-O-
Picturebook Romance
A Trolls fanfic
By Dreamsinger
Chapter 58
Face Your Fears
"Poppy, King Peppy put me in charge."
I broke out into a sweat, and my heart began to pound.
"I know; isn't it great?" Poppy replied enthusiastically. "I'm so proud of you! This is your turn to shine, Branch. And the best part is, the whole village will be watching you!"
Worse and worse. Gasping for breath, I froze in place. It's too soon! I'm not ready for this!
Poppy skipped past me a few step, then realized I wasn't beside her and turned back. "Branch? You okay?"
I couldn't answer. I was panting so hard and fast I was starting to hyperventilate. My fingers started tingling. Bad sign. If I didn't get myself under control I was headed for a panic attack for sure!
"Uh, oh." Poppy's eyes widened as she spotted my impending freakout. "Whoa, whoa, Branch." She stretched her hands out in front of her. "Calm down. Breeeathe."
"I don't have time to breathe!" I shouted irrationally.
Poppy look me up and down and then made the sensible choice. Her arms wrapped around my body and then a swirl of magenta surrounded us and pulled us snugly together. How else to calm a panicked troll?
As her warmth surrounded me, part of me wanted to struggle free. But another part of me recognized that I needed this. Wanted this. Shaking from the massive surge of stress hormones racing through my body like fizzy soda, I gave in to the craving for comfort and wrapped my arms around my girlfriend.
Almost immediately I started to feel a little better. Her soft, warm body felt solid and reassuring against me, and her sweet scent filled my lungs. I closed my eyes and began my familiar self-calming routine, drawing deep, long breaths deep into my belly.
"That's good, sweetheart. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Goood…" she murmured in a slow, quiet tone.
I snuggled closer to her and tried to block out everything other than the soothing sound of her voice. The tingling in my fingers began to go away. My tight chest opened up, and I breathed easier. The jumpy, buzzing feeling in my body began to fade, and I let myself relax against her.
After a long moment, I murmured, "Thanks, Poppy."
She made a small sound of contentment, and I smiled a little.
"You okay now, Branch?" she asked gently.
"Yeah."
She retracted her hair and leaned back so she could look into my eyes. Her own eyes were so full of sympathy and concern for me that I was instantly embarrassed. "Sorry about that," I said sheepishly.
"There's nothing to be sorry about," she said as she let me go. "Do you want to talk about why you got so upset?"
I hesitated, sorting through my thoughts. "…I'm not upset, exactly. It's just - to be put in charge of Cleanup Day of all things…"
Poppy looked puzzled. "I don't understand. This is your most important holiday, right? I would think you'd love the opportunity to tell everyone what to do. Plus, it's not like you've never been in charge of anything before."
"This is different. Before, it's always been with you. You're the leader, and I'm your backup. That's always been the game plan."
"Not this time. This timeI'm your backup." She winked and pointed her finger at me. "It's all you, buddy."
I groaned loudly.
Looking puzzled, she crossed an arm across her belly and rested the other elbow on it, lifting her hand to tap her lip. "Okay, what am I missing here? It's not as if you don't already have a plan."
"I know, but…" I struggled to articulate my fears. "It-it-it's a big responsibility. And I…don't know if I have what it takes to be a leader," I finally admitted. I heaved a great sigh and ran a hand through my hair. "What am I gonna do, Poppy? How am I going to get everyone to listen to me?"
Her forehead wrinkled. "What are you talking about, Branch? You've been leading people all along."
"I- What?" Stress forgotten, I gave her a bewildered look.
She shook her head affectionately and began counting on her fingers. "You directed traffic so I could scrapbook. You taught little Fern and Hickory a lesson about having good balance. You stressed the importance of safe practices when doing flight experiments. Because of you, everyone wears helmets now when boingo-riding. You noticed that the twins might be happier if they were separated, and made a point to treat Satin as an individual to get her used to the idea. You attended to the trolls' emotional needs and even taught that Heimlich maneuver class after I choked, even though you wanted to come with me to the doctor's pod. Cherry Blossom and Leafe think you should be a teacher. You were the star caller in the Double-Helix dance. If that's not leadership, what is?"
"What? No, that- That was just me, having fun. It wasn't-"
"Now you're getting it! Leadership should be fun."
