(The lights are back on. MADMAD is back at the computer, typing.
Alyce is listening to "Time Warp" and is dancing around. Erik is banging
his head against the wall, muttering "Why me? Why me?" Over and over.
Jareth and Claire are sitting on either side of the bed. They are clearly
mad at each other.)
CS: I can't believe you!
J: I can't believe you!
CS: How could you mistake me for that?
J: How could you have done such a thing to me!? While we are on the subject, what did you do to me?
CS: Look, I took MAD's blow-up chair and put it on your back and made sensual noises as a joke! And you mistook it for my ass you idiot!
J: Well pardon me!
MM: Will you guys just shove it? I am trying to...(phone rings)
( Alyce turns music off. Erik stops banging his head. All look at MAD as though this is some kind of hope for escape.)
MM: Moshi-moshi? Oh, hi! How is everything.....no, whose is it this time.....I see......what......WHO DO YOU WANT TO DO IT?! I don't think they will.........but if I.............I'll try.......I don't like the sound of this......Okay, I'll give it a shot. Ja ne. (puts phone down)
AM: Who was that?
MM: That was Mysteria on the phone. She is MSTing again.
E: Whom is she using?
MM: You guys! (points to men)
J: Your kidding right?
MM: No joke.
E: (ominously) I am going to rip you limb from limb for this! (charges MAD)
(Pandemonium. Erik throttles MAD. Alyce jumps Erik and tries to pry him off. Jareth stands perfectly still with a shocked look on his face. Claire falls to the floor laughing.)
MM: (through her teeth) Hurry! Distract yourselves! r/r before someone gets hurt!
In the two weeks that proceeded, Maddie followed Jareth all around, asking about the surprise. All he answers were "Maybe" and "Perhaps", but mostly it was "no, no, NO!" Maddie was fed up.
Then, one evening, while Maddie was trying to read a book in a language she could not understand, three elfin women, carrying a dress, came into her room.
"What's this?" Maddie asked.
"Your costume for the masquerade ball, your Ladyship." they answered in unison.
"What ball?" Maddie asked, bewildered.
"Why, the ball in your honor, your Ladyship." answered a fair-haired creature.
"So that was the surprise! Well, c'mon! Let's do this!"
Maddie giggled as the women dressed her in a flowing, decorative white ball gown and a dainty, matching swan mask. Maddie was escorted down to the ballroom by one of the women. There, she found hundreds of people, in costume, drinking, dancing and merry-making. Some of them looked, and noticed her, others paid her no heed. Maddie wandered around aimlessly, looking for a familiar face. She then noticed a tall man, in a dark blue costume with an horned devil mask.
"Jareth?"
The man removed his mask and so did Maddie.
"Is that you, Maddie? I hardly recognized you! You look divine!"
Maddie was about to come to him, when a drunken women toppled her over. Jareth shoved his way through the crowd and picked up both of them. The woman then addressed him, or more properly put, babbled to him.
" *Hic!* Jareth...? *Hic!* Zorry...! *Hic!* The small person...*Hic!* She was in my way...*Hic!*"
Jareth glared at the woman.
"Lady Pearl, I am disappointed!"
" *Hic!*" she answered.
"The 'small person' you were referring to is lady Madelene!"
" *Hic!* Oh really....? *Hic!* Zorry lady Makcelmerphl....." and she collapsed on the floor.
Jareth casually stepped over her and brushed Maddie's hand lightly with a kiss.
"As I was saying, before we were so rudely interrupted, you look divine! Shall we?"
They stepped out on the dance floor and twirled gracefully around. As they danced, an awful thought struck Maddie. She was enjoying this! She nearly forgot about going home! What about her friends? Family? School? She became so nervous and shaky, she had to sit down.
"JeeeeeeeeAAAAAAAAAARETH?!" called an flirtatious female voice.
A tall, dark woman charged her way through the crowd of party-goers while giggling, non-stop.
"Oh, hello Lady Mariah." sighed Jareth. This was obviously an encounter he had hoped to avoid.
