Art and Sold
By: Mark J. Hadley
* * *
CHAPTER 2
"So, what are you going to do with all that money?" Blossom asked.
The Powerpuff Girls were in the backseat of the car, heading for home. Bubbles sat between the other two, still staring at the check in shock. "I don't know…" she said. "There really isn't…I can't think of…I mean…"
"Well, c'mon, you know you're gonna hafta buy somethin' with it," Buttercup told her. "You've got ten thousand dollars there! You can buy almost anything…you gotta live a little, ya know? Buy all the stuff that you've wanted, but couldn't get before…"
Blossom shook her head, "No, she shouldn’t spend all of it. She should put some of it away for safekeeping, right, Professor?"
From the front seat, the professor replied, "That's right. It's good preparation for the future. Why, ten thousand dollars would be almost enough for a whole year of college…"
"College later," Buttercup demanded, "Toys and stuff now!"
Bubbles thought about it for a few moments, and her expression brightened, "You know, you're right…both of you. I'll keep some of it and spend some of it. Is that all right?"
"Of course, sweetie," the professor nodded. "It's your money, after all…you earned it." Buttercup smirked and thought, Yeah, earned it by scribbling with crayons for one minute…
The car pulled up towards their house…as they did, the professor jammed on the brakes, screeching the car to a halt. A huge crowd of people were in their driveway and on their lawn, looking like they were waiting for them to arrive. "What the…?" the professor exclaimed.
"Who are all these people?" Blossom asked, peering out the window.
Without a place to park on the driveway, the professor parked the car out by the curb instead. The crowd of people waited excitedly as Buttercup got out first, grinning a little, "I dunno what we did…but I like the attention." Blossom got out from the car behind her and nodded in agreement.
When Bubbles came out, though, the crowd cheered and ran forward, passing right by both Buttercup and Blossom to surround her. Everyone was talking at once…
"Powerpuff Girl Bubbles! It's it true that you…"
"Bubbles! Are you going to make any more…"
"I have a request from an influential…"
"Hey, Bubbles! I must have your next…"
Bubbles took a deep breath and shouted, "Everyone, QUIET!" The crowd settled down, and Bubbles continued in a normal volume again, "What's going on?"
One man in the front said, "Bubbles, we just learned that the great Arthur Rooles purchased one of your artworks! The community just wants to know: how do you feel about this, and do you plan on making any more?"
Bubbles was a little overwhelmed by the attention, but decided to make the most of it. She said, "Well, I feel pretty good about it, I guess…and yes, I draw all the time, why?"
"We'd like to feature your works at our museum of modern art," he said. "We'll gladly pay you for them, of course."
At this, Bubbles began to think, Wait a minute…so, the more drawings I make, the more money I make too? She suddenly realized the potential of this whole art thing, and smiled. With a little bit of a flourish, she took out her crayons and a piece of paper and sat down right on the sidewalk to draw. Everyone crowed around her to see better.
Everyone but Blossom and Buttercup, that is. They glanced at each other, and then up at the Professor. He looked concerned and said, "I don't know about all this. It's great that there are people that want to buy Bubbles' drawings, but I'm worried that it might not be the right thing for her…"
Blossom shrugged, "So she's becoming a famous artist. What harm can it do? She's still the same old Bubbles, after all. She'd never let fame and fortune go to her head, you'll see."
At that moment, Bubbles stood up from the ground, holding up the drawing she had just completed, a picture of a car parked in front of a house. "My next masterpiece!" she called out, "Who wants to buy it?" Instantly, people started calling out 'bids' on it: two thousand, three thousand, thirty-five hundred, and so on.
Buttercup watched this and remarked, "I hope you're right, Blossom…"
* * *
After the crowd finally dispersed outside, Bubbles flew upstairs to join her sisters in their room. Both of them looked over as she entered, and Buttercup said, "It's about time…you were out there for a few hours!"
"Yeah, and look!" she exclaimed. She flew over to the bed and set down a stack of papers she was holding. They were a bunch of checks; none of them were more than the one Mr. Rooles had given her, but they obviously totaled up a lot higher than ten thousand dollars.
"Whoa…" Blossom said, counting it up. "You've got almost…almost forty thousand dollars here!"
Bubbles was hopping up and down and babbling excitedly, "I know! Isn't it great, isn't it great?! I can buy anything I want now an' that's not all 'cause the guys said they'd be back for more an' that means I can keep drawing more pictures an' sell them for more money an'…"
"Settle down, settle down!" Blossom said. "Look, you have enough to put away for several years of college now…and if you put it in the bank, by the time you're older, you'll have even more, so I think you should just…"
"But I can buy anything I want with this!" Bubbles interrupted.
Buttercup nodded, "That's the spirit, Bubbles!" She looked over at Blossom at added, "Ya see? There's nothin' wrong with spending some of it! She's got plenty!"
Before Blossom could protest, the professor walked in the door, and Blossom said, "Professor, maybe you can talk some sense into Bubbles…"
"She sold more of her drawings out there," the professor said, "and for quite a large sum of money as well. I agree with Blossom…you should really put that money in the bank, Bubbles. You can spend a little of it, but I recommend saving it. That's the best thing to do."
"Baloney!" Buttercup said, waving her arms. "C'mon, Bubbles…isn't there anything you really want?"
"Wellll…" Bubbles said, smiling slowly, "…I've always…wanted a pony…"
The professor shook his head, "Absolutely not. You're too young to take care of a pony. It's a lot of responsibility…it's not just a toy that you can play with and toss aside in to the closet, you know. Plus, we'd need a fence to keep it in and…"
Before he finished, Bubbles had dug out one of the checks she received and held it out, "How 'bout if I pay you two thousand dollars? Will you let me then?"
The other girls stared at her. The professor was a little taken off-guard, and stammered, "Well…I…uh…"
"Or," Bubbles suggested, "I could just go out with this and buy you those golf clubs you always wanted…" She smiled knowingly.
"W--…okay!" he said, his expression brightening. Bubbles giggled, and thought, That was easy! I think I'm going to like being a famous artist! Just think…my very own pony…hey, I'll draw a picture of that! And sell it later on!
She sat down immediately and began drawing the pony with her crayons. The professor left the room in a hurry to call the mayor and meet him for a game of golf later on, but both Blossom and Buttercup just stood there. They glanced at each other again, and they were both thinking the same thing: maybe all this fame and fortune was going to her head…
TO BE CONTINUED…