"But that wasn't official," I protested. "Not like this is. Poppy, the king put me in charge of Cleanup Day. That means fun time is over, and I have to get serious. I need to prove to the king and everyone else that I can be a leader, and be worthy of standing by your side."
Her eyes widened. "Branch…"
"And…there's another reason." I dropped my eyes to the ground. "King Peppy knows I'm your boyfriend now. That means he'll be watching me, judging me. And now that I know he wasn't exactly in favor of us dating back when you had that crush on me, I…" I held my hands up, then let them drop back down to my sides. "Well, I just really want to make a good impression this time around. If I can."
"Oh, Branch," she said softly. I looked up to see her giving me a look of sympathy. "I guess I can understand that. Is my dad really that scary?"
"Well..." I hesitated. It was true that the king had always been kind and considerate toward me. Far more patient than I'd probably deserved, back when I used to cause him so much trouble as a frantic, tempestuous trolling. But even so, he intimidated me. I'd always seen him as someone who had ultimate power over me. His word was law. It was he who chose where I lived, and with whom.
Or if I lived in the village at all. Once I grew old enough to take care of myself, I'd always been aware that banishment was an option if I ever pushed my luck too far. Or so I told myself.
"Dad's really not that bad, Branch. I mean, yeah, he can be a little forgetful, and he's boastful at times, and he's kind of vain about his looks. But then, so is Guy Diamond. So are a lot of trolls, really. A healthy ego isn't a bad thing," she said earnestly. "But my dad is also super caring, supportive, wise, and forgiving. You can always go to him if you have questions, or a problem you need help solving. Do you know what he told me yesterday? He told me to remind you that no one is expecting you to be perfect, and that a king or queen is still just a troll who doesn't know everything. Someone who makes mistakes from time to time."
I blinked. "He did?"
She nodded. "Uh huh, and I agree. Look how many mistakes I've made since I became queen."
I had to smile at that. I knew very well how often my young queen's impulsiveness and love of giving others good experiences could blind her to reality. I'd gotten used to her rushing up to me in a panic, asking for my help yet again. It was both annoying and yet gratifying to feel so needed. No, to actually be needed and considered important, by her and by my other friends.
"He also wanted me to let you know that it's okay to be intimidated at the idea of being king."
My mouth dropped open. "H-How did he know?"
She grinned at me. "Dad was young once, too, you know. He wasn't always the king."
Trying to imagine Peppy as a young man in my position was a new idea, but it made me feel better to think that I had something in common with him. Maybe I could figure out a way to connect with him after all. Leafe and Cherry Blossom were great, but would be nice to have an older man to turn to for advice, especially since I had no father of my own.
Poppy was quiet, watching me mull everything over. I gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Poppy."
"No problem, sweetie. I get it. Don't tell anyone, but I was a little nervous about becoming queen, too." Suddenly she chuckled. "When it comes to being a leader, Dad said, "'I can tell you from experience that it gets easier with experience.'"
The witty joke caught me off-guard, and I laughed.
My girlfriend reached out to pat my cheek. "So don't worry about him judging you, Branch. Especially not after the talk I had with them."
"Them?"
"Dad, Doctor Plum, and Acorn. When I was at the doctor's yesterday. I told them all about you. I made sure they knew you aren't the same troll you used to be."
"Oh?" My trouble-antenna went up. "Why? What did they say about me?" I asked warily.
"Don't worry about that," she answered cheerfully. "I set them straight. It's all good."
"No, really, Poppy. What-"
"If you're really that worried, you have the perfect opportunity to do something about it right now. I know you, Branch." Her rose-colored eyes shone with sincerity as she put a hand over her chest. "And I believe in you, wholeheartedly. Remember the time Doc Whipple asked you to make a super-healthy healing soup for sick trolls when you were just a trolling?"
"Yes…"
"It was a big hit, wasn't it? It really helped Jaunty and me and everyone else get better faster, and it's delicious, too." She poked me playfully in the belly, tugging a smile from my lips. "Everyone in the village loves sugarfruit soup. Think how much healthier we all are thanks to you, my clever captain."
Despite knowing she was using one of the nicknames I liked best on purpose to get me to feel better, I couldn't help but feel better. My smile widened. "Huh. I hadn't thought about that." My soup had indeed remained a popular choice over the years, although many trolls had no idea that I was its original creator.
