A New Life (Sequel to 'Beetlejuice: A Blast into The Past')

Chapter 17: Birthday

Betelgeuse awakened in the middle of the night, staring down at the sleeping boy he held tightly in his arms. Since moving in, the two have decided that Remus would sleep in the demon's bed until he is psychologically better. He experiences vivid dreams on a regular basis, which are invariably followed by schizophrenia episodes. Betelgeuse gently withdrew his arms from around him, so as not to be caught by Remus, before laying the blanket over him. He crept downstairs, careful not to tread on the creaky floorboards, into the living room, where he took out a slew of stuff from far behind the sofa and started to work preparing for a big day the next morning. He had spent hours ensuring that the day would be flawless. He rummaged among his shelves for a book. It was coated in an inch of dust when he ultimately located it. He sneezed and coughed as he blew it off before flinching and listening for any signs of Remus waking up. He flipped through the pages carefully, reading the titles until he came upon the one titled 'Victoria sponge cake.'

"This is something I'm capable of. It's straightforward. There are four eggs..." Betelgeuse mumbled to himself, taking eggs from the fridge and placing them on the kitchen side with flour, sugar, baking powder, and butter. He wasn't using any magic, only his hands, to make a cake for Remus's birthday. He had all of the supplies on hand, as well as the recipe book, which he could read and follow. As he reached over for sugar, he picked up the egg he had dropped. He was able to make the cake batter by carefully following the instructions. Slowly, he poured it into a pan oiled with butter, preheated his oven to 450°, and placed it in the oven, setting the timer. He inflated the balloons and set them on the windowsill. He wrapped Remus' gifts with care and set them neatly in front of the fireplace, ensuring that they were visible. He was about to check on the cake when he was startled by a loud crash from his room. The demon summoned a glass of water and entered his room upstairs, where he discovered the youngster sitting on the floor, disoriented and staring around with his eyes partially open. He'd dropped out of the bed. "Are you okay, Rem?" Betelgeuse said, trying not to laugh but still assisting the boy in getting back into bed and checking for injuries.

"Yeah. Where did you go?" murmured Remus, half asleep.

"I just needed to get some water and pee." Betelgeuse told a fib.

"Okay." Remus mumbled before settling down next to the demon and snuggling close. In no time, he went back to sleep. Remus had fallen out of bed a few times due to being an active sleeper, and the demon glared down at him. He didn't want to do this, but Remus couldn't help himself. He whispered a paralysis spell, rendering Remus immobile. Betelgeuse crept downstairs and finished setting up before returning to her bed and dozing off to sleep. The next morning, Remus didn't even see the summer sun shining brightly through the curtains when he awoke. Betelgeuse awoke when the blazing light shone directly into his eyes. He sat up and wiped his eyes. Remus awoke as he felt him shift. He was ready to take the covers away from him when he realised he couldn't move. "Uncle Beej. Help. Please help. I can't move!" Remus whimpered and screamed. Betelgeuse snapped his fingers and drew the child into his arms, passionately apologising. He started whispering 'shh' and scratching the boy's soft spot, which helped him relax.

"Are you okay?" the demon inquired.

"Yes, I believe so. I have no idea what happened." Remus wiped his tears.

Remus laughed and forgave Betelgeuse once he explained himself. He knew he'd joke about the time he was paralysed because he couldn't stop tumbling out of bed. The demon snatched up the child, booped his nose, and brought him downstairs. As he entered the room, he kissed Remus on the forehead till he sat down, ensuring that he wouldn't see the surprise. Remus looked around surprised at the gifts as Betelgeuse backed away.

"What's going on?" he inquired, perplexed.

"Happy birthday!" Remus received the first of several scruffily wrapped gifts from Betelgeuse. Remus grinned as he thanked the demon for the gift and unwrapped it. Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Alex Brightman as Dewey Finn, and both actors in the middle were featured on a custom-made mug. Remus gasped and clung to the demon in a restraining embrace. Before drawing away and handing him his next present, Betelgeuse sighed and kissed the youngster on the forehead. When he tried on a new denim jacket, he realised it was perfect for him. With his weight gain, he was now in a size S. Betelgeuse would continually summon food and force Remus to consume it until he was completely full. He was beginning to develop love handles, but he appeared to be in good shape. Despite not working out at all, he had a six pack coming through. He was sluggish and acted like a couch potato. The next present was a pair of black sunglasses identical to those worn by Alex Brightman in a photo Remus had of him. He laughed and immediately put them on. He took a sip of water and spat it all over Betelgeuse when he made a goofy expression. This infuriated Betelgeuse, who summoned a pail of water and spilled it all over the kid. He grabbed the bucket, dashed to the kitchen, and filled it with water, dumping it on the demon. The two guys got into a full-fledged water battle, and they didn't stop until they realised the sofa, the floor, and the ceiling were all drenched in water. They both laughed, and Betelgeuse cleaned everything up with his magic.Remus' hair was ruffled by the demon before he sat down and made grabby hands, signalling him to join him. Betelgeuse duplicated himself and had his clone deliver Remus' final gift. Remus had no idea Betelgeuse could clone himself until today, which surprised him nearly as much as the package being stuffed with British chocolates and sweets. Remus passionately thanked the demon, constantly reminding him that all of this was needless. His fifth birthday was the last one he spent with his mother and, he assumed, his stepfather Collin, but he couldn't tell what was true and what wasn't anymore. His birthday was 'forgotten' after they abandoned him until Nigel popped up with £5. That was the only present he ever got.

