Louis and Tawny walked out of the auditorium together. They hadn't exchanged a word since they had been standing together on stage, laughing at the absurdities they had forced Ren to read off the teleprompter.

Tawny didn't quite know what to say to Louis, to be honest. She had found him charming, without a doubt – especially the childishly transparent way he was attracted to her and wanted to be friends with her. He had come to her for help, and she somehow knew it wouldn't be for the last time. He would keep coming to her help, for however trivial reasons, to show her that he liked her, that he needed her, that he wanted to be friends. And she would help him out, to show him that she cared, that she ultimately wanted to be friends just as much. And then… And then perhaps something greater will come out of it all in the end. If it was meant to be, it would happen on its own.

But for now, Tawny didn't mind playing the mean girl at least part of the time. Louis would have to work to win her heart over. And what did he say, after all? The meaner she is to him…

One thing occurred to Tawny before it was time to part ways. "Oh, Louis, have you ever seen the movie Casablanca?"

"No, but it sure sounds dorky," was the response.

"There's this brilliant last line in that movie that everyone knows," Tawny said. "It goes, 'Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.'"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Louis asked, a boyish smile forming expectantly on his face.

"Oh, nothing. It's not like you would get it anyway," Tawny responded, with a teasing half-smile, and started to walk away.

Louis called out to her: "Hey, don't forget what I said on the first day! The meaner you are to me..."

"Yeah, yeah," Tawny said to herself, a wide smile forming on her face that she couldn't suppress.