Chocolate Love (Willy Wonka Love Story)

Chapter Eight

Aurora p.o.v.

A few minutes of comfortable silence went by.

"Have you done this before?" I asked, watching from the wall I leaned against. 

"Once, in Africa. Marvelous beast." Mr. Wonka replied.

"Was she wild?" Noodle jumped in.

"Wild? She was absolutely furious!" We all laughed.

"You sure can be silly, Willy." Noodle said, smiling down at the man.

"I suppose that's true-dle, Noodle."

"True-dle?" I laughed again at his funny way with words. 

"That doesn't work, does it? Nothing rhymes with Noodle. Where'd you get that name, anyway?"

I look up at the suddenly morose girl. 

"Doesn't matter."

"No, go on." He encourages her.

She hesitates, then pulls the necklace she wears out of her dress, and my heart aches for her.

"This. It's all I have from my real parents. See? 'N' for Noodle...or Nora...or Nina...or nothing at all." She explained, obviously disappointed and upset. I wanted badly to pull her into a hug.

"Can't you trace the owner?" Mr. Wonka doesn't let it go.  

"Don't you think I've tried? Rory even helped me. We've been to every jewelry store in the city yet we found nothing." 

I saw Mr. Wonka chew on his lip from the corner of my eye. Noodle looked at me, frowning, and I nodded for her to continue. I think it would be good for her to finally talk about it. 

"When I was a kid, I always hoped I'd find my parents. They'd live in this beautiful old building full of books. My mom would be waiting for me at the door, and I'd run into her arms, and she'd give me the biggest hug like she wouldn't ever let me go. But...then I realized it was just a stupid dream." She turns back to look into Abigail's eyes.

"There's nothing stupid about that." His eyebrows knit together as he looks up at her.

"Isn't there?"

"No. No, there isn't." He reassured her then turned to face me. "What about you, Rory?"

"...What about me?"

"How did you end up at the wash house?"

"It's...not really something I like to talk much about, but my parents kicked me out when I was about 13. I wanted to be a pastry chef and we had a big fight over it. I guess that was the straw that broke the camel's back cause they told me to pack my bags. I wandered the lower streets for like two days before Mr. Bleacher found me." I fidget where I stand.

"You make pastries?" I look at him. That wasn't exactly what I expected him to say. That's what he took from my explanation?

"Oh yeah." Noodle confirmed. "She makes the best pastries in the world. I was lucky enough to have one early on in her stay before Mrs. Scrubbit came and ate the rest."

I smiled at her and glanced at Mr. Wonka to see what he thought. "I had always dreamed of opening my own bakery when I was free. But...like Noodle I realized it was just a silly dream."

He just sighed. "I know things haven't been easy for you, girls, but it's going to get better. I'm not going to let you rot in that wash house forever."

Noodle looks at me with a skeptical face, then back down to Mr. Wonka. "You promise?"

"I can do better than that. I pinkie promise!" He motions me over, then takes both of our pinkies in his and smiles at us. Then he goes back to his little chair.