Warning 2,000+ words of horribly edited schloppity schlop ahead.
I apologize greatly...
"And that is the story of how I was named. Now so long, goodbye, don't let the door hit you on the way out!" The young inventor opened the door and with an over exaggerated bow he pointed his hand outward. The Lorax stared at him with a feigned wounded expression.
"Come on kid, don't be like that! You only explained your name, not the guitar or why you only go by your last name." Once-ler face palmed and slowly dragged his hand down his face.
"Do you really need to know all of that? All you asked was what my name was, not my entire life's story." He scowled at the Lorax stomping over to the table to grab the remaining pancakes, and set the outside for the rest of the woodland creatures.
"It's the least you can do, after you barge into my forest and, cut down one of my trees!" The young man's cheeks flushed with annoyance at the guardian's accusation.
"Did I really just hear 'the least I can do' after you attempted to push me down a waterfall!?" He fumed throwing his usual outfit of dark and light gray striped pants, white shirt, and gray vest onto his bed, "The least you can do is get out of my tent and let me sell thneeds in peace!" The Once-ler stepped out of his bunny pajamas and quickly dressed.
"I don't know why you continually go into that town trying to sell that tree killing hack of a knitting job only to get pelted with rotten fruit!"
The young inventor paused at his door and turned around to face the Lorax. All of his anger had dissipated with that one phrase and was replaced with a look that made it seem like he was vividly remembering a bad memory. The tree guardian mentally kicked himself in the butt for what he had said knowing how sensitive the lanky man was about his invention. Before the Lorax could apologize Once-ler was already closing the door softly behind him.
"You've really gone and done it this time Lorax." He sighed hopping down from the table and exiting the now empty tent.
~.~.~.~
The ride into town seemed quieter than usual. Melvin looked back worriedly at his master sensing the depressed aura.
Am I really doing what's right? He asked himself carelessly plucking away at his guitar.
Or is the Lorax right? Should I really just leave the forest cause I can't sell my 'hack of a knitting job'? Once-ler's hand toyed with the thneed around his neck thinking of the week he decided to leave home...
"After everything, I have ever done for you and you go and pull this bull crap?"
May Once-ler's voice was barely above a whisper but, her eyes conveyed her true feelings, they were outraged that her youngest son was leaving to try and sell his useless invention. Once-ler could feel his will to argue slowly dwindle under his mothers gaze. It had taken him eight years, eight long years to gather up every ounce of courage that he had to tell his mother he was leaving to follow a dream she had constantly shot down most of his life.
Once-ler began stuttering looking everywhere but at his mom, "M-ma it's just that it's been my dream to do this for a really long time. If you would just..." His mother held up a manicured hand silencing her son, "Just don't Once-ler. Leave here."
"But, Ma-"
She took a step towards the raven haired man the full force of her rage appearing on her face, "JUST GET OUT OF HERE LIAM ONCE-LER!"
Shock instantly registered on the woman's face at what she had just screamed. Her son equally in shock at the name he hadn't heard in eight years. May rubbed her eyes tiredly as if trying to fight back tears. She crumpled into the chair behind her, seeming smaller than her son had ever seen her. Once-ler went to his mothers side observing her with worried eyes.
"Oncie you listen to me and you listen to me carefully. Leave and don't come back, don't call, don't even write, until you think you have built something to make your mama proud. Are we clear?" It took a minute for Once-ler to process what he had just heard. His heart leapt and sank all at the same time, his mother had accepted him leaving but it was at the cost of him possibly never seeing his family again if he truly did fail.
"I said do you understand me boy?"
"Yes, Ma I do. I promise, I'll make you proud."
"Don't make promises you can't keep. Now pack your stuff, you leave tomorrow." Once-ler slowly got up from his mom's side without a word and headed up stairs. Tomorrow would be his proving day...
Once-ler was pulled out of his memories by Melvin kicking the seat of the wagon, "What?"Once-ler looked around noticing that they had reached their destination. The inventor hopped off of the wagon a new sense of optimism filling him. "Don't worry Melvin, that orange meatloaf isn't going to get me down. I'll make Ma proud."
~.~.~.~
The Lorax moped around the forest thinking about the beanpole of a man.
Geez does he really have to be so sensitive? All I did was state the truth. He sighed continuing with his days duties. He checked up on the bar-ba-loots playing and eating under the truffula trees, the humming fish were splashing about playing a game of tag in the river, and the swamee-swans were circled around a new-born hatchling.
By the time the Lorax finished his days rounds, it was nearly time for the entrepreneur to return back to his tent. The mustached guardian walked back over to the abode and sat in front of it, waiting for him. It was a couple minutes before he heard the familiar sound of Melvin trotting through the forest and also Once-ler strumming away happily on his guitar. As they came into sight Once-ler waved at the Lorax, a lazy smile on his face. Lorax waved back warily wondering why he was in such a good mood. The thneed was still swung around his neck meaning he hadn't sold it so, the guardian ruled that out as a source to the man's happiness. He was also covered in red spots showing that he had in fact, been trying to sell his invention that day. Nothing seemed to add up in the Lorax's head.
