Catch a Rising Star

A/N: Okay, I finally managed to finish this chapter. The biggest problem of this chapter was because I had no idea what song to use. Poppy singing for Creek? *gags* I almost got nauseous writing it, but what got me to keep my stomach calm was that I love the song that I chose.

Which one? Well, let's find out. But first, I want to thank those who gave me suggestions. You got me down the right path to figure what I was looking for. Now, here we go, with Chapter 4! Roll it!

Chapter 4

The Nightclub

About an hour later, the two had arrived at The Mayan Nightclub in that ugly orange car that Branch fixed up. Harper was dressed into a red long-sleeved top, a white frilled skirt that went to her knees and white sandals. Her dark indigo hair was washed from the paint stains and was tied into a more fancier French braid done by her grandmother.

Branch was also dressed up, at least a bit nicer than usual due to his sister's insistence and much to his annoyance. He wore a soft green T-shirt under a black leather vest, brown pants and black sneakers.

"Park right there." Harper said, pointing to an empty spot on the street.

"But it's a No Parking zone." Branch pointed out, gesturing to the bright red painted area along the curb of the sidewalk. "If we get caught here, we're going to get a ticket, and Grandma is going to get really mad at both of us."

"Fine, Mr. Worry Wart." Harper said. "Park around the back of the building. There's a parking lot there."

Branch rolled his eyes and headed towards the back of the club. Just like Harper said, there was a parking lot there, which was actually pretty empty, with very few cars.

"I still can't believe that Grandma allowed us to leave the house." He muttered.

"If she thought that we were just going out to get some ice cream, I'm pretty sure she would." Harper said, a smug smile on her face.

Branch rolled his eyes at the excuse his sister used to sneak away from their grandmother. "We're gonna get in so much trouble." He muttered.

Harper rolled her own eyes at her older brother's paranoia. "Just park the car and wait for me." She said.

"You really think that I would let you go into a nightclub by yourself?" Branch asked as he got into an empty space. "No way. I'm coming with you."

Harper groaned lightly in annoyance. Well, then again, she was probably pushing it by going into the club herself.

"Fine." She complied.

Branch lightly scoffed. "We'll only go in there for thirty minutes." He pointed to the clock that read 9:15. "Whether you met Poppy Summers or not by 9:45, I'm dragging you out of there or I'm taking a cab home if you don't listen to me."

"I got it, Branch." Harper said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Thirty minutes."

Then, she opened up the passenger car door and exited it, closing the door behind her. Branch lightly huffed and followed his sister outside and locked the car.

"We're gonna be here forever." He muttered.

******************************

Meanwhile, out on the side of the nightclub, on a much quieter side street, Poppy and Bridget were parked alongside the curb, inside a white convertible with the hood up. The pink-haired superstar was wearing a teal blouse with white strings on the front and sleeves under a plain cotton yellow hoodie, light blue jeans, and bright pink converse sneakers with white crew socks, and her hair was pulled up into its usual ponytail. Her best friend was wearing a light blue blouse underneath a hot pink jacket, khaki pants, and soft pink Mary Jane shoes with white socks.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Poppy." Bridget said, looking over at the club with worried eyes.

Poppy just smiled at her friend. "Don't worry." She assured her. "We'll be fine."

"We shouldn't even be here." Bridget continued to fret. "We should be at your house, hanging out at the party that your dad is throwing to celebrate your first movie role."

Poppy bit back a giggle. "Since when do you want to party with my dad?" She asked.

Bridget looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "Come on, girl. The caterer's from France. There's gonna be lots of macaroons and a big pan of raspberry-infused chocolate crème brǔlée."

Poppy resisted the urge to lick her lips at the mention of all those heavenly desserts. "Tempting." She said. "But I promised Creek I'd sing for our six-month anniversary. I'm not gonna let him down."

Bridget just moaned in defeat. "You and your stupid friendship rules." She whined.

