I munch on tater tots, listening to Jack tell us about what happened at the dance last night. "You missed it man. You won Homecoming King, and Heather won queen, of course, but you weren't there, obviously. So, they went to the runner up. Me. Any way, I had to dance with her, and she was all mad because you weren't dancing with her, how you ditched her, and that I was revolting. Then, I told her you did it as a favor to me, cause I really wanted to dance with her. She screamed at me, saying she knew that you two were together somewhere." I exchange a look with Hiccup, checking his reaction. "it was really funny watching her freak out though," Jack laughs. His phone buzzes, so he looks down. "Oh my gosh. We got in!" he shouts, standing up and high-fiving Hiccup. "We got in! Did you here that everybody? We've got a meeting with a record label!" Every person in the vicinity looks up, watching him.

"What?!" I ask, excited. 

"We have a meeting with a record label!" Hiccup says.

Eeeeeeee!" I squeal.

"Yeah, Baby!" Hiccup yells, pumping his fist in the air. We all hug, jumping up and down when we break apart.

"Come on. Lets go get the girls!" Jack says, running off. I throw away the trash and follow after them, easily catching up since they are on foot and I have wheels. I slow down when I reach them.  "I'm so proud the guys finally know something before the girls," Jack tells us, grinning. 

"Uh-hum," I say, clearing my throat, getting his attention.

"Sorry Astrid. But honestly, i consider you one of the guys. I'm not trying to offend you, but you're not very girly." 

I shrug, not really minding. "So, when is the meeting?" I ask. 

"Tomorrow at three," Jack says. I nod, already not able to wait.

  ***

We sit on a curved, red, plush couch, waiting to speak to Mitchel Summers; the owner of Great Hall Records. We arrived about thirty minutes early, but we've been sitting here for an hour and a half. And let me tell you, the pressure and nerves have only been escalating. 

"Hey guys, don't sweat it. We are going to blow them away. And even if we don't, there are always other labels," Punzie says, breaking the silence. 

"She's right. We can do this. Lets just tackle it like we are performing," Jack adds.

I squeeze Hiccup's hand for support, my stomach tightening. He smiles at me. I look around at all of their faces; the hope and excitement mixed in with the fear. We hear a sudden clicking of high heels on the tile floor, making its' way toward us, echoing through the open room. 

"Mr. Summers is ready for you," the woman says. We rise, following her down a long hall with white walls. She turns into a room, motioning for us to sit down on a couch in front of a tall, slender man with dark hair. We sit close together, watching him stare back at us.

"Thank you, Lisa," he says to the woman. She closes the door as she leaves. "Welcome. So, you're looking to obtain a record deal? he asks.

"That's the plan, sir," Hiccup says.

"Please introduce yourselves," Mr. Summers adds.

"Merida Dunnbrock," she says, shaking his hand. 

"Repunzel Arendel."

"Jack Frost."

"Hiccup Haddock."

"Astrid Hofferson," I say, shaking his hand. 

He sits back down, looking us over. "So, The Big 5, huh?" he asks.

"Yes, sir," Hiccup says. 

He skims a paper quickly. "Now, who is the keyboard player?"

"That's me," Merida pipes up. He nods, writing down her name. 

"Drums?"

"Me, sir," Jack answers. 

"So the rest of you play guitar?" We nod.  he spins around in his chair, and presses play on a CD player. 7 Minutes in Heaven begins baring through the speakers. It sounds weird to hear Hiccup's voice and us playing like this. We actually sound really good. Mr. Summers pauses it. He examines us again. "You're the lead singer aren't you?" he asks Hiccup.

"Yes, sir."

"I can tell." He scrutinizes us, pursing his lips in thought. "I like you. You've got talent. So, here's what I'll do. I'll book you a gig at Scooter's Club Mix this weekend. If you impress me, and more importantly, the crowd, I'll sign you."

"Scooter's? That place is huge. Like the best artists perform there!" Hiccup exclaims. 

"So you've heard of it?"

"Who hasn't? I remember when Michael Jackson was the first one to perform there."

"Well, congratulations and good luck to you."

Merida and Punzie stand up, squealing with delight. Jack high-fives Hiccup, jumping up and down. Hiccup turns to me then, we hug, spinning in a small circle. He presses his lips to mine, both of his hands holding my face. The kiss is a little harder than normal, but that's probably from the excitement.

"thank you so much sir. We wont let you down," Hiccup says, his arm around my shoulders. Mr. Summers smiles and leads us out into the main hall. 

"I can't believe this," I whisper to Hiccup as we follow behind the others. 

"this calls for a blizzard at DQ!" he shouts. I laugh in pure glee. 

"See you this weekend," Mr. Summers calls as we walk out to where Valka is waiting with the car. 

"So kids, how did it go?" she asks, watching us pile into the grey/blue mini van. 

"You're not going to believe it Mom. We get to play at Scooters Club Mix this weekend, and if we do well, Mr. Summers will sign us to his label!" Hiccup says, excited.

