Strip 565 -- First Seen: 2010-11-05
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The Transcript For This Page

Panel 1
Re-establish the scene. In the activities room in the King's Court. Reggie and Babbette the Younger at the table. Babbette is sadly explaining her past crimes, Reggie is listening intently.
Babbette: Daddy-E isn't very careful about money.
Babbette: And … and he trusts me.

Panel 2
Flash-back scene. Ernie Guzman's bedroom. An 11-year-old version of Babbette the Younger is peering over the top of Ernie's dresser, looking greedily at coins of various sizes that had been tossed there, she's reaching to pick up one of the smaller ones.
Caption (Babbette): 'Every evening, he empties all the coins out of his pockets and just puts them on top of his dresser.
Caption: 'It was easy to snag a gram or two every few days.'

Panel 3
Scene outside a gift shop, 11-year-old Babbette is with a group of other kids aged 10-13, mix of girls, boys, ethnicities. They are all fashionably dressed and well-groomed, good-looking. Some are carrying bags with purchased merchandise, most are carrying large drink cups, they all look quite happy. Babbette is in the center of them all, and beaming.
Caption (Babbette): 'I spent it all for gifts and entertainment for the popular kids in town.
Caption: 'I thought I could impress them, buy their friendship and be popular, too.'

Panel 4
On a street in the business section. Babbette is now 13 but no longer popular. She's standing in the left part of the panel, looking dejected. The kids who were with her before (now also 2 years older, are walking away to the right. A couple of them are waving Babbette away dismissively, looking down their noses at her or sneering.
Caption: 'It was fun and made me feel clever.
Caption: 'But then my guilty conscience made me stop stealing, and when the money ran out, so did they.'

Panel 5
Back to the present, with Reggie and Babbette still sitting at the table.
Reggie: And how does it make you feel now?
Babbette: Like a piece of shit – sorry, Sv. King – but that's how it feels.

Panel 6
Two-shot of Reggie and Babbette. Babbette is looking puzzled at Reggie's comment.
Reggie: As it should.
Reggie: Look, Babbette, you can fix this – you must fix this, or you'll never be a mensch.