"Shut the fuck up. Don't tell me Poppy's here too."

"Unfortunately not, but soon she will be, lying in bed next to me. Just wait." He smiles another one of those cocky ass grins and holds up my phone, with Poppy's contact on the screen.

"NO!" I scream. Wait, where the hell am I? Creek is not in front of me anymore, I'm...in a room, don't know where. I'm not tied up either. Maybe he released me, maybe he knocked me out and put me back in my bunker? I need to figure out where I am.

I slowly get up and inch my way toward the hallway, ow. There's something in my pants again. I pull it away from my stomach, and there's...an ice pack? Just like this morning. The only difference is that it's still cold and my dick feels numb. Okay, I'm gonna take that out, ow, ow. Alright. Let's see where I am. There's my stuff. Okay, now I'm sure I'm in my bunker. The only question is, where's Poppy? Please don't tell me he took her. I will kill him if he does. I head to my room. Just like before, Guy's passed out on his bed but without the random girl with him, I have the cupcake drawn in my hand. I've also had a rainbow sketched on my forehead. My room's just up ahead, so this is it.

I slowly creep in, making sure to observe my surroundings. My blanket is stretched out over my bed with a gigantic lump in the middle. Glitter, junk food and drinks, pencils and notebooks, markers, crayons, colored paper, scissors, and other miscellaneous objects are piled in corners and strewn everywhere on the floor. Tiptoeing my way to the bed, I hold my breath and hope that what's under the blanket is what I think it is. I pull off the blankets with a quick movement, and I can't begin to describe the amount of relief and happiness that flowed throughout my body when I saw the familiar pink skin and blue dress. Thank God it was a dream. Oh shit, now I have a new problem. That movement woke her up. Shit, what do I say?!

"Branch? What are you doing?"

"Uh...nothing. Sorry, I was looking for my phone. I was gonna make sure I had it...before I went out to go get some breakfast." It's a plausible lie, please buy it. I've already embarrassed myself by getting a random boner in the middle of a pool party. I'm 65% sure you were the one who put the ice pack on my dick, so if I have to spew out the fact I was worried she was kidnapped, I think I'll eventually be emotionally incapable of feeling embarrassment anymore. "Get cleaned up a bit. I'll be right back. Take a shower while you're at it. You're covered in drawings."

"Okay. What time is it?"

"Uh, it's," I checked the clock hanging on the wall. "10:07. The bathroom's over there." I point to it. "Are you fine with pancakes? I was checking to see if I had enough fruits for both us and Guy. Doesn't seem like there is, so what types do you want? Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries?"

"Hmm, that's a hard choice. I'd say all except blackberries." I give her a nod. "Oh, can I also borrow a towel? I'm sure you already have soap and stuff."

"There's a couple in the cabinets above the sink. Soap and extra shampoo are under the sink. Anything else you need?"

"Yeah, one more thing." She pulls me into a hug. "I still wanna thank you for helping me with this. Oh yeah, do you need more blood?" I shake my head. "Okay, then I'm gonna go get that shower."

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit." I wave for a second, then go to collect my satchel. Now, since I'm going out, I'm somewhat scared. Since in my dream, that's what happened when Creek took me, there's a feeling in my gut that it's a foreshadowing of what's gonna happen. Deja re, I think it's called. I'm gonna take a knife to be safe. Is that too harsh? Y'know what, I'm just gonna stick as close as possible to my bunker. If I do meet him away, I can run back quickly and get back in. Lock it closed and wait until he leaves. Ugh, I need to stop overthinking this and just do it, everyone's waiting for me.

Alright. I have my phone, satchel, and a small map of the surrounding area. Please, nature, I beg you. Let me go out and come back safe and sound with what I need. I head out the door, looking in every direction my eyes can. I walk a couple of yards and start picking a few wild berries, never ignoring my surroundings. I fill the bag and look around. Nothing. Cautiously, I start running back to my bunker. But as soon as I open the door, everyone steps out.

"Oh, Branch! We were gonna go out for breakfast. Do you wanna come?" Guy looks at me with a "sorry" look, while Poppy looks at me in excitement.

"Wow. I explicitly said I was gonna go outside to get some breakfast supplies for apparently no reason. Whatever, fine, sure. Give me a second to put this away. Wait for me here." I run down the stairs, slam the fruit-filled jars on the counters, and fling my bag into the corner of my closet. I run back up the stairs and slam the door closed. "Alright, I'm done. Where are we going?"

"Pancake shop, since that's what you first suggested," Guy says. "There's a bunch of different kinds. There are also combos with whipped cream and eggs."

"It's really tasty! I think you'll like it."

"Probably. Come on, I'm hungry. I wanna eat."

