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Chapter Text

Spring semesters were something else entirely in universities. Depending on your location, you would either be experiencing extreme burnout, or a sense of inspiration. Once winter is over, so comes the time when students break free from their study zones and prefer to sit in the sun and on the quad. The fauna around campus begin to bloom, and the trees once again cast shadows onto the ground to allow anyone to take a peaceful nap in a cool breeze. 

Yes, spring was the time for a multitude of photo-journalistic opportunities, or merely just passing the time to capture the fleeting essence of life. This was something Lydia Deetz has been doing for the past two years at Columbia University in New York City. 

Four years ago, before being accepted into the New York college, Lydia was going through some strange and unusual experiences at home. Having just moved into a new home in Connecticut after her mother had only recently passed away, she soon found herself face to face with real ghosts. Barbara and Adam Maitland to be exact. Over time, there was a friendship that was bonded between the three when her father Charles was off schtupping with Delia, her now Step-mom. 

But Adam and Barbara weren’t the only spirits occupying the Winter River home. There was a demon who called himself Beetlejuice. He seemed to have a shining for Lydia, and shared a similarity with her in the fact that he also felt unseen by anyone around him. They both basically shared a goal, and that was to no longer be invisible. After scaring Charles’s party guests, and Delia out of the house, Lydia and Beetlejuice had the house to themselves for three whole days. The only other people filling the empty space were the recently deceased couple hiding in the attic. 

Despite the friendship that had started between Lydia and Beetlejuice, Lydia still desperately sought to see her mother once again, and abandoned the demon to find her. Leaving the demon feeling unwanted and invisible again, he became rampant and vengeful. All he wanted was to be seen, and have a friend, but then Lydia just chose to turn away. Might as well force her into a marriage then. Tricking her, Lydia was fooled into exercising Barbara when she was trying to bring back her mom. The only way to save her was the marriage agreement. But a trick fell for a trick and soon Lydia escaped into the netherworld to hide and hopefully find her mother. 

Finding nothing except death and emptiness within the void of eternal suffering, Lydia was led back home by her father and found a new comfort within her family. But still Beetlejuice was waiting for her, and she was more than ready to continue with the ceremony. Arriving in a red wedding gown, the celebration began, and rings were exchanged. Beetlejuice placed a black band around her ring finger, and Lydia was given a black band by one of Beetlejuice’s skeletons to place onto his finger. Once they shared “I do”, a flash and a bang had brought Beetlejuice to life. But that wasn’t really part of the plan for the Maitlands and the Deetz’s. Driving bad art into his backside and killing him, Lydia soon ended the demon's life, causing him to become once again, recently deceased. 

Carry forth something about his mom coming to collect a living girl who escaped the netherworld, and then Beetlejuice killing his mother with a sandworm. It was all very confusing, but saying goodbye was hard. Despite him being a creepy old guy, and a demon who had all the capabilities of murder, he still wanted to be seen above all. 

It wasn’t long after he left that he returned, and for a good reason too. The ring that was placed around Lydia’s finger became like a binding tool. After their marriage, both of them had spiritually tied their souls together. Even if one were to be dead, and the other were to be alive, the souls stay together. That’s how marriage in the netherworld works. Except Lydia has a corporeal being, meaning she can take the ring off and leave it wherever; forcing Beetlejuice having to stay within the confines of the room she left it in. He was back, but he was like a domestic ghoul more or less. 

The family that had more or less become her ghost parents and living parents were not so pleased to know that Beetlejuice was back, and basically attached to her for the rest of her life. But Lydia didn’t seem to mind. She still had lingering sympathy for the ghost, and already knew that since she had married him this was her obligation as his now cursed bride. Being sixteen and having a demon for a best friend honestly sounded like the best thing in the world for Lydia. 

Mischief and Mayhem would follow them wherever they would go as long as she kept the ring on her person. She even took it to school with her so that the miss perfect Claire Brewster wouldn’t be able to be as perfect anymore. Beetlejuice could finally give Claire the karma she deserved times three. Their relationship did indeed become like inseparable friends as the years went on. But Beetlejuice was still lonely. 

Not in regards of being a lonely dead guy anymore, but there was something he couldn’t do anymore now that he hung out with a teenager. He couldn’t fuck. He couldn’t have orgies. Sex was completely gone. All of the lust and drive for physical affection had begun to manifest over time and who else could he throw it at but his wife. Through the looking glass in Lydia’s vanity, he’d watch her aging body mature. He’d imagine what she’d look like once more in that wedding dress, but if it was on the floor instead. He wanted her to touch him longer when they hugged. He wanted her to kiss him. Oh god slash satan please let her kiss him. 

He started to tease her and make sexual innuendos almost every day to her, but she was becoming used to it. Even when they were watching the exorcist and he would wrap his arms around her, she didn’t mind. She was too hot anyways and needed a human cooler to help her body temperature drop just a bit. In fact it helped her sleep! She was driving him insane! 

Eventually it was time for her to go to college, and Lydia wanted to go to a place close to their old home. Back to New York where dead mom was buried. Charles agreed and sent her to a very prestigious school for her passion in photography and writing. Columbia University. Of course Claire Brewster ended up going to the same college, but Lydia wasn’t going to let that get her down. She also wasn’t going to leave Beetlejuice behind to torture her parents and ghost parents. If anything, during classes she’d leave the ring in a secret box in her dorm and tell him to just wait when she got back. 

That’s how it has been for the past two years for Lydia and Beetlejuice on campus. Lydia would have a class, and she’d leave her black ring in a little box under her pillow in her dorm room. Beetlejuice would have to be patient and wait for her to return before they did anything on campus. In fact, the most things they did on campus besides pulling the strangest pranks on students who were walking around past midnight was take pictures. 

Beetlejuice was basically Lydia’s model, and had earned her a bunch of prestige in the college of the arts. The countless poses that he was able to do while not being seen physically cause the camera to freak out and capture the blurriest and bizarre images that have been hung in the walls of the student union building. The pair walk by them everyday just to see if anyone has an explanation for them yet. Only the society of ghost hunters really have ever stared at the picture for longer than two hours. 

As of this moment, it was almost class time, and Lydia was playing with her camera while Beetlejuice stared up at the clear sky. He didn’t seem bored, but merely pleased at this moment they were sharing together. Turning onto his side, he stared at her as she fixed the lens and pointed it at him. 

“What are you thinking right now babes?” He asked with his raspy tone. 

“About the final assignment. Everyone has already put in the group chat about how they are going to take pictures of different clubs and societies around campus, but I literally have no association with any club or society.” Putting the camera down, she huffed and began to put it back in it’s bag.

“You have me?” 

“It can’t just be you Beej. It has to be a society or a whole event planned by a group. We all have to take pictures like a time lapse.” 

“You ask that ghost club?” Beetlejuice offered as a suggestion. 

“No. I don’t talk to them. The last time I tried, they said they saw the devil around me.” Giving off a laugh and staring right at Beetlejuice, Lydia continued. “I mean, they aren’t wrong completely, but I think they would probably freak out more if they knew I was married to the devil.” 

“You don’t act like it.” Beetlejuice once again laid on his back and stared at the sky like a lump. His voice clearly said he wasn’t happy about something. 

“Who peed in your coffee Beej?” Lydia asked as she stood up and wrapped her bags around her so that she could start heading to her dorm. She needed to take the ring off before getting into class mode. 

“Not you, but I fucking wish you did.” Was his snarky response as he began floating behind her. She only could laugh at that remark. “Ew, no. You’d have to pay me first.” It was clearly a joke as she continued to laugh, but Beetlejuice was desperately chasing the carrot on the stick. “I don’t have money babes, but if I did, I’d pay you to just sit on my face.” 

Turning around to smack him, Lydia instead bumped into something. Or someone as a matter of fact. Both people fell onto the concrete walkway and pulled themselves up to see what caused the other to fall down.

“I’m so sorry, that was completely my fault I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Lydia started, but then the other individual just put their hands up as a response. “Nope. No it’s not. It’s mine.” They stood up and brushed off their dark leather jacket and offered a hand for Lydia to get up. The person looked to be a male student. He had dark hair, and a nice tan going for him. He must have come from somewhere more tropical since the city barely got any sunny weather like this. His hair was floppy and hung a bit in his face, but was also disheveled. Like a mess, but an organized one. 

“What do you mean it’s not my fault? I clearly wasn’t looking where I was going.” Lydia grabbed onto his hand and was pulled up by the student. He shook his head and then picked up the phone on the ground between them. “Nope. It’s mine. I was texting and walking like an idiot and didn’t even notice you.” He held up his phone to show it was completely cracked. 

“Ha! That’s what you get you clumsy oaf! I tell yah Lyds, this is how kids your age die these days. They are always on their phone and not looking up.” Beetlejuice added as he began to observe the two interacting. Lydia clearly just ignored him as she does when she has conversations with other living people. He may be tied to her, but he can’t be seen unless she calls out his name three times. Her only reaction to him making the comment about the strangers now broken phone was a roll of her eyes.

“Woah, didn’t mean to get that kind of reaction out of you. I know I’m the clutz of the theatre department, but I don’t want to also seem like a complete waste of time.” The student looked upset at Lydia’s rolled eyes even though they weren’t directed at him. “What? I… No that wasn’t meant for you.” Was the only response she could give. 

“Right… Well… I guess I say I’m sorry and then I can introduce myself?” He gave a shy grin almost like he was still trying to start up a conversation. “I don’t like him. Just keep walking. Don’t you have a class babes?” Lydia ignored Beetlejuice once again and nodded at the stranger. 

“Uh… I’m Rowan Nix. Theatre major and local clumsy ass.” He offered his hand once again to shake in a friendly greeting style. Beetlejuice went to Lydia’s ear and whispered “Use your left hand to shake… It’ll be like an electric buzzer trick… but with more pain.” The left hand was the one with the ring on it, and Beetlejuice could channel some power into it through her. 

Still ignoring Beetlejuice, Lydia smiled and nodded her head, and kept her hands to herself. “I’m Lydia Deetz… Visual Arts Major….” 

“Woah… Deetz? Like the strange pictures in the union building, that Deetz?” Rowan's question was filled with surprise and anticipation for her answer. All Lydia could do was give a few nods. “Oh my god I absolutely love those pictures! I walk by them everyday before lunch and I always just have a little moment to think about how those pictures came out how they did. No photographer would clearly sabotage their own work, but yet it looks like the light in the image is physically interacting with the darkness. It’s like a chaotic dance or some spiraling madness.” 

“Yep… Clearly a theatre major. Lyds let’s go.” Beetlejuice floated around her a little more and then began to pull on her skirt. But Lydia was frozen in place. She never really got those kinds of compliments on her pictures from anyone other than Beetlejuice, so this was a foreign feeling. Beetlejuice didn’t have the dictionary like this guy did, but he always did compliment them with passion. Not just because he was the subject of the photo, but because Lydia was still the photographer with the artistic perspective. He had always given her admiration on her pictures. Always. 

Pushing her skirt down to prevent Beetlejuice from revealing too much, Lydia gave out a small laugh and blinked a few times in confusion. “You like them that much?” Rowan’s response was firm nodding. “Absolutely. Oh, hey! Can I ask you to do me a favor for the theatre department? I mean you don’t have to but I figure it might be really helpful for both parties.”

“What do you mean ‘both parties’?” Lydia asked. 

“Well for our musical show this semester, we are doing the international hit that is Phantom of the Opera. But we need some promotional pictures, and we have no photographer. Well… no photographer that wants to deal with one of the supporting actresses.” Rowan seemed a bit perturbed at that moment when he mentioned the supporting actress. Who could be driving away the theatre departments photographers? 

“I mean… Isn’t that show playing just down the street already?” Lydia questioned while shrugging. 

“Yeah, but this will be the first time in decades that we do Phantom again. And I’m just happy to be a part of it.” Rowan added. 

“Oh really? Who do you play as then Mr. Clumsy?” Lydia teased out and Beetlejuice only could add “weak insult. At least call him a waste of space.” 

“Oh, I’m the title character. I’m Mr. Clumsy in a mask.” For some reason, that little joke was able to elicit a small chuckle from Lydia, and this caused Beetlejuice’s face to drop. Now he really didn’t like Rowan. Another guy making his wife laugh is a threat enough. But the fact that he was alive and not that bad to look at either was even worse! 

Tapping her chin, Lydia brought up a response for Rowan. “Well Mr. Clumsy, I do have to do a project for a society or club for one of my classes. Is this a theatre society or a club? Cause already the musical is an event itself.” 

Nodding, Rowan pulled up his phone and then stopped realizing that his phone was broken. “Shit.. see this is just embarrassing. I was going to show you the whole crew, but I guess that can wait till later. We’re the theatre society. Tell your Prof about us and that I wanna hook you up as our main photographer! I’ll tell Hazel, our stage manager, that I found a possible candidate.” He was walking away and heading in the direction of the theatre building. “Our rehearsals start at five!” 

And like that, Rowan was in a sprint. Looking down at her own phone, she saw that it already was three fifteen, and her class starts in less than ten minutes. “Shit… No time to dorm run. Ready for a boring class Beej?” Lydia offered as she started to jog. 

“Boring? Nothing is boring when I’m near you Lyds. Take me to all your classes, I’ll just sit under your desk like a dog. Maybe steal a couple of kids pencils and lunch money. The normal dog things.” Laughing as she ran to the last few comments she made it to the building in time for her class. 

Already, her teacher was staring at her as she was the last one to arrive in the classroom. “S-Sorry I’m late… I…” Beetlejuice moved to her ear once again to come up with an excuse for her “You met your society! Tell them you just got out of a meeting or some shit, that might make it seem professional.” For once, Lydia agreed with the statement, and sticking to the words that had been coined into her ear, she relayed them without hesitation.

“I just ran into Rowan Nix from the Theatre society. Me and him just finished talking about the photography project and asked if I would like to do the photo shoots for their production of Phantom of the Opera.” Lydia began to move further into the classroom, approaching the professor like she owned the place. Students were staring at her like she was lucky to even find a society that sounded interesting, while others seemed to think she’d be the last girl in the world to find a group to work with.

“Fantastic Miss Deetz. And you agreed to this?” The Professor's voice was clear, and assured Lydia that what she was about to do was assign herself to the theatre department for the next couple of weeks. Reaching into a red folder, she pulled out a form and handed it to Lydia. “Give this to their director, and make sure to have everyone who is in the society sign off on it as a consent form. This is due next week to me. Okay?” 

Nodding her head, Lydia took the paper and put it into her bag. She knew there was no turning back at this point. After this class she should probably head directly to the Theatre building. Rowan did say that rehearsals start at five. Sitting down and setting her desk up for note taking, Beetlejuice did as he said and crawled under her seat to basically sleep. It was funny at the time for Lydia because of the saying “Slept like the dead”. She didn’t really think that he would indeed need to sleep like the dead. But he looked content. 

But plans were running through the ghoul's mind. Rowan was indeed a boy with a similar aesthetic to Lydia's. He has charm, and he can sing, but so can Beetlejuice if you ask him nicely. Sometimes he’ll just burst into song if he feels invisible or has a soliloquy in his mind. However, there was a plan being woven like spiders web inside his brain. 

The idea that Phantom of the Opera would be performing on a college campus in New York City seemed bizarre enough, like an author trying to pull points together for convenience's sake. But that's besides the point. This was about the musical. That musical, not this musical. That whole story is about a girl who can sing better than the current leading soprano, and the ‘phantom’ who loves her and trained her wants her to become the new leading soprano. Another guy comes into the picture and then there is a love triangle, but basically it’s a show about romance. Not really Lydia’s kind of thing, but she would probably really dig the phantom's lair. 

Tighter the webs became, even tighter into a beautiful web that created something sinister. 

Imagine a real ghost in your theatre. Imagine mishappenings in your theatre. All because this girl happened to walk in. Once you pay attention to her, all things will be calm. Look away and the havoc will be reaped. You may have never heard her sing, but she sings beautifully to me. I will be the phantom of the theatre as she plays this little game called life. I will control what she does, and what she becomes. Watch my carnival of madness unfold as I turn this little photographer…. Into the lead. Then once she has their attention, I will make sure I have hers. I just need to keep… -

“Beej, class is over.” A voice awoke Beetlejuice from his nap. Everyone in the classroom was already gone, and the clock read four forty-five. She had to get to the theatre soon. “So you going to put me away before you see Mr. Opportunity?” 

“No? Why? I think you’ll have a little fun in a theatre space. Right? I mean I was thinking about it too.” Lydia was laughing to herself as she started to pull her things together. “Imagine just throwing some things around, or instruments playing by themselves. They’ll be freaking out!” She was so precious when she was the one coming up with the pranks and scares. It would make any dead man's heart almost beat again. 

“Lyds… I love yah. You gotta know that.” 

“Sure you do. You say that all the time.” She sighed as he continued to follow her. 

“But I mean it! I really do! You never seem to really think that I mean it, but you’re always like ‘no no I can’t love you, that’s icky ppphff’ and then I’m like ‘but think about my feelings woulda’, but then you respond with ‘I’m going to bed now, g'night BJ’ and then I’ll be like ‘okay goodnight I loooooove you.’” In and out of that entire conversation with himself, he kept changing the pitch of his voice to match the femininity of Lydia, and then his own pitch. Lydia was simply rolling her eyes once again and after more debate they arrived at the theatre. 

At the theatre doors stood a girl with bright ginger hair, similar to Delia’s, but she also had freckles all over her face. Glasses stuck out on her nose, and her short curly hair nearly covered her eyes, but if you looked close enough you could see that they were a bright blue. Once she saw the girl dressed in black, her eyes became wide and she started to fiddle with her locks running up to her. 

“Oh, you came! I was worried you wouldn’t!” Were the words that scrambled out of her voice like word vomit. “Uhhh… I’m glad I came too? Do I know you?” Lydia was surprised to see that someone was waiting for her in the first place. “Oh, I’m sorry. Rowan said he found a photographer earlier, and then he said it was you! I couldn’t believe my ears, I told him to give me your number so I could get in contact with you right away but his phone was broken so he just ran away!” She continued to ramble and Beetlejuice looked at her as if she was about to short circuit. 

“Anyways! My name is Hazel Seibel! I am the director, and sometimes stage manager.” She didn’t as so much offer a handshake like Rowan did, but immediately started to shake Lydia’s hand. Pulling her hand back quickly, Lydia felt like she had already gotten herself into a mess. “Right. Nice to meet you. So Rowan told you about me already?” Hazel nodded and pulled her phone out to show Lydia pictures of her photographs in the student union. “Your photos speak to me as if they are inspired by the dark and unseen forces.” 

“Unseen is one way to put it.” Beetlejuice added. “Dark just depends on how angry you make me, right Lyds?” Blinking a few times, Lydia crooked her head to the side. “Unseen forces?” 

“Oh yes! Like ghosts, ghouls, demons, angels and stuff.” Hazel used her hands as a way of accentuating each type of dead noun. “Woah, she believes in the afterlife? Then how come she can’t see me?” Beetlejuice pointed out as he pointed at himself. Hazel shivered and looked around Lydia. “You believe in that stuff? Or do you think I’m just crazy?” 

Lydia gave a small laugh and then remembered the first time she saw the Maitlands. They weren’t hideous and deformed, but merely dead. A normal couple that had died in their house. “I’ve seen ghosts. Even demons.” Hazel’s eyes went wide when Lydia said that. “That’s so amazing. Have you ever had contact?” 

“Deep intimate contact Haze… Every night in fact when she’s sucking-”

“I’ve spoken with people who would have changed your whole perspective on death. Once it’s over, it’s over.” Lydia interrupted Beej and made a waving motion as if to swat at a fly, but instead struck him. “Ouch! Babes that hurt!” 

Hazel seemed to be in complete shock. A photographer who had the same kinds of beliefs as her. It was unheard of! “I’m so happy to be working with you Miss Deetz-”

“Please just call me Lydia.” The macabe girl reached into her bag and pulled out the consent form to hand to Hazel, but then there was a shrill scream coming from inside the auditorium. It sounded familiar too. Both girls rushed into the theatre and noticed a girl on stage wearing a very pink dress, and her hair was tied up in a bun. What she was holding in her hand was a white mask, and who was standing next to her was Rowan who looked rather angry. 

“Give it back Brewster… I won’t ask again.” He hissed out while reaching for it. 

“Claire really, why do you need to cut rehearsals like this?” Another male voice intervened from the side of the auditorium. “Please, please can we not fight!” A brighter and cheery voice walked onto stage. “What’s going on here?” Hazel yelled out and got the cast to look at her. 

“Oh my god.” Lydia said as she recognized the girl on center stage. “Oh my god!” The girl repeated like a parrot. It was shrill and coarse. Beetlejuice had only just started laughing and added “Oh this makes ruining this show so much more easier! Thank you bimbo bitch! Thank you!” 

“Lydia Deetz?!” Her voice came out more shrill, and the cast looked at the blonde girl like she was crazy. “You know her?” Hazel asked Lydia. Lydia sighed heavily and handed her the consent form. “Yup… we went to school together. In the long and short of it… she’s a bitch.” 

“Oh we know… But she plays a good Carlotta.” Hazel had to argue. Lydia could see it. Big daddy Brewster paying the Theatre society to put his little baby in the show, but she can’t sing and she can’t act worth shit. So the best lead role she can get for daddy’s big wallet is la Carlotta. What a power move on Hazel’s part. Lydia had to give her a nod of admiration. “Glad you don’t shit around here.” She added as she moved closer to the pit. 

“Why the hell… is Lydia Deetz here?” Claire repeated. “I asked her to come, she’s going to be our photographer… right?” Rowan responded to his angry co-star, but was met with more anger. “No… I refuse to believe that. She never got my good side back at home, and she’ll make me look even worse up here, I know it!” 

“Shut up Claire. We have a photographer, and she’s here for an assignment. It’s mandatory that she's here. You don’t have a say, and neither does she.” Hazel added when she read through the consent form. Raising her voice she got her cast's attention and pulled a pen from her shaggy hair. “Would all cast members please come sign this document for Lydia please. Thank you!” 

Rowan moved downstairs to meet Lydia. He didn’t give a shit about his mask at this point anymore from the looks of it. “So glad you actually came. Thought I frightened you away or scared you with my clumsiness.” 

“No… Merely encouraged me. It’s fun to see people fumble about with themselves. You even broke your phone, so that’s bonus points.” Lydia assured Rowan who looked pleased with himself finding a photographer, but Beetlejuice was less than pleased. “Oh yeah, you should have broken your bones. In fact, you should have broken your neck. Let’s try that collision again. Do it Lydia, hit him.” 

Standing up, Rowan got off stage and began to head toward Hazel to sign the consent form. “Beej, why are you telling me to hit people?” She was crossing her arms while looking at the line that was being created. “Because he didn’t get hit hard enough the first time.” 

“Are you jealous?” Lydia raised her eyebrow at him, and Beetlejuice merely stuck his tongue out. “How? He’s living, I’m dead. Sure he’s got a pulse and can move freely without being married to someone, but I still have you.” That actually caused Lydia to blush slightly when he said it. Was he trying to flirt with her. He never really said anything that sweet before unless it came with a follow up sexual innuendo. But there was none? “No, I think you’re jealous.” She finished while booping his nose. 

“Am not.” He stood up and stomped across the stage. “What shall we do first kids? Shall we drop some curtains, or make the seats unfold all at once. Or how about a little light show?” Smiling at hearing his idea, Lydia winked at him giving him the okay symbol. “All of it sounds good in my head.” Grasping at his chest, he felt like he could already hear the screams. She knew what he wanted, and so here it came. 

With a large stomp and a snap, the lights shut down. The theatre was dark, and everyone went silent except a few girls who started screaming from the sheer darkness. People pulled out their phones and looked around them. “A blackout?” , “Well we do live in the city.”, “It’s not possible though, the theatre has a breaker.” After that, the sound of rattling chains and shifting gears were heard all around them. Seats popped down all at once causing everyone to jump. Once the lights turned back on, all of the curtains were on the stage. Not hanging, but down on the ground and completely separated from the rafters above. 

“How in the hell did that happen?” Rowan asked while jumping back up on stage. Someone behind him was swearing in another language but then quickly responded “I was under those curtains just a moment ago. I could have been crushed. Those things are so fucking heavy hun.” 

“The chairs… they all…” Just as a soft voice squeaked that out, the chairs flung back into position. “Oh goodness.” She looked surprised but didn’t scream. Merely that her entire body was folding in on itself. Claire however was screaming. “Damn you Deetz! You carry your dark magic wherever you go, and it has followed me here! You have cursed my chance at being a star!” 

Hazel was frozen still. She didn’t intervene when Claire started to swing at Lydia. Instead she merely looked at the mess around her and saw a twisted smile on Lydia’s face. “Dark magic?” Hazel repeated. Claire looked at Hazel and nodded angrily. “Yes, she’s cursed or something. One day at school she told me she married the devil. She’s fucking insane.” 

“Yes, but correct.” Beetlejuice said while staring at the boys trying to put the curtain back on its pole. “That’s….” Lydia looked at Hazel like she was about to be thrown from the theatre. It was over, and that consent form was going to be ripped up. Goodbye deans list, sorry I have to come home dad, Beetlejuice ended up scaring an entire society of theatre kids. 

“That’s perfect.” Hazel finally was able to get out.” 

“What?” Both girls said simultaneously. “What do you mean? She’s bad luck for our show!” Lydia raised her eyebrows while looking from Beetlejuice to Claire. “I mean… I don’t control it, it merely does that whenever you’re doing something stupid Claire. I’ve told you that from the beginning. Honestly I haven't had an incident like that in years.” She was lying, and Beetlejuice was already floating in the air laughing. 

“Y-You’re saying it’s my fault that you have Carrie tendencies? You are such a freak!” 

“Shut the hell up Claire!” Rowan’s voice came back and he moved down stage. “What makes it perfect Hazel? All the lights just went to shit, and the strings on the curtains have to get tied back onto their rafter individually. What makes it perfect?” 

Hazel smiled and looked at Lydia. “Well… The Phantom of the Opera’s show is all about that isn’t it? Why not have a little chaos? I mean… Lydia did say it’ll keep Claire in check. So in my opinion, all that stuff just might prevent her from taking your things Rowan, or trying on Makenzie’s dresses. The girl who was named Makenzie stood silent and then blinked a few times. “Wait, she’s been doing what?” 

“You have no proof.” Claire said and she put her hands on her hips. “Yeah but I have a camera, so proof will be here if it needs to be. So you better start behaving.” Lydia added pulling out her digital camera for some stills. 

Claire made a frustrated noise and pointed angrily at Lydia. “I don’t like that you’re here. I’ll deal with it. It won’t be fun for either you or me, okay. I’ll just be happier when you’re gone.” 

“And i’ll be happier when you stop randomly showing up in my life.” Lydia added. 

“And I’ll be happier when she stops wearing the same fucking color. When will you wear something other than pink you fucking bimbo!” Beetlejuice yelled into her ear. “Ew… its cold.” Claire added as she wiped her ear. 

Hazel walked up to Lydia and handed her the signed consent form. “I think it’s all settled now. We’d like you to show up to every rehearsal now at five if you can.” Hazel showed Lydia her cellphone number on her smartphone so that Lydia could copy it down. “If you need any information at all about the cast or equipment we are using, just message me.” 

“Oh! Can you please give her my number too Hazel?” Rowan said as he looked between the two exchanging numbers. Just as he said that, Hazel’s phone ran out of batteries. “What the hell? It was only at sixty five? You’re not a google phone, don’t do this to me!” Lydia looked over at Beetlejuice who shrugged innocently. 

Rowan rubbing the back of his neck just leaped off the stage and crossed his arms. “See, I would give it to you… But I haven’t memorized it, and my phone is broken.” 

“Pity. It would have been fun to just message you about Claire’s screaming. I’m sure you’d like to hear it.” Lydia laughed as she put the form and her phone away. Beetlejuice could already tell that this boy was interested in Lydia, and he wasn’t having it for another second. With a little toss of ghostly powers, Rowan’s legs started to carry him back to the stage. 

“W-Well.. Anyway. Bye Ly-dia. See you.” And he was out of sight. Lydia turned her head to see Beetlejuice puppeteering with his fingers. “What? Listen, I wanna go home. I wanna hear more Edgar Allen Poe stories.” Lydia shook her head and began to walk up the auditorium aisles with her ghostly husband behind her. 

“I have a different plan.” She said. “Let’s watch some bootlegs tonight until we pass out. I want to be able to get in the mood for this show and prepare myself to hear the same melodies everyday.” The dead man groaned as she stated their plans for the evening, but he wouldn’t argue. Merely that the shows would give him more ideas, and more plans on what to do than just play around with the cast on stage. More than put Lydia on the stage. 

It’s time for a new phantom’s romance story to begin. 

