A Thousand Reasons to Smile

Author's Note: This is to make up for The Choker. This is so corny, cornier than corn itself. I think I got the quote wrong but, you know, whatever. If this sucks way worse than The Choker, well, I'll try again but, if this sucks just as much as The Choker, excellent.

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Prologue

"MIss Meyer, we are live in one minute," someone called from the back, just as the radio host, Rachel, came in and took her seat beside me.

"Hey, Adrienne," she smiled, putting the headphones over her ears. "You know what you're going to say, right?"

I hesitated a bit, opened and closed my mouth only to end up saying yes.

The same voice from earlier returned, "We are live in three, two..."

"Hey, hey, good afternoon." Rachel said happily into the microphone, "Today, we have Adrienne Meyer to tell us about her journey in search of a thousand reasons to smile. That right, Adri?"

"Uh, yes." I answered quickly.

"Do tell."

And so I did.

Hm.... Now, where do I begin? How do I start the adventure of a lifetime? I guess I'll start with the wooden stick hitting the palms of my thirteen year old hands as tears began to form in the corner of my eyes, blurring everything in sight.

"Cry, you witch!" The woman before me hissed as she hit my palms once more and I could no longer hold it in. I couldn't keep my hands up anymore. I wanted to break down.

Sometimes, the stick didn't exactly hit my palm, it would hit my fingers, maybe my wrists and make my feel like I just want suicide. But who is she to call me a witch? 'Better rethink that.' I thought to myself as I fought back the tears as hard as I could. She wants me to cry, why don't I cry? It's because I want to show her that I am not a person that easily shatters into a million pieces. I'm not that fragile.

I tried my best to keep my face blank and neutral but I couldn't help but let one tiny little tear drop stroll down my cheek. I was crying, there, happy?

She hit me hard one last time, dropped the stick and literally threw me into my small dark room to cry my eyes out.

I was on my knees by the time the door shut close and I slowly crawled my way to my new favorite section of the room - the corner. I looked around to make sure the room was secure and immediately ripped open my sweater and threw out the Pikachu doll I've been hiding.

That's why I was beaten. I entered my deceased brother's room and 'stole' it. Apparently, it's my fault he's dead and I'm not allowed to go near his room or his belongings but I'm sure I can take this, I mean, he even told me to before he fell asleep...and never woke up.

I held the soft, yellow doll tightly in my trembling hands, remembering the very words he, Austin Meyer, would say to me every time he'd see me crying, "When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile."

I smiled just at the thought of him still being here with me. "I miss you..." I whispered into Pikachu's fur as I whipped a couple tears away. I don't know if I was crying because my hands hurt or if I missed him but... I have a feeling it's kind of both.

I snapped out of it and eagerly opened up the hidden zipper that was behind Pikachu's tail. Around all of the white cotton was one amazingly small notepad. I grabbed it and pulled out a black pen from my shorts' pockets and wrote, "1.) Dead or alive, there will be people there for you."

I rested my back on the corner of the wall and smiled at my poorly written words that were stained and smudged from my tears. In my dry voice, I proudly said, "Better get ready, life, Adrienne Meyer is about to give you a thousand reasons to smile."