When Poppy got home she opened the door to see Peppy and Granny Finny talking in the kitchen. Finny was sipping on coffee as Peppy was preparing little sandwiches. "I think someone is at the door," said the old troll.

"It's just me Grammy," Poppy said, not even trying to hide her melancholy. She felt terrible for the things she said to Branch. She pushed him too far. If only he would tell her why he was so sad, why he lost his colors. If he did that perhaps she could help him. But the stubborn troll just wouldn't. Just like he wouldn't sing or dance or hug. It was something that could do, but decided not to.

Did he have a terrible voice? She wondered. Did he have two left feet? Is he claustrophobic?

"Is everything okay Poppy?" Peppy asked.

"Everything is fine," she sighed.

Finny studied her up and down for a moment until she shrugged. "Well okay." She leaned back in her chair.

Peppy knitted her eyebrows at his grandmother who wasn't the least bit suspicious about Poppy's behavior. "Are you sure?"

Poppy nodded. "I'm going to my room," she said, taking a step forward but her father cut her off. "Hey, don't you want some lunch? I made sandwiches," he offered.

"I...I'm not hungry." It wasn't entirely a lie although she hadn't eaten all day. But just because she hadn't eaten didn't mean she was hungry. She lost her appetite, more like. She went to her room without anyone stopping her this time, shutting the door and sitting on her bed, her hands cuffed in her cheek as she thought of what to do to help Branch.

Why was she so determined for one troll's happiness? She didn't know that answer, and she wouldn't know that answer for a long while down the road. For now she didn't know what she was feeling. It was a strange feeling, like the feeling she got when she actually saw Branch smile. It was that warm feeling, but now she felt as though someone was shaking at her heart. It was painful.

She fell back in her bed, her head hitting the pillow gracefully and she stared at the ceiling where the glowing star stickers hung. It wasn't like her to feel so terrible. Was this how Branch felt all the time? Maybe so. If he felt this way all the time no wonder he was grumpy. Because this was a horrible feeling.

She turned her head to her right, where the scrapbook she had been making sat. She turned to the other side, in no mood to scrapbook. On the other side was her dresser where she kept all of her scrapbooking materials. The first two drawers was only that and some other random things. The third, however, was still in progress. In that third drawer was something she wished she could let go, something she wished she still didn't have. It was full of sketches on her and Branch. A lot of them was from when she was really little, from when he was bright blue. How she missed that bright blue color.

Poppy hesitated before opening up the dresser. She looked through the drawings, some old and some recent. And all the way at the bottom was her hug time bracelet. Even after six years she kept it. He had left it behind that night and she never got around to bringing it back. Part of her knew he wouldn't accept it, and when it went off every hour it was a constant reminder that he was in his lonely bunker without a friend in the world. It was a reminder of the troll he once was, and if he would just put his bracelet back on maybe, just maybe, he would be the troll she knew he could be. Maybe it'd release some of the stress and anger.

He wouldn't accept it, and she knew that. So that wasn't even an option to consider.

Her thought were interrupted when someone knocked at the door. She quickly put the drawings back in the drawer and stashed the hug time bracelet in her hair, which wasn't the best idea. "Come in."

"Hello," sang Biggie.

"Hello," Cooper joined.

"Helloooo!" Guy Diamond finished.

"Hello!" the all said at the same time, approaching Poppy.

"Hi guys," she said, giving them a small fake smile.

They took no notice that behind her smile was a sad troll because they smiled at her. "What's up?" Cooper asked.

Before Poppy could even answer her hug time bracelet went off.

"Hug time!" they all exclaimed except Poppy. They wrapped her into a big hug. Being the troll she was, she didn't push them away like she wanted to. She was really in no mood for hugs right now. In all honesty she just wanted to be left alone.

"Um, Poppy?" Biggie asked, pulling away.

"What?" she asked.

"Your hair is...glowing," Guy Diamond said

"Thanks?" Just as the words slipped out of her mouth, she then remembered she had put Branch's hug time bracelet in her hair! "Oh. That's, um, my hair extensions!" She laughed nervously, running a finger through her hair. "You like 'em?"

"Blue doesn't seem to be your color, but they look alright," Cooper said.

"What's that suppose to mean?!"

"Why are you getting so defensive?" Guy Diamond asked.

"I just thought I would try something new! Geez!"

"Are you hiding something from us?" Biggie asked, taking a step closer.

