I created this tale to have a feel of Roald Dahl plus Tim Burton plus Japanese Girl's (Shoujo) animation/comics, (which often have bishonen/pretty boys and elements of shonen ai /boy's love) and threw in references to other fandoms as well. Therefore, it's a work 'sweet inspiration' on my part; the culminations of youthful emotion and unbridled passions that I felt after getting to know many of the fans. I was mostly inspired by the wackiness of Mr. Depp's fan girls. Their enthusiasm was as addictive as chocolate and was the highlight of my days for a long while.
Title: SWEET INSPIRATION, Part 1of ?
By: Idol Hands
Rating: PG (working up to higher ratings)
Warnings: Some freaky reactions to Wonka's candy.
Summary: Charlie's adventures in High School. Can he cope with all of his responsibilities, being popular, and his best friend being Willy Wonka all at the same time? Well sure, but what about everybody else? Mayhem ensues.
Author's Notes: Reviews are greatly appreciated and give me sweet inspiration of my own. Also, yes I am a fan of BOTH Willy Wonka and a certain moonwalking entertainer that Burton's version is often compared to. If you are clever, you will find secret references to him as well as many other forms of fandom in the tale.
"Eat the Candy!"
A lot of teenagers are lucky if they get to drive a beat-up old car. A few privileged ones may even receive a brand new one, but only one lucky boy was driven to school in a plum-red limousine every day. The long, sleek car pulled up close to the pavement in the front of the prestigious High School. A black and white spiral pattern swirled on the hubcaps in a hypnotizing display. The hood ornament was shaped like a top hat. The windows were tinted a dark black, but everyone knew who was in inside.
"Hey, it's Charlie Bucket!" shouted an attractive young girl.
All the other teenagers in the group that she had been talking with also turned their heads to look. As did the other cliques standing around passionlessly waiting for class to begin. Many of the kids were wearing various combinations of velvet jackets, gloves, and goggle-like glasses.
As the door opened, an attractive teenage boy stepped out wearing a delicately striped shirt and an argyle vest under a fitted blazer that bore a fanciful "C" crest. On top of his head was a fedora that matched the jacket. He waved goodbye to the unseen driver, his bright leather gloves accenting the gesture. He turned to face the crowd, many faces reflected in his large goggle-like sunglasses. They were all the rage at his high school; Charlie had accidentally started the trend. He seemed to have a habit of doing that. His mentor was thrilled when he first told him how the students copied his style. "Wonka Wear", along with the slogan "Good Enough to Eat" was born. Entering the fashion industry made the eccentric genius even wealthier, if possible.
Three girls ran up to him as the limo pulled away, their male friends with less-than-thrilled looks on their faces. Charlie's presence tended to suck all the female attention away from them. However, he was a pretty likable guy, not to mention rich. So, they didn't give him much of a hard time.
"Hiii, Charlie!" they called out in musical unison. The trio was dressed to impress, the bustiest one wearing a form-fitted T-shirt with the "Wonka Wear" catch phrase across it.
Charlie smiled amiably and removed his glasses, "Good Morning, Jessica!" "Glad to see you, Sima." "Nice T-shirt, Tanya." He said the last greeting with a shyness that girls adored.
"Have ya got anything for us today, then?" said Sima coyly, her long dark hair blowing in the gentle autumn breeze. Each of the girls had stylish outfits on; after all they were some of the most popular students in school. Fashion was a priority.
"A promise is a promise!" Responded Charlie and he dug into the pockets of his dark indigo jacket, pulling out a handful of glittering candy. "I told Mr. Wonka all about you guys and we came up with this. I hope you like them!"
"Well if they're from you Charlie, I'm sure we'll like it." Jessica said flirtatiously while slowly picking out a candy from his extended palm.
The other two followed, pulling out a different colored, sparkling sweet. "Ooh, I like the glitter! Is it really eatible?" exclaimed Tanya.
"Eatible", was another trend that Charlie had started by mimicking his mentor. It had become a part of teenage slang along with a few other Wonka-isms.
"Not only that, but it's what causes the…", Charlie stopped mid sentence. "Oh, just eat them already!", he said excitedly and made a 'go ahead' movement with his leather covered hands.
