A/N: I haven't seen anything like this. I hope you all enjoy the start to this adventure. Happy reading. (I tried so hard to stay within the time frame, so technology should be relevant for 1998/99 when Kat would be 18. Enjoy the nostalgia trip.)
Summary: There is not much left to do in Friendship, Maine. Kat has done her time at the public schools and has officially graduated as one of the top in her class. Now with so much free time, Kat will learn how difficult it truly is to be a young adult
living among the dead. And with a man named Otho claiming to resurrect the deceased, one can only hope he doesn't stumble across Whipstaff.
Slight Beetlejuice Crossover. Mentions of other world-related things. Set in 1998-1999, Kat would be 18.
Whipstaff, an Awakening
Chapter 1: Changes
"Please give me my folder back." I say with a monotone voice. "I need to finish my application."
"Application, huh?" Stretch mocks me, "Are you applying to work at a morgue?"
Stinky cackles, "She's applied lipstick before."
"Applied cooking instructions," Fatso adds. The other two stare at him. "What?"
"Guys, please," I try not to show too much emotion. "I just want to finish my application to college. The quicker I finish, the quicker I'm out of your way. God knows I need to get out of this town once and for all."
Stretch rolls his eyes and throws the folder. It lands on the floor with a thwap and is covered in what looks like mucus. I sigh and watch as the Trio fly away, laughing down the hall loud enough for it to bounce back at my face.
This is my life. Day in, day out, I'm tormented by these three bastards. And then on cue, Casper will show up all cheery and tell me things will get better. On top of that lemon in the wound, Dad has been way too busy to care what goes on anymore in this
mansion. With his own business devoted to crossing over spirits, there is no time for the living.
I stare down at the snot-covered folder. I shake my head and leave it there as I walk back into my room. I can start a new application. (Though every time I do, Stinky thinks it's a giant tissue.) August is already almost over and I have not completed
a damn thing. Maybe Dad was right, I should just wait a year and apply when I know what I want to do. Then again, I need to get the hell out of this place. I sit at my desk with my head in the palms of my hands. My iMac stares at me. I print out another
app to fill out from Maine's State College website. Computers are so weird. You can literally look up anything. I did in fact search on how to get rid of ghosts, but the Ghostbusters seemed a little uncaring. I'd never want those boys hurt, especially
Casper. Even Stretch could be kind of nice sometimes.
"Jackass didn't deserve you, Kitty Kat," He said once when I was stood up on a date.
I had replied, "I'm not waiting for a date. I dressed up for school pictures."
"School pictures at night? Nice try. Chin up, Doll." He swooped down to pat my back and vanished before I could thank him.
"Ugh!" I get up and leave my room. I can finish later. Who wants to do paperwork at the beginning of Autumn anyways?
Dad is in the library and the door is cracked. I hear a female's sobbing and realize he is with a client. To be fair, I close the door the rest of the way for him. I head out the front door and head towards my bike. The sun is high, glowing down warm
rays on my face. In a casual jean and t-shirt outfit, I feel a slight breeze crawl over my arms.
"Hi Casper," I say under my breath. "Trying to scare me again?"
"No," He stutters, "Well, not really scare you, Kat. Just give you goosebumps." He appears in front of me with a boyish smile across his face. His blue eyes crinkle as he giggles.
"Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to get some fresh air for a while. See you later?"
"See ya," He says and floats into Whipstaff.
I know deep down he still wants me to hang around and play baseball all day, but times are changing. I don't find any fun in playing hide and seek with an invisible ghost. I got tired of searching for him by change in temperature. I vowed secretly to
play these games once more before I ventured into the world. For now, I needed some space. I hopped on my bike and began riding towards downtown Friendship. Such a beautiful day would improve my mood by leaps and bounds.
000
"So then I says to him, you got any red beef?"
My brothers laugh hard enough to fall off of their death beds. Stinky and Fatso follow my lead downstairs. Bag-of-Bones isn't here anymore, so I can finally have some time with the Doc. I let Fatso knock on the door since it was his brilliant idea to
come here today. Dr. Harvey opens the door and I can barely see a beam of light fade from the center of the library.
"Another happy customer, Doc?" I ask.
