Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or any of its characters. They remain the property of Tim Burton and Warner Bros. I also don't own the songs; they belong to Roald Dahl (RIP) and Danny Elfman.

Author's note: My first CATCF fic, based on the 2005 movie. Mike is my favourite character from the book and the film (ask anyone who knows me!) and there aren't many Mike fics out there, so I thought I'd write his first 'full-length feature' one. R&R please!

1

"Hi, Mike!" Claire said airily as she made her way to French. Mike glanced at her, half-smiled and walked on.
"What did you do that for?" Daniel asked as he nudged Mike in the side. Mike shook him off in annoyance, averting his eyes in the opposite direction. "She clearly likes you! She's been talking to you in…in that way that girls do."
"Yeah, because you'd know," Mike said sarcastically, "Why don't you just get lost?"
Daniel made pleading, puppy-dog eyes, "Because I'm your friend."
"Only by a series of bizarre and unfortunate coincidences."
Daniel looked blank; Mike sighed, "Never mind."
"You know, uh," Daniel said after a few minutes silence, "The school dance is coming up."
"How incredibly observant of you."
"Well, you're dateless at the moment-"
"So are you!" Mike interrupted – he hated being reminded that he'd never had a girlfriend, despite not particularly wanting one.
"I was just wondering if you would…y'know…ask a certain girl whose name begins with 'C'…"
Mike shot yet another withering look, "Your futility confounds me."
"Thanks!"
Mike shook his head and pushed open the door for Science. He took up his usual seat in the middle of the room, and Daniel took up his, right next to him. Mike automatically got out his notepad and a pencil and started doodling, not bothering to stop when Ms Endres stalked into the room. The class descended into a silence, interrupted only by Ms Endres telling them that they were about to study electromagnets and the occasional whisper, one of which was Daniel's. He leaned over to Mike and hissed, "I know you like her."
"Who? Ms Endres? Please tell me this is your idea of a joke."
"No! Claire!"
"Who?" Mike feigned ignorance, "Oh, Claire. No, not really. I mean, she's not unattractive, but…"
"Oh, go on!" Daniel pleaded, "She's going to call you anyway, you might as well at least talk to her."
Mike scoffed, "How can she call me? She doesn't have my number, you fool."
Daniel looked down at his book, pushed his glasses a little further up his nose and gulped. Mike looked over at him.
"You gave her my number?"
"I thought you'd wanna talk to her!"
"I can't believe how stupid you are!"
"Boys!" Ms Endres barked, "Please settle down."
Daniel sat upright and started making notes of everything Ms Endres told them about polar attraction. Mike sighed and went back to his doodling; he knew everything there was to know about magnets, anyway.

As he sketched faint lines with his pencil, Mike's mind wandered in the direction of girls, Claire in particular. What if Daniel had been right? What if Claire did like him? Did that mean his acerbic, repellant attitude hadn't worked? He'd always tried so hard to be a loner, like a wolf. Someone who needs no one. Although, there was Daniel. And his parents, of course, he wouldn't be anything without them. And now Claire. It was all a bit much for Mike to take in. He began printing letters with his pencil, just underneath his sketchings.
"Michael!" Mike looked up at Ms Endres, "You are not paying attention…yet again!"
Mike propped his head up with one hand and fidgeted with his pencil with the other, "And?"
Ms Endres tilted her head to one side, "So you could easily tell me what has the shortest wavelength on the electromagnetic spectrum."
"Gamma." He said bluntly.
"OK then, wise-guy," Ms Endres said, clearly flustered at Mike's knowledge, "which waves carry energy?"
"Radio, micro, x-ray and gamma," he replied, punctuating with a yawn.
"After school detention for you, Mr Teavee!"
"What the hell for?"
"For…for being cheeky. Get on with your work before I give you another one."
Mike curled his lip and looked down at his notepad. His eyes widened with shock; somehow he had managed to doodle a picture of Claire and written her name underneath without realizing it. He quickly covered it with his arms, but from the look on Daniel's face, it was too late. Mike peeked under his left arm and saw a series of numbers written in Daniel's handwriting followed by the words 'call her'. Mike swallowed; this was way out of his depth.