Paulo

Paulo is the second male protagonist in the webcomic Bittersweet Candy Bowl.

He made his debut in the comic's first chapter, Simple Pleasures. Unlike Mike, Daisy, Lucy and David, Paulo was not born in Roseville. Born in the city of Marashino, Paulo and his father relocated to Roseville when Paulo was in the 5th grade. He was enrolled in the same elementary school as the other main characters, and continued to go to the same schools as them.

Personality

Paulo
Gender	Male
Age	16
Birthday	April 16
Star Sign	Aries
Status	Single
Year	Sophomore
Species/Breed	Cat/Somali
Love Interests	Lucy (current primary love interest), Rachel (interested, though feelings for Lucy are stronger), Tess (mutual love, ended), Jasmine (ex-girlfriend)
Friends	David (best friend), Mike, Lucy, Daisy, Tess, Rachel
Family	Paulo's Dad

Bold and brazen, Paulo is a tall, womanizing Somali, known for his crude sense of humor, flirtatious behavior, and cocky disposition. Although he can be incredibly immature, rude, temperamental, homophobic and egotistical, he can also be incredibly loyal, protective, fun, easygoing, and even a great listener, as shown in various moment with his friends throughout the comic. Most of Paulo's negative traits and his tough front seem to have been brought out due to a certain experience in Misunderstanding and Change. Desperate to impress Lucy (his crush at the time), Paulo took advice from Alejandro and changed for the worse, much to the dismay of Lucy, who rejected him for being "just like the rest of them". It seems like Paulo does not remember Alejandro, as he claimed to not have recognized him in Confrontation.

As the chapters have progressed, Paulo's character has experienced significant character development. It seems, for the most part, his womanizing ways have stopped, and his blatant homophobia seems to be coming to an end, as shown in Boy Toy, where Paulo began to question his sexuality.

Paulo seems to be particularly biased and protective when it comes to his female friends, namely Lucy and Daisy, often disregarding the mistakes they make concerning others and quickly hopping to their side, defending them no matter what. Concerning Lucy, this is shown in both Pick Me Up and Happy Hour, where Paulo blatantly ignored the role Lucy played in the end of her and Mike's friendship. Instead of holding her accountable for her actions, he quickly jumps to her side and blames everything on Mike. Similarly, in Take Heart, Daisy inadvertently reveals her lingering feelings for Mike to her current boyfriend Abbey, which leads to their break up. Instead of considering things from Abbey's point of view as well, he quickly rushes to Daisy's side, says some less-than-kind things to Abbey, and convinces him to get back with Daisy.

Paulo has been shown to be a pretty good athlete. He is one of the physically strongest male characters of the series, has a knack for climbing, and seems to be pretty well-rounded when it comes to most sports, despite usually being second-best when compared to Mike or David.

Paulo only has one known fear. In the chapters Off to the Movies, Misunderstanding and Change and Confrontation, it is shown that Paulo has a phobia of barking.

Despite Paulo's shortcomings, he is incredibly loyal to his friends and does whatever he can when they're in need.

Volume One

1. Simple Pleasures

Paulo's first appearance in Simple Pleasures.

Paulo is introduced in the first chapter, Simple Pleasures. He is seen skateboarding with David, subsequently slapping Lucy's butt upon running into her, and successfully convincing her to skateboard with him using his "boyish charm". While trying to flirt with Lucy, his skateboard hits a turtle, causing he and Lucy to fall, though Lucy is conveniently caught by Mike. Mike yells at Paulo to stop skateboarding in an area where its not allowed, and Paulo basically tells Mike to "lay off". David, worried about getting in trouble with "park rangers" and "park bears" for skateboarding illegally, grabs Paulo and carries him off screen.

4. Unfit for Education

Paulo appears briefly and agrees to try a test that Sue has set up for her science fair project.

5. The Burden of Parenthood

Paulo talking to David about how much he loves Alegria.

The group's Sex-Ed teacher assigns a project where students must pair up and take care of a mechanical baby. The teacher pairs Paulo with Lucy, and Paulo gives a flirtatious greeting to Lucy upon hearing this. After school ends, Paulo meets up with Lucy, and takes the baby after flirting with Lucy again, much to her annoyance. Lucy tries to teach Paulo how to hold a baby correctly, and Daisy shows up, commenting that the way Paulo holds his "baby" is "precious". Irritated with her partner (Mike), Daisy asks Paulo to hold Alegria (the name of Daisy's and Mike's "baby"), and Paulo subsequently falls in love with Daisy's "baby". Everyone switches partners in the end, with Mike and Lucy raising a "baby" together and Paulo and Daisy raising one together as well. He goes as far as buying a baby carriage, and is told that he and Daisy had the best result in the class when the project is due. He is visibly saddened that he has to let Alegria go at the end of the chapter, having grown attached to the doll.

6. Prom Preparation

Daisy, who is in charge of the 8th grade dance, is asking students what kind of music they would like to play at their prom. When asking David (who replies with Weird Al Yankovic), Paulo comments that David's taste in music is childish. Paulo insists that the music should be "raunchy", in order to let the men (read: 13 year old boys) show off how "manly" they are. After Daisy takes down the music choices, Mike receives a barrage of prom requests, to which Paulo tells him he should "go with all of them". Mike laments not going to prom, because he'd like to go with Lucy (who claims she isn't going), to which Paulo (and David) say that they'll take Lucy instead. After Mike rejects the majority of the girls, Paulo continues to insist that he should go with all of them because "monogomy is dead", to which Daisy reveals that Paulo is actually waiting on a special, girl and wishes to settle down at some point. Paulo confided this in Daisy off screen in The Burden of Parenthood.

7. Helping Hands

Paulo rescuing Error.

The chapter opens with a tired Paulo walking and talking with Daisy. Daisy screams when she notices a half-dead bird on the road, and begins to cry on Paulo's chest. He blushes, attempts to comfort Daisy, but also tries to avoid physical contact with her. A car begins to approach the bird, and, seeing how visibly upset Daisy is about this, Paulo jumps out onto the road, nearly getting hit by a car, to save the bird. The car honks at him, to which Paulo responds rudely. Daisy gives him a disapproving look, and scolds him about taking dangerous risks, lamenting that he could have "ended up like the bird". Trying to decide where to take the bird, Daisy suggests Lucy since she's nearby, and Paulo starts drooling over her. While talking, Daisy nearly gets hit by a car because she doesn't realize that she's standing in the road. Paulo playfully comments that she shouldn't scold him when she's been standing in the road the entire time. While trying to decide who should keep the bird, Daisy suggests Paulo because he showed her how caring he was when he helped her "raise" Alegria. Paulo is visibly embarrassed and asks Daisy to stop bringing it up. She tries to encourage him to show that side of him more often, claiming that "girls like mature guys".

It begins to rain, Daisy's fur begins to get curlier, and when asked if he's grossed out by her fur, Paulo blushes, ignores her question, and insists that they hurry and get the bird to Lucy's. After giving the bird to Lucy, Daisy dries off her fur, gets saddened by how Mike saw her when she looked "gross", and Paulo attempts to cheer her up by saying if Mike was worth her time, he'd like her no matter how bad she looked. Lucy kicks Daisy and Paulo out of her house when Daisy asks to stay so that she can be with Mike.

