Will asks Marcus to pretend to be his son. He confesses that he likes Rachel a lot and wants her to be his girlfriend. Marcus cannot understand why Will is lying to Rachel but agrees to go along with his plan, anyway. Marcus also tells Will that he wishes Ellie were his girlfriend, and while he is not sure about touching her, he wants to be close to her. The pair turn up to Rachel’s house. Marcus is introduced to Rachel’s son, Ali, while the two adults go downstairs. A slamming door is heard; Marcus is trying to go home. 

Marcus has to leave Rachel’s house because Ali threatened to kill him if Will went out with Rachel. Will finds Marcus trying to escape, and brings him back to Rachel’s. There, Ali apologizes to Marcus and observes how when Will is with Rachel, his “way of looking” at her is seductive (201). Marcus practices a similar look on Ellie, but she thinks he has gone cross-eyed. When Marcus is waiting for her outside the newsstand, Lee Hartley and his gang approach and seize his glasses. Ellie beats up the bullies and sends them away, and Marcus is overcome by her beauty and strength.