June’s Birthday
By Matthew McAyeal
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“June, where is your science project?” asked Ms Shelley, gesturing to June’s bare desk.
“It hopped away,” said June.
“Off your desk?” Ms Shelley asked, and the classroom rang with giggles.
“No!” said June through gritted teeth. “The stupid project hopped away when I was trying to catch it down by the river! And I got splashed with disgusting river water, which was probably full of scum and germs and who knows what! I’ve taken five baths since then and I still feel grimy all over! I swear, I won’t feel clean again until I’ve taken a bath in Neosporin!”
“Tragic though that may be,” said Ms Shelley rather caustically, “it doesn’t change the fact that you don’t have a science project like everyone else, so you still get an F.”
June buried her face in her hands. She was having a really bad day. The worst of it was that this day was also her twelfth birthday. Her birthday was on June first, which was how she had gotten her name. She had always been proud that she shared her birthday with Marilyn Monroe.
The day’s awfulness began when June decided to stay up until midnight so that she could witness the precise moment when she officially turned twelve. Unfortunately, she chose the wrong moment to look away from the clock and missed it. Her day did not improve at breakfast. Carl threw up while eating his baby food, causing her parents to spend the whole time cleaning up the mess and fretting over Carl possibly being sick. Like a good mature twelve-year-old, June kept quiet and pretended she wasn’t angry that her birthday was becoming all about Carl, just like every other day was. She understood rationally that it wasn’t Carl’s fault if he was sick, but it was just so unfair that the birthday girl wasn’t the centre of attention in her own home.
June seemed to be angry a lot recently. Everyone said it was hormones, but she was pretty sure it was because everyone was so unfair to her nowadays. It had basically started when her parents had decided to have another kid and just when June was becoming smart, mature, and dignified. She thought those grown-up qualities ought to be earning her respect and recognition, but instead, they only seemed to earn her increased responsibility. Her parents cooed over unsmart, immature, undignified Carl even as he behaved in ways which would never be tolerated from her. She was expected to know better, but she got no credit for knowing better. Instead, her parents only praised Carl while claiming she was the one who was “difficult,” “a handful,” and so forth!
Another thing which made her very angry was the fact that she still didn’t have a cell phone. It was worse now that she was officially one year away from being a teenager. Would she have a cell phone by then? What kind of twenty-first-century teenager didn’t have a cell phone? It was bad enough not having one as a twenty-first-century preteen. She felt shame and embarrassment whenever she thought about the fact that some of her peers had had cell phones since kindergarten. She tried to explain this to her parents, but she couldn’t seem to make them understand that they were practically forcing her to live as an Amish girl.
Following Ms Shelley’s science class, June’s school day only worsened. As usual, her teachers assigned tons of homework that was due tomorrow, ensuring that school would consume much of her birthday even after she got home. June was humiliated when that stupid jerk Evan started teasing her about her secret crush on Mr Pierce, their English teacher. How could Evan have known about that? It turned out that everything June told her “friend” Lori was subsequently shared with Grace, who then shared it with that annoying chatterbox Megan. By now, all of June’s most personal secrets would be known to the entire school! Even lunch was terrible. June had forgotten her lunch money, and on a day when the cafeteria was serving chocolate chip cookies. Since when exactly did her school cafeteria even serve things like chocolate chip cookies?
As she walked home from the bus stop, June wanted to kick a can. Why wasn’t there a can lying in her path? In cartoons, there was always a can to kick when it was needed.
What further unpleasantness would be waiting for her when she got home? Did her parents even remember that today was her birthday? They had given no such indication at breakfast. What did she want anyway? Did she want another one of those corny birthday parties that were thrown for her when she was little? She’d enjoyed them at the time, but now she was older and that sort of thing would only embarrass her. And considering the previous Christmas and Valentine’s Day, she couldn’t expect anything else from her parents.
No, it was probably for the best that they didn’t remember. She wasn’t angry as she walked up the front path to her house. As a newly-minted twelve-year-old, she was just too mature to care about such a thing. Besides, her parents had a new little kid who appreciated their corniness. When she opened the front door and saw the house looking deserted, her suspicions seemed to be confirmed. Presumably, her parents had taken Carl to the hospital or something.
Well, this suited her fine. She’d just throw herself into bed and wallow in her misery for a while before getting started on her mountains of homework. Taking a deep, mature, twelve-year-old-girl breath, she stepped inside.
“SURPRISE!”
Not only her parents, but also Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle Larry jumped out, wearing party hats, blowing party horns, and throwing confetti in the air. They also brought out balloons, cake, and presents. Wearing a party hat of his own and dragging the cuddly toy cat that was now his favourite toy, Carl crawled out after the adults.
“Chrimiss!” he declared happily. June would later learn that he had been found not to be sick shortly after she left for school.
The corniness was so much that she thought she’d die of embarrassment! If any of her friends saw her right now, her life would be over! Yet even as she blushed worse than when Evan had teased her about her crush on Mr Pierce, June was also smiling. More than that, tears of joy were welling up in her eyes. When all was said and done, it seemed she was just happy to discover that she was still loved, even though Carl was smaller and cuter and she was maybe difficult sometimes. And she loved her parents back, even though they were maybe corny sometimes.
