(A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long! February break came without warning, and I got back to school in time to find out the stupid filter had blocked off the site! Sheesh! So, there's a lot more than one update for this, and some other stories, just to warn ya. I had plenty of time to work. So, sorry if this is piling it on, but two weeks... that's a long time. So, I am still here, I'm just only able to update when I can get to the library which will be at least once or twice a week. Yeah, it sucks, but if I could control that stupid filterm I would. I'm already starting a movement in the school to get it back. Grrr...!)

Willy Wonka was staring at the small portion of her arm, looking extremely worried, concerned, but not alarmed. For a minute, she began to think that maybe he wouldn't call her parents. Not yet at least.
"What in Heaven's name happened to you? Goodness gracious! There's so many"
"Nothing!" she insisted, trying to pull away. His grip was too firm, but it didn't hurt. "Really, I can take care of it." He wasn't listening, and pulled the sleeve up a little higher, uncovering larger raw areas, some of them scabbed over, others not. It was patched where the skin have been scratched raw, and it looked horrible.
"Why, they're infected!" he declared. "What happened to you"
"Nothing happened," she said, her voice weakening and tears forming in her eyes. "Something had to have happened, dear girl, or else none of these would be here. Leaping lizards, that looks so painful! Oh dear! Oh dear"
"Stop it!" she said in a weak tone, tears falling down her face. "Just stop." He did, but the look on his face told her he was ready to burst he was so startled. She was crying softly, and he reached over, handing her a tissue. "Please," she said after a minute. "Please, don't tell anyone." She wiped her eyes a little. "I'll tell you everything you want to know. Just please don't tell anyone!" He was wringing his hands nervously, and biting his lip.
"Can we at least clean them before they get any worse?" he asked softly. She nodded and he grabbed her arm to lead her out. She flinched in pain, and he jumped, not realizing before that both arms were covered, and then placed his arm over her shoulders to lead her away. He took her into a large bathroom, and for a minute she had forgotten about what was going on, just by looking around. There was a large tub with massaging water jets, a sink in the shape of a giant lollipop with a candycane faucet, and a toilet with a cover on the lid with Wonka bar prints.
He had her sit down on top of the toilet, and then went through the medicine cabinet, pulling out a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a small jar of cotton balls, and a bigger box of bandaids. Once he had these things, he closed the cabinet and then turned to her, sitting on a stool that was under the sink. "This is going to sting," he said softly, his hand trembling. "But it will help. Roll up your sleeves now, if you will"
She obeyed, and he took off his jacket and gloves, rolling up his sleeves so not to get any blood or puss on them. He wet the cotton ball with the rubbing alcohol, and started to gently wipe at one. It did sting. It stung like Hell, and she did her best not to flinch and startle him.
"How did this happen, my d-... Reya?" She smirked a little and then answered.
"Thumbtacks," she answered. He looked up.
"Someone was scratching you with a thumbtack?" She couldn't believe he wasn't understanding this already! Or perhaps he was trying not to.
"I did," she answered softly. His face went pale, and she felt a deep pang of guilt.
"Just thumbtacks?" he asked after a minute. "No," she answered. "There were also razor blades, staples, even a nail once." He was shaking, but continued cleaning them.
"And the larger ones"
"Fingernails," she answered, tears falling down her face again. He look up at her and handed her another tissue from a box on the counter.
"Why, Reya?" he asked. "I don't understand why you'd do this. Goodness gracious me, none of this makes any sense"
"Well, how would you like it if your parents suddenly decided to move away from the state you grew up in since you were two?" she burst, tears falling at a rapid pace. "How would you like to go to a new school where everyday people gutted you! Practically tore you open to be exposed in front of people who were laughing? And have you ever lost a friend to suicide, and known you could've stopped them?" He looked at her, and she stopped, trying to calm herself down. "I was a teen too, Reya. I know exactly what you're talking about," he said gently. "Not completely," she answered, wiping tears away. "You were homeschooled"
"And do you know why, dear girl? When I was a child, children thought I was too strange of a person to be near. When I got older they started rumors about me, terrible rumors that weren't even true, but people believed them. I went to school, Reya, up till seventh grade, and then my parents finally pulled me out and homeschooled me till I graduated. I know what it's like to be the kid who's always beat up on, who's always treated like garbage. I've been there, Reya. And I've been back"
"Of course you have," she muttered, rolling her blood shot eyes. "You're the great Willy Wonka. You're perfect." He laughed and shook his head.
