4. Freako

4 Freako I ran and ran all over the house. "OH, NO!" I shouted. "OH, NO! OH, NO! MY GRAMPA FRANK MILLER KNOCKED MY TOOTH OUT! MY GRAMPA FRANK MILLER KNOCKED MY TOOTH OUT!" Grampa ran after me. "No, I didn't. Of course I didn't, Junie B.," he said. "Your tooth came out when you bit down on my finger."

I kept running and shouting. "I LOOK LIKE UNCLE LOU! I LOOK LIKE UNCLE LOU! HELP! HELP! HELP! I LOOK LIKE UNCLE LOU!" I zoomed to the front door and opened it wide. "911! 911! MY TOOTH'S KNOCKED

OUT! MY TOOTH'S KNOCKED OUT!" Grampa quick picked me up and carried me back inside. Then he took me to the bathroom. And he gave me a paper cup with water. "Rinse and spit," he said. I did what he said. Only that's when the worstest thing of all happened. 'Cause my spit water turned pink! I did a gasp at that sight. "BLOOD! BLOOD! THERE'S BLOOD IN MY SPIT!" I hollered some more. Grampa Miller covered his ears. "Please, Junie B. Just stop the screeching." After that, he took an aspirin. Plus also, he ate two Tums. I kept on rinsing and spitting.

Then finally, my spit water turned regular. "Whew," I said. "That was a close one. I was almost out of blood." Grampa bent down next to me and smiled. "Well, let's have a look," he said. I opened my mouth for him. He looked in and did a chuckle. Then he lifted me up to the mirror so I could see, too. I quick closed my mouth again. 'Cause I was nervous to see myself, of course. My tongue felt my tooth hole. It felt very roomy in there. "Well?" said Grampa Miller. "Aren't you going to look, honey? It looks cute, Junie B. It really does." My heart pounded and pounded. Then—fast as a wink—I opened my lips. And I did a little peek at my mouth.

I quick closed my eyes again. 'Cause what do you know? A freako. "Put me down, Grampa," I said. "Put me down right now. I don't want to look at myself again. I don't, I don't, I don't." Grampa Miller put me down. Just then, my nose started to sniffle very much. And my eyes got tears in them. "I hate me," I said. "I hate the way I look." Grampa blew my nose on toilet paper. "I'm never going to look at myself again," I said. "Not ever, ever, never! And I mean it." Grampa bent down next to me again. "I want you to listen to me, little girl," he said. "I would never lie to you, Junie B. You look every bit as cute without your tooth as you did with it."

He gave me a hug. "Your new smile is wonderful," he said. "You didn't even give it a chance, honey. You really need to look at it again. Honest you do." He ruffled my hair. "Do it for me, okay? Just give yourself one more chance." I rocked back and forth on my feet very slow. 'Cause I needed to think this over, that's why. Finally, I did a big breath. "Oh, okay, Grampa," I said. "If you really want to lift me up there again, I guess I will let you. But I'm only doing this to be nice." Grampa Miller patted my head. "You're very kind," he said. After that, he lifted me back up to the mirror. Very slow, I opened my mouth again. And I peeked at my new tooth hole.