Magic Is For Kids | ✏

3. Babe with the power

Silence fills the room again.
"Uhh...," Sarah awkwardly tries to break the ice. She soon regrets it. "Eh, never mind—," she shrugs it off. She chuckles nervously.
"Yeah, uh... about what happened...," Jareth starts, rubbing his neck. "... I... I think you've already noticed this but uh...," he stutters. "... I... I think I'm kinda in love with you, er...," he blushes.
"Really? Oh, I haven't noticed that," she answers sarcastically. "I remind you that you forced a kiss back in the ballroom." That makes him blush even harder.
"I-I know...," he sighs. There's a knock on the door. "Yes?" he tries to sound frightening. The door opens. "Ah," he says. "It's you, Hogwart"
"Hoggle," he hisses.
"Yes, yes. Whatever. What do you want?" Jareth dismisses him. Hoggle doesn't answer. He didn't need to, anyway. "Oh. So you saw us," he says.
"Yes," Hoggle's voice is a whisper.
"And?"
"Well, she isn't meant to be queen—"
"So what?" Jareth replies with a thunderous voice.
"She wasn't chosen," Hoggle continues.
"Wasn't chosen? By whom? I am the one who chose her."
"But—"
"No buts, Hoghead."
"It's Hoggle!"
"Don't you dare raise your voice at me, Hogbrain!" Jareth is now furious. "Do that again, Piggle, and I swear I won't hesitate to suspend you headfirst in the Bog of Eternal Stench," he adds. Hoggle just bows obediently without uttering a word and walks away from the chamber. Sarah looks at Jareth, baffled. She'd never seen him that angry before. Not even when she was at the Labyrinth. When she finally speaks, her voice is a whisper.
"W-why did you do that for?"
"Do what? Threaten him?" he laughs mirthlessly.
"No, talk to him that way," she replies. "And calling him names," she adds.
"I don't like being shouted at."
"But all you do is shout at others," she reasons.
"Of course!" he chuckles without mirth. "I'm their king, and they've got to respect me, whether they like it or not."
"You won't be respected if you keep barking orders," Sarah continues. "What did you mean by 'I am the one who chose her', anyway?" she asks.
"You really don't know?" His voice is calmer now. Or at least he seems to be.
"Uh...," Sarah stutters. She sees Jareth approaching her. "... you mean...," she can't end her sentences. She gulps and her legs wobble.
"Yes," he nods, understanding what she's trying to say. "Screw the rules." Wow, Sarah thinks to herself, the Goblin King saying 'screw the rules' is quite new. She sighs. Well, of course he's rather handsome, she thinks, but what about my family?
"Uh," she awkwardly says. "What about my family? I mean, I can't stay here forever," she adds.
"It's only forever, Sarah. It's not long at all"
"Only forever? Not long at all? Are you high?" she questions. "I have to get back home," she states in a matter-of-fact voice.
"You have to?" he raises an elegant eyebrow. "Let me get this clear: you have to go back home with a stepmother who's always treating you unfairly and with a baby brother who constantly makes demands upon him?" He shakes his blond mane and sighs. "You know you deserve better than that, Sarah," he says meaningfully.
"But—," she starts.
"Tsk tsk... no buts," he shakes his head again.
"I—," she pauses. "I think it's time for me to leave now."
"Leave? Already?" he sighs.
"Y-yes," Sarah stutters. "It—it's been a very lovely evening, but I have to get going."
"Very well, then," he sighs again. "Promise you'll come back?" he shyly asks.
"Maybe," she winks. Stepping outside the chamber, Sarah turns back once again and blows him a kiss. Why she did that, she has no idea.

yes, this was a short chapter, but I promise there'll be more on chapter 4☺

—Isa—