Chapter Text
Poppy sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor with the entire contents of her closet spread out in front of her because she needed to start deciding what she was going to take with her when she left for high school in a week, what was going to Goodwill and what was going in the trash.
She never realized how many clothes she had that she never wore until now. There was a pretty large pile of dresses with the tags still on them that her Dad had bought her.
The memories of the arguments she had with her Dad every time she bought a new dress went through her mind and she couldn't help but feel nostalgic, tears burning in her eyes as she picked up the pile of dresses and squeezed them to her chest. She would give anything to have her Dad back, to see him just one more time, to hug him and tell him how much she loved him.
She regretted every stupid argument, every wasted minute because she had taken for granted that she'd always be there. Unfortunately, she wouldn't. If she could only go back in time, it would have been so different. It's true what they say, you never know what you've got til it's gone. She wished she could go back and just wear those stupid dresses and see her Dad smile with pride. She took a deep breath in and sighed, knowing it was too late for that.
"Hey, you alright?"
She heard a deep voice ask and she raised her head and opened her eyes to see her best friend Branch Timberlake standing there, wearing his black leather jacket, his tall dominating frame taking up most of her doorway, running a hand through the Blue-black hair that covered his forehead, looking at her with those midnight blue eyes that held so many memories for her.
"Yeah,"
She said, taking a deep breath in and letting it out.
"Just got hit with the feels. Dad bought me these dresses," she said quietly.
Branch came in and sat down beside her, rubbing her back and then pulling her closer so she'd lay her head on his shoulder, giving her a look of sympathy. She got that look from people a lot these days.
"Please don't look at me like that," she sighed.
"Like what?" he asked, looking confused.
"Like everybody else does, with pity and sympathy. They can look at me like that but not you Branch. That look doesn't make me feel better. It makes me feel like shit and just reminds me that she's gone and probably never coming back. I swear if one more person asks me if I'm alright or how I'm feeling, I'm gonna scream."
"Did you make an appointment with that therapist my Dad recommended?"
She rolled her eyes and lifted her head off his shoulder.
"No. I'm tough enough to get through this without a freakin' shrink. I'm not crazy. I'm just going through a hard time right now."
"I never said you were crazy, Kendrick. What you witnessed would be hard for anybody to have to deal with on their own. You're still having nightmares almost every night where you wake up screaming, you're not getting enough sleep and I can already see it taking a toll on you. You look tired. You know asking for help doesn't mean you're not tough right?"
She thought back to the three times she woke up last night screaming and covered in sweat, gasping like she just ran a marathon. She took a deep breath in and let it out, hanging her head.
Then she picked up the pile of dresses and tossed them all into the box marked for Goodwill.
"Maybe the therapist will know how to make the nightmares stop," he offered.
He was always worrying and being protective and trying to fix everything for her. Sometimes it was sweet and sometimes it was annoying.
"Sometimes it helps to just have somebody to talk to," he said.
"Well isn't that why you decided at the last minute to go to Pop High School with me instead of going to school out in Volcano Rock City? So you could be there for me if I needed you? I have you to talk to so I don't need a therapist," she said firmly.
She looked over into Branch's dark blue eyes and he was giving her a look like he wasn't convinced so she ran her fingers through his blue-black hair, ruffling it up and crossing her eyes, and sticking out her tongue at him to lighten the mood. That made his bright, white smile return and the little dimple show up on his tanned cheek. Branch scooted closer and pulled her into a cuddle and she laid her head against his chest and took a deep breath in and let it out. Branch always gave the best hugs and being wrapped up in his strong arms was always comforting and took her stress and sadness away.
"I can't even tell you how happy I am that you decided to go to school with me," she said, exhaling and snuggling deeper into him.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Of course. What are best friends for? You know I'll always be here for you, Pop." he said, kissing the top of her head.
"I hope so," she said softly.
**One Week Later**
"Dad, you're crushing me," she groaned, from inside his back-breaking hug. He laughed and stepped back, wiping his tears.
"Sorry Honey. I can't help it. I can't believe my little girl is going off to High School. It seems like just yesterday I was changing your diapers."
"Dad, please don't talk about changing my diapers," she cringed.
