"How do you say his name?" I smile.
"How do you think?" It was a test to see how well she would react as the character she was supposed to be; or to see if she could, if I'm to be truthful. I still wasn't all that sure Alice had done right by my heroine in choosing this girl.
"I don't know – that's why I'm asking you!" I sigh, all gaiety gone from me, leaving my body sagging and old. "You're the one who wrote this thing aren't you?" She shook my script in my face, looking perilously close to stomping her foot in a child-like manner. My continued staring at her made her nervous, made her fidget. I wasn't doing it to be malicious; I was doing it because I didn't know how to use the words bouncing about my skull to my advantage. No not to mine – use them to her advantage; I have a bad habit of crushing people without meaning both beneath the weight of my words and the quantity.
"You will not be Roana for that reason," a beat as we both took a breath, "not to my satisfaction, at any rate." I hadn't meant for the words to come out as biting as they did. But there they were, and here we were with them parked snugly between. She blinked, close to tears. Alice'd been wrong about this girl – her first strike in many a year. And now it was too late to pick another hopeful. The movie was too far into production and the players knew each other too well.
"Why don't you use your holy power of Authorship and get me kicked off then?" I sighed, creaking out of my chair. "If I'm going to play your Roana so poorly, why not replace me now before I do anymore damage?" I'm too old for this type of theature – all the playacting and bravado going on off stage.
"Do you think I haven't?" My exhaustion slipped into my voice, making the question more of a statement. That surprised her. "Those fat heads won't listen to me or give a damn about the creative license I'm supposed to have." It'd caused another blink. "But all of that doesn't matter. All those things don't come into the equation I'm trying to get across to you. None of it matter's except for the fact I don't think you can play her. Nothing personal," at her sharp breath, "but that's how it is."
"I'll quit." Maybe it was supposed to be a threat. I paused at the doorway, one hand bracing the doorjamb. She really was a terrible actress – it sounded more like a plea.
She obviously didn't want the part any more than I wanted her to have it.
"Fine." I cursed mentally, feeling his word's slip out in place of mine. "We'll both win: I'll get a better actress and you're B-movie fan base will have their goddess back." I smiled Jareth's smile over my shoulder, all teeth and cold sort of charm. Her eyes lit, and I saw her transform into someone else. This'd be what Alice saw then.
"I'll be your Roana. And I'll blow that one you've got in your head straight out of the water." My smile grew, and Jareth's presence grew with it.
"Perfect. Until tomorrow then." I closed the door on her shocked face, smile ticking still at either side of my mouth. "Damnit, you little–"
"Talking of me?" My fists tightened of their own minds, mouth doing the same. "In such a tone after I twisted that battle for you?" Turning and looking up to find him perched on the railing above me.
"Twisted?" My voice was almost swallowed by the near dark of the theatre. "Twisted... I've never heard that word applied to taking someone over. Which is exactly what you did, do not dare deny it." He laughed, jumping down. My feet went back of their own violation, fists tight again. Straightening, hands slid into pockets, and he walked – no slinked(sauntered) toward me. "Stay away," a hiss from me and a pathetically desperate one at that. "I want nothing to do with you."
"No, dearheart. It's too late now." He was right in front of me and I couldn't react. My hands wouldn't reach for the knife at my back or any of the others scattered about my person. My feet wouldn't move forward to attack nor would they move backward to escape. "Far too late." Something starts to build deep in my chest and it burns.
"Nothing's too late." A smile's his reply and offering his arm to escort me to my car the final action. I shake my head, taking it against my better judgment. Actually –
I take it like I've got no judgment at all.