AN: Thank you for the comment and watches everybody! I appreciate it! :)
"When you're alone, life can be a little rough. It makes you feel like you're three feet tall." - Walter, The Muppets
Chapter Two
The Once-Ler stared at the horizon. He strummed his guitar up and down, humming along to his own, jumbled up melody. The birds were singing, the sun was setting, and it was the perfect place for an afternoon nap.
Of course, a tree wasn't always the most comfortable thing to nap in.
The Once-Ler took out a tupperware box and opened it up. He pulled out a note and read it out loud to himself, "Dear Son, I'm sorry I'm still not back. Hopefully this will make up for it. Dad." He let out a wistful sigh, and reached in. He found a large white glob.
"What the-"
He looked at the letter again, seeing if some clarification was given. He found something scrawled at the bottom. "I don't know if you've ever had one of these. It's a marshmallow. This is a pretty big one, but I feel it's appropriate because you're becoming such a big man. How tall are you now? Haha, but, again son, I just hope you know I believe in you and that you can do anything you dream of. I know your mom can be a little doubtful and hesitant on your thneed idea, but I think its great. Just remember I love you."
The Once-Ler smiled from ear to ear. He took another look out at the horizon, and then another at the marshmallow. He scruffled his hair and slapped on his old man's fedora. His family was probably eating dinner now, his two brothers laughing about one of their idiotic games they made up today, their mom laughing along with them. The Once-Ler wished that just once his mom would show interest in what he had to say. She probably wasn't even worried about where he was right now.
The Once-Ler placed the marshmallow in both of his hands, thought about his dad way off somewhere else, and whispered:
"Happy birthday to me."
He took a bite of the marshmallow, and his face lit up.
"THIS IS AMAZING!" His arms flew up into the air, and he let out a hearty laugh. "Thanks, Pop." He tipped his cap to his invisible father.
He looked down at his baby donkey, Melvin. "Well, Melvin," he started, "since I'm fifteen now, it's about time I started thinking about leaving this place." He waited for the empty response from his pet. "I mean, look at the beautiful world that's in front of me! Unless I leave, it's just gonna stay the same, and no one will know how wonderful my thneed is!"
Melvin only stared at him. Even though the Once-Ler was on his own, his imagination and dreams made up for his petty and superficial family members.
"Just think, Melvin, by this time when I'm an adult, people will be begging me for a thneed! It'll be great."
"What the fuck is that?" The grown-up Once-Ler heard from across the middle of town.
The Once-Ler straightened himself up and positioned his guitar perfectly on his shoulders. No way he was going to mess this up. Tomorrow was his birthday, and he remembered that promise he made with Melvin years ago. He looked at his "trusty steed" and gave a tip of the hat. He began his song, "Everybody needs a thneeeeeeeeeeed!"
He began to get attention from the townsfolk. Yes, yes this is good.He thought to himself. He continued to play, smiling and interacting with the crowd. After a while though, their faces began to deflate and they walked away. He was getting discouraged, but he didn't lose hope.
Eventually, they returned, but now they had something in their hands.
God, no.
SPLAT.
"Son of a bitch!" The Once-Ler fell to the ground, a tomato stuck in his eye. "Why would you do that?" He began to cry softly, making sure nobody heard him. He globbed the tomato out of his eyes and straightened. He heaved a big sigh and rose. "Okay, here it goes," he looked up to begin playing his song again, but everyone had left.
"Fuck. Nobody wants a thneed." He crashed down on the ground. He pulled a blue piece of paper out of his pocket.
I think it's great.
"If dad thinks it's great, why doesn't everyone else?" He adjusted his fedora, and took out a cigar. He knew smoking was a terrible habit, but it really took the load off. He lit it up and placed it in his mouth, his lips wrapped around the brown stick of smoke.
"I'm sorry about that."
The Once-Ler turned around to see the girl who was at the diner. He finally got to get a good look at her. She was short, maybe five feet two, she had brown wavy hair that went down past her shoulders. She wore a yellow flower in her hair, and her brown eyes looked forgiving and understanding. She had a necklace on that had a gold heart. She was wearing a sundress.
"It's fine," he replied, puffing out a grey cloud.
"No, it's not! That guy assaulted you!" She stepped onto the tiny stage. "What is that thing anyways?"
"Were you not listening to my song?" He asked, taking the cigar out of his mouth.
Her cheeks became a deep red. She didn't want to tell him that she was more focused on his smile and blue eyes than what he had to sell.
"I was, but..." She laughed. "You didn't get very much out."