"How did you get your hair to glow like that?" Copper asked.

"I...used a special shampoo!" The hug time bracelet deactivated. "It doesn't last long," she continued to bluff. "Only about five minutes after I shower."

They eyed her carefully before shrugging. "Your hair doesn't look any longer to me," Guy Diamond muttered. "Anyhow, we know something is up and you can't hide it forever. When you're ready to talk, we will be here."

So they did know, they were just waiting for the right moment to say it. "And how do you know I'm upset?"

"So you admit it?" Biggie said.

"No."

"Hm. Well, your dad told us you could use some cheering up."

Poppy sighed. "Oh, right." She knew she shouldn't be mad, he was only a worried father just trying to look out for her daughter. As a parent it is their job to be concerned for their child's well-being and what not. Poppy appreciated it but she didn't want others worrying over her. If anyone should be worried at all, they should be worried for Branch, not her. He was the one that was alone constantly. If only they could see the softer side of him.

"Please tell us what's wrong! Mr. Dinkles really wants to know! Right Mr. Dinkles?"

"Mew."

Despite the way she was feeling Poppy smiled a little and took the pet warm as if she thought it would comfort her. As weird as it was, it did. They were cute and cuddly creatures who never cause any trouble. They were soft and fuzzy too so when she held Mr. Dinkles she felt a little better.

She sat down on her bed, the warm still in her hands as her friends sat next to her, Biggie on her right and Guy diamond on the left while Cooper still ahead of her and sat down on the floor, cocking his head curiously.

The pressure was on again when all eyes were on her. She took a breath, deciding it'd be best to come right out and say it rather than leave them in suspense. "I...I'm worried about Branch."

It was quiet for a moment until Cooper spoke up. "Oh."

Oh? That's it?

"You're always worried for him Poppy…" Guy Diamond murmured, not looking at her straight in the eye but rubbing his neck instead and looking down at the floor.

"Yeah," Biggie agreed. "Don't you think this has been going on for far too long? Maybe he doesn't want to change."

Poppy knew right away that her friends were wrong, because she was sure of it that the grey troll wanted to change. Her olnly guess was he didn't know how. "I've told you once and I'll tell you a million more times: I've seen his softer side, his side that he doesn't show anyone else. And...and it's beautiful!"

"Sounds to me like someone has a crush," Cooper smiled.

"Hey! I don't!" she exclaimed loudly, getting up at her feet.

"We didn't mean to upset you. Maybe we should go…" Biggie said, awkwardly getting off the bed, taking Mr. Dinkles from Poppy and beginning to exit the room.

Poppy didn't protest them leaving, nor did she say anything in that matter as her three friends got up and left her room, closing the door on the way out as she folded her arms. She did not like Branch! Not in that way, anyway. She just wanted to be his friend. Yeah, his friend. Nothing wrong with that.

She had just put Branch's old hug time bracelet back in its original place when she found herself rummaging through the other drawers. In the second one she found pink spray paint. Then, her smile came back.

As if it was destiny, this pink spray paint gave her an idea.

The day was still young, and Poppy had managed to turn the whole village miserable as Bergens. As Poppy headed over to Branch, who was leaned up against a mushroom, she tried so hard not to smile.

"What are you doing?" asked an unamused Branch as a grey Poppy made her way towards him. She looked angry with her arms crossed. Everything about her looked the complete opposite of her bubbly self.

"Is this some kinda practical joke? Because it's so funny I forgot to laugh."

"Nope!" Poppy said excitedly, then cleared her throat. "I mean, nope. Just an average Branch on an average grey day." She was trying so hard to make her voice deep and brute, but she was failing.

"That sounds nothing like me!" he snorted.

"Don't you know? It's opposite day, silly!" she whispered as if in some sort of spy. He had a feeling right away that this whole opposite day thing was just a scam Poppy had planned to get Branch to let out his "inner happy" as she called it. Because it was "opposite day", that'd mean he would have to be the opposite of angry, which indeed was happy. Branch wasn't going to do that of course. "Now if you want to celebrate opposite day correctly-"

"I'm not celebrating opposite day," he interrupted.

"But why? It's a lot of fun, everyone in the village is doing it. Don't you see? Everyone looks miserable, like you." Branch furrowed his eyebrows. "Because opposite day isn't real! When have we ever celebrated it?" Poppy opened her mouth to answer but when nothing came out Branch went on. "That's what I thought." He folded his arms.

