(The words 'Back in the Day…' appear on screen as memory/flashback one begins)
(It's night and Grandma Rosiepuff's pod is shown. Inside the pod, the brothers are seen sleeping soundly in their room; John Dory and Clay sharing a bunk bed with John on top, and Spruce and Floyd sharing a bunk bed with Spruce on the top bed. The bunk beds are each against opposite walls, and in between them is a crib where Baby Branch, only a couple months old, is seen sleeping)
"Oh, our old bedroom!" John Dory exclaimed, missing his old bed and room.
"It's just how I remember it," Bruce said, looking at the room longingly.
"This must be before we separated," Floyd pointed out, missing those days of when they were together.
A few moments later, Baby Branch wakes up and begins to cry, causing his older brothers to wake in annoyance.
"Aww, it's baby Branch!" Clay said, wishing he could go back in time to relive those days of being with his brothers.
"Ughh, not again…" Spruce complained, burying his head under his pillow.
"Why can't he just sleep in Grandma's room?" John Dory muttered, irritated at being woken up and rolling over so his back was to Branch as he tried to block out his cries.
"Go. Back. To. Sleep." Clay whined, hitting his head against his pillow as he spoke each word.
"Well, I definitely don't miss being woken up in the middle of the night," John said, his brothers nodding in agreement.
"Aww, but he's just a baby," Viva said, finding the brothers' reaction on-screen humorous.
At his brother's complaining and refusal to get up to take care of Branch, Floyd rolled his eyes in annoyance and got out of bed, stretching, before walking over to Branch and picking him up, who continued to cry.
"Come on, guys. He's just a baby," Floyd told his brothers as he tried to calm Branch down.
"Yeah, and that's why we're up!" John snapped, throwing his pillow over his head as he tried to block out Branch's crying.
"Sorry for snapping at you Floyd," John said, apologizing to his younger brother who nodded in thanks at the apology.
"Please get him out of here," Spruce asked Floyd, sitting up in bed and glaring tiredly down at Branch.
"I should've been willing to take care of him," Bruce said, feeling guilty for not taking care of Branch as he should have.
"Yeah, me too," Clay said, he and John sharing ashamed looks.
Giving his brothers a glare, Floyd left the room carrying Baby Branch and headed toward the living room, where he could walk around while trying to calm down his baby brother.
"Hey, shh, shh. Don't cry Branch, I'm here. Come on, shh, you're all right," Floyd whispered gently to his baby brother, patting him gently on the back.
When Branch continued to cry, Floyd moved Branch in a cradle position and began to gently stroke his hair, rocking his brother slowly in his arms. "Come stop your crying, it will be alright. Just take my hand, hold it tight."
"Aww," Viva softly said, loving the moment between the two brothers.
As Floyd began to sing, Branch started to calm down and opened his eyes to look at Floyd, who was smiling down gently at him. Taking Branch's little hand in his own, Floyd began to rub the back of Branch's hand while continuing to rock him in his arms. "I will protect you from all around you. I will be here, don't you cry."
By now, Branch's crying had completely stopped as he stared up at Floyd in wonder as his older brother continued to sing to him, the loving smile on his face never leaving. "For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm. This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here, don't you cry. 'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart. From this day on, now and forever more. You'll be in my heart, no matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart, always." Slowly, Branch's eyes began to close and soon he was back asleep, sleeping soundly in Floyd's arms.
"You're a really good brother, Floyd," Bruce said, smiling proudly at Floyd.
"Thanks. I only wish I could have been a better brother," he responded sadly.
"We all do Floyd," John said, putting a hand on Floyd's shoulder in comfort.
"Always," Floyd whispered, bending his head down to kiss his little brother on the forehead and taking a few more minutes to rock Branch before heading back to their room. Before Branch had joined the family, Floyd had been the youngest. While he didn't mind it, he had always wanted a little brother more than anything else in the world, so when Branch came along, Floyd immediately attached to him and soon the two shared a strong bond. Floyd was the brother who could easily calm Branch, and even though he was only a couple months old, Branch knew how much he was loved.
Heading back to their room, Floyd entered to find his older brothers all fast asleep once more; John Dory snoring loudly and Clay sleeping with his feet up against the wall as his head was where his feet should have been, his arms spread out and his mouth hanging open.
"Clay, is that how you always sleep?" Viva asked, bursting out in laughter while Clay smiled in amusement at himself.