The girls again moved in unison as each removed the tiny, cellophane wrappers and put the twinkling candy into their mouths. "Mmm, Wow! I never tasted candy like this before! It tastes like flowers!"
"Yeah," Charlie said, "I told Mr. Wonka that Sima was from Iran and he got an inspiration. Apparently Persian food uses flowers in their desserts! He remembered traveling there and thought candy for teenage girls would be fun if it tasted like roses, lavender, hibiscus, stuff like that."
Sima gaped, "Mr. Wonka has been to my home country?"
"Mr. Wonka has been all over the world and to some places that you probably never even heard of!" Announced Charlie proudly.
"No way, Sima, that is TOO cool! You inspired THE Willy Wonka!" Said the red-haired Jessica.
"Actually, each of you did. The idea for making the candies SPARKLE came from Tanya. Since she always likes to wear glitter and things that sparkle." Charlie explained further. The girls were giddy from the fact that Wonka's protégé had paid such close attention to them.
"What did I inspire?" Inquired Jessica. She was fishing for attention.
"Well, that was the coolest part, I hope you like it. Since Jessica loved kitty-cats, we managed to create the effect of…" and while he spoke, Charlie pulled a golden compact mirror from his pocket. He popped it open and held it up for the trio to inspect themselves in.
The lovely, young women all widened their eyes, as they saw that they had sprouted large, furry cat-like ears on their heads. Their normal pupils were now slits inside eyes that turned the pastel colors of the candy that they had each consumed. They could only gasp from shock.
"You grow tails too!" Charlie grinned broadly, displaying his dimples.
"OH!" shouted Sima. Since two of the young women were wearing skirts it wasn't that big of a deal, but Sima had worn skin-tight blue jeans. She blushed while trying to figure out what to do with the new extension pressing uncomfortably against her right leg.
Jessica was on cloud nine, "This is the COOLEST thing that ever happened to me! I always wanted a tail!" She happily swished it around, looking like a puppy trying to catch its own tail.
"Ah-CHOO!" Tanya let out a large sneeze. "The eyes are the coolest daddy-o, but I'm like totally allergic to cats! Ah-CHOO!" She said through her sniffles.
Charlie giggled awkwardly. "Here, quick, take the anti-dote!" With that he reached into the back pant pocket of his blue jeans and pulled out a tiny mint-sized candy.
Tanya immediately popped it into her mouth. Within seconds the ears, eyes, and tail receded back into her body. "Ahh…" She let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm so sorry, Tanya! We should have tested it more before I gave it to you guys, but I was so excited. Gosh-darn it!" He turned to face the other girl in peril, "Sima, don't you want one too?"
"Actually, I really like the whole thing, I just need a sewing kit to alter my jeans. " She chuckled sweetly at the tall, elegantly dressed young Bucket. "I'm sure Mr. Grubber in home economics can help us out. But, you're O.K. right, Jessica?"
"Prowwlll!" Jessica let out a bright sounding cat noise and her new fuzzy ears perked up. Charlie looked mildly alarmed, cat-sounds had not happened to the Oompa-loompas. Perhaps Jessica was improvising based on her newfound condition. He hoped. More tests were definitely needed before marketing this product.
"How long does this last?" Asked Sima, twitching her new ears around and transferring her clip-on earrings to them.
"A few hours." Shrugged Charlie, flipping back his golden brown hair. "Wonka figured that teenagers would like the effect just long enough to boogie on a dance floor." And he did a few silly dance steps like Wonka would.
"Um, does that candy work on guys too?" A mulatto boy in dark clothing and dark make-up approached them hesitantly.
"Sure!" Charlie started to hand him a piece of the candy, then froze. "Uh, you're not allergic to cats are you?"
"I got four at home." Was his answer, he held out his hand expectantly, revealing green nail polish and a lot of rings under his long tattered sleeve.
"Don't you want to shock the teachers too, Tanya?" The Goth boy grinned mischievously while sucking on the treat.
Charlie couldn't help but notice the little silver ball sticking out of his tongue, making him wince slightly.
"Uh, bad reaction." replied Tanya "Maybe 'The Big W' can make ones that give people scales. I'm not allergic to my father's exotic fish."