"You know, Branch," she said softly, "One of the things I've always admired most about you is how when you're faced with a challenge, you always rise to meet it." Her look of adoration made me feel warm all over. It reminded me of the hero-worship I used to see in her eyes when she'd been sweet on me as a teenager. Only this time around, instead of feeling flustered and overwhelmed, I gladly welcomed that look and the feelings behind it with all my heart.
I looked down and smiled modestly. "Yeah. Yeah, I do, don't I?"
My insides thrilled at the warm, rich tone of approval in her voice as she said affectionately, "You sure do." Playfully she booped my nose. "Face it, Captain Sugarfruit, there's nothing you love more than creating order out of chaos, right? So why not have fun with this?"
"'Order out of chaos'," I echoed, and felt a big grin spreading over my face. "Yeah. You know, Poppy, when you're right, you're right. I can do this. I can make Cleanup Day fun for everybody."
I began to stride toward the mushroom stage, my steps bouncy and confident. Poppy fell into step beside me. "Hey, Branch?"
"Yes?"
"I just want you to remember that being a leader doesn't mean you have to do everything yourself. I ask for help all the time, don't I?"
"Uh huh." I nodded in agreement. Poppy rarely did things by herself. Besides me, she usually had at least a few other trolls working with her to accomplish her goal.
She smiled and added sincerely, "I honestly don't know where I'd be if I didn't have you and the other trolls to rely on. And that goes for you, too. If you need help, just ask. Don't ever think you have to go it alone, okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Poppy."
Eager to get to work now, I picked up speed, only to stop short as Poppy suddenly moved in front of me and placed her hands on my cheeks. Suddenly her rose-colored eyes were all I could see. They shimmered with feeling as she said, "One more thing, Branch."
"Yes?"
"You are worthy. Never doubt that for a moment."
-O-
Once my performance-anxiety crisis was over, it actually didn't take me very long to get everything set up. The village was soon divided into neat grids marked with little color-coded flags. Every troll had a small area of the village to search. To make everything more fun, I used Poppy's earlier suggestion and modified the square-dance song I'd used the day before. A quick, snappy beat to help them be alert and grooving to the rhythm I set. Every quarter hour, I would sing out the call to let everyone know to rotate to a new area. We would continue to rotate until no new beads had been found for the last two rotations.
It worked like a charm. The baskets everyone carried began to fill rapidly. Poppy and I searched, too. And as always when I danced and sang, once I got going, I had a blast!
"Be alert and be aware. And don't forget to check your hair," I reminded my fellow trolls, softening the warning with a charismatic grin and wink. Troll hair was notorious for catching all sorts of things within it, often without its owner knowing. My supportive Poppy helped out by pointing both forefingers toward her own hair while beaming a big, happy smile. I laughed joyfully. This was one of those times I truly loved being a troll, combining work and fun. In past years, this had been a grim, lonely task, taking an entire day to finish.
Not this time. Not only was this way more fun, having the entire village at my disposal meant the task would surely get completed far ahead of schedule, leaving more of the day free for me to enjoy my beautiful Sunshine's company. As Poppy would say, win-win.
-O-
With her new sneakissing game in mind, Poppy made sure that she and Branch always had adjacent search areas. At some point the pink troll began to notice that they had developed the habit of reaching out to touch one another whenever they drew near, like two celestial object attracted by each other's gravity.
Her sweet boyfriend had an endearing tendency to gently rest his hand on her back or cup her elbow in his palm, briefly meeting her eyes as if to affirm their connection before moving away. Every time, butterflies would start dancing in her stomach. It wasn't like Poppy had never felt another troll's hands before, but knowing they were his hands was inherently thrilling.
Poppy herself was more likely to slide her hand along his back or his side in passing, an absentminded gesture of affection that seemed so totally natural to her that she sometimes didn't realize she was doing it until one time when she stroked his backside instead.
Branch stopped and gave her a look of mild surprise. So did a few other trolls who happened to be stationed in nearby areas. Poppy smiled at them automatically, pretending there was nothing strange going on, but she couldn't stop her cheeks from turning red. Branch saw her embarrassment and gave her a teasing smile, glancing down at her body and then up to meet her eyes. She knew he was laughing inside.
