A/N: Lol, well, here's my second Beetlejuice fic so far. I was bored and skimmed through most of the stories that have ever been submitted by now, and got interested in the ones that connected the cartoon to the movie. Just, one thing that kinda got me. The Movie usually came first, just like the order in which they came out originally. Being bored, I decided to just... switch it around a bit. Now the Cartoon comes first, so somethin's gonna happen, I guess...

Also, For now, while it's the cartoon, it WILL have somewhat of bad language. But once it gets more towards the movie the bad mouthing might grow a little, maybe even more will happen, so when it gets there I will change the rating.

But, that might happen if I get enough reviews. :) So I hope you like this!

Enjoy!!

P.S. I do not own Beetlejuice. That should be obvious...

Chapter 1

Grounded

"Miss Deetz!"

"Wha?! Huh?!" Lydia sat up in her chair, alerted that she was no longer in whatever dream world she was in before being called upon. She tensed for a moment, realizing that she was still in class, and slumped in her chair with a small grimace. This was going to become a call to her parents from school, yes. She could see it there on Ms. Shannon's face that her teacher wasn't necessarily happy with her at the moment.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Miss Deetz? That is the fourth time this week that you have been found napping during class. Is there a problem at home causing you to lose sleep?"

"No, Ms. Shannon…"

"Then what possible explanation can you find to tell me why you are not getting any sleep at night?"

"None, Ms. Shannon…"

"I shall speak with you about this, after class, Miss Deetz. And hopefully this will be the only time I have to hold you back after your current hour."

"Yes, Ms. Shannon," Lydia sighed and rested her head on the heal of her palm, tapping the eraser of her pencil impatiently on the desk. How was she to be able to explain to anyone that she was out in the realm of the dead the night before? How would she be able to simply explain to them that her best friend wasn't Bertha nor Prudence, but simply not of this world? A dead man. Yes, that's her best friend. He was a spirit of the sort, a poltergeist if you will. One with powers no other ghost, spirit, nor creature could ever comprehend, and abilities that he uses to pull small jokes as pranks. And Lydia thought to herself, why was he her best friend?

He makes her laugh. He's very different and… and he's just so understanding when it came to her. Lydia had friends other than him, yes, but she always preferred spending a day with him in the Neitherworld than at the mall with other friends. Why? Because her other friends didn't know. She never said 'Deadly Vu' or any other silly pun that she can think of around them. Lydia only stated funny jokes like those around him. He was her hero. He was there for her like no one else was, and she was so much more to him than a mortal girl with dark interests. She was his for the taking, always has been, and always will be.

He was also hers, in a small way. He did what she told him to do, but she never crossed the line. He was…. Beetlejuice. Lydia smiled, looking up at the board to find notes she was apparently supposed to write down some time ago, but never did get around to it. Her imagination was too demanding, and she satisfied the hungry thoughts with her own, day dreaming some will call it.

She was bored with school, and Lydia longed for another round in the Neitherworld. She'll get that eventually, now that she knows there's life after death, she's never afraid to live her life to the fullest. She guessed she'd have to thank her mother for the ability to smile again. Her real mother. Not step mother. Her mother that brought her to this world. The one who had also died… and as much as Lydia has always wanted to ask Beetlejuice for the chance to see her again, she thought it best to keep her mouth shut.

Beetlejuice has done enough for her. He's saved her life several times, and gave her something to look forward to. He gave her the rest of his afterlife, so that he may spend time with her day by day. He gave her permission to do things that no other thirteen-year-old girl may do, and Lydia figured that asking to see her mother would just be too much.

Why was her mother to thank for all of this? Simple. Before she died, several years before Lydia even had interests towards dark things, she gave her a book. Yes, a poor Birthday gift, no? To Lydia, it was.

"Lydia, this book is something completely different! It's not boring at all and I'm sorry that I couldn't find you anything like a fairy tale but you know how the times are for us right now."

"Well where in the world did you find it?! It's old and… dusty and…icky!"

"I'm sorry, darling, but the woman who gave me the book just rushed it into my hands. I got it for free, you can say. She just rushed it like she was scared of it. I'm sorry I couldn't afford anything big, but you're only six. Ten more years and you'll even have your own car, I promise!" she smiled down at her small daughter. Lydia took the book with a mad little pout on her face.

