Elle and Lee's Friendship

As a firm member of Team Lee, this film made it hard for me to stand by my chosen OTP (one true pairing). We all know that Lee is the designated clinger of the duo, earning this title when he goes ballistic about Elle dating Noah in the first film and tells her that he would break up with someone if she didn't like them (which comes to bite him in the ass in the sequel). But Lee goes to a whole new level of clingy during their senior year. Not only does he prioritise his time with Elle over his actual girlfriend — which is a large mark in the Elle column, just saying — but then he gets very upset when he finds out that Elle is applying to another college other than their dream school. Yes, a part of that is because she didn't tell him beforehand, but he's also just distraught at the idea of them going to different colleges. He's low-key smothering!

Of course, Elle plays a part in this too, since she naturally falls back into the habit of spending all her time with Lee when Noah goes away to college. This might be a nod to the character's lack of self-awareness, but the fact that she can't tell that Rachel (Meganne Young) is fed up with her constant presence is a bad sign. Either she's oblivious to other people's feelings or she doesn't care, and it's not a good look either way.

I'm all for being close with your best friend, but the two of them are dangerously codependent. The truth is, every other relationship in their lives is second to their friendship to the point where the decisions they make in their romantic relationships hinge on the ones they make in their friendship. Lee is visibly morose when he stops hanging out with Elle, even though he's spending more time with his girlfriend! Genuinely, everyone else would be better off if the two of them just got together. Maybe the security of being in a relationship and knowing they're each other's number one with no competition would chill them out enough that they could unclench. Maybe.

Rachel and Lee's Relationship

Whew, Rachel found her voice in this film, didn't she? I'm pretty sure everyone saw this coming, especially anyone who's dated someone who had a super close friendship. Her frustration is understandable, and despite how she blew up towards Elle, her feelings are valid. The problem stems from her demanding that Lee tell Elle to back off. No one has a right to tell their partner to stop hanging out with someone they care about, especially if that person has been part of their lives for way longer than you've known they exist. Instead, she could've shared her irritation with Lee and let him decide how he wants to act in accordance to her feelings, but that may be hoping for too much with high school students.

Then there's Lee's decision to not tell Elle about Rachel's feelings, which is both him choosing "a side" and a selfish move. He wants to make Rachel feel like he would push Elle away for her without actually doing so, because he doesn't want to stop hanging out with Elle. This leads to Rachel believing that Elle is purposely interrupting her time with Lee and she lashes out in resentment. When the truth comes out, Rachel rightfully breaks up with Lee for deceiving her and essentially choosing Elle over her.

Rachel and Lee get back together in the end, but I can't help but feel like it was the wrong choice for everyone all around. If Elle goes to Berkeley with Lee, the three could fall into the same toxic dynamic as before. Despite promising to put her first, Lee is obviously terrible at pulling himself away from Elle unless they're isolated from one another, which doesn't make either of them happy. And if Elle doesn't go to Berkeley with Lee, I have a feeling that their attempts to make long-distance work with their friendship would take up enough time to still put a strain on their respective relationships. Rachel doesn't seem like she'd let Lee mess with her for a second time, so "Leechel" fans will have to cross their fingers that these two crazy kids can make it work during undergrad.

Noah and Elle's Relationship

There isn't much point in beating a dead horse, but Noah is doing way too much in the sequel. Calling someone's school because they won't answer your text messages? Just call her phone! If she doesn't answer, take the hint, buddy. Elle's decision to give Noah space without letting him know she's doing so is admittedly childish, so I don't blame him, but he could take it down a notch. He should also know better than to think that lying to Elle about hanging out with Chloe will work, but he's a college freshman, so I'm not surprised. If someone makes the point of asking, "Who did you go out with," chances are they already know the answer and you're walking straight into a trap.

To Noah's credit, he isn't the one who cheats in the relationship, so he gets a pass in that case. He knows that bringing Chloe to Thanksgiving dinner would make Elle think their relationship is something romantic, but he's in a petty mood, so again, I can't blame him. I hoped that his parents would sit him down and have a conversation about how you shouldn't lie to your girlfriend about earrings they find in your bedroom, but the parents of The Kissing Booth [7] have a very hands-off approach to basically everything since they barely speak up.

When Elle tells Noah she suspected him of cheating because of his "past," I genuinely thought they would break up in the end. True, their problems stem from an inability to talk to one another (because they're children), but the fact that Elle so easily brought up whatever past indiscretions Noah has had is a sign that to the core, she doesn't trust him. That's why it's so easy for her to believe that he's cheating on her with Chloe. It's easy to find evidence of someone's bad behaviour when you already believe they're capable of hurting you. Despite Elle telling Marco that he isn't "the one," I don't think Noah is her one either.

Chloe's Wasted Potential

Oh, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, we could have had it all. The former Legends of Tomorrow actress is effortlessly charming in a way that makes it hard to blame Noah for being caught up in her presence, but she's totally wasted in the film!

Not only does Chloe barely speak, but we know absolutely nothing about her as a person. Her entire existence serves as a plot device for Elle and Noah's relationship drama — even Marco gets more backstory than poor Chloe. Every time she was on screen I wanted to know her story: why was she always hanging around these dudes? Is she also a freshman? Who is this guy she was fighting with? What is she studying? What's her last name?! Chloe better make another appearance in The Kissing Booth [8] 3 because she deserves to be more than a red herring for the other woman!

Marco's Brutal Heartbreak

Poor, sweet, ridiculously talented Marco. Even though it's completely absurd to transfer to a new school for your senior year, the guitar player is a delightful addition to the franchise cast. He's playful, a bit of a tease, and did I mention very good-looking? It's fairly obvious to everyone and their mother that Marco and Elle are going to hit it off right away, but I couldn't help but be charmed by their flirtatious back-and-forth. He is everything that Noah isn't: smooth, cocky without being a jerk, and fun. I can't lie, I would absolutely attend a Team Marco meeting after this!

Marco's heartbreak led me down the same road as John Ambrose's (Jordan Fisher) did in P.S. I Still Love You [9]. Despite being the better fit for their respective ladies, neither guy could measure up to her first choice, and as a viewer, I can't do anything about it. I will pout about it until the end of time though. And of course, there's a part of me that hopes to see Marco in the inevitable third movie, reminding Elle of what she could have had if she had followed through with what they began on that Dance Dance Revolution stage.

Elle's College Conundrum

The fact that Elle's only reasoning for applying to certain schools has to do with Lee (and her mother, true) and Noah makes me incredibly sad. You spend four years in high school and the only reason you apply anywhere else aside from your dream school is that your boyfriend asks you too? Whatever happened to safety schools?! What was that guidance counselor actually doing?

Of course, Elle gets accepted to both Berkeley and Harvard, so now her decision hinges on . . . her feelings for Lee and Noah?!?!? First of all, she should be going to Berkeley since that's the school she's been wanting to go to for years and it has sentimental value because it's her mother's alma mater. Why isn't her father laying down the law here? You don't go to college because of a boy! No one is paying Harvard tuition for you to knock boots with the boyfriend you thought was cheating on you for half of your senior year of high school!

If Elle does go to Harvard, it would be hard to believe she's going there to be with Noah, rather than to watch him, since we know she doesn't trust him away from her eyesight. I can only hope Elle got into another ridiculous reach school so she can be away from the Flynn boys and figure out who she is, alone.