You Have to Choose... (Hiccstrid) (On hold)

Chapter 8

Astrid's P.O.V.

I sat on the sunning bench outside the beach house and stared at the moon. That guy was weird earlier. Why didn't he climb on the rock? He stayed in the water for some reason...was he trying to keep distance so I stay comfortable? Was he trying to be considerate? Or was he hiding something on his legs? Or, did he simply like the feeling of water on his skin? And why did he care whether I got rid of my necklace?! 

"Astrid!" a voice whispered loudly. I looked around before seeing Hayden crouching behind the wall. "Come here!" he said, waving me toward him. I paused, looked at the dark house, and walked over to him. He grabs my wrist and pulls me down the beach.

"Whoa, where are we going?" I ask.

"I wanna show you something," he says as he continues to pull me down the beach. Soon, we reach a rocky outcrop that over looked the ocean. 

"Why are we here?" I ask as we climb to the top and he helps pull me over the side.

"Just wait. They'll be here any minute," he says as we sit and look at the ocean.

"Who?" I ask.

"Some friends of mine," he says. We wait a few minutes before something sprays water and air from the surface of the ocean, a few meters away.

"Was that-?" I cut off as another spray shoots up.

"These big guys come around here about once a month," Hayden says after a pause, "I like to come here and watch them." 

"My mother loved whales," I murmur.

"What about your dad?"

"He fancied dolphins," I say.

"Which do you prefer?" he asks.

"I get a lot from my dad," I hint and he nods.

"Can I ask you something?" he asks.

"You have been," I joke and sense him roll his eyes.

"How do your grandparents afford that beach house?" he asks.

"Well, that's kinda random, isn't it?" I chuckle, "Truth is, I'm paying for most of it. I save all the money I win at nationals and sell my trophies to factories that deal with metal."

"You don't keep them?" he sounded shocked.

"I keep a few. But...then they collect dust and take up space," I say.

"I don't think I've ever met a person that wouldn't want to keep every single reminder of their victories," he says with a scoff.

2 hours later

"Well, I believe this is you," Hayden says as we reach the house.

"Hey, Hayden-um...thank you for taking me there. I've been, like, really stressed lately and tonight helped a lot and I had a nice time," I say, turning to face him. His eyes showed me a smile.

"Any time. And, if you'd like, tomorrow I can show you what it's like to ride a tube at midnight," he says.

"I can't," I sigh, "My board broke."

"Something tells me, you'll change your mind," he says before walking down the beach. 

I watch him for a moment before walking up the pathway and sitting on the couch on the porch. I take out my phone and am about to pull up a game when I feel a tug from my necklace. I looked to the ocean to see the perfect tube tumbling toward me. I sighed in longing before going inside and slinking to the stairs, freezing as a lamp turns on.

"And who was that young man?" Nana asks from her cushion swivel chair.

"Uh...friend?" I say uncertainly.

"And where were you?" her voice was heavy with suspicion.

"He took me to a cove for whale watching," I answer.

"Is that it?" she asks.

"Yes," I say.

"Where'd you two meet?" I sigh as I grabbed my arms and twisted uncomfortably.

"A surfing contest," I say, squaring my shoulders.

"What's his name?" her lips now held a sly smirk.

"Hayden Hadders," I tell her.

"Do you trust him?" she asks. I pause as I realize what she's thinking.

"Oh, Nana!" I exclaim in disgust.

"Well, you can't be too sure," she says defensively.

"You should have more faith in me! I'd never do anything like that if my life depended on it!" 

"You will when you feel the pull," she warns.

"When did you first feel it?" I ask.

"When I met your grandfather, around age 16," she answers.

"Exactly. Most people feel it for the first time in their early life, and I'm 17, still haven't felt it," I say before storming upstairs. How little did she think of me? Honestly, the measures that woman thinks I'd go to!

Morning

I woke up to be greeted with Chinese water torture. "Grandpa!" I shouted as I snorted water from my nose; he was busy busting a gut to realize that I'd almost drowned.

"Rise and shine!" he laughed, clutching his stomach. I wiped my face with my hand before wringing out my hair.

"What a peaceful way to wake up," I say sarcastically.

"You want peace, go to the shop and take your post," he chuckles before leaving my room.

"Ugh.....! Fine!" I groan before pulling myself out of bed and getting dressed in my swimsuit and jeans. I then meet my grandparents downstairs and climb into the jeep before Papa started driving to the shop.

"I still don't understand why you wear jeans in Florida. You're like the palest person in Miami," Nana says.

"Only my legs," I say, "Besides, I showed them when I was surfing."

"I really don't think you should give it up," Papa says.

"Too bad. My board broke, I threw it in the ocean, it's washed up somewhere on the Gulf of Mexico, because that makes sense," I say before he pulled up to the shop. We got out and went inside before I went behind the check out desk. I grabbed the bird food and went to the parakeet. I put some seeds in the dish before the bird flew over and landed on my shoulder before pecking my ear and hopping to her food dish. "Yeah, I don't like you either. But here's a tip," I lean down, smiling sarcastically, and dump some of her water into her seeds, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

"Astrid, did you wet Polly's food down again?" Nana asks.

"She pecked me," I say as I go back to the counter.

"You just hate animals don't you?" Papa asks.

"I like dolphins. Why don't you get one of those, and I'll gladly take care of it," I say.

"Dolphins are for the ocean," Heather says as she and Snotlout walk in with Tuffnut and Ruffnut.

"Hey, guys whats up?" I ask.

"Hayden Hadders," the twins say and I pause before looking at them in confusion.

"Okay, I know you two are random, but that was out of the park," I say.