Paige's Angel

Chapter five- In Which Erik Helps La Carlotta

DISCLAIMER! THE PHAAAAAAAAAAAAANTOM OF THE OPERA IS NOT MINE... UNFORTUNATELY!!!!!

Over the next few weeks Paige and Erik spent every day together. He took her to the underground lake and she would spend the whole day listening to Erik play the organ or his violin. They visited the garden many times too; they sat and told each other ghost stories. During this time that Paige was healing, Erik discovered many things about the girl. For one she had no tolerance for ignorant people, she was the only person he’d ever met that loved music as much as he did, she could learn anything that she put her mind to and she loved reading and writing. When she discovered his library, her eyes shown with delight and she ran over and immediately took a book off the shelf. Paige squeaked with excitement when she saw it was the full collection of poems by Edgar Allen Poe. She would sit at the organ and read aloud from Poe’s works for hours when they had run out of things to talk about. Another thing that he learned was that Paige was very good at arguing. The girl had a temper that rivaled his own! Every day he spent with Paige, he found himself… forgetting Christine momentarily, but soon after she left his mind would immediately go back to Christine. It was a very vicious circle for him, but he found that he didn’t mind.

Paige also enjoyed all the time she had spent with the Opera Ghost, as much as she would have liked to deny it. Throughout the time she had spent with Erik, she found out that he had a passion for music beyond anything she could have possibly imagined. He had shared the story of his life with her and she finally found out why he was so standoffish. Paige also realized that even though she knew what lay behind the mask, she still thought he was handsome. She had to catch herself in these thoughts; she knew that she could never have him. He was still pining after Christine, and Paige couldn’t do anything to change that. And she didn’t want to anyway… right?

“Paige?” Meg said, shaking her back into reality.

“Hmm?” Paige said.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, of course!” Paige said.

Meg was about to say something else, but she was cut off by an earsplitting screech. “Who-a has done this?!” Carlotta cried. She stepped onto the stage and everyone started laughing. Carlotta looked like she had gotten into a fight with a pallet of paint and her hair was sticking up in all directions. “Someone has switched-a all the labels on my makeup!” Carlotta started crying. “And-a they replaced my hair products with paste!” She had bright red lipstick smeared over one cheek and purple lipstick over the other. Carlotta’s right hand was stuck in her red hair and there was white powder on her forehead, chin, and all down the front of her deep purple dress.

“Signora, we apologize!” the managers said, trying to console the hysterical diva. “Princespessa, bella diva!”

“Someone will-a pay for this!” Carlotta growled.

“Looks like that really got under her big feathery hat.” Paige snickered.

Carlotta’s gaze fell on Paige and she said. “Well since-a you think this is so funny, you can help-a me fix this mess!”

“Oh no…” Paige groaned.

Carlotta took her by the hand and pulled Paige down the hallway to her dressing room. “Get this-a stuff off me!” Carlotta cried.

“I really don’t see why I have to help you.” Paige grumbled. “You have a maid for everything.”

“I-a haven’t seen my maids since-a this morning!” Carlotta snarled.

“Bet they all ran for cover when they saw you.” Paige muttered to herself.

“What-a was that?!”

“Nothing!” Paige said with a fake smile plastered on her face. She grabbed a cloth and went to the basin to get it damp.

“No! That’s my-a good cloth!” Carlotta screeched.

“What was that? Sorry I didn’t hear you!” Paige said sarcastically as she began (not so gently) getting the make-up off Carlotta.

“Are-a you trying to wipe the rest-a of my face off too?!” Carlotta yelped.

“Sorry.” Paige said unconvincingly. She walked past the mirror to re-soak the cloth when she heard snickering from the walls.

About that same time Carlotta yelled “How-a are you going to get me unstuck?!”

“I don’t know I’m not the one who glued your hand to your head!” Paige yelled back. “But I know someone who might…”

“Who-a are you talking about?” Carlotta asked.

Paige ignored her and whispered “Oh Monsieur Phantom? I require your assistance fixing the mess you made.” She heard a click and suddenly Erik was standing behind her.

Carlotta started screaming in Italian and Erik covered her mouth with his gloved hand. “Listen Miss. Prima Donna, if you want your hand unglued from your head, I suggest you keep quiet and cooperate, understand?” Erik said threateningly.

Carlotta nodded, her eyes wide with fear. “Oh look, you’ve frightened her!” Paige said, trying not to laugh.

“You two-a are… friends?” Carlotta asked.

Both Paige and the Phantom laughed. “Where on Earth did you get an idea like that?” Paige exclaimed.

“Really La Diva, you think I have friends?” Erik scoffed.

“I… I…” she stuttered.

“Signora, I believe it is in your best interest to keep quiet until you are unstuck.” Paige said, smirking.

Carlotta kept quiet after that and soon she was unglued and all the make-up bottles had their right labels. “Signora, if you ever mention meeting me or that I willingly appeared when Paige called, I will not hesitate to kill you, so please keep quiet.” Erik growled. And without another word, he grabbed Paige’s hand and they both vanished from Carlotta’s sight.

Erik and Paige appeared on the roof. They looked at each other and immediately burst into laughter. They stood together laughing for a long time before either of them could utter a word.

“Did you see the look on La Diva’s face?!” Erik exclaimed between laughs.

“She’s never going to let me hear the end of it!” Paige laughed.

“I’m sorry for getting you in trouble, Paige.” Erik said.

“It’s fine, thank you for helping me!” Paige said, taking his hand.

Erik blinked and gulped. “I… erm…” he stuttered.

“What’s wrong?” Paige asked.

You are very close to me… Erik’s thoughts answered. “Nothing, nothing.” He said.

“Alright.” Paige giggled. Erik made to move away, but Paige stopped him by grabbing his arm. His heart skipped a beat and he was left speechless when he saw the way she was looking at him. “I’ll see you later.” She whispered, smiling.

Once Erik’s mind started working again, he turned the tables on her by taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips. “Can’t wait.” He whispered back. And then he walked away, leaving Paige utterly speechless; trying to figure out what had just happened.