AN: Thank you everybody who has reviewed, you boost my confidence, and make
writing this story a pleasure. This chapter took me a while, because I
didn't want to rush it and get everything wrong. I hope it looks and reads
like it should. I don't mind constructive criticism if you have any. This
is my first go at writing, and I do need to learn. But if I am doing all
right don't forget to tell me that too.
I'm babbling, so on with the show.
Mine
Confrontations
Sarah was sat at her vanity table, she had just finished, un-packing. Hearing the front door slam downstairs she smiled, Toby was home, still listening she heard him call to his mom. A short while later she heard him run up the stairs. A gentle tapping on the door announced his arrival.
'Sarah,' came the call from the other side of the door.
'Come in Toby,' she called back
The door was thrown open, and Toby rushed toward her, his arms outstretched. Jumping on her, he hugged her hard, and didn't let go even when he spoke to her. 'Mom said you were here, she said not to bother you, cause you were resting, but I knew you'd want to see me,' he pulled his head back, to look up at her.' 'You do want to see me, right?' Toby pulled her back into a squeezing hug.
Sarah smiled into his shoulder, 'Of course I wanted to see you as soon as you got in. I'd see you a lot better though, if you stopped trying to strangle me.'
Toby laughed and let her go. 'Did you bring me anything?' he asked hopefully.
'I'm sorry Toby, this trip wasn't exactly planned ' Toby's face fell a little, 'but I promise the next time I come to visit I'll bring you something extra special. Okay.'
'Okay' pulling away from her, he grabbed her hand, 'come look what I got for Christmas.' He pulled her down the hall and in through his bedroom door, 'Look I got a Super Nintendo, and I got all these really neat games, and mom yelled at dad, cause she said that stuff like this would warp my brain. And she really wanted him to take it back to the store, but dad said how we would make a rule, that I can only play on it, when I've done all my home work, mom said okay that, that was a good compro- a good compresize'
'Compromise' Sarah corrected laughing, he had obviously learned the art of conversation from Karen.
Sarah looked around the room Toby had everything a child of six could want, the walls were papered in poster of famous Baseball players there were so many she had to search for wall paper. A huge globe of the world sat on his bedside cabinet next to a pictuere of the whole family.
Sarah reached down to pick it up. 'Happy families' she thought, 'yeah right.' Right before the picture had been taken, she and Karen had, had a huge fight, because, she had wanted to wear jeans and Karen had complained. Saying, 'Just for once you could try and look your best.' Karen had won in the end, and the picture had been taken with Sarah wearing her most hated brown dress, just to annoy Karen because it was such an ugly dress. Putting the photo back down, the bear on the bed caught her eye. 'Sir Lancelot!' Sarah picked up the tattered yellow bear, years of affection had rubbed the bear bald in places, and she could see stitches in the fabric where he had been torn and mended again and again. 'I can't believe you still have him.'
Toby looked up from his computer, and with an shy smile explained, 'I don't sleep with him anymore, but I still like having him around.' Sarah put Lancelot back on the, bed, and put her hand down to ruffle her brothers light blonde hair. He was such a cute kid. He was a rarity for a child. For one thing he was unbelievably good-natured, He could have tantrum, oh yes, but they were extremely few, and far between. And instead of sulking, the tantrum would be over and forgotten about, in an instant. Also he was incredibly fair minded, he would share anything with anyone. Unlike Sarah, whose first word, by all accounts, was, 'mine.' Sarah sat on his bed to watch him play his computer game.
A little while later, Sarah's dad poked his head around the door, 'Dinners ready you guys.' Sarah got up and walked over to her dad, 'Hi dad.' Then reached up to place a kiss on his cheek.
He pulled her into a hug. 'How are you honey?' 'I'm fine, how are you?' 'Good. Well I think we should go down, before you stepmother sends out a search party.' He took Sarah's arm, to escort her downstairs.
Sarah wondered why was it, that every time she and her dad spoke to each other they sounded like polite strangers, saying things like; 'How are you?' when what she really meant was; 'I really missed you.'
The smell of dinner, made Sarah's mouth water as she sat in her chair, she couldn't remember the last time she'd had a decent cooked meal, normally she just grabbed a burger or pizza for dinner.
Karen settled her napkin on her lap, and started to tell Sarah's dad about her day, Sarah knew that their conversation would go on for a while, what with Karen doing most of the talking, and her dad listening, and adding the right response every now and again. While they talked, Sarah thought about how she was going to broach the subject of dropping out of college.
Karen broke into her reverie by saying, 'I asked Sarah what was so important that she had to come home early before spring break but I didn't get an answer,
All attention was now on Sarah, even Toby had stopped eating to look questioningly at her. Sarah had just been given her cue to tell them her news.
