203

Painful
Posted on June 6, 2015 by David M Willis

203 thoughts on “Painful”

  1. Jen Aside

    I feel like if Becky and Daisy ever meet, that’s the end of DoA because LESBIAN SINGULARITY

    1. Wack'd

      Oh man I kinda want that to happen now.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        We’ve been waiting for quite a while now. I’m sure we’ll still BE waiting for quite a while yet; The Willis is a fickle and cruel master.

        1. Khrene

          Emphasis on cruel. I feel like if they do meet it’ll only end in the saltiest of tears.

        2. Disloyal Subject

          He throws his characters and readers a bone from time to time. Sadness loses impact if spirits are too ground down to crush any further.

        3. Khrene

          True that.

        4. newllend(Henryvolt)

          He throws a bone then sometimes emdiatly takes it away as well just to taunt you.

        5. Packy

          Immediately?

        6. Halloween Jack

          Willis is a harsh mistress. Master! That’s what I meant.

        7. Rowen Morland

          That’s when the trucks come.

        8. Seth

          Right. Even Wildbow understands that.

        9. Paradoxius

          Get ready for Amazigirl to become a wanted fugitive paralyzed from the waist down!

        10. no_relation

          But they’re lesbians, they don’t want a bone.

    2. A Scientist

      It would be a meeting which would likely lead to mutual happiness, so it probably won’t happen for at least another five years.

      1. grantimusmax

        Which will be like, 3 weeks comic time? Eh, sounds fair.

        1. A Scientist

          Yeah, a pretty realistic timeline if we’re talking about real life. It’ll just be an unbearable wait for the rest of us. Perhaps involving some passing each other by or what have you to give us momentary hope, only to crush it with some distracting side-tragedy.

        2. grantimusmax

          A “ships passing in the night” sort of situation, eh?

        3. jpic89

          You should be ashamed of that pun.

          …oh who am I kidding, that was brilliant.

        4. grantimusmax

          Ta!

        5. Khrene

          I feel like it might happen sooner than later, if only cause hes gotta keep the Slipshine train moving.

      2. A Scientist

        Of course, Billie is aware of Daisy’s situation, so perhaps she’ll do some “fixing” in the form of “fixing up.”

    3. S'toon

      That’s what I’ve been saying for months! Daisy and Becky are natural. They’re almost twins.

      1. AustKyzor

        Shhh! Don’t give Willis ideas – he’ll make them actual twins just to spite us

    4. LeslieBean4Shizzle

      I’m not sure if Lesbian Singularity needs to be the name of a band or a bar.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Can’t it be both?

      2. Furie

        I’m pretty sure it’s how Fox News thinks the world will end.

      3. The Dayman

        Lesbian Singularity: Live at The Lesbian Singularity… Best live album ever, ever.

    5. Cheryl

      Lesgularity……wait how the hell did i do that?

    6. gka

      Is that a point beyond which lesbians can’t see, or lesbians beyond which nobody else can see?

  2. DarkoNeko

    Uh, so she REALLY was waiting for a texT.

    1. DarkoNeko

      …also, panel 4 is really painful.

    2. Carriethedragon

      Maybe. Or she’s, you know, lying. Oh, cell phones, you’re so useful for dealing with awkward social situations.

      1. DarkoNeko

        eeh, but she looked like she was having fun in the last few pages.

    3. Rich

      Don’t know why everyone assumed she was lying to Sarah.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        “Someday I must read this great scholar Everyone. He seems to have written so much, nearly all of it wrong.”

        1. Rycan

          Rivaled only by the scholars Somebody and Nobody.

        2. C Baker

          TAMORA PIERCE FTW!

        3. Lurlock

          If I ever started a band, it would be called “Anonymous”. Our first album would be called “Untitled”, and every song on it would just be “Track 1”, “Track 2”, etc. Then we could take credit for every anonymous or untitled release in history.

        4. GreyTheDefender

          …some men just want to watch the world burn.

  3. Mr. Random

    So pretty much EVERYONE wants Sal, huh?

