Summary: Requested by JBlaser: BJ and Lydia don't listen when JB warns them not to go snoopy through her old trunks in the basement. After using the wrong spell on Claire Brewster, things go from bad to worse. And Lydia is the one who must pay the price!

Characters: Lydia, Beetlejuice, OC

Rating: T - Language, themes, and possible (cartoon) violence

TRIGGER WARNING: Some topics may be in the story, mentioned in detail, that may result in distress/ discomfort. Examples of these topics are suicide, abuse, or possible rape/ sexual harassment type situations. Please read at your own discretion.

Author's note: I own Nothing. All respective owners reserve the right to their respective materials. Bear in mind there may be some changes regarding the story that differentiate from the T.V. show/ movie. It's also slightly bizarre since I am still learning the personalities of each character and how to portray them. Feel free to check out some of my other stories. No overly rude comments tolerated. Enjoy.

Come-a-calling Mean Girls Called Claire

It was a beautiful, soft colored sunrise creeping over the land as the fresh smells of an October morning filled the air. Here, on top of the little hill in the distance of the tiny town of Peaceful Pine was a grand white house holding the artistic flare of the woman who lived there while simultaneously looking comfortable and calm to show the taste of the man who also shared its roof. That house could be seen from the outskirts of the forest that surrounded the residence. Behind that house on the second floor rested a window with a short balcony decorated by a gothic style gate wall. Just past that were the dark purple skeleton curtains hiding the room of a special girl named Lydia Deetz. Currently, she lay sleeping in her bed snuggled under the covers as the light overtook the land outside. Beside her on the night table was her favorite alarm clock. A closed coffin with the time shown on the light of the tombstone to the left of it. Beside it, on the right, an Igor character holding a sign displayed the date. According to its digits it was 5 o'clock, October 30th. Halloween was just a day away and the wonderful Lydia was more than prepared. Just past the foot of the bed, guarding the toy box stuffed with cloth and sewing supplies was a mannequin torso dressed in Lydia's hand sewn costume.

This year she had planned to go as her favorite character from a new movie she enjoyed; The Daughter of Mud Glob: Sinking the New World. Coming up with a way to make the costume both accurately and functionally was a difficult task since the character, whose name was Globrielle, had a dress made from her own bodies muddy substance that fell into an elegant trail behind her. Luckily, she hadthe help of the 'Ghost with the Most' and his 'Great Ghostly Ghoul'. Okay, so in all honesty, it was really more of Emilia Cordelia (also known as Lady JB) helping and Beetlejuice making jokes and catching bugs to eat. A routine Lydia had come to enjoy more and more everyday since she met the strange and unusual pair.

Speaking of which, on the other side of the room atop her wooden dresser sat Lydia's vanity mirror. In the right light during the haunting hours you could see shadows moving just beyond he glass. Shadows that belonged to the Neitherworld. In the Neitherworld, in the darkness just before the dawn, were many dangerous roads and paths. One particularly was left alone due to where it led- up a long, crooked, stone path stopping at the entrance of a large two- story building with a large sign over the main door reading "BJ's Roadhouse". A sign that could only mean to stay far away unless you actually enjoyed the company of said ghost. Which, there was one ghoul who did. So much so, she lived with him. A truly terrifying gal indeed according to the Neitherworld. Inside the house, up the winding stairs, past the heavy old creaky door was the bedroom of both these ghastly creatures. Cordelia slept in BJ's old red button up shirt- that had gone ignored since a particular incident- on her side facing the window with the house fan set on low. The noise helping her to drown out the loud, constant, dry snores of her partner Beetlejuice, who slept in his pink pajama set decorated in black beetles on his back with his right hand on her hip. Even in sleep, the two had their own quirky way of doing things. This time was no different. But while the two of the three friends were at peace, relaxed and calm, JB was not so fortunate. For in her dreams came a flash of images. Warnings through screams, horrible faces, wicked laughter from every direction and a girl who looked familiar yet estranged. Cordelia eventually awoke in jolt of her own surprise. Waking up she gazed at the clock on her nightstand before she turned to face the only one, she could find comfort in. BJ had stirred due to JB's sudden disruption but didn't allow himself to be pried from his slumber so easily. Even so, Cordelia wrapped her arm around his shoulder as she came to lay on his chest. Giving a faint smile as she felt BJ bring his arm up around her body when he felt her press against him, adjusting to the position. The snoring continued. She would let him sleep for now. In the meantime, she would think carefully about what it all meant.

The clock's tombstone shifted its lights to accommodate the changing time of day. Now it showed 8 o'clock. Upon this new time the lid of the coffin rose up as a skinny caped vampire sat up from within.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Awaken my dark pupil! Awaken at the call of your master. Ha! Ha! Ha!" A recorded voice spoke in a false Transylvanian accent. The Vampires head turned from side to side as the recording played. The skeleton rattled as the lights of his eyes glowed red. The Igor figure dancing from side to side and he bumped his sign up and down in joy.

"Hmmm. Alright, alright." Lydia groaned tiredly. Fumbling from under the purple covers as her hand felt around on the table for the switch.

