Fight for Life

Chapter Nine

The next day, Maggie gets a 57% on her social studies test… a D-. She did study… honest! Now, Maggie has to go home and tell Gran. She’ll explode when she sees it.

David sits next to Maggie on the bus after school. He asks all kinds of questions about the puppies. As they exit the bus, everyone holds their bags over their heads to keep their heads dry from the rain. When Maggie opens the back door of the clinic, the dogs are yipping. Maggie hangs her dripping jacket and goes straight to the recovery room. The collies and mutt are out of their oxygen cage, which means they’re breathing better on their own. Shelby and Inky look stronger, but the smallest Lab, Dinky, has lost weight. On her way out, Maggie carefully puts all the dogs back in the pens and closes the door behind her.

Gran is in the Dolittle Room with a messy dog named Brigitte. She looks like a Yorkshire terrier. The hair inside her ears is caked with dried earwax and dirt. She asks how Maggie’s test went. Maggie pulls it out and hands it over. Her teacher, Mrs. Griffith, wrote her phone number on the top for Gran to call her. She tells Maggie to dial the phone and put it on speakerphone.

Mrs. Griffith ansswers on the first ring. Gran introduces herself and starts to trim the matted hair in Brigitte’s ears. Mrs. Grffith says that Maggie pays attention in class, but when it comes to written work or tests, it’s like she’s never heard of the material. Perhaps Maggie needs a tutor, as well as more time spent on her studies. If Maggie fails the class, she’ll have to repeat it in summer school.

After the phone call, Gran finishes tending to Brigitte’s ears. Maggie takes out a comb and begins to work through the tangles on Brigitte’s back. But then Gran demands she stops. Maggie is double-dog grounded. She can’t help out at the clinic at all until she writes the agreed-upon extra-credit report and gets a good grade on it. And she’s getting a tutor.

Maggie insists she can get the grades up without getting a tutor. she just needs to work harder. Gran looks carefully at Maggie over her reading glasses, and agrees to put a hold on the tutor. But Maggie needs to get a B or better. And she can’t come into the clinic at all until she proves herself.

Maggie argues that she’s needed around the clinic. Gran explains that she already decided that she changed her mind about the volunteers. David, Sunita, and Brenna can help with Maggie’s jobs in the clinic. And it’ll be good for Zoe to have more kids around so she can make friends.

Brenna follows a sullen Maggie to the boarding kennels where she’s shown the food bowls and giant bags of dry food. Maggie explains that each dog gets fresh water, and older dogs get special feed. Regular-size dogs like Mitzy get less food than a big dog. Brenna stops Maggie—she’s going too fast. Brenna can tell Maggie is irritable, so she asks what’s wrong.

Maggie explodes, saying that Gran banned her from the clinic until her grades come up. And she has to write a stupid report for social studies. There’s a guy running a puppy mill somewhere, and her starstruck cousin from New York is coming to stay with them. With a sigh, she admits that even when she works hard, she still gets Ds and Fs. School is what she sits through just so she can come back home. Maggie’s just not a good student.

Both Maggie and Brenna stare at the floor for a minute. Then, Maggie apologizes, and grabs a piece of paper to write down some notes. Before Brenna can say anything, David and Sunita come through the door. They each are carrying a “to do” list. It’s time for everyone to get to work. From the look in Gran’s eye, Maggie knows better than to argue. She turns to leave without saying a word.

Maggie sets up her homework at the kitchen table, but takes the next two hours doing anything but homework. She turns on ESPN, tries to play ball with Sherlock, and thinks about the sick pups in the clinic. The puppy mill is keeping her eyes wide open. And finally, just as Maggie is ready to settle down to study, the front doorbell rings. Behind it is a girl with long blond hair standing on the doorstep. It’s Zoe.