"Maybe…" he responded, blushing slightly in embarrassment.
"What! I don't snore!" John said, folding his arms and looking grumpily at the screen.
"Dude, you're literally snoring right now," Bruce said, rolling his eyes at John. "Besides, Clay and I would tell you all the time that you snore as it would keep us up some nights."
At Bruce's words John huffed in annoyance and glared at his snoring form on-screen.
Walking up to the crib, Floyd gave Branch one more kiss on the forehead before gently laying him down and smiling warmly at him, grateful to have him in his life.
Seeing their baby brother so young and little brought a smile to all the brothers, as they all began thinking about their favorite memories and moments spent with Branch when they lived together.
"That was a nice memory," Floyd softly said, enjoying the scene.
(End of memory one)
(Scene change. BroZone song plays in the background, various BroZone albums are shown, and the BroZone brothers are seen getting ready for their concert. Floyd stretches, Spruce does sit ups, Clay looks at himself in the mirror, and John Dory works on a music sheet)
Stage Director: "One minute to showtime." (Runs out of the room)
"Showtime?' Oh, this must be one of our concerts!" John Dory exclaimed, he and his brothers looking at each other in excitement.
"Ooh, I finally get to see you during your boy band days, Clay!" Viva said, excited for the scene.
(Baby Branch is seen nervously looking out of the room through the curtains at the cheering and chanting crowd)
"Aww, look at Branch!" Bruce said, missing his youngest brother.
"Wait a minute…is this the concert that…caused our division?" Clay asked, worried about that being the case. He really didn't want to relive this…
At his words the excited smiles on the brothers quickly turned to frowns as they realized Clay was right. They would recognize that stage anywhere…
Crowd: "BroZone! BroZone! BroZone! BroZone! BroZone, yeah!"
Audience Member: "We love you, BroZone!"
John Dory: "All right, guys. We're gonna open with 'Girl, Baby, Baby' and close with 'Baby, Baby, Girl.' Wait, no. That doesn't sound right. Ooh! I got it. Open with 'Baby, Baby, Girl,' close with 'Baby, Baby, Girl, Woman.' Yes! [laughs] We are gonna make boy band history tonight."
"Oh, I love your songs!" Viva squealed, not seeing the brother's nervous expressions as the scene continued.
"Well, we made boy band history all right…" John sourly said, crossing his arms in annoyance at his behavior on-screen.
Spruce: (Continues doing sit ups) "510. 511. 512."
"Wow Bruce, I forgot how much you'd changed," Clay said, as he looked at all his brothers on-screen and was surprised to see how much they all had grown over the past twenty years.
"We've all changed a lot," Floyd added.
"Well, except for John Dory," Bruce said.
"Hey!" John Dory said, offended.
"Physically I mean, not personality wise," Bruce said, backtracking what he said.
"What, I've changed!" John Dory said, still slightly offended.
John Dory: "Love it, Brother. I wanna see a hundred more of those by showtime, Spruce. Those abs need to be poppin', baby!"
Spruce: "Oh! Come on."
John Dory: "Gosh, I wanna boil an egg on those abs."
"Really John," Bruce said, rolling his eyes at his older brother.
"What? It was impressive," John said, unaffected by the look Bruce gave him.
Clay: "John Dory, do I really have to keep wearing these things?" (Gestures to his costume)
"Wait, Clay, why is your hair yellow?" Viva asked, looking confused at the on-screen Clay.
"Well…" Clay said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly while refusing to look at John Dory, as Bruce, Floyd and John avoided each other's gazes.
"I had him…dye his hair yellow," John finally admitted, ashamed.
"Why?" Viva asked, causing John to sigh in regret.
"Because I thought yellow hair would match Clay's 'Fun Boy' title he had for the band more than his green hair would. And that's also why I had Spruce, sorry Bruce, doing sit-ups because I wanted him to live up to his 'Heartthrob' name. And for that I'm sorry guys," John said, apologizing to Clay and Bruce who were both looking at John surprised as they hadn't expected him to admit it.
"It's alright John. We've already forgiven you," Bruce said, putting a comforting hand on John's shoulder while smiling at him.
John Dory: "Yes, you do, Clay. They're funderdrawers! It's underwear but 76% more fun! Let's see those dance moves, Brother!"
"I really hated those things," Clay commented while Viva chuckled at on-screen Clay.
Clay: "Fine." (Begins dancing) "Rusty Robot, into Wiggle Worm, end on Caliente Puppet. Yeah."
