Animate Me Read Online Free Page B

comes over me. I arc over the sink, and when I finally rise up I catch my reflection. Underneath the dripping water and pale complexion, there is a look of fierce determination. It’s all clear to me in that moment. Screw Arnauld, and everyone at Sketch Republic who doubts me.
    I will win Brooke Tobin’s heart, if it’s the last thing I do.

Animate Me / Chapter Three / Buttering Her Up
    “
Ah, my little darling, it is love at first sight, is it not, no?”
~Pepe le Pew
ii
    I t’s past ten p.m. when I erase the stray lines from my finished drawing and hold it up for closer inspection.
This is the best cover yet,
I think proudly as I date the bottom. Even though I’ve been self-publishing my own comic book on the side for over a year, each new issue of
The Adventures of B-Girl in Wildsville
feels like my first.
    There are times I have almost given up on the project. The time and money I’ve spent are ridiculous. I keep doing it because these are
my
characters created with
my
vision, and I don’t have to compromise a thing for anyone. My co-workers and friends at Sketch Republic know about it, and many buy and read them. They may not say it, but I think they admire that I have the focus and energy to do this after working so hard at the studio.
    My inspiration for this issue’s cover was the movie
Doctor Strangelove,
so B-Girl is straddling a large rocket about to shoot into space. Yeah, it’s very
ride ‘em cowgirl,
but she looks really hot which is how I like to see her…and incidentally won’t hurt sales either. My friend Billie, who works at my favorite comic book store, says that girls like sexy heroines too. She keeps track and says my books sell almost equally to girls as guys. I love that.
    Before turning off the lights in my home studio, I open my online calendar to capture today’s most noteworthy events. I write one entry:
Took B coffee and discussed chivalry school
. On Saturday there was only one entry too:
Talked to Brooke at Jimmy’s Geek World
. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…Brooke was the only thing that mattered. The best part of all is that she’s even more wonderful than I had imagined during all this time I’ve admired her from afar. She’s kind and approachable, creative and fun, a cartoon expert…hell, she’s my dream girl…and to top it off, she’s beautiful and sexy too.
    I’m getting worked up just thinking about her. Within less than a week she has become the brightest star in my universe. It already feels like I’m orbiting around her.
    Brushing my teeth, Brooke’s favorite pearly whites, I prepare to slide into bed, my iPod fully loaded with my latest self-improvement download from the master, Dr. Wayne Dyer. I adjust my ear buds as I turn on the recording from my motivational guru. Wayne’s encouraging words always help me focus on the bigger picture. What do I dream of? What do I really want?
    I’ve got an extremely vivid imagination. So as I lie in bed, I’m completely living in the scenes I’m creating in my head, and Brooke quickly becomes the star of tonight’s show.
    Thoughts are things my friends. Never underestimate the power of your mind. The first step in achieving your life’s goals is to visualize yourself already doing the things you dream of.
    Okay then, I’m
visualizing
doing the things I dream of with Brooke and a lot of those things aren’t rated PG. What’s key is that in every scenario she gazes at me with adoration, as if she cares about me the way I care about her.
    As Wayne chants away in my ears, I have to wonder if I’m weird for wanting her to not just want to be with me physically, but to love me too? As unlikely as this idea is, I’m not going to stop wanting it all…every part of Brooke, her heart most of all.
    When I roll over to turn on my alarm, I decide that I’m going to continue to listen to Wayne and apply his positive thinking techniques while picturing Brooke in my arms. I fall asleep imagining that I’m spooning her instead