Astrid had completed her homework and was reading through the English text the class were studying when her phone rang. She lifted it, her eyebrows flying up as she saw the name: HICCUP. She answered the phone on the third ring, frowning slightly.

"Astrid." Her voice sounded brisk and a little unfriendly even to herself.

"H-Hi, Astrid...it's Hiccup..." he began, his voice thick and hoarse. She frowned as she heard a cough. She peered at her phone: it was after ten at night. She sighed.

"I know, Hiccup. Your name came up." There was a pause and he coughed again. It sounded genuine, not a put-on cough and there was another pause.

"Sorry, not really used to all this," he said sarcastically and Astrid rolled her eyes. "L-look...sorry...but I-I..." He sounded desperate, his voice thick and embarrassed as well. . "Astrid...I really need your help..."

She sat up, suddenly on alert. She knew she had asked him to call if he needed anything...but this was just weird. And she suddenly felt anxious. They weren't even really friends, were they? What was he asking her to do?

"What is it?" she asked, trying not to sound wary because he had helped her more than once. And, to be honest, he had really saved her ass from being in major trouble with her parents. There was another pause.

"Um...I-I..." His voice faded. "I-I need somewhere to stay..." The words came all in a rush. Astrid paused and frowned.

"Wh-what? Are you kidding?" she asked. There was a stiff silence, broken by another smothered cough.

"I wish," he said roughly. "Can you help or should I just go freeze to death?"

His words hit her then: she knew he had endured a beating on Monday yet he had come in this morning dishevelled and in the same dirty clothes. Could he be in trouble at home? Had they thrown him out for fighting?

Why was she bothered?

"Astrid?" The voice was hoarse. "Sorry-you still there?"

"I'm thinking!" she said shortly. What could she do? "Don't you have anywhere to go?"

"Would I be calling you if I did?" he asked sharply. "Okay...I understand...forget it..."

"No!" she said before he could hang up. He did sound rough, it was late and she knew his friends...weren't. "You know where I live?" He coughed softly.

"Um...remind me?" he asked softly.

"17, West Valhalla," she told him and there was a pause.

"Nice address," he managed before coughing again.

"Come over," she said slowly. "I'll sort something out." There was a pause.

"Really? Th-thanks, Astrid..." He coughed again. "I mean it. Th-thanks..."

"See ya soon," she said, feeling a sudden sense of responsibility as she hung up. How would she get her parents to let him stay? They were tough enough to persuade to let Heather, Cami and Ruff stay...and they had been her friends for ever. This was...a boy, for want of a better word. And he wasn't even her friend. But she knew more about him than most of the school and he had called her, probably because she was the last resort.

Just as he had been when she had been at the party...

She got up and tossed her phone onto the bed, then went downstairs, smiling as she saw her Mom, finishing a cup of coffee and checking the washing. Ingrid smiled at her and she sat at the table with a glass of water. "Mom-I need a favour," she said without preamble. Her Mom frowned.

"What is it?" she asked and sat by her daughter. There was a pause.

"Mom-one of my friends is in trouble," she said. "He's been thrown out of his home..."

"He?" Ingrid frowned.

"Um, yeah," she said in a wary voice. "Look-he's kind of accident prone and he gets bullied. He's the boy helping me with my Art..."

"Astrid-what are you asking?" Ingrid said softly, staring at her daughter. Astrid stared at the table for a long moment.

"Can-can he stay with us?" she asked. Ingrid frowned.

"Of course he can't!" her mother said briskly. "You know your father will never permit a strange boy to stay and..." Astrid shook her head rapidly, rolling her eyes at their assumptions. I mean-this was Hiccup!

"Oh Mom!" she huffed. "Honestly! This is NOT my boyfriend. I don't HAVE a boyfriend! I'm not about to dump my grades and suddenly have sex with him!" Her cheeks were scarlet with embarrassment.

"Astrid-you are only seventeen and we only want what is best for you," Ingrid told her reasonably.

"Mom-my friend has been thrown out of his home and is looking at sleeping on the streets," she argued. "He's seventeen too. How can I look him in the eye if I let him down? How can I look myself in the mirror if I have to turn him away?"

"You've told him to come here?" her mother said in shock. Astrid nodded.

"Mom-please! I have a straight A average and have for the whole of High School. Hiccup has nowhere else to go...and he isn't a bad guy. If it was me in trouble, wouldn't you want to hope that someone would look out for me?" Like he did.

"That's a pointless argument, Astrid, because you are far more careful than this boy has been..."

"I don't think he had any choice, Mom," she said quietly. "He sounded desperate."

"Astrid-it's late," Ingrid sighed. "Can't he just ask for emergency accommodation?" Astrid's appalled look made her stiffen. "Look, Astrid-we aren't a charity!"

"No-but you always talk about being a well-rounded person and having a well-rounded portfolio," Astrid said bitterly. "But clearly it's all for looks. Because it doesn't mean being a decent person. And letting a friend sleep on the streets in the freezing temperatures isn't decent and it isn't right, Mom. It makes you and me a hypocrite and completely heartless." She got to her feet. "I don't know what I can say to him..." She paused and she glared at her mother, her laser blue glare locking with her Mom's. "Guess what-I won't. YOU can tell him to go away..." Her voice was thick with tears and she turned away but Ingrid grasped her arm and swung Astrid to face her.

"This means that much to you?" her mother asked and Astrid nodded urgently. Her eyes pleaded for her mother to understand...then Ingrid nodded. "I'll make up the spare room. But if he causes any trouble, he's out. He's your responsibility, Astrid!" She flung herself against her Mom and gave her a hug.

"Thanks, Mom," she said with relief. "I promise he won't cause any trouble..."

And then the doorbell rang.