A/N: Here's my new chapter! I am aware of the fact that Sasha hasn't been a very three-dimensional character. She does get a bit more real near the end, but to keep people reading, I'm diverting a bit more from the movie.

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is Sasha.

We went by boat on the river to get to the next room. When the rowing Oompa-Loompa's started laughing it was kind of unnerving, but it was just from being hyper on chocolate, according to our host.

"All aboard!' called Mr Wonka. Most of the other kids pushed in front of everyone else. I ended up near the back, quite near Charlie, actually. That, I thought, was a really good thing, because at least it wasn't near Violet and her chewing gum, who I had already had enough of.

Mr Wonka started making a speech for the second time about the waterfall, word for word. He had said it before, when we entered the Chocolate Room. "You know, no other factory in the world-"

"You already said that." Veruca snapped. Well, she could have put it more politely, but it made me giggle. Veruca looked at me and suddenly gave an unexpected real smile. It made me like her more than the other children. I already disliked Augustus and hated Violet. Mike didn't say much, so I couldn't think about him. And although I initially disliked Veruca, I think if I tried to get under her spoilt-brat exterior, she might seem quite nice.

There was a pause before Mr Wonka suddenly said "You're all quite short, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah. We're children." Violet said.

I grinned. "Hey, Violet. You're not really a child, are you?"

"I'm only eleven." she glared back. "Like I was saying, we're supposed to be short at this age."

"Well, that's no excuse. I was never as short as you." Mr Wonka answered her.

"You were once." Mike told him.

"Was not!" Mr Wonka argued childishly. "Know why? Cause I distinctly remember putting a hat on top of my head. Look at your short little arms. They could never reach."

Again, ouch. And again, I couldn't shut up. "Well, the population is getting shorter again, after getting taller for so long. Maybe top hats will be in fashion for short people." Wow, I really have the 'can't shut up' gene. And it's not like my remark was mature, either. I felt SO annoyed at myself for saying that. I quickly amended "What I mean is, that they look cool on anyone now. Maybe they'll just be more accessible for short-armed people in the future."

"Do you remember what it was like being a kid?" Charlie added to my comment.

"Oh, boy do I!" sighed Mr Wonka, spacing out again.

I took this opportunity to begin a conversation with Charlie. I learnt that he was actually nine years old, and he had won the Golden Ticket as a fluke after finding some money in the gutter. His family wasn't that well off, but they managed to be a happy family most of the time. I began to like Charlie more. He might have been shy and unable to stick up for himself, but he seemed sweet.

Then we went into a tunnel, and a crazy log flume-type ride began right on the beautiful boat. We passed a lot of things, but we at last came to a place called the Invention Room.

In this, we were shown some weird-in-a-good-way inventions. Toffee that made hair grow that was currently too strong, as shown by an Oompa-Loompa with hair all over. I liked the idea, but I don't like toffee, so I probably would stick with hair extensions when I start losing hair, if I do.

We found out about "Everlasting Gobstoppers" but that seems a pretty hard thing to test. The Gobstopper will never be able to be known to the world, unless a time for it to start getting smaller will come. I managed not to say as much, though.

The Invention Room was the scene of the second demise. Mr Wonka showed us chewing gum that was a simulation of a three-course dinner.

"Wow! Amazing!" I gasped.

"It sounds great." said Charlie's...grandfather, I assumed.

"It sounds weird." Veruca said decidedly.

"Sounds like my kind of gum." Violet said thoughtfully. She took out her original gum and stuck it back behind her ear, taking the other gum.

"I'd rather you didn't," Mr Wonka protested "There's still one or two things_"

"I'm the world record holder in chewing gum. I'm not afraid of anything." Violet said scornfully. She began chewing the gum.

"How is it, honey?" Her mom asked.

"It's amazing!" gasped Violet. "Tomato soup! I can feel it running down my throat!"

"Yeah, spit it out." Mr Wonka said.

Charlie's grandfather spoke. "Young lady, I think you'd better-"

"It's changing!" Violet interrupted. "Roast beef and baked potato! With crispy skin and butter!"

"Keep chewing, kiddo! My little girl's gonna be the first person in the world to have a chewing-gum meal!" Violet's mother said proudly. I felt a little sorry for Violet then. It sounded like her mom was pretty irresponsible. But what's wrong with this gum anyway, I wondered. It seemed okay.

"Yeah." Mr Wonka said. "I'm just a little concerned about the-"

"Blueberry pie and ice cream!" gasped Violet.

"That part."

Veruca stared at Violet suddenly. "What's happening to her nose?"

"It's turning blue." observed Mr Salt.

We all looked. A spot on the middle of Violet's nose matched her name. It's violet. And the colour was spreading.

I immediately worried about the girl, even though I detested her. "Violet, quick, stop chewing! It's making your skin change colour! Who knows what else it could be doing." I said urgently.

"Why should I believe you?" Violet challenged. "I know you hate me."

"But Violet-"

"Your whole nose has gone purple." Violet's mom interrupted anxiously.

"What do you mean?" Violet asked, touching her nose, taking her mom more seriously than me. The colour spread to her forehead.

"Violet, you're turning violet!" screamed Ms Beauregarde. She glared at Mr Wonka. "What's happening?" she yelled.

"Well, I told you I hadn't quite got it right, cause it goes a little funny when it gets to the dessert." Mr Wonka explained nervously. "It's the blueberry pie that does it. I'm terribly sorry..." He ducked down behind the gum machine.

The colour was spreading rapidly now. Violet's face, her hand, even her hair was indigo.

"Mother," she asked, "What's happening to me?" We all backed away. I'm actually sympathetic. Violet might be a complete bitch, but I didn't think she deserved this.

The colour even showed through her blue jumpsuit. And then she started blowing up, like she was a balloon.

"Like a blueberry." whispered Charlie. And in ten seconds, the originally slim gum-chewer was ten times the size Augustus Gloop was. And she kept growing.

"I've tried it on like twenty Oompa-Loompas and each one ended up as a blueberry." Violet's mom jumped. None of us had noticed Mr Wonka was back with us.

"It's just weird." He smirked a bit.

"But I can't have a blueberry as a daughter!" cried Ms Beauregarde. "How is she supposed to compete?"

I couldn't be quiet with that. "With all due respect," I said to her, "But your daughter could be seriously hurt for the rest of her life and competing is all you can think about?"

"You could put her in a county fair." Veruca added, smirking.

Suddenly a riff music played. It sounded like...Sixties disco rock. A group of Oompa Loompas appeared. Sounded like they liked the same decade of music as me. "Yeah, yeah." they sang. It looked like Violet was going to get a song too. And I would listen to the lyrics this time.

"Listen close, listen hard, the tale of Violet Beauregarde" the song began.

The Oompa Loompas turned to the left and slowly swept their left arm down. Then they turned to the right and did the same thing.

They kept dancing throughout the song.

I softly sang along to the last chorus. "Chewing, chewing all day long, chewing, chewing all day long, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing all day long."

After the song ended Mr Wonka spoke to one Oompa Loompa. "I want you to roll Miss Beauregarde into the boat and take her along to the Juicing Room at once." The Oompa Loompa signalled 'okay'.

"The Juicing Room?" cried Violet's mom. "What are they gonna do to her there?"

"They're gonna squeeze her. Like a little pimple-we have to squeeze all that juice out of her immediately." explained Mr Wonka.

Ms Beauregarde ran after her daughter, who was calling her anyway. To tell the truth, I was starting to like Mr Wonka. He was kind of crazy, forget that, completely crazy, but he was likeable. To me, at least.