Valentine Heart

Because of all the deaths in his family, Junior misses many days of school. He draws a cartoon depicting all the reasons that he has missed school, including funerals, a lack of gas money, and his mother refusing to let him leave because she is scared to be alone. One day, Mrs. Jeremy, one of Junior’s teachers, makes an ignorant and snide comment in class about Junior’s woeful attendance record. Junior is too afraid to stand up to Mrs. Jeremy, but Gordy drops his textbook on the floor as a sign of protest. Penelope and the rest of Junior’s classmates follow suit. They all walk out on Mrs. Jeremy, and Junior is happy to have people in his life who want to stand up for him.