A/n: Hey all! I'm so sorry this took me so long to update, but to be honest, I've just had a very hard time writing anything in a while. I apologize, it's just that when I feel like writing, I lose the ideas midway and I have to find them again, or I lose the motivation to write as I read through.
Forgive me, it's just been difficult.
Anyway, if you've still stuck around, I hope you still enjoy.
(Also just wanted y'all to know I rewrote chapter 1 juuuust a little bit. If you read it before but choose to read it again you just might notice the differences)
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The next day...
Astrid's POV
"Astrid?" Ruffnut asked.
I blinked in surprise, snapping out of my mostly thoughtless daze before turning to her. "Wh-what?"
She sighed, saying, "You've been kinda distracted all morning. Something on your mind? Is it a boy? Are you thinking of a boy? Who're you thinking of? Oh, gross, is it Snotlout?" She spoke so fast, I almost didn't hear a word she said. But I was able to catch on fair enough.
I gagged. "Heck no! Ruff, that's a nightmare..." I shuddered at the thought. "But yes, I am sorta distracted," I told her truthfully.
She widened her eyes. "Come on, 'Strid," she groaned. "I wanna knooooowww..."
I shook my head, a small grin on my face, before walking away. She chased me the entire time, dragging herself on my arm and asking me over and over again to tell her.
'She's hopeless', I thought to myself, laughing.
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Two hours later...
We were at the second to the last class of the day, which was gym. I both really enjoyed and despised this class. Why? Well, for one, I enjoy it because, well, it's gym. Why wouldn't I enjoy it?
But I despise it because a certain someone keeps on getting the nerve to check me out, despite knowing the fact that I could easily take him down with my pinky.
There was even an instance where he followed me to the girls' changing room. I had to slam the door into his face and send him flying back before he stopped. He still stood out there the entire time and when I'd gotten out, he continued following me.
It's guys like him that make me realize how much I hate the idea of getting a boyfriend. But then I tell myself that there are definitely guys out there who are nothing like him. Like Henry, for example, he-
I froze. Henry? Why did I think of him as an example of all people?
Come to think of it, he was on my mind a lot in the past five weeks. He'd just pop up and settle in my head for hours. I don't know why. It's like he'd be staring at me with either a smug smirk, or a betrayed snarl. And honestly, I'm not sure which one I'd prefer seeing him give me in person, if he even came back in the first place.
It was...terrifying... I didn't know why I was thinking of him. I didn't know what caused my mind to just be filled with thoughts of him. I didn't know, and it freaked me out so much.
"Alright, get up on your feet and to the starting line!" the coach yelled, startling half the class.
Well, that's my cue. I always dominated the track, and...pretty much everything in gym. Huh. I shouldn't even worry about failing this class but for some reason I do sometimes.
Oh well snap out of it Astrid. Get to position.
Our coach was a sub today. As a matter of fact, he's been subbing all week. Makes me wonder...where did Coach Bunny go?
Coach Bunnymund, or "Bunny" as I call him, has been my gym coach for the last three years. He's never missed a single meeting. Even when a close friend of his had died, he showed up to work. He was shaky and his quiet cries could be heard, but he showed up because he knew he had to.
So what on earth could have made him miss an entire week?
I didn't even know this sub's name.
We did the usual routine. Some stretches, a couple laps around the track, then the core exercises. Gym was pretty much free period as long as you did something physical anyway.
The sub came up to me while I was halfway through my sit-ups. "Hofferson, right?" he asked. "Astrid Hofferson?"
Not wanting to be rude, I stopped my sit-ups for a while and stood up to talk. Nodding in response, I took a deep breath and let it back out.
"Is there something you wanted to talk about sir?" I asked. He pursed his lips and shrugged. "Nah, it's all good. I was just checking. In the past week I just noticed how great of an athlete you were, so I just wanted to get a good student's name right."
Well I was used to being complimented on my performance by Coach Bunny, so it's really not that much different with the sub. I nodded, a small smile on my face. "Thank you," I told him. He returned the nod and I went back to my routine.
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Somewhere...
"She's curious but fortunately unaware, sir," the low voice spoke through the earpieces worn and heard only by two men; one sat on his seat, hands poised in front of him as if he were deep in thought, and the other one looking over dossiers. "I can possibly lure her with a fake invitation to an athletic competition. She's really into it. It'll be eas-"
"No, that'll be fine. Let her be. She'll know when it's time," said the one sitting. The other man stood up straighter, huffing out a sigh and turning on his heel to walk out the door. "Let me know if anything happens to her, please sir," was all he said, before the door shut behind him.
He sighed, mumbling the words to himself, "Sure thing, H."
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After school...
And that marked the end of the week!
"See you later, 'Strid!" Ruff called, and I glanced as she dragged her brother off, most likely off on another pranking spree to honour Loki again.
I shook my head in amusement. Classic Thorstons.
I finished putting the books I didn't need back in my locker. It was as orderly as can be inside; books stacked neatly against one wall of the locker, packet of gums and mints in a pouch I'd attached to the other wall, mirror stuck to the back of the locker so I could make sure I still looked presentable for class, a small shelf above said mirror where I kept the art supplies for Arts & Media class - well, basically, my locker was a typical locker.
But I did see one thing I remember that wasn't there before...
I picked it up. It was a folded blue piece of paper, with my name handwritten on the front.
"Astrid ~"
I furrowed my eyebrows and opened it up.
"Hey there, remember me? Dark hair, green eyes, friend since kindergarten?"
Dark hair and green eyes? Could it be...Hiccup Haddock?
"It's me, Heather!"
I widened my eyes. And, I have no idea why, but...I felt my heart sink when I saw that it wasn't him. Don't get me wrong, I love Heather like a sister! But...why did I feel this way when it came to him?
I shook my head to clear my thoughts of him and continued reading.
"Such a cliche, am I right? Ugh, like, I mean this isn't even my role! It's supposed to be some guy writing you a letter telling you how you're the most important person in their life and how much he adores you, etcetera etcetera, blah blah blah, all that junk...
"But anyway, guess who's back in Berk! I arrived a few days ago. Family finally decided it was time to return after spending two years in Berserk City. You wouldn't have liked it. Way too trafficky and crowded with people. Pretty sure you're still the antisocial tough "I don't need more than two friends" girl I know, huh?
"I'm coming back to school here in two days, but I managed to sneak in and put this in your locker without being caught, so, hah! And you said I was a terrible ninja!
"And the only reason I didn't just text you was because hey, I had absolutely no idea if you changed your phone number in the time I was gone, and I wanted to spare myself the embarrassment of sending the long ass somewhat heartwarming message to a wrong number.
"This was heartwarming right?"
I laughed. Heather was a very eccentric person. I mean, still nowhere near as eccentric as Ruff when it came to pranking and beating people up, but eccentric nonetheless.
"Anyway, totally miss you, coming to see you so watch out! I could jump at any time.
"Love, the prettier-with-dark-hair-but-slightly-weaker-than-you-in-gym girl,
"Heather~"
She had some humour, I'll give her that.
Wow... I hadn't seen Heather since she had to move to Berserk. I mean, we Skyped a few times, but both of us got so busy at one point that it became harder to stay in contact all the time.
Didn't realise how much I missed her until now.
I couldn't wait until two days' time!