A book of the dead. That's what it was. A simple little book for calling names. It read several instructions and the last few pages were a list of first, and last names of the many ghosts who were able to be called upon.

After her mother died Lydia took a…. dark liking to the world. She looked at the book, obviously it was just some silly activity for young Wiccans to enjoy themselves reading. Maybe not Wiccans, but just anyone in general who took a liking to spirits and the afterlife. And while flipping through the pages, debating on whether Lydia should keep the book since it was one of the last few gifts from her mother, she decided, just to try it. To humor herself, to humor her mother's spirit, to see if it actually worked at all.

Anyone could have a curiosity to try these things out. Knowing that it was just something for fun, or something to pass the time, Lydia decided that, she did actually take a liking to dark things. Ghosts and spirits, mostly. She wanted to know whether or not there was life after death and so she read the book. The rules, how to call upon them, such of that nature.

When reading the instructions was finally out of the way, Lydia skimmed the list of First names. Confusing, very, because the list were just words, basically. Not really names at all.

It seemed that if you mixed the first name with the last name, and call the word you just mixed together three times, you'll end up with a spirit who's personality is matched with yours. There were many words in the first list, and Lydia skimmed it over a few times. Then she found Beetle, a description behind each name told the reader what it meant, who they were like. The description she found most interesting; Someone playful, yet disgusting.

Disgusting, yes, a throw off, but playful sounded interesting. She didn't want a lazy ghost to call, no matter if it was all true or not. So she went with that. With her chosen first name, Lydia skimmed the Last names. Juice; Dark, funny, rather mean, hard to get along with, but can be a good friend. A good friend… Lydia needed a friend, a good one in general. So that was decided. Beetle, and Juice.

Lydia thought, it would be okay. Beetlejuice, she came up with by putting the two words together. The book's instructions were so…. fake sounding to her, but none the less, she wanted to find out. And to her surprise, it wasn't.

Only five years without her real mother, and four with her step were enough to make her want to die. But thanks to her Mother's open mindedness in Birthday gifts for her six-year-old daughter, Lydia was now actually best friends with someone who could never leave her.

The final bell for the end of class that day rang, bringing Lydia back down to earth and she sat up, finding that she had fallen asleep, yet again. Ugh, I need to start going to bed early… she thought to herself.

"I'm glad you remembered to stay after class, Miss Deetz," came the stuck up voice of Ms. Shannon as Lydia drowsily turned her head in her direction. "Yes, Ms. Shannon," she murmured obediently. Lydia was too tired to argue with her teacher, not to mention that she'd be grounded to no extent. Over the years, her parents have grown strict over what she's been doing. And this isn't the first time that she has had the teacher call home for her napping in class. Lydia Deetz, use to be a good student, but her teenage hormones made the subject turn otherwise.

Everyone who has been responsible for her actions suspect that she has indeed snuck out of the house. And she has… just not out of the house. Out of her world, to be more exact. But she'd never admit it. She couldn't. Lydia would never do that, because she knew it would result into Delia flipping out and Charles hyperventilating. Her real mom wouldn't have minded… her real mom was more laid back. She was relaxed, opposite of Charles, but nothing like Delia. Lydia refused to repeat her mother's name in her mind, she refused to remember the pain it brought her, and to make it all simple, she tried to forget.

She never did succeed forgetting, though.

"Lydia, I know you're just growing up and finding how fun it is to stay up late," Charles said calmly, "But maybe it's time to just sit back and relax, no more staying up past ten. That is your bed time."

Lydia's eyes rolled as she looked at her feet from the back of the car and refused to look up until' they got home. "Charles, relaxing won't teach her anything. We have to teach our daughter well, and to do that she must have consequences!" Delia argued, and Lydia groaned. "Don't you whine, young lady! You are grounded!"

Lydia growled, but held back her urge to shout and submitted to her parents. She was now grounded. Well, that's a story to tell Beetlejuice. "Go to your room!" Delia ordered as they opened the door. Lydia ran up the stairs, faking that she was really upset for getting sent up there, and slammed the door behind her, relaxing as the doorway was sealed. "I want to go to the Neitherworld…" she murmured to herself out loud, "…but I just feel so tired. I'd rather take a nap." And so she did, collapsing on her bed face flat, stretched for a pillow, and snuggled with it sleepily. It didn't take her long to fall asleep.

