Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake - Barbara Park [2]
I skipped as fast as a speeding rocket.
“I’m winning! I’m winning!” I shouted very thrilled.
But just then, that Grace skipped right past me.
“Hi, Junie B….bye, Junie B.!” she said.
Then she touched the swing set before I did.
“I won! I won!” she yelled. “I beat you at skipping! I told you I was a good game winner!”
I stamped my foot at her. “No, you are not a good game winner, Grace,” I said. “’Cause your feet are way gianter than mine. And also you have pink high tops. So this race was not fair and square.”
That Grace stuck her tongue out at me.
“That is not attractive of you, madam,” I said.
Then I turned around and saw my other bestest friend named Lucille!
I runned to her speedy quick.
“Hey, Lucille! It’s me! It’s your bestest friend, Junie B. Jones! Let’s not play with that Grace, okay? Let’s just play by ourselves. ’Cause you and me can have a hopping contest! And we can see who’s the bestest hopper!”
Lucille fluffed her lacy dress.
“Okay, but I’m not allowed to get sweaty. And also I must be careful of my fingernails.”
She showed them to me.
“See? The manicure lady painted them Apricot Ice. See how beauteous they are?”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” I said not looking.
I took a giant breath.
“READY…GET SET…GO!” I shouted.
Then me and Lucille started hopping on one foot.
We hopped and hopped and hopped.
Only it wasn’t as fun as hopping with Grampa Miller. On account of Lucille didn’t get tired and fall over.
“Look, Junie B.!” she said very squealy. “Look how bouncy I am! This is fun! Isn’t it?”
I wiped my sweating head.
“Yeah, only it would be funner if you fell over now, Lucille. ’Cause I just had a skipping contest with that Grace. And I’m a little pooped here.”
“Look, Junie B.!” she said again. “Look how my fluffy skirt bounces over my head when I hop way high!”
My face felt hottish and reddish.
“I can see your underpants, Lucille,” I told her.
Only that dumb Lucille didn’t even care if I could see her underpants. She just kept on hopping and hopping.
Finally, I got tired and fell over.
“Yea! Yea!” shouted Lucille. “I’m the winner! I’m the winner of hopping!”
Just then, the school bell rang. And everybody ran to Room Nine.
Except for not me.
I walked very slow.
All by myself.
Mrs. was standing outside Room Nine.
Mrs. is the name of my teacher. She has another name, too. But I just like Mrs. and that’s all.
She smiled at me.
“Why so glum today, Junie B.?” she asked.
“’Cause people keep on beating me at all my games, that’s why. And so now I’m not the bestest winner anymore,” I said.
Then I went to my seat. And I put my head down on my table.
On account of glum is when the happy is gone right out of you.
3/All About Carnivals
Mrs. took attendance.
Attendance is when you say the word here. Only I didn’t feel like saying it. So I just raised my hand very flimsy.
“Are you feeling all right, Junie B.?” Mrs. asked.
“She’s okay,” said Lucille. “She’s just mad because I beat her at hopping.”
“YEAH, ONLY I ALREADY EXPLAINED THAT TO YOU, MADAM!” I shouted at Lucille’s face.
Mrs. clapped her loud hands at me.
“Junie B. Jones! That will be enough of that!” she said.
I put my head on my table again. “This day is a bummer,” I whispered to just myself.
Mrs. stood up at her desk.
“Boys and girls. May I have your attention, please? I would like to talk to you about a special night coming up at school on Friday. It’s called Carnival Night. Does anyone know what a carnival is?”
“I do! I do!” said that Jim I hate. “A carnival is like what they have at the state fair every year. There’re lots of rides there. Like the Ferris wheel and the Tilt-A-Whirl and the bumper cars.”
“Yeah, and there’s a shooting gallery with fake ducks,” said Jamal Hall.
“And there’s cotton candy that rots your teeth by eating big black holes in your protective tooth enamel,” said a boy I love named Ricardo.
Ricardo’s mother is a dentist, I think.
After that, a crybaby boy named William stood up very shy. And he said one time he rode the scary roller coaster. And he didn’t even cry that much.