Rock On!: A Parb Story

Chapter 4: The Celebration

Barb's POV

Poppy was loving it! She seemed like she was having a blast, and it sure was one!

After we had finished up the concert, we headed down to the pizza place where we had a huge hunk of pepperoni and sausage pizza. Well, most of us, Poppy only had cheese; we didn't mind it though.

"Man, this is good pizza!" Poppy said, taking another bite.

"Yep," Sid Fret said with sauce on his face, "Papa Gregorio's is the best!"

"Indeed," said my dad, King Thrash, who was moving his food to his mouth slowly.

"So, Pops," Carol asked, "how's it going over in Pop Village?"

"Oh, it's going fine," she said, straightening up, "Branch and I are steady, things are going smoothly, and everybody seems pretty happy so far since...well,"

She gestured over to me, I understood. Ever since my World Tour, there were still some Trolls who didn't really trust me. Of course Poppy did, which is why I knew she would come tonight. Still, I was trying to repress the feelings I had for Poppy, didn't want to blurt it out aloud and blow it by mistake.

"Yeah, I hear ya," I told her, calmly, "I totally understand. Just glad things have changed since then."

"Agreed," she said with a big smile. I turned away a bit, trying to hide a small blushing.

"So, what did you think of tonight?" My dad asked me.

"It was awesome! Couldn't ask for anything more!" I said, still high on the moment, "plus it was nice that Poppy could pop over tonight."

"Hey, anything for my bestie," she said bumping me on the shoulder, "plus a little cultural enrichment is helpful every now and then."

"Agreed!" everyone said in unison, taking a bite out of their pizza.

After we had finished up at the pizza place, me Poppy, and Carol all headed over to my place at Barracuda Tower. It was nice, just hanging out, having fun, even watching a movie or two.

Then the height if the fun came, a game that we like to call "Spin and Tell!" A game where we spun a bottle and told secrets in a round of five minutes and if you got the most secrets out of someone, you won.

We had fun playing it, and the last round came down to me and Poppy. She spun the bottle, and it landed on me. Oh, boy! I thought to myself, thinking of her all of a sudden.

"Alright Barb," Poppy told me, "tell away!"

I looked nervous. You only had ten seconds to tell a secret in the game, and I was panicking, which is why I regret what came next.

"I HAVE A CRUSH ON SOMEONE!!" I blurted out by mistake.

Both Poppy and Carol looked at me in surprise at that last part. I just held my breath with my eyes wide at the two. I just blew it!

"Who do you have a crush on?" Carol asked, curious.

Thinking quick, I made up someone else.

"Riff," I said to them both.

"Riff? Really?" Poppy asked, surprised, "I thought you just were friends?"

"Well, I don't know. It's just whenever I see him, there's something about him that just sparks with me. Something that makes me feel like a better me," I said, thinking of Poppy the whole time I said those things.

"Then why don't you ask him?" Carol asked.

"Because I'm scared of what he might think, and how he might react."

"Well, it's better to tell him and know the truth than hide it forever," Poppy said with a smile.

I looked at her, blushing a little.

"Thanks, Popsqueak," I said with a bit of a giggle.

A few hours later, Poppy started to leave. She gathered her stuff, slung her guitar over her back, and hopped onto her flyer.

"Hey, Barb, you sure you okay?" she asked, worried a bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I told her, trying to hide the feelings, "thanks for coming tonight."

"Anything for a bestie," she said, revving up, "anyways, it's getting late, I gotta go! See you soon, Babs!"

"You too, Popcorn!" I said as she flew away, heading back to Pop Village. I still wish I could have told her that she was my crush, but I just couldn't then. I was too afraid to tell her, too worried about what she'd say. I could only imagine it in my head, the fleeting moment when I told her at last, "I love you, Poppy."