Chapter 1: The new librarian
I don't talk to Amy and Natalie about what happened to me, and I can't even imagine telling Charlie and Danny. The nightmare upset me, but I 'm not able to talk about it. First of all nobody will believe me, how could they? And then, I feel responsible, guilty, because I was the one who trusted that hands at first. I try not to think about it, and it's easy now that I'm surrounded by my friends and my fellow classmates, but I don't want to think about what will happen this night, when I'll be alone with my dreams again.
We are in the dining hall, I sit among my friend, busy commenting the boys' last lacrosse practice. My friends are pretty good athletes, other than having a sharp mind and a nice personality; I often found myself wondering how nice would have been to fall in love with one of them, a normal and cute guy. But I'm starting to fear that what happened to me in the Labyrinth desensitized me to normal teenage romance.
The lunch is almost finished when the Principal starts to speak. He's David Prescott, the twins' grandfather, the one they stole the champagne we drank from.
My dear students, I'm here to make an announcement, he talks with his beautiful deep voice, "how everybody of you already knows, at the beginning of the year our Mrs Fitch retired."
His speech doesn't spark a lot of interest; other than us Bookworms, not a lot of people grew fond of Carol Fitch, our librarian. People has started to chatter, pretty indifferent to the Principal's words. He clears his throat to regain his students' attention.
"As I was saying...I'm finally glad to announce that the role is filled again."
This sentence falls on deaf ears too, but we start listening with more attention. Since Mrs Fitch went away, the library became our realm, we volunteered to run the books' loans so we were able to come and go as we pleased. Now, with this new person in charge, we will have to start again to take a lot of precautions; even only to enter in our Thinkin' Corner.
"Mr LeFaye, if you'd like to introduce yourself..."
Prescott talked to someone sitting at his right; someone that, strangely, nobody has noticed before. Strangely because when he gets up and I can see him, my heart stops. Mr LeFaye isn't the middle-aged, English-looking man that everybody expected. It's HIM, exactly as I remember him.
Tall and thin, he wears his platinum blonde hair gathered in a stylish messy tail from where some strategically placed locks frames his face. A regal face, with sharp but undeniably fascinating features. But I'm sure that what left everybody speechless are his eyes, one blue, one green, enhanced by his peculiar brows.
He smiles, so effortlessly charming that more than few girls (and some boys) let some ecstatic sighs slip.
"Jareth LeFaye, at your service," his voice, deep and slightly raspy, is the last straw.
Half of the Prescott's population falls hard for him, the other half hates him with every fiber of their beings.
"Sarah, Look how hot is our new librarian!" Natalie practically plants her nails in my arm for the excitement.
But I don't react, I keep staring at him with wide eyes, trembling slightly. He, whom I defeated, whom I believed to have banned from my life forever; he, Jareth, the Goblin King, the one who terrified, bewitched, deceived me...he, who declared his love for me, came back in my life.
He sits down again and the hall bursts in a mess of chatters. The Goblin King turns his head and look at me, among a hundred of students he found me and now he stares at me. Both of us are incapable to look away. Jareth doesn't smile anymore. He look at me intensely and I do the same, oblivious of what's happening around me.
Sarah! Sarah! Natalie pulls my arm, worried. I hear her but I can t move, only when Amy joins Natalie s efforts I'm able to shake off my stupor.
"Ehi! Are you ok?!" Charlie asks to me.
I press the heels of my hands on my eyes to clear my mind. My friends keep staring at me, worried. I must really have a horrible face.
"Well...what could I say. The new librarian really impressed me. And I don't think I'm the only one." I smile, trying to play down the whole situation.
Amy observes me. I know that look, she's the most receptive and she surely must have noticed something; maybe that I wasn't just staring at him, but that also Jareth seemed unable to stop to stare back. But I know her, she won't expose me in front of everyone, in fact she doesn't say anything.
Luckily the lunch is finished, the professors and Jareth exit and we too are free to go. My friends aren't totally convinced of my excuse, but for now they don't press me, so we split to reach of different afternoon classes without any further comment.
Afternoon lessons are a torture. I try to focus on the professors' words, to think about the next scheduled tests, but it's useless. Since I came back from the Labyrinth, I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. His presence is a constant in my life. Despite my many efforts, his face torments me, his voice resounds in my ears at the most random times: sometimes taunting, some others incredibly sad. And then there are the dreams: I can't delude myself, I wait for them anxiously and in those moments my heart beats so fast...I never felt something similar for anyone else. Nobody would ever able to hold a candle to him. He's my obsession and my torment, my dream and my desire. And now that he's finally here, maybe I'll be finally able to face and overcome him. Will I be ever able to forget the Labyrinth, though? And, moreover, is it what I want?
