Chapter 6: Ground Rules

Chapter 6: Ground Rules

The hallway smelt of cats. Veruca wrinkled her nose as she stepped over the threshold. She stepped on something hard, and looked down. It was a red, plastic car with a smiling face painted on the front.

“Oh, that’ll be Ollie’s,” said Aunt Katharine breezily, bending down to pick up the car. Veruca stared at the carpet. It was a nasty, mushroom-like shade of brown, and was threadbare and scuffed. It contrasted sharply with her smart, highly polished leather shoes.

“Shall I fetch your suitcase from the boot, Miss Veruca?” said the chauffeur, still standing outside the door nervously.

“No, thank you,” said Aunt Katharine politely. “Veruca can carry it inside.”

“I don’t want to,” Veruca said bluntly. Her aunt ignored her.

“Do I need to pay you?” she asked the chauffeur. He looked thunderstruck.

“Uh...no...it’s not...I mean...”

“Wait there and I’ll fetch £20, just for your trouble.” Aunt Katharine moved out of hallway, through a door that presumably led to the kitchen. “Veronica, go and fetch your suitcase,” she called.

“VERUCA!” Veruca screamed.

“Okay then, Veruca.” This made Veruca feel hot with anger. Why wasn’t this stupid woman reacting? Most people would be falling over themselves to apologise by now. “Just go and fetch your suitcase, okay?”

Veruca stormed out of the door. Violently pushing the chauffeur aside, she stormed over to the car.

As she opened the boot, she heard Aunt Katharine talking to the chauffeur. “Do you really think she’ll be that much trouble?”

“I’d be careful,” said the chauffeur. “She flies off the handle pretty easily...”

Veruca pulled her suitcase from the boot, and then slammed it shut so hard, the lock broke and it swung open again. Storming up the path, she grabbed the £20 note from the driver, and tore it in half.

“There!” she bawled. “I hope I’m not flying off the handle!”

“Veruca!” snapped Aunt Katharine. Her blue eyes flashed dangerously. “Apologise. Now.”

“I won’t!” Veruca screamed.

“Right,” Aunt Katharine was tight-lipped and angry. “Inside the house. Now.” She turned to the chauffeur. “I’m terribly sorry.”

“It’s fine,” said the chauffeur, looking petrified once more. “Um...goodbye.”

Aunt Katharine stepped inside the house, pulling her niece in with her. She slammed the door shut and locked it.

“You, living room,” she said, her eyes narrow with fury. “Now.”

Veruca scowled, and tried to make as much noise as she could on the carpeted floor as she stomped into the living room. She stopped in astonishment.

“It’s miniature,” she said, a sneer in her voice. “Why, my walk-in wardrobe at home is larger than this!”

“I’m glad to hear it,” said Aunt Katharine, closing the door. “Sit down.”

Veruca turned her nose up at the squashy, cracked leather sofa, and the second-hand armchair beside it. She sat on the only chair that passed her inspection, a hard-backed wooden chair made of a dark, glossy wood. Tossing her curls over her shoulder, she glared at her Aunt.

“Your father was kind enough to provide me with a list of rules,” Aunt Katharine said. “You will obey these rules while you stay here. If you are well behaved, you will be rewarded. If you misbehave, you will be punished.”

“Yes,” Veruca muttered, “I would like to see you try.”

Aunt Katharine ignored her again. “One of the rules sent to me was: ‘Veruca may only have £5 spending money per week.’”

“What!” Veruca sat up straight, stunned. “Are you mad?”

“Seeing as you just tore up £20,” Aunt Katharine continued, “you will receive no spending money for the next four weeks.”

She pulled a notebook from the pocket of her cardigan. “I have the rules here:

1. The pocket money rule.

2. Bed by 9pm on school nights. If Veruca is well behaved all week, she may stay up until 10pm on Saturday nights.

3. Hours spent watching television will be earned, and Veruca may only watch television at the weekends.

4. Up at 7am on schooldays, and up at 9am on weekends.

5. Veruca will wear the same clothes as she has brought with her, and she will wash them herself.

6. Veruca is to help around the house. She will learn how to cook, and will do the washing-up.

7. Veruca is to join at least two after school or weekend clubs. We will pay for them, naturally, but they must be something useful, such as Spanish or swimming.

8. Veruca will not go to any parties, unless they are family events.

9. Veruca will spend at least an hour on homework each night.

10. She must be taken to the library at least every fortnight. You will supervise what books she borrows.

11. She will socialise with people, but you must supervise whom she is friends with.

12. Above and beyond everything, Veruca must behave at school.”

There was a brief silence.

“Are you mad?” Veruca shrieked. “It’ll be like living in a concentration camp.”

“I’m not going to get angry with you,” Aunt Katharine said. “Anger clearly does not work. You will go to your room, unpack and read until I call you for supper. Your room is up the stairs, second door to the left.”

Veruca stared at her aunt, her eyes narrowed. “I hate you too,” she whispered. But Aunt Katharine just smiled.

“I know,” she said.

--

A/N: That was still shorter than I would have liked, but longer than last time. Plus, long chapters give me a headache. Thank you for all the reviews – I received several less than 24 hours after posting the last chapter. I would particularly like to thank my regular reviewers, Yva J., I Follwed The White Rabbit, YA-YA and White Magician to name a few. Next chapter should be up by the weekend, homework permitting.