THE DEAL

"You want me to do what?" Beetlejuice yelled, "Have you lost your fucking mind?" Juno looked absently at the ghost. She let out a puff of thick grey smoke. "Oh calm down, Geuse," she replied, obviously unaffected by his outburst. "You got yourself into this." Beetlejuice stopped the wild pacing he had been doing for the last few minutes, regarding the old ghost behind the desk. He slammed down into the chair in front of Juno's desk and leaned over it, leering at her. "There's no fucking way I'm doin' this," he said almost casually. Juno exhaled another puff of smoke and smiled at the irrational ghost. "You," she said pointing her cigarette at him, "have no choice….." Beetlejuice stood abruptly, knocking over his chair. "The hell I don't," he screamed at her, "I'd like to see you try to make me….." Juno sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Alright," she replied, "if you wanna do it the hard way." Beetlejuice regarded the old woman defiantly. "You don't scare me," he snarled, "I'm the fuckin' Ghost with the Most….." Juno smiled a little as she rose from her chair. "You were the Ghost with the Most," she replied with a wicked looking grin. Beetlejuice eyed her suspiciously. "What do you mean were?" he asked. Juno laughed out loud then. "Refuse this task," she said, "and it's bye bye 'juice'. You'll be a regular dead schmuck like everyone else. No powers, no nothing." Beetlejuice raised an eyebrow. "You can't do that," he replied grinning, "you don't have that kind of power." Juno sat once more, "I don't," she replied smugly, "but I know people who do."

Beetlejuice sat on the grimy sofa in his roadhouse, a cigarette in his hand and a look of pure hatred on his face. "This is bullshit," he said to no one, "I was the one who got fed to the fuckin' sandworm. Now they want me to help the little bitch?" he was fuming, after all, she had just stood there and watched when that frumpy Maitland woman had ridden in on that thing. She had just watched as he was swallowed up by it. She had just let it happen. He let out a heavy sigh. He was being threatened with losing his juice over a deal that had gone bad for him. "Fuck," he said, taking a drag off the cigarette. Let 'em write the damn contract, there wasn't a contract ever written that the Ghost with the Most couldn't get out of. "Plus," he thought, "might be good to see ol Lyds again. I'll bet she's grown…" She had looked smoking hot in that dress, bet she'd fill it out real good now. But even the thought of a grown up Lydia couldn't lift Beetlejuice's foul mood. The only thing that ever really got his motor running was revenge. He thought about all the ways he could make them pay. Those damn Maitlands had caused him a hell of a lot of trouble. He smiled a wicked smile. Juno was neglecting to realize that her little "task" could be just the in he needed. This little deal could get him close. His wicked smile grew. "Hell," he said aloud, "I think I just talked myself into it….."