I reach the library and I open the door, but there isn't the familiar comforting quietness welcoming me. The room, usually almost empty, is swarming with people. In the middle of everything there are our resident queen bees: Allegra Sackville and Kaja Blumenthal; two gorgeous creatures all smiles and affectations. Shiny hair, perfect winged eyeliner, they are the most coveted girls of the school and they know it. But they aren't silly bimbos, they are very determined when they want something, and now their target is Jareth. Mysterious and fascinating, he's a huge change compared to the Prescott' students. Allegra, Kaja and the others hover around his desk.
I'm quite irritated by their presence in what basically is mine and my friends' territory, but I also pity them. If only their pretty heads would know how obscure could be the being in front of them, they would run away screaming.
Just inside the threshold, I look around to find a way to reach the Thinkin' Corner without being noticed. I see the other Bookworms, huddled up around a table in the back of the room with very sour expressions on their faces. They too don't like the new situation.
I walk toward them, keeping close to the wall and hoping that he wouldn't notice me or, better, that he wouldn't approach me in front of everyone. Because I'm sure that he has felt my presence as soon as I stepped inside the library, as I felt his.
"Miss Williams," a well known voice, deep and mellow, calls me.
I turn around to face him with my most impassible expression; but I can't help to hold my breath when our eyes meet.
"Yes, Mr LeFaye?"
The other girls incinerated me with their looks.
He smirks.
"Mrs Fitch told me about you. I have to thank you for the job you did here, warmly."
He stresses the last word with a mocking shine in his eyes.
"I wasn't alone..." my voice trembles, and I mentally insult myself. I don't want to appear weak in front of him, after all I was the one beating him. And then, why I have to force myself not to tremble? And I feel like my bones are melting when his eyes land on me?
"So, Sarah, what's your favorite book?"
That's a hit below the belt, he smiles crookedly, the bastard.
"Oh, Mr LeFaye, please let us know what's your favorite book!" Kaja grabs his sleeve and he turns to smile at the girl.
I take advantage of his momentary distraction and, as fast as possible, I reach the table where my friends are. I feel my cheeks burning, I sit down and see their bewildered faces.
"Sarah, are you sure you don't want to tell us anything?" Natalie starts to say.
"Yeah," her brother gangs up with her, "I think that you already know that guy, don't you?"
Their tone is mischievous and they stare at me: the Gossip Kings are back. I gulp, I don't know what to respond. How can I say to my friends that, before the Prescott, I wished my baby brother away; that to win him back I challenged the Goblin King and I defeated him, and that now that very same king is right in front of our eyes as the new librarian?
And, above all, how could ever say that Jareth declared his love for me?
The twins immediately understand there is something wrong. I keep quiet and I don't respond to their provocations, they stop then.
"Sarah..." Natalie squeezes my shoulder, "I'm sorry Sarah, we didn't mean anything with that, we were only joking," she's sincerely sorry.
I take a deep breath to steel myself, and start to talk: "Don't worry Nat. You're right. I know Jareth from before I came here. But I prefer to talk about it in the Thinkin' Corner, ok? We won't be disturbed there..."
"Sarah, you don't have to tell us anything if you don't want," as always, Amy is the mom friend and she's constantly worried about everyone wellbeing.
"No, it's better I'll tell you what happened to me. I don't know if you'll believe me, but now that Jareth is here I can't keep everything bottled up."
Damn, maybe I was a bit too melodramatic; my friends are really worried now and keep casting surly looks at Jareth, especially the boys. I have to explain the situation as soon as possible, otherwise who know what they would think.
Finally we are able to enter in our secret room without being noticed. I sit on the sofa; it's arrived the moment for me to recount my otherworldly adventure and I'm a bit nervous.
"First of all, I have to clarify one thing: I haven't been in a relationship with Jareth."
They blush, I was right then.
"My story is a lot more complicated, and it might seem unbelievable. I just hope you'll trust me."
"Everything started with a book, this book," I pull it out of my bag.
"The Labyrinth." Natalie reads on the cover.
At first glance it looks like a normal book, just a bit old and used.
"Can I see it?" Natalie reaches out her arm to take it.
"NO!" I exclaim and I snatch it back; Nat withdraws the arm, mortified.
I bit my lip, "I'm sorry Nat. I didn't want to be rude, but it's better for you not to open it. This book is dangerous."
They look at me skeptically, how can I blame them? But I go ahead.
"This is the very first book I have ever read, I don't even remember how I found it; it has always been with me since I could remember. With time I memorized it and I even started to put it on an act."
"What's it about?" Charlie asks.
"It's the story of a girl that, one evening, fed up with having to look after his baby brother, wished the Goblins would bring him away."
I get ready to talk about the worst part.
"As you know, Toby is my step-brother; my father remarried after my mother abandoned us. When Toby was just a toddler I hated my father and I especially detested Karen, because she was the sign that the things between my parents would never return again as I wanted. I really was a terrible brat, I can't deny it." I grimace. I'm not very proud of myself, "One night I was babysitting Toby while my father and Karen were having a date. I was angry at the world and at Toby because he kept crying even if I had done anything to calm him down. I was so infuriated, so frustrated, that in the end I did it."
