Lauren quickly showed me around heaven. She explained to me that everyone's heaven was different. Some people's heaven was a basketball court. Heaven to me was my living room, with a slight smell of mango. I had always had loved that scent on Earth.

She also showed me a televsion like device.

"Use this. Each channel is a person that you cared about."

I nodded silently, and she quickly took the hint that still needed some time alone.

I flipped on my tv.

The first channel was Kate. She was walking around the high school, with a confused look on her face. Many of her "friends" were passing her by and giving her strange looks. She walked into the usually empty bathroom on the second floor. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, as she sat down on a chair in the bathroom. Slowly as she began to compose herself, she left the bathroom. Standing there, was her boyfriend, Ethan. He had seen her go into the bathroom, and had waited there for her to come out.

"What's wrong?"

The two hugged, as Kate said, "I have lost the only friend that cared about me."

This was too much for me, so I flipped the channel.

Across the screen, I saw a boy walking down the street in all-black. As he waked by some passerby, whispers followed him. He soon pushed open the door of the school, and walked.

Who was this guy? He did not look like any of my friends.

I nervously watched as he opened the door to the school counselour.

"Mr. Gordon, welcome."

It was Gordo. He looked awful; he looked like he had lost weight, and had not slept in a couple of days.

"I'm sorry to bug you again, but this came out, and it brought back a whole bunch of memories, and I just need to talk," he said as he thrust a newspaper into the counselour's hands.

As he read the article, I leaned in closer to the tv to read what it said.

Elizabeth Mcguire, age 17, was killed by a hit and run driver on Tuesday outside the Hillridge High school. She was pronounced dead on the scene, however there were several attempts to revive her. The driver has yet to be determined, but if you have any details, please call the Crime Watch number in your neighborhood.

"I should have been paying attention, I could have seen the driver," Gordo said wiping a tear from underneath his eye. "It's my fault. I wanted to talk to her, and if I did not, she would already have been gone, and none of this would have happened.

"It's not your fault, Gordo."

"I miss her so much."

"I know."

The two sat in silence, as the counselour tried to think of things to make Gordo feel better.

"Hey...I have an idea. Write a letter to Lizzie, write a letter to the driver, anybody."

"What will that do?"

I quickly turned off my tv, and buried my head into my pillow. I then decided that I would watch no more tv. Lauren apparently heard my sobs, and came into my room.

"You wanna talk?"

I shook my head to answer no, and she left my room in failure.

After composing myself, I decided to flip on my television set on again. Quickly skipping Gordo and Kate's channels, I started to watch a new channel.

I saw a blank screen for awhile, and right as I was about to change a lone girl walked onto the screen. It was Miranda. She had a nervous look on her face, and her eyes darted from side to side.

She was followed by Angel Lieberman, the notorious "bad girl" of our school. Miranda soon pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lit up one for her and Angel.

"How could she?"

"She blamed Gordo for your death. Even though it wasn't his fault. They got into a huge fight in the cafeteria, and Danny Kessler came to Miranda's resuce. But, she punched GOrdo in the face, and recieved an in school suspension, where she met Angel."

"Danny soon broke up with her, and the combination of that and your death soon sent her over the edge. She takes drugs, drinks, and what not."

I looked around to find Lauren.

"I thought I told you to leave."

Lauren gave me an 'I don't really care smile', and continued talking.

"She also has not ate since your funeral. Without you, Gordo, or Danny around, she feels like she has no friends. And since she almost beat Gordo up, everyone steers clear of her. She took it the wrong way, and thought no one like her because she is ugly and fat. So, consequently, she stopped eating."

I wanted to hit her through the tv, as I saw her and Angel smoking in the parking lot.

"See how your life affected all of these lives?"

I nodded silently.

She handed me a letter.

"Here, this just came in for you."

Finally she left, giving me the privacy I needed to read my letter.

It read:

DEAR LIZZIE,

I do not really know how to say this, but I have loved since the first day that I saw you. I blame myself for your death, since you were staying to talk to me. I just want you to know that I always got your back, Mcguire, always...

"Lauren, I need to talk!"

She rushed in through my door, and exclaimed, "Finally, I thought that you would never ask!"

She sat down on the edge of my bed, and began to listen attentively.

"Is there any way...that I can go back?"

"Why?"

"I need to straighten Miranda out, and let Gordo know that it was not his fault. Kate and I need to wrap up some loose ends too."

"In dire cases, some recieve a second chance."

"Okay, I want one."

Lauren looked at me with an amused look on her face.

"Lizzie...once you die,"

"You die...I know, you have said that everyday in therapy. But just one day?"

"NO, Lizzie."

"I loved Gordo," I whispered in a soft voice. "I need to tell him that."

"Oh, Lizzie," Lauren said as she wrapped me into a hug.

I looked up at Lauren's face, and saw that her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Lauren, how did you...die?"

"I was 23 years old. Here, it is easier if I show you."

Lauren placed her hands on my shoulders, and we were transported to another place and time.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked around to find myself at a rehersal dinner for a young couple. The young bride looked very familiar, and as I strained to see who it was, I saw that it was Lauren.

The wedding party laughed in glee at this celebration. Everyone had smiles on their faces, and the fun seemed to never end.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew me from the dinner to another place entirely. I now found myself in the back of a limo, with Lauren and her groom.

The couple laughed, kissed, and talked as they rode back to their apartment. As they got out of the limo, however, Lauren was ambushed by a mugger.

"Give me your money," he demanded as he held a gun to her head.

Lauren's husband worridely exclaimed, "She does not have any, it is our wedding day."

Tears ran down Lauren's face as she watched the mugger drop the gun from the side of her head.

"Please, just leave us alone."

The mugger drew his gun up to shoot Lauren's husband, but in a second, as he shot the gun, Lauren jumped in front of the bullet.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I landed back into my room with a flash, and saw Lauren sitting beside me, sobbing into her hands.

I looked at her red face, and asked, "How did you do that?"

"Counselour training."

We both cried for the rest of the night, thinking about our loved ones on Earth.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Being dead stinks."

"Tell me about it. I drowned in boating accident."

I was now attending the group therapy session that Lauren had suggested. Today's topic was Wrongful Death.

"Lizzie, you are new today. How did you die?" the group leader asked in a calm voice.

"Hit and run."

"Do you know who it was?"

"No."

"Well, welcome, Lizzie. Everyone-"

"Welcome Lizzie," the group said in unison.

"So, how does that make you feel, Lizzie?"

"Angry."

"Do you wish to explore that feeling?"

"No, "I said simply, not wanting to be in the spotlight anymore.

As the group moved on to different people, I sat wondering about Miranda, Gordo, Kate, and Ethan. Had my death really affected me that much? I yearned to back to watch, even though I had rejected this idea earlier.

I stood up from my chair.

"Miss Mcguire, where are you going?"

"I sorry...I have...to do something...I just have to go."

As I exited the meeting room, I heard one of my group members say, "She is still in denial."