The Time Traveling Adventure

Chapter 17: The Music Store

I pull up in front of Happy Go Music.

"I would like to know who thought of the name of this music store," Jane says walking into the store.

"I would like to know why you still wore that," I whisper to myself.

I walk in the store and a little ding from a small bell went off.

"Hello," a voice behind the counter says.

I look to see it is a young man from my school, but I do not know his name.

"Hi," I say back to the man.

"Do I know you?" He ask.

I walk to the counter, "Yes, we go to school together. You and I were in English together."

"Oh yeah! I remember you. Claudia right?"

"Yep, and you?" I ask hoping he won't be mad at me for forgetting his name.

"Johnny. Can you believe we will be seniors in about a month?"

"I don't really want to think about it," I laugh.

"Me too. What can I help you with?"

"My friends and I are looking for a man," I say not wanting to go on.

"What kind of man; short, tall, thin, bald?" Johnny says trying to help, but my friends and I know who we are looking for; Erik, or as most people know him as the Phantom of the Opera with the white half mask. And I don't think telling Johnny a man with a white half mask will help either. Probably laugh at us.

"We are looking for a man in all black clothes and also wearing a cape," Jane butts in the conversation.

"I know who you are talking about. He is down stairs looking at pianos. I think it is quite funny how he is dressed as The Phantom of the Opera. Why do you want to talk to him for?" Johnny ask looking at Jane for an answer.

"We want to take a picture with him. You know us, big Phantom of the Opera fans!" She says giving that big smile of hers. He looks at me and I give him a big smile too.

"I can tell by what you are wearing," he says looking at Jane's slave girl costume.

"Why thank you!" She says giving Johnny a curtsy. I roll my eyes at her.

Jane darts down the steps where the pianos are. Martha and I quickly follow her down the steps. I hear music playing that can put you in a trance. Martha looks at me and looks at one of the pianos. Erik is playing the theme of Think of me on a grand piano. I look to see Jane is right behind Erik.

What is she doing?

I look closer at Erik to see my ruby ring necklace is in his back pocket of his black trousers.

I tap Martha on the shoulder. She looks at me with worry in her eyes. I point to Erik and she sees the ring.

She whips back to me and mouths, "Oh no!"

"I know," I mouth back.

I put my focus back on Jane. She ever so slightly moves to get closer to Erik. She drops to the ground and crawls because she is only a few inches away from him. She reaches up to latch on to my ring necklace. She pulls it out and crawls backwards to us. She stands up and gives me the ring. I put the necklace on.

"Happy?" She whispers to me.

The music ceases and we all turn slowly to see Erik looking straight at us.

"I see you found me," Erik says.

"It wasn't hard to find you," Jane says.

"Really?" Erik says sounding like he cares but really doesn't.

"I guess your hiding spots are not as good as you think" Jane's says back in attitude.

"You better hold your tongue Mademoiselle."

"Ok," Jane says sticking her tongue out and putting her hand around her tongue.

"You are getting on my nerves," Erik says getting up from the bench.

We all take a step back.

"Why are you all so scared of me?" Erik ask walking to us.

"Because we have our ring back! Run!" Jane screams.

I run to the stairs but trip and fall.

"Go! Go! Go!" I yell to my friends.

"We never leave behind a friend!" Jane yells back.

Jane rips me up from the ground and pushes me up the stairs. I look behind me to see Erik on our tails. We get to the front door when I hear his voice, "Angel!"

I stop and look at him. He is standing next to the counter where Johnny is looking at us with complete shock.

"I fell in love with you when I heard you sing," Erik says with pleading eyes.

"Come on Claudia!" Martha says holding the door open.

"Yeah, come on!" Jane yells.

I twirl the necklace in my hands, thinking about what Erik said to me.

He loves me?

I know what Erik wants - he wants to go home.

"No," I say walking away from my friends and toward Erik. He has shock in his beautiful ice blue eyes.

"What are you doing?" Jane ask.

"I think our fun was cut short," I say grabbing Erik's hand and pulling him to my friends.

"Your hand is soft," Erik whispers to me.

I look at him and smile, "The power of lotion."

"Take my hand," I say to my friends.

Martha takes my hand and Jane takes Martha's hand.

"What are we doing?" Jane ask giving Erik the evil look.

"Going to have a vacation again," I say.

"You're joking. After what we've been through," Martha says shaking her head.

I close my blue eyes, "I wish we were back at the Opera Populaire."

Sorry about the cliffhanger!