In a matter of seconds her finger hit a button she recognized easily as the off switch. Lydia pressed the button on the lid of the coffin making the vampire go down and the lid close behind him automatically. The other two figures also ceased their movement. Lydia breathed deep as she rolled over onto her back. She stretched out her arms as she came to a sit up position, releasing a yawn from her mouth. She swung her legs over the side of her bed, hoping down from the high ground it granted her. She walked to her mirror to grab her hairbrush and facial cleanser, taking the time to check her appearance. Lydia was by no means a shallow girl, but she did take care to keep herself presentable. She was also at that age where girls may occasionally wonder about their outer beauty a greater extent. Particularly due to the mind numbing, brainwashing commercials that advertised the "importance" of having blonde hair and blue eyes to be considered one of the "in crowd" or "beautiful". However, whenever Lydia would find herself drifting to the self-conscious side of things, she always found ideal advice from Cordelia who had taken the role of being like a big sister to the little goth. JB would go on and on on one of her rants about the crisis and conspiracy of manipulation methods of social construct or some other fancy title and Lydia would roll her eyes at the ridiculousness, eventually forgetting entirely about what had been bothering her so much.

Even now, on this lovely Friday, Lydia starred a moment too long in the mirror. Her thoughts elsewhere, she failed to notice the glaze shift in the reflection that might have warned her of the mischievous Beetlejuice coming out to play. In a split second, a monstrous shape filled the glass letting out a loud, slobbery, teeth-y roar. Lydia gave out a small scream as she was caught off guard. Once she had gathered herself, she gave a full high-pitched laugh.

"Good morning, BJ!" She happily greeted the ghost. Using her hand to stifle the remaining giggles.

"Mornin' babes. So, what's the plan for today?" The ghost pressed his face against the other side of the looking glass as he showed his usual hyper personality.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe we can do something in the Neitherworld?"

The school Lydia attended, Miss Shannon's School for Girls, was currently closed for an extra day or two since earlier in the week a science fair had been held in the gym. Prudence, one of Lydia's friends, had asked for some help from JB, who liked to pose as a high schooler from the upper classes. But, JB had accidently given Prudence the wrong ingredient for her science project and caused a large explosion. BJ had managed to help Cordelia prevent any major injuries, but the building wasn't so lucky. The wall that had a hole blown through it was shared by three of the main classrooms. As a result, extra homework was given but so were two extra days on the weekend while the wreckage was being cleared away to make the environment safe for students. The only reason Cordelia wasn't expelled after advising Miss Shannon it was her fault was because she got the repair contractors to cut to school a deal. Of course, no one suspected the deal was anything irregular. Lydia, on the other hand, knew the truth; Cordelia had asked for some help from the Neitherworld. Not that she minded. Unlike BJ who couldn't stay out of trouble, JB was much more collected in her world blending activities. So much so, it was hard to remember why Cordelia and Beetlejuice were such great companions at all.

"Sounds like fun babes! W-what should we do first. Its so close to Halloween the best parties have already started being thrown. OH! I KNOW! Let's take your parents to the Neitherworld Bash Ball! It'll be a blast" Beetlejuice began to inflate his body inside the mirror until a loud boom accompanied by a bright light caused Lydia to look away. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw the scraps of BJ's clothing floating downward. Lydia giggled behind her hand at this. It was always like this with Beetlejuice. Then came time to acknowledge what he had proposed.

"No way Beetlejuice." Lydia waved her hand in a shooing motion as she playfully rolled her eyes at him. She saw him pop back up in the mirror using her peripheral without having to look. "You know my parents always find more trouble in the Neitherworld than we bargain for. Besides I was thinking of maybe doing some Trick-or-Treating this year."

"Rats." BJ half heartedly gripped as his head morphed into a large rodent as a result of his magic.

"Well, that idea aside- for now- don't forget there's also the big Haunted Scare Maze this year! Cordelia is so excited she got the main role this year. Since she's not going to visit her hometown folk or something- I don't really know the details." BJ snorted as he held back a laugh of his own. He didn't always listen when JB explained things to him and it showed.

Lydia gathered the rest of her stuff before leisurely walking over to the door leading out of her bedroom. She got as far as bringing her hand up to the knob before something in her mind started to nag at her.

"Oh, that reminds me. Where's Cordelia? She usually wakes up shortly after you, but you're already dressed and everything. She's not unwell, is she?" The young Lydia asked as she turned to face her ghost friend without letting go of the knob. Looking back just in time to see BJ back to his usual self, handling a beetle, licking his lips with his stripped tongue, obviously not expecting the question.

"Huh? O-oh. Y-yeah. Well…she had a minor- um." BJ brought the beetle to his lips as he kept them pressed firm together. Thinking on how to word his answer.

That's strange. Lydia thought to herself. Beetlejuice's demeanor changed.

Beetlejuice was never the kind of guy to tell the truth (except maybe for Lyida and Cordelia) but, he certainly wasn't one for tact and political correctness. He was crude and blunt. Honest in his own way when it was convenient for him. That fact had found one way or another to come back and bite them all in the ass.

