A Look Back At Memorable Teen Couples On DAYS

Pete Jannings and Melissa Horton: Pete, a member of the Vipers gang, met sweet, innocent Melissa in 1983 when she caught him stealing food from Shenanigans and he took her hostage. Holed up in an old farmhouse while they waited out a storm, the pair grew close. Pete was arrested, but released into Chris’s custody, and he and Melissa began secretly dating. All manner of trouble followed (Pete accidentally shot her dad, Mickey in 1983; was caught in bed with her biological mother, Linda, in 1984; and impregnated Ivy, then married her at Melissa’s urging in 1985). However, Melissa and Pete’s deep love for one another endured, and they reconciled and wed in 1986. Sadly, their marriage didn’t last very long; Pete’s shady dealings continued as he became involved with mobster Victor Kiriakis, and Melissa ended up turning to her dance partner, Lars, and they embarked on an affair. Pete ended up granting Melissa a divorce in 1987, and then slipped out of Salem.

Frankie Brady and Jennifer Horton: Initially high school friends, Frankie fell head over heels for Jennifer in 1986, but kept his crush a secret since she was already dating a jock named Glenn. Jennifer learned the truth about Frankie’s feelings for her on graduation night, when she discovered a portrait he’d painted of her. Frankie tenderly revealed that he thought Jennifer was beautiful, and the couple shared their first kiss. They began dating and quickly got engaged. However, Jennifer ended things when she learned both her mother and grandmother were schizophrenic, fearing she could end up mentally ill, too. Eve swept in and tried to snag a vulnerable Frankie, but he ended up having a fling with another woman, Paula Carson. Although Jennifer and Frankie reconciled in 1987, a jealous Eve exposed Frankie and Paula’s affair to a devastated Jennifer. They ended their relationship and went their separate ways. In 2006, they had a split-second marriage that was undone by Jack’s return from the dead.

Shawn Brady and Belle Black: It was a match made in daytime heaven. Bo and Hope’s son, Shawn, fell for John and Marlena’s daughter, Belle. Their sweet love story blossomed in high school as the two childhood friends slowly began morphing into a second generation supercouple. In 1999, Shawn and Belle teamed up for a cute Saturday Night Fever routine at the Last Blast Dance, and they shared their first kiss in a lagoon during a 2001 class trip. It wasn’t long before Shawn and Belle were exchanging “I love you’s” and dreaming about a happy future together, but there were a few obstacles along the way, including deranged Jan’s obsession with Shawn (2003) and Belle’s rebound marriage to Philip (2005). In the end, true love prevailed; Shawn and Belle found their way back to one another and married in 2007. They left Salem with their daughter, Claire, in 2008 to sail around the world — just as Shawn’s parents, Bo and Hope, had done with him decades earlier — and remain married.

Philip Kiriakis and Chloe Lane: Philip never envisioned a romance with Chloe, the outcast dubbed “Ghoul Girl” by the mean kids at Salem High School, but after losing a bet with his best friend, Shawn, he was forced to take her to the Last Blast Dance in 2000. Once Chloe removed her long black cape and took down her hair, she not only wowed the crowd, but also her reluctant date. Philip was suddenly smitten, and the pair began dating. Although Philip truly cared for Chloe, he couldn’t control his temper and jealousy, particularly toward Brady, who’d developed an interest in his girlfriend. Philip and Chloe’s romance imploded when nude photos of Chloe were projected during a slide show at the 2001 Last Blast Dance. A humiliated Philip chastised Chloe, dumped her, and stormed off. By the time he realized it was a setup, it was too late. Chloe had grown closer to Brady. In 2002, in a last-ditch effort to get Chloe back, Philip set up Brady and had him arrested. A fed-up Chloe told Philip they were done, and he went off to join the military. The pair briefly hooked up again in 2010, but parted ways yet again.