    1. grantimusmax

      Queing Tears for Fears here… “Every body wants to do the Sal…”

      1. Romanticide

        All for freedom and for pleasure
        Nothing ever lasts forever
        Everybody wants to do the Sal ♫

    2. Kennerly

      She’s like the female Jacob!

    3. Plasma Mongoose

      It’s practically the law.

    4. tim gueguen

      Not Mike.

      1. Khrene

        Doesn’t count, he already has an ample supply of nickels and mothers.

    5. kagato23

      Yep. In the slipshine that will never ever be drawn, even Walky.

  4. A Scientist

    Joyce looks awfully sly right about now.

    1. A Scientist

      And by right about now, I mean in the first panel.

    2. DarkoNeko

      she looks pretty much like
      のもの

    3. John

      She’s showing cynicism, she’s playing the game.

      1. Bagge

        And the name of the game is Apples to Apples

        1. A Scientist

          And I’ve just finished my milk.

          …No, wait, that line doesn’t belong there.

  5. Luke

    Desperate makeouts are the best makeouts.

    1. Disloyal Subject

      I think you’re forgetting hateful/angry.

  6. Plasma Mongoose

    Why does everyone want to make out with Sal?

    1. Katosen

      who DOESN’T want to make out with Sal?! She’s fuckin’ HOT!

      1. Kris

        Then why doesn’t everyone want to make out with Walky?

        1. Plasma Mongoose

          Cos he lacks the cool vibe that Sal exudes.

        2. Khrene

          Naw naw, they just haven’t seen his caramel abs!

          Why do you think Dorothy told him to put his shirt back on! She doesn’t want the competition!

        3. Rich

          Because he tastes like Nachitos?

        4. Dr. Smart

          for some thats a point in his favor

        5. DarkoNeko

          He has short hair, doesn’t smoke, and lacks a bike.

        6. Disloyal Subject

          They do, they just don’t know it yet.

        7. -Sentinel-

          He thinks “Time’s Short” is a better Dexter & Monkey Master episode than “Wedding Smashers”. That’s a major turn-off for some.

        8. invisiblemoose

          He’s the one without boobs.

        9. John

          Walky isn’t supper active and assertive the way Sal is. She rocks life in an aggressive no holds bar way.

        10. timemonkey

          Because he’s a childish, irritating jerk a lot of the time? Not all the time, but often enough to be aturn off.

        11. Vangeln

          The lack of accent.

    2. Captain Batson

      Because she’s Sal. Duh.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Sounds like a legit enough reason.

      2. Khrene

        Quod erat demonstrandum.

    3. Rich

      It’s her excellent dental hygiene. Carries a toothbrush everywhere, she does.

      1. DarkoNeko

        That’s bakemonogatari material right there.

        1. Rich

          That scene just weirds me out. Which is no mean feat.

  7. Captain Batson

    I wonder what that text from (probably) Marcie was about…

    1. Dean

      Naw, booty call from Jason. Why else would she have to leave immediately?

      1. merbrat

        That was my guess, too.

        1. DarkoNeko

          They most probably don’t even have each other’s number.

      2. taekwondogirl

        I am all for implied sexytimes, but the last time those two were together, Sal was yelling at Jason for being a super shitty tutor.

        1. kagato23

          But they drank together. If people yell at each other but also drink with each other, sexytimes remain possible.

        2. niblik

          Ugh. Personally I can’t stand the pairing of Sal and Jason. I’m hoping to never suffer any sexytimes between the two again.

  8. shadowcell

    obviously it’s not a college party until the clothes start coming off

    1. A Scientist

      First Ethan’s jacket, now the jacket Becky was wearing. Who else is wearing a jacket? That person is next.

      1. Bagge

        Walky tried but Dorothy stopped him.

    2. Confuzor

      It kinda does look like Becky’s just loungin around in underwear now…

  9. AnvilPro

    To make Becky not feel awkward about basically being in her underwear (Which she probably wouldn’t have anyway), the rest of the game will be “Strip Apples to Apples”

    1. cesium133

      With your avatar, I’m now picturing Dina saying your post.

