One would be shocked at how much things can change in a short period of time ... well, if you consider 6 months a short period of time that is.

After riding around the country on my beloved motorcycle for 6 months on end, I had grown homesick, and before I knew it, I was right back where it all started; good ol' Berk.

The only problem was that when I had been living it up as a 17 year old on the road, everyone I used to know had moved on with their lives. Well, maybe not everyone, but the person I had ached to see the most ... he most certainly had.

Did I know any of this before I waltzed into school one chilly January morning? Hell no.

I parked my motorcycle and made sure to remember my keys before I took off my helmet and dramatically let my hair fall down around my shoulders. I ran a hand through my golden locks, my mind wandering over to the hair tie that hung around my wrist as I briefly considered braiding my hair into its usual braid. Then I remembered how much I hated the feeling of my braid being squished against my head and undone by the immense force I would have to use to put on the helmet, which is why I immediately abandoned my genius idea.

The school itself hadn't changed much from the last time I had been there. It was still a two-story, rectangular building in yellow brick that spread a feeling of dread and hatred through my veins as I looked up at it. I suppose the only thing I found positive about school was my friends and the occasional class.

I took a deep breath as I held my helmet under my arm. The sleek, black helmet matched my leather jacket perfectly, and had you passed me in the hallway you would definitely not recognize me as the same girl I had been a year before.

Before my classes started, I decided to swing by the reception to get my new schedule and hopefully a locker. After what seemed like an eternally long conversation with the receptionist, I was finally allowed to go to my new locker and stuff all my books and other belongings in it before my first class ... which was in about 5 minutes.

Unfortunately for me, my new locker was faaar away from my old locker. My old locker had been conveniently close to my old English classroom, in which I now had social science in approximately 4 minutes. I quickly emptied my backpack into the locker, before slamming it shut and making my way over to the Social Science classroom. Gods, did I envy the freshman that had taken over my old locker.

Unfortunately for me, there is no such thing as 'luck' in my life, which is why at the same time I was rushing to get to class, my eyes accidentally landed upon the person I had both wanted to see the most ... and the least during my semester off. I sucked in my breath as I struggled to stop my heart from racing.

Listen, the last time I saw Hiccup ... well, I'll avoid beating around the bush: I was a bitch. Like a really big bitch. On the day I left for my road trip, Hiccup had come to say goodbye with his heart out on his sleeve. He confessed his feelings for me, and I ... well, I couldn't bring myself to say that I felt the same, even though I did.

So not only did I humiliate him in front of our friends, but I also broke his heart and completely cut myself out of his life for the next 6 months. But when I saw him in that hallway ... gods, did I feel like the biggest piece of shit to ever walk the planet.

My heart was running wild inside my chest as I saw those beautiful emerald green eyes of his, which sparkled like a diamond in the sun. A wide grin was stretched across his face as he joked around with a few friends of his that I recognized as his classmates from his other classes.

Luckily for me, Hiccup hadn't noticed me, standing there like some lovesick teenager and gazing at him like he was the love of my life. He chuckled at something one of his friends had said and ran his fingers through the auburn mess that sat atop his head, causing my heart to perform a somersault in my chest.

Weird stares seemed to come from all directions, but I didn't notice them until a fellow student accidentally bumped into me and snapped me out of my daze. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment for a split second, before a wave of determination washed over me. I had to stop watching Hiccup like some creep and go talk to him, no matter how much of a bitch the boy thought I was.

Right as I was about to march over to Hiccup and strike up a conversation with him, a slim brunette in mom jeans with white Nike air forces and a matching turtleneck beat me to it. A bright smile lit up her beautiful face as she dropped her black leather backpack at Hiccup's feet and leapt into his arms.

My eyes widened as I felt my jaw drop. Who was this woman? I had three theories:

1. She was a cousin Hiccup had never said a word about that recently moved into town.
2. She was a close female friend. (Which I found hard to believe.)
3. She was something to Hiccup I definitely did not want her to be.

It wasn't long before all my other options were ruled out though, seeing as she pressed her lips against Hiccup's and kept them there for an excessive amount of time. So either they were really close cousins or boyfriend and girlfriend. I'm not going to lie to you, I was kind of rooting for the close cousin theory.

"Astrid?" A voice coated in utter disbelief came from behind me, and I quickly spun around and found myself face to face with my best friend, Heather Oswaldson. An uncharacteristic squeal escaped her as her arms flew around my neck, and she wrapped me in such a tight hug that I momentarily lost the ability to breathe. "You're back! Oh my gods, I can't believe you're back!"

I raised a brow at her. "You're acting like I just came back from the dead."

Heather pulled herself together and flashed me a brilliant smile. "It honestly feels like you've been gone for a year and two months."

"That ... that was oddly specific." I chuckled at her comment. She wasn't wrong, it did feel like I had been gone for a long time.

Heather glanced up at one of the clocks that hung above the classrooms and her eyes widened. "I'm really happy to see you and all, Astrid, but if I'm not in class in 40 seconds, Ms. Haraldsen is going to have my head."

