*knock* *knock*
"Mr. Once-ler?"
Aislinn poked her head through the doors to Once-ler's office. The office seemed to be in more disarry now that the Thneeds were selling more than ever. Aislinn walked into the office and looked around.
"Mr. Once-ler?" she asked again.
It had been six months since Aislinn was hired to be Once-ler's secretary, and she hated when she had to call him 'Mr. Once-ler'. Once-ler and Aislinn called each other by their first names in private, but she had to call him 'Mr. Once-ler' around his snobby family and business partners.
"Once-ler, where are you?" Aislinn called.
Aislinn walked to Once-ler's desk in the center of the room and put some papers, that he needed to look over, down on his messy desk. She pulled her shoulder length dark blonde hair up in a ponytail, which she only did when she knew no one was around except Once-ler, she then peeked around his desk, but didn't see Once-ler. Aislinn looked around the huge room again and glanced over to the windows and balcony, she still didn't see him. Now she was just getting annoyed. Suddenly she felt something being put on her head. Aislinn reached up and felt that the strange object was Once-ler's old fedora. She frowned and started to take the fedora off when she was lifted into the air by a pair of arms that wrapped around her waist. Aislinn squeaked and began kicking and struggling.
"Will you calm down?" came an annoyed voice behind her.
Aislinn turned her head around enough to see Once-ler's annoyed face. She frowned and stopped struggling and placed her hands on his arms.
"How on earth do you keep sneaking up on me?" she questioned. "With you being so tall, I know for a fact you're not the most graceful person in the world. And you scared me by the way; it's been a long time since you surprised me like that."
Once-ler smirked.
"One would think you would be use to it by now," he retorted, as he put Aislinn down and unwrapped his long arms from around her waist. "And I was just in a surprising mood today."
This same 'greeting' was used nearly every day for the past three months when it was just the two of them, but Once-ler hadn't 'greeted' her like that in the past couple of weeks.
The two of them had become real close since Aislinn began working at the Factory. Several times Aislinn had helped Once-ler when he began to become overwhelmed and over worked. From running a business, dealing with his snobby family, and having the Lorax and the animals around all the time, Once-ler had snapped a couple times. And surprisingly, the only one that could deal with Once-ler when he was in a bad mood was Aislinn. The first time Once-ler yelled at her because he as in a foul mood and frustrated, Aislinn had just yelled right back at him. She always seemed to manage to get him out of whatever funk he was in.
But there were some things that even Aislinn couldn't help Once-ler with. She had begun to notice changes in him, and it wasn't the good. Aislinn had noticed that Once-ler's pale blue eyes had started to become cold. The Lorax had warned her that Once-ler might start changing. Surprisingly, Aislinn and the Lorax had also become close since she started working here. She had at first, not liked the fuzzy orange creature. She thought that the Lorax wanted to hurt Once-ler, but she saw over time what the creature was really trying to do. He was just trying to save the valley, the animals, and save Once-ler from himself. When Aislinn first realized what cutting the trees down was doing to the valley and also to Once-ler, she had begged Once-ler to try and find a different way to get the Truffula tufts. But Once-ler had become angry and said that he was running a business and he needed to think of what was best for the company, then he would simply walk away from her and avoid the subject when Aislinn would try and bring it up again.
The Lorax had finally told Aislinn to stop trying to get Once-ler to see what was really going on. Aislinn had gone home and cried that day, because she knew that meant that the Lorax had given up on Once-ler. And Aislinn knew that soon there would be no more Truffula trees left, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
"Hello? Earth to Aislinn!"
Aislinn jumped. She had forgotton Once-ler was there, as her mind had wondered.
"Sorry," she smiled. "I was just thinking about some stuff."
"I can see that," Once-ler responded. "What was on your mind?"
Aislinn hesitated. She knew the subject was still rather touchy with him, so she clamped her mouth shut. Slowly, Aislinn reached up and pulled Once-ler's fedora down over her eyes and lowered her head. She knew this was a sign to Once-ler saying she didn't want to talk about it. He sighed. He knew that Aislinn was thinking about the Truffula trees again. She sounded like the Lorax, and it hurt him to hear her say things to him about the trees, like he was some kind of bad guy. Once-ler would never tell a soul, but he had started to fall for the dark blonde, golden eyed girl. But little did he know that Aislinn had already fallen for the black haired, pale blue eyed boy.
"Are you still thinking about those stupid trees?" Once-ler snapped suddenly, trying to hide the hurt he was feeling.
Aislinn lifted her head and pushed the fedora back.
