Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl - Barbara Park [4]
Room Nine did a loud groan.
“Then what are we getting, exactly?” I asked.
“Caps and gowns,” said Mrs. “You're all getting a cap and gown for graduation. Not cat and gown.”
“No, no, no!” said Lucille. “I heard you say cat, teacher! I know I did! I know I did!”
Mrs. said for Lucille to hush. Then she passed out the boxes to all the children.
I looked inside my box real curious.
Then I kept looking and looking. Because something was not right in there.
“My cap got run over by a truck, I think,” I said. “It is a big, square flatso.”
Mrs. laughed.
Then she came to my table. And she unfolded my cap. And she put it right on my head.
“Hey! What do you know! It fits!” I said.
After that, all of us put on our caps and gowns. And we skipped all around the room.
Only not Lucille. ’Cause she was still upset about the cat issue, of course.
Pretty soon, the bell was going to ring. And so Mrs. made us put our outfits back in our boxes.
“I'm going to let you take these home with you today,” she said. “But please do not play with them on the bus. And don't play with them at home, either. These caps and gowns are white, okay? And white material gets soiled very easily.”
“I know it, Mrs.!” I said. “I know white material gets soiled easy! ’Cause one time, my grampa Miller spilled beer on his new white tie. And you can still see beer splots on that thing!”
Mrs. looked and looked at me.
Then she sat back down at her desk very quiet.
And she waited for the bell to ring.
Me and my bestest friend named Grace rode the bus home together.
We held our boxes very tight on our laps. And we didn't open them.
“We are being careful about our graduation gowns, aren't we, Grace?” I said. “We are being careful not to soil them.”
“Yes,” said that Grace. “We are.”
I looked down at my box. “I am very proud of us for not opening these things,” I said.
“I am very proud of us, too,” said that Grace.
We rode and rode.
I did a sigh.
“It's too bad we can't just peek at them a little bit, though … isn't it, Grace?” I said. “One teensy peek wouldn't even hurt anything, I bet.”
That Grace didn't say anything.
I tapped on her.
“Okay, here's what I'm thinking, Grace. I'm thinking we should do one little peek, and that's all,” I said. “What do you say, friend?”
Grace made her voice very loud.
“No, Junie B.! No! We are not allowed to! Can't you follow orders? Huh? Do you want to soil these things?”
I did a huffy breath at her.
“But peeking will not even soil them, Grace,” I said back. “Peeking is just looking with your eyes … only faster.”
Only too bad for me. Because Grace kept on saying no, no, no.
And so I had to wait and wait for that stubborn girl to get off the bus before I could peek.
After she was gone, I looked in my box zippedy quick. And what do you know! I didn't even soil anything!
I got off the bus and ran to my house.
My grandma Helen Miller was babysitting my brother. She was feeding him a snack in his high chair.
“Grandma Miller! Grandma Miller! I got my cap and gown! It is right here in this box!” I said. “Would you like me to try it on for you, Grandma? Huh? Would you?”
Grandma Miller clapped her hands.
“Of course I would!” she said real thrilled. “Try it on right now.”
“Okey-doke!” I said.
Then I quick put on my cap and gown. And I danced all around.
“See me, Grandma? See what I look like? I look like a graduation girl!” I said.
I hopped around Ollie's high chair.
“My teacher said not to play in this. But hopping is not the same as playing,” I said.
Just then, I heard the front door open.
And hurray, hurray! Mother was home early from work!
Her whole mouth came open when she saw me.
“Oh my goodness!” she said. “Look how cute you are!”
“I know it, Mother! I know I am cute!” I said. “I look like a million bucks in this getup!”
I twirled all around in front of her.
“See me twirling, Mother? Twirling is not the same as playing,” I said.
After I stopped twirling, I fell down on the floor.
Falling on the floor is what comes after twirling. It cannot be helped, normally.
Mother picked me up. “Maybe