Bcb - Bittersweet Candy Bowl

>Why is she so happy? Damn her for being so happy!

I'm starting to think Sandy actually is cheating on him.
I'm reminded of that bci where she's basically a terrible wife and mother and Mike almost gets with Lucy until he knocks them both up.

Suffer.
Suffer.
Suffer.

God I hope so, I hope this is an actual suffering chapter and not another 'you need to learn to let go' 'ok I will let go' chapter.

Someone said the way Sandy breaks down crying and talks about how nice is he is is a huge red flag that she's at least interested in someone else.

That's true, but remember the artist both thought ramming in two quota characters because of trends was a wise idea, and how the whole Paulo + Lucy thing got snuffed out in favor of him being into pseudo incest, and her being a bigger bitch than she ever was + rapist trainee being a dindu nuffin.
Something's not adding up here and no amount of retcons can explain it.

Or being molested.

>daisy is a fucking head over lucy now
Fucking stop

ONE

It has reached a point where it's impossible to surprise me regarding inconsistencies and off model.
But that still doesn't mean I'm not severely disappointed.

I obviously have no way of knowing how busy the life of a teenage model with a stage mom can be, but I feel like she'd be able to at least shoot him a "I can't talk but I'm reading your messages and thinking of you" text if she really cared about him.

>life is chaos, be kind
fuck you faggot

I saw a thread for this comic yesterday, why does this Mike guy always look so pathetic?

What has this guy done

because his girlfriend gets railed by dogs when he's not around
and he lets it happen

I think Sandy is ignoring him on purpose.
Either she's cheating and feels guilty, or she's just feeling put off because he's constantly blowing up her phone.

I have to wonder why she just stopped giving a shit about him after putting the effort into visiting him multiple times before. Maybe she's trying to work up the courage to tell him she's cheating on him. I honestly hope she doesn't just pop up eventually and go "Maishul I was just so busy uwu", with Mike eating it up.

He's spent most of his life trying to choose between dating his abusive childhood friend that everyone likes better than him and his other childhood friend that never has time for him and is starting to also seem abusive or at least neglectful. Now he's starting to think he chose the wrong girl. Romance aside he also thinks he's responsible for one of the two girls' suicide attempt, which he arguably is. He's stewing in a mix of guilt and resentment that doesn't seem to be simmering down anytime soon.

It's my tradition to ask newfags to read the comic from the beginning and storytime it in this thread starting from volume 2.

hold it user, Lucy's a head shorter because she's sitting down while Daisy is standing, as you can see in panel 3.

Daisy's always been taller than Lucy though.

What is even Mike feeling towards Lucy? Anger? Longing? Resentment?
I just don't get it

I'm leaning towards the guilty part. From their few interactions, it's clear she's under a ton of pressure bottles shit up.

not that fucking tall

all 3
he wants to hate fuck her and then kill her and then regret it

She's just as tall as Mike is smol in that one bedroom scene where objectively superior scruffy Polo sits on the bedside and thinks about how he could've been railing Lucy if it wasn't for Mike.

I actually have a different theory. I don't think she's cheating on him, but I think she will be a textbook abusive girlfriend. I think she and Mike will go on a date again soon and Lucy will get a front row seat to Sandy doing "Abusive Stuff" to Mike. This will make Lucy feel bad and try to help Mike or at the very least, not hate him completely.

I think that Mike/Lucy is endgame and Lucy will make up with Mike out of pity.

Mike is going to be caught attempting to kill himself with his scarf only for Lucy to walk in and 180 out

Pretty much all of the above. He's went through a rollercoaster of emotions with Lucy and hasn't properly dealt with any of it because who can he even talk to about it?
- Sandy? Even if she reply to any of his messages, it's fucking stupid to air your love/hate-boners for other girls with your current gf
- Paulo? As far as Mike knows, Paulo's 100% Team-Lucy and would call him a moron for even bringing the subject up.
- Daisy? Opposite problem She'd be supportive but Mike can't trust that she won't just say what he wants to hear because of her own bias for him.
- Abbey? Poster-boy for unchecked rage. Not one to give advice for dealing with your hang-ups.
- David? LOL NO
- Lucy Herself? Outright refuses to talk.
- Even Sue, who prides herself on thinking she's the most sensible one, has shown her bias for Lucy, so she's out, too.