Chapter Text

A whole week had passed and the weekend had finally begun. Class projects were now solidified for students who knew exactly what they wanted to turn in, and the pressure was on. In the past seven days, Lydia had been attending every rehearsal and watching every actor as if the performance was happening live before her. She was even allowed on stage to take close up reel shots to use as progressive photos of how the rehearsals were going. 

Lydia would either be sitting in a plastic chair off to the side of the right wing of the stage, camera in hand, waiting for a moment of inspiration to kick in, while her ghostly husband would circle above her like a hawk. It had been like this for a while as both of them learned all the actors' names, their lines, their blocking, and their personalities. 

Recently, Lydia had become really close with Makenzie Grey, the junior who was cast as Christine Daee. Honestly Lydia wouldn’t be able to find a girl more suitable for the part than Makenzie because of how beautiful her singing voice was. Makenzie has beautiful long brown hair that flows whenever she moves around and spins on stage, and bright hazel eyes that would catch the light when she would stage cry. Next to Lydia, she was almost as pale as her as well. Makenzie never really got outside much due to being a trained singer since she was eleven. It was no wonder she was cast as the soprano for the musical. 

Then there was Montgomery Ono, a foreign student from Japan with an attitude you really couldn’t argue with. He prefered to be called Monty, and he was cast as Raoul, the other romantic interest of the stage play. For a while, both Beetlejuice and Lydia were confused as to why it was Monty who played Raoul, then over time as they observed his mannerisms, they figured out the answer. Monty didn’t believe in ghosts, or the paranormal at all. If Hazel said one thing about the spectre that followed Lydia, Monty shrugged it off and just claimed the theatre was old. 

Monty really wasn’t afraid to be narcissistic either. He looked good in practically all of his costumes. Claire even dared him to put on a carlotta dress, thinking that he wouldn’t look good, but he came out and still was able to make it look good. Lydia remembering the comment Beetlejuice made was “I don’t think you would be able to tell what gender this guy is no matter how far or close you are to him. He has this presence that just radiates sexual energy.” Beetlejuice really wanted to play with that dynamic one day, and rip a hole in one of Monty’s trousers. 

During rehearsal, Monty came out with a blank expression and looked only at Rowan. “Honey you know I can work in anything, but assless chaps aren’t something I think Raoul can work in.” Everyone in the theatre looked at Monty and saw a giant hole cut out the back of his pants, revealing his bright smooth ass cheeks. 

Beetlejuice practically started screaming, laughing, and caused himself to cough on the dust in the theatre, while Lydia could only look away wide eyed and spot Makenzie’s red face as she muttered “Oh my… Another costume incident.” 

“What do you mean by that?” Lydia responded. Curious as to why Makenzie would bring up ‘another’ costume incident. 

“Well you see…” Makenzie started. “Our costume designer has been working tirelessly on reworking our costumes over and over again because we keep finding holes in… indecent spots.” Makenzie’s voice came out soft and her face suddenly was covered by her hair. 

Claire came up and put her hands on her hips angrily. “That’s not even the half of it! Every time I go back to change into my normal clothes, they’re gone! Just up and vanished!” Claire snorts out her nose and crosses her arm with spite hanging on her lips. “Every time I go to look for them, I end up finding them in a garbage can, or even… auuugh… the bathroom.” Claire made a face that almost explained how she didn’t want to go deeper into the explanation. 

It was obvious to Lydia as to who was the culprit behind ruining the costumes. It was plain as day and it was rolling around on cloud nine above her head in a laughing mess. She lifted her head to see Beetlejuice practically crying and pointing at Monty who was still proudly standing on the stage revealing his ass to the theatre company, all while Rowan was frantically trying to cover it with his cape. 

Hazel was quick to jump onto stage and help Rowan wrap his cape around Monty, and she looked to the wing where she spotted the three girls talking about the costume incidents. “Girls, come here.” Her voice carried loud, and all three women lifted their heads as if they were being commanded by their parents. 

Hazel started to speak in a calm tone. “Alright… There have been some accidents of late-” 

“Accidents? Do you call all of my clothes in the girls waste bin an accident?” Claire’s voice raised up.


“The girls' waste bin? Jesus that’s disgusting.” Monty quickly added. “At least you have clothes. Sometimes I just go home wearing nothing.” Everyone stopped and just stared at Monty as if he dropped a shit on the stage. “I’m joking. We live in New York. You really think I’d walk in the streets naked?” 

“Me thinks it depends on how much someone would pay you Monts.” Beetlejuice added while wiping some crusty tears from his eyes. Of course, no living person in the room, other than Lydia, could hear or see him. So only his jokes were able to be thrown at her, and it was hard for her to force down a laugh. 

Rowan raised his hands up trying to get everyone’s attention as they began to swarm each other with more complaints. “Guys… please. We have full dress rehearsals coming up soon and then we have our opening night. Granted probably only students, faculty, and our family will show up but we still have get through this.” 

Makenzie pushed some hair out of her face as she looked at Rowan, trying to bring her voice out. “We haven’t even practiced most of the stunts either. It’s only been singing and lines.” Makenzie put her attention back onto Hazel. “And I don’t have an understudy. Hazel, I told you that if I overexert my voice, I can’t sing.”

“That’s easy, I’ll take over for you!” Claire said with a full sense of confidence in herself. 

“Fuck no. You’ll make everyone leave. And then we wouldn’t have a Carlotta.” Rowan said, looking pissed off at Claire. 

“Then just have Monty play Carlotta.” She twisted her face back at him.


“I would, but I can’t hit those screeching notes that hurt dogs ears like you Claire.” Monty gave her a thumbs up, but felt very pleased in his backhanded compliment. 

“Will you guys shut up for ten seconds! I have to think!” Hazel raised her hands up high to silence everyone, and the cast was hushed. 

Both Lydia and Beetlejuice gave each other a look and backed off the stage slowly. Obviously this had nothing to do with Lydia, but she did like the aesthetic of some of the biggest characters and it’s director huddled in a circle. Raising her camera, she took a few shots, and Rowan flashed her a look with a raised brow. 

“I still don’t like him.” Beetlejuice added. 

“Lighten up. He’s not that bad.” Lydia said softly as the theatre students were talking to each other. “He hates Claire… that makes him okay in my book.” 

“Yeah, but he doesn’t hate you. I don’t like that.” Beetlejuice added while softly landing on the stage. “If he doesn’t hate you, that probably means he likes you.” 

Lydia shrugged at him with her camera still in hand. “Don’t know what you mean by that. I think it’s good he doesn’t hate me, he helped me get this done and out of the way in the first place. For that I’m thankful! I mean… I almost went to the campus ghost hunters for pictures and that would have been something completely different.” Lydia snapped another photo of the cast. 

“Yeah but they don’t flirt with their photographers.” There was a hiss in Beetlejuice’s voice as he said it. “They don’t flirt with each other in general on that thought… wow that’s sad for them.”


“Rowan doesn’t flirt with me Beej.” Lydia added, letting her camera hang around her neck. 

“No? Then what do you call it when he comes up to you during the thirty minute break, and he talks to you constantly about your past? Where you grew up and stuff? All the boring breather shit?” Beetlejuice was getting into Lydia’s face. 

“I call it getting to know the people you’re working with. People do that when they have to work with each other a lot and see each other on a day to day basis.” Lydia said as she pressed her finger against Beetlejuice’s nose and pushed him backwards. 

Grumbling and lifting his feet off the ground once again, Beetlejuice curled in on himself and looked almost like he was in a ball form or shape. “He knows too much.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean… I don’t like it when there is another guy who knows more about my wife than I do.” Beetlejuice’s hair started to turn a dark purple when he admitted it, and he began to sink to the floor. 

Lydia was taken aback for a moment as she watched what looked like the man she met years ago on the roof appear once again. He was obviously sad, but he also looked like he wasn’t being noticed or cared about. Lydia could relate to this feeling, and pain of guilt shot through her heart. Getting onto her knees to softly pat the demon, she cooed out to him. “You could use a buddy.” She giggled out. “You have barely changed Beej. You’re that same ol’stinky and creepy old guy I met on the roof four years ago.” 

Blinking a few times before grabbing her hand and holding it close to his chest, a soft sound like a purr began to resonate from the demon. “You’ve barely changed either. Your heart really hasn’t moved for anyone. Not even for me.” 

Before she really could add anything to what he said, or retort it, he vanished into the stage beneath them. “Beej? Beej!” She cried out to him. “I’m not going to say your name… “ She crossed her arms and her hand patted the black flooring to where he was just laying. “Beetlejuice….” Was she really going to summon him just to make him come back? “Beetlejuice…” She didn’t just want him to go out of the bloom like that. It wasn’t fair to her. 

“Bee-

“Lydia!” 

Lydia’s head shot up when her name was called and saw Makenzie come over to her as the cast was dispersing on the stage. “O-Oh.. Hi Kenz. Uhm... “ 

“Are you okay? Why are you kneeling on the stage?” She asked, crooking her head to the side with curiosity. 

Looking back to where she was sitting, she realized that this must look awkward for the other actors or crew members who have been staring at her. She was basically talking to herself for the past couple of minutes. 

“I was just… trying to get a good angle on you guys. I mean, you all looked pretty good as you… talked.” Lydia held up her camera as if trying to recreate the scene. 

“I mean… we saw you take some flashes, so we figured you were taking some stills.” Makenzie just shrugged and then reached her hand out to help Lydia up. “I want to talk to you about something.” 

Grabbing the extended hand, Lydia was pulled up and saw something different in Makenzie’s eyes. Instead of the bright hazel she was used to, there was something yellow reflecting back at her. Almost serpent like. “What can I help you with Kenz?” Her voice came out a little suspicious. 

“Oh I just wanted to practice some lines with you, that’s all. You usually don’t mind helping me with other stuff, so I thought this would be okay.” Her smile seemed normal, and she was blinking like a normal human being. But the eyes had some sort of weird yellow tint to them that Lydia just couldn’t ignore. 

“Alright… Sure. What do you want to practice?” 

Makenzie gave a bright smile and then looked at Monty who was still proudly wearing his assless chaps, and Rowan’s cape. “Monty, can you do me a favor and play Angel of Music on your violin?” 

“What? Listen, Makenzie, I’d love to girl, I would. But I have some pants I really need to get tailored.” He paused to turn around, and then turned to look at them again. “Why do you need me to play all of a sudden? Usually you just go without music.” His eyebrows peaked up and it was obvious that she had gotten his attention. 

Lydia tried to look at Monty’s dark eyes, but didn’t see any yellow in them. She couldn’t just assume Beetlejuice was suddenly influencing Makenzie, but not Monty. Maybe it was the lighting, and Beetlejuice went to go sulk on the roof? 

Monty came closer to the girls and then specifically at Lydia. “Is it cause it’s Lydia and you want to show me off as your cool violin playing friend?” Monty raised a brow and then gesture wildly. 

Makenzie bowed her head shyly and gave a small laugh. “Uhm… well..” 

“Okay fine. But only one song.” Monty jumped from the stage into the orchestra pit and grabbed his violin which he keeps cased up securely on the chairs below. Monty was a talented musician next to also being a singer. He knew how to play piano and violin, and Hazel would often ask him to accompany the songs he wasn’t in with either the piano in the theatre, or his violin. 

Giving the stringed instruments a few plucks, and tuning the strings, he raised the bow and gave a signal to Makenzie that he was ready whenever she was. Makenzie looked back at Lydia and then she put both her hands onto Lydia’s shoulders. “Sing my part.” 

“What?” Lydia quickly questioned. “Sing? I can’t sing. Especially like you. What you’re asking is me to do is the impossible.” 

“No I’m not. You can sing. I know you can. It’s a feeling I have somewhere in my head that I’ve heard you sing before. And you have a really beautiful voice. I want you to share it with me. Please sing Lydia.” Makenzie begged once again and gave Lydia a reassuring smile. 

Finally Lydia understood why Makenzie’s eyes were yellow. Beetlejuice was showing her the past. He was showing her the soft melodies that she would sing to herself about her dead mom, and then the loud songs she’d use to retort against her father. Biting her lip, she swore to herself that she was going to punch Beetlejuice later. 

“Please sing.” Makenzie asked once again. From the pit there was a loud complaint that sounded like Monty needing to do something else. He was getting impatient.

“Just sing the part in Act One at the Mirror. I’ll be the phantom. Mind you it’ll be hard for me to go that deep, but I can try!” Makenzie gave a reassuring smile and then Lydia finally gave up. 

“Fine… You start then.” Lydia grinned, knowing that Christine’s singing part doesn’t come in till after the Phantom’s does. Makenzie shrugged and then let out her voice. 

It was indeed beautiful, and Monty played along with it. The strings rumbled, and her voice echoed around the theatre. Even if she wasn’t a tenor, she still had a voice that could boom and shake your soul. Reaching out for Lydia’s hand with a reassuring smile, she gave her the hint that now it was her turn. 

Shaking her head, and swallowing the regret to this agreement, Lydia began to let out a soft song. It came out slowly, and a little shaky, but Makenzie was circling her and adjusting how Lydia was standing so that she could have more breath control. 

“Angel my soul was weak, forgive me. Enter at last master.”

Finishing her part, Lydia’s face was bright red and she could feel a sense of relief knowing she was halfway done. It still felt strange to even try and sing such a vocally talented role. But each smile and friendly touch that was given to her by Makenzie was reassuring that she was doing fine. 

As Makenzie opened her mouth to continue the song, a voice that wasn’t hers, boomed all around the theatre. It shook the stage, and it caused the seats to rumble. It sounded a bit hoarse, but passionate all the same. It’s loud sound caused Hazel, Rowan, and Claire to rush back to the stage to see what was happening when they noticed it was just Makenzie and Lydia on stage. However, Monty was still in the pit playing, lost in his own sound to notice the shaking or strange new booming voice. 

“Look at your face in the mirror, I am there inside!” 

Rowan was the first to talk, and his voice was low and quiet. “What the hell.. Was that?” 

“It wasn’t me. That sounded like a man.” Claire added. 

Hazel was frozen stiff. She couldn’t move, but her eyes were darting all around the theatre, seeking an answer somewhere in the shadows, or in the aisles. 

Makenzie gulped, and looked at Lydia with a somewhat frightened look. Her eyes no longer showed any form of yellow coloring, so Lydia knew that whatever influence was over her is gone now. That would make sense since it seemed that Beetlejuice has turned himself into a loudspeaker. 

“Are you guys going to finish or what?” Monty cried out from the pit. “You ask me to play the song, and then nothing. Come on.” He waved his bow about and then placed it back onto the strings, eager to carry on. 

Everyone now had their eyes on Lydia. It was her turn to sing next. She had to answer the call. She opened her mouth and began to sing as best as she could. It was a mix of a belt, and somewhat of a falsetto, but she was trying her best. Her voice rose and tried to match Makenzie’s, but deep inside she knew she couldn’t hit those really high notes without enough practice. As her voice softened and quieted… instead of the unknown and hoarse response of the theatre’s spectre, there was a laugh. A laugh that Lydia was very familiar with. 

It was a laugh, a cackle, some sort of scheming giggle she has heard in her house too many times back in Connecticut. She heard it right before she almost exorcised Barbra Maitland in hopes of bringing back her mom. Her head slowly turned to the other cast members and she shrugged with a very confused smile. “Uh… So that happened.” 

Hazel rushed over to Lydia and basically hugged her really tight. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! You have the power to actually summon an opera ghost!” 

More like a demon who was constantly moody and probably trying to manipulate the cast members. Lydia thought to herself. 

“I told you! That Lydia Deetz it cursed! She’s bad news! You should get her out of here right now!” Claire chimed in with her angry and sassy tone. 

“Yeah but did you hear her sing? Like… Not only can she take really good pictures, but she can sing really well! This girl has talent!” Rowan added as he approached Lydia with a smile staining his face. 

Monty climbed out of the pit and seemed satisfied with himself, and then looked at Lydia with a pleased smile. “Yeah, she can sing. Mind you, she needs to fix her breath control, her diaphragm probably needs to be fixed as well, and she also-” 

“I’ll train her.” Makenzie added. “I’ll train her and then I’ll make her my understudy.” Looking at Hazel for confirmation, or some sort of agreement, Makenzie clasped her hands together like she was about to beg. 

There was a long pause, silence in the group as Hazel was trying to think what to do with this new idea. Lydia seemed almost like she was against the idea, like it was the worst idea in the world and everything bad would happen if they casted her in this play. But there was no stopping Hazel. She had found someone who could tap into the other side and make it call back like a real ghost story. 

“I want you to be the understudy for Christine Daae, Lydia. Please, can you do that?” Hazel gave a genuine look of need to Lydia. She reached out her hands and held Lydia’s. They were sweaty and a bit slippery, but all the same Lydia could tell she was really begging her for help. Makenzie even said she needed an understudy and Claire obviously was never an option. The only problem would be Beetlejuice. 

Lydia already had figured it out in her head by the time she recognized his voice that responded to her own. This was his plan all along. Somehow he would get into Makenzie’s head to make Lydia sing, and using Hazel’s bizarre interest in the world of the beyond, cause her to be interested in having Lydia a part of the cast. If Makenzie agreed to teach Lydia the finer details, and Hazel believed she was getting a real ghost show, then it would be a solid deal. That Beetlejuice was slippery and slimy as always, but why did she have to be Christine? For what reason did she have to get the lead? 

“I… I guess I will. But only when You really need me to. Makenzie said something about her voice anyway, so I’ll only do it when she can’t sing or whatever. Just don’t make me go on like every other night.” Lydia pulled her hand back from Hazel’s and gave them all a brief smile. Before anyone could congratulate her, Lydia began to retreat off the stage and grab her bags. She knew Beetlejuice would come to her now after the stunt he just pulled. 

Finding her way to the backdoor exit, a hand had grabbed her wrist and turned her around. “Wait, where are you going Lydia?” It was Rowan. He had a really happy smile on his face, and eyes that were searching hers for answers. 

“I… I want to get back to my dorm now. This is all a lot to take in, and I want to just meditate a bit. Channeling my step mom I guess.” It was an obvious lie. More or less she just wanted to leave so she could have a word with her undead husband. 

“But you just got a huge role in a big musical… for free. That’s a big deal! Come on, let’s go get a drink or something. We can practice lines and I can show you some blocking.” He seemed really excited about all of this, and Lydia was just not in the mood for this. “I don’t know if this is your first time ever being in a play, but if you’re comfortable with it, I can also show you how to stage kiss?” 

Lydia’s eyes went wide when she heard that. Rowan was being real kind with trying to show her blocking and practice lines, but he also wanted to jump straight into kissing? What did he think she was, some kind of easy to win girl through some fake kiss? Lydia ripped her hand away and grimaced at her now costar. 

“I would like to reserve that all for here when we have others to keep to help. It’s a kind offer Rowan, but I really should get home.” With a scowl, she started to pick up her legs and run. She knew deep down that Rowan probably didn’t mean it in a creepy way, in fact he probably really wanted to help her. He was stupidly clumsy after all. Even when she was running she could hear him hitting his head on the door back inside. 

With the amount of times he’s hit his head on something probably equates to how good he is at trying to work with co stars. Her pace began to slow down and she finally caught her breath. A cool breeze surrounded her and her mood became more furious. 

“Did you really have to do that?” Lydia asked, knowing full well that Beetlejuice was behind her.

“I did. You are talented, and I believe it to be so. You have been hiding this talent from everyone but me and the deadbeats back in Winter River. It’s about time you start to do some other stuff. Like singing, or dancing, or me.” He laughed at the last tidbit he added, but she turned around and didn’t look like laughing at all. 

“You think it’s funny that you just cast me in this theatre company’s play? They now depend on me in a pivitol role, and I have no fucking clue what to do with it. Sure I know the songs, but can I sing them well?” 

“You will. The kenz-ster is gonna teach yah!” Beetlejuice snapped his finger at her. 

“But what about my acting? I won’t be able to pull off another character, let alone some girl who is scared all the time and also in love.”

“Babes, do I need to remind you that you conned me into a marriage, and it worked. That’s acting if I have ever seen it. I mean, you made me believe you loved me.” He began to clap and applaud her work. “That shit still hurts!” 

“I’m going to have to kiss both Monty and Rowan, Beej.” Lydia finally said, waiting for his response. Beetlejuice was the jealous type, so she wanted to see what he thought now of his genius plan since she had to kiss other boys. Then Lydia found herself wanting to make Beetlejuice jealous. Her cheeks were slightly turning pink, but not at the thought of kissing two boys, but at the idea of making Beetlejuice jealous. 

Beetlejuice finally became silent, and he looked at her solemnly. “I know that. But I already told you that you have an amazing talent that I want you to share.” He gave her a smile, but then it changed quickly. “But don’t think for one second that I want to share you!” 

Quickly grabbing her by the waist, he spun her low and dipped her. If anyone was around it would look like Lydia was levitating just three feet off the ground. She was expecting him to kiss her right there. A sloppy, cold, and hard kiss to lay claim on her. But he didn’t. Her eyes searched into his glowing yellow orbs and saw them just staring back. “I won’t share you with anyone. Ever. You are my wife.” 

Her heart was beating fast as he was saying this to her, she could barely move as the words flowed out of his mouth. He didn’t feel cold at this moment, but actually warm. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, but found herself being lifted back to her feet. “R-Right… wife.” She repeated slowly as she fixed her blazer. 

“Cool... “ His features soon changed to a brighter and more cheery gaze. “Shall we go and get some drinks then?” 

“Strange, someone just asked me for some drinks.” Lydia responded. 

“Yeah well, we’re here now so might as well just go have a couple right? 

“You’re dead though?” Lydia reminded him. 

“And you’re no fun. Come on babes, let's do body shots!” The pair walked off back to Lydia’s dorm still laughing back and forth to each other, but there was something different being carried inside of Lydia now. 

Earlier, Beetlejuice had said her heart had never moved for anyone. Not even him. But it was so strange, today it was almost as if he was trying to move it through different ways. He was trying so hard just to do one thing for her, and that was to put her in the spotlight of a college musical. It’s no easy feat from a human standpoint, but for Beetlejuice, anything was possible. It moved Lydia in a way that made her think he didn’t just care about dirty jokes, and making people shit themselves out of fear all the time, but that he actually cared about her. 

Chapter Text

The bar that wasn’t that far away from Campus was moderately filled with patrons that evening. There weren't too many people, and there still were plenty of open seats at the bar. Smiling to herself, Lydia walked confidently up and sat on a stool by the bar between two empty stools. Enough distance from anyone else at the bar, or just to show her general disinterest in socializing. Just here for a drink after being cast as an understudy for a lead in a major Broadway production… but it wasn’t Broadway, merely a college performance. 

Beetlejuice leaped up onto the stool beside her and spun around a few times before quickly halting and looking around to see if anyone was staring at the stool that spun by itself. And just as he expected, most of the drunk people were staring at it with wide eyes and confused expressions. Laughing to himself, Beetlejuice tapped Lydia’s shoulder and got her attention to the patrons who were staring at him spinning. 

“Real funny Beej. You know you can do other things than just spin around in a chair with reckless abandon?” Lydia said as she watched him spin like a small child going crazy on a playground. 

“Yeah, but it’s fun just to warm the crowd up before completely emptying up the joint with what’s to come later.” Winking at her, he dove behind the bar and gazed at the various selections of beer that were served by the tap. “Any of these to your liking babes?” He asked while playing with the handles of one Guinness handle. 

“Not a particular fan of beer. You know what I like BJ.” She winked at him, and he jumped up onto the tap and kicked it free, allowing the beer to freely flow out of the tap and onto the floor. 

“Woops… shouldn’t let that go to waste.” Jumping down, he unhinged his jaw in a grotesque kind of manner that even caused Lydia to sit back a bit, and he gulped it all down as it fell into the abyss that was his mouth. A bartender rushed to where the tap was open and saw that the liquid wasn’t spilling onto the floor and seemed absolutely breathless. 

“W-Where the fu… How the hell… What the shit is this?” Was all they were able to get out of their mouth before closing the tap. Still, not a drop was wasted of the dark hoppy beer. 

Sitting up straight, Beetlejuice looked up happily and giddy at Lydia. “Top of the morning to yah! Ooooh Weeee!” Suddenly he turned on a very bad irish and shot up into the air with a click of his heels. “Aye sure jee, that Guinness sure does put some hair on yer chest! Make’s yah feel grand and like a man, it does!” 

“What the fuck happened?” The bartender said again as he was estimating the damage of all the beer lost to the thin air. Lydia was just laughing to herself as Beetlejuice began to scan around the bar some more for something he knew his wife would like. 

She was always a sucker for some sort of whiskey. He figured he did it to her the day he dared her to sneak into her dad's liquor cabinet. Lydia kept an eye on her ghost all the while the bartender was trying to get her attention. She seemed to be the only one who even paid attention to the misfortunate loss of all the liquor, so she must have some idea of what happened. 

“Ma’am… did you do something to my taps?” He asked, placing his hands on his hips. 

“Hmm?” Lydia blinked a few times before looking at the bartender whose patience seemed to be waning. “Uh… No? I’m over here behind the bar, and those taps are in the middle of your bar where no one can touch them. Not even a drunk person would be as so bold to climb over the bar and kick one open.” Lydia said clasping her hands together and looking smug. “Can I get a jack and coke please?” 

From the other end of the bar, Lydia could hear Beetlejuice shout “Already on it babes!” He knew how she liked it. At least two shots of Jack Daniels whiskey, filled to the rim with Coca-Cola, a lime on the side, and iced up to the extreme. Lydia was wondering to herself if she should summon her demon so that it wouldn’t look so awkward for invisible glasses and drinks to be combined with one another. Beetlejuice assumed it would be fine since half the people at the bar were already hammered out of their minds. This was nothing but another weekday at most. 

Even the bartender didn’t pay attention as he was too focused on Lydia’s response to him. “I ask you a question and you respond by asking for a drink?” He sounded annoyed. 

“I mean... Yeah? I didn’t do it clearly cause I’m over here.” 

“But someone clearly opened that tap and let all my product go to waste!” His voice was becoming higher, more angrier. 

“It’s not on the floor though.” Lydia retorted and grinned. 

“That’s not the point, all of that product that could have been sold is gone now, and I have no one to pay for it.” 

“So you’re going to make me pay for it because I was the only other sober person at this bar who saw it happen, so therefore I have to pay for what… three tall glasses of beer even though I only wanted a jack and coke?” Lydia was losing her patience. “I didn’t do it man. Just let me have my drink.” 

“Someone has to pay for this product.” The bartender gestured at his tap once more, and Beetlejuice came round the corner holding Lydia’s drink. 

“They bothering you babes?” He asked, tilting his head. The ghost gave a good examination to the bartender and estimated that he probably was the first guy on shift and was dealing with most of the drunkards since he got here. “Well if he wants his beer back so much, he can have it.” 

Placing Lydia’s drink down, Beetlejuice placed his hands on his knees and bent over so that he was arched in a good position to let all that liquid come out. Opening up his mouth once more, and with a hideous sound resonating from his stomach, a mix of green bile and the recently consumed Guinness was thrown up at the bartender's feet. Lurching back up and wiping his face with his sleeve, Beetlejuice grinned and stared at his work as the bartender now stared at his soaked clothing covered in god knows what. 

“W-Where the… how?” 

“Jesus it smells like fucking cow shit. Sam, what are you doing?” A voice shot from the other side of the bar. It must have been a shift partner for ‘Sam’ who now had Beetlejuice’s bile stained on his clothes. Even Lydia had to place a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from doing the same. The smell was awful, and the chunks that rested on it were disgusting to say the least. 

“What the hell Beej?” She mouthed at the demon who looked very satisfied now. 

“Well if he was going to harass you all night over drinks that I had, and not you, then he can have them back the only way the juice knows how to pay.” Beetlejuice finally handed her the jack and coke he mixed for her and smiled warmly. “Here yah’ are miss. Don’t worry yer’ pretty lil’ head off for this one. On the house.” Winking and then leaping back to the bar-stool, he let out a cackle to just stare back at the scene he left behind the bar. 

“Sam, is it so hard to keep your station clean for five seconds? Go in the back, change your clothes. I have to clean this mess up.” The other bartender seemed very upset, but not as if this was her first time seeing this outcome. A defeated Sam trunched off, and Lydia just began to sip at the drink Beetlejuice made for her with little to no complaints. 

The new bartender looked at her and crooked her head curiously. Then with a shocked mannerism, shot over to Lydia with a squeal. It sounded familiar. 

“I know that girly fan scream a mile away. If my ear drums hadn’t already rotted away, I know that I could still recognize it.” Beetlejuice said as he dug a pinkie into his ear.

“Couldn’t be? We just left the theatre?” Lydia asked Beetlejuice as she turned her head to see the bartender with bright red hair barreling toward her. 

“No.. Most likely it is. You left, probably everyone else was gearing to go as well. Plus if you’re a college student, you have to make money somehow. My guess…” Beetlejuice gestured at the mess of people around them. “Haze sure really loves the strange and unusual, huh?” 

