The Tapes; A 13 Reasons Why Fanfiction

The World Closing In

Y/n's POV

"Dude, stop glancing over at Clay," I instruct Zach. "It's weird, and he's gonna catch you."

"No he won't," Zach opposed and looked back at me. "Not if I'm not staring anymore." 

Alex, Zach and I were sitting in the library studying for an upcoming test. Well, Alex and Zach were studying, and I was trying not to be sick. Drug detox was going well, except for the fact that every so often I got a little sick. I had a huge bottle of orange gatorade and a small container of mixed berries in front of me, and right now, they were the only things keeping me from feeling sick to my stomach.

"Sometimes I can't stand you," I murmur playfully and pop a strawberry into my mouth.

"So, did you guys read The Register?" Zach inquired. 

"Yeah," Alex replied. "I think just about everybody has." 

"Well, what did you think? Because first they said that Bryce was shot, then they said he was beaten. Now they're looking at Clay, who must be freaking out about all this," Zach guessed. "If he's guilty, that'd be pretty messed up, but I mean, if he's innocent, that would be even more messed up."

"Guys, there's no way Clay is guilty," I put forth. "I mean, one, if Bryce was beat to death, well, Clay doesn't have the strength for that. And two, Clay may be crazy, but he's not insane. He wouldn't do something like that."

"We never thought you'd become a drug addict, yet here we are," Alex brought up.

"Dude!" Zach hissed.

"It's fine, Zach. He is right," I point out. "But seriously, there's no way Clay killed Bryce."

"What does your dad think?" Zach asked Alex. 

"He doesn't tell me," Alex responded. 

"Yeah, right. I mean, he probably can't," Zach mentioned. 

"Lets just drop the issue, okay?" I urge and lean back in my seat to close my eyes. "I'm suddenly feeling nauseous, and talking about this is only going to make it worse."

"You okay?" Zach quizzed. "You want some water or something?"

I waved him off. "No. I'm okay. I just don't walk to talk about Bryce Walker, his death, or even Homecoming." The word Homecoming echoed in my head, and then I was reliving the week before it, just a few weeks prior.

I was sitting on the couch in my living room watching some TV when a knock sounded at the front door. I paused the TV, and when I peaked through the large window at the front of my house, I saw that Zach was standing at my front porch. I walked over to open the door, and when I saw my boyfriend, I smiled. He was holding a bouquet of roses and a poster board, but I couldn't see what was on it.

"Hey, Zach," I greet him. "What are you doing here? Did we have plans tonight? Did I totally forget?" 

"No. It's nothing like that," Zach assured me and turned the poster board around so that I could see what was on it. The phrase 'Homecoming?' was placed on the board using glue on letters, and I grinned at the sight of it. "Will you go to homecoming with me?" 

"Of course I will," I answer and kiss him quickly, taking both the roses and the poster board seconds later. "You didn't have to make a poster or buy me flowers though. You didn't even have to ask me either. I just assumed we were going together, you know, since we're dating and all."

"Well, after everything that's happened, I figured I'd do something different to make you smile, and you did," Zach noted. 

"Thank you so much Zach. You're the best," I comment.