‘I guess you know it as the Confederate flag,’ the white redneck asshole was explaining to him. ‘Although it was really the battle flag, versus the Stars and Bars or Stainless Banner or Naval Jack or Pennant.’
Budget knew nothing of the various official Confederate flags that had gone in and out of vogue for various reasons during the war. He only knew that he hated the bumper stickers and tattoos, tee shirts and beach towels he saw everywhere in the South. He was enraged by Confederate flags waving from porches and graves.
‘It’s all about racism, Mr. Fluck,’ Budget said coldly.
‘It’s all about states’ rights.’
‘Bullshit.’
‘You can count the stars. One for each state in the Confederacy plus Kentucky and Missouri. Eleven stars,’ Bubba informed him. ‘There’s not a single slave on the Southern Cross. You look for yourself
The South wanted out because it wanted to keep its slaves.’
‘That’s only part of it.’
‘So you admit that it’s at least part of it.’
‘I’m not admitting anything,’ Bubba let him know.
‘You were driving erratically,’ said Officer Budget, who wanted to grab Bubba out of the Jeep and smack him around.
‘Was not.’ Bubba refused to admit it.
‘Yes, you were.’
‘Not me.’
‘I was right behind you. I ought to know.’
That kid in the Explorer was trying to cut in front of me,’ Bubba said.
‘He had his turn signal on.’
‘So what.’
‘Have you been drinking?’ demanded Budget.
‘Not yet.’
‘Are you on any kind of medications?’
‘Not this minute.’
‘But you are sometimes?’ Budget asked, for he knew that some drugs and poisons, such as marijuana and arsenic, stayed in the blood for a while.
‘Not anything you need to know about,’ said Bubba.
‘I’ll be the judge of that, Mr. Fluck.’
Officer Budget leaned closer to the open window, hoping he might smell alcohol. He didn’t.
Bubba got out a cigarette. He smoked Merit Ultima instead of other brands because Merits, along with Marlboros and Virginia Slims, to name a few, were manufactured by Philip Morris. Bubba was very loyal to his employer and to all products made in America.
Bubba had no intention of telling Officer Budget that he took Librax for cranky bowel syndrome and that now and then he needed Sudafed to control his allergic responses to dust mites, mold and cats. None of this was Officer Budget’s business.
‘Advil,’ Bubba answered the cop.
‘That’s all?’ Officer Budget asked with severity.
‘Maybe Tylenol.’
‘Mr. Fluck, you…”
‘What did you say?’ Bubba interrupted.
‘… certain you aren’t on anything else?’ Budget finished his sentence.
‘I heard what you said and I’m going to report you to the chief!’ Bubba exclaimed in rage.
‘You do that, Mr. Fluck. In…”
‘See!’
‘In fact, I’ll make the appointment. You can see her, Mr. Fluck, face…”
‘That’s it!’
An entire population of cruel schoolchildren stampeded through Bubba’s brain. They chanted those awful names, shrieking with laughter. Bubba saw himself fat and in camouflage. Enough was enough, he could take no more.
‘What’s it?’ Budget raised his voice, too.
‘I don’t have to listen to this!’
‘You can tell the chief that face to face!’ Budget exclaimed. ‘I don’t give a flying…’ : ‘Stop!’
‘Man, you got a problem,’ Budget said.
Weed did, too. He made it to biology class in time to watch all completed quizzes passed up to the front and to hear Mrs. Fan go over homework he had not done.
His miserable eyes wandered around the room to worms, deer embryos, rhinoceros beetles, termite eggs and dog intestines suspended in formaldehyde, and butterflies and snakeskins pinned to boards. He felt trapped by Smoke.
Later, in Western Civilization, Mr. Pretty picked on Weed three times, and Weed knew the answer to nothing. Weed’s fears gathered force.
His escape was Mrs. Grannis’s class. She taught Art IV and V during fifth period, and was very young and pretty, with soft blond curls, and eyes as green as summer grass. She had told Weed more than once that he was the first freshman ever, in the history of the school, to attend her class. Ordinarily, only juniors could take Art IV, and only seniors and Advanced Placement students could take V. But Weed was special. He had a gift that was rare.