“Lydia, you came right here after rehearsals?” Indeed it was Hazel. Director and stage manager. Her bright and cheery face that was decorated with happy little freckles soon faded to a worried look. “Oh, you’re not here because we gave you the role right?” 

“No! Of course not. Believe me, I’m thankful for the role.” Lydia said as she took a small sip of her drink. “I just thought coming here would be fun.” 

“Didn’t think about coming here with Rowan? He seemed like he wanted to take you out after you got the role.” Hazel added as she pulled out a mop and bucket to wipe away Beetlejuice’s sludge. 

“Well… We’re cool me and him, but I’d rather just get used to practicing with Makenzie first before throwing everything in with him and Monty. You know?” Lydia’s finger strayed to the lime just sitting in her glass and shoved it under the cold ice, drowning it in the drink. 

Hazel’s eyes glistened as she heard Lydia talk about practicing. She wasn’t backing down, and she was still ready to play the role of Christine. “I can’t wait to see how well your voice will develop after working with Makenzie! She is just so talented.” Putting the mop back into the bucket, she moved herself closer to where Lydia was. “Uhm… please don’t mind me asking but… these weird coincidences that follow you or however the hell Claire put it; can you put a reason to it?” 

Coughing a bit on her drink, Lydia looked at Hazel and blinked rapidly as if to ask her if she really wanted to hear this long winded story. Beetlejuice on the other hand quickly prompted his chin on his hands, and rested his elbows on the bar as if he was about to spill a bunch of gossip to a long time friend. 

“Oh do tell her Lyds. It would be so fun to get her involved in all this mess.” Beetlejuice said as he gestured to himself. “I mean… think of it this way; she wants an easier budget for scenery effects for her show, so I’ll do all the pranks and raise the stakes!” He winked at her and then looked back at Hazel as if he was thinking about something entirely. 

Lydia ignored Beetlejuice, and slowly just took in a deep breath before asking Hazel “Are you really sure you want to know why there is chaos wherever I go?” There was a smile itching across Lydia’s lips. She would love to tell Hazel because the story was always fun, and not a lot of people would believe her if she told them that she married a demon then killed him all in one evening. Not to mention she went to the Netherworld and god to see a giant sandworm burst through her house. But Hazel seemed to believe in this kind of stuff. “Why do you want to know Hazel?” 

Hazel’s eyes went to the napkins on the bar counter and then she slowly ran her finger around some condensation of glasses and she gave a weak smile. “Because I’ve seen some things that make me think a lot about the paranormal… you know like life after death. You never really think the same about life once you witness it first hand.” 

“Oh, she’s killed someone. I’m calling it. Haze’s darkest secret is she is a serial killer, and next on her list is co-worker Sam the schmuck.” Beetlejuice hissed out. 

Lydia patted Beetlejuice’s thigh as if to shush him so she could get a more clear understanding of what Hazel was saying. “You’ve seen someone die?” 

“Yeah… My granddad. He practically raised me since mom left, and dad had to work all the time.” She paused and then picked up a few dirty shot glasses to wipe clean. “I was on my way home from grade school, and we were walking together hand in hand like always. But we didn’t really hear the sound of the car coming over our laughter. Paps always told the best jokes, and the last one he told me was a classic.” Hazel sealed her lips tightly as she closed her eyes and pictured the moment in her head. 

Lydia could see the way she contorted her face that it was a brutal death. Hazel didn’t want to remember the fine details of it, but she wanted to only remember the happy moment. The last moment, and the last laugh they shared. It made Lydia’s fists tighten as she recalled dead mom holding her hand on Halloween nights, always making her laugh and other trick or treaters screaming and running away. 

“He said ‘why did the chicken cross the road henny?’ and I looked up at him ready for him to say the classic punchline. But he said ‘show me how you run to the otherside!’ And without questioning it, I just ran like he said so that I would get to the other side. And then I heard a large crashing sound. I was already on the other side of the street laughing to myself, but when I turned around I could only see… glass and skin on the road.” She paused and took her glasses off to wipe them due to the fog being caused by fresh tears. “He had a cane so he knew he wouldn’t be able to make it. The driver was on something, but it’s in the past now.” 

Beetlejuice was curiously rubbing his chin as Hazel described the death in detail and then looked at Lydia. “It’s strange. She believes in the afterlife, and even saw someone she deeply cares about die, and yet she can’t see me. I would assume other people like you Lyds would be able to see me without you haven’ to even summon me in the first place.” 

Listening between both Beetlejuice and Hazel, Lydia had to down the rest of her drink before making her response. “My mom died about four and a half years ago. She was sick, and I wasn’t ready for her to go. But nothing around me in the world felt real anymore, not even myself. I sympathized with the idea of death so much that I thought it would just be better to be dead because maybe then my dad would understand what it’s like to lose everything or anything. She was my world.” 

“Jesus Lydia, I’m so sorry to hear about that.” Hazel said as she grabbed Lydia’s drink. “Do you need another?” It was a kind offer, but did Hazel even know what she wanted?

“Uhm… neither you or Sam took my order.” Lydia admitted as she stared at the empty glass. 

“Who served you then?” Hazel said as she looked at the glass then back to Lydia. 

“My demon husband.” Pulling up her right hand, she revealed the silver band with a deep red jewel seated in the middle. Lydia waited for a response but Hazel was stone frozen. 

“I think we killed her Lyds… Do you see the rule book anywhere? I wanna show these drunk people a puppet show they’ll never forget. It’s fun with kids, but with drunk people it's way more of knee slapper. Sometimes they try to save the book as if it’s alive! HA!” Beetlejuice laughed at himself as he continued to stare above Hazel’s head waiting for a handbook for the recently deceased to fall and appear. 

Lydia waved her hand in front of Hazel’s face hoping to wake her out of her standing coma. Hazel had blinked a few times and then looked back at Lydia in shock. “You’re married?” 

“Wait that’s what shocked you the most?” Lydia responded. 

“Well… I don’t call that many guys demons, but they can certainly be a handful.” 

Then it hit Lydia. Hazel thought Lydia was married to a living guy who she referred to as a demon. Lydia could only laugh. “Well he is a handful, I’ll tell you that. But yeah, he’s the reason everything is so chaotic in the theatre.” Lydia admitted. 

Hazel became more interested in this mysterious groom all of a sudden, not asking if he was alive or not, and even ignoring the fact that Lydia kept her wedding band on her right hand to signify she was a widow. 

“How does he do it without getting caught? Is he like… a professional with engineering or something? Oh! Is he recording a prank show or something for another film class or something?” Hazel continued to think of more things that Beetlejuice could possibly be, but of course they were all wrong. 

“Babes… who should be the one to tell her? You or me?” Beetlejuice asked as he saw Hazel begin to make Lydia’s drink again. 

“She seems fond of the idea that you’re alive.” Lydia snickered to himself. 

“Maybe we should show her what I look like?” 

“Not on your afterlife. We’d scare her half to death.” 

“Thought she already experienced that when you said you were married in the first place.” 

“Okay, I have an idea but you have to play nice okay.” 

Raising up his right hand, Beetlejuice smiled and said “Scouts honor.” 

When Hazel came back she looked at Lydia with a new sense of curiosity. “So… Is that why you’re a bit cold to Rowan?” 

“What?” Lydia was taken aback when she was handed her new drink. 

“Well I’m just assuming because I can tell when a guy likes a girl, and honey he likes you. I think he was excited with the idea that you got the role cause that means he gets to spend more time with you. Did you forget to tell him you were married?” 

“I shouldn’t have to tell him I’m married? Wait… Rowan likes me?” The room felt suddenly colder for Lydia. She looked around her in a panic knowing that those words possibly had made Beetlejuice upset. He was a jealous kind of ghoul, and if there was another person who liked what was his, more than likely he would resort to murder. 

“He really shouldn’t like me, he’s basically asking for trouble.” Lydia said quickly getting up from the bar stool. 

“I should say so, going after a married woman and all-” 

“No Hazel… When I say demon, I literally meant a demon. A dead guy. I’m married to someone who is dead, and that’s why everything is unexplainable to everyone in the theatre. Understand?” Lydia had to say it more slowly as she reached for Hazel’s hand. “Come outside with me… I’ll show you.” 

“W-Wait but your bill…” 

“Sam said it was on the house, come on.” Lydia took no protest and pulled Hazel out from behind the bar into the parking lot of the bar. Both girls pulled around to where the dumpsters were so there would be a lack of eyes on them. 

“Lydia what is going on?” Hazel said, trying to catch her breath as she looked around in the darkness. 

Silently, whispering out his name three times in a row, in a smog of green and black smoke, Beetlejuice appeared before both women. He was grinning like a clown and holding his hands out to his sides. Yellow eyes shifting from Hazel and then to Lydia. 

“Good evening… Wife of mine.” His tongue slithered out like a snake as he approached her and wrapped his arm around her. Hazel watched with a hand clasped over her mouth to prevent screaming from escaping her lungs. “Don’t waste my time Haze. Don’t tease me if you wanna scream… I’d love to hear what yours sounds like. It’s been so hard to make you scream after all since you’re the kinda chick who digs all the dead shit.” 

“Shut up Beej.” Lydia said elbowing him in the stomach, causing him to lurch backwards in pain. “This Hazel… Is my demon husband.” Lydia gestured at him up and down and then looked back at Hazel with no change of expression. “I married him so he could come alive, and then I killed him so he’d go away. Turns out that’s not how marriage works with demons so he’s bonded to my soul forever.” 

“And I am not giving her to no man, nuh uh honey!” Beetlejuice waved his hand back and forth in a sassy manner. “So you can tell Rowan to go eat his own DICK!” 

“Holy shit….” Hazel started. “An actual dead guy.” She muttered out finally. “And you’re… the guy who has been messing everything up for the past couple of rehearsals?” 

Crossing his arms and looking proud of himself, Beetlejuice looked away and snickered. “Maybe… Proud of some of the things I did, and also really proud of others. Never had to own up to them until now. But I will gladly say I revealed Monty’s ass to all of you for a full ‘Monty’ moon. Enjoy it all you want cause I will most likely do it again.” 

Lydia just started laughing as she pictured it in her head. Hazel could see the chemistry that was between the two, and how he basically fueled that darker side of her. He made her laugh, and knew her well enough to make her laugh like that. It was kind of cute in a messed up sort of way. 

“Wait a minute. Did you say you married him just to kill him?” Hazel’s eyes quickly grew wide as she raised her hands. A fear for her own life began to take over. 

“Yeah. But see that’s cause he... “ Lydia sighed heavily and looked at him with just a tiny bit of annoyance. “He forced me to marry him? Cause then if I did that he’d come alive, so basically I tricked him.” 

“And it was amazing. She’s so good at fooling people. You really chose a good actor Haze, I’m telling yah!” Beetlejuice hyped Lydia up all while painfully remembering the betrayal. 

“Should I ask… how he forced you if he knew he’d become alive out of doing so?” Hazel was slow and kept her eyes solely on Beetlejuice at this point. 

“Easy, I made Lyds almost kill her adoptive ghost mommy, Barbara Maitland.” Beetlejuice laughed again and then huffed out. “Yeah, wasn’t cool of me. Kinda rushed the relationship a bit. I feel like if I waited now to ask Lyds to marry me she would. Lyds would you?” 

“We’re already married.” 

“Well you didn’t have a choice in that, did you now babes?” 

“Shut up or I’ll talk about your mom.” 

“Low blow Lyds… Low blow.” Beetlejuice silenced himself and turned around. 

“Demons can have moms?” Hazel asked, raising a finger. 

“He was born dead… he had a mom, and now the class will no longer be taking questions. All you wanted to know is why there was chaos following me in my wake, and my answer to you is this asshole right here.” 

Beetlejuice turned around and gave a small wave. “Hi.. I’m the asshole.” 

“So… When you say Rowan is going to get himself into trouble if he tried to flirt with you-”

“Yeah, she’s not lying. I’m going to throw that boy off the top of the theatre building. I want to see a triple gainer at least. Might look even more epic if he’s in costume too.” 

Lydia just covered her hand over Beetlejuice’s mouth and smiled at Hazel. “It’s best that we try to minimize Rowan’s interest in me. If we can do that during rehearsals, then maybe there won’t be as many pranks on stage. Claire isn’t the only one who gets under his skin.” Removing her hand, Beetlejuice started at it and grabbed it once more. 

“Oh please, put it back. If I have it on longer I'll be able to smell through your skin to your blood and finally figure out what blood type you are.” 

“He’s kind of a creep?” Hazel pointed at while looking disgusted at Beetlejuice. 

“I’ve gotten used to it at this point. I mean… I married him willingly after all.” Lydia shrugged as she allowed her hand to stay in Beetlejuice’s. 

“Oh and Haze!” Beetlejuice quickly spoke up to get her attention. “You keep Rowan off of Lydia, and I’ll promise to bring you the best performance ever. I’ve given you Lydia in the first place as a new form of talent. Now imagine the powers of the undead being able to add more to your show. I can do so much for you, ya’know. All you gotta do is make sure that piece of meat doesn’t kiss Lydia, and nothing bad will happen on her big day. Okay?” Beetlejuice’s tongue wiggled out once again as he made the offer to Hazel. 

“Am I about to make a deal with the devil?” She asked with a bit of fear in her throat. 

“No. He’s basically offering you all you want, but you just need to do one little thing for him. Every demon has a price when it comes to using their powers. He already has most of what he wants…” Lydia paused as Beetlejuice smiled at her and blinked bashfully at her. This was obviously supposed to mean that Lydia was his ‘everything’ or something. “He just wants you to do the physical stuff that he can’t do while he does the supernatural stuff you can’t do.” 

“But Lydia, the kiss scene’s are imperative.” Hazel said with a questioning voice. 

“I didn’t fucking stutter Haze. If he kisses her, I will cause problems that were worse than before. Sure a stage kiss can be the beginning, but if he continues, and I see more and more, the more I will make your show into my show… and it will become hell on earth.”

“Lydia, I think he likes you.” Hazel said with a quieter tone. 

“He’s just jealous.” She said patting him on the shoulder. 

“No, I am jealous. I refuse to share you with anyone, even if it were a fake kiss. Now that I know that little boy loves you, I won’t ever let him have a taste. There are worse things than a sandworm bursting through your door and eating you and your family you know?” 

Lydia and Hazel both inhaled with a hesitant tone. Hazel moved forward and felt she had no choice in the matter anymore. “A-Alright then. Mr. Demon sir. I will only reserve the kisses for the show then… I would like to make the deal.” 

Beetlejuice’s eyes almost glowed, and his hair flashed multiple different colors when Hazeled agreed. “Great choice, you won’t regret it… you want your show?” 

“Yes…” Hazel quickly responded. 

“Then we’ll make it. Victory is what you want the most, thank god you asked just the right ghost. Being dead has its perks, time to shake up the works, it's time for this show to see the whole being dead thing!” 

Wrapping an arm around Lydia, he cackled and both of them had vanished into the thin night air leaving Hazel in a parking lot confused as to what she had just done. All the while Beetlejuice and Lydia reappeared in Lydia’s dorm. 

“Really… You had to teleport?” Lydia crossed her arms as she looked at him still with a smug grin on his face. 

“Come on babes… you know I’m a bitch for theatrics.” 

“I just hope you don’t go too far when you mean to threaten an entire theatre company.” Lydia began to pull her ring off and set it in the box to dismiss the demon. She could hear him whispering as he began to fade once the ring came off. 

“Oh don’t worry babes. It’s not the company that’s in any danger. It’s my show after all.” 

Chapter Text

It was yet another day of rehearsals for all cast and crew in the college’s production of Phantom of the Opera, but to Hazel and Lydia, rehearsals were going to be a bit different. Both girls were aware of what Beetlejuice’s deal was, and so new rules were made in order to appease the demon. Lydia was strictly not to learn her blocking unless absolutely necessary. All her practicing would be with Makenzie in private, and that would be to just fix how she sings. 

Upon arriving at today’s rehearsal, Lydia had her camera in hand and looked rather cheerful today. There of course was a reason for this, and it mostly was that there was going to be a full run through the show in costume, and all Lydia had to do was take pictures without having to sing along or practice any movements. 

Placing her bags in the auditorium and setting up a couple of tripods, Claire Brewster was the first to come up to her as she began to set up casually. 

“Just cause you’re an understudy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn how to do the choreography Deetz. You haven’t even tried dancing on the stage, and your role has you acting as a ballet dancer for the first half. An ensemble member!” Claire seemed furious to still know that Lydia had the lead role, and it wasn’t her instead. But there was a point to the words she was saying. She has only been learning how to sing, and today was going to be a full run through in costume, and yet Lydia didn’t know any choreography for the show. 

“Alright, you have a point.” Lydia simply agreed, not wanting to argue. 

“I won’t hear it you- wait what?” Claire paused as she realized that Lydia just agreed. “You… You agree with me? When was the last time you did that. In like, never! You must be kidding right now. You never agree with me.” 

“You’re right again. I never agree with you, but that’s something I haven’t done. I haven’t been learning the dancing or whatnot. It’s just been me and Makenzie singing I guess.” Lydia shrugged as she was securing a camera to her tripod. 

“Just singing? Oh my god, if you’re going to be an understudy, at least learn how to be an actor. Learn more than singing. You have to dance as well. You should’ve just stuck with photography.” Claire scoffed and began to walk away until she fell as if tripping on air. “Ow! What the hell!” 

Lydia’s eyes shot to the culprit who stuck his foot out in front of the blonde, and it happened to be none other than Beetlejuice. Giving him a grin, and then a small wave with her fingers, he shoved his hands into his pocket and watched as Claire painfully lifted herself up and angrily stomped off. 

“So you’re thinking about dancing now? That’ll be a bit complicated in that tiny little practice room you and the Kenster share.” Beetlejuice said as he began to hover around Lydia. “We could just do it after everyone leaves. I have a memory like an elephant yah know! I can watch these guys and show you step by step with the clones what to do!” 

“No. You heard her. And you also know how I feel about fairness. Do I have to requite you Romeo and Juliet again?” Lydia scoffed at him upon remembering the play she made costumes for back when she was at Miss Shannon’s School for Girls. “I may have not been Juliet, but I still made all those costumes without much trickery.” 

“You still had my help though. Not to mention I ruined Claire’s debut.” Beetlejuice began snorting. 

“Yes, but I wanted to avoid that. You’ve already shown yourself to Hazel and made it clear to her that most of the showy stuff you will be doing is for the show only. That was the deal, wasn’t it?” 

Beetlejuice paused and began picking into his ear as if trying to recall the conversation behind the bar with Hazel. “Uh… yeah. The deal was you’re not allowed to kiss Rowan. That’s all it was.” 

“Wait… so all this time I could have been practicing on stage with others?” Lydia raised her voice in concern. “You just didn’t want me to kiss Rowan?” 

“Yeah? Did you not hear me when I made the deal with Haze? I mean… It was simple.” He began to gesture widely as he recollected the deal. “I give Hazel a performance that not even Lord Andy would anticipate and she would probably go down in history as the college student who directed a Broadway level type show. But for what I get in return is to not see you suck face with a guy who obviously likes you. Honestly, she’s getting more out of this deal than me, but you not kissing that guy is fantastic news for a guy that actually loves yah.” 

“Stop teasing.” Lydia crossed her arms. Then another scene came to mind. “Uhm Beej… Are you forgetting that my role would also have to kiss another guy? I’d have to kiss Monty.” 

Beetlejuice shrugged. “I know that.” 

“Wait what? Then why are you so adamant about Rowan not kissing me?” 

“I literally just said it babes. I know that Rowan likes you. To me, the guy who actually likes yah, that’s a threat.” Beetlejuice wrapped his arms around Lydia from behind and held her close to him. His lips were at her ear and he was holding her rather tightly. “I’m never teasing you when I say I like you. It’s always true, but I guess it’s hard to believe a demon, right?” His words slipped out like a snake slithering into her ears. She couldn’t help but shiver as he jumped back at her reaction. 

“Besides babes!” There was a pause and a laugh. “Monty is super into Hazel! But she’s so blind she hasn’t noticed yet. It’s kinda funny in a way cause she always says she knows when a guy likes a girl, but she can’t tell that the musician from the east thinks that she’s a snack!” 

Lydia held in a laugh as Beetlejuice stated that and then began to play with some buttons on her camera to get the best visuals of the stage. 

“So does this mean you’re going to start taking rehearsals more seriously then?” Beetlejuice asked as he lounged on his back floating just a couple of feet above her head. 

“I’ve always taken them seriously. But I guess now you could say that I am going to put more action into my motions.” Lydia made a small joke that got Beetlejuice to give a small chuckle to. 

Just as she said that, Hazel appeared beside her with a clipboard to make notes and several pencils stuck into her bright red hair. “There you are. We’re going to have you run for Makenzie for Act two.” Hazel stated plainly. 

“Wait what?” Lydia’s eyes grew large as she heard Hazel speak. “I.. I don’t think I can? Besides, I'm supposed to be doing pictures today!” 

Hazel looked at the camera Lydia was still adjusting and then shoved her glasses up her nose. “I need to see you perform in at least one scene Lydia. As an understudy, I need to make sure you are up to task and ready on a moment's notice.” 

“I see your point, but all I’ve been learning is just how to fix my singing. I don’t know the… blocking or whatever it’s called? Or choreography as Claire just told me.” Lydia shrugged and tried to backpedal. Any excuse would work right now to prevent going on stage today. 

“But Lyds, I thought you said you were ready to put more actions into your motions!” Beetlejuice pointed out. “You know I think Haze has another reason why she wants to see you up there.” He swung himself around her and put himself behind her back. “She’s shaking a bit. Maybe she’s scared?” 

“Hazel are you alright?” Lydia asked when Beetlejuice stated she could be frightened. 

Her bright eyes blinked a few times before she shook her head and let out a heavy breath. “I’m not sure yet. I’m under a lot of pressure to get this show moving and also the fact that I want this to be perfect for granddad.” 

“Oh now I see.” Beetlejuice said when he heard the word granddad .

“Uhm… isn’t your grandfather-”

“Yeah, but there is life after death isn’t there? You proved that to me with your demon thing.” Hazel swung her hand around in the air, not sure if Beetlejuice was there. She wasn’t able to see him because Lydia didn’t summon him, and only Lydia could see him as long as she wore her ring. “Is he here?” 

“Well yeah… he has to help with rehearsals, remember? You two made a deal.” Lydia crossed her arms and started appearing like she was losing her patience. “What does your granddad have anything to do with this?” 

“Well… He’s kind of the reason I took the deal in the first place. Not just for the show, but for him.” 

“Oh, she’s like you Lydia! She misses someone who is family and is no longer here! Do you think if I told her about the netherworld she’d charge in expecting to find him like you would find your mom.” Beetlejuice tapped his chin and recanted the memory of how Lydia ran from him after he proposed a marriage to her. 

Lydia seemed speechless as she was listening to Hazel speak. It was almost like what Beetlejuice said, but there were some flaws in the matter. “Is it your dream to show your granddad some sort of miracle play?” 

“Yes… no? I guess? I suppose it’s more like knowing that if my granddad can see me even after being gone for so long I want to show him the best show and what I have done all while thinking of him.” Hazel’s words were honest and true. And somewhat heartbreaking to Lydia, but the stung like a painful reminder about her dead mom. 

“So that’s why you took the deal? You think your granddad can watch?”

“Won’t he?” Hazel said with the spark of hope lingering in her voice. “He most likely will if your demon friend is real. If your demon friend makes the show as paranormal as he said it would be then he will come!” 

There was a part of Lydia that felt that Hazel was being delusional, but she didn’t want to break the truth to her yet. It was just a miracle that Hazel didn’t have her hands on a book for the recently deceased, otherwise she would try to do the same dumb shit Lydia did four years ago. The idea of Hazel getting into trouble in the netherworld, or some chaotic demon lady was not ideal at this time. 

Shaking her head slowly and sighing, Lydia was finally able to come up with a reply. “What scene do you want me to do? A normal scene with minimal movement would be best.” Giving into demands, Lydia could hear Beetlejuice make a pleased noise knowing that he was about to witness her perform. 

“Can you do the graveyard scene with two songs and then you can be done.” Hazel asked with pleading eyes. 

“Graveyards. Great. For some reason I find myself in a graveyard one way or another. Maybe it’s the enjoyment of the silence.” 

“Or the dead people.” Beetlejucie added. “Like me. You seem to have a liking for dead people.”  

Lydia flashed her ‘I’m going to kill you ’ eyes at Beetlejuice, but he simply showed her the hole in his stomach where she already did impale him. This was then followed by a middle finger from the ghost. 

“Glad you could do this. Your costume should be in the dressing room. Makenzie said that you and her were practically the same size right?” Hazel asked as she began to step away to get a good seat in the theatre. 

“I think?” Lydia tried to recall one of the evenings where she and Makenzie were trying on dresses while practicing singing. That evening, Lydia learned how hard it is to do breath control while wearing a corset. 

“Awesome! Take wonderful pictures!” Hazel sprinted off and began to take an orchestra seat. She had alerted the conductor that she was ready to watch the first act, and her eyes shifted around the theatre as if looking for Lydia’s demon to start the curtain call. 

“Are you about to spook it up?” Lydia asked as she made final adjustments to her camera. 

“I’m going to do more than that babes. This rehearsal is about to get way more interesting now that I know you’ll be appearing!” And like that, he vanished into the air. It became colder all of a sudden, and the theatre was dark. 

The music began to swarm up and envelop the air. There still seemed to be a creepy stillness as Lydia scanned the theatre before returning her attention to the stage where the auctioneer scene began. It looked old and authentic. Everyone’s costumes were perfect. With a few clicks here and there, Lydia had a couple dozen pictures of the actors in the opening scene. Being lost in the opening dialogue, everything seemed to come alive when the chandelier was re-lit. 

There were sparks, and guttural noises of chains pulling at the prop. But as it continued to be lifted into the theatre above the seats, it became more ornamental like crystals or starlight. Each little chime of the lights could be heard as they clicked together, and froze as they swung above the auditorium. It quite literally lit the theatre up. It was hard to imagine that Beetlejuice was doing something so elegant like that. 

Looking back at the stage, she saw actors pile up and dance to music. Singing colliding with the air, and the balance of the room seemed at peace. A few more photos here and there, and then Claire came onto stage. Her dress was shockingly beautiful. Lydia hated to admit it, but the gold really seemed to make her look less like a bitch. That was until Lydia started to hear Claire sing. Everything felt broken at that point. It was physically painful to hear and watch. Still, Lydia was able to take the pictures. 

When the props fell onto Claire there seemed to be more alarm on the actors however. No one was expecting a certain prop to fall with the force that seemed like it was tossed from above the stage. It took a while for Claire to get up, and she seemed like she was actually in pain. From above, Lydia could see shadows moving about, and she was able to see glowing yellow eyes almost gazing back at her as she snapped a picture of Claire leaving the stage. 

Makenzie soon took over and her voice was truly something different. It was like stepping out of winter, and prancing right into spring. A balance of beauty and poise and she was able to hold every note perfectly. It almost caused Lydia to forget to take a few stills of the moment. As the scene changed, it was like it was fading. Not simple props moving with stage hands, but like magic and dust one thing to the next and you were in a different scene. That was the magic of the demon she recognized. 

The rehearsal continued as such for a while. Beetlejuice was showing off his tricks, and the actors seemed to be very confused as to where all the tricks and quick scene changes were coming from. Everything felt so authentic and frightening, that the screams sounded elongated. A few times, Lydia even saw people trip, but a strange force prevented them from falling. At least he was using his possessing powers to prevent people from breaking their legs. 

At the end of Act one, the chandelier came down with sparks and flames. Lydia almost felt as if she should run for real, but knew that it was all just a stage prop. But it really didn’t seem like it was going to halt on it’s quick descent to the stage. Thankfully everyone rushed off the stage in time before it collided with everything. There was smoke, and the smell of ash began collecting. Hazel was screaming for people to get off the stage, and Lydia wasn’t sure if it was a trick or not yet. 

As soon as the stage lights came on, and the smoke cleared, the chandelier was back to where it was. It was intact, and not shattered. No mark or dent into the stage. It was a disappearing act. Lydia laughed quietly to herself as she recalled how much of a show-off Beetlejuice is. He made it realistic, but he did make it dangerous nonetheless. The actors all came out onto stage to see what the quick decent was about and saw the chandelier was fine. Hazel seemed quizzical too, but Lydia was the only one who understood what had happened. 

“S-So… That’s act one.” Hazel said and she marked a few things down on her clipboard. 

“What the hell was that?” Rowan shouted as he gestured up to the chandelier. “That thing just crashed into the stage and lit it on fire!” 

“Yes, but it was all under control.” Hazel stated as she readjusted how she was sitting in her chair. The cast was very concerned with how that scene took place, along with a bunch of other scenes. 

