6. Me and Santa

6 Me and Santa IT WAS PURPLE! THAT'S WHAT! I jumped up and down and all around. "Purple! Purple! I got purple!" I shouted. "I'm getting the thrill of a lifetime! I'm getting the thrill of a lifetime!" I skipped over to May. And I smiled real big in her face. Then I skipped to the middle of the tables. And I did a giant bow. Giant bows are very enjoyable. Even when no one is actually clapping for you.

After I stopped bowing, Lucille's daddy handed me the beautiful box. I pulled off the paper as fast as I could. Then I lifted off its lid. And I stared inside. "Hmm," I said very puzzled. "It's, um… a box of pink fur." I scratched my head. "I've always wanted a box of pink fur… possibly," I said. Lucille laughed real loud. "Silly Junie B. Jones! It's not just a box of pink fur! Take it out so you can see what it really is!" she said. Then—just as I was about to pick it up— Lucille grabbed the pink fur. And she held it up in front of me. And that is the last actual fun I had at the party. "A bunny suit! See? It's a bunny suit," shouted Lucille. "Junie B. is going to be our

party's very own Easter Bunny!" May laughed real loud. "SHE'S GOING TO BE OUR DUMB BUNNY, YOU MEAN!" she called out. "JUNIE JONES IS GOING TO BE OUR VERY OWN DUMB BUNNY!" Just then, the rest of the children began to laugh, too. Lucille stamped her mad foot at them. "Stop it!" she said. "Junie B. is not going to be our dumb bunny! She's going to be our Easter Bunny! This is the finest bunny costume money can buy." She held it out to me. "Here, Junie B. Put it on and show everyone how cute it is!" She handed me the costume.

I swallowed real hard. "Yeah, only here's the problem, Lucille. I don't actually like costumes that much. Not even at Halloween," I said. "Mostly, I just like dressing up as Junie B. Jones, and that's all."

Lucille's whole mouth came open at that news. She put her hands over her ears. "Oh no! Do NOT tell me that, Junie B. Jones!" she said. "You have to be the bunny. You have to!" She ran to her daddy and pulled on his arm. "Make her, Daddy! Make Junie B. be the bunny! Make her!" she yelled. Lucille's daddy rubbed his chin. "Well, we certainly would like it if Junie B. was the bunny," he said. "But we can't really make her, Lucille." Lucille jumped up and down at me. "You're going to ruin my whole party, Junie B. Jones!" she grouched. "We hired an expensive photographer and everything! We're all supposed to get our pictures taken with you!" My ears perked up at that news.

"Pictures?" I said kind of curious. Lucille nodded. "Yes! Pictures!" she said back. "The photographer has a seat set up for you in the flower garden!" My ears perked up some more. "A seat?" I said. "You mean like… a Santa seat?" Lucille jumped way high in the air. "Yes, yes! Exactly like a Santa seat!" she said. "The photographer is waiting for you! You're going to be a celebrity, Junie B.! Will you do it? Huh? Will you?" I sat down in the grass to think about it. Lucille's daddy bent down next to me. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Junie B.," he said. "But we do need to get on with the party. So could you make up your mind, please? Do you want to be the bunny? Or do you want us to get someone else?"