294

Paid
Posted on August 7, 2012 by David M Willis

294 thoughts on “Paid”

  1. Aizat

    SARAH PUNCH!

    1. Yotomoe

      Show me your moves.

      1. Amaziboy

        You’re too slow!

        1. Aizat

          Can’t let you do that Star Fox!

        2. Yotomoe

          That was lame
          C’mon, step it up!

        3. NCP19

          WHAT THE HECK?

        4. Aizat

          That’s no good.

        5. thomas0comer

          Don’t try me!

        6. Dave McCoy

          Andross’s enemy is MY enemy!

        7. Shade

          HYAH!

        8. Usayasha

          HEY! LISTEN!

        9. Luke

          Why do I find a sock on a doorknob saying ‘Hey! Listen!’ so hilarious?

        10. Yarrr

          Oh, I don’t know darth helmet.

        11. Luke

          That’s perfect.

        12. Jackson

          Do a barrel roll!

        13. Shade

          Hiiiiii

        14. Bugberry

          HIIIIIIII!

      2. I.care.0

        I got the move like Jagger.

    2. Tucker

      FALCON PUNCH!

  2. Yotomoe

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    1. Aizat

      YES!

      1. Wack'd

        SPLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNGE!

    2. Jehosaphat

      FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE

      1. Raoullefere

        OOOOUUUUCCCCCHHHHH

        1. zerotkatama

          SPOOOOOOOON!

        2. Chronos

          TETSUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        3. zerotkatama

          KANEDAAAAAAAAAAA!

  3. David Herbert

    Oh dear, she’s gonna be getting some jail time. Hopefully not.

    1. Swissaboo

      Hopefully.

      1. Aaron

        Hopefully indeed.

      2. Valdrax

        It would pretty much mean the end of her scholarship and role as a character in the story. It was a very dumb move on her part.

        1. Swissaboo

          On the other hand, the comments would have significantly fewer misanthropists exclaiming how right sarah is with ever single thing she whines about. WORTH IT.

        2. Rex Hondo

          Considering education to be more important than drugs and partying equals misanthropy. Good to know…

        3. Swissaboo

          I call rhetorical foul. I never called Sarah a misanthropist (although she is, incidental to her opinions on education v. drugs and partying.) I called all the people who always flood the comments with “I AGREE WITH SARAH PEOPLE SUCK SO MUCH” misanthropists. Please return when you are willing to actually argue a point and not merely demonize the other side of an argument.

        4. TheLastOutlaw

          I’m not saying I’m agreeing with Sarah for jacking Raidah in the face like that but look at Sarah’s face, she’s crying with rage. There is way too much unexplored backstory to choose “sides” yet.

        5. swissaboo

          I’m not talking sides re: the fight in the comic, but in this particular debate. I can see how that was ambiguous though, my bad.

    2. NaptownSnake

      They are in Indiana. There is no way she will get jail time. If it was considered “mutual combat” she would not even be arrested. Since it wasn’t, she would get a fine and/or a couple hours community service.

    3. Bekah

      Even with 1000 witnesses, a single punch to the face rarely results in an assault charge, let alone jail time.

      1. Zuche

        Unlikely, since you can be charged with assault despite never taking a swing at a person.

        1. NaptownSnake

          Theoretically, but in actuality it never really happens. It is a scare tactic. In fact, Sarah has an excellent defense and would probably not be charged in any way. Her friend Joyce is being physically man-handled by a person with a history of drug charges. If Sarah claims to be afraid of Raidah escalating on Joyce or herself she would probably get nothing but a “move-along”. Especially since Raidah and everyone else there would be drug-tested if Sarah pushed the issue after being accused by Raidah. The letter of the law is far from what actually takes place in most cases, until it goes to the courtroom.

        2. Chupi

          It’s kind of true. Usually a punch isn’t going to get you much, a slap on the wrist at most. To get someone in real trouble for that or anything less usually takes a really dedicated “victim” who has some resources to throw around to get a lawyer to throw some fuss.

        3. N0083rP00F

          Unfortunately the other side of the coin is where assault charges are laid for raising your voice at a specific class of person and battery charges follow if a fleck of spittle lands on their person … or they just say such say it happened during a verbal altercation when they first confront you.

          Can you guess what class of personage would do such and have sich power and will to mess you because they can?

  4. Aizat

    Here’s another one. Sarah uses Mega Punch! Critical Hit!

    1. David Herbert

      It’s Super Effective.

      1. LimeTH

        Enemy Raidah fainted!

      2. Yotomoe

        (Actually Mega Punch is a normal type move, which by definition cannot be super effective against any type. I’m a nit-pickin’ nerd)
        It’s a Critical Hit!

        1. Liam

          Nooooo you beat me to the punch!

          :DDDDD it’s punilarious

        2. Liam

          Punchilarious is better.

        3. Jackson

          Everyone loves the puns.

          They’re a big hit.

        4. LuckyStar7

          To the FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!!!!!!!!!!!

      3. Liam

        *sniff* Mega Punch isn’t super effective against anything because it’s a normal type move.

        Now I’m heading back to my copy of blue version and hiding under a rock

      4. Aeonitus

        I hope Raidah isn’t about to use Fake Tears

        1. Jehosaphat

          Fake tears make sad batman sad.

  5. hinoteoni

    oh snap

  6. Yotomoe

    You wouldn’t hit a girl with gla-
    never mind…

    1. Aizat

      Doesn’t matter, eat fist.

      1. Yotomoe

        I read that in “I just had Sex”‘s tune

        1. Wonder Wig

          Doesn’t matter, had sex with fist.

        2. LuckyStar7

          For a nickel.
          With your mom.
          In the FAAAAAAAAAAACE.

        3. NCP19

          Glad I wasn’t the only one

        4. Jehosaphat

          And now the two combine into one completely horrific and disturbing song.

    2. Plasma Mongoose

      You two beat me to it.

