We left and went home, we spent the rest of the day thinking about what was keeping us here. We sat in the living room to discuss it. "I don't know what's keeping me here, my life was happy and wonderful", Maria said. Veronica rubbed the red rash on her neck. "What is Veronica?" Neptune asked. Veronica shook her head. 

  "Well I think what's keeping me here is that I never got to be happy", Neptune told us. "I was always depressed, sad and lonely. Then when I finally died I was only known as the girl who died at school. Pictures of my dead body were everywhere". "Well now that you know that's why you're here, it should be time for you to pass on, right", I asked.

  "Yeah, I think so". "So close your eyes and try passing on". Neptune closed her eyes and took deep breaths. "It's not working", she said, opening her eyes. "Well we can try this tomorrow, it's getting late". "You guys tend to whatever you do at night". That night I went outside to walk the streets of Harlem. I bumped into someone on my way to a coffee shop. "Watch it". The person walked away without saying anything.

  I turned around and grabbed him by his jacket. "Woah", he said. "Sorry, I'm sorry", he said with a smile. I put him down, he was kinda cute. "You're good, just watch it next time". "I like your shoes", he said. I was wearing platforms that said 'One piece'. "Thanks, you watch the show", I asked. "Yeah, I love it". "You're a college student", I asked. "Yeah, Sophomore, I just turned 19 not too long ago".

  "That's cool". "I'm Noah", he said, shaking my hand. "I'm Demise", he looked at me funny. "Yes, it's my real name, although it means death". I started to walk with him. "You know even better, my last name is Soul". "That's funny, almost like you have the name of a Ghost or the grim reaper", he laughed. "Not exactly, but I do have the Grim reaper's scythe", I told him. He laughed.

  Little did he know I wasn't joking. "Would you like to go on a date with me sometime, Demise"? "Excuse me, a date"? "Yeah, a date". "Um.... I guess". He gave me his phone number and I gave him mine. We said bye and I walked home. It had been so long since I'd been on a date with someone. I felt someone walking up behind me.

  I turned around and kicked them in the head. I didn't even have to take my hands out of my pockets to knock them down. "See people like you are the reason I'm dead"! "What", the man shouted. "Stay off of women when they're walking down the street at night pervert"! "I'm sorry Miss". I walked home and closed the front door. I went up to Neptune's room to check on her.

  Her life honestly was sad, and her afterlife may be worse. There was a book open on her desk. It was a diary, I knew it was wrong but I was so tempted. "I actually found my people, it's only been some months with the Phantom Class but it's incredible how they make me feel. It's my birthday tomorrow. This life is so much better than my last one". I smiled and closed the book.

  (Maria's POV)

  I went outside to find something to do for the night. I had another temporary form that lasted for about 2 hours, I could make myself look human. My human face looked so much better than a Calavera. I saw a girl smoking in an alley. She seemed about 16 years old. I walked up to her. "Can I get a cigarette"? She gave me one and lit it up for me.

  "You seem about my age, why are you out so late", I asked. "My parents don't care, they kicked me out". "Why did they kick you out"? "Um... because I came out as a lesbian", that's terrible". "And I know, how can you hate your own daughter that much"?

  "Why are you out this late?" she asked. "I'm an orphan, I'm living with 5 of my friends right now". "That must be amazing". "It really is, it started off with just me and my friend Demise, then gradually more people joined". "There are 3 adults, so we can do legal things". "So you basically live in a group home". I laughed. 

  "Yeah, if you want to be that blunt about it". "What's your name"? "Maria, yours"? "Fernanda". "Your accent is really strong Maria". "La tuya es muy debil". Fernanda laughed and I laughed with her. "Why do you have that long trench coat, you a prostitute"? I dropped my cigarette and stomped it with my heel.

  I took off the coat to reveal my long red salsa dress. "I don't think all of this is necisito for the noche", I chuckled. "Wow, you look amazing". I looked and we looked each other in the eye. Her eyes sparkled under the moon, we got each other's numbers and agreed to go out tomorrow.

  (Demise POV)

  I decided to throw a party for Neptune's birthday. "Neptune wakes up", I told her. We were all standing around her, Veronica was holding a cake. "Happy Birthday", we all shouted. A wide smile spread across her face as she stood up. "How did you guys know"? "We have our ways", Maria said.

  We took her to a hill where we had a couple of people we knew there. I invited Noah and Maria to invite her friend Fernanda. There were blue decorations everywhere, her favorite color. People were celebrating her, and cheering for her. I knew that she was going to have a good day.

  When she walked in and saw everything she stopped and looked around, marveling. Everyone was cheering her name and happy birthday. She gripped her chest as a tear fell down her face. She touched her tears. "They're not blood", she laughed.

  "You gave it to me, I... think I'm passing on". "What?" I shouted running towards her. She closed her eyes and reached out into the sky as she turned into blue dust.