Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren - Barbara Park [3]
She poked me with her finger.
“Who do you think he likes better? Me or Lucille? And tell the truth,” she said.
I still didn’t talk.
That Grace jiggled me.
“How come you’re not talking, Junie B.?” she asked. “How come you’re not answering me? Are you sick? Do you have a sore throat?”
Just then, her eyes opened real wide. And her whole mouth came open.
“Ohhhhh…I know why you’re not talking. It’s because you’re upset, right? You’re upset that you’re a nutball.”
I spinned around at her very quick.
“I am not a nutball, Grace! I am just a regular normal girl. And I don’t even know why that boy had to call me that!”
“I do,” said that Grace. “I know why he called you that. It’s because you couldn’t stop laughing. And you fell in the grass. And you rolled all around down there.”
I stared at her.
“Yeah? So?” I said.
“So that’s how nutballs act,” said that Grace. “And I should know. ’Cause I have a nutball right in my own personal family.”
I raised up my eyebrows.
“You do?” I said.
“Yes,” she said. “My two-year-old brother Jeffie is a nutball. Every time we go to the mall, we have to put him on a leash. Or else he tackles people. And then he hides in the clothes and Security has to come.”
She looked at me very suspicious.
“Did you ever do that, Junie B. Jones? Hmmm? Did you ever tackle people? And hide in the clothes and Security had to come?”
I quick looked away from her.
’Cause that is my own personal beeswax.
“Jeffie’s not allowed to eat sugar cereal anymore, either,” said that Grace. “My mother thinks the sugar gets him all jazzied up.”
She raised one eyebrow very curious.
“Do you eat sugar cereal for breakfast, Junie B.? Hmmm? Do you?” she asked.
I looked away again.
’Cause guess what?
More of my own personal beeswax. That’s what.
4/Fibers
It was the next morning.
I gave Tickle my sugar cereal.
I gave him my Sweetie Puffs. And my Crackle Berries. And my Happy Smacky Flakes.
He loved eating that stuff very much.
Then he runned in the living room. And he throwed up on the rug.
Mother screamed real loud.
That’s how come I hided under the sink. But she and Daddy found me there.
They did not handle theirselves that professional.
“WHY, JUNIE B.? WHY WOULD YOU DO SUCH A THING!” shouted Daddy very loud.
“DO WE HAVE TO WATCH YOU EVERY MINUTE?” shouted Mother very loud.
Just then, my grandma Helen Miller walked in the front door.
“Grandma Miller! Grandma Miller! I love you! I love you!” I shouted.
Then I runned to her speedy fast. And I hided in her coat till Mother and Daddy left for work.
After that, my grandma let me pick a new cereal to eat.
I picked a grown-up kind.
It was the kind with fibers in it.
“This kind is good for me. Right, Grandma? This kind won’t even jazzy me up.”
Then I put that delicious stuff in my mouth.
And I chewed and chewed. Only it didn’t actually grind up that good.
I chewed on it the whole entire morning.
I was still chewing when that Grace got on my school bus.
She ran to me very excited.
“Look, Junie B.! Look what my mother bought me!” she said.
She holded up her foot.
“New running shoes!” she said. “See them? See the lightning stripes on the sides! That means I can run as fast as lightning! And so now Warren will love me the best for sure!”
I pointed at my mouth.
“Yeah, only I can’t actually discuss this right now, Grace. ’Cause I’m chewing fibers here,” I said.
I opened up to show her.
“See them in there? They are stuck in my teeth, I think.”
After that, I poked all around with my fingernail. And I sucked them out.
I smacked my lips together.
“Good news. I think I’m done,” I said.
That Grace tried to show me her shoes again.
“Yeah, only sorry, Grace. But I still can’t talk yet. ’Cause I have to do something very important.”
Then I leaned back in my seat.
And I closed my eyes.
And I didn’t move for lots of seconds.
All of a sudden, I clapped my hands very joyful.
“Did you see me, Grace? Did you see how calm I was just then? That