Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants (6 page)

Herb explained about how he heard me being upset during the test. And he didn't want me to get in trouble with Mother and Daddy again. So he showed me his answer so I would do good.

Then I explained about how that was a lovely gesture by Herbert. But after we did it, we both knew it was wrong. And so we will never, ever do that again. And we
mean
it.

Mr. Scary listened to us real careful.

Then he thanked us for our honesty. And he said he admired us very much for telling him what we did.

After that, he got out our test papers. And he wrote big zeros right at the top
of them. On account of even if you get admired, you still get a zero, apparently.

Only that was not even the end of it.

Because that night—while I was eating dinner—Mr. Scary called my house. And he tattletaled to Mother right on the phone.

At first, Mother frowned a real, real lot.

Then me and her and Daddy talked about cheating all over again. And I got yelled at a little bit.

But later, when they tucked me into bed, they said they were proud of me and Herb for telling on ourselves. And all of us ended up hugging.

That night, Philip Johnny Bob and I slept very perfect.

Only here is the happiest news of
all.

When me and Herb got to school the next day, Mr. Scary called us up to his desk. And he gave each of us a special poem that he wrote all by himself!

I tried to read mine, but I didn't know all the words. So Mr. Scary read it to me.

After he finished, I smiled real proud.

Then I read it one more time. To just myself.