Junie B., First Grader_ Toothless Wonder - Barbara Park [8]
I started feeling squirmy again. I looked at Herb kind of worried.
He tried to explain the matter to them.
“Well, uh … Junie B. didn't exactly leave her tooth for the fairy yet,” he said.
All of the children looked at me. “Why?” they said. “Why didn't you leave it, Junie B.?”
I squirmed some more. Then finally, I took a deep breath.
“I've got issues with that fairy, that's why,” I said kind of quiet.
“Issues?” asked Lennie. “Like what kind of issues?”
I swallowed real hard. “Issues like … well, you know … like what does she do with the teeth, for instance,” I said.
For a minute, nobody said anything.
Then May made the cuckoo sign at me.
“What does the fairy do with the teeth?” she said. “What kind of dumb issue is that?”
I flashed my angry eyes at that girl.
“Well, if it's so dumb, then you must know the answer. Right, May?” I said. “And so what does the fairy do with the teeth? Huh? She doesn't pay money just to throw them away, does she?”
After that, I waited and waited for her to answer.
The other children waited, too.
But May didn't say anything.
“Well?” I said.
“Well?” said Shirley.
“Well?” said José.
Finally, May's face turned red. And she went to get a drink of water.
After that, the whole lunch table started talking about the fairy. Only no one knew what she did with the teeth.
We wondered and wondered.
Then, all of a sudden, Lucille stood up. And she fluffed her fluffy dress.
“Well, guess what? I don't really care what the tooth fairy does with the teeth. All I care about is how much money she leaves.”
She looked at Room One. “You're nothing without money, people. Remember that,” she said.
I tapped my fingers on the table kind of annoyed.
“Yeah, only that doesn't even answer my question, Lucille. ’Cause I still don't know what she does with the teeth.”
Lucille put her hands on her hips.
“Well, maybe she just collects them,” she said. “Did you ever think of that? Huh? Collecting stuff is a hobby, you know. My richie nana collects tons of junk. And she pays good money for it, too.”
I tapped my fingers some more.
Then I put my chin in my hands. And I thought about Lucille's nana.
Finally, I started to smile a little bit. ’Cause maybe Lucille's idea might make some sense, possibly.
Pretty soon, Herb smiled a little bit, too.
“A tooth collection, huh?” he said. “Hmm. Maybe that's the answer, Junie B. Yeah, that just might be it. The fairy might collect teeth as a hobby or something.”
“Sure,” said Lennie. “There's nothing wrong with collecting stuff. Like, I collect baseball cards. But I don't really do anything with them.”
“Sí, and I collect matchbox cars,” said José. “What's wrong with that?”
Just then, Sheldon springed up from the table.
“Yes! And I collect vacuum-cleaner bags! And the doctor says that's perfectly normal!”
After that, Sheldon laughed. And he pretended to vacuum his pants.
All of us moved away from him.
Then the bell rang and everyone went outside for recess.
That afternoon, I wrote in my journal.
That night, Mother put me in bed.
Daddy was in baby Ollie's room. He was trying to rock that cranky boy to sleep.
We heard Ollie fussing.
“I bet you're glad I'm not that bad. Right, Mother?” I said. “That baby is a pain in our necks. Right?”
Mother laughed. “Oh, believe me, Junie B., you were no peach when you were teething, either,” she said.
She tickled me a little bit. “Speaking of teeth … tonight's the big night, right?” she said. “Tonight's the night you're finally leaving your tooth for the fairy.”
I covered my face with my sheet.
“Don't remind me,” I said.
Mother laughed again. “Don't be silly. This is going to be fun.”
She handed me my tooth to put under my pillow.
I handed it right back to her.
“You do it, Mother. You put it under my pillow, okay?” I said. “And put it close to the edge, please. ’Cause I don't want the fairy tramping around down there.”
Mother put it close to the edge. She let me check it.
After that, she leaned down. And she gave me a big hug.
“I'm very proud of you, Junie B.,” she said. “I'm proud that you