So Mike has no choice but to just stew in it alone.

All that plus the need of self-pity.

It's clear that, while Lucy was abusive towards him, he is still using it as scapegoat to excuse his own insecurities about himself. Akin the like of "I'm dealing with a sad situation here. She should be feeling worse not better than me!"

Basically, he wants for someone to just pat him on the head and tell him "No no, it's not your fault." over and over so he doesn't have to confront his own issues. Just like almost everyone else in the cast tends to bottle their issues rather than confront them, never repairing anything until the bottle is full and spills out violently.

I have actually known people in real life like that, who used bullying to excuse everything they did, even when they did stuff wrong themselves. There's only so much you can be understanding and caring for them before you realize they just want to be told they did no wrong over and over rather than man up to some of their shortcomings.

I work hard on the odd drawing but never practice so it ends up being terrible. Working hard =/= producing good content by default.

>which he arguably is
It's nobody's fault but Lucy's. Mike even apologized for his actions and offered to reboot things between them right before hand and she decided killing herself was the best option.

If only Alec were here

He could talk to Paulo's dad
too which his dad would take a sip of his beer and say "who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my house"

I don't know if there's anything terribly abusive about their relationship. Toxic, yes, in that Mike worships Sandy and she seems to view him as more of a pet or a lovable distraction, but not straight up abusive.

They don't understand that you still need to put care and effort into it when working hard.
Otherwise you'd still be making shit, just lots of it.

Madison?
Matt?
I kid, I kid, one's a big gay older Mike meant for compensating for Carson, the other is Lucy and Abbey combined

A vapid apology doesn't excuse making her believe her worst nightmare is real, that he conveniently knows because she trusted him.
Not saying she's flawless, but Mike definitely done goofed there.

I thought she killed herself immediately after his verbal beatdown after she was finally getting over her obsession with him.

>Mike worships Sandy and she seems to view him as more of a pet or a lovable distraction

I agree, although I wouldn't think its as harsh as a pet. I feel its more that they see relationships differently: Mike is still in the fantasy that Sandy will be his One True Girl forever and they'll be married and live happily ever after, while Sandy just see it as a nice relationship that she knows eventually won't last. A simple highschool romance that can't really last long, specially when her job is pushing her to grow faster and busier.

Alec: 40% of all long distance relationships ends with a break-up and 70% of all failed long distance relationships fails due to unplanned changes, so you shouldn't get so hung-up on yourself when things like this happens, it's only natural--
Mike: Shut it, McCain!

>Not saying she's flawless, but Mike definitely done goofed there.

Basically. I know it tends to be just Sup Forums being Sup Forums, but just thinking one side is wrong and the other is right is childish, hence why it makes sense the cast itself thinks that is.

Both Mike and Lucy did the wrong things. The diferences is that Lucy decided to push it behind her and ignore it, while Mike refuses to let it go because he needs the validation that he did NOT goofed up, even thought deep down he knows he did.

Same with Paulo and Abbey: Both of them think the other is Wrong and they are Right and correct, but that's only because they refuse to confront their own flaws.

It's a good thing this comic thrives on pointless melodrama, else we might have characters acting in a mature fashion, thus turning it into a generic SoL story.

