Chapter nine begins the night after Trout High School 's victory over their rival, Horseshoe Bend. Ben is on his way to pick up his date, Dallas Suzuki, after returning home to find his mother in another one of her bipolar crashes. Ben picks up the stunning Dallas Suzuki in his Chevy pickup truck. They go to the homecoming dance, where Ben is seen as a hero for his tremendous game-winning catch. Ben realizes that attending this dance “...might very well be the crowning glory of [his] life.” He struggles with his emotions because he feels nothing will be able to top this experience and it can only go downhill from this point. Cody, Ben’s brother, walks into the game and is met by thunderous applause. Cody assures Ben that “this one belongs to you.” Coach Banks confronts Ben after the dance and tells him that he’s going to be a starter from here on out. Ben tries to deny again because he doesn’t want the …show more content…
His “horny dying short guy” mind went straight to sex but that was not on Dallas’s agenda. She makes it clear that she just wants to talk. Ben knows that there’s no arguing with her. Dallas asks him what he sees in his future and if he saw her in it. Ben realizes how being with Dallas could hurt her in the long run. He’d never considered this before because he didn’t think she’d want a long term relationship. He knows that there is no getting around hurting his family but he can spare Dallas if he really wanted to. Dallas opens up to Ben and tells him about when she was younger she got raped by her uncle. Other than Dallas and her mother, Ben is the only other person in the town who knows Dallas’s secret. Ben’s reaction is exactly what Dallas was hoping for. Instead of walking out like most people would, he stays and talks to her. This makes Dallas consider a future that involves Ben. Ben knows that that’s not possible. After a conversation with Hey-Soos, Ben realizes that he has to tell Dallas the