5:46pm
Hey, there's been a
slight change of plans.
My parents spontaneously
decided to go to the beach
as well. We've been on our
way to Florida by car
since last night and won't
come back until next week.
I am really sorry

5:48pm
Okay, no problem. When
exactly will you be back
next week?

I let myself fall onto my bed. We had just finished unpacking when I received Hiccup's reply. A spontaneous trip to Florida, by car. His parents must really love adventures, or road trips, because from here it takes quite a while to get there, around twenty hours with traffic and breaks. Neither my dad nor I would be up for that.

My phone chimed and I saw Hiccup's name flash on the screen.

5:51pm
We'll drive back on
Monday, but it takes
veeery long

5:52pm
Why didn't you take a plane?

5:52pm
My father is afraid of
heights and doesn't
trust airplanes

5:52pm
And yes, I have told him
several times that flying
is statistically the safest
travel method

I had to smile. I kind of felt sorry for him, being stuck in the car with just the two of them for so long. Your butt starts to hurt, your legs go numb, and you end up being the one handing food and drinks to your parents because it's all sitting right next to you.

5:54pm
Then you have to entertain
yourself with 'I spy with my
little eye' for the next
few hours

5:54pm
As a reward, you get a whole
week of sun and beach

5:55pm
Spare me with that game,
my mother used it to keep
me awake this morning

The thought of an exhausted Hiccup sitting in the back seat, unable to close his eyes because his mom kept demanding an answer the whole time, made me laugh. Now I felt even more sorry for him.

5:57pm
Can't you keep me company?
You're the only one who's
answering my messages
right now

I grinned at the screen.

5:58pm
Sorry, I have a date. His name
is Netflix and he offers me
great entertainment

5:59pm
Don't I offer you
entertainment with
my suffering?

6:00pm
Nope

I put my phone on my nightstand and went downstairs to the living room where my father had already opened a bag of chips and the Netflix logo just appeared on the TV screen. We watched the next two episodes of Stranger Things, ate the whole bag of chips, even found some chocolate cookies in the cupboard, which disappeared quickly, and went upstairs afterwards. My dad gave me a goodnight kiss on my head and disappeared into his bedroom. I went into mine on the other end of the hallway, laid down in bed and picked up my phone. Hiccup had sent me three messages.

6:00pm
Ouch

6:01pm
Well, have fun on your
date, may it entertain
you better than my
travel stories

7:39pm
We FINALLY arrived.
Sorry if this doesn't
interest you at all, but
Jack, the little prick,
still isn't replying, so
you have to put up
with my messages

Jack Frost was Hiccup's best friend, at least that's how it seemed whenever I saw the two of them together. They always sat next to each other at the same table in the cafeteria along with Jack's girlfriend, Elsa Arens, who practically never left his side. A few other guys from the football team were usually there too, since Jack was on the team, but I never paid enough attention to remember their names.

I hadn't actually planned on becoming friends with Hiccup. I just wanted to get through the tutoring sessions and never see him again after graduation, but I realized I kind of liked texting with him. It was fun, even if only because he was suffering and I got a bit of fun out of it. Maybe he wasn't the annoying teacher's pet I'd always assumed he was. To find that out, though, I'd have to get to know him a little better.

8:04pm
Maybe he's busy

8:05pm
And yes, I don't really care
that you've been suffering
in the car for the past
twenty hours, but if you'd
rather rant to me than your
girlfriend, be my guest

8:05pm
Just don't expect any sympathy

It was a strange feeling. Hiccup and I had been going to the same high school for three years, we'd always had some classes together, but until that day in Mr. North's office, we hadn't said a single word to each other. And now I was lying in bed, texting with him like I'd been doing it since freshman year just because we are forced to spend time together. The world could be pretty crazy sometimes.

My phone buzzed again.

8:08pm
Yes, he is still busy
finding out how to
open Elsa's bra

My jaw literally dropped. He didn't seriously just write that. A laugh escaped from deep in my throat. He was clearly already way too comfortable having me in his life.

