Pumpkins and Punches

Part 6

"ERET!"

The man looked up as Astrid in shock, his caramel eyes widening as the blonde stormed forward, her fists balled. She grabbed the other girl by the hair, swinging her away from Eret and punching her hard across the face. She girl spun and slammed across the table, landing in a display of shrimp and getting pink sauce smeared all over her face and hair.

"Get off my fiancé!" Astrid snarled, her fists balled.

"Astrid..." Eret began but the other blonde pulled herself off the table and whacked Astrid across the face with a salmon quiche.

"Sorry, sister-but your boyfriend came onto me!" she sneered. "Not that I was resisting since he is a pretty nice hunk of beefcake!" Astrid ducked under a wild swipe and lifted her skirt, her painful shoes forgotten as she kicked out to slam the girl aside. She landed in a bowl of salsa and screamed, grabbing the bowl and flinging it at Astrid-who ducked, allowing the salsa to hit Eret, who was standing behind her. Incandescent with rage, Astrid spun again, launching a ferocious roundhouse that threw the other girl all the way across the table and onto her face in a heap behind. 

"Cami?" Hiccup's voice cut through the sudden silence and Astrid spun to see him, her face scorching in humiliation. Gods, not only had she abandoned him for Eret but the girlfriend who had dumped him had now also gone for Eret. Wow, even thinking about it made her head hurt: she had no idea how Hiccup must feel. Snotlout was laughing helplessly.

"Wow-Useless indeed!" he guffawed. "Every girl he likes wants to stick her tongue down Eret's throat!"

"Shut up, Snotlout," Hiccup growled. "Or do you want Dad to cancel your internship at the Legislature?" The stocky boy glared at him and turned to his friends, making a snarky comment. Astrid turned round to face Eret. 

"What is this?" she asked in an icy voice. "Eret...you better had a frickin' good explanation for this..." The tall, handsome man turned to her with his widest smile.

"Asty...you know it's you I love," he protested. "She's just an old friend and we were just getting reacquainted..." Astrid grabbed a cup of punch and threw it full in his face.

"You don't get acquainted with anyone when you're with me!" she shouted.

"Exclusive...got it..." Eret said too quickly as he wiped the punch out of his eyes and she knew. She drew herself up and stared into his eyes.

"This isn't the first time...with her or with the others, is it?" she said in a frigid voice. He stared at her and for a moment, he almost looked regretful..and then he shook his head. Her eyes widened and shone with tears...but she blinked them away. "How many?"

"Asty...it doesn't mean anything..." he protested.

"HOW MANY WOMEN HAVE YOU BEEN WITH SINCE YOU"VE BEEN MY BOYFRIEND?" she roared.

"Um...six..." he admitted.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Even the sounds of 'the Monster Mash' seemed muted.

And then she punched him in the face, slamming him back a couple of paces. As he was shaking his head, she was fumbling at her hand, dragging the ring from her finger and flinging it into the punch...and then throwing the whole bowl, punch and all, into his face. He cringed back, dripping from orange punch as she drew herself up.

"WE'RE OVER!" she shouted and turned away, elbowing through the crowd, tears suddenly streaking down her face and blinding her. She shoved past Hiccup half-raising a hand to shield her face from him and seeing the pity flare in his cool green eyes. Ruff cast her brother an exasperated look and ran after Astrid. But the girl was already at the cloakroom, retrieving her shawl and erupting into the cold evening outside.