Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl (4 page)

“Yes
!” said Philip Johnny Bob.

“Yes, yes
!” said Raggedy Ruth and Raggedy Larry.

I hurried to my door and listened in the hall.

Grampa Miller was giving Ollie a bath.

“Shh,” I whispered to my friends. “You wait here. I'll be right back.”

After that, I tippytoed to the kitchen speedy quick.

And I poured us a cup of grape juice.

And I tippytoed right back again.

Grape juice can go wrong.

First, Raggedy Ruth got purple on her mouth.

Then Teddy got a dribble drop on his paw.

And then, oh no, oh no!

RAGGEDY LARRY FORGOT TO SWALLOW HIS WHOLE ENTIRE SIP!

Driblets spilled all over my bookshelf.

I covered my mouth very shocked. Then my heart pounded and pounded. ’Cause if
grape juice gets on my rug, I am in BIG TROUBLE, MISSY!

“A cloth! A cloth! I need a cloth!” I hollered.

I ran around and around all over my room. Then, all of a sudden, my eyes looked down at my clothes. And what do you know? I saw all the cloth I needed!

I quick took it off of me. And I soaked up the driblets.

My shoulders felt relief in them.

“Whew! That was a
dose
one,” I said.

After that, I walked to my bed. And I plopped on my pillow.

“My brain was a genius to think of that,” I said.

I breathed and breathed.

Then, all of a sudden, I did a teensy frown.

’Cause something did not feel right here, possibly.

I covered my head with my sheet. Then I turned my head very slow. And I peeked out at my bookshelf.

My stomach did a flip-flop.

Because I saw my graduation gown, that's why! And it had juice driblets soaked into its front!

I looked at Raggedy Larry real mad. “Oh no! Look what you made me do!” I said. “You made me use my graduation gown to soak up that dumb juice. Great, Larry. Just great.”

After that, Raggedy Larry got put under my bed. And he did not come out again.

Juice driblets do not go away.

Not even if you erase them with your brand-new eraser. Or if you color them
with your new white crayon. Or if you brush them with Daddy's new whitening, brightening toothpaste.

I brushed up and down and all around. But the driblets did not budge.

“Shoot!” I said. “Now I will look like a
sloppy baby at graduation! And I'm not even the one who
dribbled!
”

Just then, I heard a knock on my door.

It was Grampa Miller!

“Junie B.? Is everything okay in there?” he said.

My heart got very pounding again.

“Yes, Grampa! Yes! Everything is perfectly perfect!” I hollered. “I am just playing with my stuffed animals, and that's all.”

Grampa Frank Miller knocked some more.

“Could you open the door, please?” he asked.

I felt tension in me. ’Cause I didn't want him to see my problem, that's why.

I quick pushed my graduation gown under my bed. Then I opened my door a teensy crack.

“Hello. How are you today?” I said. “I am fine. Except I am right in the middle of something. So I would like to get back to it, please.”

Grampa Miller was holding baby Ollie. He looked disappointed at me.

“Oh phooey,” he said. “Now that I've got your brother cleaned up, I thought maybe you and I could teach him how to play checkers.”

I looked at Ollie. He was wearing a clean shirt with purple polka dotties.

“No thank you,” I said. “Maybe I'll teach him checkers some other day.”

I waved at my grampa Miller very sweet.

“Well, nice seeing you again, Frank. Good-bye,” I said.

After that, I closed the door. And I waited for Grampa's footsteps to leave.

Finally, I pulled my graduation gown from under the bed. And I stared and stared at that stupid thing.

“Why did this dumb gown have to be white?” I grouched. “Why couldn't it be purple like the grape juice? If it was purple like the grape juice, the driblets would blend right in.”

I tapped my fingers real annoyed.

“Or why couldn't this dumb gown have purple flowers on it? The juice would blend in with flowers, too, I bet,” I said. “Or what about polka dotties like Ollie's shirt? If there were purple polka dotties, no one would notice the driblets, for sure.”

Just then, I sat up very fast.

’Cause I was getting another brainstorm in my head, I believe.

I zoomed straight to my desk.

Then I looked through all my drawers. And I found my colored markers.

I laughed real happy.

Then I spread my graduation gown on the floor. And I worked and worked very hard.

And guess what?

When I finally got done, you couldn't even spot the driblets, hardly!

“My brain is a genius after all!” I said.

After that, I put my cap and gown in the box again. And I took it back to my grampa Miller.

“All rightie, Grampa,” I said. “You can put this back on the ’frigerator now, please.”

