Each story needs an ending, and each ending needs a beginning. Without an ending, a story loses meaning, turning into something more akin to real life than a story. If the Three Little Pigs had never had an ending, children would never learn that attempting to break into the house of a clever pig can end with a visit to hospital, covered in third degree burns. Without an ending, Cinderella would never have had her happily ever after. Snow White might never have found the promiscuous Prince Charming. Without that final wrap-up, things would get pretty dull. Because no normal person really wants to know what happened on Snow White's wedding night. What she learnt from the dwarves is better left unsaid. Without an ending, Cinderella could have ended up back where she was to start with- cleaning fire places. But they quite while they were ahead, having their miserable beginnings topped off by an ending that only belongs in a fairy tale. In real life, love is never so simple. Death can not be cured with a kiss. Criminals rarely use chimneys. But perhaps most importantly of all, beginnings are often more wondrous than the endings that follow. People hardly ever get their "happily ever after". And on that note, we will begin.

He'd never really noticed her before. Been friends with her, yes. But never really noticed her. What suddenly made him see different, he never knew. It started off with hugs, progressing to sitting together in classes, developing into a friendship full of shared secrets, shy smiles and secretly held hands. Messages full of love hearts and laughter were left on websites, comments on pictures each had of themselves, along with tentative questions about each other's love life sent to inboxes. And then he asked her out.

Later he decided it was the best thing he had ever done. He loved her, and she loved him. They continued sitting together in class, hugs were plentiful and kisses on cheeks, foreheads and lips were making an appearance. They laughed together, at each other and at other people. They smiled at each other, and they never fought. They had playful arguments, but each one ended with a hug, a kiss and a smile. And life was good.

But as time moved on, as their relationship stretched out and as school drew to a close, things began to change. They talked less during the holidays, only seeing each other without other people twice, and at group events she rarely talked to him, choosing to laugh and smile with other people, leaving him to wonder what was wrong. He blamed himself for their estrangement, believing that he had done something wrong, somehow scared her off. And so their relationship began to deteriorate, he becoming increasingly paranoid, and her absence in his life growing proportionately. But nothing was done about it.

They began to drift further and further apart, he drifting into a bleak depression, spending most of his time alone, while she went out with other friends regularly. He believed his friends had forgotten about him, and more importantly, that she had forgotten about him. He sat around his house, trying to take his mind of his loneliness with video games, movies and the apparent joys of the internet. But when the thrill of virtual life began to wear off, his aloneness became more and more apparent, preying on his sanity and his reason. He began thinking that nobody would notice if he were to disappear, if he were to just up and walk away from everyone and everything one day. And such speculation evolved into a darker, uglier form. Disappearance turned into death, walking away to suicide.

But he never did. He continued on, with naive promises to himself, entailing the betterment of his situation with his friends and with her. But they were promises he never fulfilled. For a while, he thought things were getting better between him and her, things finally returning to how they used to be. For their six month anniversary, they went to a movie together. They laughed together, and at each other. They held hands, and they kissed. But all that was to be short lived, as she needed to go to a party with her other friends, a party that she couldn't delay arriving at by even one hour. Whether or not an hour could have saved their relationship will never be known, but most likely it wouldn't have.

When he got home that day, he worried about what she was doing at the party. For all he knew, she was getting drunk and doing things he didn't want to think about with other people. He tried to convince himself that she never would, but part of him refused to accept that. But that has little bearing on the story as a whole, so we will skip over the rest.

Two days later, he had finally had enough of their separation. He sent her a message asking her if he was doing something wrong, or if something was the matter. He said he loved her, and that he needed to know. And she said she didn't want to talk about it then. Worrying even more, he sent her a message asking her if she was going to break up with him, and not to delay it if she was. Half an hour later, she called him and they broke up. She asked him whether he thought they were better as friends, or as more than friends. He didn't give as straight answer, and she went on to explain that she loved him, but only as a friend. That she never wanted to lose him as a friend, because they used to be such good friends. She asked him if he was ok, and he lied and said yes. It was the first time he had directly lied to her.

When he hung up the phone, he cried. He called a friend, and he cried to her. When she had gone as well, he cried by himself some more.

And that's where our story ends. Not with a smile, a kiss or a beautiful sunset. With tears and heartbreak, loneliness and disappointment. There was no happily ever after, and there was no true love. Their was a fairy tale beginning and a nightmare ending. In this real world of ours, a world of technological wonders and medical miracles, joy is scarce. Honesty isn't necessary and love is rarely pure. The point of this story was to demonstrate that human emotions are fickle, changing rapidly and wantonly. That fairy tales have no basis in reality.