Disclaimer: If I had owned any of this, I would not be a millionaire, but a billionaire. And I would be retired before I began.

Chapter Seven

Dinner was a happy affair as usual. The whole family was gathered around the solid oak table laden down with food and desserts. Augustus Gloop looked at the piles of food with disdain. Despite the fact that food was essential to live, Augustus didn't like food as much as he used to. Over the past few years he had been on an extensive diet put upon him by his family and partly by himself.

"My dear Augustus could have died in that tube because he was so big for his age," Mrs. Gloop had exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

Augustus picked up his fork and knife and began eating his food in small bites. Shuddering, he grabbed his glass of milk and downed it in one gulp. It was pork and he hated pork with a passion. Of all foods that he hated, pork was his absolute worst.

Mr. Gloop looked down at his son. "What's the matter, son, are you choking?"

Augustus shook his head no. "No, I haven't, papa. I just don't like pork."

"Don't like pork? But this is the family heirloom. Pork is the essence of life," Mr. Gloop exclaimed.

"Mr. Gloop, do be careful. You know how he has been different ever since that trip to Wonka's factory," Mrs. Gloop reprimanded.

"A healthy boy can't go on with what he's been eating these past few years," Mr. Gloop growled. "I will not have a vegetarian for a son whose only meet includes chicken and fish."

Mrs. Gloop blustered. "You will accept Augustus' decision to become a vegetarian. And that's an end to it. Nothing you can do will make him stop liking meat again."

Eyes turned to Augustus. Augustus swallowed the piece that he had in his mouth. Why was his family making such a big fuss over him becoming a vegetarian? He had to be thinner, because it was surely healthier to be of thinner build than being fat.

"I like being a vegetarian, papa," Augustus exclaimed. "It's so much healthier. You'll die of too much fat if you stay too fat."

Mr. Gloop sighed. "I just don't understand any of you anymore. You used to love food and chocolate so much, Augustus and ever since you came back from that dratted Wonka's factory you've been the shame of the family! Maybe I should write a letter to that Wonka and say how much of a disgrace he's done to our family."

"You certainly will not do that, Mr. Gloop. You will not put a bad mark on Mr. Wonka's name," Mrs. Gloop exclaimed. "He's got a whole factory to think about now and he doesn't need your complaints."

Mr. Gloop grunted. "Ah, businessmen are used to such things. Willy Wonka is no different and will surely be used to threats."

The atmosphere at the table had suddenly filled with tension. Augustus looked around the table. His parents were throwing daggers at each other. If looks could kill, both of them would have been dead already. Augustus looked down at his younger brother, who had been silent through the whole episode. Little Sven was a mirror image of Augustus; only he wasn't as big as his older brother. In fact, Sven was a minuet little thing that nobody could believe that Sven could be so thin and still live.

Finish his meal, Augustus excused himself and began to stand. His father, who was watching the whole time, suddenly reached across the table and grabbed Augustus' arm to stop him from going.

"Please don't go yet. How about you sit with the family and share in eating a nice big piece of chocolate cake? I know how much you used to love chocolate. Give yourself a break from your diet and just have one nice slice, eh?" Mr. Gloop asked.

Temptation tickled at Augustus' insides. Secretly he still loved chocolate and snuck a bite of chocolate whenever his mother wasn't looking and when his addiction to the stuff became so unbearable. But Augustus only shook his head and pulled away from his father.

"No, I think not, father, not tonight," Augustus lied. "I am so full, I can't eat anymore."

Mrs. Gloop smiled broadly. "That's my boy! Say no to chocolate! It only hurts your health in the end."

Mr. Gloop harrumphed. "One slice isn't going to kill him."

"I've got to go up to my room now, I've got to have an early start tomorrow with school. It's two miles to school, remember? And I want to get there on time and get my daily exercise," Augustus said.

Saying good night to everyone, Augustus headed up to his room. Now he could safely splurge on chocolate. Turning around, he was surprised to see Sven standing at the door. Hastily, Augustus stuffed his chocolates under the bed.

"Why don't you just tell them that you still eat chocolates?" Sven asked.

Augustus glared. "Because I only eat them once in a while in small amounts. And anyways, I don't want mother that I'm going against my diet. She's afraid I'm going to get fat again if I start eating chocolates again."

"You just might if you do. And I thought you didn't like food and chocolates as much anymore," Sven stated.

Augustus sighed in frustration. "I don't, Sven. It's just the stupid addiction. I can go for months and months without chocolate but it keeps building and building until it's intolerable and then I have to have a piece of chocolate before it overtakes my mind. It's been six months since my last piece and I wasn't so good just a couple years ago. So don't lecture me. That's father and mother to do."

"It was that Mr. Wonka's fault, isn't it? He made you get onto this diet and make you get into these wild addiction crazes and fights with our parents," Sven exclaimed.

Augustus growled. "You get out of here, Sven, before I pound you into the ground."

Sven squeaked and ran out the door, slamming the door behind him. Augustus sighed and fell back onto the bed. Yes, it was all Willy Wonka's fault, but Augustus supposed it was all for the better, him going there and making him realizing his health risks. But it still made him resentful that he no longer liked chocolate and certain foods so much because of Wonka and his chocolate factory. But if given the chance to, Augustus would go back to the factory again and eat all the chocolate he wanted all day without interruption.

Smiling happily, Augustus turned over and fell asleep, dreaming of nothing except what he would do if he had the whole of Wonka's factory to himself.