  7. Aizat

    FLY, IRON FIST! ROCKET PUNCH!

    1. Hatman

      HUMAN ROCKET PUNCH!

  8. Leorale

    Woah! She really is crying. D:

    Poor everyone. If only Sarah had just walked away, and then later told Joyce about what happened last year, and then Joyce could make up her own mind… but clearly she’s not thinking real hard right now.

    1. David Herbert

      As I said yesterday, she’s scared of losing her little sis.

      1. Yotomoe

        Love makes people do stupid things…
        I love everything.

        1. Aizat

          Yeah, like committing suicide and betraying your friends.

        2. Yotomoe

          calm down sunshine, if you get any cheerier you’ll start to freak people out

    2. Swissaboo

      I don’t understand why you added “right now”

      1. Swissaboo

        Also I don’t understand why you would say “poor raidah.” A punch to the face is temporary. Pressing charges on someone you really dislike is forever!

  9. Leorale

    Also: “No, boys, not over li’l ol’ me!”

    1. Liam

      A reference my ears applaud.

  10. Sensedog

    What Sarah did in this particular situation may not have been “right” per se, but it is something that can happen when someone is pushed or provoked one too many times. Everyone has limits.

    1. Swissaboo

      Yeah, how dare they make the point that people don’t actually get to tell people what to do.

      1. taekwondogirl

        I’m not condoning Sarah’s actions or anything but it’s kind of weird seeing how hard you’re fighting to say she did something bad right now. I think we’re pretty aware of the fact that despite how satisfying it is, it’s not a good thing to actually do.

        1. TheLastOutlaw

          It would be even more satisfying if Dina was gnawing on Raidahs leg in the next strip.

    2. Ziaheart

      I love you for writing that right and not writing “per say”.

      1. begbert2

        Heh, yesterday I actually looked that up to make sure I spelled it right.

        …okay so I’m an idiot for not already knowing, but least I knew enough to know that ‘per say’ smelled off.

  11. Grimlock64

    POW RIGHT IN THE KISSER! POW RIGHT IN THE KISSER!

    1. ThatKid

      STRAIGHT TO THE MOON!

  12. Yotomoe

    I was really holding out hope it’d become a cliche’d tug-of-war betwixt Raidah and Sarah for Joyce.

  13. Wonder Wig

    POW! Right in the Kisser!

    1. Chronos

      You knocked my block off!

  14. Aeonitus

    [applause]

  15. The Sound Defense

    Jesus, Sarah, they’re not going to eat Joyce alive.

    1. Gundi

      It’s never safe to assume.

      1. Aizat

        Well, you know what they say about assume.

        1. Wack'd

          It makes you a douchebag?

      2. Yotomoe

        If anything I’d be more concerned with Billie’s mental instability doing Joyce in.

    2. DT

      They may well, considering how they treat Sarah like shit and treat Dina like shit by association with Sarah.
      They’re a bunch of bongoes. Punch damn well deserved.

      1. Wravv

        Did they really treat Dina like shit? I’m pretty sure Char was the only one who said anything outright awful to her, and even then Radiah actively put it down. Radiah was the first to imply that she may have a mental issue with you can see in her face in this strip ( http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/05-saturdays-all-right-for-slighting/challenged/ ) that she doesn’t seem particularly jeery about it. Chan says a mean thing and again, Radiah put it down. The worst treatment I think people can say Radiah gave to Dina was acting condescendingly under false pretenses. Say what you will about Chan and Char but it seems like Radiah is actually an okay person to anyone but Sarah. Sarah’s been adequately vilified in her mind, just as Radiah has been in Sarah’s, despite the fact that neither of them are cartoon villains. I actually wouldn’t be shocked if the two of them had some history that goes beyond Sarah’s old roommate.

        Her biggest fault may in fact being too emotionally invested in her friend who got kicked out of school.

  16. Aydr

    holy… that ain’t good. Hopefully this doesn’t come into play with a certain baseball bat incident as well…

  17. Cholma

    Wow. Did NOT see that coming. Good thing she didn’t bring the bat with her. Poor choice, Sarah, poor choice.

    1. Aizat

      What, not using the bat or showing restraint?

      1. Cholma

        Heh. Just realized how that was worded. “Poor choice” as in “punching Raidah was not wise”.

        It would have been much better for her to stay mute and let Raidah say something mean first. Joyce would have jumped to Sarah’s defense. Now, Joyce is confused and has no idea why Sarah just punched someone who has been nice to her.

    2. LuckyStar7

      She DID bring the bat, remember?

      1. Rognik

        I still wanna know where she’s hiding that thing. Maybe it’s in her hyperspace purse which is currently in her hyperspace pocket.

  18. Aizat

    That is one mean jab.

    1. Yotomoe

      Well, nice jabs are hard to come by, except from bros and jocks.

    2. Mark_Sakura

      (pedantic) That’s not a jab. Jab is with the lead hand. That was a cross or a reverse. (/pedantic)

    3. Hatman

      That’s not a jab. That’s a straight/cross.

  19. Xartarin

    Sarah, no!

    Use the bat!

  20. addude

    Notice how they made Sarah cry. She really doesn’t want to lose Joyce as a friend.

    1. Aizat

      Or as a little sister.

  21. Tunasammich

    This comic has officially managed to give me anxiety. Now I need a glass of wine. Saraaaah nooooooo :3

    1. Valdrax

      How ’bout some Sierra Mist?

      1. addude

        Root Beer?

        1. Historyman68

          Compromise: one part Sierra Mist, two parts Chardonnay, half a part root beer. I have no idea how mixing drinks works.

        2. addude

          sounds right to me

        3. Rognik

          …with a roofie twist?

