Eleanor
- On the bus, things are awkward with Park. Eleanor asks him if he's over her, and Park says no, but he's a little bit angry with her.
- Eleanor thinks he's angry for her for something she can't help: "Like for being weird… or for hyperventilating in your living room" (22.20). Park disagrees. He tells her he's mad because he feels like she made up her mind to leave before she even came into his house.
- She tells him she felt like she shouldn't be there, and more than that, she didn't feel like Park wanted her there.
- Based on Park's reaction, "she knew she was at least a little bit right" (22.25). The two of them have an upset, tense moment.
- The kids in the back of the bus start chanting "Go. Big. Red." (22.29) at Eleanor.
- When they get off the bus, Park takes off his coat and drops his backpack. Eleanor tells him to stop, but Park says he's "ending this" (22.44), by which he means the bullying.
- She tells Park that if this is for her, to stop because she doesn't want him to do it, but Park is too furious. Steve gets off the bus and makes another nasty remark to Eleanor, and Park snaps. He shoves Steve toward the bus, and when Steve shoves back, Park steps back, spins into the air, and kicks Steve in the mouth. They start fighting in earnest, in front of everyone. Finally, Park and Steve are pushed apart. Steve's bleeding from the mouth, and Park's face is covered with blood. "Leave… my girlfriend… alone" (22.70), Park says. Steve says he didn't know Eleanor was Park's girlfriend.
- The assistant principal takes Steve and Park into school, and Eleanor's left with Park's backpack and coat. Eleanor is stunned. "She didn't know what to do with herself […] She didn't know how to feel" (22.77). She isn't sure if she's supposed to be happy about being called Park's girlfriend, or mad at him for fighting.
- Park's not in class for the rest of the day, and he's not on the bus after school. Everyone on the bus is still talking about the fight.
Park
- Park is suspended from school for two days, and Steve's suspended for two weeks because "this was his third fight of the year" (22.88).
- Park's mom is so angry she won't pick him up; when Park's dad shows up, the principal "thought he was Steve's dad" (22.89).
- Park has a black eye and a broken nose, but doesn't go to the hospital. Steve, however, does go to the hospital with a loose tooth and broken finger.
- Park's dad tells him that taekwondo is for self-defense, but is totally impressed when Park tells him he did a jump reverse hook kick.
- When they get home, Park's mom is inconsolable. She tells him he was fighting "like white trash dumb-monkey" (22.107); she's never been this mad at him before.
- Park's dad defends him, saying Park was "sticking up for some girl the kids pick on" (22.118). Park corrects him and says she wasn't some girl, she was his girlfriend.
- Park's mom grounds him.
Eleanor
- Eleanor goes to Park's house after school to drop off his books. His dad answers the door and goes to check with Park's mom, and Eleanor overhears him say, "With a nickname like Big Red, I expected her to be a lot bigger" (22.129).
- Park's dad lets her in. She tries to leave, but Park's dad tells her to come in and see Park, because he's sure Park would want to see her.
- Eleanor goes into Park's room for the first time, and gasps when she sees his face—it doesn't look pretty. She sits down on his bed and nearly falls over, not knowing it's a waterbed; Park nearly tips over, too. They both apologize to each other, and he silently starts to cry. "Did I ruin everything?" (22.157) he asks. Eleanor tells him it's not possible.
- She also tells him that kids are still going to make fun of her, and she asks him not to start fights every time they bully her. "Promise me that you'll try not to care" (22.169), she says. "Because it doesn't matter to me, Park. If you like me […] nothing else matters" (22.169). Park corrects her. He doesn't like her, he… well, fill in the blank.
- Even though Park's not at school for the next two days, no one bothers Eleanor at school all day.
- She finds "more pervy stuff" written on one of her books that day: "pop that cherry" (22.177). This time, she rips off the book cover.
- Eleanor's mom secretly gives her two new pairs of Goodwill jeans. She has to hide any purchases from Richie, and when Eleanor's mom finds money, she tries "to spend it on things Richie would never notice […] It was like she was keeping them all alive behind his back" (22.183-184). Maisie gets a bag of partially clothed Barbie dolls.
- On Friday morning, Park is waiting for Eleanor at the bus stop.