Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl (3 page)

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 you should take this off before you get it dirty,” she said.

“No, Mother. No,” I said. “I want to keep it on. Please let me? Please, please!”

I quick ran to Ollie's high chair. And I ducked down behind it.

Ollie peeked around at me.

He had sloppy on his face.

“I am not a sloppy baby like Ollie,” I
said. “I won't get this dirty. I promise.”

But Mother shook her head.

“I'm sorry, Junie B. But it's just not a good idea to play in your gown,” she said.

After that, Mother and Grandma Miller blocked the high chair. And I couldn't run away again.

“Shoot,” I said. “I am surrounded.”

Mother took my graduation outfit off of me. And she put it back in the box.

Then she put the box way on top of the ’frigerator.

“Let's store it up here for safekeeping,” she said.

“Let's not,” I said real growly.

Mother made squinty eyes at me. Then she took me by my arm. And she marched me to my room. ’Cause that woman has no sense of humor, apparently.

She shut my door and left.

I flopped on my bed very glum.

My stuffed animals were very glum, too.

“Everybody thinks I am a sloppy baby. But I'm
not
,” I said.

“I don't think you're a sloppy baby,”
said my stuffed elephant named Philip Johnny Bob.

“I don't think you're a sloppy baby, either,”
said my Raggedy Ann named Ruth.

My Raggedy Andy named Larry did a sigh.
“I wish your mother didn't put
that cap and gown box on top of the ’frigerator,”
he said.

“Me too,”
said Philip Johnny Bob.
“I wish you could get it down from there so all of us could see it.”

After that, I thought and thought.

Then I lifted up his softie ear.

And I whispered, “Maybe I can.”

The next morning, my grampa Frank Miller came to baby-sit.

I love that baby-sitter very much!

’Cause he doesn't even follow the rules, that's why!

Grampa Miller let me fix my own breakfast. I fixed two waffles. And three marshmallows. And a bowl of cheese curls.

And guess what else? My grampa let me pour my own grape juice! And I didn't spill one single drop!

“See, Grampa! See how careful I am?” I said. “I am not a sloppy baby, right?”

Grampa Miller was feeding Ollie.

“Right,” he said.

My eyes looked up at the ’frigerator.

I hopped down from my chair.

“All rightie, Frank. I guess I'll be getting out of your hair now,” I said. “If you'll just hand me that box from the top of the ’frigerator, I will be on my way.”

Just then, baby Ollie started to cry. Grampa Miller patted him.

I tapped my foot. “Yeah, only I'm
waiting
, Grampa,” I said.

Finally, Grampa Miller stood up and got my box.

He started to look inside.

Only, all of a sudden, Ollie did a loud squeal!

And he put his whole bowl of cereal right on his head!

“OH MY GOODNESS!” hollered my grampa.

Then Grampa Miller shoved the box right at me. And he hurried to clean Ollie's head.

I zoomed to my room. Then I locked my door. And I waved my box all around.

“I got it, guys! I got it! I got it!” I said.

“Hurray
!” said Philip Johnny Bob.

“Hurray, hurray
!” said Raggedy Ruth and Raggedy Larry.

After that, I set those guys on my bookshelf. And I put on my graduation gown.

“See me, friends?” I said. “See how cute I look? I am a graduation girl! See?”

“Wowie wow wow
!” they hollered.

After that, I danced and skipped and hopped and twirled. ’Cause they wouldn't stop cheering, that's why!

Finally, I flopped on my bed.

“Okay. That's enough, people,” I said. “I am pooped and thirsty.”

“Me too,”
said Raggedy Larry.
“I am pooped and thirsty, too.”

“I wish we could get something to drink,”
said Raggedy Ruth.

Just then, a brainstorm came right in my head!

I sat up very straight.

“Hey! Wait a second! I just learned how to pour grape juice without spilling a drop,” I said. “And so I can go get us some, maybe!”