oh Hell no That bully is not taking that photo from him!

I think the bullies are about to press the big red button of pain.

This is exactly why you shouldn't be holding any valuable object out in the open for so long as it will be most likely snatch away from you by anyone who even looks in your direction and might pull a dick move like essentially what happened in the last panel. Also, that orange arm that snatch the photo looks awfully familiar. Almost as if belongs to the same character, who is accompanied by their silent accomplice, that was seen earlier in this story confronting and accusing Cot for "sayin' shit about me" and "thinkin' yer better'n us" only now with actual relevance in the story to taunt the very emotionally vulnerable cat with the one treasure he holds close to himself. I mean, wouldn't that be the strangest of coincidence if that was the case? Also, Also, nothing sets up a dreary, moody, page than just gray scaling the environment entirely around the character to forcibly hammer in the completely subtle hint that our titular protagonist may be feeling like absolute shit right now, as if this whole story didn't already reminded us of that glorious fact, but even showed it to us too! Edit: By the way, is he walking to school or not?

I agree. This is Cot's fault for giving the bully an opportunity to pester him, but he is in an emotional state, and emotional people are not rational people.

Oh Fuck....

Cot’s rage-breaking-point is imminent, isn’t it?

Initiating world star moment in 3....2....1.....

Should have seen that one coming...

Why is the world just shitting on Cot lately? He's a decent kid; he in no way deserves to have so much flying his way all at once. I hope he lays this prick out; but even if he does I still can't see it ending well for him if what we've seen so far is any indication.

Dang it! For once, can Cot's life be any great instead of worse?!?! It's like life, if not God, is just craping all over him!

Cot REALLY needs a break from all this shit. Like go on vacation with Lyle or something. I mean look at all that's happened in this morning alone. Breakfast: he gets singled out by his parents when he gets into an argument with Katie who clearly had a hand in it as well. The drive: after being denied a trip to the movies with his dad, he confronts him about the fact that they never do anything together and his dad doesn't seem to care about him emotionally at all to which he's responded with a slap in the face and an insult. And now his photo of him and Misty, the only way he can see her again (at least in his mind), gets taken from him. All that before school even starts.

If anything bad happens to that photo, I'm pretty sure Cot is going to lose his shit. In which case I think the emergency alert from Aliens would be appropriate here.


[ATTENTION! EMERGENCY! ALL PERSONNEL MUST EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY! YOU NOW HAVE (x) MINUTES TO REACH MINIMUM SAFE DISTANCE!]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO9x0y5lqD0

X3 Exactly. It's only a matter of time before he blows up unless they override the detonation (ie give it back) but I doubt that'll happen.

Okay... Here I predict:

-Cot tries to fight with the bullies to get the photo back
-Bullies go too far and leave him almost for dead
-He ends up in the hospital (possibly found by Lyle or Misty on sheer chance)
-They stay by his side the entire time, while Cot's parents are unreachable
-Lyle and Misty both listen as Cot breaks down and just spills his heart to how much he hates his family and how much they are better than they are.
-Cot's parents arrive, find out he fought over the photo of Misty, immediately accuse Misty and Lyle for being bad influences over their son.
-Lyle finally loses it and socks Cot's dad (while Misty either hugs Cot or delivers her own socking to Cot's mom)
-Misty gets in the big fucking speech on how Cot's father has no right to call himself a dad over his behavior
-Maybe some time passes and, if we're lucky (and cot too), either Misty or Lyle get provisory or even shared guard over Cot, while his father either is left to figure out how bad he messed up (unpunished) or gets finally arrested for HITTING HIS FUCKING CHILD!!!

Of course, I'm just a reader with an opinion

And as a plus: the chapter ends with cot's sister now being the new victim of neglect (thanks to her parents fighting each other over who screwed Cot the most), to show how bad this whole situation is. Because this is a very real situation.

I'm calling it now; Cot's gonna punch someone right in the eye.

There's a force inside Cot that needs to be released!
I got a feeling, he's gonna lose his shit and go crazy.

Being that my husband had to deal with being the Ignored child for years because his sister is a spoiled brat and gets whatever she wants.

I understand Cot's situation.

My husband's sister is going to be 40 years old. (although she denies it) She ended up getting a FREE house (which should have been my husband's), A job she doesn't have to go to because her daddy owns the business. She doesn't pay for a phone because her daddy pays for it. She's married but her husband just waits long enough her to ask daddy for something and he gets a free pass to go fishing, skydiving or whatever whenever he feels like it.

Plus her father is a bigoted... racists... SOB. That we call trump junior.

My husband is just glad that his sister is only a half sibling. He said he'd be ashamed if her father was his father.


It never really gets any better.

Oh, someone just woke the sleeping giant.

"How to make a school shooter."

It sure would be satisfying to see Cot lose his shit and take out that bully, but I've a sneaking suspicion things will get worse for our hero before they get better...

hey, looks like misty made a cameo appearance!

Yeah im pretty sure Cots going to kill this kid.

Wave Motion Cot INITIATE!

Uh oh... I think some bully's about to have his hinderparts kicked!

Uh oh.