      Dina will win because she’s wearing the most layers (unless the point is to strip the fastest, in which case she would lose).

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Just as long as Dina can leave her hat on.

        1. Khrene

          Well its not like shes Micheal Phelps or anything.

      2. Garrett

        “Dina, do you know what you are suggesting?” “No”

    2. Nono

      Well Ethan is already sans hoodie.

  10. grantimusmax

    I hope all you Becky haters are happy now, because now we have sad Becky, and it’s RIPPING MY HEART TO SHREDS.

    1. Disloyal Subject

      I don’t hate Becky. I actually quite like her.
      That doesn’t mean I don’t relish her misery at times.

    2. GoogerGeiger

      Still don’t care for Becky. Though her concern that Dorothy is stealing Joyce away from her is somewhat justified, she’s trying too hard, and she’s not really in any position to be combating Dorothy, actively or passively.

    3. chris73

      As a character shes very well-written (in fact the whole story line is) but to me she comes across as quite an annoying person, doesn’t mean I want bad things to happen to her though

      1. Khrene

        I think thats the point. Willis definitely takes time to highlight each characters flaws whenever they have an arc.

        We were annoyed with Walky during his PajamaJeans phase

        We Hated Dan because he was Danning things up.

        AmaziGirl’s arc was dedicated to seeing how blasted crazy she is.

        Billy’s early arc was about her still trying to be the alpha bongo like in high school (can we say that word?)

        And it looks like Sarah is gonna have another arc dedicated to seeing her inner crabbyness come out in full form.

        1. chris73

          I’m liking how Willis is showing what happens when two friends grow apart (or rather one changes) which is something I think we can all relate to

          Its subtle yet moving

        2. Khrene

          Indeed

        3. Volkai

          Yep.

          Shit sucks.

          Worse because it’s nobody’s fault so you can’t direct that anger/distress at an appropriate target of blame.

        4. Steve C.

          …and Dorothy sometimes crosses the line between “helpful” and “controlling”?

  11. Kris

    Well it’s nice to have a make out with Becky card in your back pocket if that’s what you’re into.

    1. grantimusmax

      Y’know, just in case…

    2. John

      ETHAN: So the winner for “gross” is… whoever played this “make out with Becky” card!
      JOYCE: That was mine! I know my audience!
      BECKY: *dies of the sads*

      1. DarkoNeko

        That was really horrible.

      2. Leorale

        oh nooooo T.T

      3. Jepmz

        This is a legit Cards Against Humanity situation here. Haha, the dark humor D:

      4. timemonkey

        Well done!

  12. Greenygal

    Will somebody please give Becky a hug and tell her it’s going to be okay? Please?

    1. grantimusmax

      I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE

    2. Kennerly

      It should be a guy…she might misinterpret a hug from a girl as an invitation to make-out.

      1. ninja_jesus

        Ethan to the rescue. Gay people helping each other is always good.

        1. Disloyal Subject

          She doesn’t know he’s gay, though, does she?

        2. ninja_jesus

          She doesn’t have to because the audience does, and she’ll find out soon after.

  13. SUGauthor

    What do you want to bet Amazigirl comes in a panel after Sal leaves?

    1. Rich

      Or Amber as herself. Either way, it would appear that bullet’s been dodged.

      1. -Sentinel-

        But I don’t WANT that bullet to be dodged!

      2. Dr. Smart

        I’d like to think a panel before Sal gets the chance to leave Amber will show up… otherwise Willis is just being a troll… oh wait I forgot who I am talking about. Of course he’s a troll

        CURSE YOU WILLIS!!!

        1. Someone

          DAMN YOU WILLIS!!!

    2. Joseph

      More likely they meet in the hallway, and Amber freaks out again and runs off, and Sal realises where she knows Ethan and Amber from, AND STUFF ENSUES.

      1. Kryss LaBryn

        Face-to-face at the door.

        Or is that face-to-FAAAAACE?

