Wishes.
Chapter 6. A Ghostly Encounter. Second Round.
By mikim
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Standard Disclaimers Apply.
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A small leather book tucked neatly under the arm, Sarah strolled smiling in her class. Quickly, she laid her bags on her desk, her leather book next to them, and turned around to clean the chalkboard, preparing it for the lesson of the day. Sarah had purposely arrived right on time to avoid going in the professors' room. She just didn't feel like meeting her colleagues' eyes or their remarks. Sarah was the youngest teacher at the St Sebastian Private Elementary School, a reputed private school, famed for the level of education displayed in their spacious and luminous building.
The son of the creator of the school, Mark Jones, directed the school for more than seven years now. He was a bit older than Sarah and had been the one who had seek her to work at St Sebastian. He was a charming man, with dark brown hair and a roguish smile, which usually won him over any arguments he took part in.
Sarah's class was composed of the smaller children of the whole school and she loved each of them dearly. The current bunch was composed of mischievous little devils, but they were all very clever and precious to her. She preciously kept each of their photos she had asked at the beginning of the year in a big black book and under each one, she had written their names, birthdays and the year they had spent in her care.
Probably because she was the youngest of the teacher staff, maybe because she took care of the smaller ones, but all the other teachers treated her like a precious doll, teasing her gently on her lack of boyfriends, pushing her gently with their "get married and settle down" speech so many times rehearsed for her benefit. They were all kind and their intentions were well meant but sometimes, they weighed heavily on Sarah's shoulders. The teachers were in general coming from other prestigious schools, from where either Mark or his father had managed to steal them away.
The old Mr. Jones frequently came to the school to pester his son, but also because he had founded this school after a wish of his wife, who had died several years ago. Sarah liked Mr. Jones a lot and she had spotted him several times, wandering slowly in the halls of the school, lost in his memories of his beloved wife. He was a funny old man, with a wry humor and his once dark hair were now all white while his beard always smelled like the rose-scented tobacco he swore not to use.
He shared the roguish smile with his son and was the only one who wasn't eagerly waiting for a suitor at her arm. He liked to call her girlie and to come to her class to sit at the back, while she told stories to her little students. Sometimes, he would even drift to sleep in her class and the children would grin at each others silently letting "Grand-Pa Jones" sleep while Sarah would cover him with a light cover usually used by the children.
Noise was drifting in the classroom, decorated with childish yellow suns and laughing oaks trees and the bell rung. Sarah turned around, as the first grinning child, a sunny little girl, stepped in the room, quickly followed by her classmates, shouting theirs greetings to their teachers.
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Naptime was like a blessing for Sarah. On Mondays, her little students tended to be agitated and excited from the weekend's activities and made her run for her money. Between little Melissa who got her long black hair full of pink paint and Jack who kicked Alexander because the latter said the former had lice, Sarah had wanted to pull her hair. Then, when Joan had screamed bloody murder because Ann had knocked her lunch on her lap when John fell on her when he tripped on Emily's doll, Sarah had wondered why she still hadn't given her resignation letter. But, then, when sweet little Louis, with his baby blue eyes and jet black hair, a future lady killer, had given her a drawing of her, her heart had burst in joy and she had known why she hadn't given that resignation letter, sitting in the secret drawer of her desk, at home.
As usual, she had made them sit on their mats, after pushing the tables on the left corner of the class and cleaning their mess from lunchtime. Waiting for them to settle down, Sarah chose mentally a story to tell them. The tale of the Prince and the Crow unfolded in her mind and she started softly, attracting immediately their attentions.
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Finally, the last of the children was fast asleep. Alexander was always the last to fall asleep, insisting like he was for her to finish the story, fighting with all his might sleep to conquer him over until she had said end. Silent like a cat, Sarah stood up and quietly made her way towards her desk where she sat, barely restraining a satisfied sigh. Rolling her aching shoulders, she opened the small leather book she had placed on the top left corner of her desk. Picking up a pen, she waited.
Quickly, the first message came. Is your day over? It read. Millibel had told her to take a small copybook with her. She had then spelled the book so that the two of them could talk.