Oh, yeah? Well, how about this? She winked, put her hands on her hips, and gave them a suggestive little wiggle. Part of her was hoping he'd go for a sneakiss, but he wasn't about to get caught so easily. He only crossed his arms and smirked, cocking his own hip toward her in response to her challenge. Just as she opened her mouth to say something to tease him back, the trolls around them chuckled, rolling their eyes in amusement. As the young sweethearts blushed and looked away from one another, the other trolls all turned back to their search en masse, apparently having recognized yet another Branch-and-Poppy tiff in the making.
Poppy looked around, then brightened. No one was watching now. She and Branch eyed one another. Did they dare do it, right out in the open?
Poppy decided to risk it. Then just as she took a step toward her boyfriend, one of the trolls nearby let out a cry of glee and turned to show her the purple-and-gold bead he'd found. Quickly she spun away from Branch and pretended to admire the bead.
Aw, man, she grumbled inwardly. Just five more seconds! That's all I'd have needed. Disappointed, she glanced toward Branch's laughing blue eyes and couldn't help but grin back, her mood lightening. Oh, well. I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities to try again.
-O-
They were done by lunchtime. With more than twenty times as many trolls participating, it had only taken three hours to thoroughly cover the entire village. Even Branch could find no more, which pleased him greatly. "Great job, everyone! We've covered the entire village in record time!" he cried exuberantly from the grand mushroom stage in the village square.
The crowd cheered, and Poppy came seriously close to giving her boyfriend a congratulatory kiss right there in front of everyone. Hey, it's been three whole hours since we last kissed, after all. She had not been able to sneakiss him even once during the bead-hunt, as Branch had passionately thrown himself into his task, and everyone else was keeping a sharper-than-usual eye on their surroundings.
But oh, it was hard to keep her lips to herself! Especially with Branch prancing around on stage, the golden sticker Leafe had given him shining on his face, its googly eyes rolling round and round. He looked so confident and proud of how well things had gone. She was proud of him, too. Her heart was bursting with giddy warmth. I knew it. He's a born leader.
A coral-colored troll with pink hair approached Poppy and held out an envelope. She accepted it with a smile of thanks and opened it, quickly reading the brief message. Then she stepped up to the microphone. "This is it, people. The moment you've all been waiting for. Get ready to cheer for the cleanup champion, the super-duper-picker-upper of aaaall trolldom, with one thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three beads, the winner of this year's Smilin' Branch trophy is… Fizzy Speckles!" Poppy shouted excitedly.
"Me?" The ice-cream vendor looked astonished, then ecstatic. He began to jump up and down. "Oh, wow! I did it! I won!"
"Come and claim your well-deserved award, champion bead-hunter!" she said proudly. Other trolls moved aside as Fizzy made his way onto the stage. Many congratulated him as he passed.
Branch picked up the small golden trophy and brought it past Poppy to hand it to the plum-colored dessert vendor, who gleefully accepted it. "Sweet! Thank you!" Fizzy lifted the finely-detailed likeness of the former village grump to eye level to study it up close. The shining form reflected the surrounding light onto him, making his numerous glitter freckles sparkle.
Poppy couldn't help but smile at the sight of a miniature version of her handsome boyfriend giving his new owner a double thumb's-up and a big, charismatic grin. At the base of the statue in fancy scroll lettering it said, "Good job!"
Beaming, Fizzy said, "Wow, Branch, you look great! It's your best one yet."
"Thanks." He flashed a grin, twin to the one held in Fizzy's hands, and then his expression faded into sincere appreciation. He held out his hand, and Fizzy took it. "I really want to thank you for all your hard work today, Fizzy. Keeping the village clean and safe is super important to me, so I'm really glad we have such a keen-eyed, conscientious troll like you here."
Fizzy's expression softened. "Aww. You're welcome, Branch."
The crowd murmured. Poppy knew that many trolls were still a little surprised whenever Branch said something nice, especially when it involved sharing his feelings.
The aquamarine troll must have heard the murmurs, too. He let go of Fizzy's hand and turned to look out over the hundreds of trolls watching him with no trace of nerves. "Everyone, I truly appreciate all of you being here today. As most of you probably know, Cleanup Day has always been my favorite holiday. To see such an outstanding turnout means so much. To me, and to Queen Poppy, too."
He glanced at her as if to ask whether she wanted to say something, but she just gave him a proud smile. He was doing just fine on his own.
Branch turned back to the crowd. "So, thank you all for participating in this year's Cleanup Day."
