History Tearjerker / DumbingOfAge

* Throughout the first arc of the second semester it was hinted many times that Ruth and Billie broke up. The second arc not only confirms that, but reveals that Billie moved on to ''Asher''. This isn't going to end well.

* Faz doesn't like that he's become Blaine's accomplice in his kidnapping but feels he has no choice because if Blaine goes to jail he and his mother will lose their home.

* Mike's last words before falling into a coma? You'd expect something relatively tongue-in-cheek or some GallowsHumor, considering his abrasive personality and how even his one-liner before tackling Blaine off the balcony was an IBangedYourMom statement, [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/wralwys/ but no]], it was a genuine admission that Amber and Ethan were his best friends, and he barely got it out on account of his serious injuries. Amazi-Girl [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness understandably freaks out]] and the strip becomes even more of a tear jerk when it's revealed that those were probably Mike's last words, period.

* After the time-skip Walky returns to his dorm room, and [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/timestamp/ stares solemnly at Mike's empty loft,]] implying he's still in a coma, or worse.
** Dialogue in the following page confirms the worst: [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/invited-2/ Mike is dead.]]

** Dialogue in the following page confirms it: [[https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/invited-2/ Mike is dead.]]

* Sal is visibly having a breakdown of her own during the convenience store holdup; WordOfGod is that she had no intention of getting away with it and wanted to get caught. That's how thoroughly starved for attention she was.

* Danny learns that Amber could've been killed when she rescued Becky, and takes Sal's advice to try and get her to give up the act out of fear for her safety. [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/buckle/ It does not go well, as Amber cuts all ties with him on the spot.]] What makes it worse that [[FunnyAneurysmMoment Danny messing things up used to be played for laughs.]]
-->'''Amber:''' Yes, well, Amber needs Amazi-Girl a '''hell''' of alot more than she needs you.\\

'''Amber:''' And make no mistake, she '''did''' needs you. She '''really did.''' She just thought she could trust you to support her more. Or to maybe not '''buckle''' under a light breeze.\\

'''Amber:''' No, don't touch me. Not ever again.\\

* The reason Faz snuck away to visit Amber at her school is because she's the nicest person to him. We all probably kind of suspect as much (what with having Blaine as a stepfather), but if ''Amber'', who dragged him by the hoodie all day, is the ''nice'' one, what does that say about Faz's home life or social life? And this makes Amber feel more guilty about how she treats him because she thinks there's a not-zero percent chance they're ''half'' siblings. Know what's worse? That may be a lie. Faz had been sent by Blaine to get dirt on Amber so he can contest paying for her tuition. The question is whether he's a willing collaborator or not.

* While Becky is inside of her own home, reminiscing her life with her parents, we find out that her mother committed suicide, and it is ''soul-crushing.''

* [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/troopers/#comment Astonishingly, Becky's dad manages to]] pick up some JerkAssWoobie points when Becky tries to talk him down from [[spoiler:threating her with a gun to bring her home]].
-->'''Becky (in tears):''' [[spoiler:Do you know what this means? It means by the end of the day, state troopers are gonna blow open the back of yer head. Ka-spew! That's the only way this ends. You know that, right?]]\\
'''Ross (also in tears):''' [[spoiler:Satan took your mother from me, and I won't let him take my daughter next. If I have to die for you, Becky, I will die for you]].

-->'''Commenter:''' [[spoiler:This has been a genuinely painful arc. We have seen beloved characters hurt and humiliated and brought down to their lowest point. We have seen Dina lay bleeding in the woods, Joyce frozen in fear, her best friend taken from her and Becky brought by gunpoint to the horrible fate she tried to escape. We have seen a very realistic portrayal of power abuse and something that’s a real fear for too many youths.]]
* Carla's expression after [[spoiler: Mary deliberately misgenders her is heartbreaking enough, but after Ruth fails to stick up for her because of Mary threatening to out her and Billie's relationship...]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Carla:''' You do whatever you want. I'm used to being everyone's acceptable loss.]]
* [[spoiler:Ruth in the hospital. Things seem to be going well(ish). Then Ruth and Billie hug, and...]]

'''Ruth:''' [[spoiler:I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die. ''(now beginning to cry)'' I don't want to die, ''don't let me die'', please don't ''let me die''.]]

