Eleanor
- Park smiles at Eleanor when she gets on the bus. Tina watches them, but Eleanor ignores her, and as soon as Eleanor sits down, Park "took her hand and kissed it" (17.6). Eleanor is totally overwhelmed and thinks she might die of "ecstasy or embarrassment" (17.6).
- Eleanor goes to see Mrs. Dunne, the school counselor. She tells Eleanor that her dad contacted the school because he didn't have Eleanor's home number. (Eleanor's new home doesn't have a phone.) Mrs. Dunne wants to know if Eleanor would like to call her dad from the office. Mrs. Dunne actually offers the use of the phone anytime, but Eleanor considers asking for a toothbrush instead.
- Eleanor calls her dad. When he asks, she says everything's fine, and he tells her that she never calls. "There was no use telling him that they didn't have a phone," Eleanor thinks. "Or pointing out that he never called them back when they did have a phone. […] There was no use telling her dad anything. Eleanor had known that for so long, she couldn't even remember figuring it out" (17.40-41).
- Eleanor's dad asks her to come babysit Matt on Friday night. Her dad mentions a fiancée Eleanor didn't even know about, and tells Eleanor he'll pick her up at school Friday.
Park
- Park tells Cal he's not going to the homecoming dance. Cal says he's renting a tux, and he tries again to get Park to ask Kim to the dance. (Cal thinks if Park goes, Kim will somehow pay attention to Cal, who really likes her. It's not the best plan.)
- Eleanor gives Park a huge smile, dazzling enough that Mr. Stressman comment on how fantastic her smile is. She stops immediately.
- Park nods at Cal; it seems like he might be giving in to Cal's homecoming campaign.
Eleanor
- Eleanor can't believe Park missed her. She's on cloud nine. "Whatever perversion caused him to like her was his problem," she thinks.
- "But he did like her; she was sure of it" (17.84).
- Even in gym class, she realizes the safety she feels when she's next to Park is something she can summon "like a force field" (17.90) when she needs it.