I think it's more that Mike sees everything as out of his control to an unfair degree. He does want positive attention and reinforcement, but he feels like the world is conspiring against him. His friends were all on Lucy's side from day one and refused to acknowledge his sour feelings toward her as legitimate. Lucy frustrates him to no end because of a whole host of reasons, the big one being how she'd used him for years and refused to take no for an answer. Still, he can't forget the good times they've had together and wants to make things right between them. But now she's apparently completely over him, which on one hand hurts his self-worth but on the other absolutely confirms what he'd said about her use-and-discard tendencies. Now it looks like the girl he'd worshiped as some sort of goddess has been doing the exact same thing to him for years, and that he can't catch a fucking break no matter what.

I'm so ready for sarcastic fuck-you Mike. Magically super-wise Lucy better not defuse that.

>A vapid apology
He seemed pretty sincere about it. Mike had been in his I-hate-Lucy mode pretty heavily up to that point, and it was him getting reminded of her positive traits that got him regretful about it. Granted, it's a stupid reason, and Mike can't seem to just put his foot down about her, but he was trying.

No, it was right after Sue's retarded play about prophesies and log cabins.

>The diferences is that Lucy decided to push it behind her and ignore it
I seriously doubt this is the case. More this is just Lucy's idiotic plan to push everyone else away while playing the martyr, and as usual she's taking out her frustrations on Mike. Just more distantly now.

>Sue's retarded play
Oh yeah, forgot about that.
What a shitty character.

Hey, having drama is all fine. But Taeshi clearly has stretched it way to thin when it stops feeling interesting and starts becoming retarded.

Is not like this is the first time we see any of the cast like this, won't be the last, and clearly they seem they barely progress. The idea of a boring SoL story actually SOUNDS more interesting now because how much the drama reached "stupid" territory.

Sorry, my post was intended to be sarcastic. I realize it didn't really come off as such.
I abhor the writing and plot contrivances in this comic, but I can't stop reading for some reason. I think I just want to see everyone get hit by a truck or something.

>The idea of a boring SoL story actually SOUNDS more interesting now because how much the drama reached "stupid" territory.
This, honestly. Just moving along the timeline, maybe doing little time skips here and there to see how the characters are doing at this or that point in their lives would actually yield some better stories than everyone being too fucking autistic to just communicate like normal human beings. Even most real life teenagers aren't this dense.

Never said "pushing it behind her and ignore it" is a good outcome either. Because she hasn't confronted it. As you said, she may be pushing everyone away on the idea that "its better that way for them" as her own way of escape her issues.

My point is that, her approach means she interact with stuff that reminds her of said issues; While Mike has them constantly being flung at his face.

Bottom line; They are both dealing with this poorly, but Lucy's approach at least leaves her in a more confined emotion wreck state than Mike.

Holy shit she havent replied yet?how long has it been since he sendt it?

>Wants her to never talk to him again
>Wants her to talk to him and forgive him
Make up your mind stupid cat

While I do agree, I think Lucy is at least handling it better. At least if this page is any indication.

Lucy's main trigger of emotional drama is Mika himself, so sure she is ignoring him and that ain't healthy either, but at least it lets her focus on Agustus or chat with the rest of her friends.

Mike however, has two triggers, Lucy and anything that remains him at the fact Sandy isn't talking to him.

This page clearly shows Mike is not currently sulking because of his regret on what he did and said to Lucy, but rather a resentment over Sandy not replying his calls.

Lucy isn't putting herself inf ront of Mike on purpose and act like she is ignoring him (or so at least looks like) while Mike really looks like he is unconciously looking at Lucy's way just to self-pity himself that Sandy ain't speaking with him.

>Hey, having drama is all fine. But Taeshi clearly has stretched it way to thin when it stops feeling interesting and starts becoming retarded.
Hit the nail on the head there 'bub

>He seemed pretty sincere about it. Mike had been in his I-hate-Lucy mode pretty heavily up to that point, and it was him getting reminded of her positive traits that got him regretful about it. Granted, it's a stupid reason, and Mike can't seem to just put his foot down about her, but he was trying.

Just like when Lucy genuinely tried to be nice to him, but ended up getting her previously mentioned worst fears thrown in her face as "thank you"?