The next day at school, Paulo and Daisy ask how the bird is doing. Lucy says that "he left us last night", and Paulo and Daisy think she means that the bird died, when he actually just flew away the night before. Lucy then gives Paulo and Daisy a nest, saying it was a gift from the bird for saving his life. Lucy also reveals that the bird gave them the nest because he thought they were a couple, claiming that the nest is a "perfect place to rest [their] offspring after [they] mate". Lucy sarcastically asks, "Isn't that sweet?". Paulo and Daisy both scream "no".

The bird that Paulo and Daisy rescued is most likely Error.

8. Show and Tell

Paulo reveals that he is a Somali. Lucy and Daisy seem to find this attractive. Lucy slips by saying that his breed is "cool", but quickly catches herself and calls him a scumbag. He tells her that Somalis are most likely a guilty pleasure for her, and she kicks him.

9. Pep Rally

Mike is worried about the pep rally. Paulo insists it's because he's "excited" about seeing the cheerleaders in miniskirts. He's later shown with a nosebleed at the end of the pep rally, commenting about how "awesome" it was.

10. Off to the Movies

Paulo reveals his fear of barking for the first time to his friends.

Paulo, David and Daisy run into Mike and Lucy at the movies. They all agree to see a movie together. Paulo flirts with Lucy and gets thrown into the popcorn machine. He wants to see a scary movie, but Lucy suggests a movie that encompasses all of the genres that the group wants to see. Paulo attempts to sit next to Lucy, but is rejected, and winds up next to Daisy instead. Paulo tries to take some of David's popcorn, gets barked at, and has a frightened look on his face, hinting at his fear of barking. Daisy is the only one to take notice. The movie begins to get emotional and Paulo tries not to cry, but winds up crying anyways as they leave the theater. Daisy notices, asks why he's crying, and Paulo gets defensive, claiming that the "dumb slut" in the movie was not worth crying over. Daisy says she'll forget all about Paulo's crying if he explains to her why David's barking startled him. He refuses, and leaves.

Daisy and the rest of the gang follow him and Daisy continues to ask and he eventually opens up to her. He tells her that before he moved to Roseville, he went to go play at a park and was bullied by four dogs. They "barked him right out of the park" and he's been terrified of barking ever since. Mike, Lucy and David teasingly bark at Paulo, and Daisy defends him. Mike says that he never thought Paulo could be this sensitive. Paulo gets defensive and says that his fear doesn't change anything. Daisy disagrees and tells him that she admires how strong he is for opening up. Paulo is visibly flattered and continues to reveal more about himself to Daisy as she continues to fawn over him.

11. Puppy Love

Mike receives a large amount of love letters in his locker. He says he's going to reject all of them, and Paulo chimes in that Mike is only rejecting all of the girls because he's gay. While rejecting the girls, Paulo tells them the reason he's rejecting them is because he's gay, which excites them. Paulo comments that Mike is a player, and Paulo claims that Mike has more "hos" than a pimp. Paulo teases that Mike is the first gay pimp he's ever met, much to Mike's annoyance.

12. Confrontation

Paulo is the first to try to protect the group from Alejandro and Toby..

The gang is lost in a city that they don't know of. Mike and Lucy are arguing, which Paulo is enjoying because he thinks if Lucy lets go of Mike, he'll have a shot at her. Paulo attempts to hit on Lucy and gets slapped. Daisy asks why he'd want to bother with her, and Paulo says because she's hot and because he enjoys the chase. Paulo and Daisy then begin to joke and laugh about Lucy's jerky and violent behavior. Mike tries to defend her, claiming that they don't really know her, but Paulo responds by saying there's nothing to know of Lucy except her fist. After going into a bar to use a phone (Sue calls her mom), Mike makes a bet with Alejandro. If Mike can scarf down a whole bowl of liquer chocolates, Alejandro will give him $20. Mike does this, gets the money, and is clearly drunk. He runs into an alley because he says he hears an ice cream truck, and Paulo chases after him. Everyone else follows. It's a dead end, and a radio is playing an ice cream truck song. Mike breaks the radio, and Alejandro and Toby show up. Alejandro tries to get the gang to give up all their money for "breaking his radio", but they refuse.

..but is just as quickly stopped.

Paulo openly and boldly talks out against Alejandro, claiming he's not scared of him. Alejandro implies that they know each other. Paulo doesn't seem to remember, and charges after him, but Toby barks at him, exploiting his fear. Alejandro kicks him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. He begins crying out of fear.

Sue tries to reason with Alejandro, but he punches her in the nose after she smacks his hand away from her face. Paulo, angry, gets back up and grabs Alejandro by the shirt. Toby intervenes and shoves Paulo against a wall, and continues to bark at him. He begins to cry again, begs Toby to stop, and tells the others that he can't do anything. Toby kicks him in the chest.

After Mike and Lucy save the day, Daisy is crying about how guilty she feels for judging Lucy and Mike so harshly. Paulo comforts her, telling her that no one hates her and that she should apologize if it'll make her feel better. He tells her that he just wants to see her happy, and if he sees her crying at school, "he'll give Mike a piece of his mind".

The next day at school, he tells David that he single-handedly beat up a bunch of thugs.

13. Aftermath

When Mike arrives at school, Paulo is talking about a girl who is absent because she has mono. Mike, thinking he's talking about Lucy (since they kissed the day prior), defensively chimes in, saying it wasn't him. Paulo, confused, says he know it wasn't Mike, because he's "too much of a pussy" to get with Katie.

Mike spends the whole day thinking about Lucy, and when David pops up behind him asking if he wants some kisses (referring to the Hershey's Kisses in his hand), Mike accidentally punches him. Paulo notices that he's been acting weird all day and asks why. Mike gets defensive, Lucy chimes in with an insult, Mike and Lucy begin arguing, and Paulo leaves while they argue.

14. Field Day

The school year is coming to a close, and it's everyone's last field day. Sue comments on how Paulo always beats her, and Paulo nearly tells her that it's not his fault she's so terrible, before catching himself. He instead puts his arm around her and nervously tells her that if she tries her best, she'll probably beat him.

The students begin to team up for the Three-Legged Race. Paulo is teamed up with Mike but comes in second against Lucy and Kizuna. Lucy is out of breath and sweating, and after she leaves, Paulo comically tells Mike "how turned on he is" and how hot Lucy sounded when she was out of breath.

For the next activity, the Wheelbarrow Race, Lucy teams up with Paulo. Mike and Lucy argue over who gets Paulo, but he chooses Lucy because "she has a vagina". When in position, he comments that Lucy's pose is hot, and she kicks him in the face.

Lucy and Paulo lose the race to Mike and Kizuna. As Lucy and Mike argue over who won, Paulo claims he's the real winner because he got to "wheel" Lucy around in that position.

During another race, Mike "trips" (but actually breaks his leg) in an attempt to lose the race to let Lucy win. Paulo runs past him, aware of what he was doing and tells him he's corny.

16. Farewell, Middle School

Daisy noticed that Mike was not present at the 8th grade dance and asks why. Paulo asks if it was because he and Lucy were having a "private dance", while giving a gesture that implies sexual intercourse.