      2. Em

        Exactly what I was thinking! I think this is the most likely scenario. I think it’s also possible that Danny will be furious with this situation. It’s one thing attacking an abuser, but it’s another thing to attack someone who hasn’t done anything wrong. (yes yes the convenience store thing was wrong. but it’s not like she kept attacking amber and ethan, and went out of her way to harm them)

        1. Em

          sorry, I meant to tack on “after the fact” to my last sentence.

  14. Spack

    Becky finds a way to make it “strip Apples to Apples”.

    1. Spack

      Dang, beaten to the punch.

  15. Katosen

    This party is going to degenerate into Becky finally breaking.

    It’s going to be glorious.

    It’s going to be sad.

    Damn. You. Willis.

    1. chris73

      Very sad but hopefully they’ll learn from it and be stronger for it…maybe

    2. Em

      Maybe it’ll make Ethan come out to his college friends. In order to help Becky, and let her know she’s not alone, and that if she needs to vent, he’s here for her.

  16. The Thing

    Hey, is she a lesbian?

    Because I don’t think you’re making it obvious enough. :V

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Becky is a lesbian? HOW CAN THIS BE?! 😛

    2. John

      What, it’s not like she’s actually named Les Bean or anything.

      1. Dr. Smart

        heh that name reminds me of the teacher Leslie Bean, but yeah there is no way she is a lesbian… I mean it would be too obvious!

        1. Annie

          That’s how Leslie got her name. In one of his other comics (I think she was created for Shortpacked specifically), David needed a minor, fairly stereotypical, lesbian character for a strip or two. Just to be silly he names her Les Bean, because why not? It’s not like she was sticking around.

          Major characters probably shouldn’t have jokey names, but most folks don’t even notice that the minor characters even have names. Especially in Shortpacked.
          Well, Leslie ended up becoming one of the most beloved characters in the strip, so she was given a backstory and stayed in the strip, but was stuck with the name.

        2. The Thing

          What’s there some white heteronormative crusader actually named Whitey? :V

        3. davidbreslin101

          You’re thinking of Nate Allman…..

        4. Jen Aside

          You mean Whit(ney) McJority?

          (I woulda gone with Dwight McJority myself)

        5. Chrissy

          Actually some of the regular characters do have similarly descriptive names: Dina Sarazu and Ruth Lessick come to mind, I’m not sure if there are others

        6. Joseph

          Or that a harsh RA might be called Ruth Lesse… wait, it’s Lessik now.

        7. timemonkey

          Much like Leslie, Ruth wasn’t originally sticking around. She was created to die.

  17. JessWitt

    Sad Becky makes me sad.

    Also Sal’s exit before Amber’s entrance prevents near catastrophe.

    1. DarkoNeko

      Unless they meet at the door.

      1. GoogerGeiger

        Amazi-PUNCH!

      2. JessWitt

        Or at a window.

        1. DarkoNeko

          It’s been bugging me that Amber’s spot is just by the window since they sat down <_<;

      3. BenRG

        The text was that Amazi-Girl caught them and they need bailing out? Unlikely, but it would explain Amber’s absence if she’d stumbled on something big.

    2. podian

      Yeah, that seems to be a rare case of Willis’s mercy.

      1. aroree

        Shhh! Don’t say that word! *looks furtively around* If he hears us clinging to this ‘mercy’…..bad things will….Ahh! I said it too! *takes cover with comfort blanket*

  18. Rodimiss

    I chose “Dumbing of Age” for painful. Painful Dumbing of Age.

    1. Someone

      I choose Willis for Damned…Damn you Willis!

  19. theheroesofcrash

    I choose “the tension in this room right now” for painful. Let’s recap:

    -Sal’s sitting right between the best friend and boyfriend of the campus superhero who – unbeknownst to her – wants to take her down
    -Danny’s attractions are flitting between Ethan and Amber
    -Becky’s stuck between trying to make Joyce feel better and her own jealousy
    -Jacob got himself sandwiched between Raidah and Sarah’s argument
    -Billie’s stuck between her desire to look cool and actually allowing herself to have fun with people who like her
    -Dina’s not between anything – she’s just always awkward.

