Branch let out a heavy sigh as he sat up stairs alone for what was probably his hundredth time since he arrived at his aunt and uncle's pod just a few short weeks ago. He was being punished for acting out again, this time it was because Creek decided it would be funny to poke his cousin in the side hard.
"Stop it!" he snapped at the smirking purple troll who quickly turned around and poked Branch even harder in the side. This time instead of telling Creek to stop Branch shoved him away causing him to fall backwards and cry which beckoned Aunt Hazel right away.
"Creek, what is it sweetie?" she asked as she entered the room to find her son on the ground and Branch standing over him. "You little brat!" she hissed at Branch before quickly rushing over to Creek's side.
"He shoved me for no reason Mummy," Creek lied as big fake tears ran down his cheeks "I was just asking him a question."
Even if Branch tried to defend himself he already knew it would do no good because Little Creekie never did anything wrong. "You, ungrateful little troll!" Aunt Hazel hissed glaring back at Branch as she helped Creek up off the ground "I want you to turn around to face the wall and not to move until I say so."
Once Branch was facing the wall he heard Creek asked, "Can we make some cupcakes?"
"Sure thing," she replied.
"And do I have to share any with him since he pushed me?"
"Of course not," she replied leading her son of the room and away from the short-tempered troll.
All afternoon Branch stood staring at the blank wall all the way up until heard his uncle return home which meant that dinner would soon be served, and his time-out would be over.
"Dinner time!" his aunt called from the dining area.
Branch made his way into the dining room where three spots were made up at the table leaving the one where he sat blank. "What are you doing here?" Aunt Hazel asked placing her hands on her hips.
"I thought you said it was time for dinner?" he mumbled.
"Oh, I did," she replied, "but did I call your name?"
"No," he whispered hanging his head and looking down at the ground.
"Well then go back to the room!" she hissed "I don't want to see your face for the rest of the night, got it?"
Branch slowly nodded his head just as a loud growl escaped from his belly. "Are you hungry?" she asked.
"Yes," he mumbled
"Well you should have thought about that before you hurt my son," she replied leading him back to the room.
Once back in the room Branch tried his best to ignore the yummy aromas from the kitchen that filled the air, he bit the bottom of his lip as his belly screamed at him again. "Don't think about it," he scolded himself trying desperately to think about something else. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply remembering all the wonderful things his mother use to make, his favorite was her fresh berry pancakes with freshly made berry syrup.
Deep in thought Branch had failed to notice that his cousin had returned to the room "Boy was that dinner yummy," he mocked patting his full belly "too bad you had to miss it."
"I don't care," Branch replied quietly.
"Bed time boys," Uncle Brier said walking into the room "tomorrow is the first day of school."
School the very thing Branch had been dreading since coming to this village, every troll that he encountered here all acted like he was poisonous or something. He knew school would be no different, in fact it would most likely be a thousand times worst. It did not take Creek long to fall asleep and soon his soft snores filled the room Branch on the other hand tossed and turned from being hungry. A part of him wanted to sneak into the kitchen and maybe grab a single grape or something to take away his burning hunger. He heard his aunt and uncle voices, so using his ears he started listening what they were saying.
"Oh Brier," his aunt said, "that kid is such a handful."
"I know Hun," Uncle Brier replied, "but he's you brother's son."
"Don't remind me," she replied, "why couldn't have been him and his mother that were attacked and not my brother?"
"I don't know."
"It's because of that little pest that I will never see him again," she continued "and he thinks he can just waltz in here and start hurting our son? I mean who the heck does he think he is?"
Branch sat up wishing that he could turn back time and give his Aunt Hazel what she wanted but he couldn't, he knew she would like him because of it.