"Alright! Let's go! Follow me!" Poppy starts running towards the village, the both of us chasing her to catch up.

I'm still kinda nervous about the feeling that the events are gonna happen again. But this time I'm not alone, so there's less chance of being attacked since there's gonna be witnesses. Right? I mean, considering the way I stick out like a sore thumb.

"Branch? You okay?"

I look up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...I'm fine."

Poppy holds out her hand. "You know you can tell me anything, right? Come here." I hesitantly wrap my arm around her shoulder. People are staring at us, I don't want to be the cause of any problems for her. This is all a skit. I need to remember that. This is about helping her, nothing else.

"I'm fine. I promise. We just gotta keep sticking to the plan and make sure it works." I flash my most convincing smile and open the door. "Ladies first." She giggles and leads me to a small secluded wall table. "Anything you wanna talk about?" Guy has disappeared, thankfully.

"What are we gonna do today? Like after this?"

I shrug. "You wanna go shopping? Maybe just walk around places?"

Poppy smiles brightly. "I'd love that! Thank you!" She dives into my arm with a side hug. I rub her shoulders, lightly pecking her head. And now I'm dead again. Thankfully, the waiter is here to take our order. The eggs and bacon combo for me, and the strawberry pancake stack for Poppy. We start talking about memories, some from our childhoods, others more recent. I started talking about how I remembered living in Troll Tree when she grabbed my hand.

"Branch? Can I ask you something?"

"Huh? Of course, you can ask me just about anything. I don't mind." A huge lie, but one I'm willing to throw out there. If it's something about my past, I'll make a small lie about it. If it's about my history and the cause of this, then I'll tell her the truth. If it's anything else, then I don't know.

"You said you lived in the Troll Tree up until you were four, right?" I nod. "So, does that mean you were like...this before we escaped? What happened...to make you like this?"

...

I guess this was bound to happen eventually.

"Sorry. But I'm dying to know. Maybe I can make you happy again! Please tell me! I want to know!"

Mm. These past few days have been so exhilarating I almost forgot how persistent she is with the whole "just be happy!" thing.

"I am going to be straightforward. I had a traumatic event in my life, to the point where my mental health was severely affected by it, and simple things like being told, "Just be happy" and parties and hugs aren't enough to overcome it."

Poppy looks confused. I mean, this is an eye-opener for her in a way. For her to know that life isn't always perfect and an exact routine.

"What does that mean? What kind of event?"

I immediately shut down that idea. "Like I said, it was traumatic, and I don't feel comfortable talking about it. I will tell you eventually...but for now, let's just leave it at that. Please?"

She pouts, and I can tell she's slightly annoyed. "Don't you trust me? Am I not good enough?"

My eyes widen. "Oh god, no. Please don't ever think that. It's just that I've never really talked about it, and it's just...a very personal thing. Please don't think I don't trust you. I do, I just need some time to figure out...how to tell, well, others. It's not a personal thing. I'm just not ready. Sorry." I grab her hands, rubbing them with my thumbs. "Trust me, if there was anything I wanted to get out, you're the first option I'd think of. I promise. Normally I'd never admit this, but you do sometimes make me feel better." I don't know what's gotten into my head, letting down my guard and being so vulnerable around her after years of avoidance and anger. I raise a hand and lightly brush my lips across the back of it. I'm doing whatever pops into my mind that could reassure and calm her down, to prove to her that she means a lot to me, even if she doesn't know the full extent of it all.

"Fine. Okay." I drop her hands and she sits back in her chair, arms crossed. Well, breakfast is now ruined. Let's see if I can lighten the mood back to where it was before.

"You still wanna go out somewhere?" I see her regular smile start stretching back, making me smile too. She nods, I pay, and we start heading out. Officially cheered up, we link arms and skip towards anywhere. Poppy starts singing a song about having fun and being around friends. I'm just following her movements, enjoying the feel of her skin against mine, feeling like we really are something, hoping this moment never ends, taking in everything. We jump all around town, eventually stopping to catch our breath by a tree.

"We should do this more often, Branch. This is really fun!"

I beam down at her and give her a little twirl. "What, just walking around town with me is this fun? Don't you do this with your friends too?" She lightly slaps my shoulder and rests her head on my lap.

"We do, yeah. Somehow, it is exciting with you. I like it." I chuckle and lean my head back on the tree, blissfully taking in the moment.

"Don't worry, we got plenty more to do later."

She snuggles into my chest. "I like the sound of that." I hug her tighter, planting a kiss on her hand.

Then I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Hey, mate."

I know whose fucking voice that is. I immediately whorl my fist around for a punch. Unfortunately, I'm still linked to Poppy, preventing me from giving Creep what he deserves. "What are you planning now?" I growl in the deepest voice I can muster.

