Chapter 50
Fireworks
Rated: T
Warnings: Willy/OC, Fluff, Language
Theme songs for chapter: "Astronauts" By One EskimO
[1] "Whisper of a Thrill" By Thomas Newman. (Piano version, can be found on Jybh012's Youtube channel)
Random AIC trivia: There was originally another character called Anne in the first drafts. She was a lovable character with blonde hair, brown eyes and a brain the size of a walnut and I actually grew quite fond of her. Until I realized that I counted wrong. There were only supposed to be 5 characters instead of 6. So I had to choose between her and Kim and Kim won. As it turns out, it is I who has a brain the size of a walnut.
A/N: Whoaa. I'm super-duper sorry for the late update! I have half an excuse, okay? As I mentioned at the end of my last chapter, my charger was broken and my battery was dying etc. I didn't expect for it to take quite so long to get a new charger and by the time I had, I didn't have access to the internet due to moving houses recently. So yeah. But like I said, that's only half an excuse because really I've just been procrastinating a lot. But on a good note it was my birthday, so you know, a review would be a good birthday gift... D (Even though it was almost a month ago... shush) But yes, I'm sorry for the late update. Every time I went to write, I would just hit this wall. So to make it up for you, here's a really long chapter with a lot of fluff and fireworks and stuff. Enjoy!
I sat in silence on the cold ground as the sun peeked over the horizon, gradually slipping in through my window and bathing the suitcases that were strewn around me in a warm, muted light.
The silence was thick and the ticking of the clock was ceaseless, a somber reminder of the time I had left here and how it was all slipping out of my grasp. In my head, I could clearly imagine an hourglass, the top almost empty but the stream of sand continuing to fall relentlessly. Unbendingly.
I must have lain in my bed for what seemed like hours, exhausted and weary and yet still unable to fall asleep. No matter how much I tossed and turned, I couldn't quite manage to shut of the inner dialogue for long enough to allow me to get some rest.
Eventually, I gave up and put the restlessness to good use, packing all of my things into the suitcases that were now full, but leaving out all of the things I would be needing for the next few days.
Admittedly, it was a rather depressing process. Yet another reminder, if I needed one, about the goodbyes I would have to say tomorrow. At one point I actually burst out crying, to my shame. Even though no one was around to see it, I promised to punish myself for this moment of weakness later. Weakness never got me anywhere, and so I would have to be strong.
The general atmosphere and mood at breakfast was decidedly subdued and dismal due to the fact that this adventure would soon come to an end.
I made an effort to appear cheerful, to keep the fake smile up but it was a weak attempt and the bleak look in my eyes, my weary disposition painted a different picture.
I made detached comments throughout the meal, hoping to spark conversation but was instead only met with murmured agreements and the occasional laugh.
Even Darcy remained quiet, and although despite the unspoken reconciliation as a result of the incident with the unborn soul, I suspected it was simply because she still didn't like me very much.
I didn't see Mr. Wonka at breakfast, to my disappointment. I imagined he was busy with preparations for the New Years' Eve dinner tonight or maybe with work.
The company gradually dissipated as each finished their breakfast, as did I.
I made for the elevator, my smile dropping as soon as the doors shut.
The day was long and lingering, rendered even more so by the fact that I hadn't seen Mr. Wonka all day, although I reminded myself that I would definitely see him at dinner tonight.
I spent my hours travelling around the factory, visiting rooms that I had not yet seen and taking pictures of each one.
Every one of the rooms contained something new and something completely impossible. Lollipops that changed color every time you licked them, taffy that stretched to unimaginable lengths, actual chocolate birds that chirped and tweeted and that were hatched from eggs, candy floss that was shorn was fluffy pink sheep, golden eggs from golden geese, everything. The Oompa Loompas kindly gave me introductions of each of the room but never answered whenever I asked where Mr. Wonka was. Some of them even posed in the pictures.
I went back to the Guest Rooms at around 6, a few hours before the dinner started, which was at 8:30.
I walked towards my room, but even when I passed my door I continued walking towards the very end, pulling open the glass door and stepping out onto the balcony. I'd always glanced at this place as I went towards my room, but I hadn't actually been out here. I never had reason to. I suppose even now I didn't have much reason, but I was tired of always going back to my room.
