"Christine Daee, where have you been?" Meg said as I snuck into the ballet girls room. "After our impromptu practice after the performance, I went to your room to find a man, a very handsome man mind you, sleeping at the foot of your door. Do you have any clue what that's about?"
"I-"
"Before you start spouting lies, I'll just let you know I have his half of the story."
"I wasn't going to lie to you Meg, I'd never." I replied.
"Mhm, I believe that." Meg said sarcastically.
"I was going to say I'll tell you, but not here." I heard some girls sigh as I said that, knowing they were trying to get another secret about my soulmate. Meg looked around too to see wandering eyes quickly flicking away as they got caught.
"Let's go find somewhere private, I want to know what happened." She said, grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the room. We walked down the hallways until we reached the closet where all of the past music is. We've found that not only do people not often come into this room, only to file away another opera once were done preforming it, but also that the vast amount of music absorbs a great amount of sound.
"Okay so spill the details. Start from when I left your dressing room."
"When does rehearsal start?"
"Christine stop worrying and avoiding the question. You're the prima Dona, you make them wait."
"But you're not."
"Don't worry about me, I want to know what happened." She pushed.
So I explained. She listened, only commenting here and there, but mostly trying to absorb everything. I started with the letter from Raoul, who I explained was the man sitting outside my door. I told her about how we were old friends, but haven't talked to each other since I moved away.
"Is he your Soulmate?" Meg butted in.
"Focus Meg."
"So is that a yes?" She shut up when I gave her the side eye.
I continued on, playing with the dress I put on this morning from the trunk. It was a lime green silk with white trimming around certain parts. I was surprised to find this morning that the dress fit my figure perfectly. I told her how he complimented the majesty of the performance to which she said: "I was there Christine, skip over this part." I was quite offended, I'd listen to this story over and over.
Raoul's letter, my Angel, a real man. I didn't tell her his name, though it almost slipped at some points. I told her about how I slept there, she didn't believe me that I was innocent which says more about her than it does about me. Then, I told her about my soulmate.
"You did find your soulmate!? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"It was just this morning," It does seem like a life time ago, yet it was only earlier this morning.
"I should have been the first to know." She whined.
"Meg you are the first to know."
"No, I wanted to figure it out before you found out."
"Meg, I told you this because I trust you, which means I trust that you won't tell anyone, not even your mother. I'm not sure how she'd feel about it." I said seriously.
"That's not fair, you know nobody gets a secret by that woman when she wants to know what it is."
"I know, but I thinks she knows him. When we were talking, he mentioned her. It could have just been because he see's everything that happens in this Opera house, but I don't want to take any chances."
"Fine, I'll try my hardest." She paused, standing up and holding a hand out for me to pull me up to. I dusted off the invisible dirt off my dress before she started speaking again. "So, you're soulmates with the Opera Ghost. You should not let that get out or people will think something entirely different."
"They won't think that if he's my soulmate."
"Yeah, that'll give them more of a reason to think that."
"Let's get to rehearsal."
We walked down the hallway, a different conversation flowing from our lips as to not let anything slip. As we rounded the corner, I could hear Carlotta screeching the aria. Confused, I looked over at Meg to see if she knew something, but she looked just as confused as me.
We peeked through the curtains to see Carlotta, finished with the song, yelling something in Italian to the managers. She stormed off stage, shoving me in the shoulder as she passed. Everyone started to file back onto the stage and watched as the manager's argued, but not able to pick up any points of conversation.
"Christine," I heard from the audience, I looked and there standing next to the managers, was Raoul who was rushing up to the stage. I sighed and rolled my eyes subtly before turning to him as he approached and putting on a fake smile. "Where did you go last night, I went back to your room and you weren't there."
"I just uh-"a lie, I need a lie, why is my brain blanking out, I need a lie!
"I searched the Opera House, asking around for you, but nobody had seen you leave. I thought for a second you finished getting ready so you went out to wait for me, but when I checked you weren't there either."
"I-uh-I went out to –uh, tell my father."
"I thought you said your father was dead. Christine why are you lying to me." He said, trying to be intimidating, but really coming off as a lost puppy.
"I am not lying," I said, sticking my nose up. "I went to his grave. I like to speak to him from time to time to keep him to track with my life. It's cathartic for me, like he's still here with me."
"Oh," he said, looking a little embarrassed.
"Now if you don't mind, I have to get back to practice." I said, trying to get out of further questioning.
"Mademoiselle Daee, a word please." Thank god for this, easy escape. I walked down the steps to meet the managers half way.
"We've decided that after tonight's performance, which is the last, you will not be the Prima Dona for La Carlotta has decided to return to us." They said with grim faces. This was not good, if there's one thing I do know about Erik, it's that he will not take nicely to this.
"Okay," I said calmly, then walked away, letting them deal with the after math of their actions, however, I do know this day will end with a talk from him.
Okay, that's it, that's all she has to say about this, Okay? No, this won't do. That screeching cow will never outshine my Christine, nor will I let her take that place back. They will all pay for taking Christine out of the spot light.
I turned and left where I was hidden in the shadows in box five, making sure that my footsteps were heard throughout the room. As I left I could hear whispers that the Phantom was there and the managers calling them insane in the nicest way possible.
