Ambrosius! Put my Pencil down!
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
"This is freakin' nuts!" Toby bounces with adrenaline in his seat. Francesca tugs at his coat in an apprehensive grin as they both look behind them to see the hotel shrinking in the distance of the skyline. They both laugh as Toby pumps the gas of his car.
Francesca grows an unsure smile, "I cannot believe that we are actually doing this!" she screams to fight the loud noise of the wind billowing through the open car windows.
"I know! I don't know what came over me!" Toby replies, mid laugh.
"Where are you taking us?"
"It's a surprise!" Toby shifts gears, "But you're gonna love it!"
"I know I will," she says hugging his arm. "As long as I am with you! I'll love it, no matter where we go" she looks up to his open sun roof as she starts to see a star or two in the sky, "Gosh, you're going so fast, I feel like I'm flying!" she rises her hands through the sun roof.
"It's nice living on the wild side, isn't it?" Toby replies mid laugh.
"This is just... so unlike you. You've gone crazy!" she laughs at the notion.
"I've been hearing that a lot, and I think I'm starting to like it!" Toby replies, smile growing with the speed of the car.
"We are going to get in so much trouble when the night is over." her smile never fades, "And I wouldn't have it any other way!"
"No regrets?" he holds out a hand for her to hold.
"Are you kidding?" Francesca looks to Toby. "Go faster! Let's fly away as far as we can!" she slams her hand into his and shakes it for reassurance. "For as long as we can!" she finishes as she turns the radio on full blast and feels the wind on her on hand as she stretches it out the window.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
"I've looked everywhere. I can't find them," Sarah rushes back to the center of the hotel foyer to meet a rather calm Jareth. "I have no idea where they could be."
"I don't know why you're trying so hard to find them," he muses lazily.
"Well, it would be nice if you helped," Sarah looks to him in confusion, "I figured you'd like to know where the hell your niece went."
Tilting his head gently to the side he replies, "It doesn't take a genius to know what has happened here, Sarah."
"No-" she scoffs at his his words. "No-no-no-no-no-no-no," Sarah frivolously shakes her head. "He isn't that kind of kid. He would never do something like this." she fidgets with her hands in concern as her eyes scan the area.
"Humans are impulsive creatures, Sarah." he slowly crosses his arms. "And you said yourself that he has been under some stress. Have you not had your own experience with stress and impulse?"
Sarah sighs at his grinning comment, "Jareth, now is not the time-"
"Well, well, well," Sheena suddenly sneaks up behind Sarah's back. "Hell-o there, sir,"
"Oh God-"
"Sheena Jones," she holds out a hand to hold, "Sarah's co-worker and personal best friend in the whole wide world. It is so nice to meet you."
Jareth muses with a smile, understanding the moment of mild embarrassment this friend of Sarah's is trying to create. Seeing Sarah growing a slight blush at the sudden entrance of this human, he obliges to continue. "Jareth Kingsley," he accepts her hand to shake, "It is my pleasure," but instead of shaking it, he respectfully and daintily brings it up for a chaste and gentleman-like peck of a kiss on the back of her hand. Sarah's eyes swiftly roll at this response.
His actions cause Sheena's jaw to drop and her eyes to grow. She looks to Sarah with a wide smile at his charm. "Kingsley, you say?" Sheena's smile grows to that of a Cheshire cat. "Why does that name sound so... familiar..."
Jareth respects and appreciates the facade that she tries to play, "Aah, you must be one of the profound and beautifully astute instructors that guides my niece, Francesca, through her daily endeavors."
"Ooh, Sarah," Sheena's eyebrows dance on her face, "Did you hear him? I'm a beautifully astute teacher," she shimmies with a grin.
"Sheena..." Sarah whispers.
"Francesca is one of the most amazing students that I have ever had the pleasure of having in class. It is a shame that I only had her for such a short time," she shamelessly praises his niece.
"Yes, I hear that from many of her instructors." he haphazardly comments, "If only she brought her pleasurable attitude home with her,"
Sheena giggles overly cute, "And I hear that from many parents, as well," Sarah grumbles many unmentionable sayings under her breath. Sheena ignores her, and instead, continues."I am so happy that I finally get to meet this famous date of Sarah's."
His smile grows with a chuckle, "Are you, now?"
"Oh absolutely," Sheena clasps her hands together, "Seeing Sarah with any man, is truly an amazing feat- she... doesn't really date a whole lot,"
"Oh, is that so?" he asks as Sheena winks as she looks to Sarah that is now so quiet, one could mistake her for dead.
