Paige's Angel

Chapter Four- Christine, The Fop, a Garden, and REALLY Bad Aim...

DISCLAIMER- I DON'T OWN POTO!!!!!!! THE STORY WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF I DID, TRUST ME! XD

Paige collapsed on her bed only to be woken up by Meg shaking her. “Come on Paige, it’s time for rehearsal!”

“Already?” Paige complained.

“Yes mon ami.” Meg said, laughing.

Soon the ballerinas were all on the stage stretching. Paige tried to give herself over to the dance, but she found that she couldn’t do it. The weirdest feeling overcame her, the feeling that she was being watched. Paige tilted her head upward and caught sight of the reflection of Erik’s mask. He smiled at her and put a finger to his lips, and Paige found herself smiling back. Needless to say, it was very distracting for Paige to know that he was watching. Since Paige first heard the stories of the Phantom, she always wondered if he watched her dance. Now that she knew the answer, she could barely concentrate on the dance and it didn’t help that the other ballerinas were whispering about her.

Christine and Raoul entered the auditorium and Paige felt a shift in the air. She didn’t even need to look up to know that Erik was glaring at the patron and the diva; she could sense it in the atmosphere. If anyone else could feel it they betrayed nothing, not even Christine and Raoul looked up to the flies. Erik continued to gaze at the couple, his expression hard. Oh... it’s her, isn’t it? Paige thought. It all made sense now, how Christine was afraid to talk to men when they came to the opera house, and how she couldn’t miss her lesson with her tutor. Erik was in love with her. And the patron is stealing her away. Paige thought. Poor unhappy Erik…

Christine looked upward briefly and caught sight of Erik gazing at Paige. Christine took her hand back from Raoul and walked over to the stage where Paige and the rest of the ballerina’s were taking a break. “excusez-moi?” Christine asked.

Paige looked at her and said “yes?”

“Have you spoken to the Phantom of the Opera?” Christine whispered.

Paige thought for a moment and whispered back “oui.”

“Paige, you must be careful.” She said. “The Phantom is dangerous.”

“Oh really?” Paige said. “Well what would you say if I told you that the Phantom is also your angel of music?”

“What?” Christine asked in shock. Paige nodded and Christine turned and walked back over to Raoul, who kissed her cheek. Not a moment later a sandbag came flying down from the catwalk and hit Paige’s arm. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground, the rest of the corps de ballet gathered around her. Paige looked up to the catwalk with tears in her eyes, and one of the male dancers helped her to the infirmary.

The nurses determined that Paige’s right arm was fractured and that her ribs were bruised pretty badly too.

“I’m so sorry, but until you are healed you can’t continue to dance.” The nurse said. Madame Giry called the nurse outside the dorm to speak to her in private and Paige was forced to lay there awkwardly on her left side. She stayed like that for what seemed like decades and soon everyone was asleep.

“Pst!” Paige awoke to hear a voice whisper. “Paige!”

Paige opened her eyes to see Erik standing by her bedside. “What do you want?” Paige hissed.

“I wanted to apologize for hitting you.” Erik said softly. “I was aiming for the patron.”

“You have TERRIBLE aim.” Paige laughed.

“You aren’t mad?!” Erik asked in shock.

“Non, you do need to work on your aim though.” She laughed again. “And since you are the reason why I can no longer participate in ballet rehearsal, you are going to keep me entertained.”