James nods, "Indeed, boys. You coming in for a chat?"
We go in. Fatso takes his usual seat on the lounge couch. Stinkie hangs upside down from the chandelier like a damn bat. I hover in front of his desk and fold my arms.
"Listen, I wanna make this brief, Doc." I start. "There's some changes goin' on 'round here and I don't like 'em."
James sits behind his desk. "What do you mean? Can you explain these changes?"
"Well, you got this new business crossing over spirits, see? Us three ain't able to cross over cuz' of Bulb-Head. We can't support this."
Stinkie interrupts me, "We ain't ever crossing over anyways, Stretch. Our purpose is scaring and swearing."
"And meringue," Fatso declares with a lemon-meringue pie in his hand. He scoffs it.
"All's I'm sayin' is we can't support a group that ain't benefiting us too." I finish my complaint.
James studies me for a second and responds, "We'll find a way to at least make your afterlife bearable, guys. It just takes time. With Kat leaving soon, you'll be able to roam these halls without any rules or regulations. Just leave my library alone,
and we can live at peace."
Hm. Kitty Kat gone? Would that really fix any problems? Sure, it was hard to live by our house rules sometimes. I'm guessing no teenage girl likes to be scared white on a night before her class finals. It was all Stinkie, filling her room with toxic gas
to make her think the house was about to explode. (Rule number eleven implemented on April 17th, 1997: No after-hours scaring in-home.) When she ran out in a panic, Fatso was dressed like a clown with blood dripping from his mouth. Ha! She ran straight
through me, didn't even know it was us. She screamed all the way downstairs into the library.
"When is she leaving?" Fatso asks with his mouth still full.
Doc replies, "She thought she would've made it in by now, but something keeps stopping her. I told her to take her time, so she might be out by January for winter semester. I'll miss my Little Bucket when she goes."
"Something keeps stopping her?" Stinkie asks. He floats down to sit on the floor. "Is she too stupid to get in?"
I slap Stinkie on the back of the head. "No, Dum-Dum, she's taking time to figure it all out. Right? Crazy teenager stuff is all."
"It is a big step for her." James looks down at his wedding ring. "Amelia would be proud."
I give my two brothers 'the look.' When Doc mentions 'Melia, it's time to bail. It's friggin' ugly seeing a grown man drop tears the size of his whole head.
"Well, it's been a great time, Doctor Harvey," Fatso picks himself up and leads the way through the ceiling. Stinkie flies through next and I am left as the last one, as usual.
James gives me a smile. "Go, I'm fine. By the way, my business is going to bring in renovations to this place. No more mold and unwanted critters. New kitchen appliances, new rugs, new paint, and more. I wouldn't complain anymore about my new visitors
if I were you. Admit it, Whipstaff needs to wake up a bit."
"Yeah, whatever." I go through the ceiling to the hall upstairs.
I heard her sobbing so hard that nightwhen Fatso overdid that clown makeup. It was hilarious seein' her in those plaid pajamas and fluffy slippers running down stairs in the dark. I only followed to make sure she didn't fall. Nothin' when
I heard her soft cries behind those doors, I had to go invisible and see what was wrong. She was just sitting in her Father's desk chair, clinging onto her knees and letting the tears flow. She inhaled deeply and looked up to announce she knew someone
was there. I turned back and never went back in.
Fleshies are so complicated.
"Ugh!" I slam the wall.
"What the hell coiled your tail?" Fatso questions me.
Stupid Kat making me give a shit about her well-being. I'll show her. "Boys, I have a plan to speed up Ms. Kathleen's departure."
"Oh yeah? Rule number two: No interfering with Bone-Bag's life." Stinkie reminds me of our set back.
"Ha. That was a good one, though." Fatso says, "Kat, if you skip school for a week, we won't haunt you for a year."
"The fact that she fell for it was worth the Doc vacuuming us up for the day." Stinkie chuckles.
I shake my head, "You done now? Memory lane can wait for later. You know that fancy computer she has?"
Fatso's eyes narrow. Stinkie scratches his head and hums to himself.
I stifle my laughter and ask, "Do you think Kitty Kat can climb a tree?"