Chapter 10 Summary: Breakfast at Scrimmage's

The chapter 10 begins with Bruno and Boots working very early in the destroyed Miss Scrimmage’s garden, they were fixing all the ruined hedges and flower beds while Bruno was mumbling as he was pushing the wheelbarrow, but then Boots saw something near by the orchard slung between two apple trees, it was a makeshift banner that was read (welcome Bruno and Boots). Under the sign stood a small folding table covered by a bed-sheet tablecloth and set with Miss Scrimmage's best china, silver and crystal. A cardboard sign on the table said (Breakfast was served). Milk, orange juice, fresh rolls and butter, strawberries and cold cereal awaited the boys. Actually Diane and Cathy made the dishes for them and also Diane and Cathy soon appeared, leading a parade of girls in jeans and T-shirts and they said that they were from the Good Samaritan Committee and then they began to fix all the mess in the garden, two girls took down the banner and began to dismantle the table. The rest set to work with shovels and hoes on the garden and hedges. In an hour's time the hedge looked almost normal and the flower beds.

The boys were very fascinated for the girls’ work and they thanked to them and then the boys were attacked by the work crew. The girls smeared dirt all over their clothes and their faces, the boys were very confused about the girls’ action, so the girls explained to them that they had to look in that way in order to make Mr. Sturgeon believe that they were working hard on the garden and the girls told to the boys that Mr. Sturgeon had to see them, then a few minutes later the boys walked across the road and back to their own campus. On the way, they began to discuss their next move, they were talking about what to do in order to get back together again but they hadn’t any idea of what to do, then Bruno said that if all the plans didn’t success the only thing that they had to do was that they had to be good students and they had to have a good behavior and get good grades in the upcoming exams so that they would be rewarded by allowing them to get back again as roommates and partners.

Bruno and Boots went to Mr. Sturgeon’s office but they didn’t were there because he was in his house so Bruno and Boots walked across the campus to a small cottage with a white picket fence and climbing roses. Bruno rang the bell and the door was opened by Mrs. Sturgeon and the boys told to her about the tasks that they had to do by the Mr. Sturgeon orders and Mrs. Sturgeon felt pity of the boys and she invited them to have breakfast, then when Mr. Sturgeon came down for breakfast he found the boys established in his kitchen, eating his porridge, with Bruno seated in his favorite chair. Bruno and Boots explained to Mr. Sturgeon that they had finished all the tasks very fast because they wanted to have time to study for the upcoming exams and Mr. Sturgeon was very impressed about that, Bruno and Boots gulped down the rest of their oatmeal, thanked their hostess with touching gratitude and said goodbye. When the boys went to their rooms, Mrs. Sturgeon talked with Mr. Sturgeon about the boys’ punishments and she told him that he was very strict with the boys, so Mr. Sturgeon felt a little guilty about it and he said that maybe he was too much strict with the boys.