Rock On!: A Parb Story

Chapter 5: The Outcast

Poppy's POV

I still thought something was going on with Barb, something else she wasn't telling me. Even though we were friends, she still seemed hesitant about telling me about what was nagging at her.

She may have said her crush was Riff, but something about that didn't seem right, mostly how she said it. It seemed like her crush was someone else, I just wasn't sure what it was.

I was still thinking over on the way home, losing myself in thought, wondering what it was she wasn't telling me. Who was her crush? Did it have something to do with me? I didn't know, I just needed to head home, get some rest, and sleep on it for a while.

Suddenly, I saw a whole bunch of searchlights around the village, with hairicades formed around the barriers. I was confused. What's going on? I thought to myself as I landed a safe distance away from the lights.

I landed underneath a massive tree, big enough to hide me. I was confused as to this whole thing, and I tried looking for a way over the wall. No luck, it was too well guarded.

Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around sharply to see it was Branch.

"Branch," I whispered, relieved but cautious, "what's going on?"

"You can't stay here!" He whispered back sharply.

"What? why?!" I said, confused.

"Ssh," he whispered, motioning to the guards, "there's no time to explain."

"Branch, as Queen I need to know what's happening."

"That's the thing. You're not Queen anymore, they've dethroned you!"

That last part hit me like a punch to the gut. Dethroned me? What?

"What do you mean I'm not Queen anymore, and who dethroned me?"

"The other Pop Trolls," Branch explained, "one of them saw you in your Rocker gear when you left for Barb's birthday, and they thought you were defecting to their side, so they rebelled and removed you from power."

"What about my dad and our friends?" I asked concerned.

"They're all safe in the Bunker," he told me, "it's on full security lockdown so no one can get in. We tried to stop them, but they were just too stubborn to listen."

"Do you know who's leading the rebellion?"

"I don't know. Whoever it was wore a mask and a hood, so I couldn't make it out. It doesn't matter, you have to leave, now!"

Branch then handed me a bunch of luggage with all my stuff in it, and moved me over to my flyer.

"Wait a minute, Branch," I said, putting the stuff on the flyer, "I can't just leave, I mean where am I supposed to go?"

"Anywhere but here. If you stay here they'll throw you in jail forever until the day you die."

"But what about you, and us?"

"I can't go with you, someone has to stay behind and try to stop them. And I can't be with you anymore, for your own safety."

"But Branch..." I started, tears in my eyes.

Suddenly one the guards overheard us and motioned for more to come.

"There's no time," Branch said, moving me to my flyer, "you have to go, now. Go somewhere they can't find you, or else it's curtains for all of us."

I got on the flyer, and I strapped my stuff to the back side of the bug. As I prepared to leave, I looked at Branch one last time, thinking this may be the last time I see him.

"Branch, I...I just..."

"I know, me too. Just go! Go!"

I did as he said and I flew off, heading away from the only home I've ever known and my closest friends. My eyes were full of tears as I sped away from the village, from the people who I thought were my friends that had turned against me, thrown me out. I needed somewhere to go, and there was only one person I could think of who could help me: Barb.