Just Sing and Dream

A/N: I finally wrote something from "Trolls" again! It's been months! College is killing me with not just schoolwork, but with lots of other things that I will not go into detail with. But it's already been three weeks since classes started. I really need to get my act together about all of this if I'm going to survive this semester.

Whew! Anyway, I'm pretty sure I left you guys waiting long enough for an update on this. And roll it!

Chapter 4

The Challenge

Branch's concert was once again, a huge hit as usual, people cheering and screaming at the top of their lungs, sometimes even singing along with the blue-haired man as he invited them to sing along once in a while as he was performing. He sang songs from both his first and second albums that Branch had made during the past two years almost, along with his first hit single that had jump started his musical career a little over a year ago by then.

For the last song of the night, he sang a song from his upcoming album as a special treat for all of his fans. Needless to say, that got the audience very excited. At the moment, he was finishing it up.

Branch: Little girl, won't you be my
Strawberry bubblegum?
Then I'd be your
Blueberry lollipop,
And then I'd love you 'til I'll make you pop!

Strawberry bubblegum,
Then I'd be your
Blueberry lollipop.

Little girl, if you'd be my
Strawberry bubblegum?
Then I'd be your
Blueberry lollipop,
And then I'd love you 'til I make you pop!

The audience was cheering as loud as they could as a slightly exhausted Branch waved to them all. "Thank you!" He said into his microphone, making the crowd continue their applause and cheering. "Good night, Los Angeles!"

With those parting words, Branch left a cheering and squealing crowd to head backstage as the concert finally came to an end. One of the staff members handed him a water bottle, which he gratefully took. As he took a few sips while heading to his changing room, he saw something from the corner of his eye. Or rather, someone.

It was a tall, opposing woman who was dressed quite sharply and professionally for a concert; perhaps a little too much. But there was something about the way that she was glaring at him that sent chills down Branch's spine. But he had looked away for one second, and when he looked back in her direction, she was gone.

Branch swallowed his sip of water that was still in his mouth and cautiously looked around the area. There was something about that woman that didn't sit right with him. Sure, he had his own share of naysayers and critics; every star does. But the way that she was glaring at him, it was like she hated him with every fiber of her being and that she wanted to see him burst into flames from her glare.

However, he couldn't dwell on that for the moment. As Branch entered his dressing room and then carefully shut the door behind him, he was suddenly tackled into a huge hug by his pretty and energetic superstar girlfriend. "Babe, you were amazing!"

Branch chuckled as he put his water bottle down onto the nearby table before he could accidentally spill it. But before he could get a proper word out, Poppy firmly planted her lips on his, initiating a passionate, congratulatory kiss. It lasted for about fifteen blissful seconds before they broke apart for air.

"Geez, Poppy." Branch chuckled breathlessly, holding the pink-haired woman close to him. "Can't a guy have ten minutes to breathe before his girlfriend kisses the daylights out of him?"

"Why? Did I leave you breathless?" Poppy teased him with a little smirk on her face.

Branch rolled his eyes at her little teasing comment before a similar smirk appeared on his own face and he pressed his lips to hers again, quickly escalating into another passionate embrace. He brushed the ends of her hair with his fingers, he gently nibbled on her bottom lip, and he drummed the fingers of his other hand on her waist.

Finally, after about twenty seconds of bliss, Branch slowly broke away, admiring the redness in Poppy's cheeks and the swollenness of her lips due to his affection. Her natural pink eyes were glazed with desire, long eyelashes fluttering slowly.

"You always do." Branch answered her question, smirking inwardly at his girlfriend's cheeks turning even more red at his smooth talking.

"Okay, Mr. Fancy Words." Poppy teased him. "All teasing and kissing aside, the reason that I came over here is to offer that we go out to celebrate your success tonight."

"Where to?" Branch asked.

"The Mayan Nightclub, the place where we first met." Poppy said, a flirty look stealing into her eyes.

