Chapter Six

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Chapter Six|Tape One Side A & B

"Put your finger on C your other finger on 4. Bring them together. That's our first red star. I know right,a map. Old school again. No google maps, no apps. No chance for the interwebs to make everything worse, like it does. You've arrived at my first house in this shitty town. Where I threw my first and only party, and where I met Harlow's brother Justin Foley. The subject of our first tape. It was just a party I didn't know it was the beginning of the end. Justin you were in love with my friend Kat. My only friend before I met Harlow.  So you see that's where the trouble began. That smile, that damn smile. The one and only Kat moved away before the start of school. She was the kinda friend that  couldn't be replaced in with falling in love with the boy she left behind.

Being Kat's boyfriend was kinda the only remarkable thing about you. That and your obliviousness to your little sister.  But Justin you were my kryptonite. I was an office assistant third period. So I knew where you were third period. I even decided to like basketball for you Justin. I know what you're all thinking. Hannah Baker is a slut.  Oops did you catch that. I just said Hannah Baker is. Can't say that anymore.

I dreamed our first kiss would take place in the park. I never told you that. The dream starts with me at the top of the rocket, holding on to the steering wheel. Its still a playground rocket but everytime i turn the wheel to the left or to the right. The trees lift up like their taking flight. And I'm scared cause i don't know how to fly. But you're there at the bottom of the slide to catch me when I fall. and that's all that happened. We kissed. Why? Did you hear something else? Nope we just kissed. Sorry to disappoint you but I guess now we're even.  Sort of. See I've heard so many stories about me now that I don't know which one is the most popular.   But I know which is the least popular. The truth. Harlow met us at the park that night. She watched as I went down the slide when you took the picture.  She watched you kiss me.  Soon after you both had to leave. She told me later on that she begged you to delete the photo. See the truth isn't always the most exciting version of things. Or the best or the worst. Its somewhere in between. But it deserves to be heard and remembered.  The truth will out. Like someone said once. It remains. So thank you Justin sincerely my very first kiss was wonderful. What came after my first kiss. Not so wonderful.
I'm not angry you betrayed me. I'm angry that I trusted you in the first place. A rumor based on a kiss ruined a memory I hoped would be special. In fact, it ruined just about everything. As you'll soon see. And stick around Justin I'm not through with you yet.  Neither of us are. I know you probably didn't mean to let us down.  In fact moat of you listening probably have no idea what you were truly doing. But you'll find out. Turn the tape over for more."

That's how it went. Harlow and Tony spent the rest of the day and we hours of the morning listening to the rest of tape one. They sat in silence just listening. There was a few moments when. Tony stopped the tape to give Harlow some room to breath.

"Welcome back. Glad you're still listening. Are you having fun?  You must be wondering who's next. Is it you. What did you do? How did you end up on these tapes.? Maybe you did something cruel. Or maybe you just watched it happen.  Maybe you didn't even realize you were being cruel. Maybe you didn't do anything at all. And maybe you should have. Too late. I think you know exactly what you did. And after these tapes you won't forget it. I know we won't ever forget. Oh, and, uh, by the way...we're still dead. Friendship. It's complicated. But don't worry. You won't go through this alone. That's not fun. Trust us, we've both been there. Now, it won't always be easy. It might even hurt a bit. Or a bit more than a bit. That depends on you. But fear not, we'll get through this. Step by step, tape by tape. You, Harlow, and I. Together. And don't forget, there are others.    See I can guarantee that one of the reasons you're still listening is that you really wanna know. Who are the others? Who else is responsible for our deaths? Well you're going to learn soon enough. And of course they're going to learn about you too. If they haven't already. What? Feeling paranoid? On edge? Yeah highschool does that to a person. You never really know who you can trust. And who you can't. About you. Its all part of the game. But remember its not a game. Not at all. Okay enough with the small talk.

Its time to meet the star of tape one side B. So without further ado let me introduce our former friend. Step up Jessica Davis. We met Jessica a couple of weeks into sophomore year. Apparently we needed to be counseled. I had dragged Harlow with me. 'Actually I was happy to go along.'  Do adults understand how friendship works.  Mrs. Anatoly had set me and Jessica up to be friends. While Harlow agreed to try it out too. And it worked for a while. Mr. Porter replaced Mrs. Anatoly after she moved to a different school district. Which as it turns out was very unfortunate. That's for another tape. Thus began the story of Monet's. The story of a friendship. It was a hot chocolate friendship. Goos for cold months but maybe not perfect for all seasons. For a while we were the kind of friends you wish you had. We did disgusting things like shop together. And compare what we bought. And talk about boys. One day we met this boy. He was scrawny and somewhat tall. We asked him if we could sit and ended up starting up a conversation.  And just like that. Three became four. And like before you know it. You're best friends. There was nothing three hot chocolates and Alex's coffee drink decatur couldn't fix. You need friends even just hot chocolate friends. Especially when your life goes to shit. Day after day.  Drink after drink. We lifted our mugs and we lifted each other. Inspite of our differences we were what each needed at that moment in time. Four drinks against the world. Three hot chocolates and whatever the he'll Alex was drinking."

Harlow remembered the day they met jessica and also the day they met Alex very we. She remembered how it ended though. She chuckled in her head at all the weird drinks Alex had ordered. She remembered the only fight her and Hannah had.

"Now I'm not great at math but here's one thing I learned for sure. 1+1+1+1 is not a simple equation. Alex was the first to stop coming. He found some other friends. He traded up. We were still friendly in the halls but that's it. Then it was down to Jessica, Harlow and I. But then Jessica stopped coming too.  We all went our separate ways. Well except Harlow and I. Or so I thought. It was fine Jess. It was. You're the kind of girl the boys like to like. Not to spread rumors about. You're the nice girl. The kind who becomes a cheerleader. When Jessica has something on her mind she lets you know. We knew what she wanted to talk about. Alex's list. You see that's just how it works in highschool. Boys talk girls listen and everything gets messed up. Or as least that's how it was with us. Right Jess?  Friendship. Its complicated. Losing a friend is never easy. Especially when you don't understand why you lost them in the first place. Like I said it's complicated."

Tony took the tape out and they went to school. Neither had slept a wink but Tony was going to make sure she got to hear what Hannah and her had to say.

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Hello guys. I really hope you enjoyed this I know its just the voice over of the tapes and not all of it. But if you've seen season one it should make sense. I've decided that every other chapter will be the tapes. Hopefully I'll get each tape limited to one chapter but. I also want you to know the dialogue of what's happening around harlow as she deals with everything. How she interacts with clay and the others. What she will do about the pregnancy and Monte ditching her all over again. I love you guys and as always if you have and comments, questions or concerns feel free to contact me.

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