Joey Costello says “Mike always felt better when he got his shoes off,” to Paul. Joey says this after Erik and Arthur Bauer make fun of the death of Joey’s brother, Mike Costello, right in front of Paul and Joey. In particular, the two bullies make fun of how Joey was determined to take Mike’s shoes off after Mike was killed by a lightning strike while on the football field. The coaches had to forcibly remove Joey from Mike.

Joey was so determined to take Mike’s shoes off because Mike always took his shoes off when he returned from school or football practice. It was a comfortable tradition for the entire family.

Joey likely latched onto this small detail because he was overwhelmed with grief and panic. In horrific situations, the human brain doesn’t always work logically. Individuals often focus on small details to cope with the emotional overload. Joey likely couldn’t control his actions, even though he looked nonsensical to the entire community.

Given the severity of the situation and Joey’s very human response to his brother’s death, Erik’s mocking behavior is even more abhorrent than usual. It seems that nothing is sacred to Erik; death and devastation are only another opportunity to poke fun at the vulnerable.