David and Kizuna danced at the prom. Kizuna accidently flings David out a window, and David comments that he thinks he almost got laid. Paulo says that he's pretty sure that he won that battle at prom, claiming he came closer to getting laid. He hits on nearly all of the girls at the prom, but when he tries to hit on Flower Girl, David barks at him.

While they're talking, Daisy notices the time, and says that they'll all be late for class if they don't leave. Paulo says that they shouldn't worry about class and that they should instead be thinking about what their "senior" prank will be. Daisy tells him that she just doesn't want to ruin her future, and Paulo comically yells that she's only thirteen.

When school ends, Paulo and David cheer. He teasingly calls David a retard, and David threatens to bark if he doesn't stop. Paulo apologizes.

Mike and Lucy go to their usual spot under the tree, and Mike dozes off. He accidentally calls Lucy by the name of Sandy, they begin to argue, and Paulo pops up during the argument. Lucy punches Paulo to the ground, and he comments about how cute she is.

19. Enter High School

Paulo meets Tess for the first time.

Daisy, Paulo and David meet up with Mike and Lucy. Paulo flirts with Lucy, and she kicks him in the face. He and David begin to make crude and sexual jokes as the gang walks to school.

When they receive their schedules, they find out they all have the same homeroom. They then meet Tess, who is also in the same homeroom as them. Paulo quickly attempts to flirt with her, and Lucy punches him. Paulo asks Lucy if she's jealous about him flirting with Tess, and then receives a kick to the face from Lucy.

Paulo later finds out that he has the same English class with Lucy. He flirts with her again, claiming they should skip class and make out in a bathroom, but Tess directs them to their English class.

Paulo meets Lani, the "hot" English teacher, and he proclaims how much he loves high school.

The group meet up at lunch and they all introduce themselves to Tess, who sits at their table. Paulo introduces himself as "Master".

20. A Difficult Choice

Paulo hears word of Mike's "girlfriend" and hits on Lucy. She kicks him into the wall.

Upon hearing "confirmation" of this, Paulo cheers about how Lucy is "free for the taking". He then makes Mike out to be a cheater and has a horde of girls attack him.

He does this again during P.E..

21. A New Leaf

Irritated by Mike's happiness, Paulo asks what's up with him. Mike explains that he and Sandy are actually now official. Daisy cries about Mike's official unavailability, and hugs Paulo for comfort. Paulo yells that he's conflicted.

Mike thanks Paulo for making him out to be a cheater so that girls will leave him alone. Confused by this, Paulo is still happy since he assumes this means he can have Lucy now. Mike grabs Paulo's tail and throws him off the table, telling him that just because he's taken that doesn't mean that he can bother Lucy.

22. Wardrobe Malfunction

Paulo is sick. Because he's so used to using Mike's scarf to wipe things, he notices Mike doesn't have it when he tries to grab it so he can blow his nose. Mike explains why he no longer wears the scarf, and Paulo rudely asks him to get it anyways. Tess then flirts with Paulo, and tells him to blow into her tissue, and he has a nosebleed. Daisy, grossed out by Paulo's snot and blood, tells Paulo to stay away from her, but he chases her anyways. She asks Lucy for help, and Lucy punches Paulo to the ground.

23. Humble Approach

Paulo meets Abbey for the first time.

Paulo and the gang notice that Daisy has been sad lately. Abbey approaches Daisy for the first time, and Paulo crudely remarks that Abbey is only approaching her because he wants "to bone her". Abbey and Paulo begin to argue. Abbey then joins the table, and Paulo continues to tease and insult him. Perceptively noticing Lucy's insecurities, Abbey asks if she's alright, and tries to get her to be more open. Lucy slaps him in response and Paulo says that it "served [Abbey] right" since only "[Paulo] is [apparently] allowed to feel her up".

25. Left Behind

Paulo flirts with Lucy. Tess tells him to lay off, but Paulo doesn't, claiming that he'd know if he's bothered her. She smacks him to the ground and Tess asks why Lucy is like that. Paulo doesn't know. Mike explains.

After receiving a gift from Tess (a yellow/orange striped scarf), Paulo sends a horde of girls to attack Mike again, for "cheating" on Sandy with Tess. Paulo is amused.

26. Misunderstanding and Change

Lucy reveals her childhood crush on Paulo.

Paulo as a child.

Paulo meets Daisy for the first time, his first friend.

Paulo contemplates accepting Alejandro's help.

The group finds it weird that Mike and Lucy are getting along so well despite Mike's new status, and find it hard to believe that they have completely moved on from one another. Paulo asks if Sandy puts out on the first date and Mike punches him.

Tess and David begin a game of Truth or Dare and ask Lucy who her first crush was. She admits it was Paulo, back in the 5th grade, when he first transferred to their elementary school. Daisy is the first person to speak to Paulo, and while showing him around the school, he shows off his climbing skills to her. Mike and Lucy arrive, and when he jumps down, he introduces himself to Mike. Lucy tries to hide behind Mike, since she is too shy to speak to her crush. Paulo tries to play with her, but upon seeing how beautiful she is, develops a crush on her as well, and is too shy to speak to her too. He leaves, but Lucy takes this as a rejection.

In the present, Paulo tries to explain that he wasn't rejecting Lucy, and that he was simply too scared to talk to her because she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. He goes on to explain why he changed in the 6th grade.

Alejandro approaches him, claiming that he can teach him how to be confident enough to have any girl that he wants. Thinking of Lucy, Paulo accepts Alejandro's help, and becomes a cocky womanizer. Upon seeing how much Paulo has changed, Lucy rejects him when Paulo attempts to talk to her. He is visibly saddened by this, and Alejandro says that he owes him. Paulo tells him to screw off, and Alejandro tells him to watch his back. Later that day, Alejandro's gang assaults Paulo and exploits his fear of barking as payback. Paulo then vows that day that he'll never let something like that happen again, and that he'll become stronger. Thus the Paulo that everyone knows is born.

Saddened by Paulo's story, Lucy attempts to comfort him. They share a moment, but Paulo quickly ruins it with his flirting. He then makes a sex joke about Mike and Sandy, and Mike attacks him.

27. Of Little Monsters and Pockets

The gang ask Yashy her opinion on what Pokemon each of them would be. When Paulo asks, she tells him he would be a Vulpix, but Paulo is bothered by this, claiming thats too much of a "fruity" Pokemon for him to be. He gets defensive and insecure over this.

When asked what kind of Pokemon Lucy would be, Yashy says a Mew. Paulo says that's crazy, until Lily, Chirpy and Yashy explain why. Touched, Lucy unknowingly and openly shows her sweeter side in front of Mike, Paulo and Abbey. Paulo finds this side of Lucy cute, and she attacks them.

28. Feline Festivities

Paulo and Tess share their first kiss.

Tess invites the gang to her Christmas Party. Paulo is flirting with Lucy, trying to convince her to come so that they can stand under the mistletoe. Tess tells Paulo to leave Lucy alone, and Paulo irritatingly asks "what are you gonna do if don't?". Tess whispers something sexual into his ear, which makes him sit and behave.

