“How?” asked Casey. “What’d they do, pop off his foot?”
“I don’t know how it happened,” said Kenny. “I wasn’t there. Somebody told my cousin about it, and my cousin doesn’t lie.”
“Which toes did he lose?” asked Judy.
“The thumb-toe and the pinky-toe, I think. He still has his three middle ones.”
“They’re not called the thumb-toe and pinky-toe,” said Stuart. “It’s big toe and little toe.”
“My thumb-toe isn’t my biggest toe,” said Melanie. “My second toe is bigger than my thumb-toe.”
“My toes are different on each foot,” said Judy Jasper.
Judy took off her shoes and socks. She explained that her parents’ feet were different. On her mother’s feet, the thumb-toe was the biggest. On her father’s feet, the second toe was the biggest.
Judy showed everyone her feet. On her left foot, her thumb-toe was the biggest. On her right foot, the second toe was the biggest. “I call this one my mommy foot, and this one my daddy foot,” she said.
Nick stared at Judy’s feet. “That’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life,” he said.
Marvin didn’t even look at Judy’s amazing feet. He was thinking about how often his shoelaces came untied, even when they were double-knotted.
The lunch teacher, Mrs. Grant, came by and made Judy put her shoes and socks back on.
5
Thursday
A policewoman came to Marvin’s classroom. She wore a blue police uniform and a silver badge. Handcuffs dangled from her belt. She didn’t have a gun. Her hair was red, like Marvin’s, and almost as short.
“This is Officer Watson,” said Mrs. North. “She wants to talk to us about something important, and she’s also brought some interesting things to share with us.”
Marvin wondered if she was there to tell him not to ride down Suicide Hill. He hoped so.
Officer Watson said hello to the class. The first thing she showed them was a bulletproof vest. She put it on over her police uniform. Then she took it off and passed it around the room.
Marvin was surprised by how heavy it was. Officer Watson must be really strong, he realized, to wear it. He wished he could borrow it when he rode down Suicide Hill. If he rode down Suicide Hill.
“Are those real handcuffs?” asked Nick.
Officer Watson turned to Mrs. North and asked, “Aren’t they supposed to raise their hands before asking a question?”
“They’re supposed to,” said Mrs. North.
Officer Watson wiggled her finger at Nick, asking for him to come up to the front of the room.
Marvin watched Nick nervously get out of his chair and go to her.
“Hold out your hand,” she told him.
Nick held out his hand.
Officer Watson took the handcuffs off her belt. She clasped one of the cuffs around Nick’s wrist.
Everyone laughed.
Then she walked him over to Mrs. North. She clasped the other cuff around Mrs. North’s wrist.
Marvin gasped. Next to him, Casey Happleton laughed so hard her ponytail went around in circles.