ELEVEN:

Lunch found Astrid, Heather and Ruff sitting with Hiccup, Tuff, Fishlegs and Dagur crammed on a table in the far corner of the canteen, well away from the popular table, where Atali was holding court. Mindy, Snotlout, Eret and Thuggory were all sitting with her, along with a couple of lucky juniors who Heather whispered were called Thora and Kari. Ruff rolled her eyes.

"Those bitchy wannabes," she commented. "They've been hanging around all since the start of the year, hinting and bitching and stirring to try to become part of the group." Looking up, Heather nodded.

"Atali was always scornful that she didn't need 'babies' in her group," Heather commented, munching her way through her salad. "But the truth is, she needs someone to look up to her and bolster her fragile ego. She needs to feel the most important and valued person in the year, to be above the rest, even at the expense of harming others, because it's all about Atali. It's always about Atali."

"You mean she's pissed because I didn't dance with her date?" Astrid asked her, munching her cheeseburger. "That's messed up."

"Seriously messed up," Ruff agreed.

"Actually, I think it's because you didn't dance with the date she brought to show off to you all-and instead you danced with a total outcast," Heather said and then glanced up at Hiccup. "No offence."

"None taken," he said quietly and chewed his fries philosophically.

"I would have thought she would be grateful I didn't dance with her date so she could spend time with him," Astrid commented, chewing.

"But for Atali, it's all about appearance," Ruff reminded her. "And you rejecting her oh-so-special date was the last straw."

"Not that I had many straws to start with, what with being an outcast for the last three and a half years," Astrid grumbled. Tuff shrugged.

"Look-we're all outcasts-but what does that really mean?" he asked.

"Huh?" Astrid's brows furrowed but Hiccup paused and sipped his cola.

"Look, how do you measure yourself?" he asked Astrid. "By your own internal sense of worth? By your achievements? By the love of your friends and family? By your words and deeds and moral compass? Or by the standards of a vain, self-absorbed, spiteful, shallow girl who contradicts herself almost every time she opens her mouth and desperately clings to her image above all decency and rational thought." Her eyes widened.

"By my own worth-not by what she thinks," she replied immediately...and then she paused. "But you are right: when I started here, I wanted approval. I was a popular girl. But I hope I learned what was more important than ephemeral adulation and admiration from people who don't even know your name..." Heather rested a hand on her arm.

"You have," she said. "Even in the few days you were with us, we could see the change. You were fair. You thought about others' feelings. And you didn't just talk about yourself. Basically, you were far better than any of us. Atali was jealous and was looking for a way to ditch you-though she would have preferred after you took her onto the set of 'Son of Odin'." Casting a look over at Hiccup, Astrid lowered her eyes.

"I-I thought as much and Hiccup warned me," she admitted. "But you kind of hope that people do want to be friends with you for you." Without hesitation, Hiccup reached out and his hand gently rested on hers, giving a gentle squeeze.

"The people here do," he assured her. "Especially me." Then he groaned. "So cheesy. Sorry." Astrid moved her hand to tightened around his.

"No-that was kind of nice," she assured him with a wan smile. "I mean, you have been kind of there for me...though I was too dumb and proud to see it..."

"Astrid...I wouldn't have forgiven me," Hiccup said with a sigh. "But...I am grateful you're giving me a chance now."

"Aww...so cute," Tuff commented, nudging Fishlegs who was giving a little squeak. Then they heard the sounds of laughter and glanced over at Atali's table. Eret was pointing at Hiccup and his expression was extremely uncharitable.

"And that is definitely not cute," Ruff added. Hiccup shrugged.

"Used to it," he mumbled as Astrid and Heather shared a look.

"Dagur-can you keep an eye on Hiccup?" the raven-haired girl asked. Her brother raised an eyebrow.

"What sort of eye?" he asked dryly.

"A watchful and preferably protective one," Astrid said. "I mean, those asses ambushed him at his locker this morning..."

"And even Snotlout isn't that stupid to try again," Dagur pointed out.

