Sparrow’s Song, Page 3

PANEL 1

Sparrow looks down at Rachel with confusion.

SPARROW: "What do you mean?"

PANEL 2

Rachel and Sparrow continue lying in bed. Rachel looks hopeful while Sparrow appears uncomfortable.

RACHEL: "Are we boyfriend and girlfriend?"

RACHEL: "Friends with benefits?"

SPARROW: "What?"

PANEL 3

Split panel showing Sparrow on the left side looking away, and Rachel on the right looking increasingly disappointed. The bottom shows a close-up of Rachel looking hurt.

RACHEL: "Sparrow..."

SPARROW: "This is great, but I really do not want to put a label on it, okay?"

RACHEL: "Oh..."

RACHEL: "...okay."

Heh. I was in Sparrow’s exact position a year earlier–literally! It’s odd how we manage to end up in these awkward relationships! I didn’t have the heart for this kind of relationship, so I got out as soon as I realized it was not what I wanted.

Sparrow’s let down because this isn’t what she wants. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s the best guy in the area or the first guy who hasn’t been putty in her hands or maybe I never got to know Sparrow very well until now, but this was the first time I drew a comic from her perspective, and even the readers noticed how vulnerable she really was in this situation. A lot of them commented about having been in the same situation before.

I guess you could say I was finally getting enough life experience to have enough empathy to build out characters properly. Let this be a reminder to those who get off on judging others (and who among us hasn’t at one time or another?): It’s easy to be high and mighty–until you have your own fall from grace. Then you can either change your outlook on the world or become a hypocrite. I chose to change my outlook, and that’s why the comics started getting deeper. I was getting older and having follies and weaving them into my tales.