Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

People said a lot about her in this school. Called her every adjective in the book. Happy, preppy, joyful, cheerful, blissful, ecstatic, jolly, merry, delightful, enjoyable, thrilling, fun, joyous, charming, lovely, and all things the like. But, for Branch Heart, there was only one word to describe Poppy King. Annoying. She was the most annoying person in his life, and he thought everyone was annoying. But their annoying wasn’t as annoying as hers. She had this special kind of annoying. Since the moment he’d met her, he had made it clear that he didn’t fancy talking to people. At all. But she kept on talking to him anyways and it gave him this feeling inside that he didn’t like. The feeling made him want to run away from her as fast and far as his legs could take him. That was her annoying. And it was annoying . 

Even though that was one aspect of her annoyingness, there was more. She was incredibly happy, too happy. And she made sure to show it to everyone, even if they didn’t feel like being happy. Sometime later, they would have huge smiles on their face. It was contagious! To everyone but him, that is. 

And she died her hair pink. Pink! And with matching contacts! Then she got everyone else in the entire school to dye their hair some incredible color and get matching contacts too. Everyone except him, that is. 

And then, she created a club called “Hug time”, where everyone talked about why they were sad and everyone would give words of encouragement back, and everything ended with a hug. But that didn’t stay with the club, it started happening every hour. Every student in UT, hugging every time a watch dinged. Everyone except him, that is. 

There was this scrapbooking thing as well. Scrapbooking everything in sight, no matter what. At least they weren’t too terrible, she had talent. But she didn’t really have to scrapbook everything, leaving glue and scrap paper everywhere to slip on. 

There was also the singing obsession. She sang everywhere she went, creating her own songs to fit situations on the spot. He would never admit it if he could help it, but it was impressive. Sticking to the point, she had this group of friends that also sang along with her, the Snackpack. The University of the Trolls was known for its originals that were happy and kid friendly, so it wasn’t a surprise that everyone here was always singing. Everyone but him, that is. 

And she threw parties almost every week, as if there was no such thing as studying and tests and early morning classes. Her parties were always loud and had no particular place that it was being held because the entire school, even the teachers, were there, eating food and singing and just making so much noise that he wasn’t able to sleep. He hated it that he would get up early for nothing since class would have to start two hours later because the professor was tired. He was always invited, she would literally make over 500 invitations so that everyone would get one, and his always had something extra, he had noticed. He had guessed it was a way to make him come, but it didn’t work. Every invitation went into a suitcase he didn’t like. It’s not like he cared about them. He was just hoping to reach enough to make a huge bonfire. Yeah, that’s it. 

The worst of it all had to be that her father, Peppy King, owned the school, so she could get away with everything. Everyone was always nice to her and helping her and all the teachers adored her. She was the school mascot, which happened to be a pink peppy Troll named Poppy who played the cowbell. Very fitting. She would lead the cheer leaders in their dances during football games and it didn’t matter how many football games there were, they never repeated a song. She was rich, and the house was close, so she didn’t have to live in the dorms. She could drive over here in her glittery, pink buggy. She had everything, so no wonder she was always happy. 

There was never a reason for her to be sad if everything always went her way. 

He took a glance at her. She had her hair up in a messy bun as she always did and was eating an ice cream. She had asked if he wanted one, he said no and asked why she was following him. Again. She replied that she always walked him to his dorm. It was silence after that. He didn’t know why he took this way home. There was a lot quicker way to his dorm on the far side of the University but he didn’t use it. It had nothing to do with it not having an ice cream shop. No, really. It didn’t. He just liked walking, that’s all. That’s when and old, dirty woman came up to them. “Excuse me,” she asked in a hoarse voice. “Could any of you offer me some money? I’m very hungry,” she explained. Her boney features proved that. 

Before Poppy could open her mouth to answer, Branch pulled out a ten and handed it to her with a small smile. “Here you, go, ma’am.” 

She smiled at him. “Thank you. What a sweet, young lad.” She headed towards a McDonalds, proving that she really was going to spend it on food. 

Poppy lightly hit his arm. “Look at you, being nice. Didn’t know you had it in you.” 

Branch rolled his eyes. Of course that had to happen when she was here. “I wasn’t being nice, I was being sensible,” he explained. “That woman was obviously starving, I was just being courteous.” 

Poppy let out a squeal. “Say whatever synonym you like, you were being nice.” She dug her plastic spoon into her ice cream and brought it to her mouth. 

“I wasn’t being nice, that’s naïve. I knew she wasn’t going to spend it on drugs or something, so I gave it to her.” 

“Not all poor people are on drugs,” she defended. 

“Look, Poppy. You might not be able to see from so high in your tower, but there are a lot of homeless people. I’m not saying they’re not good people, but every single one of them has an obsession that they can’t control. Some would choose it over food.” 

Poppy rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You’re literally making all that up.” 

“I’m really not,” he said, getting annoyed by the second. “I’m telling you, every single one of them is on drugs.” 

“It’s not like they asked for it to happen,” she defended again, accepting the truth. 

“No one ever asks for anything to happen, it just does. Life isn’t all cupcakes and rainbows as you believe.” 

“I know it’s not all cupcakes and rainbows,” she verified. “But I’d rather go along with life believing that it is than be like you.” She caught her words too late. He wasn’t talking anymore. Oh, no! She’s saddened him. She put on a brave smile and she threw her empty, paper bowl away and took something out of her bag. “Speaking of positivity, I’m having a little party-”

He let out a snort. “Little.” 

“It is,” she assured. “It’s just going to be me and my closest friends at my house. We’re going to be celebrating my 22nd birthday! And you’re invited!” 

He looked at the invitation she was holding up for him. It was a popup invitation, a paper branch smiling and opening his arms for hug. In the back it said, “You’re Invited” on a rainbow. He could tell that none of the others got one just like this. Maybe extremely decorated, but not a popup. “I don’t do parties.” 

“Oh, come on,” she said, punching his arm, lightly. “It’s barely even a party. It’s more like a small gathering.” 

He took the invitation and inspected it. “Will there be music?” 

She smiled. “Yes.” 

“Dancing?” 

“You bet!” 

“Singing?” 

“Definitely!” 

He put the invitation in his bag as they neared his entrance. “Great!” Poppy smiled brighter. “Then I will definitely not be going.” Her smile fell. “Nice seeing you, Poppy,” he said as he walked through the entrance. 

“Well,” she called back after him. “If you change your mind, you know where I live.” She watched him go for a few seconds before leaving herself. 

Branch always turned around after a while. Only to see if she was gone. Definitely not to watch her retreating form. He went inside his single dorm, he had homework before work.

Poppy met up with Satin and Chenille at the mall. “Girl, where have you been?” They asked in unison. Satin and Chenille were Poppy’s best friends and were twins. They looked the exact same if you didn’t look closely. The only way to separate them was their eyes, since they had the same fashion taste and had died their hair the same color. Satin had blue eyes while Chenille had brown. Also, Satin always smiled with her mouth closed while Chenille smiled with her mouth open, showing her pearly whites. 

Poppy waved off the question. “I was walking Branch home.” 

Chenille groaned. “That guy? Come on, Poppy, you’re too good to be hanging out with him.” 

Poppy rolled her eyes with a smile. “He’s good, I can tell. Today, he gave a homeless woman some money for food.” 

“I’ll believe when I see it,” Satin said, taking a drink of her smoothie. 

“And you guys have to start being nice to him, he’s going to be around a lot more. I’ve invited him to my birthday party.” 

Satin spit out her smoothie. “You what?” 

“Girl,” Chenille started. “He never comes, you know this. Why do you keep setting yourself up like this?” 

Poppy smiled. “He’s coming to this one, I have a good feeling about that.” 

Chenille shook her head. “Girl, that silly little crush of yours is only going to leave you in a heartbreak.” She went to go sit with her on the other side of the table. Satin took the opposite seat, caging Poppy between them. “Listen, we’re inviting someone with us to your party.” 

“He’s cute.” 

“Good voice.” 

“Very sweet.” 

“And perfect for you,” they both finished.

“You guys, come on. I said only close friends.” 

“We’re just trying to help you, girl,” Chenille said, offering a nacho. Poppy took it. 

“You’re never gonna get anywhere with Branch,” Satin explained. 

“He’s just too much of a sad sack.” 

Poppy shook them off of her. “He’s coming to this one. I can feel it.” A soft memory came to mind as she said, “You guys don’t know him like I do.” 

The twins shook their heads. Poor, poor, Poppy.  “Anyway, girl,” Satin started. 

“We got the perfect outfit for your birthday party,” Chenille finished. 

“No, no, no, guys, this isn’t a normal party. This is a sleep over. Pajamas only, guys, didn’t you read the invitation?” 

“We sort of stopped after the eighth invitation-”

“- since we already knew what to expect.” 

“Well, if that’s all we’re here for, then I suggest you should just buy yourself some cute jammies. I already have mine.” 

“Ooh, girl, let us see it!” 

Poppy shook her head. “You’ll get to see it tomorrow during the party.”

Branch did his best to open the shop every day, he did. But it was always so painful. Sometimes he would close it early on Fridays, like today. Closing it early seemed like the best possible solution. He couldn’t stand to be in there any longer. He could live here, it wasn’t that far from the University. But he just couldn’t stand the silence. At least at the school, there was noise that he could drown out. Here, the silence would just drown him. “Wait, wait, wait!”

Branch turned to see a man running towards him. “I’m sorry, sir, but the shop is closed.” 

“Please, it’s my fiancé’s birthday, my other flowers got trampled. I can’t show up without those flowers. She loves them.” 

Branch sighed as he unlocked the door. “What are her favorites?” 

“A type of lily.” 

Branch looked at him. “Are you serious?” The man nodded. “Well which type?”

The man thought. “They’re white.” 

Branch raised a brow. “And so are a million others. I need something more.” 

“Something with a ‘C’,” the man explained. 

“Calla Lilies?” 

“Yes, those,” the man snapped his fingers with a smile. “I’ll need 20 of those. Wrapped in Pink paper please.” 

“You got it.” Branch let the man in as he made his way towards the lillies and then to the register. “That’ll be 49.99.” 

The man paid him and left. Branch sighed in relief. He could finally get out of here. 

There was a knocking on the door early in the morning of the Saturday and someone was continuously saying his name. “Branch, Branch, Branch, Branch, Branch, Branch, Branch are you in there!?” 

He got up and opened the door, his eyes still groggily with sleep. “Why?” 

“It’s nine o’clock, Branch,” Poppy explained. “We have a fun morning of shopping.” 

“I don’t do shopping.” 

She waved it off. “I’ll be waiting in my car, be ready in ten minutes.”

It had been fifteen minutes and Branch still wasn’t out. Poppy went to go check on him. She got out the key and opened the door only to see him back on his bed sleeping. She brought out the cow bell. 

Branch jolted awake and yelped as he fell off the bed. Poppy smiled as he glared at her. “How did you get in here?”

“I used my key.” 

“How do you have a key to my dorm?”  

“That doesn’t matter,” she waved off with a smile. “I told you to be ready.” 

Branch got up with a groan. “I told you, I don’t do shopping.” 

“Don’t be silly, Branch. We have to get you some new pajamas!” She explained cheerfully. 

Branch looked at her. “I told you, I’m not going to your party.” 

Poppy smiled. He read the invitation. She started going through his closet. “Even if you’re not going to my party, you can’t keep going to sleep in sweats and a T-shirt. You need some real pajamas.” She took out a blue shirt and then went over to his drawer and pulled out a pair of pants. She handed the clothing to him. “They make you feel good inside.”

“Maybe I don’t want to feel good inside.” Despite his words, he started to get dressed.  

Poppy made sure that she was busy getting him the brightest pair of socks he had as he got dressed, which was turning out to be quite the task since it didn’t look like he had any. Looks like she would have to buy him socks too. Instead, she took out some blue ones and his black Nikes. By the time she turned around he was already dressed and she handed him the rest of the stuff. “So I was thinking something blue, since that’s a start from all the black you wear.” 

Branch looked at her. “Try all you want, but I’m not getting pajamas.” Despite that, he grabbed his wallet and keys.

Poppy smiled. “Alright, let’s go!” 

“Ok, ok,” Poppy held up her hands in surrender. “But just one more.” 

Branch groaned. Nonetheless, he grabbed the pajamas and went in the dressing rooms.

Poppy really hoped he would come, she really did. There was a feeling in her gut that he would and she hoped it wasn’t wrong

Branch finally came out. 

Poppy squealed. “Yes! That’s the one!” 

Branch looked in the mirror. The pajamas were blue with small troll kings all over the pajama bottoms and just one big troll king on the shirt. Branch raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious?” 

Poppy nodded. “You look great in it! Now take it off so we can get it.” 

“Poppy, I don’t have money to be spending on stupid stuff.” 

Poppy waved it off. “I’m paying for it.” 

Branch look startled. “You’re not buying me something on your birthday. I’ll pay for it,” he added before going back in the dressing room. 

Poppy smiled as he left. He was so coming the party. She let out a short cry when someone bumped into her. “Oh, so sorry, miss.” She turned to see a man with blue eyes and turquoise hair. 

She stood up straight and smiled. “No, it’s fine, I was probably blocking your way.” She started getting uncomfortable when he wouldn’t stop looking at her. “Um, do I have something on my face?” 

The guy shook his head. “No, no, I was just admiring your beauty.” 

Her face heated up. “Oh, well, thank you!” Everyone always complimented each other at University, but this was new. He was directly complimenting her. 

The man held out a hand. “I’m Creek.” 

She took it. “Poppy.” 

“Well, it was a pleasure being able to lay my eyes on you, Poppy. Hopefully we get to meet again.” He started walking into the dressing room just as Branch came out. 

“Branch!” Poppy said with a smile. “Ready to go?!” 

Branch gave a short nod. 

“Ok, so the party starts at 8-”

“I know.” 

“You have to wear pajamas-”

“I know.” 

“And be sure to bring a gift-”

“I know~,” Creek said. “I’m not inexperienced in the dating game, Guy.” 

Guy Diamond was a young, gay fellow who had died his hair silver and loved glitter to the point where he was covered in it. He knew exactly how to plan a party and was a little disappointed that Poppy didn’t want a huge, extravagant party to celebrate her 20th. “Ok, ok, but it never hurts to remind yourself of things.” 

Creek nodded. “What was the girl’s name again?” 

“Poppy, Creek, keep up!” 

Creek smiled. “I think I’ve met her already. Pink hair, right?” 

Guy nodded. “That’s her! Did you talk to her?!” 

Creek nodded. “Yes, incredibly sweet, but certainly not my type.” 

Guy snapped his fingers in his face. “The whole idea of this was to get you into something new. Do you really want another Chelia?” 

Creek glared at the memories of his ex. He would have done anything for her even though she treated him like crap. She finally broke up with him once she got a job offer at her favorite restaurant, Trollstis Cuisine, leaving him completely heart broken. “No.” Despite his words, he still felt a jab in his heart every time he thought about her. 

Guy smiled. “Then this is it. If she starts talking about some other guy, just change the conversation, ok. We’re trying to get her to move on from something too.” 

“Diamond!” They both turned to a girl with dark skin and light freckles with orange dreadlocks and a pair of headphones around her neck. “I got the smoothies.” She put them on the table. 

“Thanks, Suki.” Diamond got his rainbow smoothie. 

“So, what are we talking about?” 

“Branch.” 

Creek sat up at the familiar name. He had heard it not so long ago. 

Suki groaned. “I don’t like that guy. Always bringing everyone down. Ruining all the parties saying the music’s too loud to hear if something bad happens, or the foods too unhealthy, or we’re gonna slip if we do a move wrong. And he has Poppy wrapped around his fingers, not that he even bothers to take advantage of it, but it just really bugs me. She would do anything for him and he treats her like crap.” 

“I think she was shopping with him today.” They both turned to Creek. “I bumped into her near the Men’s Dressing Room earlier. After I went in one of them, someone called the name “Branch”. It must be the one you’re talking about.” 

Suki and Guy looked at him. “Branch is here?” Suki started. 

“At the mall?” Guy finished. 

Creek shrugged, not really caring. “Apparently so.” 

“Branch!” They all turned their heads towards the voice. It was Poppy on the other side of the Mall Balconies. She was looking at something through a shop window and looked very excited to tell Branch about it. Branch didn’t look at all interested in what she was talking about, which made them all scowl. He was such a prick, why did she hang out with him. He then gave her something and started walking away. Poppy waved before heading out the exit of the mall. That’s when Branch turned around and walked over to the window again. 

“What is he up to,” Suki asked. 

“I don’t know,” Guy answered. 

They watched as he walked inside. He came out a bit later with a paper in his hands and he also started walking towards the exit. 

“What was that?” 

“I don’t know.” 

They both looked at each other. “Is this the guy you guys are trying to get her to move on from?” They both looked at Creek. Then they gave a nod. “Then I’m happy to help.”

Chapter Text

Poppy opened the door for Guy and his boyfriend Biggie, a big guy with blue hair who looked intimidating but was a real softy and loved his little Chihuahua to death. In fact, Mr. Dinkles, the Chihuahua, was also here. “Glad Mr. Dinkles could make it,” she said cheerfully, lifting her crown out of her eyes. Over her pajamas, she wore a pink fuzzy cape and a king crown from those cartoons she used to watch, she was Poppy King, after all. And to top it all off, she had a wonderful birthday staff. 

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving him home alone,” Biggie said before walking over to the kitchen. 

Guy chuckled. “I swear he loves that dog more than me.” 

Poppy playfully punched him. “I doubt that. Biggie loves you very much. Remember, I get to be a bridesmaid at your wedding.” 

Guy laughed as they walked over to the large living room of hers. Everyone in the Snack Pack was here. The twins wore matching pajamas of sparkling purple nightgowns. Suki sported an orange t-shirt and some grey sweats. Cooper, who was a nice, dark fellow with blue dreadlocks, was dressed in a pink onsie with stripes and his trademark green hat. Biggie was wearing all dark blue, his favorite color. Smidge, a small freshman at UT with gorgeous green hair and a passion for working out bore a yellow nightgown that she was letting Guy glitter up at the moment. Almost all the gang was here. Fuzzbert couldn’t make it since they had to help their mom with the new computer she had bought. But everything was great. Just one person was missing. She put on a smile anyway as she said, “Ok! Now that everyone’s here-” 

“Wait, wait!” Satin cried. “Our surprise guest still hasn’t arrived.” There was a chorus of yeahs. 

Poppy wasn’t really looking forward to meeting this new friend if they thought he had a chance. Her heart only belonged to one person. “Ok, well… Maybe we should sing some songs until he arrives.” 

“Yes!” Suki said, getting her laptop out of her bag. 

“No, Suki,” Poppy said, shaking her head. “A Capella.” 

Suki sighed. “I guess we don’t need technology for a beat.” 

Poppy brought out some plastic cups and handed one to everyone. “Ok, guys, just do what I do.” She showed them twice how to make the beat with the cup before she finally started singing. “I got my ticket for the long way round! Two bottles of whiskey for the way. And I sure would like some sweet company and I’m leaving tomorrow, what do you say?” 

Everyone got the gist of what she was singing, a new song that she had been singing for quite some time, seemed like she was putting it in action now. They all started singing in different vocals. “When I’m gone, when I’m gone, you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone. You’re gonna miss me by my walk, you’re gonna miss me by my talk, oh, you’re gonna miss me when I’m go-” Knock, knock, knock ! Everyone turned towards the noise, startled. 

“I’ll go get it,” Poppy said with a little too much cheer to everyone’s liking. She was only going to get her heart crushed.

 Poppy had her fingers crossed as she opened the door. Her smile dropped into a small O. She wasn’t expecting this. Well, she was hoping, but this was all too much. “Branch.” 

Branch took a good look at Poppy. She had on pink pajamas with small troll queens on the pajama bottoms and a big troll queen on the shirt. They matched the exact pajamas she had bought him this morning. She was never going to buy the others, she wanted them to have matching Pajamas. Matching pajamas? That didn’t sound so bad. No, no, remember why we’re here. Where was he? “Hi,” he started. “Um…” He lifted up the large gift in his hands and the bouquet of poppies. “I have…no idea what I’m doing here.” Great, that went smooth. 

Poppy smiled brightly. “Are those for me?” She pointed to the flowers. 

That seemed to snap Branch back into the real world. “Uh, yes.” He handed them to her. “Yes, this is for you, as well.” He handed her the gift. Great, that was totally smooth. Wait, he shouldn’t be trying to impress her. He needed to go. Now! “Well, bye.” 

“Wait, wait!” He turned to her. “You wanna come in?” She asked, hopefully. 

Branch shook his head. “I told you, I don’t do parties.” 

Poppy nodded in understanding. “Well, at least you got me a gift.” 

Branch nodded with a forced smile. “Yeah.” Why was this awkward?

Poppy looked fondly at the gift and flowers. “Thank you, Branch. Have no idea what it is yet, but thank you.” She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

“Yeah, well, bye!” He departed hastily. Walking backwards was not the best idea for he tripped over the small staircase that lead to the door. 

Poppy let out a laugh. She leaned the gift against the door as she went to go help him up, giggling the entire time. 

Branch suddenly regained his composure. “It was not that funny.” 

“It really was.” 

“It was not.” 

“Was to.” 

He slightly glared at her. “Well, have fun.” 

Poppy watched him with a smile on her face as he got into his truck and drove away. She sighed, dreamily, before walking back inside with her flowers and her gift. Only to bump into Suki. 

“Whoa, girl, slow down,” she said. “So, who was it?”

“No one,” Poppy said with a huge smile, smelling the poppies. 

Suki looked at them. Who in the world would come over, leave a gift, and then just leave the party? This person was either stupid or busy. 

Poppy handed her the present. “Could you put this with the others while I find a vase for these? Thanks.” 

Suki had barely opened her mouth before the girl was out of sight. She tried to find a name on the present, but there wasn’t one other than Poppy’s. Disappointed that she couldn’t find out who this mystery person was, she went to go put it with the others.

Poppy had placed the vase on a small table near the front door so if Branch came over in the near future he would see that she had kept them. There was a knock on the door. She looked at it, wondering who would be here this late. Everyone she had invited, minus two, was here. No, wait. There was a surprise guest, apparently. She sighed in annoyance as she walked over to the door. When she opened it, her annoyance turned into surprise. “Creek?”

He looked surprise as well. “Poppy? So this is your party! What a pleasant surprise!” Creek congratulated himself for his good acting. He took her hand and kissed it gently. “It’s such a pleasure to see you again.” 

Poppy let out a giggle as her stomach fluttered. What a gentleman. “The pleasure’s all mine.” 

“Your 22nd, am I right. I brought just the right gift.” He held up the small box in his hand. “Why don’t you open it now?” 

Poppy was skeptical. “I don’t know, I kind of had a plan to open all my gifts ten minutes before midnight.” 

“Oh, come on, I promise you won’t regret it.” He held it up to her and she took the box, uncertainty creeping in her mind. Uncertainty was a negative feeling, so she kicked it away and opened the box. It was a beautiful, heart shaped locket. There was a pink, heart shaped jewel on the front of it and it opened when she clicked it. There wasn’t any pictures in it, but it was still a sight to behold. Creek held up his hands in surrender. “I hope I’m not being to forward, since we just met.” 

“No, no,” Poppy rushed. “It’s fine. I love it. But…” Should she tell him? Branch seemed to be coming around. And the gift? She had yet to open it. Maybe she should just wait a few days. Let Creek be her friend, but don’t lead him on. Three, three days. That’s all. 

“But, what?” Creek asked, feigning worry. 

“Nothing,” she said with a sweet smile. “It’s a beautiful necklace.” 

He held out his hand. “Would you like me to put it on you?” 

She stared at him, surprised. “Um…sure.” She handed it to him and turned around, letting him put it on.  She smiled at the necklace before turning to him. “The party’s in the living room,” she said as she opened the door wider for him to come in. 

Creek chuckled, seeing that the entire snack pack was behind the door the entire time, listening to their conversation. 

Poppy slightly glared at them, her cheeks turning pink. “Guys!” 

“Ok, ok, what are we doing first,” Biggie asked, excited. 

Poppy smiled. “First, we’re playing Twister, after that we’ll go to the kitchen and have a Best Sundae contest, then we’ll take our sundaes back to the living room where we’re having a Steven Universe marathon and we have to sing along to every song.” 

“Really,” they all asked, excited. 

“You know it!” 

Creek gave a nod with a small smile. “This is going to be interesting. What’s Steven Universe?” 

They all gasped. 

Poppy held up her birthday staff to signal silence. “We will continue with my plan after we explain to our friend Creek, here, what the best show in all of history is.” 

“Ok, Poppy!” Suki cheered, spinning the next color. “Left hand on blue!” 

Poppy put her left hand on blue. She was so going to be the champion of this game! She had beaten all of them so far, dancing comes in handy when there’s things that require flexibility. All that was left was to beat Creek and they could go make their sundaes. “Come on, Suki! Give me a challenge!” 

Suki smirked. “You said it, girl.” She spun the next color for effect. It landed on left foot red. “Creak, right hand Green!” 

Poppy lifted her head up to see where he would be at the moment only to be looking him straight in the eye, noses touching. She blushed. Creek smiled. “Hello there.” Poppy’s face heated up and her hands became sweaty. Before Suki could even spin the next move, she slipped. 

“Creek wins!” Suki cheered. 

Creek stood up and held out a hand. She took it with a nervous smile. “Maybe next time you’ll win.” 

Poppy smiled. “Maybe.” 

They smiled at each other for a bit before Cooper said, “How ‘bout those sundaes?!” They all cheered. 

“Right,” Poppy said with a distracted smile. “The sundaes!” She walked them all to the kitchen. 

Guy and Creek kept their distance from the group. “How am I doing?” Creek asked. 

Guy smiled. “Perfectly! Just keep up the charm.” 

Poppy had bought five tubs of ice cream so that everyone of her eight guests, not including herself, could make the biggest Sundae for the contest. She was so excited as she handed everyone an ice cream scooper and a shared bucket. “Alright! The rules are, you can only use what’s on this table.” The table before them all was full of toppings and candies and syrups and fruit all for the sake of this competition. “We all have six minutes to create diabetes in a bowl. Now everyone close your eyes.” They all, including herself, did so. “Visualize what it will look like…take a deep breath…on your marks…get set…GO!” She pushed the button of the timer and everyone opened their eyes, instantly grabbing the first thing they saw. 

Poppy grabbed the bowl of pink M&M’s and the pink sprinkles and almost anything on the table that was pink. She had a vision of what her sundae would look like and she was going to stick to it. She grabbed the scooper and added three, huge scoops over the banana in her bowl. While everyone else was just throwing toppings all over their ice cream, she was carefully placing everything where it needed to be. She grabbed the chocolate syrup and made perfect lines over the ice cream and toppings. Finally, she grabbed the nuts and sprinkles and spread them all over her sundae. The timer still hadn’t gone off yet even though she took longer than she expected due to her heavy cape and the crown falling over her eyes. She had time to do one more thing. She brought out her phone, again, quite the challenge due to the cape, and took a picture of the sundae, sending it to Branch. 

“I’m sorry ma’am, but I don’t deliver on Wednesdays, especially not that early,” Branch explained to the women on the phone. He couldn’t believe she was calling this late. What if he hadn’t been here?! He would have been there on Tuesday with twelve centerpieces and no one to give them to. He silently sighed as the women spoke again. “Yes, I get that it’s your wedding day, but I don’t see why I can’t bring them on Tuesday.” He listened as she explained. “Then send someone who can meet up with me on Tuesday. Maybe a bride’s maid, the maid of honor? … Yes, I’ll wait.” He sighed as the women put him on hold. She was probably going to go ask someone just as he had asked her to a million times before the whole thing. It’s not like he didn’t have a life outside his job, people needed to realize this. Also, he still had yet to cut the Anemone Nemorsas. He had a habit of cutting them the day before deliveries so that they’d still be fresh instead of leaving them in vases of water for days. 

His phone vibrated. He turned on the screen to see a notification that he got a message from Poppy. He really wanted to change how she put her name on this phone, her name and then a few winkie emojis, but he never really got around to it or he would forget. He opened the notification. He choked on his own spit and furiously started texting back. “That’s a disgusting combination!” Unfortunately, for him, the woman had gotten back to phone right as he said that. She started to complain. “I am so sorry ma’am,” he panicked. “Those words weren’t meant for you.” 

Poppy smiled at the message. “ Why?! (Angry emoji) ”. She knew he didn’t like vanilla, and the fact that she had vanilla ice cream mixed with chocolate ice cream, his favorite, obviously irked him. She put her phone away just as someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“What do you think of mine,” Creek asked, beside her, while everyone else was putting the final touches on their sundaes. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who had a vision. 

“Wow,” was all she could say. It looked like something out of a cartoon. He had gummy everything and had also used the strawberry ice cream, something Poppy should have used for hers. She liked everything about it, how the fruit was placed, how the gummy bears were in some sort of pattern, how the candies he put on were sunk inside the ice cream to stay put, how the cream on top had just enough strength to hold up the cherry. “I think this one might be a win.” The timer went off and everyone went still. 

“Who won!?” Yelled Smidge. Although Poppy loved Smidge to death, her sundae wouldn’t have won.

She looked at Biggie’s as he complained. “I should get more time since I had to let Mr. Dinkles out to pee during the middle of this.” Poppy smiled. His still hadn’t won. 

Guy stood proudly in front of his. It was nice, but it didn’t top Creek’s. 

Then over at Coopers. No winner yet. 

Suki. Still no winner. 

She then looked at the Twins’. She was amazed. “Ok, I have my vote.” 

“Wait, wait, we’re voting,” Cooper asked, surprised. They all had expected for Poppy to just choose a winner. He looked around at everyone else’s. “I have my vote.” 

“Second that,” Guy said. 

“I do, too.” 

“Me three.” 

“Me four.” 

“We do, too.” 

Creek smiled at her. “I’m pretty sure you know who my vote’s going to.” 

Poppy let out a small smile. “Ok, everyone yell out your votes in three…two…one! Satin and Chenille,” she yelled as everyone else yelled her name. “What,” she asked confused. The twins’ sundae was ten times better than hers. 

“Girl,” Satin said. “It’s your birthday.” 

“We’ll let you beat us at a designing competition just this once,” Chenille said with a wink.

Poppy smiled. 

“On to the Steven Universe marathon!” Cooper yelled. 

Poppy laughed at Creeks excitement after the fourth episode. “I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it! I think I got the lyrics down, I’m gonna sing along this time,” he yelled in excitement. Poppy started laughing harder and he laughed along. `“Shut up, shut up, the next episode’s starting, it’s starting,” Suki and Chenille yelled. 

Everyone was silent as Poppy started. “We…” 

Everyone sang along. “…Are the crystal gems! We’ll always save the day!” 

Creek started to sing louder than everyone and Poppy couldn’t help but stop singing to listen. “And if you think we can’t, we’ll always find a way! That’s why the people of this world believe in Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl! And Steven!” 

As the show started, Poppy kept staring at Creek. “You have a beautiful voice.” Everyone she knew had a beautiful voice, they had to or else they wouldn’t be accepted to UT, but that’s beside the point, but his voice could make spirits cry. 

Creek smiled at the compliment. “So do you.” 

She blushed and looked away, not really knowing what to think about the sudden tingling feeling in her stomach. 

Poppy smiled at her at all her gifts, she loved them. A cute new outfit from the Twins, her favorite band’s new album from Suki, cute earrings from Biggie, new glitter eyeshadow by TruNaked from Guy, some new hair accessories from Smidge, and Cooper got her some nice incents with a nicely decorated lighter. Of course, Creek got her the necklace she was currently wearing now. 

Suki held up the mystery gift, still wondering who it was from. “You got one more, girl.” She handed it to Poppy. 

Poppy took it with a huge smile which got everyone else excited. “Who’s it from!” They all asked. Poppy giggled, not answering as she unwrapped it. This caused everyone to look confused. Poppy opened it to see a beautiful pink acoustic guitar with flowers on it. Just like the one she had last year before it disappeared during a project. Just like the one she saw at the mall that morning. There was a card tied to it. She opened it and read it. 

“Poppy, 

This is to replace the one you lost last year during our Sociology Camping Project. I know I told you that I saw a bear run away with it, but the truth is that I actually threw it in the fire so that you wouldn’t sing anymore. (That planned failed since you still sang, but it was worth a shot.) Sorry. 

Love, 

Branch.” 

She reread the card to be sure she read that right. She looked sincere for moment before she said, “I’m gonna kill him.”

Chapter Text

Poppy ran up to him as he was walking into a café. “Hey, Branch!” She was sure she saw him sigh, but she pushed that thought away. She started walking backwards just to get a better look at him. He looked a bit anxious and she couldn’t understand why. What was he expecting from her? She didn’t really care at the moment. “You missed a great party, Saturday!” Now he looked even more nervous. 

“Do you, um, want anything?” He asked, pointing to the cashier. 

Poppy smiled. “Oh! Yes, I’d like a hot chocolate, please!”

“Black Coffee,” Brach said. 

Poppy grimaced at his choice of drink. “He’ll take a caramel frappe,” she amended. 

Branch sighed. “A caramel frappe then.” 

The man asked for their names and then typed the order. Poppy and Branch went to go sit down at a booth. “I can’t believe you didn’t want to stay!”

Branch took a glance at her. If she ever found out the real reason he would never come to her birthday, he’d never talk to her again for fear of having nothing but her pity.

“We played twister, had a sundae contest-”

“I’m aware of that one,” Branch said bitterly. 

Poppy laughed. “Got a load of that picture, didn’t you” 

Branch mocked disgust. “Why would you mix chocolate with, ugh, vanilla?” 

“Cause I like it, Branch, have to have more than one flavor in your lifetime, you know?” She had no idea why that came out sounding so bitter, and from Branch’s expression, he didn’t have a clue either. 

“Poppy and Branch!” The cashier yelled. 

“I’ll go get them,” Branch said, getting up. True to his word, he came back with her hot cholate and his frappe, placing their own in front of them. “So, what else did you do?” 

“After that, we had a Steven Universe Marathon! We had to sing along to every song that came on! You would have hated it,” she said, a genuine laugh coming out. 

Branch had a small smile. 

“Creek was literally so excited every time another episode would come on cause he could only sing the opening since he had never seen the show before that night. It ‘inspired’ him-”

His smile dropped. “Who’s Creek?” 

His voice was so low, Poppy almost missed the question. She blushed, realizing that he was never introduced to Creek. She let out a nervous laugh before taking a sip of her hot chocolate. “No one,” she said, her voice higher than usual. “Just a friend of Guy’s.” She watched as Branch only nodded. She couldn’t really tell anything from his expression, one never could unless it was anger, but she knew his angry face and this wasn’t it. She knew other emotions that he would show on his face, but this wasn’t any of those either. She was getting a bit nervous just sitting here now. She should probably change the subject. “So how was your night?”

It took a while for him to understand the question. He had been consumed in his thoughts, thoughts that told him this was for the best. A new guy that apparently was excited to sing and came to her party even though he didn’t know her. Sounded like a great guy. Branch nodded. “My night was fine.” He gave her small smile. His night was fine until it turned into a literal heaping mess with negotiations with that damn woman. Finally, it was her Maid of Honor that would be there when he dropped them off in the afternoon. Crazy bridezillas. He noticed that she was fidgeting with a necklace. She had never had that necklace before, not that he paid any attention to any of the jewelry she wore. No seriously, he didn’t. “Is that a new necklace?” 

She instantly let it fall on her chest. “Yes, got it for my birthday yesterday.” Her voice was still high. Was she hiding something from him? “It was sort of the first gift I opened. You should have seen what Suki got me, I almost screamed. It was the new Smoke and Mirrors album and I have yet to listen to it. Wanna come over and watch it with me, I know you love Imagine Dragons.”

Branch shook his head. “I really do not like your friends.” 

“They won’t be there,” she rushed. “It’ll be just me and you, ya know?” 

Branch sort of winced at the suggestion. “I don’t think so. Things…happen…when we’re alone together,” he answered, remembering all those times, especially that one night . They were alone right now, but not alone alone . When the sun went down and it was quiet and soothing and they were alone , there really was no stopping them. But Branch knew that that had to stop. She deserved so much better.

Poppy would be lying if she said she wasn’t entirely disappointed with his answer. She put on a brave smile. “Well, I’ll just lend it to you when I finish hearing it. I have a gut feeling that it’s going to be great! And you know what else is great,” she closed her eyes. 

Branch was confused. “What?” 

She squealed. “My new eye-shadow! Guy got it for me. It was nice. And Smidge got me some new hair accessories, Biggie got me some nice crown earrings, and the twins got me a cute new outfit. I don’t really want to wear them all just yet. I’m waiting for the pride party next week.” 

Branch groaned. “Another party? Seriously?” 

“Yes, ‘ seriously’ . I love having parties. When I become principal of this place, I’m going to-”

“I thought you wanted to sing for a living?” 

Poppy laughed. “What do you think this school is about? Of course, I’m going to have wait ‘til my father retires, so I’ll have a few years to sing and teach just for the fun of it. So, anyway, back to the party-”

“Can you, like, not have a party for one month? Just one month?” 

Poppy waved it off. “Hey! This is the last party for the next four weeks! You know I don’t throw parties before semester finals. So stop being such a sad sack and come to my party~! You haven’t been to a party since our senior year of high school.”

“That’s because I was forced to go to those parties, Poppy. They were class parties.”

“Exactly! So, come to my party! You owe me.” 

He raised a brow. “I owe you?” 

“Yes, as your best friend, you always owe me. The owing never ends.” 

Branch groaned as he let his head fall to the table. “Why does being your best friend require me to do everything I don’t wanna do?” 

“Stop using Shrek references, you know I love them?” 

“That line explained literally everything I feel right now.” Branch shot his head up, realizing how many germs could be on this table. 

She shook her head before she checked the time. She then took another sip of her hot chocolate, deciding it was cool enough. “Well, I have a class in ten minutes. I will see you later~.” She got up and took the lid off of her hot chocolate… Then poured it all over his head. She smiled as Branch didn’t even flinch. He was expecting something like this, but he didn’t know when. That’s probably why he was so nervous when she walked up to him. “That’s for my guitar.” She grabbed her purse and walked away with a, “Bye now!” 

Branch nodded as he grabbed some napkins and started cleaning himself. He definitely deserved that. He didn’t know how pissed off she had been when she found out, but he could guess. For all he knew, it could have been left to her by her mom. He knew, now, that it wasn’t. The only thing she had left from her mom was the cowbell that she used to play Poppy the Troll. She had explained to him that one night that the bell was her idea when she became mascot. Back to the point, he now knew that that was a cruel thing to do. He looked at his watch. He had an hour before his next class. He should probably get back to his dorm and take a shower.

Chenille broke the kiss when she heard her phone ringing. “What?” She asked herself, confused. She was sure that Satin didn’t have anything planned for them today. 

Suki looked at the phone and then back at her. “I thought you said you weren’t busy today?” 

“I thought I wasn’t!” Suki shut her mouth when Chenille answered the phone. “Sup, sis.” 

“Girl, you need to get here, ASAP.” 

“What? Where? Why?!” 

“The Snack Pack is meeting up at the mall right now and we need you here to see what Creek’s next move will be. We all have to agree on this.” 

That’s when Suki’s phone started ringing. They both went into a panic. 

Chenille covered her phone. “Shut it up, shut it up,” she fiercely whispered. 

“It’s Cooper,” she whispered back in a rush. 

“Well, answer it!” 

“I cant answer it here!” 

“Go answer it in the next room!” 

Suki felt like an idiot. Why didn’t she think of that?! She exited the room while answering the phone. 

Chenille brought her phone back up to her ear. “Chenille!” It seemed like Satin had been calling her name. 

“Yes,” she answered, meekly. 

“Is someone there with you?” 

She could literally hear the smirk on her sister’s face. “Nope. No one. It’s just me, myself, and I. All alone. Uno persona. Nobody else.” She should really stop talking. “Well, I’ll see you there!” She hung up just as Suki came back in. 

“Cooper said something about the Snack Pack meeting up at the mall.” 

“Something about Creek,” Chenille finished. “Yeah, Satin just told me. We’re planning his next move on Poppy.” Despite being disrupted, they both smiled. Creek and Poppy would make such a perfect couple. Getting Branch out of her life would make things so much easier on her. Chenille gave Suki one last sweet, slow kiss before grabbing her hand and running out of her room.

“So what’s your next move,” Guy asked once everyone was seated. 

Creek shrugged. “I think I’ll take her out for Ice cream today, she seems to love it. A lot.” She was the only one who finished her Sundae last night while everyone was too full to even finish half of theirs. 

Satin nodded. “Yes, yes, that’s good! She loves it to death.” 

Chenille nodded as well. “Nothing could stop that girl from eating ice cream.” 

“Where should I meet up with her?” 

Everyone looked at Fuzzbert, a short person with green hair, as they made some signs. Smidge translated. “She’s always waiting for Branch in front of Building 3 on Mondays and Fridays.” They made a few more signs. “Sometimes she waits for him in the library if she knows that he has a test to study for.” 

Cooper nodded. “And Building 2 on Wednesdays. Always.” 

“…Are you talking about UT?” Creek asked, confused. 

“Yes,” They all answered in unison.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan,” Chenille said. Everyone leaned in to listen.

Poppy really hoped that he wasn’t mad at her for that act earlier. She considered it brave at first, but, as time went on, she began to worry. Should be have done that? Was it right to do that? Wait a minute. He threw her guitar in a fire! It was totally right to do that! But she was a better person than that, she shouldn’t have done that. It felt damn good, though. She checked the time. There was ten minutes left of class, she had come too early. She always did this after some brave act, she was starting to see them as stupid instead. 

“And this is the well-known Trolls Library.” 

Poppy snapped her head towards the familiar voice. She smiled as she called, “Chenille!” Her smile almost fell when she saw Creek next to her. 

Chenille turned to Poppy, acting surprised. “Poppy? What are you doing here? I thought you had no more classes today.” 

“Well, I…” Should she tell her? She probably already knew. They all probably did. 

Chenille’s phone beeped and she checked it. This was her plan. Say she was giving Creek a tour of the school, then someone would call her and bail her out, and, before leaving, she would ask Poppy if she could do the rest, knowing she wouldn’t say no. Only the second part was a lie, Suki had texted her right now, asking if it was through. “Oh,” she feigned disappointment. “Sorry, Creek, but I have to go. We can finish the tour tomorrow if you’d like?” 

“You were giving him a tour of the University,” Poppy asked, eyes wide with excitement. 

Chenille looked as if she had a bright idea. “Poppy! You should give him the real deal! You know everything about this school, don’t you? You give him the tour! It’s not like you have anything planned today, right?” 

Creek took a glance at her. “I don’t want to be a bother if you truly are busy,” he assured. 

Poppy shook her head. “No! I’m not busy at all! I’d love to give a tour! If you didn’t already know, my dad owns this school.” 

Chenille nodded. “Well, I gotta go. TTYL, Poppy!”

Poppy waved bye before turning back to Creek. “Ok, so this school was built over a hundred years ago…”

Branch walked into the library, his notes already in hand. He had to do his homework quickly so  that way he could start cutting the Anemone Nemorosa at two and have them delivered at five. He took an empty table and brought out his textbook. Though the library décor was an eyesore, he could admit that it was soothing. The tables were all made of colored glass and the chairs were more like bean bags with legs, which meant they were comfortable. And the entire library was lit up with Colored Chinese Lanterns that gave off a calming, yellow light. Sometimes, while he was studying, he would nod off at some point. Poppy would always wake him up so that he could get home on time. 

Poppy. 

He looked around. She was usually here waiting for him on Mondays, but, now, she was nowhere in sight. He shook his head. She was probably just late. Or she wasn’t coming, the asshole side of his mind gave. It’s not like he cared, he could probably get more studying done without her. He opened his textbook and notebook and started looking for answers.

Poppy showed him an unfinished building. “Ok, So, before my father became principal, my grandfather was having this building built. This was going to be a new Art department. Not to be confused with the fine arts department. This one was going to be solely for animation. There was going to be over ten sound booths for voice acting and ten rooms for orchestra and music for short animation projects. My family really sticks to our ‘No Troll Left Behind’ saying, trying to get more people into our school by giving them their interests. It was going to be great.” 

“What happened?” 

“Well, my grandpa died before they could get it finished fifteen years ago. My dad had other plans of what he would do when he got into the office, so this one was just…forgotten.” 

Creek looked around. “What’s that building over there?” 

Poppy looked at the small, hall like building. “That’s the Hall of Principals, dating back to me Great, Great, Great Grandfather.” She grabbed his hands and led him towards it. There were a few others in the hall as well, but Poppy’s focus was only on the Pictures. She started explaining which painting was who and what they had added to the school and their greatest accomplishments. They finally made it to her father’s Picture. She started to explain his plans for the school included getting more sponsors so that they could be able to afford the new additions to certain buildings. “Not all buildings had had outlets before my dad became principal. Sure, there was air conditioning, but they needed touch ups. So he gathered the sponsors and now every building has air conditioning and outlets.”

Creek nodded. “That’s amazing! What else did he do?” 

“He added A Capella because he knew I loved singing and then, suddenly, the school was all about it. You have to have two things to be in this school. A good heart, and a good voice. Having a good heart will suffice, but, even if you have the most beautiful singing voice, you won’t be allowed in the school if you aren’t a good person.” 

“And your father can just tell if someone’s a good person or not?”

Poppy shook her head. “Before coming to the interview, he sets up a series of tests without those being interviewed knowing. If you become late to the interview because you were doing all those tasks, you’re in.” She looked at her dad’s photo and glanced at the empty spot on the right of it. “Here,” she said, pointing at it, “Is where my picture is going to be.”

Creek looked at it. “You plan on being principal one day?” 

Poppy smiled. “Of course! I have so many ideas for this school! For one, I’m going to have that animation building finished since I know my dad never will. And if my dad doesn’t come around to it, I’m going to get rid of that Old theatre and build a new, bigger one, and, of course, I’m keeping all the clubs I’ve created. And then I’m going to take down buildings we no longer need and turn all that space into gardens. But, that’s not going to be for a long time since I have to wait for him to retire.”

Creek smiled at her. “You have it all planned out, don’t you?” 

She nodded. “Yup. I plan on being remembered, just like all the Kings before me.” She looked down the hall at all the pictures with a fond smile. 

Creek put a hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t we go out for some ice cream?”

He yawned in sync with everyone that had just exited the library before he started walking. Poppy hadn’t come at all just as he thought. He had thought about texting her a few times to see if she was ok, but then he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to care. So he didn’t.

He was halfway to his dorm when he realized that he had been taking the long way to it. He shrugged it off as a force of habit. He was coming up to the ice cream shop. Maybe he would get himself an ice cream just this once. He was about to open the door when a flash of pink caught his eye. It was Poppy. She was licking an ice cream as she headed towards a table. What was she doing here alone? She was about to pull out a chair. 

That’s when a hand grabbed it and pulled it out for her. Branch followed the hand up the arm, past the neck, and, finally, to a face. The man held a prince-like aura and looked like he came out of a fairy tale, with his clear skin, shiny blue eyes, and a smile that could make any woman faint. He glared at the guy. He was perfect. Everything Poppy deserved. He let his hand slowly fall as the scene settled before him. The guy had said something and she started laughing. He had known this would happen, he had hoped as well… Then why did it hurt? He shook his head and started walking away from the shop.