    1. DarkoNeko

      > “superhero who – unbeknownst to her – wants to take her down”
      They already fought once, in a parking lot, tho. Granted, it was mostly one sided.

      1. theheroesofcrash

        Well, I’m not sure that Sal realized that Amazi-Girl had a true vendetta against her personally, instead of just as a criminal who happened to be breaking the law that night due to underage drinking.

  20. newllend(Henryvolt)

    We all knew that was coming at one point, also don’t worry Becky now shell never be able to work that jacket like you did.

  21. ninja_jesus

    This is cruel. I suppose Joyce really did move on from her former best friend. You should leave, Becky; as much as she wants you there she clearly can’t appreciate you enough to see that you’re in a lot of pain.

    1. chris73

      Thats not really fair, the party is supposed to be about Joyce having fun

      1. ninja_jesus

        I’m sure Joyce wouldn’t feel like she’s having fun if she knew how hard Becky is having it right now. Also, you can say that this party is also just a distraction to keep the spotlight off of Becky.

        1. chris73

          If you want to keep the spotlight of Becky why would you invite a whole bunch of people she barely knows to a party shes attending?

        2. Rutee

          Because you’re bad at making decisions.

    2. taekwondogirl

      Two cards have been played in a game, nothing else. The point is that Becky is still hurt so sure is reading into everything, making her hurt further, which then leads to more over-reading.

    3. bunivasal

      “You should leave”? You realize that right now, Becky is homeless, an outcast from her family and most likely any community where she has any kind of context. She’s a little smarter than Joyce, but she still lacks a ton of life experience that Joyce has gotten just living apart from their weird homeschooling community.

      She shouldn’t leave just because her friend isn’t constantly perfectly in-tune with her mental state. Especially not when Becky’s trying to hide that. Especially not when Joyce’s failure to “appreciate” her mainly arises from Becky’s own feelings of jealousy that Joyce is friends with another person. That’s a completely understandable emotion–everyone gets jealous when a person they like likes someone else more. But to suggest that the whole party grinds to a halt and that Becky abandon her only benefactor and friend because Joyce likes a person who helped PROTECT HER FROM GETTING RAPED is… bad.

      Stop navel-gazing. Stop promoting the primacy of one’s own emotions to the exclusion of all other things. NEVER give this kind of advice to another human being.

      1. aroree

        Wait, are you defending Becky or not? I can’t tell.

        1. neeks

          My read of that was “defending Becky”

      2. ninja_jesus

        Wow, you got really passionate there. Sorry if I hit a nerve. However, she does need space from this, and Sarah has been insisting on Joyce finding a more permanent solution to Becky’s homelessness problem so… I wasn’t really suggesting she go out on her own. Just that she should take this as a sign that she should be seeking out permanent housing, if only to give herself space to settle her issues. Right now, she doesn’t have that.

    4. Em

      No she didn’t. She simply has made other friends, which Becky is having a hard time handling. Joyce had gushed about Becky to her friends–clearly she still likes her a lot. Becky shouldn’t see herself out because Joyce has made new friends. What were you expecting her to do, not make any friends because she has a friend at a different school?

      1. Spencer

        Well that’s the thing. Becky doesn’t have anybody except for Joyce, and she can’t really go outside her social circle without risk of getting exposed. So she’s stuck seeing the person she loves constantly girlcrush over the friendstealing hussy and she doesn’t even have the luxury of getting some space.

  22. Idon'tcarenomore

    I don’t hate Becky, I feel sorry for her situation. But I don’t understand all this sympathy over what she has just done.

    Fourth panel is just embarrassing. Becky is trying to lay Sal using any method she can get: and begging in front of everybody using the excuse she will do anything for Sal to stay because Sal is the coolest person there?
    That is rather insulting to the rest of the room, she’s telling them they are all dull.

    As to Joyce having a close friend in Dorothy, good grief. Did anyone else here get their feelings hurt because their best friend got another friend? I know I did. But, I didn’t have a freakin’ meltdown. I never was all friendly with the other girl, but I didn’t hate her either. And I would guess that neither do most people.

