Alan Steppe
Amber’s mother made the decision to send her to live with Marcy in order to remove her from the unsafe neighborhood in L.A. Marcy tells us that Bud and Amber had crossed paths six years ago, back when Amber was just 13 years old. He lets out a horrified scream when she shows him a picture of a younger Amber. After Bud bribes everyone to get some alone time for studying, Amber shows up at the Bundy Residence to seek refuge from Marcy. She tells Bud that she had initially gotten first class tickets to fly to Chicago, but she chose to exchange them for cash and travel by hitchhiking instead.
In the evening, she quietly enters Bud’s room, explaining that if Marcy forbids her from going to the Bundy’s, she plans to do it anyway as a form of rebellion against her aunt. Afterwards, she requests a massage, but even though he can physically feel her, he still believes it’s just his imagination. He attempts to challenge his own beliefs by asking Amber if she would like to engage in sexual activity, and she willingly agrees. She wakes up and, thinking it was just a dream, comes out of the bathroom. She tells him that it’s 3am and that he was the best lover she’s ever had.
Bud keeps trying persistently to sleep with her again, but he is unsuccessful. In “Kelly Takes a Shot,” he mentions that it has been more than a month since they had sex for the first time. The encounter lasted only 3 minutes, and now she seems more distant. She says she’s not in the mood and suggests waiting for the right time to try again. When Bud made Kelly cry by telling her she’s not a good actress directly, it really upset Amber. She got angry and let him know that she won’t be intimate with him anymore because of how he treated his sister. Eventually, he decides to make amends with Kelly and assist her in preparing for an upcoming archery competition. The competition offers a fantastic opportunity for her to potentially feature in a commercial for Fryer Tuck restaurant. Amber finds it kind of endearing that he’s willing to assist her and even offers something intimate in return if he agrees to stand in and let Kelly shoot an apple off his head. Even though Kelly managed to make the shot, Bud is deeply affected by the experience. Later on, he is spotted at home, wearing a onesie and curled up in the fetal position, clearly showing signs of trauma. After Peg and the D’Arcys go out and leave Bud on the couch, Amber quietly enters the living room. She’s dressed in revealing lingerie and expresses her strong desire for him, keeping her promise. Even though Bud initially desired to be intimate with her, his experience with trauma led him to ask her to leave because he is dealing with PTSD.
In her previous appearance, Kelly talks about how Amber was upset because Bud attempted to pull off the classic “movie theater popcorn trick”. Amber was also upset about the fact that he had previously grabbed her chest and made honking sounds. Eventually, she decides to leave the house because he doesn’t seem to comprehend the importance of respecting her and her body. Afterward, when he tries out the experimental simulator, he encounters a virtual version of Amber dressed in lingerie. This virtual Amber seems open to engaging in sexual activities without requiring Bud to treat her with respect. However, it seems that the actual Amber does show an interest in Bud (she privately tells Kelly that she finds him cute) and is open to going on another date with him. However, once he tries the unrestricted virtual reality version of Amber, he ends up rejecting her and becoming addicted to the virtual reality experience. Later, Amber manages to sneak into the lab with Kelly’s assistance. Together, they reprogram the machine, resulting in Bud’s version of Amber being replaced by gorillas. Afterwards, the three of them gather on the couch. He finds himself captivated by the gorillas on television, while Amber and Kelly happily grin, satisfied with their revenge.
