Good God, I have no idea even where to begin with where the hell I've been.
Life.
Just. Life.
I'm sure you understand.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
It's a tiresome Monday afternoon as the school adjusts itself to one of the final weeks of school. There is little activity in Sarah's 5th period class as everyone is, mostly, studying away for their final in her class. With this final being 30% of their final grade, the kids, unhappily mumble away in their individual study-groups. Everyone steadily gets busy working away, well, all except one.
Toby barricades himself with nothing more than his sassy little attitude and pathetic teenage angst that seems to flood the entire room, all the while ignoring the pile of make-up work he needs to do for each class he is missing today. With his back turned to his sister, she works on grading papers as he scowls at his books in loathing. His body radiates hate as he avoids the room of fellow classmates, not wanting to face anyone as they well know why he is in this degrading position of in-school-suspension and basically trapped in his sister's room for the whole day.
Regardless of his new found popularity, for using what Karen calls "Heathenish Tendencies" in successfully kicking out the biggest douchebag in school, Toby just can't shake off the unwanted embarrassment of having to arrive to school in the back seat of his own damn car because of the events that had occurred over the weekend. Even with the numerous high-fives and pats on the back he has received from half the senior class today, he refuses to look at anyone in the eye. He sits scrunched in the corner with negativity flying around him like the stench surrounding a smelly sock. He believes that he feels all eyes on him like a disgusting wound open for the world to see, when this is, really, not the case.
All of his friends can congratulate him all day, but only one opinion matters to him, and that girl has an assigned seat is literally right next to his spot, all scrunched in the front left corner of the room. Just a couple feet away, Francesca daydreams off in his direction, and he just sighs in defeat covering his head to avoid showing the biggest blush to ever set on his face. If he knew that she, out of every other freaking classmate, sat there, he would have sat as far to the back of the class as possible, so far back that he would have ended up in the next classroom all together. Toby feels like he is officially in hell as he literally bangs his head up against his desk in defeat.
'Ugh! I wanna go home now! I just wish there was a way I can crawl in my bed and get out of this stupid school!' he continues to cover his head.
O.o
"Alright guys," Sarah says with a smile and a sigh as the bell rings for her 5th period class. Everyone gets settled as they routinely look to the chalkboard to, somewhat, listen to her. "Study period." she says leaning her hands on her desk. "It's Monday and I don't want to adult. So get cracking on studying for the dreaded final - which, as you well know, is 30% of your final grade," she sing-songs the last word as everyone groans. This particular sound makes her heart soar. "Come on, it's not that bad." She shamelessly grins to her burdened class, "Now be good seniors and study. Now is a good time to learn what will be expected of you in college." she say straightening her glasses. "I am trusting that you will get what you need to get done on your own from here on out." she says as she sits to let everyone get in their usual groups for the next hour and a half.
Francesca sits at the front in the very left corner of the room with the biggest and knowing grin upon her face at Ms. Williams. Sarah retorts with a knowing glare as Francesca pulls out her notes to start studying with some of her friends.
'Sarah's right,' Francesca thinks as she half pays attention to her group to sit in deep thought. 'There is only little time left, here in this world. Then after this... I have to go back home.' Her facial expression starts to lower a little. So, this is it? What will she do then, go back home? Go back to the frivolous princess and faerie training and then rule over a boring kingdom for a millenia doing the same thing every single day for an eternity? She hasn't even tipped the iceberg of the human world yet, and already she has to leave? No! Not yet!
'Maybe I-' She tries to think of other reasons to stay. 'Maybe I can discuss a longer leave, go to college, study abroad in different countries this time around, study different cultures and languages, and since I have learned more than enough from Uncle Jareth, he can finally go home and I can do things on my own - of course I'll have to make arrangements to get Toby along for the ride-'
...
'Toby...'
She slowly looks to the boy in front of her, as he, obviously, looks upset by his unfortunate situation. Who can blame him? He tried to help her, a friend in need, and ended up getting punished for it. She leans her chin on her hand and she continues to look in his direction.
When Francesca first went to her father, King Oberon for the proposal to live in the human world, Aboveground, for a year, she was prepared for his skeptical and over-protective nature by blatantly shouting "NO!" before having someone escort her to her chambers. Instead, she was slightly more afraid of his intrigued reaction as he actually considered to be accepting to her doing something so liberal. At the time, Francesca couldn't decide if it were a lucky break on her part, or if she just walked into some sort of ridiculous trap by her father. King Oberon is a little protective of his children, and with Francesca being the youngest of twelve daughters, he has had a couple of centuries to achieve a level of over-protectiveness that is worthy of a Fairy King. She couldn't wait to hear what his angle would be to letting her go, which meant there was only a matter of time before he would give her the name of some witless guardian to keep an eye on her at all times.
She, kind of, has a slight reputation with running away from her guardians. She knew every trick in the book, and she believed that she had this in the bag, regardless on who her father would force to go with her...
That was, until her father said that it would be Uncle Jareth watching over her.
Sarcastically speaking, it is needless to say, she was absolutely ecstatic to hear this wonderful news as she rolled her eyes all the way up to her room. Her father's words were "If you are going to be around humans in the human world, then you will go with a human expert." and the human expert just HAD to be the one person that always manages to catch her in every single escape attempt into the human world.
Duh.
No smile had shined brighter on Francesca's face than the one that grew when she heard that Uncle Jareth had no desire to partake in this endeavor, but her smile quickly fainted when her father said that she would not be allowed to do this unless Uncle Jareth could be persuaded. So, after long bouts of thought, deep mischievous digging, and waiving the metaphorical white flag, Francesca made her Uncle an offer that he'd be too stupid to refuse, and before she knew it, she was already Aboveground and registering into her senior year of high school.