"'Stupid trees'?" Aislinn snapped back, getting a little upset. "Those 'stupid trees' were what kept this valley pretty and clean. But now look!"
Aislinn waved her hand toward the windows to emphasis her point.
"There's nothing pretty or clean out there now Once-ler!" she shouted.
Once-ler rolled his eyes and ignored her shouting and went and sat at his desk and started going over plans to expand the factory.
"Once are you even listening to me?" Aislinn asked, walking to the front of Once-ler's desk and standing there.
Once-ler looked up when Aislinn called him 'Once'. That was her nickname for him when she wanted something or just talking to him as her best friend.
"I'm not doing anything wrong," Once-ler said, looking back at the plans.
Aislinn had had enough. She slammed her hands down on his desk. Once-ler jumped and stared up at her.
"What is your problem?" he snapped.
"You're my problem!" Aislinn shouted. "I can't get through your thick skull! I can't make you understand that what you're doing is wrong Once!"
"What I'm doing is wrong?!" Once-ler shouted, standing up and towering over Aislinn. "I'm making money, I've finally done something right in my family's eyes, and I'm even building the economy!"
Once-ler walked around his desk and got in Aislinn's face.
"I gave you a job!" he continued to shout. "I bet you're jealous that you haven't succeeded in your family's eyes like I have! And what happened to the 'we black sheep have to stick together'? Huh?"
Aislinn's eyes widened and tears gathered in her eyes as Once-ler's voice echoed through the room. Aislinn looked up into cold, pale blue eyes and realized that the man standing in front of her wasn't the Once-ler that she knew and had fallen for. This Once-ler was cold-hearted and only cared about money. Aislinn felt the tears finally roll down her cheeks. She saw Once-ler's face go from anger, to shock, then remorse. He reached out to Aislinn.
"Aislinn," Once-ler said. "I'm sorry."
Aislinn shook her head and backed away from him.
"Aislinn, I'm sorry," Once-ler said again, taking a step toward her. "I really am!"
"No you're not," Aislinn whispered, her voice shaking a little.
Once-ler froze.
"You only care about your money and your business!" Aislinn shouted.
Aislinn continued to back toward the door, as Once-ler stood frozen in front of his desk.
"I hate this!" Aislinn shouted. "This isn't you! This isn't the Once-ler that's my best friend! You aren't a black sheep anymore! YOU AREN'T MY ONCE!"
Aislinn then turned and flung the doors open and ran. She heard Once-ler shout and run after her, but she was surprisingly faster than him. Before she knew it she was outside the factory. She continued to run and hid in an empty pipe not far from the entrance. Aislinn didn't hear Once-ler coming after her anymore, so she took off the fedora and held it to her chest and sobbed.
Even though it had only been six months since she was hired, she and Once-ler had become best friends. They knew everything and anything about each other. They were actually closer than best friends, and now that friendship was in danger of being destroyed just like the Truffula trees and valley.
Suddenly Aislinn heard Once-ler shouting. She looked to her left to see Once-ler coming down the stairs, shouting at the Lorax. She watched as Once-ler got down in Lorax's face, then all of a sudden she saw them turn and look out into the wasteland that was once a beautiful valley. Aislinn then saw it. She saw the last Truffula tree being cut, fall and hit the ground. Then she saw Once-ler stand up and look around him. She then saw him try and chase the animals down as they left. Aislinn saw Once-ler offer a marshmallow to a small Barbaloot, but the Barbaloot turned and walked away from Once-ler. Even Melvin, Once-ler's mule, was leaving. Aislinn then saw a light shine down on the Lorax. The Lorax lifted his bottom up and began to float into the sky. Once-ler stared after the Lorax, and then Aislinn saw the Lorax vanish into the sky. Then Once-ler's family drove up next to Once-ler in their RV, and said something to him, then drove away.
Once-ler was standing completely alone. He slowly sank to his knees and hung his head. Aislinn crawled out of the pipe and put the fedora back on. She slowly walked up and stood behind Once-ler and just waited, silently.
"Are you leaving me too?" Once-ler asked, sounding guilty and defeated.
Aislinn remained silent.
"Well?" Once-ler said, standing up slowly and turning to face Aislinn.
A look of defeat and hopelessness on his face.
"I'm not leaving you," Aislinn stated. "Black sheep need to stick together, remember?"
Once-ler smiled slightly
"Yea, I guess we do," he said.
Author's Note:
I don't own The Lorax nor the Once-ler.
I DO OWN Aislinn however!
Now the stories kind of picking up! I'll upload another chapter tomorrow! I'll try to do two chapters a day.