A great cheer burst from the throats of hundreds of trolls. Poppy cheered, too. I'm so happy! Look at him, standing there and saying exactly the right thing to express his gratitude and approval, just like a good leader should. They'll remember his praise next year, too. I'm sure we'll get just as many volunteers then, maybe more.
-O-
As the crowd dispersed, Fizzy cheerfully asked me, "So, Branch, did you have a nice visit with Leafe?"
"Yes, actually. I did. I- Wait, how did you know I saw Leafe recently?"
He pointed to my face. "Those are the stickers he uses to reward people."
"Oh!" My hand slapped against my cheek. Sure enough, the little star sticker was right where Leafe had put it this morning. I'd forgotten all about it. I was used to the slightly stiff/itchy feeling of having stickers on my face. I'd probably worn hundreds of them in the three years I lived with Leafe.
My face flushed hotly. I'd been wearing it on stage! Probably distracting everyone with the silly thing. "Poppy, why didn't you tell me?"
"What? It's cute."
I tilted my head back and groaned. "I look silly."
"Maybe a little, but silly is cute."
"Very cute," Fizzy agreed.
"Not helping, Fizzy."
Poppy booped my nose. "Aw, come on. Don't be embarrassed."
"Embarrassed?" Fizzy looked surprised. "Why would you be embarrassed? That's one of Leafe's special Golden Smileys. Everyone knows he doesn't give those out often, so we all knew you must have done something exceptionally well."
I gazed at him blankly. He shook his head and gave me a good-natured smile. "Listen, it's lunchtime, so I have to go tend my dessert stand right now, but I just wanted to ask if I could talk to you for a few minutes sometime, Branch?"
Poppy and I exchanged glances. "What is this about, Fizzy?" she asked him.
He started to rub his head, remembered the gold statue in his hand, and slipped it into his hair. "I have a…small concern. Probably nothing, really. But yesterday it occurred to me that Branch might have some insight, so I thought I'd ask his opinion. If it's not too much trouble."
It must be more important than he says it is, if he's not willing to just talk about it right now in public. I replied seriously, "Sure, Fizzy. What time is good for you?"
"Oh, anytime, really." He shrugged. "It's not urgent or anything."
"Okay, then how about after lunch?"
"Actually," Poppy said to me, "We have something to do this afternoon."
"We do?" That was news to me.
Poppy nodded. "It's one of the surprises I mentioned. The big one. I'm not sure how long it will take."
Trust Poppy to spring her surprise at the most inconvenient time… I stared at her for a moment. She gave me an apologetic grimace, and I sighed and turned back to Fizzy. "Why don't we talk tomorrow?"
Poppy cleared her throat loudly. I frowned. "What? More plans?"
She tilted her head to the side and spread her hands, as if I was forgetting something.
What day is tomorrow? Are we- Oh! Official Date Day!
I gave her a sheepish grin and she smiled. Then I turned back to Fizzy, who had curiously watched the whole exchange without comment. "Sorry, Fizzy. I just remembered I have a - a really important…thing…I have to do tomorrow," I said awkwardly. "How about the day after tomorrow?"
"That's fine, Branch. Well, I must be going now. You and Queen Poppy have fun now." With a friendly wave, he walked away.
Poppy waved back and said cheerfully, "Okay, see you later!"
I watched the candy vendor leave with a mild sense of bemusement. I hadn't mentioned Poppy. Did Fizzy guess that Poppy and I had made plans with each other for tomorrow, or had he meant for right now? If he meant for tomorrow, had he just assumed that since Poppy and I were known to be good friends, it was natural that we would be doing something together?
Or did he suspect that those plans were a little more…intimate…than the average play date?
Poppy derailed my suspicious train of thought before I could build up a good head of steam. "Man, I'm curious," Poppy commented. "What do you think he wants to talk to you about, Branch?"
"I don't know, Poppy."
"Do you think he'd mind if I was there when you have your talk? Or is it supposed to be a 'private' talk?"
I caught an odd note in her tone. It took me a second to identify it. "Wait. Are you…jealous?"
She avoided my gaze. "No…"
I waited. After a moment I noticed her cheeks looked puffy, as if pent-up words were just trying to get out. Finally she let out a great huff of air. "Okay, I admit it! I'm jealous. Why does he want to talk to you instead of me? What could he possibly want to ask you that he couldn't ask me?"
