Chapter 21

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Poppy ran to Branch's bunker, seeing him walking away from it, with a backpack.

"Branch! Wait!" Poppy yelled, chasing after him. He kept walking. "Branch!"
"Leave me along, Poppy. I'm leaving, ok. You got what you wanted."
"No, Branch. It's not what I want. This is your home. You belong here." He rolled his eyes, continuing to walk.

"Please, Branch. Creek was lying! I never said any of that stuff. You're my friend."
"Yeah right. You just pretend to be my friend."
"No I don't. I pinky promise, and I've never broken a pinky promise."

She held out her pinky, but Branch just looked at it for a moment, before continuing to walk.

"Come back, Branch!"
"Will you just go away?"
"No! Not until you listen to me!"
"You're the one not listening! I'm always telling to just leave me alone, but you won't! You just keep pestering me and pestering me! Well not any more. I'm leaving, and that's final."

He continued walking, Poppy running after him.

"Branch!" Poppy yelled.
"I said, leave me alone!" he shouted, shoving her away.

She stumbled back, falling to the ground, as she began rolling down a hill.

     "AHHHHH!" she screamed.
"Poppy!"

     Quickly, he took of running down the hill, trying to catch up to Poppy, as she tumbled down it, towards a cliff.

     "Poppy! I'm coming!" he yelled.

     She flew over the edge of the cliff, and Branch whipped his hair forewords, wrapping it around her. He fell to the ground, Poppy's weight dragging him towards the cliff as well.

     He dug his fingernails into the dirt, trying to desperately to stop himself from sliding.

     His feet fell off the cliff, but he managed to hold onto the ground with his hands.

     Poppy looked down at the ground, far bellow her, as she whimpered in fear.

     "Don't worry, Poppy!" Branch yelled down to her, as he tried to pull them both back up. "I won't let you fall!"

     Slowly, he crawled his way back up onto the ground, pulling Poppy up after words.

     "I'm so sorry! Are you ok!? I'm sorry," Branch cried, feeling bad about what he had done. Poppy flung herself forewords, hugging him tight, as she cried softly in fear.

     Branch blinked, confused, and then hugged her back. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Please don't leave troll village," Poppy said, through her tears, still hugging Branch.
"I won't. I promise."

     He pulled away from her, looking at her knee.

     "Oh-no. Poppy, you're bleeding." Poppy looked down at her scraped knee, whipping her tears. "I'm fine, Branch. Really."
"No your not. Come on. We gotta clean it up, before it gets infected."

     Quickly, he stood, picking up Poppy, and carrying her back to his bunker.

     Down in his bunker, he searched for his first aid kit, while Poppy sat on a chair, looking around.

     Branch walked back over to Poppy, kneeling down in front of her.

     "So this is your house?" Poppy asked, swinging her feet, slightly.
"Don't move," he said, holding her leg, so she would stop kicking. "This is gonna sting a little."

     He sprayed something onto her scratch, causing her to flinch.

     "Ow!" she shouted.
"I told you it would sting. Now hold still."

     He took a band-aid out of his first-aid kit, sticking it onto Poppy.

     "There. You should be fine now."
"Thank you, Branch."
"Yeah. Yeah... whatever. Just get out of my bunker."

     Poppy smiled, and then hugged him.

     "Bye, Branch," she said, as she skipped to the elevator, riding up it. Branch smiled, and the whispered; "Bye, Poppy."

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