It was awkward.

To put it simply, the situation was so tense and awkward that you could almost taste it. Helen was glaring constantly at Carl and looking at the Once Ler with a suspicious yet curious glare. Ted was glaring too, but his hatred was directed to Carl, while he watched in a rather suspicious way the way his Grammy and the Once Ler looked at each other. Carl noticing that people was glaring at him he concentrated in the tea he had in front of him, barely drinking, afraid a knife will lodge in his lungs if he asked for another one. On the other hand the glances between Norma and the Once Ler were the strangest of all, suddenly they looked like if they just wanted to hug each other and be together forever and ever, then they looked like if they wanted to murder and torture each other. The only time they seemed to be 'normal' was when they glances were directed at Helen.

"So, Helen..." said the Once Ler watching Norma

Helen turned to the old man at the mention of her name, but he wasn't talking to her, it was like a question to Norma.

"Yes" Norma slipped a bit of tea "Means 'torch'"

"I guess you never though any variants of Isabelle..." he said glancing down

The looked dangerously at him for three full seconds "Not for all the gold or Thneeds in this planet"

The Once Ler nodded.

The silence remained, until...

"Ok,that's it!" said Ted hitting the coffee table "What the hell is going on? Geez the things here are so thick you can almost cut them with a knife!" he said angrily

The Once Ler looked at Norma and Norma back at him, she made a very slowly nod.

"Ted, do you remember the story, right? My fall due my own greed"

Ted nodded, how could he ever forget it? It would be burned forever in his memory.

"Well, there was a part I omitted, because at that time I didn't thought it would be useful to tell you..."

Carl and Helen looked in awe as if they were going to watch an untold story in front of them.

"What do you mean?" asked Ted "you omitted something about the trees?" he asked in panic

"No" answered the Once Ler "Something regarding my past"

Ted watched him in confusion.

"Your past?" he said rising an eyebrow

"Yes, my past, because you know, not that long ago it was a girl..."

"A girl?" asked Ted dumbfound "So that's why you said 'When a guy does something stupid once it's because he is a guy, but if he does the same stupid thing twice it's to impress some girl' "

"Yes, even so with that phrase I wasn't talking about the same girl, when I told you that I was thinking about my mother"

Ted looked at him oddly "Your mother?"

"Yes" he cleared his throat "I cut the first tree to create a stupid Thneed, but I allowed the second one to impress my mother."

"Oh" said Ted scratching his head

"But given the case, is not my mother who I was talking about..."

Ted opened the bag of marshmallows as he stared at the old Once Ler that looked ready to begin another story, truth to be told it was something ominous about him that made Helen and Carl to look at him attentively as they passes the marshmallows between each other.

He cleared his throat

"It all started long time ago..."

.-.-.-.-.-.

It was actually a bit before the Thneed boom. As I've promised the Lorax not to cut more trees I decided to go search about the Truffula trees by myself. I headed to the town as innocent as I could because I knew that if they recognized me they'll start to trow me all kind of food. So quietly as I could I went to the nearest , and only, bookstore.

After searching for a while I decided on a book called 'Truffula threes and you'. Also for my spare time I brought 'Being an Entrepreneur in this crazy world' and 'Business for dummies'. I tried to sneak to the cashier to avoid reconoziction, but the owner of the store quickly recognized me.

"Hey" she said "I know you you are the guy with the guitar and the jingle" she said while smiling.

I was very afraid the she would start to trow me thing, but, much to my surprise it never happened. I removed my hands off my face to fin a freckled face still smiling at me.

"You...you aren't going to trow me food?" I asked unsure

She laughed with the most beautiful laugh I've ever heard

"Of course not, silly, If I did that I'll probably damage the books"

"Oh" I said with a disappointed tone

"You are kind of strange" she said looking at me

I sighted as my humor depressed even more

"Strange but in a good way" she said as she saw my downer attitude "I mean why will I want to trow you food?"

This lighten me out, she didn't want to trow me food?

"Well, everyone in the town seems to enjoy it, even the nun" I replied frowning.

She bit her lip

"I'm sorry, we really are not that mean, but truth to be told nothing new ever happens in this town so when you appeared it took everyone out of the routine..."

I didn't know what to say.

"So why are you buying this books? Is not like the trees could produce much turfs to produce your...threeneed?"

"Well" I responded unsure "that's what I'm trying to figure out" I said awkwardly.

"But, you are really living in the forest?" she asked suddenly "I mean you are not afraid?"

"Afraid?" I asked "of what?"

"Well", she said looking towards the forest "there is a legend about a guardian of the forest" she said taking out a thick book "there is a reason the town doesn't grow too much towards the forest, the legend says that if you cut down a tree the guardian will unleash his power over you..."

I wanted to laugh but she was dead serious.

"So what's the name of this great guardian?" I said biting my lip

She looked at me almost secretive "He is called the Lorax"

I had to bit myself so I didn't laugh

"And...and...what does this Lorax looks like? Or what does he do?" I asked curiously, man I really wanted to go back to the forest and confront the Lorax about this...

"Well" she said opening the dusty book "legend says that he is tall as a truffula tree, with fur as a Barbaloos but with the color of twilight at six pm, has a big mustache with the color of the midday sun and clear eyes as the sky on a cloudless day..." she said it almost like a poem, even if it didn't rhyme.

"I'll take my chances with this 'Lorax'" I replied smiling.

She looked at me with concern filled eyes

"Just be careful, OK?" she said with a sweet voice

All my humor vanished, so I decided to do the braves thing I've ever done.

"Hey, you know I actually know the forest very well now" I said scathing my head "So I don't know if you want to go to my place during this week, I'll prepare you a big batch of pancakes in appreciation for your concern..."

She looked at me for a second, directly in the eye.

"How about Friday's morning?" she said at last "That's my day off..."

I blinked in surprise not once but twice.

"S...s..sure" I said getting as red as as a Christmas light "I...I'll meet you at the north part of the town at 10..."

"Sure thing!" she said while blushing a bit.

I walked out of the store filled with a irrational sense of optimism...

.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Once Ler, it is cute and all, but can't we skip to the important point?" begged Ted

The Once Ler looked at him with a frown.

"Every part is important Ted, specially if you want to know the whole story..."

Carl sighted loudly, but received a glare from Helen.

"This is going to be a long evening" thought Carl...

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Guys!

I'm so so SO sorry for the big hiatus , but I was on a writer's block plus college, (by the way I was accepted and I'll begin on august 27th :D )

To make it up to you guys next chapter will be released during the week, Friday tops...

Be good and write a review (now is easier since it's a text box thing down here)

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Love you for your support :3