I saw why."

She gasped lightly, but it wasn't enough to draw anyone's attention. I saw a few tears peeking out of her eyes as I continued. "Your brother... H-he was pretty much, the only person who stood up for me. Wh-who protected me against Snotlout for most of my life. A-and one day, he just...

"He was across the street when he saw Snotlout beating me. S-so he ran. H-he didn't bother to check both sides of the road and just ran to my rescue. B-but then... he wasn't fast enough, and the bus that was driving down that road, just..." I sighed and felt my own tears start to well up right as Astrid's started falling. "He died... trying to sa-ave me, Astrid..." I choked on my words. "I was... too weak to protect myself that day... A-and I was too weak to save him..."

I heard the barstool she sat on scrape the floor, and turned very slowly to see her taking slow steps backwards, her hand over her mouth. "Astrid, I-I-I'm s-so so-."

"He died because of you...?" she croaked. I nodded and stood up, turning towards her. "Astrid-."

"Don't!" she hissed. "Don't come near me..."

I stood still. I'd expected this kind of reaction, but it still hurt. So much...

She turned her back to me and walked as fast as she could without attracting that much attention to herself until she was out of the bar. I faced downwards, and noticed a little dark spot on the ground I stood on. It took me a moment to realize that my tears had started falling. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I had to get out of here.

I left the bar, hopped on my bike, and rode off. I sped down the street towards my house and skidded the bike into its garage. I hopped off the bike and took off my helmet while running into the house and slamming the door shut.

I ran up to my room and dug out my duffel bag from underneath the pile of pillows and blankets. I opened it up and continued to throw stuff in; my skateboard, my clothes, my sketchpad, a towel, a blanket. I cushioned my laptop between the layers of my blanket and flipped the lid of the bag, zipping it shut. It was then I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out, unlocked it, and looked at the notification. It was from my dad. I tapped on it and the messaging screen popped up.

Hiccup, I'm sorry I'm not home to see you again. Hopefully though, you enjoyed your shift today?

I'm sorry to say this. Truly, I am. But I won't be home for a while. Something's come up, and I have to hop two towns to get to it. I didn't want this, and I'm sure you don't either.

I'll be leaving first thing in the morning. I'll do my best to be back as soon as I can.

I love you, Son. I hope you know that.

Love, Dad.

Oh, dang it... What... do I do now...? Dad's message... Is it true? I don't know...

But then my face contorted into anger. If he loves me, then why doesn't he tell me himself and not through a stupid text? Why hadn't he been there when I needed to talk to someone? Why hadn't he been there to protect me the way a father should!?

I've had it. I tossed my duffel bag in my closet and shut it, heading to the bathroom and taking a shower. Once I got out, I put on the clothes I'd use tomorrow morning, after Dad leaves.

I'm gonna let him go... I'm gonna let go of Gobber, Astrid, my father, my schoolmates, my bullies, my entire town.

Now they just have to let me go.