Maybe she didn't want Beetlejuice to go blabbering about something personal to her unless she was ready to talk. Lydia decided. Knowing there were things in Cordelia's past that she didn't like to discuss with anyone except BJ. Since he had known her the longest. 700 years was a long history for any relationship, after all. Changing the subject as fast as she could she spoke again.

"Well, anyway- as long as she's not sick. Halloween is tomorrow and she is the queen of screams. We wouldn't want her to miss out on something so important to her. I better go have breakfast before mother comes calling. Later, Beetlejuice." Lydia exited the room leaving the ghost in the vanity mirror to his own private thoughts.

The door closed behind her with a soft click as the girl in the purple nightgown was gone. Beetlejuice sighed deeply before slumping in on himself. He hated that he didn't know what to tell his best friend, but he had been so hung up on trying to distract himself he hadn't thought to come up with an answer ahead of time in case Lydia had noticed Cordelia's absence. Just then, on the other side, Beetlejuice stepped away from a mirror of his own on the wall in the hallway of his home. He walked with his graceless wobble as he headed towards the room, he shared with the only ghoul he'd ever shared anything with in his whole life- or afterlife. For better or for worse. He opened the door a crack before sliding his head in, making it flat as a board and he snaked it around the opening to pear inside. On the bed, was JB. Laying lazily on her side facing the door as she starred into space, lost in thought. Beetlejuice made a mental note that she hadn't moved since he left her there when he woke up. It had been an unexpected exchange.

Earlier that morning, the bells on the skull alarm rang loud and proud at the hands ticked into place at 7:30. Set for such a time due to BJ and JB knowing Lydia's usual routine and always trying to be right beside her every step of the way. Beetlejuice reach over with his left hand as he pressed the snooze button as he released the last gruff snore from his orifice. Some days he would hit the button without even waking up. After all, Cordelia hated the alarm waking her up. And Beetlejuice only had to learn the hard way one time what happened when she woke up grumpy due to being annoyed awake. He laughed at the thought as he rubbed his eyes with his left hand.

And people think I have a temper. He joked with himself in his own head. Wonder what they would say if they actually had to live with her on her bad days.

It was at this particular moment Beetlejuice noticed the position they were in. His face heated up at the sight: Cordelia was resting her body against him, pressing her breasts into him. Her face was so close to his even though her head was more centered on his chest, he could feel her breath. Her arms had connected around his shoulders, her long, slim, delicate hands rested numb as her fingers intertwined with his hair. Her right leg draped over his thighs allowing her knee to meet so near his pelvis that it made him both excited and nervous. Admittedly maybe more excited than it should have. Especially since all she had on was a thin shirt that fit her big and a very soft pair of panties- both made of thin fabric! He did think it was weird his right arm was already around her waist though. His hand cupping her hip as he securely kept her close to him. What other kinds of way would he touch her in his sleep? He shook his head to shake the thought not really sure he wanted to know and decided to try waking Cordelia up. Just before he could get a decent plan ready, JB spoke up.

"What are you doing?" She questioned not opening her eyes or moving at all. If not for her clear speaking BJ would have sworn, she talked in her sleep too.

"Whaaaaat?" He asked with his shady con artist tone. The very one that made him sound guilty just because he was playing innocent.

"No sweet morning greeting? No wonderful-" Beetlejuice stopped himself before he said something, he might not want to. The situation was sensitive as it was. The fact that Cordelia was being so physical was proof enough.

"Guten Morgen." She replied sarcastically. She then turned her head to look up at Beetlejuice. She studied his face. Just looking.

"I know. I'm too handsome for this world's good." He grinned a cheesy side smile as he bounced his eyebrows up and down in an attempt to be flirty but charming.

"I had a bad dream." Cordelia responded plainly. Her voice was cold, blank, and emotionless. Never a good sign if you knew her.

Beetlejuice sat up, bringing Cordelia with him as he used his left arm to help support the extra weight. He looked back in her eyes as he tried to comprehend, he heard her correctly. He needed to make sure. Once there was no sign of a prank or her trying to further explain he knew she wanted him to say something.

"Are you alright?" Was all he could manage. It wasn't often BJ worried about others, but this was the kind of thing where Cordelia needed to know he cared.

She stayed quiet for a moment. Her gaze shifted to her right as she thought for a moment.

"I don't know", was her only answer.

"What did it mean?" He questioned.

"I don't know." She replied followed by a heavy sigh. She was stuck in her own head now. She tapped Beetlejuice's shoulder as she pointed to the clock.

BJ turned around to see it was ten minutes till eight. Lydia would be up soon. They always greeted her in the mornings. Always. Without fail. BJ looked back at Cordelia with a concerned face. He didn't want to break routine, but he didn't want to leave JB like this. She nodded her head to show she was thinking the same thing. BJ bit his lip before using his right hand to pet JB's head in a comforting way. He pulled her head towards his as he gave her a quick kiss to the temple, jumped out of bed and got dressed before going to the mirror to meet his best friend for the morning. Fast forward, and this is where the off couple is picking off. BJ had to admit to himself he felt kinda awkward. It was dumb but he couldn't help it. So naturally, he opened his big fat trap to speak.

