I looked around the Opera House's Auditorium as the many workers of the Opera Populair started filling in for the announcement of the next opera from Monsieur Reyer and Madame Giry. Everyone piled into the fancy, crimson seats of the front of the stage, nervously talking to each other. Everyone bustled with excitement and fresh gossip as people found their friends. Carlotta was standing with Piangi and her team. I, unfortunately, sat alone at the front. But that didn't matter, for I was quite used to it. I never had many friends when I was a little kid. I was practically alone all the time at school, I had moved to a new school and met Emily. We didn't really connect at first, mainly because no one would talk to me. I was the new, weird kid who had lost everything.
So I stayed quiet and remained alone. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't keep to myself any longer. So one day, during our lunch break, I went up to Emily and whispered, "Hey, want to hear a secret?" Truth be told, I had no real secret to tell. It was just an excuse to talk to someone, anyone. But when she heard me ask that she grinned and immediately said, "Yes."
From then on we were inseparable. We became the best of friends that had quite a lot in common and we hung out as much as we could. We had sleepovers, went to summer camp, were even roommates in college after my mother passed and after Emily cut off her family. We had been together through thick and thin.
At least until now.
Oh, how I missed her. I missed everyone. I wanted to go back home so bad.
Felling tears starting to prick at my eyes I quickly rubbed them, playing it off as if I was tired. And I was. I was really, really tired. Ever since I learned how to control my piano playing, I've been going to the piano room every other night just to see me in the hospital bed once more, trying to find any way to get myself back, and it was starting to take its toll. I could already see the bags starting to show up under my eyes and I always felt exhausted. But I couldn't sleep. Now, going home was a priority.
"May we sit with you?" I heard a petite voice ask me. Looking up I spotted Meg and Christine looking down at me. Meg was dressed in a lovely sky blue dress that hugged her body neatly. Christine wore a pale pink dress, and a white ribbon wrapped around her middle.
I nodded quickly, my throat clogging up; speechless. Meg grinned and sat next to me, while Christine smiled meekly as she sat next to Meg.
"Hey, look!" Meg exclaimed, pointing up to one of the curtains of the stage, "There's Reyer!"
Sure enough there he was, with a big stack of white paper in his arms as he talked to Madame Giry up on stage. I took in a deep breath, throwing the past back into the vault.
"What opera do you think he's going to choose?" I asked, turning towards the two girls.
Meg shrugged, "Who knows? I just hope that the dancing won't be extremely complicated. Lord knows how my mum gets when we just can't get a complicated piece just right." Christine nodded with her.
"Christine?" I asked, leaning forward slightly to get a better look at her, "Do you think you'll be getting the lead again?"
Christine opened her mouth to answer, looking somewhat unsure, but before he could say a word the two, to quote Erik, "Idiot Managers." walked on stage. Each was holding a large stack of paper under their arms.
"Wait, what's going on?" wondered Meg, tilting slightly forward. I could only shrug.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" stated Firmin, "We have an important announcement!"
Andre stepped slightly forwards, wearing a large, toothy, smile, "Monsieur Firmin and I have decided that the opera that we are going to perform is the opera La Dame Blanche."
And then hell broke loose.
"But, Monsieur's! Reyer and Madame Giry are supposed to pick the opera!" shouted someone from behind me.
"Yeah," agreed another, "They always do! What gives?" Behind the Idiot Managers was Reyer and Giry, looking quite puzzled and angry at the scene that was unfolding before them.
Reyer quickly stepped forward, holding his hand out to the Managers to get their attention, "But, but Monsieur's!" he stuttered, "Giry and I are supposed to pick the next opera! We always do-"
Firmin shook his head and waved his hand at him, "That's quite alright. We're prepared to choose it this time. You just stick to what you do."
Reyer stared at the two, gaping as if he was a goldfish.
With a slight "hmm!" Andre smiled as he turned back to the audience.
"Now if you will please, we ask you all to go to your designated area and get your scripts, or opera book, or whatever you must call it. Rehearsal with the Singers will be in ten minutes here. Dancers follow Madame Giry, and Stagehands get your orders from Monsieur Bayard."
"Oh, how wonderful!," Carlotta hummed as she walked up to the stage, smiling with her best fake smile, "Zat iz just a wonderful ting, choozing an operah. I'm pozitive that dis operah will be da best zat we ave ever done."
Andre smiled down at her, "Why, thank you Mademoiselle." Carlotta smiled and nodded back. When she turned around and started to head back, she glared heavily at Christine, who shrank in her seat.