"Hey, they work for you, don't they?" Poppy asked her. "You get to visit me whenever you want, even stay for a few days, eat my food, drive my cars."

"Okay!" Bridget said, knowing where Poppy was going with the list she was making. "And in return, you get to hang out with me, your best friend since freshman year of high school."

Poppy giggled. "Yeah, works for me too, Bridget." She said.

Then, Bridget started to do a little game that she and Poppy made up when they had their very first sleepover together. "Popstar." She began.

Poppy smiled, immediately catching on. "Diva."

"Lollipop."

"Roller Girl."

"Glitter Bomb."

"Morning Jogger."

"Helicopter."

"Prim and..."

"Proper!" Both girls said at the same time while pretending to curtsy. Then, they both laughed. Once they were done, they got right down to business.

"Let's do this." Bridget said.

****************************

Within minutes, Bridget pulled the car out of the alleyway and out into view of the club. She got out once she parked it and exited the car, locking it. Creek immediately came over to her once he saw the car arrive, obviously expecting Poppy. He was wearing a nice purple shirt and jeans.

"Hello, Bridget." He greeted her before looking out behind her. "Where's Poppy?"

Bridget just put on a smile, even if she kind of wanted to gag. "Oh, she actually told me to get you ready for something." She said. "She has a surprise for you inside."

"Really?" Creek asked. "Well, I can't wait." He said, and cheerfully headed back towards the club to get inside.

Bridget silently breathed through her teeth as she followed him into the club. She really didn't like the guy, but she wouldn't dare say anything about it to Poppy. Maybe one day, she would see what she sees in him, dump the guy, make him the laughingstock of Los Angeles, and then maybe find someone much better for her.

*********************************

Meanwhile, Poppy was walking along the side of the building where her car was parked, hidden in the dark, which was near the backstage door. Her hood was up, covering any hint of her pink hair. She casually walked up to the door and knocked on it four times. Within a matter of seconds, Bridget opened the door.

"Thanks." Poppy said to her as she came inside, and Bridget quickly closed the door. Once it was closed, Bridget took Poppy's hoodie.

"What would you do without me?" She asked her as they headed up the stairs, Bridget taking off her own jacket as they did so.

*****************************

Inside the club, it was pretty crazy with all of the people in there and the loud music blaring from the speakers, and the dim lights weren't helping very much. Branch was already starting to get a bit claustrophobic, and he was really regretting letting his sister convince him to bring her to a place like this just so that she could meet her idol. He took Harper's wrist and kept her close to him. For once, his sister didn't argue with him, knowing very well that her brother was only looking out for her, especially because she was a minor in a nightclub meant for adults.

Just then, an announcer started to speak as a new song began. "In the VIP section, Creek Overton has a surprise guest performing for him."

Everyone turned around to see who he was talking about, and then immediately, cheers and squeals of excitement were heard. "Poppy Summers!"

Harper perked up when she heard the name and immediately started to make a beeline towards the stage, dragging her brother along behind her, holding tightly onto his own wrist.

"Come on, Branch!" She said before she began pushing through the crowd. "Excuse us!"

Poppy walked onto the stage with Bridget, both of them holding microphones. But her best friend lagged a little behind her as the pink-haired superstar walked further out, immediately spotting Creek within the crowd and gave him a cheeky wink, which made some fans in that area go pretty crazy, squealing loudly or even fainting, though maybe they were a little bit drunk.

Then, Bridget began to sing the intro of the song, sounding lovely and wispy, like a dream.

Bridget: Ah.
Crush.
Ah.

Then, Poppy took the stage as the spotlights above focused on her and she began to sing, moving smoothly along to the beat. Once in a while, Bridget would echo one of the words.

Poppy: See you blowing me a kiss.
It doesn't take a scientist
To understand what's going on, baby.

If you see something in my eye,
Let's not overanalyze.
Don't go too deep with it, baby. (Bridget: Baby.)

So let it be what it'll be.
Don't make a fuss
And get crazy over you and me.

