Lydia decided to walk into town, she wanted to be by herself and think a while. She knew that by the end of the summer she would have to leave. She only had a few precious months with Beetlejuice before she left. The road into town was long, but she didn't mind the exercise. She really didn't know where she was going, but she wanted to be out of the house, away from Delia.
"Lydia, what are you doing in town?" Bertha asked walking up to her.
"Hello Bertha, I just felt like taking a walk, get away from you-know-who." Lydia didn't really want to talk with anyone, but not she didn't have much of a choice. She smiled and hoped that it looked sincere. It must have passed because Bertha smiled and walked over to her.
"I was just going to meet Prudence at the café for some coffee. Why don't you join us?" Lydia knew it wasn't a question, she couldn't outright refuse Bertha's offer and not be able to explain herself, so she politely nodded her head and followed Bertha into the small café where Prudence was saving a table.
"Hi Lydia, when did you come into town?" She asked after they had ordered their coffee. "She just got here, walked from her house." Bertha said before Lydia was even able to open up her mouth. She smiled and nodded her head in agreement. Prudence cocked her head to the side expecting more of an explanation, but Lydia didn't say anything further.
"So have you guys decided what you are going to do now that we are free from high school hell?" Bertha asked changing the subject.
"I just found out that I have been accepted into Princeton, I was a little worried about that." Prudence said smiling shyly.
"That's great Prudence, I am going to head to the U of C. Where are you going Lydia?" Bertha asked. Lydia took a sip of her hot coffee and gave a small sigh.
"I'm heading to an art school in Fairfield."
"Really? I would have thought that you would have gone to New York or someplace over in Europe. You are really staying in Connecticut?" Bertha asked.
"I'm shocked too, I would have thought that you would have been accepted into some art school in New York too. You certainly have the talent for it." Prudence said quietly. Lydia knew that they would be shocked. Everyone wanted her to head to the big city. These days, it just didn't appeal to her.
"There's something else that's bothering you isn't there?" Prudence asked, causing Lydia to look at her with mild shock on her face. It was that obvious? Oh God, they would want to know what was going on.
"No there isn't. I just didn't want to go back to the big city. I am used to the peaceful country life now. I like it." Lydia hoped that it would be a good enough answer.
"I don't think that's quite it." Prudence said watching Lydia's body language.
"You met a guy didn't you." Bertha blurted out. Lydia's head shot up as she stared open-mouthed at Bertha. She knew the moment she did, she had outed herself. The wide smiles grew on their faces and she could have kicked herself.
"Now that you mention it, you do seem a bit different Lydia. I can't put my finger on it, but you're different." Prudence said thoughtfully. There was no way they were going to believe her if she said that nothing was different. She sighed and tried to think of something fast.
"Yes, I met someone. When my father, Delia and I went to go look at different colleges, there was this guy at the art school. Well we hit it off, I suppose that's part of the reason that I'm staying here." She said and smiled sheepishly. It seemed like a reasonable thing to happen. When Bertha and Prudence smiled widely at each other she knew they had bought it. She relaxed a little bit inside herself and settled into her chair.
"So tell us, what's he like?" Bertha asked leaning forward in interest.
"Oh he's sweet, cute. Knows how to make me laugh. I don't know we just clicked. After he gave us a tour of the school we sat down and had coffee and we just talked about everything." Thinking about Beetlejuice in a conventional sort of way didn't technically make it straight out lying right? Just a small white lie, she just omitted the fact that he'd been dead for over six hundred years.
"Oh that's so cute." Bertha sighed. "Man, I hope that I meet someone when I head to college."
"I'm sure you will Bertha and you too Prudence." Lydia said smiling.
"Oh I don't know about that. I will have so many classes at Princeton that I'm sure I won't have time to date." Prudence said shaking her head. "What's his name Lydia?"
"Oh, um..BJ" She said.
"BJ?" Bertha asked, an eyebrow shooting up.
"Yes, stands for Brian James or John, something like that. He just goes by BJ though." She said trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
"Nice." Both of them seemed to dismiss it after that, talking of what to bring when they leave and how they were going to keep in touch.
Throughout the summer Lydia spent as little time at her home as possible. It didn't seem to bother her parents when she would walk out of the door and not say anything to them and if it did they certainly didn't say anything to her about it. She loved being in the Neitherworld and spending time with Beetlejuice. They slept together almost every night, each time was just as amazing as the first.
During the first part of the summer she would come home and spend time with her parents eating dinner in silence, but eventually she just stopped coming home at night. She stayed with Beetlejuice, snuggled against his side wanting the morning to never come. But it always did and she would have to slid back through to her bedroom, pretending she'd been there the whole time. She'd never been one to feel comfortable with lying to her parents, but oddly enough it didn't bother her to spit out something false when they asked her where she was and what she was doing. It had taken almost a month before her father asked her to come into his study and talk with him.
"Pumpkin I have noticed that you haven't been spending much time here lately. Is there something that's going on?" He asked when he sat down behind his desk. Lydia stood there and instead of feeling nervous or guilty she simply smiled at her father.
"Why would you think there is something going on Dad? Someone saw some of my artwork and they wanted to know if I could paint a picture for them. I've been going to their house for the job." The words flowed so freely and each and every one of them was false. It seemed to make her father relax and he smiled and shooed her away so he could return to what he was reading. She slid up to her room and called for Beetlejuice.
"I think I've been rubbing off on you too much Babes." He said with a sly smile on his face. She just laughed and shook her head.
