Beetlejuice and Elizabeth

3. Making Friends!

The next time I opened my eyes, mother was humming and braiding my hair. "Mother!" I jumped to hug her before pulling back remembering the blood on me. I looked around in confusion. "Where's Beetlejuice?"

"I don't know. I got home and looked for you and found you asleep in the bathtub. What happened?"

"I was walking home from school and I saw my old classmates beating up another girl. I tried to help and she got away but then they started to beat me up. One of them pushed me into the road. I don't think it was on purpose. But a car hit me. I punctured my lung on my fifth rib and shattered my arm. I couldn't feel my leg either. Beetlejuice was there and he picked me up and took me here." I paused unsure. " Mother, Beetlejuice didn't know. He looked so scared. Where did he go?" My eyes began to fill with tears.

In my life I've never cried. I did a couple times as a baby. Not enough to be a fussy child. I just didn't cry. Like the lines were crossed in my brain.

But I was crying. I was crying because I think I just scared off my best friend. What if I never see him again.

And I didn't. For a week I went through the motions without really doing anything. A week turned to a month. I didn't even have the energy to read and I would lay in bed staring at the ceiling until the sun came back.

Green smoke flooded out from the bottom of my closet. The doorknob rattled and rattled before opening.

Beetlejuice was standing there just the same as when I first saw him.

"Beetlejuice?"

"I'm back kid."

I jumped from my bed I was so angry. Ive been waiting a month. A month for him to come back. And when he does he says that. I pounded my tiny five year old fists on his leg.

"You evil, vile horrible man! I waited and waited and you didn't come back! I thought...I thought you'd never come back. You're a horrible horrible horrible best friend! And I'm so mad I could just die! Or kill you!" Angry tears were running down my face, making my hair stick to my cheeks.

"That's cute coming from a kid who can't fight." He teased.

I slammed my knuckles on the inside of his leg just above his knee. He stumbled before sinking to the floor beside me.

"Ouch kid! I'm sorry! Damn ya. I had to go ask my boss some questions. That's why I left. I mean I did pick up a couple jobs on the way back but I'm back." He tried to placate me.

I sneered before stomping off to my bed. Why did mother have to get me such a high off the ground bed. I turned and pointed at myself and then the bed.

"Yeah yeah kid I've got you." Beetlejuice said before picking me up and pulling my sheets back with one hand and then placing me under them.

He then sat on the chair to the left of my bed. "I went to see my boss downstairs. She wasn't too happy. But I told her about you and how you come back when you die. She was interested and she promised to take a couple years off my punishment if I watch over you." He fiddled with his suit jacket. "I know I was gone a long time kid, but I got you something." He pulled a stuffed bunny out of his pocket.

The bunny was old, ripped on its ear and had mismatched eyes. Not to mention that it was a little muddy.

I gently held the toy and sat it up in my lap. Playing with its arm I made the toy wave. I smiled softly before hugging the toy close to my chest.

"Thank you, Beegs."

"Beegs?" He tilted his head.

"It's a nickname. It's like Beetleguese, but shorter. So I don't banish you on accident." I said mindlessly playing with the rabbit.