Jake and Liz Are Malverne-West Hempstead's Cutest Couple

Meet Malverne-West Hempstead's Cutest Couple!

Jake Ejnes and Liz Romano may be young but the pair can teach us all a lesson or two about what makes a great relationship this Valentine's Day.  The West Hempstead High School seniors have been dating for the past two years but their romantic relationship was forged in a friendship that began when they were just kids. 

"We've been together since elementary school and we know each other very well," Ejnes, 17, told Patch. "That makes it work a lot better."

It was actually Romano who worked up the courage to call Jake and admit that she liked him more than a friend. He replied, "Me too." 

"Subconsciously, I always did like her but it was in that moment that it actually snapped into my head and I become conscious of it," he said. "I love her personality. She's different from most people."

More than a foot separates the 5-foot-2 Romano from 6-foot-3 Ejnes, but they have always shared a common interest in video games. "We like different types now but when we were younger it was the same games," Ejnes said.  

On a deeper level, the couple has also helped each other deal with the usual ups and downs of teenage life with communication, a vital part of any good relationship. "We both can talk about specific things that have been going on in our lives,"  he said. 

Patch greeted the two lovebirds outside of school Tuesday morning to present them with some gifts to make their Valentine's Day extra special and we asked, "So how does it feel to be Malverne-West Hempstead's Cutest Couple?" 

"It feels good," Ejnes said, explaining that he and Liz had hoped to receive this title in their yearbook, but the category had been done away with this year since so many couples had been nominated.

So what can we learn from these two high school sweethearts?

To his peers, Ejnes suggests, "What matters most in a relationship isn't looks." (Although we must say these two definitely look adorable together!) "It's very little about looks," he added. "A good relationship hinges upon your personalities matching up. We just click."

In the halls of his high school, Ejnes says he's seen many people get together and break up within just a few weeks. "I'm not sure what's behind this but I think it may be that they're not getting together for the right reason," he says.

Older couples can also take some notes from this young Romeo. "Whenever you get into hard times, it's best to remember why you fell in love, what brought you together," Ejnes says. 

So what does the future hold for this pair? 

"We're definitely looking forward to prom," Ejnes said. And although the two will be going to separate colleges - Romano to Mercy College in Westchester County and Ejnes to the University of Alabama - they are confident their relationship can withstand the long distance. Ejnes adds, "We always have Skype."