A month passed between the time Once-ler left and the time he arrived in Truffula Valley. What a beauty the place was he thought, admiring the colorful creatures and the even more colorful treetops. Trees like this didn't grow back home…
Thinking of home reminded him of Norma. For a moment, he was saddened but he promised himself he would be success, not only for himself but for Norma too. And so he continued over and over again to bigger his company, a small part of him hoping that someday Norma would find him.
Weeks passed in the valley as Once-ler tried time after time to sell his thneed while also dealing with the Lorax. Over the weeks, he formed some sort of weird friendship with the Lorax where he and the forest animals would invade his cottage at night and make themselves comfortable.
Every night, he would look at the photo Norma had given him before heading off to sleep, always keeping it close at hand to protect it from the mischievous animals that inhabited his home.
He really hoped that Norma was thinking about him just as much as he was thinking of her.
…
Norma waved goodbye to the last customers as they left, arms full of tulips and petunias and various other types of flowers. She locked the front door from the inside before going to the back of the flower shop and going up a flight of stairs to her small apartment.
The three room apartment was decorated with flower pots all scattered throughout. A variety of different flowers were lovingly placed in spots near windows as to get as much sunlight as possible. Norma loved flowers and plants and just natural over all. Turning on a light switch, Norma settled onto her chair to read for a while before heading off to bed.
As she read, her mind flickered to Once-ler who she hadn't seen in almost two months. She wondered if he'd found what he was looking for. She wondered if he'd already become a huge success like she knew he would be. She'd always believed in his dreams just liked he believed in hers. Owning a flower shop had been Norma's dream since she was a little girl and she just hoped that Once-ler could achieve his dream as well.
Her thoughts running in circles, she finally started to think about the picture she had given Once-ler. It was a simple picture, one that had been taken only about a month before Once-ler's startling confession. It was her 21st birthday party. She really didn't need one but her mother insisted and she went along with it to please her mother and father who she loved very dearly.
Norma and Once-ler stood side by side, Norma's arms positioned behind her back and Once-ler standing to her left, his mouth hanging slightly open. A slight blush could be seen upon his face. He looked down towards her as she smiled up at him, obviously not noticing the pink tinting his cheeks.
…
It was at that party that Once-ler had discovered his feelings for Norma. Seeing her dressed up isn't what brought him to the realization, no. It was the smile that lit up her eyes when he walked in. She obviously hadn't had such a good time until he arrived. He could swear that her eyes sparkled.
No dress could compare to her inner beauty. Not even the gorgeous blue dress adorned with a purple top and swirls gracing the skirt. It was all her and Once-ler at that point realized, it always has been.
A reminiscent sigh escaped Once-ler's mouth as he affectionately stared at the picture. He tucked it beneath his mattress and slowly drifted off to sleep, his dreams filled with fame, thneeds, and Norma.
…
Singing with all his gusto, Once-ler once again tried at selling his thneed to the people of Greenville. However, he was very shortly struck in the face with a tomato. And so he tossed his thneed towards a trash can, resigned to failure. He didn't notice it landing upon a teenage girl's head, somehow making all of her nerdish attributes disappearing. And suddenly, the girl was showered with compliments.
The townspeople assembled a happy mob and prepared to go off singing.
…
When Once-ler first heard them coming, he was frightened beyond belief. He clung to The Lorax like an old teddy bear and prayed they wouldn't hurt him. But no, they didn't hurt them. They sang of his thneed and all the wonderful things it could do. He was a success. For the first time in his life, Once-ler was a success.
The Lorax saw this with distaste, all the while hoping Once-ler wouldn't break his promise. His eyes portrayed sadness as if he could already see his trees chopped down before his eyes. But he would trust Once-ler. He'd put his faith into him and hope that Once-ler would stay true to his word.
Money was shoved into Once-ler's face in every direction and the smile upon his face was that of a small child on Christmas morning. He clutched at dollar bills, yipping in joy. His eyes gleamed with something The Lorax could only define with one word: Greed.
...
A/N: A bit of a filler chapter today... BUT! I do happen to have plans for the story. Plus, I'm debating over myself on whether I should write a story with another idea I got. It would be set in a different timeline than this as in the things that'll happen in this story won't happen in the other one. Two seperate timelines. Should I?