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“Stop!” he yelled. “Don’t take that valentine outside! If you take it outside, you’ll get it dirty.”

I made squinty eyes at that boy.

“No, I will not get it dirty,” I said back. “And anyway, this is not your beeswax, Jim.”

Jim stamped his foot.

“Yes, it too my beeswax, Looney B. Jones!” he yelled. “That card costed me a whole month’s allowance! And I don’t want you to get dirt on it!”

As soon as he said it, he quick put his hands over his mouth.

But I already heard his words.

I did a gasp.

“You, Jim? You are the one who bought this card?” I asked. “Why? How come? Is this some kind of meanie boy joke?”

Jim started sputtering a real lot.

“Yes. I mean, no. Uh, I mean, I didn’t buy that card. It just looks like it costed a lot of money, that’s all. And whoever bought it spent his whole allowance, I bet.”

I kept on staring at that boy. ’Cause something smelled like fish here, that’s why.

“But if you’re not the one who gave me that valentime, then how come you’re acting so funny, Jim?” I asked. “And how come your words are sputtery and nervous? And how come your face is reddish and blotchish?”

Just then, Jim clunked himself in the head.

“Darn it! I knew I’d ruin it! I always ruin everything! Now everybody in Room Nine will know that I like you! And I wanted it to stay a secret!” he said.

All of a sudden, my whole face felt happy.

“You like me, Jim? You really, really like me? ’Cause you never acted like you like me. And so since when did you like me? That’s what I would like to know.”

Jim’s face got a silly look on it.

“I’ve always liked you,” he said real quiet. “I just act like I don’t like you, so nobody will know I like you.”

I looked confused at him.

“But if you like me, how come you always call me names?” I asked.

Jim shrugged his shoulders.

“Because you call me names,” he said.

I did a big breath.

“Yes, Jim. I know I call you names. But that’s because you started it first,” I explained.

“No, I did not,” he said. “You started it first.”

I shook my head.

“No, Jim. You did,” I said.

“No, Junie B. You did,” he said back.

“No, you did.”

“No, you did.”

“No, you!”

All of a sudden, Jim raised his hand in the air. And he waved it all around.

I called on him.

“Jim?” I said.

“Maybe we both started it, Junie B.,” he said. “Maybe we both started calling each other names on the very same day.”

Just then, I started to smile. ’Cause that would be fair of us, I think!

After that, I skipped around him in a happy circle. On account of this was a nice development.

I grabbed his hand.

“Hey, Jim. Let’s go tell Mrs. that we’re friends. Want to? ’Cause she will get a kick out of this, probably,” I said.

But all of a sudden, Jim plopped down on the floor. And he wouldn’t even budge.

I stared and stared at the top of his head.

“Okay…this doesn’t actually seem like that good of a start for us, Jim,” I said.

He looked up at me.

“I know,” he said. “But I can’t tell the teacher that I like you. I can’t tell anyone. If I tell people, it will ruin everything.”

I wrinkled my eyebrows.

“Everything like what?” I said.

“Like all my friends will know I like girls. And that will be embarrassing,” he said. “Plus Room Nine won’t ever be the same again.”

I didn’t understand.

“Why, Jim? Why won’t it be the same?” I asked.

“Because it will be dull and boring, that’s why,” he said. “Because if you and I like each other, then I won’t tease you anymore. And if I don’t tease you, then you won’t tease me back. And that means you won’t shout silly, funny stuff at me that makes people laugh.”

He rocked back and forth on his feet very bashful.

“You make Room Nine sparky,” he said kind of quiet.

After that, he smiled very cute. And he poked my arm with his finger. And he made a sparky sound.

“Zzzzt!” he said. “Zzzzt! Zzzzt!”

I laughed very loud. And I sparked him right back.

“Zzzzt! Zzzzt!” I said.

And so guess what? Then me and that silly guy started chasing each other all over Room Nine. And we kept poking and sparking! And it was the funnest game I ever even heard of!

Only too bad for us. Because all of