Chapter 10: The Prankster
Author's Note: Good morning, dear readers! As per usual, here's Chapter 10 of Kind At Heart! What could that title mean? Well, you'll just have to keep reading on, won't you? But first, let me respond to your reviews. :)
Matt, I'm so glad that you enjoyed Chapter 9! That was one of my favorite chapters to write in this story so far, and this one comes really, really close! I hope that you'll enjoy this one :D
emeraldphan, I'm really happy that you like Daniel! I really tried to make him as different as possible from Mike Teavee as possible while also giving off the same vibes as him, so I'm really glad you think I succeeded! As for the various rooms and interactions that our group will visit and experience, you'll find out later on, when the tour starts. Stay tuned!
Ms. Frizzle, that's an amazing idea, which I'll definitely use once all my stories are completed! Now, on with the story, everyone! :D
(Just a little warning, things will get a little intense in this chapter. It's not graphic, but it might be frightening for some people.)
Jenna continued unwrapping the Wonka Bar, as she wanted to see if she got what she thought she did. Chris walked up closer to her, and the shopkeeper stared at the duo, a look of wonder and awe on his face.
"You've done it," the shopkeeper gaped. "You've found Wonka's fifth Golden Ticket! This is the second time this has happened to me! I must be blessed!"
Chris and Jenna looked up at the shopkeeper, large grins starting to form on the trio's faces.
"Take it straight home," the shopkeeper smiled, "you understand?"
"Thank you!" Jenna grinned, gripping Chris' hand and running so fast out the door that he nearly tripped.
She continued darting down the sidewalk towards Chris' house. Jenna was so excited that she nearly tripped multiple people as she was doing so, and Chris apologized as she did so as the girl was running.
The trek back to the house seemed to be going smoothly at the moment, but that was all about to change. A boy with short, blond hair and green eyes was hiding behind a metallic trash can, and he was also wearing a red shirt with the words, "PRACTICAL JOKES ARE FUN AND GOOD FOR YOU" in gold letters, along with black jeans and red socks.
"Hehehe," the boy chuckled, looking down at a spherical object that he was holding. Suddenly, the trash can's lid began to rise all by itself, and from inside emerged a woman whose hair was dyed a bright shade of orange. She was wearing a black kimono and obi, which contrasted well with her peach-colored skin.
"Got the lighter, Mom?" the boy chuckled.
"Sure do, son!" the woman grinned. "Those suckers will get trapped in one of our latest pranks before they know what hit 'em! Remember, stealth is the best way to do these kinds of things. Stealth and distraction."
"Got it, Mom!" the boy smirked as the woman took a lighter from inside of her kimono and ignited the object.
"I'll meet you at home," the woman whispered. "I think you can handle it from now on."
"Roger!" the boy smiled as the woman snuck away without a trace. The boy then took the object and threw it a couple feet in front of Chris and Jenna, where thick smoke began coming out of it. In confusion, Jenna stopped running, causing Chris to nearly trip once more.
"Hey!" Jenna shouted, smoking getting into her lungs and causing her to cough. "What's going on?!"
Suddenly, Chris and Jenna felt someone bumping against them, and they fell to the ground. When the smoke cleared, they just barely saw a boy running down the sidewalk- with Jenna's Golden Ticket!
"Hey!" Chris yelled. "Come back here!"
Chris helped his friend up, and the two of them began chasing after the strange boy. The shopkeeper heard what was going on, and there was a bewildered look on his face as he stepped out of his shop and saw the duo running after the thief.
"Where do you think you're going?!" the shopkeeper shouted, getting into his car which happened to be right outside of his store, and starting the engine. "Well, one thing's for sure- you aren't getting very far."
As the shopkeeper continued to drive his car, he followed where Chris and Jenna were running. The two were running so fast that they felt like superheroes, and the mysterious thief wasn't giving up, either. As they were running, the boy tripped on a rock that was on the sidewalk, but he managed to make himself upright. However, Chris noticed something- a strip of paper had fallen out of his pocket. Still running with Jenna as, unknowing to them, the shopkeeper was driving behind them, the two were nearing a one-way street, and the thief was just about to escape onto it- that is, until the shopkeeper cleverly manipulated his car, blocking the road so that he couldn't go any further.
"You aren't going anywhere," the shopkeeper smirked.
"Hey!" the boy yelled. "Let me through!"
A few seconds later, a small line of cars began to form in front of the shopkeeper's vehicle, honking their horns and causing the thief to become nervous. One car at the front, a shining white vehicle with a black interior, had its driver side open, and a tall, nearly bald man with a white-collared shirt and a grey tie stepped out of it.
"TYLER SMITH!" the man barked. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE NOW?"
He stomped up to the boy, then looked at Chris and Jenna, who were gripping their knees in exhaustion. Then, he looked at the shopkeeper, who stepped out of his car.
"This boy," the shopkeeper said firmly, pointing at Jenna, "stole this girl's Golden Ticket. I know she won it, because I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Tyler!" the man, presumably Tyler Smith's father, yelled, spit coming out of his mouth, "give them back that Ticket now!"
"Never!' Tyler screamed back. "I'll use one of my pranks to get out of this!"
As if on cue, Chris retrieved the piece of paper that he had picked up and began to look at it.
"Well then," Chris smiled, "it would sure be a shame if you were to lose your...ticket to Canada, huh?"
"Hey!" Tyler screamed. "Gimme that!"
"If you want your plane ticket," Chris barked, "then you give my friend her Golden Ticket back this instant!"
Tyler stood still, not saying anything.
"Now!" Chris barked, holding out his hand.
Sulking, Tyler Smith knew he was defeated. He handed Chris the Golden Ticket, who in turn gave it to Jenna, and as promised, Chris handed him the plane ticket that he had dropped.
"I'm so sorry for the trouble that my son caused you," Mr. Smith turned to Chris and Jenna, apologizing. "As for you…" he barked at Tyler, "we're going home right this instant!"
He then gripped his son's arms, making it impossible to escape. Tyler tried to fight his father in anger, but it was no use. Mr. Smith dragged him into his car as the shopkeeper got back into his, unblocking the road. As he was about to drive away, he smiled at Chris and Jenna and said, "Have a good day, you two. I know that you'll enjoy it."
"Thank you for saving us, sir!" Jenna waved, then the shopkeeper waved back and drove off in the distance, back to his shop to prepare for other customers. Unbeknownst to the duo, the woman in the kimono was staring at the white car with a frown on her face.
"Shame on you, Tyler," the woman frowned. "You failed our mission. You can do better than this, I know you can." Then, she began sneaking off in the direction of the car, unseen by everyone around her.
Author's Note: Woah, that was a close one for Chris and Jenna! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Who could Tyler be? What about the spying woman in the kimono?
Originally, I wasn't going to have the shopkeeper return in this chapter, but eventually, I decided to go for it. I thought this would make a nice parallel with the shopkeeper yelling at the man and woman bribing Charlie forty years earlier, except his role with Chris and Jenna here is much larger than in the 2005 film. What did you think about his role in this chapter, everyone? Did you like it? If you like, you can leave your guesses and thoughts in the review section, and please stay tuned for the next chapter, everyone!
Until then,
Gabe S. :)