Charlie made a mental note of that.
"What I wouldn't give to see you covered in scales, Tanya", said a muscular teenager with a smirk on his face. The new boy had sandy-blonde hair and piercing light blue eyes. He then gave a rather suspicious glance to the unusual, skinny boy who now bore real fangs, large black cat ears, and a tail swishing out from under the pant-skirt thing that he was wearing. "Hey, Ellsworth, why don't you go haunt a house?"
The young man just hissed in response and turned away on his chunky heels. He looked over his shoulder at Charlie before he walked away, "See ya around. Tell Wonka that he totally owns."
Charlie waved goodbye pleasantly and wondered what exactly that comment meant. Ellsworth didn't usually talk to anyone, he just sat in corners doodling and writing. Charlie would have to mention to Mr. Wonka that some teenage
boys would be interested in the product too though.
"Jeez, you guys aren't gonna really go to class lookin' like that are you?" Sneered the teenager, wrapping his arm around Tanya's waist.
"Why not, Thomas?" pouted Jessica. Striped tabby ears picking up perfectly on her strawberry-blonde hair and freckles.
"Duh, because you look like freaks." He pinched the tip on one of Jessica's new cat ears.
Charlie gave a disapproving look at the back of Thomas' head. He was used to starring at the back of his buzz cut. Thomas liked to pretend that Charlie didn't exist, which was rather hard to do considering his obvious influence on the campus.
"Seriously, the bell is gonna ring any second and they aren't gonna like that crud. Kinda' distracting, don't ya think?" Scoffed Thomas.
"I'm always distracting." Said Sima with a wiggle of her ample hips.
"Besides, dress code doesn't say anything about cat-ears or tails." Stated Charlie plainly.
Thomas finally turned his gaze to meet Charlie's. He was only slightly taller, but he used the inches to his full advantage, cocking down his head to address the boy wearing a fedora. "You really shouldn't bring Wonka's experiments to school Bucket. They belong in a lab, like the people who create them."
Charlie squinted his eyes at Thomas, too polite to retort. He had told Mr. Wonka all about this student too. Thomas Sheldon, Jr. and his father did not approve of the chocolatier's influence over the small town. They had moved in recently and found Charlie and him strange and suspicious characters. They were probably jealous too. Wonka and Charlie were in the papers as much as they were, but they weren't part of any kind of social reform. The Sheldons wouldn't be a problem, except that Mr. Sheldon held a high position in the town's counsel and Mrs. Sheldon had great standing with the town's local socialites. Then again, so did Willy Wonka – only from a great distance. So, there was a matched but heated standstill going on between them.
"Really, Tanya, what were you thinking? I don't want you to turn blue or anything." Stated the buff young man while walking away from Charlie.
"Tsk!" Tanya slapped his shoulder. "Quit being so mean, Thom-Thom! You liked the idea of me being all scaly. And what's so bad about being blue anyhow? Violet B. is like the coolest host on MTV and she's headed for the Olympics now. Pfft! Mr. Wonka did her a favor."
Those were the last words that Charlie could make out before he had to head to class him self. While it was obvious why someone would like someone as buxom and good-natured as Tanya Brinkley, it was a mystery to Charlie why she liked that jerk of a boyfriend.
Those were the last words that Charlie could make out before he had to head to class himself. While it was obvious why someone would like someone as buxom and good-natured as Tanya Brinkley, it was a mystery to Charlie why she liked that jerk of a boyfriend. Charlie had managed to stay in touch with the former winners and reminded himself to give Violet a call when he got home. She had ended up being a terrific spokesperson for their products; her energy and boldness put to productive purposes. Usually. She still had her bad days.
He turned toward the remaining two girls, "Here take the antidote in case it really does upset or distract people. See you in class!"
The girls took the tiny pills, but they were more focused on discussing the admirable qualities of the mysterious pretty boy student.
The young man was always polite to them, but in truth they made him quite nervous and he didn't really know any of them very well. The same was true for most of the boys in his school too. He had a unique existence in the confines of the High School hierarchy; being too aloof to be actually popular, but too well known to be classified as an outsider. Most didn't even realize what a loner he was in fact. It wasn't entirely intentional on his part. Rather, it was because someone who didn't quite fit into any part of this universe already filled out the role of "best friend". Adults made more sense to him than children his own age and adults who behaved like children were rather rare.
