All for art

August 1990.

Billy's time: the path of a normal life, always closely intertwined with the artist's life.

The basic accent and gesture classes are progressive, ranging from memorizing different words not commonly used by Americans, to pinpointing the most relevant aspects of speech. It's about recognizing accents and distinguishing speech patterns from other regions or countries.

That's why his school week starts on Saturday morning. He has to extend his days as much as possible, and the outcomes depend on how well his activities progress.

"Have a good day at school," Thomas Carson said from the car. It was a sleek 1989 BMW Coupe Series 3, a rich blue color with nice contours. He recently acquired it, leaving behind his previous car model.

The young people passing by certainly cast envious glances at Mr. Carson's car.

The small comics business he had initially set up in his remodeled garage was left behind when they acquired the large plot of land in North San Jose. Now, they had three cars: a classic 1970s model, a blue and gray Ford Mustang, and an everyday van used for transporting materials and supplies.

Today's schedule included advanced math in the morning, advanced Spanish, geography, political science, and physical education. It was a schedule any student would envy. Among the first details to communicate were the minor ones.

-Father, I'll be out a bit later today due to extra basketball practice, - Billy said.

-How much later? - Thomas asked.

-Until 4:00 in the afternoon, - Billy replied.

Thomas checked his wallet and took out three ten-dollar bills.

-Take this for lunch. Have a good meal and catch a taxi home when you're done, - Mr. Carson casually suggested.

Since the business started flourishing, those 50 dollars turned into pocket money for the Carsons. Billy had $20 in his pockets, set aside to buy lunch that cost $4.99. Now, it seems he has $30 more.

-That's what I'll do, Dad. Although I'll be at the company. I need to finish detailing the 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' comics, - Billy said.

-I'll tell Anne to give you a ride home, son, - Mr. Carson said.

-Thanks, Dad! See you in the evening, - Billy exclaimed.

He rushed to his first period of school, the 0th hour, from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM, and then from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM.

-As usual, he found the entire senior class. They were almost two groups of 20 people, all mixed. Senior-year trigonometry, nothing I like more, - Billy thought.

Classes can be somewhat refreshing when you focus and shed the weight off your shoulders. It was a chance to refresh his knowledge. Among the subjects he struggled with were math, history, and natural sciences. The day breezed by, and lunchtime arrived quickly.

He bought the generic lunch from the cafeteria and a Coca-Cola from the vending machine. Nowadays, the Coca-Cola Company is a massive business that sells all kinds of beverages, but in 15 years, it's likely the company will have doubled its current size. He sipped to quench his thirst. California doesn't experience chilly winters, but the heat tends to be relentless.

-You should pay more attention to your surroundings, Billy. I reviewed your essay, and it's fine. We'll present it on Thursday, - Alice said, proudly wearing her cheerleader uniform today.

-Great, see you on Thursday, - Billy replied.

Taking a sip of his Coca-Cola.

-Here's the cold guy again, forgetting my presence, denying me the pleasure of a good conversation. I saw your dad's car today. It's nice. My brother asked for one for Christmas, but our parents denied him, - Alice said.

-I don't know the price of the car. I hope he got one that suits him. I'm going to buy something from the cafeteria. Do you want something to eat? - Billy asked.

-I'm full, lunch was good. But... let's go, - Alice replied.

-Let´s go. – said Billy.

-Let's get something to eat,- Alice charmed her way into standing up, her almost poetic charm now making sense as to why half of the school was obsessed with this blonde.

-What's up, boss? - Walter, the cook with connections to his cousins at T-box Burger, greeted them.

-Alright, Walter, I'll take two chicken sandwiches and two chocolate bars, - Billy said.

-Ah, and a bottled water, - he added.

-Sure thing, sir. It's all set, but sir, do order the beef ones. They're fresh, I made them myself this morning, - Walter whispered secretly, only heard by Billy and Alice.

-Make it two beef ones then,- Billy amended.

-Alright, sir, that'll be $8.35, - Walter said with a smile, his clean, white teeth gleaming.

-Keep the change, Walter, - Billy said, handing over a $10 bill.

-I'm not allowed to take tips, young sir, but thank you, - Walter replied.

-Fair enough,- Billy said, taking his change and handing a chocolate bar to Alice, who silently examined the exchange.

-Thanks for the chocolate, although I doubt I can handle such a big bar, - Alice said.

-Whatever, -Billy replied, digging into his food. He knew he'd have to hit the gym soon, although that would consume a lot of time he didn't have right now. For the moment, school was enough.

-You're a jerk. See you in class, and try to say hi at least. It wouldn't hurt to be more friendly with others, - Alice scolded, walking off briskly to someplace in the school.

Walter was right; the sandwich was indeed fresh, the meat still juicy. The interactions between cousins and siblings were pretty much the same. The next classes of the day were geography and political science, long educational sessions about everything one should know about the United States, and global political concepts.

On the other hand, physical education with the basketball team was a lengthy and exhausting session of physical exercises, followed by gym time. Should he use the school facilities more often?

A 15-minute jog, some cardio activities, and ball handling were on the agenda. He didn't participate actively in the scrimmage. Covering his physical education requirements by assisting with the volleyball, basketball, and dance clubs was the smartest way to graduate.

"Our next friendly match is in a week. Make sure to bring a change of clothes. It'll be at Central San Jose High School. You can all head home to rest," the basketball coach announced.

Billy stayed behind to have his physical education completion form signed.

"Give me a moment, young man. I don't have anything to write with," the teacher replied to Billy's request.

"Don't worry, teacher. I've got one right here," Billy said.

"Ah, you spare me the trouble," the teacher responded. "See you next week."

A long day, but the exercise cleared his mind. He felt renewed, with more energy. He now understood the small pleasures of life. He felt he had enough energy to finish the first five volumes of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Now he could create some intriguing subplots for Neon Genesis Evangelion. Spin-offs were a smart way to expand an IP.

To sum up, Billy's day at the art academy, explain some system details and showcase the new series that might hit the screens in winter.

...

patreon.com/vin_modeus12

this is another chapter of this series, I have other stories in development that I write when this story doesn't flow so much, I don't know when I will publish them, but, they are being written.

I hope everyone is well, happy beginning of the week.