Eleanor
- Park promises to come back to the RV when his parents are home and asleep. She feels bad for a minute about involving him, but then realizes that the worst thing that could happen to Park—being grounded—"was like winning the Price is Right showcase compared to what would happen if Eleanor got caught" (51.11). She has a minute of wondering if her mom and siblings are okay.
- She thinks her plan will completely fall apart. She thinks about just stopping—not killing herself, but just not continuing somehow.
- Eleanor knows Maisie and Ben will tell Richie about Park, "because he had them on leashes" (51.21). She thinks about Maisie sitting on Richie's lap that first day, and thinks she should go back for her. (The implications here are pretty intense.)
- But then she thinks that bringing Maisie would "ruin everything even worse than it was already ruined" (51.26).
Park
- Park takes all his birthday and Christmas money from his room, and writes his parents a note about helping Eleanor due to an emergency. He says goodnight to his mom, and hears his dad come home.
- When he thinks everyone's asleep, Park takes his backpack. He sees his dad's new hunting rifle on the table and thinks about taking it, but then doesn't know what he'd do with it. But then he hears his dad's voice—his dad's heard him.
- He tells his dad the truth: He's leaving to help Eleanor. He tells his dad about Richie, and the "sick notes" he wrote on Eleanor's books; when Park's dad asks about Eleanor's mom, Park explains, "Her mom's… not in very good shape. I think he hurts her" (51.38).
- Park's dad actually says he can't think of a better plan than the one Park's got, and he gives Park some money, and tells him not to bring Eleanor home if Eleanor's uncle won't take her, saying, "Bring her back here, and we'll figure out what to do next" (51.49).
- Park's dad says he has only one condition—Park thinks it must be that his eyeliner has to go—but Park's dad simply says, "You're taking the truck" (51.53).
- Park's dad watches Park leave, as Park smoothly pulls the stick shift truck out of the driveway.