"Hey babes. Lydia is awake now. She asked about you. Wanted to know if…uh…your okay." When he received no answer after two seconds, he opened the door completely before allowing his head to return to its normal state as he walked the rest of the way inside. Sitting on the bed beside his beloved JB, pulling a beetle from his jacket pocket. Tossing it into the air and catching it in his mouth with a loud crunch, smacking his lips, before he spoke again.

"Hey c'mon, babes. You're not still bothered by that- er…dream, are you? You said yourself you have no idea what it meant." Beetlejuice let his body fall back so he could lay down. Resting his head in Cordelia's lap at a weird angle that made his neck curl in on itself. Even so, he wouldn't move. He secretly hoped she'd pamper him like she usually did when he sat close to her so intimately.

This got Cordelia to sit up in the bed. She shifted so she sat leaning into the pillows arranged on the bed and pulled the blankets, so they fell flat on her legs. Once she felt cozy enough, she began grooming Beetlejuice's hair with her fingers. Running the strands through as she mindlessly played with the head of her favorite ghost. BJ smiled.

Good. He thought. Nothing's changed.

"I'm going to my hometown to speak with my mentor." She stated without warning.

Except that, Beetle-Brain.

Beetlejuice paused for a second as he let the words sink in. Then it hit him. All at once. No time to collect any other type of reaction than the one that was simply- Beetlejuice. Just as quickly, the words escaped him.

"WHAT!? Babes, you can't be serious." He told her. Trying to keep what small, frail amount of composure he had left.

"Now hear me out BJ", she stated tiredly as she continued to groom him. She needed him to understand and there was just one way that was going to happen.

On the other side, in the land of the living, Lydia was in her room working on her dress. She had made tremendous progress only needing a handful of details until it could be worn tomorrow. Distracting herself by working, Lydia failed to notice that three hours had passed into the morning. It wasn't until her mother brought her a snack that Lydia even looked up from what she was doing long enough to see the day escaping her. Sitting at her vanity, eating the snack, she pondered some questions. Working through the facts she already knew. She thought Beetlejuice had been acting strange, but she let it slide. If things seemed off, they usually cleared by now for one reason or another. Always allowing for the trio of friends to find new inspiration or enjoyment out of their lives together. But she had heard nothing from the other two. Not even a simple explanation of wanting to be alone together. It wouldn't be unbearable since Lydia was old enough to know what kinds of things BJ & JB did in the privacy of their home. Even then, they would at least check on her to see if she had come up with any ideas on how to spend the day. Making an excuse to sneak a kiss here or cop a feel there as they played innocent while in Lydia's company. But no one came. No one asked. No one even tried. Now- she was starting to worry.

She turned away from her station to walk towards her costume as she continued to add more brown paint to the bottom hem. Lydia put down the brush on the tray as she looked back to stare at the vanity mirror. A sad look on her face as she saw no one there. She considered just going to the Neitherworld but didn't want to pry in case something really had been wrong with Cordelia. Studying the dresses' details, she went over every scenario, practiced every line she would say, and imagined ever facial expression her friends would make as the conversation flowed. She let out deep, heavy sigh.

"I suppose I could take chance. It's not like she wouldn't understand if I wanted to check in, right?" Lydia removed the apron she wore over her purple dress with the shawl she tied around her waist as a belt. Just then, she heard a voice come from behind her.

"Check what, sweetie?" A soft, chipper voice asked.

Lydia spun around quick with a light gasp escaping her lips. In the mirror the sight of Cordelia leaning on her elbows in the frame sat just like a pretty picture. Lydia took notice of her clothing. She wore her usual black off shoulder rockabilly style black dress with thin white stripes. While that may not have drawn much attention by itself, the hat she wore did. A large black sun hat folded over her left eye with a white ribbon tied around the top and a vail resembling a spider's web fell over the right side of her face. Over her waist, she wore a black under breast corset tied in the back. Her makeup was done mixing black and green over her eyes with a clear mascara to give her lashes curl and volume. Her lip stick was black with a green glitter gloss that gave a wonderful glow to the solid dark underneath. Cordelia wasn't the kind to usually wear makeup. This combo was used when she needed to carry a certain image. Unlike Beetlejuice, JB could be very professional and courteous to others when the occasion called for it. It came with her background. Even though Lydia knew something was up, she smiled brightly and practically ran to the vanity. Relieved to see the lady whom she had adored so much.

"Oh, deadly-voo Cordelia! You look lovely." Lydia reached out as Cordelia stuck her torso out the mirror to hug Lydia tight around the shoulders. The two girls pulled away slowly as they resumed their original places. From an outside view, the exchange would seem like something in a play. So natural but so story-like.

"I'm glad you like it. I was hoping it didn't look too horrible." JB brought her fingers to her mouth as she looked away shyly. Clearly not comfortable nor certain of her efforts. Typical for such an artistic personality according to Delia Deetz.

"Not at all. It's very fitting for you." Lydia felt her cheeks heat up as she looked down at her hands, taking a seat.

She really does look wonderful. Lydia thought.

Slightly jealous since she had no real talent with makeup. Her father would have a heart attack if she wore it at her age anyway. It didn't take long for Cordelia to catch on.