Smiling, Sarah's answer came swiftly. I wish. She wrote. This is only a pause. The little monsters are all fast asleep. Millibel had written this morning, when giving her instructions that she would linked herself to the book, therefore it was imperative for Sarah to never let Jareth or somebody with the gift of magic touch it, otherwise, they would felt her presence. Moreover, if Sarah were ever to go back to the Underground with the copybook on her, whether or not with Jareth, Millibel would have to leave the book and would never be able to come back, not even to contact her in dreams. Millibel's first message disappeared to let the place to her new question. How is the weather? Millibel asked.
She had already several times asked such questions, like how her coffee tasted, or how the water on her skin felt like. It had surprised Sarah and Millibel had confessed that she was more and more losing the physical memories she had from her body. She still had her memories, but she had lost the sense of touch.
Sarah looked up to the windows: the sun had disappeared sometimes during the day and heavy black clouds were looming menacingly over the school and town. On the horizon, Sarah could even see the rain falling. It had always been like a formidable wonder to watch the rain fall on the sea: like a falling curtain, ephemeral and unreal, so far away and yet so close. The sea going back to the sea, a perfect circle. Looking back at the paper, Sarah wrote back. Bad. It looks like it's going to rain and I think we're even going to have thunder and lightning.
Millibel's previous words came over Sarah's last remark, as if Sarah's words had been drunk by the paper to let the place to Millibel's ones. Ah. Millibel's words said. Jareth used to love this kind of weather, because he would be allowed to play piano for hours, without being disturbed. Curiosity roused, Sarah couldn't stop her pen from tracing the question. How was he like when he was small? Sarah waited a few minutes, before Millibel's answer appeared on the paper.
Her answer took most of the page and the strokes of her words had taken a melancholic turn, by the swirls at the end of each words, Sarah knew Millibel was reminiscing. I remember once when he disappeared for a whole day. He was about the age of your students. So, Sarah thought a fond smile coming to her lips against her will, between 5 and 6 years old. Already a troublemaker. The castle was in an uproar, maids and guards running crazy, looking under every table, checking each hall twice at least. I was here, at my boarding school, when Sariel burst in my classroom, looking wild, calling for Jareth. He had thought that maybe Jareth had managed to teleport himself to Aboveground, as it had been the theme of their lesson, that day.
I remember his crazy look, the poor man… Sometimes I think we place his doom between his hands when we shove Jareth in them. Anyway, Sariel's sudden appearance and the news of Jareth disappearing turned me half hysteric and I went back Underground with Sariel. I went straight to my father's office to demand of him to find Jareth, but Father refused to even let me in.
Angry, I stomped the palace's halls, calling Jareth's name, but he never answered. The little devil didn't reappear until dinnertime because he was hungry. I was so mad at him that I shook him several times, screaming, until Sariel managed to detangle him from my clutches… Jareth said he had found something interesting when he had been practicing what Sariel had taught him the day before. Sariel had taught him how to feel something with his mind, one of the basics lessons in mastering the gift of magic.
He had found the palace secret passages… Sariel was thunderstruck, so was I… You see, these secret passages are protected by shields and in theory only the Emperor has enough magic to feel them and lift them to wander in the secret passages. And Jareth did it. He told us he had found them all. I can still see him, his little face raised up to mine his little fists on his waist, in the same manner of his arms teacher, his mismatched eyes twinkling, his royal blue jacket covered with spiders webs and his white shirt covered of dirt, but he was happy and had a smug smile on his lips. A little devil, he was… He took the habit to disappear from times to times, running Sariel crazy each times but always coming back at the later around dinnertime, but it didn't always have the same happy outcome.
The writing stopped here and Sarah waited. The story obviously wasn't over and she frowned. Then, the first lines of the message disappeared and little by little let the place to the beginning of another one.
Once, when I got home, I discovered him, sitting in a dark corner of my room, his knees drawn under his chin, his little arms closed around them, frowning. When I asked him what was wrong, he answered, using for the first time, his Illusion King voice. You know, that voice so cold that it can pierce your heart better than a spear would. He looked up at me, glaring, and stood up, as if I had betrayed him and he asked me if I knew. I was lost and completely uncomfortable by his sudden transformation.
He repeated his question and I told him I didn't understand what he meant. This was the first time Jareth really cried. He cried, not out of pain, as he did when he broke his arm, but out of emotional pain, because of something eating him from inside. I didn't understand and tried to reach him and he coldly kept me at bay with one look and with a freezing voice he told me he knew what his name meant. He told me he understood why the maids were so scared of him, when calling him Master Bane.
