Just Grace and the Flower Girl Power

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Just Grace and the Flower Girl Power Page 1

by Charise Mericle Harper




  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  THE FIVE BIG I-CANNOT-BELIEVE-ITS OF MY LIFE SO FAR

  FIVE THINGS ABOUT AUGUSTINE DUPRE THAT YOU CANNOT TELL BY JUST LOOKING AT HER

  WHAT I DID TWO SECONDS AFTER AUGUSTINE DUPRE TOLD ME SHE WAS GETTING MARRIED

  WHAT HAPPENED TEN SECONDS AFTER AUGUSTINE DUPRE TOLD ME SHE WAS GETTING MARRIED

  WHAT IS SAD BUT TRUE

  HOW I FOUND OUT ABOUT NOT BEING THE FLOWER GIRL

  WHAT MY BRAIN WAS THINKING NEXT

  WHAT MY MOUTH SAID NEXT

  WORDS CAN BE POWERFUL

  WHAT WAS NOT AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION

  WHY THIS WAS NOT AN EXCELLENT IDEA

  WHAT IS NOT EASY

  WHAT I SAID

  WHAT I COULD NOT BELIEVE

  WHAT IS UNFORTUNATE

  AUGUSTINE DUPRE'S BOYFRIEND

  WHAT MOM SAID WHEN I TOLD HER ABOUT THE WEDDING

  WHAT MOM SAID NEXT

  WHY CEREAL CAN MAKE ME HAPPY

  MY HOUSE AS A HAPPINESS GRAPH

  WHAT I USED TO DO

  HOW I HELP CRINKLES

  WHAT SQUIRRELS MIGHT REALLY BE SAYING

  WHO WAS OUTSIDE

  THE TWO IMPORTANT THINGS I SAID TO ROBERT

  WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

  WHAT ROBERT SAID TO MIMI

  WHAT MIMI SAID TO ME

  WHAT BEST FRIENDS CAN DO

  WHAT I SAID TO MIMI

  WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

  WHAT I 100 PERCENT FORGOT TO TELL MIMI

  WHAT I SAID TO MIMI THE MINUTE SHE OPENED HER DOOR

  WHAT HAPPENED IN MIMI'S ROOM

  MIMI'S QUESTIONS

  MY ANSWERS

  WHO CUTELY INTERRUPTED US

  WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

  WHAT HAPPENED AFTER I HAD A BIG DRINK OF WATER

  WHAT I SAW ON THE WAY HOME

  WHAT SAMMY SAID

  WHAT IS NICE ABOUT COMING HOME

  WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE DINNER

  GETTING READY

  WHAT I COULD NOT BELIEVE

  THE TRANCE BREAKER

  WHY MR. SCRUFFERS LOVES WALKS

  MY GOOD NIGHT TO MIMI

  IS TODAY A SCHOOL DAY?

