In The Wild

Chapter Thirteen: Duplicity

Poppy was in the bunker, grateful to be in her own bed after what had happened recently.

Then she heard a knock on the door. She felt a weird sense of deja vu as she opened the door.Poppy felt a sigh of relief as she saw it was just Viva.

" Hey Viva," Poppy said." What's u-"

" Clay broke up with me!!" Viva interrupted.

" What?"

. . . .

" But why could Clay break up with you?" Poppy asked." You love each other so much, what happened?"

" Well, apparently," Viva said irately." We've been on and off so much he just got tired! You know I don't think he ever loved me."

" Veevs, that's crazy." Poppy muttered." Of course he did at some poi-"

" WELL, HE DOESN'T ANYMORE!" Viva shouted.

As Poppy was about to say something, the bedroom light turned on.

" What's going on?" Branch said groggily. Clearly, Viva's yelling woke him up.

" Hey, sweetie," Poppy whispered calmly." It's fine. Go back to sleep."

" Wait, why's Viva here?" Branch asked.

" Bran -"

" Your stupid fucking brother broke up with me!!" Viva cut Poppy off again.

" Oh yeahh," Branch yawned. " He told me about that."

" He what?!" Viva snapped." He told you he was going to break up me, and you weren't gonna say anything!?"

"Well, yeah," Branch said." Bro code."

" BRO CODE MY ASS!" Viva shouted." YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME, IM YOUR BOSS!"

" I don't work for you." Branch retorted.

" Wait, you don't?" Viva mumbled." Well, you still should've told me!"

" But it wasn't your busine-"

" SO?!" Viva yelled with rage." I STILL WOULD'VE LIKED THE HEADS-UP!"

" Why?" Branch asked." You've broken up before."

" Yeah, but he-he." Viva muttered with her tears ready to come." He wanted it to be permanent. How could he do this? I need him."

" No, you don't," Poppy said." You don't need a man to define you, Viva."

" You got that from a movie." Viva bickered.

" Maybe, but it's true." Poppy replied.

Poppy was probably right. But would Viva listen to her?

. . . .

Viva tried to move on, but it was so hard. One guy wouldn't stop picking his teeth, another wouldn't even look her in the eyes, and one even vomited all over her!

" Dating used to be so easy." Viva said to herself." But I guess it's easier at seventeen that it is at thirty-eight."

Viva slammed her head on her vanity table, for the day ahead.

When she went outside, trolls wouldn't stop bothering her. They were worried about their queen, and they had a right to be! She looked sick, her hair was in a mess, she had grey eyes from nights of no sleep and she grayer than ever before. Soup wasn't going to solve that problem, but they tried nonetheless.

Then Viva heard a voice.

" Queen Viva!!"

It was Floyd.