I sat myself down onto the snow-covered floor, slipping my legs under the railing and draping my arms over another one of the rails before resting my chin on top of my hands.
The wind that roared in my ears and that whipped my hair against my face was strangely calming. The cold was numbing, bone-chilling but I didn't mind that either. It was almost dark and the sun had just begun to set. It was a breathtaking sight. I was certain at that moment that there was no better view in the world.
The dreary, industrial city below us almost appeared as if it were glistening from this height. The warm illumination of dusk bathed the snowy houses and streets in glowing hues of muted orange and purple as the sun sunk into the distant horizon.
I stared off into the distance as night fell, losing my sense of time. Hours could have passed, but I didn't notice.
A light hand on my shoulder eventually brought me back to reality and I jumped, whirling my head around.
"Willy!" I cried with a grin, disentangling myself from the bars. I went to jump up, but my frozen muscles caused me to stumble into his arms. I laughed, wrapping my arms around his waist.
"Alice! What on God's green earth are ya doin' out here? You'll freeze to death!"
"It's nice out here." I murmured, burying my face in his chest and taking a long, deep breath. "Where were you today?"
"Oh, just organizing this and that." He said vaguely.
"Right." I let go of him with one arm so that I could see the time. It was a bit past 7. "Well, I missed you!"
He giggled and ruffled my hair. "Awh, you're one adorable thingamabob, ya know that?"
"You're really warm."
"No, I'm not. Not really. You're practically a snowman. Let's go inside, shall we?"
We walked down the corridor and into my room.
"So, what's dinner gonna be like?" I asked, sitting on the bed. Willy was eyeing the suitcases on the ground.
"Huh? Oh, no clue. The Oompa Loompas are in charge of that."
"I thought you were organizing the dinner."
"Nope, something else."
"What is it?" I asked.
He grinned slyly, eyes glinting and leant forward with both hands on his cane. My heart hammered.
"The best kind of prize is a surprise." He said smoothly.
I laughed almost anxiously.
"I can think of a better prize."
"And what would that be, my dear?" He challenged.
"You. Wrapped in a bow. Yep, that'd be a pretty good prize." I joked.
He giggled. "About tomorrow-"
"Is it about me leaving?" I cut in.
"Mhm."
"Save it. This is our last night together, Willy. Let's not make it sad."
"You're right." He agreed. I jumped up.
"Well then, I'm going to jump into a shower before the dinner. Feel free to leave if you'd like, or you can stay here and, I dunno, read a book or something."
I went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me and turned on the faucets. The water pelted down and I stuck my hand in to check the temperature before getting in.
Humming to myself lightly, I lathered up the shampoo and rinsed that out before reaching for the soap when I heard a faint noise coming from the bedroom. I frowned.
"What are you doing, Willy?" I yelled over the sound of the water. I heard giggling.
I quickly conditioned my hair, washed my body with soap and shut off the water. Wrapping the towel around me, I opened the bathroom door to find Willy on my laptop.
"That's a funny looking book."
He giggled again, and I heard meowing.
"What were you doing watching cat videos?" He asked. I must have left the tabs open.
"For your information, they are educational, compelling, inspiring documentaries about young cat's behavior around balls of thread." I shut the door again and brushed my teeth when I heard more giggling and stuck my head out the door, toothbrush still in my mouth.
"Look look look! It's dancing!" He erupted into a fit of laughter as if it was the funniest thing he'd seen in his life.
Chuckling, I rinsed out my mouth went out into the bedroom to get my clothes.
I went over to the bag full of the things I would need for today and tomorrow, and fished out the things I would be wearing, bringing them back into the bathroom.
I twisted the cap of the lip-gloss on, pressing my lips together and smiling at the mirror, but at the same time wishing they weren't so small.
I dried my hair and brushed it out, marveling at the feeling of having my old hair back. I'd had to trim my bangs, too. Before, they had rested just below my nose and I didn't really suit having that bit of hair swept back.
I walked backwards a bit so that I could view the outfit as a whole, checking that everything looked right.
Tonight I wore a fairly nice dress the color of a wisteria flower; a pale bluish-lilac, and a coat. Despite the heating, I was cold, but maybe that was simply because I'd just gotten out of the shower.