  22. Nym

    Ack, Sarah, bad idea! I know you’re stressed and trying to protect the ickle freshmen, but an assault arrest is not the answer. D:

    Also, Joyce’s expression in panel two is kind of hard to look at. I can’t tell if she’s distressed over Sarah’s own distress and unexpected (from Joyce’s pov) actions, or if Sarah is gripping entirely too tight and hurting her.

    1. Thisguy

      Neither. She is just very seriously worried about not having paid for the clothes before being taken out of the store. This is Joyce, after all.

  23. Charles RB

    OHHHH SHIIIIIIT 😮

  24. kyojikasshu

    Oh, it… is… ON!

    1. LionHeart

      Dance-off next chapter, calling it!

      1. Yotomoe

        Dumbing of Age 2: Electric Boogaloo
        (also as a little exercise, I have a theory that every movie sounds awesome if ends in “2: electric boogaloo

        1. Yotomoe

          Toy Story 2: Electric Boogaloo
          Shrek 2: Electric Boogaloo
          Shawshank Redemption 2: Electric Boogaloo

        2. Bryn

          What about adding it to the movie that started that trend?

          Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo 2: Electric Boogaloo

          Doesn’t work quite so…. well…..link:

        3. Yotomoe

          I’d watch Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo 2: Electric Boogaloo
          Do you realize how much electronic boogie-ing that promises?

        4. V V King

          The King’s Speech 2 : Electric Boogaloo.

        5. Moomoomonkey

          Titanic 2: Electric Boogaloo

        6. Yotomoe

          Passion of the Christ 2: Electric Boogaloo

        7. Wack'd

          A Serbian Film 2: Electric Boogaloo

    2. Aizat

      Let’s take this outside, shall we?

      1. Wack'd

        And then Thor falls from the flying party.

  25. Edd

    I am Heavy Veapons Guy, and I approve of ze last panel.

    1. hmrc4evr

      You aren’t the Viper coming to wash our windows?

      I feel G.I.Joe has lied to me somehow. Next crazy thing I’ll be told is that knowing ISN’T half the battle!!

      1. Ziaheart

        Omgah I miss that webcomic. Unless that was a reference to something entirely different.

        1. begbert2

          Well, I sort of assumed it was referencing the G.I.Joe episode vhere everyvun vas fearing the arrival of the Viper, myself…

  26. Kisai

    Sarah probably feels like she’s taking two children away from the “bad influence” group.

    1. begbert2

      One child. She doesn’t give two rips about Billie and probably already considers her fallen to the dark side anyway.

      1. Rognik

        The two children are Dina and Joyce. As you said, Jennifer is a lost cause.

  27. Doomdarts

    The next few strips will just be Sarah punching Raidah over and over again. And on Friday, Raidah’s head will explode.

    1. Yotomoe

      Dumbing of Age Flip-O-Rama

      Sarah Wins…Fatality

      1. Rognik

        Which then leads to the natural question: who would win in a fight, Sarah or Amazi-Girl?

  28. KresyAntics

    The menace Raidah had that one coming, just did not expect it to be away from campus. Now the next move is for Dina to go RARRRR on the rest of them, that would be amusing.

    1. NoLast

      Yes, unprovoked assault is a wonderful thing.

      1. Swissaboo

        Your gravatar.

        This is going to be a WONDERFUL couple days.

      2. KresyAntics

        It is not unprovoked. The “3 victims” made fun of both Dina and Sarah. It all depends on how they explain it to the awfulslur (officer).

        1. Rognik

          Words are no excuse for an escalation to violence. I don’t know if Raidah grabbing Joyce’s arm is enough to call it an aggressive act (as Joyce did not object to being grabbed), but Sarah is still in the wrong.

        2. Rutee

          Sure, but it still doesn’t make it unprovoked. Raidah has gone out of her way, repeatedly, to provoke her. That she got a reaction she didn’t want (Or deserve) does not change that.

    2. Yotomoe

      The Dinasaur, opposed to conflict, picks off an already weakened prey from a previous encounter.

  29. NinjaNick

    Catfight!

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Cat Fight evolves into Fist Of Fury.

  30. NoLast

    Jeez, Sarah is being so over-emotional. She needs to just calm down and be rational. Of course these people are going to be upset with her…I’d be very upset if someone tore a friend out of my life just to they could be more comfortable.
    Sarah really needs to stop thinking of herself, and realize other people have lives, too.

    1. Zanosuke_Kurosaki

      “Sarah really needs to stop thinking of herself, and realize other people have lives, too.”

      Sarah had this very problem with her drug-taking roommate. Irony Cat approves of you ironically missing this very thing.

      1. Swissaboo

        What kind of doofus are you?
        The fellow didn’t say ANYTHING in approval of sarah’s old roommate’s action.

        1. Zanosuke_Kurosaki

          What kind of a person are -YOU-, to be name-calling someone you’ve never interacted with before, hmm? This is a civil place – kindly keep it so.

      2. NoLast

        I was saying that getting rid of her roommate was being selfish…
        That *was* the point.

        Now *that,* my friend, is ironic.

        1. NoLast

          I’m not saying that her roommate, assuming all fanon is true, was doing any better, but fighting fire with fire kind of pisses all over the morality of the situation.

        2. Mr. Morningstar

          I have no idea how getting rid of your roomate who’s drugs are risking your chances of continuing your education really counts as selfish.

        3. Yotomoe

          It was selfish? It was disruptive and illegal…what should she have done?

        4. NoLast

          Well, considering that her roommate was very well-liked, I’ll go out on a limb and say that the roommate wasn’t disruptive.
          But anyway, that’s not the point. The roommate was being selfish, sure, but so was Sarah. And she’s continuing to do so; making people’s decisions for them. I would be surprised to find that she actually confronted her roommate before going over her head and getting her kicked out.

