Lydia Comes Out: a Beetlejuice Story

Coming Out

Lydia has always suspected that her family already knew that she was gay but that didn't mean she wasn't going to come out and tell them. She was going to, but it was decided best that she wait to do so until the time was right. Every day that passed, Lydia wanted more and more to do so but the time was never right.

Then it was.

It was the first week of June when Lydia decided to come out. And what a better time than when the rest of the family was gathered in the living room to do so.

All four Maitland-Deetz adults were sat together on the couch in the living room and watching television together in the evening of the first Wednesday of the month when Lydia quietly crept downstairs and stood silently in the entrance to said room for a little while. Waiting, with that one thought still fresh in her mind.

A brief moment of silence passed by, until Lydia decided to take a deep breath and address her family. "Hey, uh.... guys, do you mind if I tell you something?"

Adam focused his mind on pausing the television and he and the rest of the adults of the Maitland-Deetz family turned their heads to focus their attention over towards the waiting teenager. However, just as curious as the others were, Lydia's dad was the first out of the four of them to speak up.

"Sure you can, sweetheart. Whatever it is, go ahead."

She smiled, but remained just as nervous as she had been. She moved to the front of the living room, plopping herself down on the black and white striped couch that her dad and Delia had been meaning to get rid of but hadn't had the time, turning her attention over towards all four equally still as curious adults and taking another deep breath.

'It's now or never,' she thought to herself as she closed her eyes, both relaxing and readying herself for this.

A few minutes had since passed by, Lydia finding herself starting to hesitate and think all of this was a bad idea. Granted, she was about to give up and head back upstairs - wanting to just forget about all of this and presumably wait another day to do so but a quick look over towards her entire family let her know that each one of them were starting to become equally as worried as the others were for her.

Lydia let out another sigh, giving herself more confidence that she knew she needed right now. It was Wednesday evening, after all. So of course she had to do it on that particular day. What other day was there that was better for her to do this? No other day, that was for sure.

Once more, Lydia closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax and calm down before doing this. One way or another, her family needed to know and there was no way she was going to back out of this and head back upstairs to just forget about it. No way in hell.

A look of concern flashed across Barbara's face. "Lydia, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking, that's all," the teen replied, looking from Barbara to Adam to her dad to Delia.

"What about?"

Lydia didn't answer at first. She was still readying herself for this one moment. This one shot she had at coming out to her family.

"Lydia-"

'Again, it's now or never. You can't back out of this now, Lydia Deetz,' Lydia reminded herself in her mind.

Half of her was telling her not to and just head upstairs again, whereas the other half of her was telling her to just stay in the living room and get this over and done with. Then she closed her eyes and took another deep breath. Opening her eyes again, she returned her attention to her family who were all now much more worried about Lydia's wellbeing than they were curious about what Lydia had been wanting to tell them. Wondering what was taking the teenager that long.

"I'm gay," Lydia finally admitted, her having, again, closed her eyes and relaxed herself.

She waited a bit, at least a few minutes, before opening her eyes again to take in her family's reactions. The first thing that she noticed was that each and every one of the four adults had a huge matching smile plastered across his or her face. Lydia again looked towards each of the adults, taking in their initial first reactions.

For a while, not one of the four adults seemed to say a word. That particular silence lasting only a brief few moments before Barbara stood up, followed by Adam, then Lydia's dad, and finally Delia. Barbara was the first to make her way over towards where Lydia was sat, sitting down next to the teen and wrapping her arms around her in a hug, which Lydia, although she was surprised and taken aback by it, returned it. Then her dad joined in on the hug, followed by Delia, and finally Adam.

The five of them stayed in that hug that for a little while longer before all four of the adults parted from it and surrounded Lydia. Adam and Barbara sat down on either side of the teen and Lydia's dad and Delia standing behind the couch and behind where the Maitlands were sat (Charles behind Barbara and Delia behind Adam). Lydia looked around at each of the adults surrounding her, a smile crossing her face.

"I take it that you all took that well?" Lydia asked, hopeful. She waited, it taking a few minutes for one of the four adults to think of a response to Lydia's question (of which Barbara was the one to do so. After a little while, that was).

"No, we knew for a while," Barbara replied, letting out a laugh. "You kept daydreaming and mumbling and we kinda sorta figured that something was up."

"Oh, well then... I kinda knew that you knew that I knew I was gay," Lydia replied in a joking matter, to which her family responded with equal laughs (Lydia even joining in for a brief few seconds).

"You better be joking, young lady," Barbara teased, the tone of voice that she used matching that of the one Lydia had used.

"Oh, c'mon. You know I'm not." Lydia winked, Barbara rolling her eyes and putting a hand on Lydia's back. "I didn't tell you guys that until now because I needed to find the right time and I thought now was the right time. So, does that mean you all support me?"

"Lydia, you know that we would've supported you no matter what and no matter when the right time you decided to come out to us was," her dad replied with a small knowing smile appearing on his face, the other three adults nodding along as three matching small smiles appeared on their faces.

And then again on Lydia's face as she once more looked around at her family. "Thanks, you guys, for supporting me."

All four adults hugged Lydia yet again and parted from her after a while of doing so. Lydia loved that her family was supportive, and imagined how similar their reactions would be if she happened to do this any other day.

However things were short-lived when Delia, in an excited tone, piped up,

"Oh! We're going to have to get you everything rainbow colored from now on! It'll be a nice change from your entire black wardrobe, Lydia!"

The others laughed, agreeing with the living woman's suggestion. Lydia, on the other hand, was not as amused.

Starting to get slightly annoyed, but still a little amused, Lydia grunted softly but out loud as she turned her attention solely over towards her stepmother. "I don't think that I'm quite there yet, stepmom. Please just don't do that! Please?!"

"Okay, okay!" Delia rolled her eyes. "I won't."

Lydia, knowing that Delia was still going to do it no matter what, rolled her eyes in response. That was Delia for you.