Zacky stared outside the window, still contemplating about what just happened at the funfair. He had gathered so much courage to finally make a move on her but she denied him by saying – she’s in love with a ghost?

This is not happening. It’s fucking unbelievable.

Of course Jimmy is easy to fall in love with but he’s a ghost! Almost to non-existence. How can she be so vulnerable and fell for Jimmy instead of real person like him? Zacky rubbed his face and stopped, burying it inside his palms. These feelings were confusing yet clear enough for him to admit that Blake had intruded his heart and won’t leave.

A heart that used to belong to Tona, he didn’t even know whether he still had feelings for her. Sure they’d been together for 3 years plus but living far from her made him realize that he needed more. Especially after Jimmy passed. His tears dried only because Blake appeared in their life, claiming that Jimmy had come back and he suddenly became a believer. He believed in the afterlife eventhough he played songs about that all this while with a skeptical heart.

“Sir, we’ve arrived.”

Zacky ripped off from his thoughts and paid the cab driver 20 dollars before he went out of the car and into the hotel. He saw their tour bus already parked with no signs of activity came from there. He was glaring at it when his phone rang all of a sudden, making him jumped.

“Yeah?”
“Zacky, where are you at?”
“In front of the hotel.”
“Where you’ve been?”
“Looking for some fun. What’s up, Brian?”
“Come to Matt’s room. Gotta show you something.”

Brian hung up the call without even waiting for his response. He scurried into the hotel and searched for Matthew’s room on the 3rd floor. After he rang the doorbell, Valerie opened the door.

“Zacky, come in. Have you seen Blake?”

He stunned under the doorway. “Uh, she’s not back yet?”

“What do you mean she’s not back yet? Isn’t she with you?”

Zacky buried his hands in his hair and pulled it tight. Fear roamed all over his body as all kinds of suspicious thoughts emerged within him.

“Shit, she left me first. I thought she was already back.”

“What? Zacky, you know she’s not familiar with this city!”

“Fuck, I’ll go and find her now.”

“Wait!”

He was about to run back downstairs when Michelle called from behind.

“Try her room first. Just to be sure. She’s not that stupid you know.”

Zacky nodded and headed for Blake’s room which was quite far, not noticing that the rest of the guys followed him from behind.


Jimmy bolted his eyes open. For the first time since he died, he was having a dream. For the first time ever, he lied on his back, naked and a girl he loved lied next to him, also naked. He caressed her soft pale skin with his fingers and noticed that she was crying in her sleep. He knew why, as he was in that dream with her too. Gently he kissed her lips but stopped abruptly when he heard the doorbell rang.

He waited for Blake to get up and answer that but Blake didn’t seem to bother by the loud sound at all. He wondered why, did Jude hold her back in that dream or what? He didn’t have much choice. Quickly he landed his mouth on hers and sucked all of her breath, resulted in him possessing her body yet again.

After he was done dressing Blake’s body decently, he opened the door.

“Blake! Thank God you’re here!” Zacky was the one pulling him into a tight hug and he just blinked at him.

“I’m..here. What’s wrong guys?”

Jimmy decided to pretend to be Blake for a while. He didn’t want his buddies to know that he only have one day to say goodbye, and he wanted to do this directly face to face, without having to see Blake’s tears or anybody’s. This was the perfect way.

“Jimmy’s back, Blake!” Michelle squirmed through and basically they were all invited themselves into Blake’s room. Jimmy pretended to be shocked.

“Oh really? How did you know?”

“Arin accidentally recorded his voice, hours after he was missing. Here, listen.”

Jimmy sat on the edge of the bed, listening to his own voice giving Arin advice about drumming and he didn’t regret one word he said.

“Well?” Michelle shook his knee, asking for somekind of feedback from him.

“That’s awesome!”

“Awesome? Blake, you’ve been crying for three days straight and all you can say now is ‘that’s awesome’?”
Jimmy closed his eyes, imagining how hurt Blake had been during his absence.

“I know. But he didn’t come to me.”

“Oh Blake, we will find him. No matter what, okay?”

Jimmy nodded. He quickly pulled Michelle into a hug as he realized he didn’t have much time left.

“I love you Michelle. You’re my best friend ever.”

Michelle was startled by the action from Blake. Blake had never admitted anything about being best friends with her.

“I..I love you too, Blake. You’re a part of the family now.”

Jimmy parted from the hug and wiped the traces of tears on Blake’s cheek. He became a bit emotional whenever he was in her body.

“Okay now, enough crying and sulking. We’re in fucking Vegas. Let’s go play some pokerr!” Matthew yelled with his fist in the air. A few murmurs from Johnny and Brian agreed with him as they found their way out of Blake’s room.

“You’re coming, Blake?”

Jimmy looked up to Michelle and Valerie. Then his gaze fell to Zacky behind them. Zacky didn’t move nor speak ever since he hugged him at the door.

“Yeah. Give me 5 minutes.”

The twins nodded and went out of the room. Now Jimmy was alone with Zacky. He knew what Zacky wanted to say. He just didn’t know what to respond to him.

“Blake, I’m sorry if I ever offended you earlier but I meant every word I said. I love Jimmy, he’s my fucking best friend in the world and I can’t help but seeing him in you. You stole my heart, Blake. And I will wait until you return it to me.”

