This isn’t your typical love story of boy meets girl, it goes more like girl hates boy then in some odd way boy and girl fall in love.

 Throughout middle school, junior Carly Kenny played on the Lincoln Hall soccer team. This is when she encountered senior Alex Rodrigues. Kenney antagonized Rodriguez, she constantly made fun of him and even convinced a girl who liked Rodrigues that he was ugly! Neither of the two liked one another, until they were forced to talk. Because Kenney had a crush on one of Rodrigues best friends, it forced Kenney to look to Rodrigues for advice.

 Kenney had her fair share of boy crushes and never in a million years did she believe it would end up the way it did. Today, she and Rodrigues walk the halls of Niles West a strong and accomplished couple.

 Carly and Alex have been dating for four years, and they don’t expect it to end anytime soon.

 “Knowing that I have someone for me every second of every day pretty much speaks for itself,” Rodriguez said.

 Kenney shared that when they met, they both liked different people– she found Rodrigues unattractive. She looked at him as just a friend andnothing more than that.

 “He became a good friend that I looked to for advice with problems about other boys,” Kenney said.

 Rodrigues was crazy about Kenney.

 “When I told her I had feelings for her she took it as a joke because we were such good friends. When she realized I was serious, she told me it could never work because she was in 8th grade and I was in high school,” Rodrigues said.

 Eventually, Kenney gave in and agreed to date Rodrigues– now she doesn’t regret it for a second.

 “Alex is my best friend and always will be. We are truly in love” Kenney said.

“I am in love with my best friend,” Rodriguez added.

 Being in love and in high school isn’t easy, though.

 “I think the biggest challenge of being in a relationship in high school is immaturity. Alex and I have grown up together so becoming mature has been a struggle. There is a lot of miscommunication and just us acting immature,” Kenney said

 “Since Carly and I have known each other for a good part of our lives, we went through our maturing years together, and that usually comes with its complications,” Rodriguez said.

 Although there are challenges the benefits out weigh all srtuggles, both Kenney and Rodrigues agree.

 “I was able to spend my teenage years with Alex and it is amazing to watch us  grow and him move on to college. Looking  back we have so many amazing memories that I will remember and cherish forever and experiences I will never experience again. I’m excited to look back wherever I am after college and smile remembering our years together, “ Kenney said

 “The benefits definitely outweigh the challenges,”Rodrigues said. I get to spend each day with the girl that knows me better than myself.”