"Something bothering you, Lydia? BJ said that you had a far away look in your eye this morning." JB placed her right hand over the tiny goth's shoulder.

"How poetic of him to say." She joked sarcastically. Knowing Cordelia had added a writer's flare to the description both out of habit from her job as well as spending the last 700 years as BJ's lawyer. She was good with words, that much stood unchallenged. Because of her, Beetlejuice had yet to be successfully fed to the sandworms.

Though that didn't stop anyone from trying. Lydia joked with herself remembering all the times she had helped. Giving a playful giggle as she noticed JB roll her eyes.

"You know what I mean." She stated in a sing song way to Lydia. Lydia stopped her giggle fit, cleared her throat, then thought for a moment.

"Well… I've been thinking." She started to glance at Cordelia's facial expression. She waited patiently for Lydia to speak. Her face plain yet inviting.

"Do you think I will ne as pretty as you when I'm a little older?"

Cordelia laughed. She laughed loud, hard, and without holding any composure. Lydia was taken back by this.

"Oh, sweetie!" JB wiped tear from her eye before she continued.

"You are already so much prettier than me and without any effort at all. If you grow older and mature out- I'm in big trouble. BJ just might drop me all together because he'd be too worried about you." Cordelia continued to laugh.

The thought of Beetlejuice acting as protective as a parent had such a wrong afterglow in Lydia's mind she also started laughing. The girls just sat there laughing for a short time. When it was over Lydia took a deep breath. It was here that Cordelia revealed something.

"I need to leave for a little while. Lydia, I want you to keep an eye on BJ. You know how much trouble he gets in when he's left unsupervised." JB smiled at Lydia. For just a second, Lydia could have sworn she saw a sadness in that smile.

"Where are you going?" Lydia noticed that she had accidently sounded like a little kid before their parents left them at the babysitters before work.

"I need guidance from an old mentor of mine. I shouldn't be gone long but it will be at least a day's trip. And with Halloween so close, I really need someone to keep BJ out of trouble." She explained.

"So, what can I do?" While Lydia had a couple ideas, she knew a conversation like this usually came with specific instructions.

"In the basement, there's a couple trunks filled with some old mystic items of mine. Now BJ knows some of these items are used by me for pranks on Halloween. However, some of these items are very dangerous is used by the wrong person. Hence, why I've never told him which items are which. Just keep away from them until I get back." Now JB brought both her hands to Lydia's shoulders. Giving them a light squeeze to bring more effect to her warning.

"But, Cordelia, isn't your fabric trunk down there as well?" Lydia clarified.

"Um- yeah. Why?" JB was confused. Had Lydia heard a ting she just said?

"I need to go through it to find some stuff for my costume. Will that be alright?"

"Oh yeah, that's fine. Just be careful." JB dropped the ominous dark aura she was giving off.

"Don't worry, JB. You can count on me", Lydia brought her right fist to her chest as she lifted her chin up proud. Cordelia smiled before pulling Lydia into the Neitherworld.

JB gave Lydia the final goodbyes. She picked up her bag, placing it in Doomie's trunk. A kiss goodbye on both cheeks, before climbing into the driver's seat. Lydia stood on the front porch waving goodbye until Cordelia & Doomie were out of sight. From there, Lydia walked into the roadhouse and down the stairs. She started to rummage around inside the trunk in the basement that contained the contents of her desires. Pulling out more paints, buttons, and organizing fabrics that she thought could be used to complete the final details of the dress. Suddenly, without any type of warning, Beetlejuice grabbed her at her slim waist, lifting her above his head and spinning her around the room until they were both too dizzy.

"Babes! Whachadoin down here?" Beetlejuice asked as he placed her back down on the ground delicately. Lydia laughing in delight as she regained her balance.

"Hi, BJ. I'm just looking for some supplies for my costume. It has to be perfect!" Lydia gave Beetlejuice a short hug from the side before she walked back to the trunk. Once she sat herself on her knees, she continued to rummage around inside. A thought came to mind, and she spoke.

"Truth is- there's still so much I want to do and I'm short on time." Without turning her head, she knew Beetlejuice was dancing about the room doing random silly things to make her laugh more.

"Well gee, babes. That's easy enough! Just gotta add a little magic." Once again, BJ caught Lydia off guard as She didn't catch on until she heard what sounded like something being unlocked behind her. She whipped herself around to move from her spot as she reached out with one hand.

"BEETLEJUICE NO!"

Lydia tried to jump on top of the trunk's lip to slam it shut but the damage was done. As a result, Lydia slip over the pile of items that lay inside lading on the floor with her legs caught on the edge of the trunk, forcing her feet to stay stuck in the air.

"What?! What?! What?!" BJ asked rapidly in his dramatic 'I did nothing wrong' voice, swinging his arms around in a cartoonish manner.

"Beetlejuice! Cordelia said NOT to go through her stuff! You don't know what any of it can do!" Lydia lectured as she tried- and failed- to get back up. Beetlejuice reached down to her helping her back to her feet.

"Oh, come on, babes. JB is just being paranoid cuz a pulled ONE bad prank ONE time using her magic doo-dads. She's been bitter ever since." Beetlejuice mumbled the last part loudly as he crossed his arms, looking away from Lydia.