He ran out of my room, leaving me rooted to my spot. I think it also was the first of his illusions taken brutally away from him. Later, I found out he had been, as usual, wandering in his secret passages he had always refused to share, and he had stumbled upon a conversation between 2 people in the palace library. From behind his wall, Jareth couldn't see who it was, but he could hear them. Apparently, it was 2 ladies in court of my mother and they were talking about him and Jareth learnt in which circumstances his birth took place and what his name meant.
Sarah looked sadly at the words. Master Bane. That seemed to be how everybody referred to him in the palace. A cast away, an unwanted. A shock for a child so young to learn by someone else what the name his mother had given him meant. Sarah's pen fell from her fingers as she looked up to the windows. Thunder was roaring and lightning were fighting in the dark skies. Soon, rain would fall and wash the ground away. A shimmering glitter caught her left eye and curious, Sarah looked down at the leather book.
Sarah. The message started. Don't let it get you. Jareth's been over this for years now. He had suffered much, much more severe blows than this one.
Sadly, Sarah considered Millibel's words and she wondered if Jareth's older sister was putting her refusal of Jareth's last offer within the bags of these 'severe blows', as she put it. Sarah picked up her pen once more. Why didn't your father help find Jareth the first time?
Millibel seemed to ponder on that question, as her answer took some time to come to Sarah. I really don't know. I was mad at him for days afterward, until he gave me an asphodel and I forgave him.
What is an asphodel? Sarah wrote.
It's a flower. In the language of flower, it means that the one giving the flower regret what happened in the past. My father knows the language of flower and he used to teach me what flower meant what and how to give them. Whenever, Father, Mother and I would go out, before Jareth was born, on our Sunday's outing, Father would always give mother a flower, but he'd never actually told her these flowers he had given her had a meaning and what exactly they meant. I remember once, we were sitting under a big oak tree, I was on Mother's lap, when Father conjured a red camellia and tucked it behind her ear. Mother laughed, but kept the flower the whole day in her hair. Later, Father told me a camellia meant the constancy or something among the lines I would love you always.
Oh, that sounds sweet.
It is. Father never speaks of his emotions, or shows them. Only through his flowers and he rarely gives one to anyone. I think he gave Mother the most of them, even when they were at odds, he gave her a flower. Usually, it was placed on her nightstand for her to find it in the morning or near her mirror. Sarah frowned. Millibel had told her the day before her parents were at odds and still her father gave her mother flowers. How weird. Sarah looked up to make sure each of her little students were fine, as the rain finally broke over.
Thunder roared once more but none of the children even stirred, so deeply asleep. Sarah smiled and stood up to walk to little Jack Rubinfield, as he turned around, knocking the light cover away. Sarah knelt carefully next to him, not to wake him up and she carefully tucked him in. Still kneeling, she let her gaze sweep over the rest of the children, but in her mind she tried to picture a small boy, much like at the same height of little Jack, with fair hair and mismatched eyes, she tried to see him, she wanted to understand what Jareth's childhood could have been like.
When Millibel had told her the story of Jareth's disappearance, she had never mentioned even once her mother. When her son had been found missing, Jareth's mother didn't apparently moved. Like his father. Sarah's eyes fell back on Jack, sleeping his mouth open and reaching out, she lightly caressed his cheek and stood up. She couldn't imagine. Sarah walked back to her desk and went back to the leather book where Millibel waited. Millibel, could you tell me more about where you were born?
The answer came quickly, written hastily, surprised. You want to know the Underground History?
Yes.
Very well. Millibel paused, probably gathering her thoughts. Well, the Underground is also called the Ten plus One Kingdoms because one of them is hidden to the rest of the kingdoms, Jareth's kingdom, the Illusion Isle. Anyway, our father's empire was at the origins dozens of small countries reunited into one to face our powerful neighbors. Because it was done to face a common enemy, alliance in our empire is quite tedious and straining, therefore it wasn't rare to see an emperor overthrown. Until the Seers stepped in. Sarah remembered Millibel mentioning the Seers backing up her father against her grandfather, at the surprise of the latter. Millibel had looked uncomfortable talking about them.