Jimmy cringed at the cheesiness of his sentence but he wouldn’t blame Zacky for liking her. Even he can’t help it.

“Zacky, I hope you will take care of her once I’m gone.”

Zacky narrowed his eyes, trying to catch Jimmy’s mumbling words. “Come again, Blake?”

“Uh..umm..nothing. I’m sorry I can’t return your feelings now. Try again in..let’s say..the day after tomorrow?”

Zacky was even more confused. “What do you mean?”

Jimmy rubbed his neck. “Nevermind. Forget what I said. Now, get out of my room. I wanna get dressed.”

Zacky went out reluctantly and was still thinking about what Blake had said.

*******************************************************************************************************

“Bottoms up!!” Jimmy yelled, clinking his seventh glass together with them and downed his whisky shot instantly. All of them frowned watching Blake being like that, but they assumed that she just wanted to have fun and forget about her sorrow for a while.

“Hey Brian!”

Jimmy slurred and paced towards Brian who was sitting on the bar stool, watching Matthew played poker with Johnny and Zacky. The casino was quite full tonight but Brian only hung at the bar with Arin.

“Hey Blake. You look like you’re having fun.”

Jimmy smiled silly. “I am. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Brian snorted. “You just saw me two hours ago.”

Jimmy grinned widely. “I feel like it’s a long, long time. Come’ere.”

Jimmy pulled Brian into a hug and he was startled. His eyes darted to Arin who was raising his eyebrows and looking around for signs of Michelle and Valerie. Luckily the twins were engrossed at the coin slot machines with Lacey.

“You’re drunk as hell, Blake.” Brian patted Blake’s back but Jimmy tightened his hug around him.

“Just know that I love you Brian. I love you to death. You’re my best friend in the whole world.”

Brian furrowed his brows together, really confused by her actions tonight.

“I didn’t know you had feelings for me. I always thought you’re like a saint, never crossed a married man’s path.”

Jimmy smirked and chuckled darkly before he parted from his hug. “Sometimes the saints are sinners, Brian. Do you remember when you said you wanna marry both Michelle and me?”

Brian narrowed his eyes and blinked fast. He did remember, though he said it through a drunken night but he remembered it clearly like it happened just yesterday. This wasn’t Blake. He knew his best friend like the back of his palm.

“Jimmy?” he whispered.

Jimmy smiled in slur. His eyes half opened, not denying or admitting anything. Brian swiftly got up and pulled him into a tight hug once again, a hug he initiated himself. Arin too, got up from his seat and was shocked seeing Blake was being possessed again by Jimmy.

“You fucker, where did you go? Thank God you’re back!”

“Oh shit..you’re not supposed to know that this is me..”

“What the fuck dude? You made us worry to death!”

Jimmy let out a chuckle and looked at Arin. “Kid, you deserve to be here. Don’t live up to my name. Live up to your own name.”

“God, Jimmy. Thank you. I will never forget that.”

“Why do you talk like you’re saying goodbye already, Jim?”

Jimmy smirked once and let out a heavy sigh after. “Time’s up, Brian. I can’t stay long.”

“WHATT? Oh God, no. Please no. Jimmy, no!”

Arin took the initiative to call all of the other guys over to the bar. Matthew looked pissed but when he heard Arin whispered to him that Jimmy’s back, he arrived at the bar in a flash.

“Jimmy?” Matthew called. Jimmy turned around and smiled at him. They hugged Jimmy one by one, and when it was Zacky’s turn, he hesitated.

“When we were in Blake’s room..was it you..?”

Jimmy pulled him into a hug and whispered to his ear. “Take care of her, Zack. I know you love her.”

“But Jimmy, she loves you.”

“I know. But I can’t fucking stay, can I? But you can. So you take care of her.”

The twins arrived and saw them hugging Blake randomly with their eyebrows scrunched together.

“What’s going on?”

“My bitchess!” Jimmy yelled and Valerie gasped. They couldn’t believe their eyes that Blake was talking really rude to them. But then Michelle finally realized that it was really Jimmy who was yelling so the scene turned into a heartwarming reunion between a long lost friend with his group of loved ones.

“I only have one day, guys. And in this one day, I have to bring Blake back to her family. Can you guys help me?”

“Jimmy, we can’t let you go. Not again.”

“Yeah, can’t you stay? Pray to God or something?”

Jimmy let out a chuckle and shook his head. “Believe me, I begged. They only give me one day.”

“Fuck that’s not enough.” Brian groaned and Jimmy swung Blake’s arm over his shoulder.

“We’ve spent a lifetime together. It was worth every second, guys. Do you guys remember when we wrote Until The End? Well, this is my end. I have to go eventually.”

“Jimmy, this is hard. So hard for us.”

Jimmy went over to Matthew and reached for the sides of his arms. “Matt, you’re gonna be a dad soon. Don’t forget to tell stories of his uncle for me, will ya?”

“His?”

Jimmy nodded. “Yeah. It’s a boy.”

Valerie gasped and jumped gleefully with Michelle. Matthew broke into a wide grin too, and the others patted him on the back, congratulate him.

“How do you know??”

“Hey, I’m a ghost. I should at least have that ability.”

They laughed and turned silent again.

“So, what do you need to do now, Jimmy?”

Jimmy let out a heavy sigh and looked at them each intently.

“Say my goodbyes and pretend that this is all just a dream.”

Notes