Bittersweet Candy Bowl

125. First-Degree Burn, page posted 6/23/25

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Veronica: One-track minded, like a certain other airheaded tan cat.

.. Haha, get it? One-track--

Comments from Patreon

Comment ID #30027

I dont see this ending well, just go to therapy already mike!

Brittany ann

Comment ID #30028

Bruh, as much as i like Mike hes gotta let go sometimes

Anubis

Comment ID #30029

okay Mike

there’s one page left

this is basically you promising you’re about to fuck everything up

how are you gonna do it

SomeColourMage

Comment ID #30030

So what’s the goal here, Mike?

whiteboypizza

Comment ID #30031

MIKE…. YOU MORON.

itzkathy9

Comment ID #30032

Mike… Mike, what are you doing? Mike, no! JUST LET THEM GO YOU POOR FOOL!!

Scorch

Comment ID #30033

Mikes such a loser of course he doesn’t want to make friends with people that had no prior romantic attraction to him 🙄

Elisa

Comment ID #30034

I mean, if this is him saying fuck it I’m going outside anyway?

Fiver

Comment ID #30035

Mike saying “catch up” in this context makes it seem like he’s trying to get to James and David before they leave. I don’t think Mike’s planning on leaving with them, though what his actual plan is beyond confronting them I’m uncertain.

Alec

Comment ID #30036

Are they going to open the door and immediately run into lucy

Fiver

Comment ID #30037

That is what I am thinking as well

Tylily

Comment ID #30038

Is this the beginning of the Mike James David love triangle?

Yewsea

Comment ID #30039

EMBARASSING

Airy Frith

Comment ID #30040

You had an out Mike!!!

Audrey Wilson

Comment ID #30041

Mike’s clinging to James like he’s the only friend he has in the world the same way Lucy used to cling to Mike. Also calling it now, the next chapter is titled Ground Zero

AlisterTX

Comment ID #30042

….🤦‍♀️

CauliFlower

Comment ID #30043

I feel like Mike doesn’t actually want to face a single consequence for anything he did to Lucy at any point. He does seem to feel BAD, but doesn’t want it to actually AFFECT him. Like here - the idea that he might not be able to hang out with this one specific friend (for even just this one lunch period, maybe 30 mins, and he was just asked this morning!) seems unthinkable to him. While she’s struggling with her own trauma on top of what Mike has done too, he has a whole table of friends RIGHT THERE saying “we like you, stay with us”… and still Mike wants to have exactly his way. 😕

Snowstar837

Comment ID #30044

Exactly!! Yes she has her own faults but at least she was trying to apologize and own up to what she did before he really sent her down that spiral. He hasn’t tried to take accountability at all for what he has done to her. Does he feel guilty? Hell yeah! But will he admit what he has done??? Probably not or at least so far he is just wrapped up in himself. Never once admitted that he took it or has taken it too far with Lucy. This is the only reason why I don’t feel bad for him. He is finding out how it feels but he needs to realize he actually has friends, he is just ignoring them for his own absorbed feelings. He may be struggling with depression but he is ignoring the people and things he does have around him. Lucy only has Augustus now and sorta daisy and Paulo but not entirely. She has to hide from Mike at lunch just to have peace and out of every place in the school she has given him to eat and roam free, he is picking the one place whe sits. Again, why must Lucy always hide from him? Why can’t it be like for once. She has stuck to herself and given him what he wants. She doesn’t talk to him or try to even run into him. He still doesn’t truely see what damage he actually did to her. He is only more and more angry with the outcomes of what he caused. He is learning some hard to swallow lessons. I’m so glad someone else sees these things!!!

Sky TheTiny'mhytee

Comment ID #30045

I just really hope it’s a misunderstanding and he’s trying to catch up to them to convince them to stay indoors. Otherwise, I agree with everything you said; he really can’t do ONE simple thing for Lucy.

Meowtcha

Comment ID #30046

Mike just get a bf already damn

theoktony

Comment ID #30047

Mike: So I can kick their asses!

Finn: Oh, hell yeah!

SCD

Comment ID #30048

I cant even deal. Just chill at the table dude.

Aesthete Noire

Comment ID #30049

He goes out there then Augustus gives him a matching scar

30 minutes, Mike. He asked you nicely.

nalem

Comment ID #30050

Times like this I always remember Mike’s ‘so much for your tender confession’ quip to Lucy back in the day. Honestly I think It does not matter if Mike has already turned you down, it doesn’t matter if he asked you to move on, it certainly doesn’t matter if he’s with someone else himself (even though he begs people to take that seriously and lashes out when they don’t. He wants it both ways.) Anyone who ever liked him looking anywhere else or not yearning for him anymore for a second is a painful insult to him and he has a way of looking at the people who do it as though they’ve been unfaithful somehow. It’s something I’ve thought about often about his character and I’m both nervous and excited to see it being brought up again in this new drama…

mobsterseeker

Comment ID #30051

Mike continues being the most misunderstood character in the comic

People say he needs therapy but this is exactly what they say in therapy for things like this

To never feel guilty for standing up for yourself and to not fall for the empathy traps abusive people like to employ and to not let your abuser to keep controlling after they are gone

Mike needs this, He needs to show Augustus that he won’t be intimidated for living his life and that Lucy doesn’t hold control over him anymore

Kiall Vun Myeret

Comment ID #30052

I too think Mike is misunderstood, but honestly, here’s how I see this: They’re insulting James, perhaps from some rough history with him, prior to Track Meet. Mike takes offense to this, but doesn’t lash out like he did in previous chapters, knowing that drives people away. If he’s to go outside, avoid anywhere near the bleachers where Lucy and Augustus stay during lunch. By refusing to sit with either his friends or the track team, he very likely believes he’ll just end up causing more stress and REALLY doesn’t want to drag anyone along. With an already hard life at home and school, there’s little to no chance of getting a break (plus growing depression eating away his overall mental health). I’m aware he’s got much to account for, but he also needs someone he can open up to, who won’t judge him for his past (similarly to Tess as mentioned numerous times before).

Seabreeze630

Comment ID #30053

Not his wisest choice, but you know what, GO FOR IT MIKE!!! GO GET YER MANS!!!!

The Chosen Revolutionary

Comment ID #30054

oh, I hope he’s going to try to tell them the truth about why he doesn’t want to go outside; Mike’s problem is that he buries all of his feelings and doesn’t share them with anyone, so he only ends up with his own perspective. If he’d just tell his friends what he’s going through, they could all offer him different perspectives!

But unfortunately, he’s convinced himself that if he shares what he did with anyone, they’ll never want to associate with him anymore…

Elizabeth Hunter