"I have to be like you. And you have to be like me." Branch didn't like where this was going. Before he got the chance to walk away, Poppy pulled a pink spray can out of her hair. "Hold still." She spray painted his body pink everywhere as his arms waved in protest, and at one point the putrid stuff got into his mouth.

"Poppy-"

"Don't fight it!"

"But-"

"Stay still!"

It was another minute or so until he was completely done. Poppy had finished up by putting a dash of glitter on his cheeks. "There! You look just like me!"

"Oh joy," he sighed.

All day he made a complete fool of himself. Most trolls in the village were getting on his nerves by acting all grumpy, it was as if they were making fun of him. The Snack Pack in particular made him feel terrible, they had even wore his camouflaged clothes that he guessed Satin and Chenille had designed.

"Hey, Branch, wait up!" Poppy hurried after Branch when she saw he was leaving. "What's wrong? Where are you going?

He whirled around, glaring at her. "I did what you wanted. I stuck with the plan. I tried to be happy. Now leave me alone, will you?"

"No!"

He then stopped and whipped his head back, her suddenly angry voice ringing in his ears. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice harsher than he intended.

"What?"

"Why are you doing this?" he repeated. "Why do you come back when I push you away? Haven't you learned that this is the way I am and I'm never going to change? Why do you care so much? Why do you all care so much? It's not your life." He entered his bunker, so caught up in arguing that he didn't realize he let her in. It was starting to rain outside.

"It's because we're your friends!"

"Really?" he asked flatly. "They aren't my friends- and the only reason they did this stupid thing was because it made you happy. They don't care about me!"

Poppy stomped her foot. "I DO! I CARE!" she screamed. "I did it because I care! Why can't you appreciate it?"

"Because that's not what I want!'

"Then what do you want?!"

"I don't know!"

"I wanna help, just let me in!" she pleaded desperately.

"There's nothing you can do anyways," he murmured. "You don't know anything about me!" he said, his cold gaze burning through her.

Poppy opened her mouth, wanting to scream there has to be something I can do, if you'd just tell me what's bothering you! But she held her tongue instead. "You're right, I don't know anything about you." In all honestly it was the truth. She knew nothing. When he didn't respond, she continued. "I really do wanna help- I do. And I want to understand, and I can't do that if you keep pushing me away. Let me in," she begged, her voice no louder than a whisper.

Branch didn't reply. He just stared at her, eyes exhausted and pained. He heaved a sigh and rested his forehead on his desk. She frowned, deciding she wouldn't talk anymore. Perhaps she had been pushing him to the edge. Why he was so sad she may never know, but she knew there had to be something she could do to at least calm his nerves.

So, she did the only thing she knew: she sang. She sang with all of her heart and soul, hoping that it'd get to Branch.

"I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said don't leave me here alone
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight…"

Branch lifted his head. He was about to protest and kick her out but he took a moment to realize how beautiful her voice was. It was soothing.

"Just close your eyes,

the sun is going down
You'll be alright,

No one can hurt you now
Come morning light,

You and I'll be safe and sound."

The song was a little sad, which was something he didn't expect. Poppy usually sang happy songs. It made him realize how sincere she was trying to be. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, it was helping.

"Don't you dare look out your window,

Darling everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold onto this lullaby even when the musics gone, gone…"

He felt his heart beat go down and his stomach fluttered by the slightest bit. His eyelids felt droopy. Her voice did things to him. It made him sleepy when he thought he'd be up all night. It made him feel safe, and it chased away his demons, for they were no match to this.

"Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound"
With each word she sang he got more and more drowsy. He tiredly made his way to his bed, almost falling so Poppy took action immediately. She smiled as she guided him to his bed, his ears to her chest as she laid him down.
"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
La, la (la, la)
La, la (la, la)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
La, la (la, la)"
She rubbed the grey troll's back soothingly. He was laying on his belly, his mouth slightly opened as his cheek rested on the pillow.

"Just close your eyes
You'll be alright,"

She ran a few fingers through his hair, getting a whiff of burnt wood and blackberries.
"Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound…"
Upon finishing the song her forehead was now rested on his, warm and tenderly. She was laying right beside him. She couldn't leave, it was storming out there, and she didn't want to leave.

"Goodnight Branch…" she whispered, kissing the grey trolls cheek and drifting off into sleep.