Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook - Barbara Park [6]
And guess what else?
SHE HAD BLACK FURRY MITTENS IN HER PINK FLUFFY POCKETS!
My eyes got big and wide!
“HEY! MY MITTENS! MY MITTENS! MY MITTENS!” I screamed real loud.
Then I put my head down. And I zoomed at her like a speeding bull.
Mrs. saw me running. She grabbed me by my attractive winter jacket.
I jumped up and down and pointed.
“THAT PINK FLUFFY GIRL STOLED MY MITTENS! SHE IS THE CROOK! ONLY HER JACKET IS COVERING UP HER TATTOO! AND SO THAT’S WHAT HAD ME STUMPED!”
Mrs. called to the pink fluffy girl.
She skipped over to where we were.
I kept on jumping.
“YOU STOLED THEM! YOU STOLED MY MITTENS!” I said.
“No, I didn’t,” she said back. “I didn’t steal anything. I found these mittens. They were right in the grass. And so I thought nobody wanted them.”
“I did!” I yelled. “I wanted them! My grampa Miller bought them for no good reason. And I have been worrying about them all day. And all night. And that is called heartache, madam!”
Mrs. said to hush my voice.
She took my mittens away from the pink fluffy girl. And gave them back to me.
Then she bended down. And she talked to the pink fluffy girl real serious.
“Even if you thought no one wanted these mittens, it was wrong of you to take them,” she told her.
The pink fluffy girl pointed at me.
“But she didn’t even take good care of them,” she said.
I stamped my foot.
“Yes, I did! I did too take care of them! I left them with my attractive winter jacket. ’Cause I didn’t even know there was crooks at this place!”
Mrs. said hush to me again.
“You should have taken them to the Lost and Found,” she told the pink fluffy girl.
“Yeah! ’Cause then I would have found them when I looked there!” I said. “And so what do you think that box is there for? My health?”
The pink fluffy girl started to cry.
“But I really, really love them,” she said.
Mrs. smoothed her hair.
“I’m afraid that’s not the issue,” she said.
“Yeah, we’re afraid that’s not the issue,” I said. “’Cause Finders keepers isn’t the rule, apparently. And so from now on, if you find my stuff, you have to take it to the Lost and Found. Plus also you can put it in my grampa’s mailbox.”
Mrs. looked at me a real long time.
She said I am getting on her nerves.
After that, she held the pink fluffy girl’s hand. And they went to talk to her teacher.
I quick put my mittens on.
Then I buried my face in their black furry fur.
And I danced around real joyful.
8/I Am Not a Crook
The next day, I went to Principal’s office.
The grouchy typing lady looked over the counter at me.
I rocked back and forth on my feet.
“Yeah, only I’m not even bad, again,” I said. “I just need to go to the Lost and Found, and that’s all.”
The grouchy typing lady opened up the closet. She pulled out the big box.
Just then, the phone rang. And she hurried up to answer it.
I quick bended down and digged my hands in the Lost and Found.
Then my heart got very thrilled. ’Cause I saw that wonderful teddy backpack again, that’s why!
I snuggled my face in his tummy.
“Mmm…I still love this softy guy,” I whispered.
I put him on my back and skipped all around.
The grouchy typing lady hanged up the phone.
“Did you lose that, too?” she asked me. “Is that why you’re here?”
I kept on standing there and standing there.
“Wellll?” she said.
Finally, I did a big sigh.
Then I walked very slow back to the box. And I took off the teddy backpack.
“No,” I said. “Not why.”
After that, I reached in my pocket. And I pulled out my wonderful pen.
“I found this,” I said. “It was on the floor by the water fountain. And I really, really love it. Only that is not the issue.”
Then I did a big, deep breath. And I dropped my wonderful pen into the Lost and Found.
“I am not a crook,” I said kind of quiet.
The grouchy typing lady looked nicer at me. She ruffled my hair.
“No,” she said. “Of course you’re not a crook.”
After that, I rocked back and forth on my feet some more. And I waited and waited and waited.
The typing