"But... wow," Sheena smiles in acceptance to the gentleman before her, "When you finally pick 'em, you really know how to pick 'em, don't you Sar."
Sarah just pinches the bridge of her nose as a headache starts to form.
Jareth, seeing how close Sarah is to exploding, decides to change the tone of the discussion. "Since you are so cleverly attentive to your whereabouts, would you be ever so kind as to help us locate our respective angst-raged, teen-aged young adults?"
Sheena drops her game, but crosses her arms, "You mean Toby and Francesca? What about them?"
"Sheena," Sarah braces her friends shoulder, "They're gone. And I think..." Sarah takes a deep breath, "I think-well he thinks that Toby might have gotten the keys out of my purse and stolen my car." Sarah looks away, ashamed to hear herself say such a thing.
"Well... yeah..." Sheena nods at the statement,
"Yeah?" Sarah bursts. "Don't agree with him Sheena. He's not a thief."
"Except when he is.." Sheena shrugs. "Especially since I saw it happen."
Sarah pauses for a moment. "...What...?" Sarah lowers her gaze at her friend. "What do you mean, you saw it happen?"
"Oh, I saw it happen," Sheena nods knowingly. "Yeah, I saw him reach into your purse, take the keys out and sneak out of here with Francesca."
"You're screwing with me-"
"I am not screwing with you-"
"You're screwing with m-"
"We even made eye contact. He saw that I saw everything. And after I let him wet his pants in fear, I let him go."
"When did they even leave?!" Sarah shouts.
"Aboooout," she checks her phone for the time. "I dunno, I wanna say about twenty minutes ago, give or take a little,"
"And you didn't think to -I don't know- STOP THEM, or tell me that this was happening?" Sarah is at her wits end.
Sheena shakes her head, "Nope," she replies startlingly fast.
"Why?!" Sarah shakes her friend by the shoulders.
"Because," Sheena slowly says as she calmly brings her friends hands down and into her own, breaking the joking manner she had inhibited, "Because he is a kid, and is doing something outrageous and stupid that is going to get him in a whirlwind of trouble, and having the time of his life doing so." Sheena gives a half smile at her friend,
Sarah's brow curls at this answer. "Sometimes I just do not understand you."
"Look," Sheena says as she guides them to a seated area. "Sarah, how old is Toby?"
"You know how old Toby is?" Sarah confusingly asks.
"Just answer the question," Sheena sighs,
"He's... Seventeen, why?"
"How old is he?" Sheena asks again.
Sarah scoffs, "Seventeen,"
"Say it again,"
Sarah looks to her friend quizzically, "Yeah yeah, I get it,"
"Nope, say it again."
Sarah's sigh is deep and impatient, "He is Seventeen years old, technically Seventeen in a half since his birthday is on September 1st,"
"And how old are you?"
Sarah's eyes bulge, "That is an inappropriate question to ask, ma'am,"
Sheena chuckles, "That alone proves my point," she says holding her friends hand, "Sarah, Toby is a big boy now, and he is doing big boy things. Let him do those big boy things, and let him do them by himself,"
"Stealing a car?"
"Okay... No he shouldn't be stealing..." Sheena's retorts, "But if you want to get technical with it, it is his own car that he stole back from you, so..." Sheena shrugs at the impasse.
"Sheena..." Sarah warns her.
"What I mean is, let him roam. Let him jump from the rut that he's been living in. Let him be reckless and cute with his... lady friend," she looks to Jareth whom doesn't seem to have a care in the world. "Just let them enjoy themselves." Sheena looks to Sarah with a knowing disposition. "You and I both know he could use a little distraction with all of the stuff going on in his life, right now."
Sarah deeply inhales, digesting all of what her friend is saying, knowing full well that she is absolutely right. "Sometimes I forget that he's almost a grown man,"
"No you don't Sar," Sheena shakes her head in protest, "You are startlingly aware of it, and I think a part of you is rejecting this ideal, and doesn't want him to grow up, because you don't want him to leave."
Sarah looks away from Sheena with a blush. She can't deny that. Especially after what she told him when they had first arrived here tonight. The way that she almost scolded him about him graduating, and how she has to watch him leave... No wonder he wanted to run away from her. She'd run away from her, too, after the way that she had been acting recently.
"I... guess, you have, somewhat, of a, teeny, tiny, little, point there..." Sarah sheepishly admits as she twiddles her fingers together.
