Trolls Band Together

Chapter 2

Present Day

As Branch places a CD of brozone singing "Perfect" by One Direction into his and Poppy's shared CD player, the tears formed in his eyes faster than he could stop them. He turned away from poppy, who was busy combing her hair in front of their mirror, in their living room, in their pod.

"Branch? You're awfully quiet," poppy muttered without looking at him.

Clearing his throat in panic, branch wiped his eyes. "Um, yeah, I'm alright." He placed a smile onto his face in attempt to make the tears go away.

Poppy looked up from her hair and in the reflection of the mirror, she saw branch's pained expression and the tears falling from his eyes. "Are you alright? You're smiling and crying at the same time, it looks like it's hurting your face."

"It does hurt my face," branch said playfully as he stepped away from the cd player. "I'm alright, I promise."

'I promise' was a phrase branch knew all too well. Promises meant nothing to him anymore, not after the betrayal he faced of his brothers not keeping their promise.

Poppy wiped the tears from branch's cheek and gave him a warm smile. "If you say so." Noticing the music placing, her face lit up. "How did you know i love this song?"

Panic sheered across branch's face. "I-you do?"

"Yes, i loved listening to brozone growing up. It was my dad's favorite band, so it was all i used to listen to." As poppy walked over to turn the volume up, branch's panic rose. The fear of poppy recognizing his voice in the song and finding out he'd kept a secret from her was not something he wanted to go through on the day of Bridget and Gristle's wedding. Panicking, branch stepped in front of her and powered off the cd player. As hurt and confusion filled her eyes, he smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the cd player.

"Poppy! We're going to be late to the royal wedding! Let's go get married!" he tried to pull her hand, but she stopped.

"Branch?"

"What?" he spun around, confused. Realizing what he had just said, he blushed and grabbed both of her hands. "Oh, i mean, let's get Bridget and gristle married."

"Yeah," poppy giggled in fake relief. "Cause it would be weird if we got married!"

The two giggled awkwardly. "Yeah, so weird," branch said, trying his best to play it off. He stuck out his tongue at her, and she did the same.

Exiting the pod, branch and poppy gazed down. The entire troll village was decorated for the wedding. It was the first Bergen wedding troll village had ever hosted, and slight fear arose across all of the trolls. They were friends with the bergens, but this was all new to them.

Branch's sadness was quickly overturned with happiness as he saw all of his friends in a circle below them, each of them were dressed in their best apparel, even Barb, who swore she would never dress up for anything that didn't have to do with rock music.

"You guys get this for the ceremony. That's it," barb warned playfully to the snack pack. They all looked at each other and giggled.

"Hey guys!" Poppy greeted them as she continued to hold branch's hand. Being a new couple, the two were inseparable, and everyone in the village knew that.

"It's broppy!" Biggie shouted, running to hug them both.

Giggling, the two hugged him back. "Are you guys ready for the wedding?" Poppy cheered as the group agreed.

"I'd be lying if i said i wasn't nervous. How are your maid of honor and best man duties going?" Biggie questioned.

"Great! I just hope the two of them have the best day. Weddings are so special," poppy said, smiling over at branch.

"Come on guys, let's go find our seats!" Satin and Chenille said in harmony, leading the snack pack over to the benches that were set up.

"We'll meet you guys over there in a minute!" Poppy shouted after them, pulled branch's hand over behind a tree.

"Are you sure you're okay? You didn't say a word to any of our friends." Poppy questioned, letting go of his hand.

"Poppy, I'm okay. I think that the best man speech is getting to my head a bit," Branch lied, covering his sadness in remembering the past.

"You're going to do great, i know you will."

Branch smiled sweetly at her.

As the music from the venue arose, branch and poppy shared a knowing look. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Poppy asked him.

"I always am. Let's go make this wedding happen." Branch took her hand and the two of them ran into the venue, immediately bursting into song.