A chime of the "Willy Wonka Welcome song" started to play from Charlie's vest pocket as he scurried into the building. Charlie glanced around before exposing a golden pocket watch. A circular, liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, was exposed when he flicked it open. One would never guess that such an old-looking device contained such modern technology. He pushed the red button on top of the watch. Immediately a perfect image of his mentor became visible, "Good Morning, Starshine! The Earth says Hello!"
Charlie smiled. He never got tired of that greeting. He sought more privacy in a corner of the main hallway, near the library. "Now isn't a good time Willy, I'm on my way to class." He whispered.
"Oh, right. School." Wonka stated with obvious disdain.
"I miss you when you're at that stupid cement prison." Said the 'great chocolatier' in a rather fretful and unsophisticated voice.
Charlie actually didn't mind school that much, but many of his classmates would probably agree with Willy's analogy. School helped to keep him grounded with people his own age and the world in general…barely. Lately, "Wonkaland" seemed to be seeping into the very fabric of pop culture.
"But I get good ideas here. I mean you're a fashion designer thanks to school! If you ever left your cement prison you'd see for yourself how popular you are!" Charlie reassured him.
A loud bell suddenly echoed loudly. Charlie winced.
Wonka giggled, "I've made you late again, haven't I?"
He continued in his familiar flutey voice, "Listen, why don't you play hooky? Your family decided to go out for the day." He had an excited childish glint in his eyes and a devilish smirk at the corners of his mouth.
Charlie felt quite torn; lately time alone with the eccentric man was something that he craved worse than chocolate. Their friendship had grown very close over the years, in spite of their age difference. Wonka seemed to have no end of secrets to share, some of which his family would probably not approve of. He bit his lip and responded glumly, "I'll get detention."
"So?" said Wonka wryly.
"SO," said Charlie, still trying to whisper, " A lot of people pay attention to me here. I set an example."
"Who are you talking to Mr. Bucket?" came the voice of the school vice principal.
Charlie's bright hazel eyes widened and he immediately clicked the watch shut without turning it off. Both he and Willy were certain that if his picture-phone pocket watch were ever discovered it would be confiscated immediately. They both knew that if something were unbelievably cool then school would ban it immediately. "Oh, uh, I was…talking to…myself."
He quickly popped the watch back into his vest pocket.
The vice-principal gave him a dubious look, and quirked one of her perfectly arched eyebrows. "Mr. Bucket, I believe your mentor is rubbing off on you. Try not to go too crazy before you graduate."
Some small muffled sounds seemed to come from somewhere, but she couldn't place where. The middle-aged woman in the prim suit looked around, then back at Charlie. "What was that?"
"Nothing." Charlie said quite nervously and reluctantly turned his watch off with great stealth. "Um, I got lost in my thoughts Ms. Kane, and now I'm late to class, could you please escort me? I really don't want to get a detention." He made sure to give his best 'little boy look': the one that always seemed to get even the best of Willy Wonka.
"All right, but don't make a habit of this", Ms. Kane gently scolded and they began to stroll down the hall toward his homeroom class.
Despite herself, the assistant principal had a soft spot for Wonka's protégé. He really did have a lot to deal with and she remembered how kind his parents were. Nothing like the odd and pompous man that he lived with. Oh, how she dreaded talking to him on the phone! Mr. Wonka had made his influence on the school known through charitable and personal donations. This thrilled the faculty and the children, but Mr. Wonka's donations came at a heavy price…dealing with him and his "suggestions" for improvement. Not to mention the strange things that young Charlie Bucket would show up with all the time.
As they strolled down the hall, Ms. Kane could have sworn that she saw a girl with a tail coming out of her jeans, rush out of the girl's restroom. Suddenly the chirpy chime of the "Willy Wonka Welcome Song" rang out of Charlie's person and distracted her. Charlie chuckled nervously and clicked his watch to mute.
"No cell phones in class, Charlie." She reminded him. She paused. "Is that your mentor calling you? Doesn't he know that you should be in class?"