“Question.” Monty raised his voice. “Did we get a higher budget?” 

“There’s no way. A theatre department is always cheap. Unless you are reviving a classic on actual Broadway, then a college theatre department is cheap. Almost like a high school budget of Annie or Oh Dolly.” Claire said with her arms crossed. 

“We got a backer… or investor. Or whatever.” Hazel quickly said. 

“When did you get one of those Hazel?” Makenzie’s soft voice came up with a bit of concern as her hands knotted together. 

“I met him a couple days ago with Lydia. He has a big wallet and is intrigued to see Lydia go far.” Hazel simply said waving her hands in the air. 

Rowan quickly looked at Lydia with a bit of fear about this unknown man. “Is this your dad?” He asked with a bit of concern. 

“Has to be, her dad is so rich he forced my family to move to the middle of fucking nowhere Connecticut.” Claire said with spite. 

“It isn’t.” Lydia shook her head, keeping her attention on Rowan. “But he isn’t as much funding us as merely… helping us. I guess if that’s what you want to call it.” 

“What’s his name?” Rowan asked again, coming closer to where Lydia was parked at the front of the stage. 

“Lawrence.” Lydia said with no mercy. She even added a bit of a laugh. Rowan’s expression seemed to grow a bit more curious about this ‘Lawrence’ character. 

“Stop asking questions Rowan!” Hazel raised her voice. She seemed to be remembering Beetlejuice’s warnings, and she knew about his crush on Lydia. She had to prevent Rowan from getting deeper into this character without ruining her connection to the other side!

Rowan was silent and withdrew back slowly but kept his eyes on Lydia. “You’re coming on stage for the next scene?” 

“Just for two songs I think? Mostly just walking around aimlessly and standing in one place.” Lydia shrugged as she crossed to the other side of the stage to climb up on top of it. “Makenzie, can you help me get ready?” 

She was met with a giddy looking girl who looked like she was about to play dress up. Makenzie quickly came over to Lydia and pulled her backstage with a gleeful grin. Both girls were ignoring Rowan as he followed them to the back. From above, Beetlejuice was staring at Rowan while licking at his dry lips. 

“Stare all you want little boy… But she isn’t yours. The fact that you are jealous of me now only makes me more content to play this game.” 

~~~

There was fog gathering up on the stage. A thick smog that was okay to breathe in and not harm actors, and it began to sweep around Lydia’s feet as a long blue dress clung to the floor. 

“I’m not quite used to wearing long dresses.” Lydia admitted as Makenzie was putting the hood onto Lydia. It was switching from one girl to the next so the scene could continue. There was a loving smile, almost sisterly, plastered on Makenzie as she neatly fixed the cloak to Lydia.

“You get used to it. It’ll make learning the blocking easier for later. Just make sure not to take big steps cause otherwise you might trip on the front trimming.” Makenzie handed Lydia a bouquet of fake flowers and hugged her. It was strange for Lydia, but she hesitantly hugged back. 

“Why so friendly?” Lydia asked with a laugh. 

“Oh, I guess it’s cause it’s like watching a student become the master or something. I’m not quite sure, but I’m glad it’s you.” Walking behind Lydia, Makenzie gave her a small pep talk into her ear. “The emotion you want to carry for this scene is loss and confusion. You’re in love and trapped between two men who want you. You’re forced to participate in something that may lead to you dying, or maybe even others. You know its dangerous. You’re scared.” 

“It’s hard for me to get scared.” Lydia said plainly. 

“Not for Christine.” Makenzie took a breath. “For her it's a new definition. A monster is infatuated with her and has practically taught her everything she knows. She could say she owes him so much, but she loves Raoul. In this scene specifically, you are looking for answers from your deceased father who told you-” 

“I’d be protected. I know the story. I think I got it.” Lydia said while taking in a deep breath. Makenzie smiled and patted her shoulder. 

“You got it. Now go out there and show me.” 

The queue of the orchestra swung into Lydia’s ears, and as soon as she crossed onto center stage, there was something else inside her. She had to find a way to connect herself to the character, but it was already so easy. The idea of missing her mother, and pleading her mother for help in times of confusion and need filled her mind. And then her voice came out. 

You were once my one companion. You were all that mattered.
You were once my friend and father, then my world had shattered.
Wishing you were somehow here again. Wishing you were somehow near. 

Sometimes it seems, if I just dreamed, somehow you would be here.
Wishing I could hear your voice again. Knowing that I never would.
Dreaming of you won’t help me to do all that you dreamed I could. 

The words were swelling inside Lydia’s mind as her feet began to step through the fog. The world around her seemed to fade away and she felt as if she was in the cemetery where her mom was buried. There was pain pulling at her heart as each word she sang came out. The stage felt cold like the winters where she would travel to the graveyard and sit alone by the headstone. Memories were flooding her, as well as tears that began to sting her eyes. She wasn’t supposed to be crying, but the mere idea of just crying and letting out her pain to her mom was needed now more than ever. 

Wishing you were somehow here again, knowing we must say goodbye.
Try to forgive, teach me to live. Give me the strength to try!
No more memories, no more silent tears.
No more gazing across the wasted years.

Lydia stood, down center stage, and completely still as she was looking up at the spotlights. She was gazing for some sort of answer but not hearing anything in return. It’s been like this for years, and she knew it would remain like this. ‘Mom was watching’ she thought to herself. ‘Mom always keeps an eye on me.’ 

Help me to say goodbye. Help me to say…

It was hard for her to deliver the last goodbye. It was a farewell, but also a high note. Slowly Lydia was returning to herself after the solemn song. Instead of the sweet melody to sing, she simply said “goodbye.” And had to catch her breath in a shaky manner. It truly did feel like her mother was here, but she always had known her dead mom was around. Unless it was no one but her and Beetlejuice. 

Hearing the violin start up, Lydia’s head perked up quickly remembering she had to do two songs. Doing that one solo song, she thought, was already enough. And then she heard Rowan’s voice calling to her. That’s right, he’s supposed to be the Phantom. She would have to answer the call of his voice. 

Lifting herself up and turning around to see Rowan tucked above and behind a mausoleum, she returned the melody of the ‘Wandering Child’. However, there was a change she noticed when Rowan responded next. He was frozen, and his mouth wasn’t moving, and yet a voice was coming from his direction. It sounded smooth, but heavy. Monty had already come onto the stage to add into the battle of voices, but Lydia was simply staring at a voiceless Rowan whose voice was still in the air. 

Soon all three were singing together, but it was like having three phones playing the same songs with different covers, but one cover wasn’t what you expected it to be. Lydia moved herself closer to where Rowan was standing, and noticed how his movements weren’t as fluid as she thought they were, and he moved more like a mannequin. He’s being possessed. 

Monty broke the spell; “Damn you! Damn you evil thing! Let her go! Christine! Christine!” He spun Lydia to look at him and he gave her a light shake. “Christine, this man, this thing… He isn’t your father!” 

“Bravo Monsieur! Bravo! Escape with your lives while you can!” Rowan seemed to snap back into character as the fire bolts were being shot to their feet as they fled the stage. “Now… let it be war, upon you both!” There was silence on the stage, and Lydia quickly switched with Makenzie once again. 

Lydia quickly made her way backstage, avoiding any other cast member so that they could focus on the rest of rehearsal. She earned a few congratulations on her singing, but then she locked herself in Makenzie’s dressing room. There were emotions flooding her that she couldn’t explain. It was like anger as well as a deep sorrow. 

She began to change back into her clothes until she heard a voice coming from the vanity mirror. “Your voice really has improved babes! I’m impressed!” it was Beetlejuice. 

“Shouldn’t you be helping on stage?” Lydia asked as she began to search for her normal clothes. 

“I was, but honestly seeing the way you stormed off stage had me more worried than some grandmother who just saw a kitten fall off a stool.” 

Lydia was ignoring him as she continued to pick up pieces of her black clothing. 

“Honestly babes, your voice is amazing. Why didn’t you sing the last note?” 

“I couldn’t.” She let out simply with a sigh. 

“Why not?” 

“It felt real.” She turned to look at him with pools begging to form in her eyes. “The song felt real for someone who recently lost her mom.” 

“Aw Lyds… “ Beetlejuice offered a second of pity, then switched to “But did you like how I sounded?” 

She grabbed the nearest object and flung it at the mirror. Thankfully it didn’t break, but he got the message. 

“Okay, okay. I get it. Work on the more human sounding part. Got it.” 

“No! Why were you even singing in the first place? And why did you just change the subject? I thought you just said you were worried about me? Didn’t you come in here to give at least one shit about me? For a guy who says he loves me, you need to prove that by at least acknowledging my moms death still hurts, you know!” 

Both were silent. Beetlejuice blinked and gave out an empty breath from the lungs that carried no air. “You’re right babes. I fucked up there. I did come in here thinking about you. Was just trying to cheer yah' up.” 

Lydia remained silent as he continued to stare at her. He looked lost and almost like he was about to just fade. But the fact that he came here in the first place did mean something. He, out of everyone on that stage, knows her pain and has watched her grow up with it still lingering in her heart. All he usually does is try and distract her, and that’s what he was trying to do even now. But for some reason it was hard to turn her face away from memories of a loving mother that he never had. 

“Beetlejuice.” She said his name slowly, and then two more times in rapid concession. She didn’t care at this point. He was physically now in front of her and standing above her with his arms at his side. 

“What do you need me to do, Lyds?” He asked, almost like a genie from a lamp. 

“Hug me.” She whimpered out. 

He didn’t hesitate for a moment as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She didn’t care about the foul odor anymore. In fact, right now, this is all she wanted to push her face into. The smell of the graveyard was so familiar when she was with him, and it became bittersweet as she hugged him. 

A cold feeling of death, and the smell of rotting leaves and mossy dirt and mud were comforting. The memories of mom's grave were like this, and it was bittersweet. 

“Lyds, aren’t you mad?” He asked while still having his arms around her. She shook her head ‘no’ as if to reply while keeping her head against his chest. 

“Okay. Then do you want to tell me if I sounded good or not?” He asked the question once again, owning up to the fact that he took control of Rowan’s body. 

She looked up and gave him an upset glare. “Why did you possess him?” 

“Simple.” Beetlejuice grinned. Lydia could see the yellow teeth through the smile, and some sharp canines that sat side by side. They almost looked sharp enough to cut through flesh. “Because I have to practice when you go up as well.” 

“As well? Wait, so you are saying you’re going to sing Rowan’s parts when I’m on stage?” Lydia began to back away slowly from Beetlejuice and he still had that stupid grin on his face. 

“I said I was only practicing. I never said anything like that now did I. Also it’s fun to sing with you.” Beetlejuice shrugged and put his hands into his pockets with minimal care. 

“So you just want an excuse to-”

“Sing with you.” He admitted. “Come on, I said your voice is beautiful and I self inserted myself onto the stage just so I could sing with you! I know being dead has its complications, but it’s perks also allow me to sing over whoever I want.” 

“You can’t just do that.” The young goth woman put her hands on her hips and gave him a disapproving glare. 

“I can. I own this show thanks to Haze. And besides.” Beetlejuice grabbed Lydia’s wrist and pulled her back into him, holding her close. “You don’t want Rowan breaking any rules now. I really am telling you that you don’t want him to. Cause if he does…” Beetlejuice turned his head to look at the vanity mirror that Lydia threw her brush at. Both of their attention was on the glass as it reflected them, and after a blink…

SMASH

There was glass flinging from the ornate mirror, and Beetlejuice covered Lydia so she wouldn’t get hit by flying shards. Her eyes were wide open. The puzzle he had created was trying to be put together in her head, but the only answer or outcome she got was disaster. 

“I can easily break everything, and everyone here. And you already know that he will be the first to shatter. Much like that mirror.” Letting go of Lydia he gave her a little wave with his fingers and gave a sinister grin. “It’s my show now Lyds. We all have to obey the rules. So if anyone will sing with you, it should be me.” 

Her breath was dry, but words were finally formed. “Don't make me baby you. I will do it you know.” She quickly cleared her throat and crossed her arms. “Also fix this. I can’t leave Makenzie’s dressing room like this. 

Beetlejuice huffed and snapped his fingers, fixing the mirror back into one piece. “Well at least you can tell I can mend things.” 

“That’s cause I tell you to. I won’t let you take over Rowan’s part. He’s still a part of the show!” Lydia’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the demon. 

Giving a ‘tsk’ Beetlejuice crossed over to her in the room and growled. “Then at least let me have fun. We can just pretend that was me having a bit of fun out there.” He gestured to the door. “In forms of my practice, I want you to sing with me. Entertain me. Don’t just go to your lessons and then not allow me to hear your progress! I helped put you in this position in the first place.” 

Her eyes gave him another death glare and she looked really done. “Did I ask for it?” 

He shook his head but still smiled. “Listen. I stand by my opinion about your voice. I just want to be able to play a little too.” 

“You’re like a child, Beej. For you not to cause a whole antique store to come crashing down I have to entertain you so you won’t go touching other things that are clearly labeled DO NOT TOUCH.” 

“I have a bad habit, I know.” Beetlejuice chuckled as he lifted himself off the ground. “I’m just a chaotic being, and you know that.” 

Lydia let out a small laugh to agree with the demon, and then finally nodded. “Okay fine. I’ll start letting you come to singing practice so you can watch, and then we can do like… one song or something afterwards you stinky baby.” 

“I resent being called a baby. You know I am stinky, but at least call me what I am.” He huffed out at her. 

“Stinky rude no good horrible perverted creepy old guy!” Lydia groaned out like an angry teen. “Now get back onto stage or something. I need to change.” 

“Pft, and not in front of me? What a rude way to dismiss your creepy old guy.” He whined. 

She squealed out his name three times and dismissed him. Finally, believing to be alone in the dressing room, her eyes were brought back to the vanity he smashed. Her mind wandered back to his threat. There could be so much that the demon could do. He had so much power he could truly just murder everyone with a snap of his fingers if things didn’t go his way. Lydia didn’t want to believe it, but it could be true. It made her shiver slightly at the idea. 

If it’s true, then everyone in the theatre better hope to whatever god they believe that Rowan doesn’t attempt something stupid and try to do something with Lydia. 

Chapter Text

Lydia walked out of her bathroom with steam rushing into her bedroom. The hot water in the morning was always refreshing. Her raven hair was tied up in a towel, and she already had put on some underwear in the bathroom before even walking out. If she knew one thing about Beetlejuice after being stuck with him for the past couple of years is that he is a intolerable peeping tom. For almost two years straight, she went to the bathroom in a swimsuit. 

When Lydia had turned nineteen, Beetlejuice had made a bet with her to calm her down and let her take normal showers again. It was basically a game of cards. Lydia felt that the game was rigged from the start since he was a demon, but he promised that he wouldn’t cheat or sneak anything in. He claimed that when a demon makes a bet, and allows chance to take control, they really do allow chance to take control. But the thing about chance is that it usually favors the one who has more power. So he fully believed he would win due to being the demon, and she was simply a mortal. That card game turned out differently. Instead it was Lydia who was holding all of the aces, and got Beetlejuice to be bound by his word to not look at her in the shower. 

From then on, Lydia knew that Beetlejuice had a way of obeying her. But it was always through the game of chance and fate. They both would have to lay down something on the table and leave it up to the world to decide what to do. While in the shower, Lydia thought of something to lay down on the line so that Beetlejuice wouldn’t interfere with Rowan’s performance as the Phantom in the production. 

Once she was dressed in a black blouse, and black skirt with small white pinstripes lined all around it, Lydia placed on her wedding ring to allow Beetlejuice access into the living world. Once he appeared, he looked at her with the towel still on her head and he couldn’t help slip out the small joke. 

“Spa day? We rubbing weird goo on each other’s faces? I have a good one for you, the Japanese call it buka-”

“I wanna make a bet.” She silenced him before he could finish. He was quick to stop in the middle of the joke and he changed to a serious expression. Crossing his arms, he strutted over to her with a concerned gate. 

“What brought this on? You usually never make bets with me babes?” His hair reflected his mood, and it was switching between a violet to a yellow. He was showing signs of sadness and worry. Did he think she was upset at him? Well, that’s partially the reason she has to do this. Taking her hair towel off and letting the damp hair fall onto her face, she shook it rapidly and began to respond as calmly as possible. 

“This was brought on by our little fight last week.” She took her hand out of her hair and stared at him with honey orbs that reflected a slight anger. “You said you were going to take over Rowan’s performance unless I practiced with you. You tell Hazel I’m not allowed to kiss him and that’s because he has a crush on me.” There was a twist in the corner of her mouth and she crossed her arms as if she was proud of herself. “I don’t think he likes me that way Beej. I think you’re just being jealous of the living. Jealous of the fact that he’s breathing, the same age as me, and can make me laugh.” 

That brought out the red in Beetlejuice’s hair. Everything she said began to infuriate him. He knew that Rowan liked her, and even Hazel told Lydia that Rowan liked her. Why was she simply ignoring this fact? Did she want to just piss him off to see him rip the boy in half? “That’s some sadistic shit Lydia. Are you asking me to kill him?” 

“No! I’m asking you to let me rehearse with him with no restrictions.” 

“Absolutely not.” He replied with fire in his voice. “I refuse to allow him to do anything with you. Simply letting him touch you is letting him enjoy the feelings of life that I can not enjoy.” Beetlejuice huffed and turned his back to her. “In the few seconds that I was alive Lydia, I was able to feel way more emotions than the ones that I am limited to now. When you are dead, you can’t feel as human. You don’t feel alive. But when I was alive, it really was a god damn roller coaster.” Turning back to her, his hair seemed to shift back to a normal color. 

“I felt elation.” He took a step forward. “I felt acceptance.” Another step. “I felt needed, and loved. I felt worry that the world around me wouldn’t last forever and all this feeling of joy wouldn’t last. I felt anger and fear… and then I felt betrayal and terror. I had a broken heart, and then those feelings vanished into thin air.” He was standing right in front of her now. So close their noses were inches apart. “You betrayed me after saying you loved me. Isn’t the right feeling to even continue carrying on in death despair?” 

A cold hand reached under her chin and he lifted it up slightly so that their eyes would be trapped in each other’s gaze. She couldn’t look away as she saw the past flash in his yellow eyes. “I don’t blame you for still having some sort of hatred or grudge against me Beej. But that doesn’t mean you are allowed to be jealous over someone who is simply an actor playing a role in a play, and I have to play as an actor as well.” 

His tongue slithered out in a disgusted fashion. He was angry with her words still. “I can still feel jealousy, Lyds. All demons can feel that. Why do you think we’re so good at possession?” He gave a strange chuckle as he finished his sentence. Finally letting go of her chin, he took a couple steps back and held his hands out to her. “What’s your bet? Want to perform a full rehearsal with the guy?” 

Giving him a nod, Lydia took a large inhale and began to offer him her challenge. “I want to have a full run through with Rowan with no interference from you. You are there to do your normal ghostly stuff for Hazel. And this is where we leave it up to chance.” She raised up a single finger and Beetlejuice in turn raised an eyebrow with keen interest. 

“I’m listening.” 

“If he tries anything to me, Lydia, and not Christine, then I will allow you to take full control of possessing him for whatever scene you want.” Lydia had to choose her words wisely. The reason she said singular ‘scene’ is because she knows if she let Beetlejuice decide, he would control Rowan for the entire show. She couldn’t let him have that much power. But it seemed Beetlejuice caught that little change of grammar from her and began shaking his head. 

“Three scenes. No more, no less.” Raising up three fingers, Beetlejuice gave a crooked grin to his cursed bride. “Three scenes of this show are just perfect for the juice man, and if Rowan does anything as much as make a move on you, then I’m allowed to have those three scenes instead of him. And it will be all because of you.” 

Lydia nodded and then let her voice squeak out as she continued. “And if he doesn’t do anything, you continue to just do as Hazel asks… and just be the special effects for the show. Let it continue and let the cast do their job. Sounds good?” She asked as she held out her hand to shake with the demon. 

Beetlejuice’s face was dark, but his grin lit up his entire facade as if he was a jack-o-lantern. “Sounds perfect babes. Consider this afternoon's rehearsal… Rowan’s test.” Letting out a sinister laugh, he grabbed Lydia's hand and shook it tightly to seal the deal. Once their hands shook, the demon vanished into thin air. 

“Clearly, you’re getting ahead of yourself and watching from the shadows.” There was no answer as Lydia called out into the empty dorm room. “Fine… Devil take the hindmost then.” And with that, she packed a back up, and headed out for her first couple of classes before knowing that this afternoon would be something entirely different. 

~~~

Rehearsal was going smoothly as usual when Lydia arrived. Makenzie was the first to arrive and welcome Lydia into the dressing rooms and help her out with the wig as well as the various dresses. Lydia was very confused with the wig, and she gave a concerned glance to her singing tutor. 

“Must I really wear this long curly brown wig?” Lydia held it with hesitation and looked at the wig cap, then back to Makenzie with an annoyed gaze. 

“Well… It’s kind of a tradition? Well technically it’s the hairstyle of Christine Daae that Andrew Llyod Webber set up for his design of her. Long brown and curly. Some variations she is blonde, and others she has red hair.” Makenzie offered. “But since this is the musical that everyone associates with that hair style with, that’s how the character is mostly picked out from the crowd.” 

“You’re lucky your hair is already like this. You barely have to do any styling.” Lydia complained as she started to put the wig cap on to tuck her short black hair away. Makenzie stood behind her and helped tuck her hair with various bobby pins. Grabbing the mic, Makenzie tucked it at the top of Lydia’s head and then pulled the wig over her head. 

“You look like a natural prima donna.” She clasped her hands together and laughed. 

“I look like my mom.” Lydia stared at herself in the mirror for a little bit as she played with the curls sitting over her breasts. This was the longest her hair has been since she was fifteen. “Scratch that… I look like my mom with a giant witches wart at the top of my forehead.” 

Makenzie gave out a choke while laughing and waved her hand around. “Don’t say it like that. It gets hidden by the loose bangs like this!” Makenzie pulled some curls out from the bangs and hung them loosely at the top of her forehead. “See. Barely can even notice it now. And the good news is that tech can start to work with our mic packs today! Now the whole theatre will be able to hear what I’ve done with your voice.” She sounded really proud of herself when she said that. 

“You’re proud of the lessons?” Lydia asked as she got up and began to put on the first act's dress. A very bright golden dress with green and red striping for the chorus girls. Later on she would be given a skirt that would show a change of time and scene of how she took over Claire’s part as the lead. 

Makenzie helped out Lydia with the frills and hid the mic pack. “Of course I’m proud. I was proud the moment I heard your voice. You’ve come so far, and it’s honestly still amazing to me that you went first from a photographer to an understudy!” 

“I’m still the photographer.” Lydia said in a hushed voice. 

“Yes well… You’re both, and we’re lucky to have you.” 

There was a knock on the door and Hazel peeped in to look at the two girls finishing up getting ready. “Is Lydia almost ready?” Hazel’s eyes were frozen when she saw how Lydia transformed from this dark shadowy goth girl into a ballerina with long brown hair. “Damn… Yeah, I’d say she’s ready. Got your blocking down from our last private session?” Lydia answered with a hesitant nod as if she was still trying to remember the dances and what words to say at certain points. 

“I’ll have her in the wings in a moment. Go get Rowan and Monty.” Makenzie said as she closed the door on Hazel. Hearing Rowan’s name made Lydia gulp in fear for his part as the phantom. The bet was made only this morning, but the fact that Beetlejuice would be watching regardless, and waiting for the sightless mistake was inevitable. 

Lydia’s voice came out very quietly, but curious like a cat trying to find its voice. “Makenzie… Does Rowan like me?” 

Makenzie’s eye grew big and she gasped with excitement. “Does he? Oh my gosh I never noticed, but I suppose now that you point it out he kind of has this pull toward you? He always talks about how he’s excited to see how you portray this character, and today is his lucky day!” 

Having to raise her hands to slow down the excitable girl, Lydia quieted Makenzie. “I was just curious as to what you thought. It seems only Hazel thinks he likes me. I however disagree.” Lydia admitted. 

“What’s stopping you from asking him yourself? We’re in college, not middle school. Most likely Rowan will trip on his own cloak before being able to ask you out on a date.” Makenzie grabbed Lydia’s hand and began to lead her down the hall to where the wings were so she could access the stage. 

“Well a lot of things are stopping me.” Like a demon for a husband for one. “I just want to focus on my college studies.” Lydia used it as her proper excuse. 

“Understandable. But you don’t meet a lot of nice guys like Rowan. He’s honestly very sweet and talented. Just clumsy and a bit… well… Don't know how to use words properly? I guess that’s why he prefers singing instead of talking or dancing.” Makenzie laughed and halted where the hall began to grow very quiet. “I’m going to be in the ensemble today. I’ll be backing you up no matter what, okay?” She cupped Lydia’s cheek and gave her a reassuring smile. “You got this.” 

Makenzie quickly retreated back to her dressing room, leaving Lydia standing in a quiet hallway waiting for the queue to get on stage. Looking down at her feet, everything felt frightening. Not frightening in the sense that Beetlejuice was going to turn himself into a snake and threaten to drop you two stories off your house, but frightening as to what this dress rehearsal was going to be like. 

Sure Makenzie had faith in her, but it was hard for Lydia to find her own faith. She was an understudy, and most importantly she came here as a photographer. And yet she is standing in the hallways behind the stage waiting for a cue in full dress as the lead soprano. It was some sort of nightmare made into a dream all because Beetlejuice thought her voice should be shared. 

Silently swearing to herself and clenching her fists, Lydia took in a deep breath and exhaled quietly. A shrill voice was heard behind her and she saw Claire stomping toward her in that giant golden green and red dress. Surprisingly enough, she wasn’t wearing a wig. Maybe because her hair always looked like someone was abusing it and over styling it on it’s own. 

“Didn’t think that was you Deetz… You look like a completely different person not covered in black. Kind of like an actual normal person.” Claire scoffed at Lydia. 

Looking down at herself, Lydia looked back up at Claire and shrugged. “Going into depth on Christine’s character, I’m pretty sure I can relate with her a lot. Dead dad, dead mom, me and her got a lot in common. Even the strange phantom that stalks us.” Lydia crossed her arms and laughed. 

“Did someone say Phantom?” Rowan appeared from behind Claire, in full Phantom garb, and shocked Claire so much that she fell to the ground. It seemed those heels she was wearing under that dress couldn’t hold her up properly after she got scared. 

Lydia found herself laughing at how easy it was to cause Claire to collapse, but then she found herself choking down her laugh because of the reminder buzzing in her head that it was Rowan who just made her laugh. She had to remind herself to not encourage anything within Rowan, or lead him on. She was doing this for his sake. 

“You asshole! You are just as bad as Deetz!” Claire complained on the floor and picked herself up. Walking up some stairs that led to the wing, Claire was finally out of their sight. 

“Good jump scare. You do those a lot on stage?” Lydia asked as she began to follow Claire. 

“Nah. I get to throw some smoke bombs though. Those are fun…” He paused and shivered. “Except for when I miss and they end up falling on my feet. I need to fix that.” 

Lydia was laughing once again, and smacked her chest to swallow the laughter. 

“What’s wrong with you? You’re coughing an awful lot. Really shouldn’t do that before you sing. Laughing is good before singing, you know. It’s a good way to practice air control.” Rowan smiled as he walked up the stairs with Lydia. 

“Oh really? How so?” 

“Well you end up exhaling in short bursts and inhaling in a long deep one so that you can continue laughing in those short bursts. In a way, it’s like the body reminding you how you should let out vibratos or various tones.” He then shrugged and smacked his lips together. “Or I’m just an idiot who practices laughing at myself thinking that it’ll help me become an alto. Fat chance though. Guess that’s why I laugh at myself still.” 

“It’s good to laugh at yourself every once and a while right?” Lydia questioned him. “Otherwise we are just laughing at the demons in our head.” 

“You have demons in your head? No shit, I thought I was the only one!” 

That time Lydia really couldn’t hold in the laugh. The idea of Rowan having his own demon like Beetlejuice was too much for her. Rowan began to laugh along with her and they shared a humorous moment before Hazel caught the two. There was a gasp coming from the red head before a quick “What are you two doing?” Both looked at her in confusion and Rowan was the first to respond. 

“Just… Joking around? We were about to go on stage. You can relax a bit, boss.” Rowan sighed and rubbed the back of his head when he looked at Hazel. 

“Get your cloaked stalker ass on stage and wait for when your queue comes. I need to talk to Lydia really quick.” Hazel pointed at the door that led directly onto the stage, and Rowan just shrugged, gave a wave, and passed through the threshold that led into darkness. 

Hazel’s eyes grew wide as she jumped up to Lydia. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?! You’re going to make me lose my show!” 

“Your show?” Lydia raised her eyebrows in confusion at Hazel’s accusation. 

