Couples get together and break up every day, especially in high school. Although, these couples (at least for now) have beat all the odds and made it through the heartbreak season. Through inevitable ups and downs, these couples have learned vital life lessons that can last a lifetime.   So I talked to these power couples on campus to tell us their secrets for a long-lasting and loving relationship. 

So first and foremost, we have juniors, Brandon Burgos and Isabella Mamuyac. 

These two have been together for a year and 4 months despite knowing each other since 8th grade when they met through mutual friends. Isabella’s first impression at the time was that he was really quiet but simultaneously funny. After some time and bonding over similar music tastes they became a couple.  Brandon had a completely different first impression where he thought she was “intimidating” but simultaneously a nice person. Both agree that something that is unique about their relationship is that they are very different from each other and have conflicting personality types. They essentially have an opposites-attract kind of relationship. Isabella tells me her favorite thing about him is that he is always so “patient and calm” while Brandon loves her “understanding” nature. To cure my curiosity I asked them who made the first move. Isabella tells me “he asked me to homecoming, after finding out I would confess to him. So, technically, he made the first move.” 

Next up, we have seniors, Jaiden SantaMaria and Gianna Leone.

These two have been together since a year and ten months ago. They first met each other in the learning commons here at MHHS  when they were sophomores.  Jaiden was playing Jenga and acting a fool, but Gianna knew she wanted him in her life platonically. Jaiden tells me of his first impression, saying, “ I thought she looked young, and I was like is she in high school?” After some time spent with each other, they became a couple. They both have conflicting retellings of who made the first move, but Jaiden insists that “she 110% initiated the first move”.  Since they have been together for such a long duration, they have dealt with inevitable ups and downs. Gianna tells me that she tends to “suppress her feelings” and through communication from both sides, they’ll come to a mutual understanding and put themselves in the other person’s shoes to understand where they are coming from. “I’d say our communication is a big reason we’ve made it this long, Jaiden says, it’ll make or break a relationship.” I couldn’t agree more. 

Moving on to our third couple, we have seniors, Andy Gomez and Isabella (Izzy) Banes. Despite being together for a year and eight months, these two met a long time ago. They knew each other since 8th grade but didn’t talk until the summer before junior year. Isabella tells me that she was “intimidated” by him because of him “having lots of friends” and being “popular”. So how did they break the ice? Izzy recounts, “One of my friends was a mutual friend of ours, so I told her that I thought he was cute.” She then asked her friend to ask Andy what he thought of her. “Then he said she’s cute and then texted me on Snapchat,” she continues. After bonding over having the same type of humor and other common interests, the rest is history. With Olive Garden and fast food runs (with absolutely no vegetables for Izzy), communication during conflicts and Izzy constantly laughing at Andy’s sense of humor (to the point that “she pees her pants”), these two are stronger than ever. “We have dates constantly because losing that spark is detrimental to relationships,” Andy tells me. It really is true. It seems like a superficial aspect of relationships, but boredom makes everything fall apart. I then asked them, if they were to get married, what song would they like to play when Izzy walks down the aisle. She tells me “At Last, by Etta James because of a wedding portrayed in the show Shameless.