"Nice moves Clay!" Viva said, while Clay leaned back in his chair and smiled at himself on-screen. These past twenty years, he's tried so hard to push this 'fun' side of him away, but the truth was, he missed it. He really did use to be the 'Fun Boy,' and not just for BroZone but at home too. He would pull pranks on his brothers, get into mischief, and would always try to find something fun and active to be doing. But once John started to only view Clay as the 'fun' one and stopped taking him seriously, Clay had slowly begun to change as he wanted to prove there was more to him than just being fun. He even joined a sad book club to try and become more serious so John could see him as something more than just the 'Fun Boy.' But really, he missed this side of him, and now that he made up with John, maybe he could start relaxing more and start having more fun.
Floyd: "Bro, you look stressed. Breathe."
John Dory: (Stressed and worried) "Well, of course I'm stressed, Floyd. It's the first show of the tour! We have to hit the perfect family harmony! We promised the fans!"
Floyd: "Okay, calm down. You're making Baby Branch nervous."
(Baby Branch is seen still staring nervously out at the chanting crowd)
John Dory: "What? Nervous? No, no, no. He's not allowed to be nervous. He's gotta be perfect!"
"Seriously," Bruce and Clay said, giving John exasperated looks while John gave them apologetic looks.
Floyd: "Cut him some slack, John Dory. It's his first show." (Walks toward Baby Branch)
Spruce: (Still doing sit ups) "Come on, abs!"
Floyd: "Hey, Branch. How you feeling?"
Baby Branch: (Turns away from the crowd to look at his brother) "I feel like I'm gonna barf and pass out and-"
"Aww, baby Branch is so cute!" Viva exclaimed as the brothers all smiled warmly at their youngest brother.
Floyd: "Pee your pants all at once?"
Baby Branch: "How'd you know?"
Floyd: (Kneels down next to Branch) "Ah, you got the pre-show jitters. Completely normal. Everyone gets 'em. You wanna know what I do when I get 'em?"
Baby Branch: "Barf, pass out and pee your pants?"
At his words the brothers and Viva all laughed in amusement.
"I love Branch," Bruce chuckled.
Floyd: (Chuckles) "I remember that I'm with my brothers, and that when we come together, there is nothing that we can't do."
At Floyd's words John, Bruce, and Clay all looked at him surprised.
"When you got nervous…you would think of us?" Clay asked, surprised, to which Floyd responded by nodding.
"You guys are my brothers. Of course I would think of you," Floyd said, smiling at his brothers.
"Aw come here you," John said, pulling Floyd into a hug which Bruce and Clay were quick to join in on.
Baby Branch: "But no one's ever hit the perfect family harmony before. [excitedly] Is it true it can shatter diamonds?"
"Branch is adorable," Viva squealed.
Floyd: "Yeah. It's that powerful."
John Dory: (Walks in between Floyd and Baby Branch, interrupting their moment. Spruce and Clay join them as well) "All right, boys, just remember, no matter what you do, follow my lead."
Floyd: "Or maybe, let's just go out there and have fun together."
"Sorry Floyd. I should have listened to you and not been so controlling," John apologized.
"John, you don't need to keep apologizing. We've all already forgiven you. Yes, this is going to be hard to watch, but it's in the past and we can't change that; even though we want to. We know you're sorry, and we're sorry too," Floyd said, smiling at his oldest brother in comfort.
Clay: "It's just…so much pressure." (Gulps)
"Aw, Clay…" Viva said, loving Clay on-screen.
Stage Director: "Ten seconds!"
Spruce: (Rubs lotion on his abs) "A-And what happens if we can't hit it?"
John Dory: "Oh, that's not an option. If we can't hit the perfect family harmony, we aren't perfect. And if we aren't perfect, we're nothing. Just follow my lead and the harmony will happen." (At his words, Floyd and Clay exchange nervous looks, Spruce carelessly throws the now empty lotion bottle, and Branch excitedly puts his glasses on) "Let's bro!"
At John's words the brothers flinched in remembrance, not wanting to watch what they knew would happen.
"I know now that that's not true, and I really regret saying that in the first place. You guys are perfect just the way you are," John said, throwing his arms around Bruce and Clay who were smiling at him.