I came out of the bathroom to find that Mr. Wonka was still on my laptop, giggling like an idiot.
"OOoh, you look magnificent!" He commented with a flourish of hands after closing the laptop.
"You're too kind."
"Yeah, I am." He reached into his coat and pulled out the pocket-watch. "Hm, I hafta go and make the announcement about the whereabouts of the dinner."
He had insisted on keeping it a secret up until now, probably so no one would try and see it before time.
"Sure." I smiled. "Can't wait to see it."
"Dinner will commence in the Snow Room." Mr. Wonka finished over the speakers.
The Snow Room. That sounded interesting.
I left my room and got into the elevator with Kim and Hayden, noticing a bit of fluff on my sleeve. I brushed it off and looked up just as the doors opened. For a second, I almost forgot to breath.
Tentatively, I stepped out into this Winter Wonderland. It was similar to the Chocolate Room, and yet somehow completely different. There was a waterfall at the very back of the huge room. Instead of melted chocolate, it was a sparkling clear liquid that look like water. It flowed into a river that gleamed like a diamond amidst the snow. Only, it wasn't snow. It wasn't even cold. Twisted trees of taffy sprouted up from the floor, the colors all ranging from baby blue to cerulean to the color of my dress right up to light, pastel mint and all of the colors in between. Little white flowers sprung up in little tufts all over the bed of snow, but on closer inspection they turned out to be small candies.
Toward the center of the room was a white table with chairs dotted evenly around it. I noticed that the multi-colored candles that were at Christmas dinner were here too. They fit in perfectly.
Oompa Loompas hurried about the room, wearing skintight silver jumpsuits, to my amusement and placing dishes down the middle of the table.
In a slightly dazed manner, I went over to the table and sat myself down at my assigned seat. I was sitting at the end of the table again, opposite Charlie and across from Willy who was at the end end of the table.
"Wow. This is amazing." I remarked to no one in particular.
"Oh jeez, how did he even make this?" Hayden shook his head in disbelief, sitting two seats away from me.
Willy, Candice, Tim, Darcy and the Bucket family all arrived within the next few minutes.
After a few minutes of getting settled in, and the Oompa Loompas placed the last of the dishes on the table, dinner was served. I fumbled around in my jacket pocket for my camera, so that I could capture this picture and keep it forever. I snapped pictures throughout the meal. Of the room, the meal, the people, I even got one with an Oompa Loompa who was more than happy to be photographed.
Dessert was then served and after that, random socializing, which I wasn't too good at. I remained at the table with Charlie's Grandma Georgina, picking at a cupcake and talking about grapes and picture frames and whatnot.
The dinner lasted for about 2 hours, and the socializing maybe about an hour. Just as it was about to finish, Willy stood up, clearing his throat and twisting his gloves so that they made a small squeaking sound.
"Good afternoon, all!" He grinned. "I thank you all for coming tonight. As you all know, this will be the last night in the factory for these wonderful students. Not only has this been a learning experience for you, but also for me. What did I learn, you ask? That some people are extraordinarily unlucky. Namely, Alice." The group laughed.
"In all seriousness, it has been a privilege to have you as guests in my factory and I find that I might possibly miss you." He grinned. Not the fake grin that he often wore while giving speeches, though. It was the type of grin he wore when we were alone. Genuine, beautiful, and not at all forced.
Kim stood up. "You know, I thought you were super weird when I first met you. Completely nuts. Off your rocker. Loony, psycho, bonkers, cuckoo. Out of your tree. As mad as a hatter. Around the bend."
"You're too kind, really." Willy said, smirking.
"But as time went on, I realized you weren't that bad. Granted, you were still completely wacko but still. You're not bad. Thanks for having us. It's been awesome."
Everyone left shortly after that. I stayed behind with Willy.
"This room is amazing." I told him for the seventh time this evening.
He stood up. "Hehe. Charlie helped me with a lot of the plans. He was the one who came up with the idea of having a lemonade river instead of a chocolate one, 'coz it wouldn't really fit the color scheme." He grinned affectionately and strode over to the elevator, straightening his hat.
"Well, come along." He gestured.
I walked forward, shoving my hands in my pockets.
"Where are we going?"
"The best kind of prize is a surprise!" He giggled.
