Midsummer dreams

Chap 1

"Midsummer, Yay!" a voice echoed in the village.
"I've been waiting for this!" the pink troll jumped around while gathering flowers in her little bag. She had a wide smile placed on her lips and giggled while jumping next to her dad.
"Haha, me too Poppy. It is a fun tradition." King Peppy replied smiling at his daughter.
"Dad! Will it be fishing treasures???" Poppy said with sparkling eyes.
"That is my favorite part! OH, and the dancing!" Poppy put the bag down and started to jump up and down on four legs, like a frog.
"Ko-ack ack ack, ko-ack ack ack ack aaaaaaaaa" she sang while jumping around.
King Peppy smiled.
"Yes Poppy, there will be plenty of treasure and dancing AND singing."
"YAY!" Poppy took her bag again and jumped after her dad.
"How much more do we need for the maypole?" Poppy asked.
"Not much more now honey." Peppy said looking around.
"Look! There's your friends! Du you want me to finish this while you play with them?"
"Oh! Okay, are you sure you don't need my help anymore?"
"Yes, you can go and play, and you can come back and help later. You need a little break too Poppy❤️"
"Oki, love u dad❤️" Poppy said and hugged her dad and then ran to her friends.

Meanwhile Branch was in his bunker and cleaned his room.
"Phew. All done for now. Hmm...Maybe I need some more sticks..........Yes definitely. Not because I want to see what the trolls are up to. I just need more sticks........." The gray troll said to himself.
"...Why am I talking to myself again?" Branch added with a groan.
He climbed a ladder up to the surface and began to walk through the forest.

"POPPY!"
"Hi guys! What are you doing?" Poppy sat beside her friends on the ground.
"We are talking about midsummer!" DJ said with a smile.
"Yay! So what about it? The treasure fishing? Or the singing and dancing?" Poppy smiled, excited to join the conversation.
"No, it is something with magic!" Biggie said with sparkling eyes.
Poppy's eyes got big.
"MAGIC!!" She smiled intensely.
"WHAT MAGIC!? Tell me, tell me, tell me!!"
"Romantic magic" Creek said with a smirk.
"COOL!" Poppy said while trying to contain her excitement.

Just then Branch stood behind a bush nearby. Trying to hear more about this magic, while he was feeling a little mad. Creek you little-

"So, if you put seven different flowers under your pillow and sleep on them during the night from midsummer to the day after then you will dream about your crush! Or the one you will marry in the future :3" Chenille explained.
"Wooooow" Poppy's mouth was wide open.
"That. Is. AMAZING!" Poppy said and jumped up from the grass in excitement.
"I have to try this!!" Poppy said and ran away.

"OOF!" Poppy fell down in the grass.
"Huuh?" Poppy sat up.
"Oh! Branch! I'm so sorry! Are you hurt!?" Poppy took his hand and put it between hers.
"Wha-!?" Branch's face got red for a second.
"NO, I mean YES. I'm fine" he said and dragged back his hand and got up to collect the sticks he had dropped when Poppy ran into him.
"Oh..okay. Sorry again" Poppy said a little hurt of his actions and tone.
She stood up and looked at him. He picked up his sticks one by one, while looking slightly irritated, but also a bit scared.
"Here" Poppy said lifting up a stick.
"I can help you" she smiled sweetly, trying to make him soften up.
Branch could seem mean sometimes, but he has a big heart. Poppy knew that. He was just misunderstood and needed some love, even if he said otherwise.
"Th-thanks. I guesse.." he said, trying to not make eyecontact with her again.
That smile! Why was his cheeks feeling a little warmer all of a sudden? Her presence made him feel something tickling and warm inside, and he didn't want to like it. But he had to. He was still not willing to show it though.
Poppy continued to pick up a few more sticks.
"So, did you hear about the flower thing we talked about?" She asked with an excited smile.
"Well, yes..I guesse." Branch mumbled back.
"Isn't it amazing!? I will try it out tonight! I wonder who I will dream of." Poppy said looking up at the sky.
Branch looked up at her over his shoulder. Her eyes looked so beautiful....
"Mmm.."
"Will you try it, Branch?" Poppy said looking at him while smiling.
Branch stood up and tried to act normal.
"No. This whole 'dream about your crush or future husband or wife' is sounding like nonsense to me. It can't be real." Branch frowned.
"Well, we can't know for sure until we have tried, can we?" Poppy replied with a silly grin.
"Arrrgh, you are so irritating."  Branch said with a frown.
Poppy smiled sweetly.
"Maybe. And you can be very boring and mean, but I love you anyways." Poppy said still smiling sweetly.
Branch's heart skipped a beat. L-love...? Did she...?
"I, uuuhh" Branch said while being petrified.
"Anyways, I gotta go and help dad now, and after the midsummer selabration I will get seven flowers to put under my pillow tonight, and tomorrow we'll see who was right. Bye Branch!" Poppy said handing him the sticks she picked up for him, and then left.
"...bye..."
Branch couldn't help but blush. Love him? Him!? Why did she say that? Did she mean as a friend? Ofcourse it was, don't be silly Branch. Just friends. Or..? NO! Just friends..

During his walk home he couldn't get one clear thought in his head. It was just a mess and he didn't know what to think. He suddenly stopped and looked at a red flower. A poppy. He couldn't get his eyes off of it.
"Maybe......I should try it.." He said to himself and picked up the flower.

19/06/2020