Don Brewing
Chapter 3 – Dancing on Hearts
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Beetlejuice, and I certainly don't make any money off of this.
…
October 6th 2002
…
Earlier that day Donny had stopped by his parent's house to discuss, in person, the details of this year's holiday arrangements. The Juice family had been planning a holiday get-together for the past three centuries. The job came upon Donny when his mother had suggested that leaving the details to her younger son so that this year wouldn't result in another year of separate family celebration.
Used to dealing (out-right ignoring) Beetlejuice's unique brand of brotherly-love, Donny had decided to pay his dear older brother a visit and tell him the plans their parents had for this year's Halloween. 'Let's see, mother will be there, father too… OH! An finally Beetlejuice and his… girl… friend?' Donny stopped short before pulling the on the doorbell.
"Beetlejuice's best friend… or girlfriend?" The question irked him. "Lydia Deetz." 'What is she to my brother?' Donny thought.
He heard plenty of rumors, and to be honest, he himself didn't really believe the whole "best friend" excuse. Yes, they were still best friends and had been since his brother's foolish Bio-exorcist scheme, but Lydia's maturing had changed everything. When Lydia had been a child Donny would have never thought of the two as anything more, but now that the Goth was older... you could practically cut the tension with a knife.
Granted, it didn't matter to him the details of their arrangement. Donny just wanted to see his brother happy with the girl he'd fall in love with. Lydia being alive and Beetlejuice being dead didn't bother him in the least; only the B.S. & P. would have something to say about it. He figured that (he tried not to think too much about it) eventually Lydia would die & hopefully come to un-live in the Neitherworld.
"I sure wish one of them would cross the line already..." Donny pulled on the door bell. "It'd be real swell to have a sister-in-law." He chuckled.
DING-DONG-YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
After a few minutes the door swung open.
"Hello Br-" A large red-pink ball of fire smacked him in the face.
"Like, TAKE THAT!" Claire made the fire engulf the ghost. When the flames finally calmed down all that was left of Donny was a pile of ash with eyes and a mouth. "How's that like, for practice? Ha-ha-ha!"
Now, it was common knowledge throughout the Neitherworld that the Juice family was old, and all the members were powerful; although Beetlejuice was the most gifted and flamboyant. Donnyjuice wasn't one to openly use his 'Juice' and would rather work out a situation on his own. Of course, when your brother was Beetlejuice… being burnt to a crisp wasn't new to him and having magical ghost powers came in handy.
Closing his eyes and concentrating Donny's ashes popped out of existence and re-formed, visibly unharmed, in the living-dead room. Dusting himself off, a habit he'd picked up from his brother, Donny turned to look at his attacker. Even thought he didn't need to air, Donny's breath caught in his throat. Flushing a darker shade of purple he eyed the young woman doing a victory dance in the entrance of the Roadhouse. 'Oh my goodness…' He thought watching the young ghoul bounce up and down. The six hundred & forty-four year old ghost found himself salivating.
"YOU!" The blonde woman spun on her sandals turned to face him, her index finger pointing in his direction.
A strange surge of energy churned just below Donny's stomach and a dumb-struck smile appeared on his face. Donny had never seen a ghoul whose eyes – beautiful blue eyes – held so much fiery passion. His mind began to fly south as his trousers got tight. Donny was attracted to women, he'd never found the need or the time to actively look for a mate, in both life an in his afterlife. Being a bachelor for centuries suited him just fine. That is, until Claire Brewster came stomping over to him and stuck her blue polished finger in his chest.
"I'm like, really getting tired of these like, fashion disasters Beetle-jerk!" Claire fumed.
Donny's wide eyes blinked at her. He could feel heat seeping into his chest from where her finger jabbed him. 'She thinks I'm Beetlejuice?' His smile faltered and felt strange surge of jealousy shoot through him. For centuries, Donny knew he could be his brother's physical twin. Of course, there were a few small details: the way they cut their hair, their noses, teeth, weight, and personal hygiene, but he'd become used to people mistaking him for his trouble-making brother.