  WHY TODAY IS NOT A NORMAL DAY

  ANNOYERS

  WHAT HAPPENED AT LUNCHTIME

  MR. FRANK'S PROJECT

  THE BAD THING ABOUT COMICS

  THE BAD THING ABOUT MR. FRANK

  WHAT I DID NOT WANT TO HAPPEN

  MY BIG IDEA

  WHAT EVERYONE SAID ABOUT THE PHOTO BOOTH IDEA

  WHAT MR. FRANK SAID ABOUT THE PHOTO BOOTH IDEA

  MR. FRANK'S NEW PROJECT

  THE TWO REASONS WHY I WAS SUPER HAPPY

  WHAT MR. FRANK SAID BEFORE WE LEFT AND AFTER MAX SPILLED HIS SOUP ON THE LIBRARY CARPET

  WHAT CAN MAKE YOUR DAY GO FROM GOOD TO EXCELLENT

  WHAT I SAW WHEN I GOT HOME

  WHAT I WAS 100 PERCENT SURPRISED ABOUT

  WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

  WHAT HAPPENED FOR THE REST OF THE VISIT

  THE BIG QUESTION I ASKED AUGUSTINE DUPRE WHEN SHE WALKED ME TO THE DOOR

  THE ANSWER

  THE REST OF MY NIGHT

  TUESDAY

  WHAT MIMI'S FACE SAID

  WHAT MIMI'S MOUTH SAID

  WHAT WAS DID THE REST OF THE DAY

  WHAT WAS NOT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE

  SOMETIMES EVEN IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE REALLY GOOD, THEY CAN STILL SURPRISE YOU

  MOM'S GAME

  WEDNESDAY

  THE COMICS CLUB

  MY FAVORITE PROJECT

  WHAT MIMI LOOKED LIKE THE WHOLE TIME

  THE ONE BAD THING ABOUT HAVING THE COMICS ON THE WALL FOR EVERYONE TO SEE

  WALKING HOME WITH MAX, SAMMY, AND MIMI

  THE BACKFLIP THAT NEVER HAPPENED

  WHAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE

  WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA

  WHAT SAMMY SAID

  WHAT BROKE THE SPELL

  WHAT MOM SAID

  WHAT IS TRUE

  THURSDAY

  WHAT HAPPENED AT SCHOOL

  LUNCHTIME

  WHAT HAPPENED IN THE AFTERNOON

  WHAT HAPPENED ON THE WAY HOME

  MOM'S BIG BAD PRESENT

  WHAT I SAID TO MOM

  WHAT MOM SAID

  WHAT IS NOT EASY

  WHAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE

  WHAT I SAID TO MR. SCRUFFERS

  THE BEST WEDDING PRESENT THAT I EVER THOUGHT OF IN MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE THAT AUGUSTINE DUPRE IS GOING TO 100 PERCENT LOVE AND REMEMBER FOREVER

  WHAT I DID NEXT

  FRIDAY

  MIMI'S BIG EXPLANATION

  WHAT I COULD HARDLY WAIT FOR

  WHAT MIMI LOVED

  WHAT I NOW KNOW ABOUT TRAINING CATS

  WHAT I NOW KNOW ABOUT WEDDINGS

  WHAT WAS NOT GOOD NEWS

  WHAT IS REALLY HARD TO DO

  WHAT I WANTED TO HAPPEN AT AUGUSTINE DUPRE'S WEDDING

  WHAT MIMI SAID

  WHAT HAPPENED AFTER SCHOOL

  SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO STUFF THAT IS NOT EASY

  BAD CHOICE OF WORDS

  GOOD CHOICE OF WORDS

  WHAT CAN HAPPEN EVEN IF YOU USE THE GOOD WORDS

  WHAT MIMI AND I SAID TO EACH OTHER AT THE EXACT SANE TIME

  WHAT MOM SAID WHEN I GOT INSIDE

  WHAT I SAID WHEN I OPENED THE BOX

  MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE NEW OUTFIT

  THE PLAN FOR SUNDAY

  QUIET TO CRACY

  WHAT MOM SAID

  WHY ROBERT WAS SUPER HAPPY

  WHAT MIMI SAID ABOUT MY SHOES

  WHAT I KNOW

  WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON THE LIST

  WHAT CAN MAKE MR. SCRUFFERS STAY IN ONE PLACE AND NOT MOVE

  CAN YOU BE A FLOWER CAT WITHOUT A FLOWER BOW?

  SUNDAY

  WHAT MOM FINALLY SAID YES TO

  WHY AUGUSTINE DUPRE WAS HAPPY TO SEE ME

  HOW I HELPED DELPHINE

  WHAT IS REALLY FUN

  WHAT MOM WAS WRONG ABOUT

  THE REHEARSAL

  THE TWO BEST PARTS

  MY LITTLE FLOWER CAT PROBLEM

  WHAT WAS SURPRISING TIMES TWO

  MIMI’S CAT FLOWER

  WHAT I REALLY HATE

  WHAT THERE WAS NO TIME FOR

  MONDAY

  THE BAD THING ABOUT TODAY

  THE GOOD THING ABOUT TODAY

  THE FLYING DONUT

  TUESDAY

  WHAT CRINKLES CAN DO

  WEDNESDAY

  THE WEDDING PROBLEM SOLVER

  WHAT SAMMY SAID

  MAKING THINGS RIGHT WITH MAX

  WHAT I ASKED MAX TO DO

  THE TWO OTHER GREAT THINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY

  THURSDAY

  SCHOOL

  WHAT CRINKLES GETS TODAY

  FRIDAY

  MOM’S GREAT IDEA

  SATURDAY

  WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN MRS. LUTHER’S YARD

  WHAT I SUDDENLY THOUGHT OF

  WHAT I SAID TO AUGUSTINE DUPRE

  MY ALMOST LAST THOUGHT BEFORE FALLING ASLEEP

  MY LAST THOUGHT

  SUNDAY

  WHAT WAS BAD ABOUT THE MORNING

  MRS. LUTHER’S YARD

  THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING IN MRS. LUTHER’S YARD

  WHAT IS A GOOD IDEA

  WHAT WAS PERFECT

  WHAT WAS A BIT OF A SURPRISE

  WHAT WAS NOT A SURPRISE

  WHAT I WAS EXPECTING

  WHAT WAS A HUGE SURPRISE

  WHAT I DID JUST TO BE SAFE

  MY FIRST WEDDING JOB


  MY SECOND WEDDING JOB

  WHAT I WASN’T EXPECTING

  TWO THINGS I WAS GLAD ABOUT

  MY PRESENT FOR AUGUSTINE DUPRE

  FLOWER CAT

  THE SLOW-MOTION PART

  THE FAST-MOTION PART

  WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

  WHAT I DID NOT KNOW UNTIL THE VERY END

  FIVE THINGS THAT ARE GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT A WEDDING

