His List

Chapter One

Aubrey

The way I saw it, life on Earth was just a system created by the heavens above to train us for the life that comes after death.

Sure, it sounds weird at first, but hear me out.

In my mind, we were all sent down here on Earth to live a limited amount of years before God or anyone mighty who proclaimed to be above us decides that we're completely ready for what actually awaits us after we're removed in human existence.

I supposed that's why we're all given these certain problems and challenges in life. They slowly shape us to what the heavens above define as "ready".

And I supposed that's why all the good ones always die first instead of the bad ones. And why we all have different life spans and different ways to die.

In simpler words, for me, life here on Earth is one big practical test we're all required to pass no matter what. Because as far as history knows, no one can live forever. Atleast, not on Earth.

And no matter how big or small we accomplish, we're all bound to die. It's just a matter of when, where, and how.

But of course, that was just my point of view.

I've encountered a lot of people who have argued and shared their opinions with me, but none of them seem to have changed my mind.

Life was just simply that. Of course, that was before him.

My farthest memory of it, and how the whole thing started, was in the middle of summer when everyone did so many things to get rid of their personal boredom that the scorching summer had brought.

_____

"Ah! I can't wait."

I looked back at my best friend, Sophia, who was squealing in excitement as she held the newly bought movie tickets in her hands. Her short brunette hair bouncing up and down above her shoulders.

I smiled at her in return for I couldn't quite contain my excitement as well.

The mall was having this cinema special festive which basically is three days of old movie classics.

Sure, it was pointless to spend money for movies you may have already watched, but come on, what are the chances of watching a movie that was released before you were even born on the big screen?

Apart from this, none. 

And so here we were, at the mall, infront of the cinema, with utter excitement for a movie we have already watched. Pretty much a hundred times, if I would estimate.

"It's a good thing we didn't run out of seats again, huh?"

Since the movies weren't particularly new, the ticket price had a huge percentage discount, making it a highly demand and purchasable to a lot of people. Especially to teenagers like us who didn't have that much money to spend our vacant time watching movies in the cinema itself. Of course, this opportunity was a must grab to us.

Before we could even buy tickets for yesterday's showing for The Shining, we had already ran out of seats, which led to me listening to Sophia's endless rants and complaints about how the cinemas had insufficient number of seats all the way home.

It wasn't a good time, I'll tell you that. 

"What do you mean it's a good thing? It's a great thing!" she exclaimed, "I won't miss A Walk to Remember for the world." 

Ah, yes. The 2002 classic, A Walk to Remember, where bad boy, Landon falls in love with Jamie, the good girl who was, sadly but understandably, terminally ill.