17 You're Toxic

"They can't and won't. And I gave you a wrong address because you wouldn't let me finish and explain, you jumped into conclusion. I just wanted to teach you a lesson, but when I recalled the soldiers were that way, I searched all over for you".

"You did?".

"Yes, how then did I find you?".

"Thank you. I'm Astrid by the way and u?".

He hesitated a moment, then spoke, "Jareth".

"Hmm nice name" she complimented him.

"Thanks, same, lovely name".

"Thanks, so where do I go from here?".

"Umm, we took a left turn just now, so we would take... "

She didn't let him finish and cuts him short, "then a right turn and a left again... But how did you know we took a left when you were jumping on the trees? ".

She raised her head after speaking only to see an angry expression on Jareth's face and chuckled.

"I'm doing it again. I am sorry, please continue".

"This is why I decided to teach you a lesson before".

"I'm sorry. It has always been a habit since u was a kid, aunt would say my curiosity level... "

"Hold that thought, this is not curiosity, this is assumptions and assumptions most times are wrong Astrid. You just can't seem to control yourself, you get eager and then boom you're lost in your head. Why would your aunt tell you it's curiosity, she just lied to you".

"That's enough Jareth, please stop" she said and turned her back to him.

Seeing her like this, his shoulder sagged and he kept quiet.

After some minutes of silence, he noticed a drop of water fall to the ground in front of her due to his sensitive ears. He raised his head and tapped her on the shoulder, she quickly clean her eyes and turned to face him.

"So where do I go from here? " she asked him trying to pretend she wasn't crying a moment ago. He didn't reply and just looked her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry for lashing out at you".

"It's nothing, please tell me how to go on from here. You've done a lot for me, just this and I won't bother you anymore".

"No".

"What? "

"How do we go on from here? "

She just opened her mouth wanting to say something but the words didn't come out.

"Close your mouth before a moth enters Astrid" he said as he used his right hand to raise her jaw back up.

"Why do you want to go with me?".

"Who said anything about me going... " he looked at her stunned face then laughed. "Just joking, I am coming with you".

"Why? "

"Ain't it obvious, you're lost without me".

"Well... "

"And you get into trouble".

"I can handle myself thank you".

"Oh really, so anywhere you go, you cause a fight and you call that handling yourself?".

"Well the keep starting the fight".

"And you just can't stay away from it and you get severely injured or poisoned. Do you call handling yourself being poisoned by nightshade? Cause if you do, then I see you have a death wish girl".

"... "

"At this rate, it would be a miracle if you don't get killed before you get to your destination".

"Hey calm down, if I didn't know better I'd think you are caring too much".

As she said that he paused his next sentence. "Caring too much, that's true, with this girl I'm a different me, I talk a lot, argue, care... Like when did this all happen. Its not me, pull it together, no one has made me do this before. Since knowing her, I've talked more in the last day than I did in a month" he thought to himself.

"Wait even my thoughts are noisy" he thought again. "You're toxic" he blurted out, not really caring of he hurt her. Yes that was the him he knew. Cold, not caring, not talkative, calm kind of person.

"What! Me toxic? Okay, I do not need you to follow me. Bye".

"You don't even know where you are going".

"I will try a location spell, some has to be in this book" she said tapping her bag.

"No wonder you got lost before. You know not how to use the spell".

"I got lost because I got lost in the book".

"What? "

"I got so engrossed in the book that I didn't notice I was on the wrong path".

"Even worse, who walks and read on the road? "

"I do" she said raising her right hand up.

He sighs, after face palming his face, "Just who in the world is this girl. She's do different" he thought to himself.

"I know I'm different... '

"And stupid, you should add that. You keep getting missing because you want to read".

"Jareth".

She thought to herself, "you... Just wait, I'll show you the benefit of my reading" after that, she gradually closed her eyes a bit and opened them while Jareth still scolded her. Before he knew what was happening, she used a tree to swing at him, while he was dodging it, he didn't pay attention and she let a ball of water pour on him, soaking him all over and she began laughing at his shocked expression and stopped using the tree to swing at him. She was indeed satisfied with the outcome.

"That would teach you a lesson Jareth".