Gone to the Buzzards by C.B. Jones

Author:C.B. Jones [Jones, C. B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 978-1-4965-4058-4; Bog Bottom Boys; Adventure stories; American South; Animals; State Parks; fiction stories; chapter books; kids adventure stories; adventure novels; middle grade adventure; early young adult adventure; turkey vultures; buzzards; cats; fish; snakes
Publisher: Capstone
Published: 2020-01-08T00:00:00+00:00

Nellie put her head down, too, but didn’t eat. She squinted and sniffed at a pile of potatoes and corn piled on her plate. She’d already lined up all the shrimp and sausage along one side of her plate.

“My apologies,” Ms. Finch said. “If I’d known y’all were vegetarians, I would’ve made extra corn and taters.”

Dr. Tibbits smiled and took another nibble of potatoes. “These are just wonderful,” she said. “Aren’t they, Nellie?”

Nellie took a bite of potato and swallowed hard. “Mm-hmm,” she said. “Wonderful.”

Dr. Tibbits changed the subject. “So, Austin. Your dad tells me you’ve been having vulture troubles.”

“Your daddy got you boys out there messing with dangerous animals again?” Ms. Finch snapped.

“No ma’am,” said Austin.

“Turkey vultures aren’t really dangerous,” Dr. Tibbits said. “They’re just scavengers.”

Ms. Finch turned to Dr. Tibbits. She was smiling, but Austin and Ethan saw that their mama’s eyes were dark, the way they were when she was mad and trying not to show it.

“No offense, Dr. Tibbits,” their mom said. “But I know my boys and I know my ex-husband. They’d lose an eye if it meant saving a buzzard from stubbing its beak.”

The table went silent. After a long and drawn out moment, the quiet sounds of chewing and clinking forks slowly resumed.

Ms. Finch speared a slice of sausage on the end of her knife. She eyed it like a starving hawk might eye a wounded rabbit.

It was Nellie who broke the silence. “It’s not these two I’d necessarily be worried about, Ms. Finch,” she said. “From what Daryl says, it’s those two Manley boys.”

“Who’s that?” Dr. Tibbits asked.

“Just a couple of neighborhood knuckleheads,” Ms. Finch said. She turned her glare to Austin and Ethan and said, “I thought we were done with all of this foolishness.”

“Y’all ever wrestle up there in Wisconsin?” Ms. Finch asked. She was pointing her steak knife at Nellie. “And I’m not talking about fake rasslin’ neither. The real thing.”

“No, ma’am,” Nellie said. “Nothing organized.”

“Why don’t you come down to the gym after school on Monday,” Miss Finch said. “Austin and Ethan, too. I’ll teach all y’all a thing or two about dealing with knuckleheads.” Then she added, “Without getting in trouble.”

Dr. Tibbits frowned, but Nellie saluted and said, “Sign me up, Coach.”

Nellie smirked as Austin sat there slack-jawed with a mouth half full of shrimp and potatoes.

“Careful, Ace,” she said. “Don’t choke before we even get to wrestle.”

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