I chuckled, pleased to be the one on the inside for a change. "You don't need to know everything about everyone, Poppy," I said in amusement.
"Yes I do!"
"No, you don't."
She threw her hands up in the air and danced with frustration. "Okay, I don't, but I want to!"
I shook my head and sighed. "Honestly, Poppy, you have got to be the nosiest troll in the entire village."
"No, I- Okay, yes, you're right. But I'm the queen, Branch. I have to be nosy. How am I supposed to serve my people's needs if they keep secrets from me?"
Oh. Well, when you look at it that way… I said sympathetically, "Look, I get it, Poppy. I really do. But maybe some trolls just like a little more privacy than you do. Maybe it's something he's embarrassed about. Or maybe he figures it's something the other trolls are better off not knowing." I crossed my arms. "Like the way I feel about the contents of my journals."
That calmed her down. "Oh."
I softened my tone. "I wouldn't worry about it, Sunshine. He said it wasn't super important. I figure maybe he just wants me to taste-test some of his chocolates and give him my opinion, something like that. It's not like you could taste them for me."
She brightened. "You think so?"
I nodded. "Yeah. But if you really want to help someone with something…"
"Sure, Branch. What do you need?"
"You can help me – ouch - get this stupid sticker off my face. Ouch!" I cried as I tried to pinch the edge of it between my thumb and forefinger and ended up pinching a lot more than just the sticker.
"Here, let me help…"
Poppy used her small fingers to delicately peel the sticker off my skin, and held it up to show me its happy little face. I smirked as I rubbed the irritated spot on my cheek. With his goofy sense of humor, Leafe liked mashups that tickled his sense of irony. I always used to tell him, "A gold star, fine. Or a smiley face with googly eyes. But a gold star and a googly-eyed smiley face? Who does that?"
I held out my hand and Poppy placed the sticker into it. I shook it a little to make the googly eyes roll around, and my smirk softened into a smile.
"Aren't you going to throw it away?" Poppy asked me curiously, no doubt remembering the many times in the past when I'd disgustedly gotten rid of a sticker as soon as I was out of sight of the troll who'd stuck it on me.
But this time, for some reason I didn't feel like it. "No…not right now. Um, there's no trash can nearby. Wouldn't want to litter." Which was true. "I'll just hold onto it for now." I placed it on the back of my hand.
She kept looking at me, and a slow, knowing smile spread over her face. "Braaanch."
"What?"
"You like it."
I didn't answer, but I could feel myself blushing.
"It's okay to like wearing stickers, Branch. Everybody likes stickers."
"That's not it. I don't really like wearing them," I replied honestly. "But I guess I like this one because it reminds me of Leafe."
"Aww, you're so sweet, Branch."
-O-
Her boyfriend's cheeks flushed a little at her compliment. Poppy experienced the instant desire to kiss him on the nose. She glanced around, hoping everyone had gone to lunch already, but there were still quite a few trolls in the area. Aw, darn it. Then again…
"Hey, Branch," she said suggestively. "Why don't we find someplace nice and private to have lunch together?"
His eyes widened as he caught her meaning, and then his eyelids lowered amorously. "Yeah… I like the sound of that."
Those gorgeous blue eyes drew her to him like a magnet. Her hair flowed forward to meet with his; dark and light twirling together so beautifully, like her favorite lollipop. She reached out to place a gentle hand on his cheek, and he put his own hand over hers. "Poppy, my love, I- Ooof!"
Poppy jerked back as he bent forward, straining under the weight of the two purple trollings who'd thrown themselves on his back. Quickly she used their linked hair to steady her boyfriend as the trollings happily greeted him.
"Uncle Branch!"
"Hi, Uncle Branch!"
"Hi," Branch groaned. His arms came up behind his back to awkwardly clutch them, holding them steady so they wouldn't fall.
Poppy beamed at the little ones. "Hello, Fern. Hi, Hickory. How nice to see you!"
"Hello, Queen Poppy," they chorused together.
The two trollings gave Branch one last squeeze, then slid off his back. As they beamed up at him, Fern looked at the thick black-and-pink band between the two adults and said, "You're holding hair."
Branch froze, a guilty look on his face. "Um… Th-th-that's because-"
Poppy understood trollings. "Yes, we are," she agreed, smiling down at them.