        5. Yotomoe

          Being well liked isn’t a guaruntee that you aren’t disruptive. It’s like a brother, He pisses YOU off but other people like him, cuz they don’t have to live with him.
          Yes Sarah is being selfish trying to pull Joyce out but it’s only because she cares about her and doesn’t want her getting hurt. And maybe she didn’t confront the roomate because she was out of control, or she wouldn’t listen, or she was so popular she could turn the student body against her (which is exactly what happened). All I’m saying, What ifs aren’t really grounds for name calling

        6. Swissaboo

          It’s not a guarantee but it’s strong evidence.

        7. Rex Hondo

          No, it really isn’t.

        8. Swissaboo

          People tend to dislike MOST forms of disruptive people.

        9. Ziaheart

          Not if they’re being disruptive with them.

        10. NoLast

          All I’m saying is that she’s being far more emotional than she claims to be.

        11. Pat

          That is the definition of not-selfish.

        12. Pat

          Standing up for yourself is not selfish.

        13. Swissaboo

          Sarah’s roommate suffered. Sarah benefited.

        14. Swissaboo

          I mean sure it was probably within sarah’s rights, but someone else still suffered SOLELY for sarah’s benefit.

        15. Yotomoe

          That’s like how arresting an abusive boyfriend would be SOLEY for somebody’s benefit

        16. Janette

          Wanting to keep from being kicked out of school is a really selfish thing.

          And the roommate was never selfish, putting Sarah in a position where she had to be a snark or risk being kicked out, for the roommate’s personal pleasure. And the same roommate could have easily prevented the situation from happening.

        17. Energeticjen

          I don’t think Sarah is benefitting by being shunned.

        18. Yotomoe

          Doing drugs in and of itself is a pretty selfish thing.
          Also if not wanting to lose thousands of dollars in tuition being kicked out of school due to some other girl is wrong, then I don’t really think I wanna be right.
          and once again, we don’t know the story, so why do you keep making assumptions and treating them like facts?

        19. Yotomoe

          unless that paragraphs sarcastic, in which case, my bad.

        20. Janette

          I think you are missing the point. My six months I was at college was interesting, including I had a roommate who smoked pot a lot and sprayed febreeze to try to cover it up despite me telling her I had asthma and would have an asthma attack when she did that. Plus, despite the febreeze and opening windows, the smell got into everything and I did not like the smell or smelling like I smoked pot when I didn’t.

          She was also had a circle of friends she was popular with.

          Not much is really known about the situation but just living in the same room with someone doing drugs can be disruptive beyond not approving of drugs.

        21. ROC

          Given that her roommate’s drug habits put Sarah’s scholarship at risk, I’d say the roommate was pretty disruptive. She may not have been wreaking havoc around campus, but she was creating a negative living environment for Sarah through her illegal actions.

        22. DudeMyDadOwnsADealership

          We may be catching on to the big, fat, smelly devil in the
          details that really is the cause of Raidah & Co.’s problem
          with Sarah over Dana being busted. What if Sarah was
          getting blasted with Dana just like the others UNTIL she
          learned it was going to cost her her scholarship, learned
          Dana’s kind of crowd aren’t that type you can count on
          when the wolf is at your door, did what she had to to
          get out, and now act’s like she was NEVER one of them.
          End result: What’s left of her former crowd now hates
          her not just for turning on them but acting like they
          weren’t ever friends in the first place, and her conscience
          is like a a nuclear power plant full of exposed electrical hazards being
          flooded. Now, the start of a history of violence.

        23. Zanosuke_Kurosaki

          Well, if they weren’t the kind of people she could count on when things were bad, then they definitely weren’t her friends to begin with, so she wouldn’t quite be completely wrong on that one…

  31. Eri

    Yikes!

    that’s my only reaction

  32. Brasca1

    Apparently she has more in common with Billie than she’s like to admit. This is serious since unlike the last person Sarah assaulted she had the defense of coming to someone else’s aid. Joyce’s would-be rapist couldn’t press charges without getting himself in trouble, but this isn’t the case here.

    1. Swissaboo

      Not only is it not the case here, her victim has motive BEYOND “got punched in the face”

  33. CamelCase

    I feel like that was probably justified.

    1. Swissaboo

      I think a lot of misanthropists agree with you.

      1. Shade

        Nope, Just because someone doesn’t like people doesn’t mean they approve of punching them in the nose with little to no provocation.

      2. Mrelegos

        Hey, don’t go speaking for us misanthropists out there! Personally, I don’t think it was justified, and I hate people.

      3. begbert2

        Wow, you seem to really hate people who you believe to be misanthropists. Perhaps you’ve been staring into the darkness a little too long?

        1. swissaboo

          Nah see, I’m aware that the people I’m villifying are in fact a small subset of the population.

    2. NoLast

      Verbal provocation doesn’t justify physical rebuttal.

      1. NO

        Either nothing justify physical rebuttal (hence, police and justice agents are the only one to have legit violence as they are deposit of legal violence).
        Or this is just a matter of POV and circumstances. If you think there are moments where the official can’t exerce this violence in order to protect the ordre/the people/whatever you believe to be the point of society, and therefor act as an item of replacement to this legal violence (hence, as a militia). As said Pascal, if you are against a rule of law, you are against the whole power system that set this rule, even if this is one bad rule middle of many good ones.
        So, if you think than verbal violence/provocation can damage more than physical, or that it can set up the premise for physical violence to come and to be socially relevant, there is a reason that you will perceive a first “preventing” violence as good (that is the whole point in most wars, isn’t it?).

        Of course that is theory. But this theory could explain why Sarah is all going Clausewitz on Raydah.

        Other point is: people like Raydah, obviously upper class, can be seen by people from lower classes as people that never get what they deserve, and so sarah’s fist comeuppance could be seen as a first ballet move of legit class struggle. I personnally am not positive about it being the case here, but anyhow, that’s another way someone could justify physical violence against verbal provocation.