"You could never rub off too much on me Beej."
The week before Lydia was supposed to leave for college she could barely get out of bed. Her stomach was tied up in knots and her head ached constantly.
"Pumpkin are you feeling okay?" Charles asked peeking in her room. She turned her pale face to him. She had lost weight and it showed in her face. He was shocked to see her like this.
"I think I caught the stomach flu Dad. I just need to rest and sleep it off." She said weakly. There was no way she was going to tell him that she was lovesick. He just nodded and turned to go when she turned away from him. She wanted to go to the Neitherworld desperately, but she didn't have the energy knowing that her time with Beetlejuice was almost gone.
"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." She said weakly. She closed her eyes and waited.
"Babes! What happened to you?" Beetlejuice asked rushing to her bed and scooping her up in his arms. She smiled and touched his cheek with her hand. She didn't say anything but when she saw that he had lost weight too and his eyes were just a bit red, she knew he'd been going through the same thing.
"I'm going to miss you too much Beej. I don't want to go through with this." She said. It was the best thing that he had heard, but he knew that she was just scared of leaving home and leaving him. This was the best thing for her.
"Lydia, you'll be okay. You are strong Babes, before you know it you'll have a break and we can spend some real time together." He didn't believe what he said, but if it made her feel a little better then he would say it. He rubbed her back while he spoke to her. She sighed and closed her eyes.
"Somehow I don't think so and I don't think you think that either." She said. When he didn't say anything she looked up at him. "Beej, stay with me."
"I'm not going anywhere Babes." He said and dropped a kiss on her head. She smiled and just laid on the bed with him. She always felt safe in his arms.
The last few days seemed to disappear and Lydia was trying to hold off tears as she slowly dressed. She had chosen her outfit very carefully. A white suit with small back pinstripes running down the blazer and trousers. She had pulled her hair up into a simple pony tail letting the waves fall where they were and put on her favorite silver beetle earrings. When she bent down to put on her black boots Beetlejuice appeared in her mirror. He didn't say anything as he watched her zip the long boots up and fix the legs of her pants. When she looked back up she was surprised, but that melted away almost immediately.
"Beej, I wasn't sure if you were going to come." Lydia said relief in her words.
"Are you kidding me Babes? Dead horses couldn't stop me from seeing you today." He tried to joke around his sadness.
"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice" She said and he appeared in her bedroom. They stood apart from each other for a few moments, not knowing what exactly they could say to one another.
"Lyds, you look amazing." He said looking her up and down. Black and white always did wonders for her looks.
"Thanks." Lydia said flattered. Before she knew it she closed the distance between them and she was in his arms. She didn't cry, but just felt the comfort in his arms. They held each other for a moment before Beetlejuice gently pulled her away.
"Before I forget, I have something for you." He said reaching into his pocket. He watched her as she cocked her head to one side in curiosity. "I wanted you to have something that would always remind you of me." He withdrew a slender black velvet box.
"Oh Beej, you didn't have to get me anything." She gushed embarrassed and excited at the same time.
"Of course I did Babes." He said as he gave her the box. She ran her fingers over the soft velvet before opening it. When she did she gasped at what she saw. There sitting in black satin was a silver chain with one perfect ruby.
"Oh Beej, you shouldn't have." She whispered pulling the chain out and holding it.
"Yes I should have. I saw that and knew immediately it was all you." He took the chain from her and placed it around her neck. The ruby sat just inches below the hallow of her neck, right over her heart. It shined with all the fire it possessed and probably more. She felt a shiver run down her spine when the cool silver and cool fingers touched her warm skin.
"It's absolutely beautiful Beej." She breathed staring at the ruby in the mirror.
"I"m glad you like it." He said and kissed her temple. She spun around in his arms and pulled his face to hers, opening her mouth to have more. Beetlejuice held onto her back and kept her so tight against him that they almost blended together. It seemed like the kiss could go on forever into eternity and it still wouldn't be enough. When they finally did part Lydia put her head on his chest.
"Why does it have to be so hard?" She whispered. He sighed and thought about that for a moment.
"The only thing that I can figure is that if it wasn't hard then it wouldn't feel as good. And I don't know about you Babes, but this feels pretty damn good to me." He rubbed her back and she just sighed as a response.
"Lydia, it's time for you to get going." Delia called from downstairs. Lydia felt the tears start to form and tried to brush them away before they came on full force.
"I guess this is it Beej." She managed to say. He cupped her cheek and held it.
"Only for a little while. You'll see how the time will fly." He didn't believe himself, but he hoped that it would help her. He gave her one more intimate kiss, softer, but no less devastating.
"It's time Lyds, say those magic B words." He held onto her hand as she shook with emotion.
"Beetlejuice...Beetlejuice," She said chocking on her words. Her throat seemed to close up and she shook her head.
"Come on Babes." He urged her. The pain in her voice nearly sent him to his knees, but he had to be strong for her.
"Beetlejuice." She said chocking on the word and tears. When he disappeared back into the Neitherworld she broke down and gave into her sobs and full force.
"Lydia, hurry or you'll hit the traffic." Delia said more forceful from down the stairs. Lydia pulled herself together and wiped away the tears. She took a few deep breaths, put on her lipstick and a pair of sunglasses.
"Well it's about time." Delia said when Lydia walked down the stairs with her purse.
"Why the sunglasses Pumpkin?" Her father asked.
"Glare on the road." She said in a monotone voice. With a few quick hugs she was on the road away from everything she held dear. She felt the ruby against her skin and gave a slight smile.