"It was really nothing." Betelgeuse smiled as he drew Remus against his chest. He kissed his forehead and whispered, "I love you!" as Remus nuzzled his chest with a grin. As a particular musical about Dewey Finn, an out-of-work rock singer and guitarist who pretends to be a substitute teacher at a renowned prep school, Betelgeuse waved his hand lazily and conjured a bucket of popcorn out of nowhere. He murmured, "Have as much as you want, the bucket's limitless." Remus peered into the bucket with interest, having learned the hard way that whatever Betelgeuse touches becomes infested with bugs. He could hear him giggling. "You're really adorable. This time there are no bugs." Remus took a handful because he trusted him. This time, there were no bugs at all. When Dewey appeared on stage, Remus couldn't stop laughing. Betelgeuse fixed her gaze on Remus. His eyes were crinkled with laugh wrinkles, gleaming brighter than the sun, and brimming with tenderness. He cherished these moments for how simple and welcoming they were. He liked how Remus was never scared of him, therefore he didn't have to hide. He could just forget himself, tease him freely, and enjoy his afterlife. He was enamoured with him. Remus was in for a few last surprises from Betelgeuse. He took them from behind the sofa and handed it to Remus, who looked perplexed.

He once mentioned that his foster parents burned his guitar when he was 11 years old and forced him to watch it burn, and the demon had never forgotten his saying that and how sad he sounded as he told the incident. Getting one that looked just like Dewey's was bound to make his face light up. That's precisely what it did. In the next one was a large box. He opened the box to a smaller box. They kept getting smaller and smaller until Remus reached a small envelope.

"I know how much you love this so I thought I'd get you uh-" Betelgeuse stopped himself before he spoiled the surprise.

"The Man The Music The Show tickets?" Remus gasped, clinging to the demon, choking him. He thanked the demon the most in the 11 days they'd known each other.

"Do you remember the rule about not thanking me too much?" Betelgeuse cautioned, his brow furrowed. Remus grinned and replied,

"Thank you." Betelgeuse held the kid in his arms while blowing a raspberry on his neck, which made him laugh and pull away. They sat down to watch the show together. Remus was getting ready to belt out the lyrics of his second favourite song, 'When I Climb To The Top Of Mount Rock,' as loudly as he could. He was a fantastic singer, but only because of Betelgeuse's words of encouragement did he feel at ease. He was taught as a child that he lacked talent and was a sad, deluded freak. Of course, this was a lie. He had the ability to sing, dance, and act. He aspired to be a stage actor like his idol, Alex Brightman, since he was ten years old, but he was constantly put down. For a little moment, Betelgeuse thought.

"Yes, I understand that guacamole is $2 extra." Dewey murmured in his sleep, making them both laugh at their second favourite line.

"Say, can you recall any song chords?" The demon inquired.

"But I'm not a really skilled player. I've always been rubbish." He replied, allowing the harsh comments of his foster parents to affect him.

"You claimed you couldn't sing!" In a "I told you so" tone, Betelgeuse stated.

"You want to hear me play? I can't pla-" Defeated, Remus said. "If you want to hear it, I'll play it for you. Keep in mind that it's been over two years since I've played... And, um... you may or may not-"

"Just play the song, Schneebly!" The musical's Zack was quoted by Betelgeuse.

"Okay!" Remus let out a sigh as he adjusted the guitar's tune. He strummed the chords while waiting for the song to begin, playing flawlessly with only one small hiccup when he began to sing. It was a song with a very rapid tempo and only one short slow verse. Remus was nervous while he played and sang, thinking he wasn't very good. In amazement, Betelgeuse's eyes expanded and his jaw gaped open. Remus was incredible. He completed the song and asked the demon for approval sheepishly.

"Remus. I've always known something was inside you, and now I know what it is. Pure magic!" he exclaimed, and Remus grinned broadly, realising he wasn't as terrible as his foster parents had made him out to be. He did, after all, win a talent competition with that identical song at a primary school disco.

"Do you remember any more songs?" Betelgeuse inquired.

"I know every song that features Dewey." Remus stated.

"When they come on, play 'em." Betelgeuse said and Remus strummed his axe, six strings ablaze and Full throttle jamming to the songs with Dewey involved.