Hidden in the Factory (A CATCF Story)

The Chocolate Room

🍭Esme's P.O.V 🍭

"Now, do be careful, my dear children" warned Willy "don't lose your heads, don't get over excited, just keep very calm.

I looked around at the guests surprised faces, Willy even seemed to be a bit surprised at the beauty of the chocolate room.

"It's beautiful" said Charlie, smiling.

"What?" Asked Willy "Oh yeah, it's very beautiful."

We began walking along the chocolate river bank. Willy began to explain about the chocolate river.

"Every drop of the river is hot melted chocolate of the finest quality" he said as he led us over the arch over the river. "The waterfall is most important" he continued "it mixes the chocolate, churns it up, makes it light and frothy. By the way, no other factory in the world mixes it chocolate by waterfall my dear children and you can take that to the bank."

I giggled and everyone looked at me.

"What's so funny?" Asked Willy, smiling.

"Nothing" I grinned "It's just I was wondering why you call it waterfall since it's not made of water. Shouldn't it be called a chocolate-fall?"

"Huh...I never thought about it that way..." Said Willy, smiling slightly.

I couldn't help but blush.

We continued walking until Willy said "people!"

We turned and he explained about the pipes.

"Those pipes suck up the chocolate and carry it away all over the factory" he said "thousands of gallons an hour, Yeah!"

Willy noticed me staring at how green the grass looked.

"Do you like my meadow?" He asked "try some of my grass! Please try a blade! Please do! It's so delectable and so darn good looking!"

"You can eat the grass?" Asked Charlie.

"Well, Of course!" I answered. Then put a hand to my mouth realizing my mistake.

"How do you know that?" Asked Veruca.

Willy looked at me, questionly.

"Well, there's a chocolate river and all sorts of candy on the trees!" I said "why shouldn't the grass be eatable as well? Just a wild guess... "

"She's right!" Said Willy "In fact, everything in this room is eatable even I'm eatable! But that is called cannibalism, my dear children and is in fact frowned upon in most societies."

"I sure hope this is one of those societies!" I joked.

Willy laughed softly and Charlie and his grandpa smiled.

"Enjoy!" Said Willy, shooing them off.

The kids ran off and their parents followed, I looked around at the chocolate room. The jelly pumpkins were looking good, despite the fact that Mike was stomping one to peices. And the candy apples were coming in nicely on the trees.

"You seem nervous, Esme."

I jumped and turned to see Willy behind me. I chewed my lip, anxiously.

"Um... a-a little bit..." I stuttered "I'm not used to being around so many people. Especially people I don't know..."

"Heh, what a coincidence!" Willy smiled "I feel the same!"

"Really?" I asked "but your Willy Wonka! You're the greatest chocolatier the world has ever known! What do you have to feel so insecure about?"

"That may be true" he said "but I haven't left the safety of my factory in years and I'm not very good with people! I haven't talked to anyone in years!"

"Neither have I" I said "I mean about being good with people. I can't even being up the nerve to talk to a guy I like." I twirled a lock of hair around my finger. I hope he didn't know I was talking about him.

"Well, I'm sure if you try talking to him, he'll take a liking to you" he said.

I hid a smile behind my hair. "You really think so?" I asked.

"Of course" he said smiling "I've only known you for half an hour and I like you."

I looked at him "Really?"

"Yeah, sure!" He said "you're much quieter than the rest of the guests."

I couldn't help it, I reached out and laced my fingers with his gloved ones. I held back a sqeaul in my throat, I was holding hands with my crush!

Willy gave a little gasp and pulled his hand away from mine.

"Yeah" Willy said nervously "Well... better go check on the rest of the guests. Bye!"

He left and I sighed sadly. How could I be so stupid?! I thought why did I hold his hand? He hates physical contact! Now he probably won't even give me a second glance...

I sat down on a rock candy and held my head in my hands. I want to crawl back into that heating duct and stay there forever.

🍫 Willy's P.O.V 🍫

Once I was a safe distance away from Esme, I looked down at the hand she touched. Despite the gloves I could still feel the warmth of her hand on mine. I couldn't help but think of her, she was so pretty. Those eyes... they were like dark chocolate! And her hair... I can't describe it! It was brown like chocolate, but had whisps of blond like white chocolate. But her lips were what I liked the most! I wonder if they're naturally that shade of pale red.

And when she smiled it was so bright and her laugh is like listening to a beautiful bell ring clearly.

I wondered why I kept thinking of her? Usually I think about candy all the time, but ever since I saw her, I thought of nothing but her. But why was I thinking of her?

Maybe she was sick with something and I caught it?

Just to be safe I took off my gloves, rubbed hand sanitizer on my hands and put on a fresh similar-looking pair of gloves.

"That should do it" I said to myself.

"Daddy! Look over there!" I heard one little girl yell. "What is it? It's a little person!"

I rushed over to them, looks like the guests are about to meet the oompa loompa's.

AN: Hey guys! Sorry, this one took a while! Please leave me a comment on what you think of Willy and Esme's thoughts on each other! Thanks! Stay sweet!