Announcer: "Ladies and gentlemen, here they are! The heartthrob!" (Spruce swings onto the stage gracefully, posing as his stage name is called) "The fun boy!" (Clay jumps onto the stage and makes a silly pose) "The sensitive one!" (Floyd turns around at his stage name) "The leader!" (John Dory rises onto the stage, posing) "And the baby!" (Baby Branch poses) "Give it up for BroZone!" (Crowd cheers)
"Woo! Wow, you guys look awesome!" Vive cheered in excitement.
"Yeah, I definitely miss singing together," Clay said, smiling fondly at the memories he had of performing with his brothers.
BroZone: "Well, there she goes!"
Spruce: "On the floor, let's do this no more talkin.'" (Shows off his abs, causing girls in the audience to scream and faint)
"Yep, I still got that effect on girls," Bruce said proudly, causing his brothers to chuckle in amusement.
BroZone: "Did anybody notice."
Floyd: "The energy just shifted when we dropped in. Ooh, let it drop in, hmm…"
Clay: "I don't flex, but I might! Groove about to take flight!"
"Wow Clay, your voice is really good!" Viva complemented while John, Bruce and Floyd looked questioningly at Clay.
"Viva's never heard you sing?" Bruce asked. "But, I thought you've known her for years."
"Well, I have known her for years. But…when I did sing, I preferred to be alone," Clay admitted, his brothers looking at him sadly.
John Dory: "'Cause the night is young and the music's on and we got love on sight!"
Baby Branch: "The sky was the limit, now the stars where we livin'. It's the vibe when we're in it, it'll blow your mind." (Briefly takes off his glasses and winks at the audience)
Audience Member: "Bitty B!"
"Yeah Branch!" The brothers cheered, proud of their youngest brother.
BroZone: "It's so perfect, perfect, perfect! A hundred percent!" (BroZone begins to glow, showing they're close to hitting the perfect family harmony) "Put us together…"
"Hey, you guys are about to hit the perfect family harmony!" Viva gasped in excitement, while the brothers exchanged nervous looks, knowing what was about to happen.
John Dory: (Whispers as his brothers continue singing) "Okay, great. It's working. Yes! Come on, guys!" (Runs off, causing his brothers to look at each other confused)
BroZone: "…perfect, perfect, perfect. Harmony so cold…"
Clay: (Whispers to Spruce) "What's he doing? This isn't my choreo!" (Runs to join John Dory)
"Yeah, I got a little carried away…" John admitted, ashamed of himself.
BroZone: "You'll never ever wanna let it…"
John Dory: "Go…" (Gestures for his brothers to get on him, much to their confusion)
Floyd: (Gets on the left side of John Dory) "Go…"
Spruce: (Gets on the right side of John Dory) "Go…"
Clay: (Spruce holds him up) "Go…"
Baby Branch: (Clay holds him up) "Go…"
"Yeah, we were really confused about what was going on," Bruce said, not looking forward to what was coming up.
"Who wrote your guys' dances?" Viva asked.
"That was Clay's area of expertise, so he would come up with our choreography," John said proudly.
"Wow," Viva said, looking in awe at Clay.
"What can I say; when in a band, you gotta know how to flex the drip!" Clay said, popping the 'p' in the word 'drip' and causing his brothers to chuckle in amusement.
(Brothers begin to become unharmonized and lose their balance, causing them to fall on one other, stopping their performance)
"Oh no!" Viva gasped in shock, while the brothers all exchanged worried looks.
(Floyd trips to the edge of the stage and grabs on to a nearby vine, accidentally swinging on it)
Floyd: "Whoa!"
(As Spruce helps John Dory up, Floyd swings into John, knocking him into the air. Seconds later, the vine ties around Spruce's ankle, swinging him around on the vine. John Dory bounces off a mushroom and hits the ceiling, getting tangled in vines strewn across it. As Floyd and Spruce swing around on the vine, Clay gets tied up as well by it. Soon, the vine wraps around John Dory, who's stuck to the ceiling, and all the brothers get wrapped up together, Spruce hanging upside down by his ankle. Baby Branch on the other hand watches his brothers in concern from the stage)
"That's worse than I remember it being…" Bruce said, he and his brothers wincing at the scene while Viva stared at the screen with wide eyes, shocked at what just happened.
"At least Branch wasn't tied up there," Floyd said, glad that was the case.
Stage Director: "Ladies and gentlemen, please stand by. Uh, we're experiencing, uh, some stuff."
John Dory: "Hey. At least we didn't fall." (The vines snap, causing them to fall) "We fell."