I turned to her and patted her arm, "Don't worry, Christine, I'm sure everything will work out just fine." Christine smiled at me, and nodded in agreement.
I looked up at Box 5, wondering if Erik was there. If he was, I knew that he wouldn't be happy with these new circumstances.
"Thank you!" shouted Firmin above the mumbling voices, "You are all dismissed!"
XxX
I shuffled side to side as I stood in line, waiting for my stage directions. I smiled at Monsieur Bayard as I reached the front of the line.
"Here you g-," he started holding out a white book for me, but when he looked up at me he quickly retreated his arm, "Wait," he said, putting the book back on the table in front of him, "Sorry, Mademoiselle, but the managers told me that they would like to speak with you before I give you this."
For a moment I couldn't move. But then I nodded and stepped out of line, heading for the stage. When I saw the two Managers, I quickly walked over to them, feeling a lump in my throat as I did.
I coughed to get their attention, "Uh, Monsieur's, you said that you needed to talk to me?"
They spun towards me, grinning at the sight of me, "Ah, yes!" Andre smiled, "We feel that it would be best if you didn't work on this opera."
I shook my head, confused, "I don't understand. Why? Am I getting fired?," I tilted my head, "Is it because I'm a woman? I assure you, Monsieurs, that I can work as well as any man-"
Firmin's eyes widened at these questions, "No, no, no, no, oh goodness no," he rushed as he shook his head and held his hands up at me, "We are not firing you, mademoiselle. It's just..." he sighed, "...we feel..."
Andre stepped forward, "We felt that after what happened at Il Muto, well, we felt that it would be best for you to take some time off. Clear your head."
"That's really not necessary, I-," I stuttered looking between them both, "I'm fine, really."
"Nonsense!" shouted Firmin happily, "We insist. Now," he turned away, looking over at Madame Giry who was frantically talking to Reyer, "Madame Giry!" he called, waving to her, "Will you please come here for a moment? Yes?"
Giry frowned, but nodded stiffly and strode over quickly, her cane tapping on the ground every other step.
"What is it, Monsieur's?" she asked, looking at the three of us in disdain. I couldn't help but shrink under her gaze.
"Please escort Mademoiselle Moore to her room. She needs some well deserved rest," he said.
I stepped forwards, "I don't-"
"Oui, Monsieur. Right away," she agreed, reaching over and grasping my arm with a firm grip, "I'll make sure that she gets the rest that she needs."
"Thank you," said Andre with his big smile. She nodded and smiled back, but it had no emotion in it. I could tell that she hated them as much as Erik did.
"Listen, Mrs. Giry, I-"
"Madame Giry." she simply said as she dragged me up a flight of stairs.
I stumbled as she pulled, "I'm sorry, I-"
"And you should learn to keep your mouth shut and follow orders."
I snapped my mouth shut and looked away.
"And you should stay away from Erik."
My eyes widened and I stopped walking, pulling my hand from hers, "What?" I asked, looking at her in awe. Of course, she knew. How could she not, she knows everything that goes on in this Opera House.
"Mademoiselle, he's dangerous. He-"
"I know that," I said, cutting someone else off for once. I drew in a shaking break, "I know everything about him," I whispered, feeling my eyes tear up, "Everything that has ever happened to him, and anything that will happen to him in this opera house I know about." Well, almost everything. I didn't know what happens between Il Muto and the Masquerade, besides Erik writing an opera, "I know exactly what he's like. But he needs kindness, and discipline. He needs to be told what's right and what's not. And more importantly, he needs love. It's the most important thing that anyone could ever have. He dreams of love, all the time. And nobody has ever given him that. He needs to be shown that he is not alone. No one deserves to be alone, Madame Giry."
"You will surely fail," said Giry, standing her ground, "He will surely kill you."
"Then so be it," I retorted, stepping closer to her, "But I'm not going to sit here and watch him go mad. I'm his friend. And I'll do whatever it takes to show him that he's not alone in this cruel world. I know what it's like to be alone all the time, to have people shove you away and to be forcibly isolated. And let me tell you that it is the worst feeling that you could ever experience, and I'll be damned if I keep letting that happen to Erik." She said nothing back, so I took in a deep breath, feeling my eyes well up, "Now, if you don't mind, I think I'll find my room on my own," I stood up straighter and smiled, "Thank you for the escort." and with that I strolled past her, my shoulder bumping into hers.