"To talk. That's all I want to do, I swear." He holds up his hands in a defensive way.

"We don't want to talk to you." Poppy squeezes my arm, and I wrap it around her waist in reassurance. "Please leave us alone!"

"Just hear me out. That's all I ask. I'll leave if you hear me, I promise."

I furrow my brow. What's he up to? The last time we talked he punched me in the nose. As if we could care what he has to say. Probably how he's come up with a list of reasons why I shouldn't be around Poppy. "We're not interested. Leave us alone."

"Wait," Poppy whispers. "Maybe we should hear him out. He seems different."

"Are you kidding me? This guy? After everything?" I whisper back. Why the hell is she gonna give him another chance now? He assaulted both of us!

Creek starts twisting his hands. "Guy told me to think and look deep inside me after I told him how upset I was. I...I did, and now I recognize what I've done. Poppy, all I ask is you forgive me for what I've done. I am a villain. You didn't deserve that. I recognize that now. You too, Branch. Forgive me?"

What the fuck? Are you fucking kidding me? Do you think some lousy apology is gonna solve everything? You've committed literal crimes, and all you can do is mumble some words of shamefulness? The way you offhandedly mentioned me shows everything. How the hell did you think she's gonna forgive you? That's the dumbest idea I've ever-

"I'm glad you've finally seen what you are. I am willing to forgive you, but just know that just because I forgive you, doesn't mean I want you around me. You can still hang out with our friends, but I'll still be keeping my distance."

Creek grabs our hands and starts shaking them fiercely. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I understand entirely. Okay. I'll leave you alone now. Thank you!" He gives us a high five and runs off.

"Poppy! Are you serious?!"

"What? It seems like he's changed. Don't you get it? That means the plan worked!"

"Poppy. That guy is the closest thing to a Bergen I've seen. You're just gonna believe he changed that drastically overnight? I know you like to look on the positive side of things, but please."

"Branch. Trust me when I say I know he's changed. I promise I'll be extra careful from now on. If I ever need you again, I'll let you know. Thank you for doing this." She hugs me and kisses my cheek before running off, practically skipping, leaving me behind.

I...I don't know how to feel about this. I'm alone. I feel...used up. She asked me to be her fake boyfriend and then left as soon as her problem was resolved. I mean...yeah, it was all an act, and it worked, which is a good thing. Right? It was supposed to end like this, right? This feels weird. It felt really good to have someone to be with. Will I still get to see her? She said I'd still be able to use her for my urges but other than that, when will I be able to talk and laugh with her like we just did? Did our time together mean anything to her? She "helped" me in the lake like that. That's not something anyone does just because they're close by. An act like that is intimate. Why do I feel so rejected? This was always going to happen. Half of me wants to chase after her, saying "Hey, can we still hang out tomorrow?"

I don't want to be standing there frozen like a fool. I run deeper into the forest, where I know I'll be undisturbed. I sit down near a lake, against a tree stump, taking out the song Poppy wanted me to sing to her friends. I slowly start singing it, as loud as I can, because of how desperate I feel.

Mmm

Mmm

Mmm

I know your favorite song

I hear it every day

Whoever made your smile

Made it to get in my way

And every time you laugh

You make that little sound

It's just the hardest thing

To love you, but not know how

So I spend all my nights in the dark and afraid

'Cause I've tried to forget you

But these things just don't go away

I hate that you're perfect, perfect for me

If I didn't know better, then I would believe

That we were made for each other

But I know the truth

You're no good for me, I'm no good for you

And I hate that you're perfect

You're perfect for me

I hate that you're perfect

You're perfect for me

What good are words

When they always just get in our way?

And it hurts the most just to know

That you don't feel the same, the same

So sometimes, I get down on my knees

And I pray things will change

But life is what happens when things

They don't work out our way, our way

So I spend all my nights in the dark and afraid

'Cause I've tried to forget you

But these things just don't go away, away

I hate that you're perfect, perfect for me

If I didn't know better, then I would believe

We were made for each other

But I know the truth

You're no good for me, I'm no good for you

And I hate that you're perfect

You're perfect for me (Oh yeah)

I hate that you're perfect

You're perfect for me...

I guess this is the end then. No matter how much my heart pleads for a different outcome

And that's a wrap. Yes, I know, finishing a second part to a first part published three years ago is absurd. Not to mention this highly unsatisfying ending. I had one comment telling me I should finish it, and that's all I needed. I had another comment telling me my story was too long, so I tried to make it short and straight to the point. The last one was like 12,000 words, this one is like 3,000. I write long stories tho, so if you want short stories idk if this is the place for you, unless a lot of people want shorter stories. So yeah. If you want to see anything happen, lemme know your thoughts. I might be back in the mood to keep writing in this book. K bye and have an awesome day.