"Uhh hey there kid, how was selling thneeds today?"
"The usual went out, did my thing, got pelted with rotten fruit. But, hey I just gotta' keep on trying right!"
Once-ler practically skipped inside of his tent, further confusing the Lorax. He quickly followed behind the man settling into the same seat he had sat in that morning, "So, kid if everything went the same as usual why are you in such a good mood?"
"Because I didn't let your words get me down man, all of this failure is just setting me up for a bigger success and, all I gotta' do is wait." Once-ler tossed his soiled clothing in the hamper and changed into a fresh pair feeling better than he had in days.
"Look Beanpole, I'm sorry about what I said this morning, it was completely uncalled for. You don't have-" Once-ler held up a hand from the stove cutting off the Lorax mid sentence, "Don't say another word! No need to apologize, you are just another individual who hasn't realized the potential of my thneed!"
He now sat down across from the Lorax, a warm cup of tea in his hands. His optimistic expression fading a little at having decided to recount memories he hadn't thought of in years. He took a deep breath and stared down at his beverage, "It's not the memories are bad or anything, it's just that I didn't see any point in bringing them up again. The past is the past and I just wanted to keep it there." The forest guardian gave a nod of his head showing that he understood Once-ler's reasoning.
"Good, well then let's get started before I change my mind. We left off in the hospital. My father went and named me without my mother's ok and, she was not too happy..."
Mr. Once-ler sat at his wife's bed side staring content at her sleeping face. She was always so wound up, or on edge that seeing her peaceful was a treat. May began stirring, mumbling something in her sleepy daze.
"How's our baby girl Liam?"
The new father gave his wife a half smile trying to figure out whether he should tell her now, or later that they didn't have a baby girl. He finally settled on now while she was still partially under the anesthesia.
"Well darling, you know how we thought you were going to have a girl?" The mother laughed half-heartedly as if the question was a joke.
"What do you mean thought, now's not the time to joke. How's little Mary-Ann Once-ler?" The husband held her hand and began rubbing circles on her palm.
"I'm not joking sweetie, we had a baby boy, and I named him this amazing name! He's-" Mrs. Once-ler snatched her hand from her husbands and put it over his mouth shushing him. She had bolted straight up and was now fully awake.
"Liam Once-ler we did not have a boy, a woman's intuition is always right plus, we already bought all of the clothes." She narrowed her eyes at him but, he easily dismissed the glare with a smile. He removed her hand from his mouth and held it in his own continuing what he was saying previously.
"Well we're going to have to exchange the clothes cause we had the most wonderful baby boy named Stirling Once-ler." Liam let out in a rush the smile still upon his face. May's face turned redder by the second her eyes narrowing more and more till she was squinting at her husband.
"You named him what!? What kind of name is Stirling!" She groaned plopping back down into the hospital sheets, "Out of all the things for you to screw up, why our child's name?"
Liam's smile faltered at his wife's reaction, though he wasn't too surprised at it, she usually didn't like anything that wasn't approved by her first. He cleared his throat about to answer her question when the hospital room door swung open to reveal the bouncy nurse that had led the father to the delivery room.
"Oh good you're awake Mrs. Once-ler! Is everything all right?" The nurse asked her voice fading, as she noticed the tension in the room. May turned her glare from her husband to the nurse.
"No-"
"Yes, everything is going absolutely wonderful Nurse! I was just about to get you so, I can ask if we can see Stirling." The man interjected.
The nurse looked between the couple questioningly for a second before nodding her head, "Of course, I'll be back in a jiffy!"
She closed the door behind her leaving the couple in silence. A couple minutes later the door reopened with the nurse carrying a cooing bundle of blue. May replaced her angry expression with an excited parent look as she took the baby into her arms. Liam inwardly smirked at his wife's ability to spit venom one second then, look absolutely elated the next.
"Oh Liam just look at him! He's so precious. A shame we're going to have to return the dresses and bows though." She commented with a short laugh, throwing a sideways glance at her husband. Liam ignored it, staring down at his son in wonder as he trailed a finger down his cheek.
"Isn't he just a spitting image of me? Let's hope he got some of my talent too."
"Though not to much now. We need a farm worker not a guitar player. Then, Stirling what a name." The mother shot back smiling as the child yawned. Liam scoffed at the jab and continued staring down at his son.
"He can be whatever he wants to be as long as he's happy. Stirling will always be a wonderful name."
May kept her lips pursed humphing at the statement. Liam had won the argument, for now.
I'm just really sorry...
Don't want to lie to you guys but I really don't know when I'll get the next chapter up.
There's supposed to be one more chapter but, the will to write it is few and far between.
I apologize 100x over and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the lovely reviews, follows, and favorites!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Lorax or any characters used in it.