"You really like surprises, don't you?"
"Mhm! They're just so fun… you can never go wrong with surprises."
"Well… you can. The person might not like the surprise."
"In which case it would be very amusing for me."
"You're strange, y'know that?" With effort, I reached up and removed the hat from his head.
"Surprise! I took your hat."
He chuckled, pressing a button. I leaned forward, peering around him to see the name of the room.
"The Sky Room? What's that?"
"A surprise." He plucked the hat out of my hands and fixed it on top of his head once again. Reaching up, he stroked the right side of his perfect bob so that it curved along his jaw.
The elevator kept going straight forward for a time and then suddenly, without warning, lurched directly upwards.
I stumbled slightly, gripping his arm, and the elevator continued on it's straight path. We passed a few rooms, but now we were flying through a sort of cylinder shaped area. We had been in the elevator for quite a while now and the entrance was up pretty high already, so I guessed we must have been in those giant chimneys at the top of the factory.
I looked up, seeing something that looked like metal mesh at the very top.
The Wonkavator hurtled full speed towards it, passing the lights that were dotted evenly along the walls. It was showing no sign of slowing down. I flinched, screwing my eyes shut as we were about to come into contact with the metal. But to my surprise, we didn't. I peeked out of one eye curiously, looking down, just in time to see the metal grates slide shut.
I let out a breath of relief. The elevator continued upwards, connected to the metal beams that shot straight up into the sky.
"Oh god. I thought we were going to crash."
"Heh. Funny you should say that. Originally, the Wonkavator would just crash straight through the barrier. You shoulda seen Charlie and his Grandpa Joe's face the first time. They thought they were toast!" He giggled. "But the Oompa Loompas started complaining about how they had to clean it up and rebuild it every time, so I made a few adjustments."
"Interesting." I said uncertainly. "But where the heck are we going? I'm confused."
"Look up." He told me. I looked up, but I didn't really know what I was looking at. It was circular, that much I could tell you, and I think I could make out a square opening in the center.
Within a few seconds, we had arrived. The elevator went straight into the opening and hurtled to a standstill. It wasn't until I stepped out onto the platform, dazed and disorientated, that I was able to see what this whole thing was.
A glass dome stretched over the circular platform, but you could see every star in the sky.
[1] "Whoa." The world slipped through my mouth.
"Do ya like it?" He asked eagerly. "I thought you'd like to watch the fireworks. I'm sure it'd be a lovely view from up here." His eyes were wide, scrutinizing my reaction.
"Whoa." I repeated, unable to think of anything else to say. I walked forward until I met the glass barrier and placed my hand against it, looking out into the vast sea of clouds and the stars above them. Willy came to my side, and I looked at him with wide eyes.
"This... this is amazing. Even though it defies both logic and gravity, it's amazing."
"Wait till ya see this."
He dug a hand into his pocket and retrieved a small remote, pressing one of the buttons.
The glass dome appeared to be melting away into itself, starting at the very top. I jumped back in alarm, but it stopped when there was about 1 meter of glass left, creating a short glass barrier. Now there was nothing separating us from the sky. Cold, night wind blew at us.
Willy leaned on the barrier, gazing out into the sky. His face was completely white in the moonlight, but enchantingly so.
"What's the time?" I asked. He retrieved the pocket-watch from his coat.
"11:50. The fireworks should be starting soon!"
Almost on cue, a high-pitched whine resonated through the air as the first golden sparks traced their way across the sky, and bright explosions of red, blue, and white peeked up through the clouds. Brilliant bursts of flames illuminated the darkened sky breathtaking hues of purple, green, blue, gold, silver, red, and countless other colors. Each of the fireworks cast bright, flickering lights against the blank canvases of the clouds.
The crackles of fireworks and the smell of smoke filled the air as the fireworks flew. There was a red one and a blue one, exploding within feet of each other. Specks of light beamed through the clouds among with a sharp crackling sound. A few seconds passed, and another few emerged in the distance, higher this time. We just stood there for a few moments, watching the almost surreal beauty of the scene.
"Willy?" I asked.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"It's my pleasure." Another firework went off somewhere behind us, but I didn't bother looking, too captivated by the man standing next to me. Light danced and reflected off his purple eyes and his hair swayed slightly with the wind.
