I sat opposite Beetlejuice and Lydia, who were next to each other on a barely upholstered loveseat. Briana was positioned on the armrest, right next to BJ, while the others were congregated around.

"You said you'd tell us where you were, Beetlejuice!" the little girl demanded, pulling on his lapel.

"Alright, alright, keep your pants on," he returned, and all of a sudden, Briana's pants were yanked up her body, finishing around her nose. She quickly pulled the back to normal level and glared at him.

"I just went off to Juno's to get some transfer papers so I could stay here, at the Chateaux. And you know how long it takes in their offices! When I got out of there, the desk told me it had been three years since I walked in! Can you believe it?" He rubbed his head. Lydia went wide-eyed and made a disgusted noise.

"Don't they have any decency? Jeez, all that for some transfer papers?" she commented. Chris looked to me and assured me that I heard right; it had been three years!

"Time passes slowly over there. It kinda happens when you've got eternity," he explained

Beetlejuice went on. "So anyway, I get out of there and decide to pick up a drink at the bar in town. That's the living world one, back a couple miles from here. I end up sitting next to this poor guy who said he lost his dame and kid ten years ago. He said he caught up with them finally, but when he got to the house, they were gone. So I convince him to have a drink and a couple shots later, I leave.

"I'm heading here and suddenly I hear a crash below me. I look down, and some lady ended up getting rammed in her SUV by that guy I met at the bar. Next thing I know, I see her heading towards some bright light in the sky and he's in a body bag."

Here he grinned. "Nice to know that the Circle of Life is still affected by some scotch."

Some people groaned and Lydia smacked him playfully. "Beetlejuice!"

"What? It's not my fault he was driving under the influence!"

"Beetlejuice!" she demanded.

"Listen, all I do is buy the guy a drink and you piss off!"

"Beetlej-…"

He smacked his hand over her mouth and shook his finger. "Say it one more time and I'm out of here. I just got back; you want me to leave again so soon?"

She shook her head and looked at him reproachfully. I was staring at the wall.

"Hello? Lira? You in there?" Chris asked, waving his hand in front of my face.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and gave him a smirk. "Yeah, I'm here. I was just thinking. It's kinda sad how he spent ten years looking for his family and then suddenly kills himself and some other wo-…oh my god!"

I stood up with a shocked expression.

"What?" Lydia inquired, worriedly.

"The only car crash around here was my mom! That guy crashed into my mom! And…he was drunk…because…of…"

I launched myself at Beetlejuice in a rage. Catching him by surprise, we fell to the ground and I fought to knock his lights out. He only took a moment to recollect his wits and suddenly I found myself levitated, hanging helplessly in midair. Punching and trying to grab him, I found myself only attacking thin air.

"Cool down, babes," he tried. "You can't blame me for that guy decided to drive afterwards."

"Watch me! You…you killed my mom!" I yelled through fresh tears.

"No, some liquor and a bad choice killed your mother. And until you accept that, you can just hang there for a while."

Suddenly, under my neck, I felt a hard tug. A rope had suddenly appeared around my throat and I felt myself yanked upward, literally swinging from a noose.

I gasped for air as Beetlejuice's face went pale and he rushed over to get me down. I sank back into my chair, rubbing the part of my neck that I was sure was going to develop a red mark.

"Sorry about that. You ok?" he asked, staying back a little just in case I decided to renew my onslaught.

"Yeah…" I gasped, trying to keep my breath. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Wouldn't be much of a loss, would it?" Briana piped in from the couch.

"I'll thank you to remember that I enjoy having a pulse," I retorted, rubbing the wound absentmindedly.

She shrugged and floated over to perch in my head. I tried to look upward with a sneer, but she dug into my hair and grinned.

Shaking my head, I gave up and looked to Lydia.

"I want to see him."