branch angst

oh gosh

my eyes opened up again.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
everyone was around me.

john.

bruce.

clay.

floyd.

viva.

poppy.

jules.

"branch?!" i heard floyd call out.

he was.. he was alive??

"i-i thought you were dead." i sputtered out before lunging forward to wrap floyd in a hug.

floyd had no idea what i was talking about but he pat me on the back anyways in an attempt to comfort me.

"it's okay buddy." he mumbled and hugged me back.

then i got off him and looked around at everyone. there was a huge awkward silence in the room.

"another hallucination?" clay suggested.

i shook my head slowly. "but it felt so real."

john pulled out three whole bottles of pills. i could see jules eyeing them at the corner of my eye, of course.

wait.

jules.

i don't know how to say this without sounding bat shit crazy.

but i could tell something was off about her. i needed her gone as soon as possible.

but i was snapped back to reality when john nudged me with his fistful of pills.

"take these it'll help you feel better." he offered.

i visibly stuck my tongue out in disgust. "but they make me feel like.. like a zombie!!" i whined.

"branchifer.." poppy started her sentence; giving me these huge puppy dog eyes.

i took the pills from john's hand and swallowed them whole. i gave poppy a small smile before turning to jules.

"you need to go." i said firmly.

her eyes widened in fear before clay interjected.

"about that.." he began.

"we invited her to stay with us for a bit!! just until she gets her life together." floyd said all at once; preparing for the response.

my mouth literally dropped open.

"i don't have an extra room.." i argued.

"don't worry about that. she'll be bunking with me." john smiled flirtatiously to jules.

she winked back.

uh oh.

that's really bad.

i guess they had all collectively decided to not move out while i was gone. which i was a little happy for, because clearly i wasn't in the right state of mind when i kicked them out.

but i couldn't have john and jules sleeping in the same room. i couldn't have her sleeping in the same room as anyone!! after what happened..

i sighed loudly; pulling myself together. it was just a hallucination.

after a bit i finally got up. "whatever, i'm going to my room."

i began walking away but poppy jogged to catch up.

i looked at her questioningly before she handed me my pills.

"i trust you." she mumbled.

you've got to admit that's adorable.

i picked her chin up with my free hand and looked down at her with a smile on my face.

"i love you popifer." i whispered before planting a kiss on her lips.

"i love you too, branch." she smiled with her cute overbite grin.

her face was so flustered and red. it's been a while since i've made her feel like that.

she returned to the living room with my brothers while i walked over to my bedroom; shutting the door behind me.

i placed my pills on the nightstand near my bed before grabbing one and reading the instructions.

"take twice a day.." i mumbled before slamming it back down.

i hate pills.

but poppy trusted me to take those. i didn't want to lose that kind of trust.

suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"it's me." came jules' voice.

oh gosh.

thats the end!! sorry the chapter was sorta rushed. follow me please :)