Trolls and the Lost Glitter (rewrite, rewrite)

Chapter 5

     "99 friends in the pod that need hugs! 99 friends that need hugs!" Branch proceeded to sing cheerfully at the top of his lungs as he stood up on his seat for the whole bus to hear, the little blue troll moving his hands rhythmically along with the beat as he did so. "Take whichever you please, and give them a squeeze! 98 friends in the pod that need hugs!"

     As the former village grump continued to happily sing his heart out up at the very front of the Caterbus, the small group of friends simply stared silently up at him with confused and bewildered looks, raising an eyebrow at the paranoid survivalist's extremely unusual behavior...

     Even Cloud Guy who had been tasked with driving the trolls to their final destination looked annoyed... a pair of earmuffs on his head to help drown out the obnoxious noise...

     "Oh my gah... what is he doing?" Smidge whispered worriedly in Poppy's ear, never once taking her disturbed gaze off the singing blue troll...

     "I have no idea," Poppy whispered back in an equally confused tone... her eyes locked on her best friend in genuine concern...

"Is he sick...?" DJ asked softly, everyone making sure to keep their voices low so that the formally gray troll in question wouldn't hear. "Maybe he's drunk..." Guy casually suggested with a raised eyebrow of his own, everyone just watching Branch's out of character song and dance number in major dumbfounded confusion.

     "Mew," Mr. Dinkles suddenly cut in out of nowhere.
"Mr. Dinkles!" Biggie gasped in pure undeniable shock before quickly covering his pet worm's mouth at the atrocity of his vile uncalled for statement. "Where on earth did you learn that word!?"

     "Come on guys!" Branch suddenly yelled out with a smile as he noticed he was the only one performing. "Why is no one singing!? 90 friends in the pod that need hugs! 90 friends that need hugs! Take whichever you please and give them, a squeeze! 89 friends in the pod that need hugs!"

The group of friends looked at each other in concern... sharing worried glances with one another as Branch just continued on with his peppy upbeat behavior...

2 hours later
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     "1 friend in the pod that needs a hug. 1 friend that needs a hug!" Branch continued to sing out at the top of his lungs as if it were perfectly normal, the strangely energetic troll too engrossed in his attempts to get everyone to like him to even notice that everyone on the bus had been covering their ears in annoyance ever since the 84th hug, the group of friends groaning in exasperation and just wanting the 'performance' to end already... "Take whichever you please, and give them a squeeze! 0 friends in the pod that need hugs!"

     As the song casually comes to an end at long last... everyone simultaneously let out a huge sigh of relief... the Snack Pack all beyond thrilled that the song was finally over...

     But... before the relief could even fully sink in... not even a second into the much needed piece and quiet...

     "Let's sing it again!" Branch suddenly shouted out in joyful excitement as he threw his hands spontaneously up into the air with the biggest smile ever now seeming to be permanently glued to his face... the formally gray and grumpy troll not realizing in the slightest how everyone's relieved smiles instantaneously vanished at the sound of his overhyped exclamation... "99 friends in the pod that need hugs! 99 friends that need hugs! Take whichever you please! And give them a squee..."