Not normal
Branch shed some tears as he went through his inner demons.
Dr. Gristle: I know this is hard Brandon
Branch: when will the pain stop?
Dr. Gristle: you have control over that, you can choose what you feel about your experiences
Branch: I don't want them to overpower me, but sometimes it's held me back
Dr. Gristle: you're making great progress then you were years ago and I'm very proud of you, so this will be your mission, Rekindle your friendship, and you already took the first steps by getting involved in the musical and re telling your hard times, you can't hold all these feelings in, the more you talk about them the more you'll feel better
Branch: thank you Dr. Gristle, I'll see you next week
Dr. Gristle: take care Brandon, call if you need anything
Branch left his office and headed home. He had a lot on his mind and reliving his experiences put him on edge a little, but he knew this would help him. When he finally made it home, he was tired but remembered that extra homework Larkins gave him. He was really mad about it, to be honest Branch didn't understand how he got any school work done, his life was busy especially what he was dealing with at home.
Poppy was practicing her scales when suddenly a thought hit her. She and branch had exchanged words today. It was progress, she shook her head, this boy was already starting to distract her. She wondered where he went after school, she thought about trying to contract him. She was having trouble with her AP Calc homework, and it would be a good excuse, but she didn't want to face the rejection again, so instead she called sable.
Smidge: hey poppy, what's up?
Poppy: I can't understand this homework, I don't understand this teacher
Smidge: id drop it if it weren't for the college credit and the nicknames oh my god!
Poppy: tell me about it, he calls me flower
Smidge: (laughs) he must be bored with his life or something, I can't really figure out this homework either, I was never really good in math so I kinda regret taking this class, I'm sorry I couldn't be much help
Poppy: that's ok, I'm just gonna have to wing it I guess, are you gonna try out for the musical?
Smidge: I don't know, that's not really my scene, I can't believe you all sing I've never seen a friend group like that
Poppy: it's ok you don't like to sing, our differences is what makes us unique
Smidge: you sure do look on the bright side of things
Poppy: I'm not really with this homework and I have my problems of course
Smidge: hey poppy I wanted to thank you for being my friend today, I was really nervous about starting at a new school, I wish everyone could be like you, so nice and accepting
Poppy: Aw you're welcome sable!
Smidge: you know what? You can call me smidge, Larkins might think it hurts my feelings but I actually kinda like it
Poppy: (laughs) alright smidge, I'm glad I got to meet you today too and I hope you'll get to enjoy all my friends too and this senior year, thanks anyways
Smidge: see you in class tomorrow (hangs up)
Poppy felt incredibly frustrated. Not only was this homework bothering her, it was also the fact that her father only wanted to go to therapy now before she left home, when their relationship could've been fixed way before. She was also frustrated with branch, why was he so secretive?! Why wouldn't he talk to her?! They were best friends once so she didn't understand. He was the one she could always turn to whenever her father wasn't around, and although she had her other friends, they just didn't provide what he had. Poppy had always tried to act like branch's rejection and coldness didn't bother her, but it really did. There was never a goodbye, he just avoided her and ignored her. She didn't know if it was something she did or what. It wouldn't hurt so much if they didn't have the same class. He has a chance to make things right but he won't! All she wanted was her best friend back.
Branch went upstairs to put his things away before making his way down the hall, and there he saw which wasn't a shock at all. His mother passed out on her bed and some empty alcohol bottles, he didn't expect to her see home, she wasn't due back for another day.
Branch: (taps her) mom? Mom?
Brenda: huh? What?
Branch: mom...
Brenda: oh hey Brandon, my boy
Branch: mom! What are you doing?!
Brenda: nothing, nothing just taking a little breather
Branch: Are those A.A meetings doing nothing? You weren't even supposed to be back until tomorrow, you've been gone for for 2 months and now you're drinking again!
Brenda: lower your voice! My head hurts
Branch: I wonder why, why do you keep doing this to yourself?! I hate seeing you like this!
Brenda: I don't like it either, but...it's been so hard, I don't know what to do Brandon
Branch: (starts to shed tears)
Brenda: oh sweetie please don't cry...please
Branch: how can I not?! You say you wanna get better yet you keep making yourself worse!
Brenda: I love you my son, i do wanna make myself better
Branch: you've been saying that for the last couple years...I don't know what to believe anymore
Brenda: (falls back asleep)
Branch was angry. Very angry. His mom had never been the same since his dad had left. He was angry at him, his mom for making excuses and the lying, he had to take care of his mom for the last couple years and it took an incredible tole. He loved his mom more than anything, but he was frustrated that she wanted to put herself in a bad path. He was on his own most of the time because his mom would be gone at rehab, and now she was gonna have to go back! He cried for a good while before he went back to his guitar and wrote about what he felt in hope for a song idea. He wish he could pick up the phone and call poppy, he knew he would feel better, but couldn't bring himself to do so. Talking to poppy would provide some normalcy back, but his mind told him he didn't deserve to be normal.
Meanwhile poppy long debated of calling branch yet again, like she had always done. All she wanted was to talk to him, hear his voice. She was tired of getting rejected by the phone calls, so she decided against it. All of a sudden out of no where, she felt the need to sing. What? How could this happen? No body just sings out of no where, that only happens in movies! Even though poppy was confused on where this song was coming from she started to sing!
Poppy: "I wanted you to see me, but for so long you were blind, now it's time to face tomorrow and leave all that stuff behind. What would our lives have been like if you'd just given me a sign because I like you more than every other thing I like combined. I spent so many years hoping something would begin. I thought that I was over you but here I am again. What might have been."
Branch started to feel something. He had the urge to sing too. This was impossible! Singing spontaneously doesn't happen, despite his logic, he too started to sing.
Branch: "I can't believe that all this time you finally said a word, although it's possible you did and I just never heard. I barely even noticed I guess I wasn't that alert. Although in retrospect you were being quite advert, and now the time is coming to an end. I wanted so much to tell you everything, but now it seems mislead. What might've been"
Poppy: "I could've been your girlfriend"
Branch: "I could've been your fella, we might've been an item"
Poppy: "they would've called us Broppy, or Pandon"
Branch: "I would've held the door for you, I would've shared my umbrella"
Poppy: "you could've held my hair back when I was sick salmonella"
Both: "we could've been together, all you had to say was when, and though I wanted so much more, I guess you'll always be my friend. What might've been"
Branch: "what might've been"
(They both stopped singing. Of course unaware that the other was singing as well. They both guessed that the song came from how they truly felt.)
Branch: I wanna tell you poppy, I wanna tell you everything, I just don't know how
Poppy: I understand you branch...but you won't let me
I gave you all a little sneak peak of what's been happening with branch's life! It's not the full story, just a snipet" As for the song, it's from the show Phineas and Ferb! This is the song that inspired me to write this story in the first place! Anyways stay tuned for more!
~Ash