Creek dug his spoon into the ice cream that Poppy had picked for him. He nodded. “You’re right, strawberry cheesecake flavor is great.” 

She started laughing. “I know it is, that’s why I picked it.” Poppy had no idea what made her do it, but she took a glance at the door. There, through the window, she saw a familiar backpack leaving her view. She suddenly stiffened. No, it couldn’t… Well, it’s not like there wasn’t… Was it? Hopefully not! This wasn’t what it looked like. It was just a guy and a girl getting to know each other through ice cream! It was not a date! 

“Poppy.” Creek’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Are you ok?” She looked like she was about to jump out of her chair.

“I-I…” Three days. She promised herself three days. She sat more comfortably, as comfortable as she could be in a situation like this, that is. “I’m fine. I’m fine.” Her voice was hard to hear at the end. 

Creek knew she wasn’t. Nothing cheered someone up more than talking about themselves, it worked for him. “Why don’t you tell me why you decided to dye your hair pink.” 

Poppy gave a small smile. “Well, I was in ninth grade…” 

Branch didn’t waste time grabbing his small clippers. Work, today would be a busy work day and that would distract from any thoughts he didn’t need right now. He made sure to distract himself with every flower, making sure he clipped them with precision and the exact same length. He would then place each flower perfectly in its vase, the pink flower always in the middle. When he walked outside, two vases in hand, he could see that the sky was turning into shades of pink and orange. After placing the vases on the back of his truck, he checked his phone to see the time. It was a quarter past four. If he wanted to drop these off by five, he would have to hurry and place the vases in his truck 

When he got there, he helped place all the centerpieces on the table, making sure everything was going to be perfect tomorrow for the bride. He’d hate to have a wedding ruined. Looking back at one memory, he corrected himself. He’d hate to have a real wedding ruined. 

When he got back to his dorm, there was nothing to do. He sat there contemplating on something to do, but there was nothing. He had no friends, no family, no one to talk to. The only person who did, he’d pretend to hate. So he sat there, in the darkness, letting himself be consumed by his thoughts.

Chapter Text

Glitter. When he opened his eyes, that’s all he saw. It hurt like hell, since it got in his eye some, but that didn’t stop him from knowing who was in his room at the moment. Poppy stood above him with a huge smile and a pop-up invitation that shot out glitter. He blinked up at her with, an unamused expression placed on his face. In fact, he wasn’t just unamused, he was actually quite angry. A whole week, she hadn’t talked to him for a whole week ! And every time he saw her, she was with that Creek fellow. And, now, here she was, presenting him an invitation as if nothing was wrong. “What?” He asked harshly. He was no longer surprised that she was in here. She had gotten the key somehow and he was surprised she hadn’t gotten it sooner. 

“You’re invited!” She squealed. 

“To where,” he asked, tiredly. “Wait, that was wrong,” he said to himself. “I’m not going,” he amended. 

Poppy put her hands on her hips. “You haven’t even read the invitation, yet.” 

“And I’m not going to,” he said, turning over and recovering himself. All he wanted was some sleep before he had to go to class. And for her to leave him alone ! He knew more than felt his blanket being pulled off of him. 

“Get up,” she ordered. 

Branch sighed as he did so. He looked at the invitation that was way too close to his face before he took it and read it. “Poppy,” he started. “I’m not going to your stupid party.” He reached down and grabbed his blanket from the floor and tried to cover himself again. 

She grabbed his blanket and pulled it off again. “You’re coming this time whether you like it or not. You’re not going to stay in your dorm all night, moping. You need to get out and have some fun.” 

Branch rolled his eyes, still lying down. “Oh, so now you care about me.” What happened to ignoring him for an entire week? Was she even going to bring it up? Probably not, Poppy never brought up problems after they were over with. To her at least, the problem still wasn’t over for him. 

Poppy looked at him, confused. “What?” 

He rolled his eyes before turning and lying to other way. “Nothing,” he muttered. “Now leave.”

Poppy stared down at him. He seemed gloomier than usual. “Are you ok?” 

‘No’, he wanted to say. He wanted to say it so badly, to tell her that he wasn’t alright because the only person he could call a friend hadn’t talked to him for a week and that week happened to be the most miserable week of the year. But he couldn’t, he didn’t want her pity. He didn’t want anyone’s pity! “I’m fine.” 

She wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t fine, he was always not fine, but this ‘not fine’ was not it. He was, for lack of a better word, sad. She sat down on his bed. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

“I said I’m fine,” he growled. 

He wasn’t. She couldn’t look at him as she said, “I’m sorry.” He didn’t speak. “I was pretty preoccupied this past week, trying to figure some things out.” 

‘Yeah, like Creeks phone number’.

“And I wasn’t able to make time for you.”

‘More like flat out ignoring me’. 

“And so, that’s why I hope you come to the party. So that we could be able to spend some time together.” And so that she hopefully wouldn’t have to do that one thing she may or may not regret. 

Branch had no clue what to say. This was different. She specifically said that she wanted to come so they could be “together”, not just come to the party so he could have fun. He knew exactly how she felt about him and she knew how he felt in return. It made no sense to humor her and let her believe that it would work. He really shouldn’t go. He sighed, knowing his answer and already regretting it. He rolled over to face the ceiling. “I’ll see if I can come.” 

Poppy’s eyes widened before her smile did. This was good. He might actually come to a party for once. And all because she asked him instead of ordering him to. She leaned in and hugged him, her head on his chest. “It would mean a lot to me if you could.” 

He sighed. “Yeah, I know.” 

She sat up looking down at him. “Be colorful if you do come, ok.” 

He gave a nod. “Ok.” 

Before getting up, she gave him a small, quick peck on his lips and laughed when she saw his face turning red. She exited the door with a “I hope to see you there!” She leaned against the door with a dreamy sigh before skipping down the hall and out the door. Oh, please let him come to the party. If he didn’t, then it was time to move on. Six years, she had devoted herself to him for six years. This party would determine if he cared for her or not. She hoped that he came. 

He sat there, blushing, for about four minutes before sitting up. He couldn’t sleep after something like that. Her lips against his wasn’t a foreign thing, it was actually quite common with the relationship they had, which had yet to be defined. But it surprised him every time. Especially the first time. 

“Hi, Branch!” He internally groaned. Why? He just wanted to get to eighth period in peace! He turned to look at Poppy, who had finally caught up with him. She was cute when he had first seen her last year when he was still an overly optimistic idiot who couldn’t see life for what it was, but now she was just an annoying bug that kept trying to make him “happy” and it was annoying . “So, I was wondering, which element we should do for the chemistry project cause you kind of left before we settled on anything and I was hoping we could do Bismuth because it’s beautiful and colorful.” 

Branch shrugged. “Fine.” 

“Really,” she asked with a smile and a jump of happiness. Branch gave a short nod. “Yay! Ok, where are we gonna do the poster, at your house or mine?” 

Branch didn’t really like the idea of her being at his house, even after two months of knowing her, she would look so out of place. “Yours.” He flinched as she squealed. 

“You’re going to love my house! We’ll have to make the poster in the scrapbooking room, which has everything we need, Cardstock, patterned paper, adhesives, pens and colors, all types of scissors-”

“Whoa, whoa, what do you think we’re doing for this project?” 

Poppy looked at him as if it were obvious. “Well, obviously, we’re gonna go all out.” 

Branch shook his head. “No, we’re doing something nice and simple.” 

“No,” Poppy said with a smile. “We’re going all out, trust me. The teachers here love that.” 

Branch rolled his eyes. “The teachers here seem to love everything you do.” Branch stopped walking once he got to the door of his classroom, not walking just in case Poppy wasn’t done talking. 

Poppy crossed her arms and glared at him, something she was surprisingly good at considering how she was. Branch liked that. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Oh, like you don’t know. You’re basically the teacher’s pet for everyone.”

Poppy dropped her glare and replaced it with a look of mirth. “The teachers here love everyone. They even like you and your organized projects. That’s you going all out.” Then her eyes widened. “Imagine having your organization skills mixed with my decorating skills. Our project’s going to look great!” The minute bell rang. “I’ll meet you at the front office so we can just drive to my house afterwards, ok, gotta go, laters!” She rushed as she walked away from him. Branch sighed. He should have just said his house. 

Branch had seen her car from distances and was well aware that it was pink, but this was too much. He wasn’t surprised that there was glitter, but he could do without it. And the poppies that were painted on it, did this girl have no shame?! He watched her in awe as she did not hesitate to open her door and get in. She rolled down the window and said, “Get in,” with a smile. 

He looked at her like she was crazy. “I am not getting in that.” 

She looked somewhat annoyed. “There is nothing wrong with my car. It’s perfectly fine.” 

“Sure it is,” he said bitterly.

“Just get in the car,” she snapped, well, as well as a girl like her could, anyway. 

He sighed as he got in the car. What was it with girls getting small cars nowadays? His grandma had owned the most beautiful, blue truck he had ever seen, and once he took over her Flower Shop, it would be his. 

He looked at her house in awe. “This is your house?” 

“Mmhm,” she hummed with a smile and a nod.

“It looks like a fucking mansion!” 

She gave another nod. “You know, all of my friends had the same reaction.” She thought about it. “They didn’t curse, though.” She grabbed his hand and started running up the entryway stairs. “Wait ‘til you see the inside. 

His jaw dropped at the size of the kitchen. “This is your kitchen.” This wasn’t a question; it was just a remark made in awe. 

She giggled. “Want anything to eat, we could make sundaes?” 

Branch felt like nodding his head, he really did. He wanted to make sundaes with the most beautiful girl that he ever laid eyes on and have some fun for once since the incident six months ago. He wanted her to give him a whole tour of the house, dragging him from room to room while holding on his hands with her soft ones. He wanted to tell her that her house was awesome and that so was she and that he couldn’t wait to get to truly know her. He thought of what his old friends would be thinking of him right now.Plum would tell him to go for it! Rudy would cheer him on. Arabesque would be dancing like no freaking tomorrow! Hell, Wim would be humming his approval! He really wanted to do this! 

But he just couldn’t . 

Poppy turned to him and her smile dropped. He didn’t look excited like he did just a second ago. “Branch, what’s wrong?” 

Branch really felt out of place now. He really should have just said his house. He started looking at everything in aversion. “We should really start that project,” he said, guardedly. “Better to have it done sooner than later.” 

That was a huge shift in mood and Poppy wasn’t sure how to feel about this. “O-ok. I’ll, um…” The scrapbooking room! She had a smile again. “I’ll show you to the scrapbooking room!” She tried to grab his hand but he snatched it behind him and backed away. She felt confused for a second before brushing it off with a smile. “If you’ll just follow me.” 

Branch looked around the room with all kinds of Felt rolls pinned to the walls ready to be pulled and many plastic drawers containing whatever the hell they would use for this project. A huge table with lots of space was smack in the middle of the room waiting for someone to use it. He watched as Poppy walked over to one of the rolls and slowly pulled it out before cutting it with scissors he hadn’t known she grabbed. She placed it on the table just as he made it to her. “Ok,” she started. “So, I have a vision, but what exactly does she want on this poster?” 

Branch set his backpack on the table and brought out the rubric. “Ok, so she wants us to tell what group it’s in, what period it’s in, it’s atomic number and mass, a picture of it, what uses there are for it, and another picture which I believe is just supposed to be the element box.” 

Poppy took it all in and closed her eyes with a smile. Branch watched for a few seconds, wondering what the hell she was doing. He did not jump when she slammed her hands on the table and proclaimed, “My vision is fine!” She started walking from place to place, occasionally putting whatever she had on the table. “Here,” she said, handing a pair of squiggly scissors. “Start cutting the edges off with that.” He grabbed the scissors and started doing so. 

He was almost done with it when he glanced at the final thing she put on the table. He stopped instantly and looked her dead in the eye. He had seen many of her projects before, this was not good. “No.” 

“Oh, come one, it’s just some glitter!” She pouted. And it was definitely not cute. At all. 

“No,” he said, shaking his head this time. “You are not putting glitter on my project.” 

“Our project, Branch. And it’s just glitter.” 

“No.” 

“Yes.” 

“No.” 

“Yes. I have never done a project without glitter and I’m not starting now.” 

Branch glared at her and she glared back, as well as she could be considering how she was. He reached over to the glitter and put them on the opposite side of him, far away from her. “I’m in charge of the glitter, then.” 

“What?!” She pouted. He didn’t back down, which was interesting since it worked on everyone. She gave up and sighed. “Fine.” 

They started the project. It wasn’t even five minutes in before Poppy sighed. “I’m bored.” 

“It’s a school project, it’s not supposed to be fun.” 

“You know what would make this more fun,” she asked, completely ignoring his words. “Some tunes. That always helps me concentrate.” She brought out her phone and a speaker box from her backpack and started playing some tunes. Branch wasn’t surprised when she started singing along to every song that came on. 

They were finally done making the Bismuth out of glitter when a Taylor Swift song came. He recognized her voice anyway. He could deal the Pop star and her songs, but what really annoyed him was all the teenage girls who would sing along as well. He took a glance at Poppy to see her take a glance at the speaker with a smile. He rolled his eyes, of course she was gonna sing along. He waited and waited, but her voice never merged with the song. He took another glance at her. She was only smiling as she worked. Why wasn’t she singing the song? Did she not like it? He started to actually listen to the song. 

You, with your switching side and your wildfire lies and your humiliation

You have pointed out my flaws again, as if I don’t already see them

He wondered what on earth could be wrong with the song for her not to sing along. This had to be a new one, he had never heard it before. He started to work again, but the song was getting to his head. There was a message there and it irked him that he couldn’t find it. He tried to tune it out, but it seeped through. 

And I can see it years from now in a bar,

Talking over a Football game,

With that same big loud opinion, 

But no nobody’s listening, 

Washed up and ranting about the same ol’ bitter thing, 

Drunk and grumblin’ on about how I can’t sing…

But all you are is mean

He took another glance at her. She wasn’t smiling anymore. “Do you like this song?” 

She gave a short nod. “Why?” 

Why? “It’s just that you’re not singing along to it. Most people sing along to songs they like.” 

“I’m not most people,” she said with a smile that looked forced. “Besides, you don’t sing along to any songs.” 

“That’s because I don’t like music. I like silence.” 

Why you gotta be so mean?

He casually cut the pink paper as he said, “I didn’t know you were bullied.” 

He heard a rip and quickly turned to the sound. Poppy was staring, wide eyed, at him with a paper in her hands that started out perfectly cut but ended like it had ripped. He almost jumped as she slammed down her scissors and shot him a piercing glare. She looked angry and it looked so out of place from her personality. “Do you really have a right to even say anything?”

He started cutting the pink slips again. “You’re right, I don’t.” 

Poppy’s glare faded. She hadn’t meant to snap at him like that, it was just that he entered uncharted territory. He had figured it out with just one song all because she didn’t sing along. Not even her friends knew anything about that. She was so distracted in her thoughts and not focusing that she accidentally cut off a piece of her skin. And it hurt like hell. She instantly dropped the scissors and put her finger in her mouth to sooth it. She opened her eyes as she brought it out to see what the damage looked like and found that Branch was by her side with a tiny first-aid kit. 

He poured some alcohol on a cotton ball, gently grabbed her hand, sat her down on a chair, and started patting the cut with the cotton. He felt her flinch and he started rubbing her palm with his thumb. “It’s just a cut, Poppy. Don’t be so overdramatic.” 

She let out a snort. “Says the one who came prepared with a first-aid kit.” For some reason, she found this funny and couldn’t stop laughing. 

When she didn’t stop laughing by the time he had put the band aid, he became worried. He looked at her and found that she wasn’t laughing anymore, she was crying. Great! He had made her cry! What did he do now?! He used to be able to comfort girls so easily, but he guessed that left him the moment his happiness did. “A-are you ok,” he asked, strained. 

Poppy looked at him with a sniffle. He looked genuinely concerned. She knew he had a heart. She didn’t look him in the eye as she started talking. “I don’t know why they did it. I was always smiling and happy and always had a tune in my mind to hum to. But I guess people didn’t like that.” She saw out of the corner of her eyes that he sat down on the floor and looked at her intensely as if he cared about what she had to say. She went on. “They…did things to me…” Her hand reached for her short hair. “...that I will never forget. And neither will they.” She let out a bitter chuckle. “My dad got a lot of money out of those lawsuits and all those kids can forget any help from UT they may have imagined. I didn’t ask for that, but my dad didn’t want any bad people in his school or around his daughter so he switched me to a public school, which just so happened to be Valley High. I’ve been here since sophomore year and I like here and like the friends I have and I like that teachers notice me and I like that I’m finally happy again! But…” Her hand fell back to her lap. “The memories sometimes haunt me.” 

Branch nodded. Unlike him, Poppy was strong. She could find happiness wherever she went, he couldn’t. He didn’t know how to express to her that she was the bravest girl he ever met while sounding like a dick, so he opted for staying quiet. 

She had a small smile. “When I started going to this school, I dyed my hair pink, got some pink contacts, and changed my entire wardrobe. I was not going to be that girl again.” 

Now there was something he could work with. “What color was your hair before?” Not that he didn’t already know. 

“It was a gorgeous red, but I feel like pink suits me way more.” 

Branch nodded. “It does.” His eyes widened at the words he just said. Why did he say that?!

Poppy smiled down at him before leaning down. 

Branch stayed still as she pressed her lips against his forehead. He could feel his face heating up so he hastily stood up and backed away from her. “We should really work on the project,” he said as he walked to the other side of the table, away from her. He took a chance and glanced at her. She was smiling at him. Why was she smiling at him?! 

“We really should,” she said before getting up and working with that beautiful smile still on her face. 

Branch hated himself for trying to hide his smile in his hands from the memory. He almost felt giddy. Almost. He tried to suppress the smile, but he couldn’t. It was his first kiss from Poppy and he loved that memory so much, but he would always suppress it and leave it be knowing he and Poppy couldn’t be together. He had explained to her that one night why they could never be together… But-

Why was he thinking “But”?! No! He and Poppy couldn’t be together! She deserved so much better! 

Then why did he always smile every time he thought about her, why did he have so much poetry dedicated to her, why did he keep every invitation she ever gave him, why?! 

Because he loved her.

Even though he knew he was wrong for her, he still loved her. 

He looked back at why that was. Not why he loved her since he knew plenty of that. But why he was wrong for her. There was plenty of that too. He was a grump compared to her cheer, boring compared to her fun, and unoriginal compared to her uniqueness. He was the exact opposite of her. 

But, there he was again with the “but”, his main problem was that he wasn’t happy. If he could be happy, maybe they could be together. But how did one become happy again after losing it for so long? 

Poppy. Poppy made him happy even if he’d never admit it to her. And he liked the warm feeling in his heart that she gave him every time he talked to her. He sat up and looked at the invitation. “A party, huh.” He was going to go to this one. His first party since his happiness left him six years ago. He realized that there were a lot of ‘firsts’ for him with Poppy. 

After placing the invitation with the others he had yet to take to his shop, he got ready for class.

Chapter Text

Guy looked at the choreography and shook his head. “There’s something missing.” 

Cooper looked at him like he was crazy. “Are you doubting Moxie’s routine?” 

Guy shook his head. “No, I just feel like something’s missing.” 

Fuzzbert made some signs and Smidge translated. “They said ‘I bet he’s just confused that there’s no glitter throwing’.” Fuzzbert made some frantic signs. “Apparently, I wasn’t supposed to translate that.” 

Guy nodded. “Glitter!” He sang. He smiled. “That’s what we’re missing.” Guy reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of rainbow glitter. “Now we’re set! Who wants to go first!?” 

“We do, we do!” The twins cried. 

Guy smothered them in glitter before turning to Cooper. “Ready?” 

Cooper smiled. “You better believe it!” 

Guy threw a handful of glitter above his head before turning to Suki. She closed her eyes and opened her arms, already prepared without even being asked. He threw a handful of glitter above her head as well before turning to Biggie. “You ready, hun?” Bigge closed his eyes and nodded. Guy threw it above his head. He turned to Fuzzbert and threw some without even asking. 

Smidge was jumping in excitement. “My turn, my turn!” She closed her eyes and waited for the explosion.

Guy knew exactly what she wanted. “Alright!” He took the lid off the bottle and poured the rest of its contents on top of her.

“Smidge, don’t you think that’s a bit too much,” Satin asked, worried. You could barely see the girl’s hair with all that glitter on it. 

“YOLO!!” She yelled and who could argue with that.

Suddenly the door opened and in walked a happy Poppy. “Sorry I was late guys I was just-”

“Giving Branch his invitation,” they all finished in unison.

Poppy looked at them, annoyed. “Why do I bother? You guys will never like him.” 

“That’s cause he’s totally wrong for you, girl,” Chenille said. 

“You deserve better,” Satin said. 

“Like Creek,” they said in unison. 

“Look, Poppy,” Suki said, walking to her and holding her hands. “Do you know what’s extremely frustrating?” 

“When we can’t understand Guy when he’s mad cause his accent gets too thick.”

“Doesn’t that happen to all of them, though,” Cooper asked. 

 “Ha! It does!” Smidge laughed. 

All those with accents put hands on their hearts, offended. 

Suki started to laugh as well until she caught a glimpse of Chenille glaring at her. Her laughing ceased with a cough. “Getting back to the topic,” she turned back to Poppy. “It’s frustrating to see you chasing after someone who doesn’t care about you.”

Everyone thought Poppy had the gall to look offended. “He does care about me! You guys just don’t know him like I do.” 

“Because he doesn’t like anyone, Poppy,” Chenille said. “He doesn’t let anyone get to know him. We’re not all as stubborn as you are.” 

Suki nodded. “Face it, Poppy. He’ll never truly let you in. Not like Creek. Creek is good for you.” 

“Would you guys sto-”

“Please,” they all said in unison. “Give him a chance,” Suki finished. “For us. For him… For you.” 

Poppy sighed and put her hand on her head. “Look, guys. I have a really good feeling about tonight. I really do think Branch is gonna come.”

They all groaned. “He’s never come to one of your parties,” Biggie complained. And Biggie wasn’t one to complain much. 

Poppy shook her head. “He told me he’ll ‘ see ’. That’s way better than all the straight ‘no’s he’s given all these years. I really do think he’s gonna come!”

“And if he doesn’t,” Smidge asked. 

Poppy sighed. “Then I guess it’s time to move on.” She gave them all a slight glare when they cheered in unison. “Guys,” she said sternly, getting their attention. “Whatever happens at the party, I want you guys to be happy for me.” They all looked like they were about to protest. “You’re my friends,” she interrupted. “You have to support my decisions.” They groaned again, but in the end they all agreed. “That’s all I’m asking.”

Poppy looked around. The party was going great! She still hadn’t seen Branch, though. She really did hope he was coming. If he came, then everything would be alright. He did get the hint, right? He had to have gotten the hint. She kissed him! What was not to get?! Maybe she should’ve told him outright? It was too late now, though. She just had to have faith in him.

“Poppy!”

She turned around so fast she almost got whiplash. Her joy was gone as quickly as it came when she saw who was actually calling her. She forced a smile. “Creek! I’m so glad you could make it.”

He took her hand and kissed it. “I’m so glad I could, as well! You throw an amazing party! It’s too bad the drinks have nothing in them!” 

“Well, I don’t really feel like having underage students getting intoxicated! Gotta make it fun for everyone, you know!” 

“Have you ever had alcohol?!” 

“Never had anything stronger than a Smirnoff, sorry!” She laughed. How much she’d grown. She could remember her fifth-grade-self saying she would never drink alcohol. It was all too hilarious.

“Well, I’ll have to take you drinking some time! It’ll be fun!” 

“Don’t get me drunk!” 

“No promises!” 

She didn’t know why, but she just wasn’t feeling it right now with Creek. Creek was here, sure! He came. But she really wished it was Branch who had came. Her thoughts were interrupted when Creek cupped her cheek with his hand. She looked up at him, stunned. He started leaning in and she panicked. She hadn’t kissed Creek on any of their “dates”, and she wasn’t really sure about it now. She put a hand to his face a little too hard. He backed up and looked at her questioningly. 

“Sorry! I panicked!” 

He nodded in understanding. “Yes, yes, I see.” He let out a laugh. “Would you like to go somewhere more quiet?” 

“I’m, uh, actually,” she looked around, “waiting for someone.”

“Who,” he asked.

“A friend,” she answered, lamely. 

“You wanna dance while we wait?” 

Poppy shook her head. Creek getting here before Branch put her in a sour mood. What if he really wasn’t coming? Was she really ready to move on? 

Creek stood there with her in silence for the next half hour. He must have noticed she was upset because he asked, “Do you want to go somewhere quieter?” She nodded, her body numb. 

When they made it to a place that wasn’t too loud or too crowded with people, they stayed quiet. A few minutes later, Creek asked, “What’s wrong?” 

Poppy sighed. If she told the Snack Pack, they would just berate her and tell her to move on. Maybe telling an outsider would help. “Ok, so, there’s this guy I’ve known for a long time, right?”

“Right,” Creek agreed with her even though he didn’t really know anything. 

“I’ve had a crush on him for, like, ever, because I know deep down, he’s a sweetheart and he’s helped me through a lot of past traumas. And he’s always there for me when I need him. He knows I like him and I know he likes me. We’ve confessed once before,” she admitted, briefly remembering that one night . “But after that he told me we couldn’t be together because I ‘deserve someone better’. Like, can you believe that!? Aren’t I the one that gets to decide who's worthy of me?”

“You are,” Creek agreed. 

“Anyway, this was, like, two years ago, but our feelings haven’t changed, right? Because there have been a few instances where we didn’t care. But then he would go and give the same bullshit excuse! It’s just- I wanna be official with him! We’re adults! This shouldn’t have to be some teen angst drama, where we skid around each other, never to confess our feelings until it’s too late, ya know! So I invited him to this party and I heavily implied that if he doesn’t come, it’s over! I’m done and I’m moving on! But now I’m thinking, maybe I didn’t imply it enough or maybe I should have just told him outright, because now I’m doubting he’s coming and I’m gonna have to move on because I promised my friends I’d move on if he didn’t come to this party!” She took a deep breath after the long sentence. She looked up at Creek and wondered what he would say. 

Creek didn’t say anything for a while. He looked at her with sad eyes. “Poppy I think I know what’s going on here.”

“You do?” 

“I think I know manipulation when I see it.”

“What?!” Manipulation?! Branch?! He had to be kidding her?!

“I’ve experienced this before Poppy. They take someone kind and sweet and they use them. From what I’m hearing, Poppy, it’s that he’s using you. You said it yourself! You two had had moments after your confessions where it seemed all nice and amazing, but then he pulls the whole ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ excuse.”

“Yeah, but Branch isn’t like that!” But, then again, every time it seemed like they were going somewhere, that was the excuse he used to kill it.

“I’ve seen this before, Poppy. He thinks that you’ll wait for him forever. That you’re going to be right there, waiting for him to come along! But you shouldn’t have to! You should go out and live your life free of his mind games! Poppy, you are not his rebound to life! And you shouldn’t have to waste your life waiting for someone who will never come around.”

“But…”

“Has he ever come to any of your parties?” 

Poppy could feel her heart shatter. She shook her head. Wait, no! He came to her birthday party! ...But he didn’t stay.

“In my honest opinion, Poppy, I think you should move on. From what I know, people like that don’t change.” He looked down at his feet. 

“From what... you know?” 

“There was...this girl before our friends tried setting us up. She was both mentally and physically abusive. She would sometimes ignore me for weeks and then try to talk to me as if nothing happened. And when I would try to move on and talk to someone new, she would get so angry .” Creek shuddered, remembering it all. “I don’t know why I didn’t just leave,” he said more to himself than Poppy. He took a glance at her to see her worried expression. “I don’t want that to happen to you. You’re kind and you always have a smile on your face! Your personality outshines literally everyone here! You, Poppy, are exactly how everyone should be. You see the world as it is and you don’t accept it because you know it can be something better. You’re perfect, Poppy, and I don’t want you to ruin yourself for someone who never bothered to come to a party.”

She wanted to cry. She wanted to cry so badly. She didn’t want to move on from Branch. But if some outsider could tell her everything her friends had told her and more, how could it not be wrong. 

“Poppy.” She looked up at him when he grabbed her hands. “I know I haven’t known you that long and there’s still some things we don’t know about each other, but I think we could heal together.” Was he asking her what she thought he was? “So, what I’m trying to say is…” He let out a nervous chuckle. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

She didn’t know how to respond. Sure, her week with Creek was OK, but it was nothing like the fire it was just hanging out with Branch. But every word Creek had said was true. She didn’t want to waste her life waiting for Branch. She spent six years at his beck and call, even when he didn’t want her to. And he never came to her parties. Ever. This year was the first time he had ever given her a birthday present. And Branch did have a temper like Creek’s mystery woman. But was she really ready to move on from Branch?

“You don’t have to answer me now,” Creek said after a long period of silence from her. “Just, please think about it.” 

Now that was something she could agree too. 

He smiled when she nodded. “Thank you. Look, it’s getting late and I have work in the morning. So I should get going. Are we, um, still getting hot chocolate tomorrow?”

“Oh…” Poppy barely remembered they’d been having hot chocolate together everyday for the past week. “Um, sure! I don’t see why not.”

“Good.” He smiled at her. “You can give me an answer by then. If you have one, that is.”

“Yeah, ok.” 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Poppy.”

“Later, Creek.” And with that, he was gone. 

Poppy sighed now that she was alone. Could she really do this? Move on? And what about what Creek said? Even if Branch did come to the party, did he understand what that entailed? And if she confessed to him, what of it? Would he even want to be with her? She pushed herself off the wall and headed back to the party. She really needed a drink.

Branch tried to make himself look small in the area he was in. Everyone was bursting with color and all he had on was a lavender shirt and some jeans. Some students wore rainbow tutus or rainbows on their faces and he wondered what on earth they could be celebrating. The Pride Parade wasn’t until next weekend. But, as Poppy said, she didn’t throw parties four weeks before finals. Still, he felt so out of place and everyone who looked at him did a double take. Trying to not look at anyone, he stared at his feet, not really watching where he was going. That’s when he bumped into someone. It was the most colorful person he had ever seen and he knew exactly who it was. “Harper.” Harper was more than just colorful in personality; her skin was as well. She had patches of white skin all over her dark skin and he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t mesmerizing. 

The heterochromian looked at him in surprise. “Branch! Oh, wow! You actually came to the party for once! What on earth caused this decision?!”

He was now annoyed. “Poppy asked me to come!” 

“Poppy asked you to come to all the other ones but you still never showed up! And you are totally underdressed!” She looked at his clothes. “Come on, I’ll fix this up for you!” 

After buying over a dozen glow bracelets for his hands and sneaking into the art room to throw paint all over his clothes (after making sure they weren’t important, of course), and drawing rainbows all over him, and handing him drink after drink that tasted funny throughout this whole ordeal, Harper was on her way with a smile and a good luck for something. Had he told her something he wasn’t supposed to? He didn’t really care at the moment. On his way over to the Hall of Principals, he started to feel…weird? No, that wasn’t it. He couldn’t describe it, but the worries in his head had somehow left. He couldn’t wait to see Poppy. There was a smile on his face as he waved to everyone who looked at him. He took a look around and there she was, her hair held up in two buns with two rainbow ribbons. Her outfit made her look like an underdressed Goddess. She wore a plain white T with a unicorn on it and rainbow tutu to match. She wore glittery eyelashes and her regular contacts to match and had rainbows painted on her cheeks similar to his. She looked stunning in the moonlight and the faint yellow glow coming out of the buildings. He started walking over to her. 

Poppy looked around, feeling numb. Though she smiled and danced with whomever asked, she wasn’t really feeling the party anymore. The only person she wanted to be with right now wasn’t even here. She wished he was. Then they could dance and hug and sing together. That’s really all she wanted. His comforting presence, but he wasn’t here. Someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around with a smile plastered on her face, ready to accept another dance just to distract herself from her sadness. Her expression turned to surprise when she saw that it was none other than Branch. The smile on her face was so wide and genuine it hurt. “Branch!” She almost laughed at how cute he looked with his smile and carefree atmosphere. “You look great!” 

“I feel great,” he laughed. “You look amazing, by the way,” he said with a lopsided grin. 

Poppy looked down at herself. She felt like she had dressed too casual for the party but Branch had just complimented her so she was now 100 percent sure she looked great. “Thanks, you don’t look too bad yourself.” She touched his colors. “Is this actual paint?” 

He nodded. “I ran into Harper, she told me I was too underdressed and she touched me up a bit.” He took another sip of his drink. He was starting to like the taste a bit. 

Poppy let out a laugh. “I love that girl, she’s going to be handpicked to make the goodbye senior sculpture, don’t tell her I said that.” She laughed harder as Branch pretended to zip his lips shut. This was just so great, having him here. Why didn’t he come to parties more often, he seemed so relaxed? She could hear a song coming on in the distance. “Oh my gah! I love this song!” 

Branch laughed. “Gah?” 

Poppy shrugged with a smile. “I’m not religious.” She grabbed his hand and almost dragged him into a dance before she remembered. “Oh, wait! Do you want to dance?!” 

“With you?” She felt a flutter in her stomach as his eyes trailed over her. “Of course,” he said with the biggest smile she had ever seen on him. 

She almost swooned. She was just so glad he was here. She knew that that thought had been going on in her mind since she saw him, but she really was glad. She let out a small “Oh!” as he dragged her to where everyone was dancing. She felt kind of awkward for Branch since everyone was looking at him incredulously. She was sure she knew what was all on their minds. She stopped thinking about everyone when she saw him dancing and just started laughing. He was doing silly jumps and twirls and it took her awhile to realize that they weren’t improvised, but actual dance moves. Dance moves that seemed familiar.

He pulled her into his little dance during the chorus just as she started singing. Soon everyone had stopped just to watch and some even pulled out their phones to capture this once-in-a-blue-moon moment. Branch finally twirled her one last time as she sang the last verse. “…I want to break free!” She laughed as everyone cheered for her and Branch. This was just such a perfect moment! She didn’t know what to do other than smile. Actually, she really needed to do something before she fainted. “I’m thirsty,” she yelled over the cheering. “We should go get some punch!” 

“We really should, it’s great!” He held out his arm and she took it. 

They started talking and drinking their punch as the night dragged on. “You know, Branch,” she started. Here it was, she was going to pour her heart out right now. “I’m so glad you came. You never come to my parties and you have no idea how much it means to me that you came today.”

Branch watched her as she rambled on. Her pink hair was glowing and her eyes shone like beautiful pink stars and her lips looked very tempting at the moment.

“I really love spending time with you and, to be honest, I really didn’t think you were gonna come today because of who you are as a person, and I just might cry and I’m rambling, I know, but I just think you are such a wonderful person and I love you for that and even if you don’t care about me, I really care about you and I just really hope-”

“Poppy,” he said, staring into her eyes. 

“Yeah,” she asked before the unexpected happened. She didn’t really have time to process that his lips were on hers before she started kissing back. 

They were so deep in the kiss they didn’t notice anyone looking with shocked faces, nor did they notice when they stopped staring and started whispering amongst themselves, nor did they notice when others started joining in with their romances, nor did they notice people reluctantly handing money to eager people. 

Branch started lifting her up against the wall and Poppy complied by wrapping her legs and arms around him. They broke the kiss and Branch went for her neck, giving it nice little pecks before sucking hard on one part and then repeating the process. Poppy was letting out sharp breaths every time his lips connected with her skin, she was just totally in love with this. Only Branch could make her feel this way, partly because he was the only one she ever let touch her, and she could not care less about anything at the moment. She remembered his touches from the last time they did this on that one night and it made this moment all the more mesmerizing. Branch finally pulled away from her neck and she let out what she could only call a whimper. He placed a kiss on her lips to sooth her. “We should get out of here,” she said, breathily. 

He nodded in agreement. “My dorm?” 

“Your dorm,” she nodded. 

He set her down, grabbed her hand and they started running towards his dorm, laughing all the way.

Suki and Chenille were hiding behind one of the buildings when they both got a text from the Group Chat. If it was from the group chat, it had to be important. They broke the kiss with a sigh and checked their phones. Almost the entire group chat had sent them the same video of Poppy and Branch dancing to I Want To Break Free by Queen. “Branch is here?” They asked themselves in unison. “Oh my god, Branch is here,” Suki shrieked “Why is he here?!”

“I don’t know! He shouldn’t be here! He never comes to the parties! What the hell’s changed!” 

“It’s fine, it’ll be fine,” Suki assured. “She said she was gonna give Creek a chance, it’s going to be fine.” 

“She said ‘if Branch didn’t come’,” Chenille reminded. “And Branch came! Where is Creek!?” 

“He texted Guy that he was going home early for work.” 

“And he didn’t say anything about Poppy,” Chenille asked. Suki shook her head. “Oh, this is bad, this is bad.” Why was this bad, she had no clue, she just felt like it was. This whole ordeal wasn’t just for Poppy and they all knew it. They had come to love Creek these past months and had wanted to give him a real relationship with someone he deserved. Nothing like that witch Chelia. And that someone just happened to be Poppy. What if Branch ruined everything? 

“Ok, but what would Branch do with Poppy,” Suki asked, getting to the point. “Nothing! He doesn’t like her, we know this!” 

“This video doesn’t look like he doesn’t like her!” 

“Babe!” Suki yelled, grabbing her hands. “It’s going to be fine. She’s going to pick Creek who is ten times better than Branch.” She kissed her forehead. “I have to go and put on another song, you wait for me here, ok?” 

Chenille smiled at her. “Ok.”

Branch felt something very soft in front of his face and he seemed to be hugging something warm. He partially opened his eyes to see a beautiful pink in front of his face. He knew exactly what he was holding on to. He closed his eyes and buried his face deeper into the pink hair. “How do you make your hair so soft,” he mumbled, still tired.

He felt her chuckle. So she was awake. “I repeat in cold water,” she answered. He felt her shifting so he opened his eyes to see what she was going to do. She didn’t do anything but turn to him with a beautiful smile and a thick quilt that covered everything but her bare shoulders. “Hey,” she said with a smile. 

“Hey,” he said back, his own smile on his face. He snuggled in closer for a kiss. 

She gave it to him, feeling so relaxed. After the kiss was done, she laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, letting the sweet moment last. 

“Poppy,” Branch said her name, sounding serious. 

“Hm,” she hummed. 

“I need you to look at me so that I can say this.” She did so with a dreamy smile placed on her face. “I’m tired of pretending that I don’t have feelings for you and I’m tired of being sad and a grump and I’m tired of being alone all the time and pretending I don’t wait for you when you walk me home.” Poppy couldn’t stop the smile from growing wider as he spoke or her heart beating faster with every word he said. “I want to be happy. You, Poppy, you make me happy and I want to be with you-”

“Yes!” She yelled sitting up. “Yes, yes, yes! I will be your girlfriend!” 

Branch smiled before pulling her on top of him and giving her a sweet, slow kiss on the lips. Then he started giving her a bunch of small kisses all over her face. Her bare body against his was tempting, but he had other ideas. “We should go out for some hot-chocolate later.” 

Poppy nodded. “Hot chocolate sounds so great right now.” 

Branch let out a chuckle. “We can’t have it right now. I’m pretty sure I have to be at work. What time is it?” 

Poppy looked around for a clock and there was one on his nightstand. “It’s almost ten.” 

Branch sighed. “That means I have to go.”

“No,” Poppy whined, not getting off of him. 

“Don’t you have a class in an hour?” 

“I can skip it.” 

“Finals are in four weeks, Poppy. Don’t take your chances.”

“Ugh,” she groaned as she unceremoniously fell off of him and to his side. “Fine.” She sat up and looked around. “Do you have anything I can wear that I won’t freeze to death in?” 

Branch picked up a pair of boxers from the floor and put them on before heading to his closet. He had black sweats and Grey hoodie. “Hope you’re in the mood for wearing dull colors.” 

“Oh, Branch,” she groaned as she threw a stray shirt at his back. “Get some color in your closet!” 

He only laughed at her.

Poppy was waiting at the Coffee shop they usually go to at their compromised time of two in the afternoon. Finally, out of his clothes, she sported a cute dress with thick leggings and a fluffy jacket, each item of clothing a bright color and not dull . She was waiting and looking around for him, trying to catch the only hair that wasn’t colored. Red, flamingo, mango, rainbow, blue, black- Black! “Branch!” She called him over. And there he was, walking towards her with his usual black jacket and a smile on his face. Oh, he looked so cute when he smiled! When he stood a few feet away from her, he opened his mouth to speak. 

“Poppy!” They both snapped their heads to the source of the voice. Poppy was surprised when Creek brought her into a hug. “Sorry I’m late, love. My yoga class went on a little later than usual. We were trying a new move and I just had to get it before I left. I hope you can forgive me.” 

“Creek,” Poppy said, surprised. Creek. Oh! Oh, no. She plastered on a smile. “O-of course I forgive you.” For the past week she had met up with Creek at this coffee shop at 1:30. How could she forget that? And all those revelations from last night. How could she forget that ?

“Hey, hello, Poppy, still here.” It took all the courage she could muster to be able to look at Branch. His face was calm and relaxed but when she met his eyes, they were filled with fury. “Who’s this,” he asked, his voice higher than usual and a forced smile. 

She took a glance at Creek who seemed to be studying Branch. “Oh, uh. Creek,” she said with a chipper voice. Creek seemed to be the easier problem at the moment. “This is Branch,” she explained, gesturing to him. “Branch, this is, uh, Creek,” she introduced with a forced smile.

Poppy wasn’t liking the silence that was going on. When she glanced at both men, they were both glaring at each other. Branch looked like he wanted to punch Creek in the face while Creek looked like if he stared hard enough, maybe Branch would catch on fire. This was… not good.

“It’s nice to meet you, Branch,” Creek said in a voice that told Poppy he was not at all thrilled to meet him. Branch only grunted in reply. Creek turned to Poppy. “I’ll be waiting inside. Hot chocolate with vanilla, right?”

“Yup,” Poppy answered quickly as Creek headed inside. 

“Poppy?” 

“Branch?” She turned to him, but didn’t look him in the eye.

“Something you wanna tell me?”

“Not in particular.” 

He nodded. “Why is he here,” he seethed. He did not like that guy at all. 

Poppy was confused. She hadn’t really spoken of Creek to Branch, only the other way around. There wasn’t any reason for him to hate Creek. “Do you know him?” 

“Do I know him?! Poppy! I know he was the one you were frolicking around with all week!”

“You know about that,” she asked in a small voice. Did he have to yell? What was he even getting angry for?! Creek’s words from yesterday popped into her mind. ‘ When I would try to move on and talk to someone new, she would get so angry.’

Branch took a deep breath. He needed to calm down. This was not Poppy’s fault. “Look, Poppy.” He grabbed her hands. “Today is just supposed to be you and me. Can you please ask him to leave.”

Poppy snatched her hands away, new thoughts reeling in her mind. “We weren’t together .”

“What?” He was confused. They weren’t together? He saw them, though!

“ We weren’t together ,” Poppy repeated, harsher. “So you can’t get angry that I was trying to date someone who was actually interested in a relationship.” 

Ok, so that’s what she meant. But the way she was saying it felt off. “Are you ok?” 

“I’m fine,” She said, all peachy, but Branch was sure she wasn’t. “I just don’t like that you’re getting angry over this! You act like I’m not allowed to date!” ‘ He thinks that you’ll wait for him forever ’. “What?! Did you think I was gonna wait around for you forever?”

“What?!” Where was this all coming from?! “I never said that!”

“Why do you hate Creek? Is it because he was trying to date me? Is that why you don’t like him?”

She looked like she really wanted an answer. He sighed. “Yes. Ok?! I don’t like him because he tried to date you! Is it wrong to be a little jealous that my girlfriend was hanging out with another guy?!”

“We were not together,” She all but yelled. “We were not together then, Branch!”

“Well we are now! So can you please ask him fuck off?!” 

More of Creek’s words started swimming in her mind. ‘ You two had had moments after your confessions where it seemed all nice and amazing, but then he pulls the whole ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ excuse ’. “Are we gonna last, Branch?”

Ok, she was really freaking him out now. “Where the hell is all of this coming from?!”

“From everywhere, Branch! Now answer the question! Are we gonna last?!” 

“Yes!” He hoped this answer would calm her down. He honestly did believe they would last. He loved her!

Poppy did not like the answer. “Are you sure?! Are you 100 percent sure?!” She glared at him. “How long is it gonna be before I’m ‘too good’ for you?! How long until I ‘deserve someone better’!?” He seemed shocked to hear those questions. “I can’t go through that again, Branch.” She stopped yelling. “Every time it seemed like it might work, you always use those excuses. And it hurts. Can you promise me that that won’t happen? Can you?”

He wanted to say yes. He really did. But he didn’t know when another depressive episode would leave him feeling like he was the scum of the earth. Like he deserved nothing but the cold and lonely life he had created for himself. Like he didn’t deserve Poppy because she deserved someone better . He looked down at his feet. “...No.”

Poppy nodded. “I think it’s best you go. I’m done playing your mind games, Branch.” She turned around and walked into the shop without another word. 

Branch looked on after her. Mind games? What the hell just happened?! He tried looking back at the conversation. She got angry for no reason! Well, he did yell at her. He should’ve apologized for that! But that wasn’t why she got angry. She got angry because he didn’t like… Creek. What did he do to her?! What did he say to her?! Why was she thinking like this all of a sudden?! Did Poppy really like Creek that much? So much that she didn’t mind leaving him? 

He should’ve known it was too good to be true. For once it seemed like something might go right in his shitty life, but he should’ve known. 

He didn’t know how long he had been standing there. It felt like forever, but it was probably only a minute. He started to walk away from the cafe. He had class in five minutes, but he didn’t feel like going. He just felt like crawling into his bed, hiding under his covers, and never coming out again.

She was sure she had shocked Creek when she slumped down in front of him. “Sorry,” she genuinely apologized. 

Creek could see that her eyes were just a tiny bit red. “What’s wrong, Love?” 

Poppy really didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t help the tears that started welling up again. “Nothing,” she said, her voice cracking. 

“Poppy, did Branch do something to you?”

She shook her head. “I really don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Poppy, I was taught in the ways of Zen,” he reminded her. “And from my teachings, I know you should talk about how you feel. It’ll make you feel better.” 

Poppy nodded. Creek seemed to know what he was talking about. “I want you to know, first off, that I’m sorry for what you’re about to hear.” 

“I forgive you,” he said. 

“Please don’t forgive me before you’ve heard what I have to say,” she said, pained. 

“I forgive you for whatever you do, Poppy. It’s not your fault.”

She looked at him. “Do-do you know?” 

Creek looked away with a sheepish smile. “I sort of assumed seeing as he wanted to rip my head off when he saw me.” 

“B-but, do you know know ?” She didn’t want to say it out right just in case it might offend him. 

He gave a nod. “That you slept with him? Yes. I assumed , to be correct, but I’m not angry,” he assured. “I’m pretty sure you were under the influence since I saw that one colorful girl put something in the punch before I left.” He really wanted this relationship to work. He was sure Poppy was his safe haven from running back to Chelia. And he didn’t want that again. “It’s not your fault, Poppy. People like that do anything to keep you.”