The Seers are a sect, a group of mysterious persons. They don't necessarily come from our Empire but from all the Kingdoms. The legend says they came to the first Emperor of our lineage and told him he was to be an emperor and that they would support him. He didn't believe them at first, but the Seers knew he wouldn't. So, one of them, a female, stepped forward and said she would show him the future. She shared her vision with him and afterwards he had to believe the Seers because the woman's body fell dead at his feet.
A non-Seer can only have the experience of a vision if the Seer giving the vision gives up his life. This is the curse of the Seers. Anyway, my ancestor believed them then and he declared war to the Emperor of the time. His name was Spike, because he was tall but his body was sinew and his tongue was sharp like a spike and he climbed on the throne.
What about Jareth's kingdom? Sarah interjected.
The Illusion Isle is said to be in the Sea of Clouds but no one ever found was that meant as this ocean isn't on any map of the Underground. Anyone but Jareth found it since the creation of this Kingdom. You see, the Illusion Isle was created to protect the gifted ones. There was a time, in the Underground, when magic was recoiling, slowly disappearing fro m bloodlines and ungifted people started to fear the gifted ones and even persecute them. A group of wizards and witches decided to protect those who couldn't protect themselves by building them a fortress where no one could find them: the Illusion Isle. It was, at first, a simple island, at the large of Radanah, one of the major kingdoms.
Gifted ones fled to this kingdom to leave their children, hoping they would be safe and the wizards cast the spells which turned this island into something else, something magic and it purely disappeared but they left a key to find the Illusion Isle under the form of a text, craved on a marble pillar. It says that only those with a brave and pure heart would find the Sea of Clouds on which the Illusion Isle sails for eternity and only if he braves the hundred of hardships waiting on the ground of the fortress, would the seeker reach and master the power sleeping in the Illusion Isle. Hundreds of men tried to find the Sea of Clouds and lost their lives trying, until Jareth.
Sarah was stunned. How had Jareth found such place. Sariel had said it had taken him a whole year. How did he find it?
I really don't know, he never talked about it. Maybe he can't.
Sarah was about to ask Millibel what she meant when her clock rang and Sarah quickly snapped it shut. It was time for her to rouse the little ones. Frustrated, Sarah wrote quickly in the leather book she had to go back to work and she closed the book without waiting for Millibel's answer.
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Sarah waved her goodbye to the last child finally leaving her class. She was exhausted and she still had to clean the classroom. Paintbrushes were scattered on the left tables, while one of the kids, probably Joan, had forgotten his or hers pencils. Sighing, Sarah straightened the chairs on her way to the left tables and gathered the paintbrushes. She was about to wash them, when a light rasping noise caught her attention. Turning to face the open doorframe, Sarah found the light smile of the school director, Mark Jones.
"Hey, you." Mark walked in the class and straightened the chairs around him, pushing them back under the tables.
"Hello, Mark." Sarah smiled and turned back to rinse the brushes.
"We missed you at lunch." Mark said casually and Sarah winced inwardly.
"Yeah, I stayed here with the kids."
Mark nodded and picked up the forgotten pencils. Silence lingered between them, only leaving the sound of rain and thunder, until Mark sighed heavily, making Sarah to turn to face him, and said. "Sarah, I bet you know why I'm here."
Sarah sighed too and leaned on a nearby table. "About what happened on Saturday."
"Rather Sunday morning from what I've seen." Mark smiled sadly as he sat on the table.
Sarah shot him a look but refused to hold his gaze any longer. "Sarah, Mark said again, I'm not blaming you but..." Sarah squeezed her eyes shut. That was what she had tried her mightiest to avoid, but Mark had found her instead. "You need to be more careful, Sarah. We can't afford to hurt the school's reputation."
Sarah bit her lower lip to prevent herself from screaming. She was going to be fired! "Anyway, I had parents calling me all day to demand you to be fired for misbehavior…" Sarah's hopes were crushed. The tiniest instant, she had hoped Mark had told them to mind their own businesses but he had probably complied to their wishes. This was a private school after all, not a public one, she was to be fired. "And I told them no." Sarah's head snapped up and she stared at him, as if he had grown a second head, in the space of a second.
"But, Mark I…"
Mark cut her. "This isn't the school business, but I would have preferred you to be a little more discreet, Sarah." Sarah blinked and at his roguish smile, she blushed. Then a shaky laugh left her and she put her hand on her face, relieved. Mark laughed lightly and walked to her. He enveloped her in a crushing hug and laughed again. "I'm so happy for you, Sarah! I really hope this one is the one for you!" Mark withdrawn and smiled at her again, winking. "My dad wishes you the best happiness too, but he had been grumpy since Sunday because you hadn't told him you had a boyfriend. He annoyed everyone home Sunday, me first." Sarah laughed then.