"Also…" I started. He looked at me.
"Hm?"
"People so seldom say I love you and then it's either too late or love goes. So when I tell you I love you, it doesn't mean I'll never go. Only that I wish I didn't have to. So… I love you." The words flew out of my mouth, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to regret them.
For a few seconds, he didn't move. Just stared at me with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth. He blinked.
And then his face broke out into the most breathtaking, magnificent smile and I couldn't help myself from smiling too. His reached mine and he squeezed it affectionately.
"I love you too." Willy looked back towards the clouds. "I always have."
I stared at our hands resting on the glass barrier.
"3 minutes." He said. "Any New Year's Resolutions?"
I thought for a moment. "No. None that I can think of. You?"
"Me neither." He said after a few moments' debate.
"Any regrets?"
"Regrettable situations are what help shape the present. I couldn't ask to be in a better place than where I am now."
I thought about that for a second, nodding. "You're right. No regrets."
He moved closer to me, wrapping his arms around me from behind and holding me close.
"What was your favorite moment of this year?" I asked.
He thought about that for a moment. "I'm not sure. I'm stuck between two. The first, waking up in your arms and finally remembering everything. The second, when you told me you loved me."
"What about the ones not involving me?" I grinned.
"Hm…that's a hard one. Lemme see. Oh! When Charlie accidentally spilt the Laughing Powder into the new candy I was making… I didn't find out about it until it made headlines in practically every newspaper in the world. 'Hundreds of kids can't stop laughing! What exactly is in Wonka's new candy?'" He chuckled. "Not very good for business, but it was hilarious."
I remembered that. The media was buzzing about the candy for months. There were even a few guys in my class who stocked up on the candy while it was still being sold and started selling them behind the library building when they were banned in stores. Like some black market drug trade.
"Or maybe Charlie's birthday." He continued. "He convinced my father to visit the Factory that day for the first time, you know. A year before that he convinced me to visit him, too. For the first time in… almost 40 years. Sometimes I think that that boy has given me more than just an heir to the factory. He's given me a family. I've never had one, and yet he singlehandedly repairs mine while also inviting me into his."
I smiled. "Charlie's a good boy. I can tell that when the time comes, he's going to run the factory just as amazingly as you do."
"Yeah. He will. I picked him because from the start, you could just see he had a natural's love and appreciation for candy. A creative mind and a pure heart. He has a lot of potential. Anyways, what about you? What was your best memory?"
"You."
"Besides me." He grinned.
"Fine. I dunno, actually. This year's been pretty crappy before coming here. Actually, you know what? I'm not gonna lie, half the time I spent here was pretty crappy, too. I was always falling over or stabbed or falling into some realm of nonexistence and breaking something, y'know?"
"There must have been something."
I thought about that for a moment.
"Well, there was this time Beth paid the front office lady $10 so that she could sing happy birthday to me over the school PA system. Some random people even joined in. Embarrassing, but still one of my best memories. That says a lot, doesn't it?"
Willy giggled. "Told ya there was something. Who's Beth?"
"My friend. We've known each other ever since I can remember."
"That's nice. 30 seconds left."
His hands moved to my waist and he twirled me around to face him. I stared into his exquisite, amethystine eyes that seemed to sparkle. My own eyes roamed over his face as if to memorize every single striking detail, his rosy, heart shaped lips, the curve of his cheekbones, his dark, arching eyebrows and the ethereal glow of his alabaster skin. My lips turned up slightly at the absurdity of this situation. How could someone so perfect, so amazing ever love someone like me?
Slowly, he leant in, gently brushing his lips against mine. And this time, when we kissed, there really were fireworks.
A/N: Gargh. I'm sorry, really badly written I know, but I can't come up with anything better. My brain is dead. Feel free to throw pie at me now. But yeah. I haven't slept in... quite a while so I might come back tomorrow or tonight and edit everything. At the moment I just want to get this posted. Pleeasse leave me constructive criticism. I need to know what's wrong with my work so that I can fix it!
Also, I've made my decision about bumping up the rating. Thank you to everyone who responded, I've decided I will be, just not as soon as I planned! But it will be there so hang tight.
Anywho, have a good day/night/morning, and I dunno, Obama for President!
