Poppy waited patiently by branch's classroom door. 'But why is he taking so long?!' She thought tiredly as she slumped to the wall on the hallway. They had a early leave since professor biggie had a lot of things to do and the lesson finished early. As she waited there she then idly tapped her foot for a beat until in her head it became a song, she quietly hummed then slowly started to sing to the words in her head.

".. Can I steal from you? To memorize the way you shock me

The way you move it in here. Just wanna feel it from you.

So don't be afraid to catch feels-"

"who's afraid to catch feels?" A sudden voice hit her head as she almost jumped in fright. "Branch! Don't scare me like that!" She told him as she playfully hit his arm. He smirked as he rolled his eyes. "what don't miss me?" He said in a exaggerated hurtful tone.

She played along as she shook her head and crossed her arms and turned her back to him. "Nope" she denied as she closed her eyes. Out of the blue she felt soft lips on her nose and by instinct gave whoever it was a hard push when she realized it was creek who did it, her face heated up on fire as she stammered angrily. "W-Why did you kiss me?! Do you wanna die?!" she threatened as creek only chuckled. Damm that felt like a soft beat she will listen to all day on repeat.

Branch had a invigorating urge to punch him but decided against it as he steeped infront of her and creek. " What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Branch asked demandingly. Creek merely shrugged as he said innocently. "not really mate so why don't you calm down a sudden kiss yo a pretty girl isn't the end of the world right? " what he said made poppy's cheeks heat up. Was this guy really pushing his buttons? If so he better think twice.

"Look man you better shut that mo-"

"C'mon Branch let's go If no things will get out of hand and I for sure don't want that. C'mon" she grabbed his forearm and slowly pulled him away with small little force also to remind him that he was in a public hallway and everyone in the school would see the commotion he will cause. The two walked through the overflowing hallway of students. Creek was left alone and poppy didn't say anything to him in fear it'll provoke branch's blaze. She was quite and then they rounded a corner hallway with lesser students in the distance, Poppy whispered to him demandingly. "What was that about?!"

"What was what about?"

"don't play dumb with me, Mister you know exactly what you did and you know I'm not happy with it " she said and branch looked away from her angrey glaze, Not admitting any mistake he did. He could feel her glare piercing right through him as he pouted and looked down with his face still away from her. She finally sighed and smiled a little. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"you can always give me away..." he said like it was so obvious.

"Not in a million years dork." she said as they walked towards the backyard of the school grounds.

When they arrived, Branch followed poppy away from the crowded field to a tree not to close to the building. They both sat under it backs facing it as they took out there lunch bags and started eating whatever was in there while already forgetting about the past problem, But a new terror slowly went up to branch's way.

"Boo!"

"hey guy" Branch greeted him halfheartedly as he slowly put his carton of chocolate milk down. Guy frowned sadly as he sat down beside him. "how'd you know it was me?"

"your not that quite guy not to mention you've been doing it for 4 hours straight ever since you met me." Branch said as he simply rolled his eyes.

Guy scoffed at him as he took out his own lunch bag and took a sandwich out and started eating. Poppy grinned at her friends annoyance and greeted happily. "Hey guy"

"hi, Pops Dude! I wannna to ask you something though?"

"what is it?"

"how'd you pull up with this guy in class?!" that put poppy in a wave of never ending laughter as she hugged her stomach as Branch nearly chocked on his drink. He turned toward Guy as he glared at him hauntingly."And what is that supposed to mean exactly?" He asked as poppy's laughter echoed in the background. Guy became nervous as he tried to find the right words on how not to mess this up. "Nothing, Swear."

Branch let out a smirk as he answered confidently. "good answer you didn't disappoint me Great job" Upset by his bullying. Guy took out his juice as he stared at what the two talked about. As poppy started to ask Branch and told him whatever popped in her head that seemed interesting in a way, Guy diamond's eyes fell upon a girl that was walking there way. He could feel his heart increase every second as his breathing hitched. The straw he was sipping on fell on his lap when the girl sat next to poppy.

"Hey, Pops ! How's the very first year without grumpy pants here."

"I. Am. Not. Grumpy." He said in defense but Suki merely rolled her eyes and focused on what poppy was saying "It was... kinda boring actually." she confessed as the two started to chat, Branch shook his head. Then suddenly out of the corner of his eye he saw Guy starring at the two with a emotionless expression.

'he likes her' yeah he could tell already by the look of his face. Tho he still had to make sure he was fine I mean..

He nudged him with his shoulder as he called him up "Hey! You ok?" Guy simply had a blink as he finally let out a daze and innocently said nothing. Branch let it go simply as he kept eating his sandwich listening quietly to the girls.

