Junie B., First Grader_ Toothless Wonder - Barbara Park [4]
Then—fast as a wink—I opened my lips. And I did a little peek at my mouth.
I quick closed my eyes again.
’Cause what do you know?
A freako.
“Put me down, Grampa,” I said. “Put me down right now. I don't want to look at myself again. I don't, I don't, I don't.”
Grampa Miller put me down.
Just then, my nose started to sniffle very much. And my eyes got tears in them.
“I hate me,” I said. “I hate the way I look.”
Grampa blew my nose on toilet paper.
“I'm never going to look at myself again,” I said. “Not ever, ever, never! And I mean it.”
Grampa bent down next to me again.
“I want you to listen to me, little girl,” he said. “I would never lie to you, Junie B. You look every bit as cute without your tooth as you did with it.”
He gave me a hug. “Your new smile is wonderful,” he said. “You didn't even give it a chance, honey. You really need to look at it again. Honest you do.”
He ruffled my hair. “Do it for me, okay? Just give yourself one more chance.”
I rocked back and forth on my feet very slow. ’Cause I needed to think this over, that's why.
Finally, I did a big breath. “Oh, okay, Grampa,” I said. “If you really want to lift me up there again, I guess I will let you. But I'm only doing this to be nice.”
Grampa Miller patted my head. “You're very kind,” he said.
After that, he lifted me back up to the mirror.
Very slow, I opened my mouth again. And I peeked at my new tooth hole.
“Try smiling,” said my grampa. “You'll love your new smile. I know you will.”
I did a nervous breath. Then I smiled at myself kind of shy.
“See?” said Grampa Miller. “See how cute it looks?”
I didn't answer him. Instead, I made another face at myself. And then another one. And another one.
Pretty soon, I tried every face in the book.
Finally, Grampa winked at me.
“So what do you think, little girl?” he said. “Hmm? How do you think you look?”
I smiled kind of shy again.
“I think I look fascinating, Frank,” I said.
Grampa Miller put me back on the floor.
Then he went to the kitchen. And he got a stool. And he brought it back to the bathroom.
He helped me up to the top step.
I stared at myself till Mother came home.
That night we had festivities.
Festivities is when my grampa and grandma come over. And all of us eat cake.
Grandma Helen Miller made the cake herself. She put a big smiley face on the top. Only that is not all. ’Cause the smiley face had a tooth missing! Just like me!
I laughed and laughed at that silly thing. Then I reached in my pocket. And I got my tooth. And I passed it all around the table.
“Oh, that's a beaut, Junie B.,” said Grandma Miller.
“I know it, Grandma. I know it is a beaut,” I said real proud. “I can't wait to take it to school for Show-and-Tell. The children are going to love this thing.”
Daddy looked strange at me.
“Oh, gee … I don't know, honey,” he said. “I'm not really sure you should take your tooth to school.”
Mother shook her head.
“No, Junie B. That's definitely not a good idea,” she said. “And besides, you won't even have your tooth on Monday, remember? You have to leave it for the tooth fairy tonight.”
Just then, my skin got chill bumps again. And the flutterflies came back in my stomach.
’Cause I know stuff about the fairy, that's why.
My voice felt kind of shaky.
“Yeah, only what if I don't want to leave my tooth for the fairy, Mother?” I said. “What if I just want to take it to Show-and-Tell, and that's all?”
Mother shook her head again. “No, Junie B. No Show-and-Tell,” she said. “Taking a tooth to Show-and-Tell is just… well, it's just—”
“Disgusting,” said Daddy.
“Yes,” said Mother. “Disgusting.”
I whined at those two. “No, it isn't,” I said. “Lots of kids bring teeth to school. ’Cause one time Roger brought a shark's tooth. And he even let me and Herb put it right in our mouths. And then we looked like sharks, too.”
I thought some more.
“Plus another time, Shirley brought her grandmother's dentures. And lots of us put those in our mouths, too.”
Grandma Miller did a little gag. Only I don't actually know why.
My grampa patted