A/N: I'm so sorry. I won't get into why I've been away from this story for almost two months as it's kinda personal, but know that I'm already working on the next chapter and hope to update bi-weekly on Thursdays from here on out. Enjoy!

Sarah fumbled with the set of keys on her new lanyard. I think it was shiny silver for the dorm room and dull silver for the outside door. But then what was the golden one for? She tried all three in the keyhole, but none of them made the door budge.

"Here, let me try that," Robert said as he put down her suitcase and leaned into the door. With a jerk to the right, the door popped open and he stumbled inside. Waiting for them was a single lofted bed, a dresser, a desk, and a closet, and all were smelling faintly of disinfectant and plastic.

Sarah grinned. She'd been waiting for this moment and wasn't going to wait another second to start unpacking. Once her dad left the room to bring up another load of totes, she opened the secret compartment below her box of books and posters. Three goblins who refused to let Sarah journey alone rolled out, coughing and sputtering about the heat. Karen had been getting more and more suspicious of the strange messes and missing boxes of Cocoa Puffs, and Sarah thought college came just in time. When it was down to Columbia and Dartmouth fighting over her perfect SATs and valedictorian status, she made her decision by asking for a single room. Columbia could suck it.

"Lady! Lady! Get the hammocks!" little Gwin said, bouncing excitedly on her kangaroo-like tail. Sarah planned for the goblins to stay in hammocks strung along the ceiling to look like decorations, and hopefully the brownies could live in her windowsill garden.

"We can go to the 'festateria now?" Mono said in his deep voice.

"No, I told you, only I can go to the cafeteria, and it's not open right now. You guys need to chill."

"But we's HUNGRY! We was in the box forEVER." Klonk thumped his long tail on the linoleum floor for extra emphasis.

"Hold on, we have to get everything up here and Dad out. You guys do that 'go invisible' thing while I finish up. It'll be dinner soon." She was about to leave before she turned on her heel, "And no leaving this room until I get back. Which will be in two minutes. So don't freak." She paused a second to make sure they'd understood, and once they'd shimmered out of view she went to confront the massively over-stuffed SUV.

Before she'd packed her vanity set and mirror away, she made a general invitation to all her friends Underground to visit her at college. Well, all except the fireys. Somehow, she knew they'd find a way to set off the smoke alarm, and had absolutely forbidden them from making an appearance. But Hoggle and Sir Didymus had agreed immediately, and Ludo promised he would if he fit in her room. As much as she was dreading the goodbye, she couldn't wait until her Dad was gone so the whole gang could come and help her spruce the place up.

In no time, the SUV was empty and Robert was clenching his jaw, trying not to cry. Karen 'wished she could come' but she had to take Toby to some educational museum. Sarah didn't mind. She and Toby had had a great time together the night before, eating popcorn and watching Disney movies, and she said goodbye to him then. She'd given Karen a pat on the shoulder on her way out the door and called it good.

Her dad was different. As he coughed a few manly coughs and scuffed the dirt pathway to the dorm, she launched herself into his arms. "I'll be home for Thanksgiving, Dad. Maybe even earlier if school is boring."

He gave her a quick squeeze before taking a step back. His voice cracked a little as he said, "Well I, uh, gotta hit the road. Gotta hit the turnpike before all that traffic slows me up."

Sarah nodded, letting him get into the car, and she waved as he drove away. A second later, a quiet 'pop' sounded near her right ear and a light pressure rested on her shoulder. The little feathers that tickled her neck gave her visitor away.

"You know the chickens don't like when you wear their feathers, Slobb."

"But dey's so preeeeeeetty." She said, patting down the dress she'd made of the mottled brown and orange feathers.

Sarah rolled her eyes, smiling, "Anyways, I thought you weren't coming til we were unpacked! Someone didn't want to do any work," she said, scratching Slobb under her chin.

Slobb nuzzled her spiky metal helmet against Sarah's neck in a way that anyone else would have interpreted as threatening. She was just grateful that no one else could see the goblin acting like a cat on her shoulder. The grassy quad was quickly filling with students and parents, laden with their bags and boxes. Sarah decided to go in and help her "roommates" settle in, but while she was reaching for the keys on her lanyard, something crashed into her from behind, sending her sprawling onto the lawn.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," a guy's voice said from behind a mountain of clothes. He put down the laundry basket, adjusting his glasses and reaching down to help her. "Stupid clothes. I knew I shouldn't take so much in one trip, but-"

"Don't worry, it's cool," Sarah said, accepting his hand and righting herself on two feet again. Somehow, Slobb managed to hang on and was still perched on her shoulder. She was looking hard at the boy, like he'd stolen her prized chicken, and Sarah was glad he couldn't see goblins. What was up with her?

"I'm Edward," he said, shaking the hand she still hadn't let go of. "I'm on Bissel 1st floor."

