Note from ME: I make no claim to the Characters of Jareth and Sarah. All other current characters are of my own creation. Sarah and Jareth belong to Jim Henson and Co. (c) goes to them.

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A few hours and many fingers glued together and paint splatters later, she finished. She got up from the desk, holding her work up in the air to survey it. The mask itself was a generic masquerade style b, but from either side sprouted white, light tan and silver grey feathers. She smiled satisfied with her work. She looked at the clock and frown It was only around nine when she got home, it was now nearing midnight.

Ï guess it's time for bed now, isn't it?" She set her masterpiece back on the desk, picked up her pajamas and headed for the shared bathroom. Going to bed at midnight was early for her. Ruby the engineering major, all she ever did was study and eat. The poor thing really needed a break.

Sarah undressed, showered and put on her pajamas, running a brush through her still damp hair in order for easier styling tomorrow night. After hair and teeth were brushed and face washed, she turned off the bathroom light. Walking back to her room she kept turning off lights, the only light left coming from her small table lap. Walking towards her bed she grabbed a random book off her shelf and plopped down on her bed, hoping to get engrossed in the plot. She didn't make it a page in before her mind started to wander. Her eyes fell upon her shelf and a small red volume caught her attention. Padding over to it, she picked up the slight volume. Her eyes widened when she realized just what it was. She had no recollection of packing it. It was the story she role played from so much before she entered high school. The story she dreamt about so much. She smiled and returned to the bed, opening it she began to read.

*/*/*/*/*

About four hours later, she returned to the land of humans and homework, unaware of how much time had passed. She glanced at her alarm clock. 4:04 AM shone in bright red block letters.

"Well, crap so much for going to bed early tonight." She yawned and stretched, placing the red tome on her bedside table. She crawled under her sea-foam green comforter, turned out the light and went to sleep.

*/*/*/*/*

"SARAH!" Michelle yelled, pounding on the door.

In her room, Sarah grumbled.

"What is that awful racket?" she rolled over to look at her alarm clock. 12:15 PM "CRAP!" she jumped out of bed and booked it for the door.

Michelle was about to pound on the door again when Sarah opened it.

"Sorry, I just got up."

"I can see that." Sarah's hair was in a frizzy brown halo around her head and pajamas were wrinkled. "You going to invite me in or what?"

Sarah stepped aside to allow her friend to come in.

Michelle turned to face her disheveled friend, "When did you go to bed last night?"

Sarah had opened the fridge and was currently looking for breakfast; she emerged with cold pizza "Sometime around four, I think." She took a bite of her snack as she put on the kettle for tea. "You can chill out in the living room for a bit while I make myself presentable."

"Ruby gone again?" Michelle said making her way toward the living area.

"Must be. Or she would have answered the door for me." Sarah finished off her pizza and headed to the bathroom to brush her tangled mess of hair into submission. By the time she was done with that, the kettle was whistling and she poured some of the hot water into a mug, adding along with it a tea bag.

"When did you start drinking tea?" called her friend from the ugly blue sofa.

"I don't know, but not too long ago I started to have cravings for it. I have at least a cup a day now." She left the tea to steep and walked back to her room, emerging a few minutes later in a t-shirt and jeans. Padding across the room in now stocking feet, she pulled the teabag out of the water before it got too bitter. She brought the mug up to her face letting the smell waft. "Would you like a cup," She offered.

"I'm good thanks. So are we going to make you a costume or what?"

She smiled triumphantly. "MY costume is already done, thank you very much. We are going to be making YOU a costume." She took a sip of her still scalding tea.

Michelle turned the TV and got up from the couch. "You finished yours already? How?"

Sarah set her cup on the kitchen table. "I am not a theatre major for nothing. You should see my closet. " She strolled towards her room, Michelle followed. Sarah's dress was still hanging from her closet door. Michelle gasped when she saw it.

"You're wearing that?" Sarah chuckled at the comment. "Where did you get it?"She asked dumbstruck.

Sarah was leaning against the door jam. "I made it when I was in high school."

Michelle had picked up the skirt and was examining it. "It's beautiful."

"I'm wearing that one, but you are free to sift through the rest of my costumes for something, if you like."

"I think I'll do that. Thanks." She opened the closet and came face to face with at least forty different costumes. "Oh."

Sarah laughed. "I've been making my own costumes since I was in junior high. What did you expect?"

"For one thing, I did not expect a better selection than Halloween USA. You seriously made all these?"

"Yep. Are you going to pick something or what?"

"If I had any idea where to begin…"

"Well, what kind of costume were you thinking? Sexy or generic?"

Michelle smiled "Do you really have to ask that?"

"Right. I think I have a fairy costume in there from when we did A Midsummer Night's Dream. Would that work?"

"Oooooo, that would be perfect." Sarah walked passed her and started looking for the elusive costume. After a few minutes of digging, a green costume emerged from the depths.

"Here ya go," Sarah said with a smile. "When does this party start anyway?"

"Umm, I think one of the girls said it started at 8 so we're thinking of showing up around 9."

Sarah cocked an eyebrow "Fashionably late?"

"Of course," Michelle smiled.

"So then what is the plan of action before the party?" Sarah inquired.

"Wanna go see a movie or something? That new Bruce Willis film just came out. It looks pretty good." Michelle laid the costume out on the bed so it could air out.

"Sounds like a plan. You driving? Or am I?" Sarah asked.

"I'll drive. The parents let me have the Bug," she smiled smugly.