As she prepares for the dance, Chloe is excited to prove her hypothesis that “Being gifted doesn’t automatically make people social outcasts” (75). She credits Donovan for creating the opportunity, though she notes “[h]e couldn’t possibly have destroyed the Hardcastle gym,” thus forcing the dance to be relocated to ASD. She reflects back on her first meeting with Donovan; she knew from the beginning that he was “almost too normal” (75). She knows that he is probably not gifted, despite having contributed to their community by solving the Human Growth and Development requirement.

Most of Chloe’s wardrobe features flannel, which she deems more appropriate to farming than a school dance. Instead, she chooses a dress she wore to her aunt’s wedding, dressing it down with a cardigan. Thinking about the girls she saw at the mall with Donovan, she wears light make-up. Her father declares her “beautiful,” prompting her to hypothesize that “The compliment loses credibility in direct proportion to how closely related you are to the speaker” (76).

At school, the gym is crammed with people, and the room’s temperature rises steadily. The decorations are a clichéd assortment of “hearts and cupids” (77). Chloe notices the Hardcastle students are “brasher,” “wilder, and more confident” than their ASD counterparts (78).