BJ picks Magnolia up for a party and realizes that she likes Tom. She also admits that she doesn’t trust BJ. When BJ warns her Taura will be at the party, Magnolia reacts emotionally and tells him she prefers Tom to him. To avoid the cameras out front, they sneak through the back door and join the party. The event is an opening of one of Jonah’s clubs. BJ enjoys spending time with Magnolia. When Paili hints that BJ might have slept with someone other than Taura, he gets angry. The group leaves through the front door and are caught by many cameras. Magnolia freezes, and Taura kisses her as a distraction. Via text, Tom and BJ establish that they will both take Magnolia to the Grand Prix.

Magnolia is getting ready for the upcoming ball and thinks that she looked like “a fairy god-princess” (323). Bushka and Bridget agree to come, and BJ and Tom escort both of them, to Magnolia’s annoyance.

Tom comments on Magnolia and BJ’s dynamic. While he acknowledges their bond and chemistry, he thinks that their interactions are weird. BJ says that they are either “dancing in a burning room or taking turns dragging the other unconscious up a mountain” (330).