Bittersweet Candy Bowl

12. Off to the Movies, original chapter posted 6/27/06

Page 5 of 6

Transcript

*Paulo waves his arms around, yelling.*
Paulo: Alright, alright! I’ll tell you!!

[Caption: Flashback]
Paulo (narrating): It was a long time ago, before I ever moved to Roseville…
*A young Paulo walks alone.*
Paulo: ♪

Paulo: YAY!!
Paulo (narrating): I went to a city park to play..
Paulo: WHOO!

*Paulo trips.*
Paulo: Oof!

*Paulo looks up at some shadowy figures.*
Paulo: ?
Paulo (narrating): Then I saw them. Four high-school bullies.

*Paulo crawls back away fearfully.*
Paulo (narrating): I don’t even remember WHAT the hell I did, step on a foot or something?

[Caption: Present]
*Paulo looks sad.*
Paulo: They barked me right out of the park..
*Daisy holds her hand to her mouth.*
Daisy: Aww..

*Paulo looks pensive.*
Paulo: I dunno, man.. Any time I hear a bark it really REALLY freaks me out. I hate it, but those bullies did a number on me.

*David, Mike and Lucy make silly faces and pretend to bark.*
David: Arf.
Mike: Woof.
Lucy: Ruff.

*Daisy glares at them.*

*Daisy holds her hands to her hips and yells.*
Daisy: Guys, don’t be jerks!! This is serious for him!
*Paulo rubs the back of his head, embarrassed.*

*Mike smiles.*
Mike: To tell you the truth, I never knew Paulo had a softer side.
*Lucy looks off to the side.*
Lucy: Hmm

*Paulo waves his arms again.*
Paulo: HEY!! This doesn’t change anything, okay?!

Mike: Well, I wouldn’t say that..
*Paulo pauses.*
Paulo: ?

*Daisy smiles, clutching her hands together as sparkles surround her.*
Daisy: If anything, opening up to us about something so scary proves just how strong you are!

Paulo: You.. like that?
Daisy: Of course. I admire it!

*Paulo cocks his head, grinning.*
Paulo: Umm, you know, I really did jump a little when that ghost appeared..
Daisy: Really!
Paulo: Made me wanna cry.
Daisy: Oh! So cool!

*David, Mike and Lucy stare blankly.*
Paulo: Almost as badly as when that wasp stung me! Li’l Paulo had nightmares for a week!
Daisy: Eeee! Wow! Wow!
David: Buzz
Mike: Wow.

Author commentary

Veronica: My original plan for this page was to foreshadow these bullies as characters who appear later in the comic and affect the main character’s lives considerably.

It has since been rewritten to some jerkass bullies who never see Paulo again because Paulo lived in the city as a kid! They just happened to scar him for life!

The world is not full of constant coincidences, and I think at the time I was trying super hard to intertwine story elements. I find that embarrassing in retrospect. Imagine having some bullies be so hyperfixated on a five-year-old child enough to remember him later! Very silly!

Reader comments

Comment ID #17916

Hooray for weird phobias! I have one, where I CAN’T STAND the sound of screechy styrofoam! IT DRIVES ME NUTS! Seriously, i really can’t stand that stuff.

Planeswalker May 7, 2010, 9:53 PM EDT.