a vacuum waiting for a guy like Velveeta to show up. It's unstoppable.”
“And I suppose the school doesn't do anything?”
“Look around. This place is status quo central. It ain't a problem if the problem doesn't matter.”
“Great.”
“Listen, if my dad being the mayor has taught me anything, it's that the system works a certain way for a reason. It's not just evil by chance. It's the worldview.”
“Worldview?”
“Yeah. We're not individuals, girl. We're a unit. The philosophy of collective fucked-upedness. See, if the unit as a whole is operating in a cool way, as the unit known as Benders High is, there are no problems. Velveeta is but a small glitch in the system of pumping out mindless world villagers to be productive members of society. Karl Marx had a point, you know? Give ‘em a test or ten, tell ‘em what they're good at, and bam, you've got your workforce. Velveeta is a minor distraction from the work of creating robots.”
“You sound like an anarchist.”
“Better than being a social communist.”
“True. But we need school for, like, uh, being able to read?” A jolt of shame went through me. Was Poe Holly actually defending an institution? I decided that Theo was so far out there that he was the one that needed reeling in. He made me look like a pansy when it came to counterculture attitude.
“School is just like church. The core is good, but it's all the stupid parts that make it stupid.”
“Brilliant, Theo.” I rolled my eyes. “Stupid things generally make things stupid.”
“Good, then we agree. Does that mean I can take you out for a burger after school?”
“Are you asking me on a date?”
He shook his head. “I don't believe in dating. I believe in casual encounters with other worker bees.”
“I feel special.”
He rolled his eyes. “I'm joking. Why don't we call it a predate? I'm still not sure you're good enough for me. I am the mayor's son, after all.”
After school, Theo met me at the flagpole and we walked toward town, talking about music and politics and everything else that I liked. I felt like I'd known him all my life. Like we were conjoined twins or something. He loved music with a passion, all classic heavy metal. Judas Priest, Motley Crüe, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, old Metallica (before they sold out, he said), and Motorhead. He also told me he wanted to be a political satirist. A natural slide in, he said, because of watching his dad operate.
As we walked through the neighborhood, Velveeta turned the corner ahead of us, heading home. I watchedhim for a moment, and a pang of sickening pity accompanied the fire in my belly over my dad telling me not to hang out with him. “Mind if we invite him?”
Theo looked at the gangly stork walking. “I thought this was a predate.”
“Come on. Give him a chance. He's actually really nice.”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
I called to him and he stopped, turning around. He grinned as we neared, scratching his ear. “Hi, Poe.” Then he looked at Theo. “Hi.”
Theo held out his hand. “Theo.”
Velveeta didn't smile. “I know. Seen you about a million times at school.”
“We've never really met.”
I cut in. “We're getting burgers. Want to come?”
He looked down the street. “Burgers?”
“Yeah. Hungry?”
He thought about it for a minute. “Naw, you go. I got stuff to do.”
I thought about the vacant lot. “Come on, it'll be fun. You can do your stuff later.”
He shuffled. “You sure?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I'm starving. Come on.”
He smiled. “Okay. I don't got money, though. Can I borrow some till tonight? My stash is at home.”
Theo smiled. “Your stash?”
He nodded. “Yeah. My bank.”
Theo sighed. “Oh. Got ya.”
The burger place, off the main tourist strip and a local hangout, was full of kids. Velveeta shuffled, nervous. Arnie's, Home of the Big'un, was a hopping place. We ordered,got our food, and sat down. I popped a fry in my mouth before we started eating,
“And I suppose the school doesn't do anything?”
“Look around. This place is status quo central. It ain't a problem if the problem doesn't matter.”
“Great.”
“Listen, if my dad being the mayor has taught me anything, it's that the system works a certain way for a reason. It's not just evil by chance. It's the worldview.”
“Worldview?”
“Yeah. We're not individuals, girl. We're a unit. The philosophy of collective fucked-upedness. See, if the unit as a whole is operating in a cool way, as the unit known as Benders High is, there are no problems. Velveeta is but a small glitch in the system of pumping out mindless world villagers to be productive members of society. Karl Marx had a point, you know? Give ‘em a test or ten, tell ‘em what they're good at, and bam, you've got your workforce. Velveeta is a minor distraction from the work of creating robots.”
“You sound like an anarchist.”
“Better than being a social communist.”
“True. But we need school for, like, uh, being able to read?” A jolt of shame went through me. Was Poe Holly actually defending an institution? I decided that Theo was so far out there that he was the one that needed reeling in. He made me look like a pansy when it came to counterculture attitude.
“School is just like church. The core is good, but it's all the stupid parts that make it stupid.”
“Brilliant, Theo.” I rolled my eyes. “Stupid things generally make things stupid.”
“Good, then we agree. Does that mean I can take you out for a burger after school?”
“Are you asking me on a date?”
He shook his head. “I don't believe in dating. I believe in casual encounters with other worker bees.”
“I feel special.”
He rolled his eyes. “I'm joking. Why don't we call it a predate? I'm still not sure you're good enough for me. I am the mayor's son, after all.”
After school, Theo met me at the flagpole and we walked toward town, talking about music and politics and everything else that I liked. I felt like I'd known him all my life. Like we were conjoined twins or something. He loved music with a passion, all classic heavy metal. Judas Priest, Motley Crüe, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, old Metallica (before they sold out, he said), and Motorhead. He also told me he wanted to be a political satirist. A natural slide in, he said, because of watching his dad operate.
As we walked through the neighborhood, Velveeta turned the corner ahead of us, heading home. I watchedhim for a moment, and a pang of sickening pity accompanied the fire in my belly over my dad telling me not to hang out with him. “Mind if we invite him?”
Theo looked at the gangly stork walking. “I thought this was a predate.”
“Come on. Give him a chance. He's actually really nice.”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
I called to him and he stopped, turning around. He grinned as we neared, scratching his ear. “Hi, Poe.” Then he looked at Theo. “Hi.”
Theo held out his hand. “Theo.”
Velveeta didn't smile. “I know. Seen you about a million times at school.”
“We've never really met.”
I cut in. “We're getting burgers. Want to come?”
He looked down the street. “Burgers?”
“Yeah. Hungry?”
He thought about it for a minute. “Naw, you go. I got stuff to do.”
I thought about the vacant lot. “Come on, it'll be fun. You can do your stuff later.”
He shuffled. “You sure?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I'm starving. Come on.”
He smiled. “Okay. I don't got money, though. Can I borrow some till tonight? My stash is at home.”
Theo smiled. “Your stash?”
He nodded. “Yeah. My bank.”
Theo sighed. “Oh. Got ya.”
The burger place, off the main tourist strip and a local hangout, was full of kids. Velveeta shuffled, nervous. Arnie's, Home of the Big'un, was a hopping place. We ordered,got our food, and sat down. I popped a fry in my mouth before we started eating,
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