Paulo arrives to the Christmas Party dressed in a Santa Claus outfit with a mistletoe attached to his hat. Abbey comments on how ridiculous he looks, and Paulo tries to put his hat to the test. The first person Paulo runs into is Daisy, who he immediately refuses to kiss. He tries to find someone else, and runs into a cat that he doesn't find attractive. He tries again and runs into David. David chases after him for a kiss as Paulo runs away.

Paulo continues to try to find someone to kiss and runs into Kizuna, but she rejects him, telling him that she wants David to be her first kiss.

Paulo walks around sad and frustrated about how no one seems to want him, but Tess shows up and kisses him before the end of the night. She kisses him for a long time and Paulo almost runs out of breath. He falls to the ground and says that he thinks he's in love as Tess giggles.

He leaves the party with a smile on his face. This is most likely when Paulo begins to develop feelings for Tess.

29. Mid-Term Time

Paulo irritatingly mocks Mike for being happy about making Honor Roll.

30. Troubled Waters

Paulo and Mike (as children) prepare to race.

Paulo saves the day.

Paulo cheers when the P.E. teachers tells the class that they will be swimming today. Lucy is excused from class, Tess wonders why, and Mike explains that she's afraid of water because of him. Tess jumps to the conclusion that he tried to drown Lucy, and Paulo remarks that "just because he can't have here doesn't mean nobody can". Lucy begins to remember why she is afraid of water.

Paulo challenges Mike to a race in the trees during 6th grade. Mike falls into the water while trying to dodge a nest on a tree. Lucy, despite not being able to swim, attempts to save him by jumping in after him anyways.

Paulo then jumps in and saves the both of them. Lucy, thinking Mike may have already drowned, begins freaking out about him possibly being dead. Paulo watches on with a sad face, most likely realizing he has no shot with her, and that Mike is really who she loves.

Paulo and Mike go to the class where Lucy was staying during P.E.. She wakes up, and Paulo looks at her with a concerned expression. Lucy thanks Paulo for the first time for saving her life when she was a child, and gives him a hug. Mike frantically asks Paulo why he never said anything about saving his life, and Paulo tells him that he didn't want him to feel like Mike owed him something. Mike comments about how noble that is of him.

Paulo is convinced that he's better at swimming and climbing than Mike, but Mike breaks his swimming record the next day.

31. Carry On

Daisy attempts to open up to Paulo about her insecurities and asks him to be a judge of her appearance. Paulo ignores her when "hot girl Tess" catches his attention instead.

32. Follow Me

David throws a plate of food at Paulo's face during a food fight. Augustus approaches their table and begins saying cryptic things about Tess, who is visibly frightened when Augustus says these strange remarks. Paulo quickly jumps to Tess' side, telling Augustus to lay off and leave her alone, not really caring to know whatever Augustus is implying about Tess' past. Tess thanks him for standing up for her.

Daisy leaves the table and Abbey, Tess, and Lucy seem to be the only ones that have noticed Daisy's absence. Abbey scolds Paulo for paying more attention to "hot girls" than to his own close friend. Paulo gets defensive.

Augustus begins to bother Tess again during swimming. Paulo notices again and tells him to stop bothering Tess. Augustus leaves, but also sarcastically tells Paulo that "the sophomores are great fans of hers".

Paulo questions why Tess never takes the same route as him. After some back and forth, he lets her go her way, but insists that he wouldn't mind walking her home.

33. Onwards to Adventure

Paulo offers money to Lucy to crush his balls. David plays hookey for his birthday and Paulo, Lucy and Mike go to his house after school. David laments about Flower Girl transferring schools, but Lucy informs him that she's just at a nearby private school, and he can continue to stalk her. Paulo and David cheer at the thought of seeing girls in school uniforms.

34. Bonding

Paulo is blissfully unaware of Daisy's absence at the table, again. Abbey begins to scold him again, they argue, but Abbey begins shaking and scratching the table upon finding out that Daisy is with Augustus. Paulo takes notice.

35. Tread Carefully

Paulo is complaining about having to wake up early to go to school. Daisy suggests that they play a game while crossing the street. She tells him to step on all of the white lines on the crosswalk, and if he does, he'll get a wish. Paulo, excited, begins to cross the street and make a wish but is intervened by David, who will not let him cross, saying that he's "Wishing Game Hard Mode".

36. Under Pressure

Paulo's teacher comments that Daisy is clearly Paulo's crush.

The P.E. teacher tells Mike, David and Paulo that they are the top swimmers in the class. She tells the three of them to make laps around the pool, and the person who comes out in first place gets extra credit. Paulo is irritated by Mike who is clearly a better swimmer than he is. David also seems to be a better swimmer than Paulo, but is too easily distracted to concentrate on the race. Daisy, distracted by Mike, accidently swims into a wall, gets a nosebleed and begins to sink underwater. Mike notices and rescues her, and she begins to flirt with him. Paulo takes notice and gets angry at Mike, being protective of Daisy, and tells him to lay off. Mike and Paulo begin to argue.

Paulo asks Tess to her prom..

..and she accepts!

The P.E. teacher interrupts Mike's, Paulo's and Daisy's shenanigans, and punishes both Paulo and Mike for coming in 2nd and 3rd place respectively by forcing them to do extra laps. She also mentions that Daisy is "clearly Paulo's crush" to which Paulo gets defensive.

After class, Paulo is complaining to Tess about his punishment in swim class. He mentions that the teacher said he has an "obvious crush", which prompts Tess to ask if he does. He avoids the question and instead asks Tess if she has a crush since she has the junior prom coming up. She says no, and also reveals that she most likely isn't going to her junior prom, until Paulo decides to ask her to the prom. She happily accepts, though only as friends. Paulo is still elated.

When it's time for he and Tess to part ways, he notices that she's been taking the junior hallway in school as opposed to the freshman hallway, like she normally does. She is visibily worried and tells him that junior hallway is supposedly just quicker. Paulo looks concerned and seems to pick up on the fact that Tess might be hiding something. After she says goodbye and leaves, Paulo notices that the other students are gossiping about them, but he doesn't understand why.

Tess decides to call Paulo at the end of the day and explain her past to him.

38. A Different Side

Paulo defends Tess as he walks her to the pep rally.

Paulo angrily tells David to look away when Daisy exposes her panties to the school.

Paulo defends Tess when the school boos her off stage.

After getting yelled at by Daisy, Paulo stares on with a guilt-ridden expression.

Paulo realizes the role he played in Daisy's absence and wonders if it's too late to get her back, while Abbey scolds him.

Paulo, who is irritated, is sitting at the lunch table with his friends. Mike asks him whats wrong, and Paulo tells him that he wants to kill the majority of the school, but Mike, not knowing about Tess' past, doesn't understand why. Mike begins ignoring Paulo when Daisy comes by in her cheerleading uniform, revealing that there is a pep rally today.

Mike and Lucy begin their usual back and forth, Paulo uses this opportunity to flirt with Lucy, and she kicks him the groin. Despite clearly being in pain and slightly irritated with Lucy's violence, he notices Tess in the distance. They exchange concerned looks to one another, until David ruins the moment by asking Paulo "why are you eyeing Sue?".

