NOTHING TO LOSE • A Beetlejuice Fanfiction • ON HOLD • Previously Bug Beverage

4 • Squad Goals!

"Taz and Orange Juice. The dream team."

He nodded. "Speaking of dream..."

"Don't say you're dreamy" you growled. "I'm in charge of bad puns."

"Sure you are."

"Shut up."

He chuckled. "But as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted... Speaking of dreams, since you're dying, you got a bucket list?"

"Not anymore" you shrugged. "Been through pretty much all of it. I even went to Disneyland. Isn't as fun in a wheelchair."

He nodded. "I'm not talking about Disneyland."

"Disneyworld?"

He sighed, shaking his head. You were pretty sure he loved the terrible jokes, but was too proud to admit it.

Look at me, you thought, going from ignoring hallucinations to thinking that he has an actual personality in under a day.

So much for consistency.

"I'm more about the dark side of bucket lists."

The smile on his face was kind of adorable - like he was trying to be scary, but the hospital room lighting and the vase of flowers next to him really weren't helping.

"The dark side of bucket lists?"

"Get revenge on your childhood bullies, slap that annoying maths teacher from 6th grade, make someone go insane and end up in an asylum... that kind of thing."

"Oh yeah, of course." You nodded understandingly. "That kind of thing."

"You think I'm joking."

"You know, I was wondering when you were going to start being weird. Hallucinations usually tend to be less boring." You winked at him.

"Boring?!" he sounded offended. "Wait a minute - hallucination?"

"That's what you are. Sorry to shatter your worldview."

"If I'm a hallucination then you're perfectly healthy."

"Ouch." You grinned.

So your mistake wasn't assuming that this medical side effect had a personality - just what kind of personality.

"Seriously, what makes you think I'm a hallucination?" He gestured down his body.

"Well..." You started counting on your fingers. "You asked if I could see you, you randomly disppear into thin air, only my brain could come up with that outfit, they put me on medication that can cause hallucinations, and last but not least, you're floating an inch over the ground."

BJ looked down, then slowly descended to the floor until he appeared to be standing on it. "Better?"

"Well, yeah." You laughed. "But you're still only a product of my mind, whether you're floating or not."

"Am not!"

"Are, too."

"I'm as real as it gets, babe."

"Watch the nickname" you said.

He held up his hands defensively, as if to calm you.

"And if you aren't a hallucination, then prove it." You grinned, showing your teeth. "Shouldn't be that hard, right?"

He groaned. "I can't."

"Oh, you mean because you aren't real?"

"No!"

You flinched. Apparently you had hit a sensitive spot. Note to self, you thought quietly as you watched him sigh, gesturing vaguely, don't bring up the hallucinations thing again.

"I just meant, I can't show you, because I'm not..." He hesitated. "Powerful enough."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You're not powerful enough. What, do you need to charge up with a car battery?"

So much for manners. Great choice of words there.

BJ shook his head. He seemed more amused by your comment than offended, which you wouldn't have expected.

"No, but I can't really interact with anything unless someone says my name three times in a row."