It's Only Forever

The Ball

 Sarah looked at her reflection in the mirror some hours later and, had she not had that dream thanks to Jareth three years ago, she couldn't say she would recognize herself. While her face was the same, besides for the makeup, her hair was more voluminous after being excessively curled. Without having to tell her stepmother anything, she looked just as she had then... so why didn't that feel absolutely creepy yet?

She spun around at her stepmother's insistence, feeling like a fairy princess... no wait, not a fairy. Fairies were mean, apparently. No, a Disney princess was more like it, the glitter was certainly there.

"Go down into the foyer to wait, I'm going to grab your father, a camera, and then we'll be on our way," Irene told her excitedly.

"Wait," Sarah said nervously, "who's going to look after Toby?"

"The babysitter is here now. I tell you, it's amazing that we found her in such a small amount of time, but your father is telling her all the necessities that Toby needs. Don't worry, just go downstairs to wait."

"But —"

"Now, dear," she warned.

Sighing, Sarah made her way down the stairs. She shouldn't be worrying about Toby at a time like this — didn't even have to worry for his safety this time around. Jareth had no business with him. Just with her. The babysitter that was there probably was just a lucky find. Jareth would be at the ball. She was sure of it. Positive about it.

But a peek wouldn't go amiss, either.

She had been walking down the stairs, but now she picked up the front of the dress to go sprinting back up. Peeking into Toby's room, the girl there looked very normal. While Jareth might be a master of disguise, there was no way he could have made a human face look so realistic, right? The girl was plain looking with some jeans and a t-shirt with a heart on it — that seemed to be in order.

Her father noticed her scrutinizing gaze, causing the girl to turn and look at her. Yup, definitely normal as she looked curiously at her outfit. "Go downstairs, Sarah," her dad said gently, "Toby will be fine."

How could she disagree with that reassuring smile of his? She sheepishly nodded, and walked down the stairs once more. Since that was all fine, she thought again on what she might trade to save her friends — if he did, indeed, kidnap her friends. But... what if she was worrying over nothing? This might just be the easiest night of her life, perhaps even easier than the Labyrinth.

She smiled, thinking, 'It still was a piece of cake, no matter what trouble he put me through just for saying it.' Then she became pensive again, 'Besides... I have nothing to trade with him if he has my friends. There's nothing I have that he wants, so I should be safe. Yet, what does he want in terms of why he's somehow gotten it in my head to have this ball tonight? Why now? Why at all?'

"I hope you're not planning on making that face at the ball, your guests are going to be too scared to approach you," Irene said, walking down the stairs.

Sarah frowned, "What look?"

"You're brooding. Never brood for parties. Be alive and alert, always smiling." Her gestures along with this lesson caused Sarah to cock an eyebrow and wrinkle her nose.

"Just be lucky I agreed to it, okay? I didn't sign up for this to become a little Pollyanna who is always looking on the bright side of everything."

"Well, why not? You're a great actress, surely you can at least pretend to be a happy, joyful being while you're there. A social outing could do you justice, and even get you a respectable boyfriend. Now, don't you want that?"