My first Wonka fiction. Fell in love with the movie (like everyone else in the universe) and almost NEEDED to write this. I believe this is one of the first Mike Teavee romance related fiction, and I'm proud to be the first! Also the Wonka/Veruca romance is merely fluff attraction, nothing true and pure about that relationship.
I am completely aware that this is a Mary-sue (I am not ashamed!) But I will be trying my hardest to make her not seem like one (although, it is almost inevitable) I dislike Mary-sues as much as the next person, believe you me.
These ideas of the children's selves are based ENTIRELY on my own creation. You may be entitled the think otherwise, it's fine by me! And all characters are of LEGAL AGE, so I don't need any rap for that. : Other than the usual disclaimer, enjoy Chapter 1!
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7 years.
7 years without seeing a single bloody one of them.
It made Wonka, incredibly happy. There was, surprisingly, no lawsuits, no hub-ub. Nothing.
It was fantastic.
He felt an incredible sense of good running through his veins. He changed 4 children's lives for the better. It was like he was doing the world a public favor.
His business was booming, his name was everywhere in the papers (for good things, mind you), and his assistant was the best thing to come across his life EVER.
Nothing was wrong with Wonka's life. He was living large. A perfect, happy, peacefully life.
But not today. Not today.
Outside his giant steel walls amongst the freezing cold ground stood a line of carefully aligned teenagers. Adorned with heavy jackets and worn faces.
To the far left, Veruca Salt. Her hair flawless and her figure exquisite. She was older, she grew into her flesh, accentuated with a fine pale pink sundress and fox fur accents. Boys wanted her, pleaded for her, but all she wanted was a man. A man who can fulfill her diva needs. It was safe to say that no matter how many trips she took down that garbage chute, she would never change her bratty ways.
Next to her, Violet Beuregarde. Her short hair was neatly cut, almost never loosing its shape after 7 years. Her skin was back to a normal pale instead of that hideous blue. She wore her mother's hand-me-down tracksuit and was chewing on the sides of her mouth impatiently. Her mother forbade her to ever touch another piece of chewing gum, and even so, it was almost like her jaw never stop moving up and down, up and down, up and down.
Augustus to her left shot her odd glances. He had certainly thinned out quite a bit since his last trip to the factory, but not enough to consider him permanently thin. His parents had been putting him on a steady Atkins' diet since the chocolate river incident, but his dirty habit of sneaking junk food in from laundry bin was hurting his chances for loosing his so-called "baby fat."
And the tallest of the 4, Mike Teavee stared down at his feet. He looked fairly the same, his jaw line now sleek and firm and his eyes adorned with heavy sleepless bags. No longer the tall, outstretched thin-man, but an average 19 year old boy. He had a noticeably hunch about him, probably from so much video games, and he seemed loss from the world around him. His parents banished a fair amount of television from there home, so he was forced to read and become more in touch with reality, perhaps excluding him further. He was still as sarcastic as ever, but he had more of a reason for it. Now more than ever.
The gates had now opened. But it was much less of a welcome greeting than it was 7 years ago. There were no extravagant pyrotechnics, no colorfully weird song, and no smell of burning plastic. Just a man in a purple suit with a silly hair cut. He stepped out to the doorstep, his shoes tapping merrily along with his cane.
"Well well. Look who we have here?" His voice was soft and sweet, which translated to extremely unwelcoming.
"Mr. Wonka listen…" Veruca began, quickly without a greeting.
"No need my dear, I can only fathom some odd reason for you merry foursome to come back to my factory." He stopped her from going on. A plastic smile on his face.
"Let her talk Wonka."
Wonka looked over to his right, Mike staring at him, the tone in his voice demanding. He merely smiled.
"Yes," he rotated his head back to Veruca. "I suppose it could be a fun and entertaining story, now wont it?" he said merrily.
Veruca narrowed her eyes. "You know what you did to us, Wonka. You made our lives a bloody hell."
Wonka blinked at her foul words. He wasn't one used to facing teenagers aside from Charlie but she had changed. She was a women now, and he knew that child-like overtone wouldn't play well with them.
"I'm afraid I don't understand…" he lied.
"Don't play dumb Wonka!" yelled Violet, "I cant go outside without being called "Blue-berry" or "Blue-girl" or "The Bratty-Blue!" there were tears of anger swelling in her eyes quickly.
"We can't go outdoors anymore. We cannot attain jobs Mister Wonka!" Augustus chimed in with his German accent.
Wonka leaned onto his cane and heaved a sigh. "What happened during your visit, I'm afraid, does not attain to me in any sort of way. Whether you would've came here or not, you were all bound to be revealed for your true ways sooner or later." He stood up straight, "I simply quickened the process." He cracked a hard, crooked smile. It was not received from the children.
"You ruined or lives whether you accept that or not, Wonka." Veruca hissed.
"Well I cant see why you have come back to confront me when the deed has clearly been done." He shook his head confused.
"Give us a job." Mike said blandly.
Wonka twisted his head to the boy, his eyebrows stood up. "Excuse me?"
"You heard him Wonka. Give us a job." Violet placed her hands on her hips defiantly.
"I really don't see how this can help in any sort of way…" he laughed awkwardly.
"No one else will hire us. We need the work Wonka, and its all thanks to YOU." Veruca pointed up at the chocolatier.