After lunch Branch's mind went back to creek. He felt worried poppy would get hurt by the new kid called creek. But it also made him angrey to how he couldn't understand the phrase called "Personal space" at all. He sighed and simpler thought maybe he's just stressed... that's all. Nothing to worry about or maybe he's just nuts like crazy billy.

'it's all part of being a hippie' he said in his mind reassuringly as he went back to class. Everything is gonna be alright. Poppy will get over him soon enough. He's sure of it. She's had these instances before. She's gonna grow out of him eventually.

And boy was he wrong...

Creek followed poppy like moths to a flame, if they were in a library he'll be there. And it was much more frustrating that whenever they jogged for threre physical Ed, he can't stop Creek from clinging to like glue separating him from Pops. He can't stop Creek through everything and that's when he realized throughout his day without poppy beside him it's like a hole in his heart whiteout her by his side at all times. He expected to hear a laugh or a shout whenever the class became extremely boring but she wasn't there to make everyone smile she wasn't there to make the whole works seem like home. She wasn't there... and those words tore him apart...

And that was his predicament for the whole week. The only time he would be with her was at lunch time or when he walks her back home when school was over tho it wasn't as happy, as it used to be. She would still talk... but not about school and stuff...it would Always be him...

Creek.

It made his heart lose all it's energy to move or beat , But in spite of it all he put up a smile even if it hurts to his core. She would blabber all week of how annoying and pesky he was until she would just defend him saying "Maybe, it's just his yoga thing ya know..." OR "Maybe it was just HIS thing."

"Who are you talking to over there?"

Branch yelped from the sudden question and was electrocuted from a giant spark of wires he was working with. Was he talking to loud? If he was then SNAP. He groaned as he as he shook his hand in pain before putting it in his mouth and sucking on it Trying to control the pain from his finger. Grandma Rosiepuff ran to his aid and checked his finger. "Oh! Are you ok!? Does it hurt that bad?"

"I-I'm fine grandma it's ok maybe warn me next time but I'm fine" he reassured her as he turned around and leaned two of his arms on the table while glaring at his tiny contraption. Rosiepuff could feel that something was definitely bothering her grandson as she asked him I'm a soft tone "Is something wrong?"

"...Nothing " he said hesitantly as he grabbed a rag from the table and threw it at his work. He then Aimessly looked around the garage trying to keep his frustration to himself and boy was that hard. But as his grandmother she could see right through him "I know something's up... what happened or what's wrong?"

Branch let out a breath he was holding and answered quitely " There was this kid ... and Pops seems to like him" disdainfully he sat down on the couch not to far and leaned his head on the back of the seat. " I-Is That a good thing?, I mean I should be happy for her, right? I mean she's finally falling in love with something who is practically a stranger to the whole state! But..."

"but there's more on why your like this am I correct?"

He nervously nodded in reply "Grandma.. I'm just at loss right now like literally right now right here" Rosiepuff could see his frustration on this boy and with a huff and a puff she said with confidence "Well then! If he thinks he can do this to my grandson, that dude better think twice! I'm sure you can outshine him with something... your her best friend, what does she like?"

"Grandma.. your making it seem like I have to ask her out."

"of course not.."

he sighs in relief.

"You need to ask her to be your girlfriend better yet Propose."

He felt heat speed across his face.

"WHAT!? No I can't.."

"why not?"

"Pops is.. pops is.."

"to good for you?" He nods in agreement. "Plus.. we both promised to never dare to like each other so... it's a dead end for me" Branch stops halfway when he saw crazy billy by there garage door. He felt his world break into a incoherent frenzy and panic when he saw him standing there "what are you do-"

"Copper, I thought I told you to come later?" His grandmother reprimanded as he nervously said "I just thought maybe I could help ya out now than later, it's still quite sunny, Mr.s Branovitch."

"wait! What does he mean help!?" branch came out of shock as he stared at his grandmother.

"I'll let copper tell ya" Rosiepuff said as she left, Branch soon enough had his eyes on Crazy billy as he was expecting an answer from him. Copper gulped nervously before continuing "Your grandmother has told me that you are friends with poppy? Is that true?"

"yes.."

"great then, Your grandma wants me to help you for the schools dance coming up at your school" That's the end his grandmother is gonna push him into doing it and he just doesn't have the guts to do it now crazy billy is gonna get him into it "What !? There's a dance!?"

"yes, and if you don't hurry I think we all know who's gonna get her right?" The words hit his heart the image of creek and poppy dancing together leaning in each other telling each other stuff Broke his heart in millions of pieces. He shut his eyes tightly while he took a while to think over everything that's happening right here he slowly opened them. He had to agree he couldn't let creek win he.. couldn't.

"Tell me what I have to do.. to win her" cooper smiled "gladly."