        So you see, it’s really tough to tell. Let’s wait for word of god to know if it is justified or not, and what consequences would be. In my opinion, Raydah saying something like “you’d deserve jail for that, bu unlike you I don’t need authorities to ruin others lives” could be the most hurting thing to Sarah, because it’d show her how weak her reactions, even physical, are…

        1. NoLast

          “Let’s wait for word of god to know if it is justified or not, and what consequences would be.”

          …What.

        2. NO

          word of god = author

        3. Zanosuke_Kurosaki

          Who’s Raydah? I’m aware of a Raidah character, but no Raydah. Must be her good twin!

        4. NO

          my bad. The final h is disturbing me so I change other letters randomly randomly

        5. Zanosuke_Kurosaki

          Ahhh, I see! Either way, this is now a thing – Raydah is now Raidah’s good twin, who we will never see because she’s always volunteering and treating people with more dignity than her sister’s friends ever will. Fun things can come from typos. 😀

    3. Mr. Morningstar

      While normally I would say that violence is not the answer…

      She had it coming to be fair.

      1. DudeMyDadOwnsADealership

        Sadly if “he/she had it coming” was either here or there in terms of legality, I don’t want to think of the number of people in prison for murder or putting someone in the hospital who would qualify for a full pardon.

  34. Kernanator

    Dun.

    Dun.

    DUNNNNNN.

    1. Yotomoe

      Ben Dunn?

  35. thomas0comer

    …wow. That’s really all I have to say about this.

    1. thomas0comer

      Oh, wait. Damn you, Willis.

      1. Rognik

        And it’s not even Friday!

  36. Brandon

    Ahhh man, so many feels. I cant tell who I support right now.

    So far Radiah.

    1. Resne

      I would agree if Sarah wasn’t basically feeling like she’s having pretty much everyone she actually cares about taken from her AGAIN.

      1. Swissaboo

        Tough shit, not a reason to punch someone in the face.

        1. Resne

          Really? If someone constantly treated you like shit, taunted you, guilted you over the course of MONTHS, and then as soon as you started to get over it they appear to be stealing the only semblance of friendship you have left, wouldn’t you at least consider it? I mean under her facade of the big badass, Sarah’s still really torn up about this incident.

        2. Brandon

          Hardly stealing. She met a girl and for no reason other than to be nice, she started to be kind to this girl .

          And we have no idea that she did any of that stuff, we know almost literally nothing of the history specifically between these two. And radiah has already shown herself to be quite kind, and not just to be a bongo to sarah through it, but just generally Politically correct and kind.

          There is more to this.

          And no matter it, there is no reason to punch someone.

    2. Rognik

      I support Joyce. At least, I’d like to, but she’d probably slap me. Or worse.

  37. hmrc4evr

    Man, and I thought Tranzor Z (Mazinger for the fans of the Japanese orginal) had a hell of a Rocket Punch!

    This is not going to end well.

    1. artemi71

      Dude. EVERYONE calls it Mazinger.

    2. artemi71

      I feel sorry for Sarah. I do.

      But I’m going to be happy to see her get in trouble for this.

      Sometimes you need to let people make their own mistakes, Sarah. That’s ENTIRELY what Joyce is here to do; to live in the world away from overprotective parents who insist on making all the decisions for her. Joyce doesn’t want you to make her hard decisions; she wants you to back her up when she screws up.

      You are not letting her.

      1. artemi71

        Gah, this was suppose to be in the general thread… Stupid can’t delete posts…

  38. Janette

    This cannot end well. One of the reasons I ended up leaving college–did so on medical withdrawal, but I was nearly kicked out for slapping one of my bullies, and the school was extremely worried about pissed parents/assault charges.

    However, this isn’t on school grounds, but she just punched someone with what is going to look like to cops or any other outside people that she just punched someone for no reason and with provocation.

    1. Swissaboo

      The law is the law, and it’s not like this is a law that people don’t get every opportunity to know.

      1. NaptownSnake

        Punching people once is not really a big deal in the Midwest. It is illegal, but even if there is grounds to press charges, it is a very minor thing.

      2. Janette

        True, but many people are unclear on justified self-defense, and that if you are provoked verbally, and sometimes even if you are physically provoked, it does not apply.

      3. Janette

        Anyway, I sure as heck didn’t know that at the level I was being harassed, I would be the one in the wrong or that slapping someone would count as assault.

        Punching someone though is something we do get to know as clearly being assault.

        1. NaptownSnake

          Yes , but that doesn’t mean she will be arrested or charged. There is a lot more to it than that. A lot depends on the cops responding IF the cops are even called. Often they are not, or just work it out without arresting anyone. Even if she got arrested, there is no guarantee she would be charged.

      4. Quatoria

        The law is the law! You mean, like, the law where it’s illegal to do drugs in your dorm, and that gets you kicked out of school? The law you’re so very, very mad at Sarah for taking shelter behind? That law?

        1. swissaboo

          I have no idea where you got that idea.

        2. Justanothersomethingorother

          Probably from statements like:

          “Sarah’s roommate suffered. Sarah benefited.”

    2. Rognik

      I have to agree that schools are sometimes questionable when it comes to punishing reactions. I was punished in middle school (it was a private school, if anyone is curious), and I had been bullied on and off the previous year. Early on in the year, the bully decides to put his backpack on mine and I got sick of it. So I pushed him and his bag back. This didn’t sit well with the bully, who then followed me down the hall and into the locked, throwing his backpack at my head, then elbowing me in the head a few times. I had a bruise on the back of my head, about the size of a chicken’s egg, and -I- got threatened with the same punishment as the bully, because he almost hit an outcropping corner I didn’t even realize was there.

  39. Rex Hondo

    That was really one of the worst moves she could have made right there…

    1. Yotomoe

      I know! She should have moved her Bishop to King’s-Rook 5

      1. Insanely Asinine

        You sure had made my day.

    2. thomas0comer

      I would have gone with the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (hurricane kick) myself.

