Dr. Caballero was never late, you could set your watch by the man. His class started at 8 AM sharp, and it was now 8:15..
Like the rest of the class, Sarah stared at the clock. Everyone was waiting for someone to make the first move to leave.
Usually Sarah would never consider leaving if a professor was late, but his class was an exception. She had never failed a class since starting school. Yet, she was certain she was going to fail his. Hearing the classroom door, she groaned and thumped her head on the desk.
Certain that it was Dr. Caballero, she didn't bother looking up. If she had, she would have seen a familiar pair of eyes on her.
"Good morning class, Dr. Caballero will be taking an extended leave of absence..."
Looking up, Sarah felt her heart lurch in her chest. "No...it can't be..." she muttered, Next to her Sandra frowned, "Can't be...what?" she asked.
"Is there a problem, Miss Williams?" The substitute asked, his voice smooth as silk.
"Sarah, do you know him?" Sandra whispered to her friend.
"I doubt many in this room would know me, Miss Jenkins." His eyes seemed to twinkle as he gave them a feral grin. "I am new to the school and to this area." He put his briefcase on the desk and adjusted his white gloves. "Now if you all would open your books to page 394, we'll get started.
Sarah whispered back to Sandra," I do know him. We'll talk later."
Sandra nodded to the affirmative. They both opened their books to the day's lesson.
Jeff, the resident smart ass for this class, raised his hand "And who the hell are you?"
The substitute quirked and eyebrow at the interruption. "Students will wait to be called on before addressing me" he stated while glaring at the arrogant youth.
Glaring right back, Jeff raised his hand again.
"Yes, Mr. Stevens. To answer your question, I am Dr. Jareth Knightly. I will be filling in for Dr. Caballero for the remainder of the semester. Now as I stated previously, open your book to page 394.
Jareth pulled the large anatomy textbook out of the desk at the front of the room. He studied the cover a moment before turning to page 394. "Now I'm sure Dr. Caballero has covered the basics with you already. Who can tell me where the musculus biceps brachii are located?"
The class stared at him in silence for several moments before a boy in wide rimmed glasses raised his hand. When Jareth pointed to him, he stood.
"It's the muscles in the upper arms. Here." He pointed. "Often just called biceps."
"Very good Mr. Simpson." Jareth grinned. "It's the muscle a lot of you lads flex to try show off for the ladies right?" He held his arm up and showed his off.
Sarah rolled her eyes at his gesture. Jareth grinned devilishly as he saw her reaction. She wondered why he had come above ground.
Was he there to try and talk her back to the Labyrinth?
While Sarah contemplated his motives, the other girls in class sighed at Jareth's display. And proceeded to make puppy dog eyes at him.
One girl raised her hand, and waited to be called on.
"Yes Ms. Johnson?"
Batting her lashes at him, "Dr. Knightly, could you show us where the pectoral muscles are?"
Jareth chuckled. "Some other time Ms. Johnson." He removed his jacket and placed it on the back of the chair. "Today is not the day for show and tell."
Several girls giggled and Sarah rolled her eyes. "Never bothered him flaunting all he has last time." She muttered under her breath.
Hearing her comment he smirked and winked in her direction. "Miss Williams, do you have something to share with the class?
She plastered on her sweetest fake smile "Why no, Dr. Knightly." She even batted her eyes at him like the previous girl for good measure. Leaving Jareth momentarily stunned.
Sarah had to hand it to him: the smug bastard recovered quickly. His lips curled into a wicked little smile.
"Then by all means, do feel free to pay attention, rather than mumbling to yourself in my class." He raised his voice to address the room, and yet his eyes remained on her.
"As a matter of fact, that goes for all of you. There'll be no drifting off into your own private little fantasy worlds on my watch. The mind is a dangerous thing, given the right stimulation. You never know what trouble it might lead you into."
Sarah seethed, giving 'Dr. Knightly' her best death stare. Even her friend Sandra, who watched the exchange with humor until that point, slightly wilted under Sarah's glare.
They seemed to remain locked like that for several seconds too long when finally, whatever spell had them locked on each other in a heated showdown seemed to lift as Dr. Knightly snapped his attention back to class.
It turned out to be the longest class period of her life. Sarah rotated between pure fury, wariness and annoyance.
Finally, karma seemed to have mercy on her and the clock marked the end of class. Sarah launched herself out of her seat as if by a springboard and would have all but run out the door as the others took their time packing their books, but that unmistakable voice called her out over the rustle of bodies gathering their supplies and book bags together.
"Miss Williams, if you'll stay for a few minutes after class..."
That request earned Sarah glares from the swooning girls and she could swear she even heard a growl from behind her.
Rolling her eyes she answered "Of course Dr. Knightly." and turned towards Sandra with a slightly panicked look, mouthing "Wait outside!"
Sandra nodded.
She couldn't believe that the hot new substitute wanted to see Sarah! Curiosity was killing her!
Sarah plopped her books into her back pack and waited for the room to clear. Dr. Knightly watched and waited as well. He looked like a cat hunting it's prey.
Sarah slowly made her way towards the front of the room as the last students made their way out. Jareth's predatory eyes followed her every step. She swallowed, nervously, as she neared the desk that he was sitting on.
The sudden sound of the door slamming shut caused her to jump. Jareth grinned which showed his slightly pointed teeth and to Sarah it made him look even more dangerous.
"I didn't want our chat to be interrupted or spied upon." He explained as he juggled crystal in his hands.
"I don't have time for your games Goblin King." She glared at him. "I'll be late for my next class."
