Read Online The Trouble with Sauce by Bruno Bouchet - Free Book Online
Authors: Bruno Bouchet
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dragged along by her hair every time he swung round. She screamed out in pain and the others started screaming, too. Miranda and Lynn had got their chair legs caught on each other, were pulling furiously in opposite directions and crashing into everyone, as they tried to free themselves.
‘What on earth is happening?’ a voice boomed out from the door.
Mr Croxall had arrived at the perfect moment. His beautiful classroom was a disgusting mess. Green food dye was everywhere. The desks were scattered around the place and his perfect students looked hideous.
They froze at the sound of his voice and stood there trembling, not sure what they should do. Boris sat on the ground, trying to look as dignified as possible without his trousers on. The others followed his lead and sat down where they stood.
Mr Croxall entered the classroom and stopped. Jonty needed him to take one more step forward, but he stood still. As he looked round the scene and saw the only three students without green dye on them sitting at the back of the class, Mr Croxall knew exactly who to blame.
‘Jonty Townsend, what have you done?’ he shouted.
‘Sorry, sir, were you talking to me?’ Jonty said. ‘I couldn’t hear you.’
Mr Croxall’s face burst into a whole new shade of red. Nathaniel grimaced. He knew Mr Croxall had to step forward so they could finish their plan. Why wouldn’t he take that step?
Prune leapt up. ‘Sorry, sir. Is it time for desk placement?’ she said. ‘Where would you like me to sit?’ She smiled as if she was totally unaware of what had happened. ‘Is it my turn for the chalk?’
‘How … dare … you!’ Mr Croxall stared and finally took a step towards her.
Jonty seized the moment. In a flash, he took a ball out and hurled it at the long lightshade hanging from the ceiling.
Bang!
He hit it perfectly. On top of the shade, Jonty had placed a thin plastic bag packed with stewed prunes. As the light swung violently, the bag slipped off and burst onto Mr Croxall’s head. The brown, sloppy, lumpy liquid gushed out of the bag and poured over his face and down his clothes.
Prune beamed with delight. ‘What — don’t you like prunes, sir?’
Mr Croxall stood there speechless. His entire body trembled as he slowly lifted his left hand and pointed to the door.
‘Report to the principal,’ he muttered quietly and spat a prune stone out of his mouth.
‘Whatever you say, sir!’ Nathaniel marched first towards the door, his head held high. He had to admit, he had been spectacularly bad.
Jonty and Prune followed him, equally satisfied with their work.
Out in the corridor, they jumped up and down.
‘That was splendid!’ Nathaniel shouted. ‘The best homework I’ve ever done. The books exploded perfectly.’
‘You two did an amazing job,’ Jonty said. ‘You must have worked for hours!’
‘And the prunes!’ Prune couldn’t stop grinning. Jonty hadn’t told her about them.
‘I thought you might like that!’ he said.
She clapped her hands. This was revenge against all the people who had ever teased her, bullied her or called her wrinkly names. It was even revenge against her parents for calling her ‘Prune’ in the first place. ‘From now on, whenever anyone teases me about my name, I’m just going to imagine that bag of prunes falling on their head.’
Jonty smiled at how much his friends had enjoyed their tricks, but now they had to face the most important part of their plan — the principal’s office. No one who had been sent there had come out normal. Their smiles faded as they realised that in the next few moments, they too might become learning-obsessed zombies.
CHAPTER 15
INSIDE THE OFFICE
The principal’s assistant was waiting for them outside his office. They had never seen her before; only heard her voice summoning students. Her hair was piled up on top, making her head look even longer than it was. Her arms were folded and her lips pressed together.
‘You.’ She pointed
‘What on earth is happening?’ a voice boomed out from the door.
Mr Croxall had arrived at the perfect moment. His beautiful classroom was a disgusting mess. Green food dye was everywhere. The desks were scattered around the place and his perfect students looked hideous.
They froze at the sound of his voice and stood there trembling, not sure what they should do. Boris sat on the ground, trying to look as dignified as possible without his trousers on. The others followed his lead and sat down where they stood.
Mr Croxall entered the classroom and stopped. Jonty needed him to take one more step forward, but he stood still. As he looked round the scene and saw the only three students without green dye on them sitting at the back of the class, Mr Croxall knew exactly who to blame.
‘Jonty Townsend, what have you done?’ he shouted.
‘Sorry, sir, were you talking to me?’ Jonty said. ‘I couldn’t hear you.’
Mr Croxall’s face burst into a whole new shade of red. Nathaniel grimaced. He knew Mr Croxall had to step forward so they could finish their plan. Why wouldn’t he take that step?
Prune leapt up. ‘Sorry, sir. Is it time for desk placement?’ she said. ‘Where would you like me to sit?’ She smiled as if she was totally unaware of what had happened. ‘Is it my turn for the chalk?’
‘How … dare … you!’ Mr Croxall stared and finally took a step towards her.
Jonty seized the moment. In a flash, he took a ball out and hurled it at the long lightshade hanging from the ceiling.
Bang!
He hit it perfectly. On top of the shade, Jonty had placed a thin plastic bag packed with stewed prunes. As the light swung violently, the bag slipped off and burst onto Mr Croxall’s head. The brown, sloppy, lumpy liquid gushed out of the bag and poured over his face and down his clothes.
Prune beamed with delight. ‘What — don’t you like prunes, sir?’
Mr Croxall stood there speechless. His entire body trembled as he slowly lifted his left hand and pointed to the door.
‘Report to the principal,’ he muttered quietly and spat a prune stone out of his mouth.
‘Whatever you say, sir!’ Nathaniel marched first towards the door, his head held high. He had to admit, he had been spectacularly bad.
Jonty and Prune followed him, equally satisfied with their work.
Out in the corridor, they jumped up and down.
‘That was splendid!’ Nathaniel shouted. ‘The best homework I’ve ever done. The books exploded perfectly.’
‘You two did an amazing job,’ Jonty said. ‘You must have worked for hours!’
‘And the prunes!’ Prune couldn’t stop grinning. Jonty hadn’t told her about them.
‘I thought you might like that!’ he said.
She clapped her hands. This was revenge against all the people who had ever teased her, bullied her or called her wrinkly names. It was even revenge against her parents for calling her ‘Prune’ in the first place. ‘From now on, whenever anyone teases me about my name, I’m just going to imagine that bag of prunes falling on their head.’
Jonty smiled at how much his friends had enjoyed their tricks, but now they had to face the most important part of their plan — the principal’s office. No one who had been sent there had come out normal. Their smiles faded as they realised that in the next few moments, they too might become learning-obsessed zombies.
CHAPTER 15
INSIDE THE OFFICE
The principal’s assistant was waiting for them outside his office. They had never seen her before; only heard her voice summoning students. Her hair was piled up on top, making her head look even longer than it was. Her arms were folded and her lips pressed together.
‘You.’ She pointed
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