A/N- Waiting in the airport, so I figured I'd give you guys a little something. =)
Chapter 14, What You Wish For
A few days past, as Sarah tried to immerse herself back into everyday life. It was odd, the way nothing had changed, the way no one knew. She could tell herself it really didn't happen, that it was all some kind of extremely specific drawn out dream, but she knew better than to try and kid herself. As the days passed, one by one, things started to get easier. She would wake up, go to work, go home, and do it all again the next day. This was exactly what she'd wanted, her life. Only, she didn't seem as happy as she thought she'd be.
She thought she was making progress, about to make some mental breakthrough as to a means of barring Jareth from her thoughts. But, it seemed no matter how much she didn't think about him, he always found a way to worm himself back to the front of her brain.
It was a bright and sunny Thursday afternoon. Sarah was taking a stroll through town, enjoying the crisp air and quiet solitude of an autumn's day. Well, she tried.
"Sarah!" Came a holler from up ahead.
Sarah winced in the sunlight, trying to focus on the shadowy figure that was bounding up and down, screaming her name. Kara? Oh, great. She muttered, but continued to walk.
"Sarah, hey!" Kara gasped. She'd galloped her way down the sidewalk and was now hunched over -hands on knee- gasping for air. Sarah looked down with a questioning eye.
"You ok?" Sarah asked. Kara smiled and straightened herself up.
"Yea, yea, just not as young as I used to be, I guess." Kara joked. Sarah gave a light laugh.
"Well, what's with all the excitement?" Sarah asked, lowering her head so her eyes met Kara's.
"Oh, uh, nothing I guess. I saw you from down there, and, you didn't seem to hear me call your name. So, I ran down here before you turned the corner." She said, her breath becoming more stable.
Sarah tried to shake it off, but she was right. She'd been ignoring Kara's beckoning the whole time. A slight pang of guilt rang in the back of her mind.
"Yea, I didn't know it was you, sorry." She said, with a shrug. Kara just smiled.
"Well? Come on, then." Kara said after a moment, taking Sarah by the wrist.
Sarah resisted, only a little.
"What? Where are we going?" Sarah asked, a little nervous. Kara scoffed, from over her shoulder.
"I told you Sunday. You're going to tell me all about this man you're seeing, and why I haven't heard it all before now." She said. Sarah resisted harder.
"What? I told you, there is no man." Sarah stammered. She did not need nor want to be thinking, let alone talking about Jareth.
"Bullshit, you don't date much, Sarah. It's easy to tell. And, believe me, you are going to tell." Kara said, dragging them both into a small cafe'.
Oh, dear god... Sarah thought. Why can't you just let me forget about him? Let me be? She pleaded for someone, something, to save her from the eminent situation.
Sarah was too busy freaking out to notice Kara had sat them down at a small table on the patio, she'd even ordered drinks.
"Sarah? Sarah, you home?" Kara asked, ogling at the frantic expression on Sarah's face.
"What? Oh, sorry." She answered. God damn it, Kara... She knew it was too late to escape.
Kara waited until the waiter served their drinks before speaking. She leaned in, and took a sip of her tea.
"Ok, so tell me, how long have you been seeing this guy?" She asked, eyes all a wonder. Sarah stiffened in her chair, thinking of a proper way to word her story.
"Uh, a week. I guess, but we've known each other a long time." Sarah answered. Kara took another sip.
"Really? Anyone I know?" She asked.
"No. A met him when I was in high school. And...he's not from around here..." Her voice trailed off. Kara couldn't look more intrigued.
"Ooo, so he's foreign? Let me guess, you met as kids and then parted ways. And fate has brought you back to each other to rekindle your lost love?" Kara asked more as an assertion rather than a question. Sarah almost choked on her tea.
"NO, no. He's older. That's the thing, I was too young to understand back then. And, no, I don't think fate has brought us back together since we aren't. And don't even bother bringing in love." Sarah tacked on the end, laughing to herself. God, I can't handle the words Jareth and love in the same sentence.
"How scandalous." Kara teased. "And, is that why you've been so weird? Did something happen?" Sarah's gazed drifted.
"Uh, yea. You could say that." Kara didn't notice Sarah's dimming mood.
"You fucked him didn't you?" Kara spat, causing Sarah to shatter whatever melancholy daydream she was drifting into.
"What?" Sarah spat in return. Kara laughed.
"You did, didn't you! Ah, I knew it! You wouldn't be acting this upset if you didn't. It's always worse after you've done the nasty." Kara exclaimed.
"Kara! Will you quiet down! Yes, fine, I slept with him, are you happy?" Sarah ushered for her friend to yield. Kara gave an appeasing gesture.
"Sorry, this doesn't happen often. You can't blame me for getting a little excited. So, what happened that was so bad?" She asked. Sarah drew into herself, this was one thing she simply couldn't say.
"It just...wasn't meant to be, it can't." Sarah's voice was noticeably quieter. Kara's smile waned, sensing the line she'd just crossed.
"I don't believe that. If you want to be with someone just be with them." Kara said, watching Sarah intently.
"It's not that simple, Kara." Sarah said, rising from her seat. Kara looked up in confusion.
"Where are you going?" Kara asked. Sarah didn't look at her.
"I've got some things to do today, I'm sorry." She shuffled her things, trying to maneuver around her chair. Kara looked worried now.
"Alright...I'm sorry if I made you upset. I was just being -nosy" Kara said. Sarah paused.
"It's fine, don't worry about it." She said. Kara gave a forced smile.
"We still on for Saturday?" Kara asked, her eyes full of hope. Sarah glanced over and gave her a weak smile.
"Yea, of course, got my outfit picked out and everything." She said. Kara's smile became a little more sincere.
"Awesome. We're gonna be the hottest bitches there." Kara said. Sarah gave a light laugh, giving her friend one last smile before leaving. She held her head high, knowing Kara's eyes were glued to the back of her form. I can do this, just breathe...
Sarah walked all the way back to her apartment, forcing back the tears. God damn it Kara! You stupid bitch, why? Ugh, why can't you just stay in the Underground where you belong? She cursed inside. She wasn't sure who she was mad at, Kara or Jareth. She almost laughed, they were worlds apart, with zero contact, and he was still pissing her off. She slammed the door behind her, and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Are you suffering as much as I am?" She asked her empty apartment.