"Wonka" by Mariah Picon

Chapter 8: Bleacher and Mrs. Scubitt

The morning of the next day, Bleacher blows his whistle for the roll call to the Workers to start working.

"Bell." Bleacher said

"Here." Lottie said.

"Ben." Bleacher said.

"Mm." Piper said.

"Chucklesworth." Bleacher said.

Larry groans in response.

"Crunch." Bleacher said.

"Here." Abacus said.

"Wonka." Bleacher said.

"Bleacher! Toilet's blocked again." Mrs. Scrubitt said, from a distance.

"Oh, wow. The unmistakable sound of love." Willy said.

"You what?" Bleacher asked.

"Don't tell me you hadn't noticed." Willy said.

"What?" Bleacher said.

"She's madly in love with you." Willy said.

"Mrs. Scrubitt?" Bleacher asked.

"Besotted. And why not? Look at you. Fine figure of a man. You just need to tidy yourself up a little bit. Get some new clothes. Have a bath." Willy explained.

"A bath?" Bleacher asked.

"You do know what they say, right?" Willy asked.

"What do they say?" Bleacher asked.

"She'll be thankful for an ankle." Willy said.

"Yes." Bleacher said.

"And pleased to see your knees." Willy said.

"Right." Bleacher said.

"But if you wanna make her sigh..." Willy said.

"Tell me." Bleacher said.

"Show her some thigh." Willy said.

Bleacher chuckled to like the idea.

"Bleacher! It's overflowing now." Mrs. Scrubitt shouted.

"Get in there. Back to work." Bleacher said.

"All right." Willy said.

Bleacher shoves Willy down the stairs into the Wash House. 

"It's up to the ankles!" Mrs. Scubitt shouted.

"Time-waster." Bleacher said.

Mrs Scrubitt comes down into the shop,still calling for Bleacher as she was looking for him.

"Bleacher! Curse that idle peasant." Mrs. Scubitt said.

Mrs. Scrubitt notices Noodle has stopped scrubbing and is looking at a sheet of paper that is a picture of someone as Daphne was bringing out some clothes from the laundry.

"What you got there?" Mrs. Scrubitt asked, scaring the girls.

As soon as Noodle realizes that Mrs Scrubitt is watching her, she hides it behind her back. Daphne turns to see Mrs. Scrubitt.

"Oh, have you noticed something?" Daphne asked.

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Scrubitt asked.

"Show it to her." Daphne said to Noodle.

"All right. I was collecting laundry from Professor Monocle the other day." Noodle said.

"Yeah." Mrs. Scrubitt said.

"He's writing a book about the Bavarian Royal Family." Noodle said.

"Boring." Mrs. Scrubitt said.

"He's got sketches of noblemen all over his wall." Noodle said.