"Oh deary me, I'm sorry, but I'm not Beetlejuice." He took hold of girl's hand that poked his chest. "My names Donny… Donny Juice." He kissed her hand. "Beetlejuice is my brother… and who might you be, Miss…?"
"Um…" Claire stood staring at him with her mouth hanging open; then her perfectly plucked eyebrows furrowed together. "Like, yeah right." Claire roughly pulled her hand free from Donny's grasp and stepped back from him. "O.M.G. Like you pervert! I thought you like, like-liked Lydia."
Donny gave her a confused look.
"Ugh… wow. You're really like, playing it thick today aren't you?" Claire's body turned bright red.
"I can assure you, Madam, that I'm not my brother!" Donny waved his hands in front of her to calm the young woman down. "I can prove it." Quickly, he dug out his Green-is-Keen license. "Here see."
Donny held up the plastic card with his picture and name on it. Claire's temper only got worse. Beetlejuice had tried a similar stunt as a pretend make-up artist a month ago; he'd flashed Claire a similar license and turned her into a clown. Flames started to lick up the sides of her arms at the memory and the license Donny held melted from the heat.
"Gosh, th-that's not good." Claire grabbed Donny by his maroon sweat shirt. "Um, Miss..?"
"You like, know my name Beetle-brains. Or are you like, too dumb to like, remember it?"
"Now please, Madam-" Claire threw him onto the crumbling couch. "Ye-ouch!"
"That's for that time you like, possessed me!" She held up her hand and formed another fire ball. "And this is for that stupid like, pretend-Prince act you pulled!"
"Now, now, now!" Donny put up his hands in defense. "I-I'm sure my brother is te-terribly sorry for all of those things!" She brought her arm back. "BUT I'm NOT BEETLEJUICE!" Donny screamed. "Being able to say his name is proof!"
"Like, proof? How's that like, proof of anything?" Claire held the fire to his face.
"M-My brother suffers from the 'Curse of Three', it's a curse that seals most of his spiritual power in his name, and seals his mouth whenever he tries to say it himself. You see, in order to access his power, his name must be spoken three times." Donny explained; Claire now concentrating on him let the fire die out. "Why do you think Lydia can freely travel between the worlds? It's because most of Beetlejuice's Juice is in his name!"
"Like figures… Lydia is like, ALWAYS getting all the worthwhile things in life!"
"Um, Madam… uh, you mean… afterlife…?"
"AHHHHGH! I'm like, SO tired of everyone reminding me I'm DEAD!" Fire once more surrounded her body; Donny recoiled from the flames. "Like, Lydia's not DEAD and she like, gets to come and go as she PLEASES! That like, stupid death-romancing, bug-loving, freaky-weirdo-Goth!"
"Now hold on one second, Madam! I won't have you say another hurtful word about Miss Lydia-"
Claire stood above him, hands on her hips and cut him off. "Stuff it you penny-loafer, stuffy-sweater, Pee-Wee-pervert-WANNA-BE!"
Donny's mouth fell open and his jaw fell off onto his lap.
He watched from his spot on the couch as Clair stomped her way up stairs. Not long after he'd put his jaw back on did his eyes pop out. 'Gosh her skirt is …short.' His mind started to spiral. 'Oh my, I'm starting to think like Beetlejuice!' Donny bit his lip and placed his eyeballs back in their sockets.
Donny was good at ignoring most comments he got in his afterlife; he chose to take the higher road & let them not affect his bright personality. Yet strangely, he remembered his brother had insulted him once a long, long, long time ago in a similar manner, but his time around the situation was different. The young woman wasn't kin nor was she a friend. After listening to the young flame-throwing blonde, something inside Donny began to break. The young-woman had struck a chord. He didn't know the reason why he found her attractive, and he wondered why he paid more attention to what she said in particular.
