Toothless Wonder (3 page)

“That's what I was going to tell you about, Grampa!” I said. “’Cause at school I
found out that I am the first person in Room One to lose a top front tooth. And so at first I felt proud about that news. Only then I got nervous. On account of who wants to look like toothless Uncle Lou, that's why. And so then I had a long talk with myself. And hurray, hurray! I decided not to lose my tooth after all!”

My grampa raised his eyebrows at me.

“Really?”
he said. “You're not going to lose your tooth, huh? Do you really think you can do that, honey?”

“Yes!” I said. “I know I can do it, Grampa. ’Cause all I have to do is not wiggle it anymore. And then it will get real tight in my mouth again! I am
sure
of it! I'm positive.”

I reached in my mouth and touched my tooth very light with my finger.

“Yup!” I said. “I can feel it! It's tighter already!”

I opened my mouth and pointed. “See it, Grampa? See how tight it's getting?”

Grampa Miller squinted his eyes. “Gee, honey, I don't know,” he said. “It still looks pretty loose to me.”

Then—without even asking—he reached in my mouth. And he started to
wiggle
it.

“No!” I yelled. “No! No! No!”

I snapped my mouth shut.

“OW!” said my grampa.

He quick pulled out his finger.

“OW!” I said right back.

’Cause I felt a pinch, that's why!

I poked all around with my tongue.

Something did not feel right in there.

My heart started to pound very fast.

I held my breath.

Then I opened my mouth kind of sickish.

And I spit my tooth right into my hand.

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.

“Try smiling,” said my grampa. “You'll love your new smile. I know you will.”

I did a nervous breath. Then I smiled at myself kind of shy.

“See?” said Grampa Miller. “See how cute it looks?”

I didn't answer him. Instead, I made another face at myself. And then another one. And another one.

Pretty soon, I tried every face in the book.

Finally, Grampa winked at me.

“So what do you think, little girl?” he said. “Hmm? How do you think you look?”

I smiled kind of shy again.

“I think I look fascinating, Frank,” I said.

Grampa Miller put me back on the floor.

Then he went to the kitchen. And he got a stool. And he brought it back to the bathroom.

He helped me up to the top step.

I stared at myself till Mother came home.

That night we had festivities.

Festivities is when my grampa and grandma come over. And all of us eat cake.

Grandma Helen Miller made the cake herself. She put a big smiley face on the top. Only that is not all. ’Cause the smiley face had a tooth missing! Just like me!

I laughed and laughed at that silly thing. Then I reached in my pocket. And I got my tooth. And I passed it all around the table.

“Oh, that's a
beaut
, Junie B.,” said Grandma Miller.

“I know it, Grandma. I know it is a beaut,” I said real proud. “I can't wait to take it to school for Show-and-Tell. The children are going to love this thing.”

Daddy looked strange at me.

“Oh, gee … I don't know, honey,” he said. “I'm not really sure you should take your tooth to school.”

Mother shook her head.

“No, Junie B. That's
definitely
not a good idea,” she said. “And besides, you won't even have your tooth on Monday, remember? You have to leave it for the tooth fairy tonight.”

Just then, my skin got chill bumps again. And the flutterflies came back in my stomach.

’Cause I know stuff about the fairy, that's why.

My voice felt kind of shaky.

“Yeah, only what if I don't want to leave my tooth for the fairy, Mother?” I said. “What if I just want to take it to Show-and-Tell, and that's all?”

Mother shook her head again. “No, Junie B. No Show-and-Tell,” she said. “Taking a tooth to Show-and-Tell is just… well, it's just—”

“Disgusting,” said Daddy.

“Yes,” said Mother. “Disgusting.”

I whined at those two. “No, it isn't,” I said. “Lots of kids bring teeth to school. ’Cause one time Roger brought a shark's tooth. And he even let me and Herb put it right in our mouths. And then we looked like sharks, too.”

I thought some more.

“Plus another time, Shirley brought her
grandmother's dentures. And lots of us put those in our mouths, too.”

Grandma Miller did a little gag. Only I don't actually know why.

My grampa patted her hand. “Just be glad she doesn't want to take the spit cup,” he whispered.

Just then, my whole face lighted up. ’Cause I have ears like a hawk, of course!

“The spit cup! The spit cup! I will take the spit cup!” I hollered.

I jumped down from my chair. And I zoomed to the bathroom.

Then I got the spit cup out of the trash. And I dusted it off real good.

“Good news, people!” I shouted real loud. “There's still some blood around the edges!”

I quick ran back to show them.

Grandma Miller closed her eyes at that sight.

Then Mother put her head on the table and hid her face in her arms.

The festivities were over, I believe.

After Grandma and Grampa Miller left, Mother took me into the bathroom. And we brushed my teeth real careful.

Then I took my loose tooth out of my pocket. And I brushed that guy, too.

I held it up to the light. “Look,” I said. “Look how shiny I made it. I really wish I could take this tooth to school, Mother. I really, really wish that with all my might.”

Mother gave me a hug. “I know you do, Junie B.,” she said. “But it's still going to be fun to put it under your pillow tonight, isn't it?”