Eleanor & Park Chapter 35 Summary

Eleanor

One night when Eleanor's leaving Park's house, Park's dad stops her as she's on her way out. He tells her that it's the last time he's going to invite her to stay for dinner, because she has a standing invitation.
He tells Eleanor that he knows her stepdad, and that he knows Richie's a tricky dude (to say the least), so if she feels better being at their house, then she should be at their house. He and Park's mom would like nothing more.

Park's now with Eleanor every night, and still longs for more. Park wants Eleanor to come hang out in his room, but Eleanor doesn't want Park's mom to think badly of her.
Park thinks his mom likes Eleanor more than she used to, though she hates Eleanor's clothes; Eleanor is super polite and tries to make conversation with Park's mom.
One night Eleanor asks Park's mom about being a beautician, and Park's mom suggests that they have a "makeover night" (35.43).
Park tries to talk his mom out of it, saying that Eleanor doesn't need a makeover. Park's mom promises not to cut Eleanor's hair, and suddenly it looks like this makeover might be happening.

Eleanor, horrified, sits in the shampoo chair in Park's garage. She's dying of embarrassment and doesn't know whether she wants Park to stay or leave. She decides she wants Park to stay, to prevent any extreme hair disasters; he doesn't feel like she can refuse anything Park's mom wants to do, after staying for dinner so many times.
Park's mom does a hot oil treatment on Eleanor's hair, and applies some makeup, even though Eleanor tells her she doesn't wear makeup. When Park's mom asks her why, Eleanor thinks, "Because makeup is a lie," but she doesn't say that—she says, "It's just not me" (35.72-73).
Park's mom tries out eyeliner on Park just to show Eleanor how it looks. Park looks amazing in it: "Eleanor couldn't look away" (35.89).
Very efficiently, Park's mom finishes Eleanor's makeover. When Park's dad comes in, he tells Eleanor she looks like a "Solid Gold dancer" (35.107). Oh good.
Park apologizes. Eleanor tries to explain that she hates everyone looking at her. She finally looks in the mirror and thinks she looks like a totally different person. She's really turned off by the whole thing.
Park tells her to kiss him. She asks Park if he likes her better like this, and he says she look like herself " with the volume turned up" (35.150). Eleanor can't get over Park wearing eyeliner.
Park's mom comes back in, disappointed to have missed the big reveal. Eleanor carefully thanks her. Park's mom promises to make her a makeup kit.

Park isn't sure how he feels about Eleanor's makeover: "He couldn't figure out why it upset her so much" (35.162).
He thinks maybe she tries to look different all the time because "she was different—because she wasn't afraid to be. (Or maybe she was just more afraid of being like everyone else)" (35.165).
The next day Park decides to wear black eyeliner to school, and comb his hair straight up. His dad freaks out at breakfast, and his mom's nervous, thinking maybe it's her fault Park decided to wear it. Park's dad yells at him to go wash his face. Park's dad thinks the other kids will make fun of Park, but his mom tells his dad to let Park go to school.
At the bus stop, Steve hardly mentions Park's makeup—he just tells Park he looks like Ozzy Osbourne. Eleanor tells Park he looks "unsettling" (35.212), but clearly she loves it: "She kissed him with tongue. On the bus" (35.213).