I blinked as I remembered why I had been in the hallway in the first place, realizing that it wouldn't look very good if I didn't meet up on time for my first class of the semester. "Great to bump into you, Heather. See you at lunch?"

Heather shot me a wink as sped down the hallway in the direction of her next class.

***

"So ..." Ruffnut began as she waved two of her fries around. "What's up with the biker aesthetic?"

I furrowed my brows as I took a bite out of the dry chicken on my plate. "What do you mean?"

Heather raised a brow as she gave me a long stare. "You do realize you look like Danny Zuko from Grease, right?"

I glanced down at the black leather jacket beside me before moving my gaze to my white t-shirt. I let out a nervous chuckle as I subconsciously flipped my hair over my shoulder and attempted to avoid eye contact with my friends.

"Well, I do own a motorcycle now, so I don't think it's all that strange that I'm wearing leather most of the time ... can we talk about something else than my new look?" I looked up pleadingly at my friends who both snorted before giving in.

"Like what? Hiccup's new girlfriend?" Ruffnut wiggled her brows as she nodded in the direction of Hiccup's table, where he sat with the boys, some new guys I hadn't seen before and his ... girlfriend. I suppose my close cousin theory had been thrown out the window.

Heather placed her hand on my arm and shot me a sympathetic smile as I forced myself to look away from Hiccup. Why did he have to look so happy without me? "We're guessing you've already seen them?"

Ruffnut snorted. "How could she not? Those two are worse than she and Eret ever were! I can't even go to the bathroom without seeing those lovebirds dry humping in the hallways."

My eyes widened as I felt my cheeks growing hot. Who would've thought how uncomfortable it would be to hear about the guy you like being all over another? "Um ... Why aren't the guys with us?"

Heather furrowed her brows before letting out an angry puff. "You mean Snotlout, Tuffnut and Fishlegs?"

I raised my brows and blinked in disbelief at the amount of hatred she had laced their names with. Gods, I probably should have picked up the phone the first 100 times Heather had called me. Well, another check in the ol' bitch book for Astrid Hofferson.

Ruffnut rolled her eyes at Heather. "Heather and Fishlegs broke up back in November, right as Hiccup met his dear Valerie. And without you here to fix the group dynamic ... it all just crumbled."

I ran a hand across my face. Wow, I really shouldn't have gone off on a solo road trip at the beginning of the school year. "Gods, I'm so sorry you guys, I had no idea what you were all going through. I'm so sorry for not answering when you called ..."

Heather let out a sigh as our eyes met. "It's alright, Astrid, we're not mad at you, far from it! You were out doing what you have always wanted to do, and we don't want you to feel bad for that."

I shot her a smile. "Thank you, Heather."

Heather took a bite out of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, casting a longing glance over at her ex-boyfriend before she noticed Ruffnut and I staring. She quickly turned her attention back to the two of us, her face a fiery red as she dropped her sandwich back onto her plate and attempted to get the focus off herself. "So, Astrid, have you spoken to Hiccup yet?"

Oh boy, did she know how to ask the wrong questions. I quietly put down my utensils as my appetite completely disappeared and my cheeks began burning. "Well, I mean ... no. You know we just haven't ... haven't really had the chance to, well ..."

Ruffnut slowly shook her head at me as she threw a grape into the air and caught it elegantly with her mouth. "I'll take that as a solid 'no'."

"It's just that ... we left off on such a bad note. And besides I don't really know what to say to him." I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear as I avoided eye contact with my friends.

They were silent for a minute, as if they were having an unspoken conversation with one another before they turned to me with sympathetic smiles and tilted heads. Heather rubbed my arm. "You know, before you-know-who and I broke up, he told me that Hiccup wasn't really being his usual self. He was agitated, constantly tired and kept a lot to himself."

I let out an unintended snort. "Sounds like he went back to his old ways then."

"Astrid, I think he cared about you, A LOT and was saddened when you didn't reciprocate his feelings ..." Heather studied my expression for a moment before sinking back into her seat with narrowed eyes. "But you did reciprocate them, didn't you? You just didn't want to admit it to him ... or yourself if I know you as well as I think I do."

Damn, had Heather hit the nail right on the head with that one. I bowed my head, avoiding her gaze as a wave of shame washed over me. "How did you get so good at reading me?"

Heather shrugged. "It comes with having been your best friend for ages."

The excruciatingly loud sound of a bell ringing rippled through the cafeteria, sending a wave of rising teens in the direction of the doors as they rushed to their next class. Once again, I couldn't stop myself from glancing over at Hiccup, who seemed to be enjoying himself even more than he had in the hallway earlier that day. It was strange to think that this man who laughed and smiled more than any other at the school had been sulking around at the beginning of the year, which is why it made it all that much easier for me to realize that he had not noticed me yet, for if he had ... well, let's just say I don't think he would be smiling as much.

Heather noticed me staring and raised a brow at me. "So, how long are you going to avoid him this time?"

I shrugged. "Probably until the next class we have together, which so happens to be tomorrow if I am not mistaken."

Ruffnut raised a brow. "English?"

I nodded solemnly. "English."