2. Pair-o-Dice

2 Pair-o-Dice The children wrote in their journals forever, it seemed. Then finally, finally, finally… they started to finish! And at last! IT WAS TIME FOR SHOW-AND-TELL! My legs sprang up. And they ran me to the front of the room. Then I flinged myself in the air again. And I shouted, "VACATION! VACATION! I'M GOING ON A VACATION!" Only too bad for me. 'Cause when I came down from my fling, I lost my balance. And I

landed on the floor again. This time, Room One laughed their heads off. I tapped my fingers real annoyed. "Okay… I've really got to knock off the flinging," I said to just myself. Mr. Scary quieted everyone down. "Boys and girls, the reason Junie B. is so excited today is that she didn't find out about her vacation until just last night." He winked at me. "Tell everyone where you're going, Junie B." I took a big breath. Then the words came hollering out! "HAWAII, PEOPLE! I'M GOING TO HAWAII! AND I AM GOING THIS VERY EXACT SUNDAY!" All of the children's mouths fell open.

Except for, not richie Lucille's. Instead, Lucille stretched her arms in the air. And she did a giant yawn. "Hawaii. Ho-hum. Been there… done that," she said real bored. Then she stood up. And she twirled around. And she sat back down again. My friend named Shirley stood up, too. "Well, I've never been there!" she said. "I can't believe it, Junie B.! You're really, really going to Hawaii?" "Yes, Shirley! Really!" I said. "This was the biggest surprise of my career, I tell you! On account of last night Daddy said he is going on a job interview in Hawaii! And he surprised me and Mother with two extra tickets!"

I skipped around my teacher very joyful. "And that is not even the bestest part yet!" I said. "Because Daddy told me that this trip is for 'big people' only! And so my baby

brother named Ollie is not even allowed!" Room One looked shocked at that information. "Wow!" said my friend José. "You mean you're big people, Junie B.?" I nodded my head real fast. "Oh yes, José. I am big people, all right," I said. "That's how come I got to read the travel booklet with Mother last night. And the travel booklet says Hawaii is a real, actual paradise." Mr. Scary grinned. "A paradise, huh? That's a great word, Junie B. Does everyone know what a paradise is?" Sheldon shot his hand in the air. "I do! I do!" he shouted. "My grampa Ned Potts has a pair-o-dice! He used to play craps at the gambling casino. But then someone

squealed to Gramma. And so now he's not allowed out at night anymore." May jumped up and pointed. "Sheldon said a bad word! Sheldon said a bad word!" she tattled real loud. Mr. Scary stared at her. "May, dear … I'm very sorry to ruin this special tattling moment for you," he said. "But Sheldon did not say a bad word. Craps is a dice game that's played at gambling casinos." May stood there a second. "Well, at least I gave it a shot," she said. Then she did a shrug and sat back down. After that, Mr. Scary printed the word PARADISE on the board. He turned and looked at Sheldon. "And, Sheldon, my friend," he said, "the word is paradise. Not pair-o-dice."