A while later:
Me and Barb are just chatting by the throne undisturbed again. I've come to actually like our talks but today, I couldn't really focus. And she could sense that.
-You know why I don't like pop trolls? She asks and pick at her teeth with her fingers. I only shake my head. She looks at me.
-Because they steal, she says.
-S-steal? Steal how exactly? I ask.
-Well, music. Ya know, that whole story of how pop trolls all took the strings and that's the reason we never meet other trolls, she says.
-Yeah... I draw out... did dad lie to me?
-Hey Uh, I gotta get some fresh air real quick, I say and stand up.
-Yeah sure, you go do that, I'll practice on the song, she says and picks up the note paper once again.
I walk over to a window and open it. This window was in the far corner of the bus so no one was ever there. Suddenly I hear boppy music coming from one of the cell busses flying next to us. I look more closely and see the funk trolls, the trolls we just captured. They're singing and dancing with a sad face, but singing nonetheless. I start bobbing my head with the beat and they notice me. The music they're playing stops and I look shamefully at them.
-Why are you here? the queen, queen Essence asks.
-Getting some air... I say shamefully. It turns quiet between us and the funk trolls start talking quietly amongst each other.
-Did... I start and the queen looks at me.
-Have you seen my sister? I ask as a lump forms in my throat.
-Your sister? She sneers.
-Yeah... queen poppy, I say.
-The little pink bubbly one? She's your sister? King Quincy asks. A tear falls unexpectedly from my eye and I smile.
-Twin actually, I say and as another tear falls down I wipe my eyes dry and sniffle.
-Sorry, I excuse.
-Your sister asked about you too. Why are you here? Queen Essence asks again.
-I... I don't know. They left me and the rock trolls found me guess it was just.... A survival instinct, I explain and the royal couple looks towards me in pain.
-I just wish... Barb didn't... go to such rational ways to get what she wants. We're the same but still somehow so... I trail off, thinking I sound crazy.
-Different, Essence finishes.
-Yeah. We're the same but different. But I like different, I say.
-That's what we said, King Quincy says and I look at him.
-What? I ask.
-That's what we told Poppy before Barb attacked. We're all different, that's what makes us special, Quincy says. I look wondering at them both.
-We can't all be the same... what would the world be if we were all the same. Talking the same, walking the same, singing the same, Essence says.
-We can't all be the same... I whisper to myself. I then look at them.
-Thanks, I smile.
-And don't worry, I'll figure this whole thing out and get you home, I say and they nod gratefully. I then close the window and walk back to Barb. I have a feeling... I don't know what it is yet but I'll figure it out.
-Hey Barb, I greet her.
-Hey Y/N. You excited to see home? Barb asks me as she grabs her guitar and hands me mine.
-What? I ask and turn around, only to see that we're closing up on pop troll village.
Why do I always speak too soon?
Poppy POV:
As me and Branch were sent away in bubbles and separated from Hickory we fight.
-I'm not like you, I can't just give up! I counter his argument about going home.
-Give up? He scoffs.
-I wanna protect our friends and family, he states.
-Well I can't go back until I've proven myself to be a good queen, I speak up. It turns quiet.
-So this is what it's really all about? He asks in disbelief.
-Why are you so upset!? I ask hurt. My heart clenches.
-Because your dad was right, Biggie was right, Queen Essence was right. We even lost Y/N, your sister, on the way and I've still been backing you up! He says and my stomach drops. Was he... calling me a bad queen?
-Even when you ignore them. But you never listen to me, he says and turns around.
-What do you mean? I try to hide the sadness in my heart.
-You wanna be a good queen? Good queens actually listens to their best friends and their sisters, he turns back to me, anger in his face. I get taken aback. Why... how could he say that?
-You know what I heard back there? That differences do matter. Like-... like you and me. We're to different for each other. Just like the other trolls, he says and we sail closer to land.
As the bubble pops we stand for a while. Then I look up at him, waiting for him to say something. But he just glares at me and starts walking away.
-We really are different, I say.
-We are! He agrees.
-And completely out of harmony! I rant angrily.
-Completely! He agrees and stops.
-I don't even know why we're friends! I say angrily, hoping that would make him go away.
-Me neither! He snaps back and continues walking. I immediately regret what I said but I agree. We couldn't be friends like this. Real friends don't fight...
-So... Branch says and I look to him.
-Why do I care about you more than anything else in the world? He looks back at me. I stare confused at him.
-Weird, huh? He asks before he continues walking away. A tear falls down my cheek as he walks away. It's too painful to watch, so I tune around, crying silent tears for myself.
Y/N POV:
As fast as we had captured every pop troll we could find, I excused myself and ran to the bathroom stall. I locked the door and hid till I knew that we were up and flying again. I carefully stepped out to a raging Barb. She threw things and destroyed them, however she pleased and... I started to understand why everyone was so afraid of her. As she starts loosing energy I place my hand on her shoulder and she looks back at me. Her eyes flash a dangerous fiery red but quickly calms down when they see me. I nod towards her throne and she stomps towards it. Everyone takes a deep breath for themselves and I purse my lips and walk to Barb who has taken a seat on the throne. Her dad was sitting beside her in his rolling chair, sipping on an apple juice box. He just looks at me and I smile.
-What's going on? I ask Barb who's still breathing heavily.
-Where were you? She asks, a deep disappointment in her voice.
-Not important, I say back with as much force. The energy between us was like an energy trying to move an immovable object.
-Where's the string? I ask. I noticed that the guitar case wasn't there.
-They didn't have it. We left the whole town on fire before we realized it was gone, she says.
Right... Poppy took it... problem now was that if I don't let Barb know where it is, someone else might find Poppy first and that'll be a bad situation. But if we find it... who knows what Barb will do. I bite my lip trying to quickly go over the pros and cons. Barb is rubbing her forehead as she furrows her eyebrows.
-I think I might now where the string is... I say slowly. Barb looks up at me and stands up quickly.
-Where is it...? She asks. I try to calm my racing heart before I answer but it's taking too slow. Barb backs me up onto a wall and places both hands beside me on the wall.
-Where is it Y/N? She asks with a scary voice and I don't think I've ever been this afraid before. The red in her eyes return to that burning color and I gulp. The other trolls watched us closely.
-Poppy took it with her, I say. She looks at me and studies my face to know if I'm lying... but I wasn't.
-Why didn't you tell me before? She asks hurt.
-It... It slipped from my mind, I say. She backs off and sits in her throne again. I take a deep breath and almost begin to cry because of how scary that was. She looks at me with a strange array of emotions. Sadness, betrayal, regret... they are all kinda mushed into her head and her eyes give it away. I want to hug her and scream at her at the same time. But as I feel the tears building up I take long steps back towards the bathroom and lock myself in again. I press my back to the door and as I close my eyes I can only see hers... what's going on with me? I start crying and I slide down the door.