Maybe, he felt the need to defend his brother's future girlfriend? Heck, perhaps he just wanted to defend his brother? Getting a foreboding feeling Donny decided to follow her upstairs. While he didn't know the specific rules of the Roadhouse, he knew from previous experiences, that NO ONE was allowed in Beetlejuice's bedroom. 'Well, with one gothic exception.' Donny shook his head.
"Peachy-keen, I have got to STOP thinking down that road…" He made a face as he ran up the steps to his brother's room.
…
"Lydia! LYDIA! Answer this thing!" Claire rapped on the glass of the floor length mirror for the third time. "I like, KNOW this mirror is connected to you! Now like, PICK UP!"
"Madam, there is no need to yell. It's not a phone." He said trying to regain his composure from the smell in the room. "Listen Miss, my brother dislikes when someone's in his room; I think you should leave and go back downstairs." Donny came up behind her and went to take her hand.
"Like, do you think I CARE?" Claire turned around and pushed Donny away.
"Ex-Excuse me Madam, but I will have no more of this- this disregard of my person!" Donny said in a stern voice. "Now please, come downstairs."
"Like, no way." She walked over to a pile of garbage and picked up the first thing she grabbed. "If Lydia won't pay attention to me, then she won't pay attention to her boyfriend either!" Claire held the tennis racket up to the mirror.
"NO! PLEASE don't! That mirror is-"
"Like, serves them right!" She brought her arms back and swung at the mirror.
Time slowed down...
'If she smashed the mirror it would ruin everything for my brother.' Donny thought. He was sure that this year Beetlejuice and Lydia would finally become a couple, and with the upcoming family get-together he couldn't have BJ making Lydia promise to stay in the Realworld till another Mirror-Bridge was created. Lydia needed to be here, in the Neitherworld, on Halloween.
Donny snapped.
His over-nice demeanor slipped away. Using his Juice, he zapped himself in front of the mirror. The tennis racket smacked Donny in his rib-cage. Startled Claire stepped back and tried to pull the racket from his grasp.
"G-Give it like, BACK!" Claire's eyes burned as she yanked on the racket.
"NO! I won't let you harm this mirror!"
He grabbed her upper arm and forced her away from the glass. Claire growled at the Beetle-look-alike and changed her own tactics. Following his example she pushed her weight forward and forced him backwards. Donny let go of the racket and it flew off into a pile of junk. Still holding onto Claire, Donny pulled her to the floor with him. Claire landed on top of Donny, briefly knocking the wind out of him. She sat up Donny flipped their positions. Grabbing both her arms he pinned them above her head and pressed her body against the floor.
"Madam, I'm not going to do anythi-" Claire kneed him in the groin and smashed her forehead against his. "AHHHhhhhhoooooowwwwwwwwww…"
"Those like, self-defense classes Dadsy made me take like, finally came in handy!"
Taking advantage of his pain Claire lit her hands on fire, grabbed his maroon sweater, and flipped their positions once more. She felt the fire on her hands die down and realized she was losing power. Relaxing she put all of her spectral weight on top Donny's stomach, in an effort to crush him. Donny went to reach for her one more time when something moved in the corner of his vision. Distracted by the mirror Claire took the opportunity to smack him. Focusing back on the woman atop him he blocked her next hit.
Then someone stepped out of the mirror.
"CLAIR?" Lydia yelled. "What are you DOING!?"
Claire didn't hear her as she straddled Donny as in attempt to stop him from bending his knees to side-throw the girl off of his lap. Angry and out of Heat, Claire's hands were tiring to reach around Donny's neck to strangle him. Donny tried to block the valley-girl's attack by holding her arms away with his, but…
To Beetlejuice, who'd just entered the room, it looked like she'd been undoing his bow-tie. A shocked minute later, Beetle watched amused as his younger brother's grip slipped, and Claire toppled forward allowing her chest to smother his brother's face. He could have re-died laughing if he didn't find it so disgusting and disturbing to watch. That and it was all taking place in…
"MY ROOM! What are ya DOIN' in MY ROOM!" Hot steam shot the top of Beetlejuice's skull off.