'Well actually,' she began, 'I do have some news for you, I was going to wait till after dinner, but now is a good a time as any,' Sarah paused to take a deep breath. 'I've decided that I'm not very happy at college. I mean the classes aren't holding my interest any more, and I've hardly any friends. And I know that if I had wanted a year out I should have taken it before starting. But I was so excited about getting into, NYU, I didn't give it much thought, but I've decided that it isn't right for me, so, I'm going to leave'. She trailed off realising that she was babbling.
Everyone was quiet, they just sat there looking at her, 'Well someone say something' Sarah looked round the table, her dad looked shocked, Toby was looking from his mom to his dad and then back at Sarah, His expression clearly saying, uh oh.
Karen was sat with her mouth moving, no sound was coming out she looked incredulous. Under different circumstances Sarah might have laughed at her.
When Karen began to speak, her voice was low and furious.' You've decided you're not very happy! You've decided that it isn't right for you, because you aren't interested anymore. You ungrateful spoiled brat.' Karens voice had risen, Sarah looked at her father to gage his reaction to the names Karen had called her, he was still sat utterly still.
Karen brought her attention back to her, as she went on. 'Do you have any idea, how much money we have poured into you education. Thousands of dollars Sarah! And now your just going to waste it, we'd have been better off burning the money, we would have got the same result. Nothing!
One more year, and you would have got your diploma, then you could have gone wherever you wanted, do whatever you wanted. And we would have been happy for you, but to do this quit, without even talking to us first. And I know why, you knew we would have disapproved, so you just did it any way. And damn everybody else.
Karen never swore, it showed just how up set she was that she did now. But Sarah was passed caring, it was her life and she was the one who had to live it.
'So you think I'm being selfish, that I'm only thinking of my self do you. Well I am, I'm 21 years old I can make decisions for myself I don't need you're approval.' Sarah set her chin defiantly.
'Oh you don't do you.'
'No I don't, I have enough money saved, and I've already booked a flight for London, I leave in two days.' There that would show Karen she meant business.
'I see, and what are you going to do when you run out of money? 'I'll find some work.' 'Mmm, as what?' 'What do you mean, as what? As anything, waitressing, store clerk. I'll find something.'
'Oh Sarah grow up you can't just go to a foreign country, with hardly any money, and no experience as anything. Waitressing,' Karen added with a sneer. 'You can't even add up a tip properly.'
Sarah was furious. Who did this woman think she was talking to, she wasn't her mother. What right did she have to ridicule her?
'I'll think of something, I'm not going to sit around here all my life, gossiping with the neighbours, and getting my hair done on a Tuesday, every day the same as the last, Boring.
Karen knew Sarah was talking about her, without thinking she said, 'If you find life here so abhorrent, maybe you should leave.'
Don't worry. First thing in the morning I'm out of here.' Sarah looked back to her father, hoping he would say something, ask her not to go, anything, but he just looked at his plate, and said nothing.
Sarah pushed back her chair, fighting the threatening tears, 'I'll go pack.' She said with a voice that wobbled.
She walked out of the room, her spine ramrod straight. As soon as she was in the hall, she began to run, tears racing down her cheeks, as she ran into her room, and locked the door. She didn't want to talk to any one else tonight.
Jareth sat at his desk, papers and designs for remodelling the castle lay before him, but he wasn't paying them any attention. His mind kept drifting back to the dream. What had it meant? Why had Sarah been crying?
He'd had so many dreams of her, but in none of them had she shown any emotion other than cold disdain for him, but in tonight's dream she had actually looked as if her heart were breaking. Could she have. maybe she had.
Jareth got up and began to pace, it had only been a dream, an echo of his own hopes and desires. It meant nothing!
Sarah sat at the vanity table in her room. She had heard her father and Karen go to bed an hour ago. And Toby a while before that, had heard Toby stop and knock quietly on her door, she hadn't answered, and now hours later she felt guilty for that. She should have let him in. So she could say goodbye. She wouldn't have a chance in the morning, having already decided to be gone before anyone was up. She didn't want to speak to Karen, or her father.
She opened one of the little side drawers in the table, right there on the top, was a little red leather bound book, strange, she could remember putting it in the box that had been taken up to the attic. But then again she supposed she hadn't really wanted to put it into the box, hadn't wanted to let her memories of the Labyrinth go completely, maybe subconsciously she had put it back in the drawer.
Sarah opened the book, flicking through the pages to find the sentence that she was looking, for. The sentence, that meant the most to her. She found it and read it aloud.
'But what no one knew, was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl.
Sarah shut the book and sighed, she held the book tightly to her chest, before putting it back in the draw.
'Goodbye Jareth.' She whispered 'I'll never forget you.' A single tear fell slowly from her eye, as the clock downstairs began to chime midnight.
The lamp in her bedroom flickered, once, twice and went out. Sarah spun round on her stool. And a soft orange light filled the room.