"A matter for debate," Hiccup noted.

"But there are places where he can go and I can't," Astrid argued.

"Wow-so not feeling like a damsel in distress here," Hiccup commented.

"Still sarky," Tuff interjected.

"And still my best feature," Hiccup added. "Guys-I will be fine. I can handle myself. And I'll keep my phone with me-fully charged-so if I end up in another trash receptacle, I'll call. I promise."

"You know, you never mentioned stubborn," Astrid pointed out, her eyes glittering with irritation.

"I am a descendent of Vikings-we all have stubbornness issues..." he reminded her. Then she grinned.

"But only a handful have razor sharp wit and sarcasm you could skin a dragon with," Astrid shot back, her eyes softening.

"And that was a mental image I could have gone my entire life without," Hiccup sighed, patting Fishlegs's shoulder. "It's okay, Fish. No one is harming any dragons...or any other form of fauna. Though skinning some of my former friends...metaphorically speaking...wouldn't go amiss." Astrid cast a glance over at the popular table and chewed her lip, running her mind back over how they had behaved before and after they had realised who her famous Uncle was.

"You know...I think we need to think about that," she said as Hiccup looked up.

"Maybe you all want to come round to mine tonight?" he offered. "Say-five, five-thirty? Can't believe I'm saying this but...I do like the idea. Thor, I thought I wasn't that kind of guy either but..."

"But sometimes...there have to be consequences?" Astrid suggested with a small smirk. "And that means taking on the popular gang."

"With the Scooby gang here here," Hiccup added with a small smile.

"Hey-I thought you were the Three Musketeers," Astrid reminded him.

"OOH. So who am I? Am I Porthos?" Tuff asked eagerly. Astrid instantly looked guilty and cast a half-glance over at Fishlegs. The solid blond teen looked upset.

"Aww, c'mon-my Mom says I'm husky. HUSKY!" he protested. "I mean Athos is way cooler..."

"Nope. Hiccup is Athos. Definitely. Because he was my favourite Musketeer-all mysterious and noble with a tragic past..." Astrid replied. Hiccup stared at the table.

"Some of that may be correct..." he mumbled. Astrid leaned forward.

"I mean Athos being all tragic and noble is seriously sexy," she whispered as Hiccup's eyes widened.

"What?" But the blonde was chuckling, clutching at her stomach.

"And you are definitely my favourite musketeer," she added.

"So if we are the Scooby Gang, who is who?" Tuff asked.

"Obviously, I am Velma," Ruff said. "I mean-brilliant, intuitive..."

"I thought that was me," Heather put in dryly.

"Actually, Fishlegs is Velma if you think about it," Hiccup suggested. They all stared at him.

"What?" Both girls were mildly outraged-though Heather was smiling as she mulled over the idea.

"Though that does make sense," Dagur noted.

"You and Heather are Freddy and Daphne," Hiccup said.

"So what does that make us?" Astrid asked.

"Well, I am probably Shaggy, since he always ends up in trouble," he admitted.

"Aww COME ON-I am definitely Shaggy..." Tuff protested but Astrid was staring at Tuff and Ruff. She started laughing.

"Why is she laughing, sis? Please make her stop laughing..." Tuff said worriedly. Ruff folded her arms.

"Yeah-why are you laughing?" she asked suspiciously. Astrid wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You two are Scooby Doo!" she managed to force out before folding up again with laughter. The twins gave identical scowls and both glared at her.

"First up-there are two of us..." Tuff began but Ruff sighed.

"That's even worse-that means one of us is Scrappy Doo!" she told her brother. He looked mortally offended.

"There is no way I am being the even more irritating mini-Scooby!" he protested. By now, Hiccup was laughing as well and Heather and Dagur were trying not to meet each other's eyes without success. They both burst out laughing.

"Only one way to sort this out," Ruff said as they squared up. "Ready...steady...go!" They pressed their foreheads together, began to stare at each other and started playing rock-scissors-paper. But each time they played, they both made exactly the same gesture.

