Trolls: A New Take

Complicated Relationships

Branch didn't bother to help the Troll gather his bearings which shocked the crowd as he went right to Melody's side to hug her supportively.

"You're making a mistake, stranger that looks similar to me! There's no Branch here! You're intruding on a private event, please leave!"

The troll ignores Branch's words as Melody pulls out of the hug her tears gone but her sad frown still on her face, which he sees making him briefly forget all about Branch.

"Melody..."

Melody didn't answer him right away, instead she turned away from him and didn't even glance at Poppy who was looking at her with concern but being held back from interfering by Celeste.

"Oh, so you can remember my name after all these years?" Melody comments blankly.

The Troll frowns sadly before answering, "I would never forget your name, Melody... I would never forget YOU. I never forgot you or my brothers. I was hurting, I was angry at myself, I was stressed out. I lost my cool. But I never meant to hurt you."

Melody didn't answer this time instead Poppy stepped in angrily and protectively.

"Hey! Stop right there. You leave my boyfriend and older sister alone and tell us who you are and what you want!"

The Troll chuckled guiltily before apologizing and answering her demand, "You're right, totally rude of me. Didn't introduce myself, I'm Branch's brother and Melody's ex-fiance."

He offered her a handshake which was refused as everyone except Branch's Brother, Melody, Branch and Celeste gasped in shock.

"Ooh! Drama!" Tiny Diamond exclaims nearby, "Corn me dinkles!"

Dinkles gives Tiny some popcorn as Branch glowers, "Correction: Used to be my brother. Not anymore."

Melody does not respond to the claim since it wasn't technically a lie and just observes as Branch turns away from JD as Poppy addressed them both (Branch and Melody) in astonishment.

"Hey, remember earlier when I told you both you should open up to me and be real?" Poppy questions before exclaiming loudly, "You could have started by telling me you had an older brother and ex-fiance respectively!"

"Well...." Branch began to answer hesitantly before trailing off.

"It's not easy for me to talk about all that time ago, Poppy... It's complicated." Melody answers vaguely but sincerely.

"Former Brother, really." Branch finishes sincerely but firmly.

"That's not how DNA works!" Poppy exclaims angrily at Branch before turning to Melody, "Mel, you knew about this?! What else are you keeping from me."

"Huh? What else would I be hiding from you?" Melody answers awkwardly with a nervous chuckle.

Poppy then turns back to JD excitedly, "Oh my gosh, I was being so rude. I've never met any of Branch's family other than Celeste before--"

"Celeste?!" JD exclaims in shock looking around before finally seeing Celeste who was just glaring at him.

"Dory." Celeste answered annoyedly in greeting.

"Fair." JD answers in saddened relent, "Wait, but I thought you were with Floyd?"

Celeste frowned, "Thanks to you brothers, Floyd was so lost he needed to leave me with Branch and Rosie so he could find himself. I haven't seen my own husband in decades."

JD frowned deeply in concern and guilt before Poppy cut in in shock, "CELESTE! YOU'RE MARRIED?!"

"Yes, Poppy, I'm truthfully Branch's sister in law. Or at least one of them. We have no way of knowing if any of the other two brothers got married during the last two decades." Celeste reveals causing for Poppy to finish addressing JD.