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First Encounter: Lena spots Alex causing mischief on the day of her evaluation, a test that will determine with whom she’ll be paired for the rest of her life. She re-meets him a few days later, when Alex catches Lena and her best friend Hana trying to break into the evaluation center.
Defining Moment: Lena tracks Hana to an illegal party that’s eventually broken up by the police. Terrified, she seeks refuge from the raid with Alex — and there, the couple kiss for the first time.
Relationship Challenges: Well, they live in a totalitarian society that vilifies the very idea of love, so PDA (any DA, really) is completely out of the question. And given the ending of the first book, the likelihood of Lena and Alex ending up together seems slim to none.
Why They Work: Daring Alex teaches cautious Lena to question her oppressive society, helping her to become a kickass, Katniss-esque freedom fighter. Also, both of them are really, really attractive.