Sarah was a little bit mesmerized by the firmness of his handshake, but when Slobb's helmet poked a little too hard into her jaw, she snapped out of it. "Um, yeah. I'm on the 2nd floor. Do you need any help moving in, or…"

He smiled. "Actually, that would be great. My Dad ran off to talk to somebody he graduated with, and left me with the rest of the car to unload."

Within the hour, Sarah had learned that he liked chess, cult movies, and Jane Austen, once met a guy who looked like David Tennant, and that he was an undeclared major, as he had 'no idea what he wanted to do with his plebian life.'

"But what about you?" he asked, "Have you decided on a major?"

"Pre-law," she said, still finding the taste of it strange in her mouth. It'd only been on paper until now.

"Ah, let me guess," he stroked his bearded chin thoughtfully, "you want to save the world, or the whales, or at least a few ducklings."

Sarah smiled. "The lost and lonely, for sure. I'm hoping to be a defense lawyer for abused or neglected kids."

His eyebrows rose slightly at that. "Don't tell my father. He thinks anyone who goes into law for any intention other than making loads of money is deluded."

"And what do you think?" she asked before she could stop herself.

"I think simple kindness is as noble as it gets. If you can best be kind in a court, that's great."

Sarah blushed. Slobb noticed too, and poked her again in the neck. She had to fight the wince that she wanted to make, but settled for flicking the goblin in the stomach in a way that she hoped resembled shooing a fly. Slobb huffed and 'popped' away.

Edward wasn't paying attention. He was too busy putting his hands in his pockets, taking them out to wring his wrists, and then putting them back in. Then he looked up. "Thanks for helping me, Sarah. I hope I'll see you around campus? Or maybe we'll have classes together?"

"Yeah, that would be great. And hey. We're in the same building. I'm sure we'll have to run into each other washing our clothes or something." Sarah mentally slapped herself. Don't mention dirty clothes! Now he's probably thinking about your underwear.

"Uh, I really have no idea how that works. I brought a bag full of quarters, but I'm going to end up shrinking all my shorts down to doll-sized, I just know it. That's why my pile of clean clothes was so huge. I'm hoping I won't need to do laundry until Thanksgiving."

They'd reached Sarah's door. As much as she wanted to keep talking to him, she could hear a bit of a rumpus even from the hallway, so she said, "Well us 'plebians' know how it goes. Whenever you're down to your last pair of socks, call for backup. Until then?"

He stretched out his hand. Once she made contact to shake, he curved it to the side and kissed her knuckles. "I'm sure you're every inch a queen, Sarah." She had no idea how to respond to that other than laugh, and doubly so when he tripped over his shoe when leaving. Her stomach did a funny dance as she waved goodbye.

When she closed the door behind her, there was an uproar among the goblins.

"Whosat?"

"Why you with him?"

"He smelled funny."

Sarah rolled her eyes at the jealous flood of emotion and knew she had one particular goblin to thank. "Slobb?"

She 'popped' into the room, choosing to drape herself over a taped box labelled 'Sarah's bedding.' "Oh hiiiiii Lady."

"What exactly is your problem?"

"Who, Slobb?" she said innocently, "I don't have a problem with aaaaaannythiiiiing."

Sarah crossed her arms and squatted down to the goblin's level. Slobb gulped. "I think you do have a problem, my dear, and you need to spill it. Now."

"He-who-must-not-be-named thinks-"

Sarah groaned, "Guys, I've told you. Voldemort is fictional, and there's really nothing to worry-"

"No, Lady!" Klonk interrupted, knocking over a stack of CDs with his tail, "SLOBB means the OTHER guy we's not sposed to talk about."

Sarah looked over at the feather-clad goblin shaking her green head so vigorously the helmet was rattling. "Mhm!" she squeaked, "That he-who-must-not-be-named said that boys are baaaaad."

"Sometimes I think you guys just make up stories," Sarah sighed, "Don't worry. Even if I hang out with this other guy, I won't love you any less!" By the looks on their faces she could tell they weren't satisfied, but Sarah knew how to cheer them up. "Anyways, it's dinner time! Who wants some cupcakes?"

As if on cue, the rest of her horde showed up at those words, filling her dorm. Amid the scrambling and the begging, Sarah laughed, but she was worried.

She never had any interest in boys in high school, to the point where she'd questioned her sexuality for a bit. The frequent dreams she had of a certain Goblin King had cleared that up, though. They were so vivid, as if she had a whole fantastical timeline of a life with him, and she was definitely attracted to him in those dreams. But still. She'd never tried to date a boy in real life. What if they weren't making up some story about the Goblin King not liking boys?

She scoffed at the idea. It didn't matter now, anyway. He was Underground and she was at Dartmouth and their two paths were never going to cross again. The paths of a bearded gentleman and herself, however…. Sarah locked the excited horde in her dorm as she skipped out the door with a backpack big enough for a dozen cupcakes, keeping her eye out for a guy with dark messy hair.

A/N: Thanks to all who have liked/reviewed/favorited this story so far. Knowing I'm writing for someone is what keeps me from abandoning things altogether.

Anyways, what are your thoughts? I'm genuinely curious to see what you guys think of this one.