“My deal. Remember my deal with your ghost! You can’t kiss Rowan on stage, and that’s something I have to make sure of during today’s rehearsal! If he kisses you then this entire show becomes some sort of fun house.” Hazel was showing signs of panic, and Lydia could see her pupils becoming smaller by the second if she just stared long enough. 

“Calm down, I have a free pass today.” Lydia waved her hand dismissively at Hazel. 

“Free pa… What the hell does that mean?” 

“It means I can have a regular rehearsal like Makenzie. The only thing I need to worry about is Rowan making a move on me as himself and not as the Phantom. Understand?” 

Hazel was frozen still and locked in a trance of confusion. “So this rehearsal will be a complete run through, but if he comes up to you and says your name or asks you out during intermission then what?” 

Lydia paused and had to think about the consequences she left up to lady chance. “Well then I guess the show will get a bit more interesting for three specific scenes.” 

~~~

It was the moment. The titular moment where Christine would prove her bravery and devotion to the phantom and her teacher by sealing a kiss as well as her fate onto his lips. The entire final lair scene had Lydia’s head spinning. Three people singing at once was so hard to understand, and it drove her wild merely trying to find her own melody of the ‘Angel of Music’. 

The gaze of the Phantom peered into her as he demanded she make her choice between him and Raoul, and Lydia pulled herself up slowly. She kept her head focused on Rowan as his blocking spoke in anger and impatience. Turning her head to gaze at Monty and to see him hanging by a rope, she was softly whispering to herself that Beetlejuice wouldn’t tighten the ropes due to the kiss she shared with the man earlier during ‘All I Ask of You’. But Beetlejuice did say he didn’t care about the kiss with Monty. 

Her golden honey eyes wandered above the rafters to see if the demons yellow eyes would glare at her before she would reach out and kiss Rowan. Lydia’s heart was pounding, and every thought that was going through her head was almost like a pulse. It would turn to a headache if she didn’t move her body soon. She was allowed to kiss him today; it was just a normal rehearsal after all. The only thing she needed to worry about was Rowan acting upon it. 

Softly letting out her lines in a graceful melody, Lydia finally sealed Rowan’s fate by kissing him. The kiss of the trapped girl, forced to marry her demon to save someone she loved. She knew this story all too well, but she never had to kiss Beetlejuice. With the swell of the orchestral, she pulled herself back and gazed at Rowan’s dilated deep brown eyes. Even through the makeup, he looked like he was deeply enamored. A lost soul who just received love for the first time in his entire life. The kiss of a woman with no fear or flinching. That was the Phantom’s pitiful story. 

As she kissed him once again, as the blocking demanded, she thought to herself of Beetlejuice. Would he act less of a demon if she did this to him? Is he so much of a monster all because he feels lonely and unloved? It was the way she originally met him. He was the loneliest guy she ever met. Would a kiss really change a guy? 

Beetlejuice theorized that a simple stage kiss would make Rowan want more of Lydia off stage. But Lydia began to make her own theories regarding the physical feeling of kissing. Besides just the touching of lips, there was something surreal about it. The parts that you speak with come together in a way to say ‘I love you’ without saying it. Romance never really interested Lydia, but kissing was always something else. It was new. Why did it feel wrong to be kissing Rowan though? 

Finally after pulling away, she saw the look of fright and sadness on Rowan as he reached away from her and grasped at a candle on his organ to light the ropes around Monty and free him from his Punjab lasso. It was all very showy the way it happened. Almost like magic, the candle was pointed up into the air and shot into the rope, burning it in seconds without harming Monty. 

Monty quickly rushed over to Lydia and held her close to him as he would if he just rescued her. The scene finished quickly, and Lydia felt elation knowing that the rehearsal was almost over and she was about to win the bet! She just had to get through one more tiny little segment and pray that Rowan wouldn’t be so clumsy as to mess up his lines or trip and kiss her again accidentally. Two kisses was all he was permitted. 

After his small and pitiful ballad of ‘Masquerade’, Lydia walked over to him and handed her the wedding ring prop that Rowan forced onto her finger earlier. It was a good thing she moved Beetlejuice’s ring to her widow’s finger instead so that he would still be able to help in the theatre. Now she wasn’t so sure if it was a good idea. Then again, that would have been cheating and that wasn't in the rules. If demons are supposed to play fair, then so was she. 

Just as she folded her hand over Rowan’s, she waited for the line. The lines that would allow her to leave and let the game end. Then she heard it. Her heart sank and her eyes widened with a blank stare. Even Rowan couldn’t move after he said it. 

The line had always been. “Christine, I love you.” But he slipped and said “Lyd-Uh I uh Christine I love you.” He had to. He just had to. 

The theatre went black. The orchestra faded and the music somehow that was swelling moments ago is a sad melancholy way halted. And what rang out instead was a furious voice from the top of the theatre above the auditorium. Lydia’s heart was pounding as the scratchy and crackly voice rang out. 

“I’ve won the game! And now… May the show continue. But be warned… No more mercy upon you phantom. There is only room for one of us. If you dare step out of line and try to take my bride, your body will hang from the chandelier! Ha! Hahah! “

Lydia knew it was Beetlejuice, and she ripped her hands away from Rowan, giving him a hateful glare. “You weren’t supposed to say my name.” 

“I… It was a slip!” Rowan looked so puzzled, but with the distortion on his face he just seemed to be even more confused. “Who was that?” 

Lydia brought her gaze up slowly to meet Rowan’s and she shook her head. “It’s your death…” 

Hazel rushed onto stage and quickly ran to Lydia’s side to ask what happened. When Lydia turned to Hazel, all she could say was. “I’ve lost the game. We have to prepare for a few changes. I don’t know when, but we have to remember one thing.” 

“What? What’s changing?” Hazel asked with a concerned tone. Lydia looked at Rowan with a pitiful and angered look. She wasn’t happy with how he cost her the game. One kiss was all it took and he ended up messing up his lines like the clumsy guy he is. 

Taking in a heavy breath and sighing, her head shook solemnly. She raised a finger and pointed at Rowan weakly. “Your body doesn’t belong to you anymore I’m afraid.” 

“What do you mean?” Rowan asked with his face twisting with more and more concern. 

“What she means is…” The voice echoed around them again. It reverberated on the floor they stood on and soon filled one spot in particular. Right where Rowan was standing became silent. “I am your understudy.” The cackle came out of Rowan’s voice, but it was so unlike him. His eyes had turned a bright yellow, Lydia and Hazel took a few steps back. 

Rowan pulled his fingers to his lips and licked them slowly. “I now know why he said it.” The yellow eyes of the boy were glaring right into Lydia’s. “It’s cause the sensation of that kiss is still here. All he could think of was your name. Much like how you are thinking of my name, right babes?” 

“Lydia… is that-” Hazel’s voice was coming out shaky.

“Yup… And he gets to take over Rowan’s body at least three times a show.” Lydia admitted. 

“Three times?” Hazel screamed out in disbelief. 

“That’s right Haze! I can take over this strapping lads body three times, change his clumsy blocking and line work so he doesn’t get anything wrong next time… and I can be the one to kiss Lydia.” He was still, and motionless. The yellow eyes were glowing with hatred and love. “I won’t promise I’ll keep this final lair scene the same though… Some things will have to change. But I won’t tell you what. That would be spoiling my fun.” 

“Beej, get out of him.” Lydia demanded. 

“Oh, of course, of course. I’ve had my fun. He’s going to fall down now. Fainting spells usually tend to be a side effect after a full possession. Talk to you soon babes.” And like that, Rowan began to fall forward. Lydia quickly lunged and caught the boy before he fell face first into the stage. Turning him over she looked at his eyes to see if they were yellow anymore. 

Nothing. Just the dark brown she saw earlier. “He’s normal.” Lydia said. 

“Normal? Lydia, he just got possessed by a… your ghost! And now he’s taking over my show more than he was already!” Hazel threw up her hands in the air as if to show signs of surrender. 

“I guess you don’t get it Hazel.” Lydia gave out a small chuckle then looked at her with almost a pitiful glance. “It’s always been his show. Ever since we arrived that was his plan. Now it’s merely more about him, and him getting what he wants.” 

“What does he possibly want besides Rowan hanging from the ceiling and dissected?” Hazel asked with fury hanging from her lips. 

There was a pause from Lydia as she pulled off the wig and shook her black hair about to allow her head to feel the cool air once more. Turning her face to Hazel, she gave a grin and a shrug. “My guess… The same thing ever since he met me on the roof... “ 

“Which is?” 

Lydia laughed and shook her head. “Me.” 

Chapter Text

“I don’t understand. What just happened? What’s this all about?” A soft voice from the wings came. Makenzie and Monty came out with a sense of dread lurking on their faces. They did just witness a demon possess their friend and threaten both Lydia and Hazel. Lydia turned around and smoothed the white dress she was wearing down so she could appear like she knew what was happening as well. But the truth was- she was in the dark like everyone else and it was mostly her fault. 

Rowan was still trying to regain his own ground after being fully possessed by Beetlejuice. The make-up on his face started to feel rotten and sweaty. More than anything he wanted to get changed. “L-Lydia… What was that? Why did it… Why did he know your name?” 

Clearing her throat, Lydia looked from Rowan who was rubbing his head, then back to her two fellow cast members who just walked onto the stage. “I-I… let’s all go to the greenroom. Yeah? I need to get out of this dress.” Reaching down, she picked up the brown curly wig and started walking off stage without looking back. 

Everyone that was left on stage merely gazed in a lost and confused stare at where the goth woman was standing whom they had presumed had all the answers to their questions on this supposed spirit who now had complete control over their production. But after a few seconds of calculation, it was Makenzie who snapped into action and started following behind her understudy. 

“Lydia wait!” She shouted after her. Lydia was already at the dressing room door, opening it and pulling herself inside, giving a small worried glance to Makenzie. Once Makenzie arrived at the door, she came inside and saw Lydia struggling with the lacing up her back. “Okay, let’s get that off you. And also maybe you can get something else off your chest?” 

“No! I have to tell everyone at the same time.” Lydia snapped at her. Makenzie became hesitant as she stepped forward to help undo the lacing up her back. 

“Lydia please. I just want to help. I’m not only your teacher, but your friend if you’ll believe that. You don’t have to tell me now. I understand that you want to get out of this costume first, but please try to remain calm. Our costume designers took a really long time getting this wedding dress to look as beautiful as it is.” Makenzie finished with the final lace, and unhooked the back of Lydia’s white dress, allowing it to hang loosely around her shoulders. 

There was silence in the dressing room as Lydia let the dress fall to her feet, and she stepped out of it as if it were a cage. “Would you believe me if I told you I wore a wedding dress once?” She asked softly as she moved herself over to where her black clothes were folded neatly on the vanity. 

“Well, I believe all girls go through a phase when they dream of being a bride you know? We dress up and play bride and eventually we force our neighbors to-”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I wore an actual wedding dress… And actually got married.” Lydia pulled a black blouse over her head and showed some sort of seriousness upon her brows. Makenzie remained silent. Perhaps she thought it was a joke. But then there is always that side of a true friend who will believe whatever someone tells them. 

“Why did you have to wear a wedding dress or get married? I thought the ring on your finger was like… a class ring from high school or something.” Makenzie began to take her own costume off so that she too could get comfortable. She was in a ballerina’s tutu from the end of act one, and still hadn’t changed out of it because the petticoat can be a hassle sometimes. 

As Lydia finally finished putting her clothes back on, she took a seat on the stool in front of the vanity mirror and played with the wedding ring on her finger. The red stone almost seemed to glow in the warm dressing room lights. It felt comfortable in the room. The ring felt warm. “I had to kill my best friend.” 

“Wait, what? What does that have to do with getting married?” Makenzie sputtered once she finally got the petticoat off. 

“Well… Everything really. The story is long. But I’ll get to the part where it relates to now. All I need you to do is just to listen to me, and believe me. I know Monty will probably not believe anything I say since he doesn’t believe in ghosts or spirits. Probably Claire will just continue calling me a witch or the devil's wife. But she wouldn’t technically be wrong.” Lydia began to rub her chin and laugh at the thought and memories of when Claire would constantly accuse her of being Lucifer’s Bride, or some sort of witch from Hell. Beetlejuice would always be hovering over Lydia’s shoulder laughing like a maniac saying that would be the only true thing that would ever pass her dick-sucking lips. 

Makenzie noticed the warm looks on Lydia’s face, but also the ones that seemed to be scared. Scared or hesitant to go back and remember. “Was it a hard time in your life?” Pulling a long dress over her head and wrapping a blouse around her shoulders, Makenzie moved over to the other side of the seat in front of the vanity mirror. 

Lydia nodded at Makenzie’s question. “Yeah. My family had recently moved, and my mom had only just died. I was basically taken away from where she was buried and forced to live in a home I never wanted to come to in the first place.” Anger was welling up inside of Lydia when she began to remember the pain and amount of hurt she felt when her dad told her they no longer lived in New York. 

“It changed. The feelings I had when I met a really nice couple that had lived there. In fact they weren’t living, but rather just there. Ghosts, I believe, is the correct term.” Lydia smirked, remembering Adam and Barbara’s faces when she saw them for the first time. “But I also met him. And he wasn’t a ghost. He was a demon.” Her voice became lower, more dark. The tone of direct change to compare the loving Maitlands to this chaotic demon Beetlejuice. 

“But the thing about this demon was that he wasn’t super evil like you’d imagine from all those ghost stories your parents tell you before bed. And he isn’t like that image in your mind of a big red spiky goat that breathes fire. No… He just looked like a man with strange spiky green hair… decaying skin.. Moss all around him… a strange pinstripe suit that made him look like a bloated zebra that died in the hot African sun… And he smelled horrible.” Lydia began to laugh, remembering the smell she got a full whiff of when she hugged him right before he returned to the Netherworld. 

“I guess because he looked like a man, he was easier to pity. You could see him as any other guy. I saw him as a guy sitting on this roof I was about to jump off of, and he stopped me. He stopped me from killing myself because he needed me.” Lydia spoke slowly, letting the words echo around the room. She could swear she could hear Beetlejuice’s voice just beyond the mirror, a laugh or a whisper, begging her to continue telling their story. 

Makenzie looked very confused. More so worried now that she knew Lydia had tried to take her own life, and a stranger whom Lydia believed to be a demon, saved her life. “Why did he need you?” Makenzie asked, curiosity finally peaking her interest in this mysterious demon. 

There was a soft chuckle, then a small shrug. “Because I could see him. And he was lonely. You see, I too felt unseen, like him, and I felt lonely. My dad had shunned me and basically wouldn’t look at me unless I accepted the fact my mom was dead and gone. But hello, I was just a teenager. The concept of death was basically something I could dwell on until someone would fucking grow a pair and comfort me. My dad never did that. He just moved on. Got a new wife. Got a new home. So I felt alone. The ghosts I met at this new house, the Maitlands, felt like a new family. A new start. And Bee-” Lydia stopped when she felt herself almost saying his name. If she said it, it would offer an opening for him, even now to come through and taunt her more on her loss in the bet. 

“Beetle. I’ll call him Beetle. The demon.” Lydia let out softly to explain his name. “You see, a demon's name has power over the demon itself. Beetle’s name basically had to be said three times in a row in order for him to interact with our world. The world of the living, and the physical things. One evening, I was driven to the point of insanity by my father for not taking me seriously any long I set Beetle free. So what does a demon do but ramp up the chaos.” Lydia leaned her head back in remembering that night. It felt like pure bliss. The screams, and the humor of how he executed everything. He was clearly showing off what he could do, but nonetheless she was enchanted by him. “It was beautiful. He was beautiful.” 

Makenzie raised her hands up and then paused Lydia. “Are you saying you like… fell in love with a dead guy?” 

Lydia’s eyes grew wide and she shook her head furiously. “No! We simply were friends! He helped me out at two of the most weakest points in my mortal life and he did things I could never do. He helped me become seen, and I helped him. The house became empty of life besides me, and I loved it. Although… three days into it, I started longing for my mother again. I had the Maitlands, and I had Beetle, but I wanted my mom. When I asked if Beetle could do that for me, since it seemed like he could do anything if I simply asked, he rejected me and said I could never see her.” Lydia felt fury rushing back into her chest. “I guess that little fight we had caused some problems… He didn’t understand or interpret what I said correctly and believed that I didn’t want him as my friend anymore simply because I wanted the Maitlands help. So as demons do… he planned to become part of our physical world in a different way.” 

“Oh is this the possession thing? He possesses your dad, or you? Cause… we can see he can do that.” Makenzie said, trying to take a wild guess. 

“Actually no.” Lydia laughed and shook her head. “Apparently, in some book of the dead somewhere, a demon or a born-dead, in this case Beetle is both, can marry a mortal. Once the marriage ceremony is over, the demon slash born-dead can be revived and become alive.”

Makenzie’s jaw dropped as she realized what that insinuated. “So… He wanted to marry you?” 

“He did marry me.” Lydia held up the wedding ring as proof. But once again, it was on her right hand instead of her left today because of rehearsals having her have to wear the prop ring. Makenzie stared at the ring completely lost for words. She pointed at it, and then at Lydia, to which Lydia just nodded. 

“Now, before you go assuming things, let me clarify something to you. You need to remember that this would make him alive. Do you think he’s alive right now?” Lydia asked cynically. 

“Well, no? He just possessed Rowan.” Makenzie answered. 

“Right, so what do you think I did?” Lydia crossed her arms and smiled with a wicked smirk gracing her lips. 

“Holy moly you killed him. You straight up pulled a ‘concubine’ didn’t you?” Makenzie sputtered out. 

“W-What? No! I never slept with him? What the fuck is a ‘pulling a concubine’?” 

“Oh well, sometimes I get really bored, so I watch foreign movies on Netflix. And this one movie that was filmed in Korea was about a concubine who was chosen to be the wife of the emperor, but she never wanted to be his wife so after the marriage they started making love. It was such a heated scene by the way. She pulls out a jaded pin that he had gifted her a long time ago and she stabs him repeatedly in the chest and then finally in the throat.” Makenzie smiled when she finally finished her little synopsis. Leaving Lydia only with her jaw open. 

Within that pause in the silent room, Lydia could feel a cool breath whispering into her ear “That sounds like a better way to have gone out. Next time… let’s do that, okay babes?” 

Lydia quickly snapped her head around to see if Beetlejuice was standing behind her, but he wasn’t. It was simply like the wind had carried words into her ear and straight to her brain. Her face became hot at the idea and she shook her head trying to picture something else. 

“No! Makenzie no! This was nothing like that!” Lydia was practically flailing while Makenzie just laughed at her trying to clear the air. “It was.. I had to.. You see he threatened to hurt Barbara.” 

“Whose Barbara?” Makenzie asked through her laughter. 

“She’s Barbara Maitland. A ghost who cared for me as a mother would. She died before she could start a family of her own so she kind of treated me like a daughter. In fact after all these events she basically did treat me like a daughter and I really didn’t mind. It’s nice. But the point is, Beetle tried to trick me into thinking I was bringing my mom back to life but instead had lead me to read out an exorcism passage in the handbook for the recently deceased. Barbara was going to die because basically exorcism is death for the dead. No soul, no nothing, and I didn’t want that, so basically… forced me to say yes to his marriage proposal so he could come alive.” Everything Lydia spat out was coming in waves. She didn’t seem to even take a breath as she was explaining this. It was word vomit. Makenzie could only blink at what Lydia said. 

“Anyways… I tried to run away into the world of the dead, otherwise known as the Netherworld. Not only to get away from Beetle, but to find my mom. But while I was there I met other people who had passed on and they…. They showed me how precious life is, and how I should hold on the blessings that I have in my life. But what I noticed most of all while staring into all their lost and broken eyes was loneliness. Dead husbands and wives, or children who died too soon. Maybe even people who never had a chance to love. It made me realize that Beetle himself was possibly the loneliest creature ever. To be born dead, to never be seen, and never loved. I basically was his first friend.” Lydia spoke out softly. “So I went through with the marriage.” 

The room felt cold all of a sudden. Lydia practically knew this sensation all too well. Beetlejuice was in the room with them, if that already wasn’t a given, but he was hiding himself even from her. He really wanted to hear how their story finished from Lydia’s mouth. How she was going to explain this mess they’ve made for this small little production. Goosebumps wormed their way up Lydia’s arms and she inhaled deeply, picking up a scent of cigarette smoke and mud. A smile once again creased her lips. 

“With the help of my family… I tricked him into believing I actually wanted to marry him. And he believed it. So when we said our vows… he became alive just as whoever in gods name made that dumb rule. I thought… Well, I thought it was fine at first. He was acting calm. Then he tried to kill my family. I had no choice really. Taking some art that Delia thought was ‘good’, I rammed it into his back and through his heart. And I could feel everything. I could see it too.” Lydia paused, gulping and scrunching her hands together as she recalled the vile feeling of murdering a human being. 

“It was… squishy. I could see his fresh blood fall out when I pulled the art out. Fresh blood that only started pumping through his heart that only just began to beat at that moment. I crushed it. Ramming bad art into his back and forcing him back into death because you know the vow... “ Lydia looked up at Makenzie with tears that almost threatened her eyes. 

“Till death do we part.” Makenzie answered for Lydia. Only a single tear fell and left the golden eyes of Lydia when Makenzie replied. “Damn… You killed someone?” 

“It didn’t seem like I was killing someone since he was always dead. But the feeling, and the knowing of who he was to me and who I am to him began to become more overwhelming over time. Especially these past couple of years. It seems I mean more to him than anything. Would he die for me again given the chance just to breathe life for a moment once more? Not a doubt in my mind. If I asked him too… He’d destroy this world for me if so much as a fly did me wrong.” 

“I still don’t understand.” Makenzie broke into Lydia speech. “If he’s dead, and basically you killed him to null the marriage.. Why do you still wear the ring?” 

Lydia’s finger ran over the gem on the wedding band, and her eyes were cast down on it. It almost seemed as if a sudden glow was around the red gem as she touched it. “It’s cause when you marry a dead guy, you’re marrying their soul. I basically bound my soul to his for eternity. So he’s been with me as a spectre, resting in my shadow, ever since.” Lydia shrugged and then offered a weak smile. “Does that offer any further of an answer?” 

“Lydia.” Makenzie began. “If I ignore all the parts about death, and ghosts, and focus mainly on the fact that this ‘Beetle’ guy used to be a man, feels like a man, looks like a man, he probably also looked at you like a man would. Think about it for a second.” Makenzie grabbed Lydia’s hands and held them in her warm grasp. “It seems you are beginning to understand it, but only now do you realize what his true feelings are. Basically… He fell in love with you the moment you laid your eyes on him, and his eyes were laid onto you. It’s poetic and romantic in some dark and twisted way, but I believe he wants you to return his feelings.” 

Lydia began to blink a few times as it processed through her head. The words Makenzie said were so simple to just understand, but to accept is a different thing. Lydia never wanted to believe Beetlejuice actually loved her. It seemed like it was all fun and games, and they were just the chaotic duo up on the hill of Winter River. Sure, he made crude jokes, but they got boring so quickly and never really started to seem super sexual. But now it seems Beetlejuice has gone past the point of joking and full into proving what he means. Joking can be taken in a non serious manner, as if it’s just a game. But the demon has now decided to end the joke and move onto the final act in hopes of truly making Lydia open her eyes. And only now had they been widened with Makenzie’s help. 

Lydia shot up from the seat and quickly shot for the dressing room door. Makenzie looked at her with a worried gaze and called after her “Where are you going?” 

“We’re going to the green room. I need to explain to everyone how we are going to handle this.” Lydia paused, realizing the person that will take most of the attacks will be Rowan. Both girls had left the dressing room and retreated into a small little room at the end of the hall. 

Two large lounge chairs were placed inside along with a coffee table in the middle that still had some snacks sitting on it from earlier. There was a mini fridge in the corner with a cheap light sitting on top of it to help brighten the room or make it feel cozy. Over one of the large chairs was a collage of pictures of past productions. Lydia remembered the first day she saw this little collage and she wanted nothing more than to add her pictures to it. Now that idea had only become more difficult by the day. 

Everyone was already in their respective seats. Other cast members sat on the floor around the spots of the chair that weren't taken up already. Hazel had gestured over to Lydia and Makenzie to share the lounge chair with her since she was saving them a spot. Rowan, Claire, and Monty were sitting on the chair parallel to them. 

Once Makenzie and Lydia took a seat, the talking in the room had quieted, and the first voice everyone had hoped to speak up was their leader Hazel. However that wasn’t the case because there of course was Claire Brewster in the room. 

“I told you having Lydia Deetz in this production would be stupid. It’s just plain awful. Now look- the whole show is cursed, and now there is a demon who is going to kill Rowan. Fantastic, this is totally not cool. Way to go Deetz.” Claire spat out while shoving her tongue out in disgust.

“Shut the hell up for a second Claire. You are a brat who makes horrible accusations about people. So what if Lydia brought a demon to our show? There has to be more to it.” Monty said. “I personally don’t think it’s a demon. Demons and Oni do not exist. You all are crazy for thinking otherwise. My personal theory is that Rowan has been drinking, or dealing with a new dealer.” 

“What the fuck Monty?” Rowan shoved the man next to him. “Dude, you think I go out to get high? I’m almost straight edge! I only drink when I really want to, and the heaviest thing I’d ever drink is an IPA.” 

“Wow, you’re fucking weak.” Claire interrupted. 

“Shut up bitch.” Both Monty and Rowan said simultaneously. The blonde looked at them as her jaw dropped and strange noises of disbelief came out of her mouth. 

“Alright stop fighting you two. And Claire… Just don’t fucking talk for the next ten minutes. Only the people who are spoken to are allowed to talk. Speak out of line and I will tell your dad that you won’t wear the custom wig he purchased for you. Oh yeah. Didn’t think I saw it? I check your dressing rooms every night. It’s still in its package and untouched. Wear the damn wig, shut up, and be quiet.” Hazel made a zipping motion over her mouth and Claire went silent. Everyone in the room had to hold in a laugh. 

Hazel looked over to Lydia and then groaned at her. “Tell them.” 

“Tell them what? That the show is under new management, or that Rowan messed this up for me?” 

“Wait, what makes it Rowan’s fault?” Makenzie chirped in. Hazel stared directly at Makenzie and made the zipping motion again. Hazel was really done with everyone at this point. 

“Yeah, well… Explain why Rowan has to be possessed by a demon Lydia. Explain please. I will explain to everyone here that I have allowed this… demon or ghost who we have called Lawrence, to do the special effects for the show. Unbeknownst to me, this Lawrence had a bet with Lydia that the day she had a full rehearsal with Rowan, and allowed her to practice the stage kiss, if Rowan were to so much as make a move on Lydia over Christine’s character, than Rowan is to forfeit his body for three scenes as deemed by the demon.” Hazel said, then crossed her arms. “Did I get it right, Lydia.” 

“No, yeah, that’s about it.” Lydia nodded and pointed at Hazel. Looking across the room she could see Rowan looking heartbroken and extremely confused. He stood up and basically rushed out of the room. It almost looked like a dramatic girl trying to get attention, but Lydia knew that it was just a drama kid really trying to reject emotions. “Should I?” Lydia gestured to Rowan as she stared at Hazel who seemed about ready to let the whole cast know how they were going to handle this new phantom of their show. Hazel gave a nudge of her head, basically telling her to go out and check on him. Giving a warm smile to both Hazel and Makenzie, Lydia left the room to check on the man of the hour. 

He was only standing outside of the greenroom, pacing in a small circle with his arms crossed. When Lydia came out and closed the door behind her, his dark brown eyes shot to her and he seemed lost. He wanted to reach out to her, but he kept his hands trapped in a cage of self restraint. 

“Before you speak… Just tell me who he is. This.. demon or Lawrence or whatever that is going to take over my body whenever he pleases.” Rowan was shifting his body a lot. Was this a panic attack?

“Uhm… well… I can’t say his name. But Lawrence is something you can call him if you want to piss him off early in the morning.” Lydia answered. 

Rowan growled and his anger shot out. “I’m not fucking joking Lydia. Who the fuck is this man who is so… Obsessed with you that he won’t let another man say your name or even think about you?” Rowan was shaking and he stepped forward making Lydia’s back hit the wall behind her. She wasn’t scared, merely… interested in what Rowan would do next. If anyone was scared in this instance, it was him. 

“You mean when you felt him inside your head?” Lydia asked calmly.

“Yes.. My head… my arms, and my legs. My lips even. I couldn’t control anything. It almost felt like I was sleepwalking. Or some kind of fucked up nightmare. I was conscious, or at least I could see through my own eyes, and still think. But there were other thoughts protruding in my head as well as words that weren’t my own falling off my lips. They tasted like poison and I wanted to vomit.” Rowan was backing up from Lydia and holding onto himself once again. 

“Everything was cold. But… I felt so…” He paused for a moment as his eyes once again shot at Lydia’s. 

“What did you feel? You had a demon in your body, basically you gave him the ability to feel for a brief moment. As well as read your thoughts and see your history.” Lydia shrugged and crossed her arms remembering the details of how possessions work with demons. 