Poppy let some tears fall. “Please don’t say that. I-I don’t-” She didn’t want to think of Branch like that. Even after standing up to him, she was starting to wonder if it was the right thing to do. She always thought this way. Why?! Why was standing up to Branch so nerve wrecking? Because he was like that. Because he made her feel like she was wrong for having feelings that weren’t admiration, didn’t he? She looked up at Creek. He was sweet, kind, and had never made her feel horrible in the week that she’s known him. He was nothing like Branch. She needed someone like that right now. “I’ll be your girlfriend,” she said in a voice so small she was sure he didn’t quite hear her.

“What,” he asked, confirming her suspicions.

“I’ll be your girlfriend,” she repeated, louder. “You were right. I think we could help heal each other.”

Creek smiled at her. She was finally coming around. He grabbed her hands. “I promise you won’t regret this, Poppy. I will treat you like the king that you are. I will-”

She didn’t doubt his words, but she wasn’t really paying attention to them. All she could think was how cold his hands felt compared to Branch’s fire.

Branch slammed the door to his room at the shop. He looked around it and sighed at literally everything. There were useless things that Poppy had gotten him over the years and the giant collage of them on one wall over his drawer. He dropped the bag in his hands on his bed and went over to his desk to find a pencil. Once he found one, he sat on his bed, pulled the notebook he had bought out of the bag, and started writing for hours and hours before he fell asleep, pencil in his hands.

Suki was woken up by the sun suddenly hitting her face. She groggily opened her eyes to see that her wonderful girlfriend had opened the curtains to her bedroom. She was about to ask how she had gotten into her flat when she remembered that she had given her a key should she ever want to come over unannounced. Suki sat up with a smile. “Hello there, beautiful, to what do I owe the pleasure.” 

Chenille laughed as she sat down at the edge of the bed. “It’s the day of the pride parade!” She cheered. 

Suki crawled over to Chenille and brought her into a hug. “Our first Pride Parade!” 

“And we’re going together,” they squealed in unison, hugging each other tighter. 

“I’m so happy you’re mine,” Suki said, giving her an eskimo kiss. 

“And I’m so happy you’re mine,” Chenille said, returning the kiss. “Ok, so it starts in an hour and I brought my makeup and face paint. Do you have the sweaters?” 

Suki nodded. “They’re in my closet ready to be put on.” 

Chenille squealed. “Let’s get this started!”

Branch woke up with a smile on his face. The day of the Pride Parade was today. For some reason, this crazy city had it in December instead of in the warmer days like most of America, but what did he expect? With Christmas coming up, he was sure it was a way of saying that even the LGBTQ could celebrate a holiday just as straights could. He really couldn’t care less about what day it was on, as long as he was able to go. 

He got out of his bed and headed to his closet. There it was, the only colorful thing he owned. His pride sweater. It was a beautiful, lavender sweater that had ‘PRIDE’ written on a rainbow. He hugged it to himself before looking at his closet. It really was the only colorful thing in his closet. He hadn’t talked to Poppy since that day, and every time he saw her she was doing some cutesy thing with Creek, but he couldn’t help but think that she was right. He really did need to get some color in his closet. He put a mental note in his mind to go shopping later. 

He took a glance at the sign he would be holding during the parade, just as he always did. ‘My dads didn’t deserve to go the way they did!’ He sighed, remembering the night he became an orphan. His dads never got justice, but he was going to make sure that everyone like them would. Before going to Valley High, Branch had been out and proud. But that unfortunate incident had left him without a lot of things. Like his confidence. He would never forget the day he accidentally came out to the Snack Pack.

He just wanted to read. He really did. He had gotten himself his own booth hoping other students would leave him alone. But Poppy had thought otherwise. She thought he had claimed a spot so that she and all her friends could sit with him. So here he was, trying to read, while Guy Diamond told another one of his fabulous stories. 

Guy always told stories of his normal day, always making it seem more dramatic than it was. He liked to be the center of attention, so as he recounted his day louder than necessary, Branch was sure it wasn’t just the Snack Pack listening in. And Guy liked to finish his stories with pizzazz! So, as the diamond he was, he had to sparkle. Which meant glitter. Guy would have a bottle of glitter near him and then throw it over himself. Everyone thought it was amazing and would even try to be near him to get some on themselves. Branch hated glitter.

But even though Branch wasn’t too fond of glitter, he was fond of Guy Diamond. Guy’s confidence and cocky attitude and sparkly persona reminded him so much of Arabesque. He really missed his friends sometimes. Smidge reminded him of Plum! She was confident, strong, and loved sports. Fuzzbert reminded him of Wim, always humming a nice tune. And surprisingly, Biggie reminded him of Rudy, always so kind and willing to help. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to answer their calls.

The moment glitter landed on his book, he saw red. He slammed the book shut, causing the Snack Pack to look at him with wide eyes. “That is it!” He stood up and headed straight to Guy and was glad when he cowered in fear. He poked him in the chest. “You need to stop throwing glitter around all the time! You think just because you’re so cute you can get away with it! Well you can’t! Do you know how hard it is to clean up glitter?! Do even think about the poor janitors that have to clean up your mess?! What’s wrong with you?!” Guy looked ashamed. Good. He should be more considerate about those around him. For a second, it seemed like Branch had won. But then Biggie spoke.

“Did you just call Guy cute?”

Branch’s face was on fire. The Snack Pack were all giving him questioning looks. 

“No, he didn’t,” Cooper laughed. Maybe Branch was in the clear. “He said he was sooo cute!” 

He was dead. His life was officially over. He turned away from Guy’s questioning gaze, grabbed his book, and ran. 

“Branch, wait!”

It was Poppy who had called after him that day, trying to reassure him that no one would judge him. She had pestered him for days, saying it was ok to be Gay. He yelled at her, “I’m bi! Not gay! There’s a difference!” A few days after that, a Bi Pride sticker was placed on his locker. Poppy didn't bug him that day.

He pushed that memory aside and started getting ready for the parade.

Suki walked out of the bus wearing a thick, bright pink sweater that said ‘My Soulmate!’ and had an arrow pointing left. Chenille walked out of the bus with a sky blue sweater that said ‘My Soulmate!’ and had an arrow pointing right. They wore matching rainbows on their cheeks and Suki had on red lipstick while Chenille had on blue. They both held on to a sign that said “We make purple!” 

“It’s colder than I thought it would be,” Suki said. 

“Worry not, my love, I brought us gloves and earmuffs.” She handed the hot pink ones to Suki and put the baby blue one’s on herself. They headed towards the way of the sound of cheers and held up their signs. It was the most fun experience they ever had. They would kiss every now and then, creating a cute lavender when their lipsticks merged. But not everything was so well and Suki left the parade feeling all sorts of anger. 

“I got your coffee,” Chenille said, a soft smile on her lips. She sat down and placed the coffee in front of Suki before taking a sip of her hot chocolate. 

“I can’t believe some people,” Suki muttered. “This was supposed to be a fun day for both of us and we ended up with our sweaters ruined. Sweaters that you handmade for this special day.” 

Chenille grabbed her hand. “Any day’s a special day with you.” 

Suki smothered her face in her other hand. “We’re so cheesy.” She looked a bit down as she said her next words. “We didn’t even get to see Biggie and Guy.” 

Chenille looked pained as she said, “Maybe we should just tell them.” 

“But it would be so much easier if they figured out,” Suki complained. “I’m scared of your sister.”

“Which is why we should tell them. If she finds out herself, she’ll be even more protective.” 

“I hate it when you’re right,” she said, leaning in for a kiss. Chenille cooperated. 

Suki hadn’t really been in the mood today at all, not after all the insults and stuff being thrown at her all through the Pride Parade. So when an idiot yelled, “That’s disgusting”, she stood up abruptly and yelled back, “Mind your damn business!” 

They guy walked over to her and said, “That’s a sin and you’re going to hell!”

Suki glared at him. Chenille saw this and tried to get in between the two. “Come on,” she said to the guy. “We’re not here to start trouble.” The guy pushed her out of the way. 

Suki wasn’t having it. “Chenille, hold my headphones!” She started taking them off until she saw something liquidy land all over the guy’s face. 

He looked completely shocked and so did the girls. They turned towards the direction it came from and it was none other than Branch, rainbows painted on his cheeks and a light purple sweater that said PRIDE. That was something neither Suki nor Chenille were prepared for. “You need to get your morals straight.” 

The guy glared. “You’re all going to hell!” 

Branch rolled his eyes. “We’ll see you there.” He put his arms around the girls and started walking away. “Are you guys ok?” 

Suki suddenly stopped. She looked so confused as to why he was helping them. “What was that?” 

It was Branch’s turn to look confused. “What are you talking about?” 

“Wha-You-ju- What?!” Suki yelled. “You just helped us!” 

“You have to admit,” Chenille said. “That’s a little out of our comfort zone and of the image we’ve put on you.” 

Branch glared at them. “Those were your expectations, not mine.” 

“And what is all of this?!” Suki yelled, gesturing to all of him, ignoring what he just said. 

“I was at Pride,” he explained as if it were obvious. 

“You’re out then,” Chenille asked, surprised. 

Branch nodded his head. “But I have other reasons for being in the parade too.” He looked around. “Do you guys want a ride home so you don’t get harassed again?” 

Suki was about to complain again but Chenille covered her mouth. “We would love that, yes.” 

As Suki went on and on in the back seat of the truck Chenille tried striking up a conversation with Branch. “So, how long have you been going to pride parades?” 

“Since I was eight.” 

“Eight!” Suki yelled before going on a rant about it, still listening in. 

Chenille’s eyes widened. “That young? Why? I was sure it wasn’t really your thing.” 

Branch took a glance at her. “Poppy hasn’t told you guys? I thought she would’ve by now. She’s terrible at keeping secrets.” He stopped at a red light. “If you wanna know, Suki is going to have to BE QUIET!” 

She stopped talking immediately and held up her hands in surrender. “Sorry, I’ll stop talking now.” She feigned zipping her lips closed. 

Branch was skeptical, but went on anyway. “So, for the first seven years of my life, I was raised by two men, my dad and my papa. I was spending the night at my grandma’s one night so that they could go on a date. They were beaten to death by a group of homophobes. The funeral was closed Casket.” He took a glance at the girls who looked like they were about to cry for him. He was about to cry himself but brushed it off. “But I’m over it.” He corrected himself. “I mean, I’m not over it cause you never really get over something like that, but I’ve learned to live with it.” 

That didn’t stop them from letting a few tears fall. They both brought him into a hug. “Driving! I’m driving,” he yelled, uncomfortable with their sudden act of affection. 

“We’re so sorry, Branch,” Chenille started. 

“We didn’t know,” Suki finished. 

Branch shrugged. “How could you? I’ve never told anyone of you guys.” 

“But you told Poppy,” Chenille reminded him. 

They watched as he shrugged again. He didn’t say anything else. After a few minutes of silent driving, he said, “You guys can put on some tunes if you want.” 

Chenille took a glance at Suki and she nodded. They started to sing. 

Don’t worry about a thing,

Cause every little thing 

Is gonna be alright!

Don’t you worry about a thing,

Cause every little thing

Is gonna be alright!

Woke up this morning,

Smiled at the rising sun, 

Three little birds perched at my doorstep,

Singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true,

Singing, this is my message to you~

Branch smiled at their singing, it was wonderful. “You guys sound great together.” 

They both gave him soft smiles and said, “Thank you.” 

“You know, I didn’t know you guys were dating.” 

“No one does,” Chenille said.

“We’re trying to come out, but we’re scared,” Suki explained. Neither of them had no clue why they were telling Branch any of this, but it was coming out anyway.

“They’re your friends, aren’t they? You shouldn’t be scared to tell them things.” 

“And you know this, how?” Suki asked. She didn’t mean to have it come out sounding rude. 

“Believe it or not, I had friends once.” He stopped the car and handed Chenille her GPS. “We’re here.” 

“Thank you so much for the ride, Branch,” Chenille said before getting out. 

“Yeah, we really appreciate it,” Suki said as she got out. The both waved bye before walking towards the stairs of the complex, hand in hand. Branch smiled. Suki was literally the only one in the Snack Pack other than Poppy that he could tolerate. He rolled down his window and yelled, “Suki!” He waited until she turned to him to finish his statement. “Glad you found the right girl!”

Suki blushed with a smile of her face as she waved bye to the departing truck. When it was out of sight, the smile turned small as she remembered that day.

Suki had just come out to everyone in the snack pack and everyone was just so happy for her she couldn’t help but smile. It almost dropped once she saw that Branch wasn’t even paying attention, too deep into his book. She didn’t know why he was even here, Poppy had just invited him to the table. It had been some weeks since the Guy incident so he seemed to be steering clear of Guy and staying close to Poppy. “Ahem,” she said to Poppy and gestured towards Branch. 

Poppy shoved Branch and he looked up, startled. “What, what?!” 

Poppy gestured to Suki with her eyes. “Suki just came out to us,” she said as if she were speaking to a child. 

It seemed like Branch didn’t mind since he only asked, “As what?” 

Suki, for some reason, was annoyed at the way he said it. “As lesbian, Branch,” She said, intensely. “I dig chicks.” 

Then he put on that stupid, infuriating smirk. “Well, I hope you find the right girl,” he said before going back to his book.

Looking back on that day, now that she thought about it, the smirk had not been a smirk, but a genuine small smile. He really did wish that for her and now she knew why. “Babe,” she said. 

“Hm.” 

“Poppy was right when she said we didn’t know him like she did.” 

Chenille nodded. “She was.”

Branch entered the shop with two bags of new clothes. He had bought many shirts within the shades of purple, some had shades of lighter blues, there were even some greens thrown in there. He had bought some white shirts with funny phrases on them and three ugly Christmas sweaters that he was going to wear on random days of this month. 

He looked around at the empty place full of flowers and he knew that the Green house in the back didn’t take up the entire backyard of this place. He was suddenly reminded that he loved dogs. He placed the bags on the checkout counter, locked the shop up, and searched up the closest Animal Shelter. 

Chapter Text

Biggie had made sure that it wasn’t just him who was bundled up before going to the dog park. So, here he was, with his dog, both bundled up in blue, thick jackets. Of course, Guy was here too, trying to get Mr. Dinkles to play fetch. Which was all for naught since Mr. Dinkles was growing old and never did much anymore but play with his squeaky toys at home. Biggie would take him to the dog park every now and then anyway because he loved his dog and he deserved everything. The pills weren’t working which is why he carried him all the time. He had Mr. Dinkles throughout his entire childhood, he didn’t know what he would do without him. Suddenly, there was a hand on his. He lifted his eyes to see Guy, smiling at him. “He’ll be fine,” Guy assured. 

“But how do you know that?” The reason Biggie only went to go get the same prescription for the past two months instead of going to the vet was because he was scared they would prescribe the impossible, that they would have to… His eyes watered at the thought of it. 

“I know because Mr. Dinkles has lived too long to give up now. He’ll be fine.” Guy gave Biggie a peck on the cheek. “And so will you.” 

Biggie wished that this could make him feel better, but it didn’t. He sighed and kept his eyes on the mist that came out. Mr. Dinkles was just sitting on the blanket, looking at everything around him. Biggie bent down to pet the poor dog. He could remember the first time he got him. Mr. Dinkles had been a Christmas present from his parents when he was ten and he had been such an enthusiastic dog and loved to be dressed up. Biggie swore it was like he knew what pose he had to do with pictures. 

A tear fell. He would have to take him to the vet today, he hoped he made it ‘til after Christmas. He just wanted one last Christmas with his dog.  

Bark! Bark! They both sat up, surprised at a small, white thing that ran to their feet. He watched as some sort of small dog started sniffing at Mr. Dinkles. “Shoo, shoo,” said Guy, waving his arms at it. The thing was, no doubt, cute, but was it safe? Guy didn’t know, so he picked up Mr. Dinkles and handed him to Biggie. Guy bent down to the dog. It had large ears and eyes, was completely white, and had on an aqua-green collar. “Hi there, little guy,” he said in a soothing voice. Guy moved to grab him and the dog let him. He looked at the name tag. “Sprite.” Guy gave a nod of appreciation; the dog did seem to glow. 

“Sprite!” Both Biggie and Guy turned to see someone they really didn’t want to see. 

Guy raised a brow as the person came closer. “Branch,” Guy said. 

“Guy Diamond,” Branch said back. “I see you’ve met Sprite.” 

Guy gave a nod. Branch seemed…different. He couldn’t quite place it, but Branch had a different atmosphere. He wasn’t glaring at them like he usually would, instead his voice was devoid of all emotion. He wasn’t wearing his usual dark blue or black, he had on lighter blues and even some purples. It was weird to see Branch so…normal. The dog started squirming and Guy let him down, watching as he ran to Branch’s feet. He kept on watching, eyes wide, and Branch got down on his knees and started smothering his dog, who seemed too happy with the attention. “What kind of dog is he?” Guy took a glance at Biggie, who was looking at the dog in curiosity. 

“ She is a Chihuahua, wiener mix,” Branch explained, a smile on his face as he snuggled his dog closer while he got up. “I got her just last week. Sort of an early Christmas present for myself.” 

Biggie had a big smile. “Can I pet her?” 

Branch brought Sprite closer to him. “Go ahead.” 

Biggie rubbed the top of the dog’s head and smiled even wider as she wagged her tail. “She’s so soft.” 

“I know, right. She’s an excellent cuddler.” Branch had frown. “For, like, an hour before she wakes you up and wants to play.” 

Biggie laughed. “Mr. Dinkles was like that when I first got him. Puppies are so enthusiastic.” 

Branch let out a chuckle. “Yeah, she’s a real hassle. How’s Mr. Dinkles?” Branch gave the Chihuahua a rub on the head. 

“Oh, he’s fine,” Biggie lied. 

“How are you able to keep her in the dorms?” 

Branch looked towards Guy. “Oh, I don’t live in the dorms anymore. I moved back into my place.” 

“You have your own place?” 

“Sort of.” 

Branch didn’t explain any further so Guy asked another question. “What made you get a dog?” This was so weird; it was usually Poppy getting Branch into the conversation. It was Poppy who knew him, it was Poppy who knew how to get under his skin, it was Poppy who knew exactly what to say to drag him out of his corner and into the conversation. But, since the day after the party, it seemed like she hated his guts. And none of them knew why. Branch seemed…happier...since that day, though. Maybe he was happy that he was finally rid of Poppy. 

Branch shrugged at the question. “It gets silent with no one’s around.” 

“I thought you liked silence.” 

“Though I like a little silence, it can come to a point where it’s a bit…overwhelming.” He didn’t explain any further as he wrapped a blanket around his dog. “Well, it was nice talking to you guys. Bye!” He said in a chipper voice before leaving. 

It made Guy a bit uncomfortable that Branch was able to act like that. With such sincerity and with a smile that was so genuine. It was almost as if Branch were…happy? He didn’t want to say happy, because, c’mon, this was Branch! But, he could admit that Branch looked a little less grumpy. 

“That was such a cute dog,” Biggie gushed once Branch was out earshot. “Don’t you think so, Guy” 

Guy smiled at him. “Yeah, it was.” He could also admit that too.

Poppy liked to think of herself as a strong woman. Ever since that day in high school, she never wanted to feel weak again. She never wanted to feel so powerless that she could be broken in a second. She begged her dad for defense classes and he let her. She always had a smile on her face whenever things got tough. She always made sure there was a way out of a problem. She had rebuilt her self confidence and felt like she was better than ever. She was a leader to her friends and everyone who met her. She was a King!

But when it came to Branch, no matter how much strength she tried to muster, she was weak. Branch had a power over her she couldn’t get rid of. She wasn’t as strong as Creek, who could forget about his abuser and move on and heal. She wanted Branch in her life, mind games and all. So here she was at the door to his dorm. She slipped in the key, turned the knob, and walked right in...

...Only to stop in her tracks. The dorm was, in a word, empty. Well, the bed was still there and so were the desk and other things, but there were no belongings. She went over to the drawer and opened it. Empty. She went over the closet and opened it, empty. She looked at the bed again, there was no bedding. She went over to the restroom. No toothbrush, no towels, no soap, nothing! This dorm was completely empty. 

For a second, she stood there, in the middle of the dorm, wondering if she entered the wrong door. She finally canceled out that thought since she specifically had a key for his dorm. That only left one explanation. 

Branch was gone. 

She took a seat on the bed and let silent tears fall. Oh, why did she come here!? This was a bad idea, a terrible idea, the most terrible idea in the history of terrible ideas. She shouldn’t be here, and, yet, here she was. Why?

Poppy opened the dorm door and peaked in with a smile. It was looking great! There were boxes and suitcases still unopened, but the bed and desk were looking great. She almost laughed at the thought of how it wouldn’t be so organized in the near future. This was college after all. 

Branch was at his closet, trying to hang some things up. She snuck over to him, but, before she could start to tickle him, he said, “Don’t even think about it.” 

Poppy sighed. “How do you do that?” 

“I have to be prepared if someone decides to rob me at some point in my life,” was his only reply before he turned to her. “So, why are you here and how did you get in here?” 

“Well, I came to see if you needed any help,” she answered, completely ignoring the second question.

She watched as he grabbed another box and opened it, revealing more clothes. “That’s sweet,” he said, sarcastically. “But how did you get in here?” 

Poppy held up her key. “I have a key to your dorm.” 

He did nothing but blink before sighing and walking over to the drawer. “I don’t know how I still tolerate you.” 

Poppy smiled brightly. “Is that your own way of saying we’re friends?” 

“Poppy, I’m not dealing with your shit today,” he said as he set the box down. He gestured towards some suitcases. “If you wanna help, you can start unpacking those.” 

Poppy rolled her eyes before going to the suitcases. Of course they were all black. He really needed to get some color in his li- Wait, is that purple? She unstacked the suitcases and lifted up the small thing. “Hey, Branch, what’s in this purple one?” 

Suddenly there was something thrown at her face. She shoved the thing off only to see Branch snatch the suitcase away from her hand and hugging it closely. “Not this one,” he yelled. Then he opened his closet and threw it in there before heading over to the drawer. 

Poppy thought his behavior rather odd, but, then again, she had caught other moments where he acted the same way so whatever was in that suitcase was something important. She could respect it’s privacy. She grabbed another suitcase and opened it. The first thing she saw was a white t-shirt that said “Das kannst du deiner Oma erzählen”. She looked to Branch and held up the shirt. “Do you even know what this says?” 

Branch glanced at her. “It says, ‘You can tell your Grandmother’.” 

“Oh, wissen sie,” Poppy said, impressed. 

“Du kannst Deutsch?”

“Ja, ja ich kann.” 

Branch nodded. “I respect that.” She smiled at his words. 

"I am fluent, ya know? Every summer, My mom would take me to see her side of the family. They didn't let me speak a single word of english while I was over there. Something about preserving our culture." Poppy laughed. "I really miss them."

"Why not go visit them?"

"I...don't know." Poppy shrugged. "I mean, I call sometimes and so do they. But..." She folded a shirt. "I haven't really gone over there since my mom died."

Branch had heard the story before. How Poppy had to take summer school in order to graduate junior high, so she wasn't on the plane that crashed heading to Germany. Just her mom. “I... think you should go see them. Someday. On your own. They love you, ya know. You shouldn't ignore them." Now if only he could take his own advice. It had been a whole year since he got any messages from his old friends. 

Poppy thought about it. "Yeah, I think I should. She looked to Branch, who looked somber now. "I'm sorry," she apologized. “This is supposed to be a great day, finally moving in to your dorm and all, and I just... I'm just being silly."

“It’s not silly, Poppy." She looked up at him, seeing his serious expression. "If you want to be sad, be sad with me. I won't judge you for it. Just come to me when you need to vent. I’ll always be there.”

But he wasn’t here. She took one more look at all the empty furniture before leaving.

She closed her car door shut. It was still a beautiful pink with all its glitter and poppy glory. That cheered her up a bit. Maybe him not being there had been a sign. She didn’t need Branch. And the universe had just told her so. Sure, she could go to the Flower Shop, but he hadn’t even told her he was moving back there. Because he didn’t need her either. They didn’t need each other. Good. She started her car and drove home.

It was a day before finals and to ease the stress, Guy, Satin, and Chenille were going around with sunglasses on and fake badges taped to their chests. They would stop someone who looked like they were running on nothing but coffee or energy drinks and point out everything that was wrong with them and then take them shopping and buy them the one cute outfit. They had to look really terrible, though. That’s why Chenille jumped with happiness when she saw that Branch looked like he got hit by a bus while eating sushi. 

“Branch!” She said with a jump. She linked arms with a confused Satin and ran over to him blaring the siren, a confused Guy following behind. 

Branch jumped with a yelp at the sound of a horn and frantically looked around and assumed a zenkutsu dachi towards it. He sighed when all he saw was Chenille looking completely amused with a confused Satin and Guy. He dropped his stance and got a good look at them. They had on sunglasses and sticker badges. “Ugh,” he groaned. “Fashion police. Go bug someone else,” he said, tiredly. “I’m clean.” 

Chenille let out a laugh. “That Christmas sweater is a hazard to itself. Now, come on.” She removed her arm from Satin and offered it to him. 

Branch almost laughed at Satin’s reaction to that but had a bigger task at hand. “I’m not going shopping. I hate going shopping. Getting this Christmas sweater was a spontaneous type dealio, so don’t push it.” 

Chenille waved off his answer and was about to reply when Satin stepped in. “You heard him Chenille, he doesn’t want to go.” 

Chenille waved her off as well and started picturing what Branch could wear. “Ok, so I’m thinking skinny jeans-”

“I’m thinking not,” he cut her off, pointing finger guns at her. He looked at his hands confused before slowly setting them down. 

“Oh, come on,” Chenille complained. “You’d go with Poppy,” she accused before she could stop herself. She stood frozen, fearing his reaction. 

But there was none. Branch only sighed and said, “Fine. But can we make this quick, I have to get home to my dog.” 

“You have a dog,” Chenille gushed. 

“Oh, yeah,” Guy said, finally getting into this…conversation. “How’s Sprite?” 

“She’s doing great, actually. She licks me awake before six a.m., but, yea, she’s good.” 

“You knew and you didn’t tell me,” Chenille said to Guy, hurt. 

Guy held up his hands in defense. “I didn’t know you and Branch were so chummy with each other.” 

“Uh, yeah, I didn’t know either,” Satin said, trying to look calm. 

Branch really didn’t like how Guy had said that at all. “Are we going shopping or not?” 

“Ooh, Branch, so eager,” Chenille teased. 

Branch glared at her. “I hate you.” 

Chenille, once again, waved off his remark. “You’ll love me once I get rid of that terrible outfit.”

Guy’s phone beeped just as he sat down. Chenille was quick to pick an outfit so Branch was now trying it on in the dressing room. He unlocked his phone and saw that it was Biggie. He opened the message. ‘Are you ok?’ He typed back a ‘Yes’ before putting his phone away. “I saw that.” He jumped at Satin’s voice. “C’mon, spill.” 

He sighed. “Well, the other day, my dad had called me, telling me he wanted to be in my life again.” 

“That dick!” Chenille cried. 

Guy chuckled. “Yeah. Well, we were supposed to meet up yesterday and I had brought Biggie along, cause, you know, he helps me calm down in nervous situations. I saw my dad and started waving at him to come over. I felt like a kid again when I saw him smile just because he saw me, it was, like, an amazing moment. Then he saw my hand intertwined with Biggie’s and he just…left.” 

The girls looked like they wanted to kill someone. What kind of monster does something like that? They both brought him into a hug just before Branch came out. 

Chenille looked him over and gave a nod. He wore black skinny jeans with a sky blue shirt and a leather jacket over it. “Perfect! Now to get some boots to match that.” 

“You said one outfit,” Branch complained. 

“Boots are part of this outfit,” Satin said, finally getting into it. Branch looked great, why didn’t he dress fashionably all the time? He’d be a lot easier to tolerate. 

Branch took a glance at Guy, who hadn’t said anything at all and was just scrolling through his phone. Branch looked at himself in the mirror before saying, “You know, Guy, if he can’t accept you for who you are, he’s not your dad, he’s just a sperm donor.” 

Despite himself, Guy started laughing. “Thanks, Branch.” He stood up and made a camera with his hands. “Ok, we need sunglasses and those boots Chenille was talking about.” 

Branch groaned.

The snack pack had been sitting on a café couch talking about nothing in particular when Poppy’s phone started ringing. She didn’t really care at the moment. Being with her friends was a good distraction from Branch. They were all talking and laughing and having a good old time! But, nevertheless, she answered it, she had been expecting a call. She jumped from Creek’s side in surprise as the person kept speaking. “Yes of course,” she said with a big smile. “Mmhm…Yes…Oh! Ok!...Yes, I can do that!...Thank you so much! I’ll come in early, I promise!” She squealed as she hung up the phone. 

“Love, what’s all this about,” Creek asked, voicing everyone’s thoughts.

Poppy looked at them with big smiles. “Ok, so, I realized that this is my last year in college. I don’t want to be let out in the real world without a single clue on what to do or have no experience doing anything but class work and partying. So I decided to get- Suki, give me a drum beat.” Suki unplugged her headphones and started to play a beat. Poppy waited until the beat was done to yell, “A job!” 

The snack pack started cheering and congratulating her. 

Poppy’s smile grew bigger. “So, there was this restaurant that was looking for a new waitress, and you all know how great I am with people, so I decided to apply. Unfortunately, I don’t have  experience for that, but there was also an opening for a dishwasher! The owner just called and said I got the job. Oh! I’m so flipping happy!”

Creek grabbed her hands with a smile and brought her down to embrace her. “I’m so happy for you.” He gave her a kiss on the forehead. “When are you starting?” 

“After this week. Oh! It’s gonna be so fun!” 

“Where the heck is Diamond and the twins, they should be here celebrating!” 

“They’re out arresting people,” Suki explained, terribly, as she typed away on her laptop, her headphones plugged in again.

Creek looked like he wanted to laugh. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” 

“Ok,” Smidge started. “So they go around with fake badges-” Fuzzbert made some signs. “Yes, and sunglasses. And they go up to people who look like the week has done them no good.” 

“And then they drag them to the nearest mall and make them try out a bunch of outfits before they settle on one they like,” Cooper finished. 

“It’s a big deal at UT for everyone to be happy,” Biggie said. “Everyone deserves to be happy.” 

“No troll left behind,” Poppy said with a grin.

DING! Suki was the first to check. “Oh, they sent a pic to the group chat.” 

Poppy smiled as she took out her phone. “Probably their latest victim.” She opened the group chat and almost dropped her phone. It couldn’t be. 

Suki couldn’t help but go into a fit of giggles. There was Branch in an outfit that was so not his style, even though it worked for him, leaning against a wall as if he were some greaser. “Ok, ok, I’m calling them.” She put her headphones on as skype started ringing. “How did you do it,” she asked once Chenille opened the call. Chenille’s face had a huge grin as she made an answer that no one else could hear. Suddenly Branch came into the view, saying something that no one could hear. “No way, dude, you’re on your own.” Branch feigned being hurt which made Suki giggle. 

“Branch, how’s Sprite,” Biggie asked. 

He looked like he was about to answer but Suki held up a finger as she unplugged her headphones from the computer. “Ok, go.” 

“She’s doing fine,” Branch started. “I have to get home to her is the problem and these three have me trapped here against my will.” 

“You came willingly,” they all heard Chenille yell. 

“Who’s Sprite,” Cooper whispered to Smidge. She only shrugged. 

“Let him get home to his puppy,” Biggie whined. 

“You have a puppy and I didn’t know,” Suki accused.

Poppy looked at the two who were talking to Branch as if it were a normal occurrence. It was unnerving seeing her friends, who had told her to leave him be for years, talking to him as if they were best buds. Since when did they become friends? And why had it been after they cut each other off? What the hell was going on here? Should she speak to him? Should she not? Creek was with her! She really shouldn’t. But, again, she wasn’t strong enough. 

She tapped Suki on the shoulder and motioned for her to scoot over. Suki did so, confusion written all over her face. Poppy almost had a breakdown when she saw him and, by the look on his face, so did he. “Hi,” she said, her voice an octave higher. They hadn’t seen each other in three weeks and she wondered why the heck she thought she could talk to him at the moment. She tried to say something. “So, you have a dog.” He just stood there, looking completely uncomfortable. 

He finally said something. “Yeah.” 

There was an internal sigh of relief. Ok, he was talking. She could work with this. “When?” Oh my gah, why did she sound like a nervous mouse?! 

“Two weeks ago,” was his reply. 

He didn’t say anything else, so it had to be her to carry on the conversation. “Is it cute?” 

He gave a short nod. “She’s adorable.” There was a small smile on his face. “She’s still a puppy, though, so I don’t really let her near the greenhouse.” 

Poppy put on the best smirk she could muster at the moment. “I bet you baby talk to it in Spanish.” 

“I do not,” he said, turning bright red.

Poppy couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing and what hurt most about it was that she could feel herself about to cry. It had only been three weeks but it felt like years to her. She gave Branch a hasty bye before telling everyone she needed to use the restroom. 

The tears fell the second she entered the restroom. She missed him, she missed him so much. But she chose Creek. She wasn’t in the wrong here, was she? Of course not! She had given him many chances! It wasn’t her fault Creek had enlightened her. This was all Branch’s fault! If he had just said yes to her two years ago, none of this would have happened! He was the one in the wrong here! Then why did she feel so terrible? 

She dried her tears, practiced a smile, and finally left the bathroom. Only to meet Creek’s worried gaze. “Are you ok,” he asked.

He watched as she forced a smile at the question. “Of course I'm fine, how could I not be!” 

“You were crying,” he pointed out. Did she honestly miss him that much?

“It's nothing,” she tried walking past him.

“Poppy, love,” he grabbed her shoulder and turned her towards him. “I know you still care about him, but do you honestly think he still cares about you?” 

She looked at him, her eyes glossing. “What?”

“Do you think Branch still cares about you?”

“W-well, I-I mean, we've been friends for years-”

“But that's you,” he pointed out. “You believed that you were friends. What did he think? You told me at the cafe all those weeks ago that he would act like he didn’t want anything to do with you. That he would crush all those beautiful invitations you made for him. That he treated you like crap. And, after all these weeks, he hasn't tried to contact you at all. You didn't even know he had a dog. Do you really think he still cares about you? That he ever did?” 

She was looking at him in astonishment. Did Branch ever care about her? He had to have cared for her, he bought her that guitar… to make up for the one he destroyed. He had taken her to ice cream shops all those times… after making her cry. There were those times he had taken those selfies with her… only after insulting her. They still had that one night… that he went out of his way to make sure it never happened again… And he moved out of dorms, not even telling her. Did he ever care about her? She started crying again. 

Creek grabbed her hand. He didn't want to do this, but he had to. This shouldn’t be how they started their new beginning. He couldn't have her running off to Branch, he needed her. He smiled at her when she looked at him. “How about we go and get some ice cream? I’m sure your friends won’t mind.”

Poppy nodded. Ice cream sounded good right now.

Branch made it home ok and was greeted with a small, white fluff of happiness jumping at his feet. He bent down and started smothering her. “Como estas mi pequeña?! Me extrañaste?” He started covering her face with kisses as she tried to lick him. He stopped once he realized that, yes, he did baby talk to her in Spanish. It wasn’t his fault his dad taught him Spanish! Dammit, Poppy!

Poppy. 

He went to go grab a squeaky toy before heading outside with Sprite. As he played with her, he thought of Poppy. She looked pale when she saw him. Not the kind when you're unhealthy, but the kind where it looked as if you had seen a ghost. To be honest, he wasn’t so good himself when her face entered the camera. He felt like dropping the phone and running so far away where no one would find him. He hated how Poppy made him feel that way just by showing her stupid, beautiful face. “Ugh!” He threw the toy in frustration and was thankful that Sprite only thought he was playing. He sat down at the grass and just watched as she played by herself. 

To be honest with himself, he was only trying to be happy now that Poppy wasn’t there to do it for him. Maybe if she noticed he was becoming a happier person, she would change her mind. About what, he didn’t know. Somehow she had come to the conclusion that he was messing with her. He wasn’t! There were times when she made him so happy nothing else in the world mattered! But then those times ended when a wave of paranoia hit, or depression caught up with him, and he knew Poppy would destroy herself trying to save him. And that wasn’t something she deserved. 

Something was shoved in his hand and he smiled as he took the toy that Sprite brought him. He threw it and smiled wider as she chased after it. Right now, this adorable, sweet thing was the only girl that should be on his mind.

Finals week was over! Everyone was hyped to see what kind of party Poppy would be throwing to celebrate. Last year had been a huge Christmas party with candy canes and Santa hats everywhere and all the doors had been decorated with Christmas decorations. The freshmen were excited to see what their first time would be like. 

But two days went by and there were no invitations to see. 

Harper looked at all the confused people who were calling Poppy. She had tried calling her herself but the girl hadn’t answered. Was there not gonna be a party this year? Harper herself wasn’t that great at planning parties, but she wasn’t about to let the new freshman miss out on the awesomeness. She would be a senior next year and Poppy would be gone. She would have to start taking up the responsibility. She unlocked her cell phone and dialed up a number. There wasn’t not going to be a party. Not on her watch.

She closed the dishwasher as her phone started ringing again. “Ugh!” People had been calling her all day for some unfathomable reason and she was getting sick of it. She grabbed her phone, took out the battery and shoved the thing in her purse. That should do it. She had no time to answer phone calls when she had plates and pots to clean. Especially since her coworker had yet to show up. She wasn’t mad, though. She had cleaned tougher things after a party. She started washing the pots that hadn’t fit in the dishwasher. She almost jumped when a big girl started helping her. Not big as in tall, but big in a sense where others would say thick. Thick arms, thick thighs, even thick, short, purple hair. She even had a big butt and belly. She was just big in general. And beautiful. Her makeup was perfect, eyeliner on point, her lipstick looked like it didn’t smear, and her cheeks had a beautiful red glow. She could go get her eyebrows done though, she was starting to grow a unibrow. Poppy shoved the thoughts aside and introduced herself. “Hello,” she said to the girl, holding out her hand. 

The girl looked completely confused before looking around and then back at Poppy. “Y-you’re talking to me,” she asked, pointing at herself. 

Poppy let out a giggle. “Duh! I’m Poppy.” She moved her hand closer and the girl took it with a hesitant smile. 

“I’m Bridget.” 

“Well, Bridget, I’m glad you’re here. I thought I was gonna have to do this all by myself!” 

She laughed. “You probably would’ve if I hadn’t answered my phone! The girl that was supposed to be here called in sick. But between you and me,” she looked around to see if any of the chefs were listening. They weren’t. She turned back to Poppy. “She’s probably out with her boyfriend.”

Poppy’s brows furrowed. “That’s not very ethical.”

Bridget shrugged. “I cover for her anyway. I like being here.” 

“It does smell good here! I love restaurants.” Poppy dried the pot she had finished and set it down. 

Not even a second later, it was snatched up by one of the chefs Poppy knew as Todd. “Thanks for coming in, Bridget! Didn’t want the new girl to be swamped.”

“I-it’s no problem, Todd,” Bridget sent him what Poppy was sure was a smile. Todd smiled back before going to cook.

Poppy watched as Bridget let out a sigh of relief. “You, good, Bridget?”

Bridget shook her head. “I’m not used to the people here knowing my name.”

Poppy was very confused. “They’re your coworkers. Shouldn’t they know your name?”

She shrugged. “They didn’t always used to. On my first day, the old chef said my name wrong and so that’s what everyone called me for the past two years. I was too shy to correct them.”

“They seem to know your name now.”

Bridget nodded. “The boss, his name's Gristle, and he’s the most amazing person in the universe and his back is so good to look at-” Bridget stopped talking when she saw Poppy’s smirking face. “A-anyway! He was giving out checks since the old chef had just gotten fired and she usually gave out the checks. He called me over for my check. Everyone was so confused. I even heard someone ask if a Bridget actually worked here. When I went over to grab my check, everyone was so surprised. They’ve been apologizing ever since.”

“How long ago was this?” 

“Almost two months ago.”

Poppy couldn’t even imagine not knowing any of her coworkers' names. She knew all the names of her college class, what was ten more. But Bridget had been called the wrong name for two years. “Thank goodness that chef got fired.”

Bridget nodded rapidly as she placed a pan down, it being snatched the moment she did. “Chef Chelia was horrible. She was rude to everyone even when they were doing their job perfectly fine. She would even yell at customers who didn’t like her food. And it was so gross when she would try to flirt with Gristle.” Bridget especially hated that. “She already had a boyfriend! I’m glad she’s gone. Bergen Cuisine has been a happier place since.”

Poppy nodded. After a few more conversation topics, she and Bridget fell into a comfortable silence. Well, as comfortable as Poppy could get. Chelia. That was the name of her bully back in highschool. The girl who would call her names everyday. The girl who would spread horrible rumors. The girl who always pushed her around. The girl who- who- 

Poppy had to resist the urge to put a hand on her hair. It was best not to think about her. Two horrible people having the same name? It was just a coincidence. It had to be.

Everyone was surprised to see Harper handing out the invitations instead of the usual Pink, overly joyous item that was Poppy. The invitations looked new as well. They weren’t their usual, overly glittered invitation in a yellow envelope. They all looked like all kinds of colored paint was thrown at it. And every invitation had a small little doodle of a troll doll and said ‘YOU’RE INVITED’ in some sort of watered down ink. Many of the artists in UT had recognized it as ink painting and loved their invitation. Others had thought that this was something so unlike Poppy, but they were excited that, yes, there was going to be a party. 

The snack pack looked at the invitations that were handed to them. “What is this?” Suki asked. 

Harper smiled brightly. “It’s an invitation for the party tomorrow.” 

Cooper looked confused. “Poppy didn’t tell us she was throwing a party.” 

Harper nodded. “Yes, that’s because Poppy isn’t the one throwing the party. I am!” 

Guy looked at her like she was crazy. “Are you serious?”

Harper nodded again. “Yeah, everyone was going crazy wondering if Poppy was going to throw a party or not. Too much time passed, so I decided to just throw it myself. Can’t have you freshman,” she patted Smidge’s head, “missing out on the biggest, loudest, craziest party ever.” Harper saw a flash of burgundy. “Oh! Samantha!” She turned to them with a smile. “Hope you guys come!” She then ran after Samantha. 

They all looked at each other. “You know, I found it pretty odd that she hadn’t thrown a party yet,” Smidge said.

“Me too,” the twins said in sync. 

“You think something’s wrong,” Biggie asked. 

Fuzzbert made some signs. “She’s been busy with her new job,” Smidge translated. “She started today, didn’t she?” 

Everyone nodded in agreement before looking at the extra invitation in Suki’s hand. “This is probably Poppy’s,” she said. 

“We’ll give it to her later,” Satin said. 

“Right now we have to practice for our gig.”

They had remodeled the grocery store. Someone had to be kidding him?! Why would they do such a thing?! He knew where everything was and how much it cost! He was going to have to relearn everything! Branch let out a groan, but, nonetheless, started his shopping. He went towards the end of the store, starting with the Frozen Food aisle. Walking through it, he scanned every item and it’s price. He didn’t need anything from this aisle, but it was better to learn the aisles sooner rather than later. 

He was almost done getting everything on his list when he ran into him . Branch tried to avoid him, he really did. He knew what would happen if he interacted with him. But they had locked eyes and as Branch tried to turn away, that infuriating hippie ran in front of him.

“I would like to thank you,” Creek said with a smile.

Branch felt like punching him in the face the second he saw him. In fact, he had that feeling every time he saw him with Poppy these past weeks, but it’s not like he had a right to act on them. “What are you talking about?” 

“For letting Poppy go,” Creek explained. “She’s the happiest she has been since she left you.”

“What would you know,” Branch growled. He didn’t need this stupid idiot telling him everything he didn’t want to hear.

“I know a lot actually. Poppy’s aura is this vibrant yellow! She is this ray of positivity, always smiling, and always ready to help. Looking at you, your aura is the grayest thing I have ever seen. And people like you only drag people like her down. So, thank you for letting her leave while she had the chance. She’s happy with me.”

Branch’s glare intensified. “Glad to know.” 

“I also hold no grudge against you!”

“How thoughtful.”

“It is, of course, against my ways.”

“Your ways?”

Creek gave a nod. “The ways of Zen. It teaches you to truly be happy and at peace. Something you need to learn from what I’ve heard.” 

Branch seemed to have a lot of questions. “From what you’ve heard?”

“Poppy told me a lot about how your relationship was.”

Branch’s eyes widened. Poppy had told him about them? What exactly did she say? Did she tell him everything? That seemed plausible. She was terrible at keeping secrets.

“I was under the impression it was a messy relationship that was ready to blow up from the start.” Creek glared at him. He may not have power when it came to her , but other people’s abusers were something he could take care of. “So thank you for ending it before you could ruin her. Namaste.” With those words, he walked away. 

Branch stood there for a second, letting Creek’s words sink in. Someone like him would drag her down. Someone like him could ruin her. Things he had always believed. And now he knew they were true. As if on autopilot, he pushed his cart forward. There were still items on his list.

Poppy slumped down on her couch, exhausted. Who knew being a dishwasher was so exhausting? Her phone started ringing. Ugh! Why had she put the battery back in?! She looked at the name on the screen. She sighed before answering it. “Sup, Suki. How’s life?” 

“Ok,” Suki said through the phone. “That is not your usual greeting, someone’s tired.” 

“Ugh! It was so exhausting! Why did I think this was a good idea?!” 

“You don’t like your job,” Suki asked. 

“I love it!” Poppy cheered. “I actually made a new friend! Her name is Bridget and she is such a sweetheart! I love her! I’m so flipping tired though! I don’t wanna do anything for, like, a month.” 

Suki let out a laugh. “That’s basically what it feels like to have a job.” Suki fingered the invitation in her hand. “Hey, listen. Harper is throwing the Finals party before winter break tomorrow and I have your invitation. Are you gonna come?” 

Poppy shook her head. “No, I have work tomor- Party?!” Poppy was wide awake now. “Oh my gah, I forgot all about the party!” She started pacing. “I’ll have to start making the invitations tonight! Oh my gah, what planner would even be awake at this moment?! I can’t buy paper Santa hats at this h- Wait, did you say Harper?” 

Suki chuckled. “Yeah, she was worried about the new Freshman not getting the experience so she threw the party instead.”

Poppy sighed in relief as she plopped back on the couch. “I love that girl.” She yawned. “Look, Suki, I think I’m gonna go to sleep.”

Suki looked surprised. “It’s only eight!” 

“I’m so tired,” Poppy complained. “I’m going to sleep, Suki. I’ll probably see you tomorrow.” 

“Ok,” Suki said, disappointed. “Later, Poppy.” 

“Laters,” Poppy said before hanging up. She sent her usual goodnight text to Creek before falling asleep on her couch.

It was time to move on from Poppy, Branch concluded. These past few weeks of pretending to be happy were futile. It didn’t seem like Poppy had any intention of talking to him, and he didn’t want to talk to her if it meant she would be uncomfortable. She hadn’t even given him an invitation to tonight’s party. She had clearly moved on already, and what Creek had said yesterday confirmed she was happier now. He had to move on too now. No more surprise sleepovers at the shop, no more scented hand sanitizers as a gift, no more colorful invitations that shot glitter, and worst of all, no more Poppy. A life without Poppy was going to be a bland one. But it was a life he was going to have to get used to.