* The reason Faz snuck away to visit Amber at her school is because [[spoiler:she's the nicest person to him. I mean, we all probably kind of suspect as much (what with having Blaine as a stepfather), but if ''Amber'', who dragged him by the hoodie all day, is the ''nice'' one, what does that say about Faz's home life or social life?]] And this makes Amber feel more guilty about how she treats him because she thinks there's a not-zero percent chance they're ''half'' siblings.
** Know what's worse? That may be a lie. [[spoiler:Faz had been sent by Blaine to get dirt on Amber so he can contest paying for her tuition. The question is whether he's a willing collaborator or not.]]

* Danny learns that [[spoiler: Amber could've been killed when she rescued Becky, and takes Sal's advice to try and get her to give up the act out of fear for her safety. [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/buckle/ It does not go well, as Amber cuts all ties with him on the spot.]]]] What makes it worse that [[FunnyAneurysmMoment Danny messing things up used to be played for laughs.]]
-->'''Amber:''' [[spoiler: Yes, well, Amber needs Amazi-Girl a '''hell''' of alot more than she needs you.]]\\
'''Danny:''' [[spoiler: Amber-- Please, just listen to me for a min--]]\\
'''Amber:''' [[spoiler: And make no mistake, she '''did''' needs you. She '''really did.''' She just thought she could trust you to support her more. Or to maybe not '''buckle''' under a light breeze.]]\\
'''Danny:''' [[spoiler: *puts his hand on her shoulder* I'm '''not''' buckling, I'm--]]\\
'''Amber:''' [[spoiler: No, don't touch me. Not ever again.]]\\
'''Danny:''' [[spoiler: '''This is the opposite of buckling! I love buckling! Look at how unhappy I am!''']]

* While Becky is inside of her own home, reminiscing her life with her parents, we find out that [[spoiler:her mother committed suicide, and it is ''soul-crushing.'']]

* After being subjected to Roz's [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech incredibly vitriolic rant]] about her previous behavior, Joyce leaves Leslie's class in tears. That's bad enough, but then we see Joyce outside by herself for the first time since [[DateRapeAverted the party]]. [[spoiler: And then it just [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/trauma/ gets worse]] as Joyce starts to see Ryan in place of all the people outside...]]
* The look on Joyce's face and her body language [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/hero-2/ in this strip.]] Poor girl looks like she's edging nearer and nearer to a full blown HeroicBSOD. [[spoiler:Her mother]] pushes her closer and closer [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/sweetie/ in this strip.]] Bonus points for her telling Joyce [[MeaningfulEcho the exact same line]] Ross told Becky when he was pointing a gun at her, no less. What is worse is that David Willis is directly channeling [[http://itswalky.tumblr.com/post/133847635397/i-dont-talk-to-my-mom-anymore-whenever-we-had his own experiences with his mother.]]

* When Sal [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/dumped/ tries to talk casually with Danny]] (when she barely talks casually at all), Danny tells her to go away, [[spoiler:since Amber had just cut all ties with him for talking with Sal moments before]]. Sal looks genuinely hurt in panel 6. It doesn't help that she had admitted to herself that she's afraid of opening up to people [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/pissybaby/ just minutes ago]].
** And in the strip where she talks to herself, the first two panels are heartbreaking as well. Walky tells her in the first panel to not blame him for not being able to talk to family, since he had just given her a chance to. Sal in the second panel is obviously saddened. She ''knows'' she's messed up somehow, but her rough childhood and the mannerisms she got from that ''just won't let her do anything'' about it.

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-->'''Joyce''': Because I '''remember''' your list, and I understand that the game ''wasn't'' just limited t-to ''him''. That ''anybody could be thinking of me as an object. E-even my friends. And that it's seen as a ''harmless joke''. And I'm reminded that I-- I am '''never safe'''. '''[[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre Everything you do matters, Joe. More than you know]]'''.

* While Becky is inside of her own home, reminiscing her life with her parents, we find out that [[spoiler:her mother attempted suicide, and it is ''soul-crushing.'']]

* [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-9-comic/03-sometimes-the-sky-was-so-far-away/richmullins/ Joyce is having a crisis of faith]].

[[caption-width-right:341:"You taste like alcohol."]]

-->'''Sal''': You fuckin'- You really think this started that day? You really think ''that'' was the beginning? It fuckin' started the day we were born and you came out '''whiter'''.

* The reason Faz snuck away to visit Amber at her school is because [[spoiler:she's the nicest person to him. I mean, we all probably kind of suspect as much (what with having Blaine as a stepfather), but if ''Amber'', who dragged him by the hoodie all day, is the ''nice'' one, what does that say about Faz's home life or social life?]]