"Ooh Jareth! I am soooo glad to see you out in the open again! What, with that girl and everything.....You were sooooooo secluded after that little incident. Oh, and I am just dying to meet this Lady Madelene."
Then, she spied Maddie.
"Gracious! Jareth just what are doing with this child!"
Maddie scowled.
"I mean, have you ever seen any woman with hair like that! And with her diminutiveness and..."
Jareth couldn't take it any more.
"Child, Madame? That is a rather inane comment don't you think? Considering that she is more intellectual and mature than you'll ever be! As, for her hair, it's exotic flame is most passionate and beautiful. And concerning her height, she is petite and I find that quite attractive. You, madam, are just an ugly, jealous bitch!"
Lady Mariah was appalled. Never before had she been spoken to that way by anyone!
"Well! I have never been so insulted! I am leaving!"
Maddie spotted a punch bowl and got an idea.
"Wait! Lady!" she called
"Don't leave without first having some refreshment!"
She promptly poured the punch all over Lady Mariah. She shrieked and ran off. Suddenly, Maddie turned to Jareth.
"Well, this has been fun. Now, if you don't mind, I wish to retire."
Maddie's eyes became red as she dashed out of the ballroom. Jareth watched her go, then noticed the guests. After a moments thought, he addressed them.
"Umm.....I hope you had a good time, but the ball is now over! You may all leave!"
There was a disappointed murmur as the crowd dispersed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maddie ran to her chamber and flung herself on to the bed. In a fit of sobs, she managed to cry out.
"Don't try to shower me with gifts! It will not weaken my resolve!"
"Maddie?"
Jareth entered the room with a concerned look on his face.
"YOU!" Maddie screamed.
"How dare you do this to me!"
Jareth looked confused.
"Do what?"
"You know what your doing! You're throwing parties and giving gifts and doing anything to change my mind! So I will stay and be your little pet! Your little wind-up dolly to sing and play! Your little teddy bear to..."
WHAP!
A stinging slap flew across her face and sent her reeling on to the bed. She sat up and looked into Jareth's eyes. Although his face remained calm, his eyes burned with furious intensity. Maddie let a single tear fall.
"I hope you're proud of yourself!" she cried, and tore out of the room.
"You are so different." Jareth whispered after her.
"But you are just like Sara."
CS: I can't believe you!
J: I can't believe you!
CS: How could you mistake me for that?
J: How could you have done such a thing to me!? While we are on the subject, what did you do to me?
CS: Look, I took MAD's blow-up chair and put it on your back and made sensual noises as a joke! And you mistook it for my ass you idiot!
J: Well pardon me!
MM: Will you guys just shove it? I am trying to...(phone rings)
( Alyce turns music off. Erik stops banging his head. All look at MAD as though this is some kind of hope for escape.)
MM: Moshi-moshi? Oh, hi! How is everything.....no, whose is it this time.....I see......what......WHO DO YOU WANT TO DO IT?! I don't think they will.........but if I.............I'll try.......I don't like the sound of this......Okay, I'll give it a shot. Ja ne. (puts phone down)
AM: Who was that?
MM: That was Mysteria on the phone. She is MSTing again.
E: Whom is she using?
MM: You guys! (points to men)
J: Your kidding right?
MM: No joke.
E: (ominously) I am going to rip you limb from limb for this! (charges MAD)
(Pandemonium. Erik throttles MAD. Alyce jumps Erik and tries to pry him off. Jareth stands perfectly still with a shocked look on his face. Claire falls to the floor laughing.)
MM: (through her teeth) Hurry! Distract yourselves! r/r before someone gets hurt!
In the two weeks that proceeded, Maddie followed Jareth all around, asking about the surprise. All he answers were "Maybe" and "Perhaps", but mostly it was "no, no, NO!" Maddie was fed up.
Then, one evening, while Maddie was trying to read a book in a language she could not understand, three elfin women, carrying a dress, came into her room.
"What's this?" Maddie asked.
"Your costume for the masquerade ball, your Ladyship." they answered in unison.
"What ball?" Maddie asked, bewildered.
"Why, the ball in your honor, your Ladyship." answered a fair-haired creature.
"So that was the surprise! Well, c'mon! Let's do this!"
