Author's note: Holy carpfish, people actually like my story. I keep on getting reviews and favorites to this story, so I got up the ideas and courage to write this chapter. Thanks guys, you're made of awesomesauce, and a bag of chips. Thanks to my reviewers rubydesires (you're like the itch that wont go away in my life, and I love you for that. *hug* ) Katrina Marie Lupin, and WaichiMakkura. You all get awesome cookies, filled with love.
Well this chapter is all about the ghost with the most, not being the ghost with the most. You'll see. I'll probably edit this whole story later on, because it needs character growth, or something of the sort. Grow the characters, and they will seem real. Sorry about the bad writing skills, they need work.
Disclaimer: I do not own Beetlejuice, or the characters that reside in that world.
Anyways, onto another chapter of:
The Grass is Always Greener...
Ch. 2:Live and Let Die
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"Haha, Beetlebreath beetlebreath. Stinky dirty beetlebreath."
A group of five boys chanted, shoving around a scruffy, lanky blond with bright green eyes and a black shirt and pants. With a quick shove and toss of catch, one of the boys stepped sideways and faked awe as he watched the blond stumble and almost fall over. The blond stood up and turned, almost falling over again.
"What are we? Middle-schoolers?" The blond scoffed, and then oofed as he caught a bag at his waist, falling over from the force, and landed in a thick mud puddle. The group just laughed, and one of them, the leader with the odd nick name of Scuzzo-sporting a black leather jacket, white shirt, and ripped jeans- walked up to the blond coolly.
"What do you think Beetlebreath?" He then smirked, for a second, before dropping that smirk for a forced frown. He kneeled down in front of the blond, smoothing his hair back and resting his arms on his bent legs. "Dawww, gonna cry to mommy?" he then rocked his hand on his cheek, faking a sobbing sound and looking at the blond sadly.
He got a face full of mud in return.
Scuzzo started to growl as he wiped away the mud. The group of four started to chuckle, and immediately stopped when Scuzzo turned to them. He then turned back to the blond, who was chuckling and doing the same motion as Scuzzo was earlier.
"Aww, big bad gangster gonna cryyyy? Boo hooo." He said, baby talking the infuriated Scuzzo. Scuzzo growled, grabbed the blond by the back of his shirt and pants and picked him up.
"Shut up beetlebrat." He said, walking over to the alley-way, towards one of the dumpsters. "Lardo." He said once, and one of the bigger boys rushed over to the dumpster. Scuzzo grinned maniacly and raised a flailing blond high enough to whisper into his ear.
"Welcome to high school, brat." He said as he threw the blond into the dumpster and grinned as one of his men tossed the bag into the dumpster. With a heavy kick the dumpster started to roll out of the alley, and then picked up speed, rolling down the street. Scuzzo chuckled. "Welcome to Peaceful Pines Beetle."
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"Oh Betel, look at yerself, ya're covered in grime. And yer clothes-I just washed 'em for ya too." A woman in her mid fifties paced-a rather round looking woman-, was grief stricken over the blond in green and brown grime, sitting in a chair face down.
He just groaned under his breath. "Sorry ma…" he said bitterly, his face smeared away and partially clean. His green eyes were down casted in a sort of shame, as he ignored strong young hands on his shoulders. He ignored the taller man, in his mid twenties, looming over Betel in concern.
The two brothers than turned their eyes to the doting mother, starting to make a pacing crater. "Mother, calm yourself." The older of the two said.
"Donny, why can't your brother be more like you?" Donny's eye's flickered down to Betel, who stiffened and stared at the ground intensely, gripping the under-sides of the chair.
"Well, ma, incase ya didn't notice, I ain't like mister primp and popular over here." Betel said, hiking a thumb over his shoulder. Donny flinched at the waft of decaying diaper. "Incase ya didn't notice I ain't like nobody in this family. I'm not perfect, so stop thinking I will be." He said, standing up.
This stopped the woman in her tracks from the stop. She watched him, and sighed, running a hand over her tight bunned hair. "Alright Betel, calm yerself. Sorry I made such claims." She said, her hands in her standing lap.
Betel looked over his mother, and then sighed, shoulders relaxing, as he sat down. "Right ma…" He then tugged at his shirt, and sniffed it. He flinched a bit. "Woah, I smell like a skunk ran me over…"
She nodded and turned to the door that lead to the back room, calling through it. "Nat! Do you have the tomato bath ready?"
"Bath?! No way in hell!" Betel jumped up and ran to the door, and got close lined by big brother Donny.
Donny sighed, and picked up Betel by the armpits, holding him out arms length. "I'm going to have to take one too at this rate." He groaned and walked into the back room, eyeing a giant wooden tub that normally had grapes in it. He sighed and turned to Nat, their father. A rather tall man who was square-like in appearance. "Father, you're going to clean that out before the grapes come in, right?"
"Depen's on if yer brother cleans up goo' enough er not. Don' wan' him stinkin' up tha whole place now do we?" Nat said, stepping away from the tomato juice filled tub as Donny shook his head. "Exac'ly. Now, Pu' yer brother in tha tub. We'll che' up on him when he's done." He said and wiped his hand proudly, then walked to the front room.