"Oh, will you now?" He gestured to the clock behind him, which had stopped. "Did you forget how generous I can be, Precious?"
She rolled her eyes at the use of the pet name. "Fine. Why are here?"
"Granting your wish of course." He replied as he stood and circled her, his eyes roaming her body hungrily. "Didn't you wish there was a way to pass this class?" He continued before she could deny making a wish.
"Damn," she muttered under her breath. She had said the words after her last test came back with a giant red F on it. "I appreciate the offer, but you becoming the teacher and passing me isn't going to help me in the long run."
He threw his head back and laughed. "Oh Sarah, did you really think I'd make it that easy for you?" He stood behind her, his gloved hand ghosting down her arm.
"No, no, my dear. You'll still have to *earn* your grade." He leaned forward, his hands on her shoulders as he whispered in her ear. "But I may be persuaded to be your private tutor."
Sarah shrugged his hands from her shoulders and spun around, her lacquered nail jabbing his chest. "Don't even think about it! Not going to happen! I'm not going to have sex with you!"
Stepping back, Jareth's hand came up to his chest a look of shock and dismay on his face, "Why Precious...I meant no such thing."
A frown pulled at Sarah's lips, an odd sense of confusion settling over her, only to change to molten anger when his lips curled into a sardonic smirk.
"Someone has a dirty mind, not that I'm adverse to that particular train of thought. It would be *one* way you could ensure a passing grade - but by no means is it the *only* option.
"And what other option did you have in mind, Goblin King?" She crossed her arms over her chest, silently cursing herself for the low cut blouse she had chosen to wear.
"No need to be so formal Sarah mine. In private you can call me Jareth, or Dr. Knightly if you'd prefer to keep our relationship purely that of student/teacher." He returned to sit on the desk. "I had simply meant that if you asked nicely, I'd be willing to tutor you. Though the fact that you jumped to such conclusions about my motives makes me wonder if perhaps that is a fantasy you might be having."
He licked his lips as he leaned back on the desk. "Tell me, Sarah, have you been a naughty girl now that you're all grown up?"
"So...tutoriing. Legitimate tutoring and nothing else? No tricks?" Sarah asked. "What will it cost me?"
Smiling quietly, Jareth brushed a stray lock of her hair over his finger, curling it slightly. "No cost but time spent in my company."
With a heavy sigh, she nodded. "Fine. Jareth, would you please tutor me so I can pass this class?"
"It would be my pleasure, Sarah. I'll see you in my office after your last class." He grinned. "Now you better get going. Don't want to be late for your next class dearest." He snapped his fingers and the clock began to move at normal speed.
Sarah slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed into the hall, running headlong into a wall of meat.
"Hey Williams," Brian laughed, looking down at her. "Finally decide to take me up on the offer? You could've called and said yes, rather than trying to tackle me. Seriously, for a girl even, your tackling skills are weak. I could show you how."
Sarah groaned and looked up at the burly football player who had been asking her out weekly since the first week of school.
"Thanks, but I think I'll pass." For the hundredth time, she added to herself as she sidestepped around him. Brian moved with her. She groaned to herself as the solid structure of his body blocked her path.
"How long are you going to keep playing hard to get, Williams?" he asked with a leer. "You know I'm not going to keep asking forever."
"Great. Maybe that means you've finally learned to take 'no' for an answer. Now come on, move, or we'll both be late for class."
She tried to move past him again, but this time, Brian caught hold of her arm. His thick fingers squeezed down through her thin top. "Maybe we should play hooky together."
Sarah huffed and tried to pull back, but he wasn't letting go. A hot wave of anger rose up within her chest. "Brian, I'm not asking again. Move aside." She put emphasis on the last two words.
A small gasp escaped her when Brian actually obeyed. His hand flew from her arm as if he had been electrocuted, and he stumbled backwards violently enough to collide with the row of lockers behind him.
The change in the air around her told her exactly who was responsible for Brian's sudden decision to do as she asked. Whirling around, she saw Jareth behind her, his pale eyes glittering darkly as he looked at Brian. "The lady...said no," he hissed, his words seeming to inflame the strange electricity in the air around him.
Brian rubbed at the back of his head as he righted himself. His eyes were wide and full of fear as he took in the glowering Goblin King. "What the hell? What *was* that? What did you do?"
Jareth graced the boy with a sinister little smile. "Do? Mr. Miller, I'm afraid you're mistaken. You must have slipped."
A curious turn of his hand accompanied his last statement, and suddenly Brian was nodding in agreement, the wariness in his eyes slowly glazing over as Jareth continued. "Now, why don't you run along to your next class? We wouldn't want you having another accident, would we?"
As her classmate stumbled away, almost as if drugged, Sarah whirled upon her new teacher. "Did you seriously just assault a student?"
"Assault is such an ugly word, Sarah. I merely applied a bit of 'persuasion' to help him make a far better and less potentially painful, decision in his young dating life," Jareth purred, giving her a smile that was at once reassuring and reptilian.
A tiny shiver ran down her spine, and she felt a twinge of disgust to realize it wasn't a wholly unpleasant feeling.
In spite of his words, that little show had been for her benefit, a reminder of just how powerful he could be.
He had promised her that her only concession to him would be her time, and yet now she had her doubts. In less than an hour, he had already managed to make his mark on her life, and, no doubt, on the back of Brian's skull as well.
God knows what he would manage to do in their tutoring session. As she hurried away towards her next class, she wondered just how high the true cost would be.