Paulo approaches Tess and asks why she wasn't at the table today. She says it was because she couldn't face him after revealing her past, because she felt he would be angry with her. Paulo does not care about her past, but is angry about the fact that she's being harassed by the whole school. He is also angry that Tess kept this a secret from him, because he felt like there was something between them. Tess admits that there is something between them, but gets angry about him constantly flirting with Lucy. They both pause and exchange a stare for a moment before being interrupted by the P.E. teacher, who labels Lucy as Paulo's "lust" and Tess as Paulo's "love". She then tells them to get ready for a game of kickball.

Paulo, who is on the same team as Tess, watches when it's Tess' turn to kick the ball. The other kids all seem to try to rig the game against her, and Paulo notices. Angry about the way Tess is being treated, when it is his turn to kick the ball, he kicks it so hard that he makes a home run. While passing the pitcher on his way to a base, the pitcher compliments him on his kick, but also tells him it's too bad that he's "so protective of a lying slut". Paulo, who is losing his temper at this point, tries to confront the pitcher, but he won't admit to what he said. Paulo and the pitcher continue to argue until the bell rings, signifying that P.E. is over and that its now time for the pep rally.

Even though Paulo and Tess can't sit together during the pep rally (due to being in different years), he still walks her to the pep rally and defends her every step of the way. He is upset that he couldn't stay with her.

Mike asks why Abbey took so long to get to the pep rally, and he cryptically responds that he was "looking for somebody". Paulo takes note of this and seems to find it suspicious.

When it's time for the school to sing with the choir, Lucy reluctantly begins to sing. Paulo blushes upon hearing Lucy's voice. This is most likely the first time that Paulo hears Lucy sing.

When the cheerleaders arrive and begin their routine, David gets excited about the girls "bouncing [without the guys having to ask them to]", and tells Paulo to look. He doesn't partake in it, and David asks what's wrong, and Paulo explains that after Tess confronted him about flirting with Lucy (as many characters have before), it feels wrong and disrespectful to continue to behave that way towards girls. Paulo continues to talk but is interrupted by a shove to the face from David when the cheerleaders begin their finale.

During the finale, Daisy slips and accidentally exposes her (what is presumed to be, despite the option for characters to walk around naked) panties to the entire school. Paulo quickly covers his face and is blushing as David comments about hot that was of Daisy, and protectively yells at David and Mike to stop eyeing her and look away.

During the pep rally, the principal makes the announcement that Tess has made a large donation to the the technology department of the school, and offers her an award. When asked for an applause, the majority of the students begin to "boo" her. Paulo yells out that she deserves the applause, but Jessica fires back that she doesn't. Paulo and Jessica go back and forth before being interrupted by Daisy, who calls Paulo an idiot, and scolds him for being more respectful and attentive of those that need a second chance (Tess) as opposed to the "nice guys" who never did anything wrong and don't need a second chance (referring to herself). Paulo says nothing and only looks back at Daisy with a worried and guilt-ridden expression.

At the end of the pep rally, Paulo and the others help escort Tess out. The pitcher from earlier approaches Tess and apologizes for his earlier behavior, but it's obvious that he was attacked at some point during the day and leaves as quickly as he came. It's implied that Paulo most likely attacked him.

Towards the end of the chapter, Abbey asks Paulo if what Daisy said got to him, since he's so clearly down in the dumps. He says yes, and Abbey says that it should get to him, because Abbey warned him so many times that something was up with Daisy. Abbey wonders if it's too late to get Daisy back into the group, and Paulo continues to sulk.

39. Rising Temperature

Tess is showing her prom dress to Sue and Kizuna. Paulo approaches, wanting to see what it looks like, but she won't let him, claiming he's not supposed to see it. She suggestively tells him that if he behaves, he might not have to see her in her dress, which makes him stop asking about the dress. Paulo begins to squeal in excitement about his night with Tess, and begins speaking to Mike about it. Paulo makes a remark about Sandy being Mike's "imaginary girlfriend" and Mike begins to choke him. When Lucy mentions that she and Paulo have an essay due the next day, Abbey offers help to Lucy, Lucy declines, and Paulo begins freaking out because he was unaware that there was an assignment. He begs Abbey to help him with it. They begin to argue when Paulo says he'd normally ask Daisy, but he doesn't know where she is, as Abbey feels like Paulo is implying that's all she's good for. He calls Abbey sexist for offering help to Lucy but refusing to help him. Mike offers to help Paulo but he declines, saying that Mike is the dumbest student in the Honors class. Abbey is still hesitant to help Paulo but only agrees to when Mike says he'll tag along to ease the tension between them. Paulo says they should do it at Abbey's place. Abbey seems hesitant about this, but agrees anyways. Abbey asks that they be nice around his sister, and Paulo ask if she's hot, and receives a smack to the face from Abbey in response.

Daisy, who has just been rejected by Katie, is seen crying by Abbey after school. He offers to hang out with her but is interrupted by Paulo. Abbey had forgotten he promised to help Paulo with his essay. Upon first seeing Daisy, Paulo looks concerned but seems to change this emotion quickly since he asks if she's going to help with his essay immediately after. Daisy, upset, leaves, and Paulo obliviously asks what's wrong with her. Abbey yells at both Paulo and Mike about still not paying Daisy any attention, and Paulo tells him to "chill out" and calls him a bully for "scaring" Mike with his loud voice.

When they arrive to Abbey's, Paulo notices that Abbey calls his "dad" by his name, Kevin. He also sees that Abbey's "mom", Janet, is a dog. This confuses Paulo. He tells Mike that he thought cats and dogs couldn't reproduce together, and Mike calls him an idiot for not realizing that they are foster parents.

Mike has a heart to heart with Janet, and Paulo irritatingly yells at him to come outside and help him with his essay. When Abbey asks Paulo his opinion on Odysseus (since that's what the paper is about), Paulo tells Abbey he never read the book. Abbey is clearly irritated.

Mike and Abbey wind up writing the essay for Paulo. Paulo thanks Abbey with a hug, but also calls him a fruitcake. Abbey pushes him away and tells him to leave. Paulo is visibly amused and leaves. This might be the first instance where it is shown that Paulo enjoys messing with Abbey.

40. Love My Way

Paulo admits for the first time that he's in love with Tess..

Paulo angrily forbids Mike from going on a date (as friends) with Daisy. Mike makes a joke about Paulo's "feelings" for Daisy and gets punched in the head. Paulo tells Daisy that Mike shouldn't be taking her out, but Daisy tells him to shutup, claiming that Paulo never acted like he cared about her anyways, so why care now. Paulo looks hurt.

..and she's in love with him too.

Later that night, Paulo is seen preparing for prom. When Tess arrives, Paulo is enamored by how beautiful she looks. They get in a limo and arrive at the prom venue. She thanks Paulo for coming and he is very excited about being at a dance with "older kids". Tess leaves momentarily and Paulo goes to the punch bowl. While getting punch, Paulo begins to hear rumors about Tess again. Tess returns and they sit down at a table. Tess notices that there's something wrong with Paulo, and Paulo begins to ask if the rumor he heard was true. Tess confirms it, but says that they shouldn't dwell on the past tonight. Paulo agrees, and asks if he's better than her exes. Tess says yes, that he's one of her best friends, but that isn't what Paulo means, implying that he wants to be her boyfriend. Tess tells him that she can't be with him because she'll be leaving soon and he's just a kid, though Paulo doesn't believe her and feels like it can work. He is convinced that he'd never forget about her or move on, but Tess won't budge. Paulo asks what he is to her, and she tells him that she only wants good memories and that they can only stay friends. Paulo is visibly hurt by this.