"If you recall, the first meeting of you hitting me in the head with a door isn't exactly what one would call romantic." Branch reminded her, raising a brow.

Poppy just rolled her eyes. "Well, in my defense of the romanticism of the memory, I did find you very much attractive when I saw you before I realized that I had hit you with the door." She said, crossing her arms with a slight pout.

Branch just chuckled while shaking his head. "Well, fine." He complied. "If you want to preserve the so-called romanticism of our first meeting, then we'll go to the Mayan. But only for an hour. I don't want to have to get you home when you're drunk and horny like crazy."

"That was one time!" Poppy retorted back. "But then again, I shouldn't have initiated a drinking contest in the first place. As for my being handsy, how can I when I already know that I don't need to get drunk to know that my boyfriend is hot?"

Branch just chuckled again while rolling his eyes. "Come on, Sunshine." He said. "But remember, only for an hour."

A twenty-minute drive later, using Poppy's white convertible, the superstar couple were dancing to the wild music of the Mayan Nightclub. Branch's arms were placed comfortably and appropriately around Poppy's waist, while her own arms were wrapped loosely around his neck. As they were dancing to the song, "Shape of You", it was like they were both lost in their own world as they danced to the sensual rhythm. As the song was nearing its end, both of them were feeling the magnetism of each other, drawing each other closer. Soon, their lips were almost centimeters apart, eyes closed shut.

Suddenly, the music stopped with a loud feedback screech, causing the party-goers to cover their ears, Poppy and Branch included as they were pulled out of their shared fantasy. Everyone was wondering what happened to the music when a punk young woman with fiery auburn eyes, pale skin and a red colored mohawk appeared on the stage, wearing a ripped white tank top, black short shorts with fishnet leggings, black leather ankle boots with metal spikes, matching wristbands on her wrists, and silver hoop earrings in her ears, the left ear being pierced with two hoops. Her face was painted with smoky gray eyeshadow, and in her arms was a black electric guitar with red and orange flame and skull designs on it. She definitely looked the part of a punk rocker girl.

"What's up, Mayan partygoers?!" She shouted, emitting a loud riff from her guitar, causing a lot of the spectators to cover their ears because of the louder than normal volume. "It's your favorite girl, Barb!"

Poppy rolled her eyes with a groan, massaging her temple. "Here we go again." She muttered.

"You know her?" Branch asked his girlfriend.

His question was answered when Barb started speaking again. "A little birdie told me that my own worst rival, Poppy Summers, is partying it up here tonight." She said, looking out to the crowd. "I know that you're out here, Popsqueak. So come on up here! I've got something for you that you can't refuse. And bring that boy toy of yours! This concerns him, too!"

Poppy just scoffed as she replayed the answer to Branch in her own words. "Barb Osborne and I have been big time rivals since I first started my music career. While I mostly sing pop music, she is hard-on rock n' roll." She explained to her boyfriend. "She hated me ever since I had knocked her off her spot on the music charts with my first album. Ever since then, she has been trying to even the score, but she fails every time."

The pink-haired superstar then took his hand as she led them onto the stage, the crowd opening up a bit for them. "I wonder what she has in mind this time." She added before putting on a false, cheery smile on her face as she faced her rival.

"I would have thought that you had run out of ideas, Barbie." She teased, secretly enjoying the glare on Barb's face at the girly nickname she gave her. "What do you have in mind this time? I've beaten you the past fifteen times you tried to challenge me. I'm the queen around here." She then turned to the crowd watching them. "Right, guys?"

The crowd began to cheer while chanting her name over and over. "Poppy, Poppy, Poppy, Poppy, Poppy, Poppy, Poppy-"

A super loud guitar riff immediately silenced the crowd, making them, Poppy and Branch cover their ears again. Barb was practically snarling hatefully at her pink-haired rival. Branch then came over to his girlfriend, putting his hands on her shoulders protectively. Barb shifted her glare over to him, but it immediately softened a bit as she gave him a once-over that was a little too analytic for Branch's taste, making him feel like squirming like a worm on a hook.