He was watering some flowers when the bell to the door dinged. Sprite was quick to run over and greet the customer. He had to do a double take on the woman who had just entered. She had long, black hair that reached to her thighs and the highlights that were all kinds of greens, some even to the point of teal. And her eyes were a beautiful shade of purple. And from the shape of them, it seemed she was part asian. But what caught his eye most was what she had on her face. There was some sort of purple gem on her forehead and she had two piercings on each ear and a bull piercing on her nose and eyeliner with wings that could cut glass. She held a sophisticated aura around her as she waited in one spot, looking like some sort of angel holding his puppy. She was…intriguing. She looked around before she spotted him and then she smiled. Branch tried not to stare. “Um…” He started but couldn’t get anything through. 

“Hello,” she said as she walked over to him. She let Sprite down before she spoke. “I am Cybil Green, and I am here to greet you.” She pulled out a card. “Also, to give you this. Our studio just opened up two blocks from here and we’re inviting our business neighbors to come. We teach the ways of Zen and how to truly find peace.”

Branch was surprised. “You really know the ways of Zen. That’s impressive! I know someone who pretends to know it, but it’s amazing to meet someone who actually does.” Branch couldn’t help but think of his run in with Creek yesterday. 

“What do you mean ‘pretend’? Does he spout about happiness like a hippy?” Branch gave a nod, noticing that she liked to move her hands while she talked. Cybil sighed before giving a laugh. “Amateur. I deal with people like that all the time. He’s just trying to be likable. Trying to impress. But the ways of Zen are not to impress, they are to help those who are lost and need guidance.” 

Branch gave a half smile. “I don’t know, I’m pretty impressed with how you make it sound.” 

She let out a giggle. “If you find it so impressive, you should come to our classes. I’m feeling vibes of,” she gestured to all of him, “negativity all over you.” 

Branch nodded. “I get that a lot. I’m not a very happy person.” 

She nodded. “I sense a great sadness in you, greater than I could ever truly feel myself.”

He gave her a smirk. “Ya don’t say.”

Cybil guffawed. “You’re funny, I like you. Sarcasm is hilarious when you use it the right way. What did you say your name was again?” 

He held out his hand. “Branch, I’m Branch Heart.” 

 She took it. “Branch Heart,” she tried it on her tongue. “What a beautiful name! If you choose to come, you’ll definitely be welcomed in our studio.” 

Branch tilted his head. She had said that a lot. “Whatta ya mean ‘our’?” 

“My dad and I,” she explained. “I will inherit the studio one day, so I’m going to have to be taking business classes at UT. Have you heard of it? I just love that school. I hear it’s one of the happiest places on earth due to the current principal.” 

Branch nodded. “Yeah, not only have I heard of it, I go there myself.” 

She smiled brightly. “You go to UT? You have to tell me all about it.” 

Branch shook his head. “Just even thinking about what goes on there gives me a headache. You’ll find out when you get there. Be prepared to be invited to every party.” 

“People there throw a lot of parties?” 

Branch shook his head. “Nope, only one.” His shoulders sagged. He really shouldn’t be thinking about her. She was happy with Creek. She didn’t need him.

Cybil watched him. His negativity was growing by the second. “How about tonight I give you a free lesson?” 

Branch snapped out of his thoughts. “Isn’t that bad for business?” 

She waved it off. “Not a huge lesson. Just on how to clear your mind. You look like you need it.”

Branch wasn’t really sure. Clear his thoughts? They were the only thing at the moment that made him feel less lonely. But, then again, they were always thoughts on how alone he was. He slowly nodded. “Ok, it couldn’t hurt.” 

She smiled. “Meet me by the lake tonight before eight. I’ve been here long enough to know where the good vibes are,” she said with a smile and a wink. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Branch. I’ll see you tonight.” She bent down and patted Sprite on the head. “Namaste,” she called from the door. And with that, she was off. He looked down at the card in his hands. There was the address and two numbers. One went by the name of Deaglan and the other belonged to Cybil. He felt a familiar tingling sensation in his stomach. Maybe he’d gladly welcome this one. 

He bent down to pet Sprite who had been jumping on his feet. “Yeah, girl, I know. I know.”

Driving passed the party he hadn’t been invited to had to be the only real problem when going to meet Cybil by the lake. It was hard to believe that she hadn’t invited him, she knew where to find him. But, of course, it didn’t matter now. He sped up, trying to get away from the school as fast as possible.

He met Cybil at the lake somewhere around 7:50. The lake was very beautiful, though a bit messy with all the fallen branches of the trees and some litter. He loved how the lights of the town reflected off of its surface, though, and that no one else was here. 

Despite it being freezing cold, Cybil only wore a long sleeved shirt and an ankle long skirt. She grabbed his hand and brought him down to the grass. She crossed her legs in some sort of position and placed her hands on her knees. “Cross your legs please. And close your eyes.” Branch did so. He tried to cross his legs like she did, but he couldn’t so he settled for crisscross form instead. “Breath.” Was all she said before it started getting quiet. He did his best to clear his mind like many movies said to, but he was having trouble doing so. There were just so many thoughts in his mind that wouldn’t go away. He tried suppressing them, but they kept coming back up. “If you have a thought,” Cybil’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Or many thoughts, let them flow. Let the thoughts come and go. They’ll stop coming themselves soon enough. Don’t try to stop them.” 

Branch did so. He let all the thoughts he had been trying to suppress through. Memories started coming, all sorts of memories. Memories of his dads, memories of his old friends from his old elementary school, memories of all the songs he would sing for his dads, memories of all those crying faces at their funeral, memories of the new friends he made at his new school, memories of singing for his grandma, memories of singing for other people, memories of entering junior high with his friends, memories of having to say bye to some because of school zones, memories of entering high school with confidence and a smile, memories of entering his first acapella group as a freshman, memories of all the competitions they did, memories of meeting her , memories of that call that came, the call that told him he didn’t have a grandmother anymore. All those thoughts and memories he had buried down for six years were finally coming out and now more were coming. 

Memories of pushing everyone away, memories of telling himself he would never sing again, memories of having to stay with his Grandma’s best friend ‘til college, memories of starting at Valley High, memories of meeting the snack pack, memories of Poppy always trying to talk to him, memories of strained conversations with her friends, memories of her always reaching out to him, memories of her telling him things she hadn’t even told her friends, memories of trips to the salon so that she could dye her hair again, memories of her always smiling at his attempts to get her to leave him alone, memories of Poppy holding out gifts to him on all special occasion with that beautiful smile of hers, memories of being part of the special moments in the Snack Pack even if he didn’t want to be, memories of Poppy bringing over Mr. Dinkles whenever she took care of him because she knew he loved dogs, memories of all the poems he ever wrote for her, memories of graduation, memories of moving into the dorms, memories of all those invitations being given to him with that beautiful smile, memories of spending hours a day writing poem after poem, memories of all the hugs he tried to avoid, memories of that one night

He had no idea what happened, but, all of sudden, his mind was empty. It wasn’t completely empty, though. Thoughts were still there. They were just calmer and quieter, flowing through his mind like a river in spring and he couldn’t believe how great it felt. 

“Open your eyes,” Cybil’s words broke through his mind. 

He opened his eyes to see Christmas lights light up trees one by one with all their brilliant colors. Though his eyes were filled with tears, it was such a beautiful sight to see. He followed the lights ‘til the very last one and stared at the lake for a few minutes, admiring how it glowed like a pool of neon. He wiped away his tears before turning to Cybil. She was still in her position, her eyes closed. “Thank you,” he said. He watched with a smile as the tips of her lips curved up. 

Chapter Text

She was handing him an invitation. It was a lot less giterry, a lot less colorful, and a lot more sophisticated. It didn’t look like something Poppy had made. He looked Cybil in the eye. “What is this?” He had known Cybil for two weeks already. Christmas had come and gone and, even though all he got was a healing stone necklace from Cybil, it was a great Christmas for Sprite. Branch made sure to get her everything. Cute outfits that matched her fur, all the chew toys she could want, her favorite kind of food. Sprite was no longer his dog, she was his daughter and he treated her as such. So, as Cybil started talking, he bent down and picked up the dear, who had been scratching at his legs to pick him up. 

“It’s an invitation, silly. To the New Year’s party! Apparently, you’re accepted as a member of troll society if you tell enough people you’ll be going there next semester.” Cybil flipped the invitation open. “This girl with the most beautiful skin gave it to me and said welcome to the family. I felt so touched.”

Branch nodded. “That was probably Harper.” He watched as a customer came in and headed towards the roses.

“Yes! That was her name! So, I was hoping you could come with me.”

He looked at her, startled. “Ok, Cybil. I get that we’re friends and that you’re my teacher, but I refuse to go to a party with you. I don’t do parties.” 

Cybil rolled her eyes with a smile. “I know you don’t do parties, silly. That’s why you’re going. It will help channel out that negativity. I can’t be your only friend, Branch.”

“What happened to quality over quantity?” 

“…Ok, so maybe I want to make some friends as well, that’s not a bad thing! And it will help you. You need more than me to heal.” She took Sprite from him and started smothering her. She was so soft.

“I have friends, Cybil,” he said as he went behind the checkout counter. She followed him.

“That one gorgeous couple that called you during Christmas does not count. You need to get out and interact with people, put your chakras in line.” 

 Branch wondered if she was talking about Suki and Chenille or Guy and Biggie. “My Chakras are perfectly fine, thank you.” 

Cybil let out an unladylike snort. “Yeah, maybe your root chakra, but everything else sucks! C’mon, Branch. Come with me! I promise you, you’ll have fun.” 

“I don’t like parties, sorry.” He scanned the bouquet of roses before handing them. “24.80.” The customer handed the money and Branch handed him the change. “Have a nice day,” he said to the leaving customer. 

Cybil looked at him. “Maybe the reason you don’t like parties is because it’s been so long since you’ve had someone to go with.” 

Branch turned to her so quickly, he almost got whiplash. How could she possibly know this?! Sure, if he had gone to a party with Poppy, she would hang with him for a bit. But only a bit. An extrovert like Poppy liked being around people, not just one person. Yet another reason to add to the list of reasons he and Poppy wouldn’t have worked. 

“Well, now you have me! And we could take Sprite, too. There’s no rule against bringing a dog to the party.”

He took a good look at her. “If I say yes, will you leave me alone on this?” 

“Yes. And you know how I stick to my word.” 

He sighed. “Fine, I’ll go. I won’t talk to anyone, though.” 

Cybil smirked. That’s what he thought. “I’ll be here around ten so that we can go and head to the party.” She gave Sprite a kiss before setting her down. “Be ready, ok,” she said, running out of the shop. 

Branch watched her go with a small smile. She was a great teacher, she knew what she was talking about, and she was a beautiful distraction for him to be able to heal. And that’s what he needed. To heal. And that’s what he was going to do.

Cybil arrived at the shop wearing something Branch had never seen her wear before. He had never seen her in anything like that before. She looked great! He was a little disappointed in himself because all he wore was some pants and a thick jacket over a long sleeved shirt. “Ready?” She asked. He nodded and they headed to the car. 

Cybil looked ecstatic as she ran out of the truck and into the light of the party. “Hi, I’m Cybil. Hi, I’m Cybil,” she told everyone who passed by. They would give her smiles and waves before going back to who they were talking to. She turned to Branch. “Do you know who anyone is?” 

Branch looked around. He didn’t see any of the Snack Pack, which was just as well, he didn’t want people thinking that he was coming to parties now. He was 22, not some teenager anymore. It seemed like Cybil thought otherwise, though, for she was looking at him with expectancy. He noticed a girl with crazy blue afro. “That,” he started. “Is Maddy. Some say that she should have gone to some cosmetology school, but this was her dream school.” He looked around and spotted messy green hair. “That, over there, is Karma. She’s taking as many classes that have to do with Geography so that she can travel the world and study bugs and forests for herself.”

“Ooh, who’s that?” She pointed to a girl with candy-floss pink hair. 

“That is Moxie Dewdrop. She plans on being a professional dancer after college.”

Cybil nodded in appreciation for the girl’s workfield before she spotted someone with colorful hair. “Look, there’s Harper! Harper!” Cybil grabbed his arm and dragged him to the unsuspecting girl. 

“Cybil!” Harper and Cybil embraced. “I’m so glad you could come.” She broke the hug and gave her a once-over. “You look great! I have a fun night planned of introducing you- Is that Branch!” Harper was surprised to see him at her party. “Oh my gosh! I had your invitation prepared, but no one knows where to find you! You don’t live in the dorms anymore.”

She had an invitation prepared for him? Not Poppy? Branch shook his head, ridding those thoughts from his mind. “No, dogs aren’t allowed in the dorm.” 

Harper looked awed. “You have a dog?! Did you hear that, Mandy,” she asked, hitting a girl with pink hair and an orange dress. “Branch has a dog!” 

Mandy nodded her head. “I’m texting this to the Senior Groupchat!” 

Branch looked defeated as the girl typed away on her cellphone. “Don’t send it to the groupchat,” he pleaded too late.

“And it’s done, so I did do that!” She held out her hand to Cybil. “Mandy Sparkldust.” 

Cybil took her hand with a skeptical smile. “Sparkledust? Is that your real name?” 

Mandy shook her head. “No, I had it changed once I was old enough.” 

Cybil nodded. “That makes so much sense.” 

Harper got a text. “OH! Aspen’s here with all the food!”

“Oh, thank god!” Mandy exclaimed. “I’m a whore for his mother’s cooking!” 

Branch thought that was funny way to explain her love of food, but Cybil only laughed. “Is it really that good?” 

“It’s amazing,” Harper agreed. “Once you’ve had it, there’s no going back. Can’t wait to marry that fool!” 

“You’re engaged!” Branch and Cybil yelled in sync. 

Harper held up her hand to show off a beautiful ring. “This opal is ten times more gorgeous than any diamond he could’ve gone bankrupt for.”

“She would have said yes even if he had proposed with a ring pop,” Mandy said with a snicker. 

“I fucking would have,” Harper burst out, laughing, causing all the girls to laugh. 

“That sounds like an amazing way to be proposed to,” Cybil laughed.

Harper laughed. “It is. C’mon, you have to try the food.” She grabbed Cybil’s hand and started dragging her off. 

“Wait, wait, what about Brach?” Cybil turned to look at him and then back at Harper. 

Mandy looked confused. “You came here with Branch?”

Cybil nodded. “I  promised I wouldn’t leave his side.” 

Branch shook his head. “You go with them, Cybil. It’s ok. You’re gonna meet everyone eventually, why not tonight? I’ll be around.” He thought about it. “Meet me by the library before midnight, though.” 

“Oooooh~,” Harper and Mandy teased in sync. 

“Not like that, girls,” Cybil said, calm and collected. But Branch could definitely see a hint of pink on her cheeks before they left.

Branch was waiting by the library. He was sure that with every party that came, not a single part of the school was empty. So, even here, there were people, if only a few. He looked at the clock. It was two minutes to midnight. Where was Cybil? He looked around again and saw a flash of pink. And not just any pink. He knew whose pink hair that was. And he knew he shouldn’t, but he followed anyway. 

There was Poppy making her way to Creek. They wore matching outfits like the cute, sickeningly sweet couple they were and Branch couldn’t help but feel bitter. That could have been them. But he lost his chance. Creek started talking loud enough for everyone to hear, speaking a poem full of forced metaphors and rhymes. What made it worse was that Poppy seemed to like it, her huge smile being a prominent indicator. 

What was so great about this poem? So great that she would smile like that? Did she not know he could write something better? That he could write literal sonnets about just the shine of her eyes? That he could explain how amazing she was with as little as a limerick because he knew exactly what words to use? That he could write Ballads of just her smile alone?! Did she not know?! 

That’s when their eyes met. So many emotions flashed through her eyes the longer they stared at each other.

She didn’t know. Because he had never told her. And now he never could. 

Branch looked away as fast as possible and took a deep breath. He let his thoughts flow over him like a river to ease his mind. He didn’t need this, he needed to heal. By the time he was done with that, he could hear people counting down.

 “Seven!” 

He went back to his place as fast as possible to wait for Cybil only to find Cybil waiting for him. 

“Five!”

 She stood there with grace, looking straight ahead, not knowing how captivating she looked at the moment. She seemed to glow in the moonlight, wearing all that white. And her green hair fading lighter and lighter towards her curled tips like green fire. And her piercings glowing like stars on her face. 

“Three!” 

She just looked so beautiful at the moment he didn’t know how to handle it. His stomach fluttered when her face lit up by seeing him. He started walking faster to get to her. 

“Two!” 

When he got there, he didn’t give her time to speak. He pulled her into the kiss the moment everyone cheered, “ONE!” When they broke the kiss, Cybil was staring at him with something akin to wonder. 

“Branch, what’s all this about?” 

“Go out with me,” he said suddenly. 

“What,” she laughed. 

“Go out with me,” he repeated. “On a date.” 

Cybil looked at him and wondered what could have brought this change. His aura seemed alright, if a bit troubled. She could feel that he wanted something, could this be it? It seemed unlikely, they’ve only known each other for two weeks. But, his aura didn’t seem unchanging the longer he waited for an answer. “Are you sure about this?” 

He nodded. “Yes.” 

He sounded so sure about this and she could tell that he was. He was determined to do something, she could feel it, but what. He hadn’t told her yet why he was so sad all the time and she didn’t expect him to until later on in their friendship. But what could this do to that? Again, his aura wasn’t changing. She knew her answer. “Ok.” She sort of liked the fluttering feeling in her stomach when he smiled at her.

 “AAAH!!” Poppy screamed before slamming the door shut. She dialed up the first number on her phone. “Why is there a dog in the kitchen?!” Never mind that it just tried to kill her. 

She heard Bridget laughing at the other end. “That’s Barnibus, the Boss’s German Shepherd. He sometimes brings him to the restaurant, he doesn’t really like anyone.” She heard some shuffling before Bridget spoke again. “I’ll be right there, he will bite.” 

“Wait, wait,” Poppy tried to start. It was too late, she hung up. A dog that didn’t like her? Impossible! She wasn’t taking any chances going inside, though. 

Oh gah, why had she agreed to help Chad power clean the kitchen? He wasn’t even here yet!

When Bridget arrived, Poppy sighed in relief. “Why doesn’t he get that dog trained?” 

Bridget shrugged as she opened the door. Suddnely, Bridget was attacked by an 80-pound mass and Poppy screamed before she realized that Bridget was laughing. “Huh?” The dog was licking her face and seemed to actually be happy. 

“How are you, boy?!” Bridget asked in a high voice while rubbing his ears. “Who’s a good boy?! Who’s a good boy?!”

Poppy looked on, fascinated, as the dogs tail began to wag faster. “H-how?” 

Bridget looked up at Poppy as if she had just noticed her presence. “Oh! Well, one day, I was coming in early and I was eating a sandwich and I saw this guy growling at me like I was some thief. So I sort of threw my sandwich at him. After he ate it, he started treating me like I was some godsend.” 

“D-does he growl at the others?” 

Bridget nodded, standing up. “Yes, but I was there to teach him to like them.” 

Poppy scowled at nothing in particular. “You helped them so much and they didn’t even know your name.” 

Bridget let the dog go with pat on the head. “That's what happens when people take your kindness for granted.” 

Poppy was about to reply when the door opened up to reveal Chad. Poppy cocked an eyebrow at him. “You're late.”

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “My car wouldn't start, I had to walk here.”

Poppy nodded. “You need to get a new car.” 

“No, no, my car is fine.” 

Bridget giggled. “Sure it is.”

Chad finally noticed her presence. “Oh, morning, Bridget. What are you doing here so early?”

“Poppy needed help with Barnabas.” 

Chad suddenly grabbed a knife from the rack and started pointing it every which way. “Where is that devil?”

Bridget rolled her eyes. “He's not here anymore, he went back to the office.”

“Does that mean the boss will be joining us today?”

Bridget nodded with an excited smile.

Poppy looked confused. “Gristle's joining us today?”

Bridget nodded again. “Every once in a blue moon the boss joins us in the kitchen to see how we're holding up. He brings Barnabas along every time.” 

“I almost lost my hand to that dog,” Chad informed.

Poppy clasped her hands together with a smile. “Alright, then!” She turned to Bridget.” “Let’s get those dishes spotless."

"I'll call Todd," Chad explained. "We have a boss to impress!”

Poppy kept staring at her with that darn smile as she washed the last dish of the day and Bridget wished she would stop. “Please stop staring at me.” 

“You like him,” she whispered fiercely. 

Bridget almost dropped the plate. “I-I don't know what you're talking about.” 

“It's OK! He likes you too!” 

“He does?!” She asked, looking at Poppy with wide eyes. She suddenly looked away blushing. “I mean, I don't know what you're talking about.” 

“You like Gristle and he likes you too! You guys can't hide it from me! I saw you sneaking glances at each other!”

“You're delusional.” 

“I know what I saw!” She jumped in joy. “You should ask him out!” 

“No,” Bridget cried. 

Poppy out on a grown. “Why not? You two would look cute together.” 

Bridget shook her head. “I-I can't! I, uh…” 

“You?”

“I just can't!” 

Poppy nodded in understanding. She smiled. “Then I'll do it for you.”

She was already gone by the time Bridget could think of a coherent sentence.

Poppy came back with a smile on her face and Bridget almost fainted. “Well!” 

“He said yes!” They both started squealing together as they hugged.

Never in her life had Bridget ever thought she would actually be going out with Gristle B. She broke the hug and punched Poppy in the arm. “Ow! Why?!” 

“What if he had said no?!”

“He didn't, though! So it's OK!” But Bridget was right, he could have said no. Poppy had done this without any regard for her feelings. Had she always done this to people? “Sorry, though. I probably shouldn't have done that.”

Bridget smiled. “Probably. But I'm glad you did, though! I now have a date with the most handsome guy in the world!” The weight of that realization finally hit her. “Oh, my god,” she panicked. “I have a date! I don't know what to do on a date! What do I do?! What do I say?! What do I wear ?!” 

“Bridget,” Poppy interrupted. “That's the easiest part! And I know exactly who to call!”

Bridget looked at herself in the mirror. She had gotten this outfit as a spontaneous decision when she and Poppy had gone to the mall last week. She had never planned on actually wearing it. But when those twins, Satin and Chenille, pulled the red and magenta jumpsuit out of her closet, she had known it was perfect for her date tonight. It looked just as great on her as the day she tried it on! She had spent all day worrying that here might not be anything, but here it was. “I love it!” She looked at her bare feet and frowned. “But what shoes should I wear?” 

“Well,” Satin said. “We were looking through your closet, and you don't have many cute shoes.” 

“But,” Chenille added. “We found a pair that would definitely suffice!” 

They held up a pair of white heels. “Tada!” 

They made her sit down and out then on her, making her feel like some sort of Cinderella. When she looked in the mirror again, she loved the outfit even more. It made her body look great and her makeup was perfect. Her smile dropped when she saw her hair. “What am I supposed to do with this mess?”

The twins inspected her hair for a few seconds. It was too short to curl, too short to style in any way, actually. “I have an idea,” they said in unison. 

Poppy looked at the abomination the twins pulled out of their bag. “Oh, no! Not the wig!” 

“Yes, the wig,” Satin started. 

“It's going to look great on her,” Chenille finished. 

“It's going to compliment her round face.” 

“And it's going to contrast her outfit.”

“If she wants to wear a wig, that is,” they said in sync. 

“I, uh,” Bridget stuttered. “Maybe I should just try it on first, see how it looks?” 

“Wonderful idea,” Satin said.

They made her keep her eyes closed as they put on the wig and didn't let her open them until she was in front of the mirror. “OK, now,” they both said. 

She opened her eyes and gasped. She looked… “Amazing,” she whispered. 

“What,” asked the other girls.

“I look amazing! Oh, I look so beautiful!” She twirled in her outfit with a huge smile. The wig was so colorful and it flared out at the tips so cutely. “Oh! Gristle's going to love this!” She brought everyone into a group hug. “Thank you, guys! A million times thank you!”

Poppy smiled. “Anything for a friend.” Poppy smiled wider when Bridget broke the hug and looked herself in the mirror. She almost laughed when Bridget started roleplaying what she would do. She turned to Satin and Chenille, who had been looking over their handwork. “Thanks, you guys. This really means a lot to her.” 

“No problem,” Satin smiled.

“Happy to help,” Chenille grinned. 

Poppy looked at the wig in appreciation. “That wig actually came in handy for once.” 

The twins scoffed. “That wig came in handy plenty of times.” 

Bridget squealed. “Do you know what this means?!” 

“What?” They all asked, startled. 

“I might actually have a boyfriend on valentines day!”

Poppy squealed as well. “I’m gonna have a boyfriend on valentines day, too!” 

Chenille wanted to chide in, having Suki and all, but that would definitely out her and she wasn't prepared for that.

Satin wanted to join in too, but there was no possible way for her to get a boyfriend in just three weeks.

Chenille departed once they were done, saying she had something planned. She ran off before Satin could ask what. Satin, not really wanting to be alone tonight, asked Poppy if she wanted to do something.  Apparently, Poppy already had something planned with Creek, to make up for being absent for so long. Poppy had asked her if she wanted a ride home, but Satin had said no, she would just walk. 

And so here she was, walking home, alone. 

Maybe she could visit Guy and Biggie, they all knew Biggie needed some support since Mr. Dinkles was put down, even if he did seem to be getting better. 

Or she could visit Cooper, try out some tap dancing in her spare time. His uncle was visiting and he was rumored to be the best tap dancer, even after the broken neck incident. 

Or she could go workout with Smidge, but she was probably out stalking her crush at the animal shelter and she didn’t want to bother her. 

And Fuzzbert was hanging out with his other HOH friends. Not that she couldn’t keep up with sign language, but she her wanted to rest at the moment.

She could go listen to some tunes with Suki, but Suki was always busy now-a-days with who knows what. 

She sighed as she walked further. It was usually Chenille she would be with, but she was also busy all the time, now. With what, she had no clue, Chenille never told her, always making up an excuse. She wished Chenille would just talk to her about it-

“Hey, you need a ride?” 

She snapped her head towards the voice. It was a brunette with blonde tips and a good looking face. Good looks weren't all that convincing that he was a good guy, though. He could have snatched her up while she was lost in thought. “N-no, I'm fine.” She started walking a bit faster. 

The car only followed her. “Are you sure? It's fine get pretty cold soon.” 

“I don't live too far,” she lied. A gust of wind made her shiver. Oh, so now it wanted to start acting like winter?! Darn this stupid bipolar weather! It was basically spring this morning! She still wasn't getting in the car, though.

The car stopped and, for a moment, she thought it would leave her alone. Then she heard a car door open and footsteps coming her way. Her heart started beating faster, not knowing what would happen. The guy only walked beside her. “W-what are you doing,” she stuttered.

“Well, I can't drive you home, so I'll walk you instead. The creeps come out at night.” 

Satin took a step sideways as she kept on walking. “How do I know you’re not one of them?”

“Well, I guess you’ll just have to trust me,” he said with a boyish grin. 

Satin started walking a tad faster. “I’d rather not. I don’t even know your name.” 

He was suddenly in front of her, holding out a hand. “My name is Rudy. Rudy Plimsy.”

Poppy gave Creek a small peck before sitting down. “Sorry for being late, I had to help a friend get ready for her date.” 

Creek smiled. “You’re too kind, Poppy.”

“Thank you,” she smiled before grabbing the menu. “So, what are we getting?”

“Well, what do you want?”

“I don’t know. What’s good here?” If Poppy were honest with herself, she would describe Creek with one, mean word; boring. Creek was incredibly boring. At first, she didn't notice. She was too busy having fun planning everything and getting over Branch. But as time went on, she realized she was always planning everything . She had spoken to Smidge about this, but all she said was that he was being a supportive boyfriend. She wanted to believe that, but he never contributed any ideas, only accepted the plans she made. In fact, coming to this restaurant was the first time he had contributed to planning. 

“The vegan special is what I usually get.” 

“Good choice,” She agreed even though she was eyeing the steak. She would be getting the Vegan Special, though. Having a vegan boyfriend who couldn’t stand to look at meat had it’s cons. 

Poppy took a glance at the person that walked by their table. For a second, just for a second, she thought it was him, with his curly hair, but his skin was too light and nose too small and his hair was too short. She quickly looked back at the menu. She shouldn't be thinking about him on her date with Creek. 

But, of course, she wasn't the only one who noticed the similarities. Creek noticed that she never talked about Branch anymore, but she obviously still cared for him. He couldn't have her crawling back to him, of course, leaving him alone. He needed her and intended to keep her. “So, I was thinking, on valentine's day, we should have a Steven Universe marathon, relive the first day we met.” He smiled at her wide eyes.

There he was again, coming up with his own ideas! Was this it? Was this where they finally had their breakthrough? She smiled at his. “I love that idea. 

He opened his mouth only to interrupted with a hand slamming on the table. They both looked up to see a girl with glossy, blue hair smirking down on them with perfectly red lips. Poppy's heart started racing, she had hoped to never see that girl again. “Chelia.” She wasn't the only one who said her name in horror. 

Chelia’s eyes flickered towards Creek. “Hey there, hon, how ya doing?” The smirk never left her face as Creek cowered away. She turned back to Poppy. “Poppy King.” She removed her hand from the table and crossed her arms. “Haven't seen you since high school. Remember those times?” Poppy didn't dare say a word, anything would give Chelia satisfaction and she didn't deserve that. The longer Poppy stayed quiet, the more her smirk dwindled until it was finally a scowl. “I see you've grown your hair out.” She sounded louder now, why was that. “And you dyed it too.” People were watching, that's why it was quiet. “It's actually quite pretty.” Poppy flinched so hard when Chelia reached over to try and touch it that she hit her head on the back of the seat. Chelia only laughed. “I see you haven't changed a bit.” Poppy looked away from her, not able to look her in the eye. Chelia’s smirk returned as she sat down next to Creek and threw an arm around him. He froze. “Hi, sweetie, how've you been?” Creek didn't answer. “Oh, come on, giving me the silent treatment? You know I love you.” She nuzzled her face against his and was not happy when he flinched away. She looked between the two. “I hope this isn't a date,” she said in a voice that made it pretty clear she knew this was a date. “I mean, you couldn't have sunk this low, Creek. I expected better.” 

An employee who had had enough walked over to their table. “Ma'am, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.”

Chelia smirked up at her. “Oh, don't worry. I was just leaving.” She blew a kiss to Creek as she got up… then slammed her hand on the table, making both Poppy and Creek flinch. She walked out the restaurant, laughing. 

The employee watched her leave until she was gone and then looked back to the couple. “Do you want me to call the cops?”

Creek was the first to break from his trance. He went to Poppy's side, which made him look like a caring boyfriend to the bystanders, but he just really didn't want to be alone right now. “No, no, it's fine,” he assured her, grabbing Poppy's hand. “Thank you, anyway, um,” he looked at the name tag, “Plum.” After asking if he was sure, Plum left and the world seemed to go back to normal. People started talking again and workers started working again. Creek turned to Poppy. “H-how do you know Chelia?” 

“That's not something I'm willing to talk about,” she answered, her voice barely audible. Something occurred to Poppy and she quickly looked at Creek. “Was that her? Oh my gosh, Creek.” She brought him into a hug. If Chelia was his ex, there was no telling what she had done to him. Poppy was well aware of what Chelia could do. “Are you OK?”

“Yes, I'm fine,” he lied. If he were being honest, seeing Chelia again shook him to his very core. Seeing Chelia again made him feel things he shouldn't be feeling, things like fear and… Desire. He wanted Chelia again but he knew how bad their relationship had been. He couldn't go crawling back to her. Especially not now, not after everything he did to keep Poppy. 

Poppy only hugged him tighter for his answer. Now she knew why he was supposedly boring to her. He’d probably never contributed an idea in his life, being with Chelia and all. He probably thought it was the norm! She knew exactly how controlling Chelia could be, how deceiving, how manipulative, how cruel ! Poppy knew, but at least she had had her father, poor Creek had to go through all that on his own. Well, he had her now. When she broke the hug, she was smiling. “So, um, you were saying… About valentine's day?” 

‘ Ah ,’ Creek thought. ‘ Changing the subject, great tactic .’ He smiled back at her.

Poppy all but ran to her next class, giving out sorry’s and excuse me’s to those she passed by. Of course, it had all been for naught for she bumped into someone anyway. “I'm so sorry!” She yelled as she got on her knees to pick up both of their stuff.

“No, no, it's fine,” the girl tried to reassure with an accent, but Poppy was already busy.

She handed what wasn't hers to a green haired girl she had never seen before. The girl only laughed at her confused expression. 

“I'm sorry,” she said again. “But you don't look familiar at all.” 

The girl let out a snort. “That's probably because we've never met.” 

Poppy let out a laugh at the simplicity of it. “That's a good reason. Of course, if you knew me, you'd understand why it's weird.” 

The girl looked at her, questioningly. “And you are…?”

“Oh!” Poppy held out a hand with a smile. “I'm Poppy King.”

The girl's eyes widened. “Y-your Poppy King? Th-th-the King of Trolls.” 

Poppy laughed at her well known title as she nodded. 

The girl finally grabbed her hand and was shaking it wildly. “It is such an honor to meet you! You're rumored to be the happiest girl alive!” She smiled brightly as she pointed at herself. “I'm Cybil-”

“Cybil Green!” Poppy finished. “Yes oh my gosh! Yes, I know you! It's so great to have a face for the profile.” 

Cybil looked astonished. “Poppy King knows me.” 

“I hear you're taught in the ways of Zen. You know, my boyfriend is taught in the ways of Zen too. You guys would get along great!” 

Cybil smiled. “Really? You know, I'm teaching my boyfriend the ways of Zen. My father owns a studio for it. He pays for it and everything, which I think is just silly because I could be teaching him, myself, but I guess he's just sweet like that.” 

“Aw! How long have you been together?” 

“A little bit over a month, I believe. He asked me on a date on new years and things escalated from there.” 

“What are you guys going to do on Valentines day?” 

Cybil shrugged. “I know he has something planned, though. What will you be doing?” 

“Reliving the day we met three months ago.” 

Cybil smirked. “Oooh, the three month mark! Gonna be getting some action?” 

Poppy blushed a beet red. “I honestly didn't even think of that.”

Cybil laughed. “I was only teasing. It's fine if you wanna save it.” 

Poppy let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, save it.” She was now looking at anything but Cybil, hoping she would change the subject. Building 2 , she read the plaque. That felt familiar. 

“You have a very beautiful necklace,” Cybil complemented, seeing more than feeling the shift in mood. It was sad to see an aura change from such a beautiful color.

Poppy's hand reflexively went to her necklace. “Thanks, my boyfriend got it for me on my birthday.”

“Oh my goodness, our boyfriends are too sweet! Mine wears the healing stone necklace I got him for Christmas all the time. He's probably wearing now! I can show you if you wait a second, he just got out of class- Oh! There he is! Branch, love! Over here!”

Poppy froze. Did she say who she thought she said? Poppy turned her head ever so slightly and confirmed her suspicions. Branch was reluctantly coming their way. 

When he was close enough, Cybil embraced him. “Love, you'll never guess what.” 

Branch took a glance at Poppy. He definitely could guess what. “What,” he asked anyway.

“I just met the most amazing girl alive!”

Branch smiled. “Oh, I see you looked in a mirror today.” 

She playfully swatted him as he chuckled. “Not me!” She gestured towards Poppy, dramatically. “Poppy King!” 

Poppy glared at him when he couldn't even look at her. What did he have to be guilty for? It's not like he cared for her enough to even be so. 

“Y-yeah,” he stuttered. “I've met her before.” 

“Isn't she wonderful?!” Cybil looked at him, expectantly for a second, before giving a look that was something else entirely.

“Yeah, wonderful,” Branch answered, nervously. He finally took a chance at looking at her. She was glaring at him, why? He gave her a nervous smile. “Hi, Poppy.” 

“Branch,” was all she said to him before looking to Cybil, her skills back in place. “Well, it was really nice meeting you, Cybil, we should totally hang out sometime!” 

Cybil smiled, despite of what just happened. “You think so?” 

“Of course! You can sing, right?” 

Cybil lifted her head in pride. “Of course I can!”

“We should have a karaoke night! I can introduce you to my friends!”

“Really?!”

“Yup!” Her phone buzzed. She opened it to s text from Harper that said, ‘Where are u?!!?’. “Shit,” she muttered. She was late for class. She started backing away. “It was nice talking to you, Cybil, but I gotta go.” She was now far away though that she had to tell for Cybil to hear her. “We'll exchange numbers when we see each other again! Bye!” 

“Bye!” Cybil yelled with a smile and a wave. She turned to Branch, expecting answers. “So,” she started off slow. “What's the deal with you and Poppy?” 

“What deal,” Branch asked,  nonchalantly. “There's no deal.” 

“Your moods completely shifted when you saw each other,” she pointed out. “Did something happen between you two?”

To be honest, Branch didn't know why Poppy was suddenly mad at him. He had known she was avoiding him, made civil conversation when they had to talk during some classes if they were forced to sit near each other, which was hardly. But she never outright made it seem like she was angry with him. He sighed. “Poppy and I have some bad blood right now, and, to be honest, I don't think it's ever gonna be fixed.” 

“How'd that happen?” 

Branch grabbed her hand and they started walking. “She couldn't be happy with me,” he simplified. There was more than that, but that was the main. 

“Oh,” Cybil said, feeling something in her stomach that she only ever felt one time in fourth grade when net crush rejected her valentines card. “Were you two together?” 

“No!” Branch said quickly. “No,” he said more calmly. “Poppy and I were never together. We were hardly even friends.” 

“But you cared about each other?”

Branch shrugged. “I guess.” He really didn't want to talk about this. “So,” he said in a chipper voice. “Are you coming over today or just dropping me off?” 

“Well, I have a class to teach, so I'll only be dropping you off, sorry love.” 

“No problem,” he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “At least I'll see you tomorrow.” 

“Indeed you shall,” she said, hugging his arm.

Poppy smiled at the turquoise haired beauty that was waiting for her outside her class. “Creek,” she said, bringing him into a hug. 

“Poppy,” he said, hugging her back. When they broke the hug, they grabbed each other's hands and started walking in step. “Are you busy today?” 

“Yes,” Poppy answered immediately. “I have a paper to do and I have a habit of procrastinating, so I'll be home all day.” 

“What about tomorrow?” 

“I have work,” she answered.

“Can I come help?” 

Poppy shook her head. “You're too much of a distraction.” 

Creek feigned being hurt, a hand to his heart. “I'm a distraction?” 

“A beautiful one,” she assured, hugging his arm. “And I want to finish the paper by the end of the week. So, no distractions.” 

“I can be less distracting,” he said, leaning in for a kiss. 

Poppy put her hand in his face and laughed. “See! That's distracting!” 

Creek smiled. “You love it.” 

“I do,” she said, finally accepting the kiss. Now was time to ask him about what she had been thinking. “Creek?” 

Creek looked at her, noticing the way she said his name. She seemed nervous. “What is it, love?” 

“I was thinking that, um, Valentine's day should...be the night.” 

“The night,” Creek questioned before realizing what she meant. “Oh. Oh! The night!” 

“Do you think it's a good idea?” 

“Of course!” He assured. “Making love on the day of love, it's a wonderful idea!” He squeezed her hand. “I can't wait to see you.” 

Poppy laughed at the double meaning.

Branch opened his door only to be greeted with a white blur at his feet, trying to bite and lick the hands that were trying to pet her. He got on his knees. “Calm down, hermosita, what's wrong with you?! Did you miss me?!” Sprite started spinning at the question. “Si?! I missed you too!” He picked her up and snuggled her against him all the while she was trying to escape to lick his face better. That's when his phone rang. He looked at the number, it wasn't one he recognized and debated on hanging up, but answered anyway. “Hello,” he answered while putting Sprite down. “Who's this?” 

“Branch? Is that you?” 

“Yes,” he said, recognizing the voice. He couldn't put a face to it though. 

“Who is this?” 

“It's Chenille. Look-” 

“How'd you get my number?” 

“From Suki! Look! Satin is going to call you in a bit and ask you if I'm with you. Please say yes!” 

“What?! Why?!” 

“Well,” she sounded nervous. “She wanted to hang out today, but I told her I was busy. She wanted to know what I was busy with and I couldn't tell her the real reason, you know! So I may or may not have told her you needed my help with things.” 

Branch face palmed. Why?!

“Branch, are you still there?”

“Yes, I'm still here.”

“Will you do it?”

He sighed. “Fine! You're gonna have to tell her sooner or later, you know that, right?” 

“I choose later.” 

“Chenille!”

“I'll tell her soon, I swear! Thank you, Branch. You're a great friend. Love you! Bye!” 

“We are not-,” he started, but she was already gone. He sighed and threw his phone on the couch as he headed to the kitchen. He was hungry. 

He didn't even make to the entrance before his phone started ringing again. “Ugh!” He snatched the phone up and answered. “What?” 

“Excuse you!” Said a voice he recognized. This time he could put a face to it. 

“Sorry, Satin, but I'm kind of busy.” 

“Yes, I'm aware of that,” she said, her tone bitter. “Is my sister with you,” she asked, her voice more light.

“Not at the moment, no. She just called saying she was on her way,” he lied. 

“Hm. What are you guys gonna be doing?”

Branch didn't like the tone of her voice, it implied something. He couldn't think of that at the moment, he had to come up with a good lie. “Oh, uh…” Couch, Sprite, TV, flowe- Flowers! “She's gonna help me water my plants.” 

“She's gonna help you water your plants?” 

She sounded skeptical. “Yup. And it might take a while, too, so don't expect her back soon. I've got a whole green house that needs watering.” 

“Why do you have a green house?”

She made it sounds like it was the most absurd thing she'd ever heard, which it probably could have. “I own a flower shop.” It had been his since the day he turned eighteen. She had left it to him when she… “Oh! I think I hear her coming,” he lied. “Bye!” 

“Wai-” 

To late, he already hung up. He threw his phone back on the couch and headed to his room, he wasn't hungry anymore.

He knew he shouldn't have, but he glanced a little to the left. That door. Her bedroom. He did his best to stay out of it, knowing exactly what to expect when he entered, but, sometimes, he couldn't help it. Like now.

The door opened slowly, he didn't dare open it too quickly. He took a step in the room and a wave of nostalgia hit him. The bed was still made the way it had always been made, the drawers were where they had always been, the pictures stayed where she had left them, everything was as it was ever since she left. 

He sat down on her bed, the blanket still soft even though it hadn't been washed in years. Its not like it had to be, no one slept in it anymore. He looked at the walls filled with photos she had taken and kept over the years. He got off the bed and walked over to them, tracing his fingers over every single one, remembering the memories that came with them. Some bad blurred over the years, but they were still there. He made it to her jewelry box and opened it. There was very few items in it, she never really wore jewelry, but he could remember when she wore every one of them. The earrings, the necklaces, the bracelets. All gold to match her green outfits. A small smile went on his face. She really loved green. 

She really did.

He started walking towards the door. He was numb to the pain now, had been for three years now. He had gotten used to it, not waking up to her smile, not being able to see her after school anymore, never being able to eat her cooking again, never being able to hear her singing again, never being able to hear her voice again. Sure, there were videos, but he had yearned so long for the real thing. But he had accepted the fact that it would never happen, that there was no possible way to bring her back. And it was all his fault. So, as he left the room, not a single tear fell, no matter how much one thought ran through his mind. 

“I miss you, grandma.”

Poppy lifted up one that caught her eye. It was pink and fluffy. She really liked it! But it would be up to the twins if she could get it. 

“It's perfect!” Chenille exclaimed, said twins coming up behind her. 

“You guys think so?” She looked in the mirror. It was definitely adorable and she loved it, but it seemed so simple. She could probably just add her own glitter. 

“Yes!” Satin assured. “You would look so cute and sexy, girl!” 

“He's going to be begging you to get on your knees,” Chenille agreed. 

Poppy’s entire face turned red and she covered it in embarrassment. “Guys, OMG! Not so loud!”

“OK, girl, you need to tell us everything after it happens!”

“Valentine's day isn't for another two weeks, guys! Hold your horses.” 

“It's too big for me to carry, Poppy, sorry.” Poppy gave Satin a look. She only laughed. “Ok, since this is going to be your first time-” … Did Poppy just snort?

Poppy turned away from them, surprised at her own idiocy. Why would she laugh at something like that?! Now they're going to ask questions! 

“This isn't going to be your first time, is it?” 

“Poppy?” 

“Come on, you said it-”

“Now you have to tell us.” 

Poppy turned to them, albeit reluctantly. “OK, OK, it's not going to be my first time.” 

Thee twins scrutinized their eyes. “When?” 

“Two years ago,” she squeaked, fearing their reactions. 

“Two years ago?!”

“I want details, now!” 

“How'd it happen?”

“Why'd it happen?”

“Where did this happen?

“Who was it with,” they both yelled. “I'm calling the group chat!” Chenille brought out her tablet.

“Don't call the- She's calling the group chat,” Poppy said, defeated.

“Guys, guess what's the scoop,” she said once the others answered.

“Ooh, give me the juicy deeds,” Guy said, rubbing his hands together and smiling evilly. 

“There's no scoop,” Poppy yelled into the phone. 

“Poppy!” Everyone yelled, excited.

“Girl, where’ve you been,” Cooper asked with a crooked smile. 

“We haven't seen you in, like, a thousand years,” Smidge added. 

“Poppy, oh my gosh, how've you been,” Biggie asked, excited, loving seeing Poppy more than anything. “I miss you so much.” 

“Goodness, I need a bigger tablet,” Chenille muttered, squinting to see the small squares that contained her friends faces. She saw Suki's face, drinking a smoothie and watching the scene unfold, and smiled. “Ok, no banter right now. We have a scoop!” 

“There is no scoop,” Poppy said again. 

Suki smiled at the group chat. “Wanna join in,” she whispered to Branch. 

He shook his head and went back to drinking his smoothie. It was a bad idea to accept Suki's invitation for a smoothie, but she seemed to think they were friends and he couldn't say no when she held up the coupons with pleading eyes. They expired today and Chenille was busy for some reason. And from what he could see on the screen, she was helping Poppy go shopping. He really didn't feel like interacting with her at the moment.

Suki nodded, understanding, before going back to the chat. “What's the scoop?!” She yelled along with the others. 

Satin's face replaced Chenille's. “Poppy lost her V card two years ago and we're just barely hearing about it!” Suki didn't know what to pay attention to at the moment. The group's outraged cries or Branch choking on his smoothie. ‘ You ok ?’ she mouthed. He gave her a thumbs up as he tried to cease his coughing.

“OMG guys,” Poppy's voice came. “Its not a big deal?!”

“Was he good?” Smidge dared to ask.

“Obviously not if she dont want to talk about it,” Cooper answered, making everyone laugh. 

Suki turned to Branch and stopped laughing. His face was turning bright red. Was it… No, it couldn't be. 

“Of my gosh, guys, I'm not talking about this!” 

“OMG, guys, look at how red her face is!” 

“Don't point the camera at me!”

Branch was choking on his smoothie again and, to be honest, so was she. What on earth was Poppy carrying?!

“I expect details later,” Guy yelled over everyone. “You're lucky I'm busy right now! I'll see you guys later!” 

After a few goodbyes and all the tabs closed, Suki turned to Branch. “So~... know anything about Poppy's night of fun?”

Branch shook his head, his face still red.

