COMPLACENCY.

It has happened to me more than once than when I'm most down and out an unexpected visitor comes along and tells me exactly what I need to hear, not what I wanna hear, at least that was what Demian made me realize. He arrived a tad early as as usual hooked to his MP3 like a leech; he also happened to be a big Droogie fan by the way thus it became easier to befriend and to control.

He was 21 and a sophomore from my own college and had high hopes to become like me someday...or something like that. Every other he came to my studio to make errands and minor things I don´t do anymore such as preparing and priming canvases, that earned some credits. Also I understood he was very chatty and indiscreet.

"You know what? I think she's just obsessed with you..."

"Thank you very much but isn't everybody else?" I said.

"Of course, but I mean it's just that because she wants to have you but she knows she can't...hence the name White Rabbit; everybody wants to follow you yet they can never catch you..."

"That's not what I want."

"Oh, come on! You wanna go steady with her or what?"

I grew puzzled. "What makes you think I´m not?"

"A live-in girlfriend is not going steady, at least not in my book. Technically she´s not a wife but she behaves like one, but you don´t believe in that crap, right?"

"Not yet, so what if I never marry?"

"Well,  that´s your problem but she seems to be like the type of girl who wants to..."

That last commentary seemed more than obvious, and I did have a conversation with her about that last year. I remained silent while I was doing some measurements on a piece of cotton fabric.

"I guess that´s the big difference; I can´t help being popular, I wasn´t even this popular in high school. That girl is a total mystery sometimes. Look at me, I´m pretending not to care about this and now you got me taking ´bout her again."

"Oh, sorry, dude, you did seem down today and now that I know why I´ll skip the subject..."

"Yeah, I would love that," I continued.

"So is true you have painted with blood? I was just asking..."

"Yeah, but it was just an experiment, The Rabbit Of The Infinite Strength has it. I accidentally cut my hand with a small knife so I just drew around it. The blood turns sort of maroon eventually hardens because it´s exposed the oxygen so I came with a quick sealant and some lacquer. It was on the eyes, by the way. Anyway since the effect it gives is similar to watercolor I finished the rest of the body with it with the same brushes and there you go. Some random girls owns it now."

"Could you that technique more often?" asked Damien with glowing eyes.

I smirked, "Nah, I couldn´t do that, I´m already too controversial if I did that they´d think I self-mutilate every now and then."

"Have you? You can tell me..."

"No! I don´t need any more goddamn rumors, the next thing you know I would probably be attracting serial killers S&M lovers, perverts, who knows..."

"R-ight."

"But there´s still something about them that attracts people anyway, it´s like the secret recipe, and that my friend I will take to the grave."

"Boy, you sure feel comfortable talking about creepy stuff, you´re not into black magic?"

I laughed and felt much better, "In fact I´ll do it if you don´t stop talking! That´s what happened to the last guy who wouldn´t cooperate with me; I turned him into a rabbit and is named Scraps."

I made him laugh too, "S-sure..."

"I´m just fucking with you, come on, I wanna show you something I´ve been working on..."

(continued)...