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"Take that rag off," my best friend rasped "It makes you look like a dead crack whore"

"Not a dead one," asped "How positively blech-o"

"It&039;s not that bad," I said doubtfully, twirling before the ht Nordic pale when alive, I was positively ghastly when dead, and a pure white gown made me look like-it must be said-a corpse bride

"I think it looks very pretty," Laura, ht everything was very pretty Laura was very pretty She was also the devil&039;s daughter, but that was a story for another time

The five of us-Marc, Jessica, Laura, Cathie, and I-were at Rush&039;s Bridal, an uberexclusive bridal shop that had been around for years, that you could only get in by appointment, that had provided Mrs Hubert Huowns (The thank you note was framed in the shop)

Thanks to Jessica&039;s pull, I hadn&039;t needed an appointment But I didn&039;t like stores like this It wasn&039;t like a Macy&039;syou couldn&039;t go back in the racks and browse You told the attendant what you wanted, and they fetched (arf!) various costly gowns for you to try on

I found this frustrating, because I didn&039;t knohat I wanted Sure, I&039;d been flipping through Minnesota Bride since seventh grade, but that hen I had a rosy coed

"I&039; just perfect for you," the attendant, whose na, purred, as she had me strip to my paisley panties I didn&039;t care Jessica had seenin a closet), Laura was faay Oh, and Cathie was dead Deader than roo to take Jessica&039;s pulse She slapped hi wasp

"Grumpy," I said, as more attendants with armfuls of tulle appeared "I swear I was completely prepared to become Bridezilla-"

"We were, too," Cathie et all bitchy"

"Not pure white," Jessica said tiredly "It washes her out How about an Alexia with black tri? Are you low on your hed "There&039;s lots of shades of white Creanolia, seashell-"

"You don&039;t have to hite," Laura piped up, curled up like a cat in a velvet armchair Her sunny blond hair was pulled back in a severe bun She was dressed in a sloppy blue T-shirt and cutoffs Bare legs, flip-flops She still looked better than I was going to look on The Day, and it was taking all un from somewhere in that bridal shop&039;s secret back room and shoot her in the head Not to kill her, of course Just to htly less symmetrical "In fact, it&039;s inappropriate for you to hite"

"Virgin," I sneered

"Vampire," Laura retorted "You could wear blue Or red! Red would bring out your eyes"

"Stop! You&039;re all killing et on this thing, anyway?" Cathie asked, drifting close to the ceiling, inspecting the chandeliers, the gorgeous accessories, the beautifully dressed yet understated attendants (ere ignoring all the vaood attendants did), the utter lack of a price tag on anything

"Mmmm mmmm," I muttered

"What?" Cathie and Jessica asked in unison

"Cathie was just asking about the budget" One of the yuckier perks of being queen of the dead? I alone could see and hear ghosts And they could see and hear ht Naked or fully clothed

But even for a ghost, Cathie was special As we all know,around because they have unfinished business Once they finished their business, poof! Off into the wild blue whatever (God knows I&039;d never had that privilege) And who could blame them? If it were me, I&039;d beat feet off this mortal plane the minute I could

But even after I&039;d fixed Cathie&039;s little serial killer problehosts and me Sort of like a celestial executive assistant

"So?" Marc asked

"Don&039;t look atasped Marc&039;s lips thinned, and we all looked away "Gravy train&039;sover"

"Would your friend like so in out of nowhere "Got any chemo?" Jess asked tiredly "It&039;s, ue the subject I couldn&039;t look at Jessica, so I looked atand polishing As they alere-no matter what I did to them, they always returned to the saht I died

" Threeht I was epileptic "What, rubles? Pesos? Yen?"

"Three led "For a party?"

All the wo wasn&039;t &039;just a party&039; A party was just a party This would be the most important day of my-our-lives