"Dear girl, I am far from perfect. When I was your age I was a heroine addict!" Her eyes widened and she stared at him, not believing it.
"What?" she whispered.
"It's true, only few people know it." In the back of her mind, she thought about how it explained for a lot. He pointed to small scars on his arms from syringes. "I was a very out of control teen. But I pulled through, Reya. I pulled through and so can you." There was silence and then she gave a small, barely existant, smile.
"That rhymed," she muttered. He lowered his head, snickering, knowing a little humor would be good to lighten the mood a bit.
"That's beside the point, young lady"
"I know," she muttered. "I get it." He gave her knee a soft squeeze, and continued cleaning the cuts on her arms.
"Tell me about your friend," he said softly. "What happened?" Reya bit her lip and then spoke.
"I've never told anyone about it, so you have to keep it a secret, alright?" He nodded. "Her name was Claire, and we were fourteen when it happened. We were like sisters. She was the only one I had in the school who gave a shniz about me. She was the only true friend I had there." She stopped for a minute and then spoke up again. "One day at school she wouldn't talk. She just stared blankly at people and just looked numb. It scared me. She went like this for almost a week until I finally got her outside of school to tell me. A senior, he's graduated now and I don't even know who it was, but he raped her. Claire was a girl who loved to party and he took advantage of her while she was on an acid trip. She told me she had woken up in an alley dumpster, bruised and bleeding." Tears were rolling down her face, and Willy placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly. "She refuse to tell anyone and made me swear that I wouldn't. She was my friend and I had to keep a promise. But the pain was too much for her and I could tell. I watched from the shadows as she got worse and worse and did nothing. I watched her go in a downward spiral, and I had the nerve to be shocked the day I came to school, got called into the principal's office and was told she had OD'd on Advil." She was sobbing now, it couldn't be helped. "I didn't do anything and now she's dead because of me! And there are kids at school who are constantly reminding me of it"
He took a clean tissue and dried her eyes for her, and then took her face in his hands. "Don't you dare say that again, my dear girl. Don't think it again, ever ever again. You were fourteen, how were you to know that would happen"
"I still should've told," she muttered. "Promise or no promise"
"Yes," he agreed. "And not telling was your mistake, but what she did after that was beyond your control. Don't listen to those people at school, dear girl. They don't understand because it hasn't happened to them. You have every right to be upset, and don't be ashamed of it. You need to cry, Reya. Don't keep it inside"
She didn't say anything, and he finished up, Reya deciding not to tell him the cuts were on her legs, back, chest, and stomach as well. It was bad enough that he knew about her arms. When he was done he gave her a big bear hug, but she didn't hug back, knowing she didn't deserve it. She was trash, and she knew it. Why did she throw all this stuff at him? He was better off not knowing her at all. He let go and pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in her hands. "I think you need it right now more than I do, I dare say." She looked down in her hands and forced a very small smile. It was a Wonka bar.
-
"I can't go home," Reya muttered as she and Wonka walked down the hall, her arms hugging herself tightly. "My parents will know I've been crying, they'll drive me mad, trying to find out what's wrong, and then when they give up my mom will cry, my dad will yell, and we all lived happily ever after"
"You can stay here for the night," he said after a minute, surprising her. "But do not tell anyone! The media will find out and definitely say something riddiculous about your situation, I could go to jail for something I didn't do, and your parents will give you more grief then they would if you just went home. That simply wouldn't do at all, my dear- Reya! I'm terribly sorry, I keep forgetting. My memory has a tendancy to lack sometimes"
"It's okay," she said softly. "And I won't tell anyone. Wasn't really planning to anyway. I can just see how that conversation would turn out"
"I can imagine it wouldn't be pleasant." Reya snickered.
"You haven't met my parents." She pulled out her cell phone and turned it on. "Speaking of which, I'd better call them and let them know I'm not coming home tonight"
"Oh dear, hadn't thought of that. Will they mind"
"No. I do it all the time at my friend, Mary's house." She dialed the number to her house and waited while the phone rang. "Mom? Hi, I thought you were going to call me when you got home?... Oh, I see... Well, I'm going to stay the night at Mary's house. That alright?... Alright... No, I'm set... Okay, see you tomorrow then... Okay... Bye." She hung up and rolled her eyes, giving an exasperated sigh. "Sorry, honey, I completely forgot to call you," she said in a high pitched whiny tone, immitating her mother. "She'll be sorry the day there's an emergancy, and she forgets to call"
"I doubt it will happen," said Willy, shaking his head. "Again, you haven't met my parents." He smirked, and pulled out his pocket watch, flipping it open and checking the time.
