Zach's P.O.V

I thought they said I died? Wait...why can I hear people speaking if I'm dead? Is this what it is like after you die? I look around for a moment, trying to figure out where I am. Nothing looks familiar...what happened? How did I die? All I remember is being in the car and driving Cammie and I home...did something happen afterwards?

I close my eyes for a moment, trying to calm myself down. But as soon as I close my eyes and snapped into a little memory. I'm driving, I think I just looked over at Cammie or something, but suddenly the car is swerving! I gasp as the car runs into something, a tree, apparently. I put my hand over my mouth and feel myself begin to shake. I truly am dead. I did, but what about Cammie? Is she okay? Where am I? How am I supposed to find Cammie?

I take a deep breath before looking around again, the place suddenly seems very familiar. I'm standing in the living room of my house, or uh, my old house. The clock on the wall above the couch says it's only seven pm. I turn to walk into the kitchen where I thought I had heard someone speaking. My Mom and Dad are in there, speaking quietly. Mom's eyes are red and puffy.

I want to walk to her and wrap my arms around her, there is really nothing worse than seeing your mother cry. I do walk over to her, reaching my hand out to her, but I seem to just go through her. I want to cry, I can't believe I'll never get to hug my mother ever again. "What are we supposed to tell Ali?" Mom asks Dad quietly. "We're supposed to tell her the same thing we told everyone else, exactly what happened," Dad replies. "But she's six, Fred, do you really think she'll understand?" Mom asks.

"She'll start to understand when Zach doesn't ever come home again," Dad says. It was a harsh thing to say, I could tell by the look on Mom's face, but I guess she understood what he meant. "I can't believe my baby is never coming home again," Mom says quietly a few moments later. She starts to cry silently, but her silent cries quickly become loud sobs. "I just want my baby," Mom sobs into Dad's shoulder as he holds her.

Who knew you could still feel pain when you're dead? You can still feel that physical ache in your chest. I can't stay here, I just can't stand to see my parents like that. I need to get to Cammie, I need to make sure she is okay.

.:*:.

*Two Weeks Later*

Cammie's P.O.V

"Cammie, sweetheart, can I come in?" Macey called, knocking on my door. I made a sound that she took for a yes and opening the door. "Hey sweetie," she says, walking in with Eric , her boyfriend and one of our best friends, behind her. "Hey Cams," Eric says softly. I nod my head at them, still lying in my bed. "How are you?" Macey asks. "I'm fine," I say. Macey gives me a look that says she knows I'm lying, and I know she has to resist the urge to say 'bullshit'.

"But I think the real question is, how'er you guys?" I ask. Macey shrugs, her eyes becoming watery. "We're fine too," she says. I look over to Eric, who isn't even trying to pretend he's not crying, "I miss him," Eric says softly. I feel really bad for Eric, he's known Zach since they were four. "I do too," I reply. Eric walks over to me and sits down at the edge of my bed, "Can I hug you?" he asks.

Instead of answering I wrap my arms around him. He hugs me back, crying on my shoulder. I can't help it, for about the hundredth time in two weeks, I cry again as well. I hear Macey get up and walk out of the room, a soft sob leaving her lips before she shuts the door. "He loved you so much," Eric says about ten minutes later, still holding onto me. "You're all he ever talked about. Mr. Solomon used to have to tell him to shut up a million times because he was always going on about you," he adds.

I let out another sob at that. "Do you plan on going back to Gallagher any time soon?" Eric asks a few more minutes later, after we've both stopped crying and calmed down. He was now sitting beside me on my bed, still holding me. Eric is like the big brother I never had, really. Ever since I meet him we've been close. We were constantly hanging out, never wanting to be away from each other too long, but it was never like the 'I want to be with you' in a romantic way, it was more like the 'you're my best friend and I love hanging out' kind of way.

"I don't know. There is just so many memories of him there, you know? Like literally everything there reminds me of him," I reply. "I get it. I'm taking a break from school for awhile as well. They've told me to take as long as I need, but I don't really want to be gone much longer. I mean, I have been gone for two weeks, I don't want to get too far behind," Eric says.

I nod my head in agreement, "The girls have brought me my homework, I should probably start it soon." Eric and I sit in silence for awhile before he stands up, "I should get going, Macey probably wants to get back to Gallagher. I'll call you later," he says. I nod my head and he walks out. I lie back down in bed and close my eyes, trying to fall asleep.

I do sleep, for about two hours, before my Mom comes into my room. "Cammie, sweetheart, Zach's mom is at the door," she says. I get up and walk downstairs to see Lily Zach's mom, standing at the door. She always looked so young, but right now she looks so old. My mom walks away and Lily and I stand in front of each other for a moment before we hug. I hug her almost as tightly as she hugs me.

Over the time that Zach and I started dating, Lily and I got sort of close. She really likes me and I really like her. She always made me feel really welcome and as if I was apart of her family. "Hello dear," she says. "Hello," I reply. "I'm sorry to come over so unannounced but I just wanted to bring you a few things," Lily says. I nod my head and we walk over to the living room and sit down.

"I'm sorry if these things upset you, I just thought you might like to have them," Lily starts off. I nod my head, telling her to go on. She lifts up her bag and pulls a few things out, "This was always my favorite picture of you two, you both look so happy. Zach loved it, too, it was the background on his phone for God know's how long," she says, handing me a picture of Zach and I. It was one we took awhile ago, we were having a lazy Sunday watching movies and cuddling when Zach just snapped a picture.

I hold the picture close to my chest. "There's also this, I don't know if this means anything to you, but it must have meant something to him as he's kept it for so long," Lily says, handing me a folded up piece of paper. I feel myself smile as I look at the paper, I know exactly what it is, even before I open it. Zach had asked me out in a note in one of our classes, he was cheesy and told me to 'check yes or no' of course, I had checked Yes. I think it's cute he kept it. "And the last thing is this," she says, pulling out a navy blue hoodie.

I carefully take it out of her hands, feeling myself start to shake. This was Zach's favorite hoodie. I loved it, as well. It was really soft and it always smelt like him, so he'd let me keep it sometimes. Let me take it with me back to my room after classes. I liked to sleep with it because it smelt so much like him. "I know you really liked it, so I thought you might like to have it," Lily says quietly. I look up at her through teary eyes, "All of this means so much to me, really, thank you," I say. We both stand up and hug again before she leaves.

I gather everything carefully before walking up to my room. It's really hitting me again, that this is real. That Zach really is dead and he'll never be coming back again.

.:*:.

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