Here's what I do:
I'll play it loose
Not like we have a date with destiny.

Poppy spun around in a tight circle a little bit, making her ponytail fly around and showing off her grace and poise on stage before singing the chorus, with Bridget still singing the little echo effects after she sung certain words.

It's just (Ahh.) a little crush. (Crush.)
Not like I faint
Every time we touch.

It's just (Ahh.) some little thing, (Crush.)
Not like everything I do
Depends on you.

Then, they both started to sing the little ending part of the chorus.

Both: Sha, la, la, la.
Sha, la, la, la.

Harper was still trying to get herself and Branch through the tight crowd that was watching Poppy perform her song. But that proved to be a task all on its own since everyone wanted to get at least a glimpse of the pink-haired star, and Branch was not getting any better with the lack of personal space around him.

Then, Poppy began the second verse, singing and moving across the stage while Bridget did the echo effects.

Poppy: It's raising my adrenaline.
You're banging on a heart of tin.
Please don't make too much of it, baby. (Bridget: Baby.)

Say that we're forevermore,
That's not what I'm looking for.
All I can commit to is maybe. (Maybe.)

So let it be what it'll be.
Don't make a fuss
And get crazy over you and me. (Crazy over you and me.)

Here's what I do:
I'll play it loose.
Not like we have a date with destiny.
Oh-ohhh.

Poppy once more spun around before singing the chorus.

It's just (Aah.) a little crush. (Crush.)
Not like I faint
Every time we touch.

It's just (Aah.) some little thing. (Crush.)
Not like everything I do
Depends on you.

Then, she and Bridget sang together again.

Both: Sha, la, la, la.
Sha, la, la, la.

When they got to the bridge, Branch just about had it. "That's it!" He said. "I can't do it anymore!"

He pulled Harper closer to him. "We're leaving, Harper."

"But Branch!" Harper whined.

Poppy: Vanilla skies, (Bridget: Vanilla skies.)
White picket fences in your eyes.
A vision of you and me. (And me, and me, and me.)

"It's too much, Harper!" Branch shouted over the volume of the music. "You had to come to a place like this, all for meeting a celebrity! Not your best decision!"

"But I'm so close to meeting her!" Harper said. "If you're feeling claustrophobic, then wait for me outside!"

She pulled her wrist away from her brother's grip and continued squeezing past partygoers to get to the front.

"Harper!" Branch shouted after her. He tried to follow her, but due to everyone coming and going around the room, he quickly lost sight of her and was being pushed back towards the back entrance of the club.

It's just (Aah.) a little crush. (Crush.)
Not like I faint
Every time we touch.

It's just (Aah.) some little thing. (Crush.)
Not like everything I do
Depends on you.

Both: Sha, la, la, la.
Sha, la, la, la.

Poppy: Not like I faint
Every time we touch.

It's just some little thing
Not like everything I do
Depends on you.

Both: Sha, la, la, la.
Sha, la, la, la.

Poppy: Not like I faint
Every time we touch.

It's just some little thing.
Not like everything I do
Depends on you.

The crowd began cheering and chanting her name as she ended the song, finishing in a sweet pose with her finger pointed out towards the crowd. She once again saw Creek in the crowd and blew him a kiss. Creek pretended to catch it and hold it close to his heart, though there were others near him that wanted Poppy's kiss as well.

The pink-haired superstar waved to him one last time with a wide smile before making her way off the stage towards the backstage area. But she left the stage just as Harper finally made her way to it, pushing roughly through the crowd.

"Excuse me!" She shouted, and she got there just in time to see Poppy. "No!"

Harper groaned in annoyance. She was so close, but yet, she was still pretty far off from her goal. She looked around her and quickly saw that her older brother was nowhere to be seen. Can't this night get any worse? This was not how she had planned it at all.

