The Hershey Conspiracy

Prologue, Part 3

A/N: Here's the last part of the prologue! From here out it may take longer for me to update because action is a lot harder for me to write and the chapters will be much longer. I want to thank those who've reviewed, but especially my great Real Life friend Falconess, who's my only repeat reviewer.

So, how am I doing? If I ever make the characters sound too OOC be sure to tell me. They're older in this story, and so more mature. I also like to think they learned a lesson from their time in the Factory (with the exception of perhaps Gloop, but I'll tackle him later) and have become better people because of it. But still, I want their personalities to be more or less the same. Let me know if they aren't! And as always it would make my day if you would review. Thanks for your time!

Hey, Veruca, this is Mike. Vi gave me your address. As exciting as this is, I think we should consider that there may be something bad happening. I can't help but wondering if this isn't some kind of plot to get us to try to get back into the Factory. I mean, why us? Why specifically send Violet and me applications all the way over here in the United States? Vi said you ran into Charlie Bucket and he got a scholarship just like I did. He won the contest you know, and if Wonka was there with him I bet it was because Charlie is his apprentice or something.

I don't know how you feel, but I've really come to respect Mr. Wonka. Everything that happened to us was our nothing but own faults, and he did warn us. When I was younger I wanted my parents to sue over what happened, but they refused to. Now I'm glad they didn't. He really is a great man, even if he is a bit of a fruit.

Do you know anything about the fat kid? He's the only one we haven't heard from. Throw him in and I'll know for sure there's something weird going on. This whole situation just seems off, but I can't put my finger on what's really happening. Did you notice any suspicious behavior during your trip? Be sure to keep an eye out.

Veruca,

One week! I'm excited but at the same time a bit alarmed. Mike is just sure there's something going on and I don't want to believe it. Whatever it is we can handle it, though, right? Yeah, like we handled the Tour. Ugh. Don't mind me; I'm just getting cold feet. I'm hoping by the time you hold this letter in your hands I'll be there. Then I'll have my mother off my back, and you and I can go out for a girl's night on the town. Normally I'm not one for shopping, but you make it sound like so much fun. My wildest ideas, huh? I don't know, I have some pretty wild ideas! We'll see.

Mike's routed his flight through Atlanta, so we'll arrive at the same time. I want to thank you for letting us stay with your family until Hershey is ready for us to move in. It sure was nice of your father to offer. Let's try to include Mike in some of our activities, okay? He gets bored really easily you know. Then again I guess we could just plug him into a computer and leave him. He'd still be there when we get back. Or better yet, saddle him up with one of your horses. I know he doesn't seem like the type but he's actually a fairly decent rider whenever he decides to crawl out of his hole in the ground he calls his room and get some fresh air.

Hate to cut this letter short, but Mother wants me to begin packing. I really don't know how I'm going to get a year's worth of stuff into that one suitcase! Granted, the thing is freakishly huge, but still!

See you soon,

Violet

P.S. I do NOT "fancy" Mike! He's just my friend, like you are. Nothing more!

Veruca Salt carefully folded the letter and put it back into the envelope. Smiling, she crossed her spacious pink bedroom to her dresser and pulled open the top drawer. Inside, under her stockings lay a plain wooden jewelry box stuffed full of all her other letters from Violet (and that one from Mike). She added this last one to the top of the stack and studied reflection in the small oval mirror within the box. For the first time in her life she felt like she had at least one real friend, a friend who didn't care about her money and liked her for her. She couldn't help but chuckle as she remembered how much she had hated the girl when they first met. Now it seemed they really were best friends. Life could be quite funny like that.