It took forever to find dad. The factory was just too big to find one person it. I needed to put a bell on him or something. I finally found him in the inventing room and he wasn't alone. Charlie and a funny looking creature were sitting next to him. One look at the creature told me that he had found his muse.

"I don't know," Charlie said. "I think that having a Wonka cereal would be a good idea."

"Cereal is icky," dad said making a disgusted face. "I don't like eating wood shavings."

"No one says you have to eat it," Charlie said. "I know lots of kids that eat cereal."

"Oh hello," dad said waving at me. "Why don't you tell us what you think?"

"I don't know anything about this sort of thing," I explained.

"Do you think we should make cereal?" Charlie asked.

Cereal? I didn't know about that. I wasn't a big fan of cereal. It all tasted to dog food to me.

"No," I answered. "Cereal taste like dog food to me."

"See," Dad said with a giggle. "Father like son."

The muse gave a small yawn and curled up in Charlie's lap. The boy brought down a hand to pet the small animal.

"Oh," I said remembering why I had been looking for dad in the first place. "There was something that I needed to ask you dad."

"Well ask away my boy," Dad said.

"I have this friend named Candy," I said. "And I was wondering if she could come over."

"Of course," Dad said with a smile. "I'd love to met your friends."

"Thanks," I said unable to express how happy I was in words. "That makes me happy enough to take on a flock a flewwiggles."

"I took on a whole flock of flewwiggles when I was in Lumpa land and they were mean," Dad said.

Charlie and I both just stared at him. I wasn't aware flewwiggles were even real. I had been just making up words. I should have known better.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Oh shit. I had forgotten about my homework. Forget it. There would be plenty of time to do it when I got back from shopping.

"Yes," I lied. "I'm ready to go. Is Charlie going?"

"No," Charlie said. "I have some work here to do. I'll put your muse back in its cage for you Mr. Wonka."

I was pretty sure he wasn't telling the truth. I guess this wasn't supposed to be a sort of bonding thing…like a father and son…thing.

"Alright," Wonka said smiling. "Let's boogie."

The town didn't have a lot of stores that were my style but I did manage to find a couple never outfits. Mom would have freaked out if she had seen what I bought but dad didn't seem to me at all. In fact he told me to buy anything and not pay anything to what other people would say.

Near the end of the shopping spear we popped into a little convenience store to get anything else I might need. I hadn't bought a toothbrush or any toothpaste with me. I guess I figured that dad would have all that stuff lying around. I had searched my bathroom from top to bottom and had been unable to find a single toothbrush.

I got a new electric toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. Dad was looking at me with a look of disapprove. It was sort of look you would see on a 'normal' person's face if they're child had just tried to buy a ton of candy.

"Is all that really needed?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Never mind," He sighed. "I suppose it is."

He glanced down at his watch and let out a gasp.

"Oh my," he whispered. "I had no idea we had been out this late. We're going to be late for dinner at this rate. Oh the fit Mrs. Bucket will have."

We rushed through the store and got a few more little things before heading to the counter. Dad seemed little stressed out. To kind of lighten the mood up I grabbed a stack of candy and threw it on the counter.

"That's more like it," Wonka said with a giggle.