*********************************

Branch decided to quit trying to push through, and quickly made it outside the club to get some fresh air. After feeling much better with the music quieter and fewer people around, he looked back towards the entrance of the club. Harper was still in there, by herself. There had to be another way inside without having to push through so many people.

Then, he remembered something. Clubs like these must have a backstage entrance. Maybe he could find it and enter in that way. It certainly sounded much easier. And also, since Harper was heading towards the stage, it will be easier to find her and get her outside so that they could get back home before their grandmother would suspect a thing.

So carefully, while looking around to make sure that no one was around, Branch started to make his way towards the side of the building. Soon enough, he found the backstage entrance door.

What he didn't know was that someone was quickly running towards the door from the other side of it, throwing her yellow cotton hoodie back over herself, the hood landing on her head perfectly. She had the hoodie back on and then pushed open the door with her shoulder just as Branch was reaching for the handle from the other side. The door then hit him in the head, knocking him back with a cry of pain.

"Ah!" He cried out, falling backward and landing onto his back, holding the side of his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Ow."

Poppy jumped and her eyes widened when she heard the door hit someone. She quickly came out and saw a young man about her age, if not a couple of years older, sitting there on the asphalt road, his palm pressed to his forehead.

"Did I just hit you?" She asked, kneeling down to check on him, her hood falling off of her head.

"No, the door hit me by itself." Branch answered sarcastically, starting to feel a bit of a bump forming under his palm.

"Oh, this is not good." Poppy muttered.

"For you or for me?" Branch asked her with a harsh snipe in his voice. "Because right now, I think it's a lot worse for me."

"This is really not good." Poppy continued to fret as she looked around the area, hoping that no one had seen what had happened.

Now, Branch got a good look at the young woman kneeling in front of him. "Wait." He said, removing his hand from his forehead.

He took in her appearance, her bright yellow hoodie, and the bright pink hair pulled into a ponytail. His icy sky blue eyes then widened in recognition.

"You're Poppy-" He didn't get to finish his sentence when Poppy quickly covered his mouth with her hand.

"I will give you free front-row tickets to my next concert if you don't scream my name." She whispered quickly, sounding a little panicked.

Branch glared at her and roughly pushed her hand off of his mouth. "I don't want to see your stupid concert!" He retorted, but the quick movement of him pushing her hand off caused his head to start throbbing again and he placed a palm back onto his forehead. "Ow."

Poppy blinked. This was new. No one had ever talked to her like that before. But before she could think anymore on it, she just remembered that she had just hit the guy in the head with a door.

"Okay. I gotta take you to a doctor." She said.

Just then, she heard the sound of a car engine coming into the alley. She looked over to the side and saw Bridget coming with the car.

"Come on." She said, holding out a hand to Branch. But he just pushed it away.

"I can get up by myself, thank you." He said. He started to push himself up, but the intense throbbing in his skull was pounding hard against his brain, and the dizziness that followed afterward caused him to fall back down.

Poppy raised an eyebrow. "You were saying?" She asked him rhetorically, which resulted in him glaring at her. She once again held out a hand down to him.

This time, Branch only rolled his eyes, even though it hurt to even do that, and placed his free hand in hers. She then helped him onto his feet, and began walking him towards the car.

"Wait." Branch stopped, looking back towards the backstage entrance. "What about Harper?"

"Harper?" Poppy asked him.

"My sister. She's still inside the club. By herself." Branch explained. "She's not even supposed to be in there."

"How old is she?" Poppy questioned.

"Sixteen." Branch answered.

Bridget got out of the car and saw Poppy guiding a stranger, a handsome one though, over to it. "Whoa, whoa! What happened?" She asked her friend.

"Help now. Questions later." Poppy said. "Just get him in the car. Passenger seat."

"Okay." Bridget said, not really sure of where this was going.

She took Branch's arm and carefully got him into the passenger seat as Poppy got behind the wheel. Both girls were looking around, hoping that there was no one around to see what was going on.

