Juli is kind and friendly to Bryce at school, but he does not like it; he thinks it feels distant. The Booster Club runs their yearly auction fundraiser in which 20 eighth-grade boys pack a picnic lunch and host a lunch date with the girl who bids the most on each “basket boy.” Bryce is one of the 20 boys this year. Rumor has it that Jumbo Jenny, who is tall enough to dunk a basketball, has her sights set on Bryce. He charms both Shelly Stalls and Miranda Humes, hoping that one outbids Jenny. He and the other boys are embarrassed by the fund raiser, but they dress in suits and ties on the scheduled day and dutifully bring in their basket lunches.

Before Bryce’s turn, Juli outbids one other girl to have lunch with Jon Trulock; Bryce is immediately concerned that maybe Juli likes Jon. When Bryce steps up, Jenny, Miranda, and Shelly get into a bidding war over him; Miranda and Shelly win by pooling their resources, so Bryce sits to share his picnic lunch with both girls. His attention, though, is on Juli and Jon’s table nearby.

Miranda and Shelly talk about unimportant things, and Bryce’s frustration with his inability to reconcile his new emotions for Juli grows and grows.