  TWO NEW GOOD THINGS

  MY FAVORITE DAY

  A Peek Inside Community Comics

  Acknowledgments

  Book 9

  Coming Soon from Charise Mericle Harper

  Buy the Book

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2012 by Charise Mericle Harper

  All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.

  Houghton Mifflin Books for Children is an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

  www.hmhbooks.com

  The illustrations are pen-and-ink drawings digitally colored in Photoshop.

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

  Harper, Charise Mericle.

  Just Grace and the flower girl power / written and illustrated by Charise Mericle Harper,

  p. cm.

  ISBN 978-0-547-57720-3

  [1. Weddings—Fiction.] I. Title.

  PZ7.H231323Jth 2011

  [Fic]—dc23

  2011039908

  eISBN 978-0-547-68133-7

  v2.0812

  Thank you, Penny and Pepper!

  THE FIVE BIG I-CANNOT-BELIEVE-ITS OF MY LIFE SO FAR

  1. That my teacher, Miss Lois, decided to call me Just Grace instead of my real name, which is Grace, without the Just part in front of it. This happened a while ago, but it still bugs me! Even just thinking about it can make me grumpy. Yesterday I drew a cartoon explaining how the whole thing happened. Sometimes drawing cartoons helps me feel better. I don’t know why it works, but it does. I’m glad about that.

  HOW I GOT MY JUST GRACE NAME

  2. That I finally got a real live pet, and it’s NOT a turtle or a fish! A while ago I had a big idea to make a pretend dog. I called him Chip-Up and I made him out of cardboard boxes. I took care of him like he was real. That way Mom and Dad could see how responsible I was and then they’d let me get a real dog. Chip-Up looked super good, and even though I worked really hard to take care of him, Dad did not seem like he was ever going to turn into a dog-loving person. But one day he surprised me and did. The day I got Mr. Scruffers was the best day of my entire life! A cardboard dog is okay, but a real dog is 100 percent better. And even though Mr. Scruffers is a girl dog and has a boy name, she is still amazing and perfect for me!

  3. That Augustine Dupre is getting married in two weeks and I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend.

  4. That Augustine Dupre is having her wedding in the middle of Mrs. Luther’s backyard. Mrs. Luther is one of my next-door neighbors, so if I wanted to, I could spy on the wedding and see the whole thing right from my bedroom window. Of course I am 100 percent invited to the wedding, so the spying part doesn’t matter, but still even just knowing that I could do it is kind of cool.

  5. That I am NOT going to be the flower girl at Augustine Dupre’s wedding!

  FIVE THINGS ABOUT AUGUSTINE DUPRE THAT YOU CANNOT TELL BY JUST LOOKING AT HER

  1. She is a very good listener. If there is something you want to say, she can make the air around her quiet and still so the words just float out of your mouth without you even having to think about pushing them.

  2. She is in love with Mrs. Luther’s cat, Crinkles. Even though Crinkles lives next door with Mrs. Luther, he spends a lot of time visiting with Augustine Dupre and sitting on her sofa.

  3. She has great ideas and is a good problem solver. She can make an idea go straight from her head into your head so easily that your brain might even forget that she thought of it first.

  4. She is funny and likes to make jokes.

  5. She is my best grown-up friend who is not related to me.

  WHAT I DID TWO SECONDS AFTER AUGUSTINE DUPRE TOLD ME SHE WAS GETTING MARRIED

  I screamed. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” It was a long, happy scream, so Augustine Dupre was mostly surprised and not mostly scared. That was good. I couldn’t help the scream. Sometimes you can’t help but be crazy if your head is suddenly feeling combustible. The extra energy has to get out of there somehow.

  WHAT HAPPENED TEN SECONDS AFTER AUGUSTINE DUPRE TOLD ME SHE WAS GETTING MARRIED

  My brain went through a superfast list of everything to do with a wedding: wedding dress, flowers, flower girl ... and then it stopped. I looked up at Augustine Dupre and said, “I will be the best flower girl ever! I promise! I promise! I promise!” And then I threw my hands into the air and said it one more time, extra big for special meaning: “I PROMISE!”