A voice said softly 'Sarah.'
AN: Ahhhhh, had to stop there, it seemed right next part will be up soon, promise.
I'm babbling, so on with the show.
Mine
Confrontations
Sarah was sat at her vanity table, she had just finished, un-packing. Hearing the front door slam downstairs she smiled, Toby was home, still listening she heard him call to his mom. A short while later she heard him run up the stairs. A gentle tapping on the door announced his arrival.
'Sarah,' came the call from the other side of the door.
'Come in Toby,' she called back
The door was thrown open, and Toby rushed toward her, his arms outstretched. Jumping on her, he hugged her hard, and didn't let go even when he spoke to her. 'Mom said you were here, she said not to bother you, cause you were resting, but I knew you'd want to see me,' he pulled his head back, to look up at her.' 'You do want to see me, right?' Toby pulled her back into a squeezing hug.
Sarah smiled into his shoulder, 'Of course I wanted to see you as soon as you got in. I'd see you a lot better though, if you stopped trying to strangle me.'
Toby laughed and let her go. 'Did you bring me anything?' he asked hopefully.
'I'm sorry Toby, this trip wasn't exactly planned ' Toby's face fell a little, 'but I promise the next time I come to visit I'll bring you something extra special. Okay.'
'Okay' pulling away from her, he grabbed her hand, 'come look what I got for Christmas.' He pulled her down the hall and in through his bedroom door, 'Look I got a Super Nintendo, and I got all these really neat games, and mom yelled at dad, cause she said that stuff like this would warp my brain. And she really wanted him to take it back to the store, but dad said how we would make a rule, that I can only play on it, when I've done all my home work, mom said okay that, that was a good compro- a good compresize'
'Compromise' Sarah corrected laughing, he had obviously learned the art of conversation from Karen.
Sarah looked around the room Toby had everything a child of six could want, the walls were papered in poster of famous Baseball players there were so many she had to search for wall paper. A huge globe of the world sat on his bedside cabinet next to a pictuere of the whole family.
Sarah reached down to pick it up. 'Happy families' she thought, 'yeah right.' Right before the picture had been taken, she and Karen had, had a huge fight, because, she had wanted to wear jeans and Karen had complained. Saying, 'Just for once you could try and look your best.' Karen had won in the end, and the picture had been taken with Sarah wearing her most hated brown dress, just to annoy Karen because it was such an ugly dress. Putting the photo back down, the bear on the bed caught her eye. 'Sir Lancelot!' Sarah picked up the tattered yellow bear, years of affection had rubbed the bear bald in places, and she could see stitches in the fabric where he had been torn and mended again and again. 'I can't believe you still have him.'
Toby looked up from his computer, and with an shy smile explained, 'I don't sleep with him anymore, but I still like having him around.' Sarah put Lancelot back on the, bed, and put her hand down to ruffle her brothers light blonde hair. He was such a cute kid. He was a rarity for a child. For one thing he was unbelievably good-natured, He could have tantrum, oh yes, but they were extremely few, and far between. And instead of sulking, the tantrum would be over and forgotten about, in an instant. Also he was incredibly fair minded, he would share anything with anyone. Unlike Sarah, whose first word, by all accounts, was, 'mine.' Sarah sat on his bed to watch him play his computer game.
A little while later, Sarah's dad poked his head around the door, 'Dinners ready you guys.' Sarah got up and walked over to her dad, 'Hi dad.' Then reached up to place a kiss on his cheek.
He pulled her into a hug. 'How are you honey?' 'I'm fine, how are you?' 'Good. Well I think we should go down, before you stepmother sends out a search party.' He took Sarah's arm, to escort her downstairs.
Sarah wondered why was it, that every time she and her dad spoke to each other they sounded like polite strangers, saying things like; 'How are you?' when what she really meant was; 'I really missed you.'
The smell of dinner, made Sarah's mouth water as she sat in her chair, she couldn't remember the last time she'd had a decent cooked meal, normally she just grabbed a burger or pizza for dinner.
Karen settled her napkin on her lap, and started to tell Sarah's dad about her day, Sarah knew that their conversation would go on for a while, what with Karen doing most of the talking, and her dad listening, and adding the right response every now and again. While they talked, Sarah thought about how she was going to broach the subject of dropping out of college.
Karen broke into her reverie by saying, 'I asked Sarah what was so important that she had to come home early before spring break but I didn't get an answer,
All attention was now on Sarah, even Toby had stopped eating to look questioningly at her. Sarah had just been given her cue to tell them her news.
