Elaine is a very practical character in the story. If Elaine was a shape she would be an isosceles triangle. Every isosceles triangle has two sides that are equal to each other. Then the last side is not equal to the other two lengths. The sides stands for Elaine's personality throughout the novel. One minute in the book she really doesn't care about boys or her appearance; then the next she wants to wear makeup and skirts to impress a boy. In the beginning of the novel Elaine explains that she the type of girl that puts her hair in a ponytail, doesn't wear the high status clothing, and doesn't wear makeup. "But telling myself that over and over again didn't stop me from fishing out my shortest skirt and using eyeliner and even mousse on the night of the Broadneck game". Now that being unlike her she even said "I've never been a very girly girl. I mean, I've never collected stuffed animals or cared too much about clothes. I've never had a manicure, and my hair is all one length because I'm too lazy to get a hair cut or styled regular;y". Clearly by both quotes you can see the isosceles effect of how she went from a tomboy to a barbie in the making. Now that she has found feelings for William to her its a whole new experience. Back at home she never really cared for love interest or boys to be exact. William; he changed that whole perspective to Ellie. "It was like we were in a different world, a sun-dappled oasis away from it all". When she is around him time stops;nothing else matters but him and her. Only when Will is around she is that non equal side of the triangle. She tries to fight the feelings for him inside too keep her equal sides so he wont know the truth. The truth that she's falling for him. She continue's to push herself into saying "We are just friends". That's when the un equal length comes into play again. she tries so hard to impress him, but doesn't even see it. At the same time the things he brought for her or even the unexplained appearances makes her think. Should i try harder? Should i show a different side of me? 'I mean sure I was the girl who'd made him laugh- who'd sat on a rock in the woods and listened as he'd told me about his problems with his dad. I was just a funny girl he'd met. He obviously liked me: The day after he'd given me a rose; the day i made the track team. I got home to find a e-mail from him". You can see the obvious connection that she has for him. Her best friend Nancy always told Ellie that guys will never fall in love with a girl that always makes him laugh. The two different sides of Ellie will continue to grow more in the story. It's a matter of which length she will choose to be.
"A William Wagner the girl I was apparently failling head over heels in love with".
"And no matter what Nancy might think about guys not falling in love withh girls who make them laugh, I wasn't changing a thing. Because if that's what Will wanted, that's what I was going to give him. Even if i broke my heart in a thousand pieces doing so"
( Elaine Of Astolot)