The Whole Being Alive Thing

And Here I Thought it was Funny

When the Deetzes came home a couple hours later, they were all entirely soaked head to toe in water and equally just as annoyed. Betelgeuse, unable to contain his laughter the whole entire way back home, having thought that his prank he pulled on the Deetzes was hysterically funny.

They didn't seem to think so, though.

They didn't immediately go upstairs and change out of their clothes, Charles opting instead to lead Betelgeuse over to the kitchen whilst Lydia and Delia leaned against the kitchen's entryway and kept their unamused eyes locked on Betelgeuse.

Charles' shouting at Betelgeuse emanated throughout the entire house, eventually reaching the attic and both alerting and concerning the Maitlands and causing them to stop with what they were doing.

Both ghosts immediately teleported downstairs, appearing in a bright flash of light right next to where Lydia and Delia were standing. They looked at both females for a brief while, then over at Charles and Betelgeuse. Looking back at Lydia and Delia, Barbara spoke up,

"Oh god, what happened to you guys?"

"Betelgeuse!" Lydia grumbled out in response, turning to glare at him before turning back to the Maitlands. "He decided he was going to push us into a nearby lake as we made our way back home just because he thought it was funny."

Barbara and Adam's gazes flicked to Betelgeuse, the former of the two ghosts putting her hand on her hip and the latter of the two folding his arms. Betelgeuse peered at the two of them from around Charles, giving the both of them an apparent sheepish look. Though they could tell that It was far more of a grin than it was a sheepish look.

Adam glanced at Charles. "Mind if we talk to Betelgeuse?"

"No. There's no need. I've got it all under control."

"He totally doesn't," Betelgeuse softly whispered to the Maitlands. In response, they both just gave him unamused looks that matched those of the Deetzes.

"No, actually, we can take it from here. You guys can go upstairs to change." Barbara moved towards Delia, putting a hand on the latter's shoulder.

Though she was unsure, Delia turned her attention to Charles and Betelgeuse. The former of the two males looked back at her and the Maitlands - a matching unsure look appearing on his face. "Are you sure, guys?"

"We're sure," Barbara confirmed with a simple nod. "Now go on."

Charles nodded as well, making his way up the stairs. Then Delia, and finally Lydia. Adam and Barbara floated into the kitchen and sat down at the island across from Betelgeuse who looked between them with a clear nervous expression apparent in his eyes.

"I still think of it as a prank," Betelgeuse whispered to the Maitlands, a lop-sided grin crossing his face.

"And it's not that I get that." Barbara's tone of voice was both serious and stern as she eyed Betelgeuse. "But tell me: was it completely necessary of you to just push the Deetzes into a lake as a sort of prank, Betelgeuse?"

"Well, yeah!" Betelgeuse slammed his hands on the kitchen island as he stood up. "They all were surprised when that happened."

"Betelgeuse, they could've drowned!" Barbara stressed out as she, too, stood up.

"..." Betelgeuse looked down, seemingly unable to think of an answer. He hadn't thought of that. Then he turned his attention back to the Maitlands, who gave him matching looks of unhappiness but worry at the same time.

"Betelgeuse, you're still going to need to apologize to the Deetzes for that little prank you pulled on them," Barbara reminded him, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey! I only did it because Lydia thought it would be funny if she did it to me!"

Adam and Barbara shared a look, with Adam being the one to speak. "Looks like Betelgeuse isn't the only one we need to have a chat with."

"No." Charles came down the stairs and reentered the kitchen area of the house, followed closely behind by Delia and Lydia. "No need to, guys. I talked to her about that earlier and she said nothing."

"But that doesn't mean I'm going to do that again!" Lydia replied, grabbing herself a couple of cookies and sitting down at the kitchen island.

Betelgeuse reached a hand out, wanting one of his best friend's cookies, but she just threw one of them at him and let out a few amused laughs.

"Gotcha, Beej!" she teased.

He stood up, grabbing cookie after cookie and throwing them back at Lydia. "Not if I get you back for that, scarecrow!"

A few minutes later of a brief food fight, Lydia and Betelgeuse were completely covered head to toe in cookie crumbs and laughing amusingly as they looked over at all four of the equally as unamused adults.

"You guys," Barbara was the one who spoke. "Are going to need to clean all of that up."