Free The Trouble with Sauce by Bruno Bouchet Page B

to tell our parents what’s happened. Whose place will we go to?’
    Nathaniel and Jonty’s parents were all at work. Prune’s didn’t work anymore.
    ‘I suspect my parents would not believe the principal tried to force mind-altering drugs on us,’ Nathaniel said. Jonty agreed. His dad would probably think he was trying to get out of doing his homework. Prune smiled. She had no doubt that her parents would believe her.

CHAPTER 17
AT HOME WITH THE DE LUCAS
    ‘Is this your place? It’s massive!’ Jonty couldn’t believe that Prune lived in such a huge house. He had thought they were taking a short cut through a really posh street, when Prune suddenly walked up the driveway of the biggest, most expensive house there. He’d reckoned she would live in an old rundown cottage with organic vegetables growing in the front yard.
    ‘My parents used to own alternative healing centres — yoga, herbal medicine, aura reading — the usual stuff.’
    ‘Yeah, really usual.’ Jonty hadn’t even heard of them.
    ‘Then they sold them all and now they meditate up there.’ Prune pointed to the top of the house.There was a huge room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a view across the whole area.
    Nathaniel nodded. ‘It’s quite splendid and somehow … peaceful.’
    Prune let them in the front door. ‘We have to take our shoes off. The house was blessed by a yoga master and it would be an insult to tread dirt into it.’
    Inside the hall they could hear a chiming sound, like lots of tiny bells tinkling in the distance. It was followed by the thump of a wave crashing on the shore and a whale singing. Prune stood with her eyes closed as she listened. Then she opened her eyes.
    ‘That’s the centring sound!’ she said. ‘It reminds us of the peace and harmony in the world and in our house.’
    ‘Should we find your parents?’ said Nathaniel.
    ‘Yes, but I should warn you first —’ Prune was interrupted.
    ‘Hello, Prune. School must be over. Welcome, Prune’s friends!’ At the top of the stairs stood Mrs de Luca. Her arms were spread out and she had a blissful smile on her face. Nathaniel and Jonty saw immediately what Prune had been going to warn them about. Mrs de Luca was completely naked.
    They stared at the floor, their faces bright red.
    ‘Come, don’t be shy. I’m delighted Prune’sbrought some friends home.’ Mrs de Luca walked down the stairs.
    ‘Verity and Vernon haven’t worn any clothes at home since they sold the business.’
    ‘Who?’ asked Jonty.
    ‘My parents don’t like the words “mum” and “dad". I have to use their first names. You will too.’
    Verity de Luca arrived at the bottom of the stairs.
    ‘This is Nathaniel and this is Jonty,’ Prune introduced them.
    ‘Nice to meet you, Mrs — Verity.’ Nathaniel held his hand out, but turned his head away.
    ‘Nice to meet you, too. Vernon is meditating. Is it time for food? Is that why you’re here? Do we have food, Prune?’
    ‘We need to talk to you, Verity. It’s important. Our principal has been using pills to turn everyone into learning zombies,’ Prune said.
    ‘The principal? Is he an alien?’ Verity wasn’t joking.
    ‘No, it’s worse. Perhaps we should go into the kitchen.’ Prune figured if she could get her mother to sit down at the table, that would cover half her body and the boys might not be so embarrassed. Jonty was screwing his eyes up. His face was so red it looked like it was about to explode.
    In the kitchen Prune persuaded her mother to sit at the table. There was a vase that she moved rightin front of her, so only Verity’s head stood out above the yellow and red flowers. Jonty and Nathaniel were relieved. With parents like this, no wonder Prune was so loopy! In this house she was the most sensible person around.
    They told Mrs de Luca what had been going on at their school. She gasped repeatedly as they went on.
    ‘And you think Mr Foster is the alien?’ she asked.
    ‘No, Mrs de Luca,’ Nathaniel