True, but that final panel kind of makes me support what I said. If the last panel was just him with head on desk, then I'd think he feels like that, but the next panel he immediatly looks resentful, as if him feeling sad needs to be validated by someone.

I'm sure its all combined really. Feeling like life is conspiring against him PLUS that he feels someone should tell him its not his fault but he is not getting it.

>Sandy hears about Lucy's suicide attempt
>Decides this is the perfect opportunity to see about the source of her boyfriend's troubles
>Falls in love immediately
>Sandy helps Lucy during her recovery and Lucy also falls in love
>Have to keep is a secret as they don't want to drive Mike over the edge
>Sandy isn't answering his calls because she's busy sexting Lucy
>Lucy's chill because she's getting her sexual frustrations out

>What a shitty character.

I don't know if I'd even call it a distraction. The few times we've seen Sandy and Mike together she seemed to genuinely care for him and love him to a degree. However, it's very clear that there's big differences between what each is needing and wanting from the relationship. Sandy called him out on childish behaviors in the past when he was trying to get her to race him and when she saw him playing videogames. I don't think it's her intention to be controlling but it seems like she may be beginning to realize she wants someone more mature.

Mike, on the other hand, is willing to change everything about himself to please her even if she doesn't specifically ask him to. He's definitely caught up in his fantasy world and is starting to show his dependency on Sandy to be there every moment he needs her. Just like how Lucy was with Mike.

However, Mike has little to no understanding to Sandy's world and we don't see her ever releasing her bottled thoughts on him like he's been trying with her. I'm expecting Sandy to have an emotional breakdown and go off on him out of frustration which would give him a taste of his own medicine.

You know what you did!

>ust like when Lucy genuinely tried to be nice to him, but ended up getting her previously mentioned worst fears thrown in her face as "thank you"?
Is this supposed to be a counter-argument of some sort? Yeah, he obviously realized he'd gone overboard and has been trying to correct for it ever since. One issue is his feelings on the matter keep flip flopping, but they've been doing that since nearly day one. It's been shown over and over again how Lucy frustrates the hell out of him and yet he keeps giving her chances to do so.

Yeah, you said it better than I did. There's no malice or resentment and Sandy does really love for him. But her diferent stance in the world probably makes her see that what she has with Mike is indeed just a highschool-style romance and not something more wholesome. Soothing but not lasting.

Meanwhile, Mike has put his relationship with her as sacred and in a pedestal, but now is dealing with the fact said pedestal has big cracks.

>Feeling like life is conspiring against him PLUS that he feels someone should tell him its not his fault but he is not getting it.
I believe that falls under my assertion that he does want some positive attention/reinforcement.

I wonder if there's also a bit of resentment hidden on what he said to her that time too.

If I remember back, didn't he basically told her that in the end "all of their friends would eventually just stand by him over her?"

Yet here she's back, and everyone seems more to talk with her, while his self-pity over Sandy is going completely ignored.

Basically a reversal of what he lashed out on her; In the end, he is the weakest link and now its hitting him hard now that his only strong link (Sandy) is ignoring him.

My bad, I assumed you were removing some of that self-validation seeking.

We've known since the drunk party chapter that Mike knows everyone would take Lucy's side over his, because that's been the pattern since forever. Seeing it in action only confirms his belief, and that he'll get no emotional support whatsoever. Partly this is because he's long expected none from the group and put all his emotional eggs in Sandy's basket. In a way, he's isolated himself as much as Lucy, just isn't as autistic during social interactions.

Captain Mike you have the authority to execute her without a trial. Why don't you just kill her the crew can't do shit about it.

Is Lucy literally autistic? Simle you fucking bitch, no one irl want to be friends with a grumpy faggot unless they're one of those desperate cucks

Let's see...He texted her after Lucy told him to fuck off which I think was a Friday. That means Daisy's party was Saturday and now they're back at school so it has to be at least Monday.

