Corazana Prieto wasn't a summer person. The only thing she liked about summer break was having the young Lydia Deetz by her side. Corazana was just supposed to babysit her for two weeks. She thought it'd be horror movies nights with popcorns all alo...
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Chapter 10 Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon
"What the hell, guys?"
Corazana brutally woke up and almost hit her head on Beetlejuice's chin. She didn't remember falling asleep. Especially on the demon's thighs.
"Lydia!" "Yeah, that's my name," answered sarcastically the teenager.
She wasn't alone. By her side, there was a girl looking her age, with a face similar to a death mask.
"We were watching a film and ..." She fell asleep. That's it, babe." The new girl started talking, she had a deep voice, "so this is the ghost you've been bragging about." "Huh, yeah. And this is my babysitter and friend Corazana." "Wait, you can see him? How?" asked Cora. "I've been summoned when we first met, doll, everybody can see me. That's why you can see the Maitlands too." "I don't quite understand how this works." "Me neither to be perfectly honest. But y'know, death is mysterious." Lydia crossed her arms on her chest, "that doesn't explain what you were doing." "Nothing! I swear Lyds. We just ... Spent the night dancing and ... I guess I was pretty tired after it." "You ... You two danced? Together?"
She shrugged, not sure of what Lydia was expecting her to answer.
"Whatever. I'm just gonna ignore the fact that my babysitter and the dead guy living under my roof are being intimate." "Sounds pretty dope to me," admitted Wednesday. Lydia corrected her, "this is fucked up." "Y'know, snake cake, my family is way more fucked up than that, don't make a big deal out of it." "Easy to say..."
Cora stood up, crossing her arms on her chest.
"Hum, hello? We're still here and able to hear you!" "Yeah, no, sorry, we'll finish in my bedroom." "Leave it three inches open!" called Cora as they were running up the stairs. "So we can hear your dirty stuff? No way." "We didn't do anything, for Christ's sake!"
She sat back on the couch, next to the demon. He looked at her with an amused grin.
"She's jealous," realised Corazana, "why?" "She had you for herself only for a year, doll. And she's an only child. She doesn't know how to react, seeing you being close to someone else." "... That's oddly wise coming from you, Beetlejuice." He sneered, "it happens sometimes. You know that it's actually my middle name, right?" "Beetlejuice is your middle name? What's your first name, then?" "Lawrence." "Lawrence?" she repeated.
His name on her lips made him chill. A year ago, he wouldn't have hesitated and swooped down on her mouth, wether she would have liked it or not. But a lot had happened. Lydia, the Maitlands... He did become a better person.
"Yes..." answered the demon. "I wasn't expecting you would have had such a normal name. But ... It suits you somehow." "You think I'm normal?" "I think you were a normal man at some point. When you were still alive, for example." "I can't remember." Corazana smiled, "Oh, I think you remember very well, you just chose to ignore it."
He put his hand on the back of the couch, right behind her. She felt his fingers grabbing gently a strand of her curly hair. Corazana was sure he could become dangerous in a second if he wanted. She was walking on thin ice. Very thin ice.
"You think you know me, huh doll?" he muttered. "I think I'm starting to figure out who you are," she shuddered, checking if his hair was changing color. "Maybe you do..."
The demon approached his face to hers. Corazana could see every detail on his skin, its light tone, the purple shadows under his eyes, his three-days stubble beard, the dark color of his iris. All those details had probably been here for years, not moving, not impacted by time.
"I do...?" "Well, I mean, I don't even know who I truly am. I'd like to think that someone might know me in this world."
He was still playing with her hair, which was quite comforting now, knowing he wasn't ready to cut her throat open. Beetlejuice was just a lonely demon. And he surely didn't know how to bond with people.
"Lydia knows you," observed the young woman, "the Maitlands too." "No, not the way I'd like them to know me. You... You really try to understand me, Corazana."
Never had he ever called her by her full name. She couldn't hide her surprise but Beej' didn't say anything about it.
"Maybe you..." she coughed, trying to put her ideas back into place, "maybe you should show them the part of you you want them to know. Like you did with me."
You're different, you take the time to actually listen, he thought, very surprised to be able to keep it in his head.
Normally, he would have needed to create a clone to talk about the stuff going around in his mind. But it wasn't the same as talking to an actual person, like Corazana. In fact, his clones were fun to scare people, but they weren't intelligent or capable of actual reflection. Which could be very fun to do stupid things, but as a lonely ghost, Beetlejuice mostly wanted to be heard and seen rather than just messing around all the time. He had discovered that it was his true wish recently. What was the point of playing those games if not being noticed by the other persons living in the house?
"I ain't done anything, doll, it's you. You... You took the time to do that." "Do what?" "Understand who I am," he answered, his hair slowly turning blue.
Corazana looked at it with a slight smile.
"I think I get it now. Blue is when you can't figure out something. And right now you don't understand why I give you attention." "No I really get why, I'm a huge deal, doll, did you take a good look? Sexiest non-living person on Earth." "And you're being a dick again."
He winked, and noticed she blushed.
"I should go to sleep." "Yeah, maybe you should." "Don't follow me." "Can't promise anything."
She sighted, stood up and gave him one last look. His hand hadn't move from the back of the couch, as if he was still holding her hair.
"Good night, Beej'," Corazana finally said after a few seconds.
She left before he could answer. Soon, he heard the water flowing in the shower upstair. The blue hadn't quit his hair as he started going to the first floor. He waited a second outside the bathroom. A little voice in his head was telling him to stay right where he was but he shut it up and walked through the door to find Corazana, half naked, crying in front of the mirror. He didn't say a word, starring at her burned skin silently. Obviously, she noticed his presence behind her, but the young woman couldn't find the strength to scream at him. And for the first time in an eternity, Beetlejuice's intentions weren't malevolent. Somehow, he was just sure she needed a person to know how she truly felt about herself. Maybe a sneaky demon with voyeur mannerism wasn't the right one. But at this moment, he was the only one here.
"Doll-" She cut him off, "don't say anything." "Okay."
The water was flowing, just to cover up her sobs. His eyes were still analysing her naked skin. Of course, she was beautiful. Not that he was very difficult when it comes to appreciate someone else's body, but Corazana truly was one of the prettiest thing he had ever seen, dead or alive.
"Can I do something?" "Is changing the course of time one of your power?" "Not that I know." "Then no."
Silence. A long one. Then Beej' randomly put his arms around her, holding her tight. He waited for a scream, a kick, anything. But Cora just started crying harder. The demon didn't exactly understood why, he wasn't that good when it came to human emotions, but something was telling him that he did the right thing. Which was quite surprising, because he wasn't used to do so.