"I like to hold hair," Fern commented. "It makes me feel happy."
Poppy watched Branch visibly relax. "And how about you, Hickory? Do you like to hold hair?" she asked the older sibling affectionately.
"Oh, yes, Queen Poppy. It makes me feel very happy. And safe." Then a shadow seemed to cross his little face. "I'm glad you're safe, too, Queen Poppy. I heard you were in danger yesterday." The boy's soft amber-brown eyes followed the twirled hair from one adult to the other. "I guess after what happened, you must feel safer to have Uncle Branch close by, huh?"
Poppy traded affectionate glances with Branch. "You got that right." She reached out to ruffle his hair. "You're so smart."
Fern added brightly, "That's good. If anyone can make you feel better, it's Uncle Branch. Mommy says he can fix anything."
"Yeah." Hickory looked thoughtful. "Maybe he can make it better, too."
"Make what better?" Poppy squatted down to their level. "What's wrong, little ones?"
"Uncle Skip says he isn't gonna make any popcorn today," Hickory said gloomily.
"Maybe never again, he said." Fern's lower lip pushed out in a pout.
"Uncle Skip?" Branch repeated in surprise. "I know him. That's Hopscotch, Jaunty's older brother."
Poppy nodded in recognition. "Maybe we'd better go see what's wrong."
Instead of having aqua hair, eyes and nose like his brother, Hopscotch was a sparkly magenta all over, except for his striking golden-yellow eyes. But today his glitter was dull as he stood behind his booth forlornly watching the passersby. Nobody was even looking at the food he had on display. Instead of popcorn, there were large bowls full of cabbages alongside a pot of his specialty popcorn topping; savory glittersalt gravy.
"Hey, what's up with the cabbages, Uncle Skip?" asked Branch.
"Oh, hi, Branchkin," he said glumly, and sighed. "Well, after what happened yesterday, I-Wait, Branchkin?" His golden eyes lit up and his ultra-masculine voice boomed with hearty enthusiasm. "Hey-hey, Branchkin! Nice to see you! I haven't talked to you for ages. Give your Uncle Skip a hug!" He leaped over the booth and grabbed Branch in a vigorous embrace.
"Hey!" Branch squirmed and kicked a little, but didn't really try to get away. "Uncle Skip, what did we say about hugging me outside of Hug Time?" he complained. Poppy put a hand over her mouth, holding back a giggle.
"Aw, you can make an exception for your Uncle Skip, can't you?"
With a long-suffering look on his face, Branch sighed and gave in, putting his arms around the other male and half-heartedly patting his back. "Yes, Uncle Skip." Poppy watched happily as Branch finally relaxed into the hug. "Nice to see you, too."
With one last hearty squeeze, Hopscotch ruffled Branch's hair affectionately and let him go. Branch huffed in annoyance and shook his head rapidly from side to side to straighten out the mess. Poppy got the idea that the glitter troll was fond of teasing his 'nephew'. Look how he's still calling him 'Branchkin', even though he must know Branch doesn't like it. I bet that's his way of telling Branch he still considers him part of the family. And Branch lets him. Interesting…
She decided to take the pressure off her poor boyfriend. "So, Hopscotch, no popcorn today?"
All the animation left the glitter troll. "No," he explained dejectedly. "After what happened to you, I decided I'd better focus on a snack a little less dangerous than popcorn. Cabbages are nutritious, and sort of bland. They could use a little seasoning. I thought they might work, but nobody wants anything from me. I can't really blame them. My old snack food did nearly kill the queen." He sighed and hung his head.
"Aww." She and Branch exchanged glances. He gave her a sympathetic look, and raised his eyebrows, silently asking her opinion. She gave him an apologetic look, shrugged, and shook her head. Popcorn really wasn't on her list of favorite foods anymore. Branch nodded understandingly. He would support her choice.
He turned to the glitter troll. "Well, I wouldn't mind a nice fresh slice of cabbage, Uncle Skip. You know how much I love your famous glittersalt gravy."
The head of sparkly magenta hair lifted as Hopscotch gave Branch a look of surprise. "You do, Branchkin? I can't remember you ever telling me that."
Branch's cheeks went lavender. "Uh, sure I did. I- Yeah, no. You're right. I probably never did. Sorry, Uncle Skip." He looked away, then back. "I do, though. It's really delicious. I've always thought so."
