A Thin Line Between Gum and Chocolate

LEAPING CHOCOLATES

The picnic was a great birthday lunch that Charlie prepared and things were going well so far. However, it could have been better if it went without the usual uncomfortable silence. Charlie kept waiting for either one of the candy-makers to start a conversation but unfortunately, none has said a word to each other.

Finally, Charlie had to break the silence and could not help but ask. "So, I know you might not want to talk about it but I was wondering how you two became so competitive with each other. Were you ever friends at all?"

Both Mr. Wonka and Miss Vicky stopped eating and stared at Charlie as though as if he uttered a swear word. They glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. Mr. Wonka shot him a slight glare and sneered. "You're right. We don't' want to talk about it, kay?"

"Oh, come on, Mr. Wonka!" Charlie pleaded and then gave Miss Vicky another angelic look that she could not resist. She sighed as she turned to Willy. "Go on, Willy. It's his birthday after all."

"Fine!" He gave a slight pout as he began. "I was about your age. At school, I always had the best grades in the class, always was the first to raise my hand and always was first to finish my exams. I was also the first to arrive in class and get to my favorite desk. And if that wasn't enough, I beat all the kids out of their marbles during playtime! Isn't that neat?! Then one day my teacher asked a question about how to spell some weird word. Suddenly..."

"...I raised my hand before he did." Miss Vicky smirked as Mr. Wonka glared at her. "And if I remember correctly, the word was 'haughty'. H-A-U-G-H-T-Y. Haughty. I was the new student in school and my mother always taught me 'never let some ninny little boy beat you at anything'. I studied vigorously, day and night. I never went out to play and my mother forced me to finish my school work before supper. From then on I always had the better grades in class, was first to finish my tests, and if Willy got an A-, I ended up with an A+. Not to mention, I won all his marbles. Hmph!" She smirked proudly at him as he rolled his eyes and pouted. He really did not want to talk about it but looking back, he finally needed to let the burdens of his past out.

He continued. "Then, one horrible day, my father decided to install those appalling braces. I came to school and I was instantly poked fun at. All thanks to Vicky Adams." He narrowed his eyes at her.

Miss Vicky could not help but snicker. "Yes, they were dreadful. He looked like a little monster with metal all over his head. I never meant for the name Mr. Metal Helmet to have caught on so quickly around school. However, schoolwork became more and more hectic for me that I studied and studied. At the same time, I kept eating and eating... mostly sweets, that is. I blew up fat like a balloon and it got so horrible..."

"...That she could not fit sitting on the chair at her desk! Hahaha!" Willy Wonka fell into a fit of insane giggles.

Miss Vicky glared at him and sighed. "Yes, well, I had to be forced to sit in the back where there was more room for me and then thanks to Willy, everyone in class kept poking fun at me as well, calling me the Fat Lard and Chunky Vicky."

"That's awful!" Charlie frowned.

"Though I must admit." She continued. "I was quite inspired years later when making new bubblegum with my father. I thought of non sticky gum that people with braces could chew. Braces like Willy's."

At this, Mr. Wonka could not help but gawk at her in astonishment. "Really?! That's really weird!" He grinned broadly. "I was inspired to make Wonka Nerds from that day you dropped that lollipop. You were making fun of me that I wasn't allowed to eat candy and when I ran into you, on purpose, of course, the candy fell and shattered into tiny little pieces. Hehe! I thought of it years later when I wanted to make bits of crunchy candy. Well, what do you know!?"