  WHAT IS SAD BUT TRUE

  Just because you really, really, really want be a flower girl and you know you’d be perfect at it, and even if it’s probably the only time in your entire life that you’ll have the chance to be one, this does not mean that your wish of being the flower girl is going to come true. This I did not know.

  HOW I FOUND OUT ABOUT NOT BEING THE FLOWER GIRL

  I opened my arms to give Augustine Dupre a big I’m-so-happy-I-get-to-be-the-flower-girl hug, but instead of letting me hug her she held my hands and looked down at me with a sad face. “Oh, Grace! I’m so sorry,” she said. “You can’t be the flower girl. Luke has promised being the flower girl to his little cousin. We’ll find something else for you to do. I promise! Something special.” Augustine Dupre was saying lots of words, but the only ones that I was hearing over and over again were “You can’t be the flower girl. You can’t be the flower girl. You can’t be the flower girl.”

  It was surprising, because even though I had only been thinking I was going to be the flower girl for about two minutes, it was still super disappointing and sad to find out it wasn’t going to happen.

  WHAT MY BRAIN WAS THINKING NEXT

  WHAT MY MOUTH SAID NEXT

  “What’s her name? The girl who gets to be the flower girl?” I don’t know why it was important, but suddenly I wanted to know everything about her. It was 100 percent easy for me to imagine that I was not going to like her even one teeny tiny bit.

  Augustine Dupre looked worried. Probably because I was wearing my unhappy face—sometimes I’m not very good at hiding it. She made a little sigh and said, “Her name is Delphine. She’s five years old and she is Luke’s only niece. I’m sure you will like her, and I know she will love you!” Augustine Dupre put her hands on my shoulders and studied my eyes like she was trying to see into my brain to know what I was thinking. It was a good thing she didn’t have those kind of powers. Sometimes the things that go on inside your head are better kept private.

  WORDS CAN BE POWERFUL

  I don’t know why it happened, but suddenly my whole mood was different. Augustine Dupre’s words had changed me. She had changed my mad to sad.

  Mad is easier than sad.

  Sadness is not easy.

  WHAT WAS NOT AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION

  “Maybe you can help Delphine practice,” said Augustine Dupre. “She will need some help. What do you think?”

  WHY THIS WAS NOT AN EXCELLENT IDEA

  I looked up at Augustine Dupre and smiled. I gave her my best fake smile—the one I had practiced tons of times. It worked great for the school photo, and I wanted it to work on Augustine Dupre too. I didn’t want her to be sad. Being a bride is super special. It’s the only time a grown-up girl gets to be like a princess. Lucky for me, I’m really good at the smile—it worked. So far Mom’s the only one who can tell it’s not for real.

  THE SMILES

  WHAT IS NOT EASY

  It’s not easy to think of the exact right thing
to say when someone is looking at you and expecting you to say the exact right thing. And what I didn’t want to do was to say something wrong and ruin Augustine Dupre’s bride-happiness.

  WHAT I SAID

  I took a deep breath, looked up at Augustine Dupre, and said, “I might have a lot of homework. I don’t know yet, but I’ll really try, you know, to be helpful.”

  Augustine Dupre smiled and opened her arms for the hug from before. “Of course, Grace,” she said. “I know you’ll do your best. It’s going to be fun. You’ll see.” I hugged her back real tight. Sometimes a hug can say things that a mouth just can’t.

  WHAT MY HUG WAS SAYING EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT TALKING

  I had a few more questions for Augustine Dupre before I ran upstairs to tell Mom the wedding news. She was going to be crazy surprised.

  WHAT I COULD NOT BELIEVE

  I couldn’t believe that Augustine Dupre was going to be marrying someone I had never even met before. That part was weird—really weird.

  MY QUESTIONS

  Who is Luke?

  Does he live in France?

  Is he going to visit soon?

  Does he speak English?

  As soon as I finished asking my questions, Augustine Dupre’s hands shot up to her mouth. It was wide open. She was shocked. “But, Grace,” she said, “you’ve met him. How can you not know Luke?” She held up a you-wait-here finger, then turned and ran off into her kitchen. From the doorway I could see her pull something off the fridge. I was patient and still, but she ran back anyway, like maybe she was worried I was going to leave or something. “Look,” she said. She held out a long piece of paper. It was a photo strip from an automatic photo machine—the kind where it’s fun to make all sorts of silly faces. “There,” she said, and she pointed to one of the pictures. A smiling man was posing next to her. “You know Luke, right?” she asked. I squinted. He looked familiar, but somehow my brain just couldn’t remember from where. Dumb brain!

 

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