Chapter Four

The Chosen

"I pick Leah," Sam said quickly and Leah spun around.

"What?" Leah asked "what do you mean you pick me? Not saying to pick Becka or anything, but shouldn't we try and fight this?"

"I pick Leah too," Becka said suddenly and Leah's mouth dropped.

"Sorry Leah," Sam said "it's just, I like Becka, and she plays with me. You, your just... well your different and don't play with me much. And, I just picked before someone else said my name."

"And you are really loud," Becka pointed out.

"So you're giving up and picking me because I don't play with you and I'm loud?" Leah asked, slightly shocked.

"And your kind of weird," Sam said again.

"And you tend to day dream to much," Becka said.

"And your weird," Sam said again, wondering if anyone heard her.

"And you cuss," Becka said, listing off all possible flaws Leah may have "and you yell and get upset for no reason."

"And you're weird!" Sam yelled.

"YES!" Leah said "I KNOW! I heard you the first million times Sam!"

"See?" Sam said "weird and loud."

"NO!" Leah screamed "I won't go! You can't make me!" With that Leah dashed out the front door and flew down the street. She hid in the first tree she figured she could climb. Lucky her, it was a willow tree. She climbed up and sat there, hiding behind the long flowing vines. "It's not," she said to herself "not fair."

"Since when is life fair?" Jareth asked.

"Please," Leah said "I don't want to go. Please don't make me."

"Leah," he said looking up at her in the tree "I'm afraid I must. Now, come down and go pack some things you'd like to keep. I can't be waiting around here all day."

"What do I care if I waist your time?" she asked stiffly.

"Young lady," he sighed as he appeared next to her "you have been chosen. Your mother promised me that one of her children would be mine. So I have authority, and I'd suggest you do as I say if you want to be functioning correctly for the rest of your life."

"You're not scary," Leah mumbled. Jareth's eyes blazed with annoyance, so he picked her up by the back of the shirt and held her out of the tree. It was a good distance down and being dropped would only result in a few broken bones. Leah was stubborn, but unlike her mother, she knew when she'd been beat. "Alright!" she yelled dangling in midair "I'll go home!"

"You sure?" Jareth asked teasingly "I could let you go if you'd like."

"Did you NOT just hear me?" Leah asked "I'll go home. Now would you please, carefully, let me down?"

"My pleasure," he said lowering her onto the grass and appeared beside her. They both started walking back to the house, though Leah wondered why he didn't just transport himself there.

"What should I call you?" Leah asked.

"Pardon?" Jareth asked.

"What do I call you?" she asked again "your Majesty? You're Highness? Bob?"

Jareth chuckled a bit "Jareth is fine," he said.

"Alright," Leah said quietly, as the looked at the ground "and please don't call me young lady, makes you sound old."

"I AM old," Jareth chuckled louder now.

"I know that," Leah said looking up "but you don't LOOK old, and you don't DRESS old, actually, you don't dress like anyone but that's not the point. The point is, you don't look it, you don't dress it, you don't seem it, so don't sound like it." He shot her a look "if you don't mind," she added quickly.

She gave him something Sarah didn't, respect. This was peculiar also because she wasn't afraid of him. So why did she show respect? Just another thing about this girl that kept Jareth guessing.

"How dare you," Sarah yelled as Leah came back into the house "you just run off that way!" Without hearing another word Leah dashed upstairs and dumped her backpack's contents out all over the floor.

"Did I mention you're messy?" Becka asked.

"GET out," Leah said carefully looking through her pictures.

"Aww," Sam teased "you sad now?"

"I hate you," Leah muttered and Sam almost looked shocked. Becka on the other hand tossed both hands in the air and 'fainted'. Leah tossed in her bag one journal she'd had since she turned fifteen, a small picture album with a few special pictures in it, two of her favorite books, some shirts, jeans and her favorite ring. She pushed pass both of her sisters and went downstairs.

Her mother was still raving about her leaving like that and she set her things down on the couch.

"I ask one thing," she said standing in front of Jareth "let me say good-bye to my best friend." Jareth gave an annoyed look. "Please," Leah pleaded "she's my ONLY friend. She lives just down the street, please let me just say good-bye."

"She IS her only friend," Becka snickered and Sam laughed in response. Leah gave a hurt look and Jareth sighed.

"Run," he said "go quickly, I'm not waiting all day." Leah ran for the door and then stopped.

"Thank you," she said in a heartfelt tone "thank you SO much." With that she dashed off, going full blast down the street.

Author's note: Well? Good? I think I made Jareth seem a little more friendly don't you? But see, the idea is that usually people see him as cruel (or at least Sarah and her two other children do). But Leah, being weird and all, knows that, everything really isn't always what it seems and Jareth, in fact, has a heart after all. Jareth looks annoyed but then we all knew that right? Reviews please!

Much love,

Amber & the really hard workin goblins