"He likes to leave me messages." Charlie stated. Not bothering to inform the short-haired woman that he didn't have a cell phone.
"Honestly, I don't know how you keep up with everything. Doesn't he have anything better to do than bother a fifteen-year-old boy with his problems? You should be allowed to focus on your studies while you are in school, Charlie." Like Willy, her stride was confident and fast, but lacked any sort of swish like the famous man.
The comment hit the boy hard. He couldn't let the woman think that such calls weren't greatly appreciated by him. Not to mention he didn't like other people insulting his friend. It was another thing that separated him from his peers. Sometimes it was easier NOT to hear what they had to say about his whole situation. Staying at a distance also meant not having to bother answering their never-ending questions about Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory. It still made the boy uncomfortable to lie, although telling the complete truth about everything wasn't an option either. Silence seemed to be the best compromise.
He replied slightly somberly. "I appreciate your concern, Ms. Kane, but I really don't mind. You see Mr. Wonka and I are partners. He doesn't like to make a decision without checking with me first and I feel the same way. I know I'm still young to you, but Mr. Wonka sees me as an equal."
Charlie said everything with such a polite and mature tone in his voice that Ms. Kane couldn't help but be a little impressed. There was more to the boy than met the eye.
"I see." she responded calmly. This confirmed Charlie's statement without apologizing for her own. "Well, Mr. Wonka is a lucky man to have such a diligent young pupil. I hope he realizes that."
To Ms. Kane's surprise, Charlie's only response was a blush. The boy is modest as well, she thought, unlike his benefactor.
She then proceeded to open the door to his homeroom class as they arrived. "Mr. Albert, please excuse Charlie for his tardiness. He was unexpectedly detained."
Mr. Albert was a balding man with a slight paunch. He also had a remarkable sense of humor and never made a big deal out of insignificant things like the heir of a chocolate empire being two minutes late to homeroom. Of course a few teachers were extra strict with Charlie, since they didn't want him to get special treatment, while still others were too nice to him. He seemed to have the same varying effects on his peers.
Charlie smiled sheepishly and sat in his assigned seat towards the back. Normally, he preferred the front (it kept being pestered to a minimum), but homeroom was always his chance to make a few last notes about the factory in relative privacy. He knew Willy would be slightly irate about being cut off earlier. He would have to contact him during lunch to make up for it. He slipped off his backpack; it was made of sleek black leather with many pockets and elegant stitching. There were two slender silver cylinders hidden on either side of the handmade satchel and a golden charm, shaped like a bucket, hung from the main zipper with the initials C.B. engraved on the front flap.
Charlie pulled off his hat and tucked his gloves into his jacket pockets. Wonka loved to have special things made for his heir. He and his family were showered with gifts. It was the candyman's way of showing affection: since still neither touch nor conversation came naturally. At first it was completely over-whelming but lately he had started to adjust to his new lifestyle. He started to believe that he was actually worthy of nice things.
"Hey Bucket", whispered a familiar voice "does Wonka tuck you in at night?" This caused several gasps and giggles.
Charlie was used to Thomas's snide remarks, but this one caused him to pale slightly. However, he quickly retorted, "Don't mix up your fantasies with my life, Sheldon."
One rude comment deserved another. Sheldon kept acting like Charlie was embarrassed by his own last name, which he most certainly wasn't. The kids laughed louder and Thomas, who was class treasurer and captain of the hockey team, as well as a pain in Charlie's neck, glowered at him. Charlie grinned mockingly back (a grin he learned from a certain top-hat wearing genius). The Bucket child didn't have enough free time to get involved in school politics or sports. He and Willy did their part to contribute to the school: supplying the school lunch program with fortified Wonka chocolate milk, catering all of the special events, and donating towards fund-raisers.