I walked to through the walls that lead to La Carlotta's room, hoping to catch her there alone. Luck was in my favor because it was just her and Piangi, who I don't mind striking fear into either, it makes him sing better.
"You'll regret that" I said through the wall. Instantly the two shut up, looks of horror written across their faces.
"Regret what, what are we going to regret?" Piangi whispered to Carlotta.
"Me taking my rightfully deserved part back from the brat."
"Maybe you should give it back, he doesn't sound to happy." Piangi replied, clearly worried for his life.
"That girl wouldn't know tune if it hit her in the face, I'm keeping the part." Carlotta stated surely.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Positive."
I quickly took out my red pen and a scrap of paper and wrote on it: 'There will be consequences, O.G.' before sliding it under the door and rushing back into the wall.
"There's a paper." I heard Piangi said followed by rustling around the room and most likely picking it up and reading it. "'There will be consequences.'"
"Consequences? He's a ghost or a figment of the ballet rat's imagination depending on who you talk to, not someone who can mess with reality. What is he going to do? That's right, nothing." Carlotta said, her voice wavering even as she tries to talk herself down. "I'm playing that role Piangi, there's nothing that can stop me from taking back my spot from that little brat."
I snickered, she was going to regret this, and after I'm done with her, she'll never come back. I walked away, going to get ready for Christine's performance tonight. Hopefully she'll be as good as last night. I wasn't lying when I said she did utterly perfect. That entire crowd, including me, was completely entranced. The things her voice could do if it were paired with my music, we could hypnotize the world, then maybe I could actually give her a real life.
I stopped, thinking about it. I'd have to provide for this woman, a woman that deserves to be in the sunlight, stuck with a man who hides in the shade. She should just forget me, be with that Raoul kid, he seems entranced enough about her that he would probably forget his own soulmate. However, there are consequences for not being with that to whom you're destined to, they could always adopt.
Yeah right, an upper class family adopting, in my nightmares.
I sighed and continued walking, trying to find a way for Christine to recognize that I'm here without the rest of the crowd noticing. I know she'll read the signs perfectly no matter what I do. Though she's only known Erik for one day, even less than, she's known her Angel for many years.
I changed out of my regular suit into my nicer suit and made it back up to the auditorium just in time to see the curtains open. Originally I had walked into box five, expecting it to be empty, but there was the Viscount once more, hanging over the post, drooling over Christine who isn't even on stage yet.
I watched the whole performance from the overhang, only leaving during the curtain call to get back to Christine on time. She did amazing once more, not that I was expecting anything less from her. I've noticed she is a perfectionist when it comes to her singing probably because I am a perfectionist when I teach her.
I arrived to her room before anyone else and placed a single black rose I made myself out of paper Mache. I have a lot of time on my hands, and this rose will last a life time and not die after four days. I hid back behind the mirror just in time for the women to come into Christine's room followed by Christine.
The first woman dumped the flowers filling her arms on to the vanity table, some falling over the sides onto the floor she had so many. After the women helped her take off her hair, makeup and dress, which she got stuck in, she rushed them all out of the room.
The second the last woman's tail was out the door, Christine went to shut it, but a foot stuck its way in. I watched as it shocked Christine and she opened the door cautiously. I couldn't really see who was on the other side, but by the look on Christine's face and the voice coming from the man, you could say that I wasn't very happy.
"May I come in?" He asked snobbishly. Christine hesitated, looking in the direction of the mirror- me – before sighing and opening the door. I was disappointed, a little in her, but more in the fact that the boy can't catch a hint from the letter I sent him.
"I didn't think I was going to get a chance to talk to you. You seem so busy ever since you've become Prima Donna." He said.
"Well it is my childhood dream so I can't really complain." She replied.
"Oh," he paused "it is? I thought your childhood dream was to become a princess." He said, a little shocked.
"No, that was every little girls fantasy, a dream is one that sticks with you, and something that is actually reachable." She explained.
"I could make you a princess." He said confidently.
A silent pause filled the room.
"Excuse me?" She questioned, once again looking in my direction for help. I don't know why, I can't help her, I'm practically fuming back here at what he's implying, and I think she gets the hint to.
"If you married me, you wouldn't be a princess, but you'd be a Viscountess, if that's good enough." He said, looking away nervously.
"Oh Raoul, I can't marry you."
He looked back down at her, shell shocked. "Well why ever not?"
"I have a soulmate Raoul."
"And how do you know it's not me."
"Because I've turned eighteen Raoul, and my soul connection with my soulmate is that we feel each other's pain, I think at least." What is a soul connection? Is that why Christine has all my scars?
"Maybe that's my pain."
"Trust me Raoul, it's not. I have someone waiting for me just like you have someone waiting out there for you, but we can still be friends."
"So you've met him." He chimed out instantly. She blushed, looking away towards the ground this time. "That's who you were talking to yesterday after I left, your soulmate. Well, where is he, I'd like to meet him."
"Not here."
"Not a very good soulmate to miss one of your performances is he?"
"He was at the performance, he's just doing something."
"Well what's he doing, what's more important than seeing his soulmate after her magnificent performance?" They were quickly jabbing back and forth in this conversation. The only reason I was able to follow along is because my brain moves fast, but apparently Christine's doesn't because she didn't really think about what she was saying.
"He's putting our daughter to bed." I'm doing what now?