    As for Joyce being unfeeling to Becky’s pain. Oh please. I just don’t get it, she is supposed to be having a good time (Becky said so) not babysitting a kid with hurt feelings).

    Becky is like a physic vampire, she bleeds all over you. I hope things turn around for her, for her sake, and for Joyce, so she can get away from her.

    1. Spencer

      I think I read that manga once.

      1. DarkoNeko

        …Karin ?

    2. Greenygal

      When I was jealous of my friends for having other friends (and oh, was I ever), I was still in a fundamentally secure position where their friendship was not the only thing I had in the world. Becky, sadly, is not in that position, and so she is understandably overreacting. So yes, I hope she can find other things and a new place to live because the current situation is terrible for her.

    3. Lord Stoneheart

      Do I want to know what a physic vampire is? And why do they bleed all over people? Can they drink their own blood?

      1. neeks

        I believe what was meant was “psychic vampire”, which basically feeds off the feels of other people. “Bleeding all over people” seems to imply that she got into her present situation on purpose, so as to feed off the guilt and/or empathy of other people. Which, speaking of empathy, is a really shitty interpretation of the recent events in Becky’s life.

        But if that isn’t what idontcarenomore meant by the analogy, then idunno.

    4. Captain Batson

      I don’t think it’s all that insulting. Sal is pretty universally acknowledged so far as being really, really cool. I think the only people who have been specifically shown to think differently are Amber, the Walkerton parents, Malaya, and Carla. They all have pretty good reasons for that: Amber had a traumatic encounter with Sal three years ago, the Walkertons think she’s some kinda nun-thing, and both Malaya and Carla seem to just hate pretty much everyone.

    5. J42

      Becky’s bargaining is common with recently-out gay kids; you are really attracted to people, but only 1 in 10 will ever return your feelings. And most of that minority won’t reveal an already invisible characteristic in most of the world.

      1. Li

        I don’t personally buy the 10% statistic. Until we’re at a point where there’s no longer any stigma against being gay/bi/pan/ace, how in the world are we supposed to get accurate numbers? Even anonymous surveys are fucked, because you’ve got internalized queerphobia keeping a lot of people in denial.

        But let’s pretend for a moment that the 10% statistic is accurate: that’s 10% of the population who is any kind of queer. Let’s assume half of that 10% are women — it’ll be less, because nonbinary genders are a thing, but let’s assume.

        That’s 5% of the population, or 1 in 20.

        Now let’s also acknowledge that not every single queer woman in America is going to be attracted to Becky. Even the most wildly overcompensating, hyper-heterosexual self-described “alpha” guy will admit that he wouldn’t actually have sex with any woman who was interested in him.

        So yeah. The percentage of people Becky will actually be able to date is a lot smaller than the percentage of people who are any flavor of queer.

        I agree with the overall point, though. I didn’t even have as much self-confidence as Becky, but I still remember trying a couple of times to use “jokes” like this to kind of… normalize…? my feelings among friends.

  23. a4lbi

    …and now I ship it. DAMN YOU WILLIS

  24. Joey

    Becky seems to operate on the logic of “This person MUST be gay because I really want to make out with her.”

    1. feli

      Maybe she’s just heard those rumours about normal colleges and the “experimental phase”?

      1. JessWitt

        She just came out a few weeks back. It would make sense for Becky not to have all her bearings in on being a lesbian.

        1. Captain Batson

          Not even a few weeks. This is, what, her third day here? Since it seems she got caught the only time she and her roommate ever even came close to going at it, and was (probably by the end of that day) pulled from college by her dad, and seems to have basically come straight to Joyce after that, I don’t think it’s even been a week. Also, that was one heck of a run-on sentence there, eh?

    2. Rutee

      Wait, where are you getting that from? I would think it’s “I hope this person is gay, because I really want to make out with her”.

      Course, I’m not looking for reasons to hate her.

    3. Em

      I’m not entirely sure that she’s thinking that “oh Sal is totally gay because she’s hot as hell.” I mean, would you say “oh Joe seems to operate on the logic of every girl he wants to make out with is straight.” I’m guessing not. I think the first part was kind of a desperate joke, and then the last part was kind of a flustered after thought.

