How Not To Have A Relaxing Holiday

Morning Ultimatum

EIGHT: Morning Ultimatum.

"I feel terrible," Astrid said, sitting despondently on the couch in Heather and Fishlegs's room. She looked dishevelled, her hair wild and eyes red from crying. Her friends hadn't known what to do or say because Astrid never cried but she had been inconsolable once they got back to the room. The twins had turned up as they arrived in the hotel lobby but had just as swiftly retreated to their room with Throk while Dagur and Mala had mumbled vague platitudes-but Astrid suspected that Dagur was disappointed in her. And thinking back, she had realised that the couple hadn't been there all the time, sneaking off to spend time together and even while in the group, they had been close.

When Hiccup hadn't even been there.

Her throat clogged and she wiped another tear from her face. Then a hand landed on her shoulder and she looked up to see Heather's sympathetic face. A paper tissue was thrust into her hand and she dabbed her eyes.

"I wish I could say something to make you feel better," she sighed.

"But you can't," Astrid realised. "Because I don't deserve it..." Heather sat at her side while Fishlegs pulled a chair up and sat opposite her.

"We were all at fault," he admitted.

"I was worst," Astrid murmured. "I mean, Hiccup is my boyfriend. Was my boyfriend? And I love him. So why did I ignore him so much?"

"Only you can answer that," Fishlegs told her with a sigh. "I mean, ever since you realised that we were here, you've spent most of your time with us. It was weird because Hiccup was grateful for our help and on the first night, it was fine to got out and catch up. But you realise, you haven't had a proper meal-just the two of you-the entire holiday. I don't know what happened when you got back from the beach but you appeared at our room and we all went out for a meal-without Hiccup. Then after the boat trip, you told us you were tired and we heard Hiccup walk out. I mean, the poor guy had been alone all day because the boat refused to take him. Someone should have stayed behind."

"Or we could all have stayed behind," Heather pointed out. "He's our friend and booking a trip he would have enjoyed and he wasn't allowed to go on was really shitty. We were all at fault. We all should have walked away and booked with someone who would take him."

"I doubt the twins and Snot would have agreed," Astrid pointed out.

"But instead we were all mean and petty and thoughtless." Heather sighed.

"And who are you on holiday with, Astrid?" Fishlegs asked pointedly. "When they said they wouldn't allow Hiccup on the boat because of his leg, you should have walked away."

"He said I should go and enjoy myself," Astrid protested weakly.

"And you know what the only answer to that was," Heather told her. "And you didn't give it. Saying 'thanks, Babe. I'll see you later' really doesn't show you care at all about him."

"So what happened later?" Heather probed. Astrid sighed.

"I was exhausted and sunburnt and had been swimming and snorkelling all day," she sighed. "When I got back after we stopped at the bar for tea, all I wanted to do was sleep. And Hiccup wanted to go out for a meal...or at least a drink. I'd had enough. I went to bed and he went out in a sulk."

"But for him, he's been alone all day and he probably had been waiting for the chance to spend some time-any time-with the woman he loves. And you blew him off having already gone for a meal and not bothered even to call him and see if he wanted to join us," Fishlegs said.

"We went for a walk in the old town the next morning," she said defensively.

"And then you ran into the twins," Heather sighed. "I heard from them. They wanted to go down to the aquarium so you dragged Hiccup down here."