Love Note
| Love Note | |
|---|---|
| (Intermission) | |
 | |
| Chapter | “81.1” of 129 (list of chapters) |
| Published | April 7, 2014 |
| Page count | 1 |
| Major characters | Mike, Paulo |
| Locations | Mike’s house, Roseville High School |
| Collected in | Volume Five |
| Chapter navigation | |
| ← Take Heart | Local Area → |
| Read chapter | |
Paulo borrows five bucks from Mike. Mike receives a yellow rose with a note attached. These two facts are, unfortunately for Mike, very much related. It’s a one-page epilogue to Take Heart, and quite possibly the least romantic love note in Roseville.
Synopsis
In a quick flashback, Paulo flags Mike down and amiably asks, “Yo, Mike. Can I borrow five bucks?” Surprised but happy to help, Mike agrees on the spot.[1]
In the present, Mike lies in bed holding up a yellow rose, one of the five-dollar friendship roses from the fundraiser in Take Heart.[2] He unfurls the attached note and reads the message his own money paid for: “ur a faget”. Mike drops the flower onto the pillow beside him and rolls his eyes.[1]
Trivia & observations
- Veronica’s entire commentary under the page is two words: “Couldn’t resist”.[1]
- The friendship roses were Paulo’s own idea in the first place. He pitched the whole concept in Take Heart (“No, no! Make it about friendship! Yellow roses! Make it a fundraiser!”), so he’s insulting Mike with his own invention.[3][1]
- This isn’t even the first off-putting rose note Mike has read. During the in-class delivery in Take Heart, one of his admirers’ notes read “I think of you in the shower”.[4]
- In the same arc, a rose note signed with Paulo’s name moved Rachel to tears, though Daisy had secretly written it for him. This page shows what a note Paulo actually writes looks like.[5][1]
Related chapters
- Take Heart: The rose comes straight out of this chapter’s fundraiser, where Paulo and Jasmine sold yellow roses for five dollars with a free message attached, and Mike received a whole pile of them in class.[2][4] The “ur a faget” rose was one extra purchase made off-panel. Joke roses between the boys had already become an affectionate gesture by then, too. David gave Paulo one, and Paulo wore it in his hair all day.[5]
- Puppy Love: Paulo has been ribbing Mike like this since middle school. He and David christened him “Homo McWhiskers” back then (“Got a ring to it!”), so the note is an old joke in written form.[6]