Suki took a sip of her smoothie. “... it was you wasn't it?” She jumped when he suddenly got up.

“Thanks for the smoothie, Suki!” He yelled, hastily. “But I'm gonna go head home now, Cybil's probably gonna come over today. And, you know, gotta be there for her to come over, since she's probably gonna. Bye!” Suki hadn't even opened her mouth before he dashed off. 

Cybil, his girlfriend. Yes, that's right, he had a girlfriend. And she was nice, and sweet, and patient, and colorful, and loved parties, and loved people, and was over all just an amazing person from how he spoke of her… Sort of like Poppy. 

Maybe it had been wrong to interfere with their relationship.

“Here you go, boy,” Poppy said, scraping the leftovers Into Barnabas's bowl. Ever since Bridget and Gristle started dating, he was here at the restaurant more often. Which meant so was Barnabas, who had warmed up to her after being fed the table scraps all the time for the past two weeks. The swinging doors opened and Chad popped his head in. “Poppy?” 

“What is it, Chad?”

“We’re low on waiters today! Suzie called in. Gristle was hoping, since you’re so good with people, that you could fill in.”

Poppy’s eyes widened. This was her chance! “Yes! Yes!” She quickly took off her washer’s arpon. Chad handed her a small tablet and showed her the features as they walked out. Once she seemed like she got it, he left her to walk behind him as she messed around with it a bit. 

She was unprepared for when Chad stopped walking and bumped right into him. He didn't seem to notice, though, his focus was on something else. In fact, as she looked around, all the employees had stopped whatever they were doing to look at something. She finally looked to where Chad was looking only to be a bit surprised when he started walking so suddenly. She looked to where he was headed and froze. 

Chad had hoped to never see that woman again and, by the looks of it, as did everyone else. He wasn't the only one walking up to her. “Chelia,” he and Todd said at the same time.

“Chad, Todd,” she barely acknowledged them as she walked towards the back of the restaurant. Immediately, all the chefs that were snooping from the kitchen and the waiters and waitresses that should've been taking orders all ran to block her from the hallway that lead to the Boss’s office. “You're not allowed back here anymore,” Todd said, glaring daggers at her.

“Oh, Todd,” she said with a sickeningly sweet smile. “I only wish to speak with him.” 

“Not gonna happen,” Chad growled.

She kept the smile on. “I know the way I've treated you guys was a bit overboard-”

“A bit overboard?!” Margaret cried. “You would smack me every time I added too much seasoning!”

“You should have known better,” Chelia retorted.

“You should’ve known better,” yelled one of the waitresses. 

“You treated us like dogs!”

“As if we didn't know what we were doing!” 

“Maybe if you actually did know what you were doing, I wouldn't have to have treated you that way!”

Everyone started yelling after Chelia showed her true colors. She only stood there, looking as if she wanted to punch something. Poppy looked around at the customers who were whispering amongst themselves. This had to stop. She grabbed Chad’s attention, gesturing to the chaos. He gave her a nod and she brought out her cowbell. Everyone instantly stopped talking at the loud banging noise. Chad was ready to take the lead.  “Chefs, back to your stations, waiters, back to serving! We will not sully our good name over the likes of her, do you understand me?!” No one answered. “Do you understand me,” he asked more calmly. Everyone grumbled in agreement and started heading back to where they were supposed to be as Poppy and Chad took their place of blocking the hallway. 

She wasn't exactly looking at Chelia, but she was looking in her direction so that was a start. “You're not allowed back here if you don't work here.” Why was she trembling. 

Chelia wanted to laugh so badly! Poppy King?! Was someone kidding her?! She settled for chuckling, instead. Or, at least, tried to. It turned into a laugh anyway. “You?! You work here now?! Oh, my goodness, and you actually speak, too! Last time I saw you, you were a mouse!” She laughed some more. “I can't believe someone like you was able to get a job here!” She turned to Chad. “And you! I can’t beleive you’re in charge now! How long was it before you stole my job?”

“He didn't steal your  job,” someone said behind Poppy. She turned around to see Gristle glaring at Chelia, Bridget right behind him. “You were fired.”

Chelia put on that sickeningly sweet smile of hers. “Oh, Boss, hello. It's nice to see you again.” 

“I'm not your boss,” he said, crossing his chubby arms. “And I'm afraid I can't say the same. What are you doing here, Chelia?” 

She bowed to him as if he were royalty. “I've come to ask for my job back,” she explained.

“You know exactly why the answer is no.” 

“But, sir,” Chelia said with a smile Poppy knew all too well. It was a smile that promised something. “I have a wonderful new recipe that I'm sure can gain your favor if you just-” 

“No.” Gristle wasn't having it. 

“B-but, sir!” 

Did she honestly think that she could get her job back with a simple new recipe. By the looks of it, she did. If Chelia was one thing, she was smart, Poppy could admit that. Something like this shouldn't have been her plan. She was becoming desperate.

“You mistreated your staff, you abused your power, and you tried to force yourself on me. You are not mature enough for this job.”

Chelia grew angry. “Oh, like you know anything about being mature,” she cried. “Or creating ideas! You must have been pretty desperate to have put himin charge,” she gestured towards Chad in disgust.

“He's a better chef than you'll ever be.” 

“And he's nicer, too,” Bridget added, speaking for the first time since this started.

Chelia caught her in a piercing stare as she hid behind Gristle. “Just because you don't work for me anymore doesn't mean you can talk back to me, Idget-” 

“Bridget!” 

They all turned to Poppy, who was glaring holes into Chelia’s form. “What?” 

“Her name is Bridget, not Idget,” she clarified. “After everything you put her through, you could have at least learned her name!” 

Chelia glared back. “Since when did you actually have the guts to speak to me that way?” She took a step forward.

Poppy didn't move an inch. “Since now,” she barked. “You don't come in here and start disrespecting my coworkers!” Chelia took another step towards her, but Poppy didn't move. “You don't work here and you don't have reservations! Get out!”

Chelia took another step forward and was now standing in front of her. “My, my, how much you've grown.” 

Poppy rolled her eyes, she was still trying to act tough. Realization came to Poppy. It was an act, it had always been an act. Right from the very first moment it had been an act. “You know, Chelia. We're not in high school anymore.” Chelia furrowed her brows. “You can't manipulate me, you can't bully me anymore. We're grown women, not clueless teenagers. You can't follow me around until I'm alone so you can have your way, it doesn't work that way anymore. It might have seven years ago, but it doesn't anymore. ...You don't scare me anymore.”

“What,” she seethed.

Poppy stared her down with the biggest the smile she had ever smiled in front if Chelia. “You don't scare me anymore!” Saying those words made Poppy feel free. For years, Chelia had haunted her dreams and she was scared of every moment she was alone, hoping and sometimes even praying that Chelia wasn't around until she realized that Chelia couldn't have been. Poppy had finally thought she had gained clarity, but she had been wrong. What she felt now was ten times sweeter than what she felt then. 

Her smile fell, though, the second Chelia pushed her to the ground. Chad and Bridget were at her side in an instant. Gristle turned to Chelia with a glare. “You are banned from this restaurant forever. Get out!” 

Chelia seemed surprised at the turn of events. “B-but, sir-” 

“Out!” 

Chelia looked defeated. This had never happened before. She had always gotten her way! But every time that stupid brat was involved, things always went down hill for her. Like in highschool when she tried to graduate peacefully but that brat had to snitch and she was forced to repeat her senior year. Like when she tried to get Creek back by going to his favorite restaurant only to find him on a date with her. Like now, trying to get her job back only to find that she had ruined it. All of this was Poppy's fault! She glared at her. “You'll pay for this,” she seethed before storming away. 

Poppy watched her go in relief. She hoped she never saw Chelia again. And if she did, well, she felt like she could finally handle that. “Are you OK,” Bridget asked, worry plain as day in her expression. 

Poppy smiled brightly. “Yes,” she answered honestly.

Cybil sighed. “Let them flow, remember,” she said, her eyes closed. Branch's breathing hitched. “And close your eyes.” This had been easier the first time around, but Branch was making it more difficult. He shouldn't be trying to suppress thoughts so late in his training, he should know better than this. Also, by now he should know that he should already be moving on in training. 

Branch's breath hitched. “You're killing me over here, love,” she said, finally opening her eyes. She was met with a blushing Branch. 

“I'm sorry, Cybil! I'm just…” An image of Poppy in that little article of clothing she had been carrying flashed through his mind. He blushed deeper. “... distracted.”

Cybil placed a hand on his. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Branch hated the sincerity in her eyes. She loved him so much and he was over here thinking about another girl! He felt like a douchebag. He shook his head. “It's nothing.” 

He failed. She smiled at him anyway. “Well, when it becomes too much to bear, know that I am always here, OK?” 

Branch smiled at her. “I will.” Maybe this had been a bad idea. He felt like he was using Cybil to get over Poppy. Which he probably was. Cybil was too good to be used and he knew he should break up with her, but Valentine's day was in four days and he didn't want to be that stupid jerk again. He would find a way to love only Cybil. 

Cybil smiled at him. “OK, here's a new method for this.” She repositioned herself and closed her eyes, Branch following suit. “Focus on something. And I don't mean suppress your thoughts!... Now, focus on one pleasant thought and only that thought. Should others come, let them. They'll flow right through just like they did before.” 

Focus on one thought. Branch decided to think about one thing he liked about Cybil; the way she would come to his shop barefoot sometimes. It worried him to no end since it was still winter and she could get sick, but she told him she could handle it. He swore he'd laugh at her instead of help her if she got a cold. He smiled at the memory. He was just waiting for it to happen

Cybil internally sighed in relief. He was calm, for now. It would bother him again soon if he didn't figure out how to move forward in his training. The last resort was that she would have to tell him, but he couldn't be that oblivious. She smiled at how calm his aura was. She wished it could stay that way forever.

Creek looked at the gifts in his bag and smiled. Poppy was going to love these! He, of course, had no clue why she liked troll dolls so much, but whatever made her happy. Valentine's was in two days and he had to get a nice box for these- 

Crash! 

He bumped into someone. He picked up his bag and the papers that weren't his. “I am truly sorry-” he started before looking up. He dropped the papers and took a step back. “Chelia!” 

She smiled at him. “Creek, it's so good to see you.” 

“Are you following me or something?! Stay away from me!” He tried walking around her, but she blocked his path. 

“Poppy isn't around, is she?” 

“What does that matter?”

“So that's a no?” She took his silence as confirmation. She put a hand on his chest. “I was hoping to get you alone. I wanted to talk to you.” 

He took a step back. “What makes you think I want to talk to you.” 

She feigned confusion. “Don't you?” 

Air flared through his nose. “... what did you want to talk about?”

She smiled. “Us?”

“Us?” 

“Yes, us.” 

He shook his head. “There is no ‘us’ anymore. You made sure of that.” 

“Well, what if I still wanted you?” 

Creek looked at her incredulously. “ You broke up with me !”

Chelia looked humble. “Is a girl not allowed to admit she was wrong?” 

She was admitting she was wrong? That was a first.

“It was wrong to break up with you, I know. And I'm really sorry about the way I acted at the restaurant the other day. I was just jealous that you were actually… moving on.” Goodness, how did people spout crap like this all the time.

“Y-you were?”

“Yeah,” she answered, acting sheepish. “I was, you know, hoping that if you and Poppy aren't that serious, we could start over.” She took a step closer to him.

“S-start over?” That actually sounded… nice. Wait! No! His master had told him she would say whatever she needed to to get him back! He shouldn't listen to her words. But they were so tempting.

She nodded with a smile. Goodness, how did people smile all day?! “Maybe I could come over to your place tomorrow, cook you a meal like old times.” 

Creek took a step back. “N-no!”

She feigned hurt. “No?” 

“No,” he stated more firmly. “What we had was bad. Why would you want that again?” 

“It'll be different this time!” She lied. “I've been taking classes to control my emotions and I'm looking for a new job.” She bent down and picked up the papers. “That's what these are. My résumés.” 

Creek looked from the papers in her hands to her eyes. “What happened to your dream job?” 

“It wasn't all it turned out to be.” She smiled at him. “Plus, I really missed you.” She took a step towards him. “So, whatta ya say? I'll come by tomorrow around, say, eight?” She grabbed his hands and smiled brightly. Goodness, he needed to hurry up and answer so she could drop this facade, it was very tiring. 

Creek loved the sound of it, he really did, but he was with Poppy now… But she said this time would be different … She had said that many times before… She looks sincere this time… She's always been a good actor… She's going to cook you a meal like old times … That actually sounded very nice… And Poppy doesn't need to know … Of course not! It's not like he was cheating!... Exactly, all she's doing is cooking you a meal … He knew his answer. “... OK.”

Chelia squealed and brought him into a hug. “Thank you so much! You won't regret this!” She broke the hug and smiled at him. “Text me the address, OK? I still have the same phone number.” She knew he hadn't deleted it. 

And she was right, Creek hadn't even dared to, no matter how much Guy had pressed him to. “Alright,” he said. 

“Alright! I'll see you tomorrow.” Chelia gave him a quick peck before running off. Now, not only was she getting Creek back, Poppy was going to suffer too. This was going to be brilliant .

“She seems like a handful of a girlfriend.” 

Creek jumped at the sudden voice.

He turned to see a girl with highlighs that were brilliant shades of green. “Sh-she’s not my, um, girlfriend.” 

“You two could have fooled me.” She looked around before settling back on him. “I know it's not my place to say, but…” The girl sighed. “... nothing good is going to come out of it. You're relationship with her, that is.” 

Creek glared at her, refusing to even take into consideration what she had said. “You're right, it's not your place.” 

The girl's expression turned to one of  understanding for some reason. “Of course.” She put her hands together as if to pay and bowed her head a bit. “Namaste,” she said before walking away.

Creek was sure he was an idiot. Inviting Chelia over! What was he thinking! She would be here in ten minutes, should he cancel and say something came up. Poppy and the Snack Pack had invited him to a dinner today to celebrate friendship, but Creek had said he didn't want to intrude since they were probably celebrating years of friendship. They had urged him on, saying that he was their friend too, but he still didn't want to intrude. Poppy had texted him the address anyway, ‘just in case,’ she had added. For some reason, he was feeling guilty, no matter how many times he told himself that it wasn't cheating. It was just a dinner. 

He jumped at the sound of a knock. She was here.

He opened the door to find her standing there with a bag of ingredients. “Hi, sweetie!” She walked right passed him and into his home. “Nice place you've got here! Pretty small, but nice.” She placed her stuff on the kitchen counter. “So I was thinking we could have a little blast from the past and have some ratatouille for dinner.” She started unpacking her ingredients. "It was always your favorite."

Creek nodded with a smile. “That sounds great.” She smiled back at him.

Creek watched her as she cooked. There was only one word to describe how she cooked; mesmerizing. Back when they were together, he watched her cook all the time. It was nice to see her so focused and relaxed instead of yelling and angry. It felt nice to be able to do it again.

But, it had to end. “I'll be right back! I need to use the loo.”  

“Sweetie, can I look up how much pepper I put in again. It's been a while since I've made this.” 

“Of course!” Creek handed her his phone, thinking nothing of it. He, then, ran off to the restroom.

Chelia smirked when he was out of sight. The fool! She opened up his contacts and looked for a certain pink haired girl's number. He would be her fool soon. She heard a flush and quickly typed a message, sending it when she was done. She deleted it just as Creek came into view and exited out, handing him his phone. “A teaspoon,” she said with a smile. 

“What,” he asked, confused. 

“A teaspoon of pepper,” she explained. 

“Oh!” He looked at his phone before setting it down on the table to watch Chelia cook.

“... And I planned them a date!” Poppy exclaimed. “Satin and Chenille know who I'm talking about!” 

“Bridget is, like, the sweetest thing!” Satin squealed. 

“She was so fun to dress up,” Chenille agreed. 

“And she looked wonderful in the wig.” 

“Didn't she?!” 

The twins squealed with each other. 

“Wait a second, wait a second!” Cooper yelled, getting everyone's attention. “The wig actually came in handy for once?!”

“I know, right?! I couldn't believe it either!” 

“There is nothing wrong with that wig,” the twins yelled.

They all laughed. Poppy got the conversation going again. “Anyway, she told me they went rollerblading and they started playing her favorite song. And what do people do when they hear their favorite song?” 

“They sing along,” the Snack Pack answered. 

“Exactly! And he told her she had the most beautiful voice he'd ever heard.” Poppy sighed in awe, they were perfect for each other. 

“You know who else has the most beautiful voice we've ever heard,” Satin started with an evil smile.

“The King's!” The entire Snack Pack besides Poppy yelled. 

She semi glared at all of them. “You guys are seriously bringing him up again? I haven't seen that guy in years! I didn't even know his real name! He never even called me back!” 

“He would've been so perfect for you,” Guy gushed. 

“He had excellent style,” the twins complimented. 

“He was very sweet,” Biggie added.

“He had great moves,” Cooper put in.

“He used glitter accordingly,” Guy admitted.

“He picked excellent songs during competitions,” Suki could respect.

Fuzzbert made some signs. “What I would've done to have seen The King in his heyday,” Smidge translated before laughing. “You and I, both!” 

“Girl, he was meant for you!” Satin started. 

“You two were practically soulmates!” Chenille finished.

“The way he sang!” 

“As if he were singing to you !” 

Poppy rolled her eyes before Guy spoke up. “But she has Creek now!” 

“Yeah! I have Creek now!” Her phone buzzed. “Speaking of Creek, he sent me a text.” She opened it and read it.

“What does it say,” Smidge asked.

“Meet me at my place in ten,” she read. “Hm, you guys think I should go? I don't wanna bail on Friendship Night.” 

“Go, go!” Satin urged.

“He probably wants to start Valentines a little early,” Satin added with a smile and a wink.

Poppy blushed as they all laughed. “Are you guys sure?” 

“Of course,” they all yelled. “Go get him girl!” 

Poppy laughed as well. “OK, ok!”

Chelia watched him as he laughed at the joke. He seemed to be enjoying this. She should start now. She scooted a bit closer to him. “Creek?” She waited til he was looking at him. “I really missed you these past few months.” She put a hand on his thigh and leaned closer to him. “Did you miss me?” 

“... Yes,” he answered honestly. He had missed her so much! Her cooking, her beautiful hazel eyes, the way she made him feel, he missed all of it. And here she was, right in front of him. He leaned in. 

Things happened quickly after that. It didn't take long for things to get heated and both were nearly naked by the time a knock on the door came. 

Creek's head snapped towards the door. He wasn't expecting anyone. Chelia brought him back into a kiss. “Hurry up and get the door so we can continue this,” she whispered, seductively.

Creek smiled at her before getting up to put on his pants. 

As he headed towards the door, Chelia grabbed his shirt and put it on before following Creek. A smirk grew on her face. This was going to be brilliant !

Poppy smiled when Creek opened the door half naked. He had a habit of that. He seemed surprised to see her, though. That was weird. “Hi, Creek. Did you, um, need me for something?” 

She watched him as he tried to find words. He settled on one. “P-Poppy.”

“Who is it, sweetie,” called a familiar voice. Poppy watched as Chelia’s had popped out from behind Creek. And she was wearing his shirt.

Poppy had no words to describe how she felt right now, mostly because she didn't really feel anything right now. She looked from Chelia to Creek, hoping he understood that she wanted some answers. “I-I can explain,” he stuttered. “Ch-Chelia, could I- could I have a moment?” 

Chelia looked between the two and smiled. “Of course,” she said in a too chipper voice. 

Creek closed the door when she went inside. He turned to Poppy. “I'm sorry,” he said. “I-it just sort of...happened. A-and I know it's wrong, bu-but-”

“You don't have to apologize, Creek,” Poppy finally said. “But…” She looked at him. “Chelia, Creek? Are you kidding me?!” She sighed when she saw him flinch. “You told me how abusive she was. Every little horrible thing she did to you. You told me it all. Why would you want that again?” 

He didn't look her in the eye. “...I love her.” 

Poppy nodded. “Creek, from what I know, people like that don't change…” He looked at her, upset that she would say such a thing. “...I hope this a special case.” She held out a hand. “Bye, Creek.” 

Creek took it. “... Bye, Poppy.” 

After a good shake, Poppy started walking. She heard the door open and close… And then again. Confused, she turned to see Chelia walking towards her, a shit-eating grin plastered on her face. “I hope next time you'll know not to cross me.”

Poppy looked at her. She really had nothing to say to Chelia. She did have something to ask, though. “What did I ever do to you?” 

Chelia laughed that ugly laugh of hers. “After all these years, you're still so innocent and clueless!” She stopped laughing and looked her straight in the eye. “You never did anything to me, Poppy King. I just hated that stupid smile on your face,” she growled before turning around and heading back to Creek's apartment… All Poppy could think was, ‘Poor Creek’.

She got in her car and debated going home or going back to the dinner. She was sure that if she was alone, everything that had just happened would catch up to her and she would cry. If she went back to the dinner, she could tell the truth, but that would ruin the day for everyone. She didn't want that, but she didn't want to be alone either. She would just have to keep it in until after Valentine's day. It couldn't be that hard.

Chenille laughed way too hard at the story Guy had told. Biggie really needed to stop doing things he saw on Twitter. That's when she noticed a familiar brunette walk in. She smiled brightly as she stood up to call him over. “Branch!” 

Branch jumped at his name suddenly being called. He spotted Chenille at standing at a table with her friends. Why did she think they were friends?! 

Ok, maybe they were sort of friends, he could admit that. He cared, just a bit, though. He covered for her when Satin was on to her, just that one time though. And he always said hi in return to hers… Dammit, they were friends! 

He gave a reluctant wave and that caused her, Suki, and Biggie to come over to him. Come on! He just wanted some take out!

Satin watched as her sister walked over to that grump. She leaned towards Guy. “Since when did they become friends?” 

Guy shrugged, wondering the same question.

The rest of the Snack Pack watched as those three dragged a reluctant Branch over to their table. Branch felt so awkward as Chenille planted him right between her and Cooper, Smidge right by Cooper’s side and Fuzzbert right by hers. Cooper, he could handle, Fuzzbert, he was ok with, but Smidge kind of scared him. “Hi, Guys,” he said, awkwardly. He noticed that Suki and Chenille were on opposite sides of the round table. They still hadn't told them.

Satin glared at him. “How are your plants, Branch?”

Oh, great, Satin scared him too, now. “They're fine,” he squeaked. 

Satin's glare didn't fade. “Hm, maybe you should hire someone to help you with your shop instead of asking my sister. She's very busy, you know.” 

Chenille smacked her sister's arm. “I'm not! I can help you any time, Branch.” She said, sweetly, glancing over at Suki.

Branch felt even more awkward as Satin's glare intensified. “You have a shop,” Biggie asked. Biggie tried looking through his memory too see if he knew that. He didn't, though. Poppy had never mentioned him having a shop.

Branch nodded. Why was this so surprising? “It's a flower shop.” 

“How did you get a flower shop?” Cooper asked.

Branch shrugged with a forced smile. “Reasons.” He really didn't want to talk about this.

“How's Sprite,” Biggie asked, noticing how uncomfortable he was. 

Branch smiled, now that's something he'd love to talk about. “She's wonderful! She has habit of chewing things up, so I got her a bunch of toys for that. She also has a bunch of matching outfits for her little shoes.” 

“Ooh! Can we see,” Chenille asked.

Branch brought out his phone and showed them a picture of her latest outfit; lime green shoes with a fluffy jacket to match. 

“OMG she looks adorable,” Biggie cried. “Doesn't she, Guy?!” 

“Yes,” Guy admitted. “You should add rhinestones to her jacket.” 

Branch looked at the photo. “You think?” 

“Definitely,” Smidge agreed. 

“Oh, she looks so adorable,” Chenille gushed. “Lime green is so her color! Don't you think so, Satin?” 

Satin really didn't care, she just wanted Branch gone, away from them and away from Chenille. She looked at the photo anyway. “She'd look better in neon green,” she commented, aggravated. 

Branch took that into consideration. It was brighter and would compliment her white fur better. “Hm.” He smiled. “Thanks, Satin.”

She furrowed her brows. “You're welcome,” she said, sounding displeased. 

No body noticed for the next question asked was one they all thought would never be brought up again. “So, how's Mr. Dinkles?” Branch asked, truly wanting to know. He wished he hadn't, though, for everyone's smile vanished. 

Biggie looked down and that caused Branch to worry if something bad happened to him. He watched as Guy grabbed Biggie’s hand. “He, um, he had to be put down,” Guy explained.

“Oh,” was all Branch could say. “... I'm sorry I brought it up.” 

“It's fine,” Biggie said with an honest smile. “You couldn't have known. Only the Snack Pack knew.” 

“Still,” Branch said. “I know Mr. Dinkles meant a lot to you.” 

Biggie waved it off with his free hand. “He lived a full doggy life. It was time for him to go into that big doghouse in the sky.” 

Satin threw his arm around him. “Where he'll be fed-,” Satin started.

“His favorite dish,” Chenille finished. 

Guy squeezed his hand. “And where he can play all the games of fetch he wants without getting tired.” 

“And hell be able to enjoy those naps he loved so much,” Suki smiled. 

“Right on!” Cooper agreed. 

Fuzzbert made some signs. “And he can wear all the outfits he wants,” Smidge translated. They smiled at each other before turning to Biggie with the same smiles. “And in fifty years, when it's your turn, you'll be able to see him again.” 

Biggie laughed. That was going to be a long time, but he could wait. Anything for his dog. 

Branch watched the sweet moment unravel before him with a smile. “Hey, Biggie.” He waited until his eyes were in him. “If you're not busy tomorrow morning, Sprite needs a good walk at the dog park. I'd take her myself, but my shop's gonna be filled with clueless spouses who are gonna buy flowers at the last minute.” 

Biggie smiled. “Are you serious?” 

Guy looked between the two and smiled. Maybe Branch wasn't as bad as they all thought. 

“Yup,” Branch answered. “I haven't taken her in a while and the back yard doesn't compare. Could you do that for me? Assuming you and Guy don't have anything planned in the morning.”

“We don't,” Guy answered, the smile still on his face. “But I guess we do now.” 

“Great!” Branch clasped his hands together. “Chenille can text you the address.” 

“That, I can do,” Chenille said, proudly. 

Satin glared between the two before her phone buzzed. She turned it on to see a notification of a text from Rudy. Turns out, he hadn't been a creep, just a sweet, handsome guy worried about the safety of a stranger. She opened the text to see a photo of him and some magenta haired guy  looking into the camera, unamused, as what she assumed was a happy couple were feeding each other behind him. The girl had lime green hair while the guy, noticeably shorter, had beautiful, glittery, and rosy purple hair. They looked sweet together. The text read, “Come with us, they said. It'll be fun, they said.” 

Satin giggled. He was such a fool. Should she text him back? Maybe not now, she was enjoying friendship dinner. But… “Selfie!” Everyone got positioned and Satin took the group photo. Everyone yelled, “Send it to the group chat!” She would, of course. She looked at the photo and was glad that Branch was covering his face. She didn’t want him in the picture. She added the caption, “Hanging with my friends!” Before sending it. He replied in an instant. ‘You have a twin sister?!’, with a bunch of surprised emojis. She chuckled as the conversation at the table continued without her. 

“You’re secretly nice,” Smidge accused. 

“No, I’m not,” Branch deflected. “Sprite just needs some fresh air.” 

“Mmhm,” she said, not buying it. “Sure.” 

“Do you play video games,” Cooper asked.

“No!” Chenille screamed. 

“Yes, you should come play video games with us!” Smidge agreed. Fuzzbert nodded.

“Absolutely not,” Biggie demanded.

“You three are always trying to bring people into your video games,” Guy scolded.

“The accents over there,” Smidge said, gesturing toward those with accents. “Are only angry because they can't control themselves.” 

“Apparently Satin didn't leave the couch for three days cause she was playing Tri Force Heroes,” Cooper explained with a serious face that made Branch want up laugh so fast. 

Satin looked up from her phone, barely hearing her name. “What?” 

“That is not true,” Chenille yelled, defending her sister. “She had to get up to use the bathroom!”

“She took the DS with her,” Suki reminded.

That's it, Branch was laughing. That caused everyone else to start laughing and Branch was feeling pretty good. He hadn't laughed this hard in years! This was actually quite nice.

Poppy looked at them through the windshield of her car. They were laughing and having a great time. That would usually fill her up with happiness knowing her friends were ok when she wasn't around, but this time was different. They weren't alone.

Branch was there. 

Of all the damn people they could have chosen, it was Branch. 

There was a feeling inside her that she didn't like. It was the same feeling she got when her supposed friends in freshman year chose Chelia over her; betrayal. That's what she felt. She started her car again. Perhaps it was a good idea to go back home.

Chapter Text

“... and so I didn't know that he had to put him down,” Branch explained. They both were sitting at the edge of his bed, waiting for Sprite to come.

Cybil furrowed her brow. “Does this boy have light blue hair?” 

Branch looked at her, surprised. “Yeah, actually.”

“I've met him before, at the New Year's party.” He had been with his boyfriend, crying, and she couldn't help but ask him what was wrong. He told her everything and she had given him some advice to help him heal. 

Branch smiled. “So you know what I'm talking about?” Cybil nodded and he smiled brightly. “So afterwards, his friends cheered him up and I offered him a chance to take Sprite out, and that's why we're waiting here.” 

Cybil nodded. “Can you even hear the doorbell from up here?” 

Branch nodded, pointing at his ear. “Excellent hearing.” 

Cybil laughed. “Of course.” Cybil wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but she was sure she saw his ear twitch just now. 

“They're here,” he smiled, proudly. He got up and exited the room before he realized Cybil wasn't following. He popped his head back in the room. “You coming?” 

She shook her head. “I'll just wait here, don't want to ruin your reunion, Sprite will just come straight to me.” 

“She will not,” Branch said, offended. 

She raised a brow and smirked. “Want to test it?” 

“... Just wait here,” he said before his head disappeared. 

Cybil chuckled before looking around. This was her first time in Branch's room and, from what she could tell, all that talk about being a clean person didn't apply to his room. There were albums everywhere, things that she was sure he never would've bought himself, clothes in the floor that she had never seen him wear, empty bottles of whatever, a giant, empty wooden board on top of a drawer, and a pile of notebooks at the corner next to it. 

She had caught him in the middle of writing, something, she noticed, he did a lot. She looked at the purple notebook on his desk, that one had to be more recent. She wasn't one to be nosy, but a feeling inside her told her to read what he had written. She got up and did so. “Things I love about Cybil,” she read aloud and smiled.

The list consisted of seven things. 

• How she thinks being barefoot is OK

Cybil chuckled. 

• How she laughs at my worries of her barefooted-ness

Cybil snorted.

• How her hair is all shades of green
• How her bindi is purple

Cybil's hand went to her bindi on instinct. 

• How she knows exactly what to say
• Her excitement for her beliefs
• How her piercings shine in the moonlight

Cybil's hand went to her ear with a smile. He was definitely a keeper. What else had he written? She tried flipping through it, but there was nothing else. She put the thing back down and headed towards the bed to look around. It shouldn't take that long to give a dog back. They were probably having a conversation. That gave her more time to snoop! She went over to the pile of notebooks and randomly chose one. She opened it to a random page and, looking at the style, realized that they were poems. She started reading.

Your eyes,

They're like two pools

So deep I fear,

If I dive in,

I might never come up for air.

And your smile!

The sun itself turns, jealous,

And refuses to come out from behind the clouds,

Knowing it cannot shine half as bright.

Cybil smiled. What a beautiful poem! It was made a few years back, according to the date. So, it wasn't made for her, so what?! It was still a beautiful poem. She closed it and grabbed one that looked more fresh. She flipped through it and there was only five pages used. Why would he waste so much paper? Looking at the last poem, she realized it was dated two days before they met. 

When you look in the mirror,

What do you see?

Do you like what you see?

Do you hate it?

I do,

No matter what I wear, 

How I look,

What I see

I always hate it.

Why, you ask.

If you entered my mind,

You would see,

Why the only person I hate in this world 

Is me.

Cybil's brow furrowed. That was a bit deep. She flipped to the next page. 

Why did this happen?

Why did this happen? 

I don’t know. 

I finally had you in my arms but it was you who decided to let go.

A very interesting poem. She wondered what it could mean.

She glanced at the board, wondering what the heck could be on it and why it was turned around. She set the notebook down on the drawer, carefully, before grabbing the board. She turned it around and her eyes widened. 

Branch walked into his room, holding an enthusiastic Sprite. He almost dropped her when he saw Cybil holding the collage.

Sprite, upon seeing Cybil, broke free from Branch and ran to her feet. Cybil looked down at her with a smile and got on her knees to pet her. “You love her,” Cybil said. 

Branch was at loss for words. She saw the collage. He knew he should have burned that thing! “Well, she is my daughter,” he replied, weakly. 

She looked at him with mirth in her eyes. “I meant Poppy.” 

Branch could feel his heart racing. “That was a long time ago.” 

Cybil stood up, Sprite in her arms, and looked at the collage again. “Doesn't look like a long time ago.” She traced her hand over the notebook. “Doesn't sound like it, either.” She looked at him, confused. “Tell me, Branch. If you love her, why are you with me?”

His has was spinning, but he had to say something! “Look, what I had with Poppy-”

“Isn't over,” she interrupted. She put Sprite down, who ran to jump on the bed the second her feet touched the ground. She gave Branch a look. “You told me it was nothing, you told me there was no deal, you told me you barely even friends.” She looked at the collage. “You didn't tell me it was love.” 

“It's not l-” he tried to defend himself. 

“It is,” she interrupted, her voice raising. Branch stared at her, eyes wide. Cybil never raises her voice. She took a deep breath before turning to him with a soft smile. “Why on earth did you think dating someone else would heal you?” Everything made sense now. His determination when he asked her out, when he became awkward around Poppy, why he was distracted during training. It was like pieces of a puzzle had been placed together and the picture was now clear. 

“I-I…” He didn't know how to respond to that. Of course, he had thought Cybil would help him heal. He could see a beautiful future with Cybil. But it didn’t come close to the one he saw with Poppy. He didn't want to voice that, though.

“You're not over her, Branch, not by a long shot. I can see it in your face right now, I can see it in all of this,” she pointed at everything before her. She started laughing at the stuff and Branch still wasn't sure how to react. 

“I'm sorry,” he said, that's all he could say. What else was there to say? She had said everything for him, displayed his feelings for him to finally see. 

“I know you are,” she said, turning to him with mirth in her eyes. She walked over to him and brought him into a hug. “Somehow,” she started, solemn. “I knew this was coming. I have no doubt that you love me, Branch. But you will never love me the way you love her. I can tell. When it’s just the two of us, when we’re at a restaurant, when we’re laughing together, when we’re having fun, even when you look at me with that beautiful smile of yours, I can tell that you feel something missing.” She broke the hug and held out a hand. “I think it’s best we stay friends.”

Branch took a second to take it, so many thoughts were swirling through his head. “I’m really sorry,” Branch said again. 

Cybil shook her head and smiled at him. “Never apologize for how you feel.” She broke her hand free and went over to pat Sprite on the head. “Just…” She turned to him, contemplating. “Don’t become a stranger, ok?” She gave him a small smile. 

He gave her a reassuring one. “I won’t.” 

That got her smile to brighten. “Well, I think I’m gonna head home. Gotta count how much money I can waste on discount chocolate tomorrow.” Branch let out a silent laugh at that. After giving a kiss to Sprite, she walked over to Branch and placed a kiss on his nose. “Thanks for the experience, Branch.” And with that, she left. 

Branch waited until he could hear the door close before moving from where he stood. He sat down on his bed and started crying. Not for Cybil, not for himself, but for Poppy. Why was she always on his mind? Why was it her that he fell for? He couldn’t have fallen for someone else, no! It had to Poppy, the most beautiful, the sweetest, the kindest person he ever met. The complete opposite of him! And yet, it was her who won his heart. He could admit that she would have been his type if none of his past traumas had happened. He laid there and started thinking about that one night , letting sleep consume him when it did. 

Cybil opened the door of her house. No one was home. Good. She closed the door behind her...before falling to her knees. She couldn’t stop the cries that came from her mouth or the tears that came from her eyes. 

She hated it, she hated it so much. It didn’t matter how much time had passed or how well she would get to know people, how much she loved, it didn’t matter at all because she would always be considered a friend. She would never find the love her father had with her mother because she was always too perfect as a friend to be anything else. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how many times she confessed, she was always rejected. Rejection, she had gotten used to it. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. 

She stood up and tried wiping the tears away, thankful that her father wasn’t home to see her crying over the dumbest thing. He wouldn’t scold her, knowing how important love was to both of them. Especially after how much it changed him. 

She walked over to her mother’s ashes, a beautiful portrait of her mother behind it. Her mother had been from Japan, a strong believer of the ways of Zen but also loved to travel. And, one day, she had traveled to Ireland, where she met her dad. Her dad knew nothing about the ways of Zen, but, for her mother, he had been willing to learn. 

Just like Branch had, which was why she had thought he was the one. She should have known better than to fall for someone with emotional baggage. “Mom,” she spoke. “I wish you were here...I really hate having to figure out this love stuff on my own.” She chuckled when she caught her reflection on her mother’s vase. She looked terrible. “I think I’m gonna go wash all this makeup off, mom. It’s no use to me anymore.” She chuckled as she entered the restroom to get rid of it. 

When she got out, she looked at her mother’s portrait again and smiled. “You met dad at a pub, you told me. The last place you’d think to find yourself. I don’t know what place that is for me, but I know I’ll find it one day. Until then, I’ll be the person everyone needs me to be, the person I want to be. I’ll be a friend to everyone until I find the love you mentioned would happen to me.” She smiled at her mother before going to the couch and turning the tv on. Maybe her favorite movies were on on Freeform right now.

He sighed as he woke up, his face dry with tears. All memories of what happened early came rushing back. Poppy. He loved her, that was true, but what was the point? He would never be able to compete with Creek. Even if he was a fake, Poppy loved his ‘wisdom’, and his colorful hair, and that he comes to all her parties, and that he tells her poetry out loud, that’s not even good, but she loves it all. She loves him ! What she told him that one night didn’t matter at all right now because time had passed since then...and there was no way to get it back. 

He had to stop thinking about her. He had to completely cut her out of his mind. Out of his life. He sat up on his bed, his arms weak. That didn’t stop him from getting up and going down stairs to get some bags.  

Sprite hopped off the bed and followed, wondering what her owner was going to do.

He went in his closet and threw notebook after notebook full of poetry in one of the bags, over 200 poems about her and only her. After that, he left the closet and went all over his room, throwing everything she ever bought him into another bag, all the teddy bears, all the albums, all the books, the scented hand sanitizer bottles, the shoes, the clothes, anything! By the time he was done, there was four bags full of anything that reminded him of her right at his door.

Finally, he went up to a collage that had all the pictures of them from the past six years and placed it with the bags. They were mostly pictures of herself trying to get him into the photo. Some he would actually pose with her. And then there was that one . It was a picture from that one night that Poppy had taken. One could see their bare shoulders and that their hair was messed up. Ugh. And that horrible ugly clown painting that had been in the motel they had rented. Poppy had taken it to remember that night and had had it processed the next day when they stopped by a CVS for some snacks for the trip back home.

He shook the memory out of his head and grabbed a bag. He was out in the alleyway of the store where the garbage can was and he held the bag above it. He tried to drop it, he really did. He urged his hand to let go and to let it drop in there with a satisfying splat, but as time passed on and his hand still hadn’t let go, he realized that it wasn’t going to be satisfying. He sighed at his own stupidity as he went back inside, bag in hand. He couldn’t throw it away. He couldn’t throw any of this away! It was just too precious, a part of him! He settled for locking it all up in the attic. Hopefully, he’d never had to bring them out of there.

Word traveled around quickly the next day. This was a day no one would ever thought would come, a day no one could have predicted, but it did and everyone was confused. Was it really happening? There was evidence from Moxie and Karma and everyone else who was there confirmed it as well yet everyone was in complete denial of the event that had happened that morning. 

Poppy didn’t go to Hug Time. 

The entire school was bursting about it, wondering where she was and what she was doing? Why did she miss it? Where was she? Was she gonna go to it tomorrow? Did something happen? What was going on? Many people had tried contacting her about it, but she hadn’t been answering anyone’s calls for a few weeks now. No one knew what was on her mind and no one knew what she was doing. No one knew where she was. 

That was until she got out of a light blue car and had a look of frustration on her face. “I honestly don’t care. Cancel it.” She slammed the car door. 

No one had ever heard her sound so done before. It was actually kind of frightening. 

“It’s not my fault you booked it on the same day, the facts are, you booked it for me first. I’m paying a lot of money to host it there, especially since I assumed that there weren’t going to be any problems.” 

She didn’t notice anyone looking at her as she walked across the campus to her class. 

“Well, I can see that. I want this problem fixed before the end of the month, thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have another call waiting. Bye!... Hello! Yes, this is Poppy King and I’m calling about a cake. I was hoping I could come in later to discuss a design?”

How did she change moods so quickly?!

“Really?! That’s great. I’ll be coming sometime around five, will that be ok?...Great! Thanks! Bye!” Poppy hung up the phone satisfied with at least one thing this morning. 

Except, the hair on the back of her neck were standing. She quickly turned around to catch everyone starting at her before they all jumped away, pretending to be doing anything else. All except a small group that consisted of Moxie, Karma, and Maddie. 

Moxie took a step towards her. “Poppy, is something going on?” 

Poppy looked confused. What on earth could they be talking about? “No, why?” 

“Well, it’s just that,” Maddie started. “You...you know, um-”

“You didn’t come to Hug Time this morning,” Karma came out and said it. 

The other two girls agreed. 

“...I didn’t come to Hug Time?” 

“Yeah,” Moxie confirmed. 

“So...you’re here because I didn’t come to hug time?”

The girls were getting a bit confused. “Yeah,” they confirmed again. 

Poppy nodded before holding up a finger. “Graduation is in three months and whether I like it or not, my grades have been slipping, so I need to focus my attention on that first.” She held up another. “My father has entrusted me to handle some things at the school as well before I start working here after graduation, so I’m also busy with that.” She held up a third. “I have a job that also requires most of my attention.” She held up one more. “And, because of my last name, I’m going to be the Commencement Speaker come graduation and I need a speech planned by then.” She put her hand down and looked at them, unamused. “What makes you think I have time for Hug Time?”

The three girls were speechless, they had no clue what to say. It didn’t help that Poppy started walking away, not giving them the slightest chance to answer back. So, that was it? Poppy wasn’t going to be coming to Hug Time anymore? The girls looked at each other before turning to everyone who had been listening. They were just as shocked as the girls were. 

“Poppy!” 

Everyone’s heads snapped towards the voice. It was the Snack Pack, they’re expressions completely baffled. What was going on now?

Suki held up a letter once they stood before Poppy. “What is this?” 

Poppy looked at the letter and recognition came quickly. “That is my resignation letter. I’m quitting the group.” In all honesty, the events of the other day had nothing to do with it. That letter had been last week before she had headed off to Bergen Cuisine because she wasn’t lying when she said she barely had time for anything anymore. She was incredibly sad to have to send that letter but the events of the other day completely washed that feeling away. Now, the letter was a blessing. 

Everyone around them gasped. Poppy was quitting the Snack Pack?! That couldn’t be right! The Snack Pack had been together since High School! Poppy couldn’t quit! Why were there so many surprises today?!

The Snack Pack looked at her like she was crazy. “What?” They all asked in unison. 

“I’m quitting the group,” she said. “I don’t have time for it anymore. I have a lot of things going on right now and I can’t be distracted. Sorry, guys.” 

She started to walk past them, but they all took a step sideways to block her. “But, there’s a gig next week, dude!” Cooper exclaimed. “You can’t just bail!”

Poppy shrugged. “It’s not my problem anymore.” This time, instead trying to walk around them, she walked through them and was satisfied when they moved out of her way. 

“What are we gonna do without you,” Chenille asked, worried. 

“Find someone to replace me.” Then she turned around, smiled, and said in the most chipper voice, “You guys are good at that,” before turning and walking away again. 

“Wh-wha- Wai-wait,” Guy sputtered, but she was already on her way. He turned to the others. “What did she mean by that?” 

They all shrugged. 

“She’s not coming to Hug Time anymore,” someone said behind them. They all turned to find Moxie Dewdrop, Karma and Maddie behind her. “She says she doesn’t have time for Hug Time.”

“She invented Hug Time,” Biggie cried. 

Moxie shrugged. “We don’t really understand it, either. Did something happen to her? Is she alright?”

They all looked at each other before looking at the trio. “We honestly don’t know.” 

Maddie sighed. “Well, I hope whatever this is blows over. She seemed pretty agitated this morning.”

“Maybe you guys should talk to her,” Karma suggested. 

“Yeah, we should,” Smidge agreed, looking back at the way Poppy had left. She was gone now, but that didn’t stop her from staring. What on earth was wrong with Poppy, it truly sounded like she didn’t care what happened to the Snack Pack. Something was definitely wrong here.

Branch made sure to lock the truck before getting out. It was going to be weird today, not having anyone to talk to. It had been so long since that had happened. It was usually Cybil he would talk to, and before that it had been… Well, it didn’t really matter, now. He would just have to get used to it again. 

“Branch!” He heard from two different directions. When he looked right, he found the snack pack walking towards him. When he looked left, he found Cybil. He suddenly looked forward, finding this completely weird. He stood still as they all came closer to him and both sides stopped to stare at the other. 

“I know you,” Cybil and Biggie yelled excitedly. 

Smidge looked at the green haired girl. “How do you know her, Biggie?” 

“We met during the new year’s party,” Cybil explained before she and Biggie started going into detail. 

Chenille discreetly made her way to Branch as everyone else listened intently to the story. “Ok,” she said to him, handing him a piece of paper. 

“What’s this,” he asked. 

“It’s a coupon for a smoothie!” 

Branch distinctly remembered that she and Suki had a whole lot of those. “How do you guys have so many coupons for smoothies?” 

Chenille smiled. “Oh, I never told you? I work there, so I get all these coupons. It comes in handy when you have a girlfriend who loves smoothies,” she whispered. Branch chuckled along with her just as Cybil finished her story. 

Cooper nodded. “So...who exactly are you?” 

“Oh! I’m Cybil,” she held out her hand. “I’m Branch’s friend.” Everyone took turns shaking it and introducing themselves. 

Suki shook her hand, eyeing her. Her wavy hair had all colors of green highlights, some even to the point of teal. And she had a purple bindi between her brows. So this was Cybil? She looked like a very tranquil person, with her healing stone bracelets and flower bandana around her head. She didn’t look like someone Branch would date. But she hadn’t said girlfriend. She said friend. When had they broken up? 

Cybil’s hand glided to Satin next, who only looked at it as she said, “I wasn’t aware Branch had friends.”

Cybil’s hand went down, defeated. “Oh? Then what are you all?” 

Chenille went over and smacked her sister’s arm. She glared at her as she said, “We’re his friends.” 

Cybil gave a hesitant nod. That girl was the only one who didn’t seem to think so. “So, how do you all know Branch?” 

“We’ve known him since High school,” Guy explained. “It wasn’t until recently that we started hanging out with him.” 

Cybil smiled. “What happened?” 

Guy furrowed his brow. What did happen? “I think...Chenille happened,” he tried. Yeah, it was Chenille that brought him to them. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Smidge agreed. Fuzzbert made some signs. “They said that Chenille was always the one to bring him into the conversation.” 

