Things Are Looking Up

This is my first time writing a fanfic, so please be gentle with your reviews. I know the characters are all OOC, but this is my story, so deal with it. This was inspired by my own personal Christine, and she was also Christine's model in this story. Enjoy!

I do not own The Phantom of the Opera story or any of the characters and this story is meant for entertainment purposes only.

Erik's POV:

The sounds of my violin's dying notes echoed through my lair and once again I am filled with emptiness. If only there was someone I could spend time with and share my music with. I wish for someone who can see as I see, but still brighten up my world with their laughter and joy. A beautiful woman with a mesmerizing look about her that dazzles me. Of course, those things only happen in fairy tales or in those epic romances I have read so many times….

It's about time for me to make my rounds through the opera house, so I ascend to the heavens once again, just to break the monotony of my long day. I have numerous ways to enter the world above, but I prefer the entrance behind the mirror in the empty dressing room due to the seclusion granted there. I must be going mad. I didn't usually have these internal monologues, did I? I am truly hopeless if I've sunk this low…

"What's this…?" I muttered to myself. A girl seems to have discovered my favorite spot. She's playing at the mirror with makeup and has what appears to be stubble on her face. Even with the stubble, it's obvious she's female. Upon closer inspection I notice the womanly curves visible even under her stolen jacket from the men's costume closet. I seem to have been mistaken about her being just a girl….before me stood a beautiful angel, gracing my world with her presence. She has very fair and pale skin, graced with light freckles upon her face. Many may find them displeasing, but on her they added to her natural beauty. Her eyes, a bright blue, only add to her beauty….though I hope this doesn't mean I think she's attractive because of that makeup of hers. Though it seems cute on her, I could never find a man attractive in any way. I've been alone for tooooooo long, but not THAT long.

"This is so much fun. I look like a wino from the local bar. Heehee." She laughed to herself. "I need to get out of this and onto rehearsal. I can't be looking like a man or the girls may mistake me for a suitor and attempt to seduce me. Though, Brigitte seems to try that with anything remotely mannish…."

I knew the girl she meant. Brigitte was a girl medium in stature with average looks, but seemed to be a little Carlotta in the making. For just a simple chorus girl, she seems to think the stage is only for her use, and she's not above sleeping for her position. But who cares about that girl. What is the name of this wonderful creature before me? I must know. There is a sudden knock on the door, followed by a soft voice. "Christine? Are you in there? Madame Giry will be furious if you're late again."

"Coming, Meg!" my angel responded. So, her name is Christine? Even now her name sends jolts through my system and my heart palpitates at the sight of her. I know of Hannah, since she is one of the most skilled dancers at the Opera Populaire, but to think that this lovely vision escaped my glance proves me to be a blind man or a fool. I let out a sigh, which I quickly stifle. However, she seems to have heard me. "Who's there?" Christine started to search frantically and stopped at the mirror, but I made sure to stay frozen and shallow my breathing so that the slightest sound would not give me away. Then suddenly there was a pounding on the door that made my brown haired goddess jump and the voice of Madame Giry filled the room "Christine Daae! Do you wish to continue working on this production? If so, I recommend you get to rehearsal right NOW!" Christine rolled her beautiful blue eyes as she started towards the door "Coming, Madame Giry." Such an attitude on her…but that strangely made her dearer to me. Such a fiery spirit. Something makes me think she could intimidate the stronger stagehands. I must keep my eye on this Christine Daae….

(The following dialogue has 3 characters, so to prevent confusion, the people will be written as follows: Adele in italics, Odette in underline, and Brigitte in bold. Enjoy!)

'Well, might as well start my rounds' I thought to myself. However, I didn't seem to wander too far from her. I seemed to be drawn to her like a moon is drawn to the earth, and yet it was more than that. I couldn't stand losing sight of her. From that one brief moment, I was obsessed with this goddess that has landed in my world. I was watching her from the higher catwalks when my attention strayed at the sound of her name, which came drifting to me from a cluster of girls gossiping away in a corner. I recognized the one with dark brown hair as that upstart Brigitte, so I assumed the others were part of her entourage. "Have you heard about that Daae girl and what she does for fun?" "No, what Brigitte?" whispered the short stocky dirty blonde haired girl. "Does she still talk to her dead father?" "More than that, Adele. I spied on her in that old dressing room and she plays at dressing up as a man. No doubt she gets some twisted pleasure from that." "Maybe she's gender confused and she likes girls more than boys. Or maybe she swings both ways" giggled Adele. "She doesn't go around with anything that moves like you do, Adele" said the taller blonde girl. "You take that back, Odette! You know I've only been with boys!" "So, you admit to liking them younger? I never thought of you as a cradle robber, Adele" smirked Brigitte. "Well, at least I don't go to bed with men who have children the same age as me, Brigitte!" "Whore!" "Bitch!" Odette, thankfully, regained control on the conversation "Shut up, both of you. Get back to what you were saying, Brigitte. What else has Christine done?" "Oh, she wanders around onstage at night singing like some diva. She should know better than that. I'm the only one with any real talent here." "I don't think luring lecherous directors to your bed counts as a talent" "Shut up! Luther just recognizes my real talent and feels it wasted here." "In any case, Christine needs to be put in her place. Do you have any ideas how we can embarrass her?" "I have an idea" and Brigitte began to whisper some infantile scheme between them.

I tried to pick up on some of it when all of a sudden I felt myself being watched. Impossible! Who can possibly catch me off guard! I look around and see two bright blue eyes staring straight at me. It's her! I back further into the shadows where I blend easily into the background. "What is it, Christine?" says Meg as she stares straight at where I was previously. However, Christine's eyes never wavered from mine. It was as if our souls were linked through that first contact and I was loathe to separate that bond. However, Christine broke that contact first. "Nothing, I just thought I saw a gentleman dressed in evening wear and a cloak up on the catwalk." "Oh, Christine, I'm sure you're imagining things. Unless it was the Opera Ghost." "There are ghosts here?" Only one, and this is his domain. I hear he controls even the managers in the office" "Has there been anyone hurt?" I saw my angel shiver from that thought and it bothered me more than it should. I would never harm a hair on her head, but here she was trembling, afraid of contact from me. If she only knew what I truly looked like, she would have great reason to be afraid. But to fear me even before then just wounded my heart. "No, he's never hurt anyone. He just plays pranks every now and then or asks for certain shows to be performed. As long as people obey him, he's quiet. It's only when he's defied that his pranks tend to get destructive." Christine sat there and thought for a moment. I noticed how her lips were slightly bigger than most girls. They looked absolutely luscious and I would give anything to feels those lips pressed against mine…What am I thinking? How could I ever hope to receive even a touch from her hand, let alone a kiss? I must be mad. I snap out of my reverie long enough to hear her question. "What's his name?" "What? Christine, ghosts don't have names. They are just given titles by the places they haunt." But he must have been a man at least once, and surely he has a name."

"Christine, rehearsal's over and we need to get moving or we may not make it to supper in time." "Okay Meg." My angel followed her friend slowly and before I could be out of earshot, I threw my name into her ear. "Erik….." She froze to the spot, turned in my direction, though this time she did not meet my eyes, and then she smiled. That smile puts all the music in the world to shame, and yet a thousand masterpieces could be written from that smile. The rest of the world ceased to exist for me except for her presence. She turned to leave, but I stayed where I was, even though caution begged me to leave before I was discovered. I suddenly found that my breath had stopped and I was lightheaded. As I walked through my passage way into the dressing room where we first met, my thoughts continued to remain on her. I slipped into the darkness behind the mirror and I knew then and there that I would love this woman unto my dying day.