It was weird seeing her Dad, a 6'3 burly man's man, co-CEO of a fishing boat company, crying like a little girl. The last time she saw him cry was 6 months ago when the thing with her Brother happened. He was a rare crier which made this whole interaction that much more awkward.
Her Dad pulled her into another hug and kissed the top of her head with tears in his eyes.
"Dad, I'm not even leaving town," she laughed.
"You do realize I'm still gonna be here in Pop City right?"
"You could just do school at home and commute since it's so close."
"No. I want to get the full High School experience. Just be glad I'm not going to school across the country as Guy did." He smiled.
"Yeah. I'm thankful for that.". he said sadly and seeing the pain in his eyes made her heart break for him. She knew how much he missed her Mom. They all did.
"I love you Dad. Anytime you need to talk just call me," she said, giving him one more hug and a kiss on the cheek before heading out to the front yard where Branch was finishing loading all of her stuff into the trunk and backseat of his car. With his stuff too it was full where you couldn't see out the back window.
She slid into the passenger seat of his completely blacked-out Chevy SS Camaro and a couple of minutes later he slid into the driver's seat.
"Hey slut," she said to him with a smile.
"Hey prude," he said, smiling back, as he started up the car with a rumble and they headed down the road.
She liked to tease him about what a man whore he was and he teased her about being a virgin. That's just how they had always talked to each other and neither of them got offended.
"Are you excited about college?" she asked.
"Am I excited?" he scoffed.
"Dude. There's gonna be a party practically every night with tons of hot, horny high school chicks. What do you think?"
"Of course. I should've known that's what you were excited about. Trying to live up to your nickname huh?" Poppy laughed.
"No one else calls me slut but you, so it's hardly my nickname," he laughed.
"Well, give it time. I'm sure it will be," she laughed.
"I bet those hot high school chicks will be excited when you step foot on campus. It'll probably be just like Middle School all over again, where they just swoon and fall at your feet. Oh Branch!" she said dramatically, pretending to faint over onto him.
"A man can hope," he smirked, pushing her away.
"I sure wouldn't be complaining." Poppy sat up and punched his arm.
"You're such a dog, Pop." He looked over at her with a smirk before barking a couple of times and making her laugh and roll her eyes.
Branch was one of those guys that were extremely hot but he knew it and he was a huge player. He didn't even bother to hide it around Poppy Because he treated her just like one of the guys because she had always been his and his best friend since they were babies. He was only 3 years older than her. Her Dad and Branch's Dad were best friends growing up and they started a successful fishing boat company together before Branch and Poppy were born. Their Dads were Co-CEOs of it so she and Branch were always together growing up. He and his family were like part of her family.
"So you're going to be at parties picking up chicks and I'm going to be at the library. High School will be like Middle School all over again," she laughed.
"Nope. I'm dragging you out with me whether you like it or not. I'm not letting you waste your High School years in a library loser," he laughed.
"Oh no. I will not be an accomplice to your crimes against women's hearts sir."
"Hey. I don't lead them on. They know I'm not interested in anything serious right from the start but they seem to forget that part after we've had sex. They become all clingy and emotional. They break their hearts," he said defensively.
"Yeah, maybe or maybe they're just naive and optimistic. Being with you will cure them of that real quick. Eventually, they'll learn that all men are pigs and can't be trusted."
"Wow. That sounds very bitter, Pop. So I'm guessing you and loverboy are over?"
"Yeah. I went to pay Creek a surprise visit yesterday to say goodbye before he left for School. I caught that asshole making out with Skye Evans in his car."
"What?!" he asked in shock.
"Seriously?! Skye Evans is a total whore and you're way hotter than she is. He's an idiot."
Poppy sat there for a second dumbfounded. She couldn't believe that Branch just said she was hotter than Skye Evans. Skye was gorgeous.
"Hey, look at the bright side," he told her.
"At least you found out now what a cheating, lying, no good piece of shit he is. You would've been up here waiting around, being faithful to some long-distance boyfriend you never see while he would've been down at Funk State hooking up with randoms. Now you get to start your freshman year of High School completely free."
She looked at him for a second before she laughed and shook her head.
"How do you always know exactly the right thing to say to cheer me up?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's my superpower," he shrugged, shooting her a smile as he gripped the top of the steering wheel with one hand.