Ten Days >> Douwe Bob | Wattys2016

Prologue

I rushed out of the school building, my heart pounding in my chest.

I didn't want to be here. I just didn't.

Tears were streaming down my eyes blurring my vision, but I kept running away from the school, away from the people.

Away from the people who had made my life hell.

Large rain drops were falling onto my uniform, pounding at my clothes as if even nature was out to get me. But even so, I tilted my head upwards a little, letting the cold rain cool my burning hot cheeks.

Then, when I found a small hidden area away from the school, I collapsed against the wall and just cried.

I cried until my head felt dizzy from the loss of all the fluid.

"Hey." A voice broke through the silence, making me jump.

My head snapped up and through my vision I could make out a tall man, his piercing blue eyes finding mine through the rain.

"Leave me alone." I said firmly, looking at the boy with a hard stare.

I was able to fight through my pounding headache to question why Douwe Bob Posthuma, out of all people, was standing before me.

"Don't be like that." He said softly, his English tinted with a slight accent.

I looked up at him with a mix of an angry and confused expression.

Douwe was one of the more popular guys in my village, and I knew for a fact that he was slightly older than me. He hung around my school all the time, joking and laughing with all the cool kids. That was one of the reasons I questioned his being here with me. I wasn't a cool kid.

Other than that information, he was a complete stranger to me.

"I. Just. Want. To. Die." I screamed, letting in the new tears and the energy rushed out of me. I blinked hard and let them fall down my face.

"You're not going to..." He shuffled, tugging at his dark hair which had now fallen in a wet lump onto his forehead. "You're not going to actually do it, are you?" He asked, cocking his head sideways.

I blinked at him and furrowed my eyebrows. It wasn't that I hadn't thought of it before. It was just that, well, I hadn't let my mind go beyond the point of actually thinking about it.

"I don't know." I answered, swallowing hard.

I stood up and immediately shut my eyes as darkness flooded my vision, together with dizziness.

"Hey." He said again, grabbing my wrist as soon as I began to walk away. He pulled me towards him.

I snatched my hand out of his grasp.

"What?" I demanded, wiping away the last few tear drops that were left.

"Give me ten days." He whispered, fighting my reluctance to look into his eyes.

"Ten days?" I asked, crossing my arms. Did this guy think that this was a joke? Or a game?

"Ten days and I'll give you ten reasons to why you should want to stay alive." He answered, biting his lip.

"I don't even know you-"

"Deal?" He asked sternly, cutting me off.

"Do you even know my name?-"

"Deal?" He repeated.

I shifted and searched my brain for any reason- any- to why I should refuse. But really, what was there to lose?

"Deal." I whispered.

I watched as a smile tugged at his lips.

"See you tomorrow then."