Recess is my best subject. I learned it my first week at school.
Recess is when you go outside. And you run off your steam.
Then when you come in, you can sit still better. And you don’t have ants in your pants.
At recess, me and Lucille and that Grace play horses together.
I’m Brownie. Lucille is Blackie. And that Grace is Yellowie.
“I’M BROWNIE!” I hollered as soon as I got outside.
“I don’t want to play horses today,” said Lucille. “I want to know some more about your monkey brother.”
“Me, too,” said that Grace.
Then Lucille pushed that Grace out of the way. And she whispered a secret in my ear.
“If you let me be the first one to see him, I’ll let you wear my new locket,” she said.
“Yeah. Only guess what, Lucille?” I said. “I don’t even know what a dumb locket is.”
And so then Lucille showed me her locket. It was a little gold heart on a chain.
“Isn’t it beauteous?” she said. “My nanna gave it to me for my birthday.”
Then she opened up the little heart. And there was a little bitty picture inside of that thing!
“Hey! There’s a teeny head in there!” I said very excited.
“I know,” said Lucille. “That’s my nanna. See her?”
I squinted very hard at the little picture.
“Your nanna is a shrimpie, Lucille,” I said.
After that, Lucille closed the locket. And she gave it to me.
“Now I’m your best friend, right, Junie B.?” she said. “And so I can be the first one to see your monkey brother!”
Just then, that Grace stomped her foot very hard.
“No you cannot, Lucille!” she hollered. “I’m her best friend! ’Cause me and her ride the bus together. And so I get to see her monkey brother first. Right, Junie B.? Right? Right?”
I made my shoulders go up and down.
“I don’t know, Grace,” I said. “ ’Cause Lucille just gave me this locket with the teeny nanna. And so that means she gets to go first, I think.”
That Grace stomped her foot again. She made a mad face at me.
“Pooey!” she said.
Except for just then I got a great idea!
“Hey! Guess what, Grace?” I said very excited. “Since Lucille gave me something beautiful, now you can give me something beautiful, too! And so that would be very fair of me, I think!”
Then that Grace started smiling. And she took off her sparkly new ring.
“Here!” she said. “I got it out of cereal this morning! See how shiny the stone is? That’s because it’s a real genuine fake plastic diamond.”
Then she put some breath on it. And she shined it on her sleeve for me.
“Oooooh,” I said. “I love this thing, Grace.”
“I know,” she said. “And so now I get to see your monkey brother first. Right, Junie B.? Right?”
After that I had to think a little bit.
“Yeah, only here’s the trouble, Grace,” I said. “Now I have one thing from you and one thing from Lucille. And so it’s a tie.”
Then Lucille quick took off her red sweater with the Scottie dog on it. And she tied it around my waist.
“Here!” she said. “Now I’ve given you two things! And so I’m still the winner.”
“Oh no you’re not!” hollered that Grace. “Because I’m gonna give Junie B. my snack ticket for today. And so she can have my cookie and milk!”
“Excellent idea, Grace!” I said.
Then me and her did a high five.
“Oh yeah?” said Lucille. “Well, then I’m going to give her my snack ticket, too! And so I’m still the winner!”
After that Grace looked all over herself.
“But that’s not fair,” she said. “Because I don’t have anything else to give her.”
And so I looked all over her, too. And then I jumped up and down again.
“Yes you do, Grace!” I said. “You do too have something else to give me! And their name is your new pink high tops!”
That Grace stared at her feet. She looked very sad.
“Yeah, only this is the first time I ever wore these,” she said real quiet.
And so I patted her so she would feel better.
“I know, Grace,” I explained nicely. “But if you don’t give them to me, then you won’t be able to see my monkey brother.”
And so then me and that Grace sat down on the grass. And she took off her new pink shoes. And she gave them to me.
“Thank you, Grace,” I said politely.
Then I stood up.
“Okay. Your turn,” I said to Lucille.
Only too bad for me. ’Cause just then the stupid bell rang.