Junie B. Jones Is (Almost) a Flower Girl - Barbara Park [3]
“Here, Grampa Miller! Tell me Aunt Flo’s phone number. I need to call her right this very minute!”
Grampa Miller scratched his head.
“Gee, I don’t know, honey,” he said. “This doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. What if Aunt Flo has already made arrangements for a flower girl?”
I laughed out loud at that silly man.
“Yeah, only how could she already make arrangements for a flower girl, when she doesn’t even know it’s me yet?”
Grampa Miller covered his face with his hands. He did a groan back there, I think.
I pulled on his sleeve.
“Come on, Grampa! Look up the number! Please? Please? Please?” I begged.
Finally, Grampa shaked his head no.
“You really need to wait and discuss this with your mother,” he said.
I did a huffy breath at that guy.
’Cause Mother would not be home for an hour, probably! And who could wait that long?
That’s how come I quick hided the address book under my arm. And I tippytoed down the hall to Mother’s room.
Then I closed her door very secret. And I climbed up on her bed.
After that, I opened up the address book to the page with the M’s. ’Cause Aunt Flos last name is Miller! Just like my grampa’s!
And what do you know!
I spied it right away!
“F-L-O,” I spelled real thrilled. “F-L-O SPELLS FLO!”
And here’s another good thing! Aunt Flo’s phone number was right next to her name!
“Hey! This project was easy as cake!” I said.
After that, I dialed the number speedy quick.
It ringed and ringed.
“Hello?” said a voice.
I did a gasp.
“HEY! WHAT DO YOU KNOW! I DID IT, AUNT FLO! I CALLED YOU RIGHT ON THE TELEPHONE!”
Aunt Flo’s voice sounded curious.
“Junie B.?” she said. “Is that you?”
“YES! YES! IT’S ME, AUNT FLO! IT’S JUNIE B. JONES! AND I’VE GOT THE BESTEST SURPRISE YOU EVER HEARD OF!”
Then, all of a sudden, the surprise popped right out of my mouth.
“I’M GOING TO BE THE FLOWER GIRL AT YOUR WEDDING, AUNT FLO! AND SO THIS IS YOUR LUCKY DAY, MADAM!”
I runned all over the bed.
“Wait till you see me, Aunt Flo! I will be the bestest flower girl you ever saw! ’Cause Lucille already showed me how to throw flower petals! And Grace showed me how not to trip!”
I kept on talking very excited.
“Mother thinks I’m a baby, Aunt Flo. But I’m not! I’m a grown-up lady! Wait till you see me! Just wait till you see me!”
Aunt Flo didn’t say any words.
I tapped on the receiver with my fingers.
“Aunt Flo? Aunt Flo? Where did you go?”
Finally, she talked again.
“Uh…yes, well…I’m here, Junie B.,” she said. “Its just that your news sort of caught me… off guard.”
I bounced on the bed some more.
“Hurray!” I said. “Hurray for off guard, right, Aunt Flo? ’Cause off guard is like a big surprise, right? And so what kind of dress would you like me to wear? I think it should be long…all the way to the floor.”
I grinned real big. “And guess what else? Maybe I will also wear a blue fake bunny fur cape!”
Aunt Flo didn’t talk again.
I looked into the phone with my eyeball.
“Hmm. We musta got a bad connector here,” I said.
“Junie B., honey,” said Aunt Flo. “I’m afraid I have some bad news for you.”
Just then, I felt sickish in my stomach. ’Cause bad news is not that good, usually.
My voice got quieter.
“What kind, Aunt Flo?” I asked very nervous. “What kind of bad news?”
“Oh dear. I don’t really know how to tell you this, Junie B. But…well, Joe and I have already chosen a flower girl for the wedding, honey. And, uh, I’m afraid it’s not you.”
I did a gulp.
“Who are you afraid it is?” I asked even quieter.
“It’s Bo,” said Aunt Flo.
“Bo?”
“Bo is Joe’s little sister,” said Aunt Flo.
“Joe?”
“Joe is the man I’m marrying,” said Aunt Flo. “Joe asked Bo.”
“Oh,” I whispered.
Just then, my eyes got tears in them.
“I gotta go,” I said.
After that, my nose started to run very much.
And I hanged up the phone.
6/The Alternate
The rest of the day was not that enjoyable.
I got in big trouble.
’Cause Aunt Flo tattletaled to Grampa
Miller. And Grampa Miller tattletaled to Daddy. And Daddy tattletaled to Mother.
And Mother made a big issue of it at dinner.
A big issue is the grown-up word