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This story, much like other stories can easily be interpreted as boring. One because the writer knows nothing about women. Followed by two he knows nothing of how to convey love. So if your taste is easily deterred, I advise you to stop reading.

There are no pretty pictures sadly, for those who wish to keep reading. There is no happy ending either. If you would like to see a happy short story about a romance that ends happily. Well you won't find it here. So allow Jonathan A. Stevens to provide you with a short story for those interested in his stories, which he himself finds uninteresting.

My story begins with a high school boy named Den. Den was a moderately healthy boy, although he lacked any ability to remember things but had a great imagination. In all due respect he wasn't very interesting. Well strike that I suppose he was. Only when he was around friends. Well, what little friends he had. Den was around six feet. Five nine and one fourth if you want to get specific. Den lived alone. Let me rephrase that, Den was an only child. You see both of Den's parents passed away at a young age. One due to a traffic collision, the other to a vicious disease. His sister which would have kept him company, even if at times she perhaps would have annoyed him, also died. She died long before she was even developed within the womb. Though Den came to one thing naturally, that was the ability to hide his sadness. He hid this sadness with a false sense of happiness. People would say how are you doing, in retort he would say "About as fine as a french man with a hand on his wine glass." People would either take this as peculiar,comedic, and or insulting. Den however, in his youth had no friends. All through his elementary school life he had no one he could truly call friends. Den grew used to prosecution and developed a tolerance for it. Almost becoming immune to what others thought of him.

The other main character in my tale is a girl by the name of Len. Len's description as of the opinion of Den were as follows. She is a beautiful person in every way shape and form. Though she denies it. She is healthy, radiant, and brings smiles to peoples faces. Though she denies it. She acts tough but is an adorable teddy bear that I could cuddle all day if she'd let me. But I won't invade her boundaries. She says she isn't active yet she is in a shape so toned she could run circles around myself. Though she denies it. She is incredibly supportive and fills me with joy whenever I see her. Though she doesn't realize it. Her voice I found soothing like that of an angelic chorus that brought piece to my hectic life. Though she discourages it. She could mortally wound me and I could bleed to death. I'd still forgive her.

Den and Len were both young when Den shyly confessed his love for Len. Den was just about about to become a sophomore in high school, likewise Len would be starting her first year. Den had received his first kiss in this relationship and from there he swore to love no one else. Sadly, the relationship did not last. The school year had yet to start and both Den and Len simply became friends. Den was told countless times by some of his other friends you cannot regain a relationship once you have become friends. He was also told the way that Len and them had separated via note was cowardly of her. Den denied these accusations of Len. Den thought, nay knew Len could do no wrong in his eyes. Den was determined though...he hinted his affection through his notes he wrote. Though it wasn't and it couldn't be enough. Den knew he was romantically impaired. From there Den decided he would try to become the best friend Len ever had. Den and Len both disclosed things to each other such as dreams,secrets, and life. Den was clinging to this star of hope, that maybe Len would return his affections someday.

As Den gained new friend and Len gained her own he felt as if the two were growing apart. Den being his strange self tried to become friends with Len's friends. Unfortunately it only made for awkward conversation and a peculiar stranger having seemingly invaded their space for brief moments in time. Thus Den only used his notes for communication with Len. These notes of the modern age, as we all know. Just don't convey emotions or sincerity. In these notes you can't feel the other person. Making the note giver or receiver unsure of how to interpret the emotions in it. For example: "Did you see her yesterday she was looking real good." Could be conveyed as compliment or something derogatory. Den knew no other communication with Len other than this and he feared every day that a note he sent could be conveyed as something insulting. All in all Den and Len trusted each other to a great extent. Eventually Den and Len started to talk to each other over the phone. While this lead to more sincere conversations and more interesting ones Den believed that his awkwardness, strangeness, and lack of good looks to compensate, would make every conversation with Len more invasive than anything. So Den feared calling her and only did when he found a brief spike of confidence. He didn't want to intrude on Len's life. Though countless times being told by Len he wasn't.

Den had lived his life always believing he was more of a burden than a blessing. How hard Den wished to change himself but he couldn't. He wasn't athletic. He was hardly smart. The worst of it all is deep down he was horribly pessimistic regardless of how he looked on the outside. Den decided he would make a final confession. He confessed his love to Len once more. This time it wasn't through the modern day note, it was one written by the hand he had sworn to love only her with. Again to Den's dismay he was turned down again. He accepted it. Den knew there was just something about him that couldn't appeal to Len. Be it his looks, his taste, or his pessimism. Den and Len still remained friends. Len promising she will be a supportive friend. Den responding that if that is all he can be. he will try his hardest at doing it.

As time went on Den had to move away the end of high-school. Den and Len talked to each other periodically and sent each other notes. Other than that not much else really could have occurred. Then Len married. Den was happy for her calling to congratulate her on her answering machine. He couldn't remember if he received a wedding invite. So Den slept. Alone. Another night. In apartment one seventy six. A month later apartment one seventy five filed a complaint about a horrid odor. They found Den dead in his futuristic recliner, a corpse having rotted for a month. With no kids or family to inherit what little he had.