Mark was one of her dearest friend. When she had first come here, she had felt so out of place, but Mark had helped her to feel part of the family school, as he liked to say. He had even helped her when she had needed someone the most. Sarah returned the hug.
"Oh, Mark. Thank you, I was so…" Sarah couldn't find the words. "I couldn't face everybody." She confessed in a low voice, getting out of his embrace.
Mark reached for her hands and squeezed them gently. "I know, that's why I'm the only one here. The others wanted to come to comfort you and tell you we all do front with you. The parents can't dictate our private lives, even if they are your customers and to be treated with respect, until this doesn't affect your teaching, I don't see any reasons to fire a so talented teacher." He winked at her again and looked around. "As a punishment for avoiding us, you are of duty of cleaning this room." He said, smiling lightly and Sarah laughed again. As if, she didn't clean this room every day when the kids would leave. Mark waved and went you, leaving her alone, lighthearted and smiling. Sarah turned back to washing the brushes from the paint when a cold voice broke through.
Outside, the rain poured harder.
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Jareth grumbled under the cold rain. He had gotten home early this morning, after driving all night and calming his mind but Sariel was waiting for him. After a mere stern look, Sariel had forced a promise out of Jareth to go see Sarah and apologize for the possible problems their encounter could arouse. And so Jareth was waiting. When the bell had rung and the kids poured out of the school gates to run in their parents' cars, Jareth had stepped out of his, without an umbrella, as he didn't have one in his car.
He had put a light blue baseball cap on, to hide his face but had to give up sunglasses, as they would have been suspicious with this kind of weather. His white shirt was drenched and clinging to his skin, his jeans were drenched to, but the rain was warm and it almost felt relaxing to be under the pouring rain. As the gates cleared of the children, Jareth walked in, his gaze sweeping over each window, hoping to find Sarah's classroom, without to have to ask somebody who may recognize him. On the far left of the red bricks building, he caught the sight of a woman with long black hair. Smirking to himself, Jareth walked inside the building.
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From what he had seen outside, Jareth had reasoned that Sarah's class should be the next one on his right, but as he came closer, voices drifted towards him and he caught Sarah's name. Silently, Jareth neared the door and took a peek inside. Sarah was hugging a man, smiling and laughing. The world went black, fury roared at his ears and his blood screamed for vengeance. For a moment, Jareth considered walking in and surprising them both, in each others arms, but Jareth realized the man didn't matter. He didn't care who the man was, no, only her mattered. Backing away, Jareth noticed an open door on an empty classroom. He walked in it and waited for the man to leave Sarah.
He was the only allowed to hurt her, no one played on his territories and Sarah would learnt it.
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Sarah froze and her fingers stilled. The brushes fell from her fingers and clattered on the sink, the water still running. Turning around, Sarah saw him. Jareth had his arms crossed over his broad chest, drenched to the bones, water dripping from his clothes on the ground, but he didn't seem to mind. The fury in his eyes frightened Sarah. "Hello, Sarah." Jareth repeated as he pushed himself off the wall to come closer, looking like a hawk falling on his prey. He circled her almost, looking her up and down. Sarah shivered under his gaze and despite the light brown pants and the white tank top, she felt very naked under Jareth's eyes.
Sarah's back stiffened and she squared her little shoulders, compared to his. "I only came to tell you that us being intimate had a mistake." Like a punch in the stomach, Sarah stared up at him. "But I don't regret it." He said softly.
Her tongue was frozen, too heavy for her to move, her lips were sealed, only her eyes seemed to answer her brains' orders as she followed him with her eyes. "What I regret however, he kept on, is the unfortunate consequences coming from that stolen photo. But what is done is done and we can't come back to it." Sarah blinked. Jareth had apologized.
Without really saying the words, he had actually apologized. Sarah stared at him for a minute. So why was fury still lurking in his eyes? Tears picked her eyes, hadn't he come to make amends for his behavior the day before? Sarah had feared their meeting, after the way he had left her but she would have never thought he would have come to her workplace, completely drenched. Why was he livid?
