Bittersweet Candy Bowl

34. Bonding, original chapter posted 3/3/07

Page 3 of 5

Transcript

*Augustus shrugs.*
Augustus: Isn’t it her job to tell you? I mean, she is your friend..
*Daisy balls her fist and shouts at Augustus.*
Daisy: Just tell me!

Augustus: C’mon.. you really wanna bring the mood down?
*Daisy yells once more as Augustus looks aside.*
Daisy: TALK!

*Augustus sheepishly relents.*
Augustus: Alright, alright.. you don’t have to yell.
*Daisy angrily gestures with her open hand.*
Daisy: I just can’t understand why anyone would HATE her! She’s treated like royalty at our table!

[An image of Tess, smiling, surrounded by sparkling stars.]
Augustus: Hardly surprising a spoiled little princess like Tessa would seek that out.

*Augustus raises his chin smugly.*
Augustus: Tell me, Daisy.. All those kids at your lunch table, has that been your “group” forever?

*Daisy looks at Augustus with an uncertain expression.*
Daisy: Yeah?
Augustus: Even through the end of middle school, you stuck together?
Daisy: Yeah! We’re friends..

[An image of Tess waving to Paulo and Mike. Paulo is completely lovestruck.]
Augustus: So isn’t it strange that some random Junior decided to ditch all of HER friends just to hang out with a bunch of freshmen?
Daisy: …

*Daisy looks to Augustus, panicked.*
Daisy: Her friends abandoned her?
*Augustus looks down.*
Augustus: Well, kind of.

*Augustus turns to Daisy.*
Augustus: I don’t think you can really call them “friends” when for them, it was only ever about getting close to “Roger’s girlfriend”.

*Daisy puts her hand to her cheek, surprised.*
Daisy: Who’s Roger?
Augustus: Quite a guy! You sure you never heard of him?

*Daisy looks anxious.*
Daisy: Is he still around?
*Augustus laughs.*
Augustus: He’s a Senior this year, lucky for us.

*Augustus grins as he remembers Tess and Roger. Tess wears a skirt, spiky choker and black tank top to compliment Roger’s edgy black jacket and piercings.*
Augustus: They were a heckuva pair, Tessa and Roger..

*Daisy looks on as she holds her hand to her chest.*
Augustus: There’s a lot of sophomores happy they don’t have to think about him anymore.

[An image of a distraught crying boy clutching his arm as a smug Roger walks away with Tess following after.]
Daisy (narrating): What did he do to earn such a reputation?
Augustus (narrating): I don’t know where to start..

[An image of Roger deviously grinning. Tess smirks behind him, looking over her shoulder at a frightened-looking Rachel who rushes to the boy’s side.]
Augustus (narrating): He made a game of terrorizing freshmen. Taunting, stealing, bullying..

[An image of Tess smiling.]
Augustus (narrating): And Tessa was there to back him up, every day.

Augustus: We learned not to look at her the wrong way.
*Daisy raises a hand to her face, horrified.*
Daisy: And what if you did..?

*Augustus, sitting beside Daisy on the hill, continues telling the story.*

Author commentary

Veronica: I remember in the earlier version of this dialogue, Daisy got flustered at the very idea of Tess having a boyfriend. You’re not a pure little princess, Daisy! It’s not too embarrassing or shocking to have a boyfriend!

A lot of old dialogue was definitely written from the eyes of a total conservative.

.. Conservative in the ways of romance, not politics I mean :l blurghh.

Oliver: I think you’d generally assume older girls would have had a boyfriend, at these ages. Tess certainly had an eventful life!

Reader comments

Comment ID #108079

…I don’t like him…

RuBoo October 20, 2010, 2:16 PM EDT.

Comment ID #212956

But Tess has changed, right?

Sono Goran March 28, 2012, 9:23 PM EDT.

Comment ID #242075

I don’t need it but who wants to help me take reality out of the equation and kick Roger’s ass to the f#$%ing moon and back. Also if you haven’t noticed I hate bullies I spent most of my middle school and high school years keeping bullies away from my friends. I was the tough guy of our group and I still am years later.

Devin April 1, 2013, 1:07 AM EDT.