Junie B., First Grader_ Boss of Lunch - Barbara Park [7]
Mrs. Gutzman gave me a pat. “That's the spirit,” she said. “Now there's just one other thing we need to talk about before you get started.”
Then guess what? She reached under the counter. And she gave me another pair of mitts.
I quick held up my hands for her to see.
“But I'm already wearing mitts, Mrs. Gutzman. See them? You already gave them to me yesterday.”
“I know. But these are brand-new ones, Junie B.,” she said. “Around here, we change our plastic mitts quite often. That's how we keep from spreading germs. We're constantly washing our hands and changing our mitts.”
I scratched my head.
“No kidding,” I said. “Really? You mean I'm supposed to wash my hands, plus wear mitts? My, my. That's a lot of hygiene, isn't it?”
Mrs. Gutzman did a teensy frown.
Then she took me to the sink. And she washed my hands real good.
After they were dry, she put the new mitts on me.
“Whoa. These are the cleanest hands I ever saw,” I said.
After that, I skipped back to the counter. And I began stacking napkins.
Pretty soon, the kitchen started getting smells in it.
I sniffed the air.
The smells were not delicious.
“P.U.,” I said kind of quiet.
Mrs. Gutzman looked over at me.
I held my nose.
“I smell stinkle,” I said.
Mrs. Gutzman did not look happy. “Holding your nose isn't sanitary, Junie B. Now you'll have to change your mitts again.”
I kept on holding my nose.
“Yes, but if I let go of my nose, the stinkle will get in my nostrils,” I explained. “And that smell is not delightful.”
Mrs. Gutzman looked annoyed at me.
“What you're smelling is our lunch today, Junie B.,” she said. “We're baking tuna noodle casserole. We're going to be serving it with carrots and peas.”
I made a sick face.
“Bluck,” I said. “I hate peas. It's a good thing I brought my lunch today. Right, Mrs. Gutzman? At least now I will get a decent meal.”
Mrs. Gutzman still looked grumpity.
She came over and changed my mitts.
After that, I stacked more napkins.
And I tried to just breathe through my mouth.
Being a helper is not a breeze.
After the lunch bell rang, big kids started coming into the kitchen.
Two of them pointed at my hair net.
They called me the name of Freak-a-zoid.
I felt very crumbling inside. “Now I'm not even going to greet you,” I said real quiet.
After that, I tattletaled to Mrs. Gutzman. And she grouched at those boys. Plus also, she said I didn't have to greet people.
Instead, she said I could sponge the counter.
I hurried over there my fastest.
Then I sponged and sponged until the big kids were gone.
Pretty soon, I looked at the door again.
And guess what?
I saw my friends from Room One!
I saw Herb and Lennie and José and Shirley and Roger! They were at the counter with their trays!
I ran over to them speedy quick.
“Hello, everyone! Hello! Hello! Look at me! See me working in here? I am being a helper! See?” I said.
All of them smiled and waved. “Hi, Junie B.! Hi!” they said.
I skipped around in a circle.
“See my outfit? I am a real professional lunch maker! See? I look just like Mrs. Gutzman!”
I showed them my sponge. “And look at this! I even have ’quipment!”
After that, I ran back to the sinks. And I showed them how I wiped the counter.
“Can everyone see me over here?” I asked. “I am the boss of this whole entire sponged area.”
After that, I zoomed to the napkins.
“Plus also, I am the boss of the napkins,” I said. “See how I stacked them? If I keep up the good work, someday I will be the boss of this whole operation, probably!”
Just then, May came in the door.
She did a mean laugh.
“You're not a real lunch maker, Junie Jones,” she said. “They're just letting you pretend. Don't you know that?”
All of a sudden, I felt steamy mad inside.
’Cause I am sick and tired of that dumb girl!
I stamped my foot real hard.
“Yes, I am, too, a real lunch maker!” I said. “Can't you even see my outfit, May? If I am not a real lunch maker, then how come I am wearing mitts and a hair net? Huh?”
May did not answer.
“I'LL TELL YOU WHY, SISTER!” I said. “’CAUSE I'M