“I felt jealous. I felt angry and obsessed. More than anything my body wanted to collide with yours.” Rowan said as he held out a hand to Lydia. She didn’t take it, knowing fully well that Beetlejuice could be staring at them right now. Once touch, or one stolen kiss from Rowan would mean he would be dead. 

“Rowan, please, I need to tell you that if you try anything with me that demon that possessed you will kill you. I’m not joking. I want you to be safe.” 

“How can I be safe when there is going to be a literal fucking demon walking around in my body pretending to be me? How will I be okay mentally after letting that happen to me three times in one night all because I messed up and said your name? Tell me Lydia? Whose fault really is it that I have to suffer these consequences. You made a bet on my name!” 

“I did it to save you!” Lydia cried out. “I did it cause I didn’t want him to keep playing with you like you were some kind of toy. He kept threatening to me that he would take your voice, or move your around in his way because he was jealous of you. I assumed I could win a bet with him if you… if you weren’t so clumsy!” Lydia shout out at him. 

“Clumsy… Right.. That’s what I am. I always have to fucking remember that. I’m the clumsy theatre kid who bumped into you, broke my fucking phone… and then thought I had a chance with you. Turns out… “ Rowan paused and had to gulp down something he was about to say. “Turns out I was wrong. I never had a chance did I?” 

Lydia had to shake her head slowly. “Don’t blame me Rowan. If I hadn’t gone through something that I did in the past, then maybe. Maybe this would have been different.”

“Don’t fucking start giving me that ‘maybe’ bullshit. What’s this thing you have with him in the past?” 

Hesitating, Lydia found herself subconsciously playing with her ring again. “I’m married to him.” 

“But he’s dead.” Rowan’s arms flung out in a confused manner. 

“I know… but when you marry a dead guy the rules are different!” 

“The fuck does that even mean?” 

“It means I bound my soul to him for eternity. Even past death.” 

Both were silent, and Rowan looked down at the grown, then slowly raised his eyes back up to meet Lydia’s. “So… You’re married to the guy who is going to possess my clumsy ass when you perform on stage?” 

Lydia gave him a few nods and Rowan could only exhale loudly and rub his face as if he was trying to understand this mess. “I just… I’m sorry. Okay. I know I shouldn’t have made the bet in the first place, but the reason I did it is because I just wanted to let you have fun as the phantom. To not be over shined by a real one, you know? I never meant to hurt you. I never even thought you actually liked me in that way. I actually have this problem where I keep denying everyone could possibly like me in that way. Even the demon.” Lydia chuckled out. 

Rowan looked at her and laughed as she said that. “You don’t believe he loves you? Or… You don’t believe that I had like… this crush on you?” 

“Shhh, don’t say you did. He’ll fucking kill you, I’m serious.” Lydia whispered out. 

“No, no I get it now.” Rowan smiled and gave a laugh. “Alright, I see. I can sympathize with the guy a bit now. But only a bit.” 

“What do you mean?” Lydia crossed her arms once again and she seemed to become the more confused one in this situation all of a sudden. 

“Well… When he was in my mind, I could feel everything he wanted to basically feel. Or in a way, sense all the things he wanted. It was like those things in your head that tell you to do something or not to do something, but it was only his cracky-ass voice. And all I could hear was ‘you’re mine.’ I’m telling you, this guy is obsessed with you. He… I know what love feels like but it felt like he was really sitting on my heart. It felt heavy.” Rowan placed a hand over his chest as if remembering the feeling of Beetlejuice taking over his body. 

“I was cold, but my heart was the warmest thing when I looked at you. All I wanted to do was hold you. I dwelled solely on that single thought and image of us kissing and it kept repeating in my head like an old VR tape. I could basically re-watch it over and over. The feeling… he relished it. He wanted it. But it was… unfulfilled and empty unlike me. I had kissed you, and he had not.” Rowan rubbed his finger over his lip and then smiled. 

“I feel like I can let this guy do this to me now… with maybe just a little more self confidence. The only thing that comes with this is that he won’t tell me or give me a heads up when he’s coming in right? So it could be in the middle of a number and then boom, I’m in the sidelines till he pops out?” Rowan asked. 

“Basically. I think that’s how he’s going to do it. I don’t believe he’s going to do much else. I mean… It’s strange how you’re suddenly cool with this. He’ll probably hate that. I think he wants you to basically piss yourself every time he does it, or leave you in fear for when he will or will not do it.” Lydia joked, but she knew somewhere in there she was telling the truth. 

“Nah. He’s a man who was jealous of his wife being looked at by another man. I’m just glad I didn’t fucking do anything more stupid than… say your name. I’d probably be dead, wouldn’t I?” Rowan laughed and shrugged while Lydia jokingly teased him. “Well… I guess I just have to mentally prepare myself then. If he wants to be the phantom, fine. Hazel wants him to do all these amazing effects, fine. But… I swear to God above me Lydia, if you make any more bets with this demon, I’ll do him a favor and not give him the pleasure of enjoying a body to take over for the show cause I will walk out.”

“Fair enough.” Lydia smirked. Rowan moved to go back into the greenroom, and then stopped once he was shoulder to shoulder with Lydia. His eyes were low, and his mouth barely moved, but he still had to say it. As if unrequited feelings weren’t enough, or the threat of being murdered by the undead didn’t scare him. He whispered out to her his confession with a cheeky grin, then stepped back into the green room holding his head up high ready to take on the world. 

Lydia was left in the hall. Alone and with her cheeks stained pink from Rowan’s words. He was so quiet she had prayed Beetlejuice didn’t hear. Her heart was beating fast and she had to place her hands on her cheeks in hopes to cool them down. When her eyes looked up, she finally saw Beetlejuice looking at her with a smile. 

“Cast all caught up? They know what’s going to happen now?” He simply asked. 

“More or less. Why do you care anyway?” She snapped back at him. 

“Why I never… Miss Deetz, it almost seems like you are making me the villain of this story! In what world or alternate universe would I, a humble demon, be the villain?” He winked at her and she gave him the most confused face.

“To them you are the enemy cause you are going to take over the lead actors body, and not even he knows when you’re going to do it.” Lydia pointed out. 

“Well… At least they know I’m going to do it.” A hiss like laughter echoed from Beetlejuice’s throat and Lydia could only roll her eyes. 

“Will you at least tell me when you’re going to do it?” 

“No.” 

“Why not?” Lydia whined out. 

“Because…. The way Rowan just now accepted all of that after having only a brief argument with you is too disconcerting. He seems confident in this, and also like he hasn’t learned a lesson yet.” 

“Stop talking like you’re going to hurt him.” Lydia begged. 

“Oh, I’m not going to hurt him, Lyds. I have bigger plans now that I have his body to use.” 

“Wait… what?” 

Beetlejuice nodded and gave out a cackle. “The shows mine Babes! It’s no longer the phantom's opera, but the demon's theatre! I’ve made my cast, set myself in, and even added effects! It’s all mine babes. The only thing left is to see us perform it all.” He grabbed her hands and pulled her in close to him. “And that will be one show I believe no one will want to miss.” 

Lydia was looking into his yellow eyes as they flashed with excitement. “How will you change it now then?” 

“Oh, the changes are just subtle babes.” Beetlejuice kept his grip on Lydia’s hands as he began to look above her head and fantasize about his perfect show. “But the ending… oh the ending is truly what people will never forget.” 

“How’s that?” She almost tasted the cigarette smoke from Beetlejuice’s presence alone. There was something foul lingering in her question, as if it was begging for the loosest answer. 

Reaching for her chin, he tiled it up so she would look at his silly grin. His teeth, a rotten yellow, and his beard still so messy from mud and moss. However it was that gaze that seemed familiar from her past. Something about that gaze made Lydia’s stomach churn. 

“It’s simply… to die for babes. Hahahaha!” 

Chapter Text

The annoying creaking of the dorm floor was a constant at this point of the day. It was only midday, and Lydia could do nothing but pace while staring down at her phone. She had to call her dad and tell him to come to the show. Or she didn’t have to tell him anything and he could just be left alone with the Delia and the Maitlands. The pacing continued, and Beetlejuice just stared at her while lounging five feet above the floor. 

“Just invite them babes. It’s a rare chance they get to see you anyways!” The demon started. His hands were behind his head and his eyes closed. He was very nonchalant with the proposition.  

“It’s not that easy Beej. It would have been way more simple if I wasn’t in the show, and if you weren’t going to possess someone in the show either. There are multiple complications that are going to cause my dad to have a heart attack during the middle of the show.” Lydia sounded frantic, and her voice kept rising and falling with each new idea that something could go wrong when the fact of the matter was everything that could have gone wrong already happened. 

“You’re worrying too much. Ol’Chuck has seen this show before!” Beetlejuice gestured to himself. “Nothing he’s not used to! In fact, I think he probably misses me.” 

“I highly doubt he misses you. When you’re in the room, I can always see the hair on the back of his neck stand up.” Lydia held her phone to her side and stared directly at the demon who was chuckling to himself at this point. 

“Well… He called me son once, so what’s the problem with wanting to see his son-in-law?” 

“He hates the fact that we’re bound by marriage.” 

“What a guy. Can’t even accept the idea of soul mates? I’ll tell you one thing, Delia is not his soul mate. Wanna know why?” Beetlejuice raised an eyebrow which Lydia met with putting her hands on her hips. “It’s ‘cause she’s put too much soul into all those bits and bobs she buys with Chuck’s money. The most soul he’ll get from her is from their spiritual rodgering. Other than that, Delia looks like someone who lost her soul long ago.” 

“That’s… What?” Lydia just answered Beetlejuice with a very confused face. She had no idea what he was talking about in regards to her step-mother. “Delia is fine. She’s fun and she’s got plenty of soul.” 

Opening up a single eye to peak at Lydia, he smirked. “You’re right. Humans have souls defined by the law of the living. A human marrying and another human is basically tying together the rest of their lives together. But soul mates are different. And that’s what Chuck doesn’t get, and that’s why he’s so upset with me.” Beetlejuice let his feet softly touch the ground and he approached her slowly with a sly grin pressed upon his lips.

“Let me educate you on something about the ‘born-deads’.” His face quickly molded into something of sorrow and hatred. “We have no soul. We are born with nothing inside us. No blood to pump through a non-beating heart. Barely any emotions to develop, and barely any thoughts to go through a brain with bloodless veins. The guts don’t work, the breath doesn’t exist, and the skin is never warm.” A hand slowly moved to Lydia’s freehand and he pulled it into his grasp- keeping it still and trapped in between two frozen hands that have only felt life for a few measly seconds. 

“I already know that Beej. You told that to me before. Born-deads are basically everything in the title. Born dead and that’s that.” Lydia’s heart was beginning to beat faster the more she noticed the yellow eyes of the demon staring directly into her. 

“Then you also must know what it’s like to be dead? Obviously?”

“No- I never said that.” 

“Then don’t continue to act like you know everything about me. Don’t pretend like you can see through me because you can see me, and you can touch me.” He placed her hand over the wound where she stabbed him and ended his life. “You saw me, and made me feel, Lydia Deetz. For that, I should have killed you. Most born-deads would. I mean, you saw how mom reacted, right?” 

Lydia stared straight into those fierce yellow eyes as he spoke with vigor and hate. It was like he was trying to threaten her, but she understood that what he was trying to do was simply make her see a little more as to ‘why’ it was like this. ‘Why’ it had to be this way. 

“Then what combined our souls if you never had one to begin with? If humans are born with souls to only be married for the rest of their lives, what makes marrying the dead different?” Lydia’s voice was calm like a bird making up a song after a harsh thunder storm. 

He was silent as he stared at her gold orbs. It was quiet. “Born-deads don’t have souls because they can’t feel. Or have emotions. I was able to develop them over time but was able to hide them. I usually never felt more than four at one time.” Beetlejuice loosened his grip on Lydia’s hand and let it drop. “But the idea of being loved was what caused a soul to form. Even if it was a small spark, it was your fault. It’s like placing life into a doll. It just sits there until one day you wish for it to move and talk.” His hair fizzled into a purple hue, and the eyes that showed fury melted into sorrow. “No one loved me or cared for me Lydia. So all I ever did was lash out. So forgive this demon for believing, if for a moment, that you loved me. Cause that’s truly what makes a soul.” Beetlejuice moved his lips to her ear and softly whispered a single word that sent shivers down her spine. When he pulled back there was that stupid grin once again. 

“See, when I told Ol’Chuck that, he refused to believe me. He gave me the same face you're giving me now. That’s why I want him to see my show. I want him to see what I’ve done, and what I’ve created.” Licking his lips, his hair shimmered back to the normal green to show his elation. “I want him to hear you sing.” 

“Bullshit, you just want to see him shit himself.” 

“Well, that too.” Beetlejuice laughed at Lydia’s comeback and found himself in the air once more. 

“You really want him to come, huh?” Lydia looked at her phone once more and gulped. The idea of inviting her dad to see this disaster was going to be both funny, terrifying, and emotional. She really didn’t know what to do. Then again, her father was someone she deeply missed and hasn’t seen in a while. He probably would even be excited to know she was doing more than just sitting around on campus taking pictures, and took interest in theatre. “Fine. But you can’t call him ‘Chuck’ during the show. Knowing you, I know you’ll break some sort of fourth wall.” 

“Come on babes, with the way this little story is written, I’ve already broken it. Like just now.” 

“What?” Lydia looked at Beetlejuice with a completely lost face. “Which story?” 

“Well… there are many if you ever took the time to go online, but now is not the time for that. Call daddy, call daddy, call daddy!” Between each ‘call daddy’ Beetlejuice would excitedly clap his hands with gusto to show excitement. 

With a heavy sigh, Lydia brought the phone to her face, and Beetlejuice moved closer as if to listen in. Soon there was a deep voice on the other side, along with the sound of pans clashing and clanging in the background. 

“Uhhh, hi dad.” Lydia started.

“Hey pumpkin. Nice to hear from you! No Delia, those are shallots, you don’t put that in the dessert. Barbara please help her! How are you doing?” Charles was clearly in the middle of some sort of preparation for a dinner. Maybe another meeting? 

“I’m doing fine.. I guess.” 

“You guess? That dead guy causing problems?” 

“Dead guy? Hey, I gots' a name you know pal!” Beetlejuice hovered backwards and crossed his arms. It was a good thing Charles didn’t hear him. Lydia shook her head and put a finger to her lips to inform him to be quiet. 

“Not in particular. He’s being relatively good in a manner of speaking.” 

There was a pause from the other end before another loud crashing came. “ For God’s sake Adam, if you’re cracking the eggs, at least make an effort to not break the yolk when separating them from the whites ! I’m sorry Lydia, what did you say? He’s being good? Well, that’s calming in a strange way.” 

Lydia laughed at her father’s comment and she bit her lip as she began to let out her proposal. “So uhm, dad. The theatre company is going to be performing Phantom of the Opera this weekend. It’s going to be opening night, and uhm…” 

“Oh- Oh is that Lydia!” A soft sounding voice was heard. Instantly, Lydia could tell it was Barbara. “Charles, may I speak with her, I do miss her! Please?”

“Barbara, darling, I’ll give you a turn in a moment. Lydia is telling me about the theatre performance she’s going to be in.” 

Lydia’s jaw dropped when she heard her father say it. How did he already know. Then it hit like a pillowcase full of bricks. Claire Brewster. She was playing La Carlotta, and she basically hated the idea that Lydia was cast in the play in the first place. Not to mention Claire Brewster grew up with Lydia and was forced to move to Winter River because their father’s have close business ties. It was more than likely little prissy Claire had a word with daddy over the phone as well. 

“Uhm.. Dad?” Lydia began.

“Yes pumpkin?” 

“How did you know I was in the performance?”

“Well, that’s relatively simple. I have basically paid for your scholarship, and I can keep record of what you are doing with the money I deposit in your account so you can feed yourself on campus. Not to mention the fact that Mr. Brewster’s daughter is in this performance and he spoke to me recently saying you were the understudy for the lead.” Once Charles said that, Lydia could hear the very memorable sound of Delia screeching. 

“The lead? She’s a lead?”  

“Delia, she’s the understudy of the lead.” 

“That doesn’t matter! She had the title ‘lead’, and it’s there for a reason! You know what my guru Otho always used to say. If you are behind someone, and you really want to be in front, gently tap on their shoulder before you step on the back of their heels.”

“ Are you basically saying she needs to ask the current lead to play opening night? ” This was Adam’s voice this time. It was a bit squeaky, but still fatherly and kind. 

“ No, I am merely suggesting like every good understudy to a lead role to give a good tap before taking over. You want to be polite and not hurt their feelings when you steal the spotlight .” Delia sounded proud of herself when she said this. “ What’s gotten into you Adam, I would never tell Lydia to sabotage someone .” 

Beetlejuice’s eyes lit up and he grinned. “Delia has offered some pretty sound advice. We really don’t want to outshine poor Makenzie, do we?”  

Lydia side eyed Beetlejuice when he said this. Already so many voices were infiltrating her head. She could hear Adam, Barbra, Delia and her dad. It was a little messed up but it was what she had at this moment to deal with. “Everyone quiet for a second please. Dad, just put me on speaker.” Lydia asked, and quickly she could hear everyone in the room. They were louder and more frantic about this idea of Lydia playing a lead in a play.

“Now, Lydia, which play is it?” Barbra asked sweetly. Her voice hung in the air like a soft note played from a flute. 

“Uhm… Phantom of the Opera.” Lydia was soon met with feminine screeches, and gasps.

“Lydia, that's not a play, that’s a theatrical masterpiece of a musical! And you’re the lead? When did you learn to sing?” Delia shouted out with her high pitched and intense screaming. 

“Well, that’s the thing. I was just there to take pictures but then they cast me as the understudy because they liked how I sang one of the songs. Especially the lead. So yeah. That’s the short of it.” 

“Do I dare ask the real story?” Charles asked with a firm voice. Lydia’s eyes widened, already she could tell her dad was skeptical about this. 

“It’s fine, that’s basically how it happened.” Lydia looked at Beetlejuice who was trying his best not to laugh. “Anyways, I’m inviting you to see opening night.” Was simply what she put. 

“But Lydia, we want to see you play Christine!” Delia spoke once more. “And how do we get the Maitlands to see you perform?”

“Oh that’s simple.” Charles added. “I can pull strings and make it so that we can do facetime in the front row by the orchestra for them.” 

“Wow, Chuck’s going to bootleg his daughter’s performance. What a mad lad.” Beetlejuice chuckled once more to himself as he took note of what Charles said. 

“Listen, I don’t know when I’ll perform. Opening night as well as the rest of the week seems like it’ll be for-” Quickly, Beetlejuice placed a hand over her mouth and began to speak for her. His pitch matched her voice and he sounded exactly like her.

“What I meant to say is I’m not sure if they asked me to play opening night or not. Hold on I have a sticky note right here that says- Opening night, playing Christine- Yup! It’ll be opening night. Bring everyone! Love you daddy!” And then quickly, Beetlejuice hung up the phone. 

Lydia looked at the demon with disbelief, her eyebrows raised, and her mouth was wide open. “What the fuck Beej?” 

“What… Too eager?” 

“No! I don’t play opening night at all! And you didn’t let me get to talk to anyone else!” 

“Well this part of the story really needs to wrap up, so let’s just conclude with you yelling at me. That’s always fun. Lay it on me babes.” 

She was silent as she just continued to stare at him in disbelief. “You are already taking over the show and Rowan’s body. For the sake of anything that you possibly care about, let alone me… “ She hesitated and his smile dimmed. He was paying attention now. “If you care about me, you won’t do anything to Makenzie.”

He was silent. Arms to his side and he looked trapped. Caught before even doing anything. “I wasn’t going to do anything babes. Really I wasn’t. I know you and her are friends. She brought your voice out.” 

“Then why does it seem like you want to follow Delia’s advice and just… prevent her from performing?” Lydia looked like she was about to beg. Beetlejuice carried multiple facade’s when he stared at her. Wanting to reassure her, but he was also bad at lying. She could see his hair shifting between yellow and green. His poker face was becoming weak. 

“You already did something, didn’t you?” Lydia sighed heavily and weakly raised her hands in defeat. “What was it?” 

“Possession of course.” Admitting it, he looked like a puppy that got scolded for pooping on a rug. “Just like before when I had her suggest you for an understudy, I merely influenced Makenzie to suggest that you take over opening night so that all this possession stuff is over and done with. Hazel took it relatively well. So… Opening night is all you babes.” 

The room grew quiet, and there was no arguing, no laughter, no sign of a fight. Lydia merely crossed her arms and stared at her undead husband with eyes suddenly filled with bravery. 

“Fine. It’s like you said then. Let’s get all this possession stuff over with. Opening night is ours.” She reached her hand out to Beetlejuice, to which he grabbed and shook firmly. 

On the outside, this may seem like a game, but the play had begun as soon as their eyes met. The cast was made, and everything was in place. The time for the demon’s theatre was just about to begin, and Lydia would be at the center of it all. Merely what was left in the unknown was how Beetlejuice would lay out his theatrics, and what tricks he would pull. No one would know when anything would happen. You’ll be on the edge of your seat the entire time, dangling over a fiery pit, forced to hang on for dear life. The very fear of looking away may just cause a cold chill to run down your spine. Hidden beneath the smoke, lights, noise, and fear was nothing more than a man who simply wanted an answer. 

It’s the same story, but a different ending.

Chapter Text

The theatre seemed to breathe this evening. It was alive. Every patron who came into the building could almost sense it the moment they stepped foot inside. Parents, family members, friends, faculty members, or the bored college student filled up the house. It was simply astounding how many people merely showed up to see a story that was so commonly known, be performed by a college theatre troupe. Perhaps there were tales going around campus that this performance was to be something you wouldn’t want to miss. A story that would be worth the ticket and something to die for. 

Word spread quickly, and even a theatre attendee or two from New York streets would appear out of curiosity. Some as talent agents, and some drunk and merely curious for the talent the arts have to offer. Tonight's offer was going to be worth every penny. Especially to Charles Deetz who came in with Delia Deetz who was carrying two smartphones and talking to them as if they were physical people standing beside them.

“Delia, where did it say on the ticket our seat was?” Charles said as he made his way to the first couple of doors. There would be ushers would escort them to their seats, but Charles was especially nervous this evening and had to keep looking over his shoulder for Delia, Barabara, and Adam for a certain form of comfort.

“Charles, you have to relax. I told you several times on our way here. We are literally sitting on the pit. You will be able to hear her just fine.” Delia handed Charles the phone that had Barbara on it and smiled lovingly at him. “Here, just hold Barbara, and we can walk in like so.”

Strutting with full confidence, and a shaky man behind her, Delia had the tickets checked and they were lead to their seats that were marked ‘Reserved’. “See. I figure she would even have these reserved for us since you’re her father. Someone who pays for most of the things she has in her life. Even her college education. So the college has to at least grant you one thing or two like reserved seating that no one else can take from you.” Delia grabbed Charles chin and kissed his lips rather passionately. “Now sit your sexy sweet ass down, and get ready to just enjoy the show.”

As they sat down and held their phones in their laps, Charles couldn’t help but wring his fingers together. “I can’t help but feel like something is terribly wrong. When Lydia was on the phone, she seemed surprised that she was playing opening night. What was even stranger was how she didn’t tell us about her role until a week before the opening. I can’t help, as her father, but feel she is hiding something.”

“You don’t think it’s because of him do you?” Adam squeaked from Delia’s lap. The phone sat solidly in a little box like container to prevent it from moving or being obstructed. Both Barbara and Adam were going to be able to get a bootleg of a lifetime. The best part of this little box was that it was charging the phones at the same time.

“Him? Adam, you mean Mr. Beetlejuice?” Barbara said squawking up from Charles lap. At the name, it seemed this small group of strange and unusual people had their spines loosen and shiver all at once. “Obviously something was missing from this picture. Was I not the first person to think it?”

“It’s not that Barbara… In fact I think all of us were hoping that wasn’t the case. Lydia hasn’t been complaining about him at all for the entire semester. Usually she has one or two things to say, but she’s been silent.” Charles looked from the phone to Delia. “You don’t think it actually could be… the freaky demon could you?”

“Charles you need to relax. They are married, remember? There is nothing any of us could do about it. We could pull our hair out, scream, fast, but the dead wouldn’t bat an eye. Lydia didn’t even seem to care when she learned. I saw a smile on her face actually. She seemed happy to know that her best friend wasn’t going to be leaving her.” Delia smiled and poked at Charles' cheeks.

“How is it that you are so alright with their relationship Delia? He’s clearly dead, a demon, and… well… “ Adam kept trying to find words but Delia raised her hand over his screen to silence him.

“She’s a grown up woman now, remember this. I remember when I was her age and I had older men ogling over me. Exploring yourself at a young age is rather fun if you ask me.” Delia gave a little laugh before she gave Charles a couple of flirtatious blinks. “All teenagers do something stupid, and her stupid thing was to marry a creepy old guy. That honestly tops what I did.” She gave off a laugh as she remembered some silly things she did when she was much younger. 

“Uhm… Delia, do I want to know?” Charles asked.

“Oh bubby. Don’t pretend you don’t already know. How else do you think I learned how to do that move on you last week?”

“Jesus Christ.” Charles gulped and he could feel perspiration at the corner of his face already. 

“So… If it was Beetlejuice, Lydia would tell us?” Barbara asked softly. 

“Most definitely. But she didn’t, so maybe he’s just in the background?” Adam added. 

“But wouldn’t that also be suspicious? He can’t just sit on his hands without doing something to my daughter.” Charles gulped, causing all three to hush him. 

“There there sweetheart. Listen, if anything, he’s probably in the wings cheering her on. As friends do.” Delia smiled once again, trying to offer her husband a comforting thought before the show would begin. “Now do me a favor. When this show begins, don’t stress too much. You know what happens when you do that Charles.” 

“My heart palpitates?” 

“Your heart palpitates and then you have a heart attack, and then you die. So calm down. Okay?” Kissing his cheek, Delia felt proud of her somewhat calming words. She was here to support her step-daughter god damn it, and she wouldn’t let any idea of ghosts, possession, or demons stop her. 

“15 minutes till curtain!” Came a voice that shouted down the hall. Everyone in their dressing rooms were popping in and out, grabbing props and running to where they needed to be. However, Lydia just sat at the vanity mirror, staring at her ring. She had taken it off while she was putting on the ballet outfit for act one. She knew she had to put it back on so that Beetlejuice would be able to do his work around the stage, but if she put it on then he would also be able to possess Rowan. Things were just not fair in this situation for her. 

Makenzie popped her head into the dressing room and smiled at Lydia, who still appeared to be frozen. “You almost ready? That wig doesn’t look so secure.” Coming behind her, she found the wig strap and began to tighten it and pin the hairpins into Lydia’s wig cap. “There, now you look perfect Miss Deetz. Oh, I should say Miss Daae.” She giggled, and tried to elicit some sort of reaction from her gothic and silent friend. 

“Opening night chills?” Makenzie asked slowly. She took a seat beside Lydia, placing a hand on her shoulder to offer for some comfort. 

Lydia looked at her and simply raised an eyebrow. “Not really? I’m just still wondering why you wanted me to do opening night when you’re in perfect health?” Lydia already knew the answer. Beetlejuice had persuaded Makenzie to make Lydia the opening night Christine so that ‘the demon’ would only appear once and get it over with. 

“Well…” There was the pause. She looked around the room and then found Lydia’s eyes once more. “Everyone on campus knows me as the singer. I’m what they call a triple threat. But people need to know that about me eventually, otherwise how am I going to graduate and really find a proper Broadway show?” 

Lydia raised her eyebrow in a manner of disbelief and called for Makenzie to continue her little story. 

“I can sing, but everyone usually just knows me for that. I can do more than that. I’m an actress as well. But I’m also a dancer.” As she said that, Makenzie stood up and showed off the pointed ballet shoes to Lydia. “These are my own from home. I have always done dance since I was little. So even if I don’t sing the lead, I will be performing a major dance lead instead.” 

“Meg… You’re performing Meg?” Lydia’s voice sounded a bit off as she questioned this. But it started to connect. 

“Yeah, why not? Christine dances only for a few minutes in Act one, and then again right at Masquerade. But… as Meg I can do so much more! Plus…” Makenzie scooted closer to Lydia and grabbed her hand in a comforting manner. “We’re those best friends who stick together. Call it method acting.” Another laugh from Makenzie as she smiled warmly at Lydia, who eventually offered back a laugh. 

“Okay, well… I was under the assumption you only wanted me to do opening night to get this ghost demon thing over with.” Lydia sighed as she grabbed her ring and played with it between her fingers. 

“What difference would it make if you played Christine tonight, tomorrow, or next week? Getting it over with is the same as just doing it. You are playing a part, and basically this demon friend of yours is too. You just need to play along. If you think about it, the demon would only come out when you played Christine. So I could play her all the time and delay it. Doesn’t that sound like an easier thing than just getting it over with?” Makenzie said as she looked at the ring being slipped onto Lydia’s finger. 

Lydia’s eyes quickly flashed to Makenzie when she offered that idea. “Okay, then why opening night?” 

“Because you deserve to be heard.” A pause. “You have a beautiful voice Lydia. Most people on campus know you for your pictures. Now they will know you for your voice as well.” 

“And the creepy things that follow me wherever I go according to Claire.” 

“Whatever Claire says doesn’t matter, does it? She’s known you longer, yes, but does she actually know you?” Makenzie stood up and offered her hand to Lydia. “We have about five minutes till curtain. Are you ready?” 

