Tossing aside her black square-shaped schoolbag with the squirrel keyring, Veruca finds her whole family in the sun room. Surprised to find Wonka there as well. Sitting on a couch next to Julia.
"Dawn went on her first date already." She announced.
"She has? How do you know that?" Rupert questioned. Sipping from a cup of tea.
"Hanna told me. She saw her at Tesco with her mum." She plops down on a white and gold chair near her parents.
"Ooh a date?" Wonka began. "How fun! With a boy or girl?"
"A boy. She--"
"Don't you dare!" Vivian barked. Standing by the windows in a dark green dress. "How could you put that kind of nonsense into her head!? Of course it was a boy! That sort of sickness does not run in our family, and I will NOT allow anyone to catch it!" She ranted.
"Girls can make you sick too, old lady." He remarked. Having no idea what she was really talking about.
"You fool. That's not what I mean." She growls. "It's only right for boys to court girls. For men to marry women. If she gets sick, we'll have to get her treatments."
Wonka's brow raised and furrowed as his eyes darted all around the room. Trying to understand what she was saying. "Well, if she likes boys and girls, then why can she only stick with boys?"
Stunned, Vivian huffs at him. "What on Earth would make you believe such a thing!?" Facing Rupert, she looks for his defence.
Cupping her hands around Wonka's ear, Julia whispers to him. Ensuring that her words wouldn't reach the angry old woman.
"That's not true!" He says out loud. "Everyone likes both. That's just how humans are. If you don't like both, then you just don't like anything. Everybody knows that."
Rupert chuckles at his strange idea. "Mr. Wonka, I don't believe that's quite true."
Everglowing embers of rage inside Vivian burned hotter at the sight of the other adults. Their indifference to the situation absolutely baffling to her.
"Julia." She speaks sternly. Reminding Wonka of how Veruca spoke to her father right after being denied a squirrel on the first tour of the factory. "Have you ever had any sort of unnatural feelings towards other women?" She held a hard gaze.
"No. I haven't." Her voice ever so slightly higher in pitch. Vivian unaware this meant a lie.
"Then it's settled! Mr. Wonka, you're absolutely mad."
Wishing for a bowl of popcorn, Veruca sat and listened to the argument. Who cares if people like boys or girls? What a silly thing to fuss about. What they should care about is Hanna wanting to go roller skating soon. When the show was over, leaving Vivian seething by the window, Veruca stands to leave the room. Squirrel must be missing her so much right now.
• • •
Changed out of her uniform and into one of her many apron dresses, Veruca takes the Slugworth bar from her bag. Peeling back the dull green wrapper, she breaks off two pieces. Giving one piece to Squirrel, she tastes the other herself. Just as she remembered, it wasn't the best. It'd be good if Wonka didn't make so much better. Folding over the wrapper, she puts it in a little magenta purse that matched her dress. Letting Squirrel up her arm and onto her shoulder, she leaves for work in the factory.
• • •
Veruca works with her mentor inside of a room called Sweet As A Nut. Another one of Veruca's favourites. One she's recently earned a key to. Wonka had once told her that some keys are harder to earn than others. Some she won't earn untill reaching a certain age. Others she gets if and when something very special happens. Then there's some keys she can't have until after Wonka's gone. What she didn't like hearing, was that some keys will never be given to her. Limited access to the factory wouldn't be such a bad thing as long as she gets to see most of it. But that's not what bothered her. Something had shifted in him when telling her that some things are not meant to be seen or heard. It was that rarely seen darkness in his eyes when he spoke of it. The childish sparkle that he always seems to have, even when he's upset, vanished like a ghost.
Veruca couldn't help but wonder if one of those keys went to the basement in her house. Her insides twisted at the thought of it. That big, heavy, old door. Appearing so very out of place in a bright and modern home. Hidden by darkness like it isn't meant to be there. The three different kinds of locks on it could be holding in a terrible secret. Faint sounds of distant music can be heard when standing too close. Upbeat or slow, something about that music just didn't exactly feel right. Curious as she is, not even Julia has wanted to know what's down there.
The two candy makers were creating sugar glue. Used for sticking the different kinds of nuts together for the chocolate-covered clusters. Drizzling a third ingredient on them as a final touch. Today's drizzle was caramel. Wonka poured ingredients into a large silver boiling pot that Veruca stirred. Neither of them talked much. Each lost in their own thoughts.
Squirrel stayed in the corner, nibbling on the different nuts. Away from the thick white steam.
The sugar scented room was warm. Filled with the sounds of bubbling and sloshing while their peaceful work continued. Soon they moved on from sugar glue to chocolate melting. Trusting that the hatted man was in a good enough mood, Veruca risked starting a conversation topic that he might not like.
"Hanna wants to spend time with me outside of school." She waits for a reaction. Wonka's hat kept his wavy hair from his eyes. Showing the girl his unhappy, but not too angry expression. She continues her persuasion. "She said she'll get me roller skates with all my favourite colours on them, so we can go skating together. And she and her mum can teach me how to play tennis."
"No." He shakes his head. "Certainly not. You need to spend your time making candy and learning about the factory. Friends will take up far too much of your time."
Veruca's hope was switching to anger. "But all the other children talk about getting to see their friends at home. Why can't I do that too?" Veruca spoke rapidly, as she often does when she's angry. She didn't like to feel left out. Why can't she get to do the things that other kids did? Sure, she has her own special privileges. Like getting to live in the largest and most famous factory in the whole world. But she also wants to be like other people sometimes. Perfectly balanced between special and ordinary.
Wonka gasps. "Wait! Do you hear that!?" He says quickly with wide eyes.