Maddie giggled as the women dressed her in a flowing, decorative white ball gown and a dainty, matching swan mask. Maddie was escorted down to the ballroom by one of the women. There, she found hundreds of people, in costume, drinking, dancing and merry-making. Some of them looked, and noticed her, others paid her no heed. Maddie wandered around aimlessly, looking for a familiar face. She then noticed a tall man, in a dark blue costume with an horned devil mask.
"Jareth?"
The man removed his mask and so did Maddie.
"Is that you, Maddie? I hardly recognized you! You look divine!"
Maddie was about to come to him, when a drunken women toppled her over. Jareth shoved his way through the crowd and picked up both of them. The woman then addressed him, or more properly put, babbled to him.
" *Hic!* Jareth...? *Hic!* Zorry...! *Hic!* The small person...*Hic!* She was in my way...*Hic!*"
Jareth glared at the woman.
"Lady Pearl, I am disappointed!"
" *Hic!*" she answered.
"The 'small person' you were referring to is lady Madelene!"
" *Hic!* Oh really....? *Hic!* Zorry lady Makcelmerphl....." and she collapsed on the floor.
Jareth casually stepped over her and brushed Maddie's hand lightly with a kiss.
"As I was saying, before we were so rudely interrupted, you look divine! Shall we?"
They stepped out on the dance floor and twirled gracefully around. As they danced, an awful thought struck Maddie. She was enjoying this! She nearly forgot about going home! What about her friends? Family? School? She became so nervous and shaky, she had to sit down.
"JeeeeeeeeAAAAAAAAAARETH?!" called an flirtatious female voice.
A tall, dark woman charged her way through the crowd of party-goers while giggling, non-stop.
"Oh, hello Lady Mariah." sighed Jareth. This was obviously an encounter he had hoped to avoid.
"Ooh Jareth! I am soooo glad to see you out in the open again! What, with that girl and everything.....You were sooooooo secluded after that little incident. Oh, and I am just dying to meet this Lady Madelene."
Then, she spied Maddie.
"Gracious! Jareth just what are doing with this child!"
Maddie scowled.
"I mean, have you ever seen any woman with hair like that! And with her diminutiveness and..."
Jareth couldn't take it any more.
"Child, Madame? That is a rather inane comment don't you think? Considering that she is more intellectual and mature than you'll ever be! As, for her hair, it's exotic flame is most passionate and beautiful. And concerning her height, she is petite and I find that quite attractive. You, madam, are just an ugly, jealous bitch!"
Lady Mariah was appalled. Never before had she been spoken to that way by anyone!
"Well! I have never been so insulted! I am leaving!"
Maddie spotted a punch bowl and got an idea.
"Wait! Lady!" she called
"Don't leave without first having some refreshment!"
She promptly poured the punch all over Lady Mariah. She shrieked and ran off. Suddenly, Maddie turned to Jareth.
"Well, this has been fun. Now, if you don't mind, I wish to retire."
Maddie's eyes became red as she dashed out of the ballroom. Jareth watched her go, then noticed the guests. After a moments thought, he addressed them.
"Umm.....I hope you had a good time, but the ball is now over! You may all leave!"
There was a disappointed murmur as the crowd dispersed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maddie ran to her chamber and flung herself on to the bed. In a fit of sobs, she managed to cry out.
"Don't try to shower me with gifts! It will not weaken my resolve!"
"Maddie?"
Jareth entered the room with a concerned look on his face.
"YOU!" Maddie screamed.
"How dare you do this to me!"
Jareth looked confused.
"Do what?"
"You know what your doing! You're throwing parties and giving gifts and doing anything to change my mind! So I will stay and be your little pet! Your little wind-up dolly to sing and play! Your little teddy bear to..."
WHAP!
A stinging slap flew across her face and sent her reeling on to the bed. She sat up and looked into Jareth's eyes. Although his face remained calm, his eyes burned with furious intensity. Maddie let a single tear fall.
"I hope you're proud of yourself!" she cried, and tore out of the room.
"You are so different." Jareth whispered after her.
"But you are just like Sara."