Branch smacked his forehead. Did she just say ‘they’? He had been using the he, him pronouns! Thank goodness he never used them in front of hi- their face! 

Everyone turned to Chenille. She looked at them, confused. “What?” 

“How did you get so chummy with Branch,” Satin asked, arms crossed, brows furrowed. 

Chenille opened her mouth and then closed it. She couldn’t tell them without outing herself. She looked at Suki, who slightly shook her head. Maybe she could twist the truth a bit. “Well, you see, I went with Suki, here,” She explained, putting her arm around her, “to the Pride parade to support her. And there was this guy trying to cause trouble, and Branch threw his smoothie at him and drove us home.” 

Guy turned to Branch. “You were at the Pride Parade?” 

Branch blushed before looking away. “Look, as much I want to go and get smoothies with you all, I do have a class, ya know. And I’m probably late now, so...bye!” He hastily made his escape. 

Cybil smirked. “Introverts.” She turned to everyone else. “So, you guys are going out for smoothies?” 

“Yeah,” Suki said. “Wanna come? We kind of just lost our plus one.” 

“I’d love to!” They started walking in the group. 

“So, how do you know Branch,” Biggie asked. 

“I’m his master,” she answered. “I moved here during winter break and my dad thought it was a good idea to invite businesses around us and Branch’s flower shop just happened to be there.” 

“What do you teach?” Guy asked. 

“My father and I teach the ways of Zen,” she explained. “Branch is doing his best to find happiness in his life.” She frowned. “He’s not really good at it.” 

Satin snorted. “When has he ever been?” 

Chenille gave her a look before turning back to Cybil. “He’s sort of new at this,” she explained. 

Cybil laughed. “Oh, I can tell! He’s not happy at all, right now. Wait, no, that’s not true. He’s a tiny bit happy, but there’s something missing.” Or someone.

“What’s missing,” Smidge asked. 

“It’s not really my place to say.” She smiled at them all. “So, where did you say this smoothie shop was?” 

Cybil only came to the mall when she really needed to. It was always too crowded and she wasn’t much for shopping. Also, she always felt so detached from reality being inside one. Something always rubbed her the wrong way about being in a place that only valued your consumption. So, basically America in general. But, of course, this is where the smoothie place was. It was a nice, colorful store that had all kinds of smoothie flavors and you could even create your own by picking out the fruit you want. According to Chenille, they sometimes had special events if money was good and would import fruits from other countries and have a culture themed smoothie day. Now that was something Cybil would love to see. And she was about to. 

“...while I was trying to meditate,” Cybil went on, telling her story. “Sprite is just such an adorable little spirit and it’s hard to focus when she’s around.” She turned to him with a smile. “And that’s why we don’t meditate at his place anymore.” 

Biggie laughed before turning to Guy. “Didn’t Mr. Dinkles used to interrupt Creek’s meditation when he came to our apartment?”

Guy barked out a laugh. “He did!” 

“Creek is such a beautiful name,” Cybil commented. “Who is he?” 

“He’s our friend too,” Cooper explained. “Don’t he teach the ways of Zen, too?” 

Guy gasped. “He does! You actually might like him, Cybil! He’s very kind.”

“And sweet,” Chenille added. 

“But don’t go falling for him,” Cooper teased. 

“He already belongs to Poppy,” Satin smiled, finally talking about a decent guy. 

Cybil gasped. “So that’s Poppy’s boyfriend?!”

They all turned to her. “You know Poppy,” Smidge asked. 

Cybil nodded. “I met her a few weeks ago.” Cybil gasped again. “You guys must be the friends she was talking about!” 

“Have you talked to her recently?” Biggie asked. 

Cybil shook her head. “I haven’t talked to her since that day.” 

Everyone felt a tang of disappointment. They were really hoping that someone knew what was wrong. They had tried to invite her here, but she wasn’t answering her phone or any texts. So they decided to invite Branch. 

“Branch likes smoothies,” Chenille had suggested. 

Everyone turned to her. “How do you know that,” Satin had asked, a slight glare on her face. 

“I just do.” 

So Branch had been invited, but had to blow them off for class. So here was Cybil, who knew nothing as well. 

Smidge looked towards Fuzzbert when they started tapping her shoulder, rapidly. When they saw they had her attention, they pointed forwards. Smidge looked towards where they were pointing. “Uh, guys.” They all looked towards her. “Speaking of Poppy and Creek…” They all looked towards where she was looking. Creek was at the Smoothie shop too. Which meant Poppy wasn’t far behind! 

“Creek,” Guy called before they all rushed over to him. 

Cybil watched as the guy looked surprised, something she only knew due to his actions for his eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses. “H-hey, guys,” he forced a smile as they approached his table. “What are you guys doing here?” He looked familiar.

Guy smiled. “Well, we just came to get a smoothie! Same?” 

Creek kept his forced smile as he nodded. 

“Is Poppy here,” Satin asked.

Creek’s smile dropped. “Um, uh, no, she’s not.” 

“Do you know what’s wrong with her,” Chenille asked. “She kind of bailed on us the other day.” 

“In more ways than one,” Satin added. 

Creek shook his head. “She hasn’t told me anything.” 

“So you’re Poppy’s boyfriend?” Everyone turned to Cybil. Cybil could barely place her finger on it. She had seen that colorful hair before. 

“Uh…” Was all he could answer. “...don’t I know you?” He asked, confused. Everyone turned to her.

So they had met. But when? The jumpy attitude, the colorful hair, the bright yellow aura that didn’t necessarily mean he was happy. It was never that simple. Suddenly it clicked. “We met at the toy store,” she answered. 

Creek snapped his fingers. “That’s right!” Then he suddenly frowned, probably remembering what she had said. Now that she thought about it, that girl he was with wasn’t Poppy. 

She smiled. “So, why are you wearing sunglasses inside? Are you a model trying to hide?” Of course, she had an idea why he was wearing sunglasses. 

Biggie laughed. “That wouldn’t be so far from the truth, you do look like a model,” he complimented. 

Creek gave a small smile. “Thank you.” 

“So, do you have any idea where Poppy is at the moment,” Guy asked, hopefully. 

As they talked, Cybil made her way around the table. 

“Uh, not a clue,” he answered. “Have you tried calling her?”

“Yeah,” Cooper answered. “She don’t answer, though.” 

“Have you all tried visiting her house?” 

“She’s never there,” The twins answered. 

“What about school?”

“She quit the Snack Pack,” Suki informed. “That was the only way to see her now a days. Now, she’s ignoring us, saying we’ve replaced her or something.” 

“Oh,” was all Creek could say. So none of this had to do with their breakup, that was a relief. He turned when someone tapped his shoulder from behind and, suddenly, everything was brighter. 

“I knew it,” Cybil said as he saw that he sported a good shiner. She heard the others gasp.

Creek suddenly stood up, reaching for the sunglasses. “Give those back!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Guy cried, getting in between them. He grabbed Creek’s shoulders. “Who did this to you?!” 

“She did it, didn’t she? The girl I warned you about,” Cybil stated. 

Creek glared at her. “I told you, it’s not your place!” 

“Girl,” Biggie questioned. “What girl?” 

“Give me, ugh, my glasses,” Creek ordered, trying to get through Guy. 

“Creek, what’s going on here?” Guy asked, worried for his friend. A girl did this? But who- No. No! “Don’t tell me Chelia’s here?”

Creek froze. This wasn’t something he wanted them to find out. He didn’t want them to find out he had left Poppy, he didn’t want them to find out he was with Chelia again, he didn’t want them to find out what a coward he was! Speaking of being a coward, he had to get those glasses. He surprised Guy by pushing him out of the way and lunged for the glasses in that girl’s hands. 

Cybil didn’t expect to be tackled down by the guy at all. Apparently, neither did he for he had a look of surprise as he took a look at the position they were in. His face heated up, but he made no effort to move. That was until a hoarse, angry voice called his name. “ Creek .” He instantly scrambled off of her and Cybil took this chance to sit up and look up at the girl. She had glossy blue hair that could definitely use a combing, mascara that reminded her of spider’s legs, and lips that looked like they could be painted with blood. She had the reddest aura Cybil had ever seen, and she had met some sadistic people. She watched on as Creek tried to defend himself.

“I-it wasn’t what it looked like,” he stuttered in fear. “Y-y-you see, I-I was just- She took my sunglasses a-and I was j-just trying to get them back! I-I...” Creek sighed before looking down and sinking even further into the ground. “I’m sorry, Love” he finished.

Cybil watched as the woman only stared at him, not even looking like she might accept his apology. She took a glance at Branch’s friends, they all stood there, unsure of what to do. As did many on lookers. The girl took a few steps towards him before kicking him in the chest. “Get up,” she ordered. 

Now, it’s a known fact from everyone who ever knew her, that Cybil wasn’t a violent person. But she couldn’t just sit there and watch an innocent guy be punished for no reason. So, the next thing she knew, she was off the ground on pushing the girl away from him. “Leave him alone!” 

The girl only looked at her as if she might laugh. “Oh my goodness. You’re really picking a fight with me? Me? Do you know who I am?!”

Cybil glared at her. “You know, people who often say that are really just assholes.” 

The girl did not look amused as she tried to land a punch. Cybil, of course, blocked it with both arms crossed in front of her face, the arms of which she used to push the girl away again, causing the girl to be even more surprised. 

The girl’s glare intensified. “Ok, now you’re asking for it,” she seethed as she tried to lunge forward. 

Keyword; tried. There was no possible way the girl was going to land a punch, Cybil didn’t take all those years of Ninjutsu for nothing. She wouldn’t lay a finger on the girl either, though, she would only dodge. It was against her teaching to use it on those who didn’t know it. Cybil pushed the girl away again. 

The fight hadn’t even lasted a minute before someone grabbed her arm after pushing the girl away once more. She turned to see Creek looking at her with pleading eyes. “Please stop,” he pleaded. She opened her mouth to say something, what, she didn’t know, but that was before her senses heightened and she pulled him with her out of the way of his girlfriends next lunge. 

She landed on the floor and looked like she was about to explode. “Creek,” she said in an incredibly low tone. “We’re going.” She stood up and dusted herself off, not looking in their direction. “...Now!” She yelled when she didn’t hear him coming. 

He let go of Cybil’s arm and she honestly couldn’t believe that he was going with her. It was her turn to grab his arm. He looked at her, confused. 

“Three,” the girl said, holding up three fingers. 

Cybil glared at her before turning back to Creek. “I can’t let you go with her, it’s against everything I stand for.” 

“Two,” she put down one finger.

Creek looked between them before removing her hand from his arm. He gave her one last glance before going to Chelia. 

“One,” she yelled before turning around. She smiled, as if she knew Creek would be right behind her when she was done counting. It sickened Cybil to no end, some people in this world just weren’t really people. She watched as the girl grabbed Creeks arm and dragged him along like some kind of dog. 

Cybil shook her head before turning to Branch’s friends. “Are you guys ok?” Whatever trance they were in was suddenly put to a stop as they all looked at her, surprised. They all ran over to her, asking her if she was the one who was ok. Cybil waved off their worries. “It’s nothing, guys. She couldn’t land a punch on me.” She looked over to where the couple had been walking, they were gone now. “She sure did land one on him, though.” 

Guy burried his face in his hands. “I can’t believe he went back to her!” 

“After everything we did for him!” Satin cried. 

“Guys,” Chenille tried to interrupt. 

“That just ain’t right,” Cooper said. 

“Yeah,” Smidge agreed. She watched as Fuzzbert made some signs. “Poor Creek, I wish there was a way to really help him,” Smidge translated. “Me too, bud, me too.” 

“Guys,” Chenille tried to interrupt again. 

“We should do something, guys,” Biggie suggested. 

“Like what,” Suki asked, angry. “He literally blew off Cybil’s help, what makes you think he wants help?” 

“Guys,” Chenille yelled. They all finally turned to her. “Creek is with Chelia now. Do you know what that means?!” They all gave her blank stares. She glared at them. “Poppy!” 

It all suddenly sunk in. “Oh my gah!” They all yelled. “We have to find her,” Biggie cried. 

“She’s probably crying her eyes out right now,” Smidge added. 

“That’s probably what’s wrong with her,” Guy though aloud. 

“That means we have to find her and cheer her up,” Suki suggested. “C’mon guys, let’s go!” 

They all followed Suki as Chenille stayed behind. She turned to Cybil. “Do you wanna come? We could use a bit more cheering up for Poppy. When she’s sad, she tends to be a bit...hysterical,” she went with. 

Cybil had a small smile as she shook her head. “No, I’ll just stay here, not let my coupon go to waste, ya know.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah! You should go, Poppy needs you.” 

Chenille nodded. “Hope we get to hang out some other time,” she said before running off towards the others. 

Cybil watched as they went before looking towards where the couple had left once again. She felt like...Well, she couldn’t place how she felt, it was just very disturbing. She wanted to help, but how did one help someone who didn’t want any help? It was very frustrating on her part and definitely frightening on his. She wished there was something she could do. 

A twinkling caught her eye and she looked down to see that the sunglasses were still there. She picked them up and gave them a good look. Well, this was definitely going to haunt her for the rest of the day.

Branch made sure to lock the truck before getting out. It was going to be weird today, not having anyone to talk to. It had been so long since that had happened. It was usually Cybil he would talk to, and before that it had been… Well, it didn’t really matter, now. He would just have to get used to it again. 

“Branch!” He heard from two different directions. When he looked right, he found the snack pack walking towards him. When he looked left, he found Cybil. He suddenly looked forward, finding this completely weird. He stood still as they all came closer to him and both sides stopped to stare at the other. 

“I know you,” Cybil and Biggie yelled excitedly. 

Smidge looked at the green haired girl. “How do you know her, Biggie?” 

“We met during the new year’s party,” Cybil explained before she and Biggie started going into detail. 

Chenille discreetly made her way to Branch as everyone else listened intently to the story. “Ok,” she said to him, handing him a piece of paper. 

“What’s this,” he asked. 

“It’s a coupon for a smoothie!” 

Branch distinctly remembered that she and Suki had a whole lot of those. “How do you guys have so many coupons for smoothies?” 

Chenille smiled. “Oh, I never told you? I work there, so I get all these coupons. It comes in handy when you have a girlfriend who loves smoothies,” she whispered. Branch chuckled along with her just as Cybil finished her story. 

Cooper nodded. “So...who exactly are you?” 

“Oh! I’m Cybil,” she held out her hand. “I’m Branch’s friend.” Everyone took turns shaking it and introducing themselves. 

Suki shook her hand, eyeing her. Her wavy hair had all colors of green highlights, some even to the point of teal. And she had a purple bindi between her brows. So this was Cybil? She looked like a very tranquil person, with her healing stone bracelets and flower bandana around her head. She didn’t look like someone Branch would date. But she hadn’t said girlfriend. She said friend. When had they broken up? 

Cybil’s hand glided to Satin next, who only looked at it as she said, “I wasn’t aware Branch had friends.”

Cybil’s hand went down, defeated. “Oh? Then what are you all?” 

Chenille went over and smacked her sister’s arm. She glared at her as she said, “We’re his friends.” 

Cybil gave a hesitant nod. That girl was the only one who didn’t seem to think so. “So, how do you all know Branch?” 

“We’ve known him since High school,” Guy explained. “It wasn’t until recently that we started hanging out with him.” 

Cybil smiled. “What happened?” 

Guy furrowed his brow. What did happen? “I think...Chenille happened,” he tried. Yeah, it was Chenille that brought him to them. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Smidge agreed. Fuzzbert made some signs. “They said that Chenille was always the one to bring him into the conversation.” 

Branch smacked his forehead. Did she just say ‘they’? He had been using the he, him pronouns! Thank goodness he never used them in front of hi- their face! 

Everyone turned to Chenille. She looked at them, confused. “What?” 

“How did you get so chummy with Branch,” Satin asked, arms crossed, brows furrowed. 

Chenille opened her mouth and then closed it. She couldn’t tell them without outing herself. She looked at Suki, who slightly shook her head. Maybe she could twist the truth a bit. “Well, you see, I went with Suki, here,” She explained, putting her arm around her, “to the Pride parade to support her. And there was this guy trying to cause trouble, and Branch threw his smoothie at him and drove us home.” 

Guy turned to Branch. “You were at the Pride Parade?” 

Branch blushed before looking away. “Look, as much I want to go and get smoothies with you all, I do have a class, ya know. And I’m probably late now, so...bye!” He hastily made his escape. 

Cybil smirked. “Introverts.” She turned to everyone else. “So, you guys are going out for smoothies?” 

“Yeah,” Suki said. “Wanna come? We kind of just lost our plus one.” 

“I’d love to!” They started walking in the group. 

“So, how do you know Branch,” Biggie asked. 

“I’m his master,” she answered. “I moved here during winter break and my dad thought it was a good idea to invite businesses around us and Branch’s flower shop just happened to be there.” 

“What do you teach?” Guy asked. 

“My father and I teach the ways of Zen,” she explained. “Branch is doing his best to find happiness in his life.” She frowned. “He’s not really good at it.” 

Satin snorted. “When has he ever been?” 

Chenille gave her a look before turning back to Cybil. “He’s sort of new at this,” she explained. 

Cybil laughed. “Oh, I can tell! He’s not happy at all, right now. Wait, no, that’s not true. He’s a tiny bit happy, but there’s something missing.” Or someone.

“What’s missing,” Smidge asked. 

“It’s not really my place to say.” She smiled at them all. “So, where did you say this smoothie shop was?” 

Cybil only came to the mall when she really needed to. It was always too crowded and she wasn’t much for shopping unless it was for special events. But, of course, this is where the smoothie place was. It was a nice, colorful store that had all kinds of smoothie flavors and you could even create your own by picking out the fruit you want. According to Chenille, they sometimes had special events if money was good and would import fruits from other countries and have a culture themed smoothie day. Now that was something Cybil would love to see. And she was about to. 

“...while I was trying to meditate,” Cybil went on, telling her story. “Sprite is just such an adorable little spirit and it’s hard to focus when she’s around.” She turned to him with a smile. “And that’s why we don’t meditate at his place anymore.” 

Biggie laughed before turning to Guy. “Didn’t Mr. Dinkles used to interrupt Creek’s meditation when he came to our apartment?”

Guy barked out a laugh. “He did!” 

“Creek is such a beautiful name,” Cybil commented. “Who is he?” 

“He’s our friend too,” Cooper explained. “Don’t he teach the ways of Zen, too?” 

Guy gasped. “He does! You actually might like him, Cybil! He’s very kind.”

“And sweet,” Chenille added. 

“But don’t go falling for him,” Cooper teased. 

“He already belongs to Poppy,” Satin smiled, finally talking about a decent guy. 

Cybil gasped. “So that’s Poppy’s boyfriend?!”

They all turned to her. “You know Poppy,” Smidge asked. 

Cybil nodded. “I met her a few weeks ago.” Cybil gasped again. “You guys must be the friends she was talking about!” 

“Have you talked to her recently?” Biggie asked. 

Cybil shook her head. “I haven’t talked to her since that day.” 

Everyone felt a tang of disappointment. They were really hoping that someone knew what was wrong. They had tried to invite her here, but she wasn’t answering her phone or any texts. So they decided to invite Branch. 

“Branch likes smoothies,” Chenille had suggested. 

Everyone turned to her. “How do you know that,” Satin had asked, a slight glare on her face. 

“I just do.” 

So Branch had been invited, but had to blow them off for class. So here was Cybil, who knew nothing as well. 

Smidge looked towards Fuzzbert when they started tapping her shoulder, rapidly. When they saw they had her attention, they pointed forwards. Smidge looked towards where they were pointing. “Uh, guys.” They all looked towards her. “Speaking of Poppy and Creek…” They all looked towards where she was looking. Creek was at the Smoothie shop too. Which meant Poppy wasn’t far behind! 

“Creek,” Guy called before they all rushed over to him. 

Cybil watched as the guy looked surprised, something she only knew due to his actions for his eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses. “H-hey, guys,” he forced a smile as they approached his table. “What are you guys doing here?” He looked familiar.

Guy smiled. “Well, we just came to get a smoothie! Same?” 

Creek kept his forced smile as he nodded. 

“Is Poppy here,” Satin asked.

Creek’s smile dropped. “Um, uh, no, she’s not.” 

“Do you know what’s wrong with her,” Chenille asked. “She kind of bailed on us the other day.” 

“In more ways than one,” Satin added. 

Creek shook his head. “She hasn’t told me anything.” 

“So you’re Poppy’s boyfriend?” Everyone turned to Cybil. Cybil could barely place her finger on it. She had seen that colorful hair before. 

“Uh…” Was all he could answer. “...don’t I know you?” He asked, confused. Everyone turned to her.

So they had met. But when? The jumpy attitude, the colorful hair, the bright yellow aura that didn’t necessarily mean he was happy. It was never that simple. Suddenly it clicked. “We met at the toy store,” she answered. 

Creek snapped his fingers. “That’s right!” Then he suddenly frowned, probably remembering what she had said. Now that she thought about it, that girl he was with wasn’t Poppy. 

She smiled. “So, why are you wearing sunglasses inside? Are you a model trying to hide?” Of course, she had an idea why he was wearing sunglasses. 

Biggie laughed. “That wouldn’t be so far from the truth, you do look like a model,” he complimented. 

Creek gave a small smile. “Thank you.” 

“So, do you have any idea where Poppy is at the moment,” Guy asked, hopefully. 

As they talked, Cybil made her way around the table. 

“Uh, not a clue,” he answered. “Have you tried calling her?”

“Yeah,” Cooper answered. “She don’t answer, though.” 

“Have you all tried visiting her house?” 

“She’s never there,” The twins answered. 

“What about school?”

“She quit the Snack Pack,” Suki informed. “That was the only way to see her now a days. Now, she’s ignoring us, saying we’ve replaced her or something.” 

“Oh,” was all Creek could say. So none of this had to do with their breakup, that was a relief. He turned when someone tapped his shoulder from behind and, suddenly, everything was brighter. 

“I knew it,” Cybil said as he saw that he sported a good shiner. She heard the others gasp.

Creek suddenly stood up, reaching for the sunglasses. “Give those back!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Guy cried, getting in between them. He grabbed Creek’s shoulders. “Who did this to you?!” 

“She did it, didn’t she? The girl I warned you about,” Cybil stated. 

Creek glared at her. “I told you, it’s not your place!” 

“Girl,” Biggie questioned. “What girl?” 

“Give me, ugh, my glasses,” Creek ordered, trying to get through Guy. 

“Creek, what’s going on here?” Guy asked, worried for his friend. A girl did this? But who- No. No! “Don’t tell me Chelia’s here?”

Creek froze. This wasn’t something he wanted them to find out. He didn’t want them to find out he had left Poppy, he didn’t want them to find out he was with Chelia again, he didn’t want them to find out what a coward he was! Speaking of being a coward, he had to get those glasses. He surprised Guy by pushing him out of the way and lunged for the glasses in that girl’s hands. 

Cybil didn’t expect to be tackled down by the guy at all. Apparently, neither did he for he had a look of surprise as he took a look at the position they were in. His face heated up, but he made no effort to move. That was until a hoarse, angry voice called his name. “ Creek .” He instantly scrambled off of her and Cybil took this chance to sit up and look up at the girl. She had glossy blue hair that could definitely use a combing, mascara that reminded her of spider’s legs, and lips that looked like they could be painted with blood. She had the reddest aura Cybil had ever seen, and she had met some sadistic people. She watched on as Creek tried to defend himself.

“I-it wasn’t what it looked like,” he stuttered in fear. “Y-y-you see, I-I was just- She took my sunglasses a-and I was j-just trying to get them back! I-I...” Creek sighed before looking down and sinking even further into the ground. “I’m sorry, Love” he finished.

Cybil watched as the woman only stared at him, not even looking like she might accept his apology. She took a glance at Branch’s friends, they all stood there, unsure of what to do. As did many on lookers. The girl took a few steps towards him before kicking him in the chest. “Get up,” she ordered. 

Now, it’s a known fact from everyone who ever knew her, that Cybil wasn’t a violent person. But she couldn’t just sit there and watch an innocent guy be punished for no reason. So, the next thing she knew, she was off the ground on pushing the girl away from him. “Leave him alone!” 

The girl only looked at her as if she might laugh. “Oh my goodness. You’re really picking a fight with me? Me? Do you know who I am?!”

Cybil glared at her. “You know, people who often say that are really just assholes.” 

The girl did not look amused as she tried to land a punch. Cybil, of course, blocked it with both arms crossed in front of her face, the arms of which she used to push the girl away again, causing the girl to be even more surprised. 

The girl’s glare intensified. “Ok, now you’re asking for it,” she seethed as she tried to lunge forward. 

Keyword; tried. There was no possible way the girl was going to land a punch, Cybil didn’t take all those years of Ninjutsu for nothing. She wouldn’t lay a finger on the girl either, though, she would only dodge. It was against her teaching to use it on those who didn’t know it. Cybil pushed the girl away again. 

The fight hadn’t even lasted a minute before someone grabbed her arm after pushing the girl away once more. She turned to see Creek looking at her with pleading eyes. “Please stop,” he pleaded. She opened her mouth to say something, what, she didn’t know, but that was before her senses heightened and she pulled him with her out of the way of his girlfriends next lunge. 

She landed on the floor and looked like she was about to explode. “Creek,” she said in an incredibly low tone. “We’re going.” She stood up and dusted herself off, not looking in their direction. “...Now!” She yelled when she didn’t hear him coming. 

He let go of Cybil’s arm and she honestly couldn’t believe that he was going with her. It was her turn to grab his arm. He looked at her, confused. 

“Three,” the girl said, holding up three fingers. 

Cybil glared at her before turning back to Creek. “I can’t let you go with her, it’s against everything I stand for.” 

“Two,” she put down one finger.

Creek looked between them before removing her hand from his arm. He gave her one last glance before going to Chelia. 

“One,” she yelled before turning around. She smiled, as if she knew Creek would be right behind her when she was done counting. It sickened Cybil to no end, some people in this world just weren’t really people. She watched as the girl grabbed Creeks arm and dragged him along like some kind of dog. 

Cybil shook her head before turning to Branch’s friends. “Are you guys ok?” Whatever trance they were in was suddenly put to a stop as they all looked at her, surprised. They all ran over to her, asking her if she was the one who was ok. Cybil waved off their worries. “It’s nothing, guys. She couldn’t land a punch on me.” She looked over to where the couple had been walking, they were gone now. “She sure did land one on him, though.” 

Guy burried his face in his hands. “I can’t believe he went back to her!” 

“After everything we did for him!” Satin cried. 

“Guys,” Chenille tried to interrupt. 

“That just ain’t right,” Cooper said. 

“Yeah,” Smidge agreed. She watched as Fuzzbert made some signs. “Poor Creek, I wish there was a way to really help him,” Smidge translated. “Me too, bud, me too.” 

“Guys,” Chenille tried to interrupt again. 

“We should do something, guys,” Biggie suggested. 

“Like what,” Suki asked, angry. “He literally blew off Cybil’s help, what makes you think he wants help?” 

“Guys,” Chenille yelled. They all finally turned to her. “Creek is with Chelia now. Do you know what that means?!” They all gave her blank stares. She glared at them. “Poppy!” 

It all suddenly sunk in. “Oh my gah!” They all yelled. “We have to find her,” Biggie cried. 

“She’s probably crying her eyes out right now,” Smidge added. 

“That’s probably what’s wrong with her,” Guy though aloud. 

“That means we have to find her and cheer her up,” Suki suggested. “C’mon guys, let’s go!” 

They all followed Suki as Chenille stayed behind. She turned to Cybil. “Do you wanna come? We could use a bit more cheering up for Poppy. When she’s sad, she tends to be a bit...hysterical,” she went with. 

Cybil had a small smile as she shook her head. “No, I’ll just stay here, not let my coupon go to waste, ya know.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah! You should go, Poppy needs you.” 

Chenille nodded. “Hope we get to hang out some other time,” she said before running off towards the others. 

Cybil watched as they went before looking towards where the couple had left once again. She felt like...Well, she couldn’t place how she felt, it was just very disturbing. She wanted to help, but how did one help someone who didn’t want any help? It was very frustrating on her part and definitely frightening on his. She wished there was something she could do. 

A twinkling caught her eye and she looked down to see that the sunglasses were still there. She picked them up and gave them a good look. Well, this was definitely going to haunt her for the rest of the day.

The Snack Pack was not doing well at all. They hadn’t found someone to repla- fill in for Poppy, they hadn’t found out how the heck Creep and Poppy broke up, and they hadn’t even seen Poppy all day. The courtyard was already empty, everyone already having gone home. They sat there, at the picnic table, on their phones as the lights shined leaving an orange glow on everything. Suki sighed in frustration before slamming her phone on the table, gently because it was expensive, but slamming it nonetheless. “I’m sick of this, she’s not answering our texts at all!”

Satin growled. “We just have to keep doing it, alright!” 

“Why?! Why help her?! She’s been ignoring us for days! Why should we waste our time-”

“Because she’s our friend!” Satin roared. “You don’t give up on a friend! Poppy needs us right now even if she doesn’t know it! It’s our job as her friend to let her know that we’re here for her!”

“She doesn’t want us there for her!” Suki yelled, standing up and slamming her fists on the table. 

“Guys,” Smidge tried to calm them down. 

“That doesn’t matter,” Satin yelled, standing up as well. “We’re her friends!” 

“Then why isn’t she answering us?!” 

“Guys, c’mon!” Biggie tried getting their attention as they got closer to each other.

“Maybe,” Satin yelled louder, “because she just got dumped by her boyfriend! Remember how I felt with Markus?!” 

“Oh, we all knew you two wouldn’t last!” Suki dismissed. 

“Suki!” Chenille scolded.

Satin grabbed her drink and spilled it all over Suki. 

“Satin!” Chenille scolded next. 

“You don’t have any room to talk! You’ve never been in a relationship!” 

Suki opened her mouth, then closed it in frustration. This was not the time. She grabbed some napkins and tried to wipe herself off. 

“This is getting out of hand, guys,” Guy said, standing up. 

“Sit down,” they both yelled, causing him to sit down. 

“I don’t care that I’ve ‘never been in a relationship’,” Suki quoted. “You and Markus were never gonna last!”

“I know that,” She screeched. “But Poppy and Creek could have! How do you think she feels!”

“Probably shitty! But how the hell are we supposed to know if she doesn’t talk to us !”

“We’re her friends! We’re supposed to be there for her even if she doesn’t want us to!”

“Why be there for her if she doesn’t want us to?!” 

“Because we’re her friends! How many times do I have to say that before you get it through your thick skull?!” 

“Would you guys please stop ,” Chenille pleaded, getting in between them. It hurt her heart to see the two people she loved most fight. 

“She started it,” Satin accused. 

“How did I start it,” Suki asked, confused and offended. 

“You started questioning Poppy’s friendship! Poppy has always been there for us and just because she hasn’t answered our phone calls for a few measly days, you’re giving up on her?! What kind of friend are you?!” 

“One that knows when she’s not wanted,” Suki yelled. “Let’s just face it, guys! Let’s just leave her alone! She’ll come around!” 

“She needs us!” 

“She has a funny way of showing it!” 

“Stop!” Chenille let out a bloodcurdling cry. “Would you two please stop,” She asked, tears streaming down her face. 

Suki felt a pang her heart as she saw the tears stream down her girlfriend’s face. “I’m sorry, Chenille,” she apologized. 

Chenille gave her a small smile before turning to her sister. “Look, maybe Suki’s right. Maybe we should wait a few days and then call her, you know, when she’s calmed down.” 

“So, you’re taking Suki’s side,” Satin accused. 

“No! There are no sides, we’re all friends here!” 

Satin glared at Suki. “You know, I’m not really sure that’s true.” 

“Satin,” Chenille said, more tears coming out. She couldn’t have her sister and girlfriend hate each other. Not now! Not when she didn’t even know!

“What’s going on here,” said a familiar voice. Everyone turned their heads to find Branch standing a few feet away from them. 

“Branch,” Chenille cried, relieved. “Thank goodness you’re he-”

“What’s wrong,” Branch interrupted, coming towards her. He brought out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Chenille’s tears away. “Why are you crying?” Branch truly hated to admit it, but Chenille was starting to be more of a little sister to him with every day that went by. 

Of course, Satin knew nothing of that so, to her, it was a very intimate move. She didn’t like that Branch and her sister were getting so close, it sickened her. She growled. “I’m going now.” 

Branch turned to her as she started walking away, barely realizing her presence. “Oh, uh, bye, Satin.” He watched as she left before turning to Chenille. “What’s her problem?” 

Suki glared at her back. “She just has a stick up her ass.” 

“Suki,” Chenille scolded again. 

“It’s true,” she defended. “She’s going on about how we’re supposed to be there for Poppy when it’s obvious she’s ignoring us.” 

Branch furrowed his brows. “That’s uncharacteristic. Poppy hates being alone.”  

“Well, she did just break up with Creek,” Biggie added. 

“She did,” Branch asked, and he honestly hated the little hint of hope that came out when he did.

“We aint sure how it happened,” Cooper started. 

“But it did,” Smidge finished. 

“So, she’s single now,” Branch asked. Why was there so much hope in his voice? He needed to stop that, like, right now! He shouldn’t feel any hope, there was no hope! She was completely gone from him, he didn’t need to think about her. He had cut her out of his life!

“Yeeeaaah,” Guy drew out, suspicious. “We’re not sure when they broke up, but it’s probably the reason she’s ignoring us.” 

“Or that whole ‘replacing her’ thing,” Cooper added, though no one was paying attention. 

“So, what are you guys gonna do about it,” Branch asked. 

“Well, I’m going to leave her alone,” Suki commented. 

“I think Suki’s right,” Chenille agreed. “We should give her some space.” 

“Leave her alone for a while,” Biggie added. 

“No! No, no, no, no,” Branch repeated. “Y-you can’t just leave her alone! She-she-she’s not supposed to be alone!” Oh, why did he care so much?!

Guy looked at him, his suspicion increased. “Why not?” 

Branch started freaking out. “W-well, she’s Poppy! Poppy can’t be alone! Being alone makes her...remember things,” he explained, vaguely. “Things she doesn’t like to remember.”

“How so,” Smidge translated Fuzzbert’s signs. 

It took Branch a while to open his mouth and give an answer. But before any sound came out, a distant voice caught their attention. 

“...as if I don’t know my Shrek movies,” a familiar voice laughed. A few more laughs joined it. 

They all turned around to find the one girl they had all been searching for. “Poppy!” They all yelled before running towards her. 

Poppy had been having a weird day. Everyone said hi to her, she ate her lunch in peace, she read a few chapters of The Mockingjay before going to class, it was a normal day for her and that’s what was weird about it. But then class ended and she was approached by Harper, Mandy Sparkledust, and Aspen Heights. Harper started the conversation that had nothing to do with movies, but the conversation headed there anyways. Poppy was actually feeling pretty good and like herself again, if only for a moment. She was explaining her own theory of how all Ogres liked cats when she heard a chorus of her name. She looked forward to find the Snack Pack running towards her. She yelped before jumping behind Harper, not wanting them to touch her. 

Branch had told himself that he would remove her from his life, but as the Snack Pack ran towards Poppy, his legs followed. When he saw Poppy, he was honestly surprised. She looked...normal. The uncombed mop upon her head that was her hair had grown longer, so long that her natural red was already at her ears. She apparently stopped using her pink contacts for he could see her beautiful hazel eyes. Her clothes weren’t her flashy, pink, and flowery dresses or shiny, glittery shirts. All she wore was an blue T and some black sweats. Branch hadn’t been aware that she even owned something of the color black, it was weird seeing her like this. What happened to her?

“Poppy, how are you?” Suki asked, confused by her actions.

“Fine,” Poppy answered, uncharacteristically curt. 

“We, uh, heard about what happened with Creek,” Biggie said. 

Poppy visibly glared at them. “That happened a week ago. I’m over it.” 

“...Then why are you still ignoring us,” Cooper asked, letting his hurt be known. 

Poppy rolled her eyes. “You can’t ignore someone who isn’t your friend.” 

They all collectively gasped. What on earth was she talking about? “Wh-what are you talking about,” Guy nervously laughed. “We are friends.” 

Poppy shook her head. “No, I don’t think we are.” 

“Ok, cut the crap,” Suki snapped. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?”

Poppy crossed her arms. “Like what?” 

“Like we aren’t your friends.” 

“I’m not acting.” 

“Ok~,” Harper sang, getting in between them. She wasn’t going to pretend she didn’t notice the amount of time Poppy spent alone nowadays, it was honestly weird to watch. “Why don’t we all just say what’s on our minds right now,” she suggested in a chipper voice. “That should ease some tension, right?” 

Suki took a glance at her before speaking. “You’re being childish.” 

Poppy rolled her eyes again. “Oh, yes, I’m the childish one.” 

“Excuse you,” Suki screeched. “Yes, you are! You start ignoring us for days all because Creek left you-” 

“You think this is about Creek,” Poppy asked, softly. 

Chenille looked worried. “Isn’t it?” 

Poppy shook her head. “And you guys call yourself my friends.” She glared at them all. “This,” she gestured between them, “isn’t about Creek. This is about him !” She gestured towards Branch without even looking at him. 

Branch had no idea how to feel about that. She knew he was there, but refused to acknowledge him personally. That kind of stung a bit. 

“How is this about Branch,” Smidge asked, confused. 

“You think I haven’t seen how you guys have been getting along with him lately,” she sneered. “You know, I was willing to trust you guys and completely rid him of my life. It looks like you guys couldn’t even follow your own advice.” 

Branch turned to them. “What advice?” 

“Oh, so you all never told him?” Poppy let out a bitter laugh. “You never told him how you all couldn’t stand him and now you guys are suddenly friends!” 

Something suddenly clicked in Harper. She looked at the Snack Pack. “So that’s what happened. She didn’t give up on Branch. You guys made her.” 

Mandy had a look of confusion. “Why would you guys do that? They were the star couple!” 

“They were never a couple,” Smidge defended. 

“Ok, guys,” Biggie tried. “Maybe we shouldn’t fight about this!” 

“Biggie’s right, guys,” Aspen agreed. “Let’s not do this right now.” 

Of course, no one paid any mind to the peacekeepers. 

“They could have been,” Harper deflected. “Everyone was rooting for them!” 

“What?” Branch and Poppy asked in unison. 

Harper turned to Poppy. “Everyone was placing bets on when you two would get together. Everybody would bet each party and see if he would come.” She turned to glare at Branch. “Do you know how much money I lost because you couldn’t accept your feelings?!” 

Branch held up his hands in defense. “That’s not my fault!” 

“Oh, yes it is!” Poppy yelled, finally acknowledging him. The anger she felt towards her so-called “friends” was nothing compared to anger she felt towards him. “You could’ve come to any of my parties!” 

“I don’t like parties,” He automatically defended. He didn’t expect those four words to be the first one’s he’d spoken to her in weeks. 

“You do if they’re not my doing!” 

Branch wasn’t sure how, but, somehow, her glare had become more menacing. He, honestly, couldn’t reply to that because, recently, he had been going to parties with Cybil. Though they had broken up, Cybil remained his friend, which is what most exes couldn’t even try to do. 

“He came to that Pride Party,” Harper reminded. “...You never really told me what happened.”

Poppy nodded. “That’s because it doesn’t matter.” 

Branch could definitely admit that that stung. 

“What does matter,” Poppy went on as she looked back at the Snack Pack. “Is that you all are traitors.” 

“Traitors,” Guy repeated, offended. 

“How are we traitors,” Suki asked, equally offended. 

“Oh, oh! I have the answer to that!” Harper yelled, enthusiastically raising her hand. Then she gave the Snack Pack a slight glare. “You tell her to back off from Branch and the moment she does, you guys become his friend. No offense, Branch,” she added. 

Branch was very much offended. Everyone was making it seem like this was all his fault. That wasn’t true! Was it?

“So, you’re taking Poppy’s side,” Suki accused. 

Harper shrugged. “I’m always on Poppy’s side,” she said, only herself knowing the double-meaning. 

“Unbelievable,” Guy muttered. 

Suki couldn’t keep it in anymore. That was it. If Poppy wanted to play, then so would she. “We aren’t the only one’s who’ve betrayed trust, Poppy.” 

Poppy crossed her arms. “Alright, what did I do? I don’t recall doing anything wrong to you guys. Ever.” 

“You kept secrets from us!” Suki yelled. “As your best friends, we deserved to know everything about you just like we told you everything about ourselves!” 

“What secrets?!” 

“You fucked Branch!” The courtyard became deadly silent. “Don’t think I didn’t piece that together. You kept that from us. For two years! You kept anything decent about Branch from us-”

“Because you guys were supposed to find that out yourselves!” She shrieked. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you all every little good thing about him, that was for you to find out yourselves! And, you know what! I did! I did tell you every little good thing about him but you guys never listened! You guys just held onto this “Bad Boy” image you created for him! You don’t know him like do! Did. You didn’t know him like I did,” she amended. 

“So there’s more,” Guy asked, remembering all those times she had told them that. There was never a day that went by where she didn’t say they didn’t know him like she did.

“Oh, there’s plenty more. He always took me out for ice cream. He would always take selfies with me. And he got me that gorgeous guitar for my birthday!” That beautiful one from the party? Branch got that for her? “And yes, we did have that beautiful summer two years ago. But you wanna know why that doesn’t matter?! Because he only took me out for ice cream after making me cry! He only took selfies with me after making me feel bad! He only got me that guitar because he destroyed the first one! And not once has he ever tried to talk about us after that summer!” Poppy shook her head. “But, you know what? None of that matters because you never even bothered to ask before. And you have no idea how much it hurts me to know that you’re his friends now. That you gave him a chance only after I didn’t give a damn. You were supposed to be my friends! You were supposed to be there for me! Not leave me behind on everything just because I was lagging! Just because things were going differently for me! Your friends with him now after knowing how horrible she is! After knowing what she did to me!” 

Harper was starting to get worried as Poppy went on. Her accusations just weren’t making sense for this conversation. “Poppy,” she tried to interrupt. 

“Do you know how much will power I had to use to be able to put my trust in all of you?! Only for it to be thrown in my face?! Did you know how much that hurt me?! To trust that you would be there for me and then just betray me like I meant nothing!” 

“Poppy,” Harper yelled, bringing her into a hug. Aspen and Mandy looked at each other, worried, before turning back to them. 

Poppy immediately stopped talking when Harper embraced her. Those words she had spoken had never been spoken before until now. Yes, she had meant to say them once, but not to them, to someone else. She let out a shaky breath as she wiped her tears. She gave Harper a small smile. “I’m gonna head on home, now. Call me if you have any other ideas for your Gala.” And with that, Poppy left the way she had come. No explanation of what had just happened, just gone. 

Harper stared after her for a while before turning to Aspen. “...I’m going out tonight. I’ll meet you at home later.” As Harper went the opposite way Poppy had, everyone noticed she had a forlorn look. 

But not as forlorn as Branch’s as he struggled to make his way to a seat. 

Chenille was the first to notice. “Branch!” She rushed over to him and tried to get a look at his face. Such a feat was hard to do when it was buried in his hands. “What’s wrong?” 

He didn’t answer. 

“Look, Branch, we're sorry about how we used to think-,” Guy started. 

“I don’t care about that,” Branch cried, his voice cracking. “I don’t care about anything! I shouldn’t care about anything!” 

“Branch, you’re not making any sense,” Chenille said. 

“I was horrible to her! Gah! I was so horrible to her! I didn’t mean to be! I mean I didn’t mean for it all to turn out like this! She was supposed to hate me! Before everything! Before I cared! Now she does hate me! And I do care! This is all my fault!”

“Ok,” Suki started. “This isn’t your fault-”

“Yes it is,” he interrupted. “I shouldn’t have spoken to her that day! I should have made it clear for her to leave me alone! We never should have had that night! I should have never gone to the Pride Party!” He sat down on the nearby bench, trying to calm down. 

Chenille sat down and brought him into a hug. “What exactly happened that night?” 

Branch sighed. “...I arrived at the party a few hours after it started and I met up with Poppy. We danced, we kissed, and we ended up at my dorm room. And in the morning...I, uh...fessed...to her,” he mumbled.

“What,” they all asked in unison. 

“I confessed to her,” he said, louder. “That morning, when we woke up, I confessed to her.” 

“Confessed what,” Cooper asked. Everyone gave him a look. “...Oh!” He suddenly got it. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Branch said. He sighed before continuing with his story. “Anyway, Poppy had been mine and for the first time in six years, I had actually felt happy. That all lasted four hours, though. We were supposed to meet up at our favorite cafe and we did, but so did Creekand then she started talking about mind games...That’s where it ended. She told me she wasn’t gonna play my mind games anymore and now it’s all over,” He finished, his voice cracking. He really didn’t want to cry about this, he didn’t. But it was so hard letting the only thing that reminded him of happiness go. 

“Well, that explains why you’re both mad at each other,” Suki commented, taking a seat next to him. “And this happened at the Pride party?” He nodded. “That’s such a long time ago. She took a deep breath. “How are you guys gonna fix this?” 

Branch shrugged, wiping the tears away. “If she wants to fix it, I’ll fix it too. But, until that day, I’ll just…give her some space.”

“You said she hates being alone,” Smidge reminded. Everyone glared at her and she held up her hands in defense. 

“She’s not alone.” Everyone turned to find Mandy standing behind them, her arms crossed. She looked to Branch. “She’ll have us,” she promised. “Harper and I will take care of her.”

Branch sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

“So, we’re just going to leave her alone for now,” Suki asked. “To sort our her own feelings and problems?’

Branch nodded. “Pretty much.”

Suki wanted to punch something. “Great. So, my plan from the start?” 

Branch laughed. As much as he could in this situation at least. “Pretty much.”

“Hey, Branch, are you trans?” 

Everyone turned to Smidge, who was looking curiously at him. 

“Um...Unfortunately, I’m cis. Why?” That was such a sudden question.

“I know you’re not, but Poppy kept saying ‘she’.”

“She did,” Chenille nodded. 

“I heard that too,” Mandy agreed.

Branch shook his head. “Poppy wouldn’t misgender someone.”

“Yeah, I know that too,” Smidge admitted. “But who is she?”

Branch blinked. “She’s never… She’s never told you guys?” 

Guy and Cooper shared a glance. “Tell us what?” 

Branch took a deep breath. “Why she doesn’t like people touching her hair.” 

“She… she always flinches if we try to touch it too fast.” Suki remembered all those times. 

“She freaked out that one time in senior year,” Smidge voiced Fuzzbert’s signs. 

“When that kid tried to pretend to cut her hair because she liked it so much,” Cooper asked.

“That’s the one,” Guy nodded. It was the only time Poppy had ever looked so scared. No one touched her hair without permission after that.

“You looked like you wanted to punch the guy,” Chenille remembered.

“She let you touch her hair,” Biggie stated. Everyone turned to Branch, realization hitting them.

Branch nodded. “She did. She trusted me.” Branch sighed, remembering the last time he was able to feel that soft, pink cloud on top of her head. He looked up to see them all looking at him expectantly. “In freshman year, Poppy went to this private school. Did she ever tell you guys that?” 

“Vaguely,” Suki answered. 

