Bittersweet Candy Bowl

124. Second String, page posted 4/30/25

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Author commentary

Veronica: Back on the grind.

Comments from Patreon

Comment ID #27887

Mike is DONE with their shit lol

EzekielWonders

Comment ID #27888

yeah boy, winning over the ladies with your mopping skills

SomeColourMage

Comment ID #27889

Gossip over time for run

Fiver

Comment ID #27890

Mike Nyoom time

Kiall Vun Myeret

Comment ID #27891

“…It actually made him better! It’s like he really wanted to impress her!”

I get the sneaking suspicion that Mike’s current attitude swing all boils down to this line right here. He wants to be happy for his friends, and is doing his best to remind people of the boundaries they set, but at the same time… he’s actively being confronted by what a healthy relationship looks like, and is likely internally comparing their relationship to his with Sandy. Paulo and Daisy have been helping eachother and making eachother better people even before they officially started their relationship. But Mike? Ever since he’s been involved with Sandy, he’s actively gotten worse, and I think he’s finally starting to internalize that to a certain extent. Mike has a bad habit of bottling this kind of stuff up to try and keep people around him happy until it explodes, so here’s hoping he actually finds some way to vent and work through things before he REALLY burns bridges with the few friends he has left over this.

Alec

Comment ID #27892

This is solid analysis, I hadn’t thought of it like this though I did get the feeling Mike’s frustration here definitely seemed to be coming from a weird jealous spot where he’s ‘losing’ at something. I wasn’t sure what it was exactly though and wondered if, along with James no longer putting him on an athletic (and romantic) pedestal, and things with Lucy being as they are he was feeling some kind of weird way about Paulo and Daisy because let’s face it that’s another two people who were kind of hung up on him that are moving onto something else. Mike who used to be the most desired guy in school by a Lot is now…kind of not the hottest ticket anymore. Which could be complicated if that validation kinda meant something to him actually.

mobsterseeker

Comment ID #27893

Oh I hadn’t even considered the thought of him no longer being the center of attention but you’re totally right! I know he hated it from the random people in middle school, and after Paulo’s “Cheater” drama made the entirety of Roseville High hate his guts, I remember him mentioning that he loved not being mobbed bu random people. (Though that also basically gave Mike a bit of trauma and started him down the downward spiral of feeling like he had to choose between Lucy and Sandy) But yeah, I hadn’t considered it from the perspective of the friend group. Yeah, he’s definitely more isolated than ever, and now even James, his newest friend, isn’t giving him the time of day compared to David… oof. Could definitely see that contributing.

Alec