Chapter 2 - What Happened After the Tour

Author's note: Hey everyone, I'm back! I see that I received some reviews for the first chapter, so I'll respond to them right now.

JOHNHAMMOND1993, I'm glad you liked the first chapter. As for the answer to your question, you'll find out shortly!

TheIndividualist, Veruca has indeed changed. You'll find out in this chapter how it came to be. :)

XXCandyLoverXX, that's actually my favorite part as well. You'll find out the answers to your questions as the story progresses.

Linkwonka88, I'm glad you like it so far. As for stories involving Charlie and Violet, I'm sure dragonserpent18 has a few that will be satisfying to you.

Softkitty55, you'll find out what's in store for the two of them soon! Now, on with the story! :)

~Veruca's POV~

It took a few seconds for me to realize that the boy I was talking to was really Charlie Bucket. He sure looked different than he did during the tour.

His body was no longer frail and skinny like it used to be. Instead, he was of a healthy build, and he stood about half a head taller than me, even though I recently went through a growth spurt myself. His hair was still chocolate brown, but it was a tad longer than before. He styled it into a bob, just like Willy Wonka. His olive-green eyes looked just as curious and lively as they did when I first saw him two years ago.

"So, uh, Veruca," Charlie said, "I'm just curious as to what brought you here, of all places. Is your family on vacation, or something?"

"We actually moved here," I told him. "It's a long story, though. Ever since those bloody squirrels sent me tumbling down the rubbish chute, I realized how much of a fool I had been for my entire life until then. My parents realized this as well, and they became more strict towards me. I guess that's what happens when spoiled, rich people are thrown away with the rubbish. The problem is, the rubbish that I was thrown into was so rotten and disgusting that not even a bath could wash away the smell. It definitely helped to suppress it, and it is nearly gone, but as far as I know, it might never fade away completely." I turned my back to Charlie and looked down at the ground, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"I can't smell anything, don't worry," Charlie said. "Then again, the garbage chute in the Nut Sorting Room probably smells a hundred times worse than that, and I have to check on the squirrels daily, with a little help from the Oompa Loompas. Therefore, I'm used to the smell by now." I hesitantly turned around to face him.

"That makes me feel slightly better," I said with a smile. "But even though you can't smell anything, my mother, as well as all the maids and butlers who lived in our mansion, could sense the smell that followed Daddy and me wherever we went. We became the laughingstock of Buckinghamshire, and that damaged our reputation so much that Daddy had to sell his nut business to someone else, as well as our home. As if that wasn't bad enough, my parents' marriage quickly turned sour, and my mom filed for divorce. I did love her, but she wasn't nearly as involved in my life as Daddy was. Daddy would get me anything I wanted, and she would just sit around, drinking wine. Daddy decided that a change of lifestyle was in order, for my own good, as well as his. He searched all across North America for work, and he managed to land a well-paying job at a nut factory about fifteen miles away from here, with plenty of opportunities for advancement. Nobody there seems to be bothered by the smell that lingers around him, so I'd say that we are good for at least the next little while. I guess I've said enough about myself now. How's life been going for you, Charlie?"

"Well, I'm sure you remember how it said on the Golden Tickets that one of the winners will receive a special prize beyond your wildest imagination," Charlie said. "The reason Mr. Wonka held the contest was actually so that he could find an heir to the factory." I stared at him, dumbfounded.

"You mean, you're the heir to Wonka's factory? You live there now?"

"Yes," Charlie said quietly. "I am. Willy Wonka sent out five Golden Tickets to invite five children to the factory, and the one who behaved the best would be the winner."

"Way to go, Charlie," I said warmly. "You deserved it."

"Thank you," Charlie replied. "Out of the other four children, you definitely seem to have improved the most. However, the others have gotten better as well, according to when I last called them two weeks ago. After what Augustus had been through, he quit eating candy for more than a year, and now he only eats a small amount once per day. Violet is still chewing gum, although her mother is no longer cheering on her like she used to. Also, her skin returned to its normal color, but she's still very flexible. As for Mike, he still plays video games and watches TV, albeit for shorter amounts of time. He's become more physically active, and in fact, he's now involved in the track and field team at his school. He also shrunk back to his normal height within a week."

"I'm glad to hear that everything has turned out for the better," I said. "If I wouldn't have gone on impulse and attempted to grab one of Mr. Wonka's squirrels, I could have won the grand prize. However, I'm still very glad it was you, considering you came from such humble beginnings."

"Veruca, I would say thank you, but I really don't like bragging about my newfound status, or how I 'rose up' from where I was," Charlie told me. "All I want is to be a person who contributes to the world in a good way."

"As do I," I replied. "You wouldn't have caught me dead saying those three words just two years ago, but here I am, and I said them. So, Charlie, what shall we do now?"

"Would you like me to show you around the factory again, to see the recent changes that have taken place?" Charlie said, pressing his thumb against a nearby fingerprint scanner, and the enormous iron gates that led into the courtyard slowly began to open. "I'd be more than happy to do so. Besides, I can see you're not wearing gloves or mittens. Your fingers must be freezing."

I simply nodded, and we began to walk across the courtyard towards the wall with the three entrance doors. The gates slowly closed behind us with a loud clang. Once we reached the doors, Charlie placed his hand on a scanner, and the door in the middle automatically opened for us to enter.

"No creepy puppet show this time? Thank goodness," I said, feeling immensely relieved. "I've been having nightmares about it, as well as the squirrel attack, for at least three months after I came back home from the tour."

Charlie laughed. "Don't worry, Veruca, there's none of that this time. You'll enjoy what's to come, I'm sure." As soon as he finished his sentence, the door closed behind us, sealing us from the outside world.

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have any ideas as to where Charlie and Veruca should go, don't hesitate to leave a few in the comments. I'll be busy over the weekend, so I probably won't be publishing the next chapter until Sunday or Monday. Stay tuned for that. :)