Chapter Text
Lunch was gonna be lonely as always. Poppy looked around, her table empty and her lunch looking even emptier, despite being full. She didn't know when food stopped making her feel better. Her fork played mindlessly with the salad; her empty gaze was fixed on the tray, her thoughts equally empty. She could hear the other kids shouting and laughing in the background. She wondered when Barb was going to bother her today.
The fork stabbed the salad as she brought it to her mouth. She munched lazily. Eating felt like a necessity. Her heart weighed heavy in her chest, a feeling she had grown accustomed to by now. She always brushed it off, since it was useless to feel bad. Poppy just thought it was all temporary, that eventually, everything was going to fix itself. Maybe this suffering will all be worth it in the end.
But what if it won't be? Home was on the other side of the state, though going back would always be an option. She didn't want to give up, though she certainly felt close to it.
The sound of another tray being placed on the table snapped her back to reality. She gulped down the salad she forgot she was munching on had long turned into a disgusting paste. The boy before her could feel the pressure of her light brown eyes, but didn't return the gaze. He simply started eating with a frown on his face. He lowered his head more, hoping she couldn't see much of his face with the hoodie on.
Unfortunately for Branch, there were many things that Poppy saw that worried her: his very apparent eyebags, to which she thought had something to do with the pimples that were all over his face. His skin was almost… gray-ish, despite being so pale.
"Are you done yet?" He finally looked back at her, raising his gaze. Poppy was met with an unexpected pair of beautiful blue eyes, and enviable long lashes. The combo was deadly. With just a little makeover, he could become a model- Poppy was already thinking in ways she could make him a career. Mh, maybe the nose was just a little too big?
These thoughts were testing Branch's patience: his brows furrowed when she wasn't responding.
"Oh- Uhm, yes, sorry." Poppy immediately returned her gaze to her food and resumed eating as a way to distract herself from the embarrassment. She chewed on her bottom lip, wondering how she could ever lose so much of her social skills. She's basically known for that!
The two ate in silence for a while. When they finished, they both waited for the other to stand up, resulting in an awkward staring contest. It took a while before Poppy spoke up.
"Are you... waiting for someone?" she asked, her index finger swaying between him and the crowd. "Cuz, like, I can go away, if you want." Nobody ever sat with her. She jumped to the conclusion he did just because the other tables were full. Soon after, the bell rang, much to her surprise. Branch didn't respond, instead, he simply walked away without a word. Poppy watched him go with a puzzled expression as he put on his wired earbuds. She contemplated whether she should've taken offense on what just happened or not. Since it was, y'know- Poppy, she didn't, and simply shrugged it off as a mistake.
…
Surprise, surprise.
The next day, he sat down with her again before she had even started to eat. It was a pleasant surprise, to be honest. He had an earbud on. Poppy thought it was considerate of him to leave an ear free in case she'd talk (she jumped to this conclusion by herself, and she was right).
"What's your name?" She asked with a smile. Branch didn't dare to look back; something about that made him nervous.
"...Branch."
"I'm Poppy. It's nice to meet ya." Branch nodded in acknowledgment, wishing for a quiet lunch. His wish couldn't be granted. Once Poppy started talking, it was hard to make her stop.
"What are you listening to?"
Branch hesitated, his fork stopping. "Until the end of time-"
"Ooh! Justin Timberlake? Wait, you listen to Justin Timberlake?" she pointed a finger at him. His nose scrunched up in annoyance. He knew this was gonna happen. "I would've never guessed! You don't strike me as a pop person, more of a-" she shut her mouth with her palm, then looked at him apologetically. "I'm - I'm sorry, I talk too much don't I?" she laughed nervously, already feeling the pressure of his judgment on her shoulders. When did she start worrying about what other people thought of her?
Gosh, way to lose another potential friend Poppy. That's why Barb hates you.
"What songs." Branch continued. His tone felt forced, and his scowl deepened. It was as if he was doing some real hard labor.
"Huh?" her eyebrows lifted.
"What are your favorite songs of his." he asked in a monotone, then kept eating.
"Ohmygosh!" her eyes lit up as soon as he asked the question. She went on to list a few of the artist's songs, though, 'a few' would be an understatement. Choosing her favorite song proved to be a challenge, and she ended up naming almost every song she could manage, adding a personal comment to each one of those. Eventually, he finished his plate while hers went cold. It was then that he decided to rest his arms on the table, crossed, as he looked at her. Though he didn't say anything, Branch nodded occasionally to let her know he was still listening. Poppy highly appreciated that.
"Uhm, tell me when I get annoying, okay? I get that a lot from people, but- I don't realize when I go overboard. They say I'm too much and stuff…" She twisted her wrist, moving her hand in circles. Then, she stopped, her brows knitting in worry. "Oh no. Am I doing it again? I'm sorry!" She covered her eyes and dropped her elbows to the table, causing the tray to slightly clutter. Branch looked at her with wide eyes, totally lost for directions in a social case like her.
"No it's - it's ok." He said with a reassuring tone. "I'm fine." He quickly switched back to an icy one. Still, Poppy appreciated the sentiment. One eye peeked through her fingers right at him. Her hands fell to rest on the table. "Thank you." she said softly.
"Uh, no problem." he replied sheepishly.
"So! What is your favorite song?" As the conversation went on, Poppy could feel herself warming up to him more and more. To be fair, she was quick to open up to anyone who was willing to listen. Their discussion began to feel more natural. At least, for Poppy. Thirty minutes passed in an instant: Poppy couldn't even finish ranting, though it was impressive how much information she dumped on him in this short span of time. Poppy waved goodbye animatedly with a toothy smile. Branch waved back nonchalantly.
Maybe she's not so bad.