"Goodness, it's 6:30 already! And the oompa-loompa's are done for the day... are you hungry"
YES! her stomach was screaming. "A little," she said politely. Her stomach growled in protest, and she snickered a little. "Well it definitely sounds like it," chuckled Willy. "Come with me to the dinner and we'll find some kitchen to eat." She looked at him and started laughing.
"What?" she laughed. He closed his eyes and made a face.
"Oh! Strike that! Reverse it. Alright then." She laughed and shook her head as they walked on.
"You are one odd cookie," she muttered.
-
"I've never gone for a day without listening to Led Zeppelin," said Reya, crunching onto a Dorito. They had eaten and were now playing I've Never in the common room in front of a roaring fire. It was more of a common room/library for there were books everywhere. Reya's eyes had lightened when she spotted J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion, along with the series of Unfinished Tales. That had sparked immediate conversation on which was better, the books or the movies.
"I haven't listened to Led Zeppelin since I was a teenager, I think so at least," said Willy, staring into the fire. "It was a long time ago. Perhaps more recent and I just can't recall it? I don't know"
"What was your favorite song?" she asked, moving into a cross legged position. "I don't really remember that well... deary me... It was that song, the one every guitar player was trying to learn... Heaven? Something about Heaven"
"Stairway to Heaven"
"Yes! That's the one. I adored that song when I was younger. Mercy, I haven't listened to it in years"
"I love that one, and the Immigrant Song"
"So Led Zeppelin is still popular? I thought that'd be too long ago for your generation"
"Are you kidding me?" she said, giggling. "The people with any taste in music know about Led Zeppeling, Jimmy Hendrix, The Beatles, Bob Marley, and a lot of those other good oldies"
"I do enjoy the Beatles," he said, smiling. "I still listen to them at times when I'm working in the inventing room"
"Don't think I've been in that room," she said, thinking it over.
"That's because I haven't taken you in there. Goodness knows what you could learn and show other people. I'd be ruined!" She looked slightly offended.
"I wouldn't do that! I may be very stupid, but I'm not that stupid"
"Even so," he muttered. "Better safe than sorry." She nodded.
"It's your turn," she muttered after a few minutes of silence.
"I suppose it is. Let's see..." He thought for a minute. "I've never met a celebrity"
"Really?" she asked. "I thought someone like you would be able to meet whoever you wanted"
"I probably could, I suppose. But I probably won't. There's really none of them I'd especially like to meet. They're just normal people with high repute"
"Hey, Johnny Depp is no regular Joe!" she protested. "He's drop dead gorgeous and a kickbutt actor." Willy shrugged.
"I really don't find him that impressive in all honesty. I find him very cheesey at times"
(A/N:) )
"You take that back or I'll hurt you!" she laughed.
"Violent," he laughed. "Your turn"
"I've never... gone off a high dive before," she said. "They're so... high!" He laughed.
"Somehow, I think that was the general idea, dear gir- Reya! Arg! I keep forgetting. Dear me"
"You know what, don't sweat it," she laughed. "If it's going to drive you that crazy then don't worry. Your turn"
"I've never dyed my hair"
"My hair's been dyed blue ever since the ninth grade. I just liked the way it looked. And no one else in the school has blue hair"
"You preffer to stand out"
"At times," she answered. "I hate being pressed into the mold of what the media says is beauty"
"I despise it too, dear girl..." He stopped to laugh, and she chuckled a little. "Who gives those people the right to say what's 'beautiful' and what isn't? The truth is, I have more respect for those who don't care about what's 'popular' and are themselves and aren't afraid of it. Those are praiseworthy people"
"Like you?" she asked.
"How often do you see someone dressed like this?" he asked, and she chuckled.
"But didn't it bother you the day you met me and that one boy called you a pimp?" He snickered and shook his head.
"I didn't let it bother me. And that boy was angry. He probably said a lot of things that day that he didn't mean. We all do it, don't we"
"I can't picture you having a bad day." His smile faded.