  40. Uniqueantique

    Read the comments. Thought about them. Disagree that Sarah was not provoked, keeping in mind the previous encounters with the sharks now surrounding Joyce. They bullied and insulted Dina and Sarah. Sarah knows how vulnurable Joyce is after the party encounter and how naive she is. As for Sarah’s previous roommate, yeah the roommate was popular, with all the dopers and party goers. Trying to study with that going on in your dorm room-PLUS the fact that Sarah was afraid she’d lose her scholarship if dope was found in their room seems to me to be an sound reason to nark the room mate out. So…Sarah shouldn’t have punched her…she should have pushed her off the balcony and said ‘oops’.

    1. Andy

      So, what your saying is that, in response to some harassment and an unknown level of drug use, Sarah should have attempted murder?

      Congratulations, you are a horrible person.

    2. Rognik

      Sarah was provoked, yes. Sarah also escalated by responding to the abuse with violence. A violent reaction, while very human which anyone might have done, is seen as wrong in modern day society. Your suggestion goes beyond escalation and jumps straight off the cliff.

  41. Plasma Mongoose

    I wonder how Joyce is going to react.

  42. Acher4

    What the….!
    🙁
    Why?

  43. Azukar

    Welp, there goes Sarah 🙁

    Also, my bet is Dina has disappeared. She won’t be seen again for a while.

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      At least until she has to report on the day’s events.

  44. soozi

    Honestly, for everyone saying Sarah needs to be rational right now, exactly how rational do you think someone in her situation could be right now? Think about it. these girls are out to get her and make her life a living hell. They friggin said that someone would have to be mentally retarded to hang out with Sarah, and while that is not at all a nice thing to say about Dina, it’s cruel to imply that about Sarah. So she comes down and now they’re talking to her new roommate, and her lil sis – what does this look like to her? Sure it isn’t rational, but to her it probably looks like they’re out to sabotage her, AGAIN. She is feeling closed in and scared that she’s about to lose the only friend she has, either by them convincing Joyce that Sarah just hates everyone, or by hurting Joyce to get back at Sarah.

    Is what Sarah did smart? No that probably made the whole thing worse, and will make Joyce judge her harshly. Was it the right rational thing to do? Helllz no. But was it an understandable response when the “flight or fight” response has been activated (Sarah sees them as a threat to her well being)? Yeah, probably. She tried to get out of there, she was held back, so fear overtook rationality so fists flew.

    Ok, done overanalyzing webcomic characters for the night, time to check in on QC and see if anyone is making out.

    1. Andy

      These girls are hardly “out to get her.” They take potshots when they run into Sarah, but they’re not going out of their way to cause her emotional or physical harm.

      1. Hatman

        I’m pretty sure taking potshots whenever you see someone is being out to get them.

      2. Gordon

        They live in the same dorm.

        “when they run into her” is going to be pretty often.

        And the clear implication has been that they did the exact some thing last year.

    2. Anonymous

      I haven’t been in quite the same situation as Sarah, but I know what it’s like to be provoked, and to be surrounded by people who hate you for things you didn’t do or can’t control. In my situation, I never hauled off and hit somebody. I always responded with good will, and even when I was most emotional I made sure to keep myself in check. I can’t say that that was the correct way to act, and perhaps if I had been less rational I would be happier now. Regardless, if it all happened again I would act the same way.

      With all that being said… Can I at least hold other people to the same standard I hold myself?

  45. TheBenenator

    Calling it: her experience with the legal system caused by this is what makes her decide to become a prosecution lawyer!

    1. Ziaheart

      Does that mean Joyce will become a defensive attorney in order to confront Sarah in the court about her sudden change of heart?

      1. Hythrain

        This made my day. Thank you.

  46. ComicLover

    Pow! Right in the kisser!

  47. Azumango

    Aw, Sarah…

  48. John

    Be cool, Sarah, be cool!

  49. AJBulldis

    Show her ya moves, Sarah!

    1. LuckyStar7

      Pedobear approves.

  50. Dr.Z

    This is not going anywhere Sarah will want it to go, long term.

    This train-wreak is painful to watch.

    1. jessicaxyl

      I agree, this is quite painful! Poor Sarah, but I want to know the backstory even more now!

  51. Jimmy

    I know Sarah did it out of instinct, but she has to realize Joyce may never want to see her again. Now I feel terrible for everyone. DYW! 🙁

  52. CC

    Having spent my middle school years being bullied, I can say with conviction that she fucking deserved it.

    Not that it was SMART, mind, but people tend to not do the smart thing when they are cornered like that.

  53. Gargamel

    What Sarah should have done is told Radah to get lost and shout very loudly about exactly happened between Sarah and her former friends and let Joyce make up her own mind.
    Unless there is some form of ambiguity I’m missing here.
    Radah deserved the punch but it was the worst possible thing to do.

    1. Shadlyn Wolfe

      This! It’s not a question of whether the punch was deserved, people. It’s the fact that Sarah put everything she was trying to protect – EVERYTHING – in jeopardy with one punch.

      Her education. Her friendship with Joyce. Her clean criminal record. All of it could potentially be lost.

      Understandable, yes. Good, no.

      1. Ancestral Hamster

        Yes, agreed. Not looking good for Sarah.

    2. Mirefrost00

      THIS. I’m fairly certain that Sarah was trying to protect Joyce from those girls. She may have good knowledge that they’re just as compromised as Sarah’s junkie ex-roommate, whose booting they still hold a grudge over. We don’t know anything about these three yet, but it may come to light.

      But yeah, this impulsive action *will* cost Sarah.

  54. Anime fan

    Nice right straight.

    1. Hatman

      Hey, someone gets it right!

  55. Dann

    Great comic … It is alot of fun and I love that you have a new comic every day. On a side note I just wanted to let you know there are several dead (next) and (most recent) links…

  56. Wravv

    I’d really like to hear more about how exactly Sarah handled the situation with her roommate, because if this is how she deals with conflict, it really does paint a different picture (not to imply that she punched her roommate).

