Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child sexual abuse and child abuse.

Warren and Bridgette’s relationship begins with hostility, pranks, and mutual annoyance, yet over time, their antagonistic dynamic shifts into attraction and, eventually, love. Indeed, their sharp banter and conflicts serve as the foundation for their deeper connection, as their fiery clashes become moments of undeniable chemistry. Their transformation from adversaries to lovers highlights that intense emotional reactions, whether negative or positive, can be rooted in deeper, hidden feelings.

Bridgette and Warren’s “meet-cute” is both hostile and implicitly sexual, establishing the pattern for their relationship; Warren walks in on a naked Bridgette, resulting in both interpersonal and sexual tension. Later encounters feature similarly conflicting emotions and impulses. Following a passionate kiss on the couch, for example, Warren is stunned by how much his perception of Bridgette has changed: “How did I ever think she was mean? She’s so, so sweet, and her lips are sweet” (38). The remark suggests a reevaluation of their former animosity—e.g., a realization that Bridgette’s supposed meanness may have stemmed from hidden feelings—but his internal conflict remains, with him calling her an “evil vixen” just a few sentences later.