"i'm so proud of all of you," she says, hugging him. "So this calls for a special treat, yeah?" Everyone cheers. 

"You should have seen it though, Val," Jack adds, holding onto the back of her chair, so she can hear him better. 

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, it was amazing. They had guitars their clients signed hanging on the walls, and comfortable waiting areas. I can only imagine what the recording studios look like," Hiccup tells her, jumping in. 

"What did you think ladies?" she asks us. 

"I can hardly contain myself," Merida squeals. 

"Me either. We are going to be huge!" Punzie chirps, squeezing Merida's hand. 

"See what three years of hard work can get you?" Jack says, high-fiving Hiccup. 

That's when it completely dawns on me. I don't deserve to get a record label with them. I just can't hop in like this. I feel like I'm stealing from them. 

"How about you, Astrid?" Valka questions, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Oh, um... yeah. It was cool," i say faking a smile.

She parks in the DQ lot, pressing a button that causes the sliding doors to open and let us out. "Oh, honey. I have to run a few errands. Is it ok if you walk home?" Valka calls to Hiccup as he heads to the front doors. 

'Yeah, that's fine," he shouts back.

Once we get our ice cream, e sit down in a booth. Jack pulls an extra chair over so we don't have to squeeze three people in on one side. I think we could honestly fit. None of us are remotely near being fat. "So," Punzie begins, pulling her spoon out of her mouth. "Are you two a thing?" She motions to Hiccup and I with the spoon, before plopping it back in her ice cream and taking another bite. 

"Uhhhh...." We both answer. 

"Don't lie. We saw the little scene in the studio," Merida adds.  Jack sits with his elbows on the table, smirking at us. 

"Um... I," I say.

"I don't know what you're..." Hiccup answers at the same time as me.

"Oh come on. You two obviously like each other," Punzie urges.

"Guys, just drop it," Hiccup orders.

"Ok," Merida whispers under her breath, the three of them making sarcastic faces at us. We eat in silence for a little while, feeling awkward.

"So, what is our new song going to be about?" Jack offers. 

"I say it should be catchy in order to grab people's attention," Punzie says.

"But should it be a party song or a love song?" Jack Jack presses.

"I say a love song," Merida chimes in. 

"But not the ooey-gooey kind," I cut in. 

"Ok. A catchy love song, but not too love song-ish. Got it," Hiccup says, furrowing his brows. 

"His wheels are already turning!" Jack cheers. "I say we go before he loses it."

Hiccup laughs, shaking his head. "I wont lose it. Here, give me a pen." Merida pulls a pen out of her purse, offering it over. He scribbles some words down quickly on a napkin, then turns it to me so I can read it. I peer down at it. 'The truth hurts worse than anything I could ever bring myself to do to you. Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum da-da-da dum 2x.' 

"Is this the beat?" I ask. He shrugs.

"Part of it. That's all I've got so far."

"I like it," I say, smiling, shyly.  he returns the gesture. I pass the napkin to Punzie. 

"It's not much, but it's a start," he says watching the others read it. Hiccup stuffs it in his pocket of his skinny jeans  when everyone is done. We throw away the trash and head back to Hiccup's house. 

Me just jumping into their band and taking some of the credit of them working for three years and finally getting a record label, pulls at me. I feel like I'm cheating or like I'm using them to become popular or famous. I mean, I don't care about that stuff, but I would like to have my songs played on the radio, for them to be recognized. I want to see people buy my albums because they like my music. But, I don't want to get there by using other's hard work and dedication. I need to get there myself. It may take me till I'm forty, but I believe in myself. Maybe I can make a band with Ruffnut and my old friends.

 I notice we are turning onto my street and nearing the turn to Raven Point. I'm going to head home and forget about the record label. I'll call Ruff and tell her my idea. Yeah, that what I'll do; forget about Hiccup's band and rising stardom. Once they get a record label, I wont have to worry about avoiding them because they will be gone a lot to go play in other towns and states.  It would be almost like we never existed. I'll follow them on the news and radio, maybe even call them sometimes, but that'll be it. I notice the stop sign at the end of Raven Point watching my friends turn on to the street. I continue going forward. I can see Hiccup look at me from the corner of my eye.

"Asty? Where are you going?" he calls. 

I turn around. "I'm going to tell my uncle about the meeting today," I lie. 

"I'll walk you home then," he offers, jogging over to me.

"I-" I begin, but give up, knowing it's not worth it. "Ok," I sigh. I continue waling, the feeling of the other's eyes on us making me uneasy. 

"I'm worried about the song, because it has to be good enough to impress Mr. Summers and the audience," Hiccup says after a bit.

"Hiccup, the crowds always adore you. Especially you," I tell him. 

"Yeah, but this is a whole new crowd. These people are famous and have never heard of us." I don't say anything else, just keep my eyes on the ground. Hiccup stops at the end of my drive, looking at me. I don't meet his gaze. "Your uncle isn't even home is he?" I don't answer. "Astrid, what's really going on?" 