  57. Jeffrey Scott

    I may be jumping to conclusions. But something tells me there is some bad blood between Sarah and Raidah. Call it a hunch, wait no. Call it a punch.

    1. Gordon

      If you’re just now jumping to this conclusion, you need to check if you put on anti-gravity boots by mistake.

      Or else you’ve developed a superpower.

  58. Cronomatt

    PUNCH-OUT! *DINGDINGDING*

    She didn’t even have to train by chasing after a guy on a bike!

    1. Zanosuke_Kurosaki

      Join the Nintendo Fun Club today!

  59. Weebles

    Sigh. I know why she’s lashing out, but my parents impressed upon me that, as far as fights go, never be the one to start them or otherwise throw the first punch. This is going to have consequences, and she can’t blame anyone but herself for it… at least not effectively. :/

    Very believable though, and dramatic.

  60. Intie

    I don’t understand the people who keep hating on Sarah. I just can’t comprehend their arguements.
    Her roommate was taking drugs. Drugs are illegal. Taking drugs is a bad thing. If a person does it, he or she deserves punishment.
    How can anyone use “selfish” to Sarah? Do people understand what this word actually means? I don’t know, maybe it’s just me because I’m not a native speaker, but I wouldn’t use selfish to describe a person who had to share a room with someone who was doing something illegal and could be dangerous to her, so she eventually did what she was supposed to do. I don’t see the selfish part in this.
    And about her being misanthropic. Dude. You think she doesn’t have the right to be like that? Everyone turned against her even though she basically did nothing wrong. What the fuck.

    Or is taking drugs (was it weed?) considered to be “ok” this much in the USA? Maybe it’s just cultural differences then. I don’t tolerate any kind of drugs, no matter how “light” they are (and yes, this includes cigarettes before someone tries to point this out).

    1. NoLast

      The point really is, Sarah’s roommate was (probably) selfish in doing drugs; she thought of herself and not of Sarah’s comfort. Sarah was also selfish in removing her roommate; she thought of her own comfort and not of her roommate’s desires to remain in college (for a lot of people staying in college is their only chance at a life of not poverty).
      My only problem with Sarah is that she continually plays the victim, when this is a situation that left everyone victimized. *Everyone* was upset, and she was too stubborn to apologize for doing what she believed was necessary, and so everyone shuns her.
      And as for having the right to be a misanthropist…People that don’t like you treating you poorly does not justify assuming the worst about everyone.

      1. Intie

        “Sarah was also selfish in removing her roommate; she thought of her own comfort and not of her roommate’s desires to remain in college”

        Oh my sweet lord, my head is pounding from this retardation.
        “God damn it, a bunch of vines and fallen trees are blocking my path. I’m going to be selfish and not think of the vines and cut them down so I can go forward.”
        “Damn, the vase on my table is in front of the remote control. I’m going to be selfish and put the vase away so I can reach the remote control.”
        “Oh hell no, there’s a courtain in front of me. I’m going to be selfish and move it away so I can go through.”
        I sort of raged.

        “she was too stubborn to apologize for doing what she believed was necessary”

        “I put that plate on the other table because I want to eat there. I shall apologize”.
        Are you entirely serious?

        “People that don’t like you treating you poorly does not justify assuming the worst about everyone.”

        She doesn’t. She just doesn’t force social interactions and relationships.
        And also: but yes. It does. It’s called being pessimistic. You expect the worst from everything. Have you heard about it?

        1. Gentleman Mummy

          See, what person above does not understand is that, as selfish as it might be on principle to betray a friend, it’s not nearly as selfish as endangering people around you because of a drugs habit (that we do not know is marijuana), and not AT ALL as selfish as verbally abusing someone and spreading false rumours about them to their friends because they disagreed with your almighty point of view.

          I have had those abuses and rumours. Unlike Sarah, I knew that not responding (and making new, non-scummy friends) is what makes you the better person. And if your new friends mix with the old, scumbag ones? Don’t panic. They’re still your friends as well.

          Though I think Sarah is justifiably angry. With people like Raidah, you’d suspect that sabotaging friendships is just another element in their bag of tricks.

    2. swissaboo

      Sarah has the right to be misanthropic, but only because of freedom of opinion. There’s nothing that “earns” you the right to be wrong.

      1. Intie

        “There’s nothing that “earns” you the right to be wrong.”

        Please explain. What is “wrong”?

  61. Mo

    Calling it: Raidah is the dealer that got Sarah’s ex-roommate into drugs in the first place.

  62. Hythrain

    I get the feeling there’s more to this than we know. Like, maybe it was Raidah who got Sarah’s ex-roommate into drugs in the first place, and it spiralled out of control from there to the point where Sarah knew it was only a matter of time before she got caught. However, Sarah liked her roommate at the time and thus was torn between the decision to either rat her out or have her own education thrown into jeopardy.

    I won’t lie, in Sarah’s situation I would’ve exposed them. If my friend got caught, it’d lead to the expulsion of BOTH of us. However, in ratting out my friend, only they get kicked out. It’s harsh, but as much as I like the person, why should I have to risk my college education so they can do something illegal?

    Finally, there’s another element to this that people ignore. As NoLast said a bit above me, for a lot of people, staying in college is their only chance at a life of not poverty. This seems to be true for Sarah, who has said scholarships are the only thing keeping her in school. While Sarah’s roommate getting caught might not have kicked Sarah out of school (Though it would’ve kicked that roommate out for sure), the implication was that it would have cost her those scholarships. Losing those effectively kicks her out of college.

    This implies to me that if Sarah is EVER kicked out of college, that’s it for her. She’s below the poverty line for life. She won’t be able to afford the education to get over it. However, we don’t know if this is the case for her ex-roommate.

    From this perspective, Sarah punching Raidah as she did now makes a LOT more sense. Why? Because if it was Raidah’s fault her ex-roommate got into drugs, she’s probably worried the same will happen to Joyce.