It had been an interesting year pretending to be a human with the most flamboyant, no fuck-flying fae in ALL of the Underground. They had plenty to time to, quote, "bond" like Uncle and niece, while trying not to kill each other in the process. Yet, regardless of the family tension inside the house, she couldn't have asked for a better chaperone. He is the Gatekeeper of the Underground, after all, so who better to know everything about the world then the overzealous Goblin King that basically neighbors the Human World with his own kingdom? With his vast knowledge of human customs and history, he had gotten her out of more pickles than she could ever count, from something as simple as not touching iron to the mishap at school last weekend. She hates to admit that she is glad that she has him.
It even got fun at times when they would get to talking about their many attempts at her trying to sneak past him to go through the human portal that sat right in front of the Goblin Kingdom and the notorious Underground Labyrinth. It would get less fun, though, when he would always rub in the fact that he also caught her every single time, as well.
She just couldn't stop, though.
Humans had always intrigued her, ever since she heard about the human who beat his Labyrinth-
'Ugh! I wanna go home now! I just wish there was a way I can crawl in my bed and get out of this stupid school!'
Eyes her popping open, Francesca's jaw drops as her whole body suddenly freezes. 'Oh no...'
... ... ...
Francesca inhales deeply, refusing to close her eyes. Closing her eyes, in any way, would have dire consequences.
'Francesca, no-' she silently says to herself as she looks to the ceiling trying to keep a steady breathing pattern. A crawling-like burning sensation starts to seep through the deepest tips of her brain as she desperately tries to stay still. 'Shit... Don't do it-don't do it!'
The very moment she first laid eyes on Toby was the very moment she fell in love with him. It was her first day of school, about a month into the school year, and she was walking in the steps of teenage-hood completely blind. She had no idea what to do or where to go, even beyond her Uncle's directions. Only an hour into the school day, and Francesca had already lost the hard copy of her class schedule, she ran into an easily agitated popular girl, and instantly became the target for bullying for being foreign with her "fake" accent, and tripped down a small flight of stairs, causing all of her paperwork and books to go flying all over a hallway. Shedding a tear of utter disappointment in this trip, she was just about to give up and run back to her father until a kind person steps in to help her pick up her things. He was sweet, patient and so nice to her, he was the small shimmer of hope that she needed in order to continue her journey to study Humanity.
After helping her up, he realized that he hadn't met her before and asked if she needed help. She was like a lost puppy, so shy and meek, she sheepishly told him where she was supposed to go, and he realized that her next class happend to be in the same History class as his. She desperately hugged him in thanks as he asked if she would like to sit next to him so he could help her get around in this new school. His smile at her sent her head over heels. She could barely stand it.
'Shit. It hurts...' she hisses in pain as she comes back to the present. Her eyes start to water as she continues the staring contest she created with the clock above the chalk board. She holds on to her head as her jaw tenses at the pain. She kneels her head down to keep from drawing attention to her. She has had lots of practice with... episodes like this, so she remains still, but no one can see her knee frivolously bouncing up and down under her desk. Her eyes remain open.
That day, he was so kind as to stay to her side as much as he could be. After their class together, he would drop her off at her next few classes, and then wait for her after they were over. He let her sit with him and his friends during lunch, and she enjoyed learning all of the history and stories about the kids and the neighborhood. She hung on his every world. She had no idea why she was so smitten, but it was just something about him that she just adored. She just wanted to keep walking and talking with him and never stop. He was completely earthy and that made her adore him even more.
Again, she returns to the present as she rhythmically taps her pencil down on the desk trying to ignore the pain. 'No... Please.' she begs herself. 'You can do this... You can fight this!'
"Francesca, are you feeling alright?" Ms. Williams suddenly asks as she notices her student resides in a level of discomfort.
That first day, when she needed help finding her 5th period, Toby giggled at her question. He said he knew exactly where Ms. Williams AP English was, since she was his older sister. The thought slightly tugged at Francesca. For some reason, receiving that information didn't sound quite right to her. She felt the slightest bit of deja vu, and couldn't quite put her finger on why...
That is, until she met her teacher, Ms. Sarah Williams.
'Don't blink. Don't blink. Don't blink...'
Francesca froze in time, knowing exactly who this particular Sarah Williams was. Her sudden feelings that had tried to arise for Toby that whole day had stifled, and she froze in an instant. She couldn't have anything to do with him- with her... With any of these people. It was too risky!
It would totally ruin everything!
But, Francesca Kingsley couldn't help herself, and completely let loose.
Which was bad.
Really bad.
Because, now, she has to deal with this.
This pain.
The pain of not granting his every wish.
'Francesca. Don't. You. Dare.' she internally scolds herself.
... ... ...
Squeezing her eyes shut, she just couldn't do it anymore. Taking in a sharp inhale, she can slowly feel the agonizing burning in her brain slowly but surely come to an end like a bad charlie horse. She exhales as inhumanely slow as possible.
... .. ...
She blinks.
... ... ...
Opening her eyes, she sees that Ms. Williams is kneeling right in front of her in concern. Her eyes are trying to focus as she sees Sarah's eyes widen.
Sarah sees Francesca slowly lift her head up and as they look to one another in the eye. And before she can retaliate, Sarah sees Fancesca's eyes vibrate as the slightest hint of a green glow illuminates her eyes.
Sarah looks to her student absolutely dumbfounded.
Francesca knows that her teacher can see everything. All she can do now, is grow her eyes in terror to her before-
~*RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RI-*~
The fire alarms start to sound off in the school.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's all you're getting at the moment.
Please don't kill me.
I love you!
I.L.C