King of Anything - Sara Bareilles
Keep drinkin' coffee
Stare me down across the table
While I look outside
Sarah sat in front of her mirror, staring blankly, as Karen entered the room. "Sarah? Time for dinner"
The girl looked up. "I'm not hungry, Karen. Go ahead and eat without me. I'm waiting for one of my friends to call." Hopefully this would appease the woman.
Karen touched her shoulder, as if to ascertain that she was still sitting there and agreed reluctantly. Pulling the door shut behind her, Karen wondered what was wrong with Sarah.
So many things I'd say if only I were able
But I just keep quiet
And count the cars that pass by
Sarah was waiting for a friend to call - Hoggle. He hadn't called in days, but she religiously came to her mirror every day at the same time and waited. "Hoggle?" she whispered. "I need you."
You've got opinions, man
We're all entitled to 'em
But I never asked
But still, the mirror showed only her mussed bed, and her cluttered vanity. Foremost on the vanity remained the statue of the Goblin King, and suddenly Sarah had an idea. "Goblin king, get in here RIGHT NOW!"
"Your wish is my command, Precious" He appeared in the mirror.
"I am only going to say this once. Where. Is. Hoggle. And. Why. Hasn't. He. Called?" She responded through gritted teeth her inconspicuous gulp was simply because she hadn't had anything to drink for a while - not because the (not hot at all) king had made her salivate. Not at all.
"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah… I never did understand your obsession with the lower-life-forms of my kingdom…" Jareth allowed her name to roll of his tongue, before adding the sneer that was necessary to continue a conversation with the strong-willed girl.
"I don't recall asking what you THOUGHT of him."
So let me thank you for time
And try to not waste any more of mine
Get out of here fast
"Oh, Precious, you cut me…"
"Shut it Jareth," Sarah snapped, trying to ignore the distinct (not yummy at all) taste his name left on her lips, "Don't waste my time. Just answer the dang question already, and then you can LEAVE!"
I hate to break it to you babe
But I'm not drowning
There's no one here to save
"Sarah… Higwart has a life Underground, and a duty, and a job. One would think that you would have outgrown this selfishness and let your friends have lives outside of Sarah Williams's precious clique" he sneered, letting the word 'clique' rise and fall like a bratty teenager's voice, pretending that he wasn't .
Sarah glared at the (super sexy?) incorrigible king. She spoke sarcastically and with exaggerated breathlessness, "Thanks for the UNNECESSARY information - I'm soooo glad someone could save me from my own nonexistent ignorance! I am well aware of that life he has, but he's never disappeared for five days without warning! I don't need all this background - you're stalling!"
"Sarah!" The king began to lose his temper. "It might do you well to LISTEN when I offer advice, considering that I control your precious little friends?"
Who cares if you disagree
You are not me
Who made you king of anything
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died
And made you king of anything
"You know what, Jareth? Ludo, Didymus, and Hoggle may have to answer to you, but I DON'T! Who died and made you king of me? You may rule over a bunch of leather-skinned children, but that doesn't make you the High Lord Over the Entire Universe."
You sound so innocent
All full of good intent
You swear you know best
The king looked at the angry girl and tried a different tactic. His voice came out soft and caressing. "Sarah, maybe you should go back to bed - try to be patient… I've known your friends for years, sometimes they get absent minded. They'll call you back soon; in the meantime, is my company really so bad if you are that lonely?"
But you expect me to
Jump up on board with you
Ride off into your delusional sunset
Sarah tried to ignore how his voice felt as it floated around her. She took a deep breath and readied her snarky comeback. "Suuuure Jareth. You'd just loooooove that, wouldn't you? My friends to disappear, so I'd have to go grovel at the feet of Lord High and Mighty Goblin King for any kind of companionship, because everyone knows I couldn't - le epic gasp! - meet friends at school."
"Sarah Mary Williams!" the ticked goblin king snapped. "And I suppose that you have enough friends from this school of yours that you wouldn't mind it if my subjects never visited you again?"
I'm not the one who's lost
With no direction oh
But you won't ever see
Sarah took a breath. Take the high road, S. "Jareth, I'm sure I won't be able to convince you, but I had a perfect balance in my life, like DAY and NIGHT, school in day, Labyrinth in night, until SOMETHING changed and the Labyrinth part just went POOF! Most likely in SHOWERS of GLITTER that a certain TOO BIG FOR HIS BOOTS KING seems to enjoy!" Okay, Sarah old girl, how's the high road working?
Jareth had enjoyed the first few seconds of her speech, the way her breath caused her chest to rise into better view and had yet to recede, and the way her voice caressed - almost kissed - his name, until she began to yell… That's how he had expected it...
You're so busy makin' maps
With my name on them in all caps
You got the talkin' down just not the listening
"Precious, a balance as delicate as the patterns of the seasons, a pattern ruled by TIME and SPACE… is one that must be held in the hand of one who controls TIME and SPACE… Such as myself. For, what if your DAY disappeared and your friends never returned?
And who cares if you disagree
You are not me
Who made you king of anything
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died
And made you king of anything
"You know what, O High and Mighty Goblin King? You seem to want my attention, my companionship, SOMETHING from me, and going around threatening my friends is not the way to make it happen!" Sarah was breathing heavily now, and Jareth was trying not to watch the rise and fall of her chest. He stared at her face with a blank look until she finished. Maybe she was right. "Sarah…"
All my life
I've tried
To make everybody happy while I
Just hurt
And hide
Waitin' for someone to tell me it's my turn
To decide
"No, forget it. Just go ahead, try and intimidate me some more. That's all I've ever done, I've been put down and intimidated my whole damn life. I've been doing what everybody freaking else said for sixteen years, and all I get is criticism! So you can shut your trap, Goblin King, because I'm sick of everyone else telling me who to be!"
Who cares if you disagree
You are not me
Who made you king of anything
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died
And made you king of anything
Let me hold your crown, babe
"Got that, Goblin King?" Sarah shouted. "If you don't get OUT of my mirror, and OUT of my life, I will personally break that mirror and I hope it shatters you too! I don't know what happened that you can suddenly waltz into my life again, I've said it once and I'll say it again, YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!"
Jareth looked at her sadly. She needed him now, he could feel it. But her words were pushing him away, their essence of magic forcing him to say goodbye. Damn that girl's pride, he thought. "Goodbye Sarah. Your friends will call you in the morning. And should you ever need me…"
"I WILL NEVER ASK YOU FOR HELP!" She screamed, and Jareth could tell she was holding back tears.
"Goodbye Sarah." I love you, he finished silently. He faded away, leaving just a touch of glitter on her statue of him on the vanity to remind her he had been there.
And without an enemy to fight, an annoyance to aggravate, she couldn't hold it back anymore. She collapsed on the bed, sobbing.
A/N: Sorry, I had to. I'm planning a follow-up to another song, where Sarah calls for him again to apologize and for comfort. Any suggestions for songs?