Boss of Lunch (5 page)

“Sponges are another job I am good at, Mrs. Gutzman,” I said. “’Cause one time in kindergarten, I practiced throwing sponges in my toilet. And I didn't even miss the pot, hardly.”

Mrs. Gutzman's face went kind of pale.

“Oh,” she said. “Oh my.”

After that, her voice sounded a little bit worried.

“Well, uh … there's just one more job I need to tell you about,” she said. “Do you see that door over there? That's where the children come in the kitchen to get their lunches.”

“Yes,” I said. “I see it.”

“Well—when you're not busy with your other jobs—I'd like you to be our lunch greeter,” she said. “Do you know what a greeter is, Junie B.? A greeter smiles at
people and says hello. Do you think you could do that?”

This time, I didn't answer her right away. ’Cause that job made my stomach feel jumpy inside.

“Yeah, only there's children who I don't even know at this school, Mrs. Gutzman,” I said kind of shaky. “And some of them are big kids. And
big
kids are not my favorite size.”

Mrs. Gutzman did a chuckle.

“Don't worry, Junie B. I think you'll find there are lots of very
nice
big kids at this school,” she said. “Could you just give it a try, please?”

I shrugged my shoulders kind of weakish.

“I don't know … maybe I could,” I said.

Mrs. Gutzman gave me a pat. “That's the spirit,” she said. “Now there's just one other thing we need to talk about before you get started.”

Then guess what? She reached under the counter. And she gave me
another
pair of mitts.

I quick held up my hands for her to see.

“But I'm already
wearing
mitts, Mrs. Gutzman. See them? You already gave them to me yesterday.”

“I know. But these are brand-new ones, Junie B.,” she said. “Around here, we change our plastic mitts quite often. That's how we keep from spreading germs. We're constantly washing our hands and changing our mitts.”

I scratched my head.

“No kidding,” I said. “Really? You
mean I'm supposed to wash my hands,
plus
wear mitts? My, my. That's a lot of hygiene, isn't it?”

Mrs. Gutzman did a teensy frown.

Then she took me to the sink. And she washed my hands real good.

After they were dry, she put the new mitts on me.

“Whoa. These are the cleanest hands I ever saw,” I said.

After that, I skipped back to the counter. And I began stacking napkins.

Pretty soon, the kitchen started getting smells in it.

I sniffed the air.

The smells were not delicious.

“P.U.,” I said kind of quiet.

Mrs. Gutzman looked over at me.

I held my nose.

“I smell stinkle,” I said.

Mrs. Gutzman did not look happy. “Holding your nose isn't sanitary, Junie B. Now you'll have to change your mitts again.”

I kept on holding my nose.

“Yes, but if I let go of my nose, the stinkle will get in my nostrils,” I explained. “And that smell is not delightful.”

Mrs. Gutzman looked annoyed at me.

“What you're smelling is our
lunch
today, Junie B.,” she said. “We're baking tuna noodle casserole. We're going to be serving it with carrots and peas.”

I made a sick face.

“Bluck,” I said. “I hate peas. It's a good thing I brought my lunch today. Right, Mrs. Gutzman? At least now I will get a decent meal.”

Mrs. Gutzman still looked grumpity.

She came over and changed my mitts.

After that, I stacked more napkins.

And I tried to just breathe through my mouth.

Being a helper is not a breeze.

After the lunch bell rang, big kids started coming into the kitchen.

Two of them pointed at my hair net.

They called me the name of Freak-a-zoid.

I felt very crumbling inside. “Now I'm not even going to greet you,” I said real quiet.

After that, I tattletaled to Mrs. Gutzman. And she grouched at those boys. Plus also, she said I didn't have to greet people.

Instead, she said I could sponge the counter.

I hurried over there my fastest.

Then I sponged and sponged until the big kids were gone.

Pretty soon, I looked at the door again.

And guess what?

I saw my friends from Room One!

I saw Herb and Lennie and José and Shirley and Roger! They were at the counter with their trays!

I ran over to them speedy quick.

“Hello, everyone! Hello! Hello! Look at me! See me working in here? I am being a helper! See?” I said.

All of them smiled and waved. “Hi, Junie B.! Hi!” they said.

I skipped around in a circle.

“See my outfit? I am a real professional
lunch maker! See? I look just like Mrs. Gutzman!”

I showed them my sponge. “And look at this! I even have
’quipment!
”

After that, I ran back to the sinks. And I showed them how I wiped the counter.

“Can everyone see me over here?” I asked. “I am the boss of this whole entire sponged area.”

After that, I zoomed to the napkins.

“Plus also, I am the boss of the napkins,” I said. “See how I stacked them? If I keep up the good work, someday I will be the boss of this whole operation, probably!”

Just then, May came in the door.

She did a mean laugh.

“You're not a
real
lunch maker, Junie
Jones,” she said. “They're just letting you
pretend.
Don't you know that?”

All of a sudden, I felt steamy mad inside.

’Cause I am sick and tired of that dumb girl!

I stamped my foot real hard.

“Yes, I am,
too
, a real lunch maker!” I said. “Can't you even see my outfit, May? If I am not a real lunch maker, then how come I am wearing mitts and a hair net? Huh?”

May did not answer.

“I'LL TELL YOU WHY, SISTER!” I said. “’CAUSE I'M KEEPING HAIR AND GERMS OUT OF THE TUNA NOODLE STINKLE! THAT'S WHY!”

Behind me, I heard Mrs. Gutzman groan.

I turned around to see her.

Her face looked very sickish.

I turned back to Room One.

Their faces looked sickish, too.

One by one, all of them put their lunch trays back.

“I don't really feel that hungry anymore,” said Herb kind of quiet.

“Me neither,” said José. “I had a really big breakfast.”

Then, very slow, all of the children started backing out of the kitchen.

I watched them from the door.

They backed all the way to our lunch table.

Mr. Scary was waiting for them there.

He talked to them a minute. Then he came into the kitchen and talked to Mrs. Gutzman.

They whispered to each other for a real long time.

Also, they kept looking at me. And they wouldn't even stop.

My head got drops of sweaty on it.

I wiped it off with my sponge.

After that, Mrs. Gutzman closed her eyes again.

Then she walked to me very nice.

And she took away my sponge.

And she said my job was done.