Charlie sighed and tucked the sides of his one-length bob behind his ears. His style was several inches longer than his mentor's and he didn't have bangs. It was Wonka's darn hair cream; it just made a person's hair so silky that it was impossible to resist growing it out. Wonka's Hair Cream had started as a formula for a new bon-bon filling, but ended up being one of the most awful flavors that the candyman had ever made. Willy Wonka laughed recalling how he had run his hands in frustration through his unruly hair at the time. This gesture led to the fortuitous discovery of the most amazing hair conditioner! And so, Willy has been growing out his own locks ever since, cutting his hair only twice a year. Mr. Wonka's hair seemed to grow at a rather slow rate. Still, Charlie had joked that they should see exactly how long their hair could get someday. Mr. Wonka got a thoughtful expression, but said he would stick to his dignified cut for now. After all he didn't want to get mistaken for a woman. That comment caused Grandpa George to snort in amusement. Apparently he already found that to be a problem for the dandy chocolatier.
"Maybe I'll grow a beard." Mr. Wonka had pondered while stroking his face in response to Grandpa George's 'comment'. Imagining Willy with a beard had caused the whole family to laugh.
Charlie chuckled quietly to himself while jotting down his thoughts on the kitty-candy episode from earlier. No matter what challenges his day brought him, he could always count on his family to cheer him up, even if only in memories or "flashbacks" as Willy called them. The older man's memories seemed far more intense than anyone else he'd ever known. He seemed to have less of them since he had someone to tell all of his tales to. Charlie and him sometimes spent an evening laying in the swudge of the Chocolate Room while his friend and mentor recounted impossible tales and fantastic inspirations. Charlie sighed again. Nothing compared to time with Willy Wonka. He should have skipped today, darn it. However, Charlie never skipped, he never deliberately broke any rules. Willy accepted this as part of Charlie's good nature, which he cherished, but still tempted the boy every chance that he got. The Bucket family's objections to his attempts at corruption only caused Wonka amusement. There was more than age to their differences.
His thoughts were disturbed by the second bell of the day. Gathering his things, he was the last to leave the room. "Sorry, Mr. Albert, I'll make sure to be on time tomorrow."
Mr. Albert grinned amiably, "Son, I'm still amazed that you ever leave that fantastic factory! I'm sure I'd end up like that German boy if I ever visited. I'd eat EVERYTHING! You're doing just fine. Just don't ever miss my biology class, O.K.?"
"O.K." chuckled Charlie. He could tell that Mr. Albert was a kid at heart, that's probably why he never faulted Mr. Wonka or Charlie. "But you know that Mr. Wonka has always wanted to talk to you about biology."
"You don't say!" exclaimed the Science teacher.
"Yes, he thinks the curriculum is leaving too much out." Charlie said.
"Why, I had no idea that someone who made chocolate knew anything about biology! I'd be honored to listen to his thoughts on the matter. Provided he brought samples of his candy with him of course. Now you get along before you're late to your next class." said Mr. Albert glancing at his watch.
"Yes sir!" chuckled Charlie. He really liked Mr. Albert, he bet Willy would too if he ever met him.
Out in the hall, Charlie heard people chanting, "Cat Fight! Cat Fight!" Charlie's mother had taught him better than to shout that when two girls had a dispute. It was rude and sexist. However, today his classmates would be right because there, in the middle of the cafeteria, were the three transformed students tackling each other with springy jumps and loud mewling sounds.
"Rawwl!" came an excited sound from Jessica. Her face was much more cat-like than it had been before class and her hands had become more like paws. Each of her fingers spread out, displaying the long claws that now replaced her perfect manicure.
"Hissss!" a very angry hiss spitted from Sima. Her jeans and cotton T-shirt now had slashes across them, though there were no signs of blood. Her tail now reached the floor and was twitching madly.
Lastly, was Ellsworth, whose entire body had gone black with the exception of his lavender-colored cat-eyes. He seemed to be trying to keep the girls separated, which was succeeding in only aggravating them further. Ellsworth seemed to be struggling to keep his humanity in tact as well, occasionally shaking his head and squinting. He looked over at Charlie in dismay, "Heeelp Usss", came out his strangled voice.
At this point the counselors and school security had arrived. "Good God! We're not trained to deal with werewolves!" exclaimed Coach Palmer in horror.
"The antidote!" shouted Charlie "Take the antidote!"
"You mean YOU did this to them!" shouted Ms. Kane, who had come to join the group surrounding the spectacle.
"The candy never did this before! I had no idea that this could happen." Charlie looked apologetic and frightened at the same time. Maybe he should call Willy on his special watch.