Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentime Read Free Page A

cheerier.
    “Count yours, Junie B. Count your valentines and see if you got seventeen like Lucille and me.”
    “Of course I got seventeen, silly Grace,” I told her. “Everybody in this whole room got seventeen. It was the rule, remember?”
    After that, I put all my cards in a pile. And I counted them out loud, just like Lucille.
    I did a frown.
    Then I counted them again.
    And even again.
    ’Cause guess what?
    Somebody broke the rule, that’s what!
    I springed up on my chair.
    “ALL RIGHT, PEOPLE! WHO DIDN’T SEND ME A VALENTIME? AND DO NOT TRY TO DENY IT! BECAUSE I’VE ONLY GOT SIXTEEN CARDS IN MY PILE!”
    I pointed my finger at Meanie Jim.
    “WAS IT
YOU,
MISTER? HUH? ARE YOU THE MEANIE HEAD WHO DIDN’T SEND ME ONE?”
    I looked all around.
    “OR MAYBE IT WAS
YOU,
MR. PAULIE ALLEN PUFFER…
    “OR
YOU,
CHARLOTTE WHO-I-DON’T-ACTUALLY-KNOW-YOUR-LAST-NAME…
    “OR YOU, ROGER…
    “OR—”
    Just then, Mrs. swooped me off my chair.

    “Do
not
stand on your chair, Junie B.!” she said. “And please don’t fight about valentines. If someone didn’t send you a card, it was just a mistake. No one would do something like that on purpose. I’m sure of it.”
    After that, I sat back down in my seat. And I looked at that woman very curious.
    Because Mrs. is a nice teacher.
    But sometimes she doesn’t understand children at all.

6 / Bingo
    I put my head down on my table. ’Cause I needed to figure out who didn’t send me a valentime, that’s why.
    I thinked and thinked real hard.
    Then, all of a sudden, I springed up.
    “Lucille! I thinked of a plan! I thinked of how to find that guy! All I have to do is see the names of who signed my valentimes! ’Cause whoever is missing is the person who didn’t send me one!”
    Lucille looked admiring at me.
    “That is very smart of you, Junie B.,” she said. “You should be on
Cops.
”
    “I know it,” I said back. “My head is as sharp as a tack.”
    After that, I got all of my valentimes in a pile. And me and Lucille looked at the people who signed them.
    We kept track of their names very good.
    Only too bad for me. ’Cause seven of my valentimes weren’t even signed!
    “Darn it,” I said. “
Now
what am I supposed to do?”
    Just then, I saw Mrs. hurrying to my table again.
    “Junie B.? I have some good news for you!” she said. “Guess what I just found in the bottom of the valentines box?”
    I sat up real quick.
    ’Cause guessing games are my favorites, of course.
    “A meatball,” I said.
    Mrs. did a frown.
    “No, Junie B. Why would there be a meatball in the box? Think about it. What have people been putting in the valentines box all week?”
    “Valentime’s cards,” I said real smart.
    “Right,” she said. “And how many valentines did you get today?”
    “Sixteen,” I told her.
    “Yes,” she said. “You were missing one, weren’t you? And so what do you think I found in the bottom of the box just now?”
    This time I thought my hardest.
    “A meatball,” I said.
    Mrs. rolled her eyes up at the ceiling. Then I looked up there, too. But I didn’t see anything.
    Finally, Mrs. pulled a giant envelope from behind her back.
    “No,
this,
Junie B.,” she said. “
This
is what I found in the bottom of the box. I found this big envelope. And it’s addressed to
you!
”
    My mouth came open very shocked.
    Then all of a sudden, I clapped my hands very thrilled.
    “HEY! WAIT A SECOND HERE! MAYBE THIS COULD BE MY MISSING VALENTIME!”
    Mrs. looked funny at me. “Bingo,” she said kind of soft.
    “YES!” I shouted. “BINGO! BINGO! BINGO!”
    After that, I jumped up and down. And I danced all around. ’Cause nobody broke the rule after all! And that was very nice of them!
    After I finished dancing, I opened up the envelope.
    And it was the beautifullest card I ever saw!
    It had lace and hearts all over the front! And a purple ribbon was weaved all around the edge!
    “Look, Mrs.! Look! Look! It’s a mushy gushy kind!” I said.