"So this is your boyfriend?" Barb asked Poppy, gesturing to the blue-haired man next to her. "I'll admit, he's even hotter up close than on stage."

Poppy protectively held one of Branch's wrists, feeling him shift back uncomfortably at Barb's unsubtle remark. "So tell me why this new challenge of yours involves Branch?" She asked her.

Barb narrowed her eyes back at Poppy before a smirk appeared on her face. "Well, this time, it won't involve just me challenging you. It also involves a few old acquaintances. Everyone who had been knocked off the music charts because of you: Delta Dawn, the Queen of Country, DJ Trollex and the Funky Family. We all have decided to challenge you and your boyfriend to a winner-takes-all singing competition, and the whole thing will be aired live on MTV."

Poppy and Branch's eyes widened with surprise, while the crowd just gasped in shock. The stakes are definitely higher than normal. "The rules are simple." Barb began to explain. "If you two can beat all of us in one-on-one sing-offs, each of them aired at different times throughout the next few months, including me at the end of the competition, then you two will have proven your supremacy and I'll finally back down with these challenges. If not, then the entire country will know that you two have been knocked off your thrones once and for all."

"Well, tell me why this involves Branch!" Poppy asked again.

"Isn't it obvious?" Barb asked her rhetorically, propping her hands on her hips. "Ever since the news of your sappy love story hit the airwaves last year, it's all anyone's been talking about when it comes to you that doesn't involve music. And your boy toy has proven that he has got some pipes. Technically, you both share the top spot on the charts. So of course I'll be targeting him now."

Branch narrowed his eyes at the punk woman. "Am I, or will I be collateral damage to you?" He asked her snarkily. "Talk about being stereotypical, since rockers always find a way to break something when they're on stage. I can imagine all of the bills piling up for all of that equipment."

The crowd laughed at his sarcasm, while Barb's pale cheeks grew red. Poppy stifled some giggles as she brought their hands downward to join them together. She definitely felt stronger with Branch by her side, even though she could handle Barb fine.

"Oh, so you have a smart mouth, do you?" Barb asked Branch, the latter seeing a weird glint in the former's eyes. "I like sassy." The way she said that, it made Branch almost shudder, but he fought back the urge to.

Apparently, Poppy didn't like it either, and she was still suspicious as to why Barb had taken a strange interest in her boyfriend. She gripped Branch's hand a little tighter, giving both him and herself some reassurance. "Retract your claws, Barb." Poppy warned her rival. "Save it for when we face you."

Barb narrowed her eyes at her pink-haired rival. "Confident, aren't we?" She asked. "Does that mean you two accept my challenge?"

Poppy looked over at Branch, waiting for his answer. She knew Branch was pretty competitive himself, and the two of them had proven that they make not only a good couple, but also a good team. If Barb couldn't beat her alone before, with Branch by her side, she would be destroyed.

Branch wasn't sure what to think about this competition. It sounded very tempting, and he knew that Poppy is a competitive person. All of the playful prank wars they did together with their friends and his sister, Harper, was proof, for those prank wars would go on for almost a month before Poppy and Branch would call either a truce or a tie. And he had to admit, this Barb was starting to both creep him out, and also getting on his nerves. He would really like to knock her down a few pegs.

He saw the look on Poppy's face, silently asking him if he wanted to do this. He gave her a small but confident grin, subtly nodding his head. His girlfriend smiled at him before she put on a determined look on her face, glaring at her rival.

"Okay, Barb." Poppy said. "We accept your challenge!"

The crowd started to cheer for her and Branch again as they stood tall in front of the rocker woman. Both pop stars smiled at the support from the audience, before Barb silenced them with another loud riff from her electric guitar, making everyone wince at the volume again.

"Nice of you to accept my challenge, Popsqueak." Barb said to her before shifting her gaze over to Branch. "And you, boy toy. You've got guts."