I stop and everyone stares at me uncomprehendingly.
"I pronounced the words, I wished my brother away. And that was what happened. The Goblin King appeared and kidnapped him."
The incredulity in their eyes is clear, they would be already laughing if they weren't so well mannered.
"And this Goblin King is Mr LeFaye?" Amy asks, unsure.
"His Majesty, I prefer." I emerge from the shadows in all my magnificence. Sarah pales, she didn t realize I followed them in their little hideout and listened to her tale.
I look at her in the eyes, sardonic, and let the mortals observe me. I let my glamour fall down and now I m in front of them in my regal clothes, the black cape with the high collar I wore when Sarah saw me for the first time. I adore the expressions on their face: astonishment, incredulity and fear. Tremble fools, the Goblin King is here.
I smirk.
"My dear, it would be better if you would explain how the things really went. I didn t kidnap your brother, I just did what you ordered."
From pale her face colors in a very interesting shade of crimson, but she doesn t lower her eyes, my Sarah hardens her look and answers back.
"Yes, I did it; but then I challenged you and I defeated you," her eyes are cruel now, "I solved your Labyrinth."
She doesn t fear me anymore, she s not anymore the girl who turned my world upside down without even realizing it. I shiver, I feel it arriving, the pain rises from my veins, my heart skips a beat, my blood freezes. I wait for it to pass without changing my expression.
I see that your friends aren t convinced of your words yet , I say to change the subject, but probably I can help you with that. I don t know why I do this, I don t know why I m revealing to some common mortals the reality of the Underground; maybe it s because I know that this will put Sarah in a very thigh spot, or maybe it s just because I want them to believe her.
I reach for the coffee table in front of the sofa, I hope Sarah wouldn t notice that I ve to hold my breath when I brush against her. I summon a crystal, touch its smooth surface and it lights up in a blinding light. When they are able to see again we are on the hill that overlooks the Labyrinth, the same Sarah found herself when she started her trip. I hear them hold their breaths, astonished, I snicker at their puzzlement, but actually it s just an illusion, we still are in the Aboveground.
I give them the time to admire my Kingdom in all its glory and then, with a rapid gesture of the hand, I make everything return as before. My smile widens, the mortals are speechless, but one of them has the bravery to talk.
"Mr Jareth, what do you want from Sarah?" a brunette boy asks to me seriously.
Really brave from his part, but also incredibly stupid. He s lucky though, I don t have time to take care of his insolence. Well this is a question for Sarah, she s the one who called me back. I turn to look at her, I lower myself until we are eye to eye, so near that I can feel the torture of her breath on my skin.
"Every one of your wishes is an order for me, this never changed Sarah. And you know why" I left my sentence in half and declaims the line from the book.
"But what nobody knew, was that the Goblin King was in love with her..."
I bow down mockingly and disappear, I cannot resist anymore so near to her.
The golden glitter that Jareth left in its wake is dancing in the air and I still feel his breath on me. My heart thunder in my ears; he said it, he said it again. My face is hot he was mocking me or I shake my head. Why am I the embarrassed one? I m not the one who declared his love in front of everybody.
"And soooo you didn t have a story with him, right?"Natalie asks me. She overlooked all the supernatural stuff she just witnessed and just asked me about the juicy part.
"No! Absolutely! I could never fall in love..."
"With a tall, gorgeous, charming man who said your every wish is an order for him?"
"With a Fae who wanted to transform my brother in a goblin! With a presumptuous, petty..."
"Tsk, tsk, don t even try to fool us. Everybody saw the look you had, and he came here for you!"
"Yeah, even if I don t know why..." Charlie is a bit perplexed.
Luckily Danny steps in to calm the twins down. Thank God him and Amy are less exuberant, four Prescotts as friends would have made me gone crazy! But in any case, I owe them an explanation another one- since now they are apart of my little secret. I took a deep breath.
"This night I have been attacked."
My friends stop to bicker immediately.
"Oh my God Sarah!"
"How were they able to enter in your room! "
"Are they someone from the school?"
A storm of questions bombards me.
"Calm down guys. It has been only a nightmare. A terrible dream. I know that for you it sounds strange, but I know that it hasn t been just a trick of my mind. A Fae attacked me."
I stop to look at them, but now they don t doubt me anymore.
"I must have recalled Jareth back without even realizing it. I pronounced his name and he took the chance to return in my life."
"And what if he was the one attacking you?" Danny is suspicious, he doesn t trust him.
"No! I exclaim, Jareth wouldn t ever do something like that, he wasn t him in that dream!"
Natalie s faces splits in two in a Cheshire Cat s smile. "But I didn t have a story with him..." she singsongs.
I sigh, I ll have to bear her antics until Jareth will stay here. But for how long will he remain? What are his intentions? Does he want to bring me back to the Labyrinth? Does he want vengeance? Or he just want to help me?