  25. BenRG

    Whilst I doubt that Becky’s bargaining position was the strangest thing that Sal ever heard, I’ve got the feeling that it’s up there. In either case, I think that it’s back to Joyce’s sweater-vests for Becky!

    Now, I wonder what’s up with Marcie (and likely Carla) that has Sal all in a hurry?

    1. timemonkey

      Well, she has experienced drunken Billie trying to make out with her before.

  26. Bagge

    Nooo, Becky is not cool anymore. Now she’s only rad

    1. Spencer

      She’s at least bodacious, maybe bordering tubular.

  27. overdosed

    NOW becky looks like miley cyrus!

    1. ninja_jesus

      SHE CAME OUT LIKE A WRECKING BALL!

      1. Deanatay

        SHE NEVER HIT SO HARD IN LOVE!

        1. overdosed

          ALL SHE WANTED WAS TO BREAK YOUR WALLS!

  28. Crumplepunch

    So much fitness.

  29. DarkoNeko

    Sal seems pretty pissed at the proposal.

    1. Em

      So would I, if someone was just like “please stay. do you want to make out? cause i’d do that for you if it would make you stay.”

      1. Someone

        I wouldn’t be pissed as much as incredibly weirded out.

  30. Yossarian Duck

    Sal cuts to the heart of it without realising it.

    All this time Becky has only been playing pretend: the jacket, the haircut, the “LES AND LOVIN’ IT” bombast, all a facade hiding the fact that she’s hanging off the edge of a cliff and has no idea how long she can hold on or where she’ll land, and she’s now doubting her remaining lifeline.

    Sal looks at the Becky making absurd pleas and takes away the costume, leaving her almost naked and left to confront the truth. The fact that this sequence (panels 4-6) is done with largely comical dialogue about how hot Becky finds Sal makes this astounding.

    1. timemonkey

      The sad thing is Becky is surrounded by people who would help her but her own behaviour is pushing them away.

  31. hof1991

    We are playing Break the Cutie with Becky. Everything in her life is painful. Lost her family, church, social circle, college chances. She has nothing, so now she has to lose Joyce …and then the jacket. She has the clothes she’s wearing and that’s about it.

    People feel for Joyce and hate on Becky. Joyce has family, friends, acceptance at her church, a place to live and money for food. Becky has nothing but hurt.

    1. timemonkey

      Darkness Induced Apathy

  32. Crumplepunch

    And then… kung fu.

  33. Vangeln

    You cannot compete with Marcie, Becky!

  34. Cerberus

    Panels 2 and 6: That’s one sad lesbian.

    I also like that her instinct when she was hurting was to try and do something nice for Joyce (by making an appeal to Sal to stay). It’s a really adorable touch even if it wasn’t effective.

  35. Em

    Honestly, I’ve been where Becky is right now. Kind of. I wasn’t in love with my friend. So maybe more like Sal. But the girl was (and is) my best friend EVER. BFFs since we were 3. And I remember the first time I heard her call someone else her best friend…cut like a knife. I was jealous, I was hurt, and I wondered if I was being replaced. It wasn’t until I realized that I had best friends other than her that I realized how silly I was.

    I think for many people, it’s hard to understand, in the moment, that everyone has multiple friends. We love them all, and it’s okay to do so. I think both Becky and Sal are going through that moment. Having to realize that they are no longer the center of their friend’s universe…but that it’s totally fine for that to be the case. They are still loved, and are NOT being replaced.

  36. Chrissy

    I’m hypothesizing that it’s not a booty call. I’m also guessing that she will get to meet up with Amber tonight after all… But perhaps in costume instead, and no Ethan to make sure things don’t get out of hand.

  37. Siyajkak

    I’ve been in Becky’s situation before. At a party, and my ex-girlfriend was flirting with another guy. i ended up embarassingly invested in getting a friend of mine to kiss me as part of some party game. Remember kids, if you find yourself matching a desperation joke in a webcomic, rethink your actions.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.