(Scene changes to show the brothers in their home. John Dory and Spruce enter, both clearly upset, and jump into an argument)
"Oh no…I don't want to watch this too…" John said, burying his head in his hands.
John Dory: "See what happens when you don't follow my lead?"
Spruce: "Dude, that is exactly what happens when we follow your lead!"
(Baby Branch looks scared toward his brothers and looks as if he's about to cry)
"Oh, Branch…" Bruce said, feeling guilty that he made his youngest brother feel that way.
John Dory: "Oh, so it's my fault. Is that what you're saying?" (Spruce rolls his eyes at John) "I know we can reach the perfect family harmony!"
Spruce: "What if we don't want to?"
Clay: (Joins in the argument) "Yeah, dude. This used to be fun. Now it's all about being perfect."
Spruce: "You know what? I'm done playing the heartthrob. My exquisitely chiseled, rock hard abs and I quit!" (Rips off his vest and throws it to the ground)
At his own words Bruce winced as if physically struck. While he wasn't the first to leave, he was the first to quit, which encouraged John and Clay to do the same.
Clay: "I quit too, and you can keep these." (Takes off his funderdrawers and throws them at John Dory's face) "I'm more than just the fun one. I'm in a sad book club. Did you know that? A sad book club! I'm gonna find trolls who take me seriously."
"Oh Clay…" Viva said, looking sadly at Clay who was watching the screen with sadness and regret.
John Dory: "Fine. I don't need this. I'm out. I'm done. I'm sorry." (Walks toward their open window and puts on his bag. Baby Branch is seen looking sadly at his oldest brother) "I'm gonna go hike the Neverglade Trail by myself. Brolone." (Shoots a grappling hook out of the window) "Yeah, that's right. Brobro going solo. Yolo. Goodbye forever."
"Oh man…" John whispered, hating himself for what he had said and done.
(As John Dory disappears from sight, Sprue glares after him, Clay looks unaffected, and baby Branch is shocked)
Clay: "Fine. I'm out of here." (Walks toward the door)
John Dory: "Later, losers!"
Spruce: "Same here." (Spruce and Clay exit their home, each going a separate way, leaving Floyd and Baby Branch behind)
"We didn't even say goodbye to Branch," Clay whispered as tears formed in his eyes, causing Bruce and John to feel even more guilty as those words were said.
Floyd: "Guys, please. Come on." (Sighs)
Baby Branch: "It's my fault. I ruined everything."
Hearing Branch's words caused the brothers to feel more ashamed of themselves than ever.
"What! No, no, why did he think that?" Bruce asked, startled that Branch blamed himself.
"He thinks we left because of him?" John gasped in horror and shock.
Floyd: "N-no, no. Branch, this is not your fault. [sighs] We're not in sync. We've gone from boys to men, and now there's only one direction for us to go: the backstreets."
Baby Branch: "But not you, Floyd? You're not leaving too?"
"I'm so sorry, Branch," Floyd said as tears fell down his face.
Floyd: "Not forever. I'll be back. I promise. But right now, I-I have to follow my heart. It's telling me that it's time to start a solo career."
Baby Branch: "But what am I gonna do?"
Floyd: "Branch, you are gonna do the most important thing of all. You're gonna…take care of Grandma!" (Gestures toward their Grandma who's shuffling a pile of cards at their table)
Grandma Rosiepuff: "Oh, come on, Branch. Let's play some rummy. But I won't let you win, because I play for the money!"
Seeing their Grandma caused the brothers to feel a fresh wave of guilt wash over them, as they knew them leaving was part of the reason she had died. If they'd never left, they could have protected her and Branch from that Bergen…
Floyd: "You might have to let her win. Occasionally." (Branch nods in understanding) "When you miss me, you can wear this." (Takes off his green vest and puts it on Branch) "It'll be like I'm right here with you."
"And he wears it every day…" Clay said, smiling sadly at Floyd who still had tears running down his face.
Baby Branch: "And when you come back, we'll make our hideout!" (Takes out a piece of paper and holds it out to Floyd)
Floyd: "Definitely." (Takes the paper from Branch and unfolds it, revealing Branch's drawing of his 'future' bunker. On the paper has each of his brother's names written on it, and each has their own room in the hideout)
"Wait a second, isn't that Branch's bunker!" Clay gasped in recognition.
"Oh man you're right!" John Dory gasped, his heart hammering with guilt.
