2. Grinded

2/Grinded Mother had the day off from work. She met me at my bus stop. She was pushing my baby brother named Ollie in his carriage. I ran and hugged her legs. "Mother! Mother! I am so glad to see you!" I said. "'Cause today was the worstest day of my life. I have been run through the milk, I tell you." Mother raised her eyebrows kind of confused. "Oh. I think you mean the mill, Junie B.," she said. "Run through the mill means you've had a hard, grinding day." I nodded my head.

"Yes, Mother. That's 'zactly what kind of day I had. 'Cause my boyfriend named Ricardo wants to chase other people. And that news grinded me right into the ground." I reached in my pocket and pulled out my snack cookie. "Look. See how upset I was, Mother? I couldn't even eat my snack cookie at snack time. 'Cause my stomach felt squeezy and sickish inside." Mother took my snack cookie out of my hand. She took a big delicious bite of it. "Mmm. Thank you, honey," she said. I stared and stared at that woman. 'Cause she missed the point, apparently. "No, Mother. You are not supposed to eat my snack cookie," I said. "You are supposed to feel sorry for me. Plus also you have to tell

me how to get Ricardo back." Mother bended down and gave me a hug. "I'm sorry, honey. I know that you're upset about Ricardo. But really and truly, Junie B., you are way too young to have a boyfriend." She stood back up and smiled. "You're just a little girl," she said. I stamped my foot. "No, I am not little!" I said back. "And anyway, all the girls at school have boyfriends, Mother! My bestest friend Lucille has a boyfriend named Clifton. And my other bestest friend Grace has a boyfriend named Roger. And Charlotte has a boyfriend named Ham. And Rose has a boyfriend named Vincent. And Lynnie has a boyfriend named Crybaby William. And now I am all alone with nobody." Mother did a sigh.

"I'm sorry, honey. But all of those girls are too young to have boyfriends," she said. "Please, Junie B. Do not start this boy stuff so soon. Little girls are supposed to be footloose and fancy-free." I did a frown. "What's loose feet got to do with this problem?" I asked. Mother laughed. "It's just an expression, Junie B.," she said. "Footloose and fancy-free means that you can run and play with anyone you want." She ruffled my hair. "You don't have to worry about picking out a boyfriend till you're much, much older," she said. I did a huffy breath at her. "But I'm already much, much older!" I said. "And besides, I don't want loose feet! I

want the same kind of feet everybody else has. I'm not a baby, you know." I quick runned over to Ollie. And I held up his teensy hand. "See this, Mother? This is a baby hand. See how teensy it is?" I held my hand right next to it. "Now look at my hand. See how big it is next to Ollie's? Huh, Mother? Do you?" After that, I picked up one of Ollie's baby feet. "And see this teensy foot? My feet are a bajillion times bigger than these little baby things."

I stood up straight and tall. "I am big, I tell you! I am big like a giant lady, practically!" Mother did a chuckle. "Sorry, toots. But I'm afraid you're still too young for a boyfriend," she said.