Lydia didn't believe him. Rightfully so. He always underexplained things when it came to admitting he was wrong. However, Lydia was relieved the trunk hadn't been what she imagined Pandora's box to be like when it opened. Without waiting for Lydia to reply, Beetlejuice bent over to reach down into the trunk. It had mostly been filled some old books. All of them were hard cover, but only a few had writing on them. Lydia could only read the titles of two or three since the rest were written in other languages. Beetlejuice began to hum a ditty as he tossed one after another over his shoulder onto the floor.

He seems to know what he's looking for. Lydia mentioned to herself. Maybe Cordelia was being melodramatic? She didn't do it half as often as BJ and Lydia did but when JB acted dramatic, she did it with style and a believable performance.

"Ah- ha", BJ expressed in triumph. Bringing himself to a full standing position once more as he dusted off the cover of the book he had chosen. He turned to Lydia as he used his own magic to make the room darker, a green glowing light rising from the floorboards.

"Now…Let's do something fun", BJ chuckled evilly as he brought the book close to his face.

Nope. Beetlejuice is defiantly the more dramatic one. Lydia rolled her eyes playfully again as she shrugged her shoulders.

"What's the worst that can happen?"

Far away, in a high tower of a stone castle, Cordelia kneeled in an extravagant room in front of a throne. Despite her best attempt, she released a large sneeze.

"Are you alright, my student?" The deep voice of her old mentor asked from within the shadows.

"I have the strangest feeling I should be worried." Cordelia answered plainly. Using the back of her finger to rub the itch from her nose, JB exchanged concerned glances with Doomie behind her.

Finally having convinced Lydia to go along with his bullshit, Beetlejuice paced back and forth in Lydia's room as he fingered through the pages of the book looking for the context he sought. Lydia sat on the bed swinging her legs in anticipation. Beetlejuice was studying each tad of information as he looked over each page as quick as he could. Though no one would guess, he had a fairly useful photographic memory. The downside was that he didn't have the patience to fully apply it.

"Ah-hah! Found it!" Beetlejuice jumped into a hover over the ground as he pressed the book to is chest, smiling as he did so.

Beetlejuice moved over to the window, opening the glass door, strolling out onto the balcony. He laid the book opened on the railing as he raised his hands over his head. Lydia stood behind him, back a ways as he sometimes had a backfire on his magic that caused explosions or lightning strikes. Since she wasn't dead like him, she had learned to give the appropriate distance. Beetlejuice gave a dramatic clearing of his throat as he changed his voice to his 'formal proper' tone. This was his way of making himself the center of attention. Lydia shook her head while a cute smile graced her face. Just when it seemed like things were going to turn out fine for once, a gust of wind blew from across the side. Once the burst settled, Lydia opened her eyes to check on her ghost companion.

"Beeee-tle-j-uuuuu-ice. You caught the page before the gust, right?" Lydia called from her spot at the doorway.

"Of course, babes. I'm a professional." Beetlejuice called in his normal voice.

"Now- where was I?" He asked himself more than he did Lydia.

"Oh, yeah. If less if more, than more is best. North to south. East to west. Make some use of this pest!" A flash of lightning overtook the sky as the once clear sky was now being overrun by storm cloud.

"Beetlejuice! What did you do?!" Lydia ran up to him, grabbing him by the arm as she used her free hand to reach for the book. Once quick glance was all it took. To find the spell he had read.

"Its fine, babes." BJ freed his arm without much effort as he straightened his suit.

"This year Claire is gonna spend her Halloween as a harmless little mouse. Fun prank, right?" He stood proud, waiting to be praised for his efforts.

"BEETLEJUICE! This says it's a cloning spell. You NEVER read the labels, do you?"

Across the town of Peaceful Pines, in a large, unmatched mansion, a young, rich blonde at in her room brushing her hair. In a glow of green, Claire felt sick- dizzy, nauseated, even a bit physically weak. One by one, the green glow spread out to create more versions of Claire. Soon, the room had been filled near the brim before the glowing ceased. Once her vision cleared, Claire saw the twenty-five other blondes who shared her face. Each Claire looked around the room, figuring they were just lucky. After all, they all shared the same brain which meant they shared a way of thinking. Claire curled an evil, satisfied smile on her face as she knew the first thing she wanted to do.

Once Beetlejuice explained his plan in full, the grim looking girl ran straight to the manor of Claire Brewster. BJ had been left behind to look up how to reverse the spell. Unfortunately, that meant he had to go searching in the trunks to find the second volume of the spell book he used. If all else failed, he would need to call on JB to come home to clean up. Lydia didn't want to do that unless it was the absolute last resort, since that meant she would have to tell her what had happened. Chaos- Lydia could handle, but disappointing JB- not so much. In the end, the two friends came to a deal Lydia would keep them from running amuck since that would mean that someone would see them. That would cause far too much trouble for everyone in both her world and in the Neitherworld. After she arrived, Lydia made it into the house with far little effort. Not knowing what to expect, she opened the door to Claire's room since the spell book mentioned the clones created from it could be aggressive without a leader.

