Victrollious

Chapter 3

Branch walked into the school auditorium with his mom, Árbol, and his dad, Thorn, the big showcase already underway, as kids danced up on the stage.

     The family found three seats next to each other, sitting down.

     Slowly, an older man entered the row behind Branch and his family, sitting down in the seat right behind Branch's.

     Branch turned in his chair, looking at the old, orange troll.

"Oh... hi," Branch said. He recognized the orange troll from some photos Poppy had showed him. "You're Poppy's father, right?"
"I don't know you!" Poppy's dad screamed in terror, quickly dropping down to the floor to hide.

     "O... kay..." Branch said, slowly turning around in his seat.

     Suddenly, a bunch of loud screaming started coming from backstage.

     Everyone looked around, confused by the pained sound, wondering who could be causing it.

     "Excuse me... excuse me..." a green troll with red hair said, as she squeezed past people in the row of seats, making their way towards Branch and his family.

     "Are you Leaf's parents?" the green troll asked.

     Árbol and Thorn looked at each other for a moment, and then back at the stranger.

     "Yes," Árbol said.
"Why?" Thorn asked.

     "Please come with me," the green troll said, leading the three trolls backstage.

     "There she is," the green troll pointed out. Leaf was standing surrounded by several trolls, one of them being a doctor. Her tongue was sticking out of her mouth, incredibly swollen.

     "Leaf!" Árbol shouted, seeing her daughter's tongue.
"What happened?" Thorn asked concerned. Leaf mumbled something, trying to explain, but she was completely un-understandable.

"Oh my god, it's huge," Branch said, poking her tongue lightly. Leaf quickly swatted away his hand, mumbling more words.

"Does anybody know how this happened?" a yellow troll said, walking over.

Leaf shrugged at the question, not knowing the answer.

Branch's eyes widened with a sudden realization. He knew what had caused this!

"The chinese herb gargle!" he shouted.
"Wait..." Thorn said, looking at his son. "What are you talking about?"
"She found some website that shows you how to make a special chinese herb gargle," Branch explained. "It was supposed to help her sing better."

"Well, she must have had an allergic reaction to it," the doctor said.
"Will she be okay?" Árbol asked.
"Well... her tongue is obviously engorged and..." the doctor said, as she placed her fingers on Leaf's tongue. "Oh... it's throbbing erratically."
"Throbbing erratically?" everyone questioned.

Leaf felt her tongue, her eyes widening.

"It is throbbing erratically!" she shouted in horror, her words barley understandable.

"Any way..." the doctor said. "She won't be able to perform today."
"What!? But I..." Leaf mumbled, her words turning into gurgles.

"Stop talking!" the doctor ordered. "Your tongue could burst!"
"Burst!?" Leaf mumbled.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Árbol said, trying to comfort her daughter. "You can always perform next year."

"I'm gonna take her over there and massage her tongue," the doctor said.
"Massage my tongue?" Leaf mumbled, being led away by the doctor.

"Guess my dad came here for nothing..." Poppy sighed.
"Wait," the yellow troll said. "Does anyone else know Leaf's part?"

Poppy smirked, getting an idea.

  "Her brother does!" she yelled out, pointing at Branch.

Branch's eyes widened, as he looked at Poppy in shock.

"Me brother?" he yelled, his voice shaking in fear. "No, no, no, no. I just helped them rehearse. I'm not even a student here! I couldn't go onstage..."

Poppy put her hand on his shoulder, smiling.

"You know this whole thing inside and out..." Poppy said. "The song... the choreography... You can do this."

Branch looked at her, and then all the people looking at him.

"I... I can't..." he said, his heart racing. "I don't sing. I... I can't sing!"
"He said he'll do it!" Poppy yelled out.
"What!?" Branch screamed. "No. No, I did not say I would do it!"

"He cannot go on stage wearing that," the yellow troll said, pointing to Branch's outfit. "Excuse me?" Branch said, slightly offended.

"Go get him something cool to wear," the yellow troll ordered, several other trolls grabbing onto Branch to lead him away.

"I am not going, ok!?" Branch yelled, trying to pull out of the trolls' grasps.
"Bring him onstage," the yellow troll said.

"No! Wait!" Branch cried out, as the trolls dragged him towards the stage. "What are you doing? No. No! Let go of me!"

"It's okay," one of the trolls holding him said. "It's all right."
"Shut up and let go of me!" Branch screamed, but the trolls wouldn't let go. They just kept dragging him onto the stage.

"What are you doing?" Branch cried out. "No, no, no, no! I said let go of me! Please! No, no, please!"