"I--" i sigh, and walk to the front door, lifting the mat to grab the hidden key. Hiccup steps on it and blocks my way to the door. "What the heck?!" I say, annoyed. 

"What's going on?" he repeats. I straiten up. He crosses his arms and leans back against the door, waiting. 

"I don't want to be in the band anymore," I lie. 

"Wh- what? Why?" he stutters. I sigh. I grab the key and push him out of the way. He is only three inches taller than me and scrawny, so it's not like it's that hard. He follows me inside, closing the door behind him. I sit down on the couch, hugging a pillow. he plops down beside me, pulling me into him. He rests his chin on the top of my head. "Please tell me."

"I can't be in the band anymore."

"Why?" 

"I feel like I'm taking advantage of you." He looks at me confused. I shift my head so I can look up at him. "You guys have worked hard for this for three years. I've only been involved for a few months. I don't deserve to be in the band, or a record deal," I say.

"Asty, we recruited you into the band because you make us better. You are all the rage. You should hear how much people love seeing you perform. You deserve this as much as we do. Besides,if you still feel that way, prove to us you belong in the band once we get the label," he says. 

"Ok," I whisper.

"You promise?" he asks, our noses touching. 

"Ok." He presses his lips to mine, leaning me back. His arms wrap around my ribs, holding me close to him, as if he is expecting me to disappear, leaving him clutching the air. "Why?" I ask. 

"Because I don't want you to go away. We need you more than you know."

"No. I mean, why me?"

"Because you're not like other girls. You're talented. You don't care about popularity or what others think. You understand me. Shall I continue?"

"No," I laugh. I kiss him this time. I break away shortly, though, remembering the others are waiting for us. "We should probably go," I say, smiling. He stands up, pulling me with him. I follow him out the door, locking it and placing the key back under the mat. "You better not burst into my house now that you know where the spare key is," I warn. He holds up his hands up defenseless,, smiling at me. "Do you know what the story is for the song?" I ask, curious. 

"No, but I have a few memories that might fit together and make a story," he admits as we walk. "I'm just nervous because the song has to be perfect. I don't want to fall short. I don't want you guys to be mad at me if my song sucks and I cost us the label."

"Hey, your songs are amazing! There's so many different emotions and thoughts put into each one that you just fall in love with each individual song in a different way. Besides, you shouldn't have to do this by yourself. I mean, I could help you with some of the lyrics," I offer. 

"I would like that. It would take some of the weight off of my shoulders. "

When we reach his house, the garage door is open, so we just walk in. Jack is sat on the stage with Elsa's head in his lap. Punzie, Flynn, Anna, and Kristoff are sitting on the floor talking and playing some card game. Merida and Eret are kissing on the couch. I evert my eyes from them, disturbed. I really shouldn't call it kissing. No, Hiccup and I kiss. This is more like they are trying to devour each other. Eck! Ugh, disgusting. 

"We are gone for thirty minutes and everyone shows up," he whispers to me. 

"They don't even notice we are back," I add. 

Hiccup picks up his red guitar and plugs it in quietly. We sit down against the wall, watching them all. A wry smile crosses Hiccup's face. he begins playing the beat he wrote down on the napkin, singing along with it the second time around. "Bum bum bum bum bum bum bud-da-da-da-dum. Bum bum bum bum bum bum bud-da-da-da-dum. The truth hurts worse than anything I could bring myself to do- The truth hurts worse than anything I could bring myself to do to you. The truth.... The tru-oo-oo-oo-ah-huh-huh-uh." Everyone is listening by the time he is done. I smile, already in love with the song. 

"Sorry. I haven't had anymore ideas, but that's how I envisioned it," he says, looking at me. 

"No. It's perfect," I assure him. He locks his lips with mine for the third time today. It doesn't last long, but it's still enjoyable. 

"Makes sense as to why Astrid's hair is messed up," Elsa says when we break apart. My hands fly to my hair. My braid is loose, several pieces already falling out. I smack Hiccup in the chest with the back of my hand.

"Ow!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" I scold. 

"I thought you still looked beautiful," he says innocently. I roll my eyes, taking my hair out and rebraiding it.  

"Where did you two go for so long?" Merida asks.

"I was trying to get Astrid to stay in the band."

"It's just that I feel like I'm taking advantage of you guys getting a record label. You all have worked for it and I haven't," I say. 

"That's ridiculous, Astrid. Of course you've worked at it," Punzie tells me. 

"She's right. Just because you weren't with us, doesn't mean you haven't worked for it. You don't deserve it any less. You obviously practiced a bunch to be as good as you are. You're extremely talented," Jack chimes in. 

"Told ya," Hiccup says, nudging my shoulder with his. I nod, taking in the moment. I smile, knowing they want me in their band as much as I want to be in it.