    1. Gordon Blvd

      let me just see if I follow the logic here: smoking marijuana – bad. assaulting people who are not threatening by close fist punching them hard enough to knock the glasses off their face – good.

      alrighty, then

    2. Andy

      You’re extrapolating a lot with no evidence.

      1. Gordon Blvd

        no, I’m right – take a look – the glasses CLEARLY leave her face 🙂

  63. Plan D

    THE MYSTERY IS KILLING ME!! Flashback, please, I’m beggingyou!

  64. PS

    Awesome comic. I tune in everyday 🙂

    The *Next* link is missing on this page:
    http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/05-saturdays-all-right-for-slighting/freshmen/

  65. Farmer_10

    Oh noes. This is getting real. D:

  66. icepyrox

    misanthrope or misanthropist (ˈmɪzənˌθrəʊp, mɪˈzænθrəpɪst)

    — n
    a person who dislikes or distrusts other people or mankind in general

    … So… I dislike or distrust people or mankind in general if I get worked into a blind rage and punch them in the face when I can’t even see straight because tears of rage and anxiety run down my face and the instinctual fight or flight response has fully kicked in.

    I’ve been there. I’ve thrown that punch. Did I get in trouble? Well, not really. Not to the point people are wanting here.

    Is throwing the punch the right thing to do? No. Does Sarah know that? If she could think straight, then maybe. Is this justified? Hard to say.

    Should Sarah be thrown out of college, thrown into jail, and/or serve a community service over one punch? No. I mean, Raidah isn’t going to the hospital for this. She isn’t dead. She will be just fine. In fact, this will probably only hurt for about 5 minutes at the most.

    To completely ruin the life of someone who is emotionally distraught for an act that does no lasting damage, especially when the temporary damage is contained only to the person who emotionally distraught the attacker in the fist place is, to me, worse than the punch in the first place.

    Call me misanthropist. Call me a hater. I think it is far less compassionate and far less humane to arrest Sarah for this. Upholding the law for the law’s sake only is just as misanthropist. Yeah, I had to look up the word, so maybe I’m misunderstanding the use of the word. Laws are created by humans, for humans, so to take the human element out of the law is also to show a distrust of humans and/or dislike of them.

    1. Andy

      But part of the point of the law is to have a code that isn’t human, a code under which all are equal. The human element isn’t there to subvert the law or fail to uphold it, but to lessen the sentencing when circumstances dictate.

  67. MLBlue

    Yikes, did that really warrant a punch? I think Sarah may have some anger issues. Also, is she crying or am I seeing things.

    1. Gordon

      She appears to be crying, yes.

  68. quix

    This is sad. Tone just changed to serious and uncomfortable. I realize that’s a re-occuring style choice in Willis’s comics, but I still never see it coming.

  69. Gentleman Mummy

    I’m just scared of what Joyce is going to say.

  70. JA

    OH SHI-! again

  71. Jade

    Aww, poor Sarah, she must really be hurting to lash out like this.

    No, I don’t believe in justified violence, but I can empathize with her.

    Would Joyce have a problem with violence? Didn’t she and Mike beat the pulp out of Joe?

    And I agree with everyone that I really want to see the backstory on this!

  72. skies

    I wasn’t expecting to relate to Sarah this strongly. This strip just hit me in a place I forgot I had and ow. I don’t want her to lose all her friends again 🙁 When I was a kid I used to lash out when things got bad and I felt completely without control – it was never a conscious decision, it just up and happened – and I lost people I really cared about because of that and agh.

  73. Rust

    Between this and the Party, I wonder if Joyce is reconsidering not going to a Christian Campus.

    Not that those are any better, mind you, but this poor sheltered girl is getting hit by the Social A-Bomb here.

  74. Wack'd

    Okay, here’s my thoughts–

    We don’t know how long Sarah’s been putting up with this. (I think.)

    Even if it was at the end of the year, she’s probably been harassed quite a bit on Facebook or her email account or whathaveyou during the break. Maybe not by Raidah, but more than likely by her dickish friends.

    If it was earlier in the year, it meant dealing with a lot of harassment in person. Even if it was just a few weeks before summer the amount of shit she probably got would’ve been tough to handle.

    And she’s also dealing with pretty much all her friends abandoning her, which has gotta hurt something awful.

    Is getting violent a good reaction? No. But Sarah’s just starting to rebuild her social life, and finally has a couple of friends, and after a week everything’s crumbling again. It’s pretty easy to see why this might be her breaking point.

    1. Andy

      You, like Hythrain, are extrapolating a lot with no evidence. All we know is that these three girls are bothering Sarah when they run into each other. Until Willis says (in comic or elsewhere) that there’s some sort of “Let’s harass Sarah” campaign, I’m going to assume that what we’ve seen is the extent of it.

      1. Wack'd

        Fair point.

      2. Wack'd

        Fair point. Hypothesis withdrawn.

  75. Kernanator

    Hey, you know what would be funny? If Sarah’s punch drove Raidah’s nose into her brain killing her.

    Wait, did I say funny? I meant tragic.

  76. Zoey

    FINISH HER!!!!!!!!!

  77. James Rye

    You kow the new clothes fits her very well. Really focus on the chest~ <3

    1. JA

      Was going to say, Joyce has cleavage.

      It’s always the good little Christian girls that have the best assets.

  78. Globen

    *Opens mouth to make a crack about ‘black on black crime’*

    *Realizes it’s a stupid as hell idea*

    *Goes home*

    1. David

      Raidah isn’t black.

      And good choice.

      1. Globen

        Apologies.

        What is she, if you don’t mind me asking?

  79. FakeAccount3000

    Joyce is being fought over by two women. She’s living Joe’s dream.

  80. newllend

    Damnit joyc! What is it that bring all the hell of drama to you door step

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