"Where in the Neitherworld is she?" Beetlejuice muttered, grumbling to himself as he paced the room silently. He was bored, he had already pulled a prank on the Mayor, the towns people, Jacques, Ginger, Poopsie. There was nothing left to do! None of his body parts were stolen, nor unhappy with Beetlejuice and have run off. Nothing. Today had to be the most boring day of his afterlife… so far.

"Screw it," he decided. "I'll go find her m'self."

He walked over to the mirror that was, about as tall as he was, and peered into it. "Well that explains it," he smiled, folding his arms and resting them against the frame of her vanity mirror and peering in. "Ah, Lyds," he chuckled, watching her sleep curled up on her bed. Her back was facing him, but he knew she was asleep by the slow expanding of the width of her torso as she took in breaths. He would go hover above her, but she hadn't called his name. And God knows he wouldn't tuck her in. People would think he'd gone soft.

His eyes widened as Beetlejuice heard a stirr in the quietness of Lydia's room. He looked at her briefly, to see her starting to sit up, stretch her arms, and yawn tiredly. "Hey babes," he greeted without her knowing he was present. Lydia jumped slightly and looked at her mirror, smiling now that she knew who was there. "Beetlejuice! Sorry I didn't come to the Neitherworld, today… how long was I out?" she asked, grabbing her vampire clock and looking at the green numbers. "I dunno, you tell me," Beetlejuice shrugged as she did so. "Four hours! It's already seven!"

"Aw well, babes. C'mon! Lets get going, I've had a whole bunch of things planned and….what?" he stopped going on about his ideas for the night and noticed Lydia's long stare at him.

She sighed and shook her head, smiling slightly. "Beetlejuice, I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, yeah, I'd love to go with you but…"

"But?"

"I got grounded today. For sleeping in class; and you know it's because I've been out past midnight with you in the Neitherworld."

"Aw! But babes!"

"Please, Beej. Just not tonight, 'kay?" she smiled at him warily, and he submitted to the look in her eyes. They were tired, upset, and yearning to just go to bed for a night. Sighing heavily, he frowned. "Allright, Lyds. But you have to make it up to me tomorrow! Just lemme walk ya to school, at least."

"Fine, Beej. Thanks," she smiled at him giggling. He smiled back for a moment, before disappearing back into the mirror.

"Sorry I wasn't able to hang out yesterday. But at least you're able to walk me to school, right?" Lydia smiled sheepishly, looking up at her best friend floating beside her on the way to school. "Yeah, sure, whatever," he shrugged, picking at something underneith one of his red fingernails. "Say, babes, hows about you and me go do something fun after your… 'Educational Journey,'" he mocked the words that Ms. Shannon would now call her classes. Lydia giggled, "Maybe. What would you rather do? We've done almost everything there is in the Neitherworld…"

"I'm sure there's something we haven't screwed up yet, Lyds!" Beetlejuice smiled and stopped in front of her. "Besides, even if I gotta do the same activities over and over again, as long as I'm doing them with you, it doesn't really matter!"

Lydia laughed. "Same here, Beetlejuice!"

The rest of the walk was silent. Not very many subjects to talk about. Beetlejuice turned himself into an eraser and Lydia picked him up right as they reached the school's perimeter. And then the day went by slowly after that.

"I see that you are giving me your full attention today, Miss Deetz," Ms. Shannon smiled down at the girl sitting in her desk. "Yes, Ms. Shannon," Lydia smiled back up at her and continued with her notes. She figured that if she paid attention the hour would go by much quicker.

And oddly enough, it did. Lydia had all of her homework finished up in class and was caught up with everything she had missed the days she had fallen asleep.

"Hey, babes, can you meet me in the Neitherworld?"

"Why, Beej?"

"See babes, I have this kind of, meeting with a few buds in the Neither world, and, it's kinda one of those thinks where I gotta be there in person. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess," Lydia giggled, laughing at the grin plastered on her eraser. "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" she whispered, and he was gone.