“Well, there was this girl that did some real damage on Poppy. She always picked on her and spread horrible rumors.  She even got her friends to turn on her. One day…” Branch took a deep breath. Over the years, Poppy had explained this in great detail, crying every time. Now, he felt like crying himself. “One day, Chelia and her friends cornered her alone. She had a pair of scissors in her hands as the others held Poppy down…” 

“What did they do,” Cooper asked. 

“Cooper.” He turned to Chenille. “They cut off her hair.” 

Suki really wanted to punch something. She was angry at this new information. She was angry at Poppy. She was angry at Satin. She was just angry at this whole situation. 

“So us seemingly siding with you is bringing all that betrayal back,” Guy asked, analyzing this new information. 

“But, she knows we’re not actually betraying her, right,” Chenille asked. “We’re finally seeing that she was right. Branch is pretty cool.” 

“Judging by this whole situation, I don’t think she does,” Mandy gave her two cents. “Poppy isn’t herself right now, guys. She’s been acting differently. She likes to be alone a lot lately. Did you guys know she stopped going to hug time?”

While the entire Snack Pack confirmed they knew, Branch was entirely shocked. “What?”

“She stopped going to hug time,” Maddy confirmed. “She stopped planning parties. She quit the Snack Pack!”

“What?!” Branch couldn’t believe this. None of this sounded like Poppy. 

“This new Poppy… It’s not her. But I guess all we can do is be there for her.” 

Suki groaned. “I thought we were giving her space?!”

“We are,” Branch assured. “Doesn't mean we can’t be there for her.” 

Suki was getting a headache. “I’m not even sure I want to.”

“What,” the Snack Pack all yelled. 

“She was going to ignore us for who knows how long with no explanation if today hadn’t happened! Honestly, who is that immature?!”

Branch shrugged. “Poppy. She always had a problem with things not going her way. Acts incredibly childish when it doesn’t.” He couldn’t help but think of that one night. And everything it led to. Poppy wasn’t happy when that summer ended. When they ended. 

“Well, I’m on your side,” Suki announced. 

“My side?”

“His side,” The Snack Pack asked in sync. 

“Yup,” she clarified. “Your side. 

“Wait, wait, wh-what does that mean?”

“It means I think you're right. She’s being childish because she didn’t get her way! You can’t throw a huge fit and ignore your loved ones because things are going bad. Let her have all the space she needs. If she needs us, she’ll come talk to us.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Branch tried to say. Poppy was someone who needed space before one went and talked to her. And when that happened, she was ready to spill all her thoughts and feelings. But, Branch didn’t have the chance to say that. 

Suki stood up and looked down to her friends. “Right guys?”

Guy shrugged. “If she really does want us as friends, I’m sure she’ll come talk to us soon.”

“Hopefully real soon,” Biggie agreed. “I already miss her.”

“Me too,” Smidge agreed. “But, Branch is right! We’ll give her all the space she needs!”

“That’s not what I meant-”

“I don’t want to lose her,” Cooper admitted. 

Everyone read as Fuzzbert signed that they didn’t want to lose her either. 

“All agreed on giving her space, say I!” Suki raised up her hand and waited for the rest to follow.

Branch wanted to punch himself as they all raised their hands and said I. He should’ve explained it all so much better. Oh, well. In enough time, if it came down to it, he would go talk to her. Alone. And maybe, just maybe, things would finally go the right way.

It had been a week since she had cut all ties with them. She had gotten rid of her phone and had traded it in for her old one. No one knew this number except for Harper, her dad, and her work. She had deleted all the phone numbers that used to be on there, even ones from a certain period in her life she didn’t like to talk about. And this phone was much better making plans with since it had no pictures in it or any apps. Just the normal standards apps and her contacts. Looking at her schedule after she had left the cake shop, she noticed a small drop of water on the screen. Then another and another. She looked up at the sky and was met with gray clouds. “Great,” she muttered. She shoved her phone in her bag and started walking faster to her car. Of course, the speed of the rain getting heavier was faster. So, by the time she made it to her car, she was soaking wet. “Wonderful,” she commented to herself. At least her phone was safe in her bag. She sat there for a few seconds, wondering what she could do today since she was free. She could call Bridget, but she was probably with Gristle. She could go to the salon and re-dye her hair. But that was a dumb idea since it was raining. Also, she really didn’t feel like it. She hadn’t dyed her hair since she started dating Creek. She had thought about it a few weeks ago, but never actually went. She hadn’t wanted her pink hair then, she didn’t want it now. Honestly, she’d rather have it all gone, all the pink that was supposed to show who she was, except for one little thing; she didn’t feel like herself anymore. 

She hadn’t for a while now. Ever since things fell flat with Branch, it was like her world had gone down hill. Looking at color hurt her eyes. Throwing another party seemed too tiring. Going to another Hug Time seemed like too much emotional work. Staying with the Snack Pack just seemed stupid now. She couldn’t even remember the last time she sang. She felt... gGay. And this stupid hair color was just a mocking reminder of the girl she used to be all those short months ago. And she didn’t want a reminder. She got out of her car and ran straight for the little convenient store across the street. Everyone was looking at her like she was crazy for coming into the store soaking wet, but that didn’t stop her from finding a pair of scissors and slamming them on the front desk.

Harper was trying to wash the dishes before Aspen came home with the takeout when she heard a knocking on the door. Of course, it couldn’t be Aspen, he didn’t have to knock on his own door. She grabbed a rag to dry her hands before heading over to the door and looking through the peeping hole. Poppy stood there, soaking wet, with something in her hand. Harper hastily opened the door. “Oh my god! Why are you soaking wet,” she practically yelled as she pulled Poppy inside. 

Poppy held out the scissors to her. “I need you to cut my hair.” 

Harper gave her a look that told her she was crazy. “I’m not cutting your hair. You know how you react when scissors get near your head.” 

Poppy knew that all too well, it had happened to her after all. No one knew it better than she did. Which was why… “I trust you, Harper. As long as I know it’s you, I won’t freak out.” 

“...I’m still not sure. Are you sure? I could call Maddy!” 

“Maddy is a dear, but it has to be you, Harper. I don’t really trust anyone but you right now.”

Harper looked her in the eye. “Are you sure about this?” 

Poppy nodded. 

Harper took a deep breath and took the scissors. “Alright then. G-go sit down at the table.” As Poppy did so, Harper opened the scissors before grabbing a bag. She ripped a hole in it and placed it over Poppy’s head. She wasn’t really sure how cutting hair worked, but it couldn’t be too hard, could it? Poppy’s hair was already wet, so this should be easy. Except, looking at the pink locks she had loved for years made her hesitant to do so. “Are you sure about this,” Harper asked again. She could see Poppy’s knuckles turning white from gripping the chair handles too tightly. 

“I’m sure,” Poppy answered. 

Harper nodded. “So, uh, do you want it to your shoulders or…” 

“I want all the pink gone,” Poppy explained. “Every last thread of it.” 

Harper nodded again before grabbing a small portion of hair. She felt Poppy shiver. “Are you ok?” 

“I’m fine,” she answered, her voice tight. 

Harper didn’t believe her for a second, but continued anyway. She snipped the portion off of Poppy’s head and watched as it fell to the ground in a pink, hairy clump. She grabbed another portion and snipped. And then another, and then another, and then another until all the pink on Poppy’s head was completely gone, as if it had never been there. Poppy had been shaking the whole time, her skin had completely lost its color, and she was taking shaky breaths, but, true to her word, she had stayed still and let Harper cut her it all. “It’s done,” she said. She carefully set the scissors down. 

Poppy opened her eyes, noticing how her head felt a whole lot lighter now that the 7 years worth of hair was gone. She slowly put a shaking, white hand to her hair and brushed it through it. The action was quite painful since her hair was tangled and wet, but, nonetheless, she felt sort of...relieved? She wasn’t sure, but she sure was glad that her hair was gone. Poppy slowly turned to Harper, who gave her a look of worry. “D-do you mind if I take a shower?”

Harper shook her head, quickly. “Of course not! Towels are already in the restroom,” she explained. 

“Thanks,” Poppy said, getting up. She didn’t look down, though, knowing what was there. She didn’t want to see it, she didn’t even want to think about it. She gave Harper a hug before heading towards the restroom. 

“I’ll get you some dry clothing,” Harper called after her. She saw Poppy give a nod before going into the restroom Harper stood there, frozen for a second, before looking around for the broom. 

By the time she was done sweeping up the pink, nostalgic hair, Aspen barged through the front door. “So, like, I totally forgot that you asked for some of them to be spicy until I parked and it was too late to go back, so you’re stuck with regular chicken, babe,” he explained as he took off his raincoat. Just as he was about to set the table, he heard the shower running. 

“It’s fine,” Harper said, distractedly. She hoped Poppy was alright. 

Aspen looked at her, confused. “Who’s here?” 

“Oh, uh, Poppy,” she answered. “She, uh, came here with scissors and asked me to cut her hair.” 

“...Doesn’t she hate cutting her hair?” 

“She trusted me,” Harper answered, which did nothing to explain Aspen’s question. 

“So, you did cut it,” he asked, grabbing three plates. If Poppy was here, might as well serve a plate for her too. 

“Yeah,” Harper answered, gripping the dustpan a little too tight. Aspen finally noticed how quiet she sounded. “She was shaking the whole time...I didn’t stop...why didn’t I stop?”

Aspen heard the crack in her voice and rushed over to her. “Hey, hey, it’s ok? She asked you to do it, remember?” 

“But I didn’t want to,” she whispered, fiercely, as tears threatened to fall. “I’ve always loved her hair and how pink it is!” She looked him in the eye? “You think she’s gonna dye it again? She sounded like she didn’t want to, but pink is her favorite color, she has to dye it pink agai-”

“Whoa,” Aspen interrupted her with a hug. “Calm down, babe. She’s Poppy King, of course she’s gonna dye it pink again. And, if you’re not sure, just ask her, ok?” 

Harper nodded, wiping her tears with his shoulder. “Ok.” She pulled away from her fiance and took a deep breath. “I have to go and find her some dry clothes.” 

“Alright, you do that. I’ll finish setting the table.” Aspen watched as she walked into the hallway before setting the table again. 

He wasn’t stupid, he knew what Harper used to feel for Poppy, she told him the story when they were still just friends. All the rants about how she was gonna marry her one day, how she loved her and all her pink glory, how she was the first person to ever find her beautiful. Aspen had cursed the day Poppy had met her first because the first time he saw Harper that day at the Graffiti Park, his breath had been taken away. He thanked his lucky stars that Harper chose him and that they would be getting married soon. But, deep down, he knew that there would always be a special place in Harper’s heart that was only meant for Poppy, the pink haired angel that called her beautiful for the first time and meant it. That’s why Harper would do anything for Poppy, even if it meant getting rid of what she loved about her most; her pink hair. 

He heard the shower go off. Poppy was done with her shower. 

Poppy stepped out of the steaming tub, something she hadn’t had in a long time and, honestly, she missed it. She no longer had to take cold showers for her hair to stay vibrant and pink because, well, she no longer had pink hair! A giggle escaped her throat. Why was she laughing? She had just gone through a triggering event, she shouldn’t be laughing! But she was! This...feeling inside of her, it was just so wonderful, like she was...free. Free of what, she didn’t know. She had never felt trapped before, but that was the only way to describe the feeling she was having. She finally looked in the mirror to see her new hair. She laughed a bit more as she ran her hands through her hair, which was now smooth and thoroughly conditioned. Harper had unknowingly given her a pixie cut and Poppy couldn’t help but love it. She looked amazing, she looked beautiful, she looked...like an entirely different person. Like a whole new Poppy King. 

She opened the door when someone knocked and smiled at Harper. “It looks great,” she giggled. 

Harper was looking at her in surprise. It did look great! It looked like it was done by an expert! “I guess I’m an artist in more ways than one,” she joked, causing Poppy to laugh. The only thing wrong with the new hair was that it wasn’t pink. Harper handed her the clothes. “I’m a bit smaller than you so I got you some adjustable sweats, all size undies, and one of Aspen’s hoodies.” 

Poppy took them, happily. “Thank you, Harper. You really are the best.” 

Harper smiled back at her. “You wanna stay for dinner? It’s KFC. You can dry your clothes before you head home, maybe even sleep over.” 

“Really?!” 

“Yeah! We can all have a little slumber party in the living room.” 

“Sure! That sounds awesome!” 

“Great! I’ll call Mandy! But we’ll eat some chicken first, ok?” 

“Sounds fine to me,” Poppy smiled before closing the door. 

Harper stood there for a minute before taking a deep breath and heading to the kitchen. She smiled at Aspen, who was texting on his phone at the table, before going and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for setting the table, babe.” 

“I also texted Mandy,” he explained. “She’s coming with Arabesque and Poppy’s favorite movies.”

Harper sighed, relieved. He had heard the conversation. “Thanks for that, too.”

“No prob, bob,” he joked, causing her to let out a laugh. 

“My name’s not Bob, you butt~!” 

Aspen laughed before grabbing her hand and pulling her onto his lap, where he started tickling her. 

“Stop, stop, stop,” she pleaded as she let herself be tickled. 

Poppy smiled at the little scene. They were so adorable. She wondered if she could have had that kind of relationship with a certain someone, but dropped that though as fast as it came. “You guys are adorable,” she commented, aloud. 

Harper looked towards her, surprised, before smiling. “Thanks. You ready to eat,” she asked as she got off of Aspen and took her own seat. Aspen only stared at Poppy. 

“Yeah,” Poppy nodded. “You said it was chicken, right? I haven’t had meat in months!” Poppy sat down and grabbed the chicken wing off her plate. 

Harper gave her a funny look. “Why haven’t you had meat?”

“Dating a Vegan does that,” she answered before taking another huge bite. 

Aspen finally spoke. “That’s Poppy?” 

Both girls turned to him, surprised. “What,” said woman asked. 

“You look completely different! I almost didn’t recognize you! Holy crud!! I feel like my brain is going to explode! I’m used to you having pink hair! That’s long !”

Poppy laughed at his overreaction. “Well, it’s gonna be this way for a while.” 

Harper’s head snapped up from her mashed potatoes. “You mean you’re not dying it again?” 

Poppy shook her head. “No.” Then she looked confused. “I’m not really sure, yet. This was a spur of the moment thing. Maybe I’ll dye it again someday, but not today or tomorrow or the day after that, but someday. I hope you guys will get used to the new me.” She smiled at them both before digging into her mac-and-cheese. 

Aspen took a look at Harper and didn’t like what he saw. She looked like she might cry. Maybe this would cheer her up. “Hey, Harps,” he got her attention. “Weren’t you gonna ask Poppy something the other day. You know, about your gala?” 

Harper’s eyes widened. “Oh, that’s right!” Harper turned to a confused Poppy. “I want you to be my masterpiece.” 

Poppy almost spit out her chicken. “Y-you want me to be your masterpiece? In your gala?” Harper nodded with a smile. Poppy gasped. “Oh my god! Harper! That would be an honor! I would love to! What should I do?! How am I gonna pose?! What’s it gonna look like?!” 

“That’s a secret,” Harper said, immediately, with a smile. “I’m not showing you until the gala.” 

“Darnit,” Poppy sulked, but was, nonetheless, happy that she would be Harper’s masterpiece. 

They had idle chatter after that and ate the rest of their dinner before there was a knock on the door. “Mandy and Arabesque are here!” 

“Who’s Arabesque?” Poppy asked, confused. 

“Thomas’s boyfriend,” Aspen answered. 

“Oh! Right! I forgot Mandy was in a Poly. I’ve never met Arabesque,” Poppy reminded. 

“Well, you’re about to,” Harper smiled as she opened the door. “Sup you guys!” She greeted as she brought Mandy and the magenta haired guy into a hug. “Did you guys bring the movies?” 

“All four of them,” Mandy said, holding up her copy of Shrek: The whole story. 

“We gonna have ourselves a Shrek Marathon,” Harper announced. 

“Yes,” Poppy fist-pumped as she walked over to the three. “I love Shrek! I’m about to prove that cat theory to you all! Hi, Mandy,” She greeted bringing her into a hug. 

“Love the new do,” Mandy commented on her haircut. 

Poppy smiled before turning the magenta haired guy with a smile. She held out a hand. “You must be Arabesque.”

He took the hand. “The one and only,” he answered with a smile. 

Poppy laughed. “Well, the one and only Arabesque, I am Poppy.” 

Arabesque’s eyes widened. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say your Poppy King, correct me if I’m wrong.” 

“You are not wrong at all, my friend,” Harper said, putting an arm around Poppy with a smile. “Told you I knew her,” she teased. 

Arabesque started freaking out. “Holy shiz! You’re Poppy King! I almost didn’t recognize you without your pink hair! My friends and I are such huge fans! We love your music and everything! You probably don’t remember me, but I was part of the The Troll Tree.” 

Poppy blinked. “...What?”

“Back in high school,” Arabesque explained. “We were the group that challenged the Snack Pack all the time.” 

Poppy let out a breathy laugh. “Oh my gosh, are you serious?!”

“Yeah,” Arabesque confirmed, happily. 

“Wow! It’s so nice to see you without your mask! Wait! Let me guess! You were Rabu Bariq ! Which I know means Glitter Lord, by the way.” She sent him a wink. 

Arabesque laughed. “I thought only my friends knew what it meant!” 

“You called yourself Glitter Lord,” Mandy asked, laughing. 

“Guilty! And I know that you,” he pointed at Poppy, “were The CowBell .” 

Poppy laughed. “That was totally me.” 

“Really,” Harper asked. “ The Cow Bell ? I always thought you were called The King , you know, how you’re called The King of Trolls now.” 

“Nope,” Arabesque answered. “ The King was already taken by our leader.” 

Poppy nodded before she realized something. “Wait a minute, are you two still friends? Do you think I could meet him?” 

Arabesque looked a bit uncomfortable. “Actually, I haven’t seen him in years.”

Poppy nodded, a bit disappointed. Guess she was never going to meet her so-called soulmate. “Well, it’s nice seeing you again, Rabu Bariq ,” she joked. 

“Well, it’s good to see you, too, The Cow Bell .” 

Mandy let out a chuckle. “C’mon guys. We have a Shrek Marathon to watch!” 

“Yeah,” Aspen agreed. “You can now show us real evidence of your Cat Theory.” 

Arabesque looked confused. “What cat theory?”

Poppy smiled with glee. “Ok, it starts with Puss in Boots,” she started before going into full detail of her “All Ogre’s Like Cat’s” theory. 

Chapter Text

The entire school was buzzing about it. No one would stop talking about it. Even the teachers had asked if they had seen it. There were rumors saying it wasn’t true, that it was fake. That is, until they saw it for themselves. Others argued that it had to be a trick, there was no possible way that it was real! Until they were allowed to touch it for themselves. Others had immediately accepted it as the truth, yet were still surprised when they saw it in person. The school was starking mad about it. 

And Branch was sick of it. 

If he had to hear one more fucking person ask him if he had seen Poppy’s new haircut, he was gonna lose it! He didn’t care about Poppy’s stupid new haircut! All he cared about was studying for his classes and making sure he had enough credits to graduate in two months! God! It was so annoying having people come up to you and reminding you of everything you couldn’t have! 

“Branch!” Someone called behind him. “Have you seen-”

“No,” he yelled frustrated. “I have not seen Poppy’s stupid new haircut! Nor do I care!” He turned to glare at the person only for his eyes to widen. “I am so sorry, Chenille,” he genuinely apologized.

She let out a breathy laugh. “It’s fine,” she dismissed. “So people have been bugging you about it too?”

He sighed before a slight glare settled on his face. “Yup.” 

Chenille nodded. “So, anyway, I was wondering if you’ve seen Cybil around? Since Poppy’s gone and Satin hasn’t spoken to any of us in a week, we were wondering if she’d like to join the Snack Pack.”

Of course, Branch knew that Cybil was home today, having no classes and all, and, honestly, he was on his way there for his lessons. But something shook him the wrong way when Chenille said that her sister hadn't talked to her in a week. “Whatta you mean Satin hasn't spoken to you all in a week?” 

Chenille shifted from one foot to the other. “She wasn't really on board with our taking your side instead of Poppy's.”

Branch felt immediate guilt even though he never asked any of them to be on his side. “Sorry about that,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Chenille gave him a sad smile. “It's not your fault, Branch. Space is what she needs. I’m sure Satin will understand that soon enough.” She gave him a sad smile.

He returned her sad smile.

Suddenly hers turned brighter. “Now, about Cybil…”

Cybil looked at them all like they were crazy. “It's not Wednesday,” she said, her voice groggily. 

Branch almost laughed at the sight of her. Her hair was a complete, curly mess, she wore some type of 1800’s nightgown, and she had on a pair of lilac glasses. It was obvious she had been sleeping. He had a huge smile as he said, “I didn't know you wore glasses.”

She glared at him. “Why are you all here? I was sleeping. I am not mentally stable right now so please excuse me if I have any rude comments for you assholes waking me up.” 

Suki snickered. “It’s almost 2 pm.” 

“Like I said, I was sleeping, what do you all want?” 

“We were wondering if we could talk to you for a few minutes,” Biggie asked. 

Cybil sighed before she yawned. “Come on in,” she welcomed, opening the door. 

They all entered a room that looked like a temple with a maroon couch that looked just as out-of-place as the large screen TV. Though the Snack Pack was looking around in awe, Branch shrugged at the sight, having already seen it before. He went to his favorite edge of the couch. “The Snack Pack has something to ask you.”

“No,” Cybil said, opening the curtains and letting sunshine in. “No one speak to me until I've had my morning tea.” She headed towards the kitchen. 

“It’s 2 in the afternoon,” Branch reminded.

“What did I just say,” she yelled back at him.

He only laughed. “She'll be back in a minute,” he told the Snack Pack, who were looking around. “All her chakras will be in order when she gets her tea.”

“You look so comfortable,” Smidge said. “How many times have you been here?”

“Too many times to count,” he answered. “She’s my master in the Ways of Zen.”

“So you actually are practicing the ways of Zen,” Suki asked, impressed. “I thought you were just hanging with Cybil.” 

“Nope, she’s teaching me.”

“Has it helped,” Chenille asked. 

Branch shrugged. “A bit. There’s a lot to get over in here,” he explained, pointing at his head. 

“Which can all be solved if you gave the universe control of your mind,” Cybil said, walking into the living room with a small cup of tea and a completely different outfit. 

“How did you change so quickly?”

“It’s the practice that I learned the day I was born,” she explained. “It’s called the Ancient Art of Being a Girl.” 

The women snorted and Cybil sat down. “So, you all have something to ask me, correct?” 

Suki nodded to the rest of the group before looking at her. “A few weeks ago, Poppy quit the a cappella group. And, since then, we’ve kind of been thrown out of sync. We were hoping you could join the Snack Pack.”  

Cybil almost dropped her tea. “Y-y-you want me to join the Snack Pack?”

“We were kind of hoping, yeah,” Chenille confirmed. 

Everyone sat there, waiting for Cybil’s response. 

“I’D BE DELIGHTED!!” Everyone jumped at Cybil’s answer. “Oh, this is going to be so fun! I’ve never actually been in a singing group before! Even though I love to sing so much! But, may I ask? Why did Poppy quit?”

They looked away, causing Cybil to immediately realize something was up. “She, um,” Guy started. “Said she didn’t have time anymore. To be in the group, that is.” 

“Yeah, she got a new job and everything,” Smidge added. All of the Snack Pack started listing valid reasons. 

Almost all, anyway. Suki didn’t understand why they were defending her. “She quit because she was petty. And instead of talking to us about it like an adult, she’s ignoring us like a child.”

Cybil took a sip of her tea. “And why do you think this?”

“Why do I think what?” 

“That she’s acting like a child?”

Suki blinked. “Well, um, she’s ignoring us. And she won’t talk to us about her feelings.” She just said all this. 

“And who do you go to when you need to talk about your feelings?” 

Branch narrowed his eyes at her. “I know what you’re doing.”

Cybil held up her hands in surrender. “I’m not doing anything.” 

“Yes you are. You know exactly what you’re doing.” 

Cybil sighed. “Fine, fine. I’ll stop.” It’s not her fault she gets the urge to help troubled souls. 

“Wh-what was she doing,” Suki asked. 

Branch waved it off. “It’s nothing.”

“I wanna know!” 

Branch waved it off again. “You’ll be fine.”

Suki was not fine. 

Practicing a song Poppy wrote without Poppy present was horrible. “What exactly were we supposed to sing there,” Biggie asked as Suki cut off the music. 

“Poppy wanted us to improvise,” Chenille reminded. 

“She wanted Cooper to improvise,” Suki corrected. “The rest of us have to follow the lyrics. And Cooper’s not coming up with anything!”

“Don’t yell at me,” Cooper almost cried. “Words just aren’t coming today!” 

“Yeah, Suki, stop yelling at him!” Smidge rubbed his back.

“Seriously, Suki, you need to calm down,” Guy commented. 

Cybil stayed quiet. 

“I need to calm down!? The gig is tomorrow! And we still don’t have this number down!”

“We would if you’d stop yelling!” Smidge was ready to throw something. She glanced at Fuzzbert for a second and noticed their signs. “Yeah!” She agreed. “You have been acting like a bitch!” 

“Whoa, whao,” Biggie yelled over them. “Can we not fight?!” His plea went unheard as the argument continued. 

“A bitch?! How have I been acting like a bitch?!”

“You’re a lot more irritable, you’re cranky all the time now,” Guy listed some reasons.

“And you’re being really bossy,” Cooper all but cried. He still wasn’t over being yelled at. 

“Guys, give her a break,” Chenille defended. “It’s been a very stressful month for all of us.”

“But that doesn’t give her the right to be acting like this!” Guy wondered why Chenille was defending her. 

“We’re not acting like that,” Smidge pointed out. “Like you said, we’re all stressed. But we’re not taking it out on our friends!”

“I’m not taking it out on you! This is a simple number! We should be able to do it!”

“It would be so much easier if Poppy were here,” Cooper sniffed. 

“Well she’s not here! We don’t need her just like she doesn’t need us!”

“Why doesn’t she need you?” They all turned to Cybil, who had quietly been sitting on the bleachers of the practice room, listening to the whole thing.

Suki was the first to recover. “I don’t know why. All I know is that we don’t need her. We have you now.”

“I don’t have Poppy’s vocals. I can’t replace her.” 

“We’re not trying to replace her!” Gah, Suki felt like crying right now. Why did everyone think Poppy was being replaced? 

Cybil saw her in. She had to go through before it closed again. “Then what are you trying to do?”
“We miss Poppy,” Guy spoke. There was a string of agreements from the rest of the Snack Pack. Minus Suki. “But she left us.”

“Without warning, she just started distancing herself.” Smidge couldn’t even remember the last time they both hung out alone. 

“And then started walking around campus with her new friends,” Cooper sighed. 

“Poppy’s everyone’s friend,” Biggie explained. “But we were her group. We were who she hung out with every day.”

“We were the people she knew everything about. Not just a name and a major.” Chenille looked down at her crossed hands. 

“I guess we’re just trying to fill the void that Poppy left behind.” Guy sat down on the bleachers with Cybil. 

“How long have you all known Poppy?”

“Since sophomore year,” Guy answered. Biggie, Chenille, and Cooper all agreed. 

“We’ve known her since we were freshman,” Smidge gestured to Fuzzbert and herself. “They were all juniors by then.”

“She was the first person I came out to.” They all turned to Suki, who was glaring at her fists. “Not my parents. Not my niece. Hell, I couldn’t even say the word lesbian out loud! But I told her . Because she was my best friend and you’re able to tell your best friend anything! Well, I guess I wasn’t as special to her as she was to me.” Suki sighed, feeling the tears well up. “And now she’s out there with her new friends, and her new attitude, and her new hair ! Were we ever even special to her if she was able to just drop us like that? If she was able to believe that we would betray her like that?!” She huffed, crossing her arms and leaning back. “I guess people show their true colors at their worst.”

Cybil shook her head. She may not know the full story of this mess, but she knew one thing. “You’re wrong.”

Suki sniffed. “What?”

She held out her hand, waiting for Suki to take it. When she did, she continued. “You are wrong. With all this stress, anyone could crumble under the pressure. It’s ok to get frustrated and angry and sad. It’s called being human. But, can you honestly tell me that the way you’re acting right now is the real you?” 

“I don’t think it is.” They all turned to Chenille. “I think you’re sweet and amazing. You always have a good tune to offer when someone is sad. You’ll lend someone your headphones, your precious headphones that you love and cherish so much, if it means someone could listen to a song and feel better.” Chenille smiled at Suki. “It’s why I love you.”

“It’s why we all love you,” Guy agreed. “We’re all friends here! We’re always there for each other.”

“We know you're frustrated,” Smidge admitted. “And we know this isn’t you. We know you just need some time to feel better.” 

Cybil smiled. This conversation was leading exactly where she wanted it to. “And when you feel better, you’ll show your true colors again. Because people don’t show their true colors at their worst. They show them at their best! And when Poppy is finally at her best again, when she’s finally sorted through whatever’s going on in her head, you’ll get your friend back. The one you know and love. And she’ll be ready to tell you all everything.”

“You guys think that’s what Branch meant the other day,” Smidge voiced Fuzzbert’s signs. 

“Branch knows Poppy better than any of us,” Suki admitted. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.”

“He knows a lot more than he lets on,” Guy agreed. 

“Well, he is in love with her.” But the conversation had already moved on when Cybil had said that. 

Not for Suki though. “You know about that?” 

Cybil smiled. “Yes, yes I do. Don’t know why I didn’t see it before.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

Cybil raised a brow. “Why would it bother me?” 

“I thought you and Branch were together?”

She laughed. “No. Gosh, no! Haha! We broke up, like, weeks ago.” 

“And it doesn’t bother you to know that he was still in love with her the whole time?” 

“Well, maybe a little bit. But Branch’s situation isn’t uncommon to me.”

It was Suki’s turn to raise a brow. “This happens to you a lot?” 

Cybil realized her mistake. She was supposed to help others with their problems, not trouble them with hers. “No,” she lied. And then she turned to the singing group. It seems like they decided that Smidge would be the lead singer. 

- Be sure to keep it poppin, these trolls aint ever stopping 

We rolling and we rocking til the break of dawn

Finally, Cooper started singing in the same area they were having trouble with earlier. 

Drop it to the left, everybody get crazy til you runnin out of breath

Pop it to the right, shake your hair go wild cause we do this all night

We like to party, move move your body

Work your hair to the sky, get this thing started 

All about the fun, wave your hands to sun

Floating in the clouds cause this party weighs a ton!  

They all started singing along now. 

If you know how to party, lets see you get it started

We go all out whole hearted ‘til we can't no more

Be sure to keep it poppin, these trolls ain't ever stopping 

We rolling and we rocking til the break of dawn

We like to party, move move your body

Work your hair to the sky, get this thing started 

All about the fun, wave your hands to sun

Floating in the clouds cause this party weighs a ton!  

Be sure to keep it poppin, these trolls ain't ever stopping 

We rolling and we rocking til the break of dawn

We like to party, move move your body

The music ended and a second later, they all started cheering. They finally got the song down! 

“Wait!” Everyone turned to Cooper. “Was anyone recording?! I don’t remember anything I just came up with!”

“Cooper!” 

“Don’t yell at me!” 

Smidge held her phone up high. Usually, it was Poppy who recorded sessions. But Poppy wasn’t here right now. “I got you, Cooper!”

“YES!!!” They bumped fists. 

For the next hour they focused on the song, the timing of the music, and who would sing what lyrics. Cybil had admitted that Smidge sang the song much better than she ever could and by the end of practice, Smidge and Cooper were now the leads in the song.

Cybil walked home, alone, in a good mood. Nevermind what Suki had said. She would continue to be a great friend if it meant others could be happy, despite her own feelings. She had no doubt that one day she would find love. But, until then, she would have to wait patiently. She had all the time in the world after all. 

“I’m so sorry,” She almost yelled as she bumped into someone. “I wasn’t paying attention.” She let out a small laugh before she realized who it was. “It’s you.”

“It’s you,” Creek said. Why did he keep bumping into this woman? She was just going to get him in more trouble! Not that Chelia was around at the moment. She had sent him to get ingredients himself and warned him to be back quick. 

“Where’s the demon?” Cybil couldn’t help but feel bitter. Love was such a precious thing, and that woman was corrupting it. Corrupting him into thinking that their sick, twisted relationship was love. 

“She’s, um, at home. She sent me out for groceries.” Usually, Creek would have defended Chelia. But recently, he’s been really tired of doing that. 

“Do you have to be home soon?” Cybil wasn’t sure why she asked that. What in the universe’s name convinced her to ask that? What would she even do if he said no? She didn’t have to answer that, though. 

“Yes, actually,” he reluctantly admitted. “She’ll hit me if I’m late.”

Cybil nodded. She really wished she could help. But sometimes victims didn’t want help. And sometimes it was too late to help them. “I hope you’ll be ok, Creek.”

“You know my name?”

“I do.” 

“I… I don’t know yours.” 

She smiled a bit. “It’s Cybil.”

“That’s a pretty name,” the compliment left his lips before his brain even processed it. 

Cybil’s smile grew wider. “I could say the same about yours.”

A smile grew on his face. “I hope I see you around Cybil.” 

“Me too.” With a goodbye, their bodies parted ways, but not their hearts.

Poppy wanted to scream, and shout, and dance it all freaking out! She couldn’t believe what had just happened to her. One minute she was just sitting and having a meal, the next minute she was approached by a music producer explaining he had waited a long time to meet her! They had discussed her music and her songs and he wanted to get her in a contract right then and there! But she had to decline. There was still a lot to do for graduation and Harper’s gala. She had explained that to him and he had told her they had waited this long, what was two more months?! After another discussion went by, he had planned to come to the graduation so she could sign the moment she was free! It seemed like things were going right for once! 

The only problem was… Her dad. What exactly would he think about this? Her plan after graduation had been to start teaching music and singing at the school and work her way up before her dad retired and she could become principal. But it had been months since she had thought about being principal. It had not even crossed her mind once. In fact, thinking about it now didn’t fill her heart like it used to. Nothing she used to do filled it up anymore. And when she talked to that producer, she felt the tiniest bit like herself for just one minute. 

She really missed herself. The self that could find happiness in anything! The self that loved the color pink with everything she was! The self whose imagination guided her to be the person she was. The person she was. Gah, she was probably being dramatic. But she really wished she could feel like herself again. She really wished none of this had ever happened. 

She hated thinking these thoughts, though. So, while she was alone in her and her dad’s home, she did what she could do to distract herself. She cleaned the old pink stains off the bathtub. Dusted the attic. Washed what little dishes there were in the sink. She did whatever she could to feel the sense of thoughtless bliss. Because those thoughts are temporarily gone, she felt temporary peace. But that’s all it was. Temporary. And she really wished it was more than that, because she used to be a happy person and she really wanted that back. 

It was hours later, when she had nothing else to do and had settled for watching cartoons on the coach, when her dad finally got home.

Her dad! Oh, gah! It felt like she hadn’t talked to him in months! 

“DAD!” She got up and rushed to him, crushing him in a hug. It was rare nowadays that they were both in the house at the same time, both having time consuming lives. 

“Poppy,” Peppy king exclaimed just as excited as his daughter and embraced her. “Oh, sweetie, I haven’t seen you in forever! Is your life too busy for your old man?” He laughed at his own joke. His eyes widened. “Oh gah! Your hair!” He combed a hand through it. “When did this happen?!”

She laughed. “That’s a long story!” She broke the hug. “Why are you home so early?”

“My meetings finished early and I thought I could leave the paperwork for tomorrow.”

“Oh, dad, that’s gonna pile up!”

“That’s tomorrow me’s problem.” Poppy rolled her eyes affectionately. “Today me, though, wants some ice cream! To the kitchen, sweetie! It’s been a while since we’ve had Sundaes together!”

“That’s a great idea!” Poppy started dragging him into the kitchen.

“Did it get cleaner in here?”

After half an hour, both redheads were sitting at the table with Sundaes the size of mountains in front of them. Poppy shoved a spoonful in her mouth as her dad continued talking. 

“-and you were right! We have the money to start making that Animation department!”

“Weely,” Poppy asked, her mouth full of ice cream. She swallowed it quickly! “Oh, my gah, dad! That’s great!”

“And we’re finally gonna be able to tear down the old theatre and make a new one! There aren’t going to be any summer classes this year. At least not on campus. We’re going to be tearing down the old buildings we don’t really use anymore. What do you think we should build there instead?”

“Gardens,” Poppy automatically said. She couldn’t believe it. Everything she wanted to do as principal, her dad was doing it instead. Did she even need to be principal anymore? Sure, she loved UT and all it’s happy glory, but everything she had wanted to do was already being done.

“That’s a great idea! I’ll have to suggest it in the meeting next week!” He shoved a giant spoonful- Well, actually, her dad was eating his ice cream with a ladle. He took a huge bite from it before speaking again. “Anyway, that’s all that’s going on at the moment with the school. How has life been treating you, my dear?” 

She didn’t want to be principal. This was her chance to tell him. But what would he say? “Well, dad. What I’m about to tell you is going to blow your mind.” She set her spoon down. She had to tell him this. He was her father. He deserved to know! “I don’t think I want to be principal anymore.” Her dad’s body froze. Oh, gah! She should’ve kept it to herself! It was too late to back out now. “Today, I was approached by a music producer. They’ve heard about me and they want me. They like my music and I think it would be a great opportunity to take. Because…” Her eyes started to water. “Because.” She felt the lump in her throat. “Because!” She started crying. “Oh, god,” she sobbed. “Daddy! Everything in my life has gone to shit!” 

As he got up to embrace her, she told him everything. About Creek, about Branch, about Chelia, about the Snack Pack, and every other little thing that had gone wrong these past few months. And when she was done, she didn’t want to leave his embrace. It didn’t seem like he planned on letting her go anyway. 

“Oh, sweetie,” he hugged her tighter. “I don’t know what to say!”

“It’s ok, dad. Nothing you say can make it any better or worse. I just finally wanted to vent it all out to someone!” She sniffed.

“Oh, I cannot believe that woman is still walking these streets. She should’ve been arrested that day!” 

“Her parents were as well off as us, dad. Of course she was just gonna get a slap on the wrist.” Never mind all the money they had used to keep it from the media. It was just was well, since she didn’t want anyone knowing. She had wanted to start herself over. 

“And I can’t believe Creek! I thought he was a nice man! Not that I’ve ever met him, but the way you described him made me like him.”

“I’m not mad at Creek, dad. I actually just feel sorry for him. I know more than anyone what she’s like. I can imagine what he’s going through right now.” 

Peppy sighed. “And Branch?! I always thought he was a good man! I can’t believe he made you feel this way!” 

“I can’t believe it either.” Poppy had always believed everyone had good in their hearts. But Chelia was living proof that that wasn’t true. And, now, so was Branch.

“I liked Branch. I really did.”

“Me too.”

“I’m just having such a hard time processing this. His sarcasm and realistic view on life was a breath of fresh air from your cupcakes and rainbows.”

Poppy gasped, pushing her father away, offended. 

“It’s true!” He chuckled. But then he sighed, getting back to the topic. “But he knew when to turn that off and help someone. He was late to his interview after all. But I guess I was wrong.” 

Poppy froze. “He was late to his interview?” 

“Oh, yes! He was. Almost an hour.”

“I- I thought you only let him in because of me?”

“Oh, Sweetie! You can make a friend of anyone, but that doesn’t mean they’re good people.” Peppy glared at nothing in particular. “Like those girls from highschool.” 

Poppy nodded. “Yeah, I remember that.”

“Listen to me, Poppy. Whatever is going on with you and your mind right now, it will pass. Just like a storm. And when that storm is over, we can look at that rainbow together.”

“...With cupcakes?” 

“Of course with cupcakes! Who do you think we are?!” 

Poppy let out a laugh. She felt a lot better now. Talking with her dad really helped her. She should’ve come to him in the first place. There was just one last thing. “You’re not mad that I don’t want to be principal anymore?” 

“Mad?! Oh, honey! A bubbly girl like you would’ve gotten bored filing paperwork and all those meetings.”

“I do love helping people, though.” 

“You can do that when you're a popstar! Isn’t that why you got into music in the first place? To share it with the world? I know a lot of people who find more comfort listening to a song than anything else.” 

“I guess that’s true.” She could remember all those songs that got her through her Freshman year. Through her mom’s death. “Thanks, dad. I really needed this.” 

“Of course, Sweetie! Now, if I remember correctly, that one freshman was having a gala?” 

“Harper, dad.”

And so they sat there for hours, talking like a father and daughter should. And when they both headed to their respective rooms, Poppy felt a bit of color bloom in her heart.

She hadn’t meant to get up that early. It was a Saturday, so that meant no classes or work. She didn’t have to be up this early. But when her bladder started screaming at her to get up and head to the bathroom, she knew she had to listen. She headed downstairs when she was done, ready to eat something. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. As she made it to the door, she noticed the bouquet of dead poppies on the small table near the door. She should get rid of those. 

She opened the door with a yawn to reveal Satin. Oh, gah! It was too early for this. “Whatta you want, Satin?” 

“You should really read my texts,” the fashionista said as she pushed through Poppy and made her way in. 

“Hey, I didn’t invit-”

“You expect me to make you an outlandish dress and you won’t even answer my texts!” 

Poppy barely noticed the satchel she was carrying. What was Satin going off about?! “You don’t have to do that anymore-”

“Yes I do!” Satin looked her in the eye with a softness Poppy didn’t know the sassy designer possessed. “And if you read my texts, you would know that I’m with you in this, Poppy. I didn’t like that they started hanging out with him. I didn’t want to betray you like that! Nevermind what they do. I’m still here for you!” She opened her arms for a hug. 

And Poppy rushed into them with the force of a million thank yous. “Oh, thank god! I thought I lost all of you!”

“Not me, Poppy! Not me.” Satin hugged her tighter. “Now.” She broke the hug. “Before all of this, Chenille and I came up with a few designs for your graduation dress. But I’ve always been the better designer of us two, so I can definitely manage without her.” 

They both headed to the kitchen and Satin showed her many designs that she loved so much. Honestly, Poppy wanted them all. Satin and Chenille were so talented. And even though Chenille wasn’t here, at least Satin was. She was happy to have at least one true friend.

“-and she still won’t talk to me,” Chenille vented. It had been a few weeks since Cybil had talked to them about Poppy. And though everyone was willing to give Poppy some space before they talked to her, Chenille was ready to talk to her sister . But Satin had been ignoring her since her fight with Suki.

“You should trap her into a conversation,” Branch suggested. 

“Trap her into a conversation?” Chenille had no idea what he was talking about. 

“Yeah, like she used to do with you.” 

“What?!” They both stopped walking at the hand. “How did she used to do that?!”

“Well, back in highschool, when she made you so mad you wouldn’t talk to her, she would insult you and start an argument. It wasn’t exactly healthy, but I could tell she was happy you were at least speaking to her. Your arguments always ended in laughter, though, so I assume you guys made up at the end of them all.” 

They started walking when the hand turned to a person. “I cannot believe I never noticed that. I can't believe you noticed that! I always thought you couldn’t care less about us.”

“You all were a loud bunch, it was hard not to listen to you guys. Besides,” he smiled at her. “You and Satin remind me of my old friends! They were brother and sister and got into arguments all the time! But, at the end of the day, they still loved each other.” 

Chenille thought that that was beautiful, but one thing ran through her head. “You had friends?” 

Branch wore a deadpan expression. “Yes.”

“When was this?!”

“Before Valley.”

Chenille laughed. “I forgot you had a life before us.” 

Branch shoved her with his elbow. “Very funny.” 

“-and I just know the dress will look great on me! Satin’s making it after all!” 

Branch knew that voice. How could he ever forget it. 

“It’s going to be gorgeous!” 

Chenille knew that voice. She’d known it her whole life. 

Time seemed to move in slow motion as the two groups both stopped in front of the Cafe entrance, finally noticing each other. Poppy and Satin had their arms intertwined while Harper and Mandy walked behind them. They all stood there, staring at each other. The trance was only broken when someone walked out of the Cafe and in between them. 

Branch stared at Poppy. He hadn’t seen her hair that short since he was in highschool. And he had only ever seen her red hair in elementary school photos. This whole look was so new to him, it caught him off guard. “Uh, um, h-hi, Poppy,” Branch tried. Gah! That was horrible! “Hi, Poppy,” he amended. 

Poppy untangled her arm from Satin before crossing them both. “Hi, Branch.”

At least she wasn’t glaring at him. “H-how have you been?” 

“I’ve been good.”

“That’s good.”

“It is.” 

“Ok, yeah! Just! Just no!” They all turned to Mandy. She made her way to the front of the group, grabbing one of Branch’s arms and one of Poppy’s. Then she shoved them through the Cafe entrance. “You two need to talk! And you’re not leaving this Cafe until you do!” 

Poppy did not like this idea. “Mandy! You can’t just-”

“I think she’s right,” Branch interrupted. His face was flaming and his heart was pounding, but he needed to do this. He needed to talk to her. He wanted to know what happened. He wanted to know what went wrong. Because when he finally decided he wanted to hold on, she let go. And he wanted to know why. “We need to talk.”

Poppy wasn’t going to lie. Ever since her talk with her dad, she wanted to talk to him too. There were some things she wanted to get off her chest. She nodded. “Ok.” She turned to Mandy. “Ok.” She started walking towards the register.

Branch gave a short wave to Chenille before following her. 

“Do you think we should wait up on them,” Harper asked. She turned to Mandy, tilting her head like a puppy. 

Mandy thought about it. “Nah!” She laughed. “Let’s give them some privacy!”  

Each friend grabbed their respectful twin and dragged them off who knows where.

Branch and Poppy waited for their turn. When the woman in front of them moved to the waiting area, they both stepped up. “I’ll have a Black Coffee.”

Poppy wanted to barf at his choice. “He’ll have a Caramel Mocha.” Her eyes widened and she turned to him to see his had equally widened. “I-if you really want-”

“A caramel mocha sounds great right now,” he told the cashier. “And she’ll have a hot cocoa with cream and sprinkles,” he ordered for her before she could open her mouth. After paying and giving their names, they headed towards a booth. 

They sat there in silence even after Branch had gotten up to get their drinks. 

Poppy took a sip of her Hot Cocoa, burning her tongue just a bit. But the burn was nothing compared to the fire her heart was on just by doing something like this with Branch again. She watched as he drank his mocha, not being able to look at her. “Was it your intention to manipulate me?”

He was finally looking at her with a surprised expression. “Manipulate?” 

“I told Creek about us. Everything about us. And he told me you were manipulating me. That you were using me as a rebound to life. That you would only come to me to feel the high of happiness and when you were sick of it, you would drop me. And then, like a boomerang, you would come back to me as if you knew I would be waiting for you. Did you do that on purpose?”

Branch couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was this what she thought? That he was only using her for his own benefit? Is this how horrible he made her feel?

He wasn’t answering. Poppy looked down at her drink. The cream had already melted into it. “I just wanna know… that I was right. That you are a good person. Because, if you did this on purpose, everything I think I know about you is a lie.”

