Part 2 (2/2)

Then all of us got to open up our cards. And it was as fun as a birthday party, I tell you!

After Lucille finished opening her valentimes, she called Grace to our table.

”Come here, Grace! Come here and bring your valentines! Then you and I can count our cards. And we'll see who got the most from the boys,” she said.

Grace came over.

She smiled kind of nervous.

”Well...okay. Here goes,” she said.

Then Grace put all of her valentimes in front of me and Lucille. And she counted them one by one.

Pretty soon, Grace wasn't smiling anymore.

”Rats. I knew I shouldn't have come over here,” she said.

Lucille grinned a teeny bit.

”Why, Grace?” she asked. ”How many did you get? You have to tell me, Grace. How many?”

Grace did a big sigh.

”I only got seventeen,” she said. ”I only got one card from every person. And that's all. No extras.”

Lucille's face lighted up very bright. She flipped her hair all around in the air.

”Gee, I am sorry to hear that, Grace,” she said. ”Well, I suppose I should count mine now.”

After that, Lucille counted her cards in front of me and Grace. She counted them right out loud.

”Thirteen...fourteen...fifteen...sixteen...”

All of a sudden, Lucille stopped counting. 'Cause there was only one more valentime left in her pile, that's why.

She quick stood up at her seat. And looked all around herself.

First, she looked under the table. Then she looked on top of her chair. And all over the floor.

Also she looked in her pockets. And her backpack. And her purse.

Finally, she sat back down real upset.

”I don't understand,” she said. ”How could this be happening? Every day my nanna tells me how special I am. But seventeen valentines isn't special at all. Seventeen valentines is just the same as everybody else.”

I did a sigh.

”Nannas,” I said. ”You can't believe a word they say.”

Grace looked 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, YOU, MISTER? HUH? ARE YOU THE MEANIE HEAD WHO DIDN'T SEND ME ONE?” MISTER? HUH? ARE YOU THE MEANIE HEAD WHO DIDN'T SEND ME ONE?”

I looked all around.

”OR MAYBE IT WAS YOU, YOU, MR. PAULIE ALLEN PUFFER... MR. PAULIE ALLEN PUFFER...

”OR YOU, YOU, CHARLOTTE WHO-I-DON'T-ACTUALLY-KNOW-YOUR-LAST-NAME... CHARLOTTE WHO-I-DON'T-ACTUALLY-KNOW-YOUR-LAST-NAME...

”OR YOU, ROGER...

”OR-”

Just then, Mrs. swooped me off my chair.

”Do not 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.” 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.

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