John and Lorraine shared a friendship since the moment he sat next to her on the bus. It is not until chapter 11, when we discover that John has romantic feelings for Lorraine.

Both have developed a closeness with Mr. Pignati (The Pigman). He becomes a friend and a much needed father figure to both John and Lorraine. When Mr. Pignati has a heart attack and must stay in the hospital, he offers his home to both teens to stay in. It is during this time that John and Lorraine see each other in a different light. One evening, they dress up in Mr. Pignati's and his late wife's clothes and play the roles as husband and wife. Here, they share their first kiss.

During the romantic dinner, they look at each other by candlelight and Lorraine tells us that it is first time she really feels alive. In chapter 12 she reveals another clue realizing John likes her based on his appearance.

I also knew he liked me a lot but only as a friend or a dreamboat with a leak in it. But now suddenly he was wearing shaving lotion, combing his hair, and fighting with me.

You might want to refer to Chapter Eleven in this great novel, which is when John and Lorraine take advantage of Mr. Pignati's stay in hospital to dress up and have a meal together in his house. John puts on a suit and Lorraine looks through Mr. Pignati's wife's dresses to find something to wear. When she finally comes down, John splutters out, "You look beautiful!" As they joke around, he pushes Lorraine onto a bed and then kisses her. Note how John himself describes this incident:

She started laughing again right in my arms,but I stopped it by putting my lips on hers. It was the first time we had ever kissed. When I moved my lips away from hers, we just looked at each other, and somehow we were not acting anymore.

Even though this chapter is told from John's perspective, it is clear that his actions would have given Lorraine a very clear indication that John liked her and that their relationship was developing from a friendship into something more interesting.