Lydia’s eyes scanned around the room. She could already feel a slightly colder presence on her now that the ring was on. His freedom was given to him, and surely now at this point he was looking at his audience and calculating the fear meter. Taking Makenzie’s hand, Lydia offered a coy smile and nodded. 

“It's Showtime.”

The orchestral pit began to rumble as the music began to fight against each other and join together to create a symphony of sound. It traveled around the theatre with a light feathery tone when the song called for specific amplification on the strings and woodwinds, but then the whole room would feel as if the ground was shaking when the bass and brass instruments would kick in. The cacophony of music roared, and brought the chandelier up into the air as the prologue played out. The audience was immediately in awe. 

This was all simple parlor tricks for Beetlejuice. A little amplification here, and a bit of stereo sound there and the people would feel as if they were right on stage. He had to try his best not to be too excited with how he brought the music around the theatre, cause then he would probably have broken a few instruments. There’s practically half a ghost band down in the pit who don’t understand where most of the other instrument sounds are coming from. 

But the instrument that was Beetlejuice’s favorite to stir the crowd with was of course the organ. The orchestra was ready to use a keyboard and hook it up to an amp, but Beetlejuice managed to magic one into the theatre and hook it up to the house. Only he had access to it as a true phantom should. 

He watched from above on the chandelier. Deciding to himself on what scenes he specifically wanted to take over Rowan’s body. He already knew he wanted to secure one scene, but there were still two others he had to fill up in his appointment book. 

As the shrill screams that were the sound of Claire’s horrendous voice, Beetlejuice took that as his cue to knock her over with a few props. He kind of did it in a very smack about way too. Not only did a scene curtain fall on her, but one or two bugs that were chilling up in the rafters of the theatre. He thought they deserved a nice resting spot in her nappy overpriced wig. 

Licking his lips, Beetlejuice stared at the stage as they pushed Lydia to the front. This was her moment. She was able to pass some dancy-pancy scenes, and now she had to sing. His tongue slithered out and licked at his dry lips as he waited in anticipation to hear her voice. He wanted to know how much the audience would adore her. 

Her voice started to come out in a soft tune. It was the shy type of singing you’re supposed to be doing with this type of acting. “ No, not good enough ” Beetlejuice thought. Reaching his hand out, he was able to push her forward with an invisible tap on her hip. It seemed to frighten her enough that her back straightened up. She had a look as if she just remembered what she was doing. And then she let it take hold. 

The swarm of ballet dancers surrounding her and placing on the larger dress was almost like a magic trick Beetlejuice has done a few times for Lydia. She was a late sleeper, so getting out of bed and getting ready was hard. It’s always helpful to have someone get you dressed with a snap of their fingers. 

Lydia stepped forward, in the warm spotlight, with her voice carrying the song “Think of Me”. The small shawl in her hands was able to help hide some shaking fingers, but she was still stunning. Beetlejuice leaned in closer to look at her, all while dangling by a cord on the chandelier above the audience. He could hear her perfectly. She sounded perfect. 

“Think of me, think of me waking silent and resigned. Imagine me, trying too hard to put you from my mind. Recall those days, look back on all those times. Think of the things we’d never do. There will never be a day when I won’t think of you!” 

The swell of her voice caused Beetlejuice to think on a whim. Just as the symbols crashed together on the last line, he had to make this scene more about them. His way of telling her “think of me…”

The burst of green energy started at the front of the stage and began to crawl around like fog with a mind. It sprouted strange flowers that bloomed with a vibrant red and black. They seemed to shimmer in the light that Lydia was under, and once at her dress, set it ablaze with shimmer. She almost seemed to glisten like a diamond sparkling in the sun. Her eyes were full of wonderment when this sudden quick change happened. 

Honey brown orbs shot up to the chandelier where she saw a small green flash, and there she saw a grin in the dark. It was hard to see due to all the spotlights, but it was there. Looking back down, she noticed as soon as Monty stopped singing, the flowers were fading.

“ Flowers fade… The fruits of summer fade …” She continued to sing.

It seemed the flowers were there for only a brief moment, but they served their purpose. They were only glitterbuds. Neitherworld flowers can never last that long in the living world anyways. 

Soon enough the song was over, and Beetlejuice had to reset the stage for scenes that were moving forward. Snapping his fingers, props moved and it was eventually time for Christine to go complain to Meg about some angel that has some obsession with singing. Leaning his cheek on his hand, Beetlejuice simply watched the scene play out where Makenzie and Lydia sang the sweet duet. 

Then it hit him. There was a particular scene he wanted to have with her. Poor poor Rowan would feel so ashamed to not get this moment, but Beetlejucie would be able to have it forever. One of the most intense and sensual scenes in the entire show. The music of the night was going to be his. 

Everything was going relatively smooth. Rowan was about to come on, and the only thing Beetlejuice had done was make her dress look like someone at a jewelry store threw up on it. Wrapping herself in the nightgown and stepping into the “dressing room” set, it was almost time to be abducted for the evening. Oh joy. 

Lydia was taking deep breaths and just wondering to herself “How the hell did I get this far without falling all over myself?” And then she had to think back to Beetlejuice keeping that constant undead eye on her. He probably was making sure nothing would go wrong, and if something did, he would cover it up with something else to distract the audience. 

“Little Lottie, let her mind wonder.” Monty’s voice was smooth and like velvet, and he came into the room holding a rose. Lydia had to play up the act. “Yes this is the guy I fell in love with years ago as a little girl. He is now in my dressing room to congratulate me and take me out to dinner, but I have a lesson tonight with the Angel of Music so I have to tell him no.” 

Once Monty had left the stage, there was that eerie silence. Almost like Lydia felt alone on the stage. She couldn’t help but look around in a quick panic, wondering if someone would just bounce at her and tell her this was all a dream. Then she heard the strings. Nope, it’s just the same nightmare. 

However, there came a point in this nightmare where she had to remind herself that she could never trust Rowan in any of his scenes. It could be Beetlejuice. And just like that, she heard Rowan’s voice. It was booming. Angry. Demanding. It didn’t sound sweet like Monty’s voice.

“ Angel I hear you, speak, I listen- ” Perhaps this is Beetlejuice? “ Stay by my side. Guide me. ” 

The music had then softened, and so did the voice along with it. It became welcoming and warm. But yet there still was a lack of sweetness. Following the orders of Rowan’s voice, she looked at the mirror, and watched it slide open to reveal Rowan in full Phantom get-up. 

Walking toward him, all while singing, felt wrong. It gave her stomach a churning feeling, and she felt afraid. It was a good thing no one in the audience could see her face, because when she looked into his eyes she was giving him the look of confusion. Wondering who this man in front of her was. 

But to Rowan, that was the whole point. However, Rowan also understood her expression. She was probably wondering if he was possessed yet. And to be honest, he wanted to know as well. Because at this moment as the lift was bringing them up to the first of three catwalks, he felt like his only moment with her was now. His only moment to have freedom to love her was now. The possession of a love struck boy was corrupting him, and this was his only opportunity to let the method acting slip out. 

Halfway down the second catwalk, Lydia was able to relax slightly, noticing Rowan seemed to be acting as if it was his regular self. If it were Beetlejuice, he would be making this more theatrical. Doing magical acts to shock the audience and scare them in their seats. More fire and smoke. This was just Rowan. 

The title song became fun at this very moment. Sitting in the gondola and being carried down to the front of the stage as if on water. Candles all around them, and the scenery of gothic and worn architecture was dimly lit. Lydia had to still act in this moment once the audience was able to get a good look at her face once more. Being at the front of the stage meant you couldn’t really hide features when far away. Her face became that of a woman who was enchanted by this Phantom’s voice. Intrigued on where she was, and yet awestruck by the beauty of the music that carried all the way down to this supposed opera lair. 

As soon as Rowan had stepped out of the gondola, he seemed to almost trip, but quickly caught himself. There was a strange way he tilted his head before he turned to look at Lydia. She was too caught in character to notice that those eyes had turned yellow. 

The entire theatre was silent as these two stared at each other. It was so quiet that if someone dropped their phone, that entire phone could be heard through the theatre. Then Beetlejuice would probably break it, then kill that person for bringing their phone. 

Reaching out his warm fleshy hand, the possessed Rowan began to sing “Music of the Night”. But of course, there was something completely different this time. That face of adoration he was making a few moments ago had seemed to up and vanish, and was replaced with something more familiar. It was a smile, then a repeated head tilt. 

Lydia opened her mouth slightly when she caught on to who was singing for her at this moment. But she still had to play along. Act unknowing. Act mystified. She reached out her hand and grabbed onto his. He pulled her from the gondola and began to dance around the set to show her all his little tricks and trinkets. 

It was strange to hear Beetlejuice sing a song this romantic and sweet. At moments, Lydia forgot what she was doing and simply listened to him singing. Of course this was still Rowan’s voice, but all the same it was Beetlejuice who was singing. He could easily make it his own if he wanted, but he seemed to want to keep the audience engaged still. Nothing too fancy. Not yet. 

He could even tell she was staring at him. Her attention on him gave him encouragement to do more, and try more. He got her to smile, and change her expression a few times here and there. She was caught in his little song and dance. But had she forgotten? 

“ Close your eyes, start a journey through a strange new world- ” As if by magic with these words, Beetlejuice was able to manifest an orb that showed the entirety of the Neitherworld. A place Lydia knew and had traveled with Beetlejuice often. He brought it closer to her and it seemed to hover just a few feet off the palm of her own hands. He was really playing up this mystical act for the audience. From an audience’s view point, that small hovering red orb looked like nothing but a red light made with smoke and glass. 

But right at the palm of Lydia’s hands was a place she had escaped to with Beetlejuice so many times when she was younger. It was a strange world. 

“ Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before! ” The orb had vanished, and Lydia swung around to see the possessed Rowan staring at her from behind the prop organ. 

“ Close your eyes and let the music set you free! ” His fingers came down onto the prop, but a sound that rumbled the stage had come out. It caused Lydia to take a few steps back, but she was still in awe all the same. And he came closer to her. Slowly ever so slowly till his hands had reached hers. “ Only then can you belong to me .” 

A shiver ran down Lydia’s spine as she watched the yellow serpent like eyes bore into hers. It was like he was pulling her soul out from her very body right from the tips of her fingers. Moving her hand up to his face, he continued the song, all while never breaking the eye contact. 

“ Floating, falling, sweet intoxication. Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation. ” He began to pull her toward the large mirror that Lydia knew that inside was supposed to be a mannequin with a wedding dress on. Everything felt like a strange deja vu suddenly, and her breath was starting to rapidly pick up. 

“ The power of the music… of the night .” Turning her to the mirror, she saw a flash of herself back when she was sixteen. There she was smiling. In a red wedding dress. This was no mannequin. She was looking into a portal of the past. It was her literal past self. However, the audience saw what was supposed to happen. A simple mannequin with a white dress and veil on with a replica of the wig Lydia was currently wearing. 

Her feet gave way, and Beetlejuice quickly caught her. There was a small laugh to himself, knowing that he had accomplished his goal in bringing back the memories he wanted her to regain. He brought her over the the throne and wrapped a red blanket around her and ran a finger softly down her cheek. He had to give this body up in a moment. But all the same, the first part of his little deal was done. 

Just before fading out from Rowan, Beetlejuice knelt down at Lydia’s side and held a hand that stuck out from the blanket. “ You alone can make my song take flight… Help me make the music of the nigh t.” Carrying the note as long as he could with these mortal lungs he was borrowing, he launched himself from Rowan and took his respectful seat back onto the chandelier to watch the boy regain consciousness. He did well, quickly getting back to his feet and running to the organ. 

Beetlejuice couldn’t help but smile at Rowan for being able to make such a speedy recovery. But what pleased the demon the most was noticing the disappointed face on the boy once he had realized what scene he had lost. “It’s my game… it's my wife. Get used to it.” Chuckling to himself as the scenes once again switched. 

Chapter Text

Lydia has remained motionless. She was sitting on a throne with a thin sheet covering her form, and she breathed as if she was almost trying to play dead. The scene was playing over in her head like an event you couldn’t get over. It was on repeat, a constant loop that wouldn’t seize. For a moment she thought it was Beetlejuice playing with her mind, but she recalled he never really has done anything spectacular to her on purpose; only to the people or objects around her. 

She had to sit there, and wait for the cue for her to begin the next song where she would wander across the stage to the phantom and remove his mask only to see that she was led to a lair by a monster. But it almost felt like no music cue could wake her up from this perpetual feeling she had in her stomach. It wasn’t fear, nor was it excitement. It was something similar to that she had felt back when she first met Beetlejuice. 

A kind of desire to fade away. To be rid of the problems that had been created around her. She had never asked to be on stage, nor even ask to be in a major performance as the lead. This was all his doing, and she had to be in the front seat of his newest funhouse rollercoaster. Only this time, she wasn’t a passenger, but more like the star. Lydia wondered to herself what her dad, Delia, and the Maitlands could make up of that scene. 

Beetlejuice appeared, but in the body of Rowan, and had shown her the past. Revealing to her the Neitherworld which has since been visited by her for years! He even showed her the red dress she had worn the day she “married” him. But did the audience see it as well? They all seemed to have just clapped and enjoyed how he sang! 

Rowan’s voice was coming from his mouth, but at the same time it was the spirit of Beetlejuice creating the sound and the words. Lydia wondered how Rowan was feeling. If he felt sick, or tired. Perhaps he felt dead inside, or once again angry with all these human emotions that Beetlejuice only gets to feel when inside a living person? 

Then Lydia heard the cue from soft chiming bells. The masquerade song that would lead into Christine’s first song in the Phantom's lair. Lifting her head, Lydia looked around slowly as if no longer being possessed by a sleep paralysis demon, and stole her gaze to the chandelier where she could see the yellow eyes piercing at her. Delicate fingers removed the blanket and she stood up, laying the sheet back down onto the throne. 

Looking across the stage, there was Rowan who appeared to have a lot of sweat, and shaking hands as he pretended to play the organ. Her steps were delicate and light, and her voice came out like a whisper as she approached him. She felt chills all around her body as she got closer and began to reach for the mask on his face. The mask that hid the deformity that deemed him a monster. 

Tearing it from his face, Rowan pushed Lydia to the ground and began to shout out and sing his refrain beginning with “Damn you!” 

Holding onto the white mask and staring up at Rowan who was covering his face, Lydia couldn’t help but have these overwhelming urges to laugh at this little outburst. It reminded her of the times she would pull pranks on Beetlejuice and he would sort of flip out in a similar fashion- minus the singing and prancing around the stage. He would mostly just yell at her and she would stand there with a smug smile on her face. After he would finish his yelling they both would topple over and just laugh about the whole thing. 

Beetlejuice, from the chandelier, could see a small smile on her face as Rowan began to slow down the yelling and switch into the softer melody. He felt a smile on his face as well as he watched her genuinely start to enjoy the show despite being in it. 

Rowan turned to Lydia after looking in one of the mirrors on stage, and sighed heavily. His tone had seemed to change, and Lydia recognized this as he began to fall to his knees and move to her like he was going to engulf her. 

“Fear can turn to love, you’ll learn to see to find the man behind the monstrous, repulsive carcass who seems a beast but secretly dreams of beauty- secretly- secretly - secretly… Oh Christine.” 

Lydia’s eyes had widened after hearing those words, and wondered to herself why they never hit the way they did just now. Slowly, she handed back the mask to Rowan who had quickly placed it back onto his face. Feeling almost frozen on stage, she knew Rowan sang a little more but then everything had gone black. She was already being pulled off stage for the Prima Donna to take over. 

Rowan and Lydia went to the wings where Makenzie was waiting for them and smiled warmly at them both. “That was fantastic, you two! Rowan, you really performed with such passion for Music of the Night! It was almost like you were the phantom!” 

Rowan smirked and began to walk away from the girls. “Heh- probably was a phantom.” 

Both girls stared at him as he went away. He was still shaking and looked like he needed to sit down for a bit. However he had to get up to one of the rafters to read out one of the various letters he has been sending the Opera House owners. 

Makenzie was to be on stage with the Madame Giry since she would be substituting for Meg. But she still had to help Lydia to the dressing room. “You were singing really well. I’m really surprised with you. Will you be okay to be getting dressed in the page boy outfit?”

“Uhm.. Yeah. Not a problem.” Lydia replied, staring at herself in the mirror and slowly undid her lacy robes 

“You seem a bit out of it. Something the matter? Did he possess Rowan on stage and I missed it cause I was in the bathroom?” Makenzie said with a worried tone. 

Lydia gave a small laugh and then shook her head. “Uh.. well he did possess Rowan, but you said you saw Music of the Night. So I guess you weren’t in the bathroom for that.” 

“Oh? That was the ghost?” 

“Yeah, that was him.” Lydia began to move around to find the page boy outfit and wrap a binder around her chest to appear more like a man.

“He sounded…” Makenzie paused as she stood at the door, ready to leave to get on stage. “So passionate. Honestly it was something out of pure love almost? Like he really… I don’t know… Wanted you to actually hear every word.” She shook her head and then opened the door to exit. “What do I know? At least that’s one scene down! Just two more! He can’t have them all!” With a happy giggle she closed the door behind her and left Lydia to her devices in the changing room. 

“Can’t have them all huh?” Lydia stared at herself in the mirror only to be met with someone who didn’t look like her at all. It was a girl in a wig, pretending to be someone else just for the enjoyment of someone who put her in this spot. “Why me then?” Lydia simply said as she pulled the top over her head. 

The shrieking sounds that were Claire Brewster were almost coming to an end for Prima Donna, and Lydia had to get back to the stage. Running into the hall, she met with Monty who was on his way to the Box five stage room. He simply smiled at her and said “Can’t wait for the next scene. Romantic angst scenes are usually my favorites. Break a leg Lydia!” 

Almost stopping in place because of Monty’s words, Lydia just shook her head and just went to the stage. It was time to pretend to be someone else within a performance. An opera within an opera. However, being greeted with Claire in that ridiculous wig was almost enough to make her lose her cool and break out into a serious case of the giggles. 

The cast had walked onto stage and began to perform the miniature Opera, all while Lydia just had to keep her mouth closed. A silent role was ideal at this very moment. It allowed her to move her eyes wherever she wanted. And the spot she kept her eyes on was around the chandelier. 

Beetlejuice just seemed to be keeping up his act of playing along and working the mechanics of special effects. However, there was a special effect that was going to be more than special this evening in his mind. That little problem with Claire’s voice was going to be an outright gag! 

Once the first interruption had ended and Carlotta had fixed her voice, Beetlejuice had made it so her voice was completely different. In fact… it was his own. 

“Poor fool he makes me- “ a grunt and sputter then suddenly “Laugh! HAHAHAHAH!” 

Claire’s face contorted as she had recognized this voice come from her before a long long time ago. This time she wanted to control it, but it kept singing the part in it’s gross, growling, and deep tone. 

Lydia, however, had to clasp her hands over her mouth to prevent from laughing. This was almost nostalgic, but also too funny for her. The rest of the cast had to laugh at her as well because this was suppose to be a moment of hilarity and riot! The audience was even chuckling. It seemed the only person with a stone cold face was Claire who had already known who was up to this hijink. 

Without wanting Lydia’s demon friend to speak through her anymore, she ran off the stage and sputtered angrily while most of the cast followed her. Lydia remained on stage to be the one pulled up front by an Opera Manager. She was to take over the role. 

While downstage, she could see the look on her dad’s face and saw immense worry. She figured he would recognize Beetlejuice’s voice. Especially if it came straight out of Claire Brewster’s mouth. She hoped that he would think it was just a one time thing because of their childhood rivalry, but Charles seemed to have a face that raised questions. 

Gulping, Lydia quickly ran to the wings and she was being helped into a light dress and robe while the ballet was happening behind her. She watched at the Joseph Buquet character began the comedic walk across the rafter while being chased by the Phantom. He was to drop while on a harness, and a noose around his neck. 

However, something didn’t feel right at all. In fact, something was completely wrong. There was always suppose to be two shadows, and yet there was only one up on the catwalk. Lydia’s heart began to pound, and she went over to Hazel to ask where Rowan was. 

“Rowan? He should be up on the catwalk with Jeremy? They’re about the drop Jeremey.” 

“He has a harness right?” Lydia said with extreme concern. 

“Duh? He’s a stuntboy and an actor, so we got him for Buquet. He puts the harness on as soon as he get’s on the catwalk. Why are you worried?” 

“I see only one shadow, Hazel. I don’t know if it’s Rowan or Jeremy.” Lydia’s voice was still, and serious. This caused Hazel to look at a camera that had the view of the whole stage on it from the back of the theatre. And she saw what Lydia saw. Only one shadow. 

“Okay, I’ll go see where Rowan is. You stay here. I’ll tell some tech crew to find out who is at the catwalk.” Hazel began to sprint off, and Lydia could only hear the string instruments become more loud in her ear. 

Everything was a crescendo that hung in the air as she looked up, desperately trying to see the person on the catwalk. Then she looked out into the audience and saw the yellow eyes were gone from the chandelier. “Fuck… Beetlejuice what the hell are you up to?” 

Suddenly the screaming began. Lydia’s head turned and saw a body with a noose around its neck hanging from the highest catwalk. It dangled for a few moments before dropping to the ground. Lydia’s eyes were wide as the cast on stage all backed away from it as if they had never seen the stunt performed like this before. 

There was laughter of the Phantom being played on a speaker around the theatre, but all Lydia could think to herself was ‘is this man alive?’. Makenzie quickly ran to Lydia who was frozen her her spot, and began to push her onto the stage. “You have to go and sing now!” 

“B-But who is that?” Lydia asked as her feet began to drag across the floor. 

“It’s a dummy I think? As soon as I approached it, it faded into dust. Get on stage!” She kept pushing. 

“But what about Jeremy?” 

“He’s the one who pushed it. Ask him about it later, okay? Go, sing!” Without anymore fighting, all the fear that had built up in her heart was used for this very moment. She ran to Monty with her breath shaking. She was almost afraid, and wondered if Beetlejuice actually just murdered a cast member for the authenticity of it all. 

The song of ‘Why have you brought me here’ was filled with fear and worry that it almost seemed like Lydia was finally in character. Perhaps this was merely the push Beetlejuice was going for to make her plunge into the character of Christine. A woman afraid of the man who is in love with her. A murderer, a monster, and a man. 

As the orchestra began to soften, it was just Monty and Lydia on the roof of the Opera house. Her chest was moving quickly, breathing heavily, and looking out desperately to the chandelier for some evidence of Beetlejuice still watching her. 

Monty came close behind her and grabbed her hand in reassurance, but Lydia jolted up and looked into his eyes with genuine worry. 

“ Raoul I’ve been there… to his world of unending night. To the world where the daylight dissolves into darkness. Darkness. ” Her eyes moved from the ground and then shot back up to the audience and up to where his yellow serpent eyes would be. Waiting to be, and watching here. But they weren’t there. She looked desperately out into the audience for him. 

“ Raoul I’ve seen him… Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that shape so distorted, deformed? It was hardly a shape in the darkness. Darkness. ” 

A beat. And then she saw him. He wasn’t smiling, but merely watching. Gazing at her with gentle eyes and a partially opened mouth as if to tell her to go on. She wanted to hear him speak, or at least tell her that he didn’t do what she just witnessed. 

“ Yet his voice filled my spirit with a strange sweet sound- in the night there was music in my mind. And through music my soul began to soar! ” A beat. “ And I heard as I’ve never heard before .” 

Monty offered up a consoling verse, but then it turned to Lydia once again looking back at her demonic husband who stared back at her with an eager gaze. “ Yet in his eyes… all the sadness of the world. Those pleading eyes, that both threaten and adore.” 

Then she saw him smile. It looked warm. He looked happy. Something in her stomach was churning and she tore her face away. Why did the words have to match with him? This was something that just matched him too much for her liking. Soon enough she was in Monty’s arms, and she was being consoled with the lover’s duet. 

Wondering to herself as to why Beetlejuice never was jealous of this song, she made a few glances at him every once in a while to see him simply just looking at her with a smile. 

The finale soon crashed over them and the pair shared a passionate kiss, marking how Christine and Raoul now were in love and desired to protect each other. The kiss was nothing to bat an eye at since Monty was really good with making something look full of vigor and love. 

His hand caressed Lydia’s cheeks and he kept a firm grip on her waist. He spun her around as if she was a princess, and they brought their voices together in a loving harmony. Lydia was having fun through it all. She felt like she was actually putting on a show, and she had the voice of a star. The character of Christine really began to resonate within her now. 

The two actors ran off stage and Rowan had appeared for the reprise. Lydia watched from off stage while they began to dress her up in the bizarre outfit Claire was just previously was wearing. But she listened, and watched. 

“I gave you my music. Made your song take wing. And now, how you’ve repaid me. Denied me and betrayed me. He was bound to love you when he heard you sing- Christine.” Rowan gripped tightly to his chest as he began to replace this solemn voice he carried with hatred once he heard the echo of the song play back. He gestured to the chandelier and then stood directly over a trapdoor on stage. “You will curse the day you did not do! All that the phantom asked of you!” 

And like that, he dropped into darkness. Lydia was once again being pushed onto stage while her mind was still trying to comprehend what had just happened. She had to pretend to bow because she had just finished performing as the understudy for Carlotta. Then the voice burst from all around the theatre. 

It was angry, and full of fury. Looking at the chandelier, it began to spark and burst into flames as it plummeted towards the audience and the stage. Lydia was being pulled back and watched as it crashed into the stage, but there was no shrapnel to be seen, nor any damage at all. And within a flash, the chandelier was back above the audience, but glimmering anew. It was already decorated with new bobbles and lights. 

The curtains had closed and Lydia could hear the audience clapping and cheering. Her heart was still beating fast after what she had just witnessed. All of it replaying in her mind. She looked around and finally saw Hazel and ran up to her. “Who was up on the catwalk?” 

Hazel had a face of puzzlement when she was processing Lydia’s words, and then she grabbed Lydia’s hand and pulled her aside. “When I checked, there was on one up there at all. I thought it had to be either Rowan or Jeremy, but Rowan was backstage getting ready to whine and cry about losing the girl of his dreams.” Hazel took a breath and watched as cast and crew members left the stage and prepared it for act two. 

“I then went to search for Jeremy who happened to be tied up in the green room.” 

“What was he doing?” Lydia responded. 

“No, I mean he was actually tied up. Apparently a man with dark brown hair came back there and told him that he would help him get his harness on, and instead tied him to one of the old chairs in there. Then the man left with the noose.” Hazel looked down at her feet and then at Lydia who continued to carry a confused expression. 

Makenzie then came around the corner, barely out of breath, but ready to help finish the story. “There you are! You did great… Oh hey Hazel!” 

“Hey Makenzie. Uhm… Kind of talking to Lydia.” 

“I know, but I feel like she should know this about the body that fell onto stage when we were all expecting Jeremy’s stunt performance.” Makenzie responded. 

Both Lydia and Hazel shared a look and Makenzie then sighed. “It’s a good thing I was on stage. Anyways, the body that came down was completely dust. Once it made contact with the ground, it had vanished and there was no trace of it. Not to mention- it didn’t even have a face. I thought we switched to dummies but the body looked too real. So… Then I thought it might have been a change Lydia’s demon made.” 

Lydia blinked as both girls looked at her in unison. “I… I didn’t see him where he usually sat in the audience at that time so it must have been him.” 

“Well that was some trick. Not to mention a great effect. What came from it caused you to almost go into a full spiral and launch you into the character completely. Maybe he did it out of good intention?” Hazel asked. 

“Could be? I mean- it wasn’t a real body and what we got in the end of it was some amazing special affects that could dazzle any theatre goer.” Mackenzie added. 

Lydia was floored at them both as they defended Beetlejuice. He basically tied a cast member up, took their place, and threw a fake body down just to scare Lydia into a more method acting style of Christine. Then there was a smile on her face. Then a giggle. “He’s still playing with me. It’s all a game to him.” 

“What?” Hazel seemed confused at that point. 