Branch was really starting to hate that self-proclaimed nickname that she gave him. It was obvious that she was exploiting his relationship with Poppy. "The name's Branch." He said, narrowing his sky blue eyes at her. "Branch Hawthorne. Even if I wasn't Poppy's boyfriend, I would still not appreciate what you have been calling me. I'm not that kind of guy."

Now Branch's sassiness was really starting to appear very attractive to Barb. He certainly had spunk. But before she could take a step forward closer to him, Poppy took one protective step in front of him.

"If you're done now, Barb," she said, cutting her off, "I think it's time that the two of us would be leaving." She gestured to herself and Branch. "We need to start preparing for our first challenger."

Barb gritted her teeth at her pink-haired rival before putting on a somewhat diplomatic front. "Very well." She said as calmly as she could. "I'll soon be sending you both emails explaining more information about the competition, who will be your first challenger, and when the battle begins."

Poppy just narrowed her eyes at her rival with a confident smile on her face. "Bring it on." She dared her. "We'll be ready." With that, Poppy led Branch off the stage and out towards the exit of the club, the cheering crowd already making a path for them. But Branch could feel Barb's glare on them; wishing that they could burst into flames by her intense gaze. Luckily, he resisted the urge to shudder.

Barb watched them leave, her fist clenching around her guitar, wanting to break it into pieces. The way those two looked at each other, thinking that they know each other so well. Like they could basically read each other's minds. So what if they have chemistry? That little Popsqueak doesn't deserve someone as hot and talented as Branch. Her last boyfriend, that Creek whatever-was-his-last-name-; and she doesn't care, was a complete attention hog. Branch was definitely an improvement from him, but still. That hunk could do way better than that bubble-gum pop star. The only reason he was a star himself was because he fell in love with her. He could've easily become a star all on his own, then she could've swooped in and taken him all for herself. The very thought of how differently this could all have been was really making her want to break something; namely the guitar in her hands.

But this was her favorite guitar, so that was definitely a no. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, and then slowly exhaled. Then, a smirk appeared on her face. Now was not the time to be dwelling on what could have been. They fell for it; hook, line and sinker.

Pop stars. She thought to herself. They are so predictable.

The night air never felt so nice as Poppy and Branch made their way over to Poppy's convertible. Branch noticed that his girlfriend was looking a little on edge, which was saying something considering that he was usually the one to act like this. She unlocked the car and got in the driver's spot, her boyfriend coming next to her in the passenger seat.

"You okay, Poppy?" Branch carefully asked her as he closed the door behind him.

Poppy huffed as she roughly slammed her door behind her. Then, she took a deep, slow breath. "Sorry, Branch." She said. "But very few people can get under my skin so easily, and not in a good way. Barb is one of them."

"What about me?" Branch questioned her.

The pink-haired star smiled at her boyfriend. "Well, you do, but in the best way." She replied with a small smile on her face.

Branch smiled back and gently placed his hand on top of hers. "Just relax." He said. "We're going to win this competition of hers. When we do, Barb will finally stop bugging you."

The loving smile on Poppy's face softly grew a little wider at his words. Then, she slowly leaned forward, and Branch met her halfway. Their lips met in a gentle kiss for a few seconds before they broke away. Poppy then started up her car and began to drive out of the parking lot and out onto the road, first dropping off Branch at his home before she went back to her own. Tomorrow, it starts. The fight for the reigning spots on the music charts will soon begin, and she already knows that she and her boyfriend won't be giving them up without a fight.

A/N: Now, it begins. Barb has announced her challenge to Poppy and Branch, which involves not just her, but also some other rivals of Poppy's. What is she up to? And how will this competition fare and affect their relationship if they get swept up in the hype of it?

Well, you guys might have to wait a little longer for the answers to those questions. But the song that I used for this chapter is an excerpt from "Strawberry Bubblegum" from our very own Branch, Justin Timberlake. But I don't own the song in any way or form. All credit goes to their rightful owners.

Until next time! I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think. They are highly appreciated. And remember to stay healthy.

Got to fly! ;)