Hey guys. Sorry for the slightly longer wait this time, but I do plan to keep to a rough weekly schedule. So don't be surprised if I take a year off.

In all seriousness, thank you for the follows, favorites and reviews, they keep me going, and I do read them even if I don't respond, so please don't be put off if I don't reply. If there is something you would like to discuss, like ideas for this or other stories, please PM me and I'll definitely get back to you.

Also, before we start, PE stands for Physical Education, which is basically gym. Just need to point that out.

Astrid strolled through the halls on her way to her fourth lesson, Maths. She subconsciously pulled on her right blazer sleeve for the hundredth time, glad that she didn't have PE. She walked through the door to her classroom and sat down at her seat. She saw Gobber typing something on his computer, probably waiting for everyone else to arrive. She took the time to look through some of the homework that she had received, pausing at her physics work. It wasn't that she was terrible at physics or anything like that, it's just that she can't get her head around some of the equation's.

Like on the worksheet she was holding there was a diagram of a car, and it was asking to use the equation shown to work out the speed of the car.

Astrid let out an agitated sigh, not understanding anything on the paper.

"Well, you sound extremely happy today." A sarcastic voice came from her left. She turned and saw Hiccup, placing his bag under his desk as he took his seat. Did he really just say that to her and then act like it was nothing?

"What's that supposed to mean?" She glares at him, almost as if trying to ignite him with her mind.

She can see him visibly tense up, obviously regretting saying anything. "Um, w-what? No-nothing, it's doesn't mean a-anything." He doesn't even look at her when he says that, and she can't decide whether she's happy or angry because of it.

She decides she's the latter.

"Who are you talking to? I'm sat right here." She's noticing that a few people are starting to look over. Why is this such a big deal to them?

He slowly turns his head so that he's looking at her and his mouth moves, but he can't seem to say anything. "You know what, just forget it." She turns her head back to front just as Gobber stands up to begin the lesson. Out of the corner of her eye she can see that he stares at her for a few seconds before turning his head back to the front of the class as well.

Astrid knows that should be it, but can't help but feel like that wasn't enough, like there's something else. She can't help but still be annoyed with him for his sarcastic remark. Who does he think he is.

Astrid sits on the bench next to Ruff, finishing of her apple. She had just explained to Ruff what just happened. "So, what, you're pissed because he spoke to you?" She knows it's a valid question but scowls all the same.

"No, it's the way he said it, like he thinks he's better then me." She knows it's a childish response.

"To me it just sounds like he was trying to be funny. You obviously don't understand sarcasm."

Astrid tossed her apple core somewhere near the bin and turns to glare at her friend. "I understand sarcasm just fine." She turns back and can see Hiccup, standing there and talking to a bulky kid who she vaguely recognizes as Fishlegs, and for some reason she just feels anger swelling, blood boiling as she hears pounding in her ears.

Before she stands up and storms towards him. He looks up just in time to see her fist flying towards his face. She isn't satisfied when her fist connects with his face, or when he flies backwards, landing with an 'oompf'. She just see's the crimson flood from his nose before his hands fly up to cover his nose.

Astrid takes a second to look around at everyone, their eyes darting between Hiccup and herself, all of them with a common question. What just happened?

She stands there for another few seconds, dumbfounded by her own actions, before stalking away to think about what just happened. No one dares to follow her.

Astrid sits in a small room, waiting for a staff member. She had been caught not long after she had walked away and was asked to fill out forms for her name and what she did and why. It was the why that had stumped her, she couldn't figure out why she had done that.

After what felt like an eternity the headmaster, Jack White, a large man with a big brown beard, walked through the door and sat down opposite Astrid with a disappointed look on his face. It's the same look a father might make after finding out there child had done something wrong.

Astrid leans back in her chair, refusing to dwell on that particular thought. "So can I go back to lesson yet? Or do I have to apologize?" She hated the thought of apologizing.

"Astrid," Mr. White begins with a sigh "you can't apologize to him. He was just taken to the hospital."

"What?" She can't help the twinge of guilt in her stomach.

"He passed out not long after you-the incident occurred. It was discovered that you had broken his nose so we had no choice but to call the paramedics. You could have done some serious damage." He goes silent, allowing that to sink in. "So, we have no choice but to suspend you."

"Suspend me? For how long?"

"You will be allowed back onto school grounds a week from tomorrow. We have already called ahead to let your father know."

Astrid feels the fear pooling in her stomach, making her want to throw up. "No, please. I-It was an accident, I didn't mean t-"

"Astrid!" He cuts her off with a stern tone. "You hospitalized one of our best students without any given reason that we could determine. I'm sorry, but this decision is final."

Astrid opened her mouth to try again, but decided against it. Mr. White Grabs the bridge of his nose, obviously frustrated. "Look, I don't like it either. You are also one of our best students, but we don't have a choice here. I'd honestly be surprised if he doesn't press charges against you." With that Mr. White stood up from his chair. "Your father said you could make your own way home?"

Astrid just nodded, hoping that he couldn't see how afraid she was. With a curt nod, Mr. White left the room. After a few minutes, Astrid got up and followed after him.

She closed the front door as quietly as possible behind her. She had tried her bedroom window but it was locked from the inside, so she had no choice. She had stood outside for ages, trying to think of somewhere, anywhere else she could go.

But there wasn't.

She wasn't due to start her new job until 5 PM, and she thought going any earlier would arouse suspicion. She looked down at her watch, the glowing numbers displaying 3:03. It would take her half an hour to get there, so that left her an hour and at home.

She could smell the alcohol and knew he must have just been here, but she couldn't see him or hear him anywhere. Good, he must have run out she thought to herself. She walked into her room and threw her bag onto her bed.

As soon as she had fully entered the room, she heard her bedroom door slam shut behind her. She froze, mentally kicking herself for not checking further. She turned her head and saw the looming figure of her father, standing over her, leering.

"So. The school called. Said you've been suspended." She could smell the beer on his breath, hear the slur and see the vacancy in his eyes. She turned to face him, trying to look as strong as possible.

As if that has ever helped before.

"You know what happens when you fuck up?" He asks rhetorically, leaning forward and grabbing her left bicep harder than is necessary. "I have to teach you a lesson."

Almost instantly Astrid's right hand slam's into the man's jaw, hard enough to loosen his grip on his arm. She slips out of his grip and moves around him to door, opening it and almost getting out before she feels him grab her braided hair and pull her back violently, and she can't stop the yelp that escapes her mouth.

He pull her up by her hair so she's looking into his eyes as tears begin to form in hers from the pain. "That's going to cost you." He say's before landing a heavy blow to her gut.

Astrid feels the wind getting knocked out of her as she wheezes and coughs. He lets go of her hair and she falls to the floor in an unceremonious pile. "I know it's your first day at your new job, so I'll avoid anything too obvious." She hears him say before she feels his foot slam into her ribs.

She should fight him back. She should run away. She should turn him in. She should do anything other than lie here and take it.

But she won't.

Because this is what she thinks is normal.

OK...so that happened.

I honestly didn't know that was going to be in the chapter until I just wrote it. Tell me what you guys think about...that anyway. That's still going to be something that happens, but I'd still appreciate your feedback. How do you think I handled it. Clunky? Well implemented? Out of left field?

Anyway, thank you guys for reading. I appreciate the support.