I accidentally became the female lead!

I. Prologue

"Good to see you again, Miss Winters!"

The shopkeeper's friendly voice and warm smile greeted me as soon as I entered the bookstore. It had always been the best place to hang out and unwind after school with my friends. After all, "Cat's Tale" was more than just a simple shop where one could buy old and new books; it was also a café, a hub for readers and writers to exchange experiences, book ideas and stories. The friendly shopkeeper always there to help you, the smell of books and freshly roasted coffee and the resident tabby cat sleeping on the shelves made "Cat's Tale" the best place in town.

I myself had always had a soft place for libraries and would always lose track of time in a place with books and shelves to explore. Since I was a kid, I loved reading and this passion had followed me in my teens as well since, growing up, I didn't have many friends. But I could always take refuge in a good novel as there was always a place there for an outcast like me. I could be a queen, a commoner, a fighter for the revolution or a great detective; in books I was free...

"Hey, Clara! Check this out!"

Ashlyn held a book with a dark red cover in her hands. Her pastel green eyes and cheerful smile told me that I had found it. The book I had always dreamt of having.

"The Phantom Of The Opera." Ashlyn said as she handed it to me. "I still don't understand why you still want to read it after you've finished it once."

"What I wanted was my own volume," I replied. "I had so much fun reading it!"

"I've never thought that fun would be a word you would use to describe a gothic novel..."

"Andrew Lloyd Webber ruined it for me."

Ashlyn chuckled as she rolled her eyes. Holly, our other friend, came from the romance section, holding a huge stack of books. She had always been into this genre, but this kind of novels are something that I myself cannot digest. All those romance novels with those repetitive plots and "Will they?" situations are a turn off for me and I have always disliked them.

"How are you going to pay for all of these?" I chuckled as I turned to her.

"It hurts, but I have to choose," she sighed. "I warn you, though. It may take a LONG while."

She headed for one of the tables and started to sort the books she chose with meticulousness, putting them in piles, shuffling them around like tarot cards. I turned my attention to Leroux's novel, safely resting in my hands. Since Holly introduced me to it, my passion for "The Phantom Of The Opera" could only grow. Much to Ashlyn's annoyance Holly and I becam obsessed with it. My favourite character had always been the sweet and lovely Christine Daae and I'd come to pity her for all the crap she went through. I had always believed Raoul to be a whimp and the Phantom himself nothing more than a madman who won't take no for an answer and can't handle rejection well.

"If I were in her place, I'll certainly teach them a lesson!" I always used to say. "Like, can't she just say No! and go on her merry way?"

And, believe it or not, this simple idea always managed to spark heated arguments. But Gaston Leroux's novel had always won by now a special place in my heart...

"You are obsessed, girl!" I hear Ashlyn chuckle. "You still read it, hoping that the ending would change."

"Perhaps that's the explanation I can't find..."

"Done!" Holly said triumphantly as she approached us. From the huge stack of books she had held before, only three had passed the test and earned their "chosen one" status. They are thick, with colourful catchy covers and big letters spelling out their titles and authors.

"Coleen Hoover?" I asked as I glanced at the covers.

"Yup! She's my favourite author. These are the only ones I haven't read so far. Still, really, Ashlyn? Dune?"

"Let's just say I have greatly enjoyed the movie," Ashlyn said smiling. "The cutie playing the lead helped too, I guess."

We all laughed. With the corner of my eye, I could see that even the shopkeeper seems amused, trying to hide his grin with "Absalom! Absalom!" as he turned the page.

"Right, book-to-movie adaptations!" I say rolling my eyes.

"Come on now!" Holly winked as she gave me a small nudge. "Don't act like you forgot!"

I chuckled. "Right... I guess we're done now, right?" I asked looking at my friends.

"Not yet!" Holly grinned. "You guys still owe me a latte!"

"Good idea." Just as I was getting thirsty."

* * *

It was getting cloudy by the time we left "Cat's Tale". We really took our time there, so to say, as we didn't realise that it was was getting late and we had to go back to campus. Unlike last time we went to the bookstore, we decided to go on foot as none of us had enough money left for a taxi and also the mood for taking the bus. Also, the weather had cooled down, making it perfect for a walk.

As we were walking down the sidewalk and talking about our plans for the upcoming spring break, I felt a slight ringing in my left ear, like it had been stung with some kind of needle and my head began to hurt. It was unpleasant, but I insisted on continuing walking as not to worry my friends. This was weird as I had never struggled with this before...

We stopped and waited for the traffic light to turn green and cross the street. On the zebra crossing however, the pain became unbearable. My vision became blurry all of a sudden and I started to feel dizzy. Ashlyn and Holly noticed the sudden change in my state and their cheerfulness slowly morphed into worry.

"Clara!"

By the time I heard my name called, something hit me violently. I was thrown on the pavement and landed on my right arm. My body hurt and I couldn't even move a finger; the asphalt was stained with fresh red blood. My precious book was next to me, close to my hand, looking like a bird wounded by the bullet of a skilled hunter.

The next thing I knew was a pitch black void...

* * *

"Sorelli!"

Someone seemed to shake my body like there was no tomorrow. The fact that I still felt a bit dizzy didn't help me either. I stood up suddenly and took a deep breath. I felt like a just-born baby, taking his very first breath of air. I found myself in an unfamiliar room, lying on some kind of pinkish sofa. Around me, watching with worry and curiosity, were a group of girls in white dresses. One of them was holding me by my shoulders, probably the one who had been shaking me like a palm tree caught up in a thunderstorm.

What struck me at first was her long hair, black as ink, cascading down her shoulders. Even though she was slender built, her arms had a kind of strength seldom met in a delicate body like hers. Her white dress immediately told me who she was: a ballerina, like all the girls gathered around me. I got a slight feeling of Deja Vu...

"Where am I?" I asked looking around. "Who are you?"

The girls exchanged some confused looks, whispering worried. The whole room felt like resonating with their murmur, something which made me feel uneasy. The girl holding me took a deep breath and broke the silence:

"It appears that you've lost your memory, Sorelli. We are friends, remember? Meg Giry..."

As she said her name, she gestured to herself. Suddenly, cold chills ran down my spine. This name was familiar... Wait, this couldn't be... THAT Meg? I start to shake with any warning.

"Meg..." I stuttered, almost delirious. "Meg Giry... T-This means..."

I tried to stand up my own two feet. Meg helped me, offering her shoulder for support.

"This can't... Oh, no!"

On a wall, there was a big dressing mirror. I immediately ran to it, as if my whole life depended on it (and, in a way, it did). But, as soon as I lay eyes on my reflection, a horrified scream escapes my mouth:

"I've transmigrated!"