Hidden in the Factory (A CATCF Story)

A Sort of Romantic Boat Ride

   🍭Esme's P.O.V 🍭

We walked down to the river bank just as the gaint pink candy boat came  up beside us. Willy made the boat out completely out of hard candy.

I was so excited to ride it! Despite being in the factory for so many years I never rode in the boat because I was scared that the oompa loompas or Willy would find me. But now I could ride it and with Willy! It would be like one of those romantic boat rides you see in movies. Except, you know, with eight more people watching you...

The oompa loompas rowed it as the leader of them banged on a drum to tell them how fast to go. They stopped and giggled at us.

"What's so funny?" Asked Violet.

"I think it's from all those doggone cocoa beans" said Willy "hey, by the way, did you guys know that chocolate contains a property that triggers the release of endorphins? Gives on the feeling of being in love!"

"You don't say..." said Ms. Beauregarde, staring at Willy with a lustful look in her eye.

That struck a jealous nerve in me, before I could stop myself my mouth opened and I was saying what I was thinking.

"What a flirt!" I said "I'm guessing there's no Mr. Beaurgaurde."

"Excuse me?" Asked Ms. Beaurgaurde.

"Is that how Violet wins everything?" I asked angerly "because you flirt with the judges!"

"How dare you!" Said Ms. Beaurgaurde.

Willy gulped."Ladies, please!" He broke up the fight.

We both looked at him.

"All aboard!" He told everyone.

We all climbed aboard the boat I sat at the back of the boat between Willy and Charlie.

I could feel my heart thumping in my chest as Willy set next to me. I gave him a smile as he looked at me. He smiled back nervously and scooted farther away from me.

I frowned, did I do something wrong?

             🍫 Willy's P.O.V 🍫

I think whatever illness Esme had was getting to me. I couldn't think clearly, my palms were sweaty underneath my gloves and my stomach ached. My heart pounded in my chest everytime I looked at her or thought of her.

But it's weird, at the same time I feel sick and happy! I feel happy when I think of her and her chocolate brown eyes and wavy hair and the cute way she giggles.  And I love how she calls me Willy instead of Mr. Wonka, I always found that Mr. Wonka was too formal.

Ugh! Stop thinking of her! You're making yourself sicker! I have to focus on something else!

I looked at the chocolate river and dipped the boat ladle into the chocolate and handed it over to Charlie.

"Here, try some of this it'll do you good" I told him "you look starved to death!"

As he took a sip, my eyes landed back on Esme. She smiled at me sweetly and looked over away shyly.

I noticed Charlie was saying something but I couldn't hear him from my heart pound in my ears.

"What?" I asked him.

"I said it's great" said Charlie.

"Oh yeah, that's because it's mixed by the waterfall!" I said, shaking myself from the trance. "The waterfall is most important, mixes the chocolate, churns it up makes it light and frothy, by the way no other factory in the world--"

"You already said that" snapped Veruca.

"Well, some of you weren't pay attention the first time!" Esme told her.

I tried to hide a smile when she said that.

"You're all very short aren't you?" Esme asked the group.

"Well yeah!" Said Violet hastily "we're children!"

"Well, that's no excuse I was never as short as you" I told them, helping Esme.

"You were once!" Insisted Mike.

"Was not!" I said "know why because I distinctly remember putting a hat on top of my head. Look at your short little arms, you could never reach!"

Esme giggled.

She has such a cute giggle! I thought, then I shook my head. keep it together, Willy!

"Do you even remember what it was like being a kid?" Asked Charlie.

"Oh boy, do I!" I went into a flashback "Do I?" I asked myself.

              🍭Esme's P.O.V 🍭

I sighed as Willy went into a flashback, I really wished I could help him with his father issues.

"Mr. Wonka! Mr. Wonka!" Said Charlie, snapping him out of it. "We're headed for a tunnel!" He said.

"Oh yeah" Willy said, dazed "full speed ahead!"

It stared to get dark as we entered the tunnel.

"How can they see where they're going?" Asked Violet, nervously.

"They can't" said Willy "there's no knowing where they're going. Switch on the lights!"

The light switch on and we go down a big drop into the tunnel.

I gasped and grabbed the nearest thing I can find to hold onto. As we slowed down, I realized that the thing I grabbed onto was Willy's arm.

He looked at me uncomfortably and almost scared and I stared at him and gulped. I quickly removed my hands from his forearm.

"S-Sorry, Willy" I said, looking away as I tucked some hair behind my ear.

"It's fine" he said with a small smile "It does get a little bumpy. Oh! People! Keep an eye out we're passing some very important rooms here!"

We passed by the clotted cream room, the coffee cream room and the hair cream room.

"What do you use hair cream for?" Asked Ms. Beauregarde.

"To lock in moisture!" Said Willy, modeling his hair.

I chuckled and he smiled at me.

The boat began to speed up again, I grasped my seat tightly and squeezed my eye closed.

"Stop the boat!" Willy said as I opened my eyes. "I wanna show you guys something!"

The boat had stopped at the inventing room.