"Beej, please don't flip your lid…" Lydia tried to calm Beetlejuice.
"Little late, Lyds." He crossed his arms and looked away from … whatever his brother was doing with Brewster in his bedroom. "Ugh-yuck… I'm gonna have'ta clean in here…"
Claire paused in her second attempt at making boiled-Juice and finally noticed she wasn't alone. Looking down at the ghost she held onto her blue eyes met his green ones and they both flushed fire-engine red. Donny paled a light shade of lilac and Claire averted her gaze.
"Donny? Claire?" Lydia avoided looking at them, her face red. "Br-Break it up, please."
"He started it." Claire tired to choke Donny again.
"Mis-Miss Lydia, it's not what it looks like…" Donny tried to verbally and physically defend himself.
The younger Juice brother gabbed at Claire's hands to keep her from hurting him further. Bucking his hips he threw her off, but she held onto the striped lapels of his maroon sweater. Sitting up, he tired to free himself from her grasp. All the while Beetlejuice stood out-of-character silent as he watched his younger brother act not-so-nice to his new neighbor.
"Claire, let him go." Lydia asked. Claire complied and sat Indian style on the floor as Lydia helped Donny up. "Donny? Are you alright?"
"Oh, why yes Miss Lydia, I'm- I'm just fine. Th-Thank you. My… uh, sweater took most of the heat." He tried to joke for Lydia's sake. He had a blacker-black eye and was missing two teeth. "Thank you for letting me go …Miss Claire." Turning to face the red-faced ghoul Donny made the conscious decision to not help the girl up from the floor.
Everyone in the room stood shocked at the sarcastic words and lack of gentlemanly action from Donny. Beetlejuice's head fell backwards off his shoulders. Claire, who didn't know Donny was usually the definition of nice, "humphed" in annoyance and stuck her nose in the air from her seat on the floor. Lydia was the first to recover.
"Well…" She went and helped Claire up. "…wh-why don't we go down stairs and have a chat, ok Claire?"
"Like sure, why not." She snapped.
"Beej, I'll see you in… an hour."
"Sure thing, Lyds." Beetlejuice eyed Donny wearily.
Just before the girls left the room Claire turned around & stuck her tongue out at Donny. "Bye bye, Dee-Jay."
"Why you- you-" Donny hissed and went to grab Claire.
"FREEZE!" Donny's body froze; encased in ice. "Hold on there a 'sec, Bro." Beetlejuice crossed his arms and put a finger to his lips in contemplation. "I think we need to talk, too." Donny's eyes widened, unused to his brother showing interest in his afterlife. The ice chilled him and with Claire out of the room he felt his normal personality return to him. Shame washed over Donny and his face got so hot it melted the top portion of the ice.
"Wanna es'plain it ta me?"
"E-Explain what, brother?" Beetlejuice pinched his brother's hooked nose. "Ow, ow, OW! Ok, ok…" Beetle let go. "I, I don't know what came over me."
"Well, I think I know what came over ya. What I'd like ta know is why it came over ya in MY ROOM!" Beetlejuice seethed.
"Be-Beetlejuice, I was n-not… you d-don't think I'd ac-actually-" Donny stuttered. "She was going to break your mirror!"
"Yeah, sure she was…" Beetle rolled his eyes and looked into his brother's. "Ah, buggers…ya ain't lyin' are ya?" Donny gave him a defeated look, and at the face Beetle kicked the block of ice; it cracked and broke apart freeing Donny. "…I still gotta clean my floor."
"Thank you brother…" To Beetlejuice's surprise Donny didn't try to hug him. "I'll, um, see you in a few days." Donny "poofed" out of the room leaving flowers, candy, and a befuddled brother in his wake.
"Donny's usin' his Juice, Claire's got fire power, and Lyds is friends with her ol'enemy…" He put his hands on his hips. "What's the Neitherworld comin' too?"