8:09pm
Besides, who says I'm
not texting Stacy right
now too? 😌

The emoji only made worse. I kept giggling, which, by the way, was totally unlike me, as I typed out my reply.

8:10pm
Did you turn into a player
now or how am I supposed
to take that?

He started typing immediately. I wiped a tear from my cheek, took a sip from the water bottle next to my bed and waited for his reply.

8:11pm
Of course not, I'm loyal.
It's not like I'm flirting
with you xD
She just doesn't always
answer or only reads it

I furrowed my brows. My last relationship hadn't been great, but I still knew that you answered your partner's messages, no matter what.

8:12pm
She just leaves you hanging?
Then I can understand that
you're looking for someone
else to talk to

8:12pm
My message inbox is
open for you

8:13pm
Wow, Hofferson, so
you do have a heart

What was that supposed to mean? Is he serious right now? I'm being so nice and let him flood me with messages because his girlfriend is a bitch and his best friend is messing around with his girlfriend, and then he comes at me with so you do have a heart?

8:14pm
Did anyone say something
different or where is this shit
coming from all of a sudden?

8:15pm
That wasn't meant as
an insult, sorry

8:15pm
It was meant as a
light-hearted joke,
really

8:15pm
Some people just made
fun of it at school

8:16pm
Because you're a lone
wolf who doesn't talk
to anyone, shut everyone
down and all that

8:16pm
I shouldn't have said it

8:16pm
I know now why you're
like that and should have
thought about it before,
I am sorry

8:17pm
Astrid?

I silently read through his flood of messages. My good mood from earlier was gone. Yes, I didn't really have friends and was often mean to others when they got on my nerves. Did that mean I had no heart? You couldn't know that if you didn't really know someone. Who did they think they were, talking trash about me behind my back like that.

I highlighted his second-to-last message and replied.

8:21pm
Yes, you should have

After that, I placed my phone face down on my nightstand, tried to get comfortable, and closed my eyes. It was still early, but we'd already gotten up at seven to be on time for the airport and I was starting to feel tired. With one last thought, I fell asleep after turning around in bed several times.

Fuck you all.

❁

He sent a few more messages apologizing. In the end, I just told him to forget it and to let me know on Monday when he was free so we could begin tutoring. That was the last thing we wrote to each other that week. The comfortable atmosphere we had started to build was destroyed. I wasn't angry anymore, but a little pissed off. Telling me I had no heart was like comparing me to Mrs. Coleman or my grandmother. I wasn't that emotionless.

On Monday, he messaged me as agreed, but only asked if he could let me know the next day because they would be driving home until late that night. I replied Yes and then didn't touch my phone again. I didn't text anyone else except my dad, but those messages were usually about dinner or him having to stay late at the police station. I called my grandparents more often, they loved hearing my voice and I loved hearing theirs. It gave me reassurance that they were still alive, even if it sounded silly. I just preferred calling them over texting.

On Tuesday, after breakfast, I received Hiccup's suggestion.

11:34am
Hey, how about tomorrow?
Today is still too hectic for me

That I believed him. They had just returned from a week-long vacation followed by a day-long trip home, and that in the middle of the night. You needed some time to process the world again after that.

11:36am
What time?

11:37am
11? Then we can study
until lunch, if you want

I groaned. That was at least four hours. I had never studied that long in one day before and honestly, I hadn't planned to. But I could already imagine him forcing me to stay put and telling me every time how much I had to catch up on. So, I agreed. He asked for my address and I sent it to him.

11:45am
Then see you tomorrow

11:45am
And hopefully you're not
a morning grouch

That made the corners of my mouth twitch. I realized he was trying to steer things back to calmer waters. He didn't want to come here tomorrow and have me still mad at him. He wanted us to be on friendly terms. And to be honest, I wanted that too. I didn't want to be angry just because he'd made that stupid remark. He had been kind and different than I thought, so I wanted to be nice too and maybe even gain him as a friend. I could really use the company.

I picked up my phone and started typing my reply.

11:47am
Maybe I'll make an exception
for you, I'll decide tomorrow
morning 😌