Its Not Living (If Its Not With You)

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The following day

Jessica woke up uneasily, after a really tough night. She was still clutching her photograph to her chest. She looked at it and sighed, unable to believe the girl she loved was gone.

She picked up her headphones and her phone, and tried to think of a song to play. Just as she went into YouTube, it was right there in the recommended section.

Haunt//Bed

She gasped and immediately clicked on the song. She closed her eyes for the first 10 seconds, and then opened them again, and saw Hannah right in front of her, sitting on her bed, as if they were talking about a new song.

"Jesus!", she exclaimed, jumping a bit.

Hannah smiled at her.

"Nice to see you too, my love. Glad to see you still listen to that song. I'll never forget that night.", she said, as if it was a perfectly normal conversation, just two girlfriends talking about their song, the two of them labeled as alive.

"H-how are you even talking to me? How are you here? You're dead.", Jessica said as she edged near her.

"Watcha think? Ever seen Casper?", Hannah said a bit cockily.

"How can you have, quote unquote, unfinished business and became a ghost if you felt the need to kill yourself?", Jessica hit back.

"Let's just forget about that complicated stuff and talk about the actual reason I'm here.", Hannah said.

"OK, why? Are you coming back for good?", Jessica asked eagerly, but mentally punching herself as she knew that was a stupid question and impossible.

"That's impossible. And yes, I know it sounds like I'm reading from a handbook called Guidelines For Being A Dead Person, but that isn't the case, unfortunately.", Hannah said with the slightest chuckle, like the one she did when she was nervous.

"How are you still cracking jokes? If you were still around, that would be something the three of us would die laughing at. Anyways, you didn't answer my first question.", Jessica said.

"I'm here because.......I don't know. You just started playing this song and it just happened. Not trying to be Einstein here, but my theory is that I'm able to talk to you while this song plays, and when it ends, I leave. Now, for once, I wish it was longer.", Hannah explained.

They then looked at the amount of time the video had been on for. 3 minutes.

"So, if that's the case, I just wanna say one thing. I love you so much. I always have and I always will. Even if I get another girlfriend or boyfriend, they'll never compare to Hannah Baker. Even if I end up starting a family, I'll never love someone as much as I do you. Wherever I go from here, you'll be on my mind every single second. Kissing and holding you again would be the best thing ever. I just need you back. I haven't eaten as much as a grain of salt since I found you. I can't. I don't know how I can function without you. Like, the second Clay and I return to school after the break we were given, everything will be different. It'll be like starting at a new school. I don't know how we can keep the band going without our main woman.", Jessica said, breaking down again.

Hannah looked at her sadly.

"Queen could do it after Freddie died. John left but Roger and Brian still do collaborations on stage. So, after Hannah died, Clay and Jessica can still keep it going, because you guys are almost as good as Queen. I died, but the band hasn't. Have you listened to the tape yet?", she said.