At the beginning of the novel, Simon is described as “textbook geek. Skin like the underside of a toad and mushy fat. His pants were too short and his zipper gaped about an inch from the top. And his Fruit of the Looms rode up over his pants in back because he tucked his shirt into his tightey-whiteys” (1). This description defines Simon as a geek not because of anything Simon has done, not because of his personality or lack thereof, but rather because of the way he dresses and his physical appearance. This idea is furthered when Young says, “It was retro-cool in our part of Texas to wear loafers or Top-Sider boat shoes without socks, but Simon wore crepe-soled black lace-up wingtips” (1). This focus on materialism and its influence on popularity is a theme throughout the novel, and it ultimately leads to many characters deriving a false sense of security from the superficial.

Simon is introduced as the most unpopular guy in school for superficial reasons, and he grows to popularity in the same way. The first step in Rob’s plan to make Simon popular deals with giving him a clothing makeover, changing his hairstyle, and making him lose weight.