Bittersweet Candy Bowl

123. Third Wheel, page posted 3/17/25

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Author commentary

Veronica: FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSTOPPPPPP

Comments from Patreon

Comment ID #27067

im crying in the club rn 😭 wtf abbey thats so sweet 😭😭😭😭

Airy Frith

Comment ID #27068

I seriously dont trust him at all. He accuses paulo of being a completely different person around daisy but he does the same thing. Like weren’t you just talking mad crap about him at mike’s house? He is starting to give me whiplash 😖

Brittany ann

Comment ID #27069

That was a flashback chapter, it takes place before Lucy came back.

EzekielWonders

Comment ID #27070

Ooooh ok that makes so much more sense!!

Brittany ann

Comment ID #27071

Genuinely one of the sweetest things he’s done, good job, Abbey.

EzekielWonders

Comment ID #27072

Abby ;_; Pleeeease take this with grace, Paulo. Give him a chance to be kind!!! Everyone gave YOU a chance!!

Indigo

Comment ID #27073

Ooooh I’m really freaking out….!!

Joselyn Rivera

Comment ID #27074

I’m interested to see how Paulo takes this, because on the one hand I feel like he’d appreciate the thought and give it a try.

On the other, I could see him getting embarrassed or put off a little by Abbey trying to help and bringing up his issues in public like that, or perhaps that he said she “failed” him. Paulo does seem to love his mother still, and is just sad she abandoned him so readily, so I could maybe see him taking offense to that phrasing. Personally leaning toward a more appreciative route, but I guess we’ll see where it goes on Monday.

scorchM1262

Comment ID #27075

I would hope that Paulo’s awareness that he should be a better person to Abbey means he’d be able to hold back any sort of snap back. maybe talk it out if he’s truly bothered by it

but also it’s Paulo so the most likely thing is he’s going to start crying

SomeColourMage

Comment ID #27076

I LOVE ABBEY

Elisa

Comment ID #27077

Okay yes Abbey is being really cool here…IF he was doing this in private. If my memory serves (and I checked the archives real fast), Daisy doesn’t know about Paulo’s mom situation. They JUST started going out, secretly at that, and Abbey’s dropping this bomb right in front of her.

I’m hoping this transitions into further bonding and smooth sailing but knowing these cats…who knows.

Ashura Atsu

Comment ID #27078

depends on what you mean by the situation. Daisy knows that Paulo’s mom isn’t present in his life and has since elementary school. what hasn’t happened is that he’s never vented to her about it before, only to Abbey and Mike

SomeColourMage

Comment ID #27079

Like- this is gonna make it SO much harder for daisy and Paulo to come out to Abbey as a couple now and 😭😭😭 Abbey is being so kind but he may loose it if he finds out now :-: nooooo

Sky TheTiny'mhytee

Comment ID #27080

I don’t really think so. Abbey seems like he is growing past his jealousy and hatred and is actively trying to be friends with Paulo. Especially after hanging out with Jasmine and every interaction with Paulo NOT being some sort of fight; I can imagine Abbey being totally like “Okay; I can see why Daisy fell for him.”

Meowtcha

Comment ID #27081

🥹 Literally that is so thoughtful Abbey

Tylily

Comment ID #27082

oh my god what

Abbey holy shit

SomeColourMage

Comment ID #27083

I love you Abbey my beautiful boy..

Apri

Comment ID #27084

Abbey, you sweetheart

nalem

Comment ID #27085

im gonna cry omg

CrunchySaturns

Comment ID #27086

OMG T^T

theoktony

Comment ID #27087

It’s a great day to be an Abbey fan!!!! Nearly ten years since the scene in Guest of Honor and we’re finally winning!!!!!!!!

Laserlime

Comment ID #27088

The book is Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford.

SCD

Comment ID #27089

Seriously I love this. Issues others have noticed with potentially poor phrasing and timing aside, Abbey’s reasserted the personality he had back in freshman year.

See, while still being his bully-hunting self, his interactions with Tess demonstrated something he lost when he started focusing on Paulo. As much as he hated bullies, he believed in compassion for those that were seeking to get out of that life, refusing to accept revenge as a consequence of even the worst behaviour of someone who was truly contrite. It’s a trait that he lost as his feud with Paulo kept going, after all while Paulo was growing as a person, discarding parts of the façade he’d made to protect himself from his own past trauma, none of that growth ever got demonstrated to Abbey, so why would he believe that he’d changed?

Until it did. Paulo broke down entirely, shared his trauma, sincerely apologised for his actions, and while Abbey had already started doubting himself, it was finally shown to him that this wasn’t the boy he thought he was. And while he might not have all the answers for a problem like this, he might have some way to help Paulo become a better person, so he’s going to try it. The compassion is back.

In the end, Paulo and Abbey aren’t that different. They both needed to be shown the harsh personalities they’d adopted were not who they are, and embrace the nicer people within.

SomeColourMage