Veruca stops stirring. Afraid at his sudden alertness. Heart thumping inside her chest, her eyes scan the walls with listening ears. Watching the vigilant squirrel to see if it notices anything before she does. Drifting blue eyes settled on the attentive face of her mentor. Expecting to hear some kind of urgent news.
"Oh, wait. That was just you mumbling. Hehe."
Veruca pulls the giant spoon from the melting pot. Flinging the liquid chocolate onto Wonka's red coat. Splattering some onto the floor and table.
Arms spread out, his mouth hung open with eyes down on the mess. Looking up at her, he asks "Now why would you go and do something like that?"
Smirking, she tells him her hand must've slipped. As if it was an accident.
Wonka frowns, but continues to work.
Veruca still thinks of Hanna. She wants to visit her sometime soon, but Wonka's so worried about her not having time to work in the factory, or people finding out that she lives inside of it. Halfway thru chocolate-coating the nut clusters, Wonka over pours the brown liquid onto a cluster in the corner. Splattering it onto the floor like he did with his blood.
"What are you doing!?" Veruca shouts.
Wonka seems to shake out of a flashback when he realizes what he's done. "Oh! Oops. Thank heavens I didn't spill too much."
Squirrel comes over to clean the floor. Allowed to do so being that it was only chocolate this time.
Resuming their work, Veruca huffs in distaste at being so close to the spill. He could've splashed on her shoes! Since nothing had made a mess of her, Veruca wouldn't stay upset about it.
Wonka's distraction still would not release him. Maybe he should say something about it. Hearing numerous times that it can help to talk about bothersome things. It probably couldn't hurt to try after all. Right? Right.
Wonka breathes and clears his throat. "Hey, um... I was wondering... It's just an idea. Well, I think that..." He lets out a sigh. Wishing he had prepared cue cards for this. Staring at the girl, who's growing a bit impatient, he tries to spit it out before she snaps at him. "Kay, look. Do you think that... Julia might like me? Like, like-like me?"
Completely unsurprised by this idea, she glances at the squeaking squirrel. "Yes. Squirrel thinks she fancies you." She answers, unconcerned. Focused on getting chocolate into little crannies. The smallest smirk deep within her mostly uncaring eyes.
"Cuz the other night when that guy came over, she kissed me before she went to bed, and it was kinda weird--"
"She kissed you?" The magenta dressed girl could've laughed.
Wonka waved his hands defensively. "No, no! I mean she just kissed me on the cheek. Heh. Ew. Where did you think I meant?"
Veruca believes it could have just been a friendly kiss. But maybe not. Honestly, Veruca found the idea of Wonka and Julia to be amusing if nothing else.
Wonka smiles at the thought of her liking him that way. But why? Why did the thought of it make him happy? He dips the black ladle into the pot. Coating another cluster. "Chocolate endorphins." He reasons out loud.
"Huh?"
"Oh. Nothing. Chocolate can have some funny side effects. You know? By the way, I invented a new kind of candy. They're flavored necklaces you can suck on. Kinda like everlasting gobstoppers but even better."
Going to retrieve the Wonka bar moulds for any remaining chocolate, Veruca starts pouring into them from the pot. "I want a strawberry flavoured one. I want two."
"I only have a few flavors ready right now. You'll have to wait till I make some more. Now, onto the caramel." He says with a point of his finger.
• • •
Drizzled with caramel and on a cooling rack, the nut clusters were now done. Veruca could deal with only seeing Hanna at school for now, but that's going to change eventually. She's sure of it. "Can we make chocolate-covered strawberries tomorrow, sir?"
Wonka ensures that the swirled top of his cane is screwed on tightly. "Of course. Now I have some paperwork to fill out. There's a smaller desk in my office for you, but there's not much in there you can do right now."
Veruca had briefly seen his office before. Thinking it strange that there was purple carpet on the walls. "Are you taking the flying glass elevator?"
"Once again it's called the Great Glass Elevator, and yes, I am." He pauses. Facing away from Veruca. Slowly, he turns around to ask her another question. "Hey, do you have any idea why Julia acts so weird inside of the elevator?"
"She's afraid of heights." She answered simply. "She said that she'll never get in it when it flys. And she likes it better when it's closer to the ground."
"Huh..." Thoughtful amethyst eyes stare off into the distance. "Well, good thing it only flys outside of the factory." He chirps. Pressing the button to his office, he waves goodbye to Veruca.
Veruca smiles, but doesn't wave back. Watching Wonka whoosh away from view, she carries on thru the factory.
• • •
Passing by the different rooms, Veruca follows down a familiar path with Squirrel on her shoulder. Halting her footsteps, she glares at the words on the big white circular door to her left. 'Square Candies That Look Round' it read.
Veruca hated that room. Who would want to eat something that can look at you? Creepy little things. She couldn't believe people actually eat those candies.
Moving on, Veruca soon reaches the end of the hall. Taking a big deep breath thru her nose, she starts to calm herself. "Alright. Let's go in."
Opening up the hissing door, she hurries up to the gate. Ready to be out of there as soon as possible. Unzipping her purse, she removes the Slugworth bar and holds it up in the air. Pulling it back behind her head, she throws it across the room. Going right down into the garbage chute at the center of the blue and white floor.
Speedily turning around to leave, her brown curls almost knocked Squirrel right off her shoulder. Shutting the big round door behind her, she pants in relief. Sealing off the sounds of cracking and squeaking behind it.
Relaxed and standing straight a minute later, she begins walking away from that horrid room. "They're all a bit like your family in a way."
Squirrel squeaks a negative response.
"I know. You protect me instead."
Finding the nearest elevator, Veruca presses the button, setting it aglow. The translucent doors slide open. Inviting her in for yet another joyride.