“June!” said Carl suddenly.
The tears in June’s eyes began to fall. It was the first time Carl had ever said her name! She loved him too, even though he was maybe annoying every single waking second of her life. Wiping her tears because big girls weren’t supposed to cry, she decided that even if she didn’t receive her long-awaited cell phone today, this really was a good birthday after all!
THE END
This story is an excerpt from Carl and June: Tales of Two: A collection of children’s stories from the Writers Mill.
- Total nr. of readings: 173,444 Copyright © The author [2020] All Rights Reserved. This story may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author except for personal use.Enjoyed that? Then you might like these...
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- Full Catalogue
Great story it made me think of some sad movies at times but it got happier at the end
I think this is a 10/10 story.
This book is great and she will be happy if you doesnot have a phone .
Good o.o
i didnt like it
It was okay
it was ok but iv’e heard better
i like how June has so much expression
i loved this book i want of these
it was really good :3
i really enjoyed this story and i would like to see more.
It was actually a pretty good book! Overall I loved it!
It’s fine, I guess.
it was okay but not my all time fav books top read or not book but um story thing
not good
This was the worst book I ever read
it was great
cool
That is cool
NICE WORK
cool
It was fine. like that the author was very descriptive and they understood how a person would respond to that situation pretty well.
not good
It was pretty chill
Ok cool
it was ok
It was a good book
Awsome
same thing!
You know what that made me think that it was my life cuz that’s what I used to feel like when my and Dad forgot about my birthday
I thought it was a good story and I would like to read it agian
good⊙△⊙⊙﹏⊙
good the best one yet
Its a okay book
HEY THAT WAS REALLY COOL
THAT REMINDS ME WHEN I THOUGHT MY FAM DID NOT EVEN CARE
It was pretty good.
It…. was ok I guess?
it ok
wow
i loved the book it was great
i didn´t like it
Such a cute story I loved it!
This is a weird story….
it was ok
I relly loved it i loved it so much
Exactly it was awesome i didnt understand the love parts tho that was cool but w e i r d
it was ok
i loved the story
loved it
idk
it was ok
it was fun to read
it was good and interresting
i really like this book
It was GOOCH
good book
YEA
I liked the story a lot because she thought that her family did not care for her.
i like it it make scence and its cool
The story was cool i gess
he whent thew the portal in his birthday
that he went threw a portal in his birthday
good
Cool
the story is good thx
it had to much words
awsome book
good
good
WOW! It is a really grate story and I can relate to some of it. If u did not read this story please do!
i think the story was fun and cool to read
love it
i loved it.
WOW RUDE DUDE
i don,t like this book because it is not real
this was a good book
this book was good
this book was really good
i like this story but it was not that good
i realy like this story but it wasn’t that good
i like it.
so cute
it was a good story.
I liked it
It was a good story i liked this part As she walked home from the bus stop, June wanted to kick a can. Why wasn’t there a can lying in her path? In cartoons, there was always a can to kick when it was needed.
It was a good story i liked this part As she walked home from the bus stop, June wanted to kick a can. Why wasn’t there a can lying in her path? In cartoons, there was always a can to kick when it was needed.
i liked it allot
i liked it.
this story was a fun story to read and i love it i can relate to this story this is my life.
It was very good I love how it show how she fells with out showing it.
The story was cool I think this happens sometime to me
wow good book
good book
Interesting
I hated it such a bad book who has a crush on there English teacher what a nerd
thats really good
i liked it
i liked the story it was good but a little bit more than i expected
This was amazing
awesome story
Its interesting
I loved this book
this is awesome because i think that it tells the best of her birthday
My birthdays are awosome and im glad shes happy
i think the story is good because her she thought that her mom and dad forgot about her birthday but they didnt
I liked the ending and it was a good book
This story was fun and sad that’s almost like my life it made me get sad and it all most i cryed.
it ok
I relly liked but not that much
I think it was a neat story , wish my birthday was in June so I could have a swimming party. My birthday is in December
wish my b-day was june but I have to do it in july my brothers is in december
its a nice little story in the begining it was a bad b-day but it ended great
I am glad she had a good b-day.
I think this story is excited to read. I think it is real fun with cool things in it.
nice picutre
THis book was so cute
June’s Birthday was really good.
this story was cool and fun but sad that my neck felt sore
nice
i liked it
i like it
good
lill7277@my.cjusd.net ufq31248
1524
I like this story because june stay up trying to find out stuff
I love when something good happens in books.
i don’t like it
I love it.
i lk ike this story bc it has a meaning appriciate what u have not be upset about what u dont have
It was not the best book but it was okay
This is my favorite book i just do not have enuf time to read it❤️
i liked the story it was cute i am happy i read this !
the bokk had a nice happy ending
that was a good story
I like the story.
I think of the story it is amazing and I just love it and my birthday is in June to June 6, 2011. Sorry that’s all I got for this story.
i liked it
I love espark
I think that was really cool!!
It was very cool
that was fun to read
I think this story is fun and cool to read.
This story was fun and sad that’s almost like my life it made me cry
it cool i gess