Two Sides of the Same Coin

Two Different Forms of Currency

  Viva had known since the day she had been reunited with her sweet baby sister, that she would have to leave her home.

   She had known she would have to leave the 'Hole n' Fun', that her people had built into a sanctuary. She had known it would soon be time to lead her people home. To a proper home, where they would be with other trolls, have ample resources, and try to heal from what they had all been through.

    She just hadn't expected that day to come so quickly. At first she was fully involved, with Clay taking the lead on organizing. Then it dwindled to her being mostly involved, 'to her being sorta involved, and now on the very last day she sat in her room alone.

   She lay on her stomach on the floor, stringing together a candy bead necklace. There were so many people in her sanctuary, trolls and bergens alike. Boxing things up, making checklists, hauling things away. They loaded huge (to her, anyway) Bergen trucks, Rhonda, all sorts of little carts and assorted things on wheels. Her room was the last thing to go.

   It hadn't really hit her that her room would be changing. She loved her room, it was safe. She spend many nights on the floor with her friend Clay, gabbing and making crafts and braiding hair.
   She loved the way the carpet felt under her palms, she loved her lights that she had put up. She loved her soft pillows and her pile of blankets she could hid in when she felt afraid. And now Poppy and Branch were entering with Clay, troll sized boxes and Bergen sized boxes being loaded up.

   She stayed on the floor and faced away, trying to ignore it. Her dad had tried to get her attention several times now, beckoning her to help decide how her things should be packed.

   Each question she was asked, she met with an offer to craft or do a fun activity. Peppy gave an odd look to Poppy and Branch. They shrugged, assuming they were to just keep packing around her. Viva was eccentric in the way Poppy was. Branch remembered how Clay had described Viva as "having some things going on." Branch understood.

   Viva kept her attention on the floor, trying not to look in her peripherals lest she see her beautiful room being destroyed. She peeked up to see her bed being packed up, and jumped up to rescue her special pillow.

She hadn't been able to salvage any of her dollbabies or childhood things from the troll tree all those years ago, nothing of importance except a small pillow from her childhood bed.

   "That's mine," she snapped, running to whisk it away from Branch who was only trying to help. Looks of concern were exchanged. She immediately went back to her cheery smiley personality, bringing the pillow to the floor where she sat on her rug, stringing her beads.

   Clay knew how she could be. She was avoidant to a point where it was bizarre, maybe a bit irritating to some trolls. If she was asked a question she didn't fancy, it was as if she hadn't even heard it. Onto the next subject.

   As every last thing was taken out of her room, Clay decided to sit on the floor with her.
"Look!" She laid back on her arms, both legs up in the air to show the many many bracelets she had strung together up her legs. She kicked her feet and the beads clacked, making her and Clay both giggle.

    "Beaded leg warmers are in this season?" He teased her lightly. "Sure are," she said, looking up at him with a smile. Looking up meant she saw the rest of the room. Her beautiful, safe room. Empty.

   She looked back down as her heart sank into her chest. Clay wrapped his arms around her and gave her a squeeze. A squeeze was different from a hug. She liked hugs too, but would always request a squeeze, in which Clay would apply more pressure and for longer. It helped her feel better.