"This could take some time," Fishlegs commented. "Last time they did this, it took four hours..."

"Yeah-and that was only because I got bored and wanted to go out with the girls-so I let Tuff win," Ruff growled.

"Yeah-but you messed that up and you won!" her twin protested.

"Your fault for doing the wrong gesture in the wrong order!" Ruff snapped. Fishlegs rolled his eyes as Hiccup leaned towards Astrid.

"What does that make you?" he asked under his breath. She smiled.

"The person who contacts the gang and asks for their help," she told him easily. "The one who falls for Shaggy." His eyes widened.

"That wasn't in the cartoon!" he reminded her but she smirked.

"Should have been," she murmured, gently touching his hand as the bell rang. "Take care."

"You too..." he murmured. "And see you later?"

"You can bet on it."

oOo

The afternoon was trying for Hiccup, for he shared the first class with the boys but not with Astrid and the jocks seemed determined to bait him by bad-mouthing Astrid and making some very inappropriate comments about her. If he had been thinking straighter, he would have laughed at the guys for their stupidity. Calling Astrid all sorts of disparaging names and then indicating that they wanted to spend time with her was just plain schizophrenic.

But he wasn't thinking straight and he felt his gut tighten in anger at the words, wanting to defend her and attack them and knowing that he shouldn't because it would just make everything far worse. He had liked and admired Astrid for so long and he had endured listening to them scorning her before without feeling like this. But now...now that he knew her as a person and that she kind of liked him...it was almost impossible and he felt himself wound up with frustration. Especially as Phys Ed rolled around and he headed into the changing rooms. Formerly one his favourite lessons, it was definitely the worst now-because it meant non-stop taunting and cruelty about the leg.

Locating himself in the furthest corner of the changing room to avoid any additional unwanted attention, he opened his locker and swiftly grabbed his kit. He had worn his running prosthetic today after his early morning run because at least he could be more active on it if depending on what the teacher decided. But by the time he had changed and closed his locker, he realised he was running late and he got up-and found himself facing the guys. Instinctively, he backed up a pace.

"Hey..." he said with a wary expression on his face. "Guys...this is flattering but we really should get in? You know how irritable Mr Bludvist gets if we're late?"

"We're not going to be late, fishbone!" Thuggory sneered. Hiccup frowned.

"Guys, in case you forgot, we used to be best buddies and all that happened-all that happened-was that I was injured in a fire. And proper, true friends would accept that and be there..."

"And guys who have any sense would drop someone who was no longer part of their group," Eret told him bluntly. "Look-you just shut up until suddenly...now you're all whiny?" Hiccup balled his fists.

"You trapped me in a dumpster and left me to freeze to death," he growled. "That's not a prank or a joke-it's a crime."

"And who's gonna know?" Snotlout told him simply. "We all have alibis. No one saw a thing. It's your word against ours-and guess who everyone is going to believe?" Hiccup scowled.

"No one believes you-because there are people who overheard you telling Atali and Astrid what you had done," Hiccup growled. Snotlout nodded and Eret and Thuggory lunged, slamming Hiccup back against his locker. Snotlout thudded his fist into Hiccup's middle-just enough to wind him-and as he was doubled up, gasping for air Snotlout grabbed at his leg. Writhing and kicking, Hiccup fought as the prosthetic was ripped off, none too gently, with Snotlout grinning as he waved the expensive and specialist piece of equipment round like a baseball bat.

"Snotlout-GIVE THAT BACK!" Hiccup shouted, fighting furiously against the grips on his arms.

"Ask nicely!" his cousin sneered.

"Why should I?" Hiccup snapped. "You have no right to even touch..." Snotlout tossed the prosthesis up in the air and dropped it with clatter. "Hey!"

"Oops!" the stocky boy said smugly. "Hope I don't break it..."

"Snotlout-this is the lowest thing you have ever done..." Hiccup growled.

"Ask for it back nicely-and I won't make you crawl into class..." Snotlout said, his voice suddenly hard. Hiccup gritted his teeth.

