Every morning after breakfast, eight-year-old Joey went into his huge bathroom and carefully got ready for school. He was very fussy about the way he looked. His curly brown hair had to be placed just the right way; his clothes all had to match perfectly. Joey was especially particular about his teeth. He only used a special toothbrush and certain toothpaste. All the children at school knew Joey for his gleaming smile. They named him Pearly White. Joey had perfect teeth. All his friends longed to have teeth like Joey.

Some of the other children at school though, did not think having white teeth was cool. They made fun of Joey; they called him a sissy and a mom's boy. They thought he was a weird kid who always flashed his teeth to get attention.

One morning last week, Joey went in the bathroom as usual, opened up the cabinet and shut it again. He decided not to brush his teeth that day. He told himself he was finished with that childish stuff. He wanted to be known as a tough guy. He did not want to be the only third grader with perfect white teeth. Joey stared at his image in the mirror for a second.

"I will be a tough guy, just wait and see," Joey told himself as he continued to look at his reflection.

"Joey!" called a voice from his bathroom.

Joey was startled. Quickly, he glanced around the bathroom, although he knew he was alone.

"Where is that voice coming from?" questioned Joey loudly.

"Up here," the voice called again.

Joey looked up into the cabinet.

"That's right, Joey. It's me, your favorite toothbrush," the brush beamed.

His blue eyes widened and he stared in amazement. He could not believe what he was hearing.

"What's going on?" Joey said out loud, hoping someone would hear him.

"Why aren't you going to brush your teeth today?" asked the brush curiously.

"Oh, I don't feel like brushing my teeth today," Joey told his toothbrush.

"What has gotten into you Joey, you always like to brush your teeth," scolded the toothbrush.

"You're not even real, toothbrushes can't talk," Joey said hastily and turned away from the cabinet.

"If I can't talk, then why are you talking to me?" asked the brush.

Joey moved away from the cabinet door. He could not believe this, he thought he must be dreaming and hoped he would soon wake up.

"Hey! Joey, aren't you going to brush your teeth today?" the brush asked again.

"No, I am not going to brush my teeth," Joey said angrily.

"All the kids at school know you for your healthy smile," the brush informed him.

"Not all the kids at school think it is cool to brush your teeth," Joey told his brush.

"What do you mean?" questioned the toothbrush.

"I want to be a tough guy and tough guys don't brush their teeth," Joey shouted at the brush.

"Who told you that tough guys don't brush their teeth?" asked the curious brush.

"The guys who hang around with the tough kids at school. The tough kids think I am weird for having nice teeth," Joey quickly enlightened the brush.

"You know Joey, if you don't brush you will get sugar bugs in your teeth and they are real tough guys. They will work away at your nice white teeth until they become brown and start to pain."

"How do you know that?" asked Joey as he examined his perfect teeth in the mirror.

"I know because it is my job to work hard with you to make sure your teeth are clean and healthy," proudly stated the brush.

Joey thought for some time, he looked at his teeth in the bathroom mirror again.

"Ok, I will brush my teeth, I don't care if the kids at school think I am weird or not. I don't want my teeth to turn brown and ugly looking."

Joey picked up his favourite toothbrush and put on his special toothpaste and began to brush. He brushed every tooth carefully, making sure the sugar bugs would not get a chance to spoil his perfect white teeth. When Joey was finished brushing his teeth he curiously looked at his favourite toothbrush. To his surprise he could have sworn he saw the toothbrush smile.

No! Toothbrushes can't smile or talk. Or can they?

Wanda Jardine is a mother from Blackville who has been writing children's stories for many years. She wrote Toothbrush Talk for her son, Clint, when he was 5 years old.