"I did today," he muttered, and looked at her. "When I found out a friend was hurting that badly." She felt a pang of guilt and knew the topic was going to come up again at some point or other that day.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, looking down. "It wasn't fair, and you shouldn't have had to be dragged into it. It's my problem and I should've kept you out of it instead of piling it on you." He made a face and shook his head.
"No," he said. "As hard as it may seem to deal with right now, I'm glad you told me. To be honest, I wouldn't have slept well at all tonight, I'd be so busy worrying about you"
"No, you wouldn't have," she said softly, tears in her eyes. "No one ever does. They don't even care enough to notice something's wrong. I mean, I've dropped hints before, like I was hoping they'd notice, but they don't"
"That's not true and you know it, Reya. Ah! As soon as you tell me not to worry about it, I get it right. But that's not what we're talking about." Her head was tilted slightly to the side and two tears were rolling down her cheeks. "Oh," he said softly, and slid off his seat and onto the floor, crawling next to her and putting and arm around her shoulders. "Please don't cry. I think you've done it quite enough for one day. There there." She sniffled and he gave her shoulder a soft squeeze.
"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" she asked looking up at him. He sighed.
"Well, I know I should. In fact it would be able to help you stop this if your parents knew..." He felt her tense up under his arm. "But perhaps I don't have to... yet. Let's make a deal, my pet. Everyday after school you come here to the factory- alone, mind you- and let me take care of your cuts before more get infected. If I start to see fewer, we'll continue until it stops and your secret's safe with me. But if not, I'll have to tell before something truly worse happens. Oh goodness, I hope it doesn't come to that"
She nodded, and brushed away some tears.
"Can you do that?" he asked. She nodded and forced a smile. "Atta girl," he said smiling. He yawned and pulled out his pocket watch. "Mercy me! How fun flies when your having time"
"Strike it and reverse it there, man," she said softly, laughing a little.
"Oh, yes," he muttered, realizing what he had said.
"You call this fun?" she asked after a minute. "I'd like to see you try it sometime"
"That's an offer I'm afraid I'll have to refuse," he said sadly. "And you're right, young lady, the last few hours haven't been much fun, have they"
"But the candy war was pretty good," she pointed out and he nodded.
"Indeed it was." He looked around and sighed again. "I'm afraid I have no spare bedroom for you to stay in. I never have guests stay the night"
"Oh," she muttered.
"The only place you can sleep is on the sofa, I guess," he said, worried that it wouldn't be alright with her. But Reya was in such an exhausted state of mind where he could of told her to sleep on the roof in her skivies and no blanket and she wouldn't have cared. Crying that much and having to confess so much had drained her emmotionally and mentally. All she wanted was to sleep through the rest of the night, and the next day, if only she didn't have schoo-
Wait... She glanced at her watch with the date on it. It was a Friday! She could sleep in, granted he would allow it. She was lucky enough to be staying there at all. "That's alright," she said, grinning for real this time. "I do it all the time at home. My mom and dad's room is right down the hall from mine, and my dad snores a little too loudly. I usually end up on the downstairs couch"
"As long as you're comfortable," he said, smiling in amusement. "And I've felt your pain. My father used to snore something terrible when I was young." She chuckled a little. "Would you like a pillow or blanket"
"Blanket will work," she said, nodding. "I'll be right back then. And please don't wander off. People tend to get lost in here sometimes. Even me. I'll be back in a jiffy. Alright then." He stood up and walked off. When he was around the corner and out of earshot, she made a face and muttered, "Got lost in his own factory?" and shrugged. That sounded like something she'd pull.
When Willy returned, Reya was sprawled out on the sofa, sound asleep. He smiled a little and walked up to her, carefully draping the warm blanket over her, and gave her one last look before leaving. As sigh escaped and he shook his head. "A pretty, intelligent, and creative girl should not have to feel the need to hurt herself," he muttered softly, careful not to wake her. "No one was meant to take on all the troubles of the world on their shoulders. If only she could understand that..." He shook his head, trusting that one day she would, and then strolled off to his own bed, turning off the lights behind him.
-
(A/N: Reya isn't meant to be a mary-sue, so if anyone says she is just because the comment Wonka made while she was asleep, grrr! I mean, haven't any of you been told that at least once by someone, even if it is exaggerated? Oh well. R&R! And please, check out the weekly funny on my profile and tell me what you think!)