He scratched the back of his neck. "I guess you're right." He looked around. "Where's the big lug who was with you? I haven't been called a queer in a while."
"Oh, Robert? He left. I'm meeting him tonight."
"I'm really sorry, but if he's your boyfriend, you're dating a real jackass." The Once-Ler grinned slightly. He had no problem with telling it like it was.
She made a straight face. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me." She looked at his cigar. "How old are you? Evidently old enough to buy cigars."
He placed it in his mouth, grinning. "Twenty-one. I'm turning twenty-two tomorrow. You look young."
"Happy birthday!" She chimed. "And I'm nineteen!" She lied. She didn't want him to know that she was just a little annoying kid.
"Oh, so do you want to sneak into a bar or something? Celebrate my birthday, perhaps?" He smiled.
"I don't know... maybe not tonight. I've got things to do."
"Right, you're hanging with your boyfriend." He looked disappointed.
"I'll tell you what," she giggled, "meet me here tomorrow and give you a gift."
"You don't know me, though." He raised an eyebrow.
"I know," she pulled out her pockets. "I have no money today." She looked down at his pink object. "How much is your... thneed?"
His face lit up, and he dropped his cigar. "You want to buy my thneed?" He threw his arms in the air. "That would be a great birthday gift!" He ran over to Melvin and unroped him. "Be sure to be here tomorrow! Don't be joking around!" He was jumping up and down like a little kid. "Hey, and think about going to the bar tomorrow! You're the only person I've met around these parts, and it would be nice to actually spend my birthday with someone for a change."
She caught up to him as he walked away. "Wait... I don't think we should go to a bar. You should celebrate your birthday some other way!" She grinned, she was trying to make an excuse to go anywhere but the bar, which she knew she would not get into. "We should have a picnic! Right outside town."
The Once-Ler felt a bit strange having an intimate picnic with a girl he barely knew, (who had a boyfriend. The Once-Ler was no two timer), but since he was starting a new life, he figured he would have to make friends some way.
"That sounds good. I'll bring marshmallows," he chimed with a chuckle.
"Awesome. And you never told me how expensive those thneeds were."
He threw it around his shoulder. "$3.95." He jumped onto the back of his cart. "See ya later..."
"Norma!"
"Awesome name!" He called out. "See ya later, Norma!"
Norma smiled and turned around to walk away. "Ouch!" She yelped. She looked down at the ground and saw the Once-Ler dropped cigar. Making sure nobody was looking, she grabbed the cigar and placed it in her mouth. She coughed a bit from the smoke she had never tasted before. Smiling smugly, she began to walk away, a puff of smoke following behind.
"No reason not to put this to good use."
A fire brewed outside of the young Once-Ler's house. He sat on a log a safe distance away. A year had passed since he turned fifteen, and he was still waiting for his father to show up. He received another box from the old man, but it sat on another log a few feet from him. He waited to open it up, with the slight chance that his father might be there to open it with him.
grabbing a marshmallow from the bag, and a stick from the ground, he placed the marshmallow on the stick. He placed it in the fire in an attempt to make it golden brown. Wait 'til it smokes he thought to himself. Over the springtime he practiced roasting marshmallows, and he had gotten pretty good at it.
An hour passed.
"Dad, your gift better be good this year." The Once-Ler grabbed the box and ripped it open. "A cigar?" He lifted it out. "And, a lighter!" He laughed at his own father's ridiculousness in giving a sixteen year old a cigar. "Dear son," he read aloud, "you're even a year closer to being a grown man. And every man or classy human being knows how to smoke a cigar properly. Use this one as practice. Hopefully one day the two of us will get to smoke a few next to the camp fire, like we used to sing songs. I love you, and I'll be back soon. Dad."
The Once-Ler began to tear up. He was convinced that his dad was never coming back. Every year it was the same thing - "I'll see you soon." "Coming home as soon as I can." "I love you and you are worth it."
If he was so worth it, then why wasn't his dad there to watch him be the amazing kid he was told he was?
The Once-Ler started the lighter and lit the cigar. He put it in his mouth and began to cough. "This tastes like crap!" He yelled. A few bits of smoke came out of his mouth. "Hehe, cool," he said, watching the rising smoke. "Shall I try it again, Melvin?" He looked at his donkey. "If you say so!" He sucked in another cloud of grey and blew it out. He leaned back against the pile of wood.
"Ahhhh, I could get used to you, my little friend. Hopefully one day I can share you with pop. Or at least someone who cares enough to show up for my birthday."
He looked up at the clear night sky, the stars twinkling bright and fierce.
He gave a long, tired sigh.
"Happy birthday to me."
