Ten Reasons Not To Die

Day 1- Mallory

                The orphanage was always quiet and empty on Sunday mornings. Most children, which I must say are years younger than me, go off with the nuns to church every Sunday morning. The nuns here gave you an option whether you wanted to go or not, but I was always preferred not to go, just because I was never the most religious person.

                I sat at the long dinner table eating stale toast as breakfast with the only other girl in the orphanage that didn’t go to church. She sat across from me, ripping off pieces of hard bread, and dipping them into homemade strawberry jam that the nuns got us all to help make.

                “When do you think a mommy and daddy are going to come adopt me?” Mallory’s soft voice asked, blue eyes reaching up to mine with a sparkle dancing in them.

                At only the age of six, Mallory knew a lot at her age. She was extremely intelligent, and knew more than the average six year old should. She knew that her mother left her on the stairs of the orphanage when she was a baby, but it never seemed to bring down her optimistic mood. She would always say that things happen for a reason.

                “The right family will come and get you one day.” I assured, taking a sip out of my tap water.

                Mallory nodded, tucking a strand of her curly blonde hair behind her ears. “Okay.” She muttered, taking her spoon, and eating the strawberry jam straight out of the jar.

                I held back a laugh, as I watched Mallory eat the jam messily. There was red jam all over her cheeks, but she was still too innocent and young to care about how she looked like.

                The doorbell suddenly rang, alarming the entire orphanage with its loud bells. I got up from my seat, as I made my way over to the front entrance, pulling out the French doors.

                My eyes reached up to Evan Woods, whose cheeks were pinched red from the cold weather outside. I frowned, as I bit my lower lip. “Why are you here?” I hissed, as I pulled the door out wider for him to come inside. “How did you even find out where I live?”

                Evan stared up at the entire orphanage, noticing that it was rather large. He didn’t know that I was an orphan, so he must’ve assumed that this was my house, that this enormous orphanage was my mansion.

                “Remy! Who’s at the door?” Mallory’s high pitched voice called from the dining room, echoing throughout the entire orphanage.

                I groaned, grabbing Evan’s arm, pulling him into the dining room with me. Just when I thought Mallory couldn’t have made a bigger mess with herself, she now had jam in her hair, and all over her shirt.

                “Mal, how did this happen?” I asked her, rushing over with a napkin to dab her red stained cheeks. She didn’t pay any attention to me, as her eyes casted over my shoulder to the figure standing behind me.

                “Who is this?” she asked in a tiny voice.

                I dabbed the napkin in water, trying to get rid of the mess she made on her shirt. “He’s just some guy from my school.” I muttered, giving up on cleaning the six-year old up. “This is never going to work. Go upstairs and take a shower before the nuns come back.”

                Mallory nodded quickly, giving Evan another glance, before rushing up the grand staircase. I shook my head, tossing the napkin on the table of trash. I started to clear up the table, as Evan helped me pick up the dirty plates.

                “What did she mean by nuns?” he asked, carrying the plates behind me, as I pushed open the door to the kitchen.

                I licked my lips; dumping out all the trash as Evan began to turn the faucet on to was the dishes. “You don’t have to wash them. I’ll do it.” I told her, picking up the sponge.

                Evan stepped out of the way. “So? What did she mean by nuns?” he repeated.

                I pursed my lips, scrubbing the dishes clean. “Nuns, as in our caretakers.”

                “Caretakers?” Evan asked with confusion clear in his voice. “Don’t your parents take care of you?”

                I glanced at him, shaking my head. “No. They’re dead.”

                Something must’ve clicked inside Evan’s head, because he looked around again, noticing the many doors on the second floor. “Y-You mean, you live in an orphanage?”

                I finished washing the plates, as I began to dry them with a dry cloth. “Yes, Evan. I’m an orphan.”

                Evan’s green eyes sparkled with guilt, as he gulped. “Oh.” He paused, as I raised an eyebrow. “But, we’ve gone to school together for seven years. How come I never knew?”

                “Because no one knows, except for the teachers and all.” I sighed, placing the dishes back in the pantries from they came from.

                “Is this one of the reasons why you want to-“

                “Die?” I cut him off, laughing bitterly. “You can say that. I mean, come on, Evan. I’m turning eighteen in a year. No one is going to want to adopt a seventeen year old teen. I’m going to get kicked out of this place once I turn an adult, and what happens then? I can’t afford college, or a place to stay in that matter. I’m going to end up on the streets and die slowly and painfully. Might as well get it over with sooner than later, yeah?”

                “You still have a year.” Evan pointed out. “You can get a job now, and raise up for an apartment, then find a job, and go to-“

                “It’s not as easy as you think it is.” I snapped. “You have parents to back you up and everything. It’s better off I die now.”

                Evan’s face hardened, as he clenched his jaw.

                Why was this stranger so determined to save my life, anyways? What have I ever done for him?

                “No.” he said. “You’re giving me ten days, right? I’ll find ten reasons why you shouldn’t die before that.”

                I smirked, pushing past him to get to the kitchen. “Good luck with that. Day one, where’s your first reason?”

                Evan remained speechless, as I shook my head.

                Mallory came running down the stairs with dampened hair and a new t-shirt on. “Sister Mary isn’t back yet, is she?” she asked.

                I shook my head, ruffling her blonde head of hair. “Not yet.”

                Mallory sighed in relief, giving me a tight squeeze from my waist. “Can we go get ice cream once they come back?”

                I laughed, kissing her forehead. “Sure.”

                “He can come, too!” she squealed, pointing over to Evan.

                I looked behind my shoulder, watching as a grin spread across Evan’s lips.

                “Reason number one, Mallory.” Evan spoke, making my shoulders tense up.