They share their second kiss at the end of prom.

A slow dance starts and Tess invites Paulo to dance with her. Upon figuring out that Paulo can't slow dan

ce, she decides to lead. After Paulo improves, Tess playfully tells Paulo she loves him. Paulo doesn't believe this and says that this night means nothing to her, and that it's just fun and entertainment. Tess begins to cry and holds Paulo. She admits that she's in love with him and hates the fact that they can't be together, even though she knows its for the best because of their year difference. Paulo, teary-eyed, begs Tess for a chance but she tells him that someone else will love him. They share a kiss and begin to cry together.

The night ends with a limo dropping Paulo off at his home.

41. Moving On

Freshman year has come to a close. While looking at their classes for next year, Lucy reveals that she'll be in CP English II. Paulo (surprisingly) congratulates her as opposed to flirting with her, and Lucy tells him that if she wanted to talk to a fruitbag, she would've talked to Mike. He apologizes and calls her hot, albeit halfheartedly.

The group shares a toast during lunch to celebrate the end of the school year. Tess laments about possibly not having the same lunch time as the group next year, since she's in a different year. Paulo tells her to skip class so that she can be with them. Tess tells him she can't do that because her senior year is too important, and Paulo gives a disappointed look.

When being questioned about what universities she's considering, Paulo tells her that if she goes out of state he'll never forgive her.

At the end of the school day, Paulo is invited to a party at David's house. Paulo invites Tess to come along, but she says she has something she needs to take care of. He offers help, but she declines, saying she needs to do it alone. Paulo looks on with a sad face as she leaves.

42. Invitation

Tess invites Paulo and the gang on a trip to Acapulco. He calls David to see if he's going, and David is. David asks Paulo if he's excited about seeing all of the girls in bikinis while there, but Paulo doesn't seem to care about that.

He and Mike help Tess with the luggage. Abbey and Daisy arrivee on the scene and the group gives Abbey gifts to celebrate his birthday early. Paulo hands Abbey a gay porn magazine as his birthday gift. Paulo is amused by this, and Abbey playfully attacks him in response.

Paulo asks Daisy to give him her luggage so that the gang can get going. Daisy tells Paulo she isn't going so that she can support Abbey. Paulo responds by calling Daisy's choice gay, and then cheers for everyone to board the plane.

Paulo and the rest of the gang wave goodbye to Abbey and Daisy as the plane takes off.

43. Arrival

Paulo and David are singing and dancing on the plane, much to the annoyance of the rest of the group. Lucy takes Mike's Gameboy and throws it at Paulo's head to make him stop.

Tess pair Paulo with Mike. He is not happy.

The plane lands and the group takes in the site of Acapulco. Tess suggests that they all just stay at the hotel for the day and start exploring tomorrow. She also reveals that there are only 4 rooms, but 8 people are there total. This catches Paulo's attention. He begins flirting with Tess, hoping to be her roommate, but Tess informs him that she doesn't want the rooms to be coed. Paulo is disappointed. Tess pairs Paulo up with Mike, much to both Mike's and Paulo's dismay. Paulo is angry at Tess for this.

Lucy kicks Tess out of their room (Lucy is Tess' roommate) and Tess begs Paulo to let her into his room. Paulo vindictively says no and teases her at the same time, still angry that she didn't choose him as her roommate. Mike tells Paulo that he'll regret doing that to Tess, but he says she deserved it. When discussing the sleeping arrangements, Paulo decides to keep the bed for himself and tells Mike to sleep on the floor. Paulo and Mike begin physically fighting when Paulo remarks that not even Sandy would want to share a bed with Mike. The fight is eventually ended when a picture frame hits both Mike and Paulo, knocking them unconscious after.

Paulo apologizes for messing with Mike, and tells him he's a good friend. Mike is touched, but Paulo admits he only acts the way he does towards Mike because he's attracted to him. Paulo tries to lick Mike but Mike wakes up and realizes it was all a dream. He and Paulo wound up sharing the bed after all.

Mike, who is freaked out by his dream, stares at Paulo and screams when Paulo wakes up. He decides to sleep on the floor, but not before taking one of the pillows from under Paulo's head.

David laments over Paulo's change..

In the morning, Paulo greets Tess during breakfast flirtatiously, saying that he dreamt of her all night. Lucy chimes in, saying that he actually dreamt of Mike (due to all of the loud noise they were making while fighting), and Paulo gets defensive. Mike joins the others and complains about his back, and Paulo has a horrified expression upon hearing this. Mike unknowingly furthered the implication that he and Paulo had sex the night before.

Tess is still upset about the previous night but Paulo begs her to let him make it up to her. David angrily blames Tess for Paulo's change and yells at Paulo before running off with tears in his eyes.

Paulo chases David back to his room and tries to comfort him by telling David he's still the same guy. David doesn't believe him and claims he's crying about the "wrong girl" (Paulo seems to pay no mind to this comment. It's unknown who David seems to think the "right" girl for Paulo is, but it's most likely Daisy, as evidenced in Intervention). Paulo tries to convince David he's still the same guy by saying he'd sleep with Lucy, but he says it halfheartedly. David is in disbelief.

Paulo eventually admits that he has changed because of Tess, but he hasn't changed completely. He tells David he'll make it up to him by spending the whole day playing volleyball, surfing and building sand castles. David's face lights up and he hugs Paulo.

..but just as quickly gets over it.

When they arrive at the beach, Paulo is wearing swimming trunks. David darts out without any, and Paulo tells him that's gross. Lucy comes out in a dress and Paulo fawns over how cute she looks.

Paulo is seen flirting with two girls he met on the beach. Tess notices, and knocks a volleyball into Paulo's head out of jealousy.

After Zachary saves Lucy's life, Paulo and the gang follow him to a coffee shop. They sit down to eat, but Zachary is kicked out of the table when the gang thinks he's being creepy to Lucy. Catherine steps in to defend Zachary and Paulo begins to hit on her as soon as he sees her, despite their age difference.

44. Search and Rescue

Paulo complains about how the day sucked. Mike says that he had it worst, and Paulo agrees.

Paulo's push causes the bridge to break.

Earlier that day, the group decided to go hiking (or go on a "nature stroll" in the words of Tess). Paulo and

David cheer excitingly about going hiking. After doing a lot of sight seeing, and after Paulo teases Tess for being tired, Sue points out a dangerous looking bridge that they need to cross. As the gang begins crossing the bridge, Paulo and David begin shoving each other around the bridge as a game. David knocks Paulo off the bridge but he easily catches onto the ledge and hops back up. While David explains the "purpose" of the game to Tess, Paulo knocks David down to the ground

Paulo, downplaying Mike's fall after being blamed for it.

and causes the bridge to crack, and Mike and Lucy fall. Mike kicks Lucy back up to the bridge in time (Paulo rushes to catch her, though David actually catches her) but Mike falls into the stream below and can no longer be seen from the bridge. Paulo (most likely recognizing this situation is his fault) attempts to downplay the situation by saying Mike's fall probably didn't hurt that much. Tess blames Paulo for what is assumed to be Mike's death. The group begins to search for Mike.