From the passenger side of the car, Bridget looked over at Branch and then at Poppy who was buckling up. "Who is this guy?" She asked her.

"Seatbelt." Poppy said, before looking over at the person beside her. She then realized that she didn't know who he was.

"What's your name?" She asked him.

"Branch." He muttered as Bridget slid the seatbelt over him, handing it to Poppy.

"Oh." Poppy said as she took the seatbelt from her best friend and buckled it for her impromptu guest. "Interesting name. Nice to meet you, Branch."

"Oh, I can think of nicer ways." Branch answered back snarkily, his blue eyes narrowed.

Bridget's eyes widened at his harshness and looked over at her best friend, her mouth agape with surprise, pointing at him from out of his view.

But for some reason, despite his harsh sarcasm, Poppy felt like her lips were starting to curve up in a small smile. This was the first time in a long time that someone talked to her like this, other than her best friend and her father. True, it was much harsher than usual, but Branch wasn't going all crazy that he was in her presence like most of her more eccentric fans. If she was being honest, it felt kind of.... refreshing. And she actually liked it.

Branch was now more confused than ever by Poppy's reaction to his sarcastic comment, and his thinking about it, trying to make sense of it, was making his head spin even faster. But then, suddenly it wasn't just his head that was throbbing. It was also his stomach.

"I'm not feeling too hot." He said, his arms circling around his stomach.

The girls' eyes both widened in realization when he said that, and the pale look on his face explained the rest.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey. Do not hurl in Blanca, okay?" Bridget said. "We just got her detailed."

"Okay. Then move." Branch warned her.

It was a good thing that he did, for Bridget jumped out of the way just as Branch leaned out and tossed up his stomach's contents. The girls both closed their eyes and groaned in disgust.

When the gagging stopped and Branch was fully back inside the car, Poppy continued to get the car. "Door please, Bridget." She said, not opening her eyes, reaching into her car door pocket and pulling out a tissue. She handed it to Branch and he took it to wipe his mouth.

Bridget reached out as far as she could and shut the door. Then, she quickly moved over to Poppy's side of the car.

"Keys." Poppy said to Branch, her eyes open again and her palm held out to him. Slowly so that he doesn't get his stomach churning again, Branch reached into his pocket, pulled out his car keys and gave them to Poppy. She then handed the keys to Bridget.

"Find his sister, Harper, and make sure she gets home safely." She said to her. "She's in the club, sixteen years old."

Bridget looked over at Branch. "You brought a minor to an adult nightclub?" She asked him, eyebrows raised.

"Her idea, not mine." Branch retorted back, holding his hand to his forehead again, his eyes tightly shut to try and make the throbbing in his skull stop. "Girl's as stubborn as heck."

"What does she look like?" Bridget asked him.

"Her hair is dyed indigo, tied in a braid." Branch began to explain. "Red long-sleeved top, white skirt, white sandals, and she has different colored eyes, one green and one auburn."

"Got it." Bridget said.

Then she handed Poppy her own car keys. "But then how am I supposed to get home?" She asked.

"Just take a cab." Poppy said, starting up the engine. "And please don't tell anyone about this."

Before Bridget could say anything else to her, Poppy began to turn the car around and get it out of the alleyway. Hopefully, no one else knew about what happened, because she had a feeling that this was going to be a long night.

A/N: Originally, I wanted to have Branch meet Poppy in the next chapter, but then I realized that the chapter would be very short since it is only just one scene. So I thought that this could work better. Also, I was gonna have Branch wait for Harper, but since she is only sixteen going into an adult nightclub, there was no way that he was going to let her go in there by herself.

The song that I used is "Crush" by Jennifer Paige. I loved this song when I was younger, even though I first heard the Glee version. But still, it fitted into what I was looking for. It's a love song, but it's not very mushy. I'm saving those kinds of songs for much later.

Well, I hope y'all enjoyed this much longer chapter than the last one. Until next time, I'll see y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think. And stay healthy!

Got to fly! ;)