"Also, he said again, I have decided to cut any ties with you." This said, Jareth stepped back of two steps and waited, his eyes turning cold ice.
Sarah blinked. "What?" She couldn't believe her ears. He was the one who had came to her! She hadn't asked anything. By the way he was looking at her, the way he talked and behaved, she felt like it was her fault this was a real mess! Anger crept in. How dared he? He was as at fault as she was, but she at least, wasn't trying to take the coward's way out. She was willing to stay and fight, she was willing to give it a last chance, she wanted to give it a last chance. After all, Millibel had said he had feelings for her…
And it struck better than a lightning would have. It came to her, like a revelation, from the depths of her heart, it came suddenly, like a flower opening when the first rays of the sun touches it. She didn't want to lose him. She refused him to push her aside. He had done everything she had asked of him, he had come back to her, only to see her push him away again. She didn't know if she loved him already but she didn't want to let go and he wanted to leave.
But she wouldn't beg. She would fight. An angry flame, matching the one in his eyes, started to burn in her and her lips thinned to a tight line and she mocked him. "Oh? Taking the coward's way out, your Highness? Can't stand the way a woman gets into you?" Sarah leaned forward, her hands on her hips. "What is it, Jareth? Afraid I would beat you at this game too?" Sarah's heart started to beat louder as Jareth's face darkened. "Because, as I see it, your Highness, you're only running away your tail between your legs!" Sarah's voice raised and she almost yelled on the top of her lungs. "You're the one who started all this and you still want to blame me? Who's the child here, Jareth! You said I rejected the fault of wishing Toby away on you. But you're rejecting the blame on me for this one!"
Jareth towered over her, his gaze blazing. "Coward's way out, Sarah?" He growled. "But what would that concern you? Because, from my point of view, you didn't lose anytime to replace me in your bed!" Sarah stilled, her eyes huge. At first, she didn't understand what he was talking about and only started at him. Then, she remembered Mark's arms around her and her face went red.
"How dare you?" She yelled. "You have no right!" She made a wide gesture in his direction, with her right arm, but when her wrist was near him, he grabbed it and squeezed it almost painfully.
"This quick, Sarah dear," he growled in her ear, stepping closer, "should be put in a record book. Or maybe he doesn't know I had my way with you…" Angry, Sarah torn her arm away from his grasp.
"You have no right to judge me!" She screamed. "And Mark isn't…"
Jareth cut her again, taking her arm again in his vice-like hand. "Because it has a name!" He roared.
Sarah shook his hold off her. "Who do you think you are?" She screamed. "First, you give me the cold shoulder and then you bounce back at my workplace and…"
Jareth tried to yell louder than her, not even listening to what she was saying. "I saw you and…"
A powerful voice bellowed from the door, making Sarah and Jareth turn around. "What's going on here?" Mark asked, stepping inside the class. He had his briefcase in one hand, an umbrella in the other, obviously on his way to leave the school. Mark's wife, Leigh, was standing next to him.
"For Pete's sake, Sarah, are you alright?" Leigh asked, her sweet voice dripping with surprise, mixed with a little fear. Leigh was a chocolate-haired beauty, with blue eyes and a gentle soul. She worked as Mark's secretary, but under her sweet layer, Sarah knew she had a will as strong as iron. Leigh turned her eyes on Jareth, taking in his wet clothes and rigid shoulders, then in Sarah's red cheeks and his grip on her arm she hadn't managed to shake.
Sarah quickly waved her free hand in front of her. "Leigh, it's okay, it's nothing I…"
Jareth suddenly released her, cold as ice. "That's right, there's nothing."
Sarah whirled around and her anger blared up once more. "Jareth! You stubborn, insufferable man! I…"
Jareth smirked. "Losing your wits, Sarah, you already gave me that one."
"Damn it!" Sarah stomped the ground, frustrated. "I…"
Jareth's voice rose once more. "No more, I have enough. I came because Sariel forced me to, otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered!"
Sarah snapped. He was so stubborn! With the heart of a stone! "I hate you!" She screamed, trying to punch him in the stomach.
Jareth caught her fist in his hand and raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He drawled.
Flustered, Sarah knew she hadn't meant that. But, she couldn't tell him either. He would smirk and send it back in her face and then leave. "I… I mean…" She spluttered.