Donny sighed and did as he was told. He stared at Betel in thought. How'd such a bright kid end up being such a trouble maker? The kid was the smartest person he knew, albeit not the most popular or outgoing, but damn bright. Hell, if he tried, he would be done with high school and out of this hick town. But, after the last school…he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Donny could have stayed back in New Orleans, with his girl and his life, but the parents needed him. Betel needed him, even if he never said or showed it.
He then looked out the door, to his parents that were simple in their ways. Simple people with simple needs. They were wine makers-probably the only reason that Betel stayed around for as long as he did. They made wine, and were damn good at it. Orleans noticed that, for a while at least. That's why they prospered so well in a city so wild, and everyone was happy for a while. Then big companies came in, especially companies of the alcoholic kind, and pushed Mr. and Mrs. Geist out. That was when everything went downhill, especially Betel. He was a big shot in the city of life, but when he learned that he couldn't stay…he made hell. Lots and lots of hell.
Donny sighed as he looked down at Betel. Poor kid. He then watched as Betel came too, and sighed, decking him across the back of his head, knocking him out again. No need to spill tomato juice all over the place.
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Betel sighed as he stared out the window of the catholic school. All boys school, puh, what a load. He needed chicks, gullible shmucks, and a quick dollar. He needed Orleans, but no, they just had to move. Now he was stuck staring at the back of a boy's head, and ignoring stares of want from iffy boys that were either confused or straight to the point.
He groaned as the bell rang, signaling the end of class. He got up and sighed, walking out the door and to his locker. He waved away a few admirers, and cursed his blond hair and strange scent of tomato juice. Maybe it was an attractant or something. He scrunched his nose; he personally hated the smell. He elbowed his locker, and it popped open. He eyed a paper that popped out of his locker, and drifted down into his hands. He looked it over, flipping it a few times.
"'Circus de Lyondell'?...what the hell?..." he mumbled and looked down the paper. "'Want to get away from your life?' Well ya. 'Want to get what you deserve?' Heh, this paper knows me. 'Then come to Le Circus de Lyondell. Where all your hopes will be fulfilled'… huh…guess it's worth checking out…" he mumbled gruffly and pocketed the advertisement, before flinching at a slap to the rear.
He headed towards his next class, after closing his locker, and looked into a mirror passing bye. He noticed brown where his green should have been. He blinked and looked back, noticing his eyes were green again. He sighed and closed his eyes, when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He spun around, into the eyes of Scuzzo. He flinched, then sneered.
"The hell do you want clown?"
He then was shoved against a locker, as four other boys circled around Betel, on both sides of Scuzzo. "Well Well, look what just walked onto our turf boys." The four chuckled ominously.
Betel sneered. "Don't you guys have a hole to crawl into."
"You wish Beetlecrap."
Betel rolled his eyes and pushed Scuzzo away. "Right, well, while you're trying your scare tactics, I'm going to go this way." He started to walk away, when he was shoved again.
"Nu-uh Beetle, we have plans for you." Scuzzo grinned and grabbed Betel. "What do you think boys, should we shave the brat, or maybe cut him up." He said as he pulled out a switch blade. Betel sneered and kicked the knife out of Scuzzo's hand, then kneed him in the throat. Scuzzo kneeled over, gripping his throat and coughing. Betel leapt for the knife, grabbed it, then rolled, standing up and pointing the knife at the boys.
"You rat bastards want a piece of me?" Betel roared and looked at the boys angrily, when they all backed up.
"Mr. Geist!" an authority figure exclaimed, catching Betel's attention. Mr. Shannon, the principle of the catholic school.
Betel stared at him, and then dropped the knife. "Ain't mine."
"Like it isn't. Hurting these poor innocent boys, and cursing in the halls of the lord." He then turned to the boys, and looked at Scuzzo. "Oh, Carol, did the ruffian hurt you?" The boys snickered as Scuzzo glared at the gang. He then looked at Mr. Shannon, and grinned cooly.
"No sir, he didn't. We were just playing a game that got a little out of control."
Mr. Shannon sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fair enough, but still, there has to be something done about the foul language." He said, ignoring Betel.
Betel grumbled and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Don't ignore me…"
"Right, well, detention for you." Betel stared at Mr. Shannon, like he was crazy. "Detention until dusk. I will call your parents and tell them about the circumstances." Betel grumbled. "and if you miss out on your punishment, Mr. Geist, then there will be severe consequences. Expulsion. That wouldn't look too good on your record, now would it? Being the third school in a row you were kicked out of." Betel glared at the ground, burning holes into it. He glanced at Scuzzo, who was planning his demise behind sweet smirks of innocence. "Be in room 218 after classes are over. I will check to see if you are there myself." He said as he turned to leave, but not before turning to Scuzzo. "Now Carol, have a pleasant day." He said as he left.
Scuzzo grinned and grabbed Betel. In one swoop, Betel was grabbed, lifted over Scuzzo's head, and chucked into a nearby garbage can. Betel groaned and spat a piece of food-whatever it was he didn't want to know- into Scuzzo's face. "Bye bye Carol." Betel spat, and Scuzzo growled in annoyance. He then kicked the can over, and kicked it down the hall.