“It’s a game. We pulled pranks on one another when I was much younger. Now it seems this is his biggest game yet where he’s pulled us all into it. You have to give it to him, it’s been fun so far.” Lydia added, but was quickly interrupted by Rowan. 

“But then how far will he go?” He approached them with a very upset and fuming Claire. “How far will your prank and game go just so that you two can get a laugh out of it?” Rowan seemed to carry the expression of worry and anger. It cause Lydia to feel uneasy. 

“They will probably go until we all have run from the theatre in nothing but our underwear. They are cruel and heartless.” Claire snuffed at Lydia and crossed her arms. 

Hazel and Makenzie seemed to share a look before giving Lydia a look of reassurance. Lydia dismissed it as she looked back at Rowan with a fighting gaze. “I don’t control him. I learned this years ago. He makes his plans as he goes and he does what he sees fit. If this is his game, then he has been winning since day one.” 

Rowan laughed and shook his head. “I guess you still don’t understand what the prize of his game is then do you. Since it was all on day one, the day he decided what he would do the moment you stepped foot in this theatre and met us all?” 

Lydia paused and thought to herself what Rowan meant by that. The endgame, the prize, the final showdown. The prize was always the most desirable thing to Beetlejuice. Last time it was merely being alive. 

“Oh-,” Makenzie paused and looked from Rowan to Lydia. “I think it’s Lydia herself. She’s basically the prize money that’s been played onto the table right?”

“Everyone to watch, see how much the owner of it is proud...build it up and raise the stakes.” Hazel added. 

“And when it comes down to the final showdown it’s going to be between the last two people who want the prize.” Claire added. 

Rowan nodded and then stepped away. He had nothing more to add. Claire, Hazel, and Mackenzie all looked at Lydia who was frozen still in place. 

“Damn… I wish a guy would go this far for me. It’s so stupid how Deetz get’s these creeps to like her, but like, they like her in a way that's so romantic that it’s sickening.” Claire added and then walked away, leaving Lydia with Hazel and Makenzie. 

Looking to them, she stuttered a small bit. “W-What do I do then? I have always just been this friend of his. And he was my companion. I never really thought he liked me that much, or in a romantic way at all. How could he? I thought he was just this perverted dead guy who made jokes constantly. I guess I just learned to… not listen.” Lydia’s eyes were on her feet as she recalled the words of the music once more. 

‘Yet in his eyes, all the sadness of the world. Those pleading eyes that both threaten and adore.’

“I guess… much like Christine… you’ll have to make a choice in the very end.” Hazel stepped away leaving only Makenzie with a worried look. 

She moved her lips to Lydia’s ears and she just softly whispered “I hope he doesn’t make the choice as difficult as it is for Christine.” And then she stepped away, leaving the lead actress alone in a frozen position. 

The second act was approaching, and Lydia had a quick thought. A worry, and a prayer. “Would he really do all of this just to threaten Barbara again? But she’s not here. Who then would he have cause to endanger the life of?” 

And there, above her in an invisible mist was the man who was deep in her thoughts. A grin that belonged to a clown, and eyes of a snake had laced themselves to the undead façade. There would be a small laugh, and then it soon faded into music.  

Chapter Text

The house lights had gone up, and the many whispers in the theatre began to rise. The audience was quite a buzz with excitement and curiosity as to why the show was so extravagant or had such amazing effects. Then there were other audience members who sat almost frozen in their seats with fear and concern. There was something amiss, and it disturbed them. If you haven’t guessed already, that would be the Deetz’s and the ghosts who viewed the show through their smart devices. 

Charles was completely frozen in his chair while Delia was still trying to absorb the entirety of the first act. What seemed to be happening on the phone lines was Adam and Barbara having some sort of buzzing conversation. Either they were excited like the crowd behind them, or they were brewing up theories as to what the hell they all just witnessed. 

Finally, Delia spoke. "So, I’ve been to the Broadway show a couple of times, and I don’t remember there being those kinds of effects for the first act. The flowers? That strange chandelier drop? Not to mention the corpse. That was a corpse right?”

Charles turned his head slowly to look at his wife, and there was a small squeak. “I.. Ahem, I don’t really know? It’s a college performance so I don’t know where they would get the budget to get that kind of staging? Not to mention, there was a strange look in Lydia’s eyes the entire time.” Charles paused and Delia gave him a look of curiosity. 

“Now Charles, you know she always has that look in her eyes. She’s your strange and unusual daughter. What makes now any different?” Delia questioned. 

“The fact that I know my daughter probably helps. Not to mention… I saw either a look of anger or disgust in her eyes whenever those strange things happened on stage. Like she didn’t expect it to happen, nor was she prepared to see it to be presented in the way that it was. You know?” 

“Me and Adam have a theory.” Barbara quickly chimed in. Charles and Delia quickly looked at the ghost through the phone and their eyebrows quirked up. 

“Well, we already know that she keeps him around. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s doing this.” Barbara stated with a little venom in her mouth. 

Charles quickly launched himself from his chair and stood up out of fear and the want to protect his daughter from that silly demon with the crazy hair. “I won’t allow it. This is supposed to be her night.” 

“That’s the thing Charles… I don’t think she planned on this to be her night exactly.” Barbara added once more. “I think she… and…. He…. there….. I…. then…” Barbara was quickly cutting in and out, and so was Adam. Both Delia and Charles stared at their phone with surprise and haste to try and fix the signal but it was too late. It died before they could even get outside to try and find a better connection. 

“Damn phone…” Charles said, placing himself back in his seat. “Now it won’t even turn on!” 

There was a rumble and then a laugh behind the Deetz’s. A familiar laugh that sent shivers down their spine. Then a small whisper that crept into their ears saying “ Oh don’t worry about that boring couple. It’s time to focus on the real couple of tonight. If you want to see how this ends, I promise you will want to stay in your seat. Any wrong move could just mean a fatal incident. And you already know how I feel about the whole being dead thing.”

Both of their eyes went wide, and they looked forward back to the stage. Know they knew for certain it was Beetlejuice. But they didn’t even know his intention as to why it had to be this show or why he had to be messing with it in the first place. Barbara seemed to have a theory- but he cut her off before she was able to say anything. Soon the crowds of laughter and cheers for the second act to begin filled the theatre up once more and the house lights flashed to offer a signal that the show was about to begin. 

Back at the Maitland's home, Barbara kept trying to redial Charles but there was no use. Adam sat in the corner of the attic with his arms crossed and already sunk with the feeling of dread. 

“It really does blow to be dead. We can’t be there to support Lydia, and now Beetlejuice is in the picture and is doing something that could possibly endanger everyone in that entire theatre!” Adam threw his hands up and walked over to his wife. “What can we even do? We’re just stuck here.” 

Barbara turned around to face her husband and clasped her hands on his cheeks to smoosh them together and silence him. He looked a bit like a chipmunk like this, but it was effective nonetheless. “Adam, shush. I know we can’t do anything. But the least we can do is try to find out why that creepy perv is messing with the show. I have a theory but I need you to understand how I got there too. Okay, just… follow along with me.” 

Adam nodded and watched Barbara closely as she began to stand in the center of the attic, trying to think of a way to explain her conclusion. “Okay… so, do you remember what happens at the end of the show?” 

Looking at her, he put his finger to his chin and began to think. They already saw the first act and that was basically a layout of what was going to happen. “If I remember correctly from the time we watched the movie, I’d say… she ends up with Raoul cause that’s the good guy and the Phantom dies. Alone. It’s quite sad. I remember crying more than you which seems a little unfair now that I think about it.” 

“Focus Adam!” Barbara raised her voice which quickly caught his attention. “Also the Phantom didn’t die, he merely hid himself away.” 

“Oh. Right. I thought he died.” 

“Everyone is dying nowadays.” Barbara shrugged and then turned back to Adam. “How did they get there in the first place. Raoul being the good guy and all coming to save the day.” 

Adam wobbled back and forth and then looked back at Barbara. “Well… the Phantom basically kidnapped Christine right? And then he forced her to… Oh my God.” 

“There you go.” Barbara clapped her hands and smiled at Adam. “I think you get what I’m trying to say now, right?” 

“I believe so! This is basically like a mirror image of what had happened to Lydia four years ago! Beetlejuice forced her to marry him to save you!” Adam pointed at Barbara who gave a smirk and nodded her head. 

“Yes, and basically Christine is forced to marry the Phantom in order to save Raoul.” Barbara crosses her arms and then sighs. “It’s a perfect parallel event, and I see why he would find interest in it. What I can’t figure out is what he’s planning on doing during that scene with Lydia.” 

“What do you mean?” Adam asked, stepping closer to his wife. 

“Well, do you remember talking to Lydia the other day when we found out she was the lead?” Adam nodded. “She didn’t seem quite content with the idea. Almost like it wasn’t what she wanted in the first place. And if we know Lydia, the only thing she would have wanted from this whole thing would be-”

“To take pictures!” Adam finished for Barbara, and she pointed at him while another finger stayed on her nose to tell him that he was spot on. 

“Somehow she was forced into this production by Beetlejuice because she thinks it’s safe to keep him around regardless of what we or her parents tell her. And now…. Hell knows what is waiting for her.” Barbara sighed heavily. “My theory that I was trying to tell Charles was that Beetlejuice is probably going to pull the same shit again.” 

“Barbara!” Adam was shocked with her exploitive. She seemed to be swearing more often. But only whenever she was truly angry. 

“Sorry… It’s just. We’re stuck here, and they are stuck there, and there isn’t much we can do to help them. I just need to keep trying the phone.” Barbara moved back to the phone and dialed again. 

“Have you tried calling Lydia?” Adam asked with curiosity. 

“I wish I could… but Charles bought these phones for us as burner phones. They are just for this event more or less, and the only contact is him and Delia.” Barbara sighed heavily as she looked back at the phone. 

“Guess we’ll just have to keep trying then.” Adam shrugged and moved close to Barbara’s side to support her. 

Rowan sat at the back of the stage, waiting to go on as the red death. His heart was beating fast and his mind was racing with too many thoughts to count. The Masquerade scene had already started and all he could feel inside at this point was dread. There were moments he feared that he could be taken over at any second. Then there were moments of relief that he was able to have a scene all to himself with no fear. But they were still strange. 

Before intermission, while lamenting over Christine not loving him back and choosing Raoul, there was almost a spark of power piercing into his mind. It felt like electricity blazing around in his skull that quickly burned into anger. If that was Lydia’s demons doing, then it helped sell the performance. But if not, Rowan began to fear for his mental state.

Lydia and Monty came up to him before their que, and Rowan could only gulp when looking at them. Lydia in this frilly bright dress while Monty stood almost firmly like a solider. 

“Wow, you guys look stupid.” Rowan chuckled out. 

“I feel stupid.” Lydia replied as she readjusted the crown on her head. 

“I feel hot.” Monty shrugged. “I mean, this suit is really tight and the fact that it’s three layers of coat doesn’t help.” 

“See, I thought you were going to say something else regarding yourself.” Rowan added. 

“Well I do feel charming, but I am sweating at least three buckets right now. Sorry Lydia.” Monty apologized to Lydia for how his sweaty appearance might be in a later scene. 

“Don’t apologize. Believe me, I know someone far more sweatier than you, and who spits a lot too.” Both boys laughed at her response and she gave just a small chuckle. “You going to be alright Rowan?” 

“I’m not worried about myself, I’m more worried about you.” He replied reaching out for her, which was responded with her smacking his hand away. 

“Don’t. I’m the least of your worries. Honestly. It’s almost over.” Lydia whispered out. Monty began to pull at her, giving her the tug that let her know that it was their turn to make an appearance on stage. 

“It’s hard to worry about myself when I feel like I’m falling apart. I seem to only want to care about you.” As she disappeared from view, Rowan shook his head and sighed heavily. She didn’t hear him, but he could hear her. Her voice rang out loud and came into his ears almost like a songbird to wake someone up in the morning. It was like a new spark of energy was running through him. 

All the voices of the stage blended beautifully together. The dancing, and the magic that appeared made it seem like a real party. A spectacle of creatures all dancing with paper masks singing to the stars. As they waited for the Phantom to arrive on stage, there was another presence that no one other than Lydia could see.  

Her head kept turning to it, and she gulped a few times as he bounced from one end of the stage to the other. It played off well to the audience because it gave the illusion that “Christine” was in the crowd of masks looking around in fear. It was perfect for Beetlejuice. 

“Stop playing Beej.” She whispered out. 

“ Whose playing? You’re doing great babes!” 

He appeared behind her with a rugged grin and smiled. As she let out a small gasp, Monty grabbed her arm and pulled her into him for the big stage kiss that would escalate to the climax of the song. This was just strange for Lydia. Not her normal strange, but a more bizarre show feeling. She isn’t an actress, and she isn’t used to these stage kisses. 

There was an instinctive moment during one of the rehearsals where she slapped Monty during this kiss, but now she had her eyes wide open and had to try and calm herself down to try and make it look like a real kiss. “ This is Raoul. I am Christine. I love him. This is a good kiss. I need to relax.”  

“Can you?” A voice buzzed in her head

Drums. A rolling and trilling of a snare awoke her from this moment and she saw Rowan on stage with that mask. The mask that moved like a ventriloquist dummy. It was so bizarre to look at but she noticed something off about it. Was this a second possession? 

The voice sounded like Rowan. He moved like Rowan. And yet there was some sort of invisible string that clung to Rowan’s back that Lydia could make out. Stepping closer to try and see what was happening only caused her to change blocking and make other actors improvise some movements. 

“As for the star… Miss Christine Daae.” Rowan's voice hissed out as she moved closer. She found her feet frozen in place as his finger was raised and pointed directly at her. It was a deer in the headlights moment. 

“No doubt she’ll do her best, it’s true her voice is good. Though should she wish to excel, she has much still to learn. If pride will let her return to me, her teacher. Her teacher.” Rowan’s voice has calmed and it seemed to glaze to a soft tune. 

However, something in Lydia’s mind was still just searching for the mysterious puppeteer. Distracted by nothing more than what was above Rowan, her head was quickly grabbed by the chin and forced to face the red death mask. Behind it, all she could see was black. Almost like no one was truly in the suit. A pure shade of nothing walking amongst a crowd of people. The hands were cold to the touch. 

“ Your chains are still mine! You shall sing for me!” At that second, the entire costume collapsed onto the ground revealing that there was indeed no person inside the red death. Lydia stared at the cape and cavalier hat and could only hold her breath. Seeing this, she knew she had to run off stage so that Monty could talk to Madame Giry, so just like that, she ran off without making a single noise. 

She looked behind the stage to where Rowan was standing moments before and he was laying on the ground in just his normal Phantom costume. Lydia quickly fell down beside him and tried to get him to wake up. A few pats on the cheek then turned into a giant slap. That seemed to do the trick. 

“Ow what the hell?” Rowan hissed as he grabbed his cheek in pain. 

“You were possessed just now right?” Lydia asked, trying to find his eyes. All Rowan could do was try to remember the last thing before hearing his que but it was just that shocking cold feeling and then a dream as if he was on stage the entire time. 

“I… I don’t know?” Rowan still clutching his cheek looked at what he was wearing and seemed shocked. “Well… Maybe? I couldn’t have gotten out of that outfit that quickly. That thing takes ages to put on and take off.” 

“I know. So I thought I’d give you a little help.” Beetlejuice stood behind Lydia and grinned. She turned her head and saw him looking at Rowan with a smug grin. “And if you’re wondering babes, no… I didn’t possess him. It was him the entire time. It was a dream transferal shade. A little more complex than what I am used to but it was still him. Think of it as lucid dreaming, but this time you are seen when you walk around. All it takes is a little demonic touch and boom- shade body.” 

Lydia’s mouth was wide open and she couldn’t believe Beetlejuice. That had to count as a possession. That had to mean he had one left right? The demon was smiling at her and kept his arms crossed. 

“You cheated.” She said with a little hiss behind her teeth. 

“Ugh. No babes. I told yah. I didn’t possess the brat. I made him fall asleep and he lucid dreamt he was on stage performing his part. And he did! It made for a great quick change if you ask me. I don’t see why yer so angry about it. I still have two possessions left. So don’t be saying to this guy that it was a possession. It wasn’t. His perverted little brain knows when I’m in there.” 

Just as Beetlejuice was fading back into the shadows, Lydia tried to call back out to him but was quickly silenced by Mackenzie coming around the corner telling her she needed to change into the blue dress for the rehearsal and graveyard scene. 

Dropping Rowan’s head, she trusted that he would be able to get back on his feet without her help. Besides, there was fear that if she tried to help him anymore in this, Beetlejuice would null and void the three possessions and just take over for the rest of the show.

Chapter Text

After the masquerade scene, Lydia had to change her costume and prepare for the rehearsal of ‘Don Juan Triumphant’, and ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’. Upon reaching her dressing room, she saw Mackenzie playing with the blue dress and staring at herself in the mirror. Lydia was the first to break the silence.

“Are you alright Mackenzie? Shouldn’t you be on stage with Monty and Claire?” Lydia was thinking about the rehearsal scene being debated between a multitude of actors and dancers as well as Raoul, the Managers, and Carlotta.  

“Uhm… Well, you see. Lydia I was thinking…” She dragged her voice and then looked Lydia in the eyes with a tinge of guilt hanging on the ends of her lashes. “What if I take over for Christine now? After just witnessing the fake body and realizing the entire change of tone, I feel you would be safer if I took over.” 

Her words were honest, and what she was implying was switching places in case Beetlejuice would possess Rowan, pull another trick like the fake body, or shade walking. Lydia almost blurted yes, but she couldn’t for the life of her find the voice to say it. Lydia felt deep within her that this was something Beetlejuice and she had to settle. If Mackenzie stepped in, there would probably be more problems, and Rowan would no longer be the only one on the demon's list of possible casualties for this evening. 

Raising her hands up to pause Mackenzie, Lydia walked over and grabbed the dress from her carefully. “If you do that, I’m sure he’ll pick up on it easily. It won’t make me safer. In fact it would put you in danger. I think I’m the most safe one on that stage.” Lydia found herself saying in disbelief. 

Lowering her hazel eyes, Mackenzie gave a weak nod. “You’re right… I knew this position would be safer with you. I just want everyone to be okay, you know? After all these bizarre goings-on, I can’t help but feel all my hairs stand on end. It’s just endless goosebumps. Either from the literal spirit in the room, or from being on stage.” Giving a small laugh, she looked at Lydia one more time and smiled. “Okay, change and get back on stage. We’re almost done. We got this.” 

Charging out the room, and closing the doors, Lydia looked back at the door and felt a sense of ease as she had reassured her friend. If only all the other actors knew that Lydia wasn’t a target, but actually the show itself, then maybe people wouldn’t be so on edge and willing to take her place. 

Holding the parchment script of ‘Don Juan Triumphant’ in her hands, Lydia had to brush her fingers through the soft curly chestnut wig once more before stepping onto stage. They were all talking about Christine, and how she had to sing the part. If she didn’t then they wouldn’t be able to arrest this murderer, or even prevent him from taking Christine again. 

The words started to shake inside Lydia’s mind as she moved frantically about on stage, fighting against everyone saying she couldn’t perform. It felt so familiar. Put on a show, make someone believe something else to subdue them and prevent them from doing any more harm. It all relied on her since she was the target of it all. The one he wanted. 

She was shaken out of that frozen moment when Monty’s warm hands grabbed her arms and gently pulled her back into reality. Blinking for a few moments, she felt tears running down her eyes and Monty curiously, but still in character wiping them away. 

“Raoul I’m frightened. Don’t make me do this, it scares me.” She grabbed onto Monty and felt as if the ground below her was going to collapse. She turned her head to the audience and saw the yellow eyes gleaming behind sadness. Almost like they were smiling with tears themselves. Looking down she could see her father’s worried face and Delia looking at her and then to the chandelier above them wondering as to what Lydia was looking at. However, Charles’s eyes never looked away from his weeping daughter. He knew what real tears were after that moment in the Netherworld. He would never forget them. 

“Don’t put me through this ordeal by fire. He’ll take me. I know .” Blinking once at her father, she looked back at Monty and gave a weak smile through the tears. “We’ll be parted forever. He won’t let me go.” 

A chair was brought behind her and allowed Lydia to sit down, but her arms still clung to Monty for support. The floor still shook and her body felt as if she was about to collapse. She didn’t know where to look. From Monty, to her father, then to the eyes that gleamed sorrowfully.  

“What I used to dream… I now dread. If he finds me it won’t ever end. And he’ll always be there singing songs in my head… he’ll always be there singing songs in my head.” Lydia’s voice cracked on the second part of her song, and she gave a panicked look to Monty. But his smile was soft and reassuring. Wiping away one last stray tear, he gently sat on his knees so that he was face level with her. It was like he was comforting her beyond his own character. Actor to actor, seeing the pain behind the character and helping the other pass it through improvised moves and words. 

There was a small laugh under Monty’s breath before he sang Raoul’s part. “ You said yourself he was nothing but a man. Yet while he lives- he will haunt us till we’re dead.” The smile on Monty’s face faded, queuing Lydia to realize he was trying to get back into his character. Meanwhile all Lydia could connect in her head was that Monty never believed Beetlejuice was real. All the strange goings-on were just some masterful work of an effects man behind the scene. He denied the ghost rumors, and yet still humored them. But even still, he cares enough to see when a person is actually scared, even if he isn’t himself. 

With a deep breath, Lydia pulled herself up from the chair all while still keeping her hands on Monty’s for balance. She looked out into the theatre, this time not looking for the eyes, or staring at her family. This was her cry, and her connection to Christine that drove her insane. It was Lydia singing to herself. 

“ Twisted every way, what answer can I give? Am I to risk his life to win his chance to live. Can I betray that man who now inspires my voice. Have I become his prey? Do I have any choice he’s killed without a thought. He’s murdered what was good! I know I can’t refuse, and yet I wish I could. Oh, God, if I agree what horrors wait for me in this…. My demons opera.” 

The entire cast on stage was silent, and Lydia could no longer feel the floor beneath her shake. Looking around her, everyone was staring at her with disbelief. She had changed the lyrics. It fit, but she still had changed the song, and the meaning. No one could really understand what it truly meant, but she had changed the words? Who is “he” that she is risking “his” life? Who has this “demon” killed? What was “murdered” that was “good”? There were questions all floating in their heads. Monty ignored the silence and picked it up as if it was just a single mistake. Replying to her with all the adoration and love Raoul was to hold for Christine. 

“ Christine, Christine, don’t think that I don’t care. But every hope, and every prayer rests on you now!” Monty’s voice queued the orchestra to pick up once more, and Lydia found her feet at last, and ran to one of the wings of the stage all while screaming at Monty. She was defiant. She didn’t believe she could. Denying she could do the performance, denying she could help. 

Once through the side stage, Mackenzie had given her the blue cloak once again and offered a concerned look. Softly whispering “What was that? Are you alright?” 

Lydia knew her mic was still on, so she simply nodded her head and gave a thumbs up as if she had this all planned from the beginning. Mackenzie could see through that small farce and patted her shoulders.

“Okay, but just so you know… not a good idea to make up lyrics on opening night.” Mackenzie made a worried noise as Monty came up beside her and looked between the two girls. 

“Is everything alright? That was a strange change of lyrics, but I didn’t hate it to be honest.” Monty said to Lydia. 

Straightening her back, Lydia strode back onto stage leaving her friends watching her with their tongues in their cheeks. The feeling of Deja-vu started to kick in, and Lydia felt almost as if this was going to be another moment that Beetlejuice would secure as a possession scene. He did in the rehearsal, so why not again. With that as a thought, she was able to sing the song perfectly. 

The biggest difference from the rehearsal to now, being opening night, was seeing the look on her father’s face. Every mention of the deceased father in the musical, it seemed as if he felt it from where Lydia was singing. He could tell she was connecting this moment to her mother. The loss of a parent would be enough to tear anyone down from their towers. It’s a cruel reminder that life is fragile, and not eternal. Now he and Lydia had to live with that fact as a constant reminder. 

But at the end of the song, it was almost like a soft note that was sung and carried out in the air carrying Emily’s voice. Charles could hear so much of Emily in Lydia. He couldn’t help but tear up when she finished the song with “Goodbye.” Delia helped wipe away some of Charles’s tears with a handkerchief and they resumed to watch this proud moment of Lydia as the audience cheered and applauded for the young girl. 

After the quiet of the audience, Lydia stood and waited. Waiting for a cold breeze, some sort of laughter, or even that hallowed echo to be heard all around her. But nothing. She heard instruments, and then she heard Rowan’s voice. Nothing seemed off? But why? Turning her body to face the catacomb, she looked up to see Rowan with his normal brown eyes, and singing in a comfortable manner. He didn’t look disoriented or even as if he was being controlled. 

Lydia had a moment of curiosity but it had to quickly fade as she had to resume her part. If she didn’t she would quickly fall back to a statue-like figure, frozen and strange on the stage. No one paid money to see that. The song ‘Wandering Child’ played out normally, and Monty came in to save the day. There was no interference from Beetlejuice and all Lydia could do was stare off into space as the pyrotechnics went off and she was dragged off stage by Monty with hearing Rowan laughing in the background. 

Monty had to quickly return to the stage to have the police secure the theatre, but he waved his hand in front of Lydia a few times to see her lost in a sea of confusion. “Guess that broke her?” Monty leapt forward and jumped back onto stage to join the other actors. 

Rowan came around the corner and saw Lydia standing still and not getting into costume for ‘Past the Point of No Return’. Coming up to her, he waved his hand in front of her and still nothing. “Lydia? Uhm… Lydia you need to get changed.” 

Blinking a few times, she looked at Rowan and jolted for a second. “Were you possessed by any chance?” She asked as if she just ripped a band-aid off her leg. She needed to know so that she could figure out how many possessions Beetlejuice still had. 

“Uhm… strangely no. That whole scene was just me. To be honest, I should be as shocked as you, and possibly more scared because… It was only once he took over me right? Then that gives him-” 

“Two more scenes….” Lydia took a deep breath and looked back onto stage. She heard the echo of Rowan’s voice that was recorded saying “I’m here”, ring around the theatre. Looking back at him she shuddered. “Have you found any way or any idea to break through it?” 

“Uh… No? It’s pretty hard. It’s almost like you’re standing up with your eyes open, and you can see everything that is going on- but you aren’t controlling a thing. You can hear yourself, and visualize everything, but you don’t think. Thoughts are no longer yours, and neither is moving. So thinking of a way to break free is a no-go.” 

Sighing heavily with frustration, Lydia shook her head and gave a long look at Rowan. “Then if you’re aware of the moving, try to move in a different way. Say a different thing. Mess words up. Blink a lot. Fight anyway you can.” Lydia stormed off leaving a very confused Rowan behind her. 

Coming back into her dressing room, she saw the dress laid out perfectly. That wasn’t how she had it before. Maybe Hazel or Mackenzie laid it out like this. She would have to put the wedding dress on first though and tuck it beneath the black petticoat. 

“Need help changing babes?” A gravelly voice came from the mirror and Lydia could see Beetlejuice looking right at her. Reflected back as if he was sitting on her vanity chair and resting a hand upon his grimy cold cheek. 

“No… I can get this on.” Lydia said defiantly. She pulled the wedding dress from the rack and began to stare at the mirror. “Shouldn’t you be out helping with effects?” 

“Well… I would, but I noticed you weren’t changed yet. I usually come into your dressing room at least five minutes after you should be changed and ready, but you still haven't changed! What gives? Want to give me a little show first before the finale?” Beetlejuice teased and held up his hands playfully. 

“Quit playing and leave me to change.” Lydia said once again with anger rising in her voice.

Beetlejuice’s face became still, and softened into an emotionless face. Cold and uncaring. Snapping his fingers, the blue dress slipped off and was quickly replaced with the wedding dress, and tucked into the pink dress. Invisible hands pulled tight the corset readjusted her wig. Once she was changed, his face lit up once more. “That’s what I call a quick change! Cinderella’s mice can suck it!” 

Lydia stared down in disbelief as he had quickly changed her clothes in a flash. A single blink and she was in the next scene dress. “But… I told you…” 

“Ahhh, I said you weren’t changed when you were supposed to. You need to be on stage soon, scarecrow! You can’t miss this moment! It’s almost the end!” He said, clapping with excitement. “Oh, and please… Stop worrying about when or when not you’ll see me.” There was that familiar laugh that shook Lydia to her core. 

It made her body tremble with both fright and with anticipation. Leaning forward she looked at him in the mirrors and simply asked “What do you mean by that?” 

“Oh- It simply means…. It’s Showtime babes.”

The mirror that once held Beetlejuice’s reflection had misted up with a green fog and he faded away. The lights in Lydia’s dressing room flickered, and there was almost a rumbling sound that shook the entire room. The laugh lingered in the room, and Lydia’s heart was racing. It was exactly as Hazel and Mackenzie expected… She was his finale and his show.