Hopscotch straightened, his trademark warmth and confidence flooding his body and making his glitter sparkle brightly. "Well, that's so nice of you to say, little twigling. Wait'll I tell Jaunty that Branchkin praised my special popcorn topping." Then he seemed to recall yesterday's almost-tragedy and his smile turned upside down. His glitter began to fade again. "Not that I'll ever make it again. Oh, the memories..."
"Yeah…" Branch let his voice trail off awkwardly. He flashed Poppy a pleading look and cleared his throat loudly, asking for help.
She looked at the despondent magenta troll, and her heart went out to him. She bit her lip, then gave in, much the same way Branch had a few minutes ago. She never could resist a sad face, especially when she was the cause. "Hey, Hopscotch? The cabbage looks, uh, tasty, but I… I'm in the mood for a little popcorn myself."
Both males gaped at her.
"Poppy, are you sure?"
"Really, Queen Poppy? Even after…"
She nodded. "I've got to get back in the saddle again sometime. Besides, it wasn't your popcorn's fault that I choked. It was mine. I was trying to talk with my mouth full, which, as I recall from a certain excellent teacher's lesson," she gave Branch an attempt at a teasing smile, although she wasn't sure how well she was hiding her nervousness, "is a big no-no."
All of them looked solemn for a moment. Then Branch came to her and took her hand. "I'm proud of you, Poppy. For facing your fears." He turned to Hopscotch. "One serving of your best popcorn, Uncle Skip. If you don't mind."
Hopscotch looked overjoyed, his glitter shining so brightly that Poppy wanted to grab a pair of sunglasses. "You got it, Branchkin!"
A crowd began to gather as word got around. The air filled with a smell that Poppy used to find mouth-watering, but now it made her belly rumble with anxiety. Or maybe she was just hungry? It was lunchtime, after all.
In minutes, Poppy was given a small disposable leaf-bowl of popcorn lightly drizzled with sparkly magenta gravy. At least, it was supposed to be small, but to her nervous eyes it looked enormous. She looked up to see Branch, Hickory and Fern watching her. I have to go through with it. If I don't, it'll beat me. And set a bad example for the trollings.
Her heart was beating hard, hands were sweaty, and she dropped it twice, but finally she was able to get a piece into her mouth. It was as tasty as she remembered, and the gravy helped moisten her dry mouth. She chewed for far longer than she normally would have, just to be on the safe side, then swallowed. It went down just fine.
I did it. She looked up at the faces of dozens of trolls watching her with concern and smiled boldly. "Mmm… Delicious. As always, Hopscotch, your popcorn is outstanding!" She rubbed her tummy as the crowd, including Hickory and Fern, cheered gleefully. A line began to form in front of Hopscotch's booth.
Poppy and Branch left to make room, waving goodbye to the glitter troll, whose hands were full so he used his hair to wave back. "Don't be a stranger, Branchkin. Come by and see the family one of these days."
"I will, Uncle Skip."
As they walked, Branch quickly ate the rest of the popcorn for her, depositing the leaf-bowl in a trash can nearby. Poppy waited until he was done swallowing the last bite to start a conversation with him. No need to repeat the same mistake twice.
"I'm proud of you, too, Branch."
"Hm? Why?"
"You didn't yell at him for calling you 'Branchkin'. And you told him you'd visit the family. That's going to mean so much to them!"
"Oh, right. I did, didn't I?" He grimaced. "Ooo, that's gonna be awkward. I wasn't really thinking, to be honest. I just wanted to get you out of there in case you needed to freak out in peace."
"Aww." She looked around. All the attention seemed to be on Hopscotch's popcorn booth, so she sneaked him a quick kiss on the lips as a reward for his thoughtfulness. He tasted delicious. "Thanks for backing me up, sweetie."
"Anytime, Sunshine."
Author's Note:
Hopscotch Dazzle is Jaunty's older brother. 'Uncle Skip' to Branch, and the village trollings. 'Dazzle' is Jaunty's original last name. As is typical, trolls share last names as easily as they share other things. Jaunty decided to share 'Nimble' with Courtley, since Courtley is the last of his family. Hopscotch's glittery magenta skin is a few shades darker/cooler than Jaunty's lighter, pinker magenta. He has bright magenta hair the same color as Poppy's, a magenta nose, and beautiful golden eyes.