Jareth leaned forward. "You hate me, Sarah?"
Sarah jerked her hand away, raising her eyes to meet his. "What does it matter to you, anyway? You're leaving!" She accused him.
Jareth caught her chin between his fingers and with his right hand brought her closer. "Hate me, then." He whispered. And he kissed her.
A weird kiss, so different from the others, sweet almost, mixed with rain and warmth. It surprised her by its gentleness. Something was missing, not lacking, just absent. Sarah couldn't move, she let him kiss her, she let him press his cold lips to her warm ones, let his warm up, she let his wet arms sneak around her waist and pull her against his drenched form, watering her clothes, she let him steal her warmth as she raised her arms to close them around his neck.
He needed something but he didn't know what. He knew she had it, but didn't know how to ask, where to look. She had broken him and shaped him, that she understood in this out-of-time moment. The world ceased to move and yet he held her against him, his form over her smaller one, protecting hers from whatever he thought was coming. He was giving her something he didn't want to let go, but unable to stop her from taking it or to stop himself from giving it. In this instant, she understood his confusion, his entrance in an unknown territory.
For once, he wasn't the master of the labyrinth, the labyrinth was.
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Mark smiled. From what he and Leigh had heard, Sarah's boyfriend had seen them hugging and had had a moment of jealousy but as he saw them kiss, Mark guessed that everything was right, once more. He turned to his wife, his hand holding the umbrella going to the little of her back, gently leading her away. Looking over his shoulder once more, he whispered to his wife. "I guess it settles everything."
Leigh raised at eyebrow at him and looked at him quizzically. "Because you really believe a kiss can erase everything?"
Mark shrugged. "It works with me."
Leigh caressed his cheek lightly. "That's because you're cheap." She smiled and he rolled his eyes heavenly.
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Jareth lightly broke the kiss and he rested his forehead against hers. Sarah didn't move, she didn't want to break the mood. Something had changed, a realization, a glorious defeat, a sorrowful winning. He had changed in the space of a heartbeat. Again, when he raised his eyes to meet hers, she saw another mask on his features and it scared her, just like it excited her, made her heart beat faster, wondering if maybe she had managed to break through another of his layers, deadly traps he had so carefully placed on the way to his heart. Something during their argument had changed. Or maybe she had changed.
Sarah smiled lightly. "You're jealous." She whispered, her fingers tightened on his shoulders. Time to break the dream.
He tried to step away, but her fingers still held him. "So what?" He asked, his dead trying to be indifferent. His hands were still on her waist. His fingers dug in her flesh. "No one but me has the right to hurt you!" He whispered urgently.
Sarah squirmed. He was hurting her. "Jareth! You're hurting me!"
"No one but me." He said with finality before decreasing the force of his hold on her.
Sarah blinked. He hadn't released her, her arms were still around his neck. "Jareth…" She whispered. Shaking her head, she stepped out of his arms. "You're drenched." She looked at him from head to toe and back and reached out to take one of his big hands in hers. "Come on, my place is real near, we have to get you dry or you'll be sick." She tugged on his hand, towards her desk.
But Jareth didn't move. "Why would I follow you?"
Sarah turned back at him and asked back. "Why did you come here?"
"I made a promise to Sariel." He answered immediately.
Sarah turned fully to face him. "That's an excuse, Jareth and we both know it." She shook her head at him. "You came here because you wanted to see me." She whispered.
Jareth's eyes narrowed and he frowned, shaking her hand off his. "Don't let it all go up to your head." He said coldly.
Sarah stepped closer to him once more and his eyes widened a little, as she caught him by surprise by her sudden action. "You came because you wanted to see me." She said quickly, her eyes searching his. "Sariel didn't ask you anything, you knew he wanted you to make amends with me and you used this excuse to come here. Am I wrong? Am I lying?" She asked, her eyes looking deeply in his. He had changed. She had changed. Now, she wanted to see him, Jareth, for real, at least once, she wanted to see the Jareth Millibel saw, she wanted to see the Jareth Sariel and Iome saw, she wanted to see him as he viewed himself. She wanted and she would.
Jareth turned his head aside and turned around. "My car isn't far." He said, with a gesture indicating the parking of the school. Sarah smiled and she almost ran to her desk to gather her things, while he waited in the doorway.
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This is it. End of Chapter 06. What do you think of it, guys?