"Just give him space, 'kay?" Sheena smiles. "Let them be silly and crazy, and then reprimand him- gently of course,"
Jareth suddenly chimes in, "Might I add that I find it exceedingly interesting that you assume that I would not have a problem knowing that my ward is out there with some strange boy,"
"That's because I am not even worried about Toby," Sheena admits, turning to the gentleman. "He is one of the most mature and respectful kids that I know. He would be too scared to try anything with her... Do you know how hard it was to get him to dance with her?" both Sarah and Sheena pass a chuckle. "The most he'd do is shake her hand at the end of the night."
"You think he's the perfect kid, Jareth," Sarah says as she stands, "And if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were playing favorites with him, anyway,"
"Oh, I am definitely playing favorites," he stands to meet her gaze with his piercing eyes, "but not with young Toby," his eyes suddenly carry weight that she didn't expect to find.
"Oh..." Sheena says awkwardly coughing, trying to hold her cheeky smirk, "Well... I'm just gonna go-"
"Waaaitaminute," Sarah says pulling her friend back by the arm, "I feel like you still should have told me that this was happening. That is bad friend juju and I don't like it," Sarah factually states, "Now, I feel like you owe me,"
"Well, to be fair, you had been gone for sometime." Sheena replies brows raised, "You told me you were looking for this lovely gentleman, and then I didn't see you for a good minute." Sheena smiles cheekily as she points to Jareth, "I had no idea where you had gone, and frankly, I didn't think you wanted to be disturbed," she couldn't hide her smile.
"Very funny, Sheena," Sarah slaps her shoulder, "Now, thanks to you, I am stuck here, I have no way of getting home, and my worry-wart senses are starting to kick in,"
"You know that you have nothing to worry about, and I am sure that this kind and charming gentleman would be more than happy to oblige with a ride- in fact," she says as she lightly pushes them together, "I think that you both should get out of here and have a proper date. Chaperoning a high school dance is not what a proper first date, in my books."
Sarah's eyes grow, "B-but you grounded me, remember? I have to help you tear down this monstrosity," Sarah points to the dance hall.
"That was when I thought you were a liar, but," she looks to Jareth with more than approving eye, "To my excitement, it seems that you were telling the truth all along," Sheena's cheeky grin grows as Sarah sighs, "Now go. Get out. Shoo." Sheena motions with her hands for both of them to leave.
"I don't think she is going to let us back in that room, Ms. Williams," Jareth says, leaning into her.
"I think you're right," Sarah's snarky tone did not go unnoticed by her friend.
"I will take you down, myself, if you try to walk back in there," Sheena nods in agreement.
"Okay fine," she turns to Jareth, "Mr. Kingsley, would you be so kind as to escort a lady home?"
He smiles rigorously, slightly bowing at her command, "It would be an honor, Ms. Williams,"
Sheena meeps a small sound, at the cuteness in front of her, "Okay you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." Sheena escorts the couple to the entrance of the hotel lobby, "And, Ms. Williams, I expect a full report on this on my desk tomorrow morning."
"How about you shove it up your ass, Mrs. Jones?"
"Only if you'll do the honors Ms. Williams," Sheena bows comically as Jareth and Sarah finally leave P.S. 113's Prom of 2003.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
I can't even fathom to try to explain to you what all has been going on in my life. Everything got so fucking crazy so fast and things are slow enough at the moment, that I am able to sneak something fanfiction-wise through this little window of oppertunity.
I moved to a new house, I lost a job, I got a new job (at Walmart, and I think you all have an idea on how fucking insane Walmart is around the holidays, God what possessed me to make THAT decision?), Trump is still a thing that we are all struggling with, I was dealing with holiday crap, I lost, yet, another family member, there was a wedding in there somewhere, and now I have a sinus infection mixed with a little tonsillitis. It's GREAT! - I have to admit that there was a time here recently that I had the time to add more, but I was far too busy watching "Yuri on Ice" (you can thank Ms. Ismira_Daguene for that new addiction)
Long story short, I hate adulting. And I adulted all at one time.
But I left it with some speculation with what will happen next... I hope that I didn't screw myself with the flow that I had planned for the story. There was originally supposed to be more to this chapter, but I have to scrap that part and start over.
We are almost there, guys. It's almost over. And I can honestly say that those words are such a relief for me. I can't wait to finish this story because I have had plot bunnies giving me, yet another story for Jareth and Sarah, but I refuse to start that one until this one is done with. This story deserves an ending, and by golly this story is going to get it's long overdue ending bogdamnit!
I am exhausted. I have no idea how I am able to make words with this clicky thing with letters on it... But I'm sure I imporvized well enough to get my point across.
Stay faithful my little goblins. We have held on this long.
I.L.C
P.S. Can you BELIEVE how many people we have lost this year?
I can't wait for 2016 to die...