David, who is carrying an unconscious Lucy, begins feeling her breasts, much to the disapproval and horrified expressions of the rest of the group. Paulo scolds David about how that's wrong, and when David tries to make Paulo feel Lucy up as well, she wakes up, and punched David/kicks Paulo at the same time. Lucy asks the

Paulo comforts an unstable Lucy.

gang where Mike is, and McCain tells her that he fell. Lucy, assuming Mike is dead, begins to have a breakdown, and Paulo holds her to try to comfort her. Lucy clings to Paulo for comfort the entire way, but faints again when Zachary mentions water.

Lucy clings to Paulo for comfort.

When Mike is found, Paulo hands over an uncouncious Lucy to Mike. Mike is worried when he finds out Lucy woke up before he was found, but Paulo doesn't understand why.

Later that night, the group is surrounding a bonfire. When Lucy wakes up, Sue suggests a game of Truth or Dare, and chooses Paulo. Paulo chooses Dare, and Sue dares him to kiss a boy. Paulo labels Sue's dare as "exploitable" and kisses Blur.

After completing Sue's dare, Paulo chooses David. David chooses Truth, and Paulo angrily asks David where his stereo is.

45. Intervention

The game of Truth or Dare continues. Sue chooses Tess. Tess chooses Truth. Sue asks Tess who she would've preferred to take her virginity. Tess answers with "Paulo". Paulo, excited about this, tries to egg the situation on, but Tess tells him to leave her alone. They begin to argue about dating, and Tess claims she's not attracted to Paulo. Paulo reminds her how she smacked a volleyball to his head when he was flirting with two girls some days prior, to show proof that she does feel something for him. Tess denies this, and claims she was just trying to protect him. Paulo loses his temper and calls bullshit on her reason. Tess sticks to her stance, continuing to say that she threw the volleyball at him to prevent him from making a fool of himself. She also admits another reason she supposedly isn't interested is because she can't trust Paulo to be faithful, because he's always hitting on other girls. Paulo fires back that he was only with those girls to make David feel better, but also tells her he doesn't have to be faithful if they aren't a couple. Tess takes this as an insult, and feels like Paulo's actions tell her that she doesn't mean much to him. Paulo, angry and frustrated, storms off, yelling about how girls are stupid. David then follows him.

David finds Paulo sulking in a corner. He asks whats wrong, and Paulo explains that he's frustrated with Tess because she keeps sending mixed signals. Paulo jokes about becoming a monk so that he doesn't have to deal with "girl drama" and he and David share a laugh about this. But Paulo quickly goes back to sulking.

David asks Paulo if there's anyone other than Tess that he wants to be with. Paulo tells David that Tess pisses him off, but he loves her. David begins suggesting other girls. When asked about Sue, Paulo tells David she's cute but is too smart. The "annoying" kind of smart. When asked about Katie, Paulo tells him that she's really hot, but too stupid and bratty to be with. When asked about Lucy, Paulo pauses. Paulo reveals that he still has feelings for Lucy (he never completely moved on from 5th grade), but she's too high matinence. Paulo elaborates by explaining that he's concerned about Lucy, but he draws the line there. He's aware that he could never be what she needs (implying that Mike is the better choice for her), and he's also aware of her feelings for Mike. He is afraid that he'd screw her up "more", but is content so long as they can stay friends. Paulo keeps to his stance that Tess is who he really wants.

David then gets a devious smile. He asks Paulo about Daisy. Paulo blushes and is clearly startled. Paulo is appalled that David would ask if he's attracted to Daisy, and says that he'd never date her. David asks why, and Paulo initially has trouble coming up with a reason. Paulo eventually settles on the reason that "it's Daisy" and that she also looks like a kid. Paulo explains that Daisy is his "sister" and he can't look at her that way. David then begins to analyze Paulo's "sister" comment literally, much to Paulo's frustration.

David tells Paulo that he can help him figure out who he truly loves by giving him a "hypocritical" (read: hypothetical) situation concerning Daisy and Tess about a kidnapping.

David's story begins with a princess and a queen. One is the Princess of Peace (Daisy). The other, is the Queen of War (Tess). The two kingdoms were always fighting amongst themselves, but because of the kingdoms' opposite natures, there was balance, and no wars. The Hero (Paulo) helped maintain this peace. One day, both the Princess of Peace and the Queen of War are kidnapped. The Hero has to act quickly in order to prevent the kingdoms from going to war. While traveling, The Hero runs into a fork in the road. A bystaner (Abbey) tells The Hero that both paths lead to a different ruler. The Hero tries to explain that he will go one way to save someone, and then take the other route to save the other, but the bystander informs him that that is impossible. As soon as The Hero reaches one ruler, the other ruler will be executed.

David then asks Paulo who he would save. After much frustration, Paulo admits that he would save Daisy. Paulo elaborates, saying that he loves Tess, but Daisy has done nothing wrong, and deserves everything because of it. He explains that Daisy was his first friend and was the first person to completely accept him after he changed due to Alejandro's influence. He begins to feel guilty about ignoring her feelings. David rhetorically asks Paulo if he likes Daisy, and Paulo only blushes and looks down in response. Paulo is startled when Mike calls his name and snaps him out of his flashback.

Mike asks if Paulo is okay, but he doesn't want to speak. He leaves the room to get some air, and is frustrated and deep in thought. He is startled when Tess calls out his name. She asks if they can talk.

46. Return

Lucy returns from the beach and opens the door to her room. She opens it to find Paulo and Tess "making up". Paulo, Tess and Lucy exchange awkward stares before Lucy quickly shuts the door.

It is implied that Paulo and Tess were having sex but is quickly debunked when the gang boards the plane and is on their way home. David asks Paulo if he and Tess went all the way, but Paulo said they only made out. Paulo reveals that he couldn't get the thought of Daisy out of his head, so he stopped Tess before things progressed any further. David happily teases Paulo about "his" Daisy and makes marriage jokes, much to Paulo's annoyance.

The plane lands and Daisy and Abbey are waiting for everyone. Daisy and Abbey are holding hands, and they admit that they are now a couple. Paulo seems unsettled by this, and yells out "You're sticking it to each other?!".

David leaves Paulo awkwardly when Daisy reveals she's taken. Paulo stares blankly for awhile before screaming "Yeukkk!!!" at the thought of being attracted to Daisy. He claims he only felt anything for Daisy at all because David brainwashed him. Paulo chases after him as David continues to make jokes about Paulo's "feelings" for Daisy.

Volume Two: Starting Over

Story Summary: Starting Over

As David sprays chocolate milk on Paulo during lunch, Rachel remarks that Paulo is cute. After lunch, while walking through the hallway, Rachel witnesses Lucy slamming Paulo's head into the locker. She flirtatiously says hello to Paulo, who quickly puts on his "macho" facade, and flirtatiously greets Rachel back. She quickly sees through this facade however, which causes Paulo to get defensive.

