WARNING! THIS IS REALLY CHEESY.

There I was, on a date with royalty…

Well…not really. It's more like me and the other trolls were inside Bridget's wig while she had the date with royalty. The disgusting and horrifying King Gristle. Why was he disgusting and horrifying? Because he was a Bergen! Obviously.

Poppy and I witnessed the king literally eat Creek earlier, but Poppy being as she always is, had a stupid idea that Creek was possibly still alive. How?! We. Saw. Him. Get. Eaten.

"I don't think he's alive. I hope he's alive," she says. I couldn't believe how idiotic and naïve she was being right then. Usually she was always naïve, but this time, it may actually kill us. She's so sure that Creek is alive that she and her friends offered to help Bridget on her date so they could "save" Creek! I had one thought while they dressed Bridget up and introduced her to the King; 'We're gonna die."

Now, do I think this plan will work? No. No I don't. I don't see how helping Bridget will help Creek. Why am I helping them then? Because…I felt guilty, I guess. And I didn't travel with Poppy all this way for nothing.

So, here we are. Bridget and Gristle are sitting at a table in a pretty empty roller rink place. Bridget was dressed up in a rainbow wig and a sequin jumpsuit, taking on the persona of "Lady Glitter Sparkles". Honestly, King Gristle should have figured us out by now, but he's too stupid. Lucky us.

"Enjoy your pizza. Here's your tokens," a miserable Bergen waiter droned as he put pizza on their table and chucked tokens on top as well. Ugh. This is their ideal setting for a date?

"Ooh, fancy," Bridget said in what she thinks is an alluring voice. "Good thing I brought my appetite."

Oy vey…

The two bergens reached for the pizza at the same time. When their hands touched, their eyes met like some cheesy cliché movie. They couldn't stop staring in each other's eyes. For a moment, I thought this date would actually work.

SMACK!

Bridget literally smacked the king's hand away and scarfed down the pizza slice, greedily. Why. Why would you do that-?

"You're…fantastic!" Gristle exclaimed, legitimately excited. Oh. I guess he's into that? Hm. Weird.

As Bridget ignored his remark, Poppy whispered, "Bridget! Compliment him back."

Bridget, taking Poppy's advice, said in her "seductive" voice, "I like your back."

I want to die.

"No..!" Poppy groaned quietly, growing a little more desperate and frustrated. "I mean…say something nice about him!"

"But I do like his back," Bridget answers Poppy innocently. Idiot! You said it out loud!

Gristle looked up from his pizza, very confused. I don't blame him. As soon as Bridget saw that he was silently questioning her, she began to stutter nervously.

"I-I...um...you're…"

This was really hard to watch. Especially since I felt kind of…bad for Bridget. I couldn't take it much longer.

"Poppy..!" I whisper to the nervous troll next to me. "Help her."

She shakily nodded and looked at Gristle, searching for something to compliment. It was taking her a while…

"Your eyes…they're so…eugh…" she tries. She can't even finish it because she looks so repulsed. "Ooh…your ears..?"

For once, Poppy was having trouble thinking of compliments. Bridget, putting her blind trust in Poppy, just started repeating what she said, panicked.

"Eyes! Um, ears…!"

Gristle looked more confused than ever. Poppy's friends decided to help mess our plan up.

"Nose!"

"Skin!"

"Neck!"

"Your TEEEEEETH~!"

Every single thing they said, Bridget repeated, sounding nervous and panicked. No, no, no! These idiots are going to ruin this whole thing for her! Especially if she just mimics EVERYTHING THEY'RE SAYING.

…

Wait…that's it!

"W-what's going on?!" Gristle asked, scared. He made to leave the booth, looking hurt. "Are you making fun of me…?"

Desperate times call for desperate measures…

"Your eyes."

Everyone in the wig was silent. I decide to keep going. Right now, it doesn't matter what they're thinking. I was just focusing on helping Bridget.

"They're like…two pools. So deep. I fear that if I dive in…I might never come up for air…"

I closed my eyes momentarily, trying to come up with my best material while also trying to shake off the embarrassment. Of course, Gristle wasn't my muse. She was. The one right next to me.

What about her did I like? Everything. I could create full verses about everything about her. Her eyes, her voice, her hair…

Her smile…

I'm not normally proud of these poetic thoughts I keep having. But Bridget needs them right now…

"And your smile…"

Her smile is the best thing about her. It was the literal visual representation of real happiness. It wasn't fake. It wasn't forced. It wasn't sad.

It was such a bright and cheery. It filled almost anyone with happiness. Or at least radiated a pleasant feeling that made me smile.

"…The sun itself turns jealous and refuses to come out from behind the clouds…"

I wasn't sure if the other trolls were looking at me, but I didn't care for once. I half-hoped that she was as well. And that she knew who I was talking about. The other half of me hoped that she didn't.

"Knowing it cannot shine half as bright."

Without thinking, I glanced at Poppy. I'm still not sure if it was because I wanted to get her opinion on my words, or because I just needed to see her reaction, but I did it. And sure enough, she was smiling at me. It was soft, serene and sincere. It was a different kind. It was nicer than usual. Sometimes, her cheery smile would irritate me as well as cheer me up, but this one made me feel like I was doing something right.

It was only a quick glance before I looked at King Gristle again, but in that split second, I already got more inspiration. I didn't know if I needed it anymore, though, because the King already looked flattered by Bridget's –well… my words.

"I guess I do have a nice smile, don't I..?" he said, sheepishly.

"Yes." She does. "You do."

I looked at Poppy again as I say the last line. She was smiling at me, with a knowing and flattered look in her deep pink eyes. That look alone made my heart soar as our eyes locked in a deep gaze. There was a lot more that I wanted to say to her. I couldn't help but smile back and stare back at her.

…

SHOOT, I'M STARING..!

I quickly avert my eyes, embarrassed. Ugh, great job, Branch. This is going to bite me in the butt one day, I know it. I'm just now realising that I said all of that poetry in front of the Snack Pack and in front- no, TO Poppy. I can just hear my reputation going down the drain.

But beyond all of the embarrassment, I saw that Bridget kept talking. She was saying things on her own. Deep things about happiness. I smiled on the inside.

Though it pains me greatly to say this, Bridget reminded me of me in a way? Eugh, I know, I know. But she does. So seeing her become more confident, maybe because of what I said, made me feel…proud? I almost didn't regret my words.

I felt Poppy link her hand with mine as we watched Bridget go.

Yeah. I definitely don't regret it.

EWWW, that was cheesy. Ahahaha, Branch please. This was just a quick one-shot I did to procrastinate homework. It could've been done way better, but like meh. Um, hope you liked it anyway! I really tried to overdo it with the cheesiness XD

Well anyways...

Bye!