Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed - Barbara Park [2]
Mrs. zoomed my chair back to my table.
It was not fun.
I quick picked up my pencil.
“Guess what? I am going to do my work now,” I said. “Plus also, I am not even going to talk. ’Cause I don’t actually like anyone in this area.”
Mrs. tapped her foot at me.
“Love your shoes,” I said real soft.
Her foot kept tapping.
Only just then, a very great thing happened. And it is called, the bell rang for the end of school!
I hurried up out the door.
Then me and my other bestest friend named Grace runned to the bus together.
“Grace! Grace! Guess what? There’s no such things as monsters! And so I don’t even have one under my bed, probably. Right, Grace? Right?”
That Grace didn’t say right.
That’s how come I grabbed her by her shoulders. And I jiggled and jiggled her. ’Cause I was fed up with these people, that’s why.
“How come you won’t say right, Grace? How come nobody will say right? ’Cause I’m getting at the end of my rope with this thing!”
That Grace took my hands off of her.
“I can’t say right, because a monster really might live under your bed, Junie B.,” she said.
My eyes got big and wide at her.
“No, Grace! No! Do not say that! Do not say a monster might live under my bed! ’Cause that cannot even be true. Or else I would have spotted that guy by now!”
“No, you wouldn’t,” she said. “My big sister said that monsters can turn theirselves invisible when you look at them. And so that’s how come nobody ever sees them.”
That Grace looked serious at me.
“That makes sense, don’t you think? Huh, Junie B.? Right?”
Just then, my throat got dry. And my stomach got the shakies.
I looked out the window very upset.
And I didn’t say right.
3/The Invisiblest Guy
I ran in my house and hollered for my grandma Helen Miller.
“GRANDMA MILLER! GRANDMA HELEN MILLER! I AM SO GLAD TO BE HOME! ’CAUSE TODAY WAS NOT A VERY GOOD DAY AT MY SCHOOL!”
Grandma Miller was in the kitchen. She was holding my baby brother named Ollie.
I jumped up and down in front of her.
“PICK ME UP! PICK ME UP! PICK ME UP!”
“I can’t right now, Toots,” she said. “I’ve got my hands full with Ollie.”
“Yeah, only put him on the floor,” I said. “’Cause I need a hug down here, Helen.”
Grandma Miller leaned down and hugged me.
She said don’t call her Helen.
“Why don’t you go change your clothes?” she said. “Then you and I will make some popcorn. And you can tell me all about your day. How does that sound?”
Just then, my whole face got happy. ’Cause popcorn is my most favorite thing in the whole wide world!
“Hurray!” I shouted. “Hurray for popcorn!”
I ran right to my room. Then I took off my shoes and socks. And my feet did a happy dance on the floor. It was called the Happy Feet Popcorn Dance.
They danced around and around. Also, they jumped on my bed. And they springed to the floor. And they did a giant twirly on my rug.
I clapped my hands real joyful.
“Grandma! Hey, Grandma! Guess what? I am having a good time in here! And so I am not even thinking about the monster under my bed!”
Just then, I did a gulp.
’Cause I shouldn’t have said that, I think.
I looked at my bed kind of nervous.
What if the monster was under there right this very minute?
And what if he was looking at my piggy toes?
And what if he wanted to eat them?
“Oh no,” I said. “Oh no. Oh no. ’Cause piggy toes look just like little wiener sausages, I think.”
I freezed right where I was standing.
“GRANDMA MILLER! GRANDMA MILLER! COME QUICK! I NEED YOU!” I shouted.
Grandma Miller flied to my room. Then she picked me up. And she hugged me real tight.
“What on earth is the trouble?” she asked.
She sat down with me on my bed.
“NO, GRANDMA! NO! NO! WE CAN’T SIT HERE!”
I squeezed out of her arms and ran out my door.
“THERE’S A MONSTER UNDER MY BED!” I yelled.
I jumped up and down.
“RUN, HELEN! RUN LIKE THE WIND!”
Only Grandma Helen Miller didn’t run. She just flopped back on my covers. And she closed her eyes.
“No, Junie B. Please. We’re not going to go through this monster business again, are we? We’ve talked about monsters