Rachel asks if he and Tess are a couple, to which Paulo says no. Jessica makes a sly remark about Paulo's feelings for Tess, which causes them to argue. Rachel stops the argument, saying she doesn't care about the Tess-related drama, and that she only wants to know about Mike's "harem". Paulo goes on to explain (irritatingly, and perhaps, jealously) why all the girls around him seem to be interested in Mike. Rachel then playfully remarks that Paulo might still have a chance with Mike, much to Paulo's irritation.

After Mike and his "harem" pass by, Paulo reveals to Rachel and Jessica that Mike's girl problem was a lot worse when he was single. He happily reminisces about the time he caused a horde of girls to angrily chase Mike (A Difficult Choice), giving them the impression that he was a cheater.

Lucy then passes by and asks Mike (in a not-so-kind manner) about getting together for a project. Mike tells her he has other plans before telling her to grow up and leaving in frustration. Paulo, angered by how Mike treats Lucy, cracks his knuckles and begins to walk towards Mike, before being stopped by Lucy. She tells him to leave it alone and stay out of it, before she walks off, and Paulo sadly watches her. Rachel asks if Lucy is the reason why Paulo is not with Tess, though he says no and attempts to vaguely explain.

Paulo tells Rachel and Jessica about his love for Tess and the experiences he has had with her, but sadly remarks that "none of that really matters anymore".

Rachel brings up the topic of Paulo not "getting any action", though he responds that things weren't that simple. He tells her that, although Tess wanted to sleep with him, "someone" (David) filled his head with thoughts of "another girl" (Daisy), and when that happened, he couldn't stop thinking about her, and therefore did not go through with sleeping with Tess. Rachel asks Paulo if he would prefer "that girl", but he simply doesn't respond and goes red in the face, before changing the subject over to Tess' excuse for not dating him. Rachel playfully hugs Paulo, telling him that she would date him, but Jessica reminds them that they still have class. Paulo says that he should make the rest of his period, before walking off and going to class.

48. Pick Me Up

Lucy is seen sulking after having a fight with Mike. Paulo happily greets her, and she tells him to leave, but he doesn't. He stays with her until she's done crying, though after she tries to leave, Paulo is following her. He tries to find out what's wrong with her, but she won't budge. They eventually arrive at her house, and she thanks him for walking her home, but he still insists that she tells him what's wrong. He eventually figures out that she and Mike had another fight, and, feeling that everything is probably Mike's fault "as usual", Lucy attempts to defend Mike, saying that things are never his fault. Despite Lucy's efforts, this only makes matters worst, as Paulo now thinks Mike is pulling a "dick move" and is ready to confront him about it. Lucy stops him, and begs him not to make her regret opening up to him. Paulo calls Lucy a drama queen, though ultimately tells her to apologize to Mike, since all he wants is some recognition.

Paulo reveals to Lucy that he thinks her stubborness is cute, but he realizes Mike is not as tolerant. Lucy is hesitant to take his advice, feeling that an apology is lame and not enough, but Paulo assures her that it's more than enough, since Mike is "nuts for her". He reminds her that he asked nothing of her when he saved her life, and assures her that Mike wouldn't either.

Lucy happily hugs Paulo, and holds him as thanks. Paulo is thinking about how he can feel her breasts on his chest the entire time. As the hug lasts longer, they begin to awkwardly look away from each other and blush, and later begin to make eye contact, before they are interrupted by Mike. Paulo has been holding Lucy's butt the entire time, but awkwardly leaves when Mike arrives, slapping him on the back and calling him a pansy before leaving.

After Mike and Lucy make up, Paulo is seen from the bottom of Lucy's house, watching over her. He thinks to himself that Lucy will one day have the courage to tell Mike how she feels, before exiting.

51. A Distance Apart

Paulo excitedly greets Lani, his seemingly favorite teacher. Later, during P.E., the students must participate in a mile run. During the run, Paulo notices a distressed Lucy is not running, and tries to make her run by pretending to be a wave of water. Lucy, who is clearly unamused, barks at Paulo in response, who then runs away crying.

52. Unrequited

In the school hallway, Paulo yells at and insults Mike for wanting to participate in Sue's play. Paulo tells Mike the only reason Mike would like to participate in the play is because he wants to "bang" Sue. Mike yells that he doesn't, and Lucy later chimes in, telling Mike to stop yelling. Paulo implies that Mike wants to "bang" Lucy as well, though Lucy replies that Mike doesn't, and that he has never been in denial about his feelings for her. Paulo confusingly yells "Whaaaat?!" after Mike awkwardly leaves the hallway.

Paulo continues to bug Mike throughout the day, by repeatedly yelling "Whaaaaaaat?!", in hopes that he can find out what happened between Mike and Lucy. Eventually, both Mike and Lucy tell Paulo to "shut up", though he only responds by asking if the two have had sex.

Mike complains, wondering "why people always have to make a big deal about everything", and Paulo responds by saying the way Mike claims whatever is bothering him "is not a big deal is what makes it a big deal". Paulo and Mike go back and forth before Lucy interrupts with an emotional outburst, and Lucy is latter dragged off by the girls of the group, leaving Mike with all of the boys.

Paulo demands Mike to tell him what's going on, but he is interrupted when the girls return and call Mike an idiot. Paulo asks the girls to tell him what's going on, and after they do, Paulo claps and snickers in amusement. He tells Mike that he "screwed up", and believes Mike is giving up "the hottest girl in school" for a "dumb, imaginary girlfriend". Paulo then challenges Mike to prove Sandy exists, and Mike hands him a picture of Sandy. He is surprised to see that Mike is dating someone as beautiful as Sandy, and claims that he "understands" why Mike can wait on someone as beautiful as her. He refuses to give the picture back after this.

54. Casting Call

Sue has just finished the final draft to her play, and she announces this to the group during lunch. Paulo is seen drinking a can of Blasto. Sue asks the group to audition for the play, but Paulo thinks the idea is lame, and gloats about how he couldn't do it anyways, because he has detention. When asked why he's drinking so much soda, Paulo tells Sue that he and Mike are entering a contest to win $50,000, and since Mike hates the taste of Blasto, he buys the soda while Paulo drinks them. Sue amusingly remarks, "Who would've thought the would be the way to make you two get along?", while Paulo agrees and the group laughs.

Later, Lucy is seen making faces at Paulo from the window of his Detention room, before she is dragged away by Sue.

Intermission: Turning Tides

Paulo wants to have a water gun fight. He tells David he wants him on his team. As Mike and Lucy pass by, Daisy asks Mike to be on her team, though Paulo insists that both Mike and Lucy be on Daisy's team. David feels that's too much to take on, but Paulo says he only wants Lucy on the opposite team because she's hydrophobic, therefore he thinks she will be an easy target (plus Lucy "being all wet would be pretty hot").

When the game starts, Paulo goes after Lucy first, and sprays the water in her face. He is surprised to see she is okay with this. Lucy then grabs his mouth, shoves the water gun in his mouth, and begins to spray water.

Intermission: Sensible Precautions

Paulo enters, wearing clothes. He tells Daisy and David that he found his dad's "private collection" and can't stop thinking about girls. David asks Daisy if this means boys have periods too.