Boss of Lunch by Barbara Park

I put down my pencil and looked all around.
    Room One was still writing in their journals.
    I smiled very sneaky.
    Then I bent over in my chair real slow.
    And I reached way down. And I lifted up the lid of my brand-new, shiny—
    “LUNCH BOX!” hollered out May. “JUNIE JONES JUST OPENED HER LUNCH BOX AGAIN, MR. SCARY! AND YOU TOLD HER NOT TO DO THAT ANYMORE! REMEMBER?”
    May is the tattletale girl who sits next to me.
    I do not actually care for her.
    My heart pounded very hard. I bent over even more. And I hid my head so my teacher couldn't see me.
    Only I didn't do a good job of hiding, I guess. Because just then, I heard Mr. Scary's shoes walking toward me.
    “Junie B.? Why is your lunch box openagain?” asked Mr. Scary. “Didn't I just speak to you about this a few minutes ago?”
    I kept my head down and I looked at the floor. One of Mr. Scary's shoes started tapping at me.
    Tappy shoes are not happy shoes, I think.
    “Junie B.?” said Mr. Scary again. “Do you have a good reason for opening your lunch box again?”
    I quick closed my eyes and tried to think of a good reason.
    Mr. Scary's shoe tapped louder.
    I opened my eyes and peeked at it.
    And then, BINGO!
    All of a sudden, a miracle happened!
    One of my eyes saw my napkin in the corner of my lunch box … and a brightidea popped right into my head!
    I quick grabbed the napkin. And I started shining Mr. Scary's shoes!
    “Look, Mr. Scary! Look! Here is mygood reason!” I said. “See me? Huh? I am shining your shoes with my napkin. See?”

    I shined and shined.
    “This is the smartest reason I ever came up with,” I said very proud.
    I smiled up at him. “Would you like some spit on the napkin?” I asked real nice. “A little spit makes shoes look extra gleamy.”
    Mr. Scary quick pulled his shoe away.
    “No, Junie B. No spit.
Please.
Just sit up,” he said.
    I sat up.
    Mr. Scary stared and stared at me.
    I wiggled in my seat very uncomfortable. ’Cause staring teachers make me squirmy, of course.
    Finally, Mr. Scary talked again.
    “I want you to stay
out
of your lunch box, Junie B.,” he said. “We have a rule inRoom One. Lunch boxes are to be opened
only
in the cafeteria.”
    I did a sad sigh.
    “Yes,” I said. “I know the rule, Mr. Scary. But I waited a real long time to get this lunch box. And yesterday it finally came to my house. And so today is my first day of not carrying a plain brown sack to school. And so every time I look at that new lunch box, I feel happy inside.”
    I picked it up to show him.
    “See how cute it is?” I said. “My mother ordered it from a nature store. It has pictures of baby birds on it. See all of them?”
    I pointed. “This one is my favorite,” I said. “It is called an owlet.
Owlet
is the name for a baby owl. My grampa Frank Miller told me that.”

    I pointed at a different bird. “That one is an
eaglet,”
I said. “An eaglet is a baby eagle.”
    After that, I held my lunch box way high in the air so all of Room One could see it.
    “See all the birdlets, children? There are owlets and eaglets and ducklets and chicklets,” I explained.
    I put my lunch box on my desk. And I took out the thermos.
    “And see this thermos, people? This thermos has pictures of bird nests on it. Isn't that cute?”
    May made a face.
    “Ick,” she said. “Who wants to drink out of a stinky, pooey bird's nest?”
    I made a face at her. “
I
do, that's who, May!” I said. “I
love
drinking out of stinky, pooey birds’ nests.”
    May reached into her desk and pulled out a lunch ticket.
    “Well, I
buy
my lunch, Junie Jones,” she said.
“Bought
lunches are much better than
brought
lunches.
Bought
lunches don't sit around all morning and get soggy.”
    I crossed my arms at that girl.
    “That's the dumbest thing I ever heard of, May,” I said right back.
“Brought
lunches are way better than
bought
lunches. ’Cause
brought
lunches are made special by our very own mothers!”
    Mr. Scary did a frown.