"How did I not recognize his bunker when I first saw it?" Floyd said, staring at Branch's drawing in shock.
"He built his bunker…for us?" Bruce slowly said, letting the information sink in.
At his words the brothers looked at each other in shocked surprise, feeling more ashamed of themselves by the second.
"I didn't know…" John sadly said, lowering his head in shame.
Floyd: "Wow! Is that a ten story water slide?"
Branch: "Yeah. That's how we shower!" (Giggles)
Floyd: "Well, we better keep this in a safe place." (Folds the paper back up and gives it back to Branch, then holds his arms out to Branch and hugs him, sighing) "I'll see you soon, Baby Branch." (Smiles sadly and nods farwell at Branch then walks out the door with his guitar)
Baby Branch: "Bye. See you later."
At Branch's words the brothers all began to cry.
"How could we have done that?" Bruce asked, hating himself for walking out that night.
(End of memory two)
(Scene change. The words 'A few nights later…' appear on screen as memory/flashback three begins)
"A few nights later?" John questioned worriedly, his face still wet from his tears.
"I don't think I want to see this," Clay said, afraid of what he would see.
(It's night and once again Grandma Rosiepuff's pod is shown. Inside the pod, Branch is seen lying awake in his Grandma's bed as his Grandma sleeps next to him)
Sighing, Branch rolls over and faces the door of his Grandma's room and stares at it for a few seconds before making up his mind. Sitting up, he rubs his eyes tiredly and looks over at his sleeping Grandma before quietly slipping out of bed with his teddy bear in hand, and tip-toes to the door, opening it slowly so it doesn't creak and wake up Grandma. Once outside the room, Branch softly closes the door and walks along the hall as he heads to his bedroom.
"They'll be there calling me baby…" Branch sang, pausing to look happily at a picture of him and his brothers hanging on the wall where they were all seen laughing in joy. "Maybe…" Approaching his room, he opened the door hopefully, expecting to see his brothers sleeping in their beds. Instead, his face falls sadly as he scans the room to see it deserted; the bunk beds empty except for a few books on Clay's bed, a pair of goggles on John Dorys, and a small blanket on Floyd's bed that had been used to wrap Branch when he was a newborn. There were still only four beds in the room, as Branch had begun sharing a bed with Floyd as soon as he moved out of his crib, not wanting his own bed.
"I didn't know he would lay awake hoping we'd return," John whispered sadly, the brothers staring at the screen with wide and guilty eyes.
Walking sadly in the room, Branch headed over to Floyd's bed and crawled inside it, hugging his baby blanket and teddy bear close as tears formed in his eyes. "Maybe far away, or maybe real nearby, John may be pouring his coffee, Spruce may be straightening his tie. Maybe in a house, all hidden by a hill, Clay's sitting playing piano, Floyd's sitting writing a song. Betcha they're good, why shouldn't they be? Their one mistake was giving up me. So maybe now it's time, and maybe when I wake, they'll be there calling me 'baby.' Maybe… Maybe they'll argue, or cause a big fight. Don't really care, as long as they're mine. So maybe now this prayer's, the last one of its kind. Won't you please come get your baby…maybe…" Crying, Branch buried his head in his blanket, wishing his brothers were there and had never left him.
Hearing Branch's song the brothers continued to cry in grief and regret, and even Viva now had tears in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry Branch," Floyd sobbed, as John pulled him into a hug with both of them crying softly.
"We should have gone back for him," Bruce said through his tears.
Branch missed them. He missed John Dory giving him voice lessons, missed Spruce teaching him new dance moves, missed Clay playing with him and having Branch assist him in some of his pranks, and most of all, he missed Floyd's presence and the comfort he always gave.
"Why'd you guys go…" Branch whispered through his tears, as he slowly cried himself to sleep in Floyd's bed.
Unable to answer his question, the brother's continued to cry in sorrow, hating themselves more and more.
(End of memory three)
(Scene change. The words 'A year later…' appear on screen as memory/flashback four begins)
"I don't think I can watch any more," Clay said, already done with watching these flashbacks.
(It's midday and inside Grandma Rosiepuff's pod, Branch and Grandma are seen eating lunch together in silence, with Branch poking at his food with his silverware rather than eating it)
"Branch, sweetie, you need to eat," Grandma gently told her grandson, worried for him as he's been feeling down more often since his brother's left. While his behavior was understandable, it didn't make it any less worrisome for Grandma.
