The next day at school, Charlie Brown sat alone eating his peanut butter sandwich. It was what he always did at lunch, since no one of the other kids ever wanted to eat lunch with him. And of course he couldn't bring himself to go over and talk to the little red haired girl. But he wasn't stupid. He knew that it would never happen anyway. Normally he would have spent the rest of the week sulking about it, but that day was different. He wasn't waiting for the little red-haired girl that day. He was waiting for Marcie.

It was just his luck that she was nowhere to be found. So where was she? Marcie was always at lunch, always! When he spotted Peppermint Patty, Charlie Brown put the other half of his sandwich and the remaining cookies back into his brown paper sack and jumped off of the bench where he'd been sitting. And then he went running toward his friend.

"Peppermint Patty! Peppermint Patty! Have you seen Marcie?"

Peppermint Patty smiled. "Sure Chuck. She's inside studying."
Charlie Brown's eyes widened. "Studying? But it's lunchtime!"

Peppermint Patty shrugged. "Well, I guess that studying was more important to her than eating. She made a B-plus on our history test but she said her parents wouldn't accept anything less than an A, so she asked Miss Othmar to give her a make-up test."

"A make-up test?" Charlie Brown yelled. "For a B-plus? I'd be the happiest kid in the world if I got a B-plus on a history test!"

Peppermint Patty frowned. "So would I, come to think of it. In fact, I'd settle for a C."

"She can't stay inside the whole time and study, Peppermint Patty. She needs to eat lunch!" Charlie Brown said, a little too excitedly. He just hoped that Peppermint Patty didn't notice.

"That's what I told her, but she said that she wasn't hungry." Peppermint Patty said. "I guess she'll just wait till dinner."

Now Charlie Brown was really angry. "Darn her parents!"

"What?"

"Never mind, Peppermint Patty. I've gotta go. See you later."

"Chuck! Where are you going?" Peppermint Patty called to him as he hurried into the school. But once he was inside, he kept on running, straight to Miss Othmar's classroom.

When he got there, the door was closed and he peered into the tiny glass window. Sure enough, there was Marcie, sitting at her desk all alone, her nose stuck in her history book. It was the saddest sight that Charlie Brown had ever seen.

As slowly as possible, Charlie Brown opened the door to the classroom and crept inside. He did his best to stay as quiet as he could. Marcie was studying so intently that he didn't want to disturb her. But the moment he moved toward her desk, she looked up in surprise.

"Charles! What are you doing here?"

Suddenly he was embarrassed. "Well, I, uh… what are you doing here?"

"Studying for my make-up test." Marie explained. "Miss Othmar is going to give me the history test again, during recess."

"But it's lunchtime! Aren't you hungry?"

Her stomach began to growl, giving him the answer he needed, but she quickly tried to cover her stomach with her hands. "No-not really. I mean…"

Charlie Brown smiled and reached into his paper sack. "Here."

She looked at the half of the peanut butter sandwich that he was holding in his hand. "What's that?"

"It's for you, Marcie. I thought you might be hungry."

For a minute he thought that she might cry and he quickly gave her the cookies. Finally, to his relief, she smiled.

"Thanks, Charles."

He looked down at his feet. "Marcie, can I talk to you for a minute?"

She shrugged. "Sure Chuck. But do you mind if I eat? I'm really hungry."

"Go ahead Marcie. I just had a question to ask you."

"Okay." She said, munching on her sandwich and cookies.

"I… um… I have this friend. M-my neighbor, actually. His name is Dr. Crane and he's very nice. I um… sort of told him about your parents and he wants to help you."

"But why?"

"Because he's my friend and that's his job; to help people. So will you walk ho9me with me? He lives next door and he's helped me lots of times. You know what a block head I am."

"No you're not, Charles."

He looked up in surprise, wondering if she'd really said what he thought she'd said. "What?"

"You're not a blockhead. Not at all. And the other kids shouldn't be so mean to you. You're a very nice boy, Charles and I like you a lot."

Charlie Brown felt as though he could fly. No one had ever told him that they liked him before. He knew that he shouldn't get his hopes up, because he always managed to ruin it when good things happened to him. But maybe, just maybe…

He swallowed hard. "S-so will you? Walk home with me?"

To his amazement, Marcie smiled. She smiled! And then she put her hand in his. "Yes, I will. Thank you Charles."

Charlie Brown's feet barely touched the floor as he floated back to his desk and sat down.