Born a Crime, Chapter 14

When Tim introduces Trevor to Babiki, who has agreed to go to prom with him, Noah is delighted. So delighted, in fact, that he borrows his stepfather's BMW, buys new clothes, and gets a haircut. On prom night, however, Abel refuses to let Noah borrow the BMW, and by the time the two have finished arguing, he is an hour late picking up his date. He then gets lost driving to the location, and when they finally arrive, Babiki refuses to get out of the car. People gather around, commenting on her appearance, and Noah grows increasingly panicked. Finally, Sizwe points out that Babiki does not speak English. Noah finds this unbelievable, but then he realizes that he has never actually spoken directly to Babiki. Ironically, he was so exicted that he never realized they'd never spoken. Since no one at the dance speaks the only language Babiki knows, Noah finally gives up and drives her home in silence. Ironically, she kisses him before she gets out of the car.