"I'm not hungry," Branch said, pushing his plate away and holding his head in his hands, not making eye contact with Grandma.
"Well, is there something else you want to eat?" Grandma asked, trying to get him to eat something, to which he responded by shaking his head. "Branch, what's wrong?" she asked, even though she already knew what was wrong.
"Grandma…are they going to come back?" Branch sadly asked, finally meeting her gaze with tears in his eyes.
At his question the brothers looked at each other in shock, their faces still wet with tears.
"It's been a year, and he's still thinking of us," Bruce quietly and sadly said.
"I don't know, Branch," Grandma responded, smiling sadly at her youngest grandson. "I know them leaving has been hard, but it's been a year now."
"I know, but every day I just hope that they'll come back. Floyd promised he would," Branch said as he began to cry.
The brothers hated seeing Branch cry, and what hurt them the most was that Branch hadn't given up on them, even though they had clearly given up on each other.
"Oh gosh…" Floyd sobbed, unable to control himself as he was consumed with regret and guilt.
Closing her eyes, she knew what she had to say, and even though it would be hard for Branch to hear, he needed to hear it. "Branch listen to me," she said, reaching across their small table to hold his hand. "It's time to move on. Your brothers, they love you and they always have, but it was time for them to leave to start their own lives."
"That's not why we left," Clay said through his tears.
"Which Grandma knows. She lied to keep Branch from the truth," Bruce responded sadly.
"But…why couldn't they bring me with them? John, Bruce and Clay…they didn't even say goodbye," Branch quietly sobbed.
At his words John, Bruce and Clay all winced as if physically struck. They hadn't said goodbye, and even a year later Branch knew and remembered that, which scared the brothers.
"They couldn't bring you because you were too young. But one day, when you're older, it'll be time for you to start your own life too," Grandma said. She knew she was sugarcoating what had happened. While his brothers did love him, they also did leave without saying goodbye. What they did was wrong, but Grandma did all she could to help Branch try to understand, even if some of what she said was a lie.
Branch looked away and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "May I be excused," he softly asked.
"Of course," Grandma replied, sadly watching as Branch got down from his chair and walked to his bedroom.
Closing the door to his room, Branch leaned against the wall and stared sadly at the two bunk beds. Even though it had been a year, nothing had changed or moved in the room.
"Our room still looks the same," Bruce said in shock. He had expected it to be rearranged or changed by now, but it looked the same as it had the night they left.
Grandma had asked if he wanted to rearrange it, but he had refused in case they did come back. Each night he slept in here, he would rotate which bed he slept on. Last night he slept in Spruce's bed, and tonight would be Clay's. Other night's, the pain in his heart would be too much for him that he would sleep with his Grandma. But now…Branch had to accept that they wouldn't be coming back. They had left, and it was time for Branch to move on.
Taking a shaky breath, Branch walked over to his dresser and picked up a picture of him and his brothers, running his hand over the happy image frozen in time. "Even if I have the strength. Even if I could be brave…I don't know how to let you go. Oh how I've tried," Branch sang, taking the picture with him as he walked toward the beds, running his hand along Floyd's bedsheets. "'Cause living without you is like living a lie. A world without color, a lost lullaby. And living without you, is like gasping for air. A day without sunlight, a night without prayer, so hurry, before I change my mind. I give my heart, I give my life, so take my heart, take my goodbye. I close my eyes and let you fly. Take my goodbye… Goodbye…" Branch sang, sitting sadly down on the floor, heartbroken, and hugging his knees to his chest as he ended his farewell song to his brothers. Looking once more at the picture in his hand, he placed it on the ground next to him face-down as he cried in silence, finally accepting the fact that his brothers were gone and weren't returning.
If they had found the other songs and scenes hard to watch, this one by far had the worst effect on them. Watching Branch give up on them returning and sing his last goodbye to them tore their hearts in two.
"I didn't know us leaving hurt him this bad. I-I mean I knew that he was hurt, but I didn't know how much until now," Bruce sobbed, hating himself for leaving.
Just then the screen turned black while the words 'Break' appeared in white.
Though they were thankful to be given a short break to calm down and gather their thoughts, the brothers were too devastated to speak. The next few minutes were spent trying to comfort one another and think about what they had just seen and heard; John still hugging Floyd while Clay laid his head on Bruce's shoulder, crying silently as Viva rubbed his back in comfort.