Unfortunately, the damage was done. After she barged into the rich girl's private space, Lydia was greeted by the swarming hands of multiple Claires. All of which, were smiling wickedly without context. No further warning was initiated as she was tossed harshly into a salon chair set up in the bathroom. Lydia was held down at every angle as the main Claire came at her with sack of wipes in one hand and a pack of unknown items in the other.

"Time to make you part of world that's made more for me." Those were the last words Lydia heard before everything went dark.

The next couple hours were spent in hard concentration for the Claire squad. Now that the knockout perfume Claire used had done its job against Lydia, it was time to bring her idea into fruition. First, Claire used a solution to clean off her face of dirt and oils. She looked hard at the face before her. Lydia's eyebrows would be left alone since they were well shapely thin naturally. Instead, she went straight to makeup. Using a clear primer to cover Lydia's face, Claire started matching the pale skin tone beneath her fingertips to the arsenal of concealers. Claire hissed through her teeth at the discovery that the other girl's shade was too fair to match. She did find a compact of white powder from one of her friends who wanted to go as a French princess this year. It was meant to look whiter than normal, but it matched close enough. She used a plain powder puff to apply a thin layer to Lydia's face.

Afterwards, she used a blend brush to spread a random eyeshadow on her lids. Once she had the right combination, she added a clear mascara to add to Lydia's short, almost nonexistent, eye lashes. Claire decided against using eyeliner feeling it might overdo it. Lydia's eyes were so small and sharp no need to add more line to them. Next, a large blush brush was picked up to give some color to the other's cheeks. Claire's last touch to the face was a liner to cover the edges of Lydia's tiny lips followed by a special lipstick to complete the look. After that, came the hair. Claire pulled the purple ribbon from its place, releasing Lydia's ebony black hair to fall downward. It was soft, shinny, and healthy. Claire had always hated how easily manageable her hair had seemed to be. Claire's always gave her so much trouble. She reached behind her, opening a drawing, pulling out a bottle along with a plastic bag which contained a pair of disposable gloves, a hair cap, as well as a dye brush. It took about an hour and a half, but eventually Claire was able to get the shade of color she wanted for the Deetz brat. Now he just had to wait before she could start arranging it the way she wanted. Hour after hour, Claire continued with her darling little makeover of the defenseless Lydia. The clock spun as time feld. Lydia awoken with a light groan. The room was now filled with lamplight instead of the sunlight that had been present earlier.

How long was I out? What happened?

She stood up from the chair. Almost instantly, she lost her balance.

"Hey! What the-?" She looked down to decipher what had caused it. As soon as she looked, she saw something that made no sense at all. Quickly, she got up to her feet, ran into the bedroom portion and in front of the walk-in closet. Her breathing became rapid, her senses overwhelmed her as there was an overwhelming feeling that released from deep inside of her.

"AHHHHHH!" Lydia's scream was loud, high-pitched, and the only thing she could manage with the horror she felt.

When she finally ran out of breath and felt a dry tingle rise from her throat, she stopped screaming. Her breathing was rapid, broken, and her body was heating as she couldn't decide what she felt more- embarrassed or enraged.

Lydia looked at the outfit in sheer disbelief. As she stared in the fashion mirror allowing her to see herself from head to toe. The idea of being given a makeover by Claire Brewster was horrible enough. But this- was a whole new low. Piece by Piece, Lydia scanned the items that had been put on her body against her will. She noted each and every part of herself individually. Hating every bit just as personally.

The bitches had bleached her hair blonde styling it in a high bun, teasing her bangs and pinning them to the side. On her face was a sugary, bright, pink lipstick that did not flatter her pale skin tone. Her eyes were even worse, having been doused with fake eyelashes bathed in mascara while the lids of her eyes had been coated with a light blue eyeshadow. The makeup alone made her look like a cheap underage whore- but the clothes were far worse.

For her accessories, a shiny golden necklace had been wrapped around her neck to match the golden diamond earing that hung from the lobes of her ears. The outfit consisted of a pink sparkling shoulder split evening dress resembling the one Claire wore on Halloween the year Lydia threw a party at her house. The dress fell past her mid-thigh in the front as it curved around falling longer in the back, rest behind her knee. A lighter shade, see-through lace fabric was used to complete the look to the ground. This design allowed any on-lookers to see the open toed two-inch heels that currently squeezed and pinched her feet. They were a bright, pale pink to contrast the lace. The heels strapped over and around her feet exposing almost every bit of flesh she had. Lydia could feel for hands shaking. She investigated the images the mirror offered in front of her.

Meanwhile, behind her, Lydia could make out the details of the others. The main Claire had her hair waved outwards from her face and up high. For her outfit, she was wearing a pink crop top complimented with a white skirt held up by a pale pink belt with a golden buckle. Her shoes were white high heel boots with pink hearts overlapped with curling designs. From her ears hung a large set of golden heart earrings. Her wrists dawned matching gold bracelets. She decorated her face with the same outrageous blue eyeshadow and mascara. If not for certain details, Lydia would say she looked like her Aunt Sepora after BJ had haunted her makeup bag and gave her a new look that time her family came to visit. Each Claire took their time finishing up the last of the details to their outer beauty projects. Behind them, along the shadows, a dark essence moved along the wallpaper. Once it got the attention of the Claire clones standing in the back of the room, it reached out and scuffled their hair.

