Brain Blot

Everyone is Ezra's family was destined to be overweight. It must be that you somehow subconsciously set your own self up in life to allow people to use your last name to mock you. Hence, every Brubbery, for at least as far back as mom had photographs, was blubbery, and Ezra was no exception. He was almost always the largest kid in his class, and is now probably tied with Carl Pudgebunny in receivings at the post office.

In 1998, when Steve was 15, he paid $30 for what was left of a pack of cigarettes from a tall man in a business suit. The man claimed they were so good that they'd been banned in eastern Canada and usually go for $80 a pack. Steve only had $30, but the seller was feeling generous. The next day Steve sold each of the nine cigarettes to his friends for $7 a piece. It's true that Steve wasn't the smartest kid in his high school, but he was far from the dumbest. At least he didn't smoke.