Water fountain
The narrator compares his status to a water fountain. The narrator says, "My social status was about the same as that of a water fountain in the hall." The simile is significant because it shows the narrator's value in his quiz bowl team. Everyone in the hall expects to see the narrator because his presence determines the team's success.
The Brit girl’s hand
The narrator likens the hand of the Brit girl to a paper. After finishing the competition, the teammates shook hands, and the girl's hand felt like a paper. The narrator says, "We shook hands with other teams – Brit girl's hand felt like it was made of paper, which I found weird." The simile illustrates the narrator's sensitivity and accuracy in assessing situations around him. The narrator quickly felt that the girl's hand was abnormal because of its weight.
Karma gods
The narrator likens the forces that confuse Damien to sleep to karma gods. The narrator says, "Unfortunately, they then swung around as Karma gods tend to do, the jerks and make him fall asleep the moment after takeoff." The narrator sits next to Damien on the plane, and he wants to enjoy having a chat with him. The narrator has a crash on Damien, which is the perfect opportunity to have a good time. Unfortunately, the narrator’s hopes are swindled when Damien suddenly falls asleep.
