A.N.: A great big THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed. I know this is a little short, but I wanted to post it now.

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"So how am I going to be able to do this?" I yelled over the rush of our departure. Botan was flying top speed back to the living world, just as worried as I was. "I mean, I can't just go up to her and tell her not to have my body cremated, can I?"

"No, it doesn't work like that. Normal humans can't see ghosts or ferry girls, or hear them or feel them. The only way to pass on a message is to speak to your loved ones through their dreams."

"Great. And how do I convince them that they're not just dreaming, but actually talking to me?"

"That's up to you. Although I feel I should mention that beating them senseless won't help."

"I KNOW THAT!" The belief that I solve all problems with my fists is getting real old, real fast. I'm starting to think she has no faith in me whatsoever.

One reality-bending trip later and we were floating in my living room. Mom, however, wasn't asleep. She was totally smashed, throwing empty bottles around and prying open the lid of my coffin to smack me. Not to mention yelling.

"Dammit Yusuke! I thought you were tough! I thought you were bad-ass! And then you die in TRAFFIC? That's not tough! That's a wimp's death! I didn't raise no wimp!"

"Fan-freaking-tastic. She's drunk."

"What's the problem? At this rate, she'll pass out any minute."

"You don't know her like I do. Once she gets like this, she can go for days. I'm betting she's going to try for a new record."

"Oh dear."

Well, who else can I count on? Oh yeah. Duh, Yusuke. I turned and passed through the wall, moving up above the houses to get a bearing on the direction.

"Where are you going?"

"Boy, that book is useless if you don't even know all the people I'm close to."

She growled at me, but I could see her pulling the book out and flipping to my pages as we flew along. Here it is. In through the window I went.

You know, despite the fact that Keiko and I have been friends for pretty much ever, I haven't spent a lot of time in her room. Especially since fifth grade, when her parents caught her hiding me under her bed 'cause I didn't want to go home to my drunk mom. Her room got really girly in the time I've been gone.

And there she was, the queen nagger herself. Although, she doesn't look so mean when she's asleep. It was there I saw something that surprised me. She was crying in her sleep.

Without thinking, I reached out a hand to wipe away the tear, coming close enough to hear her talk in her sleep.

"Yusuke…"

Botan appeared behind me, looking solemn. She placed a hand on my shoulder and pushed me a little closer, till I was sitting on the edge of her bed. I put my hand on her head and her dream played out in my mind. Yesterday, which was the last time we spoke, I had flipped her skirt and teased her about her panties. She had, of course, gotten angry and screamed at me, saying that she wished I would die. Now she thinks it's her fault that I'm dead.

That made something in my heart twist. Little idiot. She shouldn't be blaming herself for that. She was just telling me off, as usual. I don't want her to cry over something so stupid.

"Keiko…" in her dream, she turned to look at me, eyes widening behind the tears.

"Yusuke?"

"Don't cry, Keiko. Do you really think I'm so pathetic that I can be killed by words? No way! You're getting depressed over nothing!"

Her lips twitched, like she was going to smile. The tears had also slowed, which was good. "Yusuke…"

"Look, I've got some business to finish up here then I'll be back, okay? If you don't believe me, then open my casket and listen to my heart beat. Just do me a favor, and tell mom not to burn my body. She's up right now, so you won't have to worry about waking her."

I sighed (which is weird, by the way, since I wasn't able to affect the air at all) and reached out to catch the last tear. "Just don't cry over me anymore, okay?"

Now, what I don't understand and what Botan refused to explain to me was how I managed to wipe away that last tear. Of course, that woke Keiko up, and in a flurry of movement, had her jacket on and was running to my house. Botan and I followed because, really, we had nothing else to do.

Naturally, I went through all the trouble to tell Keiko that I'm still alive only to have mom come across it on accident. They cried together, but I'll let it slide because I'm pretty sure those are happy tears. I couldn't help smiling a little, since I never thought they'd want me back, only to see Botan smiling at me. Oh, this wouldn't do at all.

"Girls," I sighed, pretending to be frustrated. "Crying over the littlest things."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wow, she looks mad. Good.

"Oh, you know, hormones and stuff."

"YUSUKE!"

She spent all night chasing me across the sky.