Then I smiled real big.

Because guess what else?

He did!

Room Eight and Room Nine practiced for graduation together.

We practiced on the stage in the auditorium. ’Cause a stage is where people get diplomas, of course!

Mrs. showed everyone how to walk up the steps without tripping. She played music for us to march in with.

And guess what?

Room Nine marched better than Room Eight. Except Paulie Allen Puffer kept
bowing real silly. And Lynnie kept stepping on people's heels. Plus shy William ran out of the auditorium. And down the hall. And Gus Vallony had to chase him around the parking lot.

After that, Principal talked to William a real long time. Plus also, his mother was called in, I believe.

“I am not like William,” I told Lucille and Grace. “I am not even nervous of walking up on that stage, hardly.”

“Me neither,” said that Grace. “I am not nervous of walking up on that stage, hardly, either.”

Lucille fluffed her fluffy hair. “My nanna says that I was
born
to be on the stage,” she said. “Nanna says that people enjoy looking at me. Because I am a feast for their eyes.”

After that, Lucille wrinkled her nose very cute. And she skipped around and around in a circle.

Grace and I watched her for a real long time.

Then, finally, Lucille stopped skipping. And all of us hugged and hugged.

’Cause we are the bestest three friends I ever even saw.

Graduation week went by very fast.

Friday night came in a jiffy. I felt so excited, I couldn't even eat my dinner that good.

I got down from my chair. And I ran and ran all over the house.

“Settle down,” said Daddy.

“Settle down,” said Mother.

“Settle down!” I hollered.

Then I laughed real loud. ’Cause I am a hoot, that's why!

Finally, it was time to go.

Mother got my graduation box off the top of the ’frigerator.

I jumped up and down.

“Let
me
carry that, Mother! Please, please, please? I want to carry my box to Room Nine myself. ’Cause that's where all of us are getting dressed.”

Mother handed me the box.

Then Daddy said, “Settle down” again. And all of us drove to my school.

Grampa and Grandma Miller met us in the parking lot.

I hugged them hello. Then I zoomed to Room Nine speedy fast.

And guess what?

All of the children from morning and
afternoon kindergarten were getting ready together!

I ran through the door. “IT'S ME, PEOPLE! IT'S JUNIE B. JONES! I AM HERE FOR GRADUATION!”

Lucille and Grace came rushing over.

They were already wearing their caps and gowns. And they looked marvelous, I tell you!

“Hurry up, Junie B.,” said Lucille. “Hurry up and put on your cap and gown. Our teacher is going to take our picture.”

“Yes!” said that Grace. “Hurry! Hurry!”

She quick grabbed my box away from me. And she took out my cap and gown.

Grace did a gasp.

“Oh no, Junie B.! What happened?” she said. “What happened to your cap and gown?”

My stomach felt squeezy and sickish. ’Cause that outfit looked spottier than I remembered.

“Put it
down
, Grace,” I said. “Don't show people. I don't want anyone to notice.”

Lucille laughed very loud.

“But that's so dumb, Junie B.,” she said. “How could people not notice? You colored big purple splotchies all over your graduation clothes.”

I did a huffy breath at that girl.

“Those are not big
splotchies
, Lucille,” I said. “Those are purple polka dotties that I drew to blend in my juice driblets. And that is a whole different ball game, madam!”

Just then, some of the children heard me yelling. They turned to look.

“Great
, Lucille,” I said.
“Now
look what you did. You called attention to myself! And so now how can I even blend in?”

After that, I quick grabbed my graduation gown. And I ran to the back of the room.

Just then, I heard a voice.

“Junie B. Jones?”

I looked to the front of the room.

It was my teacher.

Mrs. stretched her neck to look back at me. “Is there a
problem
back there, Junie B.?” she asked.

I shook my head real fast.

“No, Mrs.! No!” I said. “There isn't a problem. I promise! And so please do not come back here. And I
mean
it.”

Mrs. came back there.

And what do you know …

All of Room Nine came with her.

Mrs. took my cap and gown out of my hands.

The children laughed and laughed at that thing.

“What kind of dumb gown do you call that?” said Meanie Jim.

“
I
know!” said Paulie Allen Puffer. “It's the kind of gown that a clown would wear!”

“Yeah!” shouted Jim. “It's a purple, spotty
clown
gown!”

After that, the laughing got louder and louder.

I put my hands over my ears to keep it out of my head.

Then I tried to tell them about Raggedy Larry. And the driblets. And my purple colored marker. But my nose started running very much. And I couldn't even talk that good.