Wonky frowned. It was true. He had ruined the children's reputation. Was this karma for his planned punishments from the past? He bit his lip worried. But before he had time to accept the offer in guilt, a candy-colored lightbulb flashed in his head. A smile twisted onto his lips wickedly.
"I suppose I could scavenge up some jobs the Oompa Loompas won't dare take part in, hm?"
The kids winced a tad bit, considering Oompa Loompas take part in almost EVERYTHING they are told.
"Veruca, you may feed and groom the squirrels." Veruca's ears perked up and a look of sheer terror was slapped across her pretty little face.
"Violet will be working the gum chewing wrapped machine." Violet's eyes widened and she started to open her mouth to detest but Wonka quickly interrupted.
"Augustus will be cleaning and maintaining the chocolate river and flying pipes."
Augustus flinched, almost knowing that fate would be coming his way.
"And Mike will be cleaning every television we had just installed in the television room."
Mike looked over his shoulder and growled under his breath.
"Now come along, there's no time for dilly-daddle. Much to do, much to do." He turned on his heel and strode back off into the factory, without a glance behind him. The children shot each other confused stares, shrugged, and followed after their new boss.
Meanwhile, a young sweater adorned Mr. Bucket was escorting a female around the cracks and crevices of the Wonka Factory. She was rather tall, about 20 or so, with eager and cunning eyes. She was no beauty (certainly not, compared to young Veruca) but her wit and sarcasm covered over her physical flaws.
She was young, fresh, and new to the confectionary industry, and was looking to Wonka as a chocolatier mentor. She pulled back her short shaggy brunette hair into an imaginary ponytail and let it fall back over her neck.
"So your telling me I can eat anything in here?" she asked. Charlie grinned and nodded.
"Yes Ms. Corwall. Everything, even me! But that would be referred to as cannibalism." He smiled as she chuckled at his stolen joke. He couldn't remember if that was the exact way Mr. Wonka had told it, but it was enough to make her giggle a bit. He did enjoy seeing others happy.
Corwall smiled at Charlie and nodded her head over to the apples growing from the chocolate trees. "So I can eat those apples right there?"
Charlie shook his shaggy brunette-top-head up and down vigorously. "Oh yes please! Take as many as you like!"
Ms. Corwall smiled and scurried over to the tree, pulling up her billowy black peasant skirt as she hopped over lime flavored bushes. She made a graceful loop around the trunk and came to a halt underneath the brightest apple on the tree. She reached out an arm to grab it, but stopped mid reach as she spotted a man with a purple trench coat in the distance. He looked like he was in very much of a hurry, hustling over the chocolate river bridge.
"No delays my new employees! Makes a bad impression on the boss!" he yipped in a sing-song type manor.
"But YOUR our boss!" Augustus responded back, finding it hard to keep up with Wonka's fast and steady walking pace. Violet had found Veruca to lean on for support as they limped as fast as they could after the nimble chocolatier. Mike, made the rear, dragging his feet, head to the ground from his slouch.
Ms. Corwall smiled with delight. "Mr. Wonka! Mr. Wonka!"
The man with the top hat looked up to find the young woman bounding in his direction. He made a quick stop in his tracks. He cringed. There was nothing more he disliked than meeting knew people.
"Hello…do I know you? Have I won a prize?" he asked, taking a small step back so she wouldn't be in touching distance.
"I'm Ms. Corwall." She held out her hand. Wonka merely looked at it like a strange oddity. She laughed to herself, embarrassed, and cleared her throat.
"I'm here for a job at your factory as an intern. You see, I'm starting a chocolate business of my own and I would love some tips from such a great…"
"If your looking to take my ideas and sell them for profit than I think you're a poo-y cad."
Corwall arched an eyebrow. One for his odd-ball response and second for his use of the unknown word "poo-y."
"Um…no sir, I have no intention for stealing your ideas."
"Oh." Wonka paused, "Well than I'd be glad to take an intern! Just fill out some papers with Charlie and send them down to Delores at the admin office." He smiled half-heartedly and looked back at his OTHER new employees. "Now come along you four, I'll show you to your work lockers." He smiled at Ms. Corwall one last time and walked off towards his purple seahorse boat. Augustus stepped back into life (he was fixated on the chocolate river as Wonka and Corwall conversed) and gave Ms. Corwall a polite nod before following Wonka out. Violet smiled, "Pleasure" and Veruca gave her a snake like stare as they passed to follow Augustus. Mike paid her no passing glance, but gave a small whisper, "I like your bracelet." And treaded off behind the girls.
Ms. Corwall's ears perked and her hand reached to her right wrist, holding onto a black rubber bracelet with small Super Mario mushrooms stamped into it.
"Oh…" the group was half-way to the boat before her brain processed what to say. "Thank you!" she called out. Mike slowly raised up his palm as some sort of acknowledgement and continued forward.
Charlie walked over to her side, hands in his trouser pockets.
"Odd lot, aren't they?" he said.
Ms. Corwall turned her head to him, face confused. "You know them?"
"Yes. They're the 4 OTHER lucky golden ticket winners." He proceeded to point each one out. "Augustus, Veruca, Violet, and Mike." He nodded at his own knowledge of name remembrance and hunched his shoulders up. "Haven't seen them in 7 years. I wonder if they ever really changed…"
"Yeah." She looked to the boat, now being rowed away by a large set of Oompa Loompas. It was painfully obvious, that absolutely none of those teenagers wanted to be there in that boat that day, that minute, that second.
The very same applied to Mr. Wonka himself.