Branch’s eyes dropped down to his drink. Gah, he really fucked up, didn’t he. “I have… depression.” There. He had said it. For the first time in six years, he had said it. He had never wanted to admit it to himself, but it was true. It was time to finally accept it before another... attempt happened like it did that summer day before that one night . “And I didn’t want you to get caught up in that. There were times where it seemed like it was gone. And those times were when I was with you. Because when I’m with you, it’s like I could actually be happy. But then those days come and dark clouds block what little sunshine I had let in and I didn’t want you to deal with that. Every time I pushed you away… It wasn’t because I got sick of you. It was because I was trying to protect you from the monster I would become when I slipped back into that darkness.”

“I never thought you were a monster.”

He clutched his drink tighter, not looking up at her. “But I did. I thought I was a monster. I thought I was a monster who didn’t deserve you and that you deserved the entire light of day and I could only offer you shadows. In the beginning, when we met in Valley, I was doing it on purpose. I wanted to push you away before I could actually start caring about you. I wanted you to hate me before you could hurt yourself trying to open me up. But then you grabbed this hammer made of cupcakes and rainbows and started tearing down the wall of darkness I had built around myself brick by fucking brick and you let the sunlight in and I started to care . I started to care so much, I said things I didn’t mean. I did things I didn’t want to do. Acted the way I didn’t want to act all because every part of me was screaming to just let you in! But I knew that if I did, you would destroy yourself trying to save me. And I didn’t want that for you. I didn’t want to destroy you. Because you are everything! The sun, the moon, the stars. All things that shine. You’re proud of who you are! And yet you would waste your days on someone like me. Someone who can barely give off a spark while you can illuminate the universe. I never meant to make you feel like you were anything less.” The table stayed quiet for a few seconds, the only noise being the machines of the cafe and the chatter of its patrons. 

“I...hate you.” He flinched. “I really fucking hate you!” Wait, was she laughing? Why was she laughing?! He finally looked up at her to see her beautiful laughing face. She finally stopped laughing and looked him in the eye. Had she been crying? “Why does your apology have to be so beautiful?! You really are a poet!” 

He was confused. This was not the reaction he had expected. “You’re not...mad?”

Poppy shrugged, wiping her tears. “I still kind of am, yeah. Because, like, I do see why you did all that, Branch. But, only I’m allowed to decide what I deserve. And if I thought I deserved you, flaws and all, it’s not your place to disagree with that. I liked you, Branch. I really, really did. Having to let you go really hurt. Especially when you started walking around with your new attitude and your new girlfriend and this whole ‘I’m over Poppy’ look-”

“It was actually a ‘Poppy, please notice me’ look.” He looked to his cup after interrupting. What would she think about that? He looked up at her to see her head tilted like a puppy. How was someone this adorable? 

“But, what about Cybil?” 

“Cybil and I kind of broke up on Valentines,” he explained. “She found the collage…”

“...Oh.” 

“Yeah, oh,” he laughed. “And then… she kind of told me that... I was still in love with you.”

“...Are you?” 

“Yes.” Her eyes widened. He said it. Just like that! No hesitation. “...But…” There was a ‘but’? “I think we need a break. The way I’m dependent on you is unhealthy. That day, when you told me it was over, I crashed. That night, I cried and and I wrote for as long as I could keep my eyes open. I felt like I didn’t just want you anymore. It was more like I needed you. And that’s not healthy. Relying on a relationship between us to keep me happy is wrong. I need to be able to make myself happy. I know you’re a firm believer of letting people help you, but this is something I need to learn myself. You’ve helped enough. Thank you for that.”

Poppy nodded. She understood what he was trying to say. “I think… I was dependent on you too. Whenever you didn’t come to a party, or a hangout, or even just a meet up, I was always angry. I throw a huge fit and start scrapbooking! Gah! I even couldn’t even get you out of my mind when I was with Creek! Everytime we did something, I would only compare it to us. Like, when we would have dinner, I couldn’t help but wonder what we would be eating. Or when he did something, I couldn’t help but think what you would do differently!”

“I did the same thing when I was with Cybil. If she hadn’t found that collage, I think I would still be doing it now.” 

“We really are bad for each other, aren’t we,” Poppy laughed. 

Branch laughed. “We are!”

Poppy watched him laugh and it did nothing to tame the flame in her heart. “Can we have right now?”

“What?” What did she mean? 

“Can we be us right now? Talk like we used to, act like we used to? Just right now? Before we take that break?”

“I would like that, yeah,” he nodded. Just today. They could be like this for today.

Chenille sipped her smoothie. The table had gone quiet  between her and her sister after Harper and Mandy had to leave. Something about the gala. Satin had told them she would wait here for Poppy, but Satin had yet to speak to her. Looks like Chenille would have to take the first step. “I heard you were making a dress for Poppy.” Satin barely acknowledged her as she continued to scroll through whatever app was on her phone. “I know jumpsuits are usually more your thing.” Oh, gah, was she really going to do this? She had to trust Branch on this. “So, I know the dress is gonna be a disaster.”

“Excuse me,” Satin yelled, outraged. “I make great dresses!”

“Not as great as mine,” Chenille retaliated. “Dresses are my thing. So, unless you used one of my designs, it’s going to crash.”

“I’m not sitting here and letting you insult me!” Satin got up with her smoothie. She started heading back to the cafe. Poppy had to be done talking with that asshole.

Chenille followed after. “They’re not insults if they’re the truth!”

“How dare you?! My dresses have always come out nice!”

“Not as nice as mine.”

“Yes, they have!”

“No, they haven’t.” 

“Yes!” The cafe was just up ahead.

“No.” 

“Yes!” There was the door! She just had to go through it.

“No!”

Satin had had enough. She turned around to face her sister, who stopped suddenly with a surprised look.  “Whether it comes out great or not, at least it would be made by a true friend!”

Chenille gaped. “I am Poppy’s friend!”

“You betrayed her!”

“No, I didn’t! Branch said-”

“So, you listen to Branch now?! You two have gotten a lot closer these past few months! Don’t think I didn’t notice that! You knew this whole time how Poppy felt about him, and then, when she finally dropped him, you swooped at the chance to grab him!”

“You think I like Branch?” Chenille couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

“I know you do! You would always talk about him! Try to include him in everything! You’re with him all the time! Always helping at the flower shop! Even now, you’re together! How else do you explain that?!” Satin glared at her, waiting for an answer. 

Chenille felt her heart pounding. Her sister was very accepting and open minded. She loved their queer friends with all her heart! She had even helped plan Suki’s Coming Out party. So why was Chenille so scared right now? “...I’m…” 

“You’re what?” Satin crossed her arms, her glare not withering a bit. 

“...I’m…” Her eyes started to water. 

“What?! You’re what?!”

“I’m gay,” she cried. She let the tears fall. 

Satin’s eyes widened. Did her sister just say what she thought she said? That couldn’t be right? Her sister had never shown any signs she was interested in women. Hell, she never really showed signs that she was interested in anyone! Satin had thought she was ace! She looked at her crying sister and her first instinct was to hug her. Instead, she reached for her hand and held it. “How long have you known?”

Chenille sniffed and wiped her tears with her free hand. “Since I can remember, really. I wanted to come out sooner. But, I didn’t want to seem like I was just following everyone else. One by one, everyone started to come out. Suki, Guy, and Biggie came out as gay. Smidge as trans. Cooper and Fuzzbert as ace. Poppy as pan. Hell, we all even knew Branch was bi!”

“So, you knew we would all fully accept you? How come you never told us.”

“Just cause I knew that, didn’t make it any less scary. And I did tell someone. It’s just that someone wasn’t... you”

That...kind of stung. “Wh-who was it?”

“...Suki.” 

“You told her...b-but not me.” Ok, that stung a lot harder. 

“Suki is my girlfriend, Satin. We’re together.” Chenille didn’t know why, but she wanted to laugh. She hadn’t spoken that sentence to anyone. And now she had. She wanted to scream it off of rooftops for everyone to hear! She smiled at Satin. “Suki’s my girlfriend,” she repeated. 

“Suki’s...your girlfriend.” Oh, gah. OH GAH!! And she had thrown a water bottle over her! Oh, gah! Wait a second, if they were together, then- “Where does Branch come into this?” 

“It wasn’t a lie when I said he helped Suki and me at the parade. He found out that Suki and I were dating and he would cover for me when I wanted to hang out with her without causing suspicion. He’s the one that actually kept pushing me to tell you about this. He also told me how to get you to start talking to me again.” 

“And what was that?” Branch couldn’t possibly know how to do something like that. 

“He said to insult you so that you would yell at me. Said that you did that to me back in High school.” 

Fuck. She did do that. “...It got you talking to me, didn’t it?” 

“And it got you talking to me,” Chenille laughed. “So, now you know there’s nothing going on between Branch and me. I would never do that to Poppy. I only started hanging out with him because Poppy… Poppy was right all along. Branch is a pretty great guy! There’s a lot of him we didn’t see before. That we didn’t want to see! And so we forced her to drop him instead of giving him a chance. It’s all our fault their relationship is so horrible now.”

Satin looked into the cafe on instinct, her eyes trailing to the now redhead and brunette. “Their relationship doesn’t seem so horrible now.” 

Chenille looked into the cafe as well, seeing Poppy and Branch talking and laughing. They actually looked happy together. Was this what they were like when no one was around? Was this what they didn’t see before? Poppy stood up when Branch did and they both threw away their empty drinks. The girls couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they watched on as they laughed at something Poppy had said. And then they embraced. There was so much emotion radiating off the single hug, the way they both held on like it was going to be the last time they saw each other. They spoke, but Satin and Chenille couldn’t make out the words. And when they broke the hug and started heading for the exit, the twins scrambled away, trying not to get caught spying. 

“-just glad it was all a misunderstanding,” Poppy said as she exited the cafe. 

“Yeah,” Branch laughed. “Things were just...taken the wrong way.” 

“So, you two are finally done talking,” Satin made herself known, dragging Chenille with her. 

“Yeah.” Poppy confirmed, taking her place next to Satin. She turned back to Branch only to be crushed in a hug by Chenille. 

“I’ll text you later, ok?” 

Poppy...didn’t know how to feel about this. But something in her told her to hug back, so she did. “You can get my new number from Satin.” She broke the hug. “Well, my old number anyway.”

“You’re using your old phone?”

“It’s got a lot less contacts.”

Chenille didn’t understand, but she smiled at her friend anyway. “I’ll get it from Satin.” She backed away, stopping once she was at Branch’s side. 

Branch. Poppy smiled at him. “Well, I’ll see you around, Branch.”

Branch smiled back. “I’ll see you around, Poppy.” 

“So, is everything alright with you and Poppy,” Chenille asked as they headed nowhere in particular. 

Branch smiled, thinking back at their conversation. “Yeah.” He glanced down at her. “Everything ok with you and Satin?”

Chenille smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, it is.” 

As the distance grew between the two lovers-never-meant-to-be, one couldn’t help but think that it was time to start feeling some color again while the other believed that it was about time he started holding that hammer of cupcakes and rainbows himself.

It had been a month since that day. And since then, Branch had been trying to better himself. After consulting with Cybil, he had started taking therapy. At first, he had tried to tell his therapist everything, like he was at a confession in a catholic church. But then Dr. Moonbloom told him that they should go at a pace he was comfortable with. So, the first thing he wanted to talk about was his grandma. So, after four weeks of talking, Dr. M had told him it would be a good idea to stop treating the flower shop like his grandma was coming back, because she wasn’t. It was time to start treating the flower shop as his. So he had been spending the day not only redecorating the flower shop, but also his own home. It was about time he started taking down all the old paintings and knickknacks, throwing out old furniture he didn’t need, putting up photos of his own memories, and just stop living in a past he could never go back to. 

He was putting up an old photo of his early high school days when a knock came at the door. Sprite was already running to the door before he could even stand. He wondered who that could be. He hadn’t invited anyone over so he got his pepper spray ready. As he looked through the peephole, he saw an array of colorful hair. What was the Snack Pack doing here?! He had specifically told Chenille that he was busy today! Nonetheless, he opened the door. “Hey, guys.” 

“Branch!” They all cheered, letting themselves in. Sprite barked happily, jumping up at Biggie the moment she saw him.

“What are y’all doing here?” He eyed them, suspiciously.

“Chenille said you needed help redecorating,” Guy explained. He looked around. “And, boy, was she right!” He walked over to the coach. “Honestly, this is horrible!”

“That’s the new coach,” Branch said with a deadpan expression. 

Guy blushed, embarrassed. “Horribly amazing ! You didn’t let me finish!”

“Stop teasing him,” Chenille scolded, causing his facade to crack and start snickering. 

“I’m kidding, Guy. Yeah, I have to throw that one out.”

“Good one, Branch,” Smidge laughed, punching him in the arm, which hurt . Gah! Where did Smidge work out?! 

“Thanks, Smidge,” he rubbed his arm. 

“You’ll never guess how yesterday went for me!”

“Here we go again,” Suki muttered. 

“Ooh, I love this story,” Biggie squealed. 

“Me too,” Cooper agreed. 

“How did your day go,” Branch asked, giving in. They all found their way into the living room as Smidge recalled the story of how she finally got Milton Moss, her long time crush, to finally notice her. 

Chenille had heard the story a million times, so she let herself get distracted by what was new. So far, hardly anything was new. She noticed that the things he had gotten rid of outnumbered what he had put up. The walls were empty so far except for the one behind her, which showed a few photos. Chenille wanted to squeal! Was this young Branch?! Oh, he was so adorable! She took a glance at Branch, who seemed to be focused on Smidge’s story. He wouldn’t notice her looking at the photos. She grabbed one still in the box. Branch looked young in this, probably only fifteen. He had on a nice suit and was holding a mask that looked very familiar but she couldn’t place where. The most surprising thing, though, was the single bright indigo highlight on young Branch’s curls. And, when she looked closely, it looked like he was wearing blue contacts. This Branch was starting to look familiar, she was just having trouble answering why. Her eyes trailed to the other four people in the photo. One was a brown skinned guy whose glitter would definitely rival Guy’s. Another was a girl with a honey skin tone and green hair curled at her shoulders. Chenille couldn’t help but think that, once again, that seemed familiar. She waved it off, though. Someone at UT probably had that color. She thought the same when looking at the next girl, who had ivory skin and sparkly pink hair. But then she got to the last guy, who Branch had his arm around. This guy only had brown hair with bleached tips. This time, she could place why he looked familiar. He looked sort of like Satin’s new boyfriend! She had met him not too long ago. In fact, Satin was with him right now, meeting his roommates for the first time! She internally laughed as she discreetly took a photo and sent it to Satin.

Satin was having the time of her life meeting Rudy’s roommates. The first one she had met had been Arabesque, who was somewhat a professional dancer. He had yet to join a troupe, though, hence why he was still living in this “shoddy apartment”. Rudy had thrown a shoe at him for that. Then she had met Wim, who had gorgeous sparkly, pink hair! When she had asked him how he achieved that, he had explained to her in sign language that they were tinsel hair extensions. Ooh, Guy would love those! A woman had walked in when he had been explaining that. She had beautiful brown-to-green ombre hair and an aura that said to fuck off. Satin remembered her from a photo Rudy had sent her. This was Rudy’s sister and Wim’s fiance.

“Plum,” the three guys yelled, even Wim who Satin had yet to hear actually speak. They all got up from the coach to embrace her. 

“AAAH!” She screamed. “Don’t hug me so suddenly!” She shoved them off of her. “Except for you,” She held on to Wim. “You can stay!” They stayed embraced for a few seconds, the girl combing her hands through Wim’s hair. Her smile seemed to grow wider with every comb through, and soon she was beaming. “Ok, I’m calm now,” she shoved Wim away, which Satin thought was a bit rude, but Wim didn’t seem to mind. “I bought me a new dress, where are the scissors!?”

“In the kitchen,” Arabesque answered as they all started following her to said destination. 

Satin followed too, catching up to Rudy. “What does she need scissors for?”

“She cuts the tags off the back. She swears they poke her all the time.” 

Satin nodded. She guessed she understood that. The couple made their way to the kitchen to find Plum cutting the tag off a dress that had bones and skulls. 

“How was work today, bitch,” Arabesque asked, resting his chin on his hands. 

“Horrible,” she sang. “They moved me to dishwashing!”

“What,” Rudy yelled, outraged. “I thought you were doing good as a waitress?!”

“The blue haired couple came in today,” she answered as if it explained everything. 

The others groaning queued Satin that it did. “The blue haired couple,” she questioned. 

Plum barely noticed her. “Oh, hello there! Who are you?!”

“Oh, Plum, this is Satin,” Rudy introduced. “I told you she’d be-”

“Satin! La novia de mi hermano! Si! I remember! He talks about you a lot!” Satin couldn’t help but smile at the information as Rudy blushed. “He literally sings about you in the shower! It’s hilarious! Especially because back in highschool, we had a friend that did the same thing with his crush! Rudy used to make fun of him for it! And look how the turns have tabled!” She laughed, causing Satin to smile wider as Rudy’s face grew redder. 

“Plum, callate,” Rudy yelled. 

Plum smirked at Rudy’s glaring face. “Are you mad at me?”

“Yes.” 

“What did I do?!” Plum feigned innocence. 

“You’re telling all my business!”

“But it’s statically proven that women love hearing about how much their life partners enjoy them! Satin is enjoying this!” 

“Plum, darling,” Arabesque interrupted her. “You’re doing that thing again where you use logic to explain yourself instead of using empathy to understand someone’s feelings.” 

Plum shrugged. “It’s my brother’s feelings! What more do I have to understand?!” 

Arabesque barked out a laugh and Wim chuckled. ‘She has us there,’ he signed. 

“You two are as bad as her! Satin and I don’t need to take this!”

“I don’t know,” Satin said, a smirk growing on her face. “I would at least like to know what songs they are.” 

“Oh! One went like-”

“Plum why don’t you tell us why you got this dress!” Satin glared at her boyfriend. 

“That’s right! This dress is increible! The bones glow in the dark! Wim, turn the lights off!” Wim went and did so. Though there was still light coming from the living room, you could definitely see the bones glowing a bit green. Wim turned the lights on after a few seconds to reveal Plum hugging the dress to her face. “Oh, I just love it! Do you know how hard it was to find a long sleeved dress this time of year!”

“Why would you want to wear a long sleeved dress in this Texas heat,” Satin asked, confused. 

“I got my graduation gown already and I tried it on. I do not like the feeling of the fabric at all ! But my arms are all I’m gonna be able to save. I have no idea what I’m gonna do about the neckline.”

“You can sew a different fabric behind it so it doesn’t irritate your skin.”

“It doesn’t irritate my skin, I just don’t like how it feels. Also, I don’t know how to sew.” 

“Aren’t you training to be a surgeon,” Arabesque pointed out. 

“Si, an Orthopedic Surgeon! Stitches are completely different from sewing! It’s important to me that you know that.”

“I can do it for you,” Satin spoke up. 

“Oh, yeah! Satin is a fashion Designer!” Rudy put his hands on her shoulders, as if presenting her for the first time. “Show her some of your stuff!” 

“Well,” Satin blushed. It had been so long since she had anyone new to show her designs to. “I don’t have my sketchpad with me. But I probably have some designs saved on my phone.” Just as she brought it out, her phone dinged, showing a text from Chenille. “Oh, it’s my sister!” 

‘Doesn’t this look like Rudy lol i found it at branches,’ the text read. Satin opened the message to see the image attached. “Ha,” she laughed. “This does look like you,” she showed the picture to Rudy. Instead of laughing with her, he grew serious. 

“Where did you get that photo?”

“What is it?!” Rudy’s roommates all came behind her to look at the photo. 

Satin was very confused. “Well, my sister’s at a friends house right now. She found it there.” 

“Is your friend’s house also a flower shop,” Arabesque asked, also growing a serious tone. 

“Um, how did you know that,” she drawled out, suspicious. 

“Oh, my god! Is it him?! It couldn’t be him! We haven’t seen him in years!” Plum was grinning.

“We have to go,” Arabesque yelled, looking to Rudy. 

“Well, what are we waiting for!” Rudy grabbed Satin’s hand, dragging her to the front door. The rest of the gang followed behind.

Chenille waited for an answer, but after a few minutes it didn’t seem like she was going to get one. She opted for listening in on Smidge’s story, but as she listened in for the next few minutes, it seemed like Smidge wasn’t even near the middle, explaining the whole day in graphic detail and all. Branch seemed to be very interested in the story. Chenille had already heard this part, though. She looked back in the box. This picture was of Branch, who looked younger than the previous photo and donned just a t-shirt and jeans. His blue contacts were gone, too, showing his natural brown. And there was an elderly woman next to him, whose skin was a darker brown than his and whose afro was dyed a mint green. She wondered who that was. She looked back to Branch, to see if he had noticed her snooping. Nope, he was still invested in Smidge’s story. She looked at another picture. And another. And another. Each picture showed Branch with that older woman or those other kids. And in each one he was smiling. Branch had never been a happy person for as long as any of them had known him, he barely even smiled! And yet, this Branch, with his indigo hair and his blue contacts, he looked so familiar. She just couldn’t place where. She started reaching for the last photo hanging on the wall. With a glance at Branch, who was still listening to Smidge, she grabbed it. 

Chenille took a look at the photo. This one had Branch and those kids in the same outfits as the first photo. Except in this one, they were all wearing their masks. Masks that were all extremely familiar . She grabbed the first photo. They were all in the same order, in the same clothes, in the same area. Satin analyzed the background. It was Misty Meadows, a park not too far from Valley High. It was where they would go to have their choir challenges against the small group from that school of arts not far from here actually. It was fun! They would sing song after song, challenging each other like some sing off. Sometimes they even drew a crowd! Unfortunately, they had stopped coming once junior year hit. And none of them had ever known why… 

Chenille looked at the photo again, realization hitting her. That was the group. The brown skinned boy with the glitter tux, that was Rabu Bariq ! And then the pink haired girl! She was The Silent Siren ! And the green haired girl called herself La Catrina ! And the blonde tips boy was El Guapo ! ...And the boy with the indigo highlight... The King . Her heart started racing. No! It couldn’t be! They had spent years telling Poppy he was her soulmate! That they were made for each other! That he was obviously singing for her! That he was the one that got away! But he hadn’t gotten away! He was here this whole time. And they had forced Poppy away from him. She looked at Branch, but the light she used to see him in had changed.

“- and that was our perfect day,” Smidge finished with a dreamy smile. 

“Wait a minute,” Branch said, reeling it all in. “So, you changed your hair and clothes and voice, basically everything you are just so he would talk to you?”

“Pretty much,” Smidge smiled brightly. 

“And you call this a win?!” 

“That’s what I’m saying,” Guy yelled, outraged. “She looked really weird!” 

“You mean I looked really gentle,” Smidge corrected, sitting up straight with a kind smile. 

“No, I mean weird.” 

“Why, you!...” Smidge got up to tackle him.

“Guys, no wrestling in my house,” Branch yelled. 

“Show some respect, guys,” Suki agreed. 

Chenille couldn’t hold it in any longer. “You’re The King!” 

“Exactly! I’m The King! Wait, what?” He turned to Chenille, confused. She was staring at him with wide eyes, clutching a framed photo. Was something wrong with her?

“Do you guys hear singing,” Biggie asked. 

They all grew quiet after a few seconds, listening. Biggie was right, there was a group singing. And Branch could tell it was right outside his porch. He rushed outside the door, the others following behind. 

What awaited Branch below his porch was the last thing he expected. 

You just might have a problem

That I'll understand

We all need somebody to lean on

Branch didn’t know how to feel about this. Slowly, though, his feet made connections with the steps.

Lean on me

When you're not strong

And I'll be your friend

Rudy led the next song.

Thank you for being a friend

Traveled down the road and back again

Your heart is true

You're a pal and a confidant

Plum and Arabesque sang the next versus as Rudy and Wim kept the a capella going.

And if you threw a party

Invited everyone you knew

Well you would see

The biggest gift would be from me

And the card attached would say

Thank you for being a friend

Arabesque took the lead as the others kept the vocal harmony going. 

Oh you're the best friend

That I've ever had

I've been with you such a long time

You're my sunshine

And I want you to know

They all sang together now.

My feelings are true

I really love you

They sang the last verse in perfect harmony, extending their arms towards Branch.

You're my best friend

Branch stepped off the last step of the stairs, his eyes filled with tears. The Snack Pack watched on as Branch did the last thing they ever thought he would do. He ran into their arms, setting off a group hug. 

“What are you guys doing here,” Branch asked, the tears still flowing and the smile still growing. 

“We missed you,” Plum yelled, crushing him in a hug. 

“You kind of disappeared after… you know,” Arabesque smiled sadly. 

“I’m surprised you kept the shop open,” Rudy laughed. 

‘I thought you were supposed to sell it,’ Wim signed. 

“It’s a… It’s a long story,” Branch explained, his smile dwindling. “Do you guys wanna come inside?”

“Would I?! SI! I haven’t seen the shop in years! Oh, I wonder how much you’ve changed it!” Plum started running for the stairs. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the group of people at the top. “Oh, there’s people here.” 

Satin, who had been watching everything from behind the small group, watched as Plum’s extravagant personality withered away into this still, quiet shell. 

Branch was by her side in a second, careful not to touch her. “Hey, Plum, it’s ok. They’re cool people. You can be yourself.” 

Plum wasn’t sure about that. Though she was an adult, the oldest of the group, actually, she still had trouble making new friends. Social interactions weren’t exactly her thing and it was hard to tell who she could be herself around. People often found her a bit rude, seeing as she had a habit of saying what was on her mind. She didn’t know how these people would react to her, but, if Branch trusted them… “Do you guys wanna hear about bones?”

“Ooh, I would love to,” Cooper yelled. 

Soon, everyone was in the living room as Plum named every bone in a hand. Cooper seemed to be fascinated while everyone else had questions.

No one had more questions than Branch, though. 

“You have to tell me everything that happened after I left!”

“Oh, my god, dude,” Rudy yelled. “So much happened! You have no idea!” 

“You’ll never guess what happened to Tyler Mason,” Arabesque exclaimed.

Branch immediately perked up. “Who’s Tyler Mason,” Guy asked.

“My ex-boyfriend, now quiet,” Branch explained. 

“He got caught stealing funds for the school,” Arabesque laughed. 

“It was a third of the money collected from fundraisers and shit,” Rudy explained. “He was putting it in his dad’s account.”

“The principal?!” Branch couldn’t believe it. 

“He was fired and thrown in jail and Tyler was expelled, never to be seen again~,” Arabesque sang.

“That is exactly what that two-timing asshole gets!” Branch laughed. He couldn't believe his luck. Honestly, screw that guy!

Rudy remembered something “Oh, god! Barbra disappeared too!”

Branch wanted to groan. “Barbra? Really?”

“Who’s Barbra,” Guy asked. Who the heck were all these people Branch knew?!

Branch rolled his eyes. “You guys don’t have to worry about her.”

“Oh, especially because she disappeared ,” Arabesque sang.

Branch gave them a deadpan expression. “Why do you guys keep saying it like that?”

“Because she literally disappeared,” Plum cut in. “Like, no one has seen her since Sophomore year. I heard she started being homeschooled!”

“I heard she dropped out,” Rudy shrugged. 

‘I heard she went on tour with her dad,” Wim signed. 

“I hated her guts, but her disappearance was very eerie,” Arabesque explained. “Not even the media pieced anything together! She’s just gone off the face of the earth.”

Branch was, in a word, worried. But, this was Barbra they were talking about. She was never really his friend, so what did he care? “What have you guys been up to,” Branch tried changing the subject. 

“Oh, we would love to know that too,” Suki cut in. “We’d also love to know your names .” She turned to Branch with a raised brow. 

He laughed. “Right! Right. Sorry. Guys, these are my friends from my old high school,” he explained. “Plum, Rudy, Wim, and Arabesque.” 

“Hey, I know you,” Fuzzbert spoke. Branch had to do a double take. Fuzzbert just talked?! Could they do that this whole time?! 

“I know you too,” Wim laughed. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Smidge interjected. “How do you two know each other,” she signed as she spoke. 

‘We’re in the same HOH support group on Saturdays,’ Fuzzbert explained. 

“Ok, that’s kind of cool,” Guy admitted. “You were secretly friends with a key to Branch’s past!”

“And Wim was secretly friends with a key to Branch’s future,” Arabesque laughed. 

“Actually, I think that key goes to Satin,” Chenille threw her arms around her sister. “Being Rudy’s girlfriend and all.” 

Biggie and Guy gasped. “You didn’t tell us you had a boyfriend,” they cried in sync. 

“I guess I didn’t,” she shrugged. They had all only barely started getting along again. Her only problem was Suki, who was trying, and failing, to hide her glare towards her. 

“Ok, that hurts,” Rudy put a hand to his heart. “Because when we started dating I told everyone!” 

She couldn’t help but laugh. Then a thought came to her. She turned to Branch. “You used to sing about your crush in the shower?”

Branch gaped at her like a fish, his cheeks getting darker. Then he glared at Rudy. “What the hell have you been telling her?!”

Rudy held up his hands. “It was Plum!”

Plum started laughing hysterically. “It was me!” 

“You all are horrible!” 

Satin watched as Suki went towards what could be the kitchen. It was now or never. She excused herself from Chenille and followed.

Suki was getting a water bottle from the fridge.

“Mind if I get one,” she asked. 

Suki didn’t say anything, she just left the fridge open. Satin got on, not really sure what to do with it. Suki had closed the fridge when she was done and started heading towards the living room. No! She had to stay here! Satin said the first thing that came to her mind. 

“You know, green and pink have never been your color,” she analyzed her outfit. A pink muscle shirt with some pine green sweats. “They don’t compliment your skin tone at all.”

Suki turned to her with furrowed brows. “What?” Why was she saying that? 

“I’m just saying these colors are terrible for you! Whites and light blues would help you more.”

“Excuse me?” 

Satin smiled. “Oh! I have the perfect outfit! Some white jeans, a nice sky blue top, and you would definitely look good in white leather-”

“What is going on here?!” She glared at Satin. What was her goal?

Satin flinched. Suki used to take her fashion advice in stride. She had tried to slip back into that, but this reaction was her own fault. She had to, ugh, apologize. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you that day. I’m sorry for yelling at you. I’m sorry for doubting your friendship. I’m sorry for throwing my drink at you. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry, Suki.” Suki wasn’t saying anything. Only staring at her with wide eyes. She knew when she wasn’t wanted. “I hope...you and Chenille can be happy even with me in the picture.” She lifted her drink as a farewell and started heading back to the living room. 

“Wait, wait,” Suki grabbed her arm. “Don’t go! It’s just-” Suki laughed. “This is the first time I’ve ever heard you apologize.”

Satin rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know. Chenille says I have a problem admitting when I’m wrong. I don’t know what she’s talking about.” 

Suki laughed at the obvious joke. Her laugh faded to a small smile. “She...told you about us.” 

Satin nodded. “She did. She hasn’t told the others, though.”

“Yeah, I know that! I just...I’m really happy she told someone about us.” Suki smiled at her. “And I’m glad it was someone I can consider a friend.” 

Sating felt ashamed. “I don’t think I’ve been acting like a friend lately-”

“Hey, we are friends,” Suki assured. “You designed my favorite jacket when we were eleven. Remember?” 

Satin laughed. “I remember. And...you spent that one afternoon when we were thirteen teaching me how to make your special sandwich because I loved it too.” 

“Or that one time during spirit week where I paired up with you because Chenille-”

“-didn’t want to wear face paint,” they finished in sync, laughing. 

“Honestly! Is it any different than make up?!” 

“Oh, it definitely is,” Satin assured. 

Suki shook her head fondly. “I’m really glad to have you back, Satin. I accept your apology, obviously.” 

“And I’m glad we’re still friends. Obviously.” They giggled at each other before heading back to the living room. 

The conversation had not swayed from crushes.

“-the animal Shelter on Strawberry Lane,” Arabesque asked Smidge about her crush. 

Smidge sighed dreamily. “Yes~!”

“Oh, sweetie,” Arabesque laughed. “You don’t need to change a single thing about yourself! Milton is obviously a Sub!”

Guy and Suki started laughing uncontrollably. 

“Why, Ari,” Branch laughed along.

“It’s true! Trust me, Branch, if you saw her crush, you would definitely tell!” 

“Oh, my god!” Everyone turned to Plum, who had been petting Cooper’s fuzzy bracelets. “You guys!” She turned to her group. “Poppy King!”

Branch visibly blanched. 

Arabesque gasped. “Girl, you’re right! Oh, my god! Branch!” He turned to Branch, his eyes wide with excitement! “I met her a few weeks ago! She is as beautiful as ever!”

“Is she now?” Branch started squirming in his seat. The Snack Pack was staring at him. 

“Yes! Oh, goodness! She cut all her hair! But it just makes her look more adorable!”

“You don’t say?”

“Wait, you were telling the truth,” Rudy asked, astonished. 

“Of course I was telling the truth, dumbass,” Arabesque rolled his eyes. “Why would I lie about meeting Poppy freaking King! I told you a billion times! Thomas’s girlfriend personally knows her!” 

“Uh, could we change the subject,” Branch tried, his face heating up by the second. His friends didn’t seem to hear him, though. 

“Branch, remember when you used to sing about how beautiful she was!” Plum laughed. 

“D-did I really do that?” 

“Oh, and when you would actually sing to her,” Arabesque voiced Wim’s signs. “Ugh, I could literally feel the chemistry between you two!” 

“Please tell me you confessed to her,” Rudy pleaded. “Do you remember the plan?”

“I-I don’t remember any plan!” Oh, gah! Why did the Snack Pack have to be here?! Their questioning gazes were not helping!

“Uh, the plan you created the day you realized who was actually behind the mask,” Plum reminded. 

“The plan you created because you were so sure she was your true love,” Arabesque added. 

‘The plan you created because you were so sure it was going to work,’ Wim signed. 

“The plan to be married to Poppy King by the end of College,” the four friends reminded him in sync.

“...What?!” Branch flinched at the Snack Pack’s synchronized exclamation. 

“Please tell me you at least know her,” Plum pleaded. 

Branch nodded. “I-I know her.”

“And?!” His friends waited expectantly. 

He shrugged. “It...was never going to work.”

“What?!” Rudy looked confused. “What happened to going to UT, sweeping her off her feet, and making beautiful music together for the rest of your lives!”

“I mean, I do go to UT. And...Poppy and I were just never going to work. We’re just too different. We’ve already agreed on that. And, to be honest, guys, I haven’t sang in years.” 

“You used to sing,” Biggie asked, surprised.

“He was The King,” Chenille finally spoke out. “From The Troll Tree.”

“...WHAT?!” 

Branch flinched again. 

“No, h-he had blue eyes,” Guy tried to deny. 

Branch looked at the floor. “...Those were contacts.”

Suki gaped. “Oh, my gah! You were- You’re- That was you?! You’re The King?!”

“My head is spinning a lot more than usual,” Cooper voiced. 

“My mind is literally blown.” Smidge couldn’t believe it.

“I’m gonna need time to process this,” Biggie started to fiercely pet Sprite. 

Fuzzbert put their hands to their hair, revealing their surprised brown eyes.

“...I cannot believe this,” Satin started fanning her face. She felt like she was going to faint. 

“Wait, how do you guys know about The Troll Tree,” Rudy asked, turning to his girlfriend. 

“Guys,” Branch grabbed his old friends’ attention. “Meet the Snack Pack,” he gestured towards them.

It was his old friends’ turn to gape. 

“AAAAAHHH,” Plum screamed, shaking her hands in excitement. 

“Oh, my god,” Rudy was looking at Satin in a new light. “You were one of the Fashion Twins!” 

“You two always challenged together,” Arabesque laughed. 

“We sang together,” Satin started. 

“Or we didn’t sing at all,” Chenille finished, hugging her sister. 

Guy started laughing. “Remember when I called myself Guy Diamond?!”

“And now you legally are,” Smidge laughed. 

“What was your name before,” Arabesque asked. 

“Ryan,” Guy rolled his eyes. 

“I have never once heard anyone call you that, ever, in my life.” Branch could not ever see Guy being called ‘Ryan’.

“That’s the goal,” Smidge laughed, high fiving Guy’s hand when he lifted it to her. 

“It really is,” Wim spoke, laughing silently. 

“And you, with the dog,” Plum pointed at Biggie. “You were the Gentle Giant! Oh, and you have a new dog,” she gushed. 

“Actually, Sprite belongs to Branch,” Biggie corrected, letting the darling go so she could run to her dad. 

“You got that gorgeous chiweenie you always wanted,” Rudy applauded. 

“Yeah, she’s so sweet,” Branch picked her up off the floor, sitting her on his lap.  

“You were The Secret Weapon,” Rudy pointed at Cooper. Just when it seemed like they would win their little made-up contest, The Secret Weapon would come out in front and started dancing with moves even their King couldn’t keep up with. “I did not like you!”

“Really,” Cooper looked like he could start crying any second now. 

“I’m joking, don’t worry,” Rudy assured. “Your dance moves were always amazing!”

Cooper laughed. “Some people just got it!”

“What’s your real name?” 

He smiled brightly. “It’s Cooper!”

“Which makes you,” Arabesque pointed at Suki. “DJ Suki!”

“You would be correct,” She confirmed. 

“And your real name?”

“It’s Suki.”

Arabesque blinked. “Really?”
“Yup! My dad told me it means ‘Loved’.”

“I just thought you were a fan of The Avatar,” Rudy admitted. 

“Oh, I was,” Suki nodded, proudly. “The Kyoshi Warriors were a group of beautiful, kick-ass women! That’s all it needed for me to watch the show!”

“That gay life,” Arabesque asked.

“That gay life,” Suki confirmed. 

“I literally love all of you right now,” Plum admitted. “I could not have picked a better group to watch over our dear King!”

“Honestly,” Rudy agreed. “You should’ve told us you joined the Snack Pack!”

The room went silent. “I… I didn’t.” Branch looked at his old friends. “I told you. I haven’t sung in years.”

“W-why not?” Plum was confused. 

It clicked for Rudy. “You don’t still think it’s your fault...do you?”

“I…” He put Sprite down. “I am taking therapy for that.” 

“Please tell me you at least go to UT,” Arabesque pleaded.

“I do,” Branch confirmed. “Just not for music.”

“If you’re not majoring in Music, then what are you majoring in?”

Branch was actually afraid to answer. “...Business.” 

“Oh, my god,” Wim exclaimed. Could someone please just tear his hearing aids off?! He was not believing what he was hearing!

“Branch, no,” Arabesque literally screamed. 

“You had dreams,” Rudy cried. 

He shrugged. “Dreams are like rivers. They don’t always flow in the direction you want them to.”

“No,” Plum yelled. “You don’t get to cover this up with stupid, beautiful poetry! You ignore us for six years, who knows what you were doing in that time, we finally find you, and you’re not at all who you used to be! You were supposed to sell the shop when you got to college! It’s what Rosiepuff wanted so that you could pursue a career in music! How did you even keep it open all these years?!” 

“...I got into UT with grants.”

Arabesque furrowed his brows, thinking. Then he gasped. “The trust fund.” 

Branch looked down at his folded hands. He knew what was coming. 

“You used the Trust Fund, which was meant to get you through college, to keep this shop open,” Rudy asked, even though he already knew the answer. 

Branch nodded. 

“Why,” Plum asked in a tired voice. 

“I want to keep the shop open. That’s what I want to do now.” He grew irritated when they groaned. “Why are you guys acting like this is such a bad thing?!”

“Because this wasn’t your dream,” Rudy yelled. 

“Well it is now!” He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Look, guys, this is really what I want. And it’s great! After I graduate, I already have a flower farm I’m going to sign with. I don’t make much money selling just what’s in the garden. And, this was the farm Grandma signed with, so I’m getting a huge discount for the first year so I can get the business booming again! I’m gonna redecorate, I’m gonna get more coolers, and I’m finally gonna hire some workers cause god knows I’ve dethorned too many roses!”

Plum grimace. “I hated those days your grandma needed help with that.” 

“Didn’t we all,” Branch laughed, causing them all to laugh. 

“So this is really what you want to do,” Arabesque asked softly. 

“It really is,” he confirmed. 

Rudy sighed. “Then I guess we have to support it.”

 Wim nodded. 

“Ok,” Plum started. “So, you didn’t major in Music, you’re keeping the shop open, and Poppy King is just a crush from the past? Am I all caught up?”

Branch knew she didn’t mean anything by it, but he really wished he hadn't brought up Poppy again. His therapist had told him he needed to limit his interactions with her, and he had! They had gotten comfortable texting each other every now and then, and he loved those moments! But he still felt like he needed time away from her. His therapist had told him not to let his happiness depend on something he could lose, and the day Poppy stopped talking to him was one of the worst episodes he had ever had! He wasn’t trying to repeat that. And his old friends bringing back blasts from the past were not helping. “Yup, you’re all caught up.”

“Ok, good to know,” she sent him a thumbs up. 

“So, what happened with you and Poppy King,” Rudy asked. 

“You said you talked to her already,” Suki asked. Though the rest of the Snack Pack was already getting comfortable with Poppy, she still had yet to talk to her herself. “When was this?”

“Like, a month ago. We talked about how we were bad for each other and that we needed to take a break.” 

“A break,” Arabesque asked, hopeful. “So, like, it’s a definite that you two will be together?”

Branch shrugged. “I wouldn’t say it’s definite. More like, we would like to try again once we’re in better mind sets.”

“Try what again,” Guy asked. 

“A relationship. Ours was always full of misunderstandings and things taken the wrong way! We skirted around each other like two teenagers in some angsty movie! It was toxic! And we- I don’t want that again. I want to be happy with Poppy. Not happy because of Poppy.” 

“Why can’t you be happy,” Smidge asked. Branch seemed pretty chill nowadays. Was all of that therapy?

Branch started gaping like a fish. Telling your therapist was one thing, but telling your new friends was another. His therapist was there to help him, to help him believe that it wasn’t his fault. But what if they all thought it was his fault? What if he told them and they believed it? They had believed worse things about him before, who’s to say they wouldn’t believe this?

“You’ve never told them?” 

He let his head drop at Rudy’s question. “I told...Poppy.”

“Poppy knows a lot about you,” Biggie voiced. 

“You guys don’t?” Plum was confused. 

“Well, to be fair, we’ve only been his friends for a few months,” Suki explained. 

“We had this image of him that we never really did let go of,” Chenille added. 

“Even after Poppy tried to get us to warm up to him, we never did,” Smidge admitted. 

“He was mean, like, a lot,” Cooper said. 

“We didn’t like his negative view on life, and definitely didn’t like how he treated Poppy,” Satin informed. 

“I’m working on that, Satin, I swear,” Branch assured. “Poppy didn’t deserve the way I treated her.”

“How did you treat her.” ‘Mean’ and ‘Negative’ had never been words used to describe Branch. What happened to him? 

Branch looked away from his friends, afraid to admit it. “I was horrible to her. I would tell her things I didn’t mean, acted in ways I thought would get her to hate me, but she just kept coming back and, in the end, it hadn’t been my intention, but I made her believe she was less than what she is. I just didn’t want her caught up in my bullshit, but I ended up creating bullshit for her anyway.” He would never forgive himself for that. 

“Wow.” Guy couldn’t believe it. 

“Yeah,” Branch felt ashamed. “Wow.” 

“I think you could’ve been a bit nicer,” Cooper chided. “She got you into UT, man.”

Branch felt absolutely horrible. “She did?” 

“Yeah,” Suki agreed. “She talked to her dad and everything.” At least that’s what they all assumed. They were all surprised when he got that acceptance letter. 

Branch brushed his hands through his hair. “I didn’t even tell her I was late to the interview! How did she find out?!”
“...You were late to the interview?” Suki couldn’t believe it. No! The her back then could never believe it. But knowing what she knew now, it all made sense. He would always voice how stupid their plans were, but only because those plans ended with them in trouble. He always did pester them about tests, but only because he actually did care about their education. And he had yelled at Guy for throwing glitter, but only because he was defending the janitors. Branch has always been a good person. From the moment they met him, he was a good person. He was just a kid with some trauma who never got real help. 

They really were wrong for tearing them apart. 

As Branch went on talking about how horrible he felt, she looked to her friends. She could tell the same thing was running through their minds. 

Branch sighed. “I should’ve known. I was an hour late!”

“An hour,” Smidge yelled. 

“And here I thought I got in on my own merit. Great!” Gah, he was so stupid! 

Wait, no he wasn’t. That was another thing his therapist had told him about. He needed to stop judging himself too harshly. So, no, he wasn’t stupid. Poppy might have gotten him in, but it was him who worked hard to get all those good marks. It was him who got up early every day to study and practice. It was him who had gotten this far with graduation only four weeks away. He was not stupid. 

“Actually, Branch,” Guy pulled him from his thoughts. “I don’t think it was Poppy who got you in.”

“But you guys just said-”

“We assumed,” Satin corrected. “With who you were as a person, we didn’t think you got in by yourself.”

“But, after getting to know you, it makes sense that you did,” Chenille added. 

“Ok, are we missing something here,” Rudy asked the questions on the four friends’ minds. 

“Yeah, I’m really confused,” Branch agreed. 

“Ok, so,” Biggie started. “There’s this whole thing about being a good person to get into the school.”

“So what Peppy does is he sets up a series of tasks,” Smidge explained. 

“If you’re late to the interview because you were doing those tasks,” Guy explained. 

“Then you’re in, man,” Cooper finished. 

“...That is a horrible idea,” Arabesque exclaimed. “What happens if you’re actually on time?!”

“Then Peppy consults the actors to see if you completed the tasks,” Satin answered. 

“There is no possible way that that system works.” Rudy did not believe it. 

“It’s worked so far,” Suki assured. “It’s weeded out the racists…”

“The homophobes,” Guy added. 

“The sexists,” they all said in sync. 

“I’ve never met anyone like that in UT,” Suki shrugged. “Hell, the only asshole I know in UT is Branch, and he isn’t even really an asshole!” 

Branch couldn’t take this anymore. First, his old friends stop by, singing a medley he created years ago in honor of their friendship. Then his grandma is brought up and her old plans to sell the precious shop. Then they bring up Poppy ! And now apparently all those hours worrying if he would get into UT were for nothing?! “Everybody needs to leave, like, right now.” He didn’t care if he sounded rude. His therapist had told him it was ok to be a little selfish. And boy, did he want his alone time right now! 

“What,” everyone yelled. 

“This is too much social interaction. I’m emotionally drained. I want to be alone right now. Out!” 

“Even us,” Plum asked, gesturing to their group. 

“Yes,” he answered. “I promise I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow! But right now, I need to recharge my social battery. It’s drained. It’s completely drained.” He stood up, causing everyone else to do so as well. He started walking towards the door, grabbing Sprite before opening it so she wouldn’t run off. “It was nice talking to all of you today! But please leave!”

The Snack Pack shrugged. Branch wasn’t the asshole they always thought he was, but he was still definitely a hermit. Honestly, they were surprised he lasted this long. 

“It was nice talking to you, Branch,” Suki said her farewell, causing the others to say similar goodbyes. 

“We’re gonna talk tomorrow, right,” Rudy asked. It had been seven years since he had seen him. He wasn’t about to make it another seven more. 

“Definitely.” Then he promptly slammed the door in their faces. 

“...Well that was weird,” Arabesque concluded. 

“Branch has really changed,” Wim commented.

“Really,” Guy asked. “This is a normal Branch reaction for socializing too long.” 

A lightbulb went on over Arabesque’s head. He turned to the Snack Pack. “Do you guys mind telling us more about this new Branch?”