Blood Rage ch2

Chapter 2

A Day in the Life of Derrick Anderson

            Alison was majoring in marketing so she sold a lot of my art for me. She actually had just sold a piece and was on her way to give me the money when she found out I was in the holding cell. She used every penny of that commission I was entitled to, to pay for the cell door, and our bail from the night before. She got half the profit for finding a buyer or someone that would give me a commission. The day after the scene at the station when me and Jerome were actually able to move around again I had just gotten out of my math class, Alison got out of her marketing class, and Jerome came to meet us.

            “So how much fun did you guys have the night before last?”

            I thought for a minute trying to remember what I could from that night. “Umm…”

            She started laughing “Do you even remember what you did that night?”

            “I remember!” Jerome called out as he threw his arms around the both of us.

            “You do?” we asked in unison.

            “Of course I do! It’s the same thing that happens every night we go out. We get shit faced and have too much fun!”

             Alison just shook her head as she said “I will never understand how people enjoy going out and getting so drunk they don’t remember what happened.”

            “It’s fun” was the only answer I could really think of

            “Yeah but what’s the point if you don’t even remember all your good times?”

            I didn’t have an answer to that but Jerome did.

            “Well if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to see it or hear it fall did it still fall?”

            Did I mention I hate philosophy?

            Alison answered with a confused “Yeah…”

            “Well then does logic not dictate that if two friends go out and have a kick ass time and neither of them remembers it that they still had that kick ass time?”

            Jerome’s only drawback was that not only was he a philosopher but he was a smart ass to boot. I figured I should shut him up before he actually got on my nerves so I just said “Shut up before I punch you Jerome”

            “Ah, the gorilla is getting annoyed” He jeered.

            He also likes to play with fire.

            “You’re just asking for a black eye” I said

            “Don’t take it so badly. Who’s to say that the gorilla is as a dumb brute as everyone seems to think?” He said starting to walk ahead of us.

            “Choose your next words carefully” Alison warned, but as usual Jerome ignored and went for the punch line.

            “The chimp that can out run him.” He said as he turned and ran

            “That’s it!” I said as I chased after him. He is one of two people alive that can poke fun at me like that and live to tell the tail. Mainly because he can out run me, but he isn’t just another wise ass on the street. He’s my wise ass.

            “I’ll meet you two at the party!” Alison called after us as we ran off.

     Brad and Catherine liked to throw parties, they threw good parties too. They always talked their dorm into getting a Keg, and reserving some rooms for people that wanted to get a room. Heck, they even put condoms on the pillows. But before I headed over I had to go talk to Mr. Kieraden about a new project I wanted to start.

            Last night had started to come back to me a bit. All I could really remember was staring at the fountain at the Shamrock bar and seeing every stream, of water as something different. The main one was booze, the second one was blood, the third was sex, and the fourth was music. I didn’t know if I wanted to paint it or draw it. I already had a name for it though, the fountain of youth, and yes that is a clever ploy on the old myth. So I went to ask Mr. Kieraden what he thought. He is my artistic role model and a fan of myths. First day I was in his class he walked in and set down a 5 pound cube of clay, picked up his tools and just set to work while we sat there and watched. Half an hour later he had a beautiful carving of a chimera and asked us how much we would honestly pay for it. The highest bid was three thousand dollars. A week later he brought it back fired, glazed, and painted and he asked us the same question. The highest bid this time was from a student’s parents. He took a picture on his smart phone and asked them the question and they offered ten grand. The next day they drove up and wrote him a check. Next class he put the check up on the overhead and said.

     “That’s what I am going to teach you”

     He has had everyone’s attention and respect from that moment on. Ever since that day I always ran my ideas by him if I was uncertain of something.

     I knocked on his door as I walked into his classroom.

    “Ah.” He said “Mr. Anderson, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

     “Just dropping by to ask for some advice.” I said

     “Does it happen to be about how to drive? Or was it about how to speak correctly? Because I have heard some interesting things about you and your friend Jerome a couple nights ago.” He said with a smile

I had to smile back as I said “Nah, I got that all covered”

     “Alright, I just don’t want to see you get yourself killed or locked up for real this time. Wouldn’t want to lose my most dedicated student now would I?”

     “I will try and before careful.”

     “For real this time?”

     “For real”

     “Alright, now what were you going to ask my advice on?”

     “I have a project in mind and I am not certain if I want to paint it or draw it or make it with photo shop.”

     “What’s the project?”

     “Well, a couple nights ago after I had a bit much I was staring at the fountain down at the Shamrock bar and I saw it, but it was different.”

     “In what way?” He asked curious

     “Well instead of water all the spigots had something else coming out. The main one on top had booze coming out. And the other three had blood, sex, and music coming out.”

He frowned “Interesting. Did you have a name for this piece?”

     “I do, and I think you will appreciate this one. I am gonna call it the fountain of youth.”

Mr. Kieraden giggled

     “I always appreciated your sense of humor. Well, I appreciate it when you get clever.”

     “You think it’s a good idea then?”

     “I think it is a fantastic idea.”

     “What median do you think I should do it in?”

     He sat and thought for a second and then said.

     “I think, you should go home and use the first tool you touch.”

            Wise people tended to piss me off too because they never gave you a straight answer. Mr. Kieraden was very wise. Wise enough not too look down on others which was another reason I respected him.

            “Ok. I’ll use gibberish then. Thanks again Mr. Kieraden” I said as I left

            “Your welcome Mr. Anderson”