Heroes of the Secret Underground Chapter Sampler

Louie ignores her. She doesn’t understand why Mrs Tulip hates her. Hates Pa and Grandma too, although she pretends to like them. Louie’s Pa and Grandma are good customers and buy flowers from her shop. Is that why she pretends? Grandma grows magnolias with the largest hearts. More beautiful than Mrs Tulip’s magnolias. Is that why she hates them? Mrs Tulip sells peace lilies, for the International Year for the Culture of Peace. Everyone buys her lilies. She pretends she cares about the world. But she’s ugly inside. Louie is relieved as Blossoms, Blooms & Buds disappears around the corner. She looks up at the sky. Snowy-white cockatoos with golden crowns are flying home to the park. Louie treads carefully. There are huge twisted tree roots along this street that make the pathway rough. Some people complain about the trees and cracked paths and the leaves that cover the ground. They want to cut the trees down, but Louie loves them. She hums as she breathes in the scent of the flowers. Music is always in her head. A ‘Yahoo!’ booms between the huge trees, making Louie start and stumble. The flowers nearly slip through her fingers as she looks up. Her brother Bert bounds down the street with four-year-old Teddy flying after him. ‘Grandma needs the flowers for the Manor Room before the guests arrive. Not after,’ Bert puffs.

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