'Well actually,' she began, 'I do have some news for you, I was going to wait till after dinner, but now is a good a time as any,' Sarah paused to take a deep breath. 'I've decided that I'm not very happy at college. I mean the classes aren't holding my interest any more, and I've hardly any friends. And I know that if I had wanted a year out I should have taken it before starting. But I was so excited about getting into, NYU, I didn't give it much thought, but I've decided that it isn't right for me, so, I'm going to leave'. She trailed off realising that she was babbling.
Everyone was quiet, they just sat there looking at her, 'Well someone say something' Sarah looked round the table, her dad looked shocked, Toby was looking from his mom to his dad and then back at Sarah, His expression clearly saying, uh oh.
Karen was sat with her mouth moving, no sound was coming out she looked incredulous. Under different circumstances Sarah might have laughed at her.
When Karen began to speak, her voice was low and furious.' You've decided you're not very happy! You've decided that it isn't right for you, because you aren't interested anymore. You ungrateful spoiled brat.' Karens voice had risen, Sarah looked at her father to gage his reaction to the names Karen had called her, he was still sat utterly still.
Karen brought her attention back to her, as she went on. 'Do you have any idea, how much money we have poured into you education. Thousands of dollars Sarah! And now your just going to waste it, we'd have been better off burning the money, we would have got the same result. Nothing!
One more year, and you would have got your diploma, then you could have gone wherever you wanted, do whatever you wanted. And we would have been happy for you, but to do this quit, without even talking to us first. And I know why, you knew we would have disapproved, so you just did it any way. And damn everybody else.
Karen never swore, it showed just how up set she was that she did now. But Sarah was passed caring, it was her life and she was the one who had to live it.
'So you think I'm being selfish, that I'm only thinking of my self do you. Well I am, I'm 21 years old I can make decisions for myself I don't need you're approval.' Sarah set her chin defiantly.
'Oh you don't do you.'
'No I don't, I have enough money saved, and I've already booked a flight for London, I leave in two days.' There that would show Karen she meant business.
'I see, and what are you going to do when you run out of money? 'I'll find some work.' 'Mmm, as what?' 'What do you mean, as what? As anything, waitressing, store clerk. I'll find something.'
'Oh Sarah grow up you can't just go to a foreign country, with hardly any money, and no experience as anything. Waitressing,' Karen added with a sneer. 'You can't even add up a tip properly.'
Sarah was furious. Who did this woman think she was talking to, she wasn't her mother. What right did she have to ridicule her?
'I'll think of something, I'm not going to sit around here all my life, gossiping with the neighbours, and getting my hair done on a Tuesday, every day the same as the last, Boring.
Karen knew Sarah was talking about her, without thinking she said, 'If you find life here so abhorrent, maybe you should leave.'
Don't worry. First thing in the morning I'm out of here.' Sarah looked back to her father, hoping he would say something, ask her not to go, anything, but he just looked at his plate, and said nothing.
Sarah pushed back her chair, fighting the threatening tears, 'I'll go pack.' She said with a voice that wobbled.
She walked out of the room, her spine ramrod straight. As soon as she was in the hall, she began to run, tears racing down her cheeks, as she ran into her room, and locked the door. She didn't want to talk to any one else tonight.
Jareth sat at his desk, papers and designs for remodelling the castle lay before him, but he wasn't paying them any attention. His mind kept drifting back to the dream. What had it meant? Why had Sarah been crying?
He'd had so many dreams of her, but in none of them had she shown any emotion other than cold disdain for him, but in tonight's dream she had actually looked as if her heart were breaking. Could she have. maybe she had.
Jareth got up and began to pace, it had only been a dream, an echo of his own hopes and desires. It meant nothing!
Sarah sat at the vanity table in her room. She had heard her father and Karen go to bed an hour ago. And Toby a while before that, had heard Toby stop and knock quietly on her door, she hadn't answered, and now hours later she felt guilty for that. She should have let him in. So she could say goodbye. She wouldn't have a chance in the morning, having already decided to be gone before anyone was up. She didn't want to speak to Karen, or her father.
She opened one of the little side drawers in the table, right there on the top, was a little red leather bound book, strange, she could remember putting it in the box that had been taken up to the attic. But then again she supposed she hadn't really wanted to put it into the box, hadn't wanted to let her memories of the Labyrinth go completely, maybe subconsciously she had put it back in the drawer.
Sarah opened the book, flicking through the pages to find the sentence that she was looking, for. The sentence, that meant the most to her. She found it and read it aloud.
'But what no one knew, was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl.
Sarah shut the book and sighed, she held the book tightly to her chest, before putting it back in the draw.
'Goodbye Jareth.' She whispered 'I'll never forget you.' A single tear fell slowly from her eye, as the clock downstairs began to chime midnight.
The lamp in her bedroom flickered, once, twice and went out. Sarah spun round on her stool. And a soft orange light filled the room.
A voice said softly 'Sarah.'
AN: Ahhhhh, had to stop there, it seemed right next part will be up soon, promise.
