Willow Bucket and the Chocolate Factory

Buckets go Broke

Just a few hours later, Jake discreetly picked Willow up from the back of the forest. Jake went on his usual rants--are you hurt, are you feeling alright, did anyone ask you're name--but Willow couldn't bring herself to mind him and his banter. She was too busy thinking about Berkeley and the boy, Maxwell. God, wasn't he so very lovely.

He wasn't just lovely because he was so pretty, though Lord knew it helped, but because he had so much in common with her. They both liked swimming, binge-watched Friends on Netflix, and both of their parents ran candy shops, (not that he knew that, of course.) And he was different, too. He liked his coffee black, though he liked sweets and he smiled too much. But it was nice. When he smiled, his cheeks dimpled in the prettiest way.

"--because if something were to happen to you, your father would...Willow! Gobsmackle, are you even listening to me?"

Willow's cheeks reddened. "Sorry, Jake."

Jake sighed, shaking his head, and stared at the road. "You know, considering the humiliation I faced this morning, you'd think you'd at least pretend to care."

Normally, Willow would defend herself, but today she was too happy and deep in thought to care. "Sorry, Jake." She repeated.

"I'm the laughing stock now!" Jake moaned pitifully. "Why, I'm more ridiculous than Evan, and you know how that feels to be--"

But once again, Willow was not listening. Her thoughts had returned to Maxwell; her cotton-candy crush.

Soon enough, the Oompa-Loompa and the girl had arrived at the factory. The Buckets and Mr. Wonka were all crowded around the door, and they all rushed toward Willow like a human tsunami when she got out of the car. Her father, it seemed, was the biggest wave of them all.

"Oh, I'm so happy you're alright! We need to talk! Come inside, come right on inside this instance, Willow! It's important!"

A look of confusion set upon Willow's face. "What's wrong, guys? No, seriously, what's wrong?"

They didn't answer; instead, they just surrounded her and pushed her inside of the factory. They forced her down onto the lavender sofa in the first parlor, before they all retired to chairs. Grandpa Joe was seated next to his wife, Josephine, and Grandpa George. Seeing them made Willow panic more; Grandma and George almost never left their rooms. This must be very important.

"Guys...can you please tell me what's going on?"

Willow's mother, Jasmine, forces a smile that puts a heavy strain on her eyes. "First, tell me all about your Berkeley trip, darling."

At the sound of that, Willow couldn't help but light up a little. "Oh, well, it was amazing! The campus is so large and so full of history and..." Willow hesitated, "i think I've made a new friend."

"You didn't tell them your name?" Her father asked sharply.

Willow rolled her eyes. "No, Dad, I-"

"Nothing about your life, your age, your parents, I hope you didn't-"

"Stop!" Mama and Papa Bucket cry out. Mama rubs her eyes. "You're gonna give the poor girl a heart attack."

 Wonka shrugged, a royal blue cane swinging idly in his hand. "It really doesn't matter what she did or didn't say." He murmured, looking out the factory window through the velvet curtains. "She isn't going back anyhow. They'll forget anything she said; just think of her stories as fablers."

Willow froze. "What do you mean I can't go back?" Willow turned to her dad. "Dad, you said I could go if I liked the campus! Well, I like it, I love it!"

Charlie shook his head. "It's more complicated than that. Something has happened at the factory-"

"What? What is happening?" Willow asked frantically.

"It really is quite much for someone to take at one time, dear," her mother whispered, heading toward her. "Maybe after you get some rest, I can tell you over a nice cup of-"

Willow screamed in frustration. "I don't want tea! I want the tea! i want to know what's happening!"

Everyone looked at Charlie. Charlie sighed. "Fine, I will tell you. There has been a recent crash in stock market, specifically the Travis exchange; the Jordan exchange being the stocks of one of our factories largest sponsors, Jordan Travis. Since Mr. Travis is broke now, he is reversing and claiming all of his cash and property. He's given us some cash, some machinery over the years. But that isn't what's so bad for us. All of the recipes; from the chocolate to the whipped cream to the bubblegum, belong to him."

"Belong to him...?" Willow really couldn't comprehend what her dad was saying. "But they all belong to Wonka! Wonka created all of them, didn't you?" Willow turned frantically to her godfather.

Willy Wonka sighed, still fiddling with his cane. "You see, Willow, when I started this company, I was just a young man with a dream and no money. Jordan Travis invested in me. The deal was, in exchange for all Travis's workers and ten million dollars to start my company, he claimed legal rights to all of my recipes. I took it, because to a young business owner, that seemed perfectly reasonable, and I had almost forgotten all about it until today. While you were gone, Travis came to the factory and claimed them all. He had movers come in and took my most beloved possession; my recipes. Then he held the contract; the one he needed me to sign to take the recipes. And I pulled out my golden pen, and signed it. I had too. Had I not, he would've taken me to court and I would've lost more than ever!" Willy Wonka dropped his cane and buried his face into his gloved hands. "God, this is my worst trogglehumper!"

Willow shook her head. "Surely, your remember some of those recipes? Or the Oompa-Loompas? Or you could just dream some new ones up! This can't be over! This factory is you're livelihood, my dad's livelihood, all of ours!"

But Wonka shook his head. "We already discussed this. No one ever made more copies, the Oompa-Loompas have short-termed memory, and I'm afraid I'm not nearly as witty and sharp as I was just twenty years ago."

A tear slipped from Willow's eye. Never in her wildest dreams, or her wildest nightmares, could something like this happen to her, to her family!

Charlie sighed. "All of our last shipments should be enough to last in stores until the end of the year. After that, Willy Wonka will send the Oompa-Loompas to a safe place, we'll sell the factory, and we'll take up a new location." He forced a dry chuckle. "Maybe we'll get to Norway after all."

Jasmine saw the sorrowed look on her daughter's face, and made toward her, but Willow didn't wait for her. She sprinted up the stairs, the tears running across her cheeks and her nose flaming red. She reached the door of the chocolate room, opened it, and collapsed on the mint grass. Between her tears, she saw the chocolate fountain and though her eyes stung, she refused to close them. She supposed she should have the chance to see her favorite room, before it was too late.

Hey guys <3

Sorry I took so long on this update! I've been busy with a few things! But i missed this book and decided to update today rather than this weekend.

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