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He sat on the floor next to Waldo and petted him. “We’ll both be glad when Mrs. North gets back,” he said.
He’d had a rough day at school.
“Miss Hillway treats me like I’m a criminal!” he told the love-sick dog.
Waldo pushed his head under Marvin’s hand.
Marvin petted him. “Nick and Stuart hate me,” he said. “They say I think I’m better than everyone. I don’t think I’m better than everyone. I just have a job to do.”
Waldo licked Marvin across the face with his big tongue.
Marvin petted him some more, then stood up. He checked to make sure the key was in his pocket. “I’ll be back after dinner,” he promised. “With liver!”
He tried his best to sound enthusiastic.
His mother said she’d take him to the store after dinner to buy the liver. And then drive him to Mrs. North’s house.
“Can I come?” asked Jacob. “I’ve never seen the inside of a real teacher’s house.”
“Sure,” said Marvin, glad to impress his older brother.
“Me too,” said Linzy. “I want to meet Waldo.”
Marvin’s father went along too. “I don’t want to be a party pooper,” he said.
Marvin smiled. After all his troubles, it felt good to have his family with him.
He paid for the liver out of his own money. A quarter pound only cost 37c. Less than a candy bar.
Inside Mrs. North’s house, Marvin found a pot and filled it with water. He turned on the stove. His mother offered to cook the liver for him, but Marvin said, “No, it’s part of my job.”
He dropped the slimy meat into the boiling water.
Jacob was walking around the house. “Cool,” he said as he went from one room to another.
Linzy hugged and petted and rolled around on the floor with Waldo. “I wuv you, Waldo,” she said.
The liver was stinking up the kitchen.
Marvin let it boil for ten minutes, like Dr. Charles said. Then he plucked it out of the water with a fork and cut it up into bite-size pieces.
He really didn’t think it would work. He had tasted liver. And he had tasted dog food.
He liked dog food better.
He put the liver on a regular plate and set it on the floor. His family gathered around to watch.
“Look, Waldo, liver!” said Marvin.
Waldo didn’t move.
“Please, Waldo,” begged Linzy. She pushed the plate to him.
Waldo sniffed at it.
Then he stood up, stuck his head over the plate, and ate a piece of liver.
Marvin and his family cheered.