So 2 or 3 days with no response from Sandy.

>Sue
>forgot about that.

She made it clear early on that she had no interest in being friends with any of the old crew after coming back. It's not really her fault they can't stop obsessing over her.
Well I mean it kind of is, since she tried to off herself, but they're almost as bad.

...

>She made it clear early on
Lucy has done nothing of the sort. If she had, maybe they'd actually give her some space. So far, all she's been employing her idiotic version of "letting them down gently," which apparently involves stringing Paulo along on a day-long date and only directly confronting Mike once he started stalking her.

She told Mike that he had nothing to worry about, when he was concerned about sitting alone at the lunch table, because she had no interest in going back to their group of friends.
Unfortunately these characters are badly written and just don't know when to leave well enough alone.

Okay, so that's one out of the rest of the group. How absolutely transparent of her.

She's probably banking on her hanging out with Augustus making everyone want nothing to do with her. It seems to have had an effect on Paulo at least, judging by the spoiler pages, so she's not entirely misguided. It's very underhanded, though, especially when these people obviously really care about her.

I keep thinking that Lucy is just dead inside, has been since the REEEEE incident and never recovered.

She did try avoiding them, by going to lunch with Augustus.
Obviously it would be better if she said "I just need some time away from the group, could you just not bother me for a while."
But that would take away the drama from this shitfest.

>She did try avoiding them
That's really no different than how she usually acts, in that she's just returned and acting a bit more distant than usual. They all know she's autistic and standoffish as fuck so the message isn't coming through at all.

She did also tell them that she wanted to be alone when she came back and did turn down Daisy's party and has been walking home alone or with Augustus.

So she has been trying. They still flock to her though.

The writing and plot plus everything else went to shit shortly after Lucy left.
Even why she left and why she returned is janky.
Rest now feels like it's made up as it comes, with the exception of the new and shit pairings.

Yes, which is why I included in the rest of my post that it's just a matter of bad writing.

Seeing maishul suffer brings me joy and that scares me. You got sandy scarf boy just like you wanted.

NOTHING WRONG WITH ME

That basically happens in Disaster Dominoes

No one post it.

>isolated from friends
>his gf won't interact with him
>steadily losing patience

watch, he's gonna try to kill himself the same way lucy did.

So why doesn't Mike move the fuck on?

I defy you, user.

A combination of guilt for what he said, anger at her refusing to properly acknowledge him, frustration from not getting to talk to his girlfriend and most importantly being written by a hack.

>isolated from friends
He literally was at daisy's party a day or two ago with them.
This is the guy that got mad at lucy for talking casually to augusts and paulo even after he told her to fuck off

God I love that one

hopeful chapter predictions...

Sue doesn't wear panties though.

Calm down with the suffer boner

David rapes everyone with his monster dong so they have something legitimate to whine about.

Mike's friends suck ass...

sure but he doesnt really interact with them. at the very least there's 0% chance he's actually gonna talk to any of them.

Why is everyone all up on Lucy's like she's the best when she's never really been a good friend to any of them? I remember someone posting a pic here of all the times she's abused her friends.

They don't know how to handle her suicide attempt.

Is that a female Carter in the 5th panel there?

I can see them being shocked. But constantly oozing with cheer over someone who has never treated them as a friend is retarded.

Sue wants to protect her, Paulo spent so long thinking she was hot that he developed feelings for her, and I can't think of anything for the rest. Daisy actually disliked Lucy for a long time because she was competition for Mike, but she just grumbled about it to other people instead of fighting Lucy. Those feelings probably died out as it became clearer that Mike was on team Sandy 100%, but I could see Daisy joining team Mike again.

I don't think they know she tried to kill herself. A few might remember what Mike said at the party, but I'm not sure if he mentioned her suicide attempt or how many people even remember what he did say.

Lucy is basically Helga Pataki but without the redeeming qualities and minus the stalking.