"Ahhhhhh!" The two clones shouted out in unison. The others looked back and in a flash moment, they vanished in a poof of green smoke.

"Enough fun, girls. Shows! over!" From the black curls of darkness, a very lovely- very pissed off- Cordelia emerged. She pointed her chin from her chest to the sky as she completed her entrance.

"Don't be shy. Who's first to get theirs'?" She brought her right hand up to her breasts just barely touching herself with her fingertips as her left hand reached out, beckoning the girls in front of her to dance. The look on her face was wicked but charming. Lydia knew that face. Apparently, Claire didn't need much a chance to learn since she and the other clones all made a run for the door. The doorway became crowded as they fought to get out before the rest. Lydia watched as JB swayed her hips, strolling up behind the first couple. She then proceeded to pull out a flower from her cleavage as she sprayed water on the faces of three more. When they exchanged looks, they caught how each one's makeup was running. They let out a far louder shriek before also disappearing behind the same type of green smoke.

Most of the clones had made it out the door before Cordelia could make it too them. About five were left in the room by the time JB made it to them. About this time, Lydia heard a call from the fashion mirror.

"Hey! Babes! Let me out! Quick, she's gonna need a hand." BJ slammed his fist on the glass from the other side.

"Whoa, what's with the look?" BJ stood stunned as an uncomfortable look washed over his face. Lydia took a quick glance to see she was now alone with the ghost.

"Shut it! What's going on BJ?" She communicated as she went up to him.

"No time! Just call me out! Hurry!" He shook his head fast as he made the demand.

Lydia knew they had to act fast. Out of instinct, she brought her hands into the air as she cried out, "Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. BEETLEJUICE!"

Over the next fifteen minutes, BJ and JB took turns setting up punch line pranks. Jump scares, shape shifting, spiders, snakes, and other types of ways to make them scream. Each time scaring no less than two Claire Brewster clones at once. Step by step, scare by scare, the duo haunted the rest of the clones until they were all gone. Lydia, of course, had a hard time keeping up since she wasn't used to the heels, they had strapped on her. It didn't help that they hid her regular clothes. Soon enough, the only one left was the Main Claire. BJ and JB pulled out their biggest scare in order to lure Claire away from the exit to the house. Once she was within range, Cordelia sprayed her with the knockout perfume. Together, they put her in her bed before cleaning up any evidence of the day. For good measure, Cordelia added a couple drops of a potion into Claire's mouth. In one swift motion, JB teleported everyone else back to Lydia's house. Lydia sat in her vanity chair nervously as Cordelia studied her hair.

"Is it bad?" She asked shyly.

"Lucky for you, I can fix it." JB explained as she brought a brush up to Lydia's head.

"What's that gonna do?"

"Wait for it." She then moved the bristles against Lydia's roots. In one swift motion, she brought it straight down to the tips. Stroke after stroke, Lydia's hair regained it original color and cut. It turned out; Claire had cut Lydia's bangs as well as styled them. But, unbeknownst to everyone, Cordelia possessed a hairbrush that allowed for automatic hair changes.

She had so many magical items of course this was one of them. Lydia thought.

"You never learn, do you?" JB lectured BJ as she continued to undo what had been done.

Behind them, hovering over the bed, Beetlejuice hid behind his latest beetle catch. Laughing nervously was his only response. He knew better than to try to fight what he did. JB just arched a single brow as she shook her head, mumbling under her breath.

"It was my fault." Lydia confessed at last.

"No, dear. It's mine. I should have never left you two." A sad smile appeared on her face as she contradicted the petite goth.

"What do you mean?" Lydia was confused.

"I found out the dream I had was today's events. Too bad I found out too damn late." She blushed as she started to remove the makeup from Lydia's face.

"…That's cool." Lydia bluntly stated.

Cordelia gave her a look that only an older sister would give in the type of situation that meant, 'You can't be serious'. Lydia laughed nervously, shifting her glance to BJ who was now sitting on the bed instead as he sat watching the girls. His hands were folded in between his thighs as his face had an odd expression. His lower lip was pouted up and his eyes gave the impression he was conscious but not there. Lydia knew that JB was just playing mad so BJ would hopefully put off doing something like this off for a while. Once they went back home, she would kiss and make up with him if he apologized. Something he hated to do. But a thought surfaced in Lydia's mind.

"How did you know how to get rid of them?" She questioned.

"Aside from the fact that I know most of the spells in those books by heart- I didn't."

"What?!" Lydia was so shocked she hit the table, bumping her knee.

"I hate that annoying rich girl and BJ always gets to scare her when you reach your whit's end. So, I took a turn for once and it happened to work out." JB looked to the window without moving her head. She was blushing from the embarrassment of loosing face with the other two in the room. Despite all that happened, there was just one thing Lydia wanted to know.

"Hey, Cordelia?"

"What's up sweetie?" She replied as she grabbed a fresh makeup remover wipe.

"C-can you do my makeup tomorrow for me?"