𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘭 [ RE-WRITE ON HOLD ]

ix. | chapter nine

Belle

Madame Giry was a good ballerina, but a terribly harsh tutor. It was her first day and though she was very busy with the last rehearsals for Hannibal, she still found time to torture her poor, unprepared feet with breaking into her pointe shoes, the warming-up and the dancing itself.

At the end of the day she even thought of skipping the opera, but she couldn't do that to Meg and Christine, who she really liked.

So at the end of the day, when she asked Madame Giry where she could sit, she hesitantly pointed to Box 5. Why hesitantly, she didn't know. That evening Belle dressed in the nice pink dress she changed in when she first arrived at her father's mansion. It was formal and beautiful enough to fit in with the richest of the rich of Paris.

Madame Giry put her on the seat next to a man with long, dark blonde or auburn hair and an expensive suit. Giry introduced him to her as the Vicomte de Chagny, named Raoul. The man smiled at her and shook her hand.

"What's your name, little girl," he asks her. "Belle Deveraux, monsieur," she replies as she takes place in her appointed seat. The curtains withdraw and the opera of Hannibal begins. Belle is captivated with the story it tells and looks forward to the moment where Christine will sing 'Think of me'.

And there she was, in the beautiful white dress with the stars pinned into her hair. If the moon was a woman, it would be Christine.

"Think of me,
Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye.
Remember me, once in a while
Please, promise me you'll try

When you find that, once again, you long to take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me"

The music begins rising higher, forming a upmost beautiful melody. It blasts into Belle's ears, filling the room with the sweet music. It was not long before Christine continued the song by her high soprano voice.

" We never said our love was evergreen
or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember
Stop and think of me

Think of all the things
we've shared and seen
Don't think about the way
things might have been

Think of me, think of me waking
Silent and resigned
Imagine me, trying too hard
to put you from my mind...

Recall those days, look back on all those times
Think of the things we'll never do
There will never be a day
When I won't think of you.. "

Belle is enchanted by the beautiful words, but did notice the man next to her widen his eyes in surprise. He rises from his seat. The man opens his mouth and begins to speak.

"Can it be?
Can it be Christine?
Bravo! " 

She notices him leaving, yet the echo of his voice trails behind him as he marches through the Opera House. 

" Long ago
It seems so long ago
How young and innocent we were
She may not remember me
But I remember her "

And during his absence, the opera continues and Christine's voice fills the hall, and Belle' ears, once again with the high notes. She sounds amazing to her, doing a great job for the song yet. But the most difficult part was to come: the end.

"Flower fade, the fruits of summer fade
They have their season, so do we
But please promise me that sometimes
You will think...
Ah-ah-ahah-ah
Ah-ah-ahaha-ah
Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-ahhh-ahhhhaaa-of me! "

The song of Christine was done and everyone inside the hall stands up to applause for her. Belle jumps up from her seat and starts clapping and jumping estatically for the brunette. Christine, smiling brightly as she receives all the positive attention, curtsies for the public and disappears behind stage.

At that moment Meg walks into Box Five, tapping the ecstatic child on her shoulder. The girl whips around and sees the blonde standing there, still in her tutu with tulle skirt and her pointe shoes.

"Mother told me to fetch you, it's already way too late for a girl your age," she says, looking slightly stressed. Belle was confused at it, but ignored her frantic behaviour and grabs her hand. The young Giry girl takes her to the attic.

What she didn't know, was the conversation Madame Giry had with her daughter that led to her feverish behaviour back the stage.

"Take Belle from Box Five and bring her to the attic. I do not want her here one second longer," the woman murmurs to her daughter. "Why, mother?" "You know just as well as I do who Belle met on her first day in Palais Garnier, when she wandered off. I want to take his eyes off her as much as possible with her living here," Madame Giry says, looking carefully around for a familiar shadow that was haunting the opera house.

"As you wish, mother." And then the girl disappeared, going to get the girl. Madame Giry wrings her hands as she decides to check on the other ballerinas. This was going to be a long night of stress..