Shipwrecked (2 page)

While he was gone, Sheldon put his lunch sack on his head.

As soon as Mr. Scary saw it, he tried to take it off.

But Sheldon held on tight.

“No … don't! I need this!” he said. “If I stay in here, I won't catch Roger's germs.”

I raised my eyebrows at that remark.

“Yeah, only I don't get it, Sheldon,” I said. “How can you catch Roger's germs? ’Cause Gus Vallony just sweeped them up in his bucket, remember?”

Sheldon talked to me through his bag.

“Roger's germs aren't
just
in the bucket, Junie B.,” he said. “Whenever somebody throws up, their germs shoot out in the air all over the place. Then, if somebody else breathes that same air, those germs can get sucked right up their nose nostrils.”

I did a little cringe at that information.

Then I looked all around in the air.

And—very slow—I lifted my hand. And I closed my nose nostrils.

Room One watched me.

Then—one by one—they closed their nose nostrils, too.

And so all of us held our noses tight with our fingers.

And we didn't breathe for the whole rest of the morning.

It is not easy to hold your nose and eat a sandwich.

You cannot swallow good like that.

Also, you can't actually breathe.

The reason I know this is because Room One kept on holding our noses while we ate lunch.

My ears felt blocked when I chewed.

I tapped on my friend Herbert.

“I am not enjoying my cheese sandwich today,” I said.

“Me too,” said Herb. “I am not enjoying
my sandwich, too. Plus I don't even know what I'm eating. ’Cause I can't taste what's under my lettuce.”

I thought for a minute.

Then I tapped on him again.

“Yeah, only what if you're eating something you hate?” I said.

Herb thought, too.

Then he quick put down his sandwich. And he lifted up the bread so both of us could see.

We leaned our heads in real close.

Lennie and José leaned their heads in, too.

“Hmm,” said José. “This is only a guess … but I'm thinking tuna salad.”

Lennie shook his head. “I'm thinking ham spread.”

Herb made a face.

“I'm thinking I'm done,” he said.

After that, he got out his apple. And he tried to take a bite. Only he couldn't actually get it in his mouth. On account of he was still holding his nostrils.

Finally, Herbert got frustration in him.

“I give up,” he grouched.

Then he let go of his nose. And he breathed in a big sniff of air.

“Mmm … ahhh … air,” he said.

It looked good to do that.

I let go of my nostrils and breathed, too.

“Mmm … ahhh … air,” I said.

Next to me, May's whole mouth came open. She did the cuckoo sign at us.

“You two are
crazy
to do that,” she said. “Dirty, nasty germs are getting sucked right up your nose this very minute, I bet.”

I looked surprised at that news.

“Really, May?” I said. “Thank you for telling me that.”

Then I leaned over next to her. And I breathed out my nose air on her shoulder.

“There. All gone,” I said.

May did a gasp.

“EW! EW! EW!” she hollered real loud.

Then she jumped right up. And she tattletaled to Mr. Scary at the front of the table.

“Mr. Scary! Mr. Scary! Junie Jones breathed nose air on my shoulder! And now I've got germs on me!” she yelled.

Mr. Scary kept on eating his lunch.

He was pretending May was not there, I believe.

May kept on tapping on his arm. And she wiped her shoulder.

“Nose air! Nose air! Nose air!” she hollered in his ear.

Finally, Mr. Scary stood up real calm. And he walked May back to her seat.

“Boys and girls, I know that many of you are still worried about what happened to Roger this morning,” he said. “And I promise that we'll talk more about this after recess, okay? But right now, I want all
of you to release your nostrils. And eat your lunch.”

He stood there and waited.

One by one, all of us let go of our nostrils.

Only not Sheldon.

Instead, Sheldon ducked his head under the lunch table. And he said he was looking for his pickle.

I peeked at him under there.

He was hiding under his napkin holding his nose.

When the bell finally rang for recess, Room One was the first class out the door.

“FRESH AIR! FRESH AIR! FRESH AIR!” we shouted very joyful.

Then all of us breathed big snorts of breath. Because Roger couldn't have shot
his germs all the way outside, probably.

After that, we skipped and jumped and clapped and played.

Except for not Sheldon.

And not May.

Sheldon sat down and held his nostrils some more.

May went to the water fountain and washed her shoulder.

Just then, there was a knock at our door. And Mrs. Weller came in.

Mr. Scary went to meet her.

“Mrs. Weller, I'm very glad you could come back,” he said. “Room One is still worried about what happened to Roger this morning. And we need some advice about how to stay healthy.”

Mrs. Weller's eyes glanced over to Sheldon's bag head.

Mr. Scary's eyes glanced there, too.

“Some of us are a little more worried
than others,” he said kind of soft.

Mrs. Weller went to the board. And she printed some big letters:

V-I-R-U-S

“Virus,” she said. “These letters spell the word
virus
, children. Have any of you ever heard the word
virus
before?”

Lucille jumped right up.

“I have! I have!” she said real excited. “My nanna grows viruses all over the place! You should see our house, Nurse! Sometimes we have fresh viruses in every single room, almost!”

For a second, Mrs. Weller's face went funny. Then, all of a sudden, a light bulb came on in her head, I think.

“Ohhhhh. I think you mean
irises
, Lucille,” she said. “Irises are very beautiful flowers, aren't they? But
viruses
are tiny little germs that can make people sick.”

Lucille started fluffing her hair very embarrassed.

Then she fluffed and fluffed and fluffed.
Until finally, she sat down again.

Mrs. Weller kept on talking.

“Boys and girls, there's a stomach virus going around school. And I'm guessing that your classmate Roger has caught it now, too.”

May nodded her head and pointed at herself.

“That's why I'm holding my nose,” she said. “See me, Mrs. Weller? I'm being smart by not breathing the germy air.”

Mrs. Weller looked kind of puzzled.

“Yes, but you're still
breathing
, May,” she explained. “The air is simply going in your
mouth
instead of your
nose.
”

May looked shocked at that comment.

Mrs. Weller smiled.

“I'm sorry, dear. But I'm afraid it just doesn't help to hold your nose,” she said.

“In fact, one of the easiest ways to catch a virus is to touch your nose with germy hands.”

May didn't move a muscle. She just kept on sitting there looking surprised.