"Please...may I have my leg back?" he asked with a forced voice, his expression furious. Snotlout looked thoughtful for a moment.

"No!" he said and ran off into the gym, still holding the prosthetic. Eret and Thuggory threw Hiccup to the floor and ran after him, leaving Hiccup on his knees and stuck. Breathing hard in fury and shame, he slowly pushed himself up onto his foot, balancing and breathing hard. When Snotlout ripped off his prosthetic, he had pulled the sock off as well, leaving the scarred stump exposed and Hiccup was torn: he had never shown anyone his scars and was very conscious about being pitied...but he needed to get his prosthetic back. Notwithstanding the fact that he needed the leg to get home, it was a specialised prosthesis his father had funded to ensure his son was still able to run and be active. And it had cost about twenty thousand dollars: there was no way he could tell his father it had been stolen from him by some of his former friends and lost or destroyed.

So he squared his shoulders and hopped towards the gym, hearing the gruff but booming voice of the Phys Ed teacher who was explaining the lesson. There was a silence as he rounded the corner and appeared in the gym. Mr Bludvist frowned at him. A huge man with a sallow, scarred face, hooked nose and dark eyes, his hair in incongruous long back dreadlocks and a single braid of a beard hanging from his chin, he was an intimidating presence.

"Why are you late?" he demanded. Hiccup took a quick breath.

"Some students stole my prosthetic," he said. Mr Bludvist frowned.

"And who might they be?"

"Jorgensen, Eretson and Meated," Hiccup answered bluntly. Mr Bludvist used surnames for all his students, conceding a 'Miss' for the girls. He frowned and swung round to glare at the accused jocks.

"Jorgensen? Is this true?"

"Sir-it's a complete lie!" Snotlout lied. "I mean-why would I want even touch that...thing?"

"To humiliate me," Hiccup said bitterly as Astrid frowned, inching sideways and peering under the bench where Snotlout, Eret and Thuggory were smugly perched.

"It hardly seems a reason for three young men, responsible members of the Football team, to perform such an act..." Bludvist commented coldly. "I..."

"It's there, under the bench Snotlout is sitting on!" Astrid interrupted. Bludvist glared at her.

"Miss Hofferson! I don't appreciate the interruption!" he snapped.

"You should!" she replied sharply. "Sir," she added as an afterthought. "It's there-and the only way it could have gotten there was if they had taken it and brought it through." Bludvist snapped his head round to glare at the jocks, all of whom were looking smug.

"I don't appreciate untruthfulness," he snapped. "I am disappointed..."

"It was only a little prank, sir..." Eret suggested easily, nudging Snotlout. The stocky boy grinned.

"Yeah-I mean, he's my cousin so I knew he would see the funny side..." he added, casting a meaningful glance at Hiccup.

"There is no funny side!" Hiccup snapped. "Give me my leg back!"

"I think only Odin can do that!" Thuggory quipped as the class burst out laughing. Cheeks burning with shame, Hiccup hopped forward, his left arm extended.

"Give. Me. My. Leg!" he ground out as Astrid rounded on the class.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" she shouted. "Stealing a prosthetic from an amputee isn't a joke-it's a despicable act of the worst kind. And you laughing at these assholes is just pathetic and insulting!"

"Miss Hofferson! Get a sense of humour!" Bludvist told her but she was furious now.

"Sir-this isn't even slightly funny!" she said flatly. "It's abhorrent. And for you to excuse this as a prank is unacceptable!"

"I will decide what is unacceptable!" Bludvist snapped. He was a stern teacher who hated being cheeked by any student. Astrid blushed, realising her mistake but then she glanced over at the bench with the jocks still sitting smugly and not handing over the precious device.

"Humourless and self-righteous," Atali murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear. Growling, Astrid marched up to Snotlout and shoved him hard backwards so he fell off the bench-allowing Astrid to bend down and retrieve the prosthetic. Then she walked towards Hiccup with a serious look on her face.

"Here you are," she said gently. He nodded.

"Thanks," he sighed and she willingly allowed him to lean against her as he carefully replaced the prosthetic, wincing slightly at the pressure in the recently abused stump.

"Hey-she attacked me!" Snotlout protested, lying on his back still, whining pathetically. "I'm really hurt, sir..."

"Miss Hofferson-detention!" Bludvist snapped as she spun round to face him in shock.

"What?" she spat out. "I get detention and they get nothing for assaulting Hiccup and stealing his prosthetic...?"

"Which was just a prank," Eret said smugly. Hiccup balled his fists.

"Prank this!" he yelled and threw himself on the larger boy.

"Haddock!" Bludvist roared as Hiccup punched Eret and swung his elbow accurately to wind Thuggory, who was surging to his friend's defence. In an instant, Snotlout was up, grabbing Hiccup in a headlock and punching him in the side-clearly not hurt at all despite his previous performance. "Jorgensen!" Landing a flurry of punches in his cousin's middle, Hiccup broke free-and then saw Astrid fly in to tackle Thuggory and pin him in an arm-lock. "Miss Hofferson!" Eret grabbed at her braid and pulled, jerking her head back painfully. "Eretson!"

"Son of a..." Astrid growled as Heather launched herself onto Eret and punched him in the face.

"Miss Oswaldson!" Bludvist yelled as Thuggory grabbed Astrid and threw her. "Meated!" And then he stomped forward. "ENOUGH! YOU ALL HAVE DETENTION!"

"Oh come on-this is all Astrid's fault!" Snotlout whined.

"What?" Astrid growled, scrambling to her feet. "You stole Hiccup's leg, you asshole!"

"Well, I wouldn't have had to steal his leg if he hadn't defended you for getting us all thrown out of the dance because you wouldn't dance with Ryker Grimborn!"

"I don't have to dance with anyone I don't want to and we were thrown out because you and your muttonheaded friends started an Odin-damned brawl!" Astrid retorted.

"And Hiccup shouldn't be such a pathetic fishbone having a prosthetic leg!" Thuggory sneered. "I mean...Gods-he's hardly a proper person, missing a limb..."

There was a shocked silence.

"Have you forgotten that I am an amputee as well?" Bludvist growled as Thuggory paled. In truth, they had all accepted and no longer even registered the fact that Mr Bludvist had lost an arm in a plane crash when he was much younger and now wore a very expensive computerised prosthetic under his tracksuit top. "You, Jorgensen and Eretson will go and speak to Miss Queen-and three days detention. Miss Hofferson, Miss Oswaldson and Haddock will have detention this evening. Now can you all sit down and SHUT UP! We have wasted enough time on this nonsense!" Hiccup and Astrid settled on the space Heather and Fishlegs had saved them and shared a glance.

"You okay?" he asked her, looking concerned. She smiled and rubbed her scalp, which was stinging from the hard yank Thuggory had given her braid.

"I'm fine-and I was going to ask you the same question," she murmured back. He shrugged.

"More angry than anything else," he admitted. "I mean, for something that isn't there, my leg really causes a lot of problems." She smirked.

"You, sir, are very sassy," she admitted.

"I was thinking of changing my name to Sasscup," he quipped as she giggled.

"Too girly," she told him.

"Bonnie and Clyde?" he suggested as she shook her head.

"Which one are you? Bonnie?" she asked.

"Clyde may be a better Viking name...if you put a couple of Ks and Js in it," he pointed out. "Kljd?"She muffled a snort.

"You realise that we have been sort of going out for three days and already we've been in two brawls and got detention together," she told him and he bowed his head.

"Sorry," he murmured but her hand brushed his-just slightly but enough to get his emerald eyes widening in shock and peeking up at her.

"I don't regret a minute," she assured him. "Even though this is my first detention."

"Mine too," he admitted and then his eyes twinkled. "I guess we'll just have to lose our detention virginity together!" She swatted his shoulder.

"Oh Sasscup-you did NOT say that!" she scolded him as he grinned.

"Oh yes I did, Milady? Still no regrets?" he teased her.

"Not a one," she said.