Labyrinth Dancer

Chapter Three: The Intern

By the time Sarah arrived it was as if the Jocks had never invaded the auditorium, all the lights were ready and Inara was working on getting the curtains set correctly.

However, Sarah didn't arrive alone; Inara's gaze went down on the stage where Sarah was giving instructions to the other techs, her eyes fell on the young man with her. The first thing she noticed about him was how tall he was, the height of an adult but the youthful appearance of a young man not much older than herself.

His back was to her from where she stood high above at the curtain level of the side catwalks, she could see short but slightly shaggy dirty blond hair that just barely graced over his shoulders; from behind he seemed like he'd be pretty good to look at.

Sarah caught sight of her and waved calling up to her. "Inara! Come down and meet Jared, he's the college intern for the semester!"

Inara nodded and at that moment Jared turned around and smiled up at her. Only Jared saw the slight surprised look cross her expression before her face went neutral and she nodded at him; turning her back she headed for the ladder to head back down to the stage.

*Earlier that Day*

Sarah glanced over Jareth who had picked up a new change of clothes over the last couple of days in order to fit into the environment he needed to be in to get to know Inara. Nodding at his choices she pointed to the jeans and a nice button up shirt he could wear a vest with.

"Wear those tomorrow when you start your 'Internship' with me after school, with the plain tennis shoes."

Jareth gave her a look of slight disgust at the ones she picked, "Not very...me."

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Listen Jareth, your usual look isn't going to make you look like an intern much less a guy in his twenties. You need to be able to blend in and my other interns from last semester wore stuff like this."

Her gaze fell on his amulet and pointed to it. "And that, I know you need to keep it on but you'll need to keep it under your shirt; since you've already sent the book to her she might recognize it if she sees it."

At that suggestion Jareth nodded reluctantly, slipping the amulet under his shirt; the chain barely showing on the collar area. Picking up the clothes he'd be wearing he set them over the nearby chair and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sarah, if this doesn't work and she ends up hating me like you did..." He trailed off, unable to continue.

Sarah who had turned away to grab a bottle of water turned back to stare at Jareth who wasn't facing her. Until now, she had no idea just what all Jareth might be about to lose; but now, it was dawning on her that he would lose his magic, his kingdom and that this situation might endanger his people.

"Jareth, it's going to be alright." She interjected with as much confidence as she could.

Jareth however turned around facing her with a look of complete disbelief and mocked her words slightly.

"Going to be alright?! Sarah, you hated me from the moment you made the wish! Every second in the Labyrinth I had to challenge you, and you grew to hate me more and more as the hours passed by! Naturally of course I should think this little endeavor will go so much better than that! As if, the constant record of it going the usual way shouldn't worry me a bit eh?!